"You still have thirteen days for the challenge, do you have any plans for the remaining time?"
"Yes, I want to meet with the other magnificent elders and earn their recognition and rewards."
The voice initiated a conversation with Ken as soon as Elder Graham dissipated. Ken, affected by his experiences in the Residence of a Buddha and a Demon, showed reverence to the elders and wanted to get more guidance from them.
"Which site do you want to go to?"
"I will go to the Beast Haven. I gained a young wolf pup lately, and I barely know anything about nurturing beasts. If I raise him properly, he might become a strong helper in the future or at least a useful mount."
"Hm."
The voice hummed and a portal was opened in front of Ken. Stepping inside, Ken found himself in the middle of a forest. The trees towered to heights of dozens of meters, and the branches were so thick they covered the sky, engulfing the tower in darkness except for a few straying rays of light.
He already activated Sheathed Man before he entered the portal, so nobody noticed the addition of one dangerous child to the inheritance grounds, or else they'd have a good reason to get more cautious.
"Where is the site?"
Ken asked out loud, hoping to receive an answer from the voice that accompanied him throughout his journey in the secret realm ever since he entered.
"Welcome to the Beast Haven. This site is different from those you've visited so far. The Beast Haven is the whole forest; the challenge isn't separated into multiple steps. Instead, everyone has a week inside, and your rewards will be determined by the amount of marks you will be able to claim."
Ken listened attentively to the explanation and thought about it for a moment, trying to understand the ordeal.
"What are marks, and how do I get them?"
"Elder Isadora likes her beasts, thus, she designed this challenge. Each beast has a mark, and you must convince it to give it to you. You can do it by bribery, intimidation, getting close to them, or any other means you might think of. It's not as simple as it sounds; after a beast gives its mark, it will lose 50% of its power, which might result in it losing its status in the forest and even its home in the power struggle among the beasts. Who knows, maybe even its life."
Ken understood the complexity of the situation, but he wasn't too worried about it. He assumed that the threat of death will make the beasts give away their marks, and even if not, he could bribe them with some pills.
"How many marks do I need to collect in order to meet with the elder?"
"That's a secret. Just do your best."
"Can I plunder others of their marks?" Ken was a professional robber, and taking from others was always one of his greatest sources of income.
"Yes. The marks are recorded on the Blood Token, and they will automatically transfer to yours when you kill them and plunder their BP. Any other questions?"
With this new knowledge, Ken felt prepared to depart and start earning marks.
"No."
"Good luck then, you will hear from me again in seven days. There's something… I'm curious about."
"Sure, see you."
Ken acted as if he had no idea what the voice was referring to and started his travel in the forest. His presence concealed with Sheathed Man, he began to walk among the trees carefully, treading between the shadows and avoiding the light.
'Wait, what?'
Ken almost gaped when he activated his scouting technique, Blood Sense. The whole area was a mess of red trails, showing that a whole herd of bloodthirsty beasts ran there not too long ago.
'There are at least 100 beasts of the fifth rank in this herd. I can't determine the precise number or their exact phase in the fifth rank, but it'd be dangerous even if they were at the lower phase.'
Ken thought to himself as he started following the trails. He was curious about the creatures and whether he could find a way to convince them all to give him their marks. If he manages to pull it off, he'd start the challenge with more points than many cultivators could collect during a whole week.
Of course, that was only his estimation, as he had no access to data about the marks distribution among cultivators.
Another surprising sight awaited him when he finally found the herd. Tracking the trails, he walked a few kilometers to the south until he found a group of 100 buffalos, give or take.
The scene unfolded like a circus of horror, and the sight was both repulsive and comical. The buffalos were peacefully eating the grass from the ground, presenting the tranquil life of an herbivore, at least until one looked around them.
There were trampled carcasses of many other animals, including wolves, tigers, smaller feline animals, and even some deer. The buffalo herd stomped them all to death with their power as a group and ignored their existence as they ate the bloody grass blades.
Despite the grotesque spectacle, Ken only thought about how to harness the buffalos to his cause.
'It seems like the punishment of losing half of their power is a death sentence here. It won't be as simple as I first thought.'
Ken recognized the problem; the forest was much more deadly than it seemed when he arrived, and such a downgrade of power might cost the beasts their lives.
"Hello, cuties. How about trading with me?"
Ken came out of his hiding spot and revealed himself to the herd. He still used Sheathed Man, but rather than concealing his presence completely, he just suppressed it, making himself seem less threatening and completely unharmful.
The buffalos raised their heads from the ground to look at him curiously. They didn't eat meat, so they wouldn't take the initiative to attack.
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