After nearly an hour of back-and-forth with the discussion, not just Yerin, but the whole squad could no longer keep their excitement and anticipation.

They tried for appearance’s sake to steady their breath and school the sharpness in their gaze, but it was a wasted effort. The satisfaction of planning was already bleeding through the cracks in their expression.

“For now, we commit to this,” Ruvian said, his tone devoid of any grandiosity.

Then, the knock on the door came a moment later.

‘Right on time….’

The door opened, and the same academy staff member from before entered, his steps calm and respectful. In his hands was a large, sealed parchment, which he placed without a word upon the center of the table.

Yerin stepped forward, unrolling the parchment fully. Their eyes traced over the intricate markings, and there, among the grid of the island’s vast terrain… was their designated starting point.

{Grid Location: B7.}

Ruvian studied the map; the area was transitional and hadn’t fully decided whether it wanted to dry out or grow.

The narrow river ran straight through the middle, too thin but just consistent enough to anchor movement and supply. There should be vegetation, but none of it is dense enough to offer meaningful cover; anything that moved through this zone would be visible from multiple angles.

Yerin traced the map slowly, taking in the spread of terrain. Her eyes settled on the river, then swept outward toward the uneven spacing of hills and brush that would complicate travel and not secure a proper hold.

“It’ll do.” She said coming to terms with what couldn’t be changed. “Could’ve been worse. At least, we started closer to the water source.” She said softly.

Yerin gave a small nod, already turning her attention toward logistics.

“Visibility’s going to be a problem. We’ll be easier to track here, especially if others land nearby. Priority is movement. No engagements unless we control the ground. Scout the ridges, tag usable points, and find a way to keep the river at our back without getting boxed in. We won’t last long if we treat this like a camp.”

There was nothing romantic about the terrain. It was just a starting point for them.

The academy staff also carried a small, locked case. With a flick of his wrist, the latch released, revealing five identical bracelets inside.

Slim bands of dark metal, unnervingly smooth to the touch. Each bore a faint, silvery engraving pattern curling along the surface. Though indistinguishable from one another, only one of these bracelets marked its wearer as the Holder.

The others belonged to the Attackers.

The staff’s voice was firm as he gave a brief explanation.

“These bracelets will serve as the core of the test. One among you will bear the Holder’s band, which will accumulate points through monster cores.”

“The remaining four are Attackers, whose primary objective is to hunt and, if necessary, steal from other teams. You are free to determine your own strategies.”

They had already decided who should be the Holder.

“This one bracelet… is the Holder,” The staff said while pointing his finger at it.

…

[Julian’s POV]

Julian stood quietly; he had already run through every outcome in his head and was now waiting for the one variable that mattered to speak.

His squad rested lightly, while holding the hilts of their weapons, their posture straight but breath carefully rationed. No one dared to speak before their leader.

Stolen novel; please report.

Julian said nothing for a while, seated at the center. His eyes remained fixed on the map, expression giving away nothing. He was deciding how to use the terrain that was provided. The parchment was turned with a sharp flick of his wrist.

Their starting point was already decided.

{Grid Location: H4.}

“We’re racking up points. Fast. On the first day, we’ll stay together. Before nightfall, we split to scout for targets. And at dawn, we’ll steal.” His voice settled into the room like an absolute order.

Determination wrapped into the team’s stance, replacing the unspoken anxiety with purpose. Then, Julian’s expression darkened, and his next words were laced with sharp venom.

“If any of you spot that dark-haired commoner—Ruvy, Rubin, Robert, Rupert or whatever his damn name… inform me, immediately.”

“Eliminating him from this test is my main goal. I’ll show him the consequences of his foolishness.”

“Y-yes!”

Their orders were clear.

Hesitation had no place for them.

…

[Corwin’s POV]

{Grid Location: J9.}

After receiving the drop point, the discussion was in full swing as strategies unfolded between them—Corwin, who had been silently skimming the parchment, suddenly stiffened.

