The hound extermination crew found themselves beneath a towering canopy of trees, sunlight filtering through the tangled mesh of leaves and branches. A fragrant breeze, stirred by gentle winds, permeated the air with the scent of flowers.

Scott found himself questioning their location, his attention drawn away from the unique vegetation to the champions lingering in the expansive grass field. “Where the hell is this place?” he muttered, pushing aside the distractions around him.

Slim, noting the tension in the atmosphere, commented via the party channel, “How are we supposed to find the city while in a forest?”

Zara chimed in, “I can’t see any of the people that left earlier. Could it be that they were randomly sent elsewhere?”

Slim narrowed his gaze, observing the champions in the distance who also scrutinized their group. “Now that you mentioned it, I don’t recognize anyone here.”

Scott, his focus unwavering, pointed out, “Isn’t it strange that no one has left the grass field?”

Zara and Slim stared intently at the surrounding woods, unable to spot any champions or people beyond the expansive field.

“I don’t know what type of place this is; let’s be careful, okay?” Scott urged, his gaze lingering on a group in blackened armor stained with blood.

“Those guys over there are high-level berserkers, and they’re in the same party; they also have some troublesome abilities too. We should avoid anything that could cause problems with them,” Scott warned the duo silently through the party channel.

Zara and Slim exchanged discreet nods, their eyes flickering towards the formidable trio. A palpable unease rippled through the surroundings, dissuading anyone from venturing too close to the group, whose collective presence emanated a deadly aura unmatched by any other champions.

“I hope whatever this trial entails doesn't involve another round of running. I'm exhausted from having to sprint in every trial,” Slim remarked, his gaze sweeping across the scene.

“Would you prefer a battle where you're besieged from all sides?” Zara retorted, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Count your blessings that’s, so far, all we've had to do is…”

Before Zara could finish her sentence, a resonant gong interrupted her, and a portal materialized a few feet away from the hound extermination crew. Three figures, clad in white, emerged from the portal, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present.

I don't recognize any of them. It seems champions are arriving from various judgment gates. And they don't appear to be weak, Scott mused to himself.

The Progenitor of Light is now watching you! The Progenitor of Light has stopped watching you!

Before Scott could react, the new arrivals turned toward his direction, and then they approached in light steps.

“Is it just me, or are those guys coming over here?” Slim asked with a frown.

Zara shifted her gaze to the trio, consisting of two women and a slender man. Clad in pristine white togas adorned with a golden sash cinched at their waists, none of them revealed a strand of hair. Delicately, a translucent silk cloth veiled their faces, unperturbed by the gentle winds in the area.

“We greet you as bearers of light, may your journey be filled with illumination and clarity,” the man said while bowing gently.

Zara and Slim exchanged uncertain glances, caught off guard by the unconventional greeting. The man, Oliver, lifted his head, a gentle smile gracing his features. “My name is Oliver,” he introduced, gesturing towards his companions. “That's Sister Olga, and that's Sister Hertha. We're all disciples of the Order of Light.”

Scott, with his citrine eyes fixed on Oliver's brown ones, cut through the pleasantries. “What do you want?” he asked flatly. The slender man shuddered, taking a step back, averting his gaze. “I-I apologize for being rude,” he stammered, clearing his throat. He glanced over his shoulder, aware of the curious eyes fixed on them. Summoning the system window, he produced a new message that materialized in front of Scott.

You have been invited to join a temporary party! Do you wish to accept this invitation? Yes! No!

“Please consider the invitation. Numerous curious eyes are upon us and accepting it will allow us to converse without the risk of eavesdroppers,” Oliver implored, bowing once more.

“I believe there's a misunderstanding here. I have no interest in speaking with you,” Scott replied, reaching to reject the proposal.

“Please wait,” Oliver pleaded, lifting his head. “What I need to convey is significant. I urge you to listen before making a decision.”

