The forest had changed.
**Night had fallen.**
Complete. Absolute. Suffocating.
No moonlight pierced the canopy. No starlight filtered through the dense branches. The massive trees — ancient, towering, oppressive — blocked everything.
Only darkness remained.
And with it... **cold**.
The temperature had plummeted. What had been warm, humid air now bit at exposed skin. Breath misted faintly in the blackness.
Faris, Sen, and Yara sat inside a hollowed section of an enormous tree trunk, fifteen meters above the ground.
The hollow was just large enough for three or four people to fit — cramped, uncomfortable, but **safe**.
Or as safe as anywhere could be in this forest.
---
In their hands: roasted squirrel meat.
They'd cooked it two hours ago over a small fire — kept the flames low, brief, just enough to char the flesh — then extinguished it immediately.
Too dangerous to keep a fire burning.
The light would attract predators. The smell would draw hunters.
So they'd packed the meat, moved locations, climbed high into this hollow tree.
And now...
They ate in near-silence.
The meat was tough. Gamey. But edible.
Sen bit into his portion, chewed thoughtfully, then grinned.
"Finally. Real food after a whole day of running and fighting."
Faris nodded. "Thank you both. For the hunt."
*But I'm not eating yet.*
He held the meat in his hand, pretending to examine it.
*I need to make sure it's safe first.*
*But I can't say that out loud.*
*They'll think I don't trust them.*
*Which... I don't.*
*But they don't need to know that.*
So he waited.
Watched as Sen took another bite. As Yara ate slowly, carefully.
Neither showed signs of distress. No coughing. No choking. No sudden convulsions.
*Good.*
Faris raised the meat to his mouth.
Bit down.
Chewed slowly — far longer than necessary — analyzing the texture, the taste, any hint of toxicity.
Nothing.
Just meat.
He swallowed.
Took another bite, this time more naturally.
---
As they ate, Sen spoke:
"Do you know that eating monster meat in the Asir Realm increases your strength? But I don't feel any different."."
Yara answered between bites:
"You need to eat enough for the energy to accumulate. The mana stored in the flesh gathers in your mana source. Once it reaches a threshold, you experience a breakthrough — your source upgrades."
Sen frowned. "How much is 'enough'?"
"Depends on the monster's strength and your current rank. Could be one meal. Could be dozens."
"Or," Yara continued, "you can absorb mana directly from the air. But that takes much longer."
Faris nodded slowly. "Oh. I see."
He spoke calmly, as if the information was new.
*It's not.*
*I knew this already.*
*But they don't need to know that either.*
He'd stopped pretending to be constantly nervous after the encounter with the Slymeir nobles. His composure when speaking to them had been too obvious.
Yet strangely...
Neither Sen nor Yara had mentioned it.
No questions. No suspicion.
Just... acceptance.
*Curious.*
*Either they're too trusting...*
*Or they're smarter than I thought and choosing not to press the issue.*
---
Sen looked at Faris directly.
"Why do you want a beast core so badly? Your ability is already really good."
Faris paused mid-bite.
*Careful.*
He set the meat down.
"If I want revenge... I need individual power."
His voice was quiet. Controlled.
"I can compensate with techniques and training, yes. But that takes time. Years, maybe."
He met Sen's eyes.
"A beast core could accelerate that. Give me the strength I need... sooner."
Silence.
Sen nodded slowly.
Yara said nothing, just watched him with those sharp, thoughtful eyes.
---
After finishing their meal, Faris spoke:
"You two sleep first. I'll take the first watch. Then Sen. Then Yara."
They agreed without argument.
Sen and Yara settled into the hollow, using large pieces of bark as blankets against the cold.
Faris climbed higher — perched on a thick branch above them, back against the trunk.
And let his mind wander.
---
The forest at night was... different.
Not quieter.
**Louder.**
Sounds he hadn't heard during the day now filled the darkness.
Distant howls. Chittering. The rustle of something massive moving through undergrowth. Screams — human or otherwise, he couldn't tell — echoing from deep within the forest.
The exam was still ongoing.
People were still fighting. Dying. Surviving.
Somewhere out there, the strong were growing stronger.
And the weak...
Were vanishing.
---
Faris stared up into the impenetrable canopy.
Thought about his old world.
The demon realm.
Hierarchical. Brutal. Clear.
Strength determined everything. Your rank. Your resources. Your survival.
He'd been **weak** there.
The poisoned son of a Rank 6 demon. Destined to be a vessel for his father's soul.
No agency. No freedom. No future.
But here...
*Here, I'm free.*
The realization settled over him like the cold night air.
*I'm in danger. Real danger.*
*I could die at any moment.*
*But I'm also... alive.*
*Truly alive.*
*For the first time.*
In the demon world, his fate had been sealed from birth. Every day was just waiting for the inevitable.
But here?
Every choice mattered. Every decision could lead to survival or death.
**He was in control.**
It was terrifying.
And exhilarating.
---
Movement below.
Faris looked down.
