Jade reacted instantly.
The moment he felt the terrifying aura approaching, his instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, Jade summoned a vine from his body. The thick green tendril shot upward like a living rope and wrapped itself tightly around a tall tree branch above him.
With a sharp pull, the vine dragged his body upward.
In the blink of an eye, Jade was lifted high into the air and landed lightly on a sturdy branch.
After a year of constant battle and training, using the vine had become completely natural to him.
It was no longer just an ability.
It felt like another limb of his body.
From his elevated position, Jade quickly scanned the forest.
Then he saw it.
A monstrous ape slowly stepped out from the shadow of the trees.
The creature was enormous.
Its body was covered with thick layers of hardened armor that resembled dark stone plates. Long claws extended from its fingers, each one sharp enough to tear through steel. Its teeth were jagged and vicious, dripping with saliva as it growled.
The monster's eyes locked onto Jade.
For a brief moment, the two stared at each other.
Then the ape roared.
The sound shook the forest.
Before Jade could react further, the ape suddenly leapt forward.
Its massive fist slammed directly into the tree Jade was standing on.
CRACK!
The tree shattered instantly.
The trunk exploded apart as if struck by a giant hammer.
But Jade had already moved.
His body reacted instinctively.
He leapt from the collapsing tree and twisted in midair, landing gracefully on the ground like a drifting leaf carried by the wind.
This smooth landing was possible because Jade had already completed the accumulation of his Wind Fragments.
The wind ability enhanced his agility and balance, allowing him to move with unnatural fluidity.
However, the ape wasn't done.
The moment Jade touched the ground, the monster slammed its foot onto the earth.
BOOM!
A violent shockwave exploded outward.
The ground cracked beneath the ape's foot, and the force of the impact spread through the forest like a raging storm.
Jade was thrown backward by the blast.
His body flew several meters through the air before he rolled across the ground and finally stopped.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then Jade slowly pushed himself up.
He wasn't seriously injured.
Compared to the boy he once was, Jade had become far stronger.
His body had endured countless battles during the past year.
Still…
Jade tasted something metallic in his mouth.
He spat to the side.
A small splash of blood stained the snow-covered ground.
Jade wiped his lips and stared at the monstrous ape again.
"…Strong."
He muttered quietly.
Then Jade raised his hand.
"Ice Vein."
At his command, a strange liquid appeared in the air before him.
The liquid shimmered with a cold, pale glow.
It floated slowly toward Jade and touched his skin.
Immediately, the liquid spread across his body.
A layer of ice began forming over his skin.
Within seconds, Jade looked like a man carved entirely from ice.
But the ice didn't remain outside his body.
Instead, it was gradually absorbed into his skin.
The cold energy reinforced his muscles, bones, and flesh, making his body as tough as frozen steel.
Jade exhaled slowly.
White mist escaped from his mouth.
His eyes sharpened.
Then he moved.
With a powerful leap, Jade shot into the air and landed directly behind the ape.
His fist clenched tightly.
With all his strength, he delivered a sharp punch toward the monster's back.
BAM!
The impact echoed through the forest.
But something unexpected happened.
Not even a scratch appeared on the ape's armored body.
The creature slowly turned its head.
Its glowing eyes stared down at Jade with obvious irritation.
Then the ape stomped the ground again.
BOOM!
Another shockwave erupted.
But this time Jade didn't fly away.
His feet remained planted firmly on the ground.
The pressure forced him to slide backward several meters, but he resisted the force.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
Then he raised his hand again.
A vine burst out from his chest and quickly expanded.
Instead of forming a whip or spear like before, the vine spread outward in every direction.
Within seconds, it formed something that resembled a giant web.
The web was dense and layered.
Jade infused it with his energy.
Every strand became as sharp as a blade.
The web-like structure formed a defensive barrier between him and the monster.
After a year of constant training, Jade had become extremely proficient with his vine ability.
His control over it had reached an impressive level.
He could now shape it into many complex forms.
Weapons.
Shields.
Traps.
The vine was no longer just an attack—it had become a versatile extension of his will.
The ape didn't hesitate.
With an angry roar, the creature charged forward.
It didn't seem to care about Jade's defensive web.
The monster simply slammed its massive body straight into it.
The moment the armored body touched the vine web—
SCREEEECH!
An unbearable metallic sound echoed through the forest.
It sounded like iron scraping violently against iron.
Sparks flew in every direction.
