Zahra devoured Nathan's cooking with natural delight. She slurped the soup noisily, savoring every drop. The essence of the meal manifested through the expressions dancing across her face.

  Nathan didn't hesitate to serve her another portion, the short-haired girl's enthusiasm infectious.

  There was only one issue with this meal—Zahra seemed to harbor some aversion toward Evelyn. He couldn't understand why. He could only guess it stemmed from Zahra's predatory instincts. Evelyn radiated some kind of threat that made her uncomfortable.

  Evelyn, for her part, acted as if she hadn't noticed, silently eating her meal.

  Argentius had just returned after leaving when he'd caught Zahra's scent. He hadn't had time to let Evelyn remind Zahra that she was Nathan's friend and there was no need for wariness.

  Upon seeing the majestic and magnificent tiger monster, Zahra dropped her bowl and spoon. She sprang to her feet and, without a word, lunged toward Argentius.

  Nathan startled, his mouth opening to shout a warning, but he only saw Zahra throw her entire body onto the massive form of the tiger monster. She rubbed her cheek back and forth with delight, her nose inhaling deeply the scent from Argentius. Even Nathan had to agree that his partner maintained excellent body odor. It simply used wind to blow away any unwanted smells.

  Argentius, unusually tolerant, nudged his massive head against Zahra to push her away without showing displeasure. Then, he lowered his four limbs, raised his haunches, with eyes bright with excitement. Zahra simultaneously changed her posture, raising her hands to mimic claws.

  The two leaped at each other, one dodging while the other tried to grab. Zahra's gleeful laughter echoed through the trees. She used wind aspect mana, similar to Argentius, to glide back and forth, increasing the difficulty.

  Evelyn gave Nathan a questioning look. He merely shrugged, equally perplexed.

  "I like the girl," Argentius sent a message through Nathan's mind.

  "Why?" he asked.

  "She is the descendant of an ancient spirit beast. Possibly related to my lineage. I suspect as much."

  Nathan nodded thoughtfully. Since their meeting, Zahra had never hesitated to show she carried a bloodline. Her carefree attitude sometimes made him envious. He wasn't sure if she was born that way or raised to be so. Mostly, he found that issues with her were never too heavy or complex. Things just flowed naturally. What came, came—what didn't, didn't.

  "You have a quality partner," Zahra said, hand on her hip, voice revealing clear envy.

  "Oh? Do you want to steal him?" Nathan asked with a laugh.

  "If I could, I would," Zahra pouted. "It's not easy to get a big guy like this to follow someone."

  "You're right about that. I paid with quite a bit of blood."

  Zahra chuckled, waving her hand dismissively.

  "That's getting off easy. Isn't that right, big guy?"

  Argentius nodded in agreement, whiskers twitching haughtily, as if to tell Nathan he had been very generous when forming their contract.

  Zahra didn't eat anymore, her gaze fixed on Argentius as he devoured the food Nathan had left for him.

  "Don't tell me you tracked us down by smelling the food?" Nathan asked while resting. His condition showed signs of improvement, but progress was slow.

  "Not at all," Zahra shook her head. "You think my nose is that omnipotent? I stumbled here because of a vague calling several days ago."

  "A calling?"

  "Yeah, I don't know how to describe it. Just a persistent roar. Both primal and familiar. It lasted for a few hours until nightfall, then disappeared. I just walked aimlessly since I didn't know where to go in this pocket dimension anyway. By the time I got near here, I think whatever it was had vanished. Before that, while the sound was still there, it seemed to change direction. Afterward, I smelled the food and followed it. I've heard of your cooking skills but never had the chance to try them. Now I'm craving it too much. I could eat forever!"

  Nathan didn't comment on her desire for his cooking, instead pondering the mysterious calling.

  Previously, Zahra had confessed there was some strange connection between them, directly related to their bloodlines. And the direction Zahra had been heading was toward the volcanic area, where he had fought the Lava Drake in full Berserker state. The detail about the changing direction also matched when he moved from the waterfall to the Lava Drake's territory.

  He looked at Zahra with a strange expression. If he truly was the one who had called her, what secret did their bloodlines share?

  He didn't voice his thoughts since it was still speculation. Besides, there was a stranger to Zahra present. This matter should be discussed when they were alone.

  After finishing their meal, the three packed up and continued their journey. Evelyn didn't object to Nathan inviting Zahra to join them. Zahra had no reason to refuse; she still wanted to mooch off his cooking.

  Nathan remained on Argentius's back as they traveled.

