Marcus went back to the creepy, forested area that had made him uneasy during his last visit, but this time, things felt different.
The heavy rain had stopped, and a gentle breeze surrounded him, bringing a sense of calm to the once-scary ship behind him.
With his friend Gideon's instructions echoing in his mind, Marcus set in his head to make sure to find a knife inside the alien battleship first, determined to search every corner of its strange interior.
As he turned around, went inside the strange bmship, when he ventured deeper into the strange vessel, he spotted an odd object on the first table—a knife unlike anything he had ever seen.
It had a design that resembled a mythical bat creature, with intricate lines etched into its surface, as if the weapon itself were alive.
"This maybe it," he mumbled, gripping it tightly.
As he helt it, he felt like the knife had a mysterious allure, tempting Marcus to take hold of its power.
With now weapon in his hand that Gideon instructed him to take, Marcus knew it was time to leave from this empty looking battleship.
As he left the ship's interior, he found himself back in the lush green forest, surrounded by unfamiliar plants. His footsteps echoed through the natural maze of trees, and soon he stumbled upon a set of messages that seemed hauntingly familiar.
The words were etched into his mind:
[ Welcome, young members of Vamstroja's clan, to the Rite of Passage! ]
[ Rules: prove yourself, defeat as many opponents as you can, and bathe in their blood to access powerful weapons. ]
[ Blood pheromones activated!
[ All nearby creatures will be provoked by the presence of the host… ]
Marcus's determination grew as he absorbed the instructions, silently promising himself to follow them carefully.
Steadfast, he continued his exploration, watchful for any signs of a worthy enemy.
Suddenly, he noticed something on his side, he froze first and widened his eyes, when Marcus slowly turned his head, his eyes locked onto a creature that sent a shiver down his spine—a massive lizard, its muscular body covered in rough scales.
It was saying still, basking in the sunlight, its head had a menacing snout filled with sharp teeth, and its eyes, positioned on the sides, gave it a wide field of vision.
The creature's strong limbs and imposing tail hinted at its skill in both balance and defense. And perched above its head, is the creature's name and level:
[ Monitor lizard ]
[ Level 8. ]
Marcus's heart raced, his pulse quickened at the sight of such a formidable opponent. He knew he had found his target, the first enemy he had to defeat in order to prove himself in the Rite of Passage.
With a quiet determination, he prepared himself for the upcoming battle, understanding that victory would improve his rank!
Facing it, he felt like there was a stage set between them, and the forested area held its breath.
Marcus straightened his posture, gripping the mysterious knife tightly.
The moment of truth had arrived, and the fate of his journey depended on his ability to spill the first blood over the dangerous looking enemy before him.
Soon a cry of bird rang out in the middle of the thick forest, Marcus felt a rush of blood pumped fast as the blood pheromone effect suddenly activated.
His heart raced, knowing that the creature in front would attack him anytime. .
Without warning, the creature-monitor lizard, a strong predator, sprang into action. Its huge body propelled it forward with amazing speed, causing the very tree it had sat on to break under its weight.
Marcus prepared himself, his grip tightening around the knife in his shaking hands.
This was his opportunity to test its true power.
As the monitor lizard approached, time seemed to slow down. With a quick and careful movement, Marcus attacked, the knife ready to meet the approaching threat.
"Haaaaa!!!" he screamed all his might!
The clash was about to happen.
"Swoosh!"
The sound echoed through the quietness of the forest as Marcus's eyes widened in disbelief.
The knife easily cut through the air, meeting the creature head-on.
A surge of excitement coursed through his body, he was prepared to move three or two if the creature managed to ignore the strange knife in his hand, but suddenly, the blade cut through the monitor lizard's strong movement, splitting its body in two.
This made his jaw felt like it fell.
"What kind of knife is this?"
Marcus gasped, nothing but panic were evident in his voice.
The intense fear he had felt moments ago transformed into amazement and madness of not believing if this was real or not as he saw right before his eyes the enormous lizard destroyed and split by the knife's sharpness. It was an incredibly strong weapon.