Sen was climbing toward him — slow, careful in the darkness.
"My turn?" Faris asked quietly.
"Yeah. Get some rest."
They passed each other on the branches.
Faris descended into the hollow.
Yara was lying on her side, covered by a large piece of bark.
Sleeping.
Or pretending to.
Faris approached — closer than necessary.
Lifted the edge of the bark covering her.
Slipped underneath.
---
Yara's eyes opened immediately.
She turned her head slightly, looked at him in the darkness.
Faris kept his expression neutral. Innocent.
Then spoke — voice low, a phrase from his old world:
**"Your presence warms even the coldest night."**
A compliment.
Poetic. Formal. The kind demons used when courting.
---
Yara stared at him.
For two full seconds.
Silent.
Then...
**She laughed.**
Quiet, but genuine.
Turned her back to him, still smiling.
"You'll have to try **much** harder than that."
Her voice was teasing. Amused.
Not offended. Not uncomfortable.
Just... **entertained**.
Faris blinked.
*That... didn't work.*
He closed his eyes, let it go.
*Fine.*
*Another time.*
He settled beside her — maintaining a respectful distance — and let himself drift toward sleep.
He woke when Sen descended for his turn to sleep.
Yara climbed up to take the final watch.
Faris dozed lightly, half-aware, until—
**Sunlight.**
Thin. Faint. But present.
A single beam had found its way through the dense canopy, slipped between branches, landed directly on his face.
Faris opened his eyes, squinted against the light.
Muttered: "Of all the places in this massive forest... it had to hit my face."
Sen — still half-asleep beside him — snorted.
"Nature hates you specifically."
"Clearly."
Faris sat up, stretched.
Looked around the hollow.
The dim light revealed details he hadn't seen in the darkness: scratch marks on the wood, old bloodstains, signs that others had sheltered here before.
*How many of them survived?*
He pushed the thought away.
"Sen. Wake up."
Sen groaned. "Five more minutes..."
"If I'm awake, no one gets to sleep."
"...I hate you."
"I know."
---
Twenty minutes later, they'd eaten the last of the previous day's cooked meat and prepared to move.
Yara descended from above, alert despite the sleepless night.
"Ready?"
Faris nodded.
"Our priority today is **water**. We need to find a stream or river."
Sen agreed. "We can survive without food for days. But without water..."
"We'll die." Yara finished.
"Exactly. So we search horizontally. Follow the terrain downward if we find a slope. Water flows to low ground."
They climbed down from the tree carefully, landed softly on the damp forest floor.
And began walking.
They hadn't walked for more than ten minutes when—
**Sounds.**
Distant. Muffled by trees. But unmistakable.
**Combat.**
Shouting. The clash of metal. A scream — cut short.
Then silence.
Sen tensed. "That was close."
Yara frowned. "Maybe a hundred meters ahead?"
Faris listened carefully.
More sounds. Different direction. Farther away.
**The forest was waking up.**
As daylight filtered through — weak, gray, but present — examinees were emerging from hiding. Resuming the hunt.
"We should avoid them." Sen said quietly. "No point risking a fight."
But Faris was already moving **toward** the sound.
"Fray?" Yara called.
He glanced back.
"If someone just killed a monster... they're probably weakened. Distracted."
His smile was cold.
"Easy targets."
Sen and Yara exchanged glances.
Then followed.
---
They moved through the forest like ghosts — stepping carefully, avoiding dry branches, staying low.
The sounds grew louder.
Voices now. Distinct.
Two people. Maybe three.
Arguing.
"—told you to **wait**! Now it's—"
"Shut up! Just help me—"
A wet **thud**. A groan.
Silence.
Faris crouched behind a thick tree, peered around the edge.
---
**Three bodies.**
Two examinees — a young man and woman, maybe seventeen or eighteen — stood over a **monster corpse**.
It was massive. Easily three meters tall. Vaguely humanoid, but **wrong** — too many limbs, skin like tree bark, a face that was just a gaping maw filled with wooden teeth.
**Another tree monster.**
But stronger than the ones they'd fought. Larger. More developed.
The two examinees were injured.
The young man clutched his side — blood seeping between his fingers.
The woman's left arm hung limp, clearly broken.
Both were gasping, exhausted.
And neither had noticed Faris, Sen, and Yara watching from the shadows.
Faris analyzed the situation quickly.
*Two injured examinees.*
*One dead monster — probably worth ten or more points.*
*They're weak. Vulnerable.*
*We could—*
"What are you thinking?" Yara whispered beside him.
Faris didn't look at her.
"We wait. See if anyone else shows up. If they're alone... we take the monster."
"Steal their kill?" Sen sounded uncertain.
"They're too injured to stop us. And if we're fast..."
He trailed off.
Watched.
---
The young man knelt beside the monster, began searching its body.
"Check for the core!" The woman urged. "Hurry!"
"I'm trying! This thing's insides are—"
He stopped.
Pulled something from the monster's chest.
**A crystal.**
Small. Glowing faintly green.