“Buddy, what's going on?” Slim inquired, peering at the system message over Scott's shoulder. “Oh, a temporary party, huh? What could be so crucial that he's practically begging you?”

“Do you know him?” Zara asked, also fixated on the system notification.

“This is our first meeting,” Scott stated.

“Do you want to accept the invitation? Personally, I don't see any harm in hearing him out. A temporary party can be canceled at any time, and it appears this party will only enable the two of you to talk, nothing more,” Slim suggested.

“How do you know that?” Scott questioned, glancing at the yawning skeleton.

“C'mon, buddy, you don't even know that?” Slim asked, slightly dazed. However, Scott's unblinking eyes met his words. The necromancer sighed, shaking his head. “I'll explain in detail later, but this temporary party will only allow the two of you to share a party channel. Even if neither of you leaves the party, it will naturally dissolve within an hour,” Slim explained.

Scott averted his gaze from the necromancer, focusing on the bowing man once more. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t curious about what he wants to say. Let's give it a shot. I can always exit the party or flatly ignore him if he says or asks for something troublesome.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but I hope you’re not wasting my time,” Scott said, before accepting the invitation.

You have accepted the invitation! You can now exchange messages with Oliver through the temporary party channel!

Oliver expressed his gratitude mentally as he lifted his head. “Thank you for accepting the invitation. Let's get straight to the point. I sought you out because I received a message from the Progenitor of Light.”

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Interrupting, Scott asked, “Who is that? Is it the same as the God of Light?”

Oliver shook his head. “Many outside the order mistakenly use both titles interchangeably. However, the God of Light has no direct influence on the Order of Light. Instead, it is the Progenitor of Light who leads us, supposedly following the God of Light. Unfortunately, delving into the inner workings of the order is not suitable for discussion at this moment.” Oliver took a deep breath before continuing, “I need you to deliver an item to the Order of Light.”

Scott, behind his mask, frowned. “Why can't you deliver it yourself? I have no intention of ever visiting the Order of Light.”

Oliver wore a sardonic smile as he scratched his head. “Trust me, anyone who undergoes the trials will eventually find themselves at the Order of Light, as long as they remain alive. I can't guarantee it, but the Progenitor believes you'll reach the order much sooner than I will.”

Stepping forward, he retrieved a small sac from his inventory. “I cannot open the sac, and its contents are unknown to me. The Progenitor has promised substantial rewards if you deliver it to the Order of Light. You won't face any consequences if you choose to reject this task,” Oliver assured.

Meanwhile, Scott wore a deep frown as he stared at the uninspiring sac. Why would someone of such a high status want me to deliver an item for them? I don’t like this, something isn’t right.

Scott readied himself to reject the offer, but a stray thought entered the mind of the eldritch knight. System, is it possible to communicate with the Gods and lesser gods?

You can only communicate with your sponsors or those interested in sponsoring you! Please choose who you want to communicate with from the following option! The lesser god of illusions!

Thank God this guy is persistent. Maybe he can give me some decent advice, Scott thought as he pressed the sole option.

A direct connection between you and the lesser god of illusions could not be established! Due to the vast disparity between both entities, direct communication will not be possible! The lesser god of illusions is excited you tried to communicate with them! The lesser god of illusions is curious and asks why you tried to establish a connection! An indirect channel has been established between you and the lesser god of illusions! The lesser god of illusions asks you to state your concerns mentally, and they would respond!

I have no idea if this will work, but here goes nothing. Scott mentally explained the offer from the progenitor of light, and it didn’t take long before another system window appeared.

The lesser god of illusions whispers from their hiding location to accept the offer! The lesser god of illusions says the Order of Light isn't known to be devious! The lesser god of illusions says it’s better ??? owes you a favor! The connection between you and the lesser god of illusions has been disconnected by the ??? The lesser god of illusions is being scolded by the ???

Scott chuckled softly as he stared at the series of new messages. I kind of feel sorry for this guy, but I wonder why he’s being scolded. Did he say something he wasn’t supposed to?

