Argentius bared his teeth, his body shuddering with gentle tremors. His fur bore scorch marks, though no wounds were particularly severe. In one-on-one combat, he feared no one, but facing six opponents simultaneously proved somewhat overwhelming. Unless he fought with full force. The main concern was the aftermath - without protection, he would become prey for others.

  The remaining six young cultivators glared at the tiger-beast before them. Similarly, they showed little impact from the brief skirmish. Both sides had merely been testing each other. The monster was truly powerful - that was everyone's conclusion. Even among Tier 2 creatures, it far surpassed others of its kind. Especially since Argentius possessed dual aspects, wind and metal, significantly increasing its value.

  Even without PsiLink, these contestants recognized Argentius's considerable worth. Particularly when the bracelet on each person's wrist began flashing. The previously silent bracelet suddenly lit up near a high-level monster. This indicated that Argentius could be either a treasure or a high-scoring hunt.

  Though barely half an hour had passed, most had somewhat figured out the mechanics of The Shifting Trials. Tier 1 monsters only gave one point, so Tier 2 monsters must offer more. The flashing bracelet served to alert contestants to nearby high-point sources, guiding them to their targets.

  Nathan observed his bracelet, pondered briefly, then stepped forward. He had no other choice in this situation. By his assessment, any single one of those six might not be able to match him in full Berserker state. But six together formed a formidable force that would be hard to counter. Argentius fought evenly with him, so with some calculation, letting his furry friend face them alone wouldn't be wise.

  Seeing another person join in, the six smiled. Defeating the tiger beast was within reach but would cost them. Monster races naturally exceeded humans in raw power. Hence, having additional help was welcome.

  "Nathan Reed?" questioned the one in green attire.

  "That's me," Nathan raised his hand in greeting while mentally connecting with Argentius.

  Why are you here, Argy? Though now's not the time for that. Are you alright?

  Argentius narrowed his eyes at the nickname but still sent a response signal.

  "I'm fine. So what's it going to be? Fight or flight?"

  Nathan had to suppress a twitch of his lips, hearing his partner seemingly more inclined to flee than fight.

  "There are quite a few other monsters around," Argentius continued through their mental link. "Being exhausted wouldn't be wise."

  Hearing this, Nathan turned to face the expectant eyes.

  "What's everyone thinking?"

  The group stared back oddly. What kind of strange question was that?

  Most importantly, everyone keenly noticed the monster had stopped attacking and seemed to be waiting. Normally, it should either harass the group or flee. Instead, the tiger beast had retracted its fangs, its facial muscles relaxing as if calmly observing.

  Twelve eyes snapped toward Nathan, who remained stationary, forming a triangle, showing no intention of approaching the group of six.

  Could you guys be a little less perceptive? Nathan worried about their sharp instincts.

  This was fitting for disciples or students of major sects and organizations. Nathan wouldn't become arrogant just because his strength had increased dramatically in a short time. If he had stepped into hell for training, perhaps others had descended even deeper levels in pursuit of power.

  In an instant, what seemed like a casual question hung in the air like gunpowder near a spark.

  "So are you allied with it or trying to monopolize it?" one person questioned Nathan.

  Nathan stepped closer to his tiger friend as his answer.

  "This can't be coincidence," another cursed. "You cook, know how to fight, and even have a monster partner?"

  Nathan shrugged, realizing only then that he did have quite a few tricks up his sleeve.

  The group of six's momentum faltered. They had surrounded Argentius mainly due to lack of trust. Their presence here was merely a chance encounter. If they let others take advantage, they might be eliminated from The Shifting Trials through backstabbing before making any progress. Going all out would make even a peak Tier 2 monster manageable. The challenge was protecting their own backs.

  Four people exchanged glances in silent communication before gradually stepping back, choosing to leave. They could find opportunities elsewhere, rather than staying in this risky situation.

  In the end, only two remained watching Argentius and Nathan.

  "Are you sure about this?" Nathan couldn't help but ask.

  He was quite certain Argentius alone could handle these two, let alone with him added to the mix.

  The young man in green who had initially asked his name replied calmly.