**A beast core.**
Sen inhaled sharply beside Faris.
Fray was stunned — he had found what he wanted: a beast core, on just the second day.
The young man held it up, eyes wide with disbelief.
"We... we actually got one..."
The woman laughed — a sound of pure relief and triumph.
"Finally! After all that—"
---
**An arrow pierced her throat.**
She dropped instantly.
Blood sprayed.
The young man spun, eyes wide—
**A second arrow hit him in the chest.**
He staggered, fell backward.
The beast core tumbled from his hand, landed in the dirt.
---
From the opposite side of the clearing...
**Four figures emerged.**
All wearing identical gray combat gear. All armed — bows, swords, daggers.
**A hunting party.**
The leader — a tall young man with a shaved head and cold eyes — stepped forward.
Kicked the dying examinee's body aside.
Picked up the beast core.
Examined it.
Smiled.
"Finally. Took us all night to track these idiots."
One of his companions laughed. "Easy pickings."
Another crouched beside the monster corpse. "Think it has more cores?"
"Check."
They began methodically searching the body.
---
Faris watched in silence.
*Four of them.*
*Organized. Armed. Ruthless.*
*They let those two do the work, then stole the kill.*
*Smart.*
Beside him, Sen whispered: "We should go. Now."
Yara nodded. "Before they notice us."
But Faris didn't move.
He was **calculating**.
*They have the beast core.*
*And probably high point totals from ambushing others.*
*If we could take them...*
"Fray." Yara's voice was urgent. "Let's go."
Faris exhaled slowly.
Nodded.
"...Yeah. Let's go."
They began retreating carefully—
---
**A branch snapped beneath Sen's foot.**
**CRACK.**
The sound echoed through the clearing.
All four hunters' heads snapped toward their position.
The leader's eyes locked onto Faris.
**Smiled.**
"Well, well. More scavengers."
He drew his sword.
"Kill them."
---
The four figures stepped forward, spreading out instinctively — surrounding them.
Professional. Practiced.
Predators.
The leader — shaved head, cold eyes, a sword that looked far too expensive for a commoner examinee — tilted his head.
"Three of you. Four of us." He smiled. "Bad odds."
Faris didn't respond.
His mind was already working.
Four opponents. All armed. All coordinated.
We're at a disadvantage.
Sen stepped forward slightly, hand on his dagger.
"We don't want trouble. We're just passing through."
The leader laughed.
"Passing through? Right after we just secured a beast core and a high-value kill?"
He shook his head.
"No. You were watching. Waiting for your chance to scavenge."
One of the hunters — a wiry girl with twin daggers — grinned.
"Just like we did."
The leader's smile faded.
"Which means you're competitors. And competitors..."
He raised his sword.
"...don't get to leave."
They attacked.
Not all at once.
Coordinated.
The wiry girl darted left, circling toward Yara.
A broad-shouldered boy with a spear moved right, targeting Sen.
The fourth hunter — a lean young man with a bow — nocked an arrow, aimed at Faris.
And the leader walked forward slowly, confidently, sword held loosely.
"Try not to damage them too much." He said casually. "I want their beacons intact. More points that way."
Faris reacted instantly.
"SCATTER!"
Sen and Yara moved without hesitation — years of survival instinct kicking in.
Yara rolled left, her mana threads already extending.
Sen dove right, activating Power Pulse mid-roll.
Faris threw himself backward—
An arrow whistled past his face.
Missed by centimeters.
Hit the tree behind him with a solid thunk.
Too close.
The archer was already nocking another arrow.
Faris's options flashed through his mind:
No weapon.
Outmatched in numbers.
Outmatched in equipment.
Outmatched in coordination.
We can't win this fight.
We need to—
A scream.
Yara's voice.
Faris's head snapped toward the sound.
The wiry girl had closed the distance impossibly fast — faster than any commoner should move.
Her daggers were a blur.
Yara's mana threads wrapped around one blade, deflected it—
But the second dagger cut through the threads like they were nothing.
Sliced across Yara's shoulder.
Blood sprayed.
Yara stumbled back, face pale.
"Enhanced blades!" She gasped. "They cut through mana!"
Shit.
Sen wasn't faring better.
The spear-wielder was strong — each thrust carried tremendous force, driving Sen backward, forcing him on the defensive.
Sen blocked with his dagger, but the impacts were too heavy.
His arm was already shaking.
"Can't... hold him..."
Power Pulse was a burst ability. One moment of overwhelming strength.
But this fight was dragging out.
And his energy was fading.
Faris made a decision.
We can't fight.
We run.
"SEN! YARA! RETREAT!"
He turned, sprinted into the forest—
Another arrow.
This one hit.
Not deep — grazed his left arm, tore through cloth and skin.
Pain flared.
Blood ran warm down his bicep.
But he didn't stop.
Behind him, he heard Sen and Yara running too.
And behind them...
The hunters gave chase.
The forest was a maze of massive trees, thick undergrowth, uneven ground.
Normally, that would be an advantage.
