Two days later, at dawn.
The large, open ground before the eastern entrance of the "Land of Jackals" was bustling with noise. All the third-year prospective Extraordinary Ones had gathered here, ready to face the qualification exam that would decide their fate.
In the open space, the Extraordinary Ones of different Pathways were clearly distinct. The 'Warrior' Pathway students gathered together, occasionally throwing punches that stirred the air. The 'Night' Pathway students mostly stayed in the shadows, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. A few 'Spectator' Pathway students were observing everyone's micro-expressions with great interest.
Among these distinctive individuals, Jasper stood alone in a corner, the quiet black lizard on his shoulder making him a complete outcast, drawing countless gazes of either pity or contempt.
His injuries had mostly healed thanks to the system's low-level healing function, but his tattered school uniform and pale face still made him look wretched.
"All candidates, be quiet!"
The teacher, Sarah, stood on a high platform, her voice amplified by a runic sigil, echoing across the field.
"The rules for this qualification exam are simple: within three days, you will start from the eastern entrance, traverse the entire 'Land of Jackals' on foot, and reach the western terminus. Along the way, you can form teams, you can compete, you can use any means necessary. We only look at the result, not the process. Remember, within the dungeon, you are responsible for your own life and death!"
"Now, the exam begins!"
With Sarah's command, the massive spatial rift pulsed with energy, forming a stable entrance.
The eager students, already in groups of three to five, surged into it. Ryan and his team deliberately paused as they passed Jasper, bumping his shoulder with a sword hilt.
"Loser. Hope you don't end up as jackal shit on the first day."
With that, he walked into the rift, laughing, amidst a chorus of jeers.
Jasper's face was expressionless. He waited until most of the others had entered before silently following.
Passing through the curtain of energy, a much thicker stench of blood and decay assaulted him. The environment here was far more dangerous than the outer area he had been in two days ago.
He didn't rush forward. Instead, he quickly found a hidden crevice between some rocks and completely concealed his and Nidhogg's presence.
He knew that for a lone 'Shepherd', the first enemies to face were often not the beasts in the dungeon.
It was the other humans taking the exam.
He waited quietly, like a lifeless stone. Nidhogg remained motionless, as if it had become one with him.
As expected, in less than ten minutes, the sound of hurried footsteps and clashing weapons came from not far away, accompanied by a piercing scream.
"You're... you're stealing my materials! You..."
The voice stopped abruptly.
Jasper's eyes showed no flicker of emotion. This was what Sarah meant by "not asking about the process."
He continued to wait until the surroundings had returned to complete silence before slowly emerging from the crevice.
He had to gather the last few materials needed for his advancement as quickly as possible while conserving his strength.
He glanced at Nidhogg on his shoulder and, through the rudimentary mental link they had established over the past two days, issued a simple command.
"Find. Crypt Worms."
Nidhogg's dark-gold pupils lit up. It leaped from Jasper's shoulder, sniffed the air with its small nose, and then scurried off in one direction.
Jasper followed immediately.
Man and dragon, like the most synchronized of hunters, silently disappeared into the shadows of the jungle.
However, they failed to notice that not long after they left, on the trunk of a large tree, a rune, almost perfectly blended with the bark, slowly lit up before quickly fading away.
Miles away, Ryan stopped, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Found you, loser."