Two days passed in a blur of nervous energy, Ryker was desperately trying to avoid being cornered by people who wanted to know his "secrets to profound wisdom."
Now he stood in a massive staging area with roughly one thousand other survivors of the Knowledge Test, all of them armed with basic supplies and varying degrees of weapons. The Academy officials had explained the rules three times already, but Ryker's brain was still trying to process the sheer absurdity of what they were about to do.
"So let me get this straight," Ryker muttered to Zyx while checking his supply pack for the fourth time. "We're being dropped into a massive forest filled with actual monsters, we need to survive for a month, we need both a Light Pearl and a Dark Pearl, and we need to reach the central tower without dying. And death is 'discouraged but possible.'"
"That's correct," Zyx confirmed cheerfully. "It's a very standard survival trial. Builds character."
"It builds corpses."
"Only for the incompetent."
Lian appeared at Ryker's elbow, looking significantly more composed than he had three days ago, though his hands were still fidgeting with his bag straps. "Ready?"
"Absolutely not," Ryker said honestly. "You?"
"Terrified. But we have a plan, right? Stick together, avoid unnecessary conflicts, hunt only what we need, reach the tower?"
"That's the plan." Ryker glanced around the staging area, noting the various groups already forming—alliances of convenience, old friendships, political connections. Wei Jian stood with his entourage near the front, radiating confidence and probably plotting Ryker's demise. Lady Raviel Fors stood alone near the edge, her hand resting casually on the hilt of her sword, looking like she was about to go on a pleasant walk rather than a month-long survival gauntlet.
"ATTENTION, CANDIDATES!"
The voice boomed across the staging area with enough pressure that several people flinched. Senior Instructor Feng Zhao stood on a raised platform, his hands behind his back, his expression stern.
"In a moment, you will each draw your assigned pearl from the collection boxes. Remember—you need BOTH colors to qualify. Light and Dark. Trading is permitted. Theft is encouraged. Combat is expected." His eyes swept across the crowd. "The forest contains spirit beasts ranging from Rank One to Rank Seven. Avoid what you cannot defeat. Fight only when necessary. Death, while discouraged, is a risk you accepted when you entered these trials."
"Very reassuring," Ryker muttered.
"You have one month," Feng Zhao continued. "Reach the central tower with both pearls. Those who succeed advance to the final Trials. Those who fail..." He smiled slightly. "...will have an interesting story to tell their families. Begin!"
The crowd surged forward toward the collection boxes—large wooden containers filled with pearls that glowed either soft white or deep black. Ryker let the initial rush pass, then walked up and drew his pearl.
Dark.
He glanced at Lian, who was holding up his own pearl with a slightly relieved expression.
Light.
They looked at each other, and Lian's face broke into a grin. "We already have both!"
"Don't say that too loud," Ryker hissed, grabbing Lian's arm and pulling him toward the forest entrance before anyone else noticed. "Half these people are going to form hunting parties specifically to rob complete sets."
"Right. Good point. Being quiet now."
The forest entrance loomed before them—a massive archway carved from living trees, beyond which stretched what looked like infinite wilderness. Ryker could see other candidates already disappearing into the foliage, some running like they were racing, others moving cautiously with weapons drawn.
"Last chance to back out," Ryker said, though he was mostly joking.
They stepped through the archway, and the sounds of the staging area immediately muffled, replaced by the ambient noise of forest—birds calling, leaves rustling, something large moving through underbrush in the distance. The air felt different here, thicker somehow, saturated with spiritual energy that made Ryker's meridians hum uncomfortably.
"This place is dense with qi," Lian observed, his training probably picking up details Ryker would've missed. "It'll help with cultivation recovery, but it also means the beasts here are probably stronger than normal."
"Great. Terrifying. Love that for us."
They walked for maybe twenty minutes, following what looked like a game trail deeper into the forest, before Ryker finally voiced the thought that had been nagging at him since they'd entered.
"Does this whole setup feel familiar to you?" Ryker asked.
"Familiar how?"
"Like... forest survival trial, competing teams, need to collect specific items, reach a central location, month-long examination?" Ryker stopped walking and turned to face Lian with complete seriousness. "Lian. This is just the Chunin Exams."
"What?"
"The—" Ryker caught himself before he could explain that it was from a ninja anime from his old world. "Never mind. Cultivation trial thing. Forget I said anything."