But the hunters knew this forest.
Had probably been training here for days.
They moved through the obstacles like water — fluid, effortless, fast.
Faris risked a glance back.
They were gaining.
We're not going to outrun them.
Ahead, the forest sloped downward — steep, treacherous, covered in loose dirt and exposed roots.
Dangerous.
Good.
"DOWN THE SLOPE!" Faris shouted.
Sen and Yara didn't question.
They followed him over the edge.
The descent was chaos.
Faris half-ran, half-slid, grabbing at roots and branches to control his momentum.
The ground was slick. Every step threatened to send him tumbling.
Behind him, Sen lost his footing—
Yara's mana threads shot out, wrapped around his wrist, yanked him back upright.
"Thanks!"
"Keep moving!"
An arrow struck the tree beside Faris's head.
THUNK.
The archer was still on them.
Even on this terrain.
How are they so fast?!
Then Faris saw it.
The hunters weren't running down the slope.
They were jumping.
Leaping from tree to tree like it was nothing. Using branches as platforms. Covering three times the distance with each movement.
Enhanced physical abilities.
Either from training or...
Abilities.
Another realization hit him:
They're not just strong.
They're a team.
Trained together. Fought together.
We're three strangers who met yesterday.
We can't beat them.
The slope ended abruptly.
Faris hit flat ground, stumbled, caught himself.
Sen and Yara landed beside him, gasping.
And ahead...
A river.
Wide. Fast-flowing. The sound of rushing water filled the air.
Finally.
But there was no time to celebrate.
The hunters landed behind them — all four, perfectly spaced, weapons ready.
The leader smiled.
"End of the line."
They stood at the river's edge.
Behind them: rushing water, deep and treacherous.
In front: four armed hunters, confident and unhurried.
Trapped.
The leader stepped forward, sword raised.
"Last chance. Drop your beacons. Withdraw from the exam. We'll let you live."
Sen gritted his teeth. "Like hell—"
"Wait."
Faris stepped forward.
Raised his hands in a placating gesture.
But his mind was racing, cold and calculating.
They're going to kill us.
Not now.
But after.
After we've led them to monsters. After we've outlived our usefulness.
They'll eliminate the competition.
Just like they did to those two examinees yesterday.
His eyes flickered to the leader's coat — the faint bulge in the inner pocket.
The beast core.
He's carrying it.
The one thing I need most in this world.
A real ability. Real power.
Something to replace the emptiness Fray left behind.
Another thought crystallized:
The tree monsters.
I know where they are.
I know their weaknesses.
And I know...
His lips curved into the ghost of a smile.
...that they don't discriminate when they kill.
A plan formed.
Brutal. Elegant. Perfect.
I'll lead these hunters to a tree.
Let the monster do half the work.
Then finish what's left.
Take the core.
Take everything.
He met the leader's eyes and spoke calmly:
"Let's talk about this."
The leader raised an eyebrow.
"Talk?"
"Yes." Faris kept his voice reasonable, almost meek. "You want points, right? We have twelve each. That's thirty-six total if you force us to withdraw."
The leader's smile widened. "I know."
"But we can offer more."
Silence.
Sen whispered urgently: "Fray, what are you—"
Faris ignored him completely.
"We know where there are tree monsters. At least three within walking distance. Fifteen, maybe twenty points each."
He paused, let the numbers work their magic.
"That's forty-five to sixty points. Maybe more. Far more than you'd get from killing us."
The leader studied him.
One of his companions — the broad-shouldered spear-wielder named Dorian — spoke:
"Boss, he's stalling."
"I know." The leader — Kael — never broke eye contact with Faris.
"But I'm curious. Why would you help us?"
Faris looked down. Let his shoulders slump slightly.
"Because we want to live."
Lie.
I want you dead.
All of you.
Kael studied him for a long moment.
Then laughed — sharp, mocking.
"Fine. Lead us to one monster. If you're telling the truth..."
He pointed his sword casually at Faris's chest.
"...you get to live a little longer."
"And if I'm lying?"
Kael's smile turned cold.
"Then I'll carve my initials into your corpse."
Honest.
I can respect that.
Faris nodded slowly.
"Follow me."
They walked in hostile silence.
Kael's team surrounded them — Dorian the spear-wielder on the right, Rina with her twin enhanced daggers on the left, and Jace the archer behind them.
Kael himself walked beside Faris.
Casual. Confident.
Like a man escorting livestock to slaughter.
"What's your ability?" He asked conversationally.
Faris didn't hesitate.
"Enhancement. Twenty percent physical boost when activated."
Same lie I told Sen and Yara.
Consistency is key.
Kael nodded. "Useful. And you didn't use it while we were chasing you because...?"
"I was conserving mana. In case we had to fight."
"Smart." Kael said. Then added with a smirk: "Cowardly, but smart."
Faris said nothing.
Let him think I'm weak.
Let him think I'm afraid.
It'll make killing him easier.
Behind them, Sen whispered to Yara:
"What the hell is Fray doing?"