  "Not sure, but worth the risk. Truth is, you're a Tier 1. You might have a strong physique due to your bloodline, but that's all. Not too big of an issue."

  The second person, wearing gray with close-cropped hair, chimed in.

  "You might have that tiger as your partner, but I have my own luck in meeting an old friend here. Just need to remove you from the fight, then the tiger beast becomes manageable. Especially without those four troublemakers around."

  Just as Nathan was about to speak to buy time, he felt himself suddenly restrained.

  Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.

  His arms and legs were bound by four vines that had shot up from the ground. The attack speed was so fast he couldn't react in time.

  Argentius immediately entered combat mode, charging forward to headbutt a large rock thrown at Nathan by the gray-clothed figure.

  A deafening explosion accompanied by a piercing wind burst outward. The large rock shattered. Sharp winds surrounded Argentius, continuously cutting the debris in mid-air. It quickly turned its head, slashing its claws toward Nathan.

  He felt only a cool breeze pass by as the vines were severed. Before he could reassess the situation, he sensed mana movement from the opponent through [Martial Art Mastery]. He leaped high as the rock fragments shot toward him.

  At the peak of his jump, he dove headfirst. Gathering force and skills into his legs.

  Bring me down, he commanded Argentius.

  A strong wind accelerated his descent.

  Both enemies smiled, simultaneously raising their hands. From the small earth particles still floating in the air, wooden tendrils suddenly sprouted. They wove together into a net in the sky above. With a pushing motion, they hurled their trap toward the chef plummeting like a meteor.

  Nathan let out a roar, using a technique derived from [Martial Art Mastery], concentrating force into a single toe, transforming it into a spear-like strike against the enemy.

  The wooden net that seemed poised to envelop Nathan produced a crisp cracking sound. The wood fibers at the point of impact split apart, then spread to surrounding areas, breaking its structure. The strangely resilient wooden material couldn't withstand such extreme force.

  The residual force from [Amplifying Strike], [Flowing Strikes], and [Rebound] sent a gentle breeze downward. The broken wood scattered into tiny fragments.

  Both young men watched without blinking, unable to believe their eyes. They knew Nathan possessed extraordinary physical strength, but hadn't imagined it this overwhelming. Based on his fight with Thalos, Nathan had won through tricks and deception rather than superior ability.

  These two had clearly trained together before, allowing such smooth cooperation. So when they saw Nathan still diving toward them, the gray-clad youth swung his arm downward. An earth mound rose up, carrying them backward.

  Just then, Nathan's fist crashed into where they had stood.

  The explosion made the gray-clad youth start, hastily raising an earth wall for protection against further attacks.

  Once sure they had a safe distance, he lowered his earth wall to look back at their opponent. Through the dust cloud stood a figure in red uniform, casually shaking his wrist. His eyes held a mocking look as they gazed their way. Below his feet was a shallow crater, creating an uneven line of sight. Though they were looking down, they felt like the ones being threatened.

  "Still think I'm an easy meal?" Nathan asked.

  Argentius hadn't even joined in yet, though during those brief pauses, it could have intervened.

  Currently, Nathan wanted to avoid intense confrontation since he didn't know how the event would unfold. Fighting too aggressively might cause these two to use unexpected techniques. Case in point: their combination of earth and plant mana aspects supporting each other just now. Furthermore, if Nathan had prepared some life-saving items, surely his opponents weren't foolish enough to forget such essential preparation.

  The earlier exchange served as a warning to the opponents. Nathan wasn't someone to be trifled with.

  Accepting Nathan's good will, these two disciples retreated, no longer pressing the issue. After that display of strength, they lost their initial confidence that binding or trapping Nathan with vines and earth would be enough. Their test hypothesis had failed. No reason to persist further. Like the other four, they could seek opportunities elsewhere. With the tiger beast's participation, their self-proclaimed high chances of victory would decrease significantly.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Only after the two had gone far did Nathan let out a breath. Barely into The Shifting Trials and already such intense encounters. He had some expectations about how the coming days would unfold.

  He turned back to Argentius, who was licking his disturbed fur back into place.

  "Now tell me what happened?" he asked.

