Word of their successful navigation through the Predator's Maze traveled quickly. By the time the team reached the northern training grounds the following afternoon, several rangers were already waiting for them.

  "The maze-breakers arrive," announced a tall woman with intricately braided hair and a commanding presence. Multiple weapons hung from her leather harness, each showing signs of frequent use. "I'm Captain Mira, overseer of the northern hunting grounds."

  Alexander offered a respectful nod. "We appreciate the welcome, Captain."

  "Completing the maze in a single attempt has earned you notice," she replied matter-of-factly. "More importantly, Tallen reports you applied the territorial patterns practically immediately." Her assessing gaze swept over the team. "That suggests potential."

  The training grounds sprawled across a broad clearing surrounded by diverse forest environments—dense underbrush to the east, rocky outcroppings to the west, and a small stream cutting through the northern edge. Various stations had been established for different aspects of hunting training, each currently occupied by rangers of varying experience levels.

  "You're here at an opportune time," Captain Mira continued. "We're conducting advanced ambush training—essential knowledge for effective quota fulfillment with minimal risk."

  Alexander noted how she addressed the quota directly—the rangers were practical about the Game's requirements, viewing them as simply another survival parameter.

  "We've developed some techniques," Alexander offered, "but would value specialized instruction."

  The captain nodded approvingly at his humble approach. "Let's assess your current capabilities first. Show me your standard ambush formation for a medium-sized territorial predator."

  Alexander quickly organized the team, positioning each member according to the protocols they'd developed over the previous days. Elijah and Riva took concealed positions with clear sightlines to the designated target area, while Lyra established a fnking position that covered potential escape routes. Alexander took point position with the best attack angle, while Valeria maintained rear security as per her restricted role.

  Captain Mira walked around their formation, examining positioning and sight lines with experienced precision. "Military-based," she noted, gncing at Alexander. "Solid fundamentals, but not optimized for forest predators."

  She called over several veterans. "Demonstrate Formation Three."

  The rangers immediately flowed into positions that, while superficially simir to Alexander's arrangement, incorporated subtle but significant differences. They positioned themselves in retion to natural features—shadow patterns, wind direction, and vegetation density—in ways Alexander's more geometric formation hadn't fully utilized.

  "Predators here sense differently than human opponents," Captain Mira expined. "Wind direction isn't just about scent—it affects how sound travels, how vegetation moves, how light passes through the canopy."

  For the next hour, the rangers demonstrated how to adapt formal ambush tactics to the forest environment. Alexander absorbed the instruction with humble attention, recognizing the specialized knowledge being shared.

  When given the opportunity to demonstrate his understanding, Alexander reorganized the team incorporating the new principles. His military precision combined with the rangers' environmental awareness impressed even the veterans.

  "You adapt quickly," Captain Mira acknowledged. "Now let's see what you bring to the exchange. Any specialized techniques your team has developed?"

  Alexander gnced at Lyra. "Our technical specialist has some unique approaches to trap mechanisms."

  Lyra stepped forward somewhat hesitantly. "I worked primarily with defensive systems in my home territory," she expined. "Mostly focused on early warning and resource protection."

  "Show us," the captain encouraged.

  From her pack, Lyra produced several small devices she'd been developing since arriving on Floor 9. Using materials gathered from the environment and components from her kit, she demonstrated a pressure-sensitive trigger mechanism far more sophisticated than the simple snares the rangers typically employed.

  "This uses tension distribution to precisely calibrate for target weight," she expined, showing how the mechanism could be adjusted to trigger only for specific-sized creatures. "It prevents wasting resources on non-target captures."

  The rangers gathered closer, clearly intrigued by the unexpected sophistication.

  "Unaligned design?" asked an older trapper, noting the distinctive improvised construction. When Lyra nodded, he whistled appreciatively. "Necessity driving innovation. The calibration sensitivity exceeds anything we've developed."

  "Where exactly did you learn this?" Captain Mira asked, examining the mechanism with professional interest.

  "Sector 17," Lyra answered simply. "Corporate patrols would confiscate resources if they found them. We needed ways to secure supplies that wouldn't be detected by standard sweeps."

  The captain studied her with newfound respect. "Sometimes I forget that Unaligned territories develop their own expertise out of sheer necessity." She gestured to a veteran trapper. "Work with her, see what else she knows that we don't."

  As Lyra was led to the trap-building station, Alexander couldn't help but notice the pride in her posture—not arrogance, but the quiet satisfaction of having valuable knowledge to contribute.

