When they emerged on the opposite side, Derek found himself standing before an enormous forest that stretched endlessly to both sides — so vast that his eyes couldn't even trace where it ended.

"That's… that's huge," Derek said, his voice filled with awe.

"Of course it is," Eva replied with a playful chuckle. For once, she felt like a proper guide, enjoying the sense of superiority that came from being more familiar with the area.

"Want to give it a try?" she asked, a polite smile tugging at her lips.

"Why not," Derek said after glancing around to take in the surroundings.

"Alright then, let's go." With that, Eva reached for her specter hanging at her waist and drew it with a graceful motion.

"Yeah, let's go," Derek agreed, readying himself to explore the new terrain.

But then Eva paused and looked at him in confusion. "Wait — where's your sword? Aren't you going to bring it out?"

"Huh? Oh, no," Derek replied casually. "Yesterday I met with the House Master. He told me not to use my sword for the time being. I hope you can keep that a secret for now."

"Sure thing. My lips are sealed," Eva said, pressing her thumb and index finger together and sliding them across her lips as though locking them shut.

"Thanks," Derek said with a light chuckle.

With that, they began walking deeper into the forest. The morning sunlight filtered gently through the canopy, slipping between the leaves and branches, scattering golden patterns across the mossy ground.

Now and then, the cheerful chirping of birds could be heard — occasionally interrupted by distant howls that hinted at unseen predators lurking far away.

"What kind of magic beasts are we likely to face at the start?" Derek asked, walking beside Eva while scanning the surroundings.

"Umm… the ones near the entrance are usually weak," Eva replied. "Things like giant rats or oversized squirrels."

"Oh. That sounds pretty weak," Derek said. "I've only seen a few before, but they were much stronger."

Eva's eyes widened. "Wait — you've seen magic beasts up close? And strong ones? Where? You're just a kid! Children aren't even allowed anywhere near dangerous forests."

"Oh… umm…" Derek faltered, realizing his slip-up. 'Damn, sometimes I act so stupid,' he cursed inwardly. 'All the magic beasts I saw were from my past life. How the hell am I supposed to explain that?!'

After a moment's thought, he quickly came up with a story to cover himself. "Actually, I only saw them from afar when we were passing through a forest once. My father had to deal with one."

"Oh! That must've been dangerous," Eva said, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What kind of beast was it?"

"If I remember correctly, it was a serpent," Derek replied.

"R.... really? A serpent?! That's a strong one! What rank was your father?"

"He used to be an A-Class fighter," Derek said.

"Wow, A-Class! That's incredible. No wonder you're so strong. You probably learned a lot from him," Eva said with genuine admiration.

"Yeah… I think so too," Derek murmured softly. But as he walked, a flicker of sadness passed through his eyes at the thought of his father.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes to their right. Both Derek and Eva turned sharply toward the noise...

But before they could react, two massive squirrels leapt at them from behind.

These were nothing like ordinary squirrels. Each stood nearly a meter tall, with blood-red eyes that gleamed with hostility. Their hands didn't end in paws but in long, black, scythe-like claws that glinted menacingly in the light.

Both beasts slashed simultaneously — one at Derek, the other at Eva.

They noticed the attack at the very last moment and barely managed to dodge as the deadly claws whistled past their faces.

Eva jumped backward, quickly raising her specter.

Two glowing magic circles appeared before her, and twin gusts of compressed air burst forth — spiraling into sharp, spearhead-like projectiles.

Though the two spiraling spearheads looked destructive, Eva's aim wasn't exactly perfect.

As a result, while one projectile struck true, impaling and killing one of the giant squirrels on the spot, the other missed miserably. The remaining beast didn't even bother dodging; it simply glared at her with blood-red eyes and lunged forward.

Eva quickly began preparing another spell, but the incantation required time, and before she could finish, the creature was already upon her — its black scythes slicing through the air.

But before the blow could land, a sudden blur cut across her vision. Derek's double-legged kick slammed into the squirrel's side with bone-shattering force, sending the beast hurtling into a nearby tree.

It crashed hard, and before it could even slide to the ground, Derek was already there. His fist drove clean through its torso, leaving a gaping hole.

He straightened slowly, pulling his arm back, azure blood dripping from his knuckles.

'Ugh… that's disgusting,' Eva thought, wrinkling her nose. 'This is exactly why, even though I don't hate cultivators, I can't help but find some of their methods a bit revolting.'

Still, she approached him and lifted her specter. A swift gust of wind swirled around Derek's arm, blowing away the blood that clung to his skin.

"Thanks," she said quietly. Though she disliked the brutality of his action, she wasn't ungrateful — he had just saved her life.

"It's nothing," Derek replied casually. "But I'm surprised they managed to ambush us like that. Is it normal for them to attack from behind?"

"Oh, it's not that unusual," Eva said, trying to sound calm. "They usually hide and wait for a chance to strike when we're distracted."

"I know that," Derek said, frowning slightly. "But the sound we heard earlier, it came from the opposite direction."

Eva blinked. "Oh… right. Maybe…" She paused, thinking for a moment before adding, "Maybe it was just a coincidence. Something else must've made that sound. I doubt those squirrels could make noise from one side and attack from another. They're not that fast."

"Hmmm… that does sound logical," Derek admitted. "Let's head deeper inside. I want to explore a bit more."

"Alright," Eva said with a nod, and the two of them continued their journey through the forest, the rustling leaves whispering softly around them.

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