Is that a Wisp?

"Oh... that's not it." Krune sighed in relief, watching the people at the finish disappear one after another as more people streamed in. 

Based on what he observed, it seemed like three people had to remain at the finish line constantly. So, when the fourth person arrived, the first person was teleported out. 

'I almost got a heart…core attack.' Krune sighed, being teleported when it was his turn. 

When he regained consciousness, he appeared at the edge of a rectangular pond. Two sides of the pond were walled, preventing anyone from going beyond. Based on the mural inscribed there, it seemed that the goal was to reach the other side of the pond while enduring the attacks of the demon beasts that lived in the water. 

Krune looked behind him, gazing at a forest of trees, thinking, 'I see, the objective is to chop the trees and create a boat using them. After that, we have to set sail using this boat and reach the other side.'

Right at this moment, the mechanical voice resounded, "Mission objective: Reach the other side of the pond."

As the voice disappeared, Krune looked at the number of people in the place. 'There's around 500 people here.'

He then made a mental measurement of the pond, muttering to himself, "A width of four kilometers and a length of fifteen kilometers. That's quite the distance."

"Everyone, please hear me out!" A man in his early thirties shouted, garnering the attention of everyone. He sported a well-ironed robe, one that remained unblemished. The cleanness of one's clothes was a glaring reflection of their abilities. 

After all, it meant they were able to clear the previous two trials without suffering in the least. As this man's clothes were as if he was ready to attend a banquet next, it was apparent that even as a mortal, he was strong, probably the strongest among the lot. 

Krune hid behind a rock, using his tiny stature to his advantage as he shrunk his ethereal form, observing the crowd.

Some of the smarter ones among the crowd realized the strength of the man based on his clothes. As for the rest, they simply hoped to listen as to what this man hoped to say. 

"The demon beasts in the ocean have long tentacles that they use to tilt any boats. Moreover, they have sharp teeth that allow them to bite through wooden plants," he said, pointing at the forest. "This wood is named Petlopca, a tough material suitable to build boats and boasts the greatest durability."

"But..." He pointed at the pond as he continued, "The demon beasts in these waters are called the Kaleptopus. They love to eat materials made from Petlopca wood. So, creating boats with them is suicide."

"How do you know this?" Someone in the crowd asked with a frown. 

"I'm Calveb, a cultivator hailing from the Dotrite Clan. We rear Kaleptopus for the ink they produce. Using our clan's refining method, the produced ink can be used to create talismans. Petlopca wood is what we feed them to ensure the quality of ink they produce is the highest."

"The Dotrite Clan…?" Most of those in the crowd were unfamiliar with it. After all, every one of them hailed from faraway places. Plus, there were tens of thousands of clans in the region. So, unless they were a major clan, no one would know. 

A couple among the crowd said in support, "The Dotrite Clan are indeed renowned for their Talismans."

"How do you know this?" One of the people in the crowd asked in suspicion, wondering if the three people were colluding for some objective. 

"Even though you wouldn't have heard about the Dotrite Clan, I'm sure you must have known about the Barrier Talismans, right?" The one that spoke in support continued. "Those are created by the Dotrite Clan. If anyone had ever used one of them, then they might've seen the double triangles inscribed on them. That's their clan's symbol."

"Ahh, I've seen them."

"Right, no wonder it felt like the name was kind of familiar."

"So, the Barrier Talismans are made by the Dotrite Clan."

"Our Talismans precede our clan's reputation," Calveb said with a wry smile. "It's because our clansmen hardly mingle with the outside world apart from selling the Talismans."

"So, what plan does young master have to propose?" The crowd slowly accepted his words as the truth. 

"It's simple," Calveb replied. "Normally, if you had made boats, you'll have to struggle against the Kaleptopus and strive to survive through luck. In any case, all we have to do is capture one Kaleptopus now. Once I coat the completed boat using its ink, it would last us long enough to reach the other end. To ensure it isn't eaten through or pulled into the water, I propose we create a large enough ship for all of us."

He then told them of the method to capture a couple of Kaleptopus, setting aside a group to do that while he instructed the rest. "Let's start building a ship now. Since my clan has used the Petlopca wood for generations, I know the best way to utilize them. Let me direct the process. Does anyone have any objections?"

"As long as we can get to the other side safely." Some of the people laughed, beginning to use their weapons to hack and saw the trees. 

There were around 500 people at the place. With around 100 of them trying to fish the demon beasts in the pond, the remaining 400 people worked on building a ship. And with so many people, and thanks to Calveb's efficient commands, the work continued to be done at breakneck speeds. 

As for Krune, he had been in hiding from the start. He was incapable of doing grunt work and hence wouldn't be included as an ally. Moreover, he was capable of flying. So, traversing the pond wasn't an issue. 

The only thing that bothered him was how the demon beasts in the water would react to his presence. If they were faster than him, then he would be destroyed.. With that in mind, Krune planned to wait it out and simply escape while the attention of every demon beast in the pond was on the massive ship with around 500 people.