So that’s the true part of the trial, Isaac mused, his gaze sweeping over the area. That makes much more sense…

  What he had stepped into wasn’t another narrow hallway or a dark chamber—it was a forest. No, not a forest; a jungle described this place far better.

  Every tree was tall and wide, with canopies full of vibrant, multicolored leaves hiding the scenery beyond. Their roots were another matter, long and powerful, weaving in and out of the earth in a tangled mess.

  There was much more flora here, too. Bushes, big and small, blooming with flowers that Isaac had never seen before. Glowing mushrooms that nestled between the enormous roots. And finally, wild grasses and vines of every shade—some as bright as the trees, others deep green—filled the gaps where the earth should be empty.

  Yet, the best, or maybe worst of all, was that none of this registered in his mind first. No, that honor belonged to the tall dome of intertwined roots sealing the entire trial area. It even claimed the brick entrance once he stepped outside.

  Isaac searched for gaps, hoping to glimpse something beyond, but the roots were woven too tightly. Everything was sealed shut, and if not for the patches of bright, glowing moss clinging to the dome, this place would have been even darker than the hallways. Yet somehow, those tiny plants offered almost as much light as a setting sun.

  Explains why all the monsters back there were called Deepearth…

  Shaking his head, he dismissed those thoughts. He was standing in the open in an unknown territory. It was so not the time to get distracted by the alien beauty and weirdness of this place.

  Though he wouldn’t lie, he was kinda curious if his Blood Draw could cut through the roots shielding this place. At the same time, something told him it was a bad, bad idea. For all he knew, the barrier hid an endless void, waiting to consume anyone foolish enough to tear through it. The Interface called this a Quarantine Dimension, after all.

  Focus!

  Once more, Isaac pushed those useless thoughts into the depths of his mind. With so much happening lately, he was getting distracted too easily. Not a good sign, especially not now.

  The key must be somewhere here… but where?

  The dark corridors had led him out into a tiny clearing just before the forest’s edge. He could only see what was above him—roots—on his sides—roots again, while the trees and other flora hid everything ahead.

  Isaac grimaced as he glanced down at his weapons. The sword and knife would do, but the crossbow and polearm? The former might be useful, but the latter? That one would be even harder to use here than in the hallways.

  Still, he didn’t want to part with anything.

  This is gonna bite me in the ass, he thought, stepping into the thick undergrowth. He stuck out the polearm, using it to push aside branches and other annoyances in the way. At the same time, he kept his movements slow to avoid the web of roots covering the ground.

  So much for going fast.

  Yet, despite this thought going through his head, Isaac didn’t speed up. The last thing he wanted was to trip over a root and faceplant into the forest floor. Even if he hadn’t seen any monsters for now, he would bet they would show up if he lowered his guard.

  For the next two minutes, that logic held. Afterward?

  Not so much.

  It happened just as he was pushing aside another branch. Two brown bulges on the trees ahead of him shifted, morphing into dark green, child-sized figures. Before he could react, they launched themselves at him, tiny claws outstretched.

  Isaac cursed and swung the polearm’s shaft in a wide arc. That stopped the gremlin-like creatures for only a second before they pounced again, wide toothy grins on their faces.

  He swung again and again, fighting to keep the monsters at bay while struggling to find his footing among the tangled roots. A moment later, he realized it was all for naught.

  A sudden pain exploded out of his back as multiple sharp points stabbed into his flesh. None sank too deep, but it still hurt. Not even the burst of Symphony of Blood could stop him from feeling some of that.

  Worse, before he could fully recover, the something on his back bit into his shoulder—hard.

  Isaac hissed and, on instinct, threw the polearm at the two gremlins in front of him. With his hands now free, he reached over his shoulder, grabbed something fleshy, and tore it off his back.

  Pain erupted over his body, but he just gritted his teeth, drew his knife, and stabbed the writhing creature—another gremlin—straight through the eye. It stilled instantly.

  [Deepearth Gremlin (LVL. 2) slain.]

  Yet, there was no time for celebration. The other two monsters had long since recovered, and one even pounced on his leg, already sinking its claws into his flesh.

  “Motherfu—” Isaac growled as he yanked out the knife and drove it into the skull of the annoyance clinging to his leg. Another notification blinked in his vision, but he ignored it and flung the corpse in his other hand at the final gremlin.

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  The tiny creature dodged, but it didn’t matter. Once it jumped to reach him, he snatched it mid-air by one of its overly large ears and slammed it against the tree next to him. The creature squeaked, so he did it again and again until it stopped moving.

  [Deepearth Gremlin x2 slain.]

  You have obtained a new skill, Pain Tolerance.

  Isaac coughed, leaning against the nearest tree as the song in his veins returned to slumber. He had survived, but for the first time since the incident in the alley behind the shop, he hadn’t escaped unscathed.

  Even worse, he hated how easily those things had caught him off guard, all thanks to their damned camouflage. A wave of raw, unfiltered anger flooded his entire body—yet another emotion he hadn’t felt much in the last few years.

