Damian ran toward the forest, not caring if they were already following him. He wanted only to get far away, the only way to keep the rings safe.

The situation had changed. He couldn't wait any longer for the test to end, so he could pass it.

"They are really trying to get us to fight against each other," thought Damian as he ran through the forest.

He kept glancing over his shoulder. No one followed, but his mind insisted they would—soon.

The test, which before was just a test of patience, now turned into a battle royal. All participants would do anything they could to get the rings.

If they wanted the chance to have a hunter ID, then they had to pass that test. The fact alone turned them into savage beasts willing to go beyond just for the ring.

That was why Damian decided to run away. The night was his best friend. Damian hid with the veil of night, going as far as possible from the hotel.

The hunter had said that they could use the entire island during the test. Was the island safe at all? Damian didn't know for sure, but it was safer than staying in the hotel with the other participants.

After running away for 20 minutes straight, Damian arrived at the other side of the island. His high attributes made his body stronger than normal, so his travel speed was astonishing, too. That was why he reached the other side so fast.

Damian stopped for a moment. "What should I do now?"

He could keep running away until morning came, but that wouldn't work. Running through the forest would eventually draw the attention of the other participants, and that wasn't what he wanted.

The best scenario would be to find a place to hide, but where? While running through the forest, Damian tried to look for a good place to hide, yet there was nothing worth his time. It was like they had chosen that island for the test precisely because of that.

But Damian still had a real chance of hiding away during the night. With the skill that allowed him to change his aura and scent, Damian was confident that no one would find him inside the forest by sensing his aura. Only by actually seeing him, they would.

So, any type of coverage he could find would work in his favor because of his skill. Damian was sure of it.

A few more minutes of exploration net him a place to hide. It was an area with thicker vegetation compared to the rest of the forest, and it also had a small hill to help him hide. The big rocks there would help him hide.

And just like that, Damian waited. The sounds of the fights in the forest started to reach his ears. The participants were using their magic, attacking each other to get the rings.

Their screams would echo through the forest, screams of pain, anger, and sometimes, joy. Joy because some of them actually managed to steal their rings, and now all they had to do was hold on to them.

Speaking of someone holding on to rings, another participant showed up, right where Damian was hiding. He initially thought it was someone trying to get his rings, but the participant, surprised to see him there, showed him his ring.

"I-I didn't know you were here," the young man said, "here, I have a ring. Maybe we can help each other hide until morning?"

While the process of getting the rings turned the participants against one another, the process of hiding with the ring did the opposite. Damian found no reason not to work with the young man.

Damian questioned the young man. "How can I trust you are not here to get my rings? You do have one, but maybe you are trying to get one more for your friends?"

Despite asking that, Damian remembered the young man. It was one of the few people who were working alone during the test, one of those lone wolves. Because of that, Damian actually trusted that the man was not there to steal him.

"I can't guarantee you that just by words alone," the man said, "but I'll do my best to earn your trust. With the two of us protecting each other, we have a higher chance of passing the test."

"We do, but are you willing to risk it by being with me? Remember that I have three rings with me, so I am basically the target all the participants want," Damian said, showing his hand.

The young man already knew that.

"A person with just one ring is already a target, and if you have three rings, then it must mean you have confidence in yourself to keep them, and others do too."

Damian liked what the young man said. He was a stranger to him, but already earned some points with him.

"Alright, let's work together then," Damian said, "but can you hide well?"

The young man had found Damian there by chance—he decided to hide there too because it looked like the best spot. Perhaps others would do the same as well. Damian was starting to think that the place he chose was not the greatest.

"I can, but it's not my best skill."

He was not confident in hiding there with Damian. The man, Jaxon, also realized that the location they were in was not the best.

Damian had something in mind, something that would make them pass the test. At first, he didn't even remember it, but when looking through his system again, he saw the new skills he earned recently.

"I can breathe underwater," Damian said, "and control water too. I never tested it, but maybe I can drive the water away from you and create a safe space underwater. Do you want to try it?"

Jaxon was okay with the testing. They still had plenty of time until the test was over, so why not test things now to see if they would work? It was better than waiting for the morning to come and others to find them.

"Alright, let's do it then," Jaxon said, "if it doesn't work, then we can think about something else later."

They were already close to the end of the island, so arriving at the water wasn't a problem. Once there, they stood in front of it for a few moments.

While Damian was not scared of it because he could also breathe underwater, Jaxon wasn't that cool with it. It was quite intimidating to go into deep water and have his life in the hands of someone else.

"Just trust me," Damian said, "I won't kill you or anything, and I don't need your ring."

Deep down, he kind of needed it if he wanted to get more rings for everyone else—the two girls, the other duo, and for Mathias.

But Damian wasn't so concerned about them. He had two spare rings, and they would have to fight to get them. If he found more rings before the test ended, sure, that was nice, but he wasn't looking for them at all.

Lindy had said that he should think only of himself during the tests. That was the only way to pass all the tests and get the hunter ID, and that was what Damian wanted.

The two went underwater. Once both dived, Damian, for the first time, used his new water skills. It taxed his mind. It was hard.

But he focused and tried his best to control the skill. The water around them moved, creating a safe place for them. They could stand on their feet, as if they were on land. Not only that, but it was possible to breath too.

"This is incredible," Jaxon said, "we can stay here and hide forever."

He was not wrong. That location was basically the best one they could find. No one would think of looking for them underwater.

"I said you could trust me," Damian said.

"Sorry for not trusting you before."

Now, all they had to do was relax and wait. Both of them sat on the ground and talked to each other, as there was nothing else to do. It was even possible to sleep there to make time go faster.

Hours passed. Damian didn't sleep. He didn't trust Jaxon completely to do that. When the sun was rising, they decided to move.

Damian wanted to get back to the hotel because the test was about to end, and he had to be there. Also, it could get him a chance to find another ring in the process. That could mean someone else from his group of friends could pass the test too.

Anyway, they walked through the forest and returned to hotel in less than 30 minutes. It was pretty fast to head back.

Once there, it was finally time go resume the test and see who was gonna past it or not.

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