The following morning broke with the pale light of dawn filtering through the canopy.

  Flora, barely awake and still groggy, clung to Pierce, pestering him for nectar. Pierce did not refuse; with a faint smile, he selected three rare botanical specimens, extracted their essence into a cup, and handed it to her.

  Half an hour later, having digested her meal, Flora attempted to sneak back to her rest, only to be intercepted by Pierce, who placed her firmly before an empty crystal goblet.

  "Time to work."

  Flora looked entirely unwilling. The process of synthesizing the nectar drained her core vitality, a sensation that was far from pleasant.

  However, glancing at the impassive face of the Great Demon King, she feared he might cut off her supply of sweet nectar if she disobeyed. After a moment of internal struggle, she compromised.

  Moments later, a cup of fresh, iridescent Ten-Thousand Flower Nectar was placed before him.

  Having experienced this once before, Pierce had long since overcome his psychological hesitation. His expression unchanging, he lifted the cup and drained it in a single draught, then sat cross-legged to quietly digest the surge of energy.

  When he opened his eyes again, his Spirit attribute had climbed to 48.01.

  "An increase of 1.13 Spirit. It seems resistance to the potency is building, but I should be able to consume it two more times."

  Even if the remaining two doses only provided 1 point of Spirit each, it would be sufficient. After all, his daily meditation alone now yielded an increase of approximately 0.3 points.

  At most 3 days. He would definitely ascend to become a Rank 3 Wizard Apprentice.

  At this thought, a smile of absolute control touched Pierce's lips.

  Gienna, stepping out of her tent, looked up to see Pierce smiling. She could not help but mutter inwardly.

  At a time like this, how could Pierce still smile?

  Currently, there were at least 1,000 apprentices on this island scouring every inch of the terrain for his whereabouts.

  After all, that was a bounty of 5,000 points!

  Securing that sum would not only guarantee passing the trial but would easily propel one into the top 30.

  There were likely few apprentices who could withstand such a temptation.

  Truth be told, were they not both members of the Astra Society, and had she not known deep down that she was absolutely no match for Pierce, evenValeria might have struggled to suppress the urge to strike.

  Shaking her head secretly,Valeria walked toward Pierce, intending to bid farewell and leave this dangerous vortex.

  But before she could speak, a piercing screech shattered the morning silence.

  Caw!

  A Mist Raven burst from the distant woods, circling anxiously above the campsite. Perched on Pierce's shoulder, his own raven gave a low cry, gently pecking at his cheek in warning.

  Pierce raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting to one of faint amusement.

  "They move quickly. They have found us already."

  Gienna froze for a few seconds before the realization hit her. She immediately turned her gaze toward the forest, her eyes filled with wariness.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Are they coming for you?"Valeria asked.

  Pierce nodded slightly.

  From the sensory feedback of the Mist Raven, the intruders were charging in a straight line toward the camp. Their speed was extreme, without a single pause for rest; their intent was clear and unmistakable.

  Soon, the forest floor trembled. Dull, rhythmic thuds echoed from the trees—Thump, Thump—shaking the timber and startling flocks of birds into the air, as if a prehistoric beast were rampaging through the undergrowth.

  Moments later, a colossal shadow leaped high from the treeline. It crashed onto the open ground with a deafening thud, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and debris.

  Pierce focused his gaze. It was a giant, crimson demonic frog, standing fully 4 to 5 meters in height.

  Goro—Goro—

  The giant frog's greyish-white belly swelled and contracted rhythmically. Its lantern-sized compound eyes stared dead at Pierce andValeria.

  "A Familiar..."Valeria's face paled.

  The presence of a Familiar implied that among the newcomers, there was at least one Rank 2 Wizard Apprentice.

  Goro-goro!

  The frog lowered its massive body, revealing three figures upon its back.

  Three apprentices clad in grey robes leaped down.

  To Pierce's mild surprise, one of them was Kymon, the very man who had sought to trouble him in the past.

