When Aryan opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place. As he looked around, a wave of confusion and disbelief washed over him. His shock was understandable — he was in the middle of a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees and the sounds of wild nature. Just as he was trying to make sense of how he had ended up there, a familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
**"Aryan, it's me,"** the voice said.
Startled, Aryan instinctively responded in his thoughts, **"Teacher… is that you?"**
He looked around in all directions, but saw no one. All he could hear was the voice of his mentor, and he had no idea where it was coming from.
Sensing Aryan's confusion, Vaibhav Srivastava, his teacher, replied, **"Don't overthink it. I've teleported you into a forest — one that separates the nation of Rudrapur from the rest of the world. This jungle spans over 15,000 kilometers in area, and right now, you are standing at its very heart."**
**"I sent you here for one purpose — training,"** he continued. **"And remember this: if you grow stronger, you'll be sent to even more dangerous places than this. Consider this just the beginning."**
**"Let me tell you a bit about this forest. It is home to beasts as strong as those at the peak of the Martial Spirit Gathering Level 9. The human cultivators who roam here are also at the very peak of that stage. You, Aryan, are currently at the peak of Martial Spirit Gathering Level 3, and it's time you began evolving — physically and mentally."**
**"I have a special technique prepared for you, one that will tremendously strengthen your body. But there's a condition — you'll only receive this technique if you manage to escape this forest and return to the academy within 10 days. That's all the time you've got."**
**"I hope to see you back in my classroom after 10 days. I've been watching you secretly — yes, I've seen all the techniques you've mastered, and they are truly impressive. Based on your current skills, I believe you can even defeat experts at the early stages of Level 8. But you're still lacking something critical — experience."**
**"Even though your raw strength might match someone in the mid-stages of Level 7, your lack of combat experience means you wouldn't even be able to defeat someone at the initial stage of Level 7 in a real fight. That's why you must develop your fighting instincts, adapt quickly, and continue to push forward."**
**"And don't worry about injuries or fatigue. I've given you some pills — they might be Grade-1 in classification, but their purity is 100%, and I guarantee they contain no poison. You can consume as many of them as you need."**
**"That's all I have to say for now. I hope you won't let me down. The next time we meet, I want you to be strong enough that with only Level 3 power, you'll be able to defeat a Level 8 warrior at the initial stage."**
With that, Vaibhav Srivastava's voice faded away, leaving only silence in Aryan's mind.
Aryan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His teacher had sent him to such a dangerous place without even asking for his consent. But what could he do now? There was no going back. So, without wasting any more time, he chose a direction and began walking.
He moved forward slowly, cautiously, yet with an odd sense of calm. He wasn't particularly worried that someone might ambush him from behind. In his mind, he believed that even if a peak-level Martial Spirit Gathering Level 9 expert tried to sneak up on him, he would still be able to sense the threat in time and react accordingly.
With that belief, Aryan continued his journey through the vast forest, unaware that very soon, he would be facing a deadly creature — one that would test his strength, his instincts, and everything he had trained for so far.
As Aryan continued walking through the forest, a sudden growl echoed behind him. Startled, he turned around to see what kind of beast had just roared at him — and what he saw left him stunned.
Standing just a few meters away was a terrifying creature that closely resembled a lion, though far more monstrous in appearance. Its height was nearly two meters, and its body stretched over three meters long. It had two sharp fangs protruding from its mouth, which gave it an even more ferocious and fearsome look.
Aryan instinctively swallowed his saliva. In the beast's eyes, he could clearly see a killing intent — cold and murderous. The lion-like beast slowly began advancing toward him. Aryan quickly tried to sense its cultivation level, but surprisingly, he couldn't determine it.
From what he could guess, the beast had to be stronger than Martial Spirit Gathering Level 5. Aryan silently prayed that it wasn't above the peak of Level 7, because if it was, then he wouldn't stand a chance.
