"Ouch!"
Claire stumbled after a sudden push from a man behind her.
Her feet hit the floor first, and the pain was sharp enough to make her groan.
RRGHH!
A low growl came from behind. Startled, she turned and saw a huge black wolf, easily two meters tall, staring at her with glowing red eyes.
Claire went pale, panic washing over her. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move.
It felt as if an invisible force pinned her down. She couldn't even speak.
Awoo!
The wolf howled and, without hesitation, leaped toward her.
Claire closed her eyes in despair.
"Am I going to die?"
That was the only thought in her mind.
But suddenly, someone yanked her to the left. The wolf's attack missed her by just a meter.
Claire's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up and saw a tall, handsome man coming to her rescue.
"You..."
Before she could finish, the man—none other than Raven—lifted her up and said coldly, "Don't say a word! We have to save ourselves!"
Without hesitation, he ran toward one of the seven portals.
Awoo!
The wolf's howl echoed behind them. Raven glanced back, shocked at its speed.
"Damn it!"
Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself harder and finally leaped into the portal.
Slash!
The wolf's claws grazed his back, but Raven and Claire had already vanished.
The other monsters stopped chasing them—not because they didn't want to, but because an invisible barrier blocked their path.
They looked back and saw a pile of human corpses—over a hundred, including fifty-five women and forty men.
Without hesitation, the monsters began to feast.
***
"Ouch!"
Raven and Claire hit the ground hard. The impact made Raven groan softly in pain.
Claire rubbed her aching head and tried to sit up.
When she looked around, she was surprised. They were in a vast, lush forest.
The trees towered eight to twelve meters high, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, giving life to the greenery around them.
"Where am I? Is this... a forest?" Claire wondered silently.
"Ugh..." Raven's pained voice came from in front of her.
He rubbed his sore head. Protecting Claire from the impact had left him hurting.
After regaining his composure, he looked up and met her blue eyes. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Claire stepped back, startled.
"W-Who are you?" she asked in panic.
Raven massaged his temples and said irritably, "I just saved you, and that's the first question you ask? Shouldn't you ask if I'm okay first?"
Claire froze, realizing she'd said the wrong thing. She remembered he had saved her from the wolf.
She quickly lowered her head. "Sorry... and thank you for saving me."
"[Ding! 10 affection points successfully obtained!]"
Raven blinked in surprise at the notification. Glancing at the love panel above Claire's head, he saw her love tank had edged upward slightly.
In the center was a white number: 10.
A satisfied smile spread across his face as he nodded slightly. This was a good start.
"It's okay," Raven replied, slowly rising to his feet.
He brushed the dust off his clothes and asked, "Are you okay?"
Claire stood up as well and replied, "I'm fine. Thank you again. If it weren't for you, I might have..."
Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her head, a mix of emotions crossing her face.
Raven just smiled and waved his hand, as if to say it was nothing.
"Let me introduce myself—my name is Raven Draxel."
He extended his right hand toward her.
Claire hesitated for a moment, then relaxed and reached out her hand.
"My name is Claire. You can just call me Claire."
The moment their hands touched, Claire froze. It felt as if a jolt of electricity ran through her body.
"Claire, huh? Nice to meet you." Raven withdrew his hand with a slight smile.
The strange sensation faded, but a lingering warmth left her feeling uneasy.
"By the way, want to work together on this test?" Raven asked.
He quickly added, "Don't get me wrong—I'm not after anything. It's just that it'll be a lot easier if we do it together. What do you think?"
He didn't pressure her to accept. Humans, after all, were social creatures.
They couldn't survive alone without help from others. And given the situation, Raven was pretty sure Claire wouldn't refuse.
After all, she was just a weak woman, not ready to face the harsh reality ahead.
"I..."
Claire hesitated. She wanted to refuse, but fear gnawed at her, and she had no idea how to pass the seven tests awaiting her.
She had never lived in the wild before, and the surrounding forest only heightened her terror.
In the end, fear outweighed caution.
"Alright, I agree. Please help me."
"[Ding! 5 points of affection obtained!]"
Raven's face remained unreadable. Honestly, getting Claire to cooperate had been far too easy.
If he had truly wanted to, he could have subdued her immediately using his abilities.
Of course, his method had been a little harsh and forceful, but he knew it would work.
Still, it wouldn't be any fun that way. He wanted to take his time with her, slowly and steadily—that's how he'd keep it interesting.
"Good. It's nice working with you, Claire."
Raven offered a charming smile.
Claire blushed, looking away, and whispered, "It's nice working with you too, Raven."