Chapter 9

The queries didn't last long. Although some guys tried fighting their way out, everything eventually played out when Alpha Derek appeared in front of the crowd. No one was able to complain anymore at that point.

His dominating alpha aura was enough to make everyone silent. He didn't even need to speak to shut the noisy ones. But before he left, he sent me one last glare that made me somehow smile.

At least he's not ignoring me that much?

Facing the notorious Arndon Woods, everyone around me was nervous or worried about their lives. I saw some weird dudes getting excited- while here I am bored as hell.

I groaned. "Just when will this start?"

"Hey, shortie."

I turned at the voice behind me and saw a tall guy, with blonde hair staring at me with an amused expression. And because I was a great actress, I immediately smiled upon locking eyes with him.

"Me? Shortie? I'm 5'6."

"Well, I'm 6'2, so you're short on my perspective."

Ok? No one asked, though.

Despite wanting to bark back, I just continued to smile at him to at least hint him that I was uncomfortable with how he was standing beside me.

"What's with the dog smile?"

My smile almost broke. "Did you just say dog?"

"You don't like dogs? then how about a cat?" He grins.

There was something weird about him. I don't even know him, but he was obviously trying to rile me up. I could've sworn I hid my identity when I made enemies. If there was one person that knows my identity, then that'll be the guy I left half-naked at the cabin.

"Do I know you? I can feel a strange sense of hostility coming from you."

He eyes me down, he was getting closer so I took a step back. He says, "Do you know Alpha Derek?"

"What? What does that have to do with you?"

"It does. I should know if there's something fishy going around the arena, shouldn't I?"

"Hah. You're suspecting me of going through a back door to win, aren't you big guy?"

He glares at me, "It's Noah, make sure to remember that till the last level. Like you, i donIt want things to get boring so you better not die until the last level."

And then he's gone.

I sighed briefly. Did he saw how I flirted with Alpha Derek? or was it when he glared at me recently? Anyway I shouldn't be bothered about it that much since I will win this thing anyway.

"Worry about yourself, Big Noah." I rolled my eyes.

Finally, the gate to enter Arndon Woods opened. We were given a total amount of 8 hours to get through the forest, or else we'd be locked inside the forest until the next date to open the gate arrives, though I highly doubt that you'll be alive after so long.

Arndon Woods was considered the scariest forest on the continent so far. The gate only opens mid-winter, letting anyone in without restrictions. It was the type of gate that once you step foot inside, you can't step get out at the same gate- it has to be at the other end of the forest.

But there's more. What makes it so terrifying is that the forest was crawling with monsters and creatures from different species.

Others call it 'The lost World.'

I've always heard about this place from my missions, other than that it's terrifying stories. I also found out that it was a place to go for great treasure. Some even said that it this forest was once a haven for Witches.

Everyone around me started to shift, some stayed at their spot, and while I just nonchalantly ran towards inside. Once I was in, my ears tingled when I sensed movement from the ground.

Is that mana?

I jumped from a high tree and noticed the mud started to suck people in. The others jumped over it, while some also copied me.

I inspected the mud and saw a hidden incantation beneath it. That's when I knew that Witches were the ones responsible for this. It's not a surprise to see one, but it still kind of makes me nervous to meet a witch at this place.

I didn't mind it anymore and jumped from tree to tree, just like what the instructor told us. The scent that led to the outside was lingering at one direction. So it wasn't hard seeing that we're basically werewolves with great senses.

8 hours? I can finish this in less than an hour.

I smirked.

My excitement got cut short when the scent tripled in different directions. I halted immediately and landed softly on the ground.

Am I hallucinating?

I tried placing my hand to my temple to see hints, but there wasn't a single thing. I noticed some guys were also in the middle of confusion just like I was. We stood bewildered how the scent was coming from different directions.

This time, I can't find a witch's tracks.

"This is harder than I thought." I looked up, the thing that everyone so feared finally appeared. A gigantic red hairy spider with four huge fangs snarled at us, and at the very front where he emerged was the same spot I was standing on.

Damn it, It's 20 meters tall! We just got in, and we're already meeting a big one like this already?!

A sweat dropped from my side. "How is my luck so shitty today?"

As if it understood me, it tried to pierce my body with its legs, so I jumped away from it in instinct. But in response, it also jumped towards me, it's big body enough to disrupt the flow of air around me. I was thrown off to the tree and fell.

"You're having a hard time." Noah laughs at my state, "I advise you to ignore big ones like that. You'll just waste your time."

I rolled my eyes, "I wasn't trying to attack it. News flash, I'm not that dumb."

I stood up and brushed off the dirt on my body. Since it threw me off to the other side, I noticed that it started to hunt others in its path. If people died a lot on the mud earlier, then this time it's worse.

The spider is on a eating rampage, some even dug themselves to hide from the spider.

"Just what the hell is that spider? It's big yet so fucking fast." I groaned.

"Don't die too early shortie." He snickers before fleeing away. Just like he advised me, he avoided the big creature by focusing on running through its blindspot. It was something I planned but he's just bragging right now, isn't he?

I just shrugged the frustration off and started to flee as well. In my case, once I started moving, the spider's attention strangely focused on me.

It was sniffing me out?!

"Fuck-" I got thrown off again this time when it jumped to my spot with its heavyweight. I huffed and tried to go to its blindspot, but it was continuously trying to keep me on its sight.

Why me?

"Fucking hell, don't you have other hoes-ahh!!" I barely dodged his sharp fangs that could've dismembered me from behind me. I tried jumping to keep a distance, but just like I expected, it was following me!

Because of my shitty luck, I tripped on a twig at the exact moment the spider's tapered leg was about to land on my back.

Shit, I won't be able to dodge in time.

I was already prepared for the worst when I calmly closed my eyes in vain. The air gave me a sense of relief as I fall- but what I didn't expect was when my body swiftly got moved out of the way from the attack.

With an arm on my back, my eyes widened when I realized that a masked man just saved my life. When I our skins touched, that's when I realized that it's him.

Why is Alpha Derek inside Arndon Woods?