Soon, everyone reached the edge of the forest. Noah looked at his group for a bit before saying, "Now, we need to move forward carefully. We were lucky yesterday that we managed to come back alive."

  The others nodded their heads firmly before slowly following him inside the forest.

  Everyone quickly faded into the dense forest. The faint chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves filled their surroundings, but an eerie sense of danger hung in the air.

  Sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above, casting weird shadows that played tricks on their eyes.

  Noah tightened his grip on the hilt of his longsword, glancing at the others. "Stay in formation. Victor at the front, Leah in the back for support. Daniel and I will handle mid-range. Emma, stay protected and ready to assist if needed."

  Victor nodded, raising his shield and leading the way cautiously. Leah grabbed her bow tightly and drew it to a comfortable point while scanning their surroundings.

  Daniel had his throwing knives ready, sharply observing the area, while Emma stuck close to the center, her hands trembling slightly but holding her position.

  After several minutes of careful trekking, a low growl broke the silence. Everyone froze, their eyes darting toward the sound.

  "There," Leah whispered, pointing at a patch of dense undergrowth ahead. The leaves rustled, and a beast slowly emerged—a massive feline creature with sleek, black fur and glowing yellow eyes.

  Its claws dug into the ground as it let out a guttural snarl, baring sharp fangs.

  "Another E-tier beast," Noah muttered, gripping his longsword tightly. "Same formation as before. Don't let it separate us."

  The beast crouched down, its muscles compressing like springs, ready to pounce.

  Without warning, it lunged at Victor with incredible speed. He braced himself, raising his shield just in time to absorb the impact. The force of the blow pushed him back a few steps, but he withstood this attack much easier compared to the wolf.

  "Now!" Victor yelled, shoving the beast back with his shield.

  Leah released an arrow with precise aim. The projectile struck the beast's side, causing it to growl in pain, but it did not retreat.

  Daniel seized the opportunity, hurling a knife that embedded itself in the beast's shoulder. "Take that, you oversized cat!"

  The beast's glowing eyes locked onto Daniel, and it leaped toward him with a vicious growl.

  Noah intercepted, slashing with his longsword. His blade grazed the creature's side, forcing it to redirect its attack and narrowly miss Daniel.

  "Emma, aim for its legs!" Noah shouted as he positioned himself between the beast and the group.

  Emma's hands trembled, but she quickly nocked an arrow and pulled back the string. She aimed at the beast's lower leg, releasing the arrow, which struck the beast a little above its leg. The creature roared in pain, stumbling slightly.

  "Good shot!" Leah encouraged, releasing another arrow that hit the beast in the side.

  Victor charged forward, using his shield to slam the creature's head before slashing with his sword. The beast staggered, and Noah saw his chance.

  "Daniel, hit it again!" Noah yelled.

  Daniel grinned, throwing another knife that pierced the beast's neck. Blood spurted from the wound, and the creature let out a guttural howl.

  "NOW!" Noah roared, gripping his sword with both hands. He lunged forward, slashing at the beast's exposed neck. His blade hit deep, severing vital arteries. The beast let out a final whimper before collapsing to the ground.

  The group stood there for a moment, panting heavily as the adrenaline coursed through their veins.

  As the beast died, it released the familiar azure-white mist, forming an orb that split into five uneven parts and was absorbed by the group.

  Noah felt the energy flow through his body, rejuvenating him and sharpening his senses. His grip on his sword tightened as he felt his strength and control improve further.

  "That… wasn't as bad as yesterday," Leah said, her breathing heavy. "We're getting better."

  "Yeah, but it still wasn't easy," Victor replied, inspecting his shield for any damage. "We can't afford to relax, or else even our equipment might break."

  Daniel retrieved his knives from the beast's body, smirking. "Hey, we're alive, and we got stronger. That's what matters."

  Emma knelt beside the beast, her hands shaking slightly as she touched its fur. "W-we're improving, but it's still so… intense."

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  Noah placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring nod. "You did great, Emma. That shot to its leg gave us the opening we needed."

  She nodded, a faint smile breaking through her nervous expression.

  "Alright," Noah said, standing up. "Let's dismember this beast first and take all its valuable parts."

  Noah unsheathed his longsword, ready to start the gruesome task. He glanced at the group, noting their varied reactions. Leah and Emma both had their faces scrunched up in clear disgust.

  "Do we really have to… cut it up?" Leah asked, her voice filled with reluctance as she eyed the beast's lifeless body.

  Emma took a step back, covering her nose. "I-I don't think I can handle this. The smell alone is enough to make me gag."

  Victor shook his head with a wry smile. "Honestly, I don't know the first thing about dismembering a beast. It's not like I ever had to do this back on Earth."

  Noah sighed, rubbing his temples. "Figures. Guess it's up to me and Daniel."

  Daniel grinned, playing with one of his knives in his hand. "I've got the tools for the job, and I'm not a pussy. Let's get to work."

  "HEY!" Leah and Emma both shot him a glare, which he conveniently ignored.

  "Right," Noah said, rolling up his sleeves. "You focus on the smaller, precise cuts—claws, teeth, and fur. I'll handle the larger parts like skinning and separating the meat."

  Daniel nodded, crouching beside the beast. "Got it. Let's do this quickly before the smell gets worse."

