The forest did not feel welcoming. It felt… aware.
Green stretched endlessly in every direction, thick and suffocating, layers of leaves pressing over each other as though they were fighting for space, desperate to exist. Some shimmered faintly beneath the filtered light, glinting like hidden eyes. Others carried colors that had no right to exist, soft pink veins threading through deep green, streaks of blue bleeding across surfaces like spilled paint that refused to dry. It was beautiful.
Beautiful in the way something dangerous could be. Iris walked in the middle of the group, her steps steady, measured. But her attention refused to stay still.
Her gaze kept drifting. A fruit hanging too low. A vine curling in unnatural symmetry. Leaves too perfect, too deliberate, like they had been placed rather than grown.
Her fingers twitched slightly with curiosity. Before the transmigration, before the chaos, before the blood and the running and the screaming, she had spent years studying life that rooted itself to the ground. Plants didn't lie.
Their structure told stories. Their reactions revealed truth. And right now— Nothing here made sense. A flash of blue caught her eye. She slowed. Just a fraction.
A fruit hung from a low branch, smooth-skinned, deep blue, its surface glistening faintly like it had just been pulled from water, untouched by dust, untouched by time. Too clean. Too perfect.
Her steps almost stopped. Almost.
Not now. She forced herself forward, tearing her gaze away.
Then— Her hand brushed against something.
"…"
A sharp sting shot through her skin, sudden and precise, like a needle of heat driven just beneath the surface.
Iris stopped immediately. Not out of panic or fear she just stood still assessing. She looked down at the vine.
Bright green, threaded with faint pink veins, almost delicate in appearance, deceptively harmless, like something that would crumble if touched. Her fingers were already reddening.
"That was fast."
The swelling followed almost immediately, subtle but visible, the skin tightening, rising slightly. Not aggressive. Not spreading. Contained. Her thumb pressed lightly against her palm. Testing. It itched, a shallow, persistent irritation crawling just beneath her skin. But it didn't burn deep. It didn't invade.
Her expression didn't change, but her eyes sharpened, cold focus settling in like a blade being drawn.
"Surface reaction…" she muttered then quieter— "…Could be an irritant. Or mild venom." She stepped aside and crouched.
That alone was enough.
"Iris?" Veronica's voice cut through instantly, tight with concern, the kind that coiled in the chest and refused to loosen.
Iris didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her space. A compact metallic case appeared in her hand. It clicked open. The portable lab. For a split second—
The forest disappeared.
~*~
[Aurilion]
Flashing lights. Voices overlapping, sharp, urgent, too many at once. Her mother pressing the case into her hands, fingers firm, almost trembling.
"Take it."
"I don't need—"
"You do."
Her father didn't argue. He just nodded once, steady, unyielding.
"Anything can happen now."
It had been meant as an early birthday gift. Something practical. Something unnecessary. Something she almost left behind.
~*~
[Eldilon]
Now—
Her fingers tightened slightly around it. Necessary.
"What are you doing?" Veronica was already beside her, eyes locked onto her hand. "Iris, your hand—why is it swelling like that?"
"It's fine, Mom." Her voice was calm and controlled. Too calm, like still water hiding a depth no one could see. She leaned forward, using a slim tool to scrape a small sample of sap from the vine. The process was clean and precise.
Every movement deliberate, measured, as if the world had narrowed down to this single action. The sample was sealed then Inserted into its slot.
The device hummed softly, a low vibration that cut through the silence.
Veronica crouched beside her, unable to stay back, her worry pulling her closer. "That doesn't look fine," she said, her voice dropping. "What if it's poisonous? What if it spreads?"
"It didn't break skin." Iris didn't look up. Her eyes stayed on the screen. Seconds passed. Too slow. Each one stretching, tightening the air. When the result was displayed, She read it once. Then again. Her shoulders eased slightly, tension slipping away in a controlled release. "Good."
"What does that mean?" Veronica pressed.
Iris closed the device and stood. "It's an irritant," she said. "Localized reaction. No toxin. No systemic spread."
Veronica let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, the tension leaving her all at once. "You scared me."
"I'm okay."
Veronica still reached for her hand, turning it gently, checking, her touch careful, protective, like she could shield her just by holding on. The motion was instinctive. Protective.
"It's already swelling," she muttered. "You need to be more careful. This isn't—"
"I know." Iris said, then softer— "I didn't do it on purpose."
