Above, a floating screen hovered in the air, displaying the current rankings.
I thought while stealing a quick glance at it.
According to the novel, the test would last for about a day, covering the entire forest.
Beyond the trees, I could see the endless ocean encircling it. It was an illusion and nothing more. The deeper I went into the forest, the stronger the spirit beasts I would encounter.
Even the first-ring beast I had just killed was already ten times stronger than a lion on Earth.
’I need to be careful.’
With that thought, I leapt forward from branch to branch until I reached the top of a tree. From here, the forest stretched out like an endless maze of shadows and rustling leaves.
I planned to stay here for a good while and farm low-level beasts.
A few minutes passed when I heard a soft rustle from beneath.
On the ground, a pack of four wolves stepped into a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides.
I didn’t plan to face them directly.
"Enkidu," I whispered.
The chain uncoiled from my arm like a living serpent and slipped through the leaves without a sound. Its dull, metallic glow was the only hint of movement.
I guided it toward the largest wolf first. It barely had time to sniff the air before the chain wrapped around its neck. I pulled hard. The wolf thrashed once, then fell limp to the grass.
The other wolves turned toward the noise, ears raised and teeth bared. Before they could react, I sent Enkidu darting sideways. It coiled around the legs of the second wolf, dragging it off its feet. I jumped down from the tree and landed behind it. With a quick flick, the chain crushed its throat.
The remaining two wolves lunged at me together. I stepped back, keeping my eyes on them. One leapt high, jaws snapping toward my shoulder. I twisted my body and raised Enkidu to block. The chain slammed into its skull, knocking it to the ground.
The last wolf circled me warily. Its eyes gleamed with caution, as if it sensed something was wrong. I didn’t give it time to rethink. Enkidu shot forward, wrapping around its chest and squeezing until its ribs cracked.
A moment later, the clearing fell silent.
I caught my breath and glanced around to make sure no other beasts had noticed the fight. Then I collected the spirit cores from the wolves, tucking them safely into my pouch.
My heart was still beating fast, but my mind stayed calm. This forest was only going to get more dangerous the deeper I went.
I was about to move on when I heard footsteps crunching through the underbrush.
Three students stepped into the clearing. They looked tired but alert, each holding a grimoire and scanning the area. When their eyes landed on me, their expressions changed.
"Well, what do we have here?" the tallest of them said as his integration grimoire started spinning mid-air. "Hand over your spirit orb."
I tilted my head as a faint smile formed at my lips. "And if I don’t? You’ll pout me to death?"
The shorter boy stiffened at my response. "Don’t test us."
"Oh, I’m terrified," I deadpanned while spreading my hands. "Truly. Look—see me trembling?"
Then I paused for a second as my eyes stared at his head. "Especially of that haircut. Bold choice."
The girl’s face flushed with anger. "You think you’re funny?"
"Funny? Not really," I said in a casual tone as I shifted my weight to one foot. "Just observant. It’s a three-on-one fight, yet you all still look nervous."
This agitated them the most. Their grimoires began to glow, mana swirling around them like a warning. Leaves rustled underfoot as they spread out, trying to circle me.
The tall boy clenched his jaw, and his grimoire floated higher as a card floated out from it into his hand.
It was a light-green card. As soon as the boy activated his card, a blinding light engulfed him. When the lights the human in front of me was gone. What stood there felt disgusting yet monstrous at the same time.
It stood taller than a man, its body covered in dull green chitin that glinted under the light. From the waist up, it looked almost human—broad shoulders, long arms—but those arms ended in curved, scythe-like blades that twitched restlessly.
Its head was a disturbing fusion of man and insect, crowned with twitching antennae and dominated by cold, faceted eyes that caught every movement.
Below the waist, its form bent backward at the knees like a mantis, ending in clawed feet that dug into the earth with each step. Even standing still, it seemed coiled and ready to strike—waiting for an excuse to unfold.
Behind his back, a single dark green ring floated. The proof of his integration grimoire.
"Last chance," he growled, though the voice now sounded distorted like a half human, half insect rasp.
I stared for a moment before letting out a soft whistle. "Wow. And here I thought the haircut was the worst thing I’d see today."
Its antennae twitched violently, and its faceted eyes locked onto me with cold fury.
"Seriously though," I went on, tilting my head, "was turning into an ugly bug part of the plan? Or just a bonus?"
The mantis creature hissed, and before I could blink, it shot forward.
One of its bladed arms swung at my chest, faster than I had expected. I barely managed to summon Enkidu up to block, but the force sent me stumbling back as breath got caught in my throat.
I steadied myself and lashed Enkidu out again, trying to catch its leg. The chain wrapped around its chitin, but with a violent tug, it ripped free, nearly pulling me off balance.
"Enkidu!" I barked, sending the chain whipping toward its head. But it ducked low and slashed upward, the blade grazing my shoulder and tearing through fabric and skin alike.
Pain burned down my arm as two rings formed behind my right palm. The inner ring was a dark shade of silver while the outer ring had a very light silver hue.