Yara's response was barely audible:
"I don't know. But we need to trust him."
Sen looked deeply uncomfortable.
"I don't like this."
"Neither do I. But what choice do we have?"
None.
And they both knew it.
Twenty minutes of tense walking brought them deeper into the forest.
The trees here were older. Larger. The canopy so dense that almost no light penetrated.
Shadows pooled like standing water.
And in those shadows...
Movement.
Faris stopped.
Pointed ahead through the gloom.
"There."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Through the massive tree trunks, barely visible in the darkness...
A tree monster.
Even larger than the ones Faris had killed before.
Trunk easily four meters wide. Branches thick as a man's torso.
And scattered around its base...
Bodies.
Five of them. Examinees. In various states of consumption.
Fresh kills.
This monster was active.
Hunting.
Rina whispered: "How the hell did you know it was here?"
Faris kept his voice steady:
"We heard it feeding yesterday. Marked the location."
Kael studied the monster carefully.
Then nodded slowly, impressed despite himself.
"Alright. Good intel."
He turned to his team.
"Dorian, Rina, with me. Jace—"
He pointed at Faris, Sen, and Yara.
"—watch them. If they try to run, kill the loud one first."
He meant Sen.
Jace nocked an arrow, aimed casually at Sen's chest.
Smiled.
"Got it, boss."
Sen went pale.
Kael, Dorian, and Rina began approaching the tree.
Weapons ready. Moving with practiced coordination.
Faris watched them go.
Counted silently.
Ten meters.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
When they were far enough...
He turned slightly toward Sen and Yara.
His hand moved — subtle, deliberate.
Two taps against his leg.
The signal they'd used before when hunting the squirrel-beast.
Strike now.
Sen saw it.
His eyes widened.
He wants us to—
No.
He can't mean—
But Faris's gaze was ice.
Do it.
Sen looked at Jace.
The archer was focused on the tree monster ahead, arrow still nocked but attention divided.
One chance.
Sen's hand moved to his dagger.
Activated Power Pulse.
Moved.
Golden light exploded through Sen's body.
He crossed the distance in a heartbeat.
Jace started to turn—
Too late.
Sen's dagger drove into his throat.
Deep.
All the way to the hilt.
Jace's eyes went wide with shock.
He tried to scream—
No sound came.
Just blood.
So much blood.
It poured over Sen's hand, hot and slick and wrong.
Sen twisted the blade instinctively.
Felt cartilage tear. Felt the body convulse.
Oh god.
Oh god I just—
I killed—
Yara moved beside him.
Her mana threads wrapped around Jace's mouth, his thrashing limbs, muffling the dying sounds.
Holding him still.
Ten seconds.
That's all it took.
Jace stopped moving.
His bow clattered to the ground.
His body followed.
Dead.
Sen stared at the corpse.
At his blood-covered hand.
At the dagger still buried in the man's throat.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
I killed someone.
I killed a person.
Not a monster.
A person.
Faris's voice cut through his shock:
"Sen. Look at me."
Sen turned, eyes wide and lost.
Faris grabbed his shoulder.
"Stay focused. We're not done."
He pulled Sen's dagger free — the wet sound made Sen gag — and pressed it back into his hand.
"Move. Now."
They circled wide through the shadows.
Silent as death itself.
Approaching the other three hunters from behind.
Ahead, Kael, Dorian, and Rina had reached the tree monster.
It sensed them.
Its face began forming on the trunk.
Eyes opening — dead, cold, ancient.
Locked onto Kael.
Kael froze.
Completely.
The paralysis had him in its grip.
Couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't even blink.
Dorian and Rina stopped, confused.
"Boss? What's wrong?"
The tree's massive hand began reaching toward Kael's head.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Inevitable.
Rina reacted first.
Threw one of her enhanced daggers.
It struck the tree's eye.
The monster shrieked — that grinding-metal sound.
Its gaze broke.
Kael stumbled backward, gasping.
"What the FUCK—"
"BOSS! BEHIND YOU!"
Dorian's warning came too late.
Faris, Sen, and Yara stepped out of the shadows.
Twenty meters behind the hunters.
Blocking their escape route.
Faris smiled.
Cold. Sharp. Predatory.
"Three against four."
He tilted his head slightly.
"The odds aren't in your favor."
Kael's face twisted with rage and disbelief.
"YOU LITTLE—"
He didn't finish.
Because the tree monster's attention shifted.
Looked at him again.
Froze him mid-sentence.
Its wounded eye wept black blood, but the other eye remained fixed, unblinking.
The massive hand reached forward again.
Closer.
Closer.
"BOSS!" Rina screamed.
She tried to run to him—
Yara's mana threads shot out like vipers.
Wrapped around Rina's ankles.
Yanked hard.
Rina fell face-first into the dirt with a heavy thud.
Her remaining dagger flew from her grip.
Dorian turned toward them, spear raised.
"You bastards—"
Sen charged.
Power Pulse still active, body glowing gold, eyes wide with something between terror and rage.
