Chapter 5:Gate opening during testing

During the test, a portal suddenly opened next to Edward and pulled him in before anyone in the team could react. It closed immediately afterwards. The event was so quick and unexpected that Edward couldn't even make a sound or think of a reaction. One moment he was standing among his teammates, and the next he was being pulled by an invisible force into the black void that had suddenly opened beside him.

Rin, who was standing a few meters away, watched the scene in shock. Her eyes widened as she saw her teammate disappear in a matter of seconds. With lightning speed, she pulled out her communication device and pressed the emergency button, informing the instructors about the incident. Her voice was slightly trembling as she described what happened, "A portal... Edward disappeared... The test must stop now!"

Within minutes, the place was filled with instructors and officials. The decision to cancel the tests for this section was made quickly, with priority given to searching for Edward and investigating the unexpected appearance of the portal. The other students stood in a state of shock, exchanging frightened looks and whispered questions. "What exactly happened?" "Did you see that?" "Where did Edward go?" The questions echoed among them, with no one having clear answers.

On the other side, Edward was transported to a large forest, its trees tall and towering like mountains. The transition was sudden and violent, leaving him feeling dizzy and confused for a moment. His eyes took some time to adjust to the dim light of the dense forest after the bright glow of the portal.

Given his experience as a former knight, Edward didn't allow panic to overtake him. He immediately began to prepare himself mentally and physically to deal with this unexpected situation. His gaze quickly scanned the surrounding area, looking for any immediate threats or signs of other creatures.

After making sure there was no immediate danger, he began searching for a safe location he could use as a temporary base. His eyes spotted a hollow in the trunk of a huge tree, but he decided it wouldn't be enough. He continued searching until he found a small cave, partially hidden from view by dense trees and bushes.

The cave was barely large enough for an adult human, but it was deep enough to provide good protection from the elements and potential dangers. Edward carefully examined the cave, making sure it was free of any unwanted inhabitants, before deciding to use it as a temporary shelter.

He entered the cave and sat down, his back against the cold rock wall. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his breathing and organize his thoughts. The current situation was dangerous, and he knew that every decision he made from now on could be crucial for his survival.

He began thinking out loud in a low voice, trying to arrange the events in his mind and understand what had happened. "I was transported to this place from that portal," he whispered to himself, his eyes moving rapidly as he reviewed the possibilities. "Was it targeting me from the beginning since it didn't transport anyone else? Or perhaps I happened to stand in the wrong place and the portal activated and transported me?"

Another question urgently presented itself in his mind: "And where exactly am I?" He looked around, trying to comprehend his new environment. The trees were taller and more massive than anything he had seen before, and the air carried strange and disturbing scents. It was clear that he was no longer in his familiar world.

During his thoughts, his train of thought was interrupted by a loud sound of things breaking. The sound was so thunderous that it made the ground shake beneath his feet. Very cautiously, he stuck his head out of the cave, his eyes searching for the source of the noise.

What he saw made his heart stop for a moment. A giant monster, taller than the trees themselves, was walking among the trees, crushing everything in its path as if they were mere toys. The monster was unimaginably huge, its skin covered with thick scales that reflected the sunlight filtering through the tree leaves. Its eyes were glowing red, and each of its steps shook the earth and caused waves of vibrations.

At this point, Edward realized he was in real trouble. His experience as a knight and all his training hadn't prepared him to face something of this size and power. He realized that no matter what he did, he couldn't kill a monster like this with his current abilities. This realization hit him hard, making him feel weak and fragile in the face of the forces of this new world.

Edward returned to the depths of the cave, his heart racing. He realized that his survival would depend on his caution and ability to adapt to this new and dangerous environment. He decided to stay in the cave until the situation outside calmed down, using this time to devise a plan for survival and exploration.

Days passed, and Edward began to gradually adapt to his new life in this strange forest. Every morning, he would cautiously leave his cave, his senses on high alert. His eyes were constantly moving, searching for any sign of potential danger, while his ears were attuned to any unusual sound.

He began searching for fruits to feed himself, quickly learning which berries were safe to eat and which were poisonous. He was careful at first, testing each new fruit with extreme caution, monitoring his body for any negative reactions. Over time, he became an expert in identifying edible fruits, able to distinguish between different types of berries and strange fruits he had never seen before.

