There were still a few participants outside, searching for clues on how to pass the test. They weren't giving up just yet.But the number was much smaller than during the day. Some might already have a clue on what to do, while others had simply given up.

Damian knew he had to move without making a sound. He had no idea if he was even allowed to leave the hotel and reach the boat on the horizon. Still, he had to try.

He would have to swim all the way there, hoping the boat held the answer he was looking for.

The perimeter was guarded by hunters—but they weren't very focused. It was like they were there just for show. Some were drinking, others smoking, talking, playing cards. Plenty of them were glued to their phones.

Basically, no one gave a shit.

Because of that, Damian slipped past them with ease, reaching the wooden dock.

From there, he jumped into the water and swam out. With his Demon Eye active, he could see the boat clearly through the veil of darkness.

Getting there was easy. The only problem was the cold water, but Damian endured it. He wanted to reach his goal, and he would do whatever it took.

It didn't take him long. His body was powerful—fast on land and fast in water.

He grabbed the edge of the boat and climbed aboard. Once on deck, he scanned the area.

At first, it looked the same. The same boat he had used to get here earlier. But that didn't discourage him. Damian was confident he was on the right track.

So he searched, combing through every nook and cranny of the boat.

That's when he found it: a staircase leading down to the lower levels.

"Maybe this is it?" Damian thought as he descended slowly, cautious.

When he first arrived on the island, he'd noticed the two floors, but he had never been allowed down here. A hunter had blocked the way back then.

Now, curiosity pushed him forward. He didn't turn on any lights—he didn't want to draw attention.

With his skill that let him change his appearance and mask his scent and aura, Damian was certain that even if the hunters were stronger than him, they had no idea he was here.

That was good. If the boat turned out to be a dead end—not the place where the key was meant to be used—then at least no one would know he had been there.

He searched the lower levels carefully… and there it was.

Three different safes, all with the same keyhole.

"I found it!" Damian thought, a huge smile spreading across his face.

The safes were clearly the place where the key belonged. But which safe should he choose?

Would it matter? Damian didn't know. He picked the one in the middle, his hands shaking as he slid the key into the lock.

Click.

The safe opened. Inside was a note.

Not the most exciting find, but the fact that the key had worked at all was enough.

He pulled the note out and read it. It looked like an invitation. Apparently, there would be a secret dinner the following night, and with that invitation, Damian could attend.

Not only that—inside the safe was also a silver ring, with another note.

The note said that all participants wearing the ring would pass the test. But there was a condition: the ring had to be worn openly. If someone kept it hidden in their pocket or never showed their hands, it wouldn't count.

"They want us to start a war for the rings…" Damian realized instantly.

Others would eventually discover the rings, and then things would get messy. The number of rings was limited. Fights would break out. It would come down to survival.

Damian slipped the ring on.

He didn't bother opening the other safes—he couldn't. The key had snapped the moment he used it. A one-time effect. Certainly magical.

Still, he had what he needed.

And with that, Damian left the boat.

The way back to the hotel was simple, just like when Damian had left. The only issue was returning drenched from the swim—and now with a silver ring on his finger.

A few participants noticed him as he walked in, but no one said a word. They probably assumed he'd gone out for a late-night swim.

Damian decided to meet up with the two participants he'd spoken to earlier. He had made a pact with them, so why not help them in some way?

They gathered in Damian's room. Everyone was there—Mathias, the two girls, and the duo.

"I found two more safes," Damian said. "But there's a problem."

"A problem? What do you mean?" Mathias asked.

"There are two things inside the safes," Damian explained. "An invitation to a dinner tomorrow night… and a silver ring." He held up his hand, showing the one he was wearing. "You have to wear it. At the end of the test, those with rings on their fingers will pass."

The meaning was clear. They had all assumed working in pairs was the best strategy, but that wasn't the case. Each safe held only one ring. Which meant only one person from each duo could pass.

Silence fell over the room. The air grew tense.

"So… what do we do now?" one of the girls finally asked.

Damian still believed they could all make it through.

"If we move quickly, we can grab two more rings. We give those to the weakest among us. Then we'll have to track down others and steal their rings," Damian said.

That was the only possible way for all of them to pass. Out of everyone there, Damian wanted Mathias to succeed—he had been a good partner during the tests.

As for the others, Damian didn't care.

Since he was the one who had discovered the safes, he demanded that one of the rings go to Mathias. No one objected; Mathias wasn't that strong in combat anyway, so it fit with the plan to prioritize the weaker ones.

"But to open the other safe, we need another key," Mathias said. "Where can we find one?"

One of the girls spoke up. "I know where to find one."

The girls had been in touch with other participants—mostly men—so they knew a few things.

One of them arranged a private meeting with a guy who had a key. To their surprise, he actually accepted.

Damian couldn't help but find it funny how easily those men were tricked.

The girl went to meet him alone, but Damian slipped in from behind and attacked. He grabbed the guy by the neck, choking him until he passed out. Then he dragged the body into a random hotel room to hide it.

They searched him and found the key in one of his pockets. With two keys secured, they left the hotel and headed for the boat. Or rather, Damian went.

No one else could hide as well as he could, and if they drew too much attention, things would turn bad quickly.

On the boat, Damian used both keys and opened the two remaining safes. Inside, he found the same things as before.

He returned with the prizes, giving one ring to Mathias and another to the girl who had helped set up the trap. After that, their plan was simple: stay in their rooms and avoid unnecessary fights.

"Now what do we do?"

The other duo—still without a single ring—were anxious. They needed one to pass, so staying calm was impossible.

Before anyone could come up with a plan, an announcement rang out: all participants were being called to the hotel's hall for a meeting.

It was strange. The call came late at night, forcing some participants to wake up and drag themselves there.

But the hunters insisted. Anyone who didn't show up would miss their chance to pass the test.

Damian had a bad feeling about it.

Everyone gathered in the main hall. A hunter called for attention—he looked like the lead examiner.

"I'll explain something, and you'd better listen. This will change everything."

Damian tensed up. Everyone did. What the hell was this about?

"There are some participants with silver rings on their fingers. At the end of tomorrow morning, all participants wearing a silver ring will pass the test. You may fight and steal each other's rings—but you may not kill. We'll be overseeing everything.

From this moment on, fighting is permitted. You cannot hide in your rooms. You may also leave the hotel and use the forest if you wish."

The situation was even worse than Damian had expected. Now he had a target painted on his back.

Before the others could fully process the news, Damian raised his hand. The hunter gave him the floor.

"Can a participant hold more than one ring, and just hand them to friends a few seconds before the test is over?" Damian asked.

The examiner frowned, clearly caught off guard by the question. But there was no rule against it."I suppose you could. Why?"

"Thank you."

Without another word, Damian snatched Mathias' ring and the one from the girl who had helped him earlier. Three rings now gleamed on his hand.

Then he hurled himself through the nearest window, shattering the glass, and sprinted toward the forest.

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