Chapter 6: Hope for Leveling Up

The Demon Cat was subdued, its neck firmly clamped between Ha Zong’s jaws. Lu Ran stared in astonishment at the defeated beast, blood still dripping from its wound. Despite the realm being a “projection,” the creature seemed frighteningly real—down to its final breath.

Poor little kitty… You died so miserably.

But Lu Ran knew the harsh truth of the situation: Either you die, or I do.

—

Before he had much time to reflect, a sudden burst of white light enveloped the Demon Cat under Ha Zong’s paw. The beast disintegrated along with the blood it had shed, leaving Ha Zong looking bewildered.

“Arf?” Ha Zong barked, his confusion evident as he paused to look at the spot where his prize had disappeared.

Even stranger yet, what remained of the Demon Cat coalesced into a tiny firefly-like point of light. The glowing speck floated up and sank into Ha Zong’s body.

At that moment, Ha Zong felt a wave of strength course through his body—a tangible enhancement to his physical form.

“Wait, is this leveling up from monster kills?” Lu Ran’s eyes widened as he pieced together what was happening. He immediately examined Ha Zong’s status using the black card. However, his Growth Level still showed as [Level 1].

Lu Ran frowned in confusion. “So, the kill boosted your strength slightly, but it wasn’t enough to push you to Level 2? How many of these do we need to fight for an upgrade?”

Pausing to think, a realization struck him. “Wait… Could this be the true purpose of the trial realm?”

Lu Ran had initially planned to complete the beginner’s mission as cautiously as possible—avoiding unnecessary conflict and simply surviving for one day. Afterward, he would familiarize himself further with his powers and plan for future challenges.

But now?

The discovery that killing enemies increased Ha Zong’s power—combined with the husky’s unexpectedly high combat prowess—shook his original strategy. What if this trial realm wasn’t just dangerous but also an invaluable opportunity for growth?

Moreover, the rewards seemed tied to performance in the trial. Playing it safe and barely scraping through would undoubtedly yield far less compared to actively fighting and surviving.

This trial isn’t as horrifying as I thought. It might actually be a great training ground for newbies.

Recalling the forum poster’s dismal experience, Lu Ran figured their failure might’ve stemmed from being too weak. Still, a nagging thought reminded him that stronger enemies could be lurking somewhere in this projection realm. For now, though, Ha Zong seemed more than capable of handling opponents like the Demon Cat.

—

“Arf!” Ha Zong began pawing at the ground where the Demon Cat had once been, seemingly trying to find his vanished enemy.

“Stop it,” Lu Ran sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That thing’s gone for good. Let’s just stay here and rest for now so you can recover your energy.”

“Woof?” Ha Zong tilted his head in disbelief but grudgingly stopped digging.

Lu Ran wasn’t particularly impressed with the Data Eye either. If it could show an experience bar or even a percentage of how close Ha Zong was to Level 2, it would’ve made their progress much clearer. Unfortunately, no matter how or where he checked—be it through the Data Eye or the Contract Card—there was no way to determine how many more enemies were needed for the next level.

Then again, an unexpected curiosity crept up on him. Could the Data Eye display his own stats as well?

Focusing inwardly, Lu Ran brought up his information:

—

[Species]: Human
[Beast Tamer Level]: Apprentice
[Taming Skills]: None

—

The details were rudimentary at best, but what really caught his attention was the mention of “Taming Skills.” Both his and Ha Zong’s stat sheets had blank skill slots.

How do we acquire skills? he wondered. If they could find a way to unlock skills, their combat effectiveness would increase significantly.

Reflecting on their earlier battle, Lu Ran realized that they’d likely made enough noise to attract attention. He glanced around cautiously and said aloud, “We might not need to search for more enemies; something will probably come looking for us if we stay here.”

“This spot is spacious enough to give us some control in battle,” he explained to Ha Zong. “Camping at our ‘spawn point’ is safer than wandering into denser areas.”

