The Trial

The tent was a sturdy pyramid of white canvas, its A-frame design rising to meet at a single peak. With its square base, the sides sloped steeply, making it spacious inside and adept at deflecting snow and wind outside. A central pole held the apex aloft while the corners were stretched out and anchored, giving the structure its stability. However, overall, the tent was big enough to fit five people inside. The floor was made from a layer of canvas. 

The inside of the tent felt almost cozy thanks to the hot stove that Lukas had set up. It wasn't large, but its warmth filled the space, casting a soft light that made the tent's interior inviting. The stove crackled and popped, the sound mingling with the muffled gusts of wind outside. Despite the simplicity of the setup, it was a welcome change from the cold caves they had been using for shelter in the past weeks.

The tent was surprisingly roomy. Bell could stand up straight without a problem, and there was enough floor space for everyone to lay out their sleeping bags without touching. Lisa's organizational skills were apparent in the layout. Their gear was stacked neatly to one side, ready for quick use if needed, while small essentials were tucked into the built-in pockets along the tent walls.

Outside, the wind was a constant reminder of the harsh environment they were in, but inside, it feels like a home, sure, it wasn't a castle, but it was still home. Bell took in the sight, a small smile playing on his lips. They had set up a solid camp in no time, and with the toughest guys from the north with him, Bell had a flicker of hope that they might just make it through. As he sat down on one of the sleeping bags lying down on the ground, he looked at his system interface while Lukas was cooking dried-up spaghetti on top of that wooden stove using a pot. 

Everyone sat down on top of their coat while getting the warmth of the stove. However, since the interior was still cold, none of them dared to take off their jackets or their face concealment, they simply waited for the tent to heat up. The only thing they took off at the moment was their helmets. 

In the meantime, Bell was looking at his interface. 

[Diagnostic Menu] [Level: 1] [No Demonic Points Available]

Name: Bellial Radcliffe

EXP: 950/1,000

General Health Status: Bruised Chest

Skills and Perks:

• Marksmanship: Lv.2 (Increased Accuracy & Range of any small arms)

"Something bothering you, Bell?" Lukas asked as he stirred the pot on top of the stove. 

"Yeah, how many husks did we kill on our way here?" Bell asked. 

"Twenty-ish, I guess?" Lukas rolled his eyes. 

"Nineteen, we killed 19 husks," Amelia intervened. 

"So, 50 exp or whatever that is for each husk," Bell pondered. 

"Congratulations for the reality distortion, differentiating the interface and life is hard, isn't it? Been through it once, but you'll get used to it," Lisa joked. 

Bell didn't quite grasp what Lisa was trying to convey, but the prospect of a reward for slaying husks piqued his interest. These undead creatures had been a constant nuisance ever since the necromancers reanimated the corpses across the northern continent. Perhaps, by eliminating more husks, he could bolster his ranks for an eventual counteroffensive.

Turning to Harris, he inquired, "So, boss, do you have an estimate of how many EP we can earn for taking down a single husk?"

Bell replied, "If I were to make an educated guess, it would be around 250 EP."

Harris couldn't help but sport a smug grin and remarked, "Well, well, well, isn't that a pleasant surprise. Maybe, just maybe, we can earn even more if we let the husks come to us."

Bell, however, quickly dismissed the idea, saying, "No thanks, Harris. I've had my fill of those creatures during my journey north. Right now, I just want to eat. Lukas, is the food ready yet?"

Lukas responded, "Not quite, the water hasn't reached a boil yet, but the noodles have started absorbing the water."

"How many meals did you put in that thing, anyway?" Lisa asked. 

"Five, why do you ask?" 

"Put six, see, Bell is severely malnourished," Lisa asked, while pointing at Bell's face whose cheek bones were clearly defined. 

"Huh? How can you tell? Is it Bell, or is it just your way of getting two portions?" Lukas squinted his eyes, gazing sharp at Lisa, analyzing whether the doctor was lying or not. He then just opened his rucksack and grabbed another package of mountain house spaghetti from his backpack. He then poured the whole content into the now boiling water. 

"Thanks," Lisa nodded. 

"Boss, if you don't mind me asking, what's your story? I mean, sure, you're our boss, but the dossier doesn't exactly explain who you are. First thing, why are you called a demon lord?" Harris asked. 

As Bell listened to Harris's question, he leaned back against his backpack. He gazed into the flickering light of the stove, his expression thoughtful.

"You see, 'Demon Lord' is more of a title bestowed upon me by the Southern Human Coalition," Bell began, his voice calm and even. He paused, shifting his gaze to the small flames dancing in the stove. "Back when I was actively serving in the military, I was known for my... let's say, unconventional methods and formidable strength in battle. The title, although highly exaggerated, stuck with me."

"So, you're some kind of hotshots?" Harris commented. 

"You can say that again."

"How come your country got destroyed that easily, though?" 

"When you're outnumbered 100:1 by the undeads and monsters, while being infected with something that a healing spell only made worse, it's not that hard to guess, isn't it?" Bell added, then he continued. "Add to the active naval blockade and border closing, and no matter how good a prime minister you are, it is simply impossible." 

Lisa then gave a sharp glare at Bell, "Wait, don't you tell me?" 

"Yeah, you are looking at the prime minister, the one and only," Bell said. 

