I Was Just a Cleaner... Until I Got the Demon Extraction System-Chapter 71: Difficult Choice

The test hadn't ended yet. Most of the participants were in the forest, fighting against each other, trying to get their hands on one of the rings.

Damian was fine. He had three rings with him, meaning he already passed the first part of the test. So he wasn't anxious to get one.

Still, he wanted to try and get a few more rings so that everyone he knew passed. The hotel was a complete mess.

There were people still fighting, trying to get the rings. Damian and Jaxon were hiding, trying to avoid drawing attention.

"What are we going to do now?" Jaxon asked, "I mean, we already passed the test, so we can just hide and wait."

Damian shook his head. "I want to try and get a few more rings. Will you help me?"

Jaxon stared at Damian for a few seconds, and then he nodded. He knew that the only reason everything worked out for him was because of Damian's help. So, the least he could do to pay him back was help him get more rings.

Damian stood there and waited for the right moment to strike. There was no reason to rush and do something stupid. He had to make sure things would work out.

The reason was simple: he had three rings to lose. Damian didn't want to act without thinking, which ultimately led to his demise.

Also, now that Damian was trying to get his hunter's license, he had to keep using his water skills. Using the other ones related to demons wasn't a brilliant idea.

"There," Jaxon whispered, pointing at a slightly open door, "I think there's someone inside, hiding."

Damian looked toward the area that Jaxon was pointing at, and sure enough, there was someone there, ducked in the corner, hiding from the other participants.

"Let's move," Damian said.

They walked toward the door, trying to be as close to the wall as possible, as that would make sure they wouldn't be easily seen.

The person hiding there was tired and weak. Damian could feel it. Getting the ring wouldn't be a problem for him.

He made a hand sign to Jaxon, trying to say that he would be the one doing the fight. All Jaxon had to do was stand there and help him if needed.

Damian had no idea if Jaxon understood the sign, but he moved in anyway. He opened the door, and when the person hiding there saw Damian, he raised his hands, ready for a fight.

"Don't make this harder than it has to," Damian said, "just hand over your ring."

The ring was the only thing that Damian wanted. Beating someone he didn't know — someone who was undoubtedly a decent person — wasn't a nice thing to do.

The man recognized Damian. Everyone did, after Damian's interruption during the test explanation, after the leap through the window, after he'd vanished. Now Damian's intensity fixed the man in place.

"Looking for rings? Your friends already got theirs—no need to worry."

Damian frowned, "What do you mean? Where are they?"

Damian forced himself to consider what was happening. Was the man buying time with lies, hoping to escape? If not—if there was any truth to his words—Damian needed to know.

The man offered, "I can show you where they are hiding, if you promise to protect me while we go there. We will have to move."

Damian expected the man to want something in return; of course, he did. Damian checked his watch. He still had time—time to control this exchange, time before the test ended.

Damian said, "Show me the way then, and don't stall. I will get your ring if you fool me."

The man nodded, got up from the corner, and moved. Jaxon watched Damian's every move, worry plain on his face as he listened.

Jaxon said, "Are you sure this man is telling the truth? We could just get his ring and be done with it."

"I think he is telling the truth," Damian said, "But if you notice something weird, tell me."

Damian trusted his gut, but he liked hearing others' opinions. It helped him feel more confident things would work out.

They left the room and walked through the hotel's corridors. Most windows were broken, glass shards scattered across the floor.

The hotel was a mess, as if a war had erupted there. The man led the way.

"They are hiding outside," he said, "in the back area near the forest."

Once they left the hotel, that's when Damian had to do his part of the agreement. That was when he had to protect that man.

There were other participants outside. Most of them were tired after a long night of fighting. Damian and Jaxon were the only ones who spent the night chilling, safe from everyone.

Someone attacked them without saying a word. As the man prepared to strike, Damian was quicker, forming a water spear and launching it into the man's chest.

The force of the attack sent the man flying into a nearby tree, where he hit his back and passed out.

Damian approached and checked the man's hands for a ring.

"No rings," he said, "what a shame."

Damian's guide grew even more frightened after witnessing the attack.

"I can't piss this guy off," the man thought.

He quickened his pace to show where Damian's friends were.

Damian's friends were hiding in a small shack. Although not far from the hotel, it was secluded among the trees and difficult to locate. Damian turned to the man, curiosity in his eyes. "How did you know they were here?" he asked, unsure how the man had found this out-of-the-way shack.

Damian thought it was a clever hiding spot. He was surprised that this man, who was a stranger, had managed to find it so quickly.

"Luck," the man replied. "I happened to see them head towards this shack from the hotel window. I recognized who they were because I'd seen you with them before."

Damian's actions at the test's start made him memorable to everyone. He smiled; recognition felt good.

Once they reached the shack, Damian was the one opening the door. When he did, everyone inside prepared to attack him, but when they saw it was him, everyone sighed in relief.

"It's you," one of the girls said, "where were you?"

Damian, Jaxon, and the guide entered the shack. It was not a good idea to stay outside.

"I hid in the forest," Damian said, "and there I found this man, Jaxon. We hid together in the forest."

"Well, you don't need to worry," one of the girls proudly said, "all of us have our rings, so considering you have three rings, we actually have two to spare."

It surprised Damian. He didn't think they would manage to get all of the rings.

"So what do I do with the other two rings?" Damian asked. "Hand them off to random people and be done?"

They considered Damian's suggestion. Not giving the rings would mean two more participants would fail, which would reduce their competition in future tests.

This was an obvious choice; here, no one was a real friend. Everyone simply wanted to pass and get their hunter ID.

With their decision made, they waited inside the shack until the test ended. When time was up, the examiners gathered everyone in the main hotel area, as they had the night before.

Everyone was there. The participants who had the rings and those who didn't.

Damian saw it in their faces. Some were thrilled to have passed the test; others felt they had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"This test is over," the main examiner yelled, "please, everyone who has their rings, go to the right side."

The examiner separated the groups to identify who had passed. Another examiner checked everyone's hands to confirm the truth.

Damian and everyone he had worked with stood together on the right side. All had passed.

When the examiner reached Damian, he looked at him and said, "You made quite the move the other night. Let me see your ring."

Damian showed his hand with three silver rings. The examiner was shocked.

"Wait a moment," he said.

The examiner spoke in whispers to the main examiner. Despite Damian's sharp senses, he couldn't overhear—their skill blocked all listeners.

The main examiner gestured, inviting Damian to approach. Damian complied without hesitation.

"What do you want to do with the other two rings you have?" the main examiner asked, "You can give them to two participants who failed the test, or you can get the benefit of passing the next test without having to do it."

Damian frowned. Passing the next test sounded appealing—he would advance without adding competitors.

But was that wise? Was the examiner testing him again? Maybe helping two others was actually the better choice.

Lost in his thoughts, Damian didn't know what to answer. He also didn't have much time to think, as the main examiner was staring at him, urging for the answer.