I already killed one.
What's one more?
He swung his blood-slick dagger.
Dorian blocked with his spear shaft—
The impact was tremendous.
The wooden shaft cracked.
Dorian's eyes went wide.
Too strong.
How is a commoner this—
Sen didn't give him time to finish the thought.
Pushed forward with everything he had.
Driving Dorian backward.
Step by step.
Directly toward the tree monster.
Dorian realized too late where he was being herded.
Tried to sidestep—
The tree's second hand lashed out.
Grabbed him by the shoulder.
Contact.
The effect was instant.
Dorian's enhancement — whatever it was — vanished.
His superior strength gone.
His reinforced body weakened.
The tree's fingers tightened.
CRACK.
His shoulder bones shattered like dry wood.
Dorian screamed.
The tree's face tilted toward him.
Mouth beginning to open.
Sen turned away.
Didn't watch.
Ran back toward Faris and Yara, face pale.
"FRAY! USE YOUR ABILITY! ENHANCE US!"
Faris didn't respond.
Was already moving toward Rina, who'd broken free of Yara's threads and scrambled to her feet.
Sen grabbed his arm desperately.
"FRAY! YOUR ENHANCEMENT! WE NEED IT NOW!"
Faris looked at him.
Expression completely calm.
"I can't use it right now."
"WHAT?! WHY NOT?!"
"Not enough mana. I used too much escaping earlier."
Lie.
Complete lie.
But Sen's too panicked to question it.
Sen looked like he wanted to argue—
Rina lunged.
She'd retrieved her dagger.
Moved like a striking snake.
Fast.
Far faster than Sen or Yara.
Her blade was enhanced — designed to cut through mana-based defenses.
Yara tried to bind her with threads again—
Rina sliced through them like cobwebs.
Closed the distance to Yara in a heartbeat.
Slashed at her throat—
Faris intercepted.
His right arm — wrapped in crude Mana Coating, the only technique he possessed — blocked the strike.
The enhanced dagger hit the coating.
Shattered it instantly.
Cut deep into his forearm.
Pain exploded.
Blood ran warm and fast.
But Faris didn't pull back.
Instead, he stepped closer.
His left hand shot out — grabbed Rina's wrist in a crushing grip.
Held it.
Their faces were inches apart.
Rina's eyes were full of hatred and fear.
Faris's were empty.
"Sen." He said quietly. "Now."
Sen struck from behind.
Power Pulse-enhanced dagger drove into Rina's back.
Between the ribs.
Into the lung.
The blade punched through — tip emerging from her chest.
Rina's mouth opened in a silent gasp.
Blood bubbled from her lips.
Sen pulled the blade free.
Rina collapsed.
Hit the ground hard.
Tried to crawl away, one-handed, coughing blood.
Couldn't.
Sen stood over her, dagger dripping.
Breathing hard.
Two.
I've killed two people.
Two.
Behind them, Dorian's screaming had stopped.
The wet sounds of feeding continued.
Kael was still frozen — watching his entire team die, unable to move, unable to help.
The tree's paralysis held him perfectly.
A prisoner in his own body.
Helpless.
Faris released Rina's wrist.
Walked past her dying body without a second glance.
Approached Kael slowly.
Stopped just out of the tree's reach.
Met Kael's terrified, immobile gaze.
And smiled.
"You were right earlier."
His voice was soft. Almost conversational.
"We are scavengers."
He reached into Kael's coat.
Pulled out the beast core.
Small. Smooth. Glowing faint green.
Beautiful.
Faris held it up so Kael could see.
"Thank you for this."
Kael's eyes filled with understanding.
Then rage.
Then pure, animal terror.
But he couldn't move.
Couldn't scream.
Could only watch as Faris stepped back.
As the tree's attention returned to him.
As that grotesque wooden mouth opened wide.
As his head was pulled toward it.
Faris watched for exactly three seconds.
Until the mouth closed.
Until he heard the first crack of bone.
Then turned away.
"We're leaving. Now."
They ran.
Not far.
Just far enough that the sounds of feeding faded to nothing.
Then Faris stopped.
"Wait here."
Sen stared at him incredulously. "What?! We need to—"
"I'm going back."
"ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Faris met his eyes.
"There's something I need."
Before they could stop him, he ran back toward the tree.
The monster was still feeding.
Kael's body hung limp in its grasp, being consumed slowly, methodically.
The other corpses — Dorian, Rina, Jace — lay scattered in the bloodied dirt.
Faris approached Jace's body.
The archer. The first kill.
Grabbed him by the arms.
Dragged the corpse toward the tree.
Stopped just within the monster's reach.
Then stepped back quickly.
The tree sensed the fresh body.
Its eyes moved.
Looked at Jace's corpse.
Its grip on Kael loosened.
Dropped what remained.
Reached for the new meal instead.
Perfect.
Keep it distracted.
While the tree's attention was fully occupied, Faris moved to Kael's discarded body.
Searched quickly.
