Chapter 118: Cha.117 Irada (2)

Train all day, then drop dead onto the bed, only to wake up again and train.

That had been Qasim’s life for the past three days, pushing himself against death itself to force his heart to adapt to the life energy and develop his willpower.

With Yasmin’s help, he managed to see some changes very quickly.

His stamina had improved. His strength and speed had increased, and he could even sense life energy to a certain degree. It was still far inferior to Yasmin’s ability, but considering how fast he was progressing, Qasim was satisfied.

…

“Are the rookies ready?” the captain asked Cici, who was writing in her notebook.

She raised her head and answered with a simple and confident,

“Yes.”

Right after that, Qasim and Yasmin arrived at the field where the rest of the expedition was waiting.

Excluding the captain and Cici, there were three other members in the expedition: two men and a woman.

“So these are the travelers from the physical world?” one of them whispered.

“I heard Cici say they have powers without spirits…” another said.

“They look like kids. Are they kids? Are they even properly trained?”

“Maybe their age doesn’t match their bodies…”

Qasim heard the whispers but ignored them. He introduced himself with a polite yet proud tone, while Yasmin simply remained quiet.

“You have quite a strong grip there, Qasim.”

One of the men smiled as he shook the boy’s hand.

The captain then called everyone’s attention with a serious expression.

“Today’s expedition aims to move past the center of this forest. Everyone, get ready!”

“Yes, Captain!”

They shouted in unison.

…

The team of six passed through the first layer of the forest, where Qasim and Yasmin had first undergone their test.

Crimson spikes grew from the red, sandy ground like small towers, stretching for hundreds of miles.

They passed by several monsters and killed them without even putting up much of a fight.

Qasim used his condition as an excuse to stay at the back of the formation, where he could watch and analyze everyone’s fighting styles.

Interesting…

He soon came to the conclusion that the Light Warriors all used almost the same technique, except for the captain, whose movements Qasim still couldn’t fully analyze.

The other four had a simple attack pattern.

Maintain their distance and fight from afar.

Even when they were forced to fight at close range, they tried to use their long spears to keep the monsters away.

They fight with fear…

Qasim realized that this fighting style was born from their fear of getting close to the monsters.

He recalled the fact that even if you managed to kill a monster, you would turn into one if you were hit by it.

It was like an infection.

The safest and most efficient way is to fight like this.

Qasim respected their strategy, but it prevented them from improving as fighters.

It made them memorize the same pattern over and over again, and when that pattern failed…

It was the end for them.

Him, on the other hand…

Qasim then focused on the captain.

Unlike the others, this man was able to fight at long range as well as in the uncomfortable close range, where even one wrong move could get him infected.

He needed to stay focused and dodge while attacking, all while keeping an eye on the entire battlefield.

This way of fighting was much harder, but it was also far more rewarding.

The captain was able to smoothly change tactics and deal more damage because of it.

Qasim closed his eyes with a satisfied smile.

I’m getting better at reading other people.

His smile widened as he praised himself.

“Why is this dumb smile on your face?!”

Qasim opened his eyes and saw the captain standing in front of him, his face red as he shouted.

After apologizing, Qasim asked him where they were now.

The captain gave him a sideways glance before turning to face ahead.

“Now, we will enter the deepest part of the forest. This place is far less known.”

“Cici will draw the map while we protect each other, and most importantly, stay alive.”

The team nodded.

The captain then glanced at Qasim, who was translating his words to Yasmin.

This girl is the real deal…

The captain had been keeping an eye on both of them and was impressed by how fast and deadly Yasmin was.

She barely makes any mistakes while remaining efficient as both an attacker and support.

He then rolled his eyes at Qasim.

Him, on the other hand…

The captain sighed as he prayed for the boy to prove his worth, just as he had claimed.

After resting for a while, the team continued their journey, passing through the spikes and entering a much darker part of the forest.

Qasim noticed the sudden change in the light.

Even though he could still see, it was much less comfortable than before.

Then there was the change in smell.

The air had become more toxic, carrying hints of rotten flesh, blood, and an unpleasant metallic odor.

The ground felt less like sand and more like mud, while the spikes became much larger and brighter in color.

The team continued moving slowly, giving Cici enough space to capture and draw the details of the area while one of the men held his lantern beside her.

Qasim was amazed by how powerful the light was.

Just one lantern was enough to create a visible path through the darkness.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.

The team turned to see what had caused it.

The man raised his lantern and pointed it toward the spikes.

Nothing was there.

But then they heard more noises around them.

The captain slowly picked up his own lantern and hooked it around his wrist. The others did the same.

With all six lanterns now illuminating the area, they could see much farther around them.

And what they saw immediately raised the tension.

Eyes surrounded them from every direction, staring at them from the darkness.

Red.

Green.

Yellow.

Monsters were everywhere.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then a loud, horrifying noise echoed through the forest as the monsters began charging at them.

“Stay together!”

The captain screamed.

Yasmin covered herself with her black cloud.

Cici put away her notebook and raised her spear.

The others gritted their teeth.

Qasim took a deep breath as he raised his spear.