In addition to gathering fruits, Edward began hunting small monsters. At first, it was difficult for him. He had no traditional weapons and had to rely on his skills in making primitive traps and his ability to sneak and ambush. With each successful hunt, he learned more about the behavior of animals in this forest and how to deal with them.

During these days, Edward began to notice something strange happening to him. He felt a strange energy flowing through his body, an energy he had never experienced before. At first, he didn't understand what was happening, but he soon realized that he was beginning to develop an ability to control the element of darkness.

He started learning how to control this new element. At first, it was difficult and frustrating. He would try to shape the darkness between his hands, but it would dissipate before he could control it. But with constant practice, he began to improve. He became able to form small masses of darkness, then transform them into simple shapes.

As his skills developed, Edward began trying to create a sword from darkness. The process was difficult at first. The sword would form for seconds before dissipating, leaving Edward frustrated and tired. But he didn't give up. He would spend hours each day trying to master this new skill, realizing that his ability to survive might depend on mastering it.

After weeks of constant practice, he finally succeeded in creating a stable sword of darkness. The sword was as black as night, absorbing light from around it. But Edward wasn't satisfied with that. He knew that the element of darkness alone might not be enough.

He began trying to coat the darkness sword with light. His idea was to use both elements together, believing that this combination might be more effective. His hypothesis was as follows: the light element is light and fast, while the dark element is slow but destructive. If he could combine them, he might get a powerful and balanced weapon.

He realized that its destructive power would decrease until he mastered it, but he hoped it would serve the purpose and make him better able to hunt and defend himself. It was like learning a new language, where he had to understand how to communicate with these two conflicting elements and make them work together in harmony.

While living here, Edward discovered something amazing. He noticed that eating the monsters he hunted had a strange effect on his body. After each meal, he felt a slight increase in the mana in his body. At first, he wasn't sure if this was just an illusion or reality, but over time, the effect became more obvious.

Not only was the mana increasing, but he also noticed that his control over the elements was improving significantly. Each time he ate monster meat, he felt as if his abilities were becoming more precise and powerful. This discovery opened his eyes to new possibilities. He began to think about how to better exploit this advantage, wondering if different types of monsters might grant him different abilities.

Edward realized how useful these new abilities were. He thought about how they could change his life if he could return to his world. But this thought was always accompanied by a feeling of sadness and homesickness. He wondered if he would ever be able to return, and what it would be like when he did.

Months passed, and Edward still hadn't found a way back. His exploration of this forest was not even 20% complete, and he realized that there were many secrets still hidden in its depths. Every day he would go out, pushing the boundaries of the area he knew a little further, mentally recording every landmark and every dangerous area.

His control over the elements had become noticeably high. His previous weakness with the dark element was gone, and he now controlled both - darkness and light - as if they were an integral part of his body. He was able to form weapons and tools from darkness and light with ease, using them for hunting and defending himself.

One day, during his usual search, Edward encountered a creature he had never seen before. It was a tiger, but its shape was incredibly strange. Its body was that of a regular tiger, but its legs were rabbit legs - long and powerful, designed for jumping. And the strangest thing was its tail, which was shaped like a sharp and deadly axe.

When the two saw each other, there was no moment of hesitation. The tiger immediately attacked, jumping with amazing speed thanks to its powerful legs. Edward, relying on his reflexes honed after months of living in this dangerous forest, avoided the attack at the last moment.

But the tiger didn't stop. It attacked again, this time using a combination of speed and power. Edward avoided the attack once more, but he wasn't prepared for what happened next. The tiger, in the middle of its jump, moved its sharp axe-like tail, directing a deadly strike towards Edward.

Edward, who was in the middle of turning to avoid the initial attack, saw the tail coming towards him. In a moment of instinct and intensive training, he immediately summoned a shield of light element. The shield formed in the air in front of him, glowing with a bright golden color, at the moment when the tiger's tail was about to hit him.

The collision was powerful. The tiger's tail hit the shield with enough force to send shock waves through Edward's body. But the shield held, saving his life from a strike that would undoubtedly have been fatal.

