Jack shook off some burnt viscera and made a break for the barrier, following behind Mei and Sarhou, who slowed down enough for him to join them. Running across the plains, they could see several more of their fellow recruits get swallowed up, with only a few having some ability or item that let them escape. Drawing his sword, Jack lunged with an overhead swipe, intercepting the closing jaws of a smaller frog monster as it started to wrap around Mei's foot. She nodded to him in appreciation but became stoic once again as they cut through several more monsters, each of them taking a few respectively.

  Moving far faster than any Olympic runner and over a distance that would take days to cover, they were almost hopping through the woods as they came to another clearing over a small hill. A small number of those who had survived to this point were gathered there, some shaking while a few others frowned at something, going around the group, they found the source of their fear and anxiety. The frog monsters were larger than most normal creatures, but the one blocking the way was several times its size, its body covered not by dirt and grass but stone and a few trees.

  "The Stone-Mimic Devourer, a large creature fostered by our Peak of Beasts, is without equal of its kind, and it is the final obstacle to the barrier. Kill it and you shall be awarded entry."

  He took it that no one wondered what failure was, the idea already drilled into their heads with the deaths of so many. One by one, Jack could feel the others exerting their spirit out, enhancing their bodies as they drew their weapons. Following them, they started by circling the stationary creature, its large eyes moving to and from each of them. He didn't know who, maybe Sarhou, maybe someone else, but someone broke the tense silence as they started assaulting the giant frog, spurring others to join as well. Fueling himself with spirit, he started slashing the creature's hind leg, struggling to make proper cuts through the tough hide, seeing Sarhou attacking the back of the head and attempting to get the eyes, possibly to keep it distracted from the large needles Mei was throwing at it. But as convenient as it would have been, the monster did not sit still, shooting itself backward as it whipped out with its leg, hitting someone into a tree as it impacted against a mid-air Sarhou.

  Following it, Jack started infusing his sword with spirit, making it heat the air around it as sparks occasionally flew off. Running back up to its leg, he plunged the blade into where its thigh should meet its pelvis, feeling the satisfaction of his sword sinking into the creature, only to smell a mixture of its horrid stench and the burning flesh.

  "Brother Jack, lift me!"

  He had only a moment to consider what Sarhou meant, and thankfully, only a moment was needed. Cupping his hands, he boosted the monkey man into the air once more, loudly striking one of the eyes as it broke like stone. Pressing the advantage, Mei uncorked and threw in several mystery liquids, each of them absorbing into the creature's wound as the others used the same opportunity to use their skills. Seeing it start to panic, Jack noticed that it was gearing itself to jump back once again, only this time he could see several people in the way, at risk of being crushed by its considerable bulk.

  Deciding not to let more get hurt because of some crazy lady, Jack ran to them, yelling at them to move. But getting closer, he could see that a few of them were knocked unconscious, with the remaining number fighting off the smaller frog creatures. Jumping into their area, he pushed them to the ground as he held his sword with an inside guard, surging forward as he met the large monster as it was about to land on top of the idiots. Cutting through skin, muscle, and eventually bone, he burned through most of his spirit just trying not to fall over and get crushed, but thankfully, this interruption staggered it long enough for a girl wielding a spear to drive it into its head, causing it to slump on the ground.

  Clapping was heard as Fen the shitty guide flew down from the air, slowly clapping at their accomplishment.

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  "Well done, if rather slow. Still, all of you have completed the test, so each of you has now passed the culling and may take the trial beast as your prize. Congratulations."

  Cheers and cries of joy were heard all around the field as people celebrated with any of their friends who survived. Looking back, he bent down to help some of the people up, only to notice that the people he saved were Houdan's group. Frowning, he flipped some of their members up so as not to suffocate in the mud, addressing them with crossed arms.

  "Look, I didn't know it was his group I saved, but all of you owe me now. Stay away from my friends and me, and I'll consider that payment enough, capiche?"

  Those still conscious nodded fast and deep as they kowtowed to him, expressing their thanks and stuff.

  "Also, I'm taking this."

  Untying a dagger strapped to Houdan's side, he left the kneeled sycophants alone, rejoining his friends who were cutting into the hind area of the monster.

  "Should we be doing that?"

  Mei looked like he had just kicked her dog, before becoming a crazed smile.

  "A stupid question, of course we should, a hand-crafted demon such as this cannot be put to waste. Grab a knife and help him get the organs, I can smell the experiments already!"

  Simply nodding as he took out his knife, not the one he took, he helped Sarhou struggle to cut away the organs, all massive and rancid. Unfortunately, due to its sheer size and weight, they could only extract parts of the lower intestines and what Mei called the 'toxic growth sac', a black and yellow sack that stores a toxic mucus it produces over its life. Moving away from the carcass, they saw several groups arguing over the remainder of the organs they pulled out of the body, it might even come to blows from what they were seeing.

  Sigh, "It's a shame, though, such a specimen should have had a core. I doubt it would be a good one, but even poor-quality cores have their use."

  "Why not take a look then? It's not like we can't take a shower."

  Jack walked up to the body and held open the now-empty stomach, the wet meat feeling not at all making him squeamish, not even as he felt his breakfast rumbling in his stomach. Walking through the tight space, he poked and prodded the meat floor and also meat ceiling, questioning his spur-of-the-moment decision as he poked around for a magic rock. But as he was hearing the shouting of the other two get louder, he also started to feel the aura of a core. Cutting through what might have been part of the heart, he cut out a rough spherical gem, smaller than the ones they saw in the shop, and emanating a lower quality spirit.

  Stowing it in his ring, he saw another guy come in, dagger raised at him.

  "Y-You found the core?!"

  It was somewhere between a demand and a question, but either way, Jack had no intention of telling the truth. Holding up a chunk of heart material, he shook his head.

  "Not so far, only parts of the heart, I think."

  "T-That's, uh, not the heart."

  "What is it?"

  "Um, ah, the bladder."

  Hm, neat-o.

  Jack crawled out of the body to see the disgusted looks from the others, and the oddly positive reception of his friends. Sarhou slapped him on the back before regretting it, wiping his hand on the ground, and in a twist, Mei was also excited, just less about him and more about the bladder flesh he still had.

  "Excellent! I don't know what I can make from this, but the bladder is home to many foul things, thank you, Brother!"

  Huh, that was the first time she had called him that; he kind of liked it, to be honest.

  "Yes, now that you have had a taste of victory, all of you will pass through the barrier and head for the intake building. From there, you will be assigned to one of the four male or female living zones. After that, you will be given your quota. We have a great many jobs, and a great need for more hands, so I expect each of you to have a job by the end of the week."

  She waved her arm around, the almost invisible barrier parting, allowing them to pass through when they approached. As the three of them went through, Jack felt himself being blasted with water, falling to the ground as he was soaked head to toe. Looking up, he sees the smirking face of the guide as she holds out her hand, a stream of water coming from it.

  "Can't have filth dirtying my court."

  He was fairly certain there was a double meaning there, but he chose to just continue on. After some time of enhanced running and jump though, the three of them stood before a grand staircase leading straight up, a giant doorless gate stood proudly at the top.

  "We're here, we've made it."

  Mei and he couldn't help but agree, a swirl of emotion going through their faces, except for Jack. It might have been their dream, assuming they had a choice, but for Jack, it was simply the place he was being forced to go. He wouldn't take this from them, but he knew that he might not be as into it as they were. Still, he'd see what the future holds.