Veronica looked at her. Really looked. Then nodded slowly. "…Good."
Behind them, the group had slowed. Not stopped. But enough. Watching. Waiting.
Marcus glanced back once, eyes sharp, assessing, scanning for threats that weren't there. No danger.
"We keep moving." Her voice didn't rise. It didn't need to.
She closed the lab and slipped it back into her space and took a step forward—
Then paused. Something flickered. At the edge of her vision. So faint it could've been ignored, dismissed as imagination.
A thin white line appeared in her vision… the system panel.
[Skill Unlocked: Appraisal]
Iris's steps slowed. Barely noticeable. Her focus snapped into place, every stray thought collapsing into a single point. "Appraisal…?."
The word formed silently, deliberate, cautious. Carefully, she looked back at the vine. For a second nothing happened.
Then… the world shifted. Edges sharpened. Details aligned. Information surfaced like something rising from deep water, clear and undeniable.
[Name: Serravine Leaf
Grade: Common
Danger: Low
Effect: ??? ]
Her breath caught, just slightly, the smallest hitch. The information that appeared in-front of her was clear. Iris's gaze lingered on the final line.
Missing or… hidden?
Her fingers tightened slightly. The system wasn't showing everything.
A familiar voice rang in her head.
[Congratulations, host.]
Iris went still. Not outwardly. But on the inside— Everything paused.
[You have successfully survived Phase One.] it's tone was different smoother, Not as robotic as before but still distant.
[According to system protocol, your skill APPRAISAL has been upgraded.]
Iris didn't respond. Didn't need to. She lifted her gaze back to the leaf she appeared earlier. And this time, it showed more information than it did before.
[Name: Serravine Leaf
Grade: Common
Danger: Low
Effect: Skin Irritation]
Then her shifted to a blue fruit this time. The moment her eyes landed—
[Velora Fruit
Grade: Common
Danger: None
Effect: Hydration]
"…So this is what it's supposed to be like."
[Of course.] 003's responded instantly.
[Your appraisal has been optimized.]
A pause.
Then—
Iris looked up her gaze drifting to Marcus. For a fraction of a second, hesitation flickered, thin but real then she did it anyway.
[ Name: Marcus Hale
Level: 3
Rank: ???
Stars: ★★★★☆
Condition: Stable
Threat: Moderate]
The panel that appeared was different, layered and— Stars?.
Her pupils shrank, the reaction sharp, involuntary. "…You can evaluate people too?"
[Of course, I upgraded your skill: appraisal.]
[Let's just say yours is one of a kind.]
There it was again. That faint hint of something beneath the voice. Not emotion. But not empty either.
[Star ratings represent individual variance. Equal level does not mean equal strength.]
The meaning settled immediately. Sharp. Heavy. Dangerous.
Iris looked away. Her expression didn't change.it didn't need to.
Something shifted, quiet but irreversible. Not everyone here is equal. Ahead—
Movement. Another group. The people in the other group were slower, Messier, Some limping. Some barely holding themselves together, their exhaustion hanging off them like weight.
Iris's gaze swept across them. Not casually. Carefully. Who stood at the front. Who stayed behind. Who spoke. Who stayed silent. And who stayed close to who.
Some of the women lingered near stronger men. Too close. Too intentional. Not looking forced. Calculated.
Iris didn't judge. Didn't react. Survival didn't care about dignity. One of them noticed.
A woman. Her eyes flicked toward Iris's group, sharp, measuring, like she was weighing value, risk, opportunity.
A man stepped forward. "Hey… wait." His voice held. But just barely, like something inside him was cracking under pressure, splintering with every word.
Iris didn't slow. Didn't hesitate. "We're leaving." Her voice calm and flat. Cold enough to freeze the moment where it stood, cutting off anything that might have followed.
Marcus didn't question it. Neither did the others. They moved. Past them. No hesitation. No exchange. Just distance. Iris kept her eyes forward. Counted her steps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then— She looked back. Just once. They were still watching. Not moving. Just watching. One leaned toward another. Whispering. Planning something.
Iris turned away. The forest closed in again. Light dimmed. Air thickened.
Her hand still itched faintly, a quiet reminder beneath her skin.
A reminder— Of how little they understood. Her gaze lifted slightly. Scanning. Measuring. Calculating. And beneath it all—
A quiet thought settled in, cold and certain. People were far more dangerous than anything hiding in the dark.