Bennett soon woke up, the sun shining directly on his face, causing him to hiss in pain despite how tired he felt.

  Ugh, I can't wait to get back to the city. The world outside feels so weird, so strange, and unwelcoming.

  My instincts are telling me I'm in danger 24/7, but one good thing is, I found a trace of the Weaver.

  Bennett took his two pills and packed up his camp. He gathered the vines as well, keeping them with him.

  As he left the stadium, he suddenly spun around and jumped back.

  "What the? I swear there was something behind me. This is way too creepy. Where the hell are all the beasts?"

  Bennett quickly left the area, heading in the direction he believed the next clue would lead him. He missed eight eerie, glowing red eyes peering at him from one of the stadium entrances. The eyes began to follow him, but took their time.

  Bennett couldn't relax, as usual. He felt like he was always in danger but couldn't figure out why. Eventually, he found more webs. He immediately took out his notebook and began sketching the map, marking the area as the next clue. But before he could finish, he dropped his notebook and pencil.

  He grabbed a small rock, a pebble, and threw it at a bush.

  He waited, sweating, his heart pounding.

  But nothing. He didn't take any chances and quickly left the area. He didn't know why, but his instincts told him to run. And he did.

  What he failed to notice was the Weaver, pouncing from the top of a tree, landing just where he had been moments before.

  It screeched in anger. The sound was deafening, and because of how loud it was, Bennett couldn't pinpoint the direction. But the screech confirmed that the Weaver was in the area.

  Seizing the opportunity, Bennett looked around, observing his surroundings carefully, despite the mental fatigue that was starting to pile up.

  He scanned the tall, towering trees, their large bark, the uneven terrain, and the overgrown grass. The bushes too he could feel it. He was in danger, and he couldn't tell why. But he trusted his instincts and decided to find an open field as quickly as possible.

  He continued his trek through the rough terrain until he found a relatively open field. He made his way toward it, occasionally picking up rocks from the ground and tossing them ahead to make sure it was safe until he reached the center.

  The sense of danger lessened, but he still felt as if he were being watched. Taking the opportunity, he made his camp there and cleared the bushes and overgrown grass. This way, he wouldn’t be caught off guard.

  Soon after, he scouted his surroundings and realized there were more webs but they were fresh. He could tell that meant he was being hunted, but not knowing where the Weaver was sent a chill down his spine.

  He immediately returned to his camp and set up multiple noise traps to ensure the Weaver couldn’t get close or sneak up on him. Now that he understood the Weaver was hunting him, he had to be even more cautious.

  As he scouted the area again and again, Bennett began to doubt his instincts. They screamed danger, danger, yet nothing had attacked him.

  Still, even as doubt crept in, he chose to act with caution. It was better to overprepare than to be caught off guard.

  The field was soon filled with noise traps, and he tied vines low between trees tripwires meant to trigger those traps. His heart raced, but he sat down in the center of the clearing and began to meditate, forcing himself to calm down. Panic would only make him vulnerable to the beast stalking him.

  It took him the rest of the day to truly relax and start recovering his mental stamina.

  Unbeknownst to him, the Weaver had begun circling the clearing. It didn’t dare charge in yet. Its prey was cornered, and it was in no rush. Slowly, it spread webs around the area, high and thick, ensuring there would be no escape.

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  Meanwhile, Bennett, once he regained enough clarity, quietly equipped two more quarterstaffs on his belt. His current one rested on his lap, and he set his bag aside to avoid unnecessary weight.

  He took off his weighted clothing and changed into lighter gear he knew he would need every advantage he could get.

  Then came a mana restoration pill. He popped it into his mouth, feeling the slow surge of recovery.

  With preparation done, Bennett took a stance and closed his eyes, focusing entirely on sound. Slowly, unknowingly, he entered a heightened state one that let him sense even the faintest movement within two meters.

  Two hours passed. The moon was high. The clearing was silent.

  Then, the Weaver charged.

  It broke through several vines, triggering the noise traps. Bennett's eyes snapped open just in time to see it lunge forward, fangs ready to strike.

  He swung his staff up hard, striking beneath its fangs, and activated Cinder Fall.

  The Weaver screeched in frustration. The sound was so loud Bennett winced, blood trickling from his right ear. Thankfully, his left had been turned away, spared from the worst.

  Moving fast, Bennett began circling it, activating his Body Enhancement skill. The beast lashed out. He dodged left, spun, and struck with another Cinder Fall, narrowly avoiding its piercing legs.

  He counted silently each second mattered. He couldn’t afford even one mistake.

  As the Weaver attempted to impale him again, he launched Savage Shatter at a leg joint. The blow landed true bone splintered and cracked. No pain, but damage done.

  The leg began to regenerate, but Bennett stayed on the attack. He cast Savage Swipes with precision, taking out three more legs. The Weaver faltered and fell onto its side.

  With no time to waste, Bennett activated Revolving Cinder, pouring all the staff’s mana into a devastating Cinder Fall aimed at its abdomen. The blast struck, but the core held.

  He cursed and dove away as the creature’s legs reformed.