The vines trembled under the pressure.
But something surprising happened.
The sharp edges of the vine strands began cutting into the monster's armor.
Small fragments of hardened armor were shredded and fell to the ground.
Jade's eyes widened slightly.
The fact that the vine could damage the armor at all was incredibly fortunate.
Without hesitation, Jade seized the opportunity.
He immediately retracted the vines and reshaped them.
This time they gathered together, forming a massive vine fist.
The giant fist shot forward like a battering ram.
BOOM!
The attack struck the ape's arm as it tried to defend itself.
A powerful shockwave exploded outward.
But this time the ape was the one suffering.
Its arm trembled violently.
The armor covering its hand had been badly damaged.
Deep cracks spread across the surface as if it could shatter at any moment.
The ape roared in anger.
Its massive claws swung toward Jade with terrifying speed.
But Jade moved like a ghost.
He stepped aside effortlessly.
The claws struck nothing but empty air.
Again and again the ape attacked.
Again and again Jade dodged.
To the monster, Jade felt like an irritating fly that refused to die.
The ape's movements grew increasingly frustrated.
Then something strange happened.
For the first time…
The monster felt fear.
Even though it was stronger.
Even though its aura suppressed Jade's power.
Something about Jade's calm movements and relentless attacks unsettled it.
The ape tried to stomp the ground again.
But Jade reacted first.
A vine shot forward and wrapped around the creature's leg.
With a powerful pull, Jade slammed the ape sideways into a nearby tree.
CRASH!
The tree snapped under the impact.
During this entire battle, Jade's mind remained incredibly focused.
Thanks to his Mind Deceiver ability, he could analyze the monster's movements and predict its next action with surprising accuracy.
It was almost like seeing the future.
Jade raised his fist again.
This time he infused the vine fist with even more energy.
At the same time, the strength of his Ice Gene surged through his muscles.
Then he punched.
BOOM!
The attack struck directly into the cracked section of the ape's armor.
The armor shattered instantly.
Jade's fist pierced through the defense like a blade cutting through jelly.
The ape screamed in agony.
Not far away, several trial participants had witnessed the battle.
They stared at the scene in disbelief.
One of them whispered in awe.
"…Blood Slayer."
Another nodded.
"That title really suits him."
But one spectator suddenly froze.
His expression turned pale.
"…Wait."
He pointed toward the monster's corpse.
"Isn't that the pet beast of Silent Slayer?"
The group fell silent.
Silent Slayer was a terrifying human within the trial.
Unlike most participants, he hunted other people instead of monsters.
Anyone he hated would die.
And the worst part…
He always attacked from the shadows.
His strength was said to be far greater than most participants.
One spectator whispered nervously.
"If Silent Slayer finds out Blood Slayer killed his pet beast…"
"He'll become a walking corpse."
Meanwhile, Jade heard none of this.
His attention was focused on the system notification echoing in his mind.
"You have slain a Pet Data."
"You have received a Data."
Jade blinked.
"A… Data?"
The system continued.
"Data Name: Relic Rock Armor."
"Data Type: Armor."
"Class: Mutated."
Jade's eyes widened.
This shocked him.
During the entire trial, Jade had mostly killed Initiate-level creatures of ordinary class.
Mutated creatures were far stronger and much rarer.
And he had just defeated one.
A wide smile slowly appeared on Jade's face.
Excitement filled his chest.
Then Jade dismissed his abilities.
The vine slowly retracted back into his body.
The icy glow surrounding him faded.
His muscles relaxed as his body returned to normal.
For a brief moment, Jade allowed himself to breathe.
But suddenly—
BANG!
A terrifying force slammed into his back.
The attack was so powerful that Jade's body lurched forward violently.
Blood burst from his mouth.
He felt the bones in his back crack under the pressure.
Not break.
But crack.
Jade barely managed to stay on his feet.
His eyes widened.
Someone had attacked him.
Slowly, Jade turned around.
Standing behind him was a tall figure.
The person wore a dark black cape that completely covered his body.
Even his feet were hidden beneath the long cloth.
The stranger's face remained partially hidden in shadow.
Then the man spoke calmly.
"The fact that you survived my punch…"
"…proves you will become a very dangerous opponent someday."
His voice was cold.
Emotionless.
"And that is exactly why you must die."
Jade's eyes narrowed.
The air between them suddenly became deadly cold.
The next battle had already begun.