But just as I turned to run, a sharp pain shot through my leg, causing me to collapse to the ground.
"What the fuckkkkk?" I shouted through clenched teeth.
I grimaced and pulled my right leg closer to inspect it.
There was a hole in my cargo pants, and when I looked closer, I saw black liquid stuck to it.
It had melted away my skin, showing my inner thigh muscles.
When did I get hurt?
I was paying attention the whole time, so how did this happen?
After thinking about it carefully, I realized it must have been when the spider spat acid at my dagger.
Some of the acid must have bounced off and hit my pants.
I was so focused on my plan that I probably didn't notice the pain right away.
Without hesitating, I opened my inventory and grabbed a Gold-rank healing potion.
I drank it quickly, and almost immediately, I felt it begin to ease the burning sensation on my thigh.
While I waited for my thigh to heal completely, I checked my inventory.
I noticed I had only four more Gold-rank potions left; the rest were either bronze or Iron.
It was a relief to have them, but I knew I had to save them for emergencies.
Lying on the forest floor, I concentrated on calming my fast-beating heart and controlling my breath.
The pain slowly faded away, and I took the opportunity to compose myself before I started running again.
***
After running for what felt like another 15 minutes, I finally stopped in the middle of the path, breathing heavily.
I put my hands on my knees and checked my watch—it read 3:20 P.M.
I had been running for almost an hour straight.
"Huh, huh, huh."
The sound of my tired breath escaping my lips filled the air.
Exhaustion made my legs and hands shake, and sweat streamed down my face.
A burning sensation in my chest made it hard to catch my breath.
As I was thinking of taking a break, I saw a tall tree nearby that stood taller than all the other trees around it.
Judging its height, I estimated it to be around 70 feet tall.
In the Ambros forest, known for hosting some of the world's largest trees like Hyperion and General Sherman, finding such tall trees wasn't surprising.
These enormous trees were usually found in dangerous, Restricted areas, not in the safer parts like where I was now.
As I approached the towering tree, a wave of relief swept over me.
"Huff... Phuff..."
I could finally stop and catch my breath.
I leaned against the sturdy trunk and looked up at the sky.
My chest rose and fell as I tried to steady my breathing.
The run had been exhausting—I had sprinted at least another mile or two to get away from that dark, eerie part of the jungle.
Even now, when I looked back, the strange, heavy atmosphere was still the same.
But two things were different.
First, the rain was pouring down in sheets, with thunder rumbling every now and then.
Second, even from this distance, I could feel the strong winds rushing through the trees, carrying a strange energy.
What truly grabbed my attention was the bright white light beaming down from the sky onto the area of the jungle where all the havoc was taking place.
It cut through the rain and storm, shining like a beacon in the chaos.
An ascendance?
Hmm, someone must be ascending.
That would explain why the atmosphere changed so suddenly.
But I couldn't help wondering—what rank were they ascending to?
It couldn't be a lower rank like Iron or Bronze, or even a middle rank like Gold or Platinum.
No, the scale of this event left only two possibilities...
Is it an Ace rank or... Master?
It must be.
From what I've seen in Michael's memories, when someone ascends to higher ranks, their surroundings change drastically.
Usually, it's accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain.
But I've never seen an ascension cause such an extreme change in the atmosphere.
This kind of chaos can only mean one thing—an Ace rank ascension is happening.
When someone reaches Master rank, the light is usually red, not this bright white glow.
But why is that person ascending there?
The spot they've chosen is dangerously close to the safe zones.
I can understand the need to avoid human interruptions—after all, in this world, being disturbed during ascension can have serious consequences.
If someone interferes, the person ascending will suffer a massive backlash, likely getting struck by lightning twice.
Even if they survive, the damage would be devastating.
Choosing a location so close to the safe zones seems highly risky, especially with the chance of brainless monsters wandering in and accidentally disrupting the ascension.
What could that guy possibly be thinking?
Ahh...
Forget it.
Whatever he's thinking or doing isn't my problem.
Right now, I just need to get some rest and then go hunt some monsters, so I can collect the number of essences I need for my upgrade.
***
After resting for about 10 to 15 more minutes, I finally pushed myself up and began walking aimlessly through the forest, letting my legs take me wherever they wanted.
As I walked, a quiet yawn escaped me.
Man… I'm still so tired…
Even after resting, my body still felt drained—heavy and sluggish, like I hadn't slept in days.
A strange restlessness nagged at me from the inside, making it hard to feel at ease.
Maybe it was the leftover stress from everything that had happened so far.