  "What did you do to end up unable to walk?" Zahra inquired curiously. If Nathan hadn't been sitting, she would have wanted to get closer to Argentius.

  "Fought a Tier 3 monster," Nathan answered, puffing out his chest.

  Zahra stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she looked from Nathan to Evelyn, who hadn't contradicted his statement.

  "Impressive," she marveled. "Truly impressive."

  "What about you? What do you plan to do with your ranking?"

  Zahra waved her hand dismissively, continuing forward.

  "I don't care. If my master hadn't begged me, I wouldn't have bothered participating."

  Nathan snorted with laughter. Such an answer perfectly matched his impression of the girl.

  "But if you want to continue with us, you should consider earning points," Nathan reminded her.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Have you encountered others 'hunting' you yet?"

  "No. I usually avoid unnecessary confrontations, mainly engaging with monsters in speed challenges. I was ranked third, so my points are just over a thousand."

  Nathan calculated quickly, somewhat surprised by the combat prowess of his wind aspect mana-using friend. The remaining two thousand points from hunting monsters was no small feat.

  "A new mechanism has been introduced to The Shifting Trials," he said, demonstrating how to display an opponent's points on his bracelet. "Currently, the prey has changed to participating contestants. Including us. And I'm guessing in two days, the event will introduce a change to escalate things."

  "And it's related to individual points?" Zahra deduced.

  "Exactly, otherwise the competition would remain too peaceful."

  "Then let's go," Zahra exclaimed, as if she needed no further consideration. "I know a place where we can earn points."

  The three headed north, toward where Nathan had seen bizarre structures when he first appeared in this pocket dimension. In the sky, strange formations stretched upward, blocking the view—some like interlocked needles, others like different geometric shapes connected at various points.

  Along the way, monsters were, as Argentius had reported, much scarcer than before. Only weak Tier 1 creatures remained scattered about.

  The forest ended, opening into a vast plain extending ahead. This was where they spotted other contestants moving constantly. Some groups were engaged in combat, or observing from afar, plotting to benefit from others' conflicts. Some being pursued, knowing this place was both dangerous and safe, flocked from various terrains. Here, individuals and groups alike maintained heightened vigilance.

  Overall, caution and greed created a strange stalemate.

  Nathan's group's appearance attracted probing glances. When others saw their total points, many stirred with interest. However, assessing the addition of a Phase 9 Tier 2 monster, they all backed off.

  Nathan's hair stood on end at the place Zahra had brought them. Though this was a battlefield and a safe zone, the risk remained substantial. He lacked fighting capacity. Evelyn, Zahra, and Argentius could contend with a team of five to six people, but more would be problematic. Tier 2 monsters were scarce, points were necessary—sufficient reasons for others to form alliances.

  "Do you think this is the right choice?" Nathan questioned.

  "Nothing to worry about!" Zahra laughed loudly. "Whoever comes, we'll take them down."

  "That's right!" Argentius snorted. "You worry too much, you know?"

  Nathan tapped the monster's head once, silently cursing this bastard who must have forgotten how they had all been torn apart by the Lava Drake.

  "We're gonna be doomed!" Nathan exclaimed.

  Triggered [Bad Omen]. Prediction is false. One credit given.

  Nathan ignored this skill. To him, if they weren't doomed, there were still many ways things could go badly.

  He looked toward Evelyn, seeking agreement.

  "Whoever comes, we'll take them down!" she replied coldly.

  Her statement made Zahra turn to look at her, lifting her chin in approval.

  Lost among battle-crazed companions, Nathan lay wearily on Argentius's back.

  Traveling through the area thick with gunpowder scent, the group reached the other side, where the strange architectural structures began.

  The people they left behind watched Nathan's group with contemptuous smiles. Everyone thought about earning points from this area, which was why so many from different sects and professions gathered here. They had failed, so they needed to collect points from other sources.

  Nathan felt relief wash over his body as they moved away from those greedy stares. Not being in fighting condition, he truly hoped everything would pass peacefully. Nearly six thousand points gave him enough confidence to continue. Maintaining those points was the priority now.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Ahead, a path with various branches opened before the group. Each branch led to the entrance of structures with bizarre, sky-piercing roofs visible from afar.

  Nathan guessed this must be the area for Artificers. Several entrances showed signs indicating the challenges within—one with a hammer shape, another with a five-meter-high circuit statue at the entrance, yet another with floating geometric shapes trying to combine.

