"You will have three different goals in Evensong Forest to compete and win this competition.
The first goal will be collecting. There is a flower somewhere inside the Evensong Forest named 'Calfury.' It looks like this. If you complete this task, you will secure the third position safely," the chief explained as he took out a purple-colored flower from his pocket and showed it to everyone.
"The second goal will be stealing. There lives a beast inside the Evensong Forest known as the Evan Eagle. They lay eggs in this season on the top of the highest tree in the forest.
You will have to steal its egg and bring it back to secure the second position in this competition. You can also bring more than one egg to get extra money for it. Here is a picture of how this creature looks like," the chief spoke as he took out a scroll from his pocket and showed it to everyone.
On the scroll, there was a drawing of an Evan Eagle.
"The third and the last goal will be hunting. As you can already understand what this means. You have to hunt a beast and bring back its teeth in order to complete this task.
The beast you will be hunting is a very vicious one, known as 'The Hell Hound.'
The Hell Hound is a very dangerous beast; they search for food in the darkness of night, and they can easily sense anyone approaching them.
Now if some of you must be thinking, why not just buy their teeth from the shop and give them to the chief? No, that won't work. I can easily tell if the teeth belong to a freshly killed Hell Hound or a previously killed one.
So, don't try to act oversmart with me. If you achieve this task, you will secure the first position in this competition easily.
One more thing, although this never happened, but since I have some very promising faces here, I will be adding one more rule to this task.
Suppose if two or more than two guys kill the Hell Hound. In this condition, we can have a difficult time declaring one of them the winner; that's why you should try to kill as many Hell Hounds as possible.
The more teeth you have, the higher your chances of winning will be.
Now, you have 20 minutes to meet your families before you leave for the next three days.
Anyone who doesn't return back in 3 days will be considered dead. Thank you, everyone. You can still leave the competition if you want," the chief explained as he went down the stage.
As soon as he went backstage... He noticed the man who was threatening him before.
"I-I did it. I did what you told me to do. Now, please don't hurt my family. Please."
"Your work is not done yet. I need him inside the forest. You do it, or I will kill your whole family, and you know I can do it," the man again threatened the village chief.
"O-OKAY... I will do everything you tell me to, but don't touch my family," the village chief requested.
The man covered in green clothes disappeared.
Anon returned back to Ian, Moon, and Hillary.
"Well, Dad... I think I will go for the second or the third position because the first position task is too dangerous, and I can't risk it," Anon spoke as he looked at Ian.
"Yes, son, you do that and only go for the safe tasks. I am not forcing you to do any tasks at all. You are free from my side. I just want one thing from you: come out alive from that forest, okay? Now you will meet your mom, and she will definitely cry. Just hold her tightly," Ian spoke.
"Yes, father," Anon said as he moved towards Hillary.
"Oh, mother, come here, give me a hug," Anon said as he hugged Hillary.
"If you were my son, I wouldn't have allowed him to go in there at all, but I hope you die a very painful death," Hillary whispered in Anon's ears.
"If I died, your son's whereabouts would also be gone with me. Be careful of what you say next; your words can easily fire back right at your face," Anon replied with a smile.
"Fuck you," Hillary spoke.
"Oh, mom. Yes, yes, I love you too, and I will come out of that forest well and alive," Anon said out loud as they separated from each other.
"Oh, I will pray for you, son," Hillary said as she touched Anon's cheeks.
After meeting Hillary, Anon moved towards Moon.
"Hey, are you alright?" Moon asked.
"Yeah, I am good. What about you? How are you feeling?" Anon asked with a smile.
"I want to stop you from going into that death trap, but I can't because you have an iron will this time, and I can see it in your eyes. So, I want to say only one thing to you: be safe and return alive in one piece, okay?" Moon spoke.
"Believe me, I will. There is no beast inside that forest that can kill me, until Gin is with me," Anon said as he pointed towards the puppy.
Woof
"Oh, his name is Gin, huh?" Moon spoke as she bent down and picked him up.
"You protect my brother, okay?" She said as she held Gin in her hands.
Woof-Woof-Woof
"Good... Now come here and give me a big hug," Moon spoke as she hugged Anon.
"Okay, contestants, please come back to the stage. Your time to meet with your family is over. We will now begin the competition," the chief announced as three big glass screens appeared hovering above the stage.
