Since Neil returned, he hadn’t been to a single bonfire. When Kai asked Trudy about him, she only shook her head. “Give him time,” she said.

  But Kai had never been good at waiting.

  Now, he was standing at Neil’s door, knocking.

  No answer.

  “Neil! Come on, it’s me, Kai.”

  A heavy silence stretched before a hoarse voice finally answered. “Go away, lad.”

  “Come on. I just want to talk.”

  A sigh, long and weary. “It’s unlocked. Come on in.”

  Kai pushed the door open, stepping into the dimly lit room. Shadows clung to the walls, broken only by a few weak lights. Neil sat in an armchair facing away, his cane resting against its side. The room was a wreck. Slashes cut through furniture, walls, upholstery—everything but the chair where Neil sat.

  Kai gave a half-smile. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”

  A weak chuckle.

  Pulling a stool, Kai sat across from him. He had never seen Neil like this. Always the explorer, the firekeeper, the one who stood tall no matter what. Now, he looked smaller, as if something inside him had crumbled. His beard was unkempt, dark bags hung under his eyes, and his pajamas smelled.

  Kai didn’t know what to say, so he just sat in silence.

  Neil broke it. “Math.”

  Kai blinked. “What?”

  “The trial this year. It was all math.”

  His lips curled. “Oof.”

  Neil exhaled a bitter laugh. “Yeah.”

  “Sorry, Neil.”

  “I don’t think I have it in me to go out there again, Kai.” His voice was quiet. “I’ve tried so many times. The deck is stacked against me. I’ve never been called to a trial that tested what I’m good at. Not once. Why is that?”

  Kai knew all the standard answers. Probability. Random selection. Daisy wasn’t targeting anyone personally. Eventually, the right trial would come.

  None of them felt right.

  “What place did you get?” he asked instead.

  “Three hundred and forty-two.”

  Kai winced. “Could’ve been worse.”

  “I didn’t bring back a single hormone for the sector.” Neil’s voice hitched. He turned his head away, staring at something across the room.

  Kai followed his gaze. A picture frame sat on a shelf, its glass smudged from time. A younger Neil stood with his arm around a beautiful woman, both of them smiling at the camera.

  Kai had seen the photo before, but now, watching Neil’s expression, he truly saw it.

  Realization dawned. “You and Sunny?”

  Neil gave a small nod. “The trials tore us apart. I couldn’t keep my promise to her.”

  Kai’s throat tightened.

  “So what are you going to do now?” he asked softly.

  Neil finally pulled his gaze away from the past and looked at Kai. Something stirred in his tired eyes. “I’m going to make sure you don’t end up like me,” he said. “A childless old man filled with regret, sitting in an empty nest, staring at a picture. I’m going to teach you everything I know. That’s what the bonfires are for.”

  A small smile tugged at Kai’s lips. “So… will I see you tomorrow?”

  “You can count on it.”

  Kai stood, heading for the door. He hesitated just before leaving.

  “Neil.”

  The old man looked up. “What is it, lad?”

  “Thank you for trying.”

  Kai stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He could swear he heard Neil cry.

  *

  Present, 353rd Daisy Trials.

  The so-called recipe book was just a simple black notebook, not unlike the one he used for taking notes in class. He pulled it from the floating window and flipped it open.

  Recipes:

  [Bear Bread ??] + [Bear Bread ??] = [Mushroom Salad ??]

  [Bear Bread ??] + [Dead Tree ????] = [Bear Bread ??]

  [Fly Agaric ??] + [Dead Tree ????] = [Fly Agaric ??]

  [Fly Agaric ??] + [Yellow Honey Agaric ????] =

  [Hallucinogen ????]

  [Moss ??] + [Moss ??] = [Wound Dressing ????]

  At least Daisy is keeping track of the successful combinations for me.

  In years when memory was tested, Daisy wouldn’t have given away this kind of convenience. The notebook didn’t log failed attempts, though. He’d have to keep mental notes—or risk wasting points later by making the same mistakes.

  The crafting phase was almost up.

  Fifty-two points. Hopefully, that was enough.

  Before the round ended, he gave a final scan over his cards, paying close attention to those at zero HP. He wanted to know what happened to them between stages.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Then, a notification from Daisy popped up:

  Congratulations!

