"I'll pay for her."

  The words settled over the plaza like a stone dropped into still water. Luna watched the ripples spread—the Tinkerlings pausing their march toward the barrier, the desperate woman's expression shifting from despair to fragile hope, the watching residents stirring with renewed interest.

  Cerfi's head tilted at an angle that somehow conveyed both surprise and calculation. "A generous gesture, dear primate. Most participants prefer to conserve their resources for personal use. Are you ready to pay 100 SP for her?"

  "Yes, I am." Luna met the automaton's single blue eye without flinching. "She can pay me back later, once she's found her footing."

  "Ah." Something in Cerfi's tone shifted—not disapproval exactly, but a kind of mechanical patience. "I should clarify a relevant policy. While participants may certainly pay for others' accommodations, the System does not permit direct exchange of Sanctum Points between Gifted individuals. The restriction exists to prevent coercion—one can imagine how easily the strong might extract tribute from the weak if such transfers were possible. Debts of points, therefore, cannot be formally enforced through the System itself."

  Luna absorbed this information. The logic was sound, even if it complicated her initial impulse. "Then we'll figure something out. I'm still paying."

  "Okay, then," Cerfi made what looked like a shrug attempt.

  [You've lost 100 SP]

  [Current Sanctum Points: 1,300]

  The Tinkerlings released their grip simultaneously, stepping back with mechanical precision before skittering toward their creator and disappearing into the box on Cerfi's back—which definitely looked too small to accommodate even two of them. The woman stumbled forward, catching herself against Luna's arm, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

  "Thank you," she managed, her voice cracking. "Thank you, I don't—I thought I was going to die out there. Everyone said I was useless, that I couldn't contribute, and they were right, I couldn't fight anything without help, and nobody wanted to team up with someone who'd just slow them down—"

  "What's your name?" Luna interrupted gently. The gratitude, while understandable, was becoming a bit... annoying. Helping the woman barely cost her anything, and she even planned to take back the worth of the points she'd spent, one way or another.

  "Diana. Diana Reyes." The woman straightened, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm—I was a graphic designer, back home. San Francisco. The System gave me the Adventurer Class and I thought maybe I could be useful with the navigation and the water creation, but nobody wanted someone who's afraid of blood draggin' them down."

  "We can talk about your abilities and deficiencies later." Luna guided her toward the edge of the plaza, away from the watching crowd. "For now, get some rest. The standard lodging should be available now that your debt is cleared."

  Diana nodded frantically, but her hand caught Luna's sleeve before she could turn away. "I mean it. Whatever you need—scouting, carrying supplies, anything—I'll help. I swear it. You saved my life."

  "Then don't waste it," Luna said. The words came out harsher than she'd intended, and she softened her tone. "Find ways to contribute. The Trial isn't over yet."

  Cerfi's voice cut across the plaza, addressing Luna directly. "Before you settle in, I'd recommend checking the Terminal for your information bundle. Your teammates' locations will be displayed there, along with available bounties and the shop inventory. As for the explanation of the Ranks, I can explain those to you now or later. You can also summon the map through your System interface at any time—simply will it into existence as you would your Status screen."

  Luna nodded her acknowledgment. "I'll ask you later, thank you."

  "Okay then, as my presence isn't needed anymore, I'll rest. I need some relaxation time, too, you know." The automaton's blue eye flickered once before it turned and walked toward the barrier generator, its gait smooth despite the mechanical construction. Then its back connected to a tube in the generator, and its body went "offline," its eye dimming and body unmoving. The process reminded Luna of Astra's union with the Oak, and she didn't believe for a moment that the Keeper was vulnerable in this state. If anything, she guessed that it allowed it to use the generator's energy or something like that.

  As Cerfi turned itself off, the three companions Luna had traveled with approached. Thomas's expression held something between admiration and confusion, while Garrett's face remained carefully neutral. Catherine was the first to speak.

  "That was generous of you." Her voice carried genuine warmth. "Most people wouldn't have bothered."

  "She would have died," Luna said flatly. "One person's survival costs me a hundred points. I'll earn that back if needed."

  "Still." Catherine glanced at Diana, who was making her way toward the lodging buildings with uncertain steps. "Not everyone thinks that way."

