Players who had no weapon and those who were aware of their low strength instinctively stepped back, and one of them pleaded while tearing up.

"P-Please! Sir Salak, don’t do this! Don’t send me to Nyxare."

Hearing the name of the Lost City, everyone’s, even Salak’s and Julian’s, expression darkened.

During the tutorial period, Players couldn’t actually die – however, those who were killed were put on a three-day cooldown, and once it ended, they were sent to Nyxare – a city entrapped in a forest full of monsters.

Alex’s fingers tightened around the arrowhead, and he thought,

I have to go there, but there would be no point in doing so before reaching level 1.

Upon reaching level 1, Players formed a mana pool or aura heart, which allowed them to use mana.

Salak looked at the pleading Player and stated coldly, "My hands are tied, Amin. I cannot allow talented Players to die protecting you lot."

Amin fell to his knees and begged for mercy, but Salak completely disregarded him.

Julian pointed at a spot near the dome’s wall and stated, "Those with less than 4 Combat Value move there."

Players who had less than 4 Combat Value looked at Salak and Julian in search of at least some shred of mercy, but all they saw were cold and amused eyes that ignored their very existence.

Reluctantly, they walked over to the gathering spot.

On the other hand, Alex had a dumbfounded look on his face.

According to the original plot, at this point, originally Alex’s Combat Value was still 1.1, but because of the S-Rank skills from the Evolution System, he was already at 4.1

It seems I need to think of another way to enter Nyxare. Alex thought, and a sharp voice interrupted him.

"Why are you just standing there, Cousin Alex?" Rayna muttered, her brows knitted together as if annoyed that he wasn’t growling in Salak’s or Julian’s feet.

Alex’s lips parted to answer her, but Salak cut him off.

"What’s going on?"

Rayna turned her head toward Salak and said while pointing at Alex, "That guy only has a Combat Value of 1.1."

Salak’s gaze shifted to Alex, and he asked in a threatening tone, "Is she telling the truth?"

Alex met his gaze and shook his head. "No, I have 4.1 Combat Value."

"Liar!" Rayna howled. "4.1? Dream on, lowborn. You can’t even increase your Combat Value."

Her words spread throughout the place, and Players murmured.

"Lowborn?"

"Is he Alex Blade from Solace Academy?"

"I’ve heard that he is the only human to have a Maximum limit on his Combat Value..."

Salak’s eyes turned as cold as ice, and he stated, "Choose your next words carefully, or I may chop that stupid head of yours."

Alex glared at Rayna, who now had a smirk across her face, and said, "Let me fight a Bronze beast – that would be enough to prove that my Combat Value is more than 1.1."

Salak stared at Alex, and Julian added from behind.

"Let’s do that." His lips stretched into a soft smile. "We were going to throw them to beasts anywhere."

Hearing him, Alex heaved a relieved sigh and looked at the four crates at the center.

Looks like nobody wants to talk about them yet.

"Let’s get moving!" Julian announced with his sword raised to the sky.

With hitched breaths, all of them broke apart into ten groups, with each group having three baits.

Alex joined Salak because Salak had forced him. He wanted to make sure that Alex hadn’t lied.

The shimmering grass brushed their boots, and just as Alex stepped out of the holographic dome, a blue screen materialized before him.

[System: Host Alex, you have exited the Protected Zone.]

Salak raised his left arm. Sunlight scattered at the edge of his one-handed axe, and he said while looking at the baits, "You three. Move ahead."

The three gave them one final glance, which stayed a bit longer on Alex, and stepped forward after accepting their disheartening situation.

They scattered in three directions, their feet shook, and they grabbed onto their own arms for some comfort.

Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal came from the left, and everyone twisted their heads toward it.

Alex narrowed his eyes, and blue screens materialized before him.

[Wild Boar]

[Type: Beast]

[Rank: Bronze V]

[Level: 3 (F)]

Alex looked at Salak from the corner of his right eye and thought.

It should be doable with his help.

Beasts under level 50 couldn’t use mana, so they were the best targets for new players, but a Wild Boar was still physically stronger than them, so they couldn’t just blindly attack it.

"Step aside," Salak commanded Alex and dashed toward the Wild Boar.

That Wild Boar was making its way toward the bait at the far left. Before it could, Salak appeared beside him and activated his talent.

A translucent yellow shield with honeycomb patterns appeared on all of his sides, and the Wild Boar crashed into one on its path.

Cracks spread across his shield, and both Salak and the Wild Boar skidded backward.

Salak gritted his teeth and brought down his axe on the Wild Boar that was still trying to pick up its feet.

The axe passed through the shield like it wasn’t even there, and with a loud wet noise, it dug into the Wild Boar’s side.

Wild Boar let out a pained growl and once again slammed into his shield.

The shield at the front fell apart, and another one took its place. Salak fell on his back.

"Shit," he cursed and quickly sat up. Right in time to see a furious Wild Boar charging toward him.

"Dammit!" He muttered, and the Wild Boar struck its beastly body at his translucent yellow shield.

Slowly, almost stealthily, Alex walked closer to the two of them.

Far away, he could see other groups fighting against different or similar beasts.

The boar’s head was already split open from crashing into Salak’s shield, and the wide wound at its side was slowing it down.

So the shield still puts some of the impact on the Player.

He lowered his gaze to the arrowhead in his hand and whispered.

"I can do this."

With a deep breath, he sprinted forward.

I have to dig at its eyes. He remarked inwardly.

Salak gazed at him and shouted furiously. "What are you doing?!"

Alex ignored him and jumped on the boar’s back.

Confused, the boar tried to run, but its injuries didn’t allow it to. Alex raised his arms and stabbed the arrowhead at its left eye.

Wild Boar let out a low grunt, and he stabbed once again.

Blood and other fluids dripped from the wound, and after a few consecutive stabs, the boar fell to the ground, and blue screens materialized before him.

[Kill: Wild Boar (Bronze V) (F)]

[Experience: +30 (+20 bonus for first Zone Kill)]

[Evo Points: +10]

Alex blankly stared at his blood-stained hands, and a golden screen appeared.

[Devour the defeated Wild Boar (Bronze V) (F)?]