The instance Ryan entered was marked: Emberflame Province — Beginner Trial: Shadowvine Forest.
The surroundings dimmed instantly.
It was a damp, cold forest.
Vines dangled from thick branches, while the forest floor was blanketed with moss and layers of dead leaves. Sunlight only managed to pierce through the canopy in faint, flickering patches. In the distance, the chirping of insects and the rustling of unseen creatures filled the air.
Unlike open plains, this place was full of ambushes, sneak attacks, and the art of lurking in shadows.
To most people, this environment meant danger.
But to Ryan—it was the perfect hunting ground.
"Fan out and search," Ryan ordered mentally.
The five Nightmare Imps darted off in different directions, agile like phantoms slipping through trees. They made no sound at all.
Such a dense forest would've severely limited human vision, but with Abyssal Link granting shared perception, Ryan had complete battlefield awareness across the entire region.
Not even thirty seconds passed before the system prompts popped up.
[Defeated Lv.1 Monster: Brambletail Rat – EXP +10]
[Defeated Lv.1 Monster: Brambletail Rat – EXP +10]
[Defeated Lv.1 Monster: Brambletail Rat – EXP +10]
Ryan gave a slight nod as his experience bar ticked forward.
Forest monsters weren't abundant, but the Imps' speed and precision made their kill rate vastly superior to any other class.
"Continue."
A few more minutes passed, and more notifications appeared.
[Defeated Lv.1 Monster: Brambletail Rat – EXP +10]
[Defeated Lv.2 Monster: Horned Pine Badger – EXP +20]
[Defeated Lv.2 Monster: Horned Pine Badger – EXP +20]
Standing on a moss-covered boulder, Ryan closed his eyes and focused on the flow of his five summons.
Half an hour later, the first milestone arrived.
[Name]: Ryan Blackwood
[Class]: Demon Summoner (Forbidden)
[Level]: 2 (0.00%)
[Strength]: 10
[Agility]: 10
[Intelligence]: 20
[Spirit]: 20
[Endurance]: 10
[Equipment]: None
[Summon Slots]: 5/6 — Nightmare Imps (x5)
[Active Skill]:
Summon Nightmare Imp (Lv.2) — Summons a loyal Nightmare Imp to fight by your side.
[Passive Skills]:
Abyssal Link — All summons gain +100% to all attributes; share combat vision; reveals hidden enemies.
Abyssal Endurance — Damage taken -15%; 10% additional damage is transferred to summoned units; immune to one fatal strike (600s cooldown).
With the level up, Ryan's stats had increased and his summon slot expanded from 5 to 6.
"I wonder if Lv.2 Imps have improved attributes," he murmured.
According to his knowledge, upgraded skill levels should enhance summon strength.
Ryan activated the skill again—summoning a new Nightmare Imp.
This time, he immediately noticed the difference.
The Imp was still petite, but clearly stronger and sturdier than before.
[Name]: Nightmare Imp
[Race]: Low-Tier Demon (Contracted)
[Strength]: 30
[Agility]: 30
[Intelligence]: 30
[Spirit]: 30
[Endurance]: 30
[Skills]: None
[Loyalty]: Absolute
All stats had risen by 10 points compared to its Lv.1 counterpart.
"Join the hunt," Ryan commanded again.
Now, with six high-speed, high-burst demons under his command, and complete battlefield vision through shared perception.
it was like having six drone units with lethal claws.
The kill rate spiked.
[Defeated Lv.2 Monster: Horned Pine Badger – EXP +20]
[Defeated Lv.3 Monster: Venomfang Treerat – EXP +30]
[Defeated Lv.3 Monster: Venomfang Treerat – EXP +30]
Treerats were fast and agile, masters of sneak attacks, but under the gaze of Abyssal Link, they had nowhere to hide.
All six Imps struck at once, giving their prey no chance to react.
Ryan didn't even need to move. He stood motionless, occasionally switching vision channels or giving directional orders.
Suddenly, a pillar of light shot upward from his body.
Another level up.
All attributes gained +5. Intelligence and Spirit each gained an additional +10.
His Nightmare Imps also leveled up to Lv.3—each stat gained another +5, and due to Abyssal Link, effectively +10.
Another summon slot unlocked.
Without hesitation, Ryan summoned his seventh Imp and added it to the field.
In such a dense, low-monster-density forest, his class was tailor-made for maximum efficiency.
Summon → Fan out → Harvest → Level up → Repeat → Summon → Fan out → Harvest → Level up → Repeat.
A seamless loop. Ruthless tempo.
…
Meanwhile, in the instance monitoring chamber—
Principal Hope raised an eyebrow at the rapidly ticking numbers beside Ryan's name.
"One and a half hours… and he's already reached level 3?"
An instructor next to him gasped. "His efficiency is nearly five times that of the others."
Principal Hope remained silent, his eyes fixed on the lone figure on the screen—standing motionless, completely solo, surrounded by flitting black shadows weaving through the trees.
It was like watching…
A king commanding the entire forest.