I ventured deep into the jungle, though I made sure not to stray too far—staying within the test area was crucial.

"Tsk... So they actually want them to kill each other now."

I let out an annoyed sigh.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t expected this. It was the fact that they really went through with it.

Screams pierced my eardrums. The farther I walked, the louder they became. I had no idea how that was possible.

Then, I stopped for a moment. The screams... they weren’t coming from the distance. They were coming from the trees themselves.

The Spiritbound Giants. I knew that the name spirit had nothing to do with enlightenment.

These were the spirits of the dead.

I stepped into the trees. Echoes of their screams reverberated through them.

You couldn’t pinpoint an enemy’s location in a place like this.

At that moment, I felt like an insect caught in the web of a massive spider—one that was drawing closer and closer.

This place was a real trap.

I climbed one of the towering trees. Sure enough, its height rivaled the clouds.

I perched on a sturdy branch, leaning against the main trunk. From here, I could see the explosions of Ghinn erupting all over the battlefield, hear the clashes of swords.

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The sound bounced between the trees.

"So this is what they call the Symphony of Death…"

I murmured to myself, piecing together a strategy.

Nowhere in the test instructions did it say we had to kill our opponents. Nowhere did it even say we had to fight to pass.

But there was a bigger dilemma.

"Hmm… You’re thinking deeply. Let me guess what’s bothering you."

A voice.

From behind me.

I jumped instantly, drawing my dagger. My stance tightened as my eyes darted around, scanning for the source.

Then, he stepped out from behind the trees—a man in his twenties, like me. Silver hair, with dead-purple streaks at the tips.

He wore ancient Chinese robes, sleeves longer than his hands.

The white silk of his garments was on an entirely different level.

Just looking at it, I could feel the chill, the eerie comfort of its presence.

I might have trusted him—if not for that smile on his face.

"Who are you?!"

"My name is Zhou Xin. I’m not here to harm you. Or anyone else."

"Then what do you want?"

I tightened my grip on my dagger.

"I simply read your thoughts… and I believe you’re right about this test."

The moment he said that, I didn’t hesitate. I lunged at him.

One kick sent him crashing into the branch behind him.

By the time he recovered, my dagger was already at his throat.

"Explain. Or lose your life."

He was startled but quickly pulled himself together—he knew just how dangerous this situation was.

"I just… want to make it out of this test alive. And so do you. So why don’t we help each other?"

My dagger didn’t waver. Not even a millimeter.

A mind-reader.

I pulled the blade back slightly and stepped away.

"And how do I know you won’t betray me the moment you get the chance?"

"Look at my clothes. It seems you don’t recognize me yet. Let me introduce myself properly… I am Zhou Xin Huang, heir to the Western Huang lineage. By the name of my family, I will never betray you."

[Huang, Zhou, Cheng Lu… These were all foreign kingdoms, separated by an entire subcontinent.]

I didn’t care about some foreign family name or royal bloodline.

But what made me turn my back to him and motion for him to climb down—was the fact that I could already tell he wasn’t a fighter.

I wasn’t an expert, but I knew how to fight. And I wasn’t reckless enough to trust just anyone. Consider my earlier threat a test—a way to see what kind of person he truly was.

And what I learned?

This man was a real schemer.

We descended from the tree. The echoes of the battlefield still filled the air as we advanced cautiously through the jungle.

"So you said you read my thoughts. What exactly did you find out?"

"I did. You think the test doesn’t actually require killing—or even fighting—to pass. Right?"

"….."

"Your silence is proof I’m right."

Zhou Xin chuckled lightly, covering his mouth.

"But there’s something else. Something you don’t know."

"And what’s that?"

I sighed in frustration. Did I really have to explain everything to him? I shot him a serious look as we stopped in the middle of the jungle.

"This test… has no time limit. And no maximum number of survivors."