  Meanwhile, Elijah and Riva were invited to the bait preparation area, where rangers were developing specialized lures for different prey types.

  "Scent is crucial," expined a weathered ranger as he demonstrated various mixtures. "But composition must be precisely banced. Too strong attracts predators instead of prey. Too subtle and nothing notices."

  Riva immediately engaged with the process, her knowledge of pnts proving valuable as she identified several local species with unusual scent properties. "This flowering shrub contains compounds that mimic territorial markers of grazing animals," she noted, showing the rangers a sample she'd collected. "Concentrating it should attract territorial males during competitive seasons."

  Elijah observed quietly at first, then suddenly focused on a particur mixture a ranger was preparing. "That's... wrong somehow," he said, unable to fully articute his impression.

  "How so?" the ranger asked skeptically.

  "I'm not sure exactly," Elijah admitted. "It just feels... imbanced. Like it's missing something that would make it more effective."

  The ranger shrugged but allowed Elijah to modify the mixture. To everyone's surprise, when they tested both versions in a controlled setting, Elijah's adjusted formu attracted target animals significantly faster.

  "How did you know?" Riva asked quietly.

  "The whispers," Elijah murmured. "Not words exactly, but... instinctive knowledge about what would be most appealing."

  This pattern repeated with several bait formutions—Elijah's whisper-guided adjustments consistently improved effectiveness. Soon, the rangers were actively seeking his input on their preparations.

  By mid-afternoon, Captain Mira called everyone together for field application. "Theory becomes practice," she announced. "We'll set ambushes in the northern territory for actual targets. Teams will demonstrate different approaches for comparison."

  Alexander's team was assigned to target "ridge-runners"—agile predators that hunted along elevated terrain features. They combined their newly integrated knowledge: Alexander's tactical positioning enhanced with ranger environmental awareness, Lyra's sophisticated triggering mechanisms, and Elijah and Riva's optimized bait formutions.

  "Valeria, maintain oversight from this elevated position," Alexander instructed. "Signal if secondary predators approach our operation zone."

  She nodded, taking the assigned position without comment.

  They selected an ambush site where natural features created a perfect funnel toward their target zone—a small clearing beneath an overhanging rock formation. Lyra set her calibrated triggers at key points, while Riva prepared the bait using a formution Elijah had intuitively adjusted.

  "Wind direction will shift in approximately forty minutes," a veteran ranger advised. "Position accordingly."

  Alexander made final adjustments to their formation, incorporating this information. "Remember—we're applying predator tactics ourselves now," he reminded the team. "Patience is essential."

  The wait sted nearly two hours. Shadows lengthened across the forest floor as afternoon progressed toward evening. Despite the inactivity, Alexander noted how his team maintained perfect position and alertness—a testament to their growing discipline.

  Elijah tensed first. "Approaching," he whispered, seconds before anyone else detected movement.

  A ridge-runner emerged cautiously from the underbrush—a sleek, powerful creature with distinctive striped patterning and unusually rge eyes adapted for twilight hunting. It moved with predatory precision, testing the air repeatedly as it approached the bait site.

  No one moved. The trap was designed to trigger automatically, eliminating the need for sudden movement that might alert the target.

  The ridge-runner hesitated at the edge of the clearing, its instincts clearly registering something unusual. For a moment, Alexander thought it might retreat. Then it committed, moving toward the bait with growing confidence.

  Lyra's mechanism performed fwlessly. As the creature reached the precise trigger point, a net system deployed from above, dropping with such speed that the predator was completely entangled before it could react. Secondary restraints activated on ground contact, securing the thrashing animal completely.

  "Perfect execution," Captain Mira commented from her observation position. "The calibration was exceptional—not triggering on smaller movements but instant on full weight commitment."

  Lyra's face showed quiet pride as rangers examined her mechanism's performance.

  "Clean capture means minimal risk and efficient quota fulfillment," the captain continued. "Everyone benefits—the target experiences minimal stress, and hunters avoid unnecessary danger."

  As the rangers secured the captured predator for transport, Alexander noted how they treated it with respectful efficiency—no cruelty, no trophy-taking, simply the necessary task of fulfilling quota requirements while maintaining ecological bance.

  Later, at the main training ground, Alexander was invited to lecture the apprentice rangers on strategic positioning principles. He demonstrated how military formation concepts could be adapted to natural environments, drawing diagrams in the soil that combined geometric precision with organic terrain utilization.

