“Amaryllis…” Mire was the first to open her mouth. Amaryllis closed her eyes, leaning against the wall.

“Amaryllis,” Gisella cut in, “we have wasted enough time. What can you do?”

“Nothing,” Amaryllis answered. She wouldn’t call herself the smart one, nor was she the strong one. She just existed—a desperate, whiny girl. She sighed, “You can leave. I think this situation has lasted longer than it should have. I can handle myself alone. Rather, I’d prefer that.” And I’ll regret saying it.

Gisella stared at her a moment longer before nodding. “Then, we go separate ways. Especially since you’ll be a burden, and the threat is nothing to dismiss. I won’t wait for either of you. If you somehow make it out alive, let’s have a cup of tea.”

Amaryllis watched as Gisella stood from her seat, opened the gate, and turned to her. Her impassive expression, for once, looked sad, regretful. Fragile even. Her lips parted. No words came out. But she had uttered a sorry. One very silent. Amaryllis could hear clearly. Cynthia had whispered something similar when she was about to be taken to the hospital and knew what Amaryllis would have to live through. Her breath quickened. Calm… We are fine… Cynthia is still in the hospital. We need to see her once this is over.

Then she turned and left, closing the door behind.

Amaryllis heard the burst. The blood splattered on the grass and loam. Screams of monsters as they were butchered. It was horrifying. Just the knowledge that she was taking the same assessment as her rent her painfully delicate heart. The gap almost felt unfair. Almost, for it never had been fair. At least their conversation ended on a more toned note. A hopeful and inviting one. Not that Amaryllis would dare to sit with someone to have coffee unless she was obligated to.

Once the cacophony of death died, Huan inhaled deeply. “I’ll go too. Sorry… I was rude. I might have been tense. But this might be the last time we see each other, and my mother wouldn’t like it if I left it on a sour note. Especially with a pretty girl like you. Best of luck.” He stood up. “The fuck!” he exclaimed as he took in the sight outside.

“Farewell, Huan. Best of luck.” Amaryllis replied. And she truly wished he would find a way out.

He gave her a confident smile, assured he would make it out alive. Now, she was alone. Like always. I can do it. Cynthia is waiting for me.

Mire still sat. Quietly and patiently. Somehow, she was the calmest of them. “They’ll have to return.”

“Why?” Amaryllis asked. Shifting away from her into the far corner, she saw a small package placed there. A note was atop it. From Light, it said.

“There’s no escape without four people. We can escape, but not without four people leaving this room and pressing four buttons on four sides of the fence to walk out of this encirclement.”

Her eyes narrowed as she dragged the package away from the corner. “How do you know?”

“A guess. A little bit of forethought and a lot more knowledge of where we are and why. Four mana channels are running around us, and my sense cuts off after a distance, even though I should be able to sense a lot farther. If I have to guess, we all need to press all four opening buttons simultaneously to open it. A very simple trick, we use it all the time. Our father builds this kind of mechanics but on a grander scale,” Her soft smile widened. “Did you feel it?”

Amaryllis nodded. The sudden surge of mana, probably Huan bashing his sword with all his might on the door, or maybe Gisella, or both, at the same time. “But there should be a place where monsters jump in. Surely, they can use it to exit.”

Mire bit her lips. “If they are as perceptive about this as you. But I’d rather believe monsters were here before that. Then, they’ll have to return and ask us.”

“And when they do… we have to work as a unit,” Amaryllis whispered. Is that why we were here in the first place? The door cannot open without all four. None of us can use force if hunters are watching. Or we might incur a penalty or something worse. We cannot use force to make one of us work against our will, even if we want to, since four of us have to be at different spots. We have to come to an agreement or beat each other up and instill fear and obedience to make it work. Shit! What the fuck is this situation? Feels like a shitty TV show with plastic stakes for drama. Clownman was goading us so we’d have a discourse, and then, opening the door without fighting each would be all but impossible. A sick joke. That twisted son of a bastard, Light was right.

“But, why do you want me to accompany you?” Amaryllis asked. Her face was still an impassive mask with no trace of emotions in her eyes.

