The boat that came to get them was pretty big—more than enough to carry a portion of the people who had passed the first part of the exam.

This wouldn't be the only trip. Another boat would come the following day, and those who failed to make it in time would be disqualified.

Only someone with something truly urgent would risk arriving late to Pine Lake. And even then, most would rather ignore it and keep going. No one wanted to throw away their chance at passing the exam and earning a hunter ID. A hunter ID was life-changing. For some, it meant money and stability, enough to change their family's lives.

Damian spotted Mathias—the young man he had met earlier. They didn't talk much, just a quick hello, but they stayed close on the boat. Damian figured it was better to be near someone familiar than surrounded by strangers.

The next part of the exam was still a mystery, and everyone else on that boat was competition. The number of hunter IDs issued each year was limited, so in a way, the examiners wanted as many people as possible to fail. Only the best of the best would make it through.

The boat sailed toward the island. The lake was calm, with no waves—perfect for a quiet moment to breathe, appreciate the view, and focus on what lay ahead.

From a distance, Damian could see that the island had some structures. Most noticeable was a massive wooden building that looked like a hotel—or maybe a resort.

The boat docked, everyone stepped off, and then it departed again, leaving them behind. There were no instructions. Nothing.

At least not until someone appeared—a hunter.

"You will be staying in this hotel for the next few days," the hunter announced. "All the remaining tests will happen here."

The hunter then showed everyone around. Each participant had to share a room with someone else, since the hotel wasn't large enough for all the exam-takers who would be arriving.

Damian, of course, shared his room with Mathias. That was the smartest choice.

The hotel provided food, comfortable rooms, and even a sauna and other amenities. It was a surprisingly nice place.

After the tour, the hunter made an announcement:

"The next part of the test is already happening. It will last until tomorrow. You must stay in the hotel and find out more."

Then he left.

As always, the hunter exam wasn't clear. The participants had to figure things out on their own.

"What do you think?" Mathias asked Damian.

Damian had no clue, but he would eventually. "It's too early to tell, but if we stay focused, we'll figure out something tonight."

It was still morning, and the test would run until the following morning. There was no reason to rush or assume things.

They decided to return to their room so they could talk privately. Other participants did the same.

"How are we approaching this? I mean, are we supposed to work together?" Mathias asked.

Damian nodded. "We are."

Mathias frowned, caught off guard by the straightforward answer. Damian explained:

"The hunter said we're sharing rooms because there aren't enough for everyone. But during the tour, I counted the rooms. There's more than enough for all the participants."

The first boat had already brought the largest group, and the second one wouldn't bring enough people to fill all the remaining rooms.

"And the fact that another boat is coming tomorrow changes everything," Damian continued. "I don't think this test has a strict time limit. Or, if it does, then the people arriving tomorrow will face the same test, and we'll just have to wait a day for them to finish."

He was certain about the first part—there were enough rooms. If the hunters still forced them to share, then it meant this stage required two people. The second part of his theory was just a guess.

"It makes sense!" Mathias said, surprised at how sharp Damian was. "But if we're meant to work together, what are they expecting from us?"

Damian didn't know either. Was it so they could spread out and cover more ground? Or was there something hidden in the hotel that required teamwork?

They had no answers yet. The first step was figuring it out. Still, both of them felt like they were heading in the right direction—or at least it seemed that way.

After their quick talk, they left the room.

The hotel was packed with participants. Some talked among themselves, trying to figure things out. Others stayed silent. There were even pairs who shared rooms but refused to work together at all—lone wolves who thought they didn't need anyone's help but their own.

Damian and Mathias explored the upper floors. The only things there were the rooms, and they couldn't just barge into them to see if something was hidden inside.

So they went back downstairs, where most of the participants were gathered. The hotel even had a restaurant, and a few people were there eating breakfast.

Damian and Mathias hadn't eaten yet, so they headed there too. But food wasn't the only thing they were after.

People usually liked to talk over a meal. And Damian had exceptionally sharp senses—sharp enough to hear conversations from afar without others realizing it.

After ordering something to eat—which was free since the examiners were paying for everything—Damian focused on listening to what others were saying.

He didn't see a reason to hide that from Mathias, who was clearly impressed when he found out.

"You can hear them? That's pretty awesome," Mathias said. "They're so far away though…"

"Yeah, my senses are sharp," Damian replied.

At one of the tables, two participants—likely roommates—were talking.

They had already guessed something similar to what Damian had.

"I think we can work as two in the underground," one of them said.

"Underground?"

"Yes. I saw a door leading somewhere underground," the other replied. "It has to be there, right? I mean, we can't exactly do anything in the restaurant or the hotel rooms."

There were other areas to explore—the pools, the sauna, and apparently even a trail through the woods around the hotel—though Damian wasn't sure if they were allowed to go there yet.

Because of that, the door leading underground sounded the most promising.

But if those two participants had seen the door, didn't that mean others had too? Was it really that easy to find the right place?

Damian wasn't sure. He shared what he overheard with Mathias.

"Would it be that easy?" Mathias asked. "I think we should check it out for sure—there's no harm in that—but we should also keep looking for other possibilities."

After finishing their meal, they decided to follow the two participants to see where the door was. Luckily, the pair never noticed they were being tailed.

As it turned out, the door wasn't that easy to find at all. It was hidden behind a Staff Only door, and even then, tucked away behind a couple of shelves inside the storage area.

"How the hell did they find this place so fast?" Damian muttered.

His first thought was that the door must have been visible to anyone, but apparently that wasn't the case.

Still, Damian and Mathias didn't rush in after them.

"Should we go in and see what's there, or wait?" Mathias whispered.

Damian chose to wait.

"Let's hold off. If this weren't a staff-only area, I'd follow them. But it might not be the smartest move. I don't know… I just feel like this could be the wrong call."

They hid behind a few crates in the storage room.

Five minutes later, two more people showed up—but these weren't participants. They were actual hunters, dressed in hotel staff uniforms. Their auras were concealed, but Damian could still see them.

"Are you sure two participants came this way?" one of them asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. Let's go make sure they don't hurt themselves…"

Judging from their words, the door those two participants had entered was definitely not the right one.

Damian and Mathias left the storage area before anyone else noticed them—though Damian was sure those two hunters had sensed their presence. They just hadn't said anything.

Because of that, he started to believe the real place they had to go might actually be somewhere off-limits.

"Let's go outside and take a look," Damian suggested. "Check the trail around the hotel."

"Really? But they said we have to stay in the hotel."

"The area around the hotel is still part of the hotel," Damian replied. "If someone shows up and says we can't go there, then we'll just come back."

He led the way toward the trail by the hotel. A few hunters were there, lounging at tables and drinking beer. They glanced at Damian and Mathias but said nothing.

Since no one stopped them, the two kept moving. The trail was silent, as basically all the participants were not brave enough to leave the hotel.

Maybe going into the trail was the right call, or perhaps it was not. Only time would tell.

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