Anon and the other guys moved back to the stage.
"Follow me," the village chief spoke as he took everyone to the entrance of the Evensong Forest.
"Contestants, your competition will start in 10 seconds."
"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1. Go."
Suddenly, everyone started running into the forest. Suddenly, everyone noticed that one guy was walking very slowly and he wasn't rushing like the others.
This guy was none other than Jule himself.
'Let's begin.' Anon thought as an evil smile appeared on his face.
Anon is walking through the Evensong Forest with Gin. The sun is still shining in the sky, making the forest look beautiful.
However, when night falls, this very place will resemble a goddamn graveyard.
While everyone is moving cautiously and ensuring their safety, Anon is walking around as if he's taking a leisurely stroll in a garden.
No beast dares to approach him due to Gin's aura. On the contrary, other contestants are searching for the flower or the egg, all aiming to secure the third and second positions before attempting the first.
Anon, though, is waiting for the sun to go down, as only then will the Hell Hounds emerge for their hunt.
Zzz
The trees vibrated as a black figure jumped on them.
Suddenly, Anon senses an unknown presence following him from behind.
'Hmmm... He's here, This guy is really professional. He knows how to hide himself and he is also using stealthy spells.' Anon thinks as he turns around. He knows someone is trailing him, but he can't pinpoint the exact location.
He is hiding very well among the tress, making him almost untraceable.
"Show me your skills, Gin boy," Anon says as he rubs Gin's head.
Gin instantly transforms into his original form and emits an ultrasonic sound from his mouth.
This voice was inaudible to Anon and the assassin, only bats can listen to this sound.
Dooooooom
Woof
Gin barks oddly at a large tree.
'Found you, bitch,' Anon thinks as he activates his skill.
[Name: Clint]
[Level: 209]
[Race: Dark Elf]
[Class: Assassin]
[Description: Contracted by Peter Paradise to eliminate you at any cost. Awaiting your entry into a more secluded area before he strikes.]
'Hmmm... Clint, you're way above my level, but it'll be fun to play with you, let's see to what limits can you Follow me.' Anon thinks as he continues walking forward.
'Something's wrong... Why is he heading toward the center of the forest?' Clint questions himself, perplexed, but he continues to tail Anon.
Twenty-seven minutes later...
Anon stops in his tracks as he senses an immensely powerful and dangerous creature ahead. The creature has marked its territory with urine.
'I don't want to proceed, but I won't survive a hand-to-hand combat with that assassin. My spells won't work on him either. If this is what it takes to defeat him, so be it.' Anon decides, entering the marked area.
'The hell is wrong with this kid? Going in there is suicide,' Clint wonders, a puzzled expression crossing his face.
Clint decides to halt his pursuit of Anon and waits outside the area for him to come out again.
Anon advances cautiously, feeling the mana growing denser in this part of the forest.
'Who could be living here?' Anon wonders, scanning his surroundings. The grass, vines, and woods here are thicker than in the outer forest.
Woof
Gin barks, sensing something, his behaviour was odd, he wanted to find the thing that ruled this area of the forest.
"Where?" Anon asks, looking at Gin.
Gin walks towards a different location, and Anon follows suit.
After a short walk, Gin stops in front of big a cave.
"Is it in there?" Anon inquires with a smile.
Woof
Gin barks softly in response.
[Master, I sense an intense presence here. You should leave.] Link advises, feeling uneasy.
'I know, Link. I can sense it too, but if I leave without a plan, I'm as good as dead at his hands,' Anon spoke.
[Master, I'm detecting a powerful mana source from inside. If you guide me to it, I can absorb it and grant you immense power.] Link suggests.
'Really?'
[Yes, Master.]
'Alright, I'll give it a shot.' Anon agrees, entering the cave.
Though the cave is dark, Anon's enhanced vision allows him to see everything clearly.
The cave's entrance is small, but the interior is vast. A sticky substance covers the walls.
This liquid was similar to slime mixed with glue. It was green in colour and had a very disgusting smell.
Anon touches the sticky liquid and examines it carefully.
'What is this? Seems like human snot,' Anon thinks as he ventures further inside.
While walking, a message suddenly appears before him...
[Opponent has used the skill
[You have resisted the skill
"Interesting... This snot has a drug-like effect that induces hallucinations in those who touch it, huh? This guy is the real motherfucker. He uses this shit to Hallucinate it's opponents and kills them once they are under Hallucination."