The beast came closer and, with a powerful leap, lunged straight at Aryan. It raised one of its massive paws like a deadly weapon, clearly aiming to rip Aryan's head clean off his shoulders. Aryan's eyes sharpened. Just in time, he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
In that split second, Aryan's mind accessed key information about the beast:
**"Blood-Horned Lion — Cultivation Level: Martial Spirit Gathering, Peak of Level 6. Weakness: Minor internal damage under its belly."**
Seeing this information brought a faint smile to Aryan's face. He now felt more confident. With his current strength at the peak of Level 3, he was sure he could defeat this beast — but instead of using his full strength, Aryan made a different choice.
He deliberately suppressed his power down to the peak of Martial Spirit Gathering Level 2. He wanted to test himself. Could he defeat a stronger beast using only the strength of Level 2? That question burned in his mind, and this fight would be the answer.
Though the lion was intelligent to a limited degree, it was still a wild beast. Its instinct was simple — kill and eat. Seeing Aryan standing before it again, the beast roared furiously and charged once more.
Aryan had narrowly avoided the last strike, and this time, the lion was angrier. It combined its terrifying speed with brute strength and lunged again — jaws wide open, aiming to crush Aryan's head between its fangs.
But Aryan was ready.
He drew back his fist and, using all the power of his suppressed Level 2 strength, launched a powerful punch. His fist struck the lion squarely in the face, sending the beast flying through the air. It crashed through several trees and landed roughly ten meters away.
Aryan was shocked at his own strength, but his relief didn't last long. The beast recovered mid-air, twisted its body, and landed on its feet, launching another immediate attack. This time, the lion was faster — and smarter.
Before Aryan could strike again, the beast's claw swiped across his cheek. The blow sent Aryan flying like a broken kite. He crashed through trees, splintering them apart, and finally hit the ground hard enough to create a crater.
His chest heaved with shallow breaths, and pain seared through his body. He hadn't expected the lion to be so cunning or swift.
Anger surged through Aryan. His teacher's words rang in his ears:
**"Your combat ability is weak. Refine it."**
Now he understood what his mentor meant.
Grimacing, Aryan stood up despite his bleeding chest and what felt like broken ribs. He quickly took out a small bottle, pulled out a pill, and swallowed it. Almost instantly, the pill's healing properties surged through him — his wounds closed, and his bones snapped back into place.
He was astonished by the effectiveness. His teacher had told him these were only Grade-1 pills, but he hadn't expected such miraculous results.
Aryan didn't dwell on the thought. He heard the lion roar again and realized it was time to end this. He began walking toward it, eyes focused, spirit steady. This time, he wasn't just defending — he was going to kill.
The lion noticed Aryan approaching and grew more furious. It let out thunderous roars and prepared another attack. As Aryan drew closer, the lion lunged again — its claws aiming directly at his chest.
Despite bracing himself, Aryan wasn't fully prepared, and once again, he was thrown backward. The impact left him dazed, and blood dripped from his chest. But he rose again.
No more mercy.
Aryan sprinted forward and, with blazing eyes, delivered a powerful punch to the lion's face. The beast flew back again, crashing into trees and falling hard.
But Aryan didn't stop.
Before the lion could rise again, Aryan charged and struck it repeatedly, his fists hammering into the beast with unrelenting force. Though the lion's body was now bloodied and broken, it still looked terrifying.
Furious, Aryan drew the sword strapped to his back. With one swift, decisive strike, he slashed across the lion's neck — and the battle ended in a single blow. The lion was dead.
Aryan stood there for a moment, catching his breath. A deep sigh of relief escaped his lips.
Then, casually, he grabbed the beast's severed head. He looked at it, grinned slightly, and thought aloud,
**"Should I eat this if I get hungry later?"**
With that bizarre thought lingering in his mind, Aryan began walking again, the lion's head in his hand. He walked for nearly an hour, pressing deeper into the vast forest.
Eventually, he reached a clearing. Just as he was about to continue, a sudden sound reached his ears — a soft chuckle, distant but distinct.
Startled, Aryan looked around.
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**Author's Note:**
Friends, today's update ends here. I could only write one chapter since I had a 12-hour shift at my company this Sunday. I hope you'll forgive me for not posting a second chapter. Thank you for your patience and support.