"What's with that smug look? What's your damn problem?" Akira snapped, jabbing a finger at the stranger. "I didn't ask for your help! I can handle myself just fine!"
The stranger stood atop the scorpion's corpse, unfazed. His expression was somewhere between amused and irritated.
"You're welcome, knucklehead. If I'd been a second late, you'd be a scorpion's breakfast. And lower your voice unless you want to attract more of those things."
Akira clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
"That's none of your business! I'm not thanking you—and don't think you can look down on me!" His eyes narrowed. "Don't believe me? Then how about a one-on-one match... Wait, would that count as sabotage?"
If not for his immortality, he might've actually been grateful. But pride was a stubborn shield.
The stranger chuckled, the sound low and mocking.
"You're rather a comedian, aren't you? And yes, it counts. Fighting or killing fellow warriors on purpose gets you disqualified." He turned away, brushing dust from his cloak. "Anyway, I've wasted enough time. Later."
"Yeah, you better walk away! And don't ever steal my kill again—you hear me?"
The stranger glanced over his shoulder.
"Good luck surviving out here. If you need help, try asking the other future warriors. But don't say I didn't warn you—these monsters aren't child's play."
With that, he leapt down, boots hitting the dirt with a dull thud, and walked off into the distance.
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention—"
The stranger's words were cut short by a violent tremor beneath their feet. The ground quaked.
"Hey! Look out! Beneath you!" he shouted.
But it was too late.
With a deafening roar, the earth split open. A colossal worm erupted from the ground, its maw gaping wide as it swallowed Akira whole in a single gulp.
The stranger leapt back instinctively, hand on his blade. Dust and dirt rained down as the worm twisted and screeched.
From deep within its stomach came a muffled sound—then, a surge of power. A crimson light flared.
Slicing through flesh and slime, Akira's scythe burst from the worm's gut. With one clean arc, he tore himself free, leaping out in a slick spray of viscera.
"Phew! That was way too close," Akira muttered, landing on his feet, his weapon dripping.
The stranger could only stare, wide-eyed, dumbfounded. He had written the guy off as reckless and loudmouthed—certainly not capable of surviving that.
"Argh, my clothes!" Akira groaned, peeling off his soaked jacket. "It's only been a day, and they're already ruined... Covered in monster guts! Ugh!" He gave the jacket a few useless shakes, attempting to rid it of the thick mucus.
The stranger turned his attention to the gutted beast. Dozens of jagged teeth still twitched inside its open maw—designed for instant death, no question. And yet Akira had emerged without a scratch.
Curious now, Akira pointed toward a glowing board floating nearby.
"Hey… what's that thing? It's been hovering there since earlier."
The stranger followed Akira's gaze toward the glowing board.
"That? It's a system board. Tracks the examinees during the trials—names, scores, survival status. Think of it as your personal scoreboard," he explained. "In this case, it's monitoring everyone still alive in this sector."
Akira's eyes widened. He recalled seeing only a few dozen participants earlier.
"Wait... there's no way that many are still around."
The stranger nodded slowly.
"The exam is spread across multiple zones. Examinees are scattered, each group drawn from different regions and factions. You're only seeing one piece of the bigger picture."
Akira's attention shifted to the number glowing on the board: 929.
A strange silence followed.
The stranger's expression darkened with suspicion. "Something's off. The numbers don't add up. Either the examiners are hiding something, or something's eliminating examinees faster than expected."
Suddenly, Akira stiffened. His brow furrowed.
"…My Danger Sense didn't trigger before that worm attack."
That single realization sent a chill down his spine.
(This whole place is in danger…)
His instincts screamed that something was wrong. Despite years of training, his combat experience was shallow—limited to pests, slimes, and the rare wild serpent near his village. These monsters were nothing like those. They were faster, crueler, and far more lethal.
Akira turned to the stranger, concern flickering in his voice.
"You should find somewhere safe. It's not just the monsters—it's the whole exam. Something's off."
The stranger raised a brow, misreading the warning.
"Are you mocking me?"
Akira blinked, then burst out laughing.
"No, no! I mean—look." He pointed ahead, where a cluster of monsters emerged from the dense fog.
A smirk crept across his face.
"Alright. Let's make it interesting—whoever kills the most wins."
"Hah! You're on—wait, hey!"
But Akira was already gone, sprinting toward the enemy before the stranger even gave a proper answer.
"Since when did I agree to this?!" the stranger shouted, but the fire in his eyes said otherwise. With a sharp grin, he gave chase.
Hours later, the battlefield was littered with fallen beasts. Exhausted and bloodied, the two warriors stood victorious—panting, but grinning.