  Upon seeing Pierce, Kymon's eyes lit up instantly, and he burst into raucous laughter. "Found you at last!"

  "It seems luck is on our side. We arrived before the others."

  The other two apprentices chuckled in low, sinister tones, eyeing Pierce as a hunter eyes a trapped beast.

  Facing their hostile gazes, Pierce remained tranquil.

  Gienna, however, was inwardly despairing.

  She recognized all three. Kymon aside, the other two were also Rank 2 apprentices. Even if Pierce possessed formidable strength, facing three Rank 2 opponents simultaneously would surely result in disaster.

  The situation had turned dire.

  As for Flora, the moment the giant frog appeared, she had terrifiedly burrowed into the folds of Pierce's hood, curling into a ball and playing dead.

  Perhaps Pierce's calm demeanor was too unnatural; Kymon and his companions gradually ceased their laughter, their eyes flickering with uncertainty.

  "Pierce, hand over the Flower Fairy, and I might consider letting you suffer a little less!" Kymon shouted in a deep voice.

  Pierce ignored him entirely. He turned his head toValeria. "You should go. I do not want you caught in the crossfire."

  Gienna knew she would be of no help if she stayed. After a brief hesitation, she nodded and turned to leave.

  Kymon paid no mind toValeria's departure. Conversely, Pierce's disregard and indifference ignited a fire of rage within him.

  "You are as arrogant as ever. Do you truly believe you can defeat the three of us alone?"

  Kymon gritted his teeth, glaring at Pierce.

  He had always remembered the humiliation Pierce had inflicted upon him, never forgetting his desire for revenge. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he intended to settle all debts.

  A red-haired apprentice beside him seemed aware of the grudge between Kymon and Pierce. He whispered with a grin, "Kymon, shall we hit him hard?"

  The other joined in with a sinister sneer. "As long as we do not kill him directly, it is not a violation of the rules. Crippling him should be fine."

  Kymon's eyes narrowed, and he nodded with a cold smile.

  Pierce had caused the death of his brother and humiliated him in public. This animosity could not be resolved merely by stealing the fairy.

  He wanted Pierce to die on this island!

  Of course, bound by the rules, he could not strike the killing blow openly. But he could inflict grievous injuries upon Pierce, then lure a pack of savages to finish the job. It was a perfect plan to put Pierce to death.

  At this thought, a surge of twisted excitement coursed through Kymon.

  Noticing the malice in the trio's eyes, Pierce deduced their intentions after a brief thought. A cold light flashed in his eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

  "Pierce, you—"

  Kymon began to speak, but Pierce had no interest in wasting further breath.

  A string of rapid, complex syllables flew from his lips. In the same motion, he raised his hand and fired an Acid Splash.

  With Pierce's current spiritual power, casting the modified Acid Splash required less than 1 second of preparation time.

  Combined with the element of surprise, by the time Kymon reacted, a basketball-sized orb of acid—hissing with corrosive fumes—was already upon him.

  In the nick of time, a ring on Kymon's right index finger flared with blinding light. Instantly, countless diamond-shaped crystals materialized from thin air, weaving together to form a semi-transparent shield before him, covering his body almost entirely.

  The next instant, the acid crashed into the crystalline shield.

  Sizzle—Sizzle—!

  The crystalline shield held for only a fraction of a second before the acid ate through it, melting a gaping hole in the center. The construct shattered into motes of light.

  "Impossible?!"

  Kymon's face twisted in horror.

  The magical shield he had deployed was capable of withstanding any instantaneous attack with an intensity below 10 degrees. Yet, it had been corroded into nothingness by simple acid?

  Did that not mean the intensity of Pierce's Acid Splash had reached 10 degrees?

  Even a Rank 3 Wizard Apprentice would struggle to achieve such potency!

  Shock filled Kymon's heart. Could it be that Pierce had already ascended to become a Rank 3 Wizard Apprentice?