Xu Yuan had actually laid out all this crucial information to him without holding anything back.

The simplest way to put it, it was like a general handing over the entire battle plan to a commander who had just joined his side.

Xu Yuan's action made Steve feel more or less overwhelmed with honor.

Hearing Steve strain for so long only to squeeze out the two words "holy shit," Black Blade, standing by, also couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Looks like you so-called cultured folks aren't much different from us after all."

"When you're cornered, those two words still do the job best."

Hearing Black Blade's words, Steve's ears burned red with embarrassment.

"Ahem…"

"With this much information, my head feels completely crammed full…"

After Black Blade's round of teasing, Steve finally regained his composure a bit.

He thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Yuan and asked, "I already understand the current situation."

"Is there something I can do?"

Steve wasn't stupid, nor had the flood of information muddled his mind.

He knew full well, Xu Yuan had deliberately sought him out, not just to tell him about the Void.

Clearly, there was something Xu Yuan needed from him. That was the only reason he'd shared all this.

Xu Yuan liked talking with smart people. Talking with smart people saved a lot of time, because they usually spotted the key point right away.

Xu Yuan nodded, then asked Steve, "Your Blade of the War God, did you bring it into the Trial Grounds?"

Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Steve froze for a moment.

He hadn't expected Xu Yuan to bring up the Blade of the War God.

Though he didn't understand why Xu Yuan was asking, Steve still nodded and replied, "When I entered the Trial Grounds, I had it with me. But it only appears in my pack when I'm in the waiting area."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan couldn't help but sigh instinctively.

"Looks like we'll need another way…"

Xu Yuan only muttered this inside, without saying it aloud.

But Steve still caught that subconscious sigh.

Seeing this, Steve pressed further. "The Blade of the War God, can it solve the problem?"

Since Steve had asked, Xu Yuan didn't plan on hiding it from him. He answered honestly, "Maybe."

Then he asked Steve, "Have you ever entered the Item Dimension?"

Hearing this, Steve couldn't help but freeze.

"You… how do you know…"

Before Steve could finish, his mind suddenly flashed back to what happened after the God Domain Tournament.

That was after he had just won the first God Domain Tournament and obtained the Blade of the War God.

Back then, Steve was at his base, celebrating with his family.

But not long into the joy, Xu Yuan arrived.

He directly took the Blade of the War God from Steve's hands.

Yet after only fiddling with it for a short while, Xu Yuan returned it to him.

Thinking of that, Steve understood.

"I remember now… it must have been the Blade of the War God that told you…"

"I recall, after I got it, you came to find me, took it away, then gave it back…"

Of course Steve knew about the Item Dimension.

It was the Blade of the War God that had taken him there.

That place was full of all sorts of items that had already awakened a consciousness.

They shared a single space. As long as you gained recognition from one of them, you could enter the Item Dimension.

You could also take and use other items inside it.

It was an independent space, belonging neither to the Overworld, the Nether, nor the End.

Realizing this, Steve immediately caught Xu Yuan's meaning.

"The Item Dimension is an independent space!"

"If I can enter it, then the Void won't be able to find me!"

Black Blade had already told Steve about their current predicament.

Xu Yuan must have been trying to find a completely safe space for his people.

The Item Dimension was exactly that.

Seeing how quickly Steve grasped it, Xu Yuan nodded.

"Mm. That place should be safe."

"For now, it seems you alone have opened the Item Dimension."

"If you hadn't brought it, maybe we could've let Entity 303 try it, that was another possibility."

"Unfortunately, you brought it along…"

"So now we'll have to think of another way."

The whole reason Xu Yuan had sought Steve was the Item Dimension.

Just as Steve had said, all you needed was the recognition of an awakened item inside to enter.

The Blade of the War God had once acknowledged Xu Yuan. If Steve hadn't brought it, Xu Yuan had been planning to let Entity 303 try holding it, to make the blade open the Item Dimension, and then help them gain recognition from the other items.

Xu Yuan didn't know what the conditions were for earning recognition from each item.

But with Entity 303's strength, it probably wouldn't be too hard.

At least not as hard as some newbie tearing their hair out trying to modify code, right?

If it worked, they could solve the problem of keeping Xu Yuan's people safe once the Void fully manifested.

Xu Yuan hadn't expected Steve to have actually brought the Blade of the War God into the Trial Grounds.

Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Steve felt a bit guilty. He gave a sheepish laugh.

"Uh…"

"It's not like I insisted on bringing it…"

"It's mainly that it comes with a binding curse…"

It wasn't that Steve wanted to carry it everywhere. He knew perfectly well it wouldn't work here.

But the binding curse tied them tightly together, impossible to separate.

Xu Yuan didn't blame Steve. Seeing his guilty look, he consoled him, "It's fine."

"I'll think of another, "

Before Xu Yuan could finish, Steve suddenly cut him off.

In just those few seconds, Steve seemed to have made a decision.

He looked at Xu Yuan, eyes filled with determination.

"Leave this to me."

Hearing Steve's words, and looking up to see the resolve in his eyes, Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel surprised.

Since Steve carried the Blade of the War God, there was only one way he could help Xu Yuan with this problem.

He would have to leave the Trial Grounds.

That meant giving up his qualifications here of his own accord.

Only then could he take the Blade of the War God and go to Entity 303 to help them.

The Trial Grounds weren't a place just anyone could enter.

Leaving aside whether one could even win its rewards, Steve had already spoken his true feelings earlier. Since he had made up his mind and chosen to side with Xu Yuan, of course he no longer cared about the rewards.

But clearly, this was about more than rewards.

If it were an ordinary player, it wouldn't matter.

Getting eliminated midway or leaving on their own wouldn't cause any big impact.

But for someone like Steve, a top figure, highly respected among the players, if he left halfway through…

No matter the reason, it would inevitably harm his reputation in their eyes.

Steve understood this better than Xu Yuan did.

That was exactly why Xu Yuan was surprised.

He hadn't thought Steve would be willing to give up so much.

Steve's actions made Xu Yuan look at him in a new light.

Steve had grown a lot over this time.

Someone who could set aside such external things was surely someone capable of great achievements.

"Are you sure?"

Xu Yuan didn't want to put on false modesty, saying things like "no need" or "don't trouble yourself."

The Item Dimension was the best and quickest option to solve his people's current crisis.

So Xu Yuan wouldn't deliberately decline. But he still had to confirm again with Steve.

He didn't want Steve making this decision out of rashness, or just because he wanted to prove his usefulness in front of Xu Yuan.

After all, Steve had only just joined his side.

Unlike Black Blade and the others, who had followed Xu Yuan for a long time, with them he wouldn't even hesitate.

Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Steve looked him straight in the eyes and nodded firmly.

"I'm sure."

Hearing Steve's resolute reply, Black Blade couldn't help speaking up,

"If you take this on, you'll have to give up your qualification for the Trial Grounds."

"You've thought this through?"

Of course Black Blade understood what it meant for Steve to shoulder this task.

Compared to Xu Yuan, Black Blade could empathize with Steve's position even more.

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