______________________________
You've slaughtered 24 Scorpion giants.
Type: Sand crawler.
Enemy's level: 40
Rank: C
[EXP: 100,800+]
______________________________
"Ha! How's that? Twenty-four to twenty-three. I win!" Akira flashed a smug grin, clearly satisfied with himself.
The stranger scoffed. "Count again, genius. You stole one of my kills—that doesn't count."
"What? I did not!"
Before the argument could escalate further, the ground trembled with a low, menacing rumble. Both of them turned as a violent dust storm erupted in the distance. Seconds later, a titanic silhouette emerged from the haze.
A monstrous scorpion—at least four times the size of the ones they had fought—loomed into view, its armored form towering at twenty-four meters tall. In contrast, the previous ones were a mere six meters.
Without warning, the beast unleashed a barrage of acidic projectiles. The two dodged in opposite directions, but a splash grazed Akira's ring finger, burning through skin and glove.
"Tch—damn it!" Akira hissed in pain.
The stranger, completely untouched, snickered.
"Getting slow there, aren't you?"
"Shut up! You just got lucky!" Akira snapped.
"Or maybe I'm just faster than you," the stranger replied with a cocky grin.
Akira pointed his scythe toward him, eyes narrowing. "Keep talking. I'll wipe that smug off your face."
The stranger laughed, thoroughly enjoying the rivalry. "Bring it on!"
Akira smirked back. "Oh, I will. But first—let's deal with that bastard."
They shifted focus as the giant scorpion reared its tail and hissed, its chitinous armor gleaming under the sun. With a burst of speed, the stranger leapt high into the air, aiming to bring his blade down on the creature's head with a powerful strike.
CRACK!
Instead of cutting through, his sword shattered on impact. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's insanely tough!" he shouted, retreating mid-air before the creature could retaliate.
Akira dashed in without hesitation, leaping onto the scorpion's massive head. His scythe glinted as he began to hammer down, over and over, each strike ringing louder than the last.
"Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora!"
Each shout matched a brutal swing, until—finally—a deep fracture split across the monster's shell.
Seconds later, as the scorpion's shell finally cracked, the beast roared in fury and began thrashing violently, trying to hurl Akira from its head. Despite his grip, the sheer force knocked him off balance, sending him crashing to the ground.
The moment of weakness exposed the creature's soft underlayer—its core vulnerability.
Seizing the chance, the stranger dashed forward. With only the jagged remains of his broken blade, he plunged it deep into the scorpion's exposed flesh. The monster shrieked, convulsed, then collapsed in a cloud of dust and acid-laced blood.
The Scorpion King was slain.
"Hey! You kill-stealing jerk!" Akira shouted, stomping toward him. "I cracked the damn shell! That was my kill!"
The stranger gave a cheeky grin.
"Thanks for the assist. Now we're even."
A brief silence followed, and then Akira let out a soft laugh.
"Heh. Fine. A tie it is."
Their challenge had ended in a draw.
Suddenly, the landscape began to shimmer. The scorched desert faded like mist, giving way to a new biome. Verdant trees stretched into the sky, their leaves whispering in a gentle breeze. A clear river wound through the terrain, feeding into a cascading waterfall in the distance. Wildlife roamed freely—rabbits, boars, birds—all edible, all alive.
"Looks like we made it to stage two," Akira said, dismissing his scythe with a flick of the wrist. His shoulders eased as his danger sense finally dulled.
He took a breath of fresh air and turned to the stranger.
"Well, it's been fun. But I've got a stage to clear. Later."
With that, Akira gave a casual wave and headed off toward the forest.
The stranger stood silently for a moment, watching him go. He had expected to part ways, but something about Akira's recklessness... and resolve... lingered in his mind.
A smirk crept across his face.
"…Tch. Guess I'm not done with you yet."
Without a word, he followed.
Three hours later, Akira had set up camp deep within the forest. A fire crackled softly as he sat back against a tree, finally at ease. The dense canopy above swayed gently in the breeze.
A rustle in the bushes snapped him to attention.
"?" Akira narrowed his eyes.
Out stepped the stranger—again. This time, he was dragging a wild boar behind him, his face unreadable, eyes locked squarely on Akira.
"…Oh. It's you again." Akira raised a brow as the man approached in silence.
"What're you staring at?" he asked, confused.
The stranger didn't answer. He stood there, gaze fixed like a statue.
One minute passed.
Then two.
By the third, Akira was visibly uncomfortable.
"You can have some of the meat, if that's what this is about," Akira offered, holding out a skewered piece from the fire. "I don't mind sharing."
Still, the stranger said nothing. Just kept staring.
