Perched silently on a branch, my body pressed tightly against the rough bark. I found myself positioned about five meters above the ground. The darkness of the night enveloped the sky, devoid of even a single twinkling star.

I was on the hunt.

The dim moonlight, filtering through the trees was enough for my heightened senses to see clearly. Despite it, I couldn't yet see what I knew to be coming.

I inhaled deeply, drawing in the musty scent of the forest floor mingled with a faint note of decay.

Then, amid the hushed symphony of the night, a delicate rustling of leaves shattered the tranquility. My ears perked up, attuned to the slightest disturbance, as a humanoid figure emerged from the dense undergrowth. The stench intensified with its every step.

As the figure drew closer, I could make out more details - it was a rotting corpse, its flesh bloated and discolored, with jagged wounds all over its body.

My stomach churned, but I forced myself to stay calm.

I am the hunter.

It came to a stop right below my branch, where I'd placed my bait. A bloody rag.

Its decaying eyes fixated on the object, drawn to the scent of fresh blood. I tightened my grip around the stone, my heart pounding in my chest.

It bent down, examining the rag.

Now.

With swift determination, I leaped from the branch, descending upon the unsuspecting monster. The stone connected with a sickening thud, crushing bone and flesh as the creature crumpled to the ground.

Congratulations! You have killed a wiedergänger and earned 30 points.

I let out the breath I had been holding. The kill notification was key. You couldn't relax before you saw it.

Trust me, I only made that mistake once.

Two days had passed since I was at the lake with Michael's group. I hadn't been idle in that time. Instead I was venturing out at night, hunting monsters for points.

It was rather simple actually. First I scouted them out with my stealth ability. The were countless different types of monsters, and if I hated one thing, it was a fair fight. So I made sure to look for weaknesses, before making my move. I took note of their movement patterns, analyzing their agility, size, and any discernible patterns in their defenses. This reconnaissance allowed me to gather invaluable information, enabling me to formulate a plan of attack that would give me the upper hand.

Those zombie things for example, were a fairly easy kill. Dumb as bricks, they fell for the same trap everytime. The only thing you had to be careful of, was making sure they actually died. Destroying their heads was what worked best.

As the sun began to make its presence known on the horizon, casting a soft glow across the landscape, I knew that the time for hunting had come to an end.

Hunting during day was much less ideal for me, since there was a much lower monster density. Furthermore, the daylight robbed me of the shadows that provided a shroud of concealment and amplified the effectiveness of my abilities.

I quickly made my way back to my treehouse.

Inside the confines of my shelter, I set about preparing breakfast. The field rations I had bought last time serving as a meager sustenance. Their unappealing aroma wafted through the air, filling the space with an unpleasant odor that failed to entice my taste buds.

Nonetheless, my body demanded sustenance, regardless of its less-than-ideal flavor.

As I reluctantly swallowed, I hoped that this would be one of the last instances where I would be reliant on these subpar rations. I wasn't sure exactly how many points I had from the hunt, but I was confident they would be enough for some proper food.

So far, I felt like I had adapted quite well to the trial. I had shelter, food and magic. More importantly, though I hadn't encountered any more contestants so far.

After finishing breakfast, I decided to practice my ability again.

During my hunts I had discovered the ability to project my essence out of my body. It was difficult though. I had to be either in meditation, or some sort of flowstate. In my shelter, only meditation worked.

I laid back comfortably against the treetrunk. Slowly, I directed my awareness inward, seeking the elusive currents of energy that flowed within me. With deliberate intent, I visualized my essence as a vibrant force, coursing through the intricate network of my veins like a shimmering river of essence.

Every breath became a conduit, facilitating the harmonious circulation of this ethereal energy throughout my entire being. I tried to move it, but it resisted. Undeterred, I immersed myself deeper into the meditative state, delving into the depths of my consciousness where the true power resided.

Eventually, I could grasp the barest hint of control over the essence. It was difficult. I felt the sweat on brow.

But I pushed on. I felt the essence flowing withuin me, giving me a glimpse of power. I had to hold myself from salivating. With a titanic effort of will, I channeled the essence through the pathways of my body, focusing its emergence into my outstretched hand. It worked well, until it reached the surface of my hand. There it bucked, almost slipping from my control.

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I didn't let it. I had gotten so far, I wasn't to let it slip again.

Finally, a subtle transformation took place—a gentle radiance suffused with hues of ethereal purple, akin to a mesmerizing haze, began to emanate from my palm.

I held back a celebratory scream.

Fuck yes.

I'd done it. Not sure what it did, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm. I was doing bloody magic!

It's usefulness had proven itself plenty of times during the hunts. I was giddy with the possiblities that projecting the power might hold.

My celebration quickly disrupted my control, but I didn't mind. This was the longest I ever manged to project it anyways.

