Chapter 177: Chapter 177: First Task: Forming Contract(Familiar)
In Seoul, Inside the traditional house, Seojun's mother, Seoyang, sat with Alex, Alexa, John and their trusted butler, John.
All of them were focused on the large global system screen before them, showing the live broadcast of the Beast Doctor Entrance Exam. The room was quiet, except for the soft murmurs of the world event playing on the screen.
"This is the second batch," Alex remarked, his arms crossed as he leaned back on the couch. "Looks like a lot more people got interested since the first batch."
Alexa nodded, her fingers playing with her hair absentmindedly. "Yeah, it was what, 200 participants in the first batch? And now there are 800." She sounded surprised, her eyes scanning the numbers flashing on the screen.
Seoyang, sitting on the edge of her seat, kept her gaze fixed on the screen where Seojun could be seen walking through the dense forest. Her heart tightened with worry.
"The exam this time seems so difficult," she said softly, her voice filled with concern.
John, their butler, stood calmly behind them, watching as well. "I think Seojun is strong enough to form a contract," he commented thoughtfully.
"But it's true that not everyone has the mana needed to form a contract with a beast."
Alexa, ever the practical one, glanced up at John and shook her head. "It's not all about the mana, though," she added as she combed her long hair with her fingers. "In the first batch, some people were able to form a contract even with low mana. It's more about how well they connect with the beast."
Seoyang sighed, still staring at the screen. "I hope Seojun does well..."
In the Entrance exam, Seojun stood high in the tree, watching the forest around him. He felt calm but focused, taking in every detail. Suddenly, his system spoke up, its voice ringing in his mind:
[We are live broadcast worldwide by using this host.]
Seojun raised an eyebrow and glanced at the floating eye with wings hovering beside him.
"Hmm," he muttered, now aware that the whole world was watching through his perspective.
As he looked down from the tree, he noticed a few other participants walking below, unaware of his presence.
His system spoke again, sounding more serious this time,
[Host, I have discovered something.]
"What is it?" Seojun asked, still scanning the area below.
[It looks like the ore to merge with your sword is here in this forest.]
Seojun's eyes lit up with interest. "So, my favorite weapon's ore is here?" He smiled, feeling a surge of excitement. "That only means I'll be able to use it again..."
[Yes, host. And to add to that, the special reward crystal from this exam will help ensure a 100% merge of the ore with your sword.]
Seojun's heart raced a little faster. The thought of finally reuniting with his favorite weapon gave him a rush of excitement. Without hesitation, he jumped down from the tree, landing softly on the forest floor.
"Let's find it now," Seojun said, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Seojun walked through the forest. Suddenly, he felt something soft beneath his foot. He stopped and looked down to see a small, blue slime squishing under his boot. The slime stared up at him, and for a moment, Seojun and the slime just looked at each other.
Then the slime bounced right past him, disappearing into the bushes. Seojun watching it go, but didn't give it much more thought. He continued walking, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
After a few minutes, he heard voices up ahead. Curiosity piqued, Seojun approached quietly and saw a group of four people surrounding a massive tiger.
The beast was unlike any normal tiger; it was at least twice the size, with thick, striped fur that seemed to shimmer in the light. Its piercing yellow eyes glowed with intensity, and its sharp claws dug into the ground as it growled low, warning the group to stay back.
The four people were tense, each one trying to get closer to the tiger, but the beast was having none of it. One man, holding a long spear, cautiously stepped forward.
"We need to corner it!" he shouted to his team. But as soon as he got too close, the tiger swiped its massive paw at him, forcing him to jump back just in time.
A woman with a bow aimed an arrow at the tiger, her hands shaking slightly. "I don't think this is going to work, Let's find another one!" she called out nervously, her eyes never leaving the beast. She loosed an arrow, but the tiger dodged with ease, its movements graceful despite its size.
Another man, who seemed to have some sort of magical ability, created a glowing barrier around the group.
"We can't let it escape! If we can just trap it, we might have a chance!" His voice was strained, clearly struggling to keep the barrier strong as the tiger growled louder, testing the barrier with its claws.
The fourth person, a woman with a whip, snapped her weapon at the tiger's feet, trying to distract it.
"If we can just get a rope around its neck, we can subdue it!" But every time she got close, the tiger's quick reflexes made her miss.
The group finally managed to subdue the tiger after a long struggle. The man with the spear thrust it into the ground near the tiger's front paw, pinning it in place, while the woman with the whip looped it around the tiger's neck. The tiger roared angrily but couldn't move, its body finally restrained.
Just as the group began to relax, a sudden burst of electricity shot through the tiger's body. Blue sparks crackled all over its fur, and in an instant, the group was thrown back by the force of the shock. Each person flew through the air, landing hard on the ground several feet away.
"Ahhh!" one of the men shouted as he scrambled to his feet, wide-eyed with panic. "This is impossible! Why did I join this exam?!"
The others started running, clearly shaken by what had just happened. One of them yelled,
"Right! This is too much! Just catching a beast is hard enough, how the hell are we supposed to pass this exam?!"
The woman who had been using the whip was almost in tears as she sprinted away. "Ahhh! I wanna go home!" she cried, her voice filled with frustration.
Seojun watched them as they panicked, fled and they slipped on the forest floor, rolling down a small hill before disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, the tiger, now fully charged with electricity, stood tall. Its fur crackled with energy, and it let out a deafening roar that echoed through the forest, making the trees tremble.
[Host, they made a critical mistake.They underestimated the tiger's ability. It's not just a regular beast—it has an elemental affinity for electricity. They tried to restrain it without neutralizing its power. That's why the shockwave happened.]
Seojun nodded thoughtfully, watching the electrified tiger continue to roar. "They didn't understand the beast's nature."
[Exactly, host. To succeed in this exam, they need more than just strength—they need to understand the creatures you're dealing with.]
"It's observe, Plan and Act. They don't study enough before this exam."