  As Noah and Daniel began their work, Leah and Emma stood at a safe distance, their faces pale. Victor stayed nearby, his shield and sword at the ready in case another beast decided to attack.

  Noah started with the beast's fur, using his longsword to make long, clean cuts along the beast's back. The hide was thick and resistant, but with his enhanced strength and sharp blade, he managed to peel it off in large sections.

  Meanwhile, Daniel worked with precision, expertly prying out the creature's claws and teeth. "These are in pretty good shape," he remarked, holding up a fang that glinted in the sunlight filtering through the trees. "Should fetch a decent trade or be useful for crafting later."

  "Good," Noah replied, grunting as he sliced through a particularly tough section of muscle. "We'll need these for crafting later. I heard you can use them for forging weapons."

  Leah tried to look away, but her curiosity got the better of her. "How do you even know how to do that? It's not like we ever had to dismember animals back on Earth."

  Noah shrugged, his focus never wavering from his work. "I don't know how to do it as well. But I remember watching the villagers do it, so I guess I picked it up from there. Either way, we have to do it, even if the work is not good or if it gets messy."

  Emma, still looking queasy, muttered, "Messy is an understatement…"

  After what felt like an eternity, they finished. The beast's fur, claws, teeth, and a portion of its meat were neatly packed into bags the group had carried from the village.

  The group decided to discard the rest of the carcass, which was too heavy and cumbersome to bring along.

  Noah stood, wiping the sweat from his brow. His hands were stained with blood, but his expression was calm. "Alright, we're done. Let's head out before other beasts get attracted due to the smell of this mess."

  Daniel slung the bag of claws and teeth over his shoulder, giving a satisfied nod. "Not bad for our first attempt. You're a natural, Noah."

  Leah and Emma hesitantly moved closer, careful to avoid stepping in any of the blood. "Thanks for handling that," Leah said, her voice still tinged with disgust. "I don't think I could've done it."

  Noah looked at her in amusement for a bit before shaking his head. "No problem. We all have our roles. Let's move."

  The group chatted for a short bit before quickly gathering their belongings and moving deeper into the forest.

  The air grew cooler, and the shadows cast by the dense canopy above seemed to stretch endlessly. Every rustle of leaves and crack of twigs set them on edge, their hands gripping their weapons tightly.

  "We need to be careful," Victor warned with a heavy voice, his shield raised as he led the way. "The more we venture in, the higher the chances of running into a higher-grade beast."

  Leah nodded, her bow ready. "I'll keep an eye on the rear. Let me know if anyone spots movement."

  Noah moved beside Victor, his longsword resting against his shoulder. "Let's stay focused. Two more beasts, and we can head deeper to check it."

  The group continued cautiously for several minutes, the silence broken only by the occasional broken twig beneath their feet. Suddenly, Emma's voice came in a hushed whisper. "T-There's s-something ahead. Movement in the bushes."

  Everyone froze, their eyes locking on the patch of dense bush Emma had noticed. A moment later, a creature emerged—a hulking boar-like beast with tusks the size of daggers.

  Its hide was covered in coarse, bristle-like fur, and its eyes glowed faintly red.

  "That's an E-tier beast, all right," Noah muttered while exhaling a sigh of relief, gripping his sword tightly. "Formation! Same as before."

  The boar snorted, pawing the ground as it prepared to charge. Without warning, it rushed toward Victor with surprising agility.

  Victor braced himself, planting his shield firmly into the ground just before the boar struck.

  BOOM!

  The impact was deafening, the force nearly knocking him off his feet. "It's stronger than it looks!" he shouted, gritting his teeth.

  Leah fired an arrow, aiming for the boar's side. The arrow struck, but it barely seemed to faze the beast. Daniel followed up with a knife, which embedded itself in the creature's neck. The boar let out an enraged squeal, turning its attention to Daniel.

  "Fucking hell!! Do these beasts love me or what," Daniel shouted, dodging to the side as the boar charged at him. "A little help?"

  Noah took the opportunity to attack, slashing at the boar's hind leg. The blade cut deep, causing the beast to stumble and lose its balance. "Emma, now! Go for the other leg!"

  Emma trembled, but her gaze, filled with determination, nocked an arrow and released it. Her shot hit precisely, striking the boar's other hind leg.

  The creature roared in pain, collapsing to its knees due to the double attack, despite Emma's shot not causing much damage.

  Victor stepped forward, with his shield raised, and delivered a heavy blow to the boar's head with his sword. The beast's movements grew sluggish, its strength fading.

  "Finish it off!" Victor yelled.

  Noah didn't hesitate. He swung his longsword in a wide arc, the blade biting deep into the boar's neck. With a final, guttural squeal, the beast collapsed, lifeless.

  The familiar azure-white mist rose from the beast, forming into an orb that split unevenly among the group. Each member felt the surge of energy course through their bodies, their fatigue melting away as their entire physique grew stronger.

  "Two down," Leah said, panting heavily. "We're doing better."

  "Yeah, but we're not done yet," Noah replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Let's take what we can from this one and move on."

  Once again, Noah and Daniel got to work, dismembering the beast with much more efficiency. They collected its tusks, hide, and a portion of the meat, packing everything into their bags.