Chapter 11 – First Battle Against the Participants

Cain saw the Emberfang Primates who were starting to be paralyzed, their bodies still twitching due to the effects of the poison that was slowly spreading throughout their nervous systems. Seeing this opportunity, Cain immediately moved without wasting time, he ran towards their nest which was in a large cave behind the dense trees.

As soon as he entered the cave, Cain slowed his steps. The air inside felt more humid, with the scent of wet soil mixed faintly with the smell of rotting fruits. The walls of the cave were covered in glowing moss, providing enough natural lighting to see without the need for fire or Xenova.

Cain observed every corner of the cave carefully.

Inside, there was a stream of clear water flowing from a gap in the rock, probably from an underground river connected to the forest, Cain smiled seeing it.

Looking at the other side there was a pile of fruits and natural food collected by the Emberfang Primates, this would be a useful resource during the three days of the exam.

Meanwhile, several small skeletons were scattered in the corner of the room, probably the remains of their food.

However, bad luck haunted him.

While Cain was analyzing the situation, suddenly a roar shook the cave, a shrill and thunderous scream was heard from behind him.

"GRAAAUUUGHHH!!"

Cain immediately flinched. The sound was so loud, echoing throughout the cave, making the ceiling tremble and small grains of sand fell from the gaps in the rocks. Pain stabbed his head as if his eardrums were going to burst. Cain immediately covered his ears with both hands, but the sound was enough to make him lose his balance for a moment.

"Damn!" Cain cursed in his heart, his body swaying, his vision slightly spinning due to the effects of the scream.

In the deepest part of the cave, a large figure stood upright, the leader of the Emberfang Primate.

His body was larger than the other apes, his blackish fur mixed with red seemed to tremble with anger. The black liquid that should have paralyzed him was now starting to melt from his skin due to the natural corrosive substance he had. His eyes were burning, full of hatred and killing instinct.

Cain bit his lip, his consciousness returning to sharpness even though his head still felt heavy.

This is bad.

In this desperate situation, Cain's instincts were sharpening.

He suppressed his dizziness, forcing his brain to work faster. His eyes scanned the Emberfang Primate leader, watching the way the creature moved, its breathing, and its savage expression.

However, before he could come to any conclusions, a strange chill ran down the back of his neck.

"…Something's not right."

For a moment, Cain sensed something, an anomaly that couldn't possibly come from an animal.

The airflow changed.

There was no wind in the cave, but Cain could feel a slight shift in the atmosphere, as if another presence was beginning to affect the environment around him.

"Human?" Cain thought.

He couldn't see anyone, but his instincts screamed. There was someone out there, watching his movements, waiting for the right moment to act.

Cain couldn't afford to act rashly. He still had to deal with the rampaging ape leader, but now there was another threat lurking in the shadows.

"Shit… Are they other participants?"

At the same time, the Emberfang Primate leader began to move forward, his eyes flashing with anger, stomping his feet on the ground, causing a slight tremor in the cave.

Cain had to make a decision as soon as possible: should he deal with this ape first or find out who was watching him?

In this desperate situation, Cain racked his brains very hard.

He had to face two threats at once, the Emberfang Primate leader who could still move and the other participants who were hiding in the shadows.

Think quickly, take advantage of the situation.

Cain held his breath, observing the cave carefully. His eyes searched every corner, looking for something that could be used as an advantage.

The first option, using the Emberfang Primate leader as a tool to fight the other participants.

If he could lure it out of the cave and direct it to the right place, then the other participants would be forced to face this creature first.

The second option, sneaking out before the other participants act.

He could take advantage of the gap, escape by minimizing his presence using the Control Flow technique, then hide in the forest to observe their movements.

Cain clenched his fists. His time to think was running out.

The Emberfang Primate leader began to stomp on the ground, his body trembling from the poison, but his eyes were filled with hatred.

Meanwhile, Cain could feel the presence of the other participants getting closer, as if they were starting to move after realizing that Cain was in a difficult position.

A choice had to be made now.

Cain stared at the rampaging ape leader. Then, he turned his head towards the shadow where the other participants were might be hiding.

"Alright…" he thought.

He had decided his next move.

Cain took a deep breath, calming his mind. His decision had been made! He would lure the Emberfang Primate out and pit it against the approaching participants.

However, this was not a perfect strategy.

From the way they moved, the three participants were no ordinary people. They also had a fairly good understanding of Xenova, even though they were still at the basic stage like Cain.

