Chapter Forty-Five: The Unseeable Test, Battle with the Forest Bear

At the same time, the number of these monsters was staggering. The first wave alone consisted of a hundred beasts. As the trial progressed, monsters of increasing strength would appear—elite monsters, leader monsters, and even BOSS monsters could all emerge. The faster one slaughtered the monsters, the quicker new ones would spawn. To wipe them out, it was crucial to control the pace of killing. It was not simply a matter of slaying as many as possible; unchecked slaughter would only lead to an overwhelming tide of monsters. Meanwhile, one had to keep an eye on the changing scores.

This dungeon space was divided into five stages. Each stage awarded different points. In the first stage, all monsters were level 14, and killing one granted ten points. In the second stage, monsters were level 15, and each kill earned twenty points. With every increase in monster level, the score doubled. By the fifth stage, monsters would reach level 20, and each kill was worth one hundred points. Of course, this applied only to ordinary monsters; elite, leader, and BOSS monsters awarded even more.

Thus, if Yang Feng failed in the fifth round of the exam, his previous advantage in the rankings would be completely erased. To Yang Feng, this seemed somewhat unfair, as if all his earlier efforts had been rendered meaningless. Yet Yang Feng understood well that the fifth round was the true test of a candidate’s strength. The purpose of the national exam was to select talents for the country.

When the countdown ended, the fifth round officially began. The remaining thousand candidates were all transported into the dungeon space. At that moment, all projections of the candidates vanished from the top floor of the Academy. The examiners looked on with a trace of disappointment.

“The rules of the national exam are clear. For the fifth round, not even examiners have the authority to observe,” someone said.

“The fifth round is the most exciting part, yet we are barred from watching!”

“We may not see the trial itself, but we can track the scores.”

“Lord Ding, can you see the exam scene?” The examiners cast hopeful glances at Ding Wu, eager to witness Yang Feng’s performance in the fifth round.

Ding Wu swept his gaze across the crowd and replied calmly, “Even I cannot view the fifth round’s proceedings.”

His words left everyone astonished.

“Lord Ding, not even you have access? Who, then, has the right to observe?”

“In Da Xia, at most ten people possess such authority,” Ding Wu sighed.

The examiners were incredulous. Only ten? What sort of figures could these ten be? The thought was beyond imagination.

“Remember: don’t pry into matters you shouldn’t know,” Ding Wu warned. “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ve said more than usual. But if it were someone else…”

He left the sentence unfinished.

“We understand, Lord Ding!”

“Rest assured, we won’t ask further!”

“Yes, yes, we’re just curious!”

These officials were no fools; they knew the matter was anything but simple. Even with ten times the courage, they would not dare inquire further. To know that fewer than ten people in all of Da Xia could monitor the fifth round was shocking enough.

The dungeon space was vast—a sprawling forest. Towering trees stretched everywhere, and the air was permeated with a faint metallic tang. These giants reached hundreds, even thousands, of meters high, providing ample cover for monsters.

“The blood in the air is thick. One can scarcely imagine what transpired here,” Yang Feng muttered, frowning. As a curse master, he was highly sensitive to the scent of blood. No previous trial, nor the dungeon at Qingshan Town, had such a concentrated reek. This place was different—shadowed and ominous at every turn. Yang Feng was certain a massive, bloody battle had once raged here.

He glanced down to see the soil beneath the fallen leaves saturated with blood. This explained the heavy scent hanging in the air.

Suddenly, footsteps approached. Before long, a horde of monsters appeared before Yang Feng. They were massive bears, towering and muscular. Having spotted Yang Feng, they unleashed furious roars.

Yang Feng wasted no words, hurling a probing water sphere at them.

[Forest Bear]
[Level: 14]

Aside from the monster’s name and level, no other information appeared. For the first time, Yang Feng’s probing spell yielded the barest results. He saw that these bears possessed formidable paws and stood over ten meters tall—true giants.

The forest bears roared ceaselessly, summoning more of their kind. Within half an hour, another swarm converged on Yang Feng.

If it were another profession, they would likely launch all their skills, fighting the nearest bears and eliminating as many as possible before retreating. To be surrounded by the forest bears would be disastrous. That approach suited others, but not Yang Feng.

Overhead, dozens of crow warriors swooped down, charging at the bears.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows of feathers shot toward the bears, inflicting heavy casualties. Yet the wounded bears did not die outright, merely suffered grievous injuries.

“I didn’t expect the forest bears to have such thick blood!” Yang Feng was surprised the crow warriors had not finished them off in one strike. Clearly, the bears’ defenses were formidable.

The bears’ attacks, landing on the crow warriors, inflicted little harm. This confirmed the forest bears were monsters of high defense but average combat prowess.

With this realization, Yang Feng immediately issued a command for a second assault. If one strike wasn’t enough, then a second would do.

A chorus of agonized cries erupted as the forest bears toppled to the ground. Meanwhile, Yang Feng’s score began to change.

Though the examiners atop the Academy could not see the fifth round’s scene, they could track the scores of every candidate.