Vajra Ape

The Golden-Bearded Mastiff, a Tier 8 Ferocious Beast.

Each Golden-Bearded Mastiff has at most six whiskers, and there is a possibility that whiskers could be broken off during combat. Damaged whiskers naturally do not count, so by this calculation, every person must hunt at least three Golden-Bearded Mastiffs to meet the requirements of the trial.

Not to mention, the Golden-Bearded Mastiff is a pack-dwelling Ferocious Beast.

"This trial is very difficult. The Starlight Forest is a gathering place for High-Tier Ferocious Beasts, and it's not just the Golden-Bearded Mastiff that inhabits it," Chen said, looking worried.

Guen, on the other hand, was full of fighting spirit.

"The last trial was to retrieve materials from a Tier 9 Ferocious Beast. This time, switching to a Tier 8 Ferocious Beast doesn't change the difficulty much, but I accept it," Guen said with a grin.

Chen could only offer a bitter smile.

The map provided by the military was very rough; it only marked a few locations where Golden-Bearded Mastiffs might exist and the position of Stardew Valley. Furthermore, the lines were very thick, serving only to barely distinguish directions.

Guen took one look at it and put it away.

"Let's go. We'll figure it out once we get there."

The crowd surged forward, heading straight for the Starlight Forest.

"Hey, Guen, Chen, do you want to join us?" A middle-aged man urged his mount—a lion-type Ferocious Beast—over and took the initiative to invite Guen and Chen.

"Uncle Jack." Guen and Chen smiled and nodded.

"That's good. We're all from the same town, so our chances of dealing with the Golden-Bearded Mastiffs will be better if we work together. Let's head out together; it'll be safer on the road." Uncle Jack was not surprised that Guen and Chen accepted their invitation.

The pack-dwelling Tier 8 Golden-Bearded Mastiffs were actually more threatening than a Tier 9 Ferocious Beast.

Of the four hundred and twenty-one people here, only a little over a hundred were original residents of Double Moon Town; the majority were people from surrounding villages who had come to participate in the trial.

Even among those from the same town, there were differences in closeness, and Uncle Jack and Guen had a relatively good relationship.

Uncle Jack also contacted five other people he was on good terms with, forming an eight-person team. Without further delay, they immediately set off according to the map.

Although the map was crude, no one would get lost, because every three miles along the road, there was a squad of Empire Soldiers. Their role was to observe whether those participating in the trial were heading to the Starlight Forest as stipulated.

The route and location for the trial were set in stone. If someone were to harbor ulterior motives and change their route without authorization, or even obtain the golden whiskers through other channels, the significance of the trial would cease to exist.

Therefore, there were soldiers along the way; they acted as the boundaries for this trial. However, as they moved deeper into the Starlight Forest, the number of soldiers decreased.

The Starlight Forest was a lair where Ferocious Beasts gathered. The average combat strength of the Empire Soldiers barely reached the mid-tier, so they could only observe the movements of the trial participants from a distance using tamed birds and beasts.

Three days later.

"Hmph!"

Guen punched a python-type Ferocious Beast in its vital spot. The python's muscles burst open instantly; it couldn't withstand this punch from Guen at all.

"A mere Tier 4 Ferocious Beast dares to block my path?" Guen raised an eyebrow and lunged toward the other pythons.

A group of Green-Striped Pythons actually dared to block their party's path, while the Tier 6 Python leader at the head of the pack was being trampled by a group of people.

The lowest-ranked person here had Tier 6 cultivation, while the highest, Uncle Jack and a bald man, possessed Tier 8 strength.

"Don't be careless," Uncle Jack shouted in a low voice. "Although Green-Striped Pythons travel in packs, we have high-tier ferocious beast mounts like the Diamond Unicorn and the Mad Lion. For the Green-Striped Pythons to dare provoke us, I suspect someone is pulling strings in the shadows. Be careful. Starlight Forest is teeming with ferocious beasts, and while Green-Striped Pythons are at the bottom of the food chain, the forest is mostly populated by high-tier ferocious beasts. If we get surrounded, we'll be in grave danger."