  How bad is it, Interface?

  Virus Integrity: 71%

  Isaac breathed a sigh of relief even as most of his upper back and half of his right leg burned. With so much damage, he had expected the number to be much worse, but maybe he shouldn’t have worried. Hell, his regeneration had already restored one percent of Integrity even though he could still feel the wounds bleeding.

  At least all of this netted me a new skill.

  [Pain Tolerance | Grade: Inferior | Tier II]

  Passive ability that slightly increases your tolerance for pain.

  I will take it. Tier two already, too. Isaac chuckled wryly, dismissing the description.

  He glanced around just in time to see the three bodies vanish, leaving behind a single violet gem. With a groan, he pushed himself off the tree and snatched it off the ground.

  One absorption later, he collected his knife and crossbow. The spear, despite its potential, had to be left behind. This terrain just wasn’t made for weapons like this.

  I can’t keep going in blind.

  If not for the ambush, Isaac wouldn’t mind this slow but careful exploration of the forest. Now though? The longer he stayed here without finding anything, the more traps he would likely have to survive.

  He glanced upward, scanning the foliage.

  Too small. Too thick. Not enough branches… His eyes landed on a towering tree. This one.

  With a nod to himself, Isaac sheathed his knife, set down his crossbow, and jumped. Another spike of pain shot through his body as he grasped the lowest branch. Still, he ignored it and, with some effort, pulled himself up.

  Now, do it again.

  Grimacing, he obeyed his own order, slowly climbing the massive tree. Before long, he reached the tallest point the branches allowed him. There, he finally allowed himself to take in the view.

  The first thing he noticed was that he hadn’t understood just how large this place was before. One could probably stitch together half a dozen football stadiums and still fit them inside here.

  “And I still can’t even see all of it,” he muttered, his gaze still glued to the land ahead.

  Despite his high position, some parts of the forest were still hidden behind other massive trees. Luckily for him, that didn’t matter. He had already found what he needed—or what he hoped he needed.

  Three separate areas stood out. One was relatively close, others not so much. Each, however, had a wider-than-usual gap between the trees, and two even possessed some sort of stone ruins that climbed above the canopy. Isaac couldn’t tell what they were, but if those weren’t potential locations for the boss, he didn’t know what they would be.

  Target acquired.

  After a quick descent from the tree, he grabbed the crossbow with his left hand and unsheathed the knife with the other. Even if he missed the shot, he could always throw the weapon and rely on the short blade for the rest. The sword would only come out if necessary.

  And so, with his eyes scanning every tree for familiar bulges, Isaac made his way toward the first point of interest. Only a single gremlin tried to stop him, but without any friends, it died before even landing a single scratch on him.

  Soon, the first clearing appeared between the few final trees and bushes. He slowed, swapping the knife for his sword, then crouched behind a thick fallen trunk. For now, he also put aside the crossbow.

  Is it really empty?

  Isaac frowned, his gaze jumping over the clearing—or, better said, ruins.

  Maybe ages ago, this place had been something grand, but now, overgrowth consumed what little remained. A fallen wall here, remnants of an arch there, and broken stone flooring scattered across the ground. The only structure still standing was a shrine-like building in the center, towering high above some surrounding trees.

  This must have been what Isaac saw from above.

  Got to at least check it out. Maybe there is another chest hidden here.

  Decision made, he stepped out of the foliage and entered the small clearing. At first, nothing happened. But the moment he reached the shrine, a blue barrier surged up around the ruins. A notification followed.

  Survive for two minutes to receive a reward.

  Time remaining: 1:59

  Isaac tensed, tightening his grip on the sword. His blood stirred, starting its symphony—just in time too.

  A gray worm with a gaping mouth full of razor-sharp teeth suddenly burst out of the ground a few feet away and shot straight for his head. Isaac dove to the side, letting the creature sail past him and then dive back into the earth.

  Shit.

  He barely managed to get back to his feet before two more worms jumped out, heading for him just like the other. This time, he just stepped out of their way and activated Analyze.

  Potential Threat: Low

  So my sword should be able to cut them. Got it.

  Yet before he could even think of taking a swing at any of the worms, five more joined the fray. Thankfully, only three targeted him. The other two just soared over the ruins before burrowing into the ground again.

  Time remaining: 1:34

  Seconds ticked by as Isaac danced between the growing number of worms. It was hard to get the count right, but he could swear there were at least ten of them here.

  Got to start killing those little shits. He growled, ducking under one monster. He then spun away from another—only for a third to burst from the ground a foot away from him, forcing him to jump away again.

  This, however, brought him right into the path of the next monster.

  Isaac swore and brought his sword up just in time to stop it from tearing a hole through his chest. He didn’t get a chance to do much more, though, as a second later, more worms erupted around him in a circle, their gaping maws all aimed at him.

  They all went for him at the same time.

  Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!

  Time remaining: 1:12

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