The instant Paimon pulled his hands apart, reality itself shifted… a sudden, overwhelming change, as though the scene had been a mere illusion all along.
The grand hall was gone.
Noah felt the damp air before his mind could fully grasp his new surroundings. The floor beneath him was no longer the smooth… polished stone but soft, uneven earth.
A dense jungle stretched endlessly in every direction, its canopy was so thick that only faint beams of moonlight pierced through, scattering some unusual patches of soft light across the moss-covered ground.
A heavy mist clung to the air, swirling as if alive, and beyond it came the ceaseless sounds of life—cracking branches, distant screeches, the rattling of enormous insects lurking just beyond sight.
The sheer number of climbers had diminished.
What was once a crowd of thousands had become a mere hundred. The vastness of the jungle made it feel even emptier, the weight of the unknown pressing down on all who remained.
Paimon remained at the center of it all, standing atop a fallen tree trunk as though it was a royal stage.
He gave a slow glance at those gathered before him, then spoke with that wicked tongue of his.
"Do not fret, dear climbers," he said "for you are precisely where you are meant to be."
He gestured outward. "Though the faces around you may seem fewer than before, I assure you, you are not alone. Across this vast and boundless land, the others stand as you do—scattered, separated, yet each guided by none other than myself."
"Or rather, fragments of myself," he corrected, placing a delicate hand to his chest. "For you see, a single host would never be enough to entertain such a grand affair. As I speak to you, I speak to them. As I stand before you, I stand before them. A hundred voices, a hundred eyes—all woven from the same, singular self. Fascinating, wouldn't you agree?"
He exhaled, shaking his head as though amused by his own ingenuity. "But I digress."
Paimon continued.
"This place, climbers, is known as Verdos."
The sounds in the jungle grew louder. Clicking, skittering, breathing.
Paimon clasped his hands together with a sharp, crisp motion. "Now, let us not waste precious time. For this trial, you must form teams of five. Strength is necessary, yes, but adaptability, trust, and tactics are just as vital. Choose wisely, for the hands you clasp now may be the ones to stab you."
A light chuckle. "And for those too hesitant, too prideful, or too slow... worry not."
He snapped his fingers. A ripple of golden light spread outward from him, forming a glowing roulette wheel suspended in the air.
It was filled with countless names, flickering between different languages and scripts as it spun.
"For the indecisive, the Wheel shall decide in your stead."
…
As Adam called for Noah to find some climbers to join their team, Noah glanced at him, pushing Adam forward.
"You're the one with the charm, right?" he muttered. "Go on, make some connections."
Adam gave him a nudge but complied, scanning the area for potential team members. Just as Noah turned to leave, a trio approached… one man and two women.
"Mind if we join you?" the man asked. His voice was deep, and his gaze was sharp yet gentle as he looked at Adam.
Noah studied them for a moment before Adam stepped forward, offering a friendly smile. "Sure, why not?" He turned to Noah. "You're okay with that?"
Noah shrugged, barely paying attention. His mind was preoccupied with how he could use Gaebulg without any weapons here.
His fingers itched for a spear, but there was nothing around him. He was still trying to figure out the mechanics of his power.
The man smiled at Adam's response. "Name's Cedric," he said. "This is my third time climbing. I'm from Drakos. I'm a blacksmith by trade. Thought I'd try my luck up here and find some rare materials to improve my smithy."
Noah nodded absently, not really taking it all in.
Elara, the woman standing beside Cedric, spoke next. "I joined after my father passed. My mother's been gone for years now, and I'm on my own. This climb seemed like the only way forward."
"Same for me," said the other woman, Vespera. "My brother and I were escaping a huge debt in Lunareth. We got separated on this floor... I'm hoping to find him somewhere else."
Noah wasn't entirely listening to the conversation.
His eyes were distant, still thinking about his next move in this strange world. Then Adam spoke again, dragging him back to the moment.
"I'm Adam,"
"And this is my brother, Noah. I'm hoping to make enough money to get to Caelumgard and study in the academy."