Ignoring the red spray that stained his clothes, Marcus realized the true power he now had.
"No wonder Gideon ranked up so quickly and defeated many creatures," he exclaimed, his voice a mix of fear and excitement. "This knife is unbelievably sharp!"
Suddenly, another message from the system appeared in front of him, lighting up the screen.
[ Ding!
[ Current absorbed blood: 1/30. ]
The words stuck in Marcus's mind as he thought about the next move he needed to do. With a determined gleam in his eyes, he ran his tongue along the side of the razor-sharp knife.
"Thirty? With this knife, I'll conquer them all!"
Time was important. Marcus knew he had to keep going, determined to find his next target.
"I need to hurry," he urged himself, his voice filled with urgency.
The thought of others surpassing him pushed him forward, his footsteps echoing through the forest as he disappeared into the depths, ready for the next target that his knife needed to slice!
However, that kind of arrogance usually doesn't last.
As Marcus swiftly moved through the thick jungle, his senses sharpened, gripping his weapon tightly. Small and low level creatures attacked him from all sides, but he dispatched them with ruthless efficiency.
Blood splattered the forest floor, creating a gruesome image of his unwavering determination.
"This low-level creature doesn't give me the 'blood absorbed' I need," he mumbled.
The creatures that are 'level 6' usually add to his blood absorption, but they cannot be absorbed anymore, even when he became 'level 6.' after killing thirty creatures.
This also means that he can only absorb creatures that are higher level than him.
Amidst the chaos in his head, his eyes caught sight of two enormous apes.
"Hmm?"
They were almost as big as him, their muscular bodies pulsating with raw strength.
Marcus recognized them, "Apes?" He mumbled.
With a swift swing of his weapon, Marcus lunged at one of the apes, his blade cutting through the air.
"Arrrghhh!!"
The creature roared in pain as it fell lifeless to the ground. However, as Marcus reveled in his triumph, he sensed a strange presence behind him.
He turned, his eyes widening in disbelief. The second ape stood there, its eyes shining with intelligence. It was no longer the fierce predator he had anticipated. Instead, it assumed a cunning guise, pretending to be wounded, and quickly fled.
Marcus's instincts screamed at him, "Should I follow it?"
His heart pounded, Marcus hesitated for a moment, his mind racing to comprehend the situation. He knew that by following the injured ape, he would be walking into a carefully planned ambush. But his thirst to see what he is capable of using the sharp knife was stronger!
Swoosh!
As he trailed the wounded ape, an eerie silence enveloped the forest. The air grew heavy with anticipation, as if the entire jungle held its breath. Step by step, Marcus ventured deeper into the heart of danger, not aware that there were unseen eyes observed his every move.
"Where are they?"
And then, it occurred. His eyes unconsciously looked up!
The apes, far more intelligent than he had imagined, unveiled their true power.
From above, their shapes emerged, perched on the towering branches of ancient trees.
"Urraaaakk!" "Uraaak!"
Their eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger, their screeches reverberating through the forest, sending shivers down Marcus's spine.
"Ho-ho-ho-ha!" "Ho-ho-ho-ha!" "Ho-ho-ho-ha!"
He stood amidst a terrifying spectacle, encircled by a group of apes.
Their figures cast menacing shadows, their muscular bodies poised for action.
Fear, intense and familiar, surged through Marcus's veins, rendering him motionless when he heard their cries that were getting louder and sounding more violent.
"UURAAAAAA!!" "HO-HO-HO-HO-HAAAARRRAAAA!!" "UURAAAAAA!!" "HO-HO-HO-HO-HAAAARRRAAAA!!"
The prickling sensation of impending doom crawled over his skin, as if he had stumbled into a realm where humans were powerless.
The apes closed in, their movements synchronized and lethal.
Tub! Tub! Tub!
Tub! Tub! Tub!
Tub! Tub! Tub!
Each branch groaned under their weight as they descended upon Marcus, their wild eyes fixed on their prey.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Suddenly, Marcus woke up and realized what kind of position he was in, not other choice, he could only lick his knife and say, "Bring it on!"