Sudden Appearance of the Spider Demon

During the day, after ascending the mountain, everyone except Han Zhiqi and the other person gathered at the mountainside. This included Kimura's team and several other scattered groups.

Although Kimura was unwilling, he couldn't be overly aggressive in public. Driving away people from other teams would give his teammates the impression that he was narrow-minded, which wasn't conducive to leading the team.

Night soon fell, and everyone became exceptionally tense. Some had seen demons before, while others hadn't, but without exception, they all sensed the unusual atmosphere in the air.

The forest gradually grew dark. The estimated time had arrived, and Kimura and Eimi exchanged a glance before standing up from the stone platform and walking to the center of the crowd.

Seeing them stand up, their teammates also rose, clearly viewing Kimura as their leader.

For the remaining teams of only two or three people, some sat on the ground dejectedly, hesitating, while others also stood up, attempting to blend into Kimura's group. After all, they had only met each other for the first time, and their faces were unfamiliar. If they managed to join, it was highly probable they wouldn't be recognized.

Kimura surveyed the crowd. Despite his young age, he possessed a commanding presence, and his sharp gaze truly conveyed an aura of unstated authority.

The crowd was silent, awaiting Kimura's instructions.

"Everyone, night is about to fall, and demons are likely already hunting in the forest. I will repeat one last time: the Demon Slayer Corps assessment is not child's play; it is a true game of life and death. If anyone wishes to leave, please take your backpacks and hide in the wisteria forest below."

After speaking, Kimura waited quietly for those who would withdraw.

Indeed, four or five people, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere of the mountain forest, took their backpacks and walked into the wisteria forest below.

After the last person left and a brief wait yielded no further departures, Kimura continued, "Alright, since no one else is withdrawing, we will enter the forest together and find a defensible location. I believe that with so many of us helping each other, we can definitely endure for seven days and pass the assessment."

Upon hearing that they were to venture into the forest in the dark, many people began to grumble. Wasn't it better to stay put? If they encountered a demon, they could fight if they were able, or flee into the wisteria forest below to forfeit if they weren't. Entering the forest? Wasn't that just asking for death if they couldn't handle it?

Some also felt that Kimura was not suited to be a leader at all; his reasoning was utterly nonsensical. If they were going into the forest, why not do it during the day instead of choosing the night when demons were rampant?

Kimura had anticipated this situation, as the pursuit of advantage and avoidance of harm were human nature.

"If anyone has any questions, please feel free to voice them. I will answer them one by one. If I cannot answer, we can discuss countermeasures together. We are a team, and we must trust each other. If you harbor doubts and don't speak up, it's like a crack; once an unexpected situation arises, the entire team could very well fall apart."

Three male participants in the crowd huddled together, whispering something. After a moment, a tall participant, acting as their representative, posed a question.

"Isn't it better for us to stay here? Why must we enter the forest?"

Kimura scanned the crowd. Clearly, besides these three, many others harbored similar thoughts but were using others to voice them.

Kimura addressed the tall participant, "I know what you're thinking. Since you've decided to participate in the assessment, please don't harbor any wishful thinking. Doing so will harm those who genuinely want to pass the assessment."

Their ulterior motives exposed, the tall participant and those around him lowered their heads in embarrassment.

Kimura then raised his head to face the crowd again. "We are here to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps assessment with a resolve to die, wanting to join the Demon Slayer Corps. If anyone is merely here to try their luck, then I'm sorry, my team does not welcome you. Please stay here and give it a try."

Kimura's words ignited certain radical elements within the team, who immediately let out strange cries, both to echo Kimura's sentiment and to mock those who were trying to take shortcuts.

"Furthermore, another reason for not choosing this spot is that the terrain here is flat and open, with no cover to utilize. If we encounter a demon, there will be nowhere to escape. Of course, for those who are just trying their luck, they might be able to escape to the wisteria forest below."

"Haha..."

Another wave of laughter erupted from the crowd.

"Still so cowardly and you come to join the Demon Slayer Corps? Do you think the Demon Slayer Corps is a shelter for cowards?"

"Exactly, exactly. If you don't have the guts for this job, you might as well go home and farm."

"..."

The participants' taunts and ridicule left the embarrassed individuals among the crowd with nowhere to hide.

Kimura's reasoned and well-founded response had not only exposed the ulterior motives of some but also earned him a loyal following. They felt that although Kimura was a pretty boy, he at least had brains.

Sensing his advantage, Kimura continued, "Of course, some people will question why we are entering the forest at night and not during the day. Alright, I will now answer the questions in your minds. The reason we are not entering the forest during the day is that we are unclear about the situation within the forest. If we rush in rashly and encounter a demon, a fierce battle will surely ensue. After such a battle, how many of you will still have the energy to rest? If you don't rest well, how can you cope with the coming night? But now, we have at least rested for an entire day, possessing ample energy and physical strength."

Kimura paused at this point, seemingly giving everyone time to think.

It had to be said that Kimura's line of reasoning was sound. After his explanation, many who had initially harbored doubts found his points very logical. As they felt convinced, they also gained more confidence and reliance on Kimura as their leader.

"Does anyone else have any questions? If you do, please voice them, and we can discuss them together."

After a few minutes, no one responded.

"Good, since there are no more questions, we will depart. As for those opportunistic individuals, please feel free!"

"Ooh~ Ooh..."

Under Kimura's leadership, the group formed a V-shaped formation and entered the dark forest.

This formation could counter attacks from all directions, integrating offense, defense, and rescue into a complex formation.

Before coming to Mount Fujikasane, Kimura had studied this for nearly a month.

After the team left, only the three participants who had initially asked questions remained. They all said that the nail that sticks out gets hammered, and the three couldn't help but regret speaking up earlier, discussing what to do next.

Should they stick to their original plan and remain where they were, trying their luck?

Or should they pick up their packs and head straight into the wisteria forest below?

As the three of them huddled together discussing, no one noticed that a grotesque monster was slowly approaching.

The reason it was called a monster rather than a demon was that this demon had completely deviated from its human form.

It had six legs, two arms, and an appearance resembling a spider, moving in a crawling posture. It had a bald head and crawled at a rapid pace. We shall temporarily refer to it as a Spider Demon.