  Garrett surprised her by speaking next. "It's not bad strategy, actually. The Adventurer Class has useful support abilities. If she feels indebted to you, she'll work harder to prove her worth. Loyalty bought with kindness is often stronger than loyalty bought with coin."

  "Is that what you think? That I did it for strategic advantage?"

  She hadn't thought it that far, she just acted thinking of Mia, and finding her friend's shadow in the other girl's predicament. But the man wasn't wrong, actually. Her actions were beneficial to her goals from an objective point of view.

  The Mercenary shrugged. "Does it matter why you did it? The result is the same. She lives, you gain a potential ally, and if she turns out to be genuinely useless, you've only lost a hundred points." He paused, something flickering behind his eyes. "That's more than most would risk for a stranger."

  Before Luna could respond, a new voice cut across the conversation.

  "Excuse me—sorry to interrupt."

  Luna turned to find a man approaching from one of the residential buildings. He was perhaps thirty, with the lean build of a runner and dark hair that curled slightly at his temples. His clothes were civilian—no Class Form active—but he moved with the careful awareness of someone who had learned that danger could appear without warning.

  "I saw what you did for that girl," he continued, stopping at a respectful distance. "If you hadn't stepped in, I was about to volunteer myself. Though I'll admit I was hoping someone else would beat me to it." A self-deprecating smile crossed his features. "My points aren't exactly abundant either, but watching someone get thrown out to die felt wrong. Anyway. I'm Craig. Craig Dickens."

  "Luna." She didn't offer her hand.

  Craig's smile faded slightly as he studied her more closely, and Luna saw the telltale unfocusing of his eyes that indicated Identify activation. His expression shifted through several emotions in rapid succession—surprise, confusion, a flicker of wariness that he quickly suppressed. If he thought anything about what the System told him, he decided to put those questions for later.

  "I don't mean to pry, but you wouldn't happen to have seen anyone else out there? Three people, actually. They left to hunt maybe five hours ago, supposed to be back by sunset." His voice tightened with poorly concealed worry. "Two women and a man. My sister Sarah's one of them—she's a Rogue, brown hair, about five-six. The other woman, Debrah, is similar build, same hair but more on the ginger side. You'll know who's who if you talk to them for a minute, ha-ha. And Nathan, the guy, he's older, dark hair, quiet type."

  Luna felt the temperature drop around her despite the mild evening air. She exchanged a glance with Thomas, saw the same grim understanding dawn in his eyes.

  "We found two bodies in the forest," she said quietly. "A man and a woman. Middle-aged. No Class Forms active."

  Craig's face went white. "No. That's not possible. Are you certain they were dead? Maybe they were just unconscious, or—"

  "The man had a California driver's license on him." Luna reached into her Space Pouch and withdrew the worn leather bifold she'd taken from the grave. "Nathan Crawford. And he was quite dead when we buried him. The woman... she had brown hair, I think."

  Craig stared at the license as if it might transform into something else if he looked long enough. His hands trembled when he finally took it from her.

  "That's him. That's Nathan." His voice had gone hollow. "But the woman—Debrah's hair can look brownish when it's dirty, especially in certain light. So whoever you found, it could be Debrah. Sarah might still be out there. She's a Rogue, she knows how to hide, how to survive on her own—"

  "We don't know which woman it was for sure," Luna confirmed. "We didn't meet either of the women, after all. But there's a way to confirm."

  Craig's jaw tightened. Something hardened behind his eyes—the grief being packed away, if it was even real. Luna could see the micro-expressions people made quite clearly, but identifying them was another matter altogether. "I need to see the graves. And I need to search for whoever's still missing. Whether it's Debrah or Sarah, they may tell us what happened." He looked at Luna with sudden intensity. "You're the only one who knows where the burial site is. My party—we're four people total, we knew each other before the Tutorial, and we can handle ourselves in a fight. But without you, we'd be wandering blind."

  Luna considered the request. She needed to check the Terminal, needed to see where Mia had ended up. But Craig's situation wasn't something she could simply dismiss. Two people dead, one missing—and the wounds on those bodies had been suspicious too. It could be goblins, could be more skilled Slash Shrums, or... other humans.

