Everyone was quiet. No one wanted to miss out on where the next part of the exam was. They had gone through all that work just to learn where to go next, so only a fool would fail to pay attention.

Damian listened carefully to what the suited hunter had to say.

"There's a city called Pine Lake. From there, you can get to an island. That's where the next part of the exam is," the suited hunter said. "Go there as fast as you can. The exam starts in three days."

That was it. The hunter was direct, not wasting any words on them. After sharing that, he left—just like all the people taking the exam.

The young man who had worked together with Damian introduced himself as Mathias.

"If you want to work together again in the next part of the exam, just talk to me there," Mathias said, giving Damian a handshake. "See ya."

"Goodbye."

No one knew what the next part of the exam would look like, so it was hard to confirm if they would team up again. Still, Damian didn't dismiss the idea—if teamwork proved useful, he would consider it.

Mathias had been the reason he found out where to go. Damian believed he would have figured it out eventually, but at least he hadn't needed to work hard for the answer.

Anyway, Damian left the clock tower and the shopping area too, returning to where Lindy was. He wanted to share everything with her.

Through a message, he told her that he had passed the first part, just to help her relax. Lindy had been really worried that he didn't have what it takes to pass the exam.

The hotel she was staying at was close to the clock tower—so close that Damian could walk there. He took the elevator and waited for Lindy to open the door.

She opened it almost instantly, like she had already been waiting by the door.

"Tell me everything that happened," Lindy demanded.

Damian shared how the exam went. The rule was that Lindy couldn't help him pass the tests, but that didn't mean he couldn't tell her about them after he was done.

Lindy listened carefully, her expression changing a few times throughout the story.

"You have keen eyes to spot that watch on the store shelves," she said. "How did you do it?"

Of course, Damian couldn't say he had used his Demon Eye to find it.

"Like I said, a watch there didn't make sense, and I took my time searching through all the items," Damian explained.

Lindy listened, but it was as if her mind was somewhere else. She stared into his eyes, deeply, and asked, "But how did you find the right shop? I mean, there were plenty of shops inside the mall."

Damian froze for a second, his mind scrambling to find a plausible answer.

"Luck, I guess," he said with an awkward smile. "The man behind the counter acted like a hunter, so I thought it was strange and went there to check."

Lindy didn't ask any further questions. She just smiled and said, "I understand."

It was impossible to tell if she believed his excuse or if she simply didn't want to push him further. Either way, Lindy was happy that Damian had passed the first test.

Some might say the first test was the easiest, but even the easiest one was tough. Not everyone could become a hunter. Damian was moving in the right direction—that much was certain.

They spent the night together in that hotel room. Damian slept on the couch while Lindy took the bed.

He wasn't trying to be a gentleman or anything. It was just that Lindy was the one paying for everything, so Damian didn't want her to be the one stuck on the couch.

The decision to stay one more day before leaving for Pine Lake was something they had agreed on together. They still had plenty of time until the next part of the exam, and the trip to Pine Lake wouldn't be short.

Pine Lake was a small city in the middle of nowhere. There was no airport nearby, so Lindy and Damian would have to drive all the way there.

The best plan was to leave as early as possible in the morning so they could have sunlight for the entire journey. That was the safest option—the one they both preferred.

When Damian woke up, Lindy had already been up for a while. She had her things packed and had even prepared a quick breakfast for them to eat in the car.

"Let's move," she said, tossing Damian's bag at him.

One night was already more than enough. Wasting more time wasn't an option.

They left the hotel and drove toward Pine Lake. The first hour was chaotic—they were still in the big city—but once they left it behind, they headed north.

Then it started raining. Damian stared out the window, watching the pine trees, the landscape, and the raindrops falling. It was a relaxing view. He liked it.

Lindy was the one driving. She glanced at him and asked, "Excited for the next part of the exam?"

Damian looked back at her and shrugged. "I have no idea what the next part is, so I don't know how to feel about it."

The feeling of anxiety was there, but it wasn't as strong as Lindy thought it would be. Damian was confident—too confident—that he would pass the test, no matter what came at him.

So his anxiety was under control. At least for the moment.

*

It took them seven hours to get to Pine Lake. That was basically the whole morning and part of the afternoon.

And that was without stopping even once to eat—only to pee.

The first thing they did after arriving in the small town was grab something to eat.

As for Pine Lake itself, it was a pretty little town. Pines grew everywhere, giving the place a charming look. A massive lake stretched nearby, so wide that it was impossible to see the other side.

The streets weren't packed, but there were definitely more people than usual—some of them hunters taking the exam.

Only a few stores stood in the town center, which was basically just two sides of the main road.

Still, the place was charming. It felt different.

Big cities had endless places to explore—fun places—but there was nothing quite like being surrounded by such abundant nature. That was something else entirely.

Anyway, Damian and Lindy picked a random restaurant to eat at. After finding a table and ordering lunch, they talked while waiting for the food.

"So there's an island in the middle of the lake?" Damian asked.

That was what the hunter had told them.

Lindy didn't know for sure. "If he said so, then yeah. It's my first time here, so I have no fucking idea."

Damian felt stupid for asking her that, but he didn't let it show.

The food in the small town was cheap, and it tasted good too. Damian had potatoes with steak, some orange juice, and dessert—ice cream.

They had both been starving after driving so long without a proper meal, so that food felt divine.

After eating, they walked toward the lake.

"Let's see if there's someone who can share some details about the island," Lindy said.

But she didn't go with him to ask. Damian had to do that alone.

There was a wooden platform on the lake, with a large structure on it that looked like part restaurant, part something else.

A man was cleaning a boat next to the platform. Damian walked over to speak with him.

"Excuse me," Damian said. "Is there an island nearby?"

The man looked up at him, visibly annoyed.

"Another one asking about the island? What the fuck is going on today… Yes, there's an island nearby, but we're only taking people there tomorrow."

That was good enough for Damian. He could understand the man's frustration—surely more exam participants had come asking him the same thing within minutes.

"Alright, thank you," Damian said.

He went back to Lindy.

"There's a boat taking people to the island tomorrow," Damian told her.

"That's good," Lindy said. "At least we can rest today and not have to deal with this. You should enjoy the rest of the day, because I feel like your time on that island won't be so great…"

She had a point. An exam happening on an island was never a good sign. Too many things could happen there without anyone knowing.

Still, Damian enjoyed the rest of his day with good food and a solid nap. The small town had some cabins for rent, and luckily there were still a few available despite the influx of exam participants.

After the exhausting drive, Damian slept like a rock that night.

In the morning, as soon as the sun rose, he woke up. The boat would leave early, and he wasn't about to risk missing it.

On the streets—especially near the lake—he saw others heading in the same direction. They were exam participants too, eager to be there early.

Now that he was finally about to step onto the island where the next part of the exam would take place, Damian felt it—excitement, and a sharp edge of anxiety.

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