Chapter 23) Test (final)

When he came to his senses and realized that he was still intact and was going through the test, Longway was happy. However, this happiness quickly passed when he felt his body's state and a huge hunger.

Grunting and cursing softly, he crawled out of the muzzle of the tree and his little safe place. He began to gently stretch his limbs and also to see that the bones were intact and in their places. After checking his limbs, he began to gently feel his chest and spine.

"Wow, damn, I have a couple of cracks on my ribs, although my spine seems to be intact. However, it is better to rest a little and recuperate."

Going to go to the cave to check on the resources left there, he felt danger from behind. Turning around, he saw several ice birds that were watching him closely. He frowned, because, in this trial, the most important thing is to survive and fight illusions and real spiritual beasts. But these birds do not attack him, and yet he felt danger from them.

"They shouldn't be hunters who attack while the victim is distracted or not ready. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so easily visible."

He stood still and did not know how he should act. Although sleep had restored his spiritual strength, his body still hurt and was not ready for the next battle. Not to mention his mind, which had not recovered and even now he felt the echoes of madness. But he could not leave them like that, because the sense of danger did not disappear, but only grew.

"I have to find the right spiritual beast faster, then this test should become simple. Spiritual abilities greatly facilitate the passage of the test, because they are not taken into account and therefore do not raise the complexity."

Deciding to keep an eye on them and be ready all the time, he still began to move towards the cave. Going inside, he did not find his piece of a bear. But he found many traces of other spiritual beasts, after examining the tracks and realizing that it was a pack of ice cats, he decided to get out of here. After all, he was not ready to fight with fast and agile opponents, when any sudden movement gives pain.

Meanwhile, outside the test. Suspicious people gathered in a small group and began to explore the protective array.

"Damn if it weren't for the patriarch's people, who mercilessly kill all our people. We could already sneak into this damn forest and catch the kid."

"It doesn't matter what they do, the main thing is that we have already found its location and we just have to make a passage in this array. Our people in the Guardians will pave a direct passage for us to the boy and will not let him escape."

"Heh right, the patriarch and his bitch wife probably don't even realize that we have people even among the Guardians. By the time they understand something, we will have already escaped, having fulfilled our goal. "

The others nodded their heads and continued to survey the area. They were sure that the shadows would not be able to find them, but extra caution was not superfluous.

So time passed and everywhere you could see fast-moving shadows that killed all suspicious people who were not lucky enough to be near the test. True, they missed some people, which was why they had to arrange chases that stretched their perimeter of protection.

"Shadow 3, reports to the main shadow that we have destroyed another group of fugitives. The perimeter is clear."

"Keep watching, and don't let anyone get close to the test."

"As you command."

Shadow finished giving orders and continued to inspect the map, which showed the test itself and the area around it. He was trying to see a territory that could escape their eyes. Until I suddenly saw an unremarkable area, it was not directly connected to the trial forest but was used by the Keepers.

His people did not keep an eye on this area because the Keepers were reliable and the elite of the older generation. Who are tired of the responsibilities in the clan and prefer to follow the cultivation of a new generation. Even so, not all of them could be Keepers, they had to go through strict selection and have a wonderful track record. This was the only way the elders and the patriarch could confidently allow these people to evaluate young talented and not-so-talented children. So that the test is always fair and possible to pass.

"Shadow 5 take your men and go to the Guardian Zone."

"As you command."

The Shadow did not ask questions, even if he was sure that the Keepers would not betray him. But having received the order without question, he began to carry it out.

Meanwhile, the main shadow was still looking at this place on the map, and his intuition, developed over the years of this work, shouted to him that not only this place was strange, but in general all the passages of the Keepers could be dangerous.

"Shadow 8 and 9 go check the 2 side passages, I'll take care of the main one myself."

He took his men to check the main entrance, which is used to launch spiritual beasts into the forest. Although it is called the main one, it is the smallest and most inconspicuous passage. Because the most dangerous spiritual beasts pass through it.

As the main shadow and his team approached the main entrance, they could sense an unsettling aura emanating from the area. The air grew colder, and a foreboding sense of danger loomed over them.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the passage had been tampered with. Hidden traps and defensive mechanisms had been set up to deter anyone who dared to venture through. It was clear that this was not the work of the Keepers, but rather the result of a malicious interference.