What was the difference?

They had already reached the highest stage of Xenova's basics, mastering the 4 basic Xenova techniques, while Cain had only begun to understand his potential and had reached the second technique.

That was not a problem.

Cain had to use his wits, not just his strength.

He deployed his Control Flow technique, suppressing Xenova's presence, then slowly walked to the side of the cave, looking for a way to provoke the Emberfang Primate to come out without directly attacking it.

One wrong move, and he could die.

Quickly, Cain grabbed a nearby sharp rock fragment and threw it at the Emberfang Primate's head.

Bugh!

The creature growled angrily, its head turning sharply toward Cain. Its eyes glowed red, its breathing quickened, its body still affected by the poison moved with a slight limp, but its destructive power was still intact.

Cain slowly moved toward the cave entrance, inviting the monster to chase after him.

Outside, three participants began to approach.

They walked cautiously, sensing that something was wrong. One of them, a young man with short black hair and sharp eyes, raised his hand, signaling his two companions to stop.

They were not stupid.

They knew Cain was inside, and they knew something was happening there.

But Cain had calculated this.

As soon as the Emberfang Primate's feet stepped out of the cave, Cain jumped to the side, hiding himself behind the rocks.

GRUUUUAAAAARRR!

The Emberfang Primate's roar echoed through the forest, the vibrations of its sound causing the leaves to fall.

The three participants were shocked.

Cain smiled slightly.

"Now, let's see who will survive here."

The three participants immediately moved as soon as they saw the Emberfang Primate charge out.

They did not panic, nor did they hesitate.

It was as if they were used to facing dangerous situations.

The three looked at each other for a moment, then quickly divided their roles.

Two faced the Emberfang Primate, one as the main attacker and the other using her Xenova technique to distract the creature.

One moved towards Cain, realizing that he was the one who had lured them into this situation.

Cain, who was hiding behind the rocks, sensed the threat approaching.

He observed the opponent who had been assigned to chase him, a man with short black hair, a sturdy build, and wearing metal gloves. His eyes were sharp and calculating, not someone who would be easily fooled.

"Do you think you can get away after trapping us?" His voice was flat, but full of pressure.

Cain realized something, this person was not reckless.

He did not attack immediately.

Instead, he analyzed Cain, waiting for an opening.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The other two participants were already engaged in a fierce battle with the Emberfang Primate.

One of them was a white-haired man, wearing a long blue coat. He used the Energy Release technique, condensing white energy at his fingertips and releasing it causing the Emberfang Primate's skin to be injured.

The other was a slender woman, her hair tied to the side. She used Materialization Focus and strengthened her legs, she was in charge of distracting the Emberfang Primate while her partner was the main attacker.

But...

Cain knew one thing.

The Emberfang Primate was not an easy opponent to defeat, from the books he had read the ape had an extraordinary corrosive substance, even Xenova's energy was not immune to this trait, the ape also had high intelligence knowing the opponent's weaknesses.

The ape attacked using its saliva towards the main attacker, knowing that he was the main key.

Meanwhile on the other side, Cain prepared himself in a fighting stance, feeling the air currents around him.

His eyes flashed sharply, fully focused on the man in front of him.

"Then, let's begin."

Cain was not reckless.

He chose to defend first, observing his opponent's every move.

The black-haired man smiled faintly, as if realizing Cain's strategy.

"Hmph… Interesting."

In an instant, he disappeared.

Cain felt the air pressure change, his opponent's speed was much higher than he had expected!

He jumped to the side, avoiding the first attack.

CRASH!

The ground where Cain had been standing before cracked from the heavy blow.

Cain glanced at his opponent's metal gauntlet, the main weapon that could deal a great impact with the Materialization Focus technique!

"So you're a close-range fighter…" Cain thought.

Cain tried to read his opponent's movement patterns, looking for the slightest opening.

But his opponent gave no respite.

The man pressed Cain with a series of fast punches, kicks, combinations that were almost without any opening.

Cain repeatedly dodged nimbly, using his agility and instincts to defend.

However, he realized something...

Each of his opponent's attacks became faster.

Cain frowned.

"He's not only fast... but he also reads my movement patterns?"

In an instant, a punch from his opponent almost hit him.

Cain stepped back at the last moment but the air from the punch was enough to make his cheek sting.

Cain remained calm.

