Chapter 56: Duskwood Trial Grounds (II)
The world twisted the moment Gray stepped through.
A rush of cold wind slammed into his face, carrying the scent of damp earth and wet stone.
His boots sank half an inch into soft mud, and when he opened his eyes fully, he found himself standing at the edge of a vast forest.
Dark trees clawed into the sky, their branches like jagged spears.
A faint mist clung to the ground, coiling between roots and rocks like restless snakes.
Somewhere deeper inside, a beast’s howl echoed, low and guttural, making the ground tremble faintly.
Behind him, the portal flared once more. Cassandra stepped through it calmly.
"Mhm..." She took in the scenery with a single sweep of her eyes before fixing them on Gray.
"So this is our battlefield."
Gray ignored her, scanning their surroundings.
High stone cliffs rose far in the distance, half-hidden by clouds, and a faint glow shimmered from their peaks, likely their destination.
But the forest in between stretched endlessly, full of shadows that seemed to move when one wasn’t looking.
[Not your average test...]
Jasmine muttered in his head.
[This place reeks of mana. And look at those claw marks on the trees... that’s no rabbit hiding here.]
Gray crouched, brushing his fingers along the muddy soil.
It was wet, but it didn’t seem like it was from rain.
However, the faint metallic scent that reached his nostrils confirmed his guess.
Blood.
Something—or a lot of things—had died here not long ago.
Crarrck...!
From the forest, another sound rolled out: the snapping of branches, followed by a chorus of shrieks.
"...Great." Gray straightened, dusting his hands.
"Looks like we’re being welcomed."
"Then let’s not keep them waiting." Cassandra tilted her head, smiling lightly, before waving her hand.
Swish!
A long, dark scythe appeared in her hand, leaking out a strange, dark, ominous aura.
Gray’s brows furrowed, but he said nothing. He simply rolled his shoulders, letting mana gather around his fists.
The beasts screeched and charged.
Cassandra moved first. A single fluid step forward, and her scythe traced an arc through the mist.
SHRRRK!
Three beasts were cleaved apart at once, their bodies folding in on themselves like shredded paper.
Cassandra twirled her weapon, spinning smoothly on her heel, and with the second swing, another pair dropped.
Gray darted in from the side, slamming a fist into the snout of one that slipped through her reach.
Crack!
Bone splintered beneath his strike, and the creature skidded across the mud.
But before he could finish it off, Cassandra’s scythe whistled past his shoulder and split it in two.
"...Tsk." He clicked his tongue and stepped back.
She didn’t even glance at him.
One beast darted low, aiming for her legs.
Cassandra simply jumped, knees folding gracefully as the scythe twirled above her head. Mid-air, she brought it crashing down.
Crack!
The ground split, and the creature was pinned in two beneath the weight of the strike.
Gray grit his teeth, punching forward as another beast closed in. His fist connected with its jaw, snapping the bone sideways with a sharp crack.
The monster staggered, but before he could finish it...
Slice!
Cassandra’s scythe cleaved it from shoulder to hip, stealing even Gray’s kill.
Her lips curved faintly, not even winded.
[She’s not even letting you breathe...]
Jasmine muttered dryly.
[Feels like she’s treating you as a bystander.]
’...Don’t need you to remind me.’
SCREEECHH!
Another swarm pushed through the mist, screeching louder. Cassandra didn’t hesitate.
She raised her scythe high, and shadows pooled at her feet.
SWOOSH!
She spun, dragging the weapon in a full circle.
A wave of black energy burst outward, sweeping through the horde like a blade of wind. Dozens collapsed in pieces, the mist itself scattering under the force.
The battlefield fell silent.
But just as quickly returned, broken only by the faint hiss of Cassandra’s weapon as the dark aura receded.
She lowered the scythe, resting it against her shoulder.
"That’s all?" she murmured, almost disappointed.
[...Why aren’t you using your strings though?]
Jasmine asked curiously.
Gray remained silent, looking at Cassandra’s weapon for a moment.
’I’m... measuring her battle power.’
[To see if you can kill her?
]’Yeah, and from what I’ve seen... nope. Only if she’s heavily injured, I’ll be able to do it.’ Gray frowned slighly...
’...Or maybe not...’
But just as he thought about that, Cassandra suddenly turned him, before pointing her scythe at his neck.
"You... why aren’t you using a proper weapon?" She raised an eyebrow, staring at him, "This forest should be the perfect playground for your strings, no?"
Gray honestly didn’t want to answer, but seeing the ominous dark scythe that was pointed at him...
...He didn’t exactly have a choice.
"...I was just measuring your power."