  "Predictable escape routes are your greatest asset," he expined. "Prey follows instinctive patterns when threatened. Understanding those patterns lets you position accordingly."

  The apprentices absorbed his instruction eagerly, immediately recognizing the value of his systematic approach.

  Meanwhile, Lyra had attracted a group of veteran trappers who were fascinated by her improvised technology. They traded techniques enthusiastically—Lyra learning traditional methods perfected over generations, while sharing Unaligned innovations born from necessity.

  "We developed this trigger sensitivity because we couldn't afford false arms," she expined as she demonstrated a particurly delicate mechanism. "Corporate patrols would investigate any disturbance, so our warning systems needed perfect discrimination between threats and non-threats."

  The rangers exchanged gnces, gaining new respect for Unaligned ingenuity.

  "Survival pressure creates innovation," an elder trapper acknowledged. "We've been too isoted from outside techniques."

  As evening approached, Captain Mira organized a final practical exercise—a coordinated multi-target operation demonstrating the integrated techniques they'd exchanged throughout the day.

  Three teams would target different prey species simultaneously in the same territory, requiring perfect coordination to prevent interference. Alexander's team was assigned the most challenging position, targeting a small herd of antelope-like creatures known for their extreme sensitivity to disturbance.

  "These are actually primary prey for the floor guardian," one ranger mentioned as they prepared. "Extremely alert. If your technique works on these, it will work on anything."

  The operation implemented everything they'd learned—Alexander's tactical positioning, Lyra's technical triggers, Elijah's whisper-guided bait formution, and Riva's specialized preparation methods. Valeria maintained her assigned security role with professional focus.

  As twilight descended, the coordinated ambush unfolded with impressive precision. Each team executed their role without interfering with others. When the signal came, triggers activated simultaneously across three different sites.

  The result was fwless—all three targets captured cleanly with minimal disturbance to the surrounding environment. Even Captain Mira seemed impressed by the coordination.

  "Exceptional work," she acknowledged as they regrouped. "Especially from a team still retively new to this floor."

  Later, as they prepared their evening meal at the rangers' communal fire, Alexander noted the changed dynamic. What had begun as an assessment had evolved into a genuine knowledge exchange, with rangers actively seeking their input on various techniques.

  "I've been thinking about the quota system," Elijah said quietly as they ate. "The rangers approach it very differently than pyers on previous floors."

  Alexander nodded. "They've developed an ethical framework around it. Necessary fulfillment with minimal suffering and ecological disruption."

  "It's pragmatic," Lyra added. "In Sector 17, we had simir approaches to resource limitations—acknowledging necessity while developing systems to minimize negative impacts."

  "The whispers feel... different when we hunt this way," Elijah noted. "Less conflicted, more... harmonious?"

  Captain Mira approached their group, carrying a small wooden box. "Your team has contributed valuable knowledge today," she said, pcing the box before them. "The ranger tradition is to exchange gifts when significant techniques are shared."

  Inside were five expertly crafted hunting tools—specialized implements designed for the techniques they'd been learning. Each had been individually modified to complement their specific roles.

  "The techniques you've shared will be incorporated into our training," the captain continued. "Particurly the trigger calibration system and the military positioning adaptations. Consider yourselves welcome at any ranger outpost on this floor."

  After she departed, Alexander looked at his team with quiet satisfaction. "We've made valuable allies while learning crucial skills. Tomorrow we'll implement these techniques in our own hunting territory to ensure efficient quota fulfillment."

  "The whisper-guided bait selection could reduce our hunting time significantly," Elijah noted. "And Lyra's triggers mean we can set systems and move on rather than maintaining constant vigince."

  Alexander nodded. "Efficient quota fulfillment means more time for exploration and preparation. Every floor has its essential lesson—this one seems to be about understanding the bance between predator and prey roles."

  As night settled over the training grounds, rangers continued to approach their group, exchanging specific techniques and experiences. The team's successful maze navigation combined with their unique knowledge contributions had clearly earned them respect within this community.

  Alexander reflected on how far they'd come since entering Floor 9. The Hunter's Grounds had initially seemed overwhelmingly dangerous, but with understanding came mastery. They weren't merely surviving in predator territory now—they were learning to become effective predators themselves when necessary.

  And that knowledge, he realized, was exactly what this floor was designed to impart

  Author Note- At this point Elijah no longer cares about who hears about his whispers, he is sick and tired of rephrasing himself and hiding part of who he become.