'Sephie, can you hear me?' Anon establishes a psychic connection.
'Yes, Master,' Sephie responds.
'Luv, can you tell me about a creature that exudes a sticky liquid from its body or mouth? This liquid causes extreme hallucinations in those who touch it.' Anon asks.
'I don't have information about this creature, Master, but I recently purchased a book about ancient monsters from the black market. I'll check if I can find any relevant informationin that.' Sephie replies.
'Hurry up, Luv. I need answer fast,' Anon urges.
'I'm on it, Master. I'll get back to you with an answer as soon as I find one,' Sephie assures.
'Good.' Anon responds, resuming his exploration.
The further he goes, the denser the mana becomes.
After walking for ten minutes, Anon senses something—a powerful presence.
This presence is unlike anything Anon has felt before; it's suffocating, making it difficult to even breathe.
Anon halts as he reaches a wall.
"This is the end? But I still sense its presence," Anon mutters, staring at the wall.
[Master... It's right behind that wall.] Link informs him.
Suddenly, Anon detects a strong odor emanating from the wall.
"What the heck? Can air pass through walls?" Anon wonders aloud, touching the wall. To his surprise, his hand goes through it.
"An illusion...?" Anon says, puzzled, as he steps forward. His entire body phases through the wall.
Upon crossing the wall, Anon realizes he's entered a large cavity beneath the mountain.
Looking around, he notices something that shakes him to his core.
Looking around, Anon noticed a massive monster sprawled on the floor in front of him.
The creature resembled a gigantic catfish, with a dark yellow hue. Sticky liquid oozed from its glands, much like the substance Anon had seen at the cave entrance.
The Catfish was humongous in size similar to an elephant and it had two basketball sized eyes.
It also had a fin and a mouth so big to fit, that two horses can fit inside easily.
It sported four human-like legs on its body, and, thankfully, it was sound asleep.
'What the heck is that?' Anon wondered, his eyes widening in surprise.
[Name: Unknown]
[Race: Danglemouth Catfish]
[Level: 609]
[HP: ???/???]
[MP: ???/???]
[Description: A mutated catfish that has grown enormous due to the waters of Dileca.]
'Waters of Dileca?' Anon mused as he spotted a sizable pond nearby, adjacent to the catfish.
The pond held crystal-clear water with a radiant blue hue, emitting a dense mana aura.
[Name: Water of Dileca]
[Level ???]
[Description: A mysterious water that has immense healing properties and insane amount of mana packed inside it. No one knows where this water comes from but it is said that the gods bless elfs once in a while with this water.]
[Master, that's the mana source.] Link informed.
'Yes, I can see that,' Anon replied.
[Master, you should immerse yourself in this water. It could grant you unimaginable powers. The longer you spend in it, the stronger you'll become. This catfish likely spent considerable time in it, explaining its size.] Link explained.
'Yeah, I was thinking the same,' Anon said, beginning to undress.
[Master, what are you doing?] Link questioned.
'What do you mean? I'm disrobing to bathe in it. You just said it right, the longer I stay, the more powerful I'll become, so i am going to take a bath in it.' Anon responded.
[I don't believe you understand, Master. Others need to purify the water's mana before using it, but you have me. I can absorb and purify the mana, then transfer it to you in one go.] Link clarified.
'Wait, you can do that?' Anon asked, his confusion evident.
[I can, Master. Just dip your hand into the water and i will suck it out.] Link instructed.
'Alright.' Anon complied, submerging his hand. Suddenly, the water rushed into his fingers at an astonishing rate.
In just 4 minutes and 33 seconds, the entire pond had emptied. Link had absorbed every single drop of the water.
[Master, I've acquired it. We should leave this place as soon as possible; because the catfish is about to awaken.] Link warned.
'Why would the fish wake up?' Anon inquired with a confused expression.
[You've taken every drop of water it spent its life in. It'll realize this before—]
Before Link could finished, the Danglemouth Catfish jolted awake, fixing its gaze on Anon with a very angry expression on it's face.
Screeeeeeeeeeh
It emitted an ear-piercing shriek as it rose to its feet and started running towards Anon.
As soon as Anon tried to use the spell he felt a very sharp pain in his heart. This was the thick mana that was inside the cave stopping him from using any spell.