Noah blinked, surprised. Academy? he echoed, his brow furrowing.
He hadn't heard Adam mention any desire to pursue an academic career.
He thought of the book, where Adam's future had been grim and filled with tragedy—no time for schooling it was filled only with vengeance and survival.
Adam, sensing his confusion, smiled a bit awkwardly. "Yeah, well, you know... just a dream of mine."
Noah didn't say anything at first. He just placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, a soft gesture that spoke volumes.
There were so many things Noah wanted to say, but none of them seemed important in that moment. Instead, he simply watched Adam with a touch of pity.
The tension in Noah's chest loosened slightly as he realized—maybe this time, things could be different.
Maybe they both could have a future beyond the cruel fate they had once been trapped in.
…
"Now that the teams are set," he began, "let me explain the nature of your trial."
He paused as his eyes were scanning the gathered climbers
"This is The Relic Hunt. You will be pitted against not only the elements of this vast floor but also against one another."
"In the landscape ahead, you will find eight relics scattered across the floor. They are hidden within Verdos, and there will be monsters of moderate strength that will try to stop your progress."
He gave the crowd a moment to absorb the weight of his words.
"Your objective is simple: secure one of these relics and protect it until dawn. However, your challenge will not be as simple as finding the relic. Each team of five must ensure that their relic is unclaimed by others. At the same time, you must keep in mind that there are only eight relics, and only forty of you will pass this round."
"Once dawn arrives, those who have successfully protected their relics will proceed to the next stage. The others… well, they will return to their respective neutral floors, cursed with lethargy for a time. So be cautious."
A slight smile curved his lips as he finished.
"Let the hunt begin."
Noah's vision briefly flickered, and a translucent window materialized before him.
…
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Quest: The Relic Hunt
— Objective: Secure one of the eight relics scattered across the floor and protect it until dawn.
[REWARD]
— Permanent increase in Vitality, upon successful completion.
…
He exhaled slowly, dismissing the notification with a thought. The jungle around him suddenly felt even more suffocating.
"Alright," Cedric said. "Anyone got a plan?"
In structured team formations for exploration-based challenges, there is a fundamental step before strategizing: role distribution and skill synergy.
Every member must disclose their abilities and strengths to ensure the team operates efficiently.
However, this process also comes with risk—revealing too much can expose weaknesses, while hiding abilities can cause internal conflict or inefficiency.
Despite knowing this, Noah found himself at an impasse.
He couldn't afford to reveal Adam's true ability, TruthBane, because its nature was too unstable, too dangerous to explain.
So, rather than an honest assessment, he relied on an old principle found in exploration and experimentation—
Fuck around and find out.
Before Adam could speak, Noah stepped forward.
"Adam is a Pathfinder. He can locate the relics."
He said it with absolute confidence.
A blatant lie, yet not one he cared to control.
By throwing the claim into the air, he ensured Adam would play along.
Besides, in an unknown jungle filled with dangers, the ability to find a specific target was invaluable. It wasn't impossible—it just wasn't real.
Adam, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow but nodded without hesitation.
Cedric's eyes widened in surprise. "That's… absurdly rare. That'll make this much easier." He then placed a hand on his chest. "As for me, I can summon fire. Nothing too fancy, but enough to heat metal or light the way. It's the ability of a blacksmith."
Elara then stepped forward. "I can carry heavy weights." She rolled her shoulders. "Might not sound impressive, but I used to carry bear corpses."
Finally, Vespera crossed her arms "I can make the team invisible for up to a minute."
A moment of silence followed as the team processed each other's abilities.
Noah internally sighed. They had a decent foundation—fire for offense and utility, stealth for escapes, and sheer strength for lifting. The only issue? They were missing someone with actual tracking abilities.
But that was a problem for later.
Cedric, gripping his hammer tightly, took a deep breath. "Alright, Pathfinder. Where to?"
All eyes turned to Adam.
Noah held his breath.
And Adam just smiled. "Alright… Follow me."
He took the lead, stepping forward into the unknown.