Looking at Mistfeather, whose form had undergone a drastic metamorphosis, Pierce's eyes lit up instantly.

  He could clearly perceive that the moment Mistfeather's physique expanded, the number of Mist-Crows residing within its body diminished by over a hundred in a split second. Evidently, the new evolution of the Summon Crow Swarm ability allowed Mistfeather to reinforce its own physical attributes by devouring and fusing with its spectral clones.

  Caw—!

  The gigantified Mistfeather threw its head back and let out a piercing cry, flapping wings that blotted out the sun as it surged out of the cave. Its talons, curved like scythes, traced a black afterimage through the air, clamping onto a granite boulder over 1 meter high at the cave entrance with lightning speed.

  With a slight exertion of force from its claw tips, a crisp crack echoed, and the solid rock shattered instantly like tofu, reduced to a pile of dust on the ground.

  Pierce nodded in satisfaction.

  A single claw strike, infused with the power of a hundred crows, possessed destructive force surpassing that of a common Rank 1 Grand Knight. If it were to fuse with all 2000 Mist-Crows within its body, to what terrifying extent would this familiar's combat prowess swell?

  Mistfeather was clearly well-pleased with its new form as well, lowering its head to scrutinize the talons that gleamed with a metallic luster using its scarlet eyes. Only the Myriad Flower Fey wore an expression of utter despair. It is over. This accursed crow has become as terrifying as the Great Demon King; now, her grand plan for vengeance would likely be postponed indefinitely.

  Rising and stretching his limbs lazily, Pierce walked slowly out of the cave.

  In mid-air, Mistfeather deactivated its giant form, reverting to the petite and exquisite crow, and alighted back upon his shoulder. Its pair of distinct black and white eyes stared coldly at the dense forest ahead.

  A pitch-black butterfly, its wings adorned with fluorescent spots, fluttered out from the woods, hovering in the air 20 meters from the cave entrance.

  Seeking Butterfly.

  Pierce recognized this creature at a glance. It was an extremely specialized familiar—one that had completely abandoned combat capabilities, investing all its evolutionary points into tracking. Its sensory perception was comparable to certain Rank 3 Divination Spells.

  Sure enough, not long after the Seeking Butterfly appeared, five apprentices clad in gray robes emerged from the treeline. The leader was slender, his face handsome yet marred by a lingering, sinister gloom—it was Silas.

  Simultaneously, two other groups emerged from the flanking sides of the forest.

  On the left, a girl in a crimson robe, her features charming and her spirits high, toyed with a dangerous Sunstone in her hand. It was Gwendolyn. On the right, sporting short snow-white hair and an androgynous appearance with eyes as cold as ice, stood Ingram.

  The three acknowledged monsters of the first year had gathered before this nameless cave at this moment. The air instantly became as heavy as solidified mercury, suffocating in its density.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The three parties sized each other up, their expressions guarded. No one cast a glance at Pierce first. In their eyes, that lucky Bloodless was already meat on the chopping block; the true opponents were each other.

  After a long silence, Silas was the first to speak.

  "I am determined to claim the Myriad Flower Fey." His voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable pressure derived from his bloodline.

  Gwendolyn remained unmoved, smiling as she tossed the gem in her hand. "That is not for you to decide, Senior Silas."

  Ingram added indifferently, "Unfortunately, I am also very interested in this little thing."

  Silas's face darkened slightly, a trace of violence flashing in the depths of his eyes. "So, you are dead set on fighting me for it?"

  Gwendolyn sneered. "Is that not obvious? Do you think a few tough words will make me back down? Apologies, but your face carries no such weight here."

  Ingram spoke coldly, "Cut the chatter. Since everyone wants it, let us speak with strength. Whoever wins shall claim the Myriad Flower Fey."

  Silas's expression turned thoroughly grim at their taunts. He let out a heavy snort, then suddenly swept his sleeve.

  Splash!

  A sound akin to surging water abruptly rang out. Silas's sleeve bulged, and a mass of viscous, crimson liquid fell from it, writhing rapidly in the air 1 meter above the ground before finally forming a blurred humanoid outline.

  Woo woo...

  The bloody humanoid slowly opened its mouth, emitting a gloomy wail like a ghost in the dead of night. The surrounding temperature plummeted instantly, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood.

  Blood Fey!

  Gwendolyn and Ingram changed their expressions simultaneously, subconsciously taking half a step back and assuming defensive stances.

  Gwendolyn stared fixedly at the writhing blood, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. "Your family was actually willing to give you a Blood Fey as a familiar? It seems they have placed high hopes on you securing first place."

  Like the Myriad Flower Fey, the Blood Fey was also a rare species from the Ringwood Plane. But its fame—or rather, its notoriety—stemmed entirely from its terrifying lethality. This creature could manipulate blood. Once it touched any creature of flesh and blood, the blood within their body would be drained in an instant, turning them into a desiccated corpse. Even through armor, it could induce the target's blood flow to accelerate, eventually causing blood vessels to burst, resulting in death.

  Only high-level protective force fields or Mage Armor could barely contend with it. For the apprentice stage, this was simply an out-of-specification cheat code.

  Gwendolyn gritted her teeth, wanting to shout cheating. But a familiar was also part of one's strength, and Silas had not broken the rules.

  Silas enjoyed their expressions of facing a formidable enemy and sneered, "Now, do you still have the nerve to contend with me?"

  The scene fell into a dead silence.

  A moment later, Gwendolyn spoke in a deep voice. "Silas, you cannot swallow all the benefits alone. You may take the Myriad Flower Fey, but I want half of those 6000 points."

  Before Silas could respond, she quickly added, "Do not think you can be arrogant just because you wield a Blood Fey. At worst, Ingram and I will join forces to kick you out first. I do not believe we cannot defeat you!"

  Ingram immediately understood her intention, his Shadow Blade glowing faintly. "Agreed."

  Silas frowned instantly. In a one-on-one duel, he held absolute confidence, but if these two joined forces, even with the Blood Fey, the outcome would be uncertain. As for Clement and Waylon standing in the back, in a game of this level, they did not even qualify as cannon fodder.

  After his eyes flickered for a moment, Silas finally chose to compromise.

  "Fine. The Myriad Flower Fey is mine. You two divide the points among yourselves."

  Gwendolyn and Ingram exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. Although the value of the Myriad Flower Fey itself far exceeded the points, under the deterrence of the Blood Fey, taking a share of those 6000 points was an acceptable outcome. After all, that was a massive sum Pierce had scraped from Kymon and the others, enough to secure them a top spot on the leaderboard.

  In a few words, this group of geniuses decided the ownership of the loot as if dividing a cake.

  Only then did the three turn their heads and cast their gazes upon Pierce, who had been leaning against the cave entrance, silent from start to finish.

  Seeing the three finally looking over, Pierce stretched lazily, his tone as flat as if greeting a neighbor:

  "Done discussing?"