[Trial #2: Survive The Wave Of Undeads]

An army of husks, skeleton, skeleton shamans, and undead wolves is approaching your current position. Your position has been surrounded by them. Your task is to survive the onslaught until the morning comes. It's a good idea to prepare for a long fight, alongside with weapons capable of area of effect damage. 

[Time Until Assault: 00:10:00]

[Rewards: 100,000 EP]

"Fucking great, Harris, you just fucking jinxed us!" Lisa shouted, hands on her helmet and she immediately wore it. 

Harris, letting out a small chuckle, "Better than a human wave attack, that's for sure. Alright, let's gear up, people, boss, you're on point." 

Bell only gave a scratch on his head, not only several hours earlier, he got a trial, and now, he got another one, with a far dangerous threat in comparison to a mere juggernaut. However, now, with the military system on his hands, he felt handling them would be easy. 

"Everyone, get out of the tent. Let's establish point, one on the east side, and one on the west side." Bell put his helmet on and grabbed his assault rifle. 

Opening the tent flap, it was dark outside, with the occassional of white fleck in the air thanks to the light reflected from the inside of the tent. However, the moment Bell flipped the night-vision goggles down, everything became so clear, no more darkness, the forest just looked as if it was daytime. He never had this kind of tech ever before, then again, in his minds, the other four people were from the future. The undeads weren't in sight yet, giving them the needed time to prepare.

"Let's establish a machine gun spot on each side, those things should be easy to dealt with, but if one of them got through, our fire support efficiency will dwindle down, any suggestion?" 

Amelia then added, "Instead of a regular machine gun, let's try a grenade machine gun. For security reason, I'll spread minefields 50 meters beyond our perimeters, what do you say, Bell?" 

"Good idea, what is the ammo for the GMG?" 

"40x53 mm, buy the HE variant, cheaper and easier for us to use. Get 2,000 rounds of it, alongside with 50 M16 mines." 

Lisa then intervened, "Isn't that too much? Those husks are dead the moment we gave them a head shot." 

"Better be prepared than sorry, your choice, Bell?" Amelia asked. 

"Let's stick with Amelia's idea." 

Bell opened the interface, and then he went to the [Items & Logistics Department Interface] to buy the items that Amelia requested. However, once all of the costs were summed up, Bell was baffled by the price, including the fact that he didn't have enough points to purchase it. 

[Items & Logistics Department Interface] [Search:______ ] [Open Sell Menu] [EP: 54,750]

• 2 x [H&K GMG] = 30,000 EP (15,000 EP each)

• 50 x [M16 Mines] = 4,000 EP (80 EP each)

• 2,000 x [40x53 mm HE] = 40,000 EP (20 EP each)

[Total: 74,000 EP] [NOT ENOUGH EP]

"Change of plan, it's too bloody expensive!" Bell said. 

Harris then intervened, still holding his big gun, "Lukas and I have a machine gun, we should be fine, but we need ammo. I need 5.56 while Lukas needs .338." 

"Change your shopping list then, Bell. Exchange it to MK 19 GMG, 500 rounds of 40x53 HE, 4,000 rounds of M885A1, and 1,500 rounds of .338 Lapua Magnum. Also buy another MG4, we might need three machine gunners to hold them off. Mines should still be there, how about that?" Amelia asked. 

[Items & Logistics Department Interface] [Search:______ ] [Open Sell Menu] [EP: 54,750] 

• 1 x [MK 19 GMG] = 15,000 EP 

• 1 x [MG4] = 5,000 EP 

• 500 x [40x53 mm HE] = 10,000 EP 

• 3,000 x [5.56 M855A1] = 1,050 EP 

• 1,500 x [.338 FMJ] = 3,750 EP 

• 50 x [M16 Mines] = 4,000 EP 

[Total: 38,800 EP] [Purchase?]

Bell hit the purchase button, and instantly, several pelican containers and plastic crates materialized in front of them, varying in size. Bell quickly opened the largest crate, revealing the MK-18 grenade machine gun, already prepped with a grenade box. He and Lisa hefted the weapon into position, ensuring it could cover the entire camp.

In the meantime, Amelia sprinted into the perimeter, mines in hand, ready to set up defenses. Lukas and Harris, meanwhile, busied themselves with the ammunition crates. They loaded their machine guns with new 1,000-round ammo boxes, replacing their smaller 200-round magazines to better withstand the impending onslaught.

Bell hovered over the MK-18 grenade machine gun, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Let's see, open the feeding tray," he murmured, his movements deliberate as he navigated the unfamiliar mechanism. His fingers, more accustomed to rudimentary firearms, cautiously threaded the grenade belt.

Lisa offered Bell a tip as he struggled with the ammo. "Make sure the first round is set right," she said. Bell adjusted the belt, aligning each round carefully.

"Now to lock this in," he declared, confidently securing the feeding tray. "Just pull the trigger to fire, right?"

"Remember to disengage the safety," Lisa reminded, pressing a button on the machine gun's bottom.

Bell hurried to the ammo crates, moving them near the grenade gun for easy access. Meanwhile, Amelia dashed back to the camp. She stored her H&K 416 in the tent, then fetched the MG4 and a 1,000-round box, placing them together on the ground. In the middle of the blowing snowstorm, they waited for the incoming onslaught. Between those trees, there would be a lot of undeads, they only hadn't gotten visual on them yet. 

[Beginning Trial…]

"CONTACT, 300 METERS, ENGAGING!" Lukas shouted. 

And thus, the night-long battle began.