  Outside and along the paths, various contestants wandered, not just Artificers. These challenges didn't prohibit disciples or students from other organizations. Many tests requiring sufficient knowledge and intelligence could be attempted without obstacles. These young teenagers displayed diverse expressions, some hesitant, others contemplative as if calculating something, some with eyes closed in meditation but unable to hide their trembling.

  Zahra led the group to a structure where several people stood. The entrance was a circular stone construction with glowing patterns carved along it. At the center was a blue luminous membrane, indicating a gateway to another space.

  "You're not serious, are you?" Nathan asked.

  Zahra grinned carelessly, replying, "This is fun. I haven't participated in any yet. I heard each person only has one chance to choose a challenge like this, so I've been looking for companions. Now I have them."

  "So you want to explore rather than earn points?"

  "We can do both," she defended. "If we don't earn points, then it's just fate."

  Nathan slapped his forehead in apparent despair.

  Suddenly, a slap on his thigh rang out with a sharp sound.

  Argentius, once again unaware of the situation, turned and bared his teeth threateningly at the newcomer.

  "Easy there, buddy!" Zeryn raised both hands, eyes wide.

  Nathan, slightly dizzy from his monster friend's sudden turn, jumped down trying to stabilize himself.

  "You look like shit, Nate!" Zeryn exclaimed. Seeing Argentius calm down, he moved forward to support his friend.

  "Yeah, I know," Nathan said.

  "Zeryn! You're here, too?" Zahra approached cheerfully. "Now we have another person to contribute brainpower."

  Nathan's lips twitched hearing the girl speak like that. Clearly, she was only interested in having fun, not assessing the difficulty of the challenges.

  "Who is she?" Zeryn asked about the blue-haired girl standing quietly to one side.

  "Evelyn," Nathan answered. "My teammate these past few days."

  Nathan looked at Zeryn with some confusion. Normally in this situation, his friend would have approached to introduce himself, showing off his handsome appearance.

  Zeryn grabbed Nathan's collar, pulling him aside.

  "How do you keep attracting girls wherever you go?"

  "Just one, not many."

  "First Zahra, now Evelyn."

  "I attract guys too," Nathan raised his chin. "Want to join?"

  "Who?"

  "Lachlan!"

  "Piss off!"

  The two laughed heartily. Nathan then asked, "You seem uncomfortable around Evelyn, don't you?"

  "Only an idiot like you would approach her without knowing anything."

  "You should explain properly, or else watch out."

  "That girl is quite famous at Azure Lake Academy. Many rumors about her. Cold, cruel, heartless—everything. But that's not important. What matters is some idiot named Reza always warns others to stay away from her."

  "And you fear him?" Nathan feigned surprise, knowing his friend had deeper reasons.

  "Hell no," Zeryn said contemptuously. "Those trivial things I mentioned are just enough to scare others away."

  "So you're like Zahra, sensing something from her?" Nathan asked curiously.

  Zeryn turned to glance at Evelyn once, then nodded.

  "Yes. Like facing a superior being. Strange feeling. Not just from sensing her spirit, but something hidden behind it. Generally, it makes you behave unnaturally, somewhat submissive before her. You can be natural probably because you possess a bloodline of similar rank."

  "Bloodlines can do that?"

  "Of course," Zeryn folded his arms. "How else do you think nobles remain nobles, and geniuses with extraordinary talents come from ancient families or hidden clans?"

  "This Reza must think he can interact with Evelyn, hence his arrogance, right?"

  "Must be," Zeryn agreed.

  Zahra appeared, grabbing both their shirts and pulling them back, pointing to the entrance.

  "Well? Are we participating?"

  "I had the same idea," Zeryn added.

  "What?" Nathan stared at his friend. "You want to explore too? I thought you had over ten thousand points."

  "Which is why I have nothing to worry about. Just here for fun."

  Nathan exchanged glances with Evelyn. She responded with a nod of approval.

  With no other option, he and the others approached the thin blue mana circle.

  They entered a stone chamber, neither too large nor too small, spacious enough to move comfortably inside. Torches fueled by a white stone were set in sconces along both walls. Opposite them stood two wooden doors. Behind them, the exit had sealed, leaving no way back.

  Just a square room, nothing more.

  They all moved toward the most promising feature.

  The grain patterns on the wooden doors' surfaces shifted, churning momentarily before forming two faces. One had even elaborately created a barely visible mustache.

  Nathan couldn't help feeling a sense of déjà vu from playing games with friends on Earth.

  "Ooohhhh, a puzzle," Zahra said excitedly.

  Don't tell me it's that kind of puzzle, Nathan silently groaned.