The eldritch knight shifted his gaze away from the system window, fixing his eyes on the brown sac once again. “I'll assist in delivering the item.”

“Thank you so much. I promise—” Scott's raised hand halted Oliver's attempt to speak further. “Let me finish before you start making promises. While I plan to deliver the sac, I won't do it at the expense of my life. If, for some reason, others come chasing after me because of the sac, I'll gladly hand it over. I won't risk my life for favors and treasures that were merely promised. Also, I won't actively rush to the Order of Light. I'll get there when I please or when it's required. If my terms aren't agreeable to you, please find someone else,” Scott declared.

A system message materialized in front of Oliver, and the disciple wore a smile as he turned his attention back to Scott. “No problem. Your terms are agreeable,” he said.

Scott glanced at the system window, unable to discern its contents. However, he sensed that someone had directed the man to comply. With a lazy motion, he received the sac, promptly sending it to his inventory.

A temporary party member has decided to close the party!

“Thank you for your assistance, and I wish you good luck on your journey,” Oliver said before turning to leave.

“Wait,” Scott called out, opening his inventory. “Consider this payment for the food. I won't accept charity.” Scott firmly handed a jar of gruff wine to Oliver.

“Oh? Oh.” Oliver chuckled, understanding Scott's intentions. “I shamelessly accept your wine in exchange for those truffles,” he said, placing the wine into his inventory. With one final bow, he and his disciples walked away. This time, not many people paid attention to the two groups, especially after their parting words.

“Buddy, what was that all about?” Slim asked, crouching to observe some wandering ants.

“It's nothing crucial. Let's just say I'll be visiting the Order of Light in the future,” Scott replied, his attention focused on the surrounding forest.

Slim nodded, choosing not to press further. Zara, however, folded her arms across her chest, mirroring Scott's stance, both observing the forest. After a moment, a crease formed on their faces as they subconsciously locked eyes. Wordlessly, they retrieved their maps from their inventories, their expressions darkening.

“Damn it,” Scott cursed out loud. The massive holographic city had vanished, replaced by a sea of flashing indicators.

"Guys, what’s gotten into you? Why did you suddenly take out your maps?” Slim asked as he stood up. The necromancer quickly summoned his map, and his expression instantly soured.

“What the hell happened, and what are those things?” Slim asked in a daze.

“Take a closer look at the forest, and this time, look at it carefully,” Zara said, her voice barely a whisper.

Slim raised his head, staring intently at the massive trees surrounding them. What’s so special about the trees? We should be bothered about… Slim abandoned his line of thought, a familiar pattern appearing within the tree formation.

This… could this really be, it couldn’t be, right?

The skeleton shot a glance at his companions. “Is this the city?” he asked mentally. The towering buildings had been replaced with equally majestic trees, and the wide streets had been overgrown with grass, flowers, and a host of other vegetation.

“I doubt this is Togan. The quest said it’s located beneath the sea. Saying that, I have no idea why this place is exactly like the second district,” Scott said.

“This can’t be a coincidence. I have a bad feeling about this,” Zara said with a frown, while sending the map back into her inventory. Several groups glanced in their direction, and they took out their maps. Like the hound extermination crew, shock covered the faces of the champions as they struggled to understand why the awe-inspiring holographic map had disappeared.

Another gong echoed, announcing the arrival of a fresh wave of champions. The count on the grassy field fell just two short of fifty.

“Shall we proceed?” Slim inquired, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.

“No,” Scott replied. “Unlike the previous trial, I'm certain there'll be someone overseeing this one. Plus, there hasn't been a system announcement signaling the commencement of the trial.”

A resonant chime filled the air, and two portals materialized simultaneously, disgorging one champion each.

The conditions for starting the hunt have been fulfilled! Champions are to take their places! The Examiner will now descend! Main Quest updated! Main Quest: Survive the third trial – Ongoing!