  You’ve earned 52 victory points!

  Your 52 victory points have been converted to 52 upgrade coins.

  The following cards will now be destroyed:

  [Bear Bread ??] ×2

  [Dead Tree ????]

  [Fly Agaric ??] ×4

  [Lichen ??]

  [Moss ??] ×2

  [Mushroom Salad ??]

  [Yellow Honey Agaric ????]

  All other cards lose 1 HP.

  Ten of the cards on the table burst into flames, crumbling into ash.

  Yikes! So dramatic!

  So that was what happened when a card reached zero HP. It wasn’t gone immediately—it lasted just long enough for its points to be counted before getting wiped out.

  He checked all the surviving cards:

  [Pine Tree ??] | HP: 1 → 0

  [Dry Pine Needle ????] | HP: 3 → 2

  [Pine Bark ?????] | HP: 2 → 1

  [Pine Trunk ????] | HP: 3 → 2

  [Bear Bread ??] | HP: 2 → 1

  [Wound Dressing ????] | HP: 6 → 5

  [Hallucinogen ????] ×2 | HP: 2 → 1

  [Light ?] | HP: +∞

  The system did allow him to carry cards between rounds, but at a cost. Every remaining card lost 1 HP, which meant stockpiling them wasn’t without risk. If he wasn’t careful, they’d break before he could use them.

  At least the [Light] card lived up to its potential. With its infinite durability, it guaranteed him at least two victory points every round—plus, it was an ingredient he wasn’t afraid to burn in crafting. That alone gave him an advantage over other players.

  Still, he couldn’t rely on all his cards next round. [Pine Tree] had hit zero HP, which meant it would be destroyed after the next stage. That gave him a final chance to squeeze some use out of it before it was gone.

  Bit by bit, the game revealed itself to be more complex than it first appeared. Managing cards wasn’t just about finding good combinations—he also had to time his plays, weighing the benefits of hoarding resources against the risk of losing them.

  Should he hold back and play it safe? Or go all in every round?

  And then there was the matter of upgrade coins. What were those for?

  He opened his inventory. Sitting in the floating window was a neat stack of 52 purple coins.

  Kai frowned at them.

  And what am I supposed to do with these?

  With no immediate answers, he dismissed the window for now.

  Congratulations!

  You’re among the 512 participants who passed through to the next round.

  From now on, the trial will follow a knock-out format. You have 52 minutes to select your upgrades and rest.

  He hadn’t known the exact number of competitors in the last stage, but he’d been right about one thing—he wasn’t alone. And now, many of them were gone.

  Kai gulped. This was only an elimination round!

  Last year, there were over 550 sectors. If no one had dropped out voluntarily, then about 40 had just been cut.

  His pulse quickened as he processed the other notifications. With 512 participants remaining, that meant nine more rounds before a winner was decided.

  Nine more opponents. Nine more battles.

  He rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles and neck. This was going to be a long game. Every discovery, every new mechanic he uncovered, could give him an edge. He had to stay ahead.

  But how far did he need to go to get what he really came for? The hormones—when would they become a prize? What about the allcure? Would only the top 16 receive it? The top eight?

  Whatever the case, he wasn’t stopping until he got it.

  Then, a line in the notification caught his eye: 52 minutes for upgrades and rest.

  His gaze flicked to the pile of coins in his inventory.

  So that’s what the coins are for. To buy upgrades.

  Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. And then another realization hit.

  He had exactly 52 minutes—the same number of victory points he had earned. The stronger your performance, the more time you got to prepare.

  But how did Daisy keep all players in sync? Did she pair him with someone who had a similar score? Or was she manipulating his perception of time itself, slowing or speeding up each trial runner’s brain activity to keep everyone on the same track?

  A sudden buzzing pulled him from his thoughts.

  In the corner of the room, a console rose from the ground. Its interface was sleek and familiar—similar to the ones found in delivery centers.

  Kai stepped forward and activated it. A window appeared.

  In the upper-right corner, he spotted a purple circle:

  52UC

  U.C. Upgrade Coins. So that’s what they were.

  He scrolled to the list of available purchases.

  Available Upgrades

  Compass

  Requirement: Reach the northernmost point in the arena.

