Chapter 2: The Crucible Assessment (Please follow, bookmark, and recommend!)

Chapter 2

First and foremost, the most important thing was to seize the strongest Earth Rhino with the best potential in the beast pen.

Regardless of what the evaluation criteria would be in ten days, snatching the best Earth Rhino was clearly the key to survival.

Lynn and the others had not been in the Crucible for long; they didn't even qualify as true first-rank apprentices yet. After only a few days of training, each person was issued a copy of the *Basic Meditation Method* and then immediately driven into the beast pen.

At this moment, without the blessing of any sorcery, all they could rely on were their own fists, feet, and physiques.

Lynn subconsciously squeezed his arm; it was loose, thin, and weak.

His family background was poor, and during his prime growth years, he had often gone hungry. He looked gaunt and frail, forming a stark contrast to those robust peers of his.

He scanned his surroundings and found that most people were in a similar situation—malnourished and sallow.

However, there were also some who clearly came from affluent backgrounds; they were tall, sturdy, and young, naturally possessing an advantage in this cruel competition.

Right now, the Earth Rhinos were lying lazily in the pen. Each one was in its infancy, no bigger than a kitten, and seemed to pose no threat.

Subduing them was not difficult, but the problem was that holding onto them afterward was the real challenge.

Once you set your sights on a particular Earth Rhino, it was highly likely that someone else would forcibly snatch it from your hands the very next moment. Whether you could keep it was the crux of the matter.

Lynn took a deep breath. After clarifying the situation, he didn't feel he was entirely without an advantage. Thanks to the blessing of "Hard Work Pays Off" during the previous days of training, he could say he knew everything there was to know about Earth Rhinos.

At this moment, in this beast pen, no one understood Earth Rhinos better than he did!

"Choose an Earth Rhino with the best foundation to raise..."

Lynn recalled the criteria for judging the quality of an Earth Rhino in his mind.

Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the air.

Lynn subconsciously turned his head to look. Not far away, a thin, gaunt boy was holding an Earth Rhino that looked to be in good condition, a hint of triumph on his face.

However, the next moment, a sturdy boy a full head taller than him lashed out with a fierce kick, sending the gaunt boy flying.

The Earth Rhino slipped from his grasp, and the sturdy boy bent down to pick it up without hesitation, his movements swift and clean.

The boy who had been robbed gritted his teeth, unwilling to give up and trying to crawl back to retaliate, but he was knocked unconscious by a single slap from the other, falling to the ground and moving no more.

Lynn frowned, his gaze falling on the fallen boy.

If he woke up to find that all the Earth Rhinos with good foundations had already been picked clean, his chances of survival would drop significantly.

At this rate, in ten days, this boy was almost destined to be the first one eliminated...

In four words: a dead end!

Lynn took a deep breath, tightened his robe, and raised his guard, pushing his vigilance toward everyone around him to the extreme.

He moved his feet silently, beginning to search for his target within the beast pen.

The pen was not large, containing only a few dozen Earth Rhinos, and those that were the strongest and most robust had already been snatched up by the big, burly youths.

Lynn and the other thin, weak boys could only pick from the abandoned Earth Rhinos.

"Earth Rhinos are magical beasts. These people only look at physique to pick them; they truly have strong limbs but simple minds..."

Lynn squatted down and observed the remaining Earth Rhinos one by one.

"This one isn't big, but the color deep in its pupils is quite dark; the bloodline concentration should be very good. I'll mark it as a candidate."

"This one actually has scales growing on its abdomen; it's almost past its infancy. It’s definitely one of the best in terms of talent here, and no one has noticed it at all!"

"This one is also not bad..."

After observing several in a row, Lynn truly discovered many magical beasts with high bloodline concentrations, even if their physiques weren't large.

According to the knowledge he had mastered, this was not uncommon. For magical beasts, size was only temporary; the level of bloodline concentration was what determined the final outcome.

Suddenly, Lynn's eyes lit up. His gaze rested on an Earth Rhino the size of a kitten.

This Earth Rhino appeared exceptionally active, constantly "yipping" at him, its eyes full of vigilance.

Judging by the color of its pupils, the shape of its scales, and the extent of their growth, this was the one in the best condition he had found so far.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lynn chose this Earth Rhino!

Although he was thin and weak, dealing with this infant Earth Rhino was not difficult.

He quickly curled his body into his robe, carefully avoiding having his bare skin scratched by its sharp claws, and then used his soft abdomen to gently press down on the Earth Rhino, firmly controlling it.

The Earth Rhino struggled violently, but Lynn was extremely patient. Every time it quieted down, he would loosen his grip just a little, repeating the process over and over.

Gradually, the Earth Rhino's resistance grew weaker and weaker, until it finally submitted completely under Lynn's control.

Lynn let out a sigh of relief, carefully picked up the Earth Rhino, and gently stroked the rough scales on its body.

No matter what, he would have to rely on this Earth Rhino for the coming days of the assessment; their fates were now tightly intertwined.

"A man may have no intent to harm the tiger, but the tiger may have the intent to harm the man."

Lynn warned himself inwardly.

He no longer regarded these people around him as "companions," but rather as potential enemies.

After all, besides making one's own Earth Rhino stronger, finding ways to make others' Earth Rhinos worse, or even causing them to die, was an extremely effective means of competition.

Especially now, while these Earth Rhinos were in their infancy, as delicate as a kitten.

Anyone with a bit of malice could silently cause these young beasts to perish with a simple flick of the wrist.

"The beast pen is quite large; I'll try to avoid everyone during the ten-day assessment period..."

Lynn hugged the Earth Rhino in his arms tightly, deliberately distancing himself from those around him, and walked vigilantly toward the depths of the beast pen.

The area of the beast pen was indeed not small, as it was the place within the entire Crucible specifically used for raising magical beasts.

However, even so, danger was everywhere.

Lynn constantly reminded himself in his mind

"Don't go too far, lest you wander into the territory of some powerful magical beast. Just stay within the safe zone, find some fruits to satisfy hunger, and study the *Basic Meditation Method* at the same time..."

He carefully passed through a dense forest, found a hidden corner that could shield him from the wind and rain, and gently set the Earth Rhino down, treating it as a temporary "home" for it.

"Ten days. During this time, I must ensure the Earth Rhino eats well, drinks well, sleeps well, and is well-protected..."

Lynn pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes narrowed, and a piece of information emerged in his heart.

………………………………

Name: Lynn Cole

Realm: None

Talent: Hard Work Pays Off【As long as you work hard, you will surely gain something!】

Progress

《Earth Rhino Cultivation Knowledge》【100%】

《Basic Meditation Method》【35%】

………………………………

Relying on "Hard Work Pays Off," Lynn had already mastered the knowledge of cultivating Earth Rhinos. He was confident that if the process went normally, he would surely be the one laughing at the end.

But the problem was that unfair competition was highly likely to occur in the beast pen; those guys with strong limbs were very likely to rely on their fists.

"Fortunately, the meditation method was distributed. As long as I work hard and grind up the proficiency! Combined with the Earth Rhino, I will have the power to protect myself..."

Lynn's thoughts were clear. He took a book out of the pocket of his robe. The title of the book was *Basic Meditation Method*.

(End of chapter)