"The third phase will be the most difficult to complete and the most dangerous," Shin began his explanation.

The test took place in the Forest of Shadows. The objective was to find the central hub, which served as the gateway to leave that place and advance to the final stage.

The problem was that, in this phase, the rule prohibiting conflict was removed. Furthermore, the Shadow Forest was home to countless monsters and other hazards.

"That being said, the Tower’s goal isn’t just to recruit good combatants. That’s why all the tests are designed with multiple ways to be completed," Shin explained.

"Then what should I do?"

"We don’t have much time, but I will try to pass as much knowledge as possible to the two of you. Try to take notes and remember as many details as you can. But the most important thing for you, Kaho, is to be one of the first to arrive in the area. That will give you a significant advantage."

Kaho took a deep breath, finishing the mental review of everything Shin had told her.

She quickly scanned her surroundings; no matter where she looked, she saw no one. Additionally, the presence of easily reachable fruit on the bushes indicated that no one had passed through there yet.

The shy woman felt satisfied for having already achieved her first objective. The first phase of the test gave everyone 30 minutes, while in the second, most people took a long time, struggling against the weaker statues.

By passing through directly, solving the riddles instead of fighting, she had become one of the first people to reach the forest.

Quickly, she began to move to take advantage of the remaining daylight. The monsters of the forest only attacked during the night. More specifically, the examiners prevented monster attacks during the day.

Kaho swiftly pulled her notebook from her backpack and began running from one side to the other, attempting to examine the terrain. She needed to figure out her location in the forest so she could begin to attract the attention of an examiner.

Shin had already mentioned that those who caught the eye of an examiner through intelligence, survival skills, or other factors could be paired with an evaluator.

This didn’t guarantee survival, but being by the side of a guide would make finding the main hub much easier.

"I wonder what this place is..." Kaho murmured, checking her improvised map. She was almost sure she was on the plains of the forest, in the northern area of it.

Shin had mentioned that Lady Belaka often wandered around this area. She was a researcher born inside the Tower, obsessed with understanding monster behavior.

Truth be told, Kaho had zero interest in biology. Still, following Shin’s advice, she had managed to draw her target’s attention.

"Is that... a trap to capture a monster?" a soft, monotonous voice suddenly spoke from behind her. "A Mist Tracker, perhaps?"

Kaho spun around quickly, startled.

The woman standing there was impossible to ignore.

She had long, flowing silver hair that cascaded down her back, almost reaching all the way to her feet. Her body was petite and slender, with delicate curves that looked almost fragile.

Her skin was unnaturally pale, like polished porcelain, giving her an ethereal, ghostly appearance.

And it was hard not to notice that the only piece of clothing she wore was an oversized white lab coat that barely did its job.

It hung loosely off her shoulders, the front left carelessly open, revealing deep cleavage and the pale undersides of her small but perky breasts.

The hem of the coat barely reached mid-thigh, exposing her slender legs and hinting that she was wearing nothing underneath.

"Seems like I scared you..." she commented in that same flat, emotionless tone, slowly blinking her large, silver-gray eyes. Her gaze remained fixed on the trap Kaho was assembling.

This had to be Lady Belaka, the beautiful, ghost-like woman Shin had described.

Kaho immediately recognized her. She took a deep breath, feeling a mix of relief and nervousness. She needed to choose her next words carefully if she wanted to keep this woman’s attention. If she succeeded... her life would be much safer.

"Yes... a Mist Tracker," she replied, trying to sound confident. "They have a habit of following scent trails left by fermented fruits, especially when they are in their nocturnal hunting phase."

Kaho looked up at the sky, where the sun was beginning to set. She had bet everything on successfully attracting this examiner’s attention. If she failed, she would be finished. She pointed to the arrangement of branches and ropes she had set up.

"I’ve scattered small amounts of crushed pulp around the area, creating a gradual path toward the center. Since they prefer to avoid wide-open areas during the day, the trap is positioned between zones of dense shadow."

Belaka tilted her head slightly and nodded with interest. "That is a solid analysis," she admitted. "How did you find out about all of it?"

