Chapter 11: The Abyssal Forest Trial

The Abyssal Forest—a place feared across the entire kingdom. Known as the Survival of the Fittest Forest, it was an isolated wasteland where the most dangerous, captured beasts were thrown in to battle against each other. Only the strongest survived, ruling over the others like kings of the wild.

It was rumored that out of a hundred trained soldiers who entered, only two ever made it out alive.

And this was where Asher had chosen to train his new recruits.

As they approached the outskirts, a thick mist hovered over the ground, the towering trees creating a dark canopy above. Strange noises echoed from deep within—low growls, sharp hisses, and distant roars that sent chills down the spines of the five recruits.

Lyria, the librarian, swallowed hard. "Are you… are you sure this is the safest zone?"

One of the recruits, Talon, the butcher, smirked sarcastically. "Oh yeah, real safe. The creepy trees, the bloodstains on the ground—yep, I feel right at home." His tone was lighthearted, but his eyes darted around nervously.

Elias, the former scribe, adjusted his glasses. "This place feels cursed."

Asher ignored them, walking forward confidently. "You'll be fine. Just stick together."

Then, without warning—

A deafening roar shook the forest.

The ground trembled as a massive dragon emerged from the shadows, its black scales gleaming, its fiery eyes locked onto them. The beast inhaled deeply, and in the next instant—

A blast of fire erupted from its jaws!

The recruits barely had time to react. They dove out of the way, but some were burned instantly, their skin sizzling from the heat.

Seren gasped. "Asher! They'll die—"

"Relax," Asher said calmly, watching from a tree branch above. "They'll heal."

Sure enough, the pills he had given them earlier activated, rapidly regenerating their wounds. The pain was still unbearable, but they were alive.

Darian, the farmer, clutched his sword, his hands shaking. "Are you INSANE? How is this the weakest creature here?!"

Asher smirked. "Because it is."

The recruits had never seen such a terrifying beast in their lives. They tried to strike it with their weapons—but their swords was deflected by its scales. Even when they aimed for its eyes, the dragon's thunderous raw sent them flying backward with a gust of wind.

The dragon breathed another torrent of fire, forcing them to scatter.

Desperate, Garek, the agile street performer, had a wild idea. "What if we attack it from the inside?"

The others stared at him.

"…You're suggesting we attack its insides?" Elias asked.

Garek hesitated. "Like… from behind?"

Silence.

"…Absolutely not," Lyria deadpanned.

They were running out of options. Their weapons were useless, their attacks ineffective. They were hopelessly outmatched.

Above them, Asher remained perched on a tree branch, calmly spinning a metallic, glowing chain around his his head as he easily wiped to death all the other beast that smelled weaker human creatures. He had been watching, ensuring no other titanic monsters interfered with their fight.

Then, a black hawk swooped down, dropping a message into his hands.

Asher scanned it quickly. His expression darkened.

Seren noticed immediately. "What is it?"

"The king has set a date for war," Asher muttered. "We need to gather half of our soldiers and attend a meeting for war preparations."

Seren's eyes widened. "So soon?"

Asher exhaled sharply, then yelled down to the recruits:

"Lesson time is over."

Before anyone could react, he sprang into action.

With one powerful flick, he launched his glowing metallic chain high into the sky. The chain extended so far it looked as if it would touch the moon.

Then—

It came crashing down.

With a single, earth-shattering impact, the chain sliced through the dragon vertically, splitting it into two perfect halves.

A burst of wind and fire exploded outward as the massive beast collapsed, its blood soaking the ground.

The recruits were frozen in awe.

Talon, the butcher, let out a shaky laugh. "So, uh… we were supposed to fight that?"

Asher landed gracefully beside them, retracting his glowing chain. "Yes. But now that I've seen how weak you are, we're going to start with something… smaller."

The recruits groaned.

Seren just smiled. Asher was not just training soldiers—he was forging warriors.