"Young people are always impulsive. Come with me."
The voice belonged to an elderly man clad in simple white robes, his gait slow but steady as he led Dustin deeper into the Hunter's Guild. Hanging from his chest were two badges—one marked with crossed swords, the other engraved with a six-pointed star formation.
Dustin's eyes flickered with surprise.
An Array Master badge? And a hunter badge? Dual identities...
This old man was no ordinary figure.
They passed through a narrow corridor, dimly lit by flickering torches. Shadows danced on the stone walls as the old man finally halted before a heavy stone door. With a soft grunt, he pushed it open, revealing a spacious room.
Strange, intricate lines covered the stone floor, twisting and turning like crawling specters—complex and without obvious pattern. At the center of the room stood a stone platform, about two feet high, eerily illuminated by the torchlight.
Before Dustin could inquire further, the old man spoke indifferently, "This is the assessment ground. Fail, and you'll need to pay the cost of activating the formation."
"Cost?" Dustin blinked, taken aback.
The old man snorted, "What, did you think the formation runs for free? To attempt the first-level hunter assessment, you'll need to provide a vitality stone. Pass, and the guild covers the fee. Fail, and the cost falls on you."
Vitality stones—Dustin had heard of them. Highly condensed ores brimming with the essence of heaven and earth, precious enough that warriors could absorb their energy directly to strengthen themselves.
"...How much for one vitality stone?" Dustin asked hesitantly, regretting not reading the fine print in the contract he signed earlier.
"Five hundred coins of silver." The old man's reply was calm but sharp.
Dustin's heart sank.
That's an astronomical amount!
The old man gave him a sideways glance, the corners of his lips quirking slightly. "If you're unsure, there's still time to turn back."
Dustin bit his lip. Five hundred coins wasn't a sum he could easily throw away, but he wasn't the type to cower. Instead, he pressed, "Can you at least tell me what exactly the assessment involves?"
The old man narrowed his eyes. "You came all the way here and don't even know the assessment rules? Do you think the Hunter's Guild is a place for foolish lads to play?"
Though his tone was fierce, Dustin held back any irritation. After all, the old man was right—he hadn't gathered much information beforehand. All he had overheard was vague talk of facing first-level monsters. But looking around, he couldn't spot a single beast.
Seeing Dustin's confusion, the old man continued, "Once the formation is activated, monsters will appear. Your task? Defeat three first-level monsters... alone."
Dustin's gaze sharpened. He knew the difference between ordinary beasts and true monster beasts. Even the lowest-ranked first-level monsters possessed strength on par with trained martial artists. Worse yet, most martial disciples who lacked real combat experience wouldn't last long.
"Three monsters?" Dustin smirked slightly. "I can manage."
The old man raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, instead pointing to the stone platform. "Stand there."
Dustin nodded, stepping onto the platform.
"Once I activate the formation, you'll enter an environment conjured by the array. Everything you see and feel will be indistinguishable from reality. But remember—if you sense you're in threat, don't hesitate. Think of withdrawing, and within three breaths, you'll be pulled out. Many lose their lives underestimating those three breaths."
Dustin's eyes flickered.
Three breaths... life and death decided in an instant.
He exhaled slowly, stabilizing his state.
The old man retrieved a glowing white stone from his sleeve—a vitality stone—and carefully placed it into a depression within the formation's pattern.
Buzz!
The formation lines on the ground lit up, weaving together as streams of light converged beneath Dustin's feet. The air shifted. His surroundings blurred and twisted.
When his vision cleared, he found himself inside a dark, iron-barred chamber.
A low growl echoed ominously.
Three hideous creatures materialized ten meters away, their fur gray, their eyes scarlet, and their bodies looming far larger than ordinary wolves. Razor-sharp claws scraped the floor, while their iron-like backs gleamed menacingly under the dim light.
"Iron-Back Demon Wolves," Dustin muttered, recognizing the monsters from the texts he'd read.
But something immediately struck him as odd—
No life veins.
Though their forms were vivid, the wolves lacked the lifelines he could normally sense. Of course, this wasn't surprising. Formations couldn't replicate the full complexity of real life—no pulse, no veins.
It meant he couldn't rely on his special ability to cripple lifelines.