He answered directly as he didn’t have anything to hide. Yet, Cassandra didn’t seem surprised by his answer as she lowered her scythe.
"Just as I expected," she nodded proudly, "You should be the kind of guy who prefers using the brain instead of taking action directly."
Gray remained silent at her comment, as it was partially true.
Cassandra tilted her head slightly, her scythe still in hand. A faint grin crept across her face as she let out a small sigh.
"I thought you might be interesting," she said plainly.
"That’s the only reason I agreed to team up with you." She gave a slow shake of her head, the grin sharpening.
"But now? You’re just another disappointment. Nothing worth my time."
The words were meant to bite, but Gray’s expression didn’t change, as though her mockery didn’t touch him at all.
"Then let’s split ways," he said quietly, his lips curving into a light smile, almost casual, as if he had expected this from the beginning.
[...Why did you even lie to me about what you really wanted?]
Jasmine asked inside his head.
’Because it’s not worth telling you,’ Gray answered flatly.
Cassandra’s grin didn’t fade.
If anything, it deepened. Her eyes studied him for a long second before she lifted her chin slightly.
"No."
Gray frowned.
’This bitch...’
"Besides," Cassandra continued, her tone lazy, "even if you’re not as interesting as I hoped..." She stepped closer, closing the space between them.
Leaning down slightly, she tilted her head and studied his face up close: "At least you’re pleasant enough to look at."
Her faint smile was more taunt than a compliment.
A vein throbbed at Gray’s temple.
’Does she think that I’m some kind of trophy?’
His fingers twitched, the urge to lace invisible strings around her neck gnawing at him. He silently thought about slicing her into countless pieces in a single breath.
[Gray. Calm down.]
Jasmine’s voice rang sharply inside his head.
[Don’t take the bait.]
But he didn’t listen.
Before Cassandra could even step back, Gray moved.
His hand shot out, grabbing her by the collar, and he slammed her back against the nearest tree.
THUD!
The trunk shuddered, bark cracking under the force. The scythe wavered in her grip, its dark aura pulsing faintly as her back hit the rough surface.
Cassandra didn’t flinch. Her grin widened, teeth flashing faintly in the mist.
"Well, well..." she breathed, her voice low and amused, even with his hand digging into her collar.
"There it is. Some fire at last."
Gray’s eyes were hard, his other hand twitching slightly as thin, invisible threads shimmered faintly in the air around his fingers.
Jasmine’s voice snapped in his head again.
[GRAY, SHE’S STRONGER THAN YOU, STOP IT!]
But he only leaned closer, his breath cold against Cassandra’s face, his killing intent pressing heavy between them.
"Keep running your fucking mouth," he said in a low voice, "and in a few minutes, I will fucking carve you into ribbons before you even blink."
Threads shimmered faintly between his fingers, almost invisible in the mist, coiled and ready.
Cassandra only tilted her head, her grin refusing to falter.
"Oh?" she said softly, almost amused.
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
Her voice was calm, smooth, like she was enjoying every second of it.
Jasmine hissed in his head.
[GRAY! She can kill you in an instant—don’t push it!]
Gray’s jaw clenched, his temple throbbing.
For a long, tense moment, he held her there, his killing intent hanging heavy in the air.
"Haah...!"
But then, with a sharp exhale, he released her and stepped back.
Cassandra’s boots scraped against the dirt as she straightened her collar. She didn’t look angry, not even slightly rattled.
Instead, she let out a low chuckle.
"Mm. And here I thought you had some bite." Her grin widened. "Turns out you’re just a dog that growls and then pulls away."
Snap.
Another vein popped on Gray’s forehead.
His hand moved before he could think.
Shhhk—!
Threads exploded outward in all directions, cutting through the mist like a storm of blades.
Bark split, branches fell, and the air filled with the hiss of threads slicing everything around her.
"I told you," Gray’s voice was sharp, his teeth clenched, "mock me again and I’ll make sure there’s nothing left of you to smile with."
Cassandra didn’t move.
She stood still, her scythe loosely at her side, while thin cuts appeared on the tree bark behind her.
Threads coiled inches from her skin, but not a single one touched her.
When the air settled, she finally looked at him, eyes half-lidded, her grin curling higher.
"Better," she murmured.
"At least now you look a little less boring."
Finally, Gray decided to ignore her, as if he were in his own world. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.
But then, his eyes widened slighly as he saw a panel flickering in front of him.
[The title "Exiled Noble" is in effect. Cassandra’s favorability has risen.]
He glanced at Cassandra in surprise.
’...Is she also some kind of fallen noble?’