  "I'll lead you to the burial site," she said finally. "But I need to check the Terminal first. There's information I want to know."

  "Of course. Whatever you need." Craig's relief was palpable. "I'll gather my team. We can leave as soon as you're ready."

  He was already turning away when he stopped, that wariness from earlier reasserting itself. "Wait—one more thing." His eyes flicked to her ears, her silver eyes, lingered on the inhuman elegance of her features. "You look different from the rest of us. And your race identifies as 'High Elf.' Are there people from places other than Earth in this Trial?"

  Luna felt the familiar thread of irritation that had been building since the Integration began. She'd been asked about her race a tad too often for her liking.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "I'm from Earth. Los Angeles, actually." She didn't turn to face him. "You can ask those three for details while I'm checking the Terminal."

  She walked toward the central pillar before he could press further, leaving Craig to puzzle over her cryptic response. Behind her, she heard Catherine's voice beginning what was probably the same summary Luna had already given three times today.

  Let someone else handle the explanations for once.

  The Terminal's interface materialized the moment Luna placed her hand on the smooth pedestal surface—a translucent blue screen that hovered in the air before her, responding to her thoughts as naturally as her Status window.

  She found the teammate tracking function first.

  [Second Trial Teammates - Registered Locations]

  Group 1 (Victor Ubeyko, Margaret Chen, Clark Torres): No Safe Zone registration detected

  Group 2 (Emma Torres, Steven Blackwood, Derek Morrison): Last registered at Safe Zone 3, 8 hours ago

  Group 3 (Mia Mitchell, Roger Vance, Sam Rodriguez): Last registered at Safe Zone 3, 19 hours ago

  Luna stared at the first entry, a cold knot forming in her stomach. Victor's entire group had never registered at any Safe Zone. Three people—including Margaret, the calm surgeon who had been a stabilizing presence during the chaos of the First Trial, and Clark, one half of the Adventurer couple—wandering the forest without ever seeking shelter.

  The possibilities branched through her mind like cracks in ice. Perhaps they were simply moving quickly, covering ground without stopping. Perhaps they'd found alternative shelter.

  Or perhaps Victor had led those two to the grave and hunted for more people to join them.

  She pushed the thought aside for now, focusing on the more immediate information. Mia was at Safe Zone 3, along with Sam and Roger. Derek's group too, which included Steven and Emma—Clark's wife. The two groups had apparently converged at the same location.

  Safe Zone 3 was marked on the map that now unfolded in her mind—a mental image she could summon at will, just as Cerfi had described. The forest spread before her perception in abstract detail: five Safe Zones positioned like points of a rough pentagon, with the Trial region's boundaries marked in faint gray. Her current location pulsed gently in the southeast of the map, while Zone 3 sat to the southwest, perhaps half a day's travel through the forest at a steady pace.

  Other landmarks drew her attention. The Fourhorn Chasm, a jagged line cutting through the forest's center, marked with a red skull that presumably indicated danger. The Shrum Caves, located uncomfortably close to where she'd spotted the Ogre Shrum, bore the same ominous marking. And the Greenstone Lake, a substantial body of water in the northern reaches, had earned its own skull warning.

  Notably absent from the map: any mention of the Lavender Grove. No indication of goblin camps. No markers for the Rot Totem she'd destroyed or the others Astra had sensed.

  There's a reason why my Quest is considered Hidden, Luna realized. The System wants us to find some of the Trial's secrets on our own.

  She turned her attention to the bounty system next.

  [General Bounties]

  A brief explanation appeared at the top:

  [Note: For standard bounties, the top 3 contributors to each kill receive credit. For Boss bounties, the top 10 contributors receive rewards. Bounty progress is tracked retroactively, but completed bounties reset the counter—excess kills do not carry over to subsequent tiers.]

  Luna processed the implications. If she'd killed fifteen goblins and the first bounty required ten, only ten would count. The remaining five were lost, unrecoverable for the purposes of point accumulation. The system incentivized efficiency—kill exactly what you needed, when you needed it, without waste.

  It also incentivized something darker. High-level participants could strip the forest of weak monsters for easy bounty completions, leaving nothing for those still struggling to advance.