The battle continued, with Edward and the tiger exchanging attacks and defenses. It was clear that this creature was much stronger than anything Edward had encountered so far in this forest. Every time Edward tried to attack with his sword made of darkness and light, the tiger would avoid it with amazing speed. And every time the tiger attacked, Edward had to use all his skills to stay alive.

As they fought, weaker monsters fled from the battle area, aware of the enormous danger. The surrounding trees and plants suffered significant damage as the battle continued, with tree trunks cut and leaves torn as a result of the tremendous force used in the fight.

After a full hour of continuous fighting, fatigue began to show on both combatants. Edward was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face and body. The tiger also looked tired, its movements becoming slower and less precise.

In a decisive moment, Edward seized a small opportunity. When the tiger attacked again, Edward pretended he was going to avoid the attack as usual. But at the last moment, he quickly turned, using his sword composed of darkness and light in a powerful and decisive strike.

The strike hit its target. Edward's sword penetrated the tiger's skin, delivering a fatal blow. The tiger fell to the ground, making a muffled sound as it hit the damp forest soil.

Edward, completely exhausted but victorious, stood for a moment to catch his breath. Then, realizing the importance of this hunt, he began to drag the tiger's carcass towards his cave. It was difficult, as the tiger's body was heavy, but Edward knew that this hunt might be the most important one he had gotten so far.

When he reached the cave, Edward began preparing the tiger for cooking. He roasted the meat slowly, using the skills he had acquired during months of living in the wild. The smell was strong and appetizing, filling the cave and making Edward's stomach growl with hunger.

When he began to eat the meat, he immediately realized that this was different from anything he had eaten before. The mana inside the meat was highly concentrated, to the extent that it made him not need spices. Each bite filled his body with energy, and he could feel his abilities enhancing with every mouthful.

Five years passed inside the forest. During this period, Edward managed to explore 60 percent of the forest. Each time he went deeper, the monsters became stronger and stranger. His challenges became greater, but his abilities also grew significantly.

In one of his battles, he continued fighting a monster for 3 days without rest. It was an epic battle that drained every drop of his strength and energy. But he emerged victorious, and each victory made him stronger and more knowledgeable.

Until one day, as he was returning to the cave where he hides in the deep area of the forest, Edward felt something different. There was a strange sensation, as if the air itself was carrying an invisible tension. He paused for a moment, his senses on high alert.

Suddenly, he realized he wasn't alone. Someone was following him. His heart began to race, and his fingers moved instinctively towards his sword. He was about to turn and confront the intruder when he heard a voice.

"I know you sensed my presence," the voice said calmly. "I mean no harm. But I'm happy to meet you. You're the first human I've met after staying here for ten years."

Edward turned slowly, his eyes carefully examining the strange person in front of him. He was a tall man, wearing strange clothes that looked like they were made from tree leaves and leather. His face was hidden behind a mysterious mask.

"Ten years and you've been here?" Edward asked, his voice a mixture of doubt and curiosity. "I guess you've definitely explored this forest completely. Why didn't you leave?"

The man let out a light laugh, its sound strange and familiar at the same time. "Of course I managed to explore the forest completely," he said. "But the monster I'm supposed to kill and finish my mission to return... it's ridiculously strong."

Edward looked at him with increasing curiosity. "Who is the monster?" he asked, then added after a moment of hesitation, "And also... what's your name?"

The mysterious man was silent for a moment before answering. "I think you've seen it at least once. A giant monster, so tall you'd think it reaches the sky. Every ten years, it goes to the first area, or rather the weakest, to lay its eggs and then returns to the deep forest." He paused for a moment before adding, "And my name is Derek."

Edward felt a shiver run through his body as he remembered the giant monster he had seen on his first day in this forest. The idea that there was someone else here, trying to kill this creature, was astounding.

Edward looked at Derek, who was still wearing his mask. "Why do you wear this mask and hide your face?" Edward asked, his curiosity increasing with each moment.

Derek answered calmly, "Because I'm on a mission. I can't take off the mask so no one knows who I am. This is the law within my squad."

During their conversation, they suddenly heard a scream that reached the sky. The sound was terrifying and familiar at the same time. Edward and Derek looked at each other, knowing that the real battle was about to begin.