Today had been intense—no, more than that.
Yeah… today has been seriously crazy.
From the very moment I arrived in this forest, it's been one thing after another.
First, I had to deal with those wolves.
Then I ran into those two Elite-rank guys.
And after that, I somehow managed to kill that giant spider.
I still can't wrap my head around how I pulled that off—especially since the fight didn't even last long. It just doesn't feel real.
But whatever. I shouldn't waste time thinking about that now. I need to find more monsters and charge up my essence meter.
So I picked up my pace and started running, hoping to spot something soon.
But no matter how hard I looked while running, I didn't see a single monster.
What the hell? Where did they all go?
Normally, I'd have run into at least one by now. But it was just empty forest—quiet and still.
I kept running for another 20 minutes, but still nothing. Eventually, I slowed down and stopped. Running was draining my energy fast, so I switched back to walking.
As I walked, I let my mind wander again.
What's going on here?
Just an hour ago, I couldn't catch a break.
Monsters kept coming at me like ants—wave after wave.
And now, when I'm actually looking for them, it's like they've all vanished into thin air.
The frustration was building up inside me like steam in a sealed pot.
Then, snapping me out of my thoughts, a loud clap of thunder tore through the forest like a whip.
The sound echoed across the sky, deep and rumbling, sending a chill down my spine.
Whoa… that was loud.
Louder than anything I'd heard all day.
It echoed through the trees like a shockwave.
I stopped in my tracks and turned toward the source of the sound.
It came from the same area where someone was currently undergoing an Ace Ascension.
Wait a second… it's still going on?
That caught me off guard.
Usually, an ascension—whether to Ace or even Master rank—wraps up in under thirty minutes.
Unless… the person ascending is what we call an Anomaly.
"Anomaly."
That title is only given to people whose ascension takes unusually long—longer than thirty minutes.
It's incredibly rare.
In fact, throughout history, only six people have ever been known as Anomalies during their ascension.
Four of them came from the official associations, and the other two were part of rebel groups.
And now… I might be witnessing the seventh.
I stared at the distant sky.
It was darker than the rest, thick with swirling energy.
Lightning cracked through the clouds every now and then, lighting up the trees below in brief flashes.
It didn't even feel real—more like a scene from a dream.
After a few minutes of standing there, I reminded myself why I was here.
Alright… back to business.
I turned away and started walking again, my eyes scanning the forest for any sign of monsters.
Still, I couldn't help glancing back every now and then.
Each time, the ascension was still going strong, glowing and rumbling in the distance.
Honestly, I was kind of excited.
This might not just be another anomaly—it could be something even bigger.
Right now, the world record for the longest ascension belongs to Axel Maxfield, vice president of the Rebel Organization.
His ascension lasted 1 hour and 11 minutes—15 minutes longer than any other ever recorded.
Could this one beat that?
---
With the way things looked—the pounding rain, howling wind, and the blinding light of the ascension—it really seemed like this person might break the record.
Still, I didn't want to jump to conclusions.
Anything could happen.
I remembered an old saying from my previous world, something from the world of sports:
"The game's not over until it's actually over."
And honestly, it fit the situation perfectly.
Things can change in an instant.
As I kept walking through the forest, glancing now and then at the sky glowing in the distance, something suddenly caught my attention.
Rustle…
My ears twitched at the sound. It came from a bush just ahead.
Huh?
I immediately turned toward it, eyes narrowing.
Was it a monster?
Without wasting time, I activated my Appraisal skill and focused on the bush to see what was inside.
Two system screens popped up in front of me.
The first one read:
---
[Redwoods Bushes (Sequoia sempervirens)]
Height: Varies based on the tree.
Weight: 50 kilograms.
Specialty: Great for hiding; even Rare-rank monsters can stay hidden inside.
---
I dismissed the first screen.
I was already familiar with that bush.
It was commonly used by monsters for cover in this forest.
My eyes shifted to the second screen.
As I read it, a huge creature slowly crawled out from the bush.
It was massive.
Then the name appeared on the screen:
---
[Death Spider]
Height: About 12 feet
Weight: Around 800 pounds
Abilities: Death March, Death Cry (Inactive)
Weaknesses: Fire, critical hits to weak spots (Inactive)
Vulnerable Areas: Head, eyes, abdomen (Inactive)
Special Trait: Delivers an exceptionally painful death to its prey (Currently Active)
Rank: Uncommon-Rank
Win Chance: 100%
---
A Death Spider?
I stared at it—not because of its size or rank.
Something about it just felt… wrong.
What the heck is going on with this thing?