  Effect: A simple compass that always points north.

  Cost: 10UC

  Failed Recipes (Recipe Book Upgrade)

  Requirement: Have at least one failed crafting attempt.

  Effect: Your recipe book now records all failed crafting attempts.

  Cost: 20UC

  Map

  Requirement: Complete one full lap around an arena.

  Effect: Reveals the surrounding terrain.

  Cost: 50UC

  Slow Shutter

  Requirement: Own [Light ?].

  Effect: Allows more light into the camera, improving captures.

  Cost: 200UC

  The list contained upgrades designed to help him in the exam. But Kai’s focus wasn’t on the upgrades themselves—it was on why Daisy had converted his victory points into currency before letting him purchase them.

  If his guess was right, it meant victory points wouldn’t carry over from one round to the next. Only surviving cards and upgrade coins would.

  Victory points came from cards, and several of his had just been destroyed. That meant he wouldn’t start the next round with the 52 points he had earned.

  Surviving cards carried over—that much was clear. But why destroy some and let him keep others?

  He quickly checked his inventory, ran some numbers, and estimated he’d begin the next round with 16 points if his theory was correct.

  Upgrade coins would likely carry over, too. Otherwise, why convert the points before destroying the cards? That theory was reinforced by one particular upgrade—[Slow Shutter], which cost a whopping 200 UC. No one could afford that in a single round. It had to be something trial runners saved up for.

  So hoarding victory points isn’t possible. But hoarding coins? That’s a different story.

  If points carried over, players could hoard them and break the game with a single decisive round. But Daisy had ensured that wasn’t possible. By converting points into coins and selectively wiping out cards, she forced players to fight for every round.

  No one can coast to victory. Consistency is the only path forward.

  Kai decided it was better to invest his coins than let them sit uselessly in his inventory. Upgrades seemed to be the one advantage he could accumulate over time.

  His eyebrows lifted as he reread the list. Unlocking an upgrade required fulfilling hidden achievements. Some were obvious, like reaching the arena’s northernmost point to unlock [Compass]. Others were tied to crafting, like failing a recipe to unlock [Failed Recipes]. That one was probably available to everyone—who wouldn’t have experimented at least once?

  But what really caught his attention was [Slow Shutter]. It was locked behind [Light].

  How many others had found that hidden legendary card? Was it rare enough to give him an edge?

  A heavy realization hit him.

  Every decision from now on would shape the rest of the exam. One mistake could cost him victory. One well-planned choice could snowball into a massive advantage.

  Would he focus on snapping? Or crafting? Should he aim for a balanced approach?

  As he scrolled through the list, he spotted even more upgrades—blurred out, locked behind unknown conditions. Hopefully, he could unlock them later.

  For now, he had to make his first choice.

  He immediately dismissed [Compass]. He didn’t need it. Thanks to Neil’s training, he could find North using the sun, stars, and moss.

  [Failed Recipes] didn’t seem worth it, either. Unless crafting got far more complex, he could just memorize his failed attempts.

  That left two real options.

  [Slow Shutter] intrigued him, but at 200 UC, it was way out of reach. Even if he saved up, there was no guarantee he’d survive long enough to afford it. He couldn’t afford to hold back in the next round.

  That left [Map].

  At 50 UC, it was the most expensive upgrade he could afford. That alone suggested it was valuable—maybe even essential.

  He thought back to the [Dead Tree] he found. It had been a treasure trove. If valuable locations followed a pattern, then a map would help him find them first in future rounds.

  And now that the trial had switched to one-on-one matches, that mattered even more. Common and uncommon cards would be plentiful, so the real contest would be over rare and legendary finds. A map could help him outrun his opponent to the best spots.

  A prompt appeared:

  Are you sure you want to purchase [Map]? [Y/N]

  Kai confirmed the purchase. A calculated risk—but one he was willing to take.

  This wasn’t just about surviving one more round.

  He was playing the long game.

  If he wanted to reach the top 16 and get what he needed, he had to plan ahead.

  With this, he spent 50 of his 52 upgrade coins. No regrets. This investment would pay off.

  He closed his eyes, resting his mind.

  It was time to mentally prepare for the next stage.