Morning arrived way too fast.
Shunya groaned as he pulled the thin blanket over his head. "Just five more minutes..."
DING!
[Reminder: Final Stage of Cultivation Test – Hunt Begins in 30 minutes.]
"Ugh… I hate punctual systems."
He dragged himself out of bed in the tiny shared dorm room, dressed in the simple robe provided by the organization, and stumbled out with messy hair and eyes half-closed.
---
At the city gates, a group of examinees had already gathered. Everyone looked too awake for this time of day.
Vikoria waved. "Over here!"
Shunya waved back sleepily and almost walked into a post.
Jean Keyar stood at the front again, now wearing battle armor that looked unnecessarily cool. He clapped once.
"Listen up. This is the final part of your qualification: the forest hunt."
He pointed at the green expanse beyond the gate.
"Inside that forest are spiritual beasts ranked from Easy to Rare. Your goal is to defeat at least one Normal-rank beast. Not tamed. Not found. Defeated. Bring back a part of the beast: claw, fang, or horn, l as proof. Return alive."
A girl in the crowd raised her hand. "What if we get attacked by something higher than Normal?"
Jean smiled slightly. "Run fast."
The crowd laughed nervously. Shunya did not.
DING!
[Hunt Quest Activated]
[Objective: Defeat one (1) Normal-Rank Beast]
[Bonus Objective: Stay Alive]
[Reward: Cultivator License – Basic Rank]
Before heading in, Vikoria tugged on Shunya's sleeve. "Stay close to the river path. Weak beasts gather there."
He nodded. "What about you?"
She smiled faintly. "I am heading deeper. I need something tougher."
He hesitated. "Hey… thanks. For helping me so far."
She blinked, a little surprised. "You are welcome."
Then, without another word, she walked off into the trees like a quiet ghost in blue robes.
Shunya scratched his head. "Guess it's just me and the system now…"
---
The forest was oddly peaceful.
Birds chirped. Wind rustled the leaves. Sunlight filtered through the trees in golden strips. If Shunya didn't know better, he'd have thought he was just in a normal forest back home.
That feeling lasted maybe ten minutes.
Then a shadow passed over his head.
Shunya froze.
He slowly looked up.
"…Is that… a flying pig?"
It was indeed a pig. A fat, floating pig with tiny wings and glowing eyes.
DING!
[Beast Detected: Spirit Bacon – Rank: Normal]
[Warning: Aggressive. Known to charge without reason.]
The pig snorted. It hovered closer.
Shunya took one cautious step back. "Listen. I don't want to fight you. You look like you have dreams. Maybe a family. Or a bakery."
The pig screeched like a banshee and launched forward.
"AHHHHHH!"
He dove to the side, rolled in mud, and flung a rock.
It bounced harmlessly off the pig's head.
"Oh come on!"
[System Skill Unlocked: Panic Dodge Lv.2 – Cooldown Reduced]
[System Skill Activated: Sloppy Palm Strike Lv.1]
He slapped the pig as it flew past.
It spun midair.
He slapped it again. This time, it slammed into a tree.
"…Did I just combo a pig?"
It struggled to get up. Its eyes glowed red.
Then it flew straight at him, tusks out.
"Nope. No thank you!"
He ducked and activated Guard Stance. The pig hit his arms, bounced off, and landed belly-up.
Shunya stood there, panting, covered in leaves and regret.
Slowly, the pig stopped moving.
DING!
[Victory! Normal Beast Defeated: Spirit Bacon]
[You have received: Spirit Pig Tusk (1x)]
[New Skill: Improvised Reflex Lv.1]
[Health: 67% | Mood: ??? | Dignity: -20]
Shunya collapsed onto the grass.
He stared at the sky for a long moment.
Then said out loud: "I fought a flying pig today. That actually happened."
✦✦✦
Back at the city, Jean Keyar examined the tusk he dropped onto the table.
"Spirit Bacon," Jean said. "Not bad. They're fast."
"I think it had a grudge," Shunya muttered.
Jean chuckled. "Well, congratulations. You passed."
Shunya's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
Jean handed him a scroll sealed with golden ink.
"Official Cultivator License. You're now registered with the National Cultivation Government Organization, New Fornia Branch."
Shunya stared at the scroll in his hand. It was real. Official. Like passing a test in a dream that didn't feel like a dream anymore.
"I… I did it."
Jean gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Go get some rest, Rookie. Tomorrow, real work begins."
DING!
[Quest Complete: Cultivation Test Cleared]
[System Stability: 8%]
[New Title Unlocked: Clumsy Cultivator]
That night, Shunya sat again on the rooftop with Vikoria. This time, he was holding a bowl of spicy noodles. She had a sweet rice bun.
"You fought the pig?" she asked, amused.
"Don't remind me."
"…Did it squeal?"
"Loudly. My ears still hurt."
They laughed under the stars.
And for a moment, Shunya forgot he was trapped in some weird book world. For a moment, it just felt like life.
Not normal life.
But maybe a new kind.
---
[Next: Naomi Smith Enters – Trouble Comes in Sword Form]