“I just don’t want to abandon someone if I can help it. And this situation would need more than a simple blade swinging. And I don’t believe myself to survive in this place alone. I’m not a lone fighter. My abilities work best when I work with others. And… the way the clownman tried to split us, I am sure this assessment is better off as a team.”

“Thanks…” Amaryllis said, with genuine gratitude in her heart. She had met the nicest people in the world today, in a place, the masses would have you believe no one was human. And she knew which people gave that name. She wanted to believe Clownman was trying to teach them something, but a part of her refused to believe he wanted anything but perverse gratification from their suffering. “Hopefully, I can help at all.”

Mire smiled gently. But her knuckles were white from lack of blood flow. Death was scary for everyone. Including Amaryllis. “Why—” Before Amaryllis could ask why she was so tense, the door creaked open.

Gisella looked inside. First at Mire, then at Amaryllis. “Sticking together is the only option. Clownman’s words cannot be trusted. This place will not open without all of us working together.” Gisella looked at Mire, “But you already guessed that. Did you not?”

“I did.”

“That’s good to know. I am blind when it comes to sensing mana. Anyway, let’s move.”

Amaryllis decided to read the note Light had left. She had delayed it enough and half expected this talk to never end. After Gisella, Huan would come charging.

Well, I cannot help you much. Even this much is pushing it, and I don’t know what you use, so I went with a safe choice—a sword. It will cut monsters, but you’ll encounter a few seran-infected monsters. Escape if you spot one. Each instructor designs their assessment with an intent in mind. We are uninformed of what intent others will test you on for the sake of impartiality.

I have good news: if you kill a monster before soul forging, you’ll have a proportional chance at a higher-grade weapon than others. If that gives you any hope, yay.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Completing tasks also gives you points for your forge, so if you survive, expect to get some reward and unique weapon that might put you above the rest, at least at the base stats—the rest, of course, will depend on your attitude.

I informed you about the leader and listener dynamic, right? You’ll be receiving something about it during the assessment. What is it? Only if you receive it can you know, and if you don’t, then either you’re never going to be the leader or one of the best this place has ever seen, and I hope for the latter, but most likely, you’re just a listener. Do your best. Establish yourself but not as superior. Whatever fits you. You all need to establish trust with each other. For death is the most likely outcome of this examination. But it’s not all about hunting. There’s a reason you have a team. And you must have it work as one unless the situation demands you otherwise.

~See ya (Don’t Die)

Amaryllis let out a sigh. At least, it's not all bad. If I survive, which is a big if, but there’s something to look forward to. I will get a better weapon. I'll be able to climb faster hunting jobs. Higher paying ones as well. Things are better than I could’ve hoped for.

She focused on the second part with heart-clenching guilt. It was all morbid and bleak. Something about it felt wrong. She didn't want to imagine what it was that she must receive to have a future based on those words. But she knew they were written that way for a reason. We must stay as a team unless the situation demands otherwise. It is not about the hunt because we are survivors here and not a hunter.

"Amaryllis?"

She looked at Mire, breaking out of her reverie. "Sorry. Anyway, someone left me a sword to fend for myself. Very unlikely, it's going to make me a helpful one, but I can take care of myself." She then turned to Gisella, who stood at the door, and Huan screamed at her from behind to let him in but to no avail. "Let's first decide if we will work as a unit."

"We don't have a choice," Gisella sighed. "For the entire duration of the assessment, we should work as a team. At least."

"Looks like we are on the same page," Mire smiled. She seemed far more happy about this situation than Amaryllis.

Amaryllis herself was somewhat glad, but the bigger part was this twist of emotions she didn't want to untangle. This feeling of weakness didn't feel great. There's a reward. I just need to survive and pick up a few monsters along the way.

"Are we, though?" Gisella said. "Let's open the gate." She looked at Amaryllis. "There are four switches that."

"I know. Mire informed me how this works. Let's go," Amaryllis opened the crate and picked up the sword. It was like a meat cleaver. It can chop some monsters. She thought. The weight behind it felt just right, if a little heavier. She didn't have much training with a sword. The most she did was with a fake wooden sword that lasted for a glorious two weeks, after which she realized any more would be a waste of time. She couldn't imagine needing more than two weeks to master it. Even the dojo teacher was incompetent. I should've joined a more expensive one.

