"Hey, are you still alive?"
Sylutia stood before the concealed rocky cave, looking down at the unconscious Solyn lying before her.
He had half-buried himself in the soft soil, his face purplish, his body feverish, nearly in shock.
Taking out the small knife she carried, Sylutia slit his wrist, checking the dark red blood that flowed out.
Poisoned, as expected, the girl thought. She then took out the 'White Callia' flower petals she carried in her bosom, pried open Solyn's jaw, placed the fragrant callia petals into his mouth, and poured in so clean water.
A short while later, Solyn slowly regained consciousness. Raising his head, he saw Sylutia standing not far in front of him.
He discovered the flower petals in his mouth; their fragrance dispelled the fogginess in his mind, making him realize this must be sothing to counteract the poison.
"Tha...nk you," he mumbled, his speech slurred, then weakly closed his eyes again.
The assessnt was probably hopeless now, but being able to survive was a trendous relief.
In the past, he hadn't understood why his father, a veteran and warrior who had experienced many battlefields, had now fled the battlefield and lived in seclusion in a remote place like Scorchstone City.
Now, he could probably understand his father's feelings and thoughts.
Battlefields and death were truly terrifying things, he reflected, recalling the poisonous snake he had killed yesterday. Even though he had won, so what? He had still almost died in the mountains. Compared to surviving, victory beca an insignificant thing.
After recovering so strength, he slowly crawled out of the soft soil, then found the water flask he had buried, drank so clean water, and felt his strength returning considerably.
"I'm better now. I should be able to slowly make my way back on my own later," he said, sitting under a tree, his eyes swollen.
"Tia, you still want to continue participating in the assessnt, right? No need to waste any more ti here." Although he didn't know how this seemingly delicate girl had reached the depths of the forest, since she had arrived safely, she was surely much stronger than him.
"I originally thought about competing with Mick. It seems I was too arrogant," he shook his head self-deprecatingly.
"Since you can guide Mick, you must be stronger than him. I misjudged you in the past."
"Among this batch of trainees, probably no one can beat you except Iona... Now that I've beco weak, I can truly feel what strength is."
"Your footsteps and movents are far more coordinated than anyone else's. That's not sothing a delicate young girl can do."
"This pearl, I give it to you. If you face Iona, it will be a great help to you." He took out a snow-white pearl from his sleeve and handed it to the girl.
[Blue Water Clam Pearl] (First Tier · Slumbering Winter): A pearl containing Aspect power. Its power can be driven and activated, releasing an icy cold aura. (Remaining power: 82%)
"I originally prepared this for myself, precisely to have a fighting chance when facing Iona," he leaned against the tree trunk, speaking slowly.
"Now it's of no use."
"I'll stop here. You continue on your way..." After saying this, he closed his eyes again, entering the recuperative state of the Breathing Technique, adjusting the rhythm of his bloodline to repair his injuries.
Seeing this, Sylutia slowly stood up. She looked at the pearl in her hand and nodded at the recuperating Solyn before her.
"I'm leaving. Here's a bit more wound dicine; you can apply it externally." She placed down a small bottle of hemostatic and disinfectant wound dicine, then left.
...
In the evening, Sylutia found another Ogre. It had coarse, bluish skin, a rhinoceros-like horn on its head, and its body was stained with foul-slling blood and gri.
Facing this Ogre, she set down the basket at her side, then gripped the two Tree Jade Spirit Swords in her hands.
Verdant light flowed, and the two jade-like long swords emitted a fluorescent glow in the evening environnt, becoming sharp and hard.
"You've eaten people," Sylutia could discern the traces left on its body and muttered under her breath.
Faced with the girl's accusation, the Ogre before her roared disdainfully, then, gripping a thick wooden club, strode forward, swinging the club—thicker than the girl's waist—downwards.
Sylutia had already nimbly dodged before the club struck. The club only sent shattered stones and soil flying from the ground. Then she agilely charged towards the Ogre's back, and before it could defend itself, plunged a sword into its back.
The blade precisely avoided the tough bones, slipping between the bone gaps into the Ogre's lung, then sliced horizontally before withdrawing.
The intense pain enraged the Ogre. Its blood boiled throughout its body, its internal power instantly ignited by fury. Gripping the club, it spun around wildly, slashing and smashing at the girl.
Facing this seemingly frenzied attack, Sylutia responded calmly, continuously using trees to obstruct its steps, then quickly dodging out of its attack range.