That settled it: they would remain there for now and see what fate—or enemies—came their way.

“Woof!” Ha Zong nodded obediently, fully trusting Lu Ran’s decision-making. As far as he was concerned, Lu Ran could handle all the thinking while he handled all the fighting.

“Stay alert,” Lu Ran commanded, scanning their surroundings for any signs of trouble.

In the meantime, he tested out the Data Eye on his immediate environment. Based on its description, it wasn’t limited to analyzing creatures—it could also detect resources nearby.

—

His search immediately bore fruit.

Normal weeds and trees didn’t trigger any reactions from the Data Eye. However, some unique plants stood out:

– Under one tree, Lu Ran found a cluster of red fungi.

—

[Name]: Blood-Clot Shroom
[Grade]: Common
[Description]: A medicinal mushroom that can slowly heal wounds when crushed and applied topically. Do NOT consume—causes hallucinations featuring dancing tiny figures.

—

– Nearby, on an unusually narrow tree trunk compared to other towering giants, Lu Ran spotted several green fruits hanging from its branches.

—

[Name]: Wood-Scale Fruit
[Grade]: Common
[Description]: A juicy fruit with strong satiation properties that restores stamina when eaten. Favored by fruit insects; consuming it might provide additional protein.

—

“Good thing we didn’t leave immediately,” Lu Ran muttered with relief upon discovering these resources. These items were no joke—having access to both healing and stamina-restoring goods this early in the trial was a major bonus.

If we’d left blindly, who knows if we’d have found anything like this elsewhere?

Surely these items couldn’t come without quirks—hallucinations and bug-related perks weren’t exactly comforting—but their utility in surviving the trial outweighed any downsides.

To confirm whether the items were usable within the realm (and wouldn’t vanish like the Demon Cat), Lu Ran decided to collect samples cautiously. He dug up one of the Blood-Clot Shrooms—and to his relief, it remained intact in his hands.

“Great.” A smile tugged at his lips as he prepared to gather more. With these resources added to their arsenal, levelling up Ha Zong started to feel much more feasible.

—

As Lu Ran busied himself harvesting Wood-Scale Fruits, a puff of warm breath startled him from behind. He turned to find Ha Zong panting hotly at one of the Blood-Clot Shrooms, drool dripping from his mouth like a faucet.

“You JUST ate before we came here!” Lu Ran exclaimed.

“Woof!” Ha Zong barked innocently.

“You fought one fight—don’t tell me you burned through everything already! This is medicine, not food! NONE of this is edible unless I say so!”

“Woof…” Ha Zong whined but backed off begrudgingly under Lu Ran’s firm glare.

Lu Ran shook his head in exasperation. Though carnivorous by nature, Ha Zong harbored an unusual love for fruits and vegetables—a habit that had earned him the nickname “Salad Dog.”

—

After gathering all nearby resources (and keeping a firm eye on Ha Zong), Lu Ran finally sat down to rest briefly. Half an hour had passed since entering the trial realm—and so far no new enemies had shown up despite their earlier commotion.

Lu Ran frowned. “Do we really need to go out hunting?”

Just as he pondered this dilemma—

Rustle… rustle…

The familiar sound shattered the silence, snapping both Lu Ran and Ha Zong to full attention. The husky bolted upright from where he’d been lounging, his alert ears swiveling toward the noise.

“Here comes another!” Lu Ran grinned despite himself.

“Woof woof!” Ha Zong barked excitedly.

But their enthusiasm quickly waned when they realized something chilling—the rustling wasn’t coming from just one direction.

It was surrounding them on all sides.

Sweat trickled down Lu Ran’s forehead as five distinct shadows emerged from the undergrowth.

—

Ha Zong: …
Lu Ran: …

“This… is Easy Mode?!” Lu Ran muttered in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at their predicament. He couldn’t shake the feeling that some malicious deity overseeing this realm had it out for him specifically.

—