Chapter 8: The First Test
“Huh?” Niko muttered as the world came back into focus. He blinked, adjusting to the sudden change in scenery. He had been summoned again, but this time, the landscape was different. He stood in the middle of a vast grassland, dotted with sparse trees. The sky above was clear, the air crisp, and around him were about a hundred other people.
Only this many people? His heart clenched as a troubling thought crossed his mind. Could the others have… died? Already?
His gaze swept over the gathered crowd, each person seemingly as lost and confused as he was. But their conditions varied greatly—some looked clean, as though they’d just stepped out of a shower, while others were bruised, bloody, and covered in dirt. They stood in grim silence, their expressions etched with fear and uncertainty.
Nearby, the land transitioned sharply into another biome, one Niko hadn’t expected to be so close. A dense jungle stood not far from the grassland, its trees towering high like ancient sentinels. The vibrant green canopy was unlike anything he’d ever seen on Earth—there was a wildness to it, an otherworldly quality that set his nerves on edge. Some of the plants were unfamiliar, strange in both form and color, making the already eerie landscape feel even more alien.
“Where are we?” Niko whispered to himself, still trying to make sense of it all. Before he could dwell on it, a voice broke through the quiet.
“Fuck that orb! Where the fuck are we anyway?” barked a man nearby, his voice loud and abrasive. The man was filthy, his clothes stained with grime, and his face twisted in anger.
“What do we do?!” a woman cried out, her voice quivering with fear.
Amidst the confusion, another man cackled, his voice thick with lust. “Hahaha! Hey, honey!” he leered at a nearby woman, who quickly recoiled from him.
Niko’s lip curled in disgust. Most of these people didn’t seem to understand the gravity of their situation—or they were too terrified to react rationally. They were scared, weak, and disorganized. It was hard to blame them; adapting to a situation like this was no easy task. But some of the others... they were different.
Niko’s eyes scanned the crowd, focusing on three people who stood out.
A fat man sat on the ground, playing absentmindedly with a necklace. He looked completely uninterested in what was happening around him, as though none of this concerned him. His hair was neatly combed, and his oiled mustache gleamed in the sunlight. The man seemed far too composed for someone in a life-and-death situation, as though he was in his own world.
The second person that caught Niko’s attention was far more unsettling. A tall man with a wild mohawk stood at the edge of the group, his gaze darting around, inspecting the others. His mouth stretched into a disturbingly wide grin, his tongue hanging out as if tasting the air. One of his eyes bulged unnaturally, giving him a crazed appearance. There was something deeply sinister about him—he radiated danger.
But it was the third man who intrigued Niko the most. Just a few meters away stood a bald man in a pristine white and red robe, almost like something a monk or priest would wear. His head was clean-shaven, and his face, though expressionless, exuded an aura of calm and control. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, surveying the scene with quiet authority. Unlike the others, there was something oddly comforting about him. He seemed... capable.
Suddenly, a scream ripped through the crowd. “Oh my God! Look!” someone yelled, pointing toward the jungle.
Niko’s gaze snapped toward the treeline just as the massive trees began to sway violently, as though a great wind had disturbed them. But there was no wind. The movement was coming from something else—something large.
Insects.
Niko’s breath caught in his throat as fifteen enormous insects burst from the jungle at incredible speed, their wings buzzing loudly. They were horrifying. The largest among them, beetle-like creatures, were the size of small cars. The smallest, resembling houseflies, were as large as dogs. Their chitinous bodies gleamed in the light, and their eyes were dark, soulless voids.
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Two of the massive beetles led the swarm, their spear-like horns shining menacingly, while the smaller flies darted around them like a deadly cloud.
Panic spread through the group like wildfire.
People began to scream and scatter in all directions, running for their lives. But not everyone. A handful, including the bald man, the mohawked man, and a few others, stood their ground, eyes fixed on the approaching swarm. These were the ones who had truly taken the orb’s words to heart. They knew there was no escape—only fight or die.
The swarm split as they neared the group. The smaller flies veered off, chasing down those who tried to flee. Niko could hear the terrified screams of the runners as the insects quickly overtook them. The flies descended like vultures, tearing into the weak with savage efficiency. Blood sprayed into the air as the humans were ripped apart, their bodies torn limb from limb. Their desperate cries for help echoed across the field, but no one came to their aid.
Niko’s stomach churned at the sight. It was like something out of a nightmare—a massacre, pure and simple. The brutality of it was overwhelming. Bodies hit the ground in a mess of blood and shredded flesh. The sound of crunching bones and wet tearing filled the air, turning Niko’s stomach.
But he had no time to process it. The beetles were drawing closer to those who stood their ground.
The massive beetles were slower than the flies, but their size made them far more terrifying. Their dark blue shells gleamed in the sunlight, and their silver, spear-like horns pointed forward, ready to skewer anyone in their path. Their hulking bodies moved with purpose, each step shaking the earth beneath them.
Niko’s heart pounded in his chest. His mind raced as he looked at the bald man standing a few meters away. The man hadn’t moved an inch, his calm expression unchanged as the beetles closed in.
My skill isn’t ready yet, Niko thought, anxiety bubbling up inside him. I need a corpse—something to extract a soul from.
Without a second thought, he moved closer to the bald man, positioning himself behind him. Niko wasn’t being cowardly—he was being smart. He needed to stay alive long enough to summon a spirit, and charging at the beetles without a plan would be suicidal. He had no choice but to rely on the bald man for now.
Can he kill these things? Niko wondered, glancing nervously at the approaching beetles. If the bald man couldn’t handle them, then they were all in serious trouble.
“[Celestial Probe],” Niko whispered, focusing on the man in front of him.
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[Name: Dharma Kyidtodpa]
Level: 3
[Skills]: Demonic Whirlwind Palm
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“He’s level three?!” Niko’s eyes widened in surprise. In a world where most of them were still level one, Dharma’s strength was incredible. To have reached level three so quickly after leaving the preparation world was a testament to how formidable this man was.
How did I never hear of someone like him back on Earth? Niko thought, his mind racing. Was he always this strong?
Suddenly, one of the massive beetles swooped down with terrifying speed. Its horn impaled a man standing a few meters away, lifting him off the ground like a ragdoll. Blood gushed from the man’s mouth as his body went limp, his intestines dangling from the beetle’s horn like grotesque streamers.
The crowd screamed in horror, and even Niko felt a wave of nausea wash over him. This wasn’t just a battle—it was a slaughter.
The beetle shook its head, flinging the man’s body aside as if it were nothing. His lifeless corpse hit the ground with a sickening thud, and the beetle turned its attention toward Dharma.
Sweat trickled down Niko’s face. This is real. He had to remind himself. I’m in a world where death is not just possible, but inevitable if I’m not careful.
“[Celestial Probe],” he whispered again, focusing on the beetle this time.
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[Name: Silver Horn Beetle]
Level: 2
[Skills]: Powerful Charge
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Even at level two, it’s far stronger than the rest of us, Niko thought, fear clawing at his insides. The beetle’s glowing horn lowered as it prepared to charge at Dharma.
The beast’s wings buzzed violently as it launched itself toward the bald man at breakneck speed.
But Dharma didn’t flinch.
In a flash, the calm man extended his palm toward the beetle. A red aura erupted around his hand, swirling like a violent vortex. The aura spiraled into a concentrated point at the center of his palm, twisting into what looked like a hurricane of blood.
“Boom!”
The collision was immediate. Smoke and crimson light exploded outward, enveloping both Dharma and the beetle in a cloud of dust and energy. The crowd held their breath, waiting for the smoke to clear, uncertain of the outcome.