Chapter 5: Slaughter in the Beast Circle (Please follow, bookmark, and recommend!)

Chapter 5

Lynn tightened his robe, clutching his Earth Rhinoceros in his arms as he carefully made his way through the forest.

As he pressed forward, his expression grew increasingly grim.

Every so often, he would discover mangled corpses and shredded robes—remnants of examinees who had clearly been alive just ten days ago.

"Were they attacked by magical beasts from the enclosure?"

Lynn speculated to himself, heightening his vigilance.

He knew well that this beast enclosure was vast and inhabited by many powerful magical beasts.

Perhaps a high-level beast had wandered into this area, leading to the tragic demise of these unfortunate youths.

However, as Lynn ventured deeper, he gradually realized that things were not as simple as he had imagined.

The number of corpses along the path had already exceeded his expectations.

He clearly remembered that there were only a few dozen youths participating in this assessment, yet he had already witnessed no fewer than twenty bodies along his path alone!

What was even more unsettling was that some of the corpses were still intact.

If it were truly the work of magical beasts, why hadn't they devoured the bodies completely?

"What on earth is happening?"

A sense of unease grew heavy in Lynn's heart.

Just then, he caught a faint, extremely subtle sound.

It was the sound of sharp teeth gnawing on bone—slight, yet exceptionally clear.

Lynn stopped in his tracks, holding his breath, his mental energy instantly focused.

The powerful mental energy of a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice allowed him to be certain that this was no hallucination.

That tiny gnawing sound was real!

At the same time, his nose twitched, and his brow furrowed immediately.

He felt a faint, nauseating scent of blood permeating the fresh morning air, drifting toward him.

"Damn it!"

Lynn’s hair stood on end, his nerves tightening throughout his body.

He understood that he had drawn close to the culprit behind these corpses.

Whether it was a powerful magical beast or some other unknown threat, this was no place to linger.

The faint gnawing, the thick stench of blood—everything signaled the approach of danger.

Lynn even knew that if he were to shout out loud right now, he would undoubtedly draw that culprit straight to him!

"Breath Concealment!"

At the critical moment, a spell he had just learned flashed through Lynn's mind, and he began to cast it without hesitation.

Lynn held his breath immediately, doing his best to hide himself within this dangerous jungle.

Although Breath Concealment was only a Rank 0 spell and not difficult to learn or cast, it usually required the aid of props or materials to be effective.

He scanned his surroundings, his gaze lingering for a moment on the mangled corpses and tattered robes.

Lynn made a quick decision—under the current circumstances, the best way to mask his own scent was to use these "materials" that reeked of blood.

Suppressing the churning in his stomach and the chill running through his body, he stooped to collect the tattered clothing and blood-stained fragments.

Then, using the Breath Concealment spell, he diffused these scents, covering himself with his mental energy to thoroughly mask his presence.

After doing all this, Lynn clutched his Earth Rhinoceros tightly to his chest, hunched over, and hid silently behind a thick, sturdy tree.

The tree was large enough to shield his body, allowing him to blend into the surrounding environment.

Lynn held his breath, gathering all his mental strength, his ears pricked up, listening intently to the sounds coming from all directions.

The gnawing continued, low and sharp, as if striking directly at Lynn's nerves.

His heart hammered like a drum, feeling as if it might leap out of his throat, yet he dared not make the slightest movement.

Suddenly, the gnawing sound gradually weakened, replaced by a rustling—the light sound of footsteps treading on dry leaves.

The footsteps came from afar, becoming clearer and heavier; clearly, they were approaching Lynn's position!

Lynn’s pupils contracted sharply, his breathing nearly stopped, and he froze as if petrified, desperately trying to minimize his presence.

He held his breath, slowly shifting his gaze toward the direction of the sound, peeking out with extreme caution.

"Tap! Tap!"

The footsteps grew closer, and finally, Lynn’s eyes caught the moving figure.

The first thing to appear in his line of sight was a four-legged creature—covered entirely in black scales; it was an Earth Rhinoceros!

The Earth Rhinoceros moved with a certain laziness, but following behind it was a person.

It was a blond youth, sturdy in build, with a steady gait.

His face was somewhat familiar to Lynn.

Ten days ago, when choosing their Earth Rhinoceroses, this person had relied on his brute strength to kick another competitor unconscious, acting with extreme tyranny.

"Could it be..."

A terrifying guess flashed through Lynn's mind.

Were the youths who had died along the way not killed by magical beasts, but by the hand of this person before him?

Just then, the blond youth seemed completely unalert, yawning casually and stretching, his voice lazy as he said

"I've finished off over twenty on my side; the others should be about the same. Let's wait a little longer to see if there are any stragglers, then we can go back and report..."

Hiding behind the thick tree trunk, Lynn carefully concealed himself, every word of the blond youth clearly reaching his ears.

"It really was him! How ruthless! How strong!"

Lynn’s mind raced, analyzing the other's motives and potential threat.

From the blond youth's words, he learned that this person was not acting alone, but had companions.

"Why would they target other examinees? Are they not afraid of the Wizard's wrath?"

This question swirled in Lynn's heart.

As a transmigrator, he was still feeling out the rules and logic of this world.

His predecessor had only been a lucky soul who stumbled into the Crucible Trial by chance and knew nothing of the complex background or unspoken rules here.

But since the blond youth was slaughtering other examinees without hesitation, it meant they must have a way to evade the Wizard's punishment.

A theory flashed through Lynn's mind: perhaps the Wizard intended to use this assessment to filter for the most excellent apprentices and eliminate the weak.

And the blond youth acting early might just align with the Wizard's philosophy of "survival of the fittest."

Lynn clenched his fists, his chest heaving rapidly.

He knew very well that, according to the blond youth's words, this person intended to leave no one alive!

If he were discovered, he would undoubtedly be the next target.

"Regardless of why he is doing this, there is no doubt that this person is my enemy—a mortal enemy!"

Lynn’s heart grew calmer, but also more solemn.

The blond youth and his companions were undoubtedly formidable—to kill over twenty people without a scratch was something no ordinary person could do.

This meant that once discovered, it would be a life-or-death struggle!

"When two meet on a narrow path, only one can survive, so don't blame me..."

A chill flashed in the depths of Lynn's pupils.

He had only been in this world for half a month, yet he was already forced to the edge of life and death, and the crisis before him compelled him to make a choice.

After calming down, Lynn calculated rapidly.

He knew clearly that relying on his own physical strength alone, he had no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation with the blond youth.

The other's physique and strength completely crushed his own; the result of a brawl was self-evident.

But Lynn was not without a chance—he was a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice, possessed spells, and he still had one trump card: "Mind Distraction"!

It was a spell that briefly disrupted an enemy's focus; although its duration was limited, if used correctly, it might be the key to turning defeat into victory!

Lynn’s gaze narrowed slightly, his heart beating faster, but his killing intent was also steadily rising.

"The blond youth is a strong enemy, but he may not be invulnerable. If there is a chance..."

(End of chapter)