  Argentius glared at Nathan, not answering immediately but finding a place to lie down. He looked tired.

  "A Tier 4 human came to Moirath Forest and captured several monsters," Argentius said.

  "Including the Vermilion Apes?"

  "That guy seemed to find those weaklings beneath him, so no. He only took the high-level ones."

  "And how do you know it was a Tier 4?"

  "Cause I know."

  Nathan fell silent at Argentius's attitude. Remembering the forest incident, he exclaimed.

  "Could it be because of Nightmare Weaver?" he asked mentally rather than aloud, wary of being overheard.

  "Perhaps," Argentius appeared thoughtful, though his facial movements made it hard for Nathan to read his expression. "That one came and turned the forest upside down. Come to think of it, Nightmare Weaver's former dwelling area was searched most thoroughly."

  Nathan rubbed his chin, wondering if this was an action from Azure Lake Academy. Perhaps Reza or his teammates had requested help from a Tier 4. Nathan wasn't too confident in his line of thinking. Or Nightmare Weaver had been chosen as one of the trials. Conveniently, the Tier 4 had captured extra monsters from The Moirath Forest.

  He looked at his bracelet, which flashed more intensely near Argentius. So besides recording points, the bracelet also alerted contestants to nearby objectives. This could be quite dangerous if he kept Argentius with him. Especially since he only had one Monster Storage Pouch, currently holding Nightmare Weaver.

  Releasing the spider monster would violate the Binding Promise. The mental backlash would completely paralyze him. It would also risk Nightmare Weaver turning on both Argentius and him. Because the fault would lie with him, not Nightmare Weaver.

  Caught in this dilemma, he frowned at Argentius.

  "Argy, can you shrink yourself?"

  This was the only solution he had right now. If Argentius could become smaller, they could hide him or let him sneak around with Nathan. Even if the bracelet signaled his presence, other contestants might not find him. With his current massive form, another six people showing up like earlier was bound to happen.

  Initially, people didn't risk confronting Argentius because resources were still plentiful, but after a few days, when objectives became scarcer, no one would show such restraint.

  "Don't call me that," Argentius wrinkled his face, showing clear displeasure. "And no, I cannot."

  "You stubborn beast," Nathan fumed. "I'm worried about you, you know?"

  "I'll bite whoever shows up. What's there to worry about?"

  This wild monster, Nathan cursed silently.

  Ignoring his headstrong companion, Nathan glanced through the system notifications. After passing through the teleportation gate, he hadn't had time to check.

  Quest 'The Shifting Trials' Completed

  Rewards Granted: 2000 credits.

  Proceed as you wish.

  --

  You got a new quest: 'Peers pressure is not a problem!'

  Objective: Become one of the top 64 of The Shifting Trials.

  Rewards: Rewards are based on your performance. At least 2000 credits will be awarded.

  Penalty when failed: None.

  Each time Nathan checked system notifications, he had to suppress his emotions. It never gave small quests but always massive, overarching ones that frustrated him.

  Fortunately, the previous quest had succeeded smoothly - he had truly feared having negative credits and needing to grind quests or abuse passive skills to pay off debt. He would try his best but wouldn't stress too much about this quest. The credit reward was quite tempting, enough to buy a [Skill Breaker] and remove either [Bad Omen] or [Bad Mouth].

  With a new target, he needed to accumulate points on his bracelet. For now, he had a target in mind. The lizard monster army from earlier must be heading toward their leader, a Tier 2 being.

  He discussed this with Argentius. Surprisingly, he received immediate agreement rather than the usual fussiness from his partner.

  Both immediately set out, backtracking their previous path.

  He sat on Argentius's back, roughly indicating directions through the forest. His partner used his nose to sniff eagerly. Finding it not very effective, he commanded the winds to converge, bringing all scent traces together. Nathan observed everything while sighing, partly envious, wondering when he would develop his own mana aspect.

  After tracking footprints and scents, Argentius locked onto a direction. He charged through the tree lines, ramming down any trunk in his way. His fierce pride wouldn't allow him to jump or dodge obstacles.

  Nathan had to hold tight to his furry partner's mane. The muscular contractions from Argentius were incredibly powerful, not to mention his swift speed. Sometimes he still couldn't believe he had formed a contract with such a powerful being.