  Damn it. The staff’s out of mana. That skin’s too damn tough. Should I go with Savage Swipes or risk another Savage Shatter?

  Thinking fast, he swapped to another staff and struck at the fangs, redirecting them down while flipping over its head and landing behind it.

  The Weaver screeched again, enraged.

  As it turned, Bennett activated Revolving Cinder once more and used Savage Swipes, severing all four legs on one side. The beast collapsed, struggling to rise.

  He immediately switched to his last staff, poured every last bit of mana into a final Savage Shatter, and slammed it into the abdomen.

  The blast punched a hole clean through. The core shattered like brittle glass.

  The Weaver, dying, and in one final attack. A leg slashed across Bennett’s chest, leaving a deep gash but no poison. He’d avoided the fangs.

  Gritting his teeth, he downed a healing pill and wrapped the wound. Then, without rest, he got to work harvesting. He couldn’t let the materials degrade.

  First, the venom. Carefully, he filled three sealing bottles until no more could be extracted.

  Next came the fangs carefully cut and stored. Then the legs.

  It took over four hours. He was no expert, and this was his first real field carve, but he managed. Once done, he burned the rest of the useless parts, carcass and left.

  Near the wall’s perimeter, the pressure finally lifted. His body relaxed but only slightly.

  He still had his second staff. Two minutes of mana remained. Enough for one Savage Swipe, one Savage Shatter, or four Cinder Falls.

  Barely enough. If I get jumped again…

  He took another mana pill and walked. It was better to conserve energy in case of an ambush.

  His stomach growled. He popped a nutrition and satiety pill.

  Let’s see… four days now.

  Day one safe. Found that herb.

  Day two stadium. Found traces of the Weaver.

  Day three hunted. Almost died.

  Day four I laid traps, calmed down, and killed it.

  I should be back on day five, if I keep up this pace… but with my gear running low, I can’t afford another fight. If I get cornered now, I’ll fall. Gotta save energy. Run only if I have no choice.

  As Bennett was traveling back to the gates of the wall, Jane greeted the guards.

  "I'm heading off to do some 'cleaning,'" she said, grinning.

  The guards nodded at her, understanding the reason.

  As Jane left, she muttered to herself, Heh, that brat actually beat that Rank 2 beast. Very good. Now, time for me to lure another low-rank beast to the wall and clear out any high-ranked ones.

  She disappeared from the area, her afterimage lingering for a second before fading away.

  The guard nearby shook his head in disbelief.

  "Jesus Christ, how is she that bloody fast while carrying a 5-ton slab of metal on her back?"

  The other guard replied, "Just don’t think about it. Must be your first time seeing that specific instructor. She’s one of the strongest elites around here."

  "Fair enough," the first guard said, before returning to his post.

  Bennett had set up camp near the wall and prepared to sleep. He felt unusually safe, but couldn't pinpoint why. Despite the sense of security, he remained alert, setting up noise traps around his camp.

  Around 300 meters away from him, Jane sat perched in a tree, watching him.

  Seems like the kid survived. That's good. Now rest well, kid. I'll keep you safe tonight, but I’ll have to head out tomorrow.

  With that, Jane stayed hidden, watching over Bennett as the night passed.

  The next day, Bennett woke up completely refreshed, unlike the last few days. His staff had been replenished during the night as his body had relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.

  He quickly broke down camp and left, feeling the eerie, unsettling atmosphere return. This made him question it briefly, but he quickly pushed the thought aside and focused on continuing his journey.

  By the time the sun rose, Jane had already left the area, beginning her mission to clear out all the beasts attracted by the amplified life pulse effects, as she was positioned only 300 meters from Bennett rather than 500 meters.

  She kept a Rank 1 beast alive and pinned it using a large branch. After some calculation, she knew that it would take a week before the core would be released and available for hunting again.

  After finishing this task, she began clearing any other beasts within a one-kilometer radius from the wall before heading back, arriving a few hours ahead of Bennett, showcasing her Raw Speed and Power.

  Exhausted but relieved, Bennett finally reached the gates of the wall.

  The guard greeted him, “Hey, kid. Welcome back. Did you manage to get what you were hunting?”

  He noticed the bandage on Bennett and added, "Looks like you got hurt, but hey, congrats on making it back alive. Hahaha."

  Bennett sighed. “Ugh, thanks. I’m exhausted. I want to sleep so badly.”

  The guard chuckled. “I understand, kid. But I must say, you did well. It’s the same for anyone who has their first hunting experience.”

  Bennett gave a tired smile. “Thanks. May I come in?”

  The guard nodded. “Of course, but first, I need proof that you completed your quest.”

  Bennett opened his bag and took out a sealed bottle and two sealed containers to show the materials he had harvested.

  The guards hummed in approval. “Very good. And you harvested them yourself? Even though it’s a bit amateurish, it’s good practice. Go ahead, you may enter.”

  “Thanks,” Bennett said gratefully before entering the gates. He quickly made his way to his dorm, took a long shower, made some food, and finally relaxed.

  Ugh, I’ll claim the quest tomorrow. I’m way too exhausted to even think about it today.

  Bennett dragged his physically and mentally drained body to his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 10: End