"Be cautious, everyone," the main shadow warned, his voice laced with urgency. "Someone has manipulated this passage. Proceed with extreme caution."

His team moved slowly, expertly disarming traps and neutralizing threats along the way. As they made their way deeper into the passage, they could feel the presence of a powerful spiritual beast lurking nearby. It was evident that this was no ordinary trial, but a carefully orchestrated scheme to eliminate intruders.

So a few days have passed and here is the last day of the test. Longway was scared because the sense of danger did not disappear, he attacked those birds and tried to hide from them, but nothing happened. Realizing that it was strange, he did not stop going through his ordeal, which was still difficult and dangerous, so he ended up with new wounds every day.

But on the last day, he found the right animal for his spirit. It was a huge eastern dragon that was 10 meters long and a couple of meters high. Due to his proximity to the wind, he could fly without wings. Also, thanks to his snake-like physique, he was incredibly flexible.

However, the most important thing was that he breathed calmness and peace. What he needs to calm his spirit. Therefore, he was finishing his trap and preparing to defeat him to agree on cooperation.

"Well, everything I could cook I cooked, it remains only to win."

Using his abilities, he covered the sky with an ice dome and also covered the entire field with ice columns, so he would not only prevent the beast from escaping but also create shelters for himself.

The beast, realizing that he was being hunted, roared with rage and began to destroy the columns to clear space for himself and was also looking for the one who arranged this ambush for him.

Meanwhile, Longway was waiting in a protected and dark place to take down this beast with a single attack. He didn't want to get more injuries and lose more spiritual energy. After all, everything he has done has taken away a huge amount of spiritual energy, and it is not advisable and dangerous to spend it yet.

"I still have to use the fusion with my spirit, otherwise I won't be able to finish him off quickly."

The beast ran to destroy the ice columns in search of the criminal, unaware that the more he destroys the ice columns, the more he succumbs to his madness.

Taking a deep breath, he fixed his mind and summoned his spirit. The moment he appeared, the place began to fill with an aura of madness, but he didn't finish.

"Confluence of Madness"

The spirit merged with his body, so that his body changed and began to look like his spirit only in human form, but the main change is the aura. The madness that filled the area was now concentrated on him. Because of that, his eyes were filled with fiery rage and endless madness. Wasting no time, he noticed that the beast also began to destroy everything insanely and was tired. Therefore, he unleashed one blow that knocked out the beast.

Canceling the merger and falling to his knees, he tried with all his might not to lose consciousness. Crawling up to the spiritual beast, he touched his forehead to its forehead and was transported into its spiritual sea. When he saw the beast that was calmly looking at him, he wanted to speak, but immediately the spiritual sea began to fill with madness and thirst for murder.

"Human, you not only attacked me but also brought this demon to pollute my mind. "

Longway couldn't answer because he was trying to restrain his spirit from uncontrollable rage.

"I know what you're here for, after all, I agreed in advance with people from your clan and knew that the time would come when one of you would defeat me, but I didn't think it would be a problem boy with emotion control problems."

"It's funny, just tell me if you agree or not."

"Sigh, great, I'll walk this path with you. My spirit will become your protector, and my body will become your path to exaltation."

After these words, the dragon used his strength to calm and restrain the spirit of Longway. Meanwhile, returning to the real world, the dragon's body dissolved into particles of light and absorbed into his body.

After that, a ring of spirits appeared. True, it was not ordinary like any masters of spirits and not blue like the members of the clan. And blood red, with small shades of blue. Right after that, the spirit ring quickly lost its color and turned white.

The core, created from a spiritual beast's body, also shrank and became barely active. However, even such a weak core still allowed him to break through to a new stage of spiritual force compression.

"Sigh, okay, now I need to use clan techniques to develop my spiritual abilities and start cultivating spiritual power for real."

He did not have time to rejoice for a long time, as shadows quickly appeared behind him and surrounded him.

"So, so you still managed to pass the test and breakthrough. Well, it doesn't matter. I congratulate you young master, as a reward for successfully passing the test, we offer you to follow us without resistance."

Seeing that he was surrounded, he realized that he had new problems.