  She scrolled through the available bounties:

  Shrums Slain (Level 1-9): 10/10 — COMPLETE Reward: 700 SP [Next Tier Available: 0/25 — Reward: 2,100 SP]

  Shrums Slain (Level 10-19): 0/10 Reward: 2,100 SP

  Beasts Slain (Level 1-9): 0/10 Reward: 600 SP

  Beasts Slain (Level 10-19): 0/10 Reward: 1,800 SP

  Goblinoids Slain (Level 1-9): 10/10 — COMPLETE Reward: 800 SP [Next Tier Available: 0/25 — Reward: 2,400 SP]

  Goblinoids Slain (Level 10-19): 2/10 Reward: 2,400 SP

  Humanoids Slain (Level 1-9): 0/10 Reward: 1,000 SP

  Humanoids Slain (Level 10-19): 0/10 Reward: 3,000 SP

  Luna's hand froze over the interface.

  Humanoids.

  She read the entry again, hoping she'd misunderstood. But the text remained stubbornly clear: a bounty for killing humanoid creatures between levels one and nine, with a reward of one thousand Sanctum Points. And then three times more for those level ten to nineteen. No specification of what qualified as "humanoid"—but the term was broad enough to include humans, elves, and any other bipedal sapient species the System recognized.

  The Tutorial wasn't just testing survival instincts or combat capability. It was testing the willingness to cross lines that civilized society had drawn millennia ago. This was why the System permitted violence between participants outside the protected areas.

  She thought of the two bodies in the forest, and Victor's group lack of registration. If people were already killing each other at the first days of the Third Trial... she didn't want to know what would happen at its end.

  Luna claimed her completed bounties with a thought:

  [Bounty Claimed: Shrums Slain (Level 1-9) — 700 SP]

  [Bounty Claimed: Goblinoids Slain (Level 1-9) — 800 SP]

  [Current Sanctum Points: 2,800]

  Putting the dark thoughts to the side, she continued through the interface.

  [Boss Bounties]

  Ogre Shrum: 0/1 — Reward: 7,000 SP

  Great Fourhorn: 0/1 — Reward: 5,000 SP

  Hippotyranus: 0/1 — Reward: 10,000 SP [Warning: Attempt at your own risk]

  The warning on the Hippotyranus entry was new—the System apparently felt compelled to caution participants about certain threats. Luna filed that information away, wondering what manner of creature warranted such explicit danger markers when even the Ogre Shrum didn't have any.

  Below the standard bosses, another section appeared:

  [Hidden Boss Bounties]

  The Sage of the Forest: 0/1 — Reward: 10,000 SP

  The Greenest of the Green: 0/1 — Reward: 7,000 SP

  The Rotten at the Heart: 0/1 — Reward: 12,000 SP

  Luna's jaw tightened.

  The Sage of the Forest. There was only one being in this region who could merit such a title. Astra, the dryad bound to the Grand Oak, keeper of ancient knowledge and protector of the Grove. The System had placed a bounty on her head—ten thousand points for whoever managed to kill a Level 25 guardian who had welcomed Luna with warmth and wisdom, who had shared secrets of her own heritage, who was suffering to protect her sanctuary from corruption.

  The other hidden bosses were less immediately identifiable, but Luna could guess. The Greenest of the Green might refer to Razz'ak, the hobgoblin chieftain leading the assault on the Grove. The Rotten at the Heart—that one carried darker implications, suggesting someone at the center of the corruption that Astra had mentioned. Someone coordinating the totems. Someone who had provided goblins with Essence Shards and knowledge they shouldn't possess. Which meant that she had two powerful enemies to slay.

  One thing Luna was realizing clearly—the Sanctum System wasn't taking sides, at least not directly. It was setting up a conflict and rewarding whoever emerged victorious, regardless of what that victory meant for the forest or its inhabitants.

  She moved to the final sections: Guide Challenges and the Shop.

  The Challenges were structured in five tiers. Tier 1 required defeating a single Level 5 Tinkerling for 200 points. Tier 2 involved three Tinkerlings for 500 points. Tier 3 pitted challengers against a Level 10 Tinkerbot for 1,000 points. Tier 4 tripled the Tinkerbots for double the reward. Tier 5—survive one minute against Cerfi itself, restricted to Level 15 attack power—offered 3,000 points. The first three tiers sounded like an easy way to earn some points, even for those who weren't fond of fighting and could be completed by anyone willing to take them. The last two, though, could only be claimed by one person once per Safe Zone.