  The lizard monsters, either sitting or lying down resting from battle, jumped up startled when they sensed a powerful presence approach. They stood distributed around a moderately deep pool, wide enough to provide water for their tribe.

  They didn't know why they were here. Earlier they had been in their natural habitat, then in the blink of an eye found themselves in this strange land. That's why they had split up to scout earlier, partly to search for threats, partly to gather information for their leader.

  "ROARRRR!"

  Argentius's roar made the scales on the lizard monsters stand on end as they simultaneously drew their weapons in defense. Their eyes, uncontrolled by fear, stared at the white deadly presence before them.

  "Could you be any louder?" Nathan cursed, fingers digging at his still-ringing ears. He had suffered the brunt of that roar at closest range and found it extremely unpleasant.

  Argentius snorted derisively, shrugging his shoulder to throw the human off. Nathan complied, not wanting to be caught up in any more shocking actions.

  He had scolded partly out of fear the lizard monsters would run away. But the current situation wasn't developing in that direction. They remained, seemingly intent on protecting the pool. Either they feared scattering meant death, or they were betting on their leader.

  "There's something else under the pool," Argentius said through their mental link.

  "Besides their leader?" Nathan asked.

  "Yes."

  "Then let's fight."

  Nathan didn't think too much about the current situation. Even if their leader was strong, it couldn't be stronger than Argentius. This one had stood against him in full Berserker state, had been Lord of The Forest. Facing this group was merely a stroll.

  He jumped forward, charging toward the monster group gathering to block their advance.

  His punches created powerful shockwaves, knocking down several lizard monsters at once. Those nearby had their heads crushed, skulls broken, or limbs torn off. They continuously shot arrows and tail spikes at him. He either dodged or used his vambrace to block without taking any damage.

  Just as he was about to tell Argentius to help end this quicker, he saw a white ball leap into the air. It spun once then plunged straight into the center of the pool.

  A splash startled both Nathan and the monster group. Waves frantically spread to the shore, water droplets spraying up like rain.

  The monsters around Nathan shrieked in horror, pulling their entire group toward the pool, ignoring the human staring in bewilderment. They leaped or crawled into the pool's water, hoping to support their leader.

  Nathan also approached to watch the spectacle. The pool's surface didn't cease its turbulence, but continued raging violently as if a storm lurked below. The monsters that had just rushed near Argentius's position were thrown back by some force, flying back to shore. The unluckier ones smashed against rock outcrops, their heads and bones shattering.

  Nathan had initially been thinking how to lure the leader lizard up when Argentius took the most direct approach. Charging straight in. He wanted to see what was happening but couldn't because of the water and white foam.

  He caught glimpses of Argentius surrounding himself with a sphere of air mixed with metallic properties, then swimming downward. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about oxygen while underwater.

  The deeper he went, the less Nathan could see despite [Better Vision]. Helplessly dropping his hand, he could only warn his partner not to kill the Tier 2 leader yet.

  Finding a place to sit, he watched like someone observing their pet at play, his expression both exasperated and indulgent.

  After making quite a commotion, Nathan noticed the pool's surface was no longer churning from disturbance. The Tier 1 lizard monsters knew enough to back away, retreating far from the shore. They could only hope their leader, in whom they'd placed their faith, would emerge victorious.

  Thud!

  That sound was like each lizard monster's heart dropping into an abyss. Because on the open ground before the human lay their leader. A lizard monster with a larger body, sporting a long horn on its head that emitted a dim blue light.

  Argentius burst through the pool's surface right after, landing beside Nathan. His fur wasn't wet at all, his whole body emanating an air of composure. As if earlier had just been play - if he'd wanted to, he could have killed that monster with one bite.

  The surrounding monsters had just taken a step when Argentius's glare intimidated them into stopping. They didn't have enough intelligence to think through what to do. Just like that, they knelt down, laying down their weapons in apparent submission. For them, the outcome was either being eaten or being allowed to follow a new leader.