A human heart can't purify this kind of mana. The best that can happen is, Anon will die from heart attack.
"Oh, shit! Not good," Anon exclaimed, sprinting toward the cave's exit.
Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum.
The fish pursued Anon, using the sticky liquid on the walls to enhance its speed.
"Ah, now I get it. This fucker uses its slime as a lubricant to glide through the cave like a joy ride," Anon observed as he continued to run, though the fluid on the floor impeded his running speed.
'And I can't even employ any skills here. The mana's density is stifling, and trying to purify it could stop my heart. I need to reach a low-density mana area to use spells.' Anon realized, straining to flee.
As Anon was running through the cave, he noticed a rabbit doing weird stuff in the way.
'Fucking Hallucination.' Anon cursed as he continued to run.
The catfish was also running behind him at an incredible speed.
[Master, we're nearly out of the cave.] Link assured.
Seeing a source of light ahead, Anon gasped, "Yes... Let's fucking go. I am out of here, motherfucker."
*Gop*
However, before Anon could've escaped from the cave, the Danglemouth Catfish swallowed him whole.
"Link i need Mana..." Anon shouted as the Danglemouth Catfish tried to swallow him and he fighted against it's tongue.
[Master, I've purified the mana. Transferring it to you.] Link reported.
As soon as Anon felt the mana gushing into his body he used his spell.
Though tough from the outside, the catfish's interior proved very vulnerable. Anon activated Phoenix Ignition, enveloping himself in flames that ignited within the catfish's mouth.
Screeeeeeeeeeh
The Danglemouth Catfish howled, its mouth agape.
Recognizing the vulnerability within, Anon stopped the Phoenix Ignition and employed another skill.
A small fireball materialized before Anon.
'Link, infuse this attack with your maximum purified mana. Empty yourself into it.' Anon commanded.
[Yes, Master.] Link responded.
"Die, you bastard!" Anon shouted, channeling mana into the fireball.
The fireball shifted through colors—red, orange, yellow, white, blue—according to its increasing temperature.
Though Anon prevented it from growing excessively, the fireball eventually spiraled beyond his control, expanding out of size.
Anon hurled the fireball into the Danglemouth Catfish's stomach, narrowly escaping its maw and running out of the cave.
Uncomfortable sensations overwhelmed the catfish. It retreated to the cavity it had emerged from, as creatures instinctively run toward their homes when sensing danger.
"Run, you piece of shit. Run!" Anon jeered, watching the catfish flee. A smile appeared on his face.
Then, rays of purple light emanated from the creature's body, followed by...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
A colossal explosion that rocked the mountain, reducing it to dust within seconds. This spectacle was witnessed by the entire kingdom.
Thud-Thud
Anon moved stones continuously, hoping to locate Gin.
"Oi, Gin... Where are you? Giiinnnn?" Anon shouted.
'Why can't I find him with the sensor spell? Why is he invisible to me?' Anon wondered as he continued to search for Gin.
On the screens, everyone observed Anon's search efforts.
"Oh my God, I hope he's alright. Poor little puppy," Moon commented as she watched the screen.
"I think he's dead... I don't know why the explosion occurred, but I'm relieved Jule survived," Ian said.
"Yeah, same here. I'm also curious... How did he survive?" Hillary pondered.
"What?" Ian asked, surprised.
"Ah, nothing. I'm just grateful to God for saving my son," Hillary replied, looking at Ian.
"Yeah, me too," Ian responded with a smile.
"Your son is doing well this time, Hillary," Fauna remarked, her expression neutral.
"Thank you."
"No, I mean he hasn't died yet," Fauna clarified.
"Excuse me?" Hillary asked, looking at Fauna.
"Bitch, your son lured mine into this deadly competition, and you think I'll just sit idly? You'll pay for that," Fauna said angrily, approaching Hillary.
"Whoa, whoa... Please calm down. There are kids here," Ian interjected.
"Get your wife and leave, or you can't imagine what I'll do to you," Fauna warned Ian before walking away.
"Y-Yes..." Ian acquiesced.
"Darling, what are you doing? Why should we listen to her?" Hillary asked.
"Because she's a noble, Love. We have to heed her words. Let's concentrate on the competition for now," Ian redirected.
Inside Evensong Forest...
"Oiiii, Gin. Where the heck are you?" Anon yelled.