"Understood," Guen and the others replied immediately.

The group efficiently finished off the Green-Striped Pythons and continued on their way.

Uncle Jack solemnly warned Guen and Chen, "This is your first time participating in the trial, but we are all on our second. Setti here is already on his third."

Uncle Jack pointed at the bald man.

"The task of the Jungle Trial itself is quite challenging, but that isn't the greatest threat. Ferocious beasts are merely strong animals; even if they possess some intelligence at this level, they are generally quite dull-witted. The ones you must be most careful of are the other participants."

"Other participants?" Guen and Chen were puzzled.

"That's right, other participants," Setti chimed in, leaning closer. "Do you know where the strength of a ferocious beast lies?"

"Raw power?"

"Physique."

"Mm, Guen is right. It's the physique. A Tier 6 ferocious beast is larger than a human and has a much sturdier body. Human bodies are too fragile; unlike ferocious beasts, even if you stab one through the brain, it won't die immediately. Therefore, some participants who can't hunt Golden Whiskers themselves might set their sights on other participants who can, and simply rob them." Setti's expression was grave. "So, we must be wary of other participants. If you aren't careful, you might be ambushed. To be honest, your and Chen's strength isn't particularly high, but since this is your first time, your top priority is to ensure your own safety."

Guen turned serious as well.

The human body was indeed fragile.

Even a strong human could be defeated by someone weaker.

Poison, hidden weapons, and various other methods were endless.

All of this was because the body was fragile; once a vital point was struck, it usually meant either severe injury or death. Meanwhile, those ferocious beasts could struggle for a long, long time even after being hit in a vital spot.

"Don't worry, you have us," Jack smiled, exchanging a look with Setti.

When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up.

After the encounter with the Green-Striped Pythons, everyone became even more cautious during the rest of their journey.

Two days later, the group watched as a Vajra Ape came charging toward them from the distance, and their faces couldn't help but turn pale.

This was a Tier 9 Ferocious Beast!

It stood over thirty meters tall, its black fur revealing a faint, golden-yellow sheen.

Every step it took seemed to shake the earth, yet it moved with incredible speed, covering hundreds of meters in a single stride. In the blink of an eye, it had crossed the distance from the horizon to right in front of them.

Its target was clear; it was obviously coming straight for Guen and his group.

"It's actually a Peak Level Vajra Ape," Jack's expression changed instantly.

The Vajra Ape's fur was naturally black. Once golden fur began to appear, it indicated that the creature was undergoing a metamorphosis toward the Super Tier. While the Vajra Ape before them only had a few strands of gold, it was enough to prove that this was no ordinary beast.

If it were just a regular Vajra Ape, they might have been able to put up a fight, but a Vajra Ape that had already begun its transformation into the Super Tier was another matter entirely.

"We need to split up! I don't know who is targeting us, but they're clearly trying to use the trial as an opportunity for revenge," Uncle Jack said, his face grim. While it was true that others might strike during the trial, that usually happened during the hunting process or after someone had secured a trial item. To attack now could only mean it was a calculated act of vengeance.

"You guys go first! Setti and I will draw the Vajra Ape away. We'll meet at the second Golden-Bearded Mastiff outpost in four days!" Uncle Jack shouted. He and Setti immediately spurred their mounts, charging headlong toward the Vajra Ape.

"Take care, Uncle," Guen said. He knew the situation was dire and chose to retreat.

However, his Horned Boar Beast was trembling so violently that it could barely move.

The Horned Boar Beast was only a low-tier ferocious beast. The mere aura radiating from a creature at the peak of the food chain had stripped it of all will to resist.

"Damn it!"

Guen had no choice but to abandon his mount. He landed on the ground, picked a direction, and sprinted away.