(This... this is crazy. I understood that the hunter's test was a little difficult, but...) Martyn thought as he cautiously observed the giant spider.
The giant monster, on the other hand, was eyeing its next prey, its long legs capable of intimidating anyone.
[Warning]
[You are against a monster that surpasses your level.]
[It is recommended to escape. If you manage to defeat the monster, you will receive an additional reward.]
The system's orders confirmed what Martyn was thinking: if he fought that monster, he might die. "Alright, little buddy, I'm off."
Without much hesitation, Martyn started running in the opposite direction, but the monster didn't seem to like it and chased after him.
(Shit, I thought it was a passive type monster because of the way it looked at me, but it's a hunter type monster.) Martyn thought while hiding in the forest.
In Neo Tyran, there are several types of monsters. There are passive types that are mostly not aggressive; some hunters use them as pets or mounts. But on the other hand, there are hunter type monsters, which are aggressive and enjoy killing their prey. It is recommended to eliminate them quickly.
"Shit, it's still following me. I must do something." After grumbling, Martyn turned around and decided to confront the monster.
[Inventory]
[You are using the item: Normal knife.]
Ready for combat, Martyn drew his dagger. He had to survive this monster if he wanted to be a hunter.
The spider stopped a few steps in front of Martyn after seeing his action. It seemed ready for combat too.
"Well, it's time to try it out," Martyn whispered as he got into a combat stance.
[Skills:]
[Precise Slash]
As soon as Martyn activated the skill, he lunged at his enemy. The spider, in response, took several steps back but wasn't fast enough, allowing Martyn to slash one of its legs.
Martyn's cut was extremely precise and direct. The legs of monster spiders are known to be normally hard, but between their strong armor lies a very soft part that allows them to move quickly. Although this is beneficial for them, it is also their weakness. Experienced hunters can easily exploit this vulnerability. In Martyn's case, his skill allowed his eyes to pinpoint that weak spot directly.
Showing its anger, the spider quickly moved one of its legs toward Martyn, sending him flying. If he had been closer, he would have been stabbed.
[VIT: 100/130]
(Shit, it was only one hit, but that was enough to send me flying.) Martyn thought, wiping the blood from his lips.
"I should be able to beat that thing. My slashes hurt it, but I'm not strong enough yet. Wait a second…"
With a confident face, Martyn decided to run back toward the spider, which was preparing to defend itself. But as soon as it noticed the change of stance, Martyn ran the other way at high speed.
Feeling cheated, the monster took a little while to return to its original stance to follow Martyn, who had hidden.
"I forgot I had this," Martyn whispered as he saw the window given by the gods.
[Test Three: Curtains Out]
[Completed]
[Reward received:]
[30 stat points, one random weapon, one random skill.]
"Perfect, let's not waste time and start with the stats." With a proud smile, Martyn started distributing his stat points.
[You have added 10 stat points to strength]
[STR: 13 > 23]
[You have added 10 stat points to agility]
[AGI: 15 > 25]
(Good, now I feel somewhat light. Surely I have a power similar to that of blessed low-powered people.) Martyn thought as he threw punches in the air and clenched his fists.
The moment of peace had come to an end with the screams of the spider, which had found Martyn and was angry with him.
"Well, just in time!"
According to his words, Martyn held his dagger tightly and lunged at the monster at a totally different speed than before.
[Skills:]
[Precise Slash]
Even though the spider tried to defend itself, it was unable to do so. Martyn's slashes destroyed each of its legs. In a matter of seconds, it was simply an immovable body.
[Congratulations]
[You have defeated the monster]
[Experience gained: 25 points]
[EXP: 25/100]
[Due to the increase in statistics, the representative will not be able to receive the last reward].
[Due to the increased stats the user will not receive the special reward].
"Shit, I really wanted that skill, also the special reward but surely it's only granted if you defeat an enemy stronger than you really are!".
Feeling disappointed, Martyn started to walk, but his attention was stopped by a large screen that appeared in the sky.
{Wow, what a wannabe. Looks like they liked my initial gift!}
The person speaking on the screen was the representative of the test, one of the executives of the Roman pantheon.
{There were a total of 200 participants, but only 98 are left. Don't worry; it's normal. Not everyone can be a hunter.}
The representative's attitude was a little more aggressive as he spoke. Apparently, the monster Martyn faced was no mere chance.
{Well, since you have passed the first test, it's time for me to explain what the test is all about.}
Following the man's words, the screen changed, showing a map. It depicted rocky places, forests, large masses of ice, and even an area covered by lava.
{You will have to last a full day in this place blessed by the gods. No matter how you do it, your number one priority is to survive.}
The man's words made Martyn's stomach tingle. He had heard before that the test for aspiring hunters was far from easy, but this was insane.
{Those who manage to survive will be able to get a hunter's license. Don't feel bad for the others. Those who die here, we do you a favor.}
(His words are harsh, but he is right. If they let anyone hunt, it will be a waste of resources. But this is…) Martyn thought as he watched the screen. He used to come here a lot to watch the trials, but he didn't think it was something like this.
{With that clear, I will give you some hope. We have decided to leave a celestial-grade weapon in the center of the map. The person with the highest number of casualties will get it. I wish you luck.}
Leaving his last message, the screen disappeared. "Well, if I stay here for a whole day, I should have food."
Martyn approached the lifeless body of the spider he had eliminated earlier. "Well, I guess I can get it in here, can't I?"
[Inventory]
After opening his inventory, Martyn held the spider's body and managed to get it into his inventory, becoming an item he could use later.
"Well, I'm in the forest area. The best thing I can do is get out of here. It's not a good place," Martyn muttered as he walked out of the forest.
Minutes passed, and Martyn was still wandering through the forest. His sense of direction was pretty good, but for some strange reason, he couldn't get out.
(There's something strange here.) Martyn thought as he walked, but he stopped when he heard a branch break behind him.
"Hey... Hello. Are you lost?" Contrary to what he thought, Martyn met a girl approaching from a distance.
"Hello, are you?" Hiding his impure mark, Martyn decided to answer the girl, who looked a little scared, surely because of the ordeal.
"I'm Alicia. I'm here to fulfill the aspirant test, but my weapon broke," the girl replied with some regret.
"I see. Answering your question from before, yes, I'm also lost. It feels like
the forest is infinite," Martyn said as he started walking in another direction.
"This forest isn't real. This forest is a…"
[Warning.]
"My hunting ground."
Turning his gaze, Martyn watched as the girl's body transformed into wood and began to disintegrate.
"What the hell was that?" Drawing his dagger, Martyn prepared himself for any future attack.
(Surely it's a Leshy.) Martyn thought, maintaining his concentration.
Leshy was a weak kind of monster, but one that made its prey fall into illusions, locking them in a mental maze until it could kill them. That explained why Martyn hadn't been able to escape.
"Easy. It wouldn't be fun to kill you now. Let's play a little." As if it were an echo, a voice spoke cruel words.
[New Test]
(A test just now? I hope it's important.) Martyn couldn't help but get angry at the system. Thanks to such tests, he was in this trouble.
[Test Number Four: Spirit of the Forest]
[Finish off the spirit that haunts this forest]
[Reward: 30 stat points, two necklaces of life, a random skill.]