  Nathan stood up, observing the leader still barely clinging to life at his feet. He didn't let it suffer any longer, crushing its head with his foot. A stream of essence seeped into his body. Equal to defeating The Great Spine Wolf, it was too small to make any impression on his cultivation.

  His bracelet vibrated, his points changing. Previously at 24, they jumped to 229.

  So the points depend on which Phase of Tier 2 they're at? he wondered.

  Tier 2 monsters giving higher points wasn't debatable. However, defeating someone like Argentius should give more points. He estimated someone of his partner's caliber might be worth a thousand points.

  Looking at the large monster, he felt a headache wondering how to handle things going forward.

  Meeting Nathan's evaluating gaze was an expectant wrinkled nose.

  Nathan looked back at the lizard, immediately understanding Argentius's purpose.

  "No free lunch, eh?" Nathan muttered, mentally cursing Argentius as a glutton.

  Annoyed, Argentius spat out what he'd been holding in his mouth. The implication being that this was his payment.

  Nathan looked at the rough, saliva-covered stone before him with some disgust. He knew this was what the lizard monsters had been guarding. He kicked it into the pool to wash it once before picking it up to examine.

  Currently without PsiLink, but his knowledge was sufficient to know this item's use. This was one of the stones that helped accelerate cultivation speed, suitable for both cultivators and monsters. The blue color and ripples within indicated it was suitable for water mana aspect.

  That meant Nathan couldn't use it currently. Future use was also questionable since he wasn't sure he'd develop water affinity. Still, its value remained. He could use it for trade or sell it if needed.

  Storing the stone in his spatial pouch, he cheerfully looked at Argentius. He wondered if he was cheating by having this unexpected help. Farming points this way was certainly a comfortable way to pass The Shifting Trials.

  That is, if no one came hunting this big tiger.

  Seeing Nathan just standing there, Argentius irritably bumped his head against him.

  "Alright, alright. Cooking right away," Nathan said, carrying the leader lizard's corpse.

  As for the rest, Argentius disdainfully sampled through them. Nathan didn't think about collecting ingredients. Unlike the times of scarcity in Moirath Forest when he had to calculate everything carefully. Besides, the spatial pouch didn't have room for less important things.

  Finding a place to camp, Nathan started a fire and took out his cooking utensils. These were mostly items he'd bought before going to Moirath Forest that Darkan had snatched. Now that he'd gotten them back, he finally had a chance to use them.

  After some preparation and arrangement, a delicious aroma wafted through the forest. The sky gradually turned dark. Without a sun, the unnatural feeling from this transition brought a strange sensation.

  Nathan wasn't sure if night would bring out different kinds of monsters. He planned to find out after replenishing Argentius's energy. His monster partner seemed to have gone hungry for several days. Maybe right after he left, there had been nothing to eat.

  Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.

  Nathan's skin prickled as he became alert.

  [Adrenaline Boost] didn't trigger?

  "Argy, hide now," he ordered.

  The current situation could mean enemies appearing. He needed to hold them off to give Argentius a chance to escape.

  Before Nathan's dumbfounded gaze, Argentius suddenly shivered, his body gradually shrinking. From nearly twice Nathan's height, he decreased to two meters. His massive head and giant fangs shrank to toothpick size. This process continued until Argentius was only an arm's length long. His razor-sharp white fur also changed, taking on a mystical softness.

  Argentius's eyes narrowed as he looked at the human he'd contracted with. This kind of look was exactly why he hadn't wanted to reveal his ability to shrink earlier. His thick skin and fat almost wanted to break out in goosebumps.

  "You're so fucking cute," Nathan groaned.

  Wasn't this just a short-haired bicolor cat? Argentius's muscular form when shrunk made him look chubby and plump, incredibly pettable and cuddle-worthy.

  Nathan's hand unconsciously reached out.

  Argentius snapped and bit him once. Since he was in his small cat form, the bite was no more than a scratch, more like playful affection.

  Letting out an annoyed breath, Argentius sneaked away, hiding in the shadow of a nearby tree.

  When the person who triggered [Tingling Sense] appeared, the bracelet also vibrated, displaying a hologram-like board.

  Today's rankings for everyone were up.

  And among them, someone had already scored 10,000 points.