Freya surveyed the mountain ahead. After finally making it out of Corrin, the path to Mt. Lowena wasn’t clear. A smaller hill stood in the way if one charged forward in a straight line. Thick woods covered the slopes, but the valley to the far south consisted of flat farmland. It would be a longer route, but she had a feeling avoiding the hill would save time. No matter her stamina, hacking through dense forest undergrowth would slow her down.

Glancing at the small group around her, she wondered if they would make the same decision. 

Choosing the right route is probably a part of this trial, she thought. 

Now that they had gotten out of the city, Locryn fell to the back, and a boy named Botan took over the lead. Freya kept glancing back at Locryn for any indication of what route he planned to take. She assumed he was a local. Locryn had saved them a lot of time by taking the most efficient way out of Corrin. If he seemed certain about going straight up the hill, she might follow; perhaps he knew an easy trail through the woods.

A boy named Botan was the first to make a decision. When the road began to curve south, he continued straight ahead towards the forested hill. The boy behind him followed. After a moment’s contemplation, the only other girl of the group stayed on the road. Freya also kept to the dirt road along with the third boy. Finally, Locryn came to the turning point.

Locryn frowned at Botan and the other boy and continued running on the road. Freya sighed. She was a little disappointed this long, flat route was most likely the best way. She slowed to a comfortable jog but still ended up passing the two participants in front of her.

All the points I put in stamina are really paying off, Freya thought a little smugly. She felt tired from lack of sleep, but her legs still felt fresh. Glancing behind her, she saw the hundreds of other participants finally coming out of the city. Many chose to stay on the road, but a good number decided to go straight to their destination. Almost no one was running now.

Perhaps I should slow down, Freya considered. I don’t want to draw too much attention. It’s weird to think I can still put more points into stamina. 

Forcing herself to walk, she tried to remember what her endurance was like before she became a game player. 

I wonder if my stamina is inhuman now. 

The bright sun overhead intensified her headache. Rubbing her temples, she glanced up at her ID screen.

[Frey Evenkey]

[Lvl 16 Shaman Apprentice]

[390/390 HP] [135/135 MP]

Despite leveling up her Misidentify skill, Freya still couldn’t change her level. Level 16 was rare to see for an NPC. Besides demoniclasts, the only other outlier was Hamra. She had reached level 25 before becoming a player. Her necromancer background was probably the reason. She didn’t seem to have abnormal strength or stamina, just strong magical power and perception. 

I wonder if master Linik has an abnormally high level, Freya pondered, thinking of her shaman teacher. 

Her mind continued to wander for the next hour. The flat valley road gave her little else to think about. Eventually, someone passed her.

[Kartish Aransi]

[Lvl 13 Merchant]

Level 13? That was my level before I got caught up in the game. Let’s keep pace with him.

The boy was sweating profusely but had a hard, determined expression. He carried a large backpack that rose above his head. Freya patted her small messenger bag. Luckily she had remembered this morning to move some food and water out of her inventory. She didn’t want to get caught using her inventory by any player demoniclasts. In comparison to Kartish, she had packed lightly. She wondered why he was carrying so much.

Finally, they reached a point in the road that started to lead away from Mt. Lowena. It was time to go off-trail. The summit didn’t look that far away, but Freya knew not to underestimate the steep upward slope. 

After a few minutes of hiking, Kartish stopped for a water break. Freya continued for a little bit, then stopped herself. She was just starting to get out of breath but wanted to covertly wait for someone else to take over first place.

A tiny rustle of leaves caught her attention. For a second, she thought it was just a mouse or bird, but then she saw a green text box.

[Daveth Cest]

[Lvl 18 Samurai]

Quickly pretending not to notice anything, she took a drink from her water flask. 

It’s fine, she tried to calm herself. Of course, they would be watching. I’m sure a lot of demoniclasts are monitoring all the participants. 

Freya nibbled on some hard bread, waiting for Kartish to pass her again. Eventually, Daveth’s text box silently disappeared. The back of her neck tingled. She didn’t like being secretly watched. But there was nothing she could do about it. Feeling anxious, she decided to keep going without waiting for another participant to pass. 

Just as she picked up her messenger bag, another green text box popped up. However, this time the player didn’t conceal themself. Their brightly colored armor immediately told Freya they were a ‘real’ game player. If that didn’t give them away, their name certainly did. 

[Red Star Lightning]

[Lvl 23 Warrior]

“Hey, are you a part of this demoniclast trial?”