[Morning bustle]
[Soft murmur of the crowd]
[Sound of papers rustling]
Arjun slowly steadied his breathing as he looked toward the open field of the camp.
His name had not been called yet, but he already understood that it was only a matter of time.
The atmosphere in the camp was different today.
Stricter.
More disciplined.
And far more tense than the previous day.
People were speaking to one another in low voices.
The newcomers stood silently.
And the veterans wore that particular expression that only belonged to people who had watched too many trials.
Aarav stood beside him.
He whispered,
“Today is the real day for those whose names are called.”
Arjun looked at him.
“And those whose names aren’t?”
Aarav shrugged.
“They’ll try to survive until the next opportunity.”
Arjun listened without expression.
In this world, that sentence was completely ordinary.
Not every chance was the final one…
but every failure could still be fatal.
[Sound of a wooden staff striking the ground]
The elderly administrator standing on the platform was examining a thick list.
Deep wrinkles covered his face.
He held a bundle of papers in one hand while his other rested against his waist.
Two heavily armed guards stood behind him, spears in their hands.
The crowd slowly became silent.
“The next trial,” the old administrator announced loudly, “will be for those selected to receive permanent permission to remain in the camp.”
Arjun silently held onto those words.
Permanent permission to stay.
That meant there was still a limit.
Even here, nothing was guaranteed.
The old man looked down at the list.
“First name—Zheng Lu.”
A thin young man stepped forward.
His face was filled with nervousness.
Two people behind him pushed him forward, as though they still could not believe that his turn had actually come.
“Second name—Suna.”
A young girl stepped forward.
“Third—Romil.”
A muscular young man moved ahead.
Arjun quietly watched.
With every name, it seemed as though another person’s story was either beginning…
or breaking apart.
Some faces were filled with hope.
Some trembled with fear.
Others had already accepted defeat.
The old administrator spoke again.
“The trial has two parts.”
“First—physical endurance.”
“Second—reaction in front of a Vector Beast.”
Arjun’s eyes narrowed slightly.
A Vector Beast.
Aarav looked at him.
“It’s not that bad,” he whispered.
“If you perform well in the first part, you should be able to pass the second.”
Arjun asked,
“What is a Vector Beast like?”
Aarav answered seriously,
“Fast.”
“Clever.”
“And very good at sensing the smell of blood.”
Arjun remembered those words.
The first part began.
[Running footsteps]
[Sound of slipping against dirt]
The newcomers were forced to run along a long, dusty path.
They were ordered to carry different weights.
Sometimes stones.
Sometimes sacks of water.
Sometimes logs.
Many began panting quickly.
Some fell.
Others could barely keep their hands from shaking.
Arjun remained calm.
He sensed the capability of his body.
His cultivation had made him somewhat stronger.
But he still had not discovered his true limits.
So he neither ran too quickly nor too slowly.
He simply maintained a steady pace.
A rule existed inside his mind—
Do not become exhausted and collapse.
Do not break yourself through haste.
On the other side, several candidates were already stumbling.
The elderly administrator shouted,
“Maintain your speed!”
“There is no mercy here!”
Some people in the crowd muttered curses.
One young man fell.
Two guards immediately removed him from the track and pushed him aside.
Aarav, who was also participating in the test, was a short distance behind Arjun.
He gritted his teeth and continued running.
Arjun glanced at him.
This wasn’t merely a test of physical strength.
It was also a test of the mind.
Time passed. This story is hosted at g.com.
The sun climbed higher.
The air became warmer.
And by the time they reached the other end of the path, more than half of the candidates were already exhausted.
Then the old administrator spoke again.
“Now…”
“The second part.”
[Sound of a heavy cage opening]
Everyone’s attention turned toward the center of the field.
Another iron cage stood there.
This time, the creature inside was even more dangerous.
The Vector Beast.
Its eyes were narrow, sharp, and restless.
Its body was long.
Its hide was dark gray.
Its ears were unusually pointed.
Its claws continuously scratched against the bars of the cage.
A guard announced loudly,
“Each candidate will stand before it one at a time.”
“We will observe the beast’s reaction.”
“If you panic…”
“If you run…”
“Or if you freeze…”
“You’re finished.”
Arjun’s gaze locked onto the beast.
He knew this was no ordinary animal.
It was the kind of creature that could sense fear.
The kind that identified weakness first.
And then attacked it.
The first candidate was brought forward.
He was roughly Arjun’s age.
But his face had gone pale.
His legs were trembling.
The guard opened the cage slightly.
[Metal creaking]
The beast thrust its head out instantly and bared its teeth.
The boy nearly collapsed on the spot.
He stepped backward.
Then suddenly turned and ran.
The moment he fled, the Vector Beast roared.
Laughter echoed across the field.
The administrator shook his head.
“Fail.”
The boy was removed.
The second candidate stepped forward.
He tried to hide his fear.
But the moment the beast approached, the color drained from his face.