"I really enjoy observing animals," Kaho lied. "So I noticed the panther by observing and comparing it with how other animals and monsters act."

The pale woman nodded, agreeing with the analysis. Then, Kaho continued speaking, trying to make sure Belaka would become interested in her.

She explained other things she had observed in the forest; in reality, those were just the notes Shin had shared with her. But the lies were enough to capture the scientist’s attention.

Kaho felt as though her heart would explode the entire time; she never thought she’d be capable of deceiving someone like that. Normally, simply interacting with a stranger would have pushed her to her limit.

Maybe I really am changing... she thought with relief.

"I want to make a deal," Belaka said. "You will stay with me for one week observing monsters. If you can prove your worth, I will take you to the central hub. Furthermore, I’ll want you to come work for me after you enter the Tower."

Belaka began to say the exact words Shin had told her she would say. Kaho wondered how he could know everything in such detail. In her mind, she formed a theory that wasn’t too far from the truth.

Having read light novels about ’Regressors,’ she assumed that if Shin possessed a similar ability, he might have traveled back in time multiple times, facing the same challenges until he knew them like the back of his hand.

"And if you fail to keep my interest, our deal ends and I leave. I won’t hurt you, but I have no reason to look after someone who isn’t useful," the researcher concluded in a cold tone.

"Very well, I agree, but only if I can choose which monster I will observe," Kaho said, repeating exactly what Shin had instructed her to say.

"Very well, I will allow it," Belaka replied, satisfied.

ООО

Four days passed in a flash. Once again, Kaho found herself hidden in a thicket, observing a Blood Butterfly. This was one of the most useful monsters in the entire forest and, consequently, the creature Shin had lectured her about the most.

Thanks to his warnings, Kaho knew intricate details about the creature’s behavior. All she did during her afternoons was feign the process of discovery, pretending to learn these secrets for the first time.

At the end of each day, she would report her "findings" to Belaka, slowly earning the silver-haired woman’s trust.

Kaho’s confidence, however, was shattered by the sound of dry branches snapping behind her. It wasn’t Belaka’s light, rhythmic step.

"Well, well... what do we have here... This must be my lucky day," a man murmured, his lustful eyes roving over Kaho’s curvy body.

The woman froze in fear. The way the man eyed her up and down made her stomach churn, and a wave of disgust made her whole body tremble.

Kaho tried to scramble back, but he was too fast. With a calloused hand, he lunged forward and seized her wrist, dragging her toward him with overwhelming strength. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Let go of me!" she cried out, her voice cracking with panic.

"Heheh! I knew you were a weakling hiding like that. Let me see your..." He never finished the sentence. The air around them suddenly turned frigid.

"Candidate 402," Belaka’s voice echoed, devoid of any human emotion. "You are interfering with a long-term field experiment."

The man released Kaho and drew a dagger, but before he could even turn around, he felt a shiver run over his body.

Then he felt something squeezing his heart. It was like an invisible hand was touching it.

"Fuck, what are you doing?" he screamed in desperation.

"Only testing your resistance," Belaka commented with no emotion. "But you are really weak, not worthy of an experiment."

As she said these words, the man fell almost dead on the ground, his head completely destroyed.

"Hey, girl, use his body for an experiment. They say Blood Butterflies release magic, and absorb the life force of people that are almost dying. Let’s observe it."

"Okay..." Kaho answered with a scared nod.

ООО

Finally, the week came to an end. Fortunately, Kaho had no more traumatizing encounters, and Belaka kept her word, flying her to the main hub.

They landed, and before Kaho could even look around, Belaka led her through a restricted entrance meant for teachers. The moment they stepped inside, Kaho froze.

The room was filled with countless floating monitors, each showing different parts of the Shadow Forest: people fighting, running, and surviving. It felt like watching the entire trial at once.

Then one screen caught her attention as she saw a familiar face.

Kaho stepped closer, her chest tightening. Eva stood facing Hiro, his sword pointed straight at her.

"Wait... what is..."

Before she could finish, Belaka suddenly pushed her forward.

A massive portal swallowed her instantly, cutting her off and sending her straight into the final stage.