Dark Forest

Devin knew that his fate was intertwined with the Order of Shadows, and without strength, he would risk losing his life.

With this in mind, Devin made the decision to prepare for the upcoming challenges by training with Alex and Muriel. They departed from the island and headed to the Dark Forest for their training.

In the real world, Devin and Alex consumed a potion that allowed their physical bodies to endure the transformative effects of the training. Muriel also took a basic augmentation potion to enhance his abilities. As the potion took effect, a burning sensation filled their bodies, signaling the beginning of their physical transformation. This training not only focused on their spiritual power but also aimed to strengthen their physical capabilities.

[Warning: Player is about to enter an uncharted territory known as the Dark Forest]

Ignoring the system prompt warning them of the uncharted territory, known as the Dark Forest, Devin entered with a determined mindset. The group proceeded cautiously, even as they engaged in light-hearted banter.

The forest was shrouded in darkness, with towering trees blocking out the sunlight. Eerie whispers rustled through the leaves, keeping them constantly on alert.

They encountered a pack of wolves, their teeth bared as they finished hunting. Alex nonchalantly taunted the wolves, claiming his return. Devin, however, chose to pretend not to know him. Despite their playful demeanor, they remained conscious of the potential danger.

Without hesitation, Devin and Muriel dashed towards the wolves. Muriel thrust his spear at the first wolf, sending it flying. This action enraged the remaining wolves. Devin quickly unleashed his skill, Origin Annihilation, causing the wolves surrounding him to disintegrate. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that his skill had increased in power after leveling up. This boost in strength brought him joy. Meanwhile, Alex displayed his accuracy with his bow as he successfully took down four wolves. Just before the last wolf fell, it let out a resounding howl that was met with an eerie response from the forest.

Devin felt a cold chill run down his spine as he quickly activated his Absolute Domain. Just seconds later, Devin's head would have snapped if it weren't for his domain bouncing the figure of a wolf back.

"What the hell is that?" Muriel exclaimed, her voice filled with alarm.

"Everyone, stay alert and try to move within this domain. It's a wolf with shadow abilities," Devin warned.

Alex swiftly used Shadow Meld to join Devin within his domain, while Muriel followed suit. The wolf, displaying higher intelligence than its counterparts, refrained from attacking them directly, realizing the futility within the domain. It materialized, staring at them with a deep-seated hatred. This particular wolf had a distinct horn on its head, marking it as different from the rest. As it howled once more, the sound echoed throughout the forest, attracting other wolves to join its cause.

With a sinking feeling, Devin could swear he saw the leader of the pack smirking ominously at them. The rest of the wolves emerged from the forest in large numbers, answering the call of their commanding leader.

Devin knew he could not maintain the domain for long, as the wolves relentlessly attacked. "Guys, this won't do. We came here for training, and this is just the beginning. If we can't even defeat these wolves, how are we going to survive the rest of the forest?" he exclaimed, concern etched in his voice.

Alex responded, acknowledging the problem at hand. "The problem lies in the number of wolves attacking us."

Muriel, however, had a plan in mind. "I have an idea. How about you two take on the leader while I deal with the rest?" he proposed.

Curiosity piqued, Devin inquired, "How are you going to do that?"

"I didn't come to the forest unprepared," Muriel replied, producing an alchemy bomb.

Devin couldn't help but remark, "Rich bastard," understanding the value of such an item— 10 gold coins each.

Alex chimed in, slightly envious, "How much does that cost?"

"10 gold coins," Muriel replied.

"Rich bastard. I'll make sure to craft one of these when I start forging," Alex muttered, determined to acquire such rare items.

Muriel's voice brought them back to their present danger. "Guys, stop hating and focus on the danger in front of us."

Realizing the urgency, Devin nodded and agreed, "Fine, make sure to lure them away and don't blow yourself up."

With their plan set, Alex utilized Shadow Meld to vanish into the shadows, surprising the wolf leader. Reacting quickly, the leader issued a sharp command to its pack. Devin dispelled his domain, using Glide Stride to effortlessly maneuver through the group of wolves as he advanced towards the leader.

As Muriel attracted the majority of the wolves away, the pressure on their group lessened.