He stumbled.
Hesitated.
And one second later, retreated.
“Fail.”
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Many couldn’t even endure a single direct gaze from the creature.
Arjun watched everything.
The battle here didn’t begin with a blade.
It began with the mind.
Aarav eventually returned beside him, breathing heavily.
“How are you so calm?” he asked.
Arjun didn’t look at him.
“I’m not calm.”
“I just don’t move.”
Aarav let out something between a laugh and a tired sigh.
“You’re strange.”
Arjun said nothing.
Then the administrator’s voice rang out again.
“Next—Arjun Arya.”
The entire field became silent for several moments.
Arjun stepped forward.
Hundreds of eyes settled upon him.
Some people recognized him.
Some had only heard about the boy who had already passed a Beast Trial.
Some wanted to see him fail this time.
Others were quietly hoping he would succeed.
Virbhadra stood in the distance.
His eyes were fixed on Arjun without blinking.
Aarav quietly said,
“Don’t get nervous.”
Arjun gave no answer.
He walked directly toward the cage.
The moment the Vector Beast saw him, its eyes narrowed further.
Its nostrils flared.
It was as if the beast was not merely smelling Arjun…
but sensing the power within him.
[Low, sharp growl]
A faint shiver moved through Arjun’s body.
But he didn’t step backward.
His eyes remained locked on the beast.
The cage opened slightly.
The Vector Beast slowly pushed its head out.
Then its entire body shifted forward.
It was testing him.
Arjun took a deep breath.
The Sapphire Gem inside him became slightly warm.
As if a sleeping heartbeat had suddenly awakened.
The dark mark on his arm tightened faintly.
And then— the beast suddenly lunged.
Arjun twisted his body to the right.
The beast’s teeth passed dangerously close to his clothes.
The pressure of the movement brushed against his cheek.
The crowd stirred.
Arjun immediately took one step backward.
Then slipped to the left.
The Vector Beast’s eyes followed every movement.
The creature was already calculating where he would move next.
Arjun understood.
This wasn’t simply testing his reaction.
It was testing his rhythm.
He suddenly stood completely still.
The beast lunged again.
But this time, Arjun extended his left hand and struck the air near the creature’s nose.
He didn’t touch it.
He merely disrupted its sense of direction.
The beast stopped for an instant.
That was enough.
Arjun lowered himself and moved around its left side.
He studied its hindquarters.
Then he lightly struck the ground with the back of his dagger.
[Tap]
The beast heard the sound and turned.
But by then, Arjun had already stepped two paces backward.
He deliberately did not attack.
He only needed to demonstrate one thing— he was not afraid.
The expressions of the guards began to change.
One quietly said to another,
“That boy isn’t ordinary.”
The other replied,
“He’s looking directly into the beast’s eyes.”
The Vector Beast lunged again.
This time, it moved through an incredibly fast arc.
It wasn’t attacking straight toward Arjun.
It was aiming for the height of his head.
Arjun ducked.
The shadow of the cage bars fell across his face.
Then, with complete steadiness, he stepped forward and held the black iron spike directly in front of the beast’s eyes.
The beast stopped.
Its nostrils flared.
Its muscles tightened.
It understood.
This small human wasn’t going to run.
Its body became completely alert.
Its mouth opened.
Its breathing quickened.
Arjun looked directly into its eyes.
Then, without hurry, he moved the spike aside.
The Vector Beast gave a short growl.
And then…
it stepped backward.
The entire field fell into stunned silence.
For the first time, the administrator raised his eyes fully.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
Virbhadra’s eyebrows rose slightly.
Aarav’s mouth remained open in disbelief.
Arjun simply stood there.
He had not turned pale.
He had not trembled.
The administrator finally announced,
“Pass.”
The word echoed across the field.
Some people released the breath they had been holding.
Others shook their heads in disbelief.
A few showed clear jealousy.
Arjun looked at the cage one last time.
Then he calmly turned around.
His eyes remained cold.
But deep inside…
there was a faint sense of satisfaction.
This wasn’t merely a victory.
It was the first step toward earning a place in this camp.
When he returned, Aarav whispered,
“You actually scared it.”
Arjun replied calmly,
“I only showed it that I wouldn’t run.”
Aarav stared at him for several moments.
Then he smiled.
“You’re seriously strange.”
Virbhadra walked over and stood beside them.
His voice carried slightly less sternness than before.
“You both held your ground.”
Arjun looked at him.
“Now what?”
Virbhadra pointed deeper into the camp.
“Now you’ll see the camp’s real face.”
Arjun looked around.
The camp was still the same.
But now he understood.
The price of staying here was not merely passing a trial.
That had only been the beginning.
His real test…
was about to start.
What Comes Next?What will the camp’s real face reveal to Arjun?
How will his calm performance before the Vector Beast affect the people around him?
Will the trust between Aarav and Arjun deepen?
And how dangerous will the hidden politics of the camp become for Arjun?