The giant stood in front of the staff rod.
His massive frame cast a shadow over it, making the six-foot weapon look almost small in comparison.
His face remained expressionless, the same dull calm he carried everywhere.
Behind him, the man with the katana watched quietly.
But inside his mind, chaos brewed.
Can he really pull it out?
What if he can't?
No… no… I should believe my partner.
But what if he fucking fails?
His thoughts tangled into knots.
Damn it… why am I suddenly so confused?
Meanwhile, within the crowd, Rose Alfard moved casually through the gathered contestants.
Her small figure slipped between people like a ghost.
Eventually she stopped beside the boy with glasses.
Without looking at him, she leaned slightly and whispered softly into his ear.
"At the right… behind the fifth tree… there's a weapon holder with a bow. If you want that, go slowly and secretly and take it."
The boy with glasses blinked.
Then he casually turned his head toward the right.
His eyes scanned the trees.
There.
Behind the fifth tree.
A small patch of blue hair peeked from behind the bark.
The blue-haired girl.
The moment he saw her, a creepy smile slowly stretched across his face.
Without another word, he turned away.
And vanished into the crowd.
Back near the staff—
The giant reached forward.
His enormous right hand wrapped around the rod.
Then he pulled.
Hard.
Muscles tightened across his arm.
But the staff did not move.
Not even a little.
The giant remained silent.
Then he grabbed it with both hands.
This time he pulled with far greater force.
His entire body tensed. Muscles swelled like iron cables beneath his skin. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly from the pressure of his stance.
He used every bit of strength his massive body could produce.
Still—
The staff did not move.
Not a fraction.
The clearing filled with quiet murmurs.
Some people sighed in disappointment.
Others frowned.
"Do you think no one can pull it out?"
"Don't know. But right now it's impossible."
"I think there must be some kind of button that unlocks the staff."
"Are you fucking stupid? You think it would be that easy?"
"Huff… I'm leaving. I'll just go kill more people."
The giant slowly released the staff.
Then he turned toward the man with the katana.
His expression remained exactly the same.
The katana wielder sighed lightly.
He turned away and began walking.
"Don't get disappointed," he said casually. "It's just too impossible. That won't count."
The giant nodded once.
The two of them left the clearing.
But not everyone stayed behind.
Several people in the crowd smiled creepily as they watched the two weapon holders walk away.
Two powerful targets leaving the center alone.
A perfect opportunity.
Quietly, they followed them into the forest.
Behind a tree at the edge of the clearing, the blue-haired girl watched everything unfold.
Her lips curled in frustration.
Even the giant failed.
She turned her head away and slowly took a deep breath.
Ahh…
She exhaled softly.
Please… someone pull that weapon out already…
Because the moment it moves—
Everything will go crazy.
But then—
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her face instantly turned pale.
Standing right in front of her—
The boy with glasses.
Her eyes widened in horror.
W-where the hell did he come from?!
She reacted instantly.
Her hands moved quickly, raising her bow and reaching for an arrow.
But she was too late.
The boy with glasses moved first.
A wooden spear flashed forward.
It pierced straight through her forehead.
The force was so brutal that the spear continued through her skull and embedded itself into the tree behind her.
The impact pinned her body against the trunk.
Her bow slipped from her fingers.
Her eyes froze wide open.
Then her body went limp.
The blue-haired girl died without firing a single arrow.
The boy with glasses stood there quietly, breathing calmly.
Blood slowly dripped down the bark of the tree.
A weapon holder had just been eliminated.
The clearing slowly returned to its tense rhythm after the giant and the katana wielder left.
But Liyo Griffin was no longer paying attention to the staff.
His mind was still boiling.
Rose Alfard.
That shameless brat.
The irritation was written clearly on his face. His jaw was tight, and the veins at his temple pulsed slightly.
He forced himself to calm down.
Relax… relax…
If she leaves this place, I'll fucking kill her later.
The thought brought him a little peace.
Liyo folded his arms and slowly scanned the clearing. His eyes moved from face to face, evaluating every person.
Who was dangerous.
Who was weak.
And most importantly—
Which of them held weapons.
Suddenly his gaze froze.
A figure had just walked out of the forest.
It was the boy with glasses.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
But then Liyo's eyes dropped to the object in his hand.
A bow.
Liyo's eyes widened.
What the fuck…
How did he get a weapon?
Just a while ago that bastard was completely bare-handed.
Liyo frowned and sighed lightly.
So another weapon holder appeared.
This place is becoming a fucking circus.
He continued scanning the clearing.
Then his gaze landed on someone else.
Someone he never expected to see here.
For a moment he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
But they weren't.
Princess Zoya.
Liyo's shock deepened.
Why the hell is Young Miss Zoya here?
He clearly remembered her announcement.
She had publicly stated she wouldn't climb the tower this time.
Yet here she was.
Standing casually in the middle of this chaotic forest.
Liyo turned quickly toward Jhon and Horikita.
"Stay here until I come back," he said sharply.
Before either of them could reply, he had already rushed forward.
Several people nearby turned their heads as he pushed past them.
Some frowned.
Some looked annoyed.
A few were outright angry at his rude behavior.
But Liyo didn't give a damn.
He crossed the clearing quickly and finally reached Princess Zoya.
He stopped in front of her with a quick sliding step.
"Young Miss Zoya, why are you here?" Liyo asked, his voice filled with genuine surprise.
Princess Zoya looked at him.
Her face remained exactly the same as always.
Cold.
Calm.
Emotionless.
"Oh… Young Master Liyo," she said flatly. "What a coincidence to meet you here."
Liyo blinked.
Her tone sounded like she had just met him at some casual party rather than in a forest full of killers.
His shock only grew stronger.
She's really climbing the tower…
Then his eyes drifted past her.
Toward the figure behind her.
His expression immediately twisted.
Who the hell is this ugly dead guy?
Behind Zoya stood Yang Kai.
Or more accurately—
He was being dragged.
Princess Zoya still held the back of his collar casually, like someone dragging a heavy sack.
Yang Kai's feet dragged across the ground as he walked.
His eyes were lifeless.
His posture was slumped.
He looked like a man who had already died but hadn't realized it yet.
Liyo frowned deeply.
Why the hell is she dragging him like that?
Without hesitation, he pointed at Yang Kai.
"Well… who are you dragging with you?" he asked bluntly.
Princess Zoya followed his finger.
She looked at Yang Kai for a moment.
Then she pointed at him too.
"We teamed up for this test," she said calmly. "His name is… ah… what is it…"
She paused briefly.
"Oh yeah. Yang Kai."
Liyo's eyes narrowed.
He examined Yang Kai carefully.
From head to toe.
"This Yang Kai dude hasn't even reached F-Rank Regular level," Liyo muttered internally. "What's so great about him?"
His gaze moved to Yang Kai's face.
The dull eyes.
The depressed expression.
The lifeless posture.
"…And why the fuck do I feel like he's already dead?"
A strange thought suddenly popped into Liyo's mind.
He imagined the moment Zoya first met Yang Kai.
In his imagination—
Zoya had looked at Yang Kai.
Her eyes turned cold.
Her temper exploded.
She beat the hell out of him in rage.
Then grabbed his collar and dragged his half-dead body all the way here.
The image in his mind was so vivid that Liyo felt a chill crawl up his spine.
…Yeah.
That actually sounds fucking believable.