Found:
A high-quality sword with excellent balance
A money pouch (useless here, but habits die hard)
Medical supplies
A map of the forest (partially drawn)
The beast core (already in Faris's pocket)
He took the sword and medical supplies.
Left everything else.
Turned.
Ran.
They didn't return to their usual hollow tree.
Too risky.
Instead, they found a new shelter — a massive fallen log, partially rotted, with a hollow interior just large enough for three people.
Crawled inside.
Collapsed.
Silent.
The silence stretched.
Minutes passed.
Finally, Sen spoke.
His voice was hollow.
"We just killed four people."
Yara said nothing.
Just stared at her hands — the same hands that had held Jace down while he died.
Sen continued, almost to himself:
"I put a knife in someone's throat. And then... and then in someone's back."
His hands were shaking.
"I felt it. Felt the blade go in. Felt them die."
"Sen—" Yara started.
"They were people." His voice cracked. "Not monsters. People."
Faris pulled out the beast core.
Examined it in the dim light filtering through gaps in the rotted wood.
Sen saw it.
"Is that it? The core?"
"Yes."
Sen stared at him.
"We killed four people for that?"
"No." Faris said calmly. "We killed four people because they were going to kill us."
"You don't know—"
"I do know." Faris met his eyes. "They were scavengers. Ambush predators. They would have used us, then eliminated us."
He turned the core over in his palm.
"This was just... a bonus."
Sen's expression shifted.
"Why didn't you use your ability?"
Faris didn't answer immediately.
Just kept examining the core.
Sen's voice grew harder.
"You said you didn't have enough mana. But you never used it once. Not during the chase. Not during the fight."
He stood up — or tried to, the hollow was too cramped.
"Why?"
Faris looked at him.
Then at Yara.
Then said calmly:
"Because I lied."
Silence.
Yara's eyes widened slightly.
Sen's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"...What?"
"I don't have an enhancement ability."
Faris met his gaze steadily.
"I don't have any ability."
Complete silence.
Sen stared.
Yara stared.
Neither moved.
"You... you lied?" Sen finally managed.
"Yes."
"About having a power?!"
"Yes."
"THIS ENTIRE TIME?!"
"Yes."
Sen's face went through several colors.
Shock. Disbelief. Anger.
"WHY?!"
Faris remained perfectly calm.
"Because you wouldn't have accepted me into your group without one."
"So you—"
"I lied. Yes."
"We TRUSTED you!"
"And I kept you alive."
That stopped Sen cold.
Faris continued, voice level and factual:
"I identified the tree monsters' weaknesses. I planned every strategy. I convinced you to fight when you wanted to hide."
He gestured at the beast core.
"And I just secured us this."
He paused.
"Everything I've done has increased our chances of survival. Including the lie."
Sen opened his mouth to argue—
"Would you have allied with me if I'd said 'I have no ability, but I'm really good at analyzing situations'?"
Sen closed his mouth.
No.
I wouldn't have.
And they both knew it.
Yara spoke for the first time since the confession.
Her voice was quiet. Controlled.
"What are you going to do with it?"
Faris looked at her.
"Absorb it. Gain the tree's ability."
"The paralysis?" Sen asked, horrified. "That monster's power?"
"Yes."
"That's... that's..."
He couldn't find the words.
Faris waited patiently.
Finally, Sen said:
"You've been lying to us from the beginning."
"I have."
"Used us."
"Yes."
"Manipulated us."
"Completely."
Sen looked like he wanted to hit him.
But instead, he just asked:
"Why tell us now? Why not keep lying?"
Faris considered the question.
Then answered honestly:
"Because you were going to figure it out anyway. Better to control how you learned."
He paused.
"And because... I might need your help protecting me while I absorb this."
Tactical honesty.
More effective than continued deception at this point.
Long, heavy silence.
Finally, Yara spoke:
"If you absorb that core... you'll have real power."
"Yes."
"You won't need us anymore."
Faris met her eyes.
"I'll be stronger. But I'll still need allies."
"Why?"
"Because the exam lasts days. Because there are hundreds of examinees. Because even with this ability, I can't survive alone."
He meant it.
Despite everything, they had worked well together.
And pragmatism outweighed pride.
Sen and Yara exchanged a long look.
Some wordless communication passed between them.
Finally, Sen sighed heavily.
"You're an asshole."
Faris nodded. "I am."
"A liar."
"Yes."
"A manipulative bastard."
"Completely."
Sen rubbed his face with both hands.
"But... you did keep us alive."
"I did."
"And we are surviving."
"We are."
Another pause.
Then Sen said quietly:
"If you lie to us again... I'll kill you myself."
Faris almost smiled.
"That's fair."
Yara didn't offer any threats.
Just watched him with those sharp, knowing eyes.
"I'll take first watch while you do... whatever you need to do."
She climbed out of the hollow.
Left Faris and Sen in uncomfortable silence.
Sen spoke after a moment:
"I killed two people today."
Faris looked at him.
"You did."
"Does it get easier?"
