Chapter 5: The Novice Trial Realm

Lu Ran paid no heed to the exhilarated sunglasses-clad Ha.

Aside from his weapon and protective amulet, he meticulously prepared an assortment of essentials—medicinal salves, bottled water, snacks, and various survival tools.

Though uncertain whether they would prove useful, he adhered to the principle that it was better to have them and not need them than the reverse. The only drawback was the added weight... but that was a minor issue. If necessary, he could always discard some items in a pinch.

Thus, as Lu Ran continued his preparations, interspersed with repeated admonitions to Ha, time steadily slipped away.

"Did you truly understand what I just said?"

"The contract may have enhanced your physique, but why does it seem like your intelligence was left untouched?"

Throughout this period, Lu Ran felt mentally drained. His head throbbed as he watched Ha brimming with impatience.

For instance, when Lu Ran warned him that their upcoming foes might be creatures they had never encountered before and urged caution, Ha responded with a look of sheer disdain.

What was that supposed to mean?

Lu Ran's heart sank.

A foreboding sensation crept over him, but with only minutes remaining on the countdown, there was no time for further contemplation.

"All right, that's enough."

"Come back now." Lu Ran summoned the black card. At this moment, he could integrate the card into his body or summon it at will.

With the imminent traversal, Lu Ran first recalled Ha into the black card and securely stored it away—ensuring that, at the very least, they would not be separated during the teleportation.

"Awoo!" With Ha safely within the black card, Lu Ran closed his eyes, seeking a moment of composure.

Though his eyes were shut, the countdown remained vividly displayed in his mind.

Time continued its relentless march…

Three… two… one…

As the final second ticked away, a surge of tension gripped Lu Ran's heart.

No matter how he tried to suppress it, he was, after all, just a high school student.

And in that instant, spatial ripples materialized. The space around him distorted into a vortex, twisting and churning, until, in a flash, Lu Ran was swallowed whole—vanishing from the room entirely.

Yet, though he himself disappeared, his backpack and the Iron-Cleaving Sword he had gripped so tightly were left behind.

Aside from the clothes on his back and the amulet hanging from his neck, every other external possession—food and water included—had been stripped away.

Lu Ran's body felt as if it were being tossed between crushing weight and sudden weightlessness, a relentless cycle of nausea he hadn't anticipated.

By the time the disorienting sensation faded, he realized he had indeed arrived somewhere new.

He opened his eyes.

Before him stretched a dimly lit forest, its dense canopy allowing only sparse shafts of light to pierce through.

Before he could take a closer look, familiar text and a mechanical voice manifested once more.

[Teleportation complete.]

[Current Location: Forest of the Enchanted Felines (Novice Trial Realm)]

[Difficulty: Easy]

[Trial Objective: Survive for One Day.]

[Realm Introduction: The Forest of the Enchanted Felines is a labyrinthine woodland teeming with diverse flora and once home to many extraordinary creatures.

Twenty years ago, a sinister black rain swept through these lands, mutating the wildlife and unleashing a beast tide upon nearby settlements.

The Empire's Beastmaster Corps responded swiftly, quelling the rampage and purging the most formidable of the mutated beasts.

After two decades of recovery, only the Enchanted Feline Clan and a handful of lesser extraordinary creatures remain. The forest was thereafter renamed.

As a novice beastmaster who has mistakenly ventured here, your sole priority is survival—endure until rescue arrives.]

[Hint ①: This realm is a projection of the Forest of the Enchanted Felines. Its resources and creatures cannot be taken out or contracted.]

[Hint ②: Your performance in combat within the trial will determine the rewards upon completion.]

[Hint ③: Should the trial participant enter a near-death state, the mission is deemed a failure, and forced extraction will occur.]

[Hint ④: You have temporarily acquired the Eye of Data, allowing you to scan and analyze the resources and creatures within this realm.]

[Best of luck in your adventure. The trial begins now!]

"So that's how it is…"

Upon reading Hint ③, Lu Ran found himself momentarily appreciating the creator of the black card—it seemed they had at least some sense of mercy.

But not much.

While forcibly extracting a near-death participant was considerate, the real issue lay in whether they could actually receive medical treatment post-extraction. Just like that forum poster had warned, there was an even greater likelihood that many wouldn't even reach a near-death state before being instantaneously killed.

The human body, after all, was fragile.

And this realm—was it truly a mere projection of another world? A black rain… a beast tide…

Damn it. This doesn't sound like a novice-level dungeon at all.

I need to tread carefully. There's no way this will be an "enjoyable" experience…

"Awoo!!!"

Lu Ran summoned Ha once more.

"The weapons and supplies didn't make it through," he lamented. Though he had mentally prepared for this possibility, it was still disheartening.

"According to the hints, everything here—enemies, resources—is an illusion. But I wonder… can we actually use what we find here, even if we can't take it out?"

"Woof."

Ha, newly released, paid no heed to Lu Ran's analysis. Instead, he pranced about in high spirits, as if he were simply out for a leisurely stroll.

Lu Ran fell silent.

Damn it, Ha. Do something useful! This isn't a field trip!

"I swear—"

Rustle… rustle…

A sudden noise interrupted his thoughts, causing his expression to harden. His eyes darted cautiously around.

"Awoo."

Ha, who had been frolicking just moments before, also tensed, ears twitching as he sniffed the air.

Something was approaching.

Ha halted his movements, muscles coiling with tension as he stepped protectively in front of Lu Ran.

The surroundings were eerily silent, save for the rustling, which grew louder by the second. Sparse beams of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting fragmented shadows upon the damp earth.

Lu Ran tried to pinpoint the source of the sound but to no avail.

Ha, however, was locked onto a single direction, his gaze sharp.

"There?"

Lu Ran followed his line of sight toward a patch of half-meter-high black underbrush.

The rustling persisted. And then—

The bushes parted abruptly.

A low snarl pierced the air.

Crimson eyes gleamed menacingly in the dim light, fixing upon Lu Ran and Ha with an unmistakable bloodlust.

Ha's fur bristled in response, his own growl rising to meet the challenge.

"Woof!!"

How dare this creature act so aggressively? Ha would remember this grudge.

Lu Ran's pupils contracted.

A gaunt feline figure emerged, its sinewy frame cloaked in dark crimson fur. It had unnaturally elongated claws and a head adorned with wisps of gray, almost like human hair.

An Enchanted Feline.

[Species: Enchanted Feline]

[Attribute: Unawakened]

[Species Rank: Intermediate Extraordinary]

[Growth Level: Level 2]

[Description: A ruthless predator of the forest, known for tearing open its prey to drain their blood.]

Lu Ran's temporary Eye of Data activated, swiftly revealing the creature's information.

His mind worked rapidly.

The species rank determined overall power—just as tigers surpassed housecats, and dogs surpassed rabbits, this Enchanted Feline's rank equaled Ha's. No inherent advantage.

But its growth level was higher than Ha's.

Not good.

A confrontation seemed inevitable.

And so, after much deliberation, Lu Ran made a decision—one that left both Ha and the Enchanted Feline utterly dumbfounded.

He spread his arms wide to make himself appear larger and roared—

"Ulaaaaaa!!!"