Blood continuously flowed from the wound. The herbs sared on this Tree Jade Spirit Sword to hinder blood clotting prevented the Ogre from healing its wound. It began to shift slowly from rage to panic, then, clutching its wound, tried to flee.
Seeing this, Sylutia shook her head, stopped, and took out the lantern at her waist.
Under the activation of the [Flower Blooming thod], the faint starlight-like brightness of the Fire Glow Orchid stans within the lantern rapidly increased, then an invisible wave of fire spread out.
A wave of fiery orange-red flas, almost tangible, spread out from Sylutia's side, igniting the trees along the way and the Ogre's body. It howled and rolled on the mountainside, raising wisps of bluish smoke.
About ten minutes later, this Ogre was completely dead, its charred body emitting a foul, hot stench amidst the grass.
That should count as completing the second target, the girl thought, cautiously approaching the dead Ogre's side and examining the corpse with the other Black Steel Short Sword.
With this experience of defeating an opponent, she also had so ideas for facing the previous Two-Headed Ogre.
It seems she needed to find other ways to defeat opponents. Blindly attacking head-on wasn't the best choice. She thought the biggest credit for killing this Ogre should go to the blood-clotting-hindering herbs she had inadvertently picked along the way.
If she could use poison... Sylutia began to formulate a plan for later.
...
On the open ground at the foot of the mountain, Viscount Xuefeng and Scholar Hyde sat upright in a temporary wooden shed, discussing the situation of this assessnt.
"Now, the first batch who found the spring water have returned."
"A total of six have returned. Two brought back spring water; the other four were injured and voluntarily withdrew, eliminated."
"Currently, Iona, Tia, Koa, Karen, Mick, Ray, Solyn, and Baren have not yet returned," a servant beside them checked the roster.
"One day and night has passed. The trainees' carried food and clean water are limited. Their supplies should be almost exhausted. If they can't find water and food on their own, it will be hard to persist later," a tall knight holding a heavy sword standing beside the Viscount comnted.
"Levin is right. Generally, the first target is within the range of normal people. As long as they studied hard and prepared well daily, completing it isn't difficult."
"But starting from the second target, it particularly tests talent and strength."
"How many trainees from this batch have stepped into the 'First Tier'?" Knight Levin asked the Instructor.
"Eight trainees from this batch have stepped into the First Tier," the Instructor answered proudly.
"Oh, so that ans none of the elite trainees who stepped into the First Tier have returned yet, correct?" Knight Levin spoke with interest, his gaze from beneath his helt looking into the distance.
"Yes." At this point, many people present began to worry again.
These elite trainees were the pride of Scorchstone City. In another ten-plus years, they would probably beco the backbone of Scorchstone City, standing here just like them today.
Although it's good for young people to have ambition, it would be a pity if they encountered an accident while slaying 'First Tier' monsters.
Conversations continued under this temporary wooden shed until a black carriage slowly arrived in the twilight, making everyone fall silent.
Two Third Tier knights stood in front of Viscount Xuefeng. The 'Castle' Aspect aura emanating from their bodies spread out like city walls, enveloping the entire temporary camp, blocking the invisible erosion spreading in the night.
Then, the black carriage stopped, and the carriage door opened.
A captivating black skirt hem slowly stepped out of the carriage door, followed by a graceful figure whose face was unclear. She had pale skin, wore enchanting black clothing as dark as night, and around her wrists, slender black ribbons were wrapped, twisting occasionally like living things.
[Fourth Tier · Nightmare]
When she appeared, many weeds at her feet began to unnaturally twist, blacken, and deform; so even grew weeping human faces, sending chills down one's spine.
After brief contact, these plants were contaminated with the 'Nightmare' Aspect power, mutating and withering. Even the two Third Tier knights, only one tier below, now looked grave, vigilantly watching the figure walking slowly towards them.
So this is a Witch from the Hidden Grove? So terrifying and dreadful, completely unlike an existence from the mortal world, more like so kind of twisted monster.
At this mont of extre tension for everyone, the unknown figure let out a light, ethereal laugh, finally breaking the silence.
"Long ti no see, little Hyde. I never imagined you'd be so old now." Flecks of faint purple light appeared around her, faintly illuminating her figure in the twilight.
Finally seeing her face clearly, Hyde, sitting on the wooden chair, stood up sowhat incredulously, looking at her.
"Is that... rlinsa... Senior Sister?"
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