Devin skillfully navigated through the wolves, using his perception skills to evade their lunges and counter with deadly precision. This unnerved the wolf leader, but Alex, in perfect synchronization, attacked the leader repeatedly from the shadows.

Devin circled around the leader, relying on his spiritual power to unleash a powerful technique, conjured by his enhanced perception skills. The wolf leader's eyes widened in surprise as the combined efforts of Devin and Alex intensified, forming a deadly duo against their formidable foe.

Devin expertly circled around the wolf leader, channeling his spiritual power into a powerful attack. Although disoriented, the wolf leader proved to be resilient, giving Alex an opportunity to shoot an accurate arrow. In a combined effort, Devin infused his sword with energy and swiftly decapitated the leader, causing a thunderous sound to reverberate through the forest.

Exhausted, both Devin and Alex collapsed onto the ground, breathless. The adrenaline from the fight had kept them going, and the sense of accomplishment brought happiness to their weary bodies.

"Do you think Muriel got caught up in his own blast?" Alex asked between pants.

Devin chuckled, picturing the scene. "Sorry to disappoint you," Muriel replied, joining the conversation.

"We should leave this area. The noise might attract more monsters," Devin suggested, deciding to store the leader's body in his ring.

Alex shared knowledge of a den of scourge spiders ahead, mentioning the valuable silk webs they produced. Despite previous encounters where he couldn't defeat them, the trio agreed that using the alchemy bomb in their nest might be a feasible solution, followed by looting their territory. Devin inquired about the number of alchemy bombs they possessed, learning that they still had eighteen remaining.

"Since it's an enclosed space, two bombs should be enough to cause damage to them," Devin reasoned, as they devised a plan to enter the scourge spider territory, place the bombs, and make a quick escape.

As the alchemy bombs detonated, the screams of the spiders echoed through the air, accompanied by the pungent smell of burnt remains. Without wasting any time, they began attacking and swiftly eliminated the surviving spiders.

Amidst the chaos, Alex couldn't contain his laughter. "stop laughing, It's getting weird," Muriel admonished him.

Unabated, Alex responded, "What do you know? Do you know what I went through with these spiders? I finally have my revenge. Let me have my moment."

"Let's quickly gather the webs. I have a feeling there are more nearby," Devin interjected, urging them to complete their task.

"These spiders really know how to enjoy themselves," Alex commented, discovering a pile of high-level crystals within the nest.

With precision, they looted the nest, ensuring nothing was left behind, before hastily departing from the area.

With the valuable loot they acquired, the trio realized they had recovered the cost of the alchemy bombs many times over. However, they also noticed that the game system did not reward them with experience points for defeating these monsters, as they were below their level. Devin, having already experienced the stinginess of the Oasis game system, shrugged it off.

They continued to sharpen their combat and spiritual powers as they ventured through the outer regions of the forest, encountering different types of monsters. Devin found his spiritual attacks becoming smoother and more efficient with each use, while Alex was able to send his spiritual arrow farther, albeit only managing to produce one at a time.

Sensing the approaching sunset, Devin suggested finding a place to rest for the night, aware of the increased danger lurking in the forest after dark. Alex, being familiar with the area, led them to a cave he knew of, provided no other animal had claimed it. Guiding their way through various twists and turns, Alex successfully led them to the cave, which proved spacious enough to accommodate all three of them. The small hole at the top of the cave allowed for ventilation and an opportunity to barbecue the meat from the wolf leader they had slain, which served as their dinner, paired with dry bread.

The following morning, they departed from the cave and continued their journey, eventually entering the territory of a brown back bear.

Muriel observed, "That's a mortal adept-level bear," noticing its presence before it noticed them.

Devin, motivated by his desire to test his enhanced physique against a formidable foe, volunteered, "I want to take on this bear alone. I need to gauge my strength against a mortal adept to know the impact of the potion I took." The thrill of hunting in the wild, reminiscent of his past life, fueled his decision.

Without hesitation, Devin lunged toward the bear, his sword swiping through the air, emanating a powerful aura. However, in a display of annoyance at the disturbance, the bear countered with a forceful strike that would have sent Devin flying if he hadn't activated his domain just in the nick of time.