I swiped the sweat of my forehead. I would need need to talk to Michael about those powers. Veronica too, if I could convince her. This was a tremendous chance to increase my power, and it briefly overpowered even my paranoia. Magic always left me feeling like a kid.

I took a few minutes to regain composure. Talking to them might help, but it was a risk. I would need need to think about this carefully. How much was I willing to reveal?

I put those thoughts out of my mind for the moment. I wasn't thinking clearly right now.

Instead I decided it was time to exchange my points. I got up, dusting of my already ripped pants from sitting in the tree so long.

I climbed down, treading cautiously in the familiar patch of forest.

Just as I neared the edge of the clearing where the shop stood, a chorus of voices reached my ears. Instantly, my senses sharpened, and my instincts kicked into high gear.

People.

Almost on instinct, my essence flowed around me, hiding my from sight. Carefully I peered through the leaves.

I positioned myself behind a dense cluster of leaves, peering through the foliage at the people on the clearing. Counting them silently in my mind, I noted the presence of seven individuals.

While some were unmistakably human, I spared them only a passing glance as I observed the group. The aliens were much more interesting. I noted serveral distinct species. Amidst the throng, one particular alien caught my eye—an insectoid species whose appearance was undeniably unsettling.

Their multifaceted eyes shimmered like faceted gemstones, hinting at possibly heightened sensory perception. Mandibles, razor-sharp and serrated, flexed with an unsettling precision. Certainly wouldn't want to meet those.

Also they were all clearly very well equipped. Much better than either me, or Michaels group. Weapons of various shapes and sizes were holstered at their sides, reflecting a craftsmanship that surpassed anything I had encountered in the trial thus far.

Gathered around the shop, they seemed engaged in a heated conversation. I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but it seemed to be english. Odd, considering their diversity, but likely the system had something to do with it.

The humans among them seemed to be doing something strange. It was hard to make out from my vantage point, but it looked like they were circeling the shop with something. Wire maybe?

They others were just exchanging their points. Their focused expressions and swift movements indicated their familiarity with the process, highlighting their experience in navigating the intricate workings of this post-event reality. I was fairly confident they wouldn't be able to spot me, so I decided to wait them out.

My suspicions were confirmed, when a few minutes later they were moving on. I was tempted to follow them, but decided otherwise. I was confident they wouldn't be able to spot me, sitting motionless in some bushes. Actually following them was a different story. Although my ability granted decent protection from sight, it did not help me stay quiet. No need to take that risk.

Instead I chose to remain rooted in my covert position, allowing the group to fade into the distance. Just to make sure they were gone, I even waited a bit longer, before finally sneaking out to the shop.

Walking onto the clearing, I kept a lookout for what the humans had been doing around the shop.

There, delicately concealed in the high grass, lay a meticulously placed thin wire. Its presence, barely discernible to the untrained eye, indicated a purposeful intent—a trap. If I hadn't seen them set it up, I was sure I would have missed it. No idea what it did, but I didn't plan to find out.

"Fuck"

As I got closer, I couldn't help but swear quitely. The wire was spanned strategically all around the perimeter of the shop. Extremely easy to miss.

My mind raced. If they were willing to trap the fucking shop, they were very serious about killing. It reenforced my conviction to, interact as little as possible with the other contestants.

Still. I had to tell the lakeside group.They had been more than friendly and deserved a warning.

Cautiously I stepped over the wire. I still needed to buy some stuff.

Choose your reward 630 points Sustenance Equipment Medicine

As always I checked out the Medicine tab at first. It held something I needed.

I selected the medicine option again, and once again hundreds of options appeared.

First aid kit (80 points) Simple first aid kid. Has everything you would expect. Please note, this kit is designed for humans and adjacent races.

General purpose Elixir (500 points)

Heals minor wounds, helps with medium to major wounds. Also has a minor effect on most poison and venom. Works upon consumption.

There. I bought the elixir without hesitation. It was expensive, but I felt a necessary insurance.

The only thing worse than losing a fight, is winning it and then bleeding out next to your opponent.

Next on my list should probably be a decent weapon. Preferably ranged. But I'd already looked for those last time, and they were well out of my price range.

Instead I choose to induldge a bit.

Dry Crackers (20 points) Cheap crackers designed to keep you alive. Only consume with plenty of water. Designed for humans and adjacent races consumption.

Energy Bars (30 points) Regular energy bars. Might taste bland. Designed for humans and adjacent races consumption.

Fried Chicken (70 points) Regular fried chicken. Designed for humans and adjacent races consumption.

I bought one of each.

Yes I know, call me an idiot. But at least I'm an idiot who eats well.

Also after all that hunting, I felt I deserved some.

I quickly packed up everything and immeresed myself in the forest. Going onto that clearing always made me antsy. Now with that I'd seen the trap, even moreso. It was almost as if the organizers purposefully made the shops for confrontation.

Also thinking of the trap, I probably should warn my allies about it before they stumble over it. Quite literally stumble, heh.

Right after securing my food.