[The morning crowd]
[The creaking of an iron gate]
[Excited voices in the distance]
As morning arrived, an unusual commotion spread throughout the camp.
This was not the usual bustle of daily life.
There was tension in the air, curiosity in people’s eyes, and a dangerous kind of anticipation—the sort that emerged when people gathered to watch someone else face a test.
When Arjun stepped outside into the faint morning light, he saw a crowd gathering around the open grounds.
A large circular arena had been prepared in the center.
Iron cages had been brought over.
Spears, ropes, and battered wooden posts were ready.
Around the edges stood the camp’s elders, hunters, and curious spectators who had come to watch today’s Beast Trial.
Arjun took a deep breath.
[A slow breath]
The previous night still weighed heavily on his mind.
Veerbhadra’s impending departure, the healer’s warning, and the name of the Life Flower continued to occupy his thoughts.
But today was different.
Today, he would witness another side of the camp’s laws.
Aarav came to stand beside him.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
Arjun nodded.
“Let’s see.”
Aarav glanced at the gathering crowd.
“Today’s trial is a big one.
The Camp Lord personally ordered that the newcomers be tested in a real arena.”
Arjun looked through the crowd.
Several newcomers were trembling.
Some boys had sweat covering their palms.
One girl kept wringing her clothes, as though trying to hide her fear.
And Arjun?
He remained silent.
Completely calm.
But beneath that calmness lay a razor-sharp alertness.
He knew that every breath would be tested here.
An elderly official stepped onto the platform in the center of the arena.
His voice was deep and authoritative.
“Listen carefully!
Today’s Beast Trial is about to begin.
Those who pass will be granted permanent permission to remain in the camp.”
“Those who fail will be expelled.”
Whispers spread throughout the crowd.
[The low murmur of the crowd]
Arjun looked toward the cages.
Various animals were locked inside them.
Some were small.
Some were dangerous.
And others had eyes that revealed something beyond hunger—an ancient, instinctive violence.
The elderly official took out a collection of small wooden sticks.
“Every participant will receive one stick.
The name written on it will determine your opponent.”
One by one, the participants were called forward.
The first was Rakhel.
A thin young man stepped forward, trembling.
The second was Sia.
The same frightened girl.
The third was Devan.
A sturdy young man who was trying hard to appear courageous.
Arjun remained quiet.
Aarav whispered, “Is this your first time watching a trial like this?
Usually, people don’t look quite so terrified.”
Arjun replied coldly, “They are afraid.
They just hide it.”
His turn came when the elderly official called his name.
“Arjun Arya!”
The entire arena fell silent for a few moments.
Numerous eyes turned toward him.
He was the same boy who had already surprised everyone.
The one who had proven himself by remaining calm in front of a Beast during his earlier trial.
Arjun stepped forward.
The official placed a wooden stick in his hand.
Arjun looked down.
Written on it were two words:
Young Wolf.
He glanced at the words, then raised his eyes toward the cages.
Excitement grew louder throughout the crowd.
The other sticks bore the names of different creatures.
Someone had drawn a Crimson Bear.
Someone else had received a Wolf.
Another participant had drawn an Anaconda.
And then—
The moment Sia looked at her stick, all the color drained from her face.
Written on it was:
Giant Horned Anaconda.
She froze.
Her fingers began trembling.
Arjun looked at her.
There was no exaggerated terror on her face, nothing like the panic spreading through the crowd.
Only a small, fragile expression of human fear—the kind that existed somewhere inside every person who felt weak in the face of death.
Sia slowly stepped backward.
An elderly woman whispered, “This is terrible.”
Another person muttered, “Half the trial will be over the moment she sees that snake.”
Arjun’s gaze settled on the snake’s cage.
Until then, he had remained calm.
But now, an old hunter’s instinct awakened within him.
The cage door opened.
[The sound of iron scraping]
The crowd erupted.
A gigantic python slithered out.
Its body was thick and muscular, covered in rough scales.
Two small horns protruded from the top of its head, and its yellow eyes glowed like burning flames.
As it slid across the ground, dust rose around its body.
Every part of it seemed packed with immense strength.
A shudder ran through Sia’s entire body.
She turned around.
Arjun looked into her eyes and immediately understood.
She wouldn’t be able to fight it.
Her fear was unmistakable.
And the price of that fear would be her life.
The giant snake coiled its body as it entered the arena.
Its tongue flicked through the air.
[The hiss of a snake]
Some people in the crowd shouted, “Run!”
Others laughed.
A few had already begun placing bets.
But Arjun watched only the snake.
He understood that this creature was not merely powerful.
It was deadly.
Its movements were slow, but its attacks were as fast as lightning.
If its opponent failed to dodge at the right moment, the battle could end immediately.
Sia’s face grew even paler.
She looked toward Arjun.
“I…”
Her voice broke.
Arjun glanced at her.
Then at the snake.
Then back at the wooden stick in his hand.
For one moment, the air inside the arena seemed to stand still.
Then Arjun placed his stick back into Sia’s hand.
“Switch with me.”
Sia stared at him in disbelief.
“What?”