Dustin's lips curled into a faint smile.
Perfect. It's time to test my real strength.
With a thunderous roar, the three wolves charged forward.
But Dustin's feet shifted
Inch-Step Movement Technique, fully instinctual now—his body weaving effortlessly between two of the wolves, evading their claws by mere hairs.
"Dragon-Tiger Fist, Tiger Stance!"
His inner energy surged, flowing into his fists like roaring currents. Without hesitation, he smashed his fist into the abdomen of the third wolf.
The demon wolf instinctively crouched low, presenting its iron-hard back to shield itself.
Boom!
Even so, the beast was sent flying before disintegrating into a burst of white light mid-air.
Though the wolves' backs were tough, Dustin's High-Level Mastery of Dragon-Tiger Fist—combined with his unique life-and-death energy—was devastating. It was akin to a seventh-level body-refining martial artist unleashing full force.
Yet the backlash left his fist bones throbbing with pain, almost cracking under the strain.
The remaining two wolves lunged again, relentlessly.
Dustin's breath steadied.
He cycled his inner energy, one strand channeling life force to repair his damaged bones, another channeling death force for attack.
Inch-Step!
He flowed past another swipe.
"Soaring Dragon Stance!"
A powerful punch struck clean through the skull of a second wolf, bursting it into light.
Only one remained.
Dustin glanced at it, the corners of his mouth lifting lazily. "You're the last. Let's see how much I can hone my footwork with you."
He clasped his hands behind his back, weaving effortlessly as the wolf lunged over and over. Its speed was vicious, but Dustin's movements were a shadow—a blur the beast could never catch.
Minutes passed.
Ten minutes.
Half an hour.
The wolf still hadn't touched him.
Dustin chuckled softly. "Even this isn't enough to push me further."
His body shifted.
Boom!
A final punch shattered the last demon wolf.
"Exit."
The environment dissolved. In three breaths, Dustin returned to reality, standing on the stone platform as if nothing had changed.
The white-robed old man stood by, arms folded, watching closely. After a pause, he let out a laugh.
"Not bad, boy. Seems I've underestimated you. Your strength's already comparable to a seventh-level body refiner."
Dustin scratched his head sheepishly, unsure how to respond.
But the old man's tone quickly cooled. "Don't get complacent. This is just Novaridge City. Out there, in Xandoria County and beyond, fifth-level body refining is nothing. You've still got mountains to climb."
"I'll remember your advice, senior," Dustin replied respectfully.
The old man pulled out the application form, scribbled his signature, and handed it back.
"Go to the lobby. Collect your hunter badge."
Dustin glanced at the signature.
Jeremy... so that's his name.
"Half an hour already? He must've failed!"
"Haha, maybe he's dead in there!"
"Even if he's alive, probably missing a limb or two."
Kaira's side laughed loudly, smug and confident. On the other hand, Tatum's group remained tense. They had staked a thousand taels of silver on Dustin's passing—the sum wasn't small even for Energy Gathering cultivators.
But pride hurt more than coin.
Tatum scowled. "Kaira, don't get too cocky. If he passes, I'll see how you swallow your words."
"Hmph! If that brat passes, I'll chop off my head and let him kick it like a ball!" Kaira barked back.
Suddenly
"Look! There he is!"
All eyes snapped toward the corridor. Dustin strode in calmly, application form in hand, walking straight to the counter.
Smack!
He slapped the paper down before Shannon, wearing a relaxed smile.
Shannon arched an eyebrow, lips curving playfully. "Hmm... no injuries? Did you give up and walk out?"
Dustin smirked. "And what if I told you I passed?"
Around them, everyone strained to hear, holding their breath.
Shannon leaned closer, tapping her lips teasingly. "Little brother, let's not joke. A fifth-layer body refiner has less than a ten percent chance of passing. If you did... how about I chase after you myself?"
The hall erupted in whistles and exclamations.
"Damn, why couldn't I be that lucky?!"
"I'd give up my sword if Shannon chased me!"
"Bet he failed!"
The tension hung thick.
Dustin chuckled, lifting his palm from the application form.
"Beauty, remember your promise."
Eyes fell on the paper.
Two bold characters glared back at the crowd:
Passed.
A hush swept the entire hall.
You could hear a pin drop.