"Alright, seriously—what's your deal?" Akira leaned forward, trying to read his expression. "You're really starting to creep me out."
No response.
"Enough!" Akira stood up and jabbed the meat skewer toward the stranger. "First you act like a jerk, now you're just being weird. Stop staring already! Are you looking for a fight or what?! You're killing my appetite!"
Finally, the stranger blinked. He took the meat and sat down beside the fire.
"Chomp. I was observing you."
His voice was calm. Casual.
Akira blinked back.
"…That's it? Just observing?"
The stranger nodded between bites.
"What kind of weirdo observes someone like that? Are you some kind of freak?" Akira narrowed his eyes.
He sighed, then softened slightly. "Whatever. I never got your name, anyway. I'm Akira Keita." He extended a hand, still watching him warily.
The stranger looked at the hand, then finally took it.
"Shura Bradiere. Pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure's mine—though I'm still not sure what you're doing here." Akira folded his arms. "You've been following me around like some lost dog."
"None of your business," Shura replied without a hint of hesitation.
"Hey! This is my camp! That makes it my business!"
Shura shrugged. "I was just following you. Nothing to concern about."
Akira scowled. "Yeah that's definitely something to concern about. Why are you even here? Run out of food?"
Shura looked at him, then smirked.
"No. I was thinking we should team up. Combine strength and smarts."
Akira narrowed his eyes.
"…So you think you're the brains, huh?"
Shura nodded. "Well, you're clearly all brawn, musclehead."
Akira bristled.
"I'll take the compliment about being strong—but call me a musclehead again, and I'll brain you."
"Hmm… Who's to say you're not the one with a brain the size of an acorn?" Shura smirked. "Let's be real—you fight with brute force, no strategy. That's hardly a sign of intelligence, is it?"
Akira crossed his arms and frowned.
"Okay, fair point… but don't go thinking I'm dumb. Go ahead—hit me with your best questions! I'll prove my smarts."
Shura raised a brow.
"Alright then. Here's one: In a battle formation with a tank in front, a fighter in the middle, and a mage in the rear, an assassin enters the fray. Who's the first target?"
"Easy. The mage," Akira replied confidently, recalling Sora's old lessons. He smirked. "Gotta take out the easy kill first."
Shura blinked, clearly surprised.
"Huh. Not bad. I guess I underestimated you."
His tone carried genuine surprise—though a bit of lingering skepticism remained.
Akira grinned smugly.
"Heh, seriously? That question was way too basic! What kind of quiz is that?"
Shura chuckled.
"Fair enough. It's a children's-level quiz, but I didn't expect you to pass it."
Akira's face twitched.
"…Wait. Did you just call me a child?"
Shura tilted his head mockingly.
"Well… from your stubbornness and constant yelling, I figured your intelligence might be somewhere in the toddler range. But hey—congratulations, you've graduated. I'll get you a medal."
Akira threw his hands up in exasperation.
"You're unbearable! Whatever—I'm done talking. Good night!"
With a dramatic flop, he lay down by the fire, rolling away to sulk. Shura simply watched with a small, amused smile.
As the fire crackled and the night deepened, Shura remained seated, eyes quietly observing Akira as he drifted into sleep—his expression unreadable, but no longer mocking.
(His ring finger was melted by acid... yet now it looks completely normal.)
Shura's gaze lingered on Akira's hand from across the campfire.
(Just like when he got swallowed by that giant worm. Not a scratch. Could it be… advanced self-healing?)
He narrowed his eyes, suspicion sharpening.
(No spell cast. No potions. Nothing visible. Just recovery... and fast. That's not normal.)
Shura stood and walked over, nudging Akira with his foot.
"Hey. Lend me your scythe for a second."
Akira stirred groggily. "Mmm... Sure, whatever."
Shura reached down and gripped the weapon.
The moment he tried to lift it—his arms strained.
"What the...?" he grunted, adjusting his stance. It was far heavier than it looked. He managed to raise it—barely—but the sheer weight shocked him.
Akira cracked one eye open, grinning.
"Pfft. Struggling already?"
"Tch. I suppose only a brute like you could actually swing this thing around," Shura muttered, lowering the weapon with effort.
"Exactly. Even a stick-armed weakling like you couldn't handle it."
"Hmph. I'm out. Good night," Shura grumbled, retreating to his bedroll, clearly annoyed.
Akira chuckled and turned back over.
"What a strange guy…" he mumbled, drifting back to sleep.
As the flames died down and the forest grew quiet, the exam continued to unfold elsewhere. From the original count, only 658 examinees remained.
The first stage had ended.
Stage Two awaited—and it would be far more unforgiving.