His grip on the aged paper tightened, eyes focusing as fresh ink bled across the surface, forming new words before his very eyes.

——Further Notice of Vazrun Isle——

* Never. Ever. Travel at night.

The warning came as a threat, an immutable truth, delivered in phrasing so stripped of embellishment. As Corwin read the rest aloud, the words seemed to press against him. The group fell silent instinctively.

* Vazrun Isle at night is dangerous and unknowable. A place where the dark consumes the light. Even the creatures born of the void and abyss refuse to roam beneath that moonless sky. And should one of you stray beyond, out into the night… know this: we will not follow you anymore.

* Not that the instructor would not try. But simply, they would not arrive whenever you are. It’s too dark even for the expert. Because not all of us can use [Night Vision] spells.

A hush fell over their squad.

Silvena scanned the shifting ink, her composed expression betraying nothing, but her mind was already racing. She had heard the rumours before, passed down by academy seniors.

The unspoken rule: Don’t disturb the dark. Don’t try to find its source. It had never harmed the scholars directly, but the sheer fact that even the most savage Voidspawn cowered from it spoke volumes.

Corwin fidgeted, fingers drumming anxiously against the parchment. “I don’t like this,” he muttered under his breath.

Neither did Silvena.

Silvena kept her face calm. “We stick to what we know. As long as we don’t wander after nightfall, we should be safe.”

Silvena and Corwin only hoped the Island played by its own rules.

…

[Calyra’s POV]

The silence was so dense it seemed to press against her skin. Squad 2—Calyra’s squad had fallen quiet; the murmurs of tactics and speculation had already faded.

The previous warning had scared them. No one dared to question it; the truth was best not to be tampered with. They all know that.

Calyra stood slightly apart from her squad as she often did. Her gaze was fixed beyond the frost-rimmed glass, watching the slow churn of the waves. She wasn't ignoring the statement. No, the fear had reached her too, but she simply held it differently.

While the others clung to caution, she had drifted into what had been said and what had been left unsaid.

What manner of darkness could silence the Island so completely? What force moved with such intensity that even the Voidspawn forged in the deep bones of the abyss refused to cross its path?

Though no explanation had yet been spoken, she had already sensed the change. Subtle to the point of vanishing, but undeniable once noticed. The world around them, the sea beneath, the sky above, even the air between… had shifted into something different, unrecognisable.

They could not be seen through careless eyes, but Calyra could sense it by the feeling of dread, like stepping into a storm that cannot be named.

The sea still lapped against the hull, but the sound no longer soothed. The water had thickened. Its color, too, had changed. Previously, it was ocean blue. Now, darker than the ink was—heavy, swallowing, like a void of reflection. Above them, the clouds had also taken shape. And they had taken the wrong one.

The sun was still there, visibly so, yet even that presence felt strained, distant. Its radiance had curdled into a pale, sickly imitation of warmth—present, but hollow.

This was not the sky’s doing or the weather. This was manufactured by something unknown. A blanket drawn over the world to hide the unspeakable.

And Calyra, sensitive as she was to mana, felt it brushing her skin. A warning through her magic soul. She felt a heavy, indomitable presence looming towards where they were heading. The same presence that had settled in her Spellcore.

And though she had not spoken it aloud, she already knew where her thoughts had gone.

An ancient that was long written off as myth. A being, by all accounts, no longer existed in this God-forsaken world.

Even across the stretch of sea, even without contact, a presence on that Island was reaching her. A wavelength, faint but consistent, curling outward into the atmosphere, searching for purchase.

Her fingers traced the map she held, pausing over a single landmark. A river, vast and sprawling, cutting through the very heart of the southernmost region.

‘What he said was right… My squad location is at D1.’

‘How did he know about it?’

{Grid Location: D1.}

She exhaled slowly, gaze lifting once more to the unnatural, cloudy sky.

They hadn’t even set foot on the island yet. And already, it was watching them.

PP= 4000

ME= 510