Ah.
The real question.
Faris thought about his demon world.
About watching rivals torn apart in the training pits.
About his father's casual cruelty.
About becoming numb to violence because the alternative was madness.
He answered honestly:
"Yes. It gets easier."
Sen looked relieved.
Then horrified at his own relief.
"Is that... is that a good thing?"
Faris shrugged.
"That's not for me to decide."
He pulled out the beast core again.
"Get some rest. I need to concentrate."
Sen nodded slowly.
Settled back against the rotted wood.
Closed his eyes.
Faris waited until Sen's breathing deepened into sleep.
Then examined the core closely.
It pulsed faintly in his palm — warm, alive, hungry.
He remembered from Fray's memories:
To absorb a beast core:
First — consume it physically.
Second — guide it to your mana source.
Third — allow it to integrate.
But there's a condition:
You must eliminate your existing ability first.
The core cannot merge if another power occupies the space.
Two abilities cannot coexist in a human body.
But Faris didn't have that problem.
Fray's original ability — Mind Control — had vanished when Faris's demon soul took over.
The space is empty.
Waiting.
Ready.
He raised the core to his mouth.
Hesitated for just a moment.
This will change everything.
Once I do this, I'll truly be part of this world.
No longer just Faris the demon in Fray's body.
But something... new.
He bit down.
The core dissolved instantly.
Not solid.
But liquid — viscous, cold, tasting of earth and blood and ancient darkness.
He swallowed.
Felt it slide down his throat like living ice.
And then...
Heat.
Spreading from his stomach.
Through his chest.
Into his limbs.
The core's energy moved — searching, exploring, looking for his mana source.
Faris closed his eyes.
Focused.
Reached inward with his consciousness.
Found the mana source in the center of his chest — Fray's mana source, now his.
A small pool of liquid energy.
Weak. Limited.
Rank Z-.
He began guiding the core's energy toward it.
Like herding water through narrow channels.
Difficult.
Exhausting.
Requiring absolute concentration.
Five minutes passed.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Ten minutes.
His breathing became labored.
Fifteen minutes.
Finally...
The core reached the source.
Dropped into the pool of liquid mana.
Floated there.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The core began to dissolve.
Spreading through the mana like ink in water.
Changing it.
Transforming it.
The sensation was indescribable.
Fullness.
Completion.
Like a missing organ had been restored.
Like becoming whole for the first time.
In the demon world, Faris had been born with abilities.
Multiple abilities. Layers of inherited power from his father's bloodline.
But this body had been empty.
A vessel without content.
A weapon without a blade.
And now...
Now it was armed.
Faris gasped.
Opened his eyes.
The world looked the same.
But he felt different.
Complete.
He looked at his hands.
They were steady.
Strong.
Powerful.
How do I activate it?
He remembered: Channel mana from your source into the core.
The core acts as a conduit.
The ability flows through it.
He focused inward again.
Found the beast core floating in his mana source — no longer separate, but integrated.
Part of him now.
He pushed mana into it.
His eyes lit up.
Pure white.
Milky. Glowing.
Inhuman.
Just like the tree monster's.
Faris looked at Sen.
Sleeping peacefully, unaware.
And activated the ability fully.
Looked at him with those glowing eyes.
Sen froze.
Mid-breath.
Completely paralyzed.
Not asleep.
But unable to move.
Faris held it for five seconds.
Studying the effect.
Perfect paralysis.
No resistance.
Complete control.
Then released it.
Sen resumed breathing normally.
Shifted in his sleep.
Completely unaware.
Faris smiled.
A real smile.
Not calculated. Not manipulative.
Just... satisfied.
He looked up through a gap in the rotted log.
Could see Yara sitting outside, back to him, keeping watch.
He activated the ability again.
Looked at her.
Even though she couldn't see his glowing eyes...
The moment his gaze locked onto her...
She froze.
Rigid.
Like a statue.
Unable to turn. Unable to move. Unable to even breathe.
Faris counted.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then released.
Yara moved again — shifted her position, stretched her neck.
None the wiser.
Faris leaned back against the hollow's wall.
Let his eyes return to normal.
Closed them.
And for the first time since arriving in this world...
Laughed.
Quiet. Genuine.
Full of dark satisfaction.
Finally.
Real power.
Not borrowed. Not faked.
Mine.
He whispered into the darkness:
"Thank you, Kael."
The smile on his face was cruel.
"For the generous donation."
Outside, Yara shivered suddenly.
Looked around, confused.
The forest was silent.
No threats.
But something felt...
Wrong.
She shook her head.
Just nerves.
Just the stress of the day.
Turned her attention back to watching the forest.
Inside the hollow, Faris's smile widened.
This changes everything.
I'm not helpless anymore.
Not weak.
Not empty.
He looked at the spot where the beast core had been.
Now part of him. Forever.
The hunters wanted to use me.
Instead, I used them.
Took their kill.
Took their lives.
Took their power.
The demon in him purred with satisfaction.
And this is just the beginning.