"What happened to that dog? I planned on strengthening him later. Please don't tell me he died so easily," Anon murmured while searching.
Woooof
Suddenly, Anon heard barking emanating from beneath the rubble.
He followed the sound and reached its source.
"Oi, Gin. Are you here?" Anon inquired to confirm his location.
Woof-Woof-Woof
"I'm coming, boy," Anon assured, using his skill.
Anon manipulated more boulders with telekinesis until he finally spotted Gin.
The dog wasn't in good shape. Blood flowed from his stomach, a tree had broken his ribs, and his lower jaw was fractured.
"What's wrong?" Anon asked with a smile, addressing Gin.
Wooof
Gin responded with a mournful bark.
"Don't worry, boy. I've got you," Anon comforted, offering Gin the troll necklace from around his neck.
Wooof
Gin's wounds began to heal instantly.
In just 30 seconds, all his injuries vanished.
Woof-Woof-Woof
Gin awakened, excitedly licking Anon's face.
"Easy, now. I'm still your master. Let's go," Anon said, and both began making their way toward the main forest.
'Link, do you think you can supply me with mana while I fight the assassin?' Anon inquired.
[I can, Master, but you need to specify the amount of mana you require; otherwise, I might overwhelm you.]
'Yes, I'll let you know. How much mana did we gather here?' Anon asked.
[I believe this will last a lifetime.] Link responded.
'Was it really that much?' Anon inquired, baffled.
[Indeed, Master.]
As Anon advanced toward the exit, a message appeared before him.
[Level 100 reached... Evolution will commence in 10 minutes.]
'What the heck? How did I gain so many levels?' Anon marveled, surprised.
"I need a safe pla-"
"Hello, little one." An unexpected voice emerged from behind.
Anon swiftly turned around, discovering that the speaker was none other than the assassin sent by Peter.
"Talk about bad timing," Anon quipped, facing the assassin.
"Look, kid, I hold no personal grudge against you. My employer contracted me to kill you. It's nothing personal," the assassin explained, drawing his daggers.
"Oh my God, what's he doing?" Ian exclaimed in shock, watching the assassin unsheath his daggers.
"D-Dad, that's not part of the competition, is it?" Moon questioned.
"I'm going to the forest," Ian declared, rushing toward the woods. However, soldiers halted his progress.
"Let me go, I need to save my son!" Ian protested, struggling against their grip.
"We apologize, Sir. We serve the village chief. You'll need to speak with him," one of the guards informed, restraining Ian.
"Village Chief... Alright, I'll talk to him," Ian said, heading directly to the village chief's chamber.
Inside the village chief's room...
"I'm sorry, but I can't grant you permission. While you're a friend and your son's like a nephew to me, I'm afraid I can't allow it," the village chief stated.
"So, you'll let my son die?" Ian questioned.
"This competition was inherently dangerous, and you were aware of it. You had the chance to withdraw him, but everyone on that screen is willingly risking their lives," the village chief explained hesitantly.
"You and I aren't friends anymore. You're a traitor, Jacky," Ian said angrily, storming out.
"I'm sorry, friend, but I must look out for my own family," the village chief muttered.
Inside the Evensong Forest...
"I will give you a smooth and fast death, you won't even know when you died. So, accept it or die a very hard way." Clint spoke.
"How much did he offer you ?" Anon asked as he summoned his rail gun behind his back.
'Link, charge it up with pure mana... I need a blast.' Anon commanded.
[Yes, Master. Charging up.]
*Zzzzzzz*
"What do you want with that ? Don you think you can purpose me a turn around offer ?" Clint asked as he smiled inside his mask.
"I can and i will quadruple the amount that peter promised you." Anon spoke with a smile as his rail gun got charged.
"Don't fuck with me, just die." Clint said as he came at Anon with his full speed.
"Fuck off, Loser." Anon said as he took out his rail gun and pointed it directly at clint.
Clint's speed was fast but the rail gun was also charged.
Anon pulled the trigger and...
*Booom*
The rail gun made a see through hole in Clint's body.
"Haha... What now fucker ? Why aren't you running no-" Before Anon could've said something else, clint recovered almost immediately from the injury as his wounds got healed up.
"You are not the only one with a troll locket, boy." Clint said as he looked at Anon with a smile and continued walking towards him with his sharp daggers.