Chapter: Cleaning up behind

"Did you find any of the White Vein Spirit Grass?" Rugrat asked.

Erik could only shake his head.

"I think the greedy bastard might have it in its gut," Erik pointed to a location on the ground. There was a hole there as if one of the snakes had eaten the ground.

"Mmm, dirt with a side of plant," Rugrat said.

"We'll split up, I'll hit it from behind first, draw its attention and get it all riled up, then you shoot from cover, get our stealth attacks in. Then we just keep on shooting them till they drop," Erik said.

"You really wanted that White Vein Grass huh?" Rugrat asked.

Erik didn't waste his energy in reply and started stealthing away.

Rugrat snorted and went his way.

Erik moved till he was behind the snake.

He settled down into a good position, taking his time to aim properly.

He waited a bit longer just incase Rugrat needed more time to set up.

Finally he lowered his eyes and looked through his sights.

He pulled the trigger, the round hit the back of the snake's poison head, making it rock forward, nearly losing its balance as it was startled by the attack.

The poison head was dazed as the flammable head reared up.

Erik fired into the snake's back, making it turn.

Rugrat fired, his round entering a space under the snake's jaw and exit its head.

The snake let out a pained whistling noise as the poison head spat out in Erik's direction, getting the ground and the trees around him but not him himself as he was deeper in the forest making it harder to see him.

The poison head now fully pointed in his direction, it was too easy.

Erik continued to pull his trigger again and again, the poison snake's head backing up as the rounds struck.

The head dropped forwards as Rugrat's fourth round landed, killing the Flammable head.

The snake dropped forward, a tombstone appeared above it.

Erik moved away from the still dying vegetation in front of him, his storage ring on his trigger finger had been collecting the brass cartridges as they were ejected, leaving nothing behind.

Rugrat didn't have such a problem, he ran out, tapping on the tombstone marker and then on the air in front of him.

The snake's body started to disintegrate, including the lightning head.

Erik felt a heavy flow of power rush into his body before it built up and broke through a barrier within his body.

Erik didn't focus on this breakthrough much as he looked around the ground, looking for the White Vein Spirit Grass.

"Yeah the grass is in its gut but it didn't digest it so it's half harvested," Rugrat said.

"Let's get moving," Erik said, feeling a bit relieved, they only needed to find five of Tommins ingredients but Erik wanted to see what kind of rewards he would get for gathering them all.

***

"Huh?" The large swordsman said as he looked at a screen in front of him.

Bai Hui who was leading the group to temper them in real battles looked over in question.

Xuyang Jaim was the one to answer her look.

"We just got experience for aiding in the death of the Three headed Forest King Snake."

She pursed her lips and looked at the rest of the party, based on their condition they wouldn't be good in a fight.

She had sensed two people watching their fight, but their auras hadn't been as powerful as the students she was protecting.

She wasn't afraid of fighting them and had looked right at them to warn them off.

Hearing that they must have killed the three headed Forest King Snake she was in a bit of shock.

"It looks like their combat power is much greater than their normal strength," Bai Hui mused.

"Who?" Xuyang asked.

"It is no matter, at least we have gained something in this fight. Let us hurry to meet up with the rest of the sect. You should all know your faults," her eyes moved over the party in front of her.

The cocky attitude they'd had upon entering the Beast Mountain Range had dimmed greatly.

It might only be the first realm but the Beast Mountain had claimed many young fighters that didn't truly respect the danger of this monster filled area.

They hung their heads, gripping their weapons or looking at the new uniforms they'd needed to put on as their old ones had been torn apart.

Seeing that look in their eyes she waved for them to follow and started to move deeper into beast mountain, there were be more opportunities for them to fight before they met up with the older generation of their sects.

***

"Elder Oui, it has been a long time!" A large man said in a happy tone, a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"Elder Maurez it has been a long time, I didn't know that you would be joining as a supervising elder at this Beast Mountain competition," Elder Oui, a skinny looking man said, squinting as he forced a smile.

"So many old acquaintances, it should be good to see what the younger generation will do seeing you are all gathered here," a dominating pressure passed over everyone there as a man walked out of the forest onto the stage that appeared in the middle of the Beast Mountain Forest.

He had a gloating smile on his face as he looked over everyone.

"Elder Rei, it seems that you have broken through into the nineteenth level," Elder Maurez said, gritting his teeth and bowing his head slightly to the other elder as he forced a smile.

"It is but a small matter, I was able to find a few lucky opponents in the Northern reaches," Rei said, his eyes cutting over to Elder Oui.

Elder Oui's eyes thinned.

"Interesting, there were a few of our Elders that went there to visit some old friends, but it seems that they have gone missing, does Elder Rei know anything about this?"

"Seeing old friends, is it? Well, I hope that they were able to find them and have a good rest," Elder Rei laughed.

Elder Oui's eyes only thinned more, sensing the hidden meaning in Elder Rei's words.

After all they were sent in search of a powerful mana concentration, they had hoped to return with a medicinal ingredient or natural treasure, but they had never returned.

Elder Rei admitted to being in the area and his power had risen greatly.

There was no evidence that anything had happened so Elder Oui could only let out a cold harrumph as more elders from the different sects and factions of the second realm that had become a part of the Beast Mountain Trial emerged.

These Elders ranged from level seventeen to nineteen, they were some of the strongest people in their sects, sent here to watch over the trial.

Only new disciples that were under level fifteen were able to compete in the Beast Mountain Trial. First they would need to reach this stage by fighting or sneaking past the beasts.

Once they reached this stage then the elders would work together to open the path into the heart of the Beast Mountain.

Hidden in the depths of Beast Mountain, there was actually a Dungeon. A dungeon was a place hidden away from others, either built by the Ten Realms, or formed by people in the Ten Realms. These places could have great danger, but they could also hold great treasures.

The Dungeon in the beast mountain was too hard for people in the first realm to enter, it was only the people in the seconds realm who had the power and resources to open and compete in the Beast Mountain Trial.

It was rumored that the Beast Mountain Trial was built on a mana vein and that the person that defeated the Beast Mountain Trial would take control of the Dungeon and the mana vein underneath.

Of course this was just a rumor, but if someone was able to take control of the dungeon, then not only would that person, but the entire sect behind them, would increase in strength.

The Dungeon gave birth to many powerful beasts, resources and manuals. It could be opened whenever, but required a number of resources to do so.

"How many people do you think will make it to the third layer or higher?" Elder Oui asked a group of Elders he had found, as one of the three most powerful Elders in the gathering, many of them were willing to meet and talk with him. Becoming friends with him and the powerful Iron spear sect could allow them to increase the standing in their own sect and even bridge an alliance to benefit both parties.

"There are many powerful new youths, one only has to look at Elder Oui's apprentice niece Julia, with her powerful attainments with the Iron spear training manual and her strong body and ten mana gates, she is sure to pass into the fifth, no sixth level!" One spoke up.

Elder Oui smiled, after all who didn't like being praised?

"Niece Julia is wild in her ways, but she's done this old man proud."

"Does Elder Oui think that someone of the younger generation will make it into the eighth level?" Another elder asked.

The ninth and tenth level hadn't been touched up to this point. There had been various attempts to reach these levels but they were incredibly difficult to crack. This made it a great place for people to temper their skills and grow in power.