He began to understand something, his opponent had the advantage in speed and close-range attacks, but there was a pattern to his movements.

"If I can find just one opening..."

Cain took a deep breath, his head cooled and his mind calmed. Observing the opponent's nature, he thought the man was someone who relied on brute strength without any cunning plans, after knowing this Cain smiled.

Cain maintained his distance.

He must not be provoked by his opponent's rhythm, not now.

One mistake, and he would be hit with a blow that could knock him out.

However, Cain had something that his opponent did not have, his cunning mind.

'I have to lure him in a certain direction…'

The rope that Rin had given him earlier was already tied to his waist. This rope was strong, flexible, and could be used for many things.

While continuing to avoid attacks, Cain observed the area behind him.

There were two tree trunks about three meters apart. Pretty ideal.

'Just one chance.'

Cain deliberately slowed down his movements, pretending to be exhausted.

"Got you!"

The opponent saw an opportunity and shot off at full speed!

However, that was what Cain was waiting for.

In a split second, Cain kicked the ground and spun to the side, allowing his opponent to charge forward.

And that was it.

SWISH!

Cain flung the rope deftly.

The rope wrapped around his opponent's legs, and with one strong pull, Cain trapped him between two tree trunks!

CRASH!

The opponent flinched, his body hitting the ground hard in a position that was difficult to get up quickly.

Cain did not waste this opportunity.

Quickly, he pressed his opponent's shoulder with his knee, while his left hand gripped the rope tightly to tighten the bond.

"Hmph... You're quite fast," Cain said, catching his breath after the fierce battle.

The opponent was panting, but instead of panicking, he smiled faintly.

"You're also cunning..."

Cain pressed harder, his right hand gripping his opponent's neck, trying to channel Xenova energy to a vital point so that his opponent would lose consciousness.

However.

"Tsk!"

Cain felt resistance from his opponent's Xenova energy.

The black-haired man used the Focus Materialization technique, condensing Xenova around his neck, creating a defensive layer as hard as steel.

Cain felt like his grip was gripping solid rock.

'He won't go down that easily…'

The opponent grinned despite still being in a cornered position.

"Do you think I'll go down the same way?"

Cain took a deep breath, watching the way his opponent condensed Xenova around his neck. "Focusing on only one point…" Cain realized something. Quickly, he changed his technique, instead of just pressing, he made the flow of Xenova spread to other small points on the opponent's body. The black-haired man frowned, as if feeling an unexpected discomfort.

If he couldn't stop it from the outside, then he had to attack from the inside!

BZZT!

The man's body jerked slightly.

His Xenova flow began to waver.

Cain felt the resistance begin to weaken, but his opponent still had enough control to fight back.

Cain couldn't buy any more time.

A punch to the jaw!

BUGH!

The black-haired man staggered, momentarily losing focus.

And that was it.

Cain pressed a vital point on the nape of his neck, focusing Xenova on a key nerve, and in a matter of seconds.

The man collapsed limply.

Cain took a deep breath, his body still tense.

He turned to the battle between the Emberfang Primate leader and the other two participants.

It wasn't over yet.

Cain had to decide his next move.

Time was ticking. Cain had to choose.

Cain didn't respond, this fight wasn't over yet.

On the other side, the Emberfang Primate leader was still fighting the other two participants.

Cain looked up at the sound of the great battle.

'I still have one more problem to solve.'

His hands felt as heavy as stone, his steps barely steady. Cold sweat poured down his temples, but Cain had no time to rest. If he stopped now, he would lose all the initiative he had built up.

In front of him, two participants were still fighting fiercely with the Emberfang Primate leader.

The fight was brutal.

A loud bang was heard, the ground shaking every time the Emberfang Primate swung its corrosive claws.

One of the participants, a white-haired man, jumped back with a gasp.

"Hold him back a little longer!" shouted his partner, a woman with a sharp gaze and a strong Xenova aura pulsing around her hands trying to protect the man.

The white-haired man's hands glowed with Xenova, then he released a wave of energy towards the Emberfang Primate. A small explosion occurred, forcing the creature to step back. But Cain could see that the impact was not enough to completely stop it.

Meanwhile, the woman who was his partner jumped onto a rock, concentrating Xenova on her arm. The reinforced fist slammed into the Emberfang Primate's side, but the creature only growled and retaliated with a swing of its arm that nearly missed him.

Cain's body shook violently, he couldn't just watch!