  The Shop inventory proved more illuminating. Consumables dominated the lower price ranges: basic rations, water flasks, minor healing salves. Mana potions started at 500 points for weak variants, scaling up to 2,000 for more potent formulas that worked on the higher levels. Information packages covered topics from monster ecology and Class evolutions to navigation aids, and Luna noted a couple she wanted to check herself later.

  The Artifact section commanded the highest prices. A Space Pouch identical to hers cost 2,000 points—the cheapest item in the category. Beyond that, the offerings were all trinkets designed to enhance a Gifted's capabilities: rings, amulets, bracers, and similar accessories. A Ring of Might that offered a 15% boost to melee damage cost 3,500 points. An Amulet of Fortitude that increased Aether Shield durability by 20% for 4,000. A Pendant of Swiftness that enhanced movement speed by 10% for 3,000. And all of those had a level restriction after which their effectiveness started to decline, and similar items with a higher level cost progressively more.

  At the very top of the list, one item caught her attention:

  Ring of Anonymity (level 50, Titanium) — 33,000 SP

  Effect: Allows cosmetic alteration of the wearer's appearance—such as eye and hair color, ear shape, or facial features. Additionally, hides the wearer's true Status information from Identify attempts by individuals of lower level, up to level 50, allowing them to hide or edit it at will but not make the displayed level higher.

  Thirty thousand points. An astronomical sum that would require completing nearly every available bounty and slaying multiple Bosses. But for someone who wanted to move through the Trial unseen, whose Race or level made them targets of suspicion or aggression—the price might be worth paying. Of course, this wouldn't hide a Class Form that was different from the standard, but it was something.

  Luna dismissed the interface, her mind churning with everything she'd learned. Victor was untracked, possibly hunting humans. Mia was at Zone 3, half a day's travel away, hopefully safe. The System was actively encouraging participants to attack each other and the Grove's beasts and guardians, too. And there were two dangerous enemies lurking in the Trial that Luna was bound to face sooner or later—the fact that the Rotten at the Heart had the highest bounty of all the bounties didn't add to her confidence, either.

  She turned from the Terminal to find Craig and his companions waiting nearby. Three others had joined him—an older man in Cleric robes, a younger one in Mercenary armor, and a woman in Knight plate who stood with the coiled readiness of someone expecting violence.

  "My team," Craig said simply, not bothering with individual introductions, leaving those for later. He himself now wore a red Wizard outfit. "We're ready when you are."

  Catherine had joined them as well, standing slightly apart from the main group. Diana hovered at the edge of the conversation, her Adventurer gear hastily donned. It seemed that she had decided against taking a rest.

  "I want to help too," Catherine said. "Those people deserved better than dying alone in the woods. And if there's someone still missing out there..."

  Diana stepped forward hesitantly. "I can contribute. I can remember every path we take, make sure we don't get lost and return here safely. And my Water Spray can help if anyone wants to drink. I-I can also fight, at least against those mushroom monsters others talked about. They don't have blood, after all." She met Luna's eyes. "Please. Let me be useful."

  Luna studied the assembled group. Seven people, including herself. Craig's team seemed competent enough, and their motivation was personal rather than mercenary, at least if she took them at their word. Catherine had shown courage during their earlier journey. Diana was an unknown quantity, but her utility skills could prove valuable if the search extended longer than expected.

  "Fine," Luna said. "Stay close, don't wander off, and follow my lead. The burial site is around an hour from here, and we'll need to search the surrounding area for any sign of the missing woman."

  Craig nodded, his jaw set. "Understood."

  Luna walked toward the barrier's edge, the others falling into formation behind her. The faint shimmer parted around her like mist as she stepped through, the Safe Zone's protection falling away to leave only the forest's ambient sounds—rustling leaves, distant animal calls, the soft crunch of boots on undergrowth.

  The violet moon hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows between the trees. Luna set off into the darkness, six sets of footsteps following in her wake.