  As he predicted, the left door spoke with a rumbling voice that shook the entire room.

  "One of us tells the truth."

  The right door continued with a cheerful, lighter tone, its mustache wiggling with each word.

  "The other always lies."

  "One door leads to your quest," the thunderous voice said.

  "The other to your demise," the cheerful voice chimed in.

  "Ooohhh, rhythm," Zahra grinned.

  "You may ask one question," the left door continued.

  "To claim..."

  "Which of you is the liar?" Zahra quickly interjected.

  Her three companions stared at her in astonishment. They had all been thinking this wasn't the way to approach the riddle.

  Nathan, from the moment he heard the first words from one of the doors, had been trying to recall the solution. He remembered some clever approach from a cartoon but couldn't quite place it. That had been a variation of this puzzle, with two guards posing the challenge.

  The two doors frowned, about to open their mouths when Zahra spoke again.

  "Wait a minute! So one of you just lied?"

  "It's not how this works," the left door said angrily.

  "So how does it work?" Zahra pressed.

  "We were just setting up, we hadn't finished," the right door said calmly.

  "So one of you just lied?" Zahra scratched her head.

  "No, we're still setting up," the calm voice showed hints of losing control.

  "This doesn't make any sense," Zahra exclaimed. "How am I supposed to know if your answer about the setup is true or not, if it's finished or not, if one of you always lies?"

  "The riddle only begins when you start asking," the left door roared.

  "But I already asked!"

  "You..." the right door completely lost its composure.

  Nathan and the others watched wide-eyed as Zahra handled the situation before them. They never dreamed someone could drive two artificial doors to insanity. They unanimously stepped back, leaving Zahra to resolve the situation.

  The doors' silence made Zahra itchy to speak.

  "Are you sure you know how this riddle works?"

  The eyes on the two doors moved toward each other. Being parallel, they couldn't see their counterpart.

  "Listen, girl," the right door took charge of the conversation. "We're just magical doors. So either stay quiet and let us recite the entire riddle as programmed, or stay here until time runs out and leave."

  Zahra wrinkled her nose, clearly disliking what she heard. The doors, seeing this, began reciting their poem.

  Before they finished, Zahra raised her hand and shouted, "Let me help you."

  "This damn brat," the left door roared, making the room shake and dust fall.

  "Calm down, my friend," the right door consoled, then focused on Zahra. "What do you propose? Speak quickly."

  "How about this—I'll help you write a sign to put right here. That way, people who come after me won't face the same situation."

  "In exchange for?"

  "You let us pass. How about it?"

  "Dream on, you little bitch," the left door revealed its temperament.

  In response, Zahra delivered a distance-strike. Though unable to break the door, it was enough to make it wince in discomfort.

  Nathan's group nearly pulled up chairs to watch Zahra's performance. They could actually pass this challenge without using their brains. They just needed to exploit the situation's loophole.

  "Why should we do that?" the right door calmly asked.

  "If not, once eliminated, I'll tell everyone outside about this glitch."

  Hearing this, not only were the doors surprised, but her friends behind her also applauded her cleverness.

  "Let's see," Zahra said mischievously. "Once this issue escalates and contestants demand fairness, what will the organizers do? They might go crazy and want to destroy you. Or they might remotely deactivate you. Surely they've installed such a mechanism since they can't enter here. My, my, that's not a good prospect at all. You're tools that aren't fulfilling your duty properly, that would make your master very angry."

  "Mother of gods, she's truly a genius," Zeryn exclaimed.

  Nathan responded with a vigorous nod, Evelyn with a slight one.

  The two doors remained silent.

  "You two were created with some intelligence, right?" Zahra continued. "Then surely you know how to fix this loophole. But you can't. Because this is your master's design. You have to take turns speaking, and in rhythm too. The fault is his, not yours. But will he bear this humiliation? I think not. To cover up or out of shame turned to anger, you'll be put into the planer, ground into tiny shreds, dumped in the trash or recycled into some chair. You can only complete your mission here to ensure you don't meet the fate I've described."

  The three humans listening felt chills run through them. All imagined themselves as the unfortunate doors, thinking if they had bodies, they'd be drenched in cold sweat.

  Indeed, both doors' lips were trembling. Their limited consciousness didn't know what to do.

  "So let me help you," Zahra said. "In exchange, let us through. Better than causing trouble later, right?"

  The two sets of eyes tried to look at each other despite being parallel.

  Finally, they spoke simultaneously.

  "Agreed."

  Zahra turned back, calling, "Nathan, can I borrow some things?"