Mire was the first to walk out, and gasped. Amaryllis walked out, and let out a whistle. "Almost feels like you have a family feud with them."

"Thought I should leave a little opening for you before leaving. And I didn't believe you'd have a way to deal with them anyway. As hypocritical as it may sound," Gisella avoided looking at her. For once, she seemed actually embarrassed.

"Thanks, I guess," Amaryllis giggled. "You're more human than I thought. I half expected you to be detached—I don’t care about anyone—cold warrior type character."

"That's rude." Gisella huffed, fixing her jet-black hair that seemed to absorb the moonlight. "And no, I'm just bad at talking to strangers." Her voice barely reached Amaryllis's ears, and she was the closest to her. Suffice to say, Gisella didn't want others to know that. "And that sword, did you meet Light? I mean, Light Blackfrost from the medical wing?"

"Yeah, I was there before coming here," Amaryllis replied.

"Are you ill?" Gisella asked, her lightless eyes staring into hers. "I apologize for assuming."

"No. Just a happenstance. She is very nice."

"Way too nice." Gisella's voice dripped with loathing.

"You have a history with her?" Amaryllis asked. More than Gisella, she was interested in Light, and what someone like her did to make Gisella so hateful, exasperated.

“She is…” Before Gisella could finish, Huan decided to barge in.

"Hey! That's enough flirting. We are in a death zone, in case you all have not realized it," Huan shoved himself in between them physically.

"Huan shouldn't be the one talking about realization," Mire giggled. "But, he's right. I'll go to the left... Hopefully, there are no monsters alive."

"I don't sense any, but I cannot be sure," Gisella looked around. Her brand was covered under a leather glove and a full-sleeve black leather coat she wore. She looked like a hunter, just a cap was missing.

"I scream the loudest," Huan said proudly. "I'll count to three, then we press the button. I'll take the door switch," And he didn't wait.

"Mana burst is a thing," Gisella intoned. Huan stopped, his shoulders shaking in rage, and then he stomped the rest of his way to the steel gate. Even Amaryllis could use a mana burst, it was simply letting out mana as a beat of pulse through the air. It couldn't hurt even a butterfly, but people could notice it.

They were in the back of a security booth, surrounded by a two-story high fence that oozed with element-infused mana, and Amaryllis could guess it belonged to the Lightning family. Standing fifteen meters away from their abode. The front was a straightforward walk to the gate with a button on the inside. The sides, however, were a different story.

Other structures were erected, all single room type probably for keeping equipment, and if Amaryllis had to guess, the switches were hidden within one of them. And if she dared to predict something, a monster was sneaking around, which would jump at her just as she pressed her hand on the button. Am I the side character who dies first tragically?

"I'll take the back..." Amaryllis whispered. Don't ask her for a reason. She was stupid and dumb and wanted to avoid bushes on the side, which could hide a dozen venomous creatures.

"I'll take right."

"Then, I'll go left," Mire said.

Amaryllis clenched her sword tightly, and walked around the ordinary-looking room. Behind it, there was another room, half inside the fence and half outside. She struck the overgrowth from the side. Just in case something was sneaking inside. Her sword split through it like butter. She smiled, circled around it, and grabbed the doorknob. Her paranoia now told her something would jump at her as soon as she opened it.

But she did, and jumped back and to the side—panicked. Nothing came out. No sign. She let out a breath of relief. Of course, this was far from over. If anything, this was just the beginning. Now, the enormous mountain-climbing of a task to enter the room. Which side would have a monster?

"Three!" Huan screamed at the top of his lungs. He will lose his voice if he continues screaming like that.

Don't panic. Amaryllis ordered herself as she circled around the room’s door to see the inside from all angles. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing. Eerily so.

"TWO!"

It was somehow even louder. His ability makes him scream louder. Amaryllis thought sarcastically. She decided to walk in, cleaver half raised in the air.

And to her surprise. There was nothing.

The switch was on the floor. She hurried and crouched next to it, placing her hand.

"One!"

Her vein turned black, yet glowed in the dark as the strand of colors drifted in it without purpose and slowly sunk into the switch.

"NOW!"

Amaryllis pressed harder. The switch sunk dully. No tactile feeling. But it lit up.

The sound of a steel door moving echoed through the area. "It's open!" He screamed.