Zyx was laughing in his collar. "You're not wrong though. The Academy definitely took inspiration from—"
"Not helping," Ryker thought back.
They continued deeper into the forest, and Ryker had to admit that despite the terror and the very real possibility of death, there was something almost peaceful about it. The morning light filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, birds sang overhead, and if he ignored the distant roars of what were probably murderous spirit beasts, it was actually kind of nice.
"We should find somewhere to make a base camp," Lian suggested. "Somewhere defensible but hidden. Then we can scout the area, figure out food and water sources—"
A roar split the air.
Not distant this time. Close. Very close.
Ryker's hand went to his sword automatically. Lian had produced a short blade from somewhere, his friendly demeanor replaced by alertness.
"What was that?" Lian whispered.
"Something big," Ryker whispered back. "Something very, very big."
The underbrush ahead of them exploded.
What emerged was…
"TUTUTUT!!"
Ryker's brain stuttered trying to process it.
A camel.
A seven-foot-tall, heavily muscled, absolutely furious camel with fur that seemed to shimmer with spiritual energy and eyes that glowed with unmistakable intelligence and rage. Its two humps had what looked like crystalline formations growing from them, and when it opened its mouth to roar again, Ryker could see that its teeth were definitely not herbivore teeth.
"Is that—" Lian started.
"A spirit beast camel," Zyx supplied, sounding fascinated. "Rare. Very rare. Judging by the qi signature... Foundation Establishment Rank Two? Maybe Rank Three. Territorial species. Highly aggressive. We should run."
"RUNNING!" Ryker grabbed Lian's arm and bolted.
The camel charged.
Ryker had never been chased by a camel before—in either life—but he was now discovering that camels were FAST. Terrifyingly fast. The ground shook with each of its galloping steps, and when Ryker glanced back, he saw it gaining on them with the rage burning in its eyes.
"TREE!" Lian shouted, pointing to a massive oak ahead. "CLIMB!"
They reached the tree and scrambled up with extreme speed, Ryker's newly improved Rank Four body easily pulling him up. They'd barely made it to the first major branch when the camel slammed into the trunk below them hard enough to shake the entire tree.
"IT'S ATTACKING THE TREE!" Lian's voice had gone very high-pitched.
"No shi sharelock!!"
The camel reared back and kicked the trunk with both rear legs, Ryker heard wood crack. It was going to knock down the tree. The absolutely insane camel was going to knock down the tree he was on, fuh!!!
"Zyx, any advice that doesn't involve dying?!"
"Well," Zyx said thoughtfully, "you could try taming it."
"TAMING IT?!"
"Spirit beasts can be bonded to cultivators if you establish dominance and trust. This particular species is known for being loyal once bonded, incredibly strong, and—"
"IT'S TRYING TO MURDER US!"
"Yes, but if you succeed, you'd have a Foundation Establishment mount that could carry supplies, intimidate other candidates, and—"
The camel kicked the tree again, and this time Ryker definitely felt the whole thing shift.
"HOW DO I TAME IT?!"
"First you need to not be in a tree. Face it directly. Show no fear. Establish yourself as the dominant party in this relationship—"
"RELATIONSHIP? I dont want a freaking camel!!"
"Trust me!" Zyx insisted. "I've done this before! Well, not personally, but I've taught beast taming! It works!"
The tree creaked ominously.
Ryker looked at Lian, who was clinging to his branch with all the strength he could muster. He looked down at the furious camel, which had paused its assault on the tree to glare up at them with those glowing eyes, its body radiating spiritual pressure that made Ryker's skin crawl.
He thought about the next month. Walking through this forest. Carrying supplies. Being chased by other spirit beasts and rival candidates.
And then he thought about riding into the central tower on a Foundation Establishment battle camel while everyone else arrived on foot.
"I'm going to regret this," Ryker muttered.
"Ryker, what are you—RYKER NO!"
Ryker jumped down from the tree.
He landed in a crouch three meters from the camel, his hand on his sword's hilt, every nerve in his body screaming that this was the worst idea he'd ever had.
The camel stopped moving. Its glowing eyes fixed on him with laser focus.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
"Okay," Ryker said quietly, his voice somehow steady despite the terror. "Okay. We're doing this. You and me. Let's figure out which one of us is stupider."
The camel snorted, pawed the ground with one massive hoof, and lowered its head in a way that suggested it was preparing to charge.
"RYKER GET BACK ON THE TREE!" Lian screamed from above.
The camel charged.