  The group took out a chair surface from Nathan's Spatial Pouch. Then using chair legs propped against each other, they created a notice board placed between the two doors.

  Zahra used her hand to write on the surface, making sure the doors couldn't see.

  "How can we trust you?" the left door asked quietly, no longer producing a thunderous sound.

  "Do you have any other choice?" Zahra shrugged.

  There was no further response.

  The right door opened, revealing pitch blackness beyond the doorframe.

  Without a word, Zahra darted inside.

  The remaining three stood there, still hesitant to move.

  After a moment, Zahra's voice echoed back.

  "Come on in, guys, this is the right door."

  Each person stepped forward, writing on the board to complete the message. Zahra had left room for retreat, not writing the entire statement in case the doors betrayed them. After all, they themselves said one of them always lied.

  When Nathan's turn came, he completed the message: Let us finish setting up before you speak.

  He wasn't sure if this was an effective reminder, but it would reduce problems somewhat.

  He rejoined his teammates on the other side. His mind still couldn't believe they had passed the puzzle without having to answer it.

  The Artificers who came to participate in this puzzle likely always studied and worked by rules, so they wouldn't quickly exploit loopholes like Zahra. If their group had tried to reason through the answer, who knows how long it would take. Certainly not faster than Artificers who immersed themselves in such things. Or perhaps they had seen the issue but didn't dare embarrass the puzzle designer, so they quietly complied. Zahra and the others had no such concerns since none of them were Artificers who needed to be cautious about this matter.

  "Well? Am I impressive or what?" Zahra proudly asked, hands on hips.

  "Number one, always," Zeryn raised a thumb.

  Evelyn shyly nodded. She was somewhat reminded of Mirela. That small girl was very similar to Zahra.

  Before the three stretched an abyss. Floating in mid-air were square platforms consistent with Maelivar's nature. To their right was a control panel with buttons.

  As was customary, Zahra was the first to step forward and press a button at random.

  Some platforms moved forward.

  Pressing a second button, some platforms retreated while others remained stationary.

  Their task was clear—create a bridge to cross to the other side, where a brightly lit staircase led upward into darkness.

  "Hmm, what if we just jump across?" Zahra considered directly.

  "I don't think both rooms would allow us to take advantage like that," Nathan said.

  Zeryn projected a sword toward the deep chasm. The sword lost connection as soon as it passed the edge where they stood, falling straight down.

  "Anti-mana zone with increased gravity," Zeryn concluded.

  "You guys figure it out," Zahra waved dismissively, jumping to the edge of the abyss to peer down curiously.

  The three began pressing buttons randomly to discern any pattern in the platforms' movement.

  Nathan gradually recognized the solution through [Improved Pattern Recognition].

  Though it took nearly an hour, they eventually solved it. He pressed a series of button combinations to create a bridge connecting the two sides.

  "Impressive!" Zahra marveled.

  "That's me," Nathan raised his nose proudly.

  All four stepped onto the bridge. It was somewhat difficult to walk with the stronger gravity, but they managed to reach the other side.

  Climbing the staircase led to another room. This new chamber remained unimaginative, square and angular. In the center floated a pedestal with four cubes. Two glowed, while the other two were dark.

  The room contained not only their group of four but another team of four. These people saw Nathan but couldn't communicate with him, as if completely separated by an invisible barrier. They focused on the two glowing cubes after briefly sizing up Nathan's team, dismissing them as amateurs.

  "More math," Zahra grumbled, preferring fun puzzles like the first one.

  Zeryn and Evelyn looked to Nathan, letting him take the lead.

  When he touched the two glowing cubes, different information appeared in his mind. One concerned arithmetic, something related to multiplying by three then adding one. The other involved spatial geometry, with an octahedron appearing with a small bright point.

  He released his hold, understanding nothing. He looked toward the other team, who hadn't yet acted.

  They're hesitating, Nathan thought.

  While Nathan was pondering which problem to choose, the young man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward, grasping the cube related to arithmetic. He closed his eyes and began contemplating.

  Any problem at this point would likely require extensive exploration. Especially without PsiLink, everything had to be processed mentally.

  Zeryn and Evelyn both tried touching the cubes but immediately withdrew, not bothering to try again.

  "What do you think?" Zeryn asked, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "I'll probably just look around here. The architecture and space aspect in this place are truly strange."

  Nathan nodded. He touched the remaining cube again, since the other was no longer accessible.

  After an hour, Nathan's eyes flew open in disbelief.

  He thought he could solve this challenging problem thanks to [Improved Pattern Recognition].