Samuel didn't get a chance to dodge the sudden attack burst as the monster's claws slashed across his stomach. It created a deep, bloody wound that looked hideous at a single glance. Suddenly, the youth yelled at the top of his voice, making a loud echo that filled up the surroundings.
Shane pressed his hand against his forehead and immediately pushed the free body controlling tool button. He didn't waste any more minutes. He used a regular sword to attack the monster standing before his eyes.
He continued to dodge and attack as he glanced around.
This time, the host wasn't similar to Norman's, and the world was also real. He couldn't use his powers freely. But it didn't mean he didn't have other tricks up his sleeves. If he remembered correctly, he still had that ice sword and freezing spell he could use for a few seconds. He quickly used it and froze all the nearby monsters, putting the leaf in his mouth.
By the time he started chewing, the control of the body had already been transferred to his host.
Samuel's entire body was struck dumb as he stood there with leftover food in his mouth. He was so shocked that he wasn't even chewing.
"Run," said Shane in his mind. "Or else, be ready to get attacked again. I won't help you the second time."
Samuel didn't know what had happened. He already had a bucket load of questions in his heart. But, he took a deep breath and turned around, darting in a different direction.
The only consoling thing was that at least he was still running in the right direction.
After running for a while, he chewed the rest of the leaf in his mouth. The wave of bitterness spread throughout his mouth, making him nearly puke at the end.
He suppressed the feeling and forced himself to eat. At the end of it, he had a colorful expression on his face.
Shane didn't laugh. He didn't have time because the monsters were coming closer and closer. He yelled, "Run!"
Samuel also didn't have time to be worried about the bitterness he felt in his mouth.
Even though the leaf was bitter to the point of making his tongue numb, it satisfied his hunger. His body was filled with energy. He instantly ran forward as fast as he could without daring to glance behind him.
He didn't feel any hunger as he rushed in that direction. Since he was afraid that the monsters would come and attack him again.
A few hours later.
The monsters had long subsided, leaving behind a dense forest filled with trees and shrubs. His footsteps echoed throughout the place, making Samuel feel a chill down his spine.
At this time, his stomach growled. He suddenly felt exhausted as if he couldn't walk any further. After all, he had run all the way here.
Samuel stopped by a tree after a while and leaned against it, heaving softly. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but he was too exhausted to wipe them away.
Shane was also feeling mentally tired. For a few hours, all he had been seeing was a dense forest surrounded by trees. There wasn't a group of other monsters around at this time.
Of course, it was another matter that those trees were also monsters. It meant that they couldn't brazenly eat anything even though it looked delicious.
Perhaps this was the real test of survival this time.
Shane frowned. He hadn't dared to turn on the sense-sharing tool, knowing it would definitely make him feel hungry. At least, one among the two people here should stay stable
After looking at the free body controlling tool that was available again, he said, "I'll do something about it."
He resigned to himself and purchased a few stomach-filling pills. It would keep the body energetic for a few hours, saving him a lot of trouble.
It was just that these pills weren't any cheaper. He grimaced, but still hardened his heart and purchased five of them. His account balance nearly emptied after buying them.
He felt pain in his heart after seeing Crana balance.
Still, he couldn't do anything else. This was the real world with a real person as his host. He couldn't take any risks.
As he was thinking, he quickly took control of the body and stuffed a pill in his mouth before giving it back to the host. Then he explained, "You can continue in that direction for a few hours without needing any water. I have sacrificed too much money for this. Don't waste my efforts."
Samuel felt a trace of gratitude in his heart. Even though he was a college student, he was still too young and hadn't experienced any ups and downs in life. So his emotions were visible on his face.
"You'll make me puke by that kind of face." Shane's nose wrinkled. "You better straighten up and act like a normal man."
Samuel took a deep breath and nodded while starting to walk. This time, he didn't run and preserved as much energy while walking as possible. He also didn't talk very loudly.
Soon enough, after a few days of traveling like this and eating up all those pills, they finally reached their destination. It was an open ground, and apparently, Samuel was the first one to arrive.
He was surprised by seeing this. He glanced around, but he didn't find anyone as he raised his doubts: "Where are others?"
"Probably on their way." Shane pointed out another thing. "Grab the food while you're still at it."
Only then did Samuel notice a plate filled with fruits placed in the middle of the open ground on a straw mat. Even though there was a lot, he couldn't promise everyone would get their share once. So he might as well get something to eat and rest a while before everyone arrives.
While he was eating, he asked, "Who put these fruits here?"
Shane knew that it should be Ed because he's the current invigilator. The man probably didn't want the hosts to die after suffering from their first tasks. But he couldn't tell this directly to his host.
One of the rules that they should follow was never to reveal the ins and outs of the system world. So he simply opened his mouth and said, "Probably someone left these here. They're all safe. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told you to eat it."
Samuel nodded. As he was eating, someone else arrived. It was a blond girl with her hair tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes had round glasses. Her body was covered with blood scratches and dirt. When she looked at the food placed in the middle of the open ground, she spared no glance at the man-eating it nicely and rushed toward it.
"Food!" Her hoarse throat let out a word as she pounced on it, eating it like a wild animal.
Samuel watched the scene with widened eyes. He silently picked up the last piece of grape and stuffed it into his mouth. Then he got up from the ground. "The food's going nowhere. Eat slowly."
Only then did she notice a man. She awkwardly lifted her head. Her mouth froze when she glanced at how handsome and clean the man looked. Then she hurriedly wiped her face and fixed her appearance. Even then, she couldn't wipe out the traces of blood from her body.
Her face was filled with frustration as she pushed up her glasses and said, "I'm sorry."
"What're you sorry for?"
"I-I…." The girl stuttered out a word and then stopped saying it as if she couldn't form a sentence.
Shane, who was watching everything playing from his mind, pressed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. "Samuel, let me remind you something. This is a real horror world filled with monsters, and we have a mission. I'd appreciate it if you don't carry out romance instances with someone."
Samuel waved his hand and shook his head. "You're thinking too much. I was just talking."
"Why do I feel like you want to flirt?" Shane sighed, "You can do that all you want once you get back to your place. But here, we have got to work."
"Got it," Samuel grumbled.
At this time, even the girl had silenced herself as if she were talking to her system too. Seems like the other system had also given the girl an earful about not being in a romance.
Shane raised his brows. He wondered if the other system was an acquaintance.
As he was wondering, several people also walked out of the forest, looking like beggars with torn clothes. When they noticed so many fruits, some of them were frightened. But then they paused, seeming to have heard something from their systems. Then slowly, they walked closer to the fruits.
Shane knew that those people might have faced the wrath of monster fruits earlier.
Just then, he got a notification. He looked through the chat only to be a bit stunned.
He was actually pulled into a group filled with other systems working on this exam!
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