Like before, Zion's surroundings changed in an instant, only this time he found himself standing in a ring of short grass, encircled by a dense, shadowy forest.
'A forest this time?' he thought, lowering his stance. 'Alright… let's see what I'm dealing with.'
The wind rustled through the trees, but there was no trace of movement anywhere.
'This terrain favors ambushers,' he noted, scanning the treeline. 'Could be something like a Shadeleecher… but then, where are they?'
Thirty more seconds passed before a sharp crack echoed in the forest behind him.
Zion turned immediately, but didn't spot anything.
Then, another crack echoed from the forest, this time on his right. At the same time, a low growl entered his ears from his left side.
'A pack of ambushers,' he thought, shifting his combat stance as his eyes darted across the place.
Suddenly, a faint rustle came from above him.
Zion's eyes shot up just in time to see a black and green creature jump out of the treeline, heading straight towards him.
Without any time to hesitate, he kicked the ground, quickly jumping out of the creature's path.
The creature landed on the ground a few feet away from him, quickly dashing back into the treeline.
Luckily, Zion had managed to catch just enough of a glimpse before it vanished again.
'Was that some kind of overgrown panther?' he questioned, the image of its muscular body covered in green and black fur that blended in perfectly with the environment stuck in his mind.
[That's a Thornclaw,] Uriel reported. [Its strength and speed sit at the peak of E-rank, and it mainly ambushes prey using the blades on its front legs.]
Zion processed the information, but he didn't have time to respond as he heard the next rustle coming from straight behind him.
Immediately jumping aside, he caught sight of two panthers which had gone straight for his calves.
But, just as he was about to land, a third panther jumped out of the bushes, aiming straight for his throat.
"Tsk," Zion hissed, raising his scaled forearm to intercept the incoming blade.
The blade screeched off his scales, the impact nearly strong enough to shove him a step back.
But Zion wasn't done there. Using the force of the blow, he twisted with the momentum and just barely managed to grab hold of the creature's hind legs.
The Thornclaw snarled in panic as Zion yanked its legs out from under it.
Before it could react any further, Zion grit his teeth and sent it flying toward a tree with all his strength.
The impact cracked the trunk and forced the panther-like beast to release a choked yelp before it vanished from the simulation.
'One,' he thought, eyes darting around the place.
Zion barely had time to refocus before another rustle echoed through the forest.
This time, the two remaining Thornclaws burst out of opposite sides of the treeline, one weaving erratically through the grass while the other charged at him in a straight line.
'Good,' Zion thought, lowering his stance.
Both creatures let out sharp snarls as they closed in, their movements attempting to keep him trapped between them.
Zion jumped back, tensing the muscles in his left arm to let energy run through it.
Both Thornclaws changed direction at once, moving to trap him once more.
'Predictable…'
He jumped back once more, slower this time, almost like he was inviting them in.
The Thornclaws took the bait instantly, the straight runner increasing its speed and the zigzagging one lining up to jump for Zion's left shoulder.
'Almost…' Zion thought, feeling his left arm shift as it began to light up in a blue color. 'Just come a little bit closer…'
The straight Thornclaw finally committed, its body dropping low as it lunged for his right leg.
Zion waited until the last moment, then twisted to the left. The beast's blade soared through empty air as it shot past him, skidding through the grass behind his back.
At the same time, the zigzagging Thornclaw kicked off the ground, launching itself toward his left shoulder.
'Now.'
Instead of dodging, Zion stepped in. He raised his scaled arm, stopping the creature mid-leap. In the same motion, he twisted his body and flung it toward its partner.
For a brief second, both Thornclaws were in a straight line—one recovering its footing, the other being flung straight toward it.
Zion's glowing left arm snapped up and locked onto them, triggering the release he'd been holding back.
A blue orb blasted out, ripping through both Thornclaws before detonating against the wall behind them.
For a moment, nothing moved.
'Now should be an actual D-rank creature, right?' Zion thought, smiling as his heart pounded.
Just as he was about to start looking around him, a loud voice echoed through the assessment room.
"HEY—HEY! STOP! STOP THE SIMULATION!"
The forest around him cracked like shattered glass before breaking apart entirely.
Zion blinked as the simulation dissolved, revealing the assessment room once more.
The judge was already halfway down the stairs, practically tripping over himself as he ran toward the platform.
"Those—those were nearly C-rank drones! Do you have ANY idea how expensive they are!?" he shouted, pointing with trembling hands at the far wall.
Zion was left stunned, not sure what he'd done wrong. Only after following the judge's gaze did he understand.
Embedded halfway into the reinforced panel were two smoking metal husks, the shattered remains of the drones that had projected the Thornclaws.
The judge stumbled past him, his face pale as he walked to the wreckage.
"Oh no, no, no… this is coming out of my paycheck…" he muttered miserably, pressing his hands against his head. "Why did I have to be the one testing someone with a crazy unique weapon…?"
Zion stepped off the platform, watching the man spiral for a moment.
Only after a few seconds of silence did he speak.
"…So… what does that mean for my result?"
The judge froze.
Then he slowly turned his head toward Zion as if staring at a natural disaster.
"…Your result?" he whispered. "Your result!?"