“Armored beasts?” Hitomi repeated, her confusion evident.

The question confirmed Toru’s suspicion: this was Hitomi’s first participation in the trials. Despite her impressive Cognition abilities, she was a complete novice in these scenarios.

Toru leaned in, lowering his voice to a more serious tone. “Other participants aren’t the only danger you should be aware of, Hitomi.”

Hitomi nodded, her expression firm and determined. “I’ll remember that.”

Her resolve reassured Toru. “Just trust me on this one, capisce?”

“Roger,” Hitomi replied, her voice steady.

With their agreement settled, they decided to tackle the “Misty Trenches” objective. This choice was motivated by their preference for a stealthy approach to combat and Toru’s reluctance to return to the castle, where he suspected the infernal demon Musabori might still be lurking.

“Misty Trenches” was a temporary objective, a common feature in the trials, and it was located to the southwest of Daggerwell Castle. The area in question was a plains region west of a dense forest..

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As they approached the designated area, Toru handed Hitomi a breather he had crafted. It was a makeshift device fashioned using his damaged matter reconstructor. The device was designed to protect against the toxic mist, though its appearance was somewhat improvised.

When Toru glanced at Hitomi’s face, he saw a curious blob of slime stuck to the lower part of her head. She looked at him with a thumbs-up, her expression resolute as she exclaimed, “Blom blom!”

Toru squinted, trying to decipher her words. It sounded like she was giving an affirmative response, possibly saying “All good!” or something similar. “...Glad you’re ready, I guess,” he responded, somewhat unsure but trying to stay positive.

He then put on his own breather, which initially felt heavy on his chest but quickly became light and refreshing once he adjusted to it. The breather took some getting used to, but Toru adapted swiftly.

Meanwhile, Hitomi reloaded her vest, which contained 16 shotgun shells from earlier. Toru took advantage of the surrounding forest materials to craft a makeshift shield from wood and stone. He used the matter reconstructor’s failsafe functionality, which allowed him to push beyond the device’s usual limits at the expense of its remaining energy. It was a fair trade-off, given the device’s already compromised state and his need for a functional shield.

With their preparations complete, Toru and Hitomi were ready to venture into the Misty Trenches. They knew the path ahead would be fraught with challenges, but their combined skills and newfound alliance provided them with a fighting chance.