Without changing his expression, Arjun repeated, “Switch with me.”
Before she could understand what was happening, he took her stick and handed his own to her.
Now the stick in his hand bore a different name.
Giant Horned Anaconda.
The crowd exploded.
[A tremendous uproar]
Someone laughed and shouted, “He’s crazy!”
Another cried, “The giant snake belongs to that kid now!”
Some people shook their heads.
Others clenched their teeth.
The Camp Lord watched the scene from the side.
A faint trace of interest appeared on his face.
It seemed that this boy was not someone he disliked.
On the contrary, Arjun was becoming increasingly interesting to him.
Arjun stepped into the arena.
The snake noticed him approaching.
Cruelty immediately flashed in its yellow eyes.
It coiled its body, raised its head, and began flicking its tongue rapidly in and out, as though trying to understand the human standing before it.
Arjun’s expression did not change.
He simply took a deep breath.
[A long, controlled breath]
The snake struck.
[A thunderous hiss]
Its mouth opened, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
Its foul breath spread through the air as it lunged toward Arjun, intending to swallow him whole.
But Arjun leaned to the left at precisely the right moment.
He did not run.
He slipped sideways.
The snake’s attack missed him by only a few inches.
The crowd released a collective breath.
Arjun did not stop moving.
He immediately took a quick step toward the snake’s right side.
The black iron spike was already in his hand, but he did not throw it yet.
First, he wanted to understand the rhythm of its attacks.
The snake twisted and came at him again.
Its tail slammed into the ground with tremendous force, sending dirt flying.
Arjun ducked once more.
[Rapid footsteps]
The snake’s eyes narrowed. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
It was beginning to understand that this boy was not easy prey.
It raised its head even higher and coiled its body into a wider circle, preparing for another attack.
Spiritual energy began flowing through Arjun’s body.
The small black mark on his left hand grew slightly warm.
And deep within him, the Blue Jade Stone sent out a faint pulse.
Arjun was now completely focused.
The snake struck again.
This time, Arjun used the ground to his advantage.
He dropped quickly, planted one knee against the earth, and waited until the snake passed overhead.
In that brief instant, he thrust the black iron spike toward the side of its neck.
[The clang of metal striking scales]
The spike did not penetrate completely.
The snake’s scales were extraordinarily hard.
But the attack had achieved something.
The snake became furious.
It thrashed violently, twisted its body, and began smashing its tail against the ground.
Arjun retreated.
There was still no panic in his eyes.
Only calculation.
The kind of calculation that could determine whether the hunter or the prey would die.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted,
“Look at its eyes!”
Arjun focused on one of the snake’s eyes.
Then he lunged in that direction.
The snake immediately opened its mouth.
But Arjun moved away a fraction of a second before its jaws could reach him.
He drew his dagger and slashed quickly near the lower part of its neck.
A stream of blood emerged.
[A mixture of hissing and growling]
The snake became even more enraged.
But its balance was beginning to fail.
Arjun saw his final opportunity.
He retreated a step, rotated the iron spike in his hand, and threw it at an angle toward the inside of the snake’s mouth.
At the same moment, he drove his entire body forward, adding his momentum to the attack.
The spike struck home.
It penetrated inside the snake’s mouth.
The giant creature’s head jerked violently downward.
For several moments, its massive body writhed and twisted.
Then—
It went limp.
[The heavy sound of a body collapsing]
The entire arena fell silent.
Then, as though someone had finally released a held breath, the noise of the crowd returned.
But this time, it sounded different.
Shock.
Disbelief.
And, in some voices, unmistakable respect.
Arjun stood beside the snake’s head.
His expression remained calm, though his breathing had become slightly heavier.
He lowered his bloodstained dagger.
His eyes remained fixed on the creature’s now-closed yellow eyes.
The Camp Lord slowly stepped forward.
He looked at Arjun for a moment.
Then he looked at the snake’s corpse.
“Good.”
It was only one word.
But the atmosphere inside the arena changed.
Arjun did not bow his head.
He simply cleaned his dagger.
Just then, Sia, who was standing beside the arena, suddenly dropped to her knees.
Fear still lingered on her face.
But now, relief had appeared within it.
She looked at Arjun as though she could not understand what had just happened.
Arjun glanced at her.
Then he said only one thing.
“Get up.”
Sia nodded shakily.
Aarav had watched everything from a distance.
A half-smile appeared on his face.
“This boy really is strange,” he murmured.
But beneath that reaction was something else as well.
His trust in Arjun had grown stronger.
By the time the arena emptied that evening, people were looking at Arjun differently.
He was no longer just the new boy.
He was the boy who had faced a giant snake…
and walked out alive.
And Arjun?
He quietly returned toward the camp.
Something inside him had changed once again.
He now understood that strength was not simply about saving one’s own life.
Sometimes, strength meant taking someone else’s fear upon your own shoulders.
Chapter CliffhangerWill Arjun’s decision strengthen his position within the camp?
How will Sia look at Arjun after what he has done for her?
Will the Camp Lord continue keeping a close eye on Arjun?
And after defeating the giant snake, how much more difficult will the next trial become?