Cabin in the Forest

At the highest point of the forest, beyond the clouds, stood a special hemispherical room.

It almost seemed as though the clouds themselves supported this special room. Aside from a giant astronomical telescope made entirely of pure copper, the room was constructed from a special silicon stone capable of reflecting every kind of light.

Name: Stargazing Room

Inside the room were two people... or perhaps only one.

"A new student has arrived. He seems quite promising..."

"How could you tell?"

"His body is frail... weaker than any student from previous years. To pass a Destiny Event with such a body, he must possess something extraordinary."

"I remember now. His name should be Valen Nicholas... Is he the Knight-Errant who passed a four-star event?"

"Four stars. It has been a long time since we saw a four-star freshman. Should we raise the test's difficulty?"

"That would not be ideal... Raising the 'randomness' and 'variables' would better assess a freshman's overall qualities, rather than blindly increasing the difficulty.

Besides, the method he used to clear the four-star event may not have relied on brute force."

"I'll listen to you. Should the test be held in Dark Moon Forest, or within the tower?"

"The former. It offers greater variables."

"What method should we use?"

"Let him choose for himself... Also, we need to add another variable."

"Oh? And you still don't call that increasing the difficulty?"

"The variable poses no danger. It is merely a variable, and it holds important significance for his future development... If this young man can identify the variable we set, he deserves special attention."

"This doesn't quite fit your style... Raven."

"Such is fate."

Caw! Caw!

There were even more crows than Han Dong had imagined.

The carriage raced along the winding road. Along the way, every tree branch Han Dong saw had a crow perched upon it.

Their rhythmic cawing seemed to be transmitting some sort of signal.

All of a sudden, the carriage, which had been speeding along the entire time, came to a halt... They had not yet left the forest.

"No road?"

The forest road that should have led directly to the Mysticism Department's building had abruptly ended halfway, blocked by a cluster of trees.

Han Dong could only get out of the carriage. At the end of the road, he found a signpost with several eerie words written on it—Dark Moon Forest Exit Direction—along with an arrow.

"It seems I need to walk through the forest to reach the Mysticism Department's building and complete freshman registration... Fortunately, I came prepared."

Han Dong had always believed that fire was useful.

At least during the novice event and the previous ghoul event, torches had been used for illumination... Therefore, Han Dong lit a torch he had prepared in advance in his backpack and cautiously ventured deep into the eerie Dark Moon Forest.

In such a dark forest densely packed with tall dead trees, it was easy to lose one's sense of direction and stray from a straight path.

However, Han Dong was different. He could clearly tell what constituted a straight path. Even if his physical condition caused his route to deviate, he would immediately correct himself.

Perhaps Han Dong simply had an excellent sense of direction, or perhaps it was the effect of the Faceless Head.

After walking for about half an hour.

He had not left the deadwood forest. Instead, he discovered an exquisite little cabin in the woods, with firelight spilling from within...

Since being reborn into this world, Han Dong had already witnessed too many strange and novel things.

"Perhaps this cabin, less than a hundred square meters in size, is the main building of the Mysticism Department... Let's take a look."

Everything that existed had meaning.

Han Dong carefully approached and circled the cabin. He discovered that it had no windows at all... The firelight he had seen earlier had merely leaked through the crack in the front door.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was no response to his knocking.

As Han Dong slowly pushed open the Wooden Gate.

There was no hidden wonderland as he had imagined. It was merely an ordinary wooden cabin.

However, many exquisite and bizarre props had been placed inside, making it feel as though he had entered a medieval antique shop.

A letter from nowhere in particular landed directly in front of Han Dong.

'Please select any one intact prop from within the cabin. (You may even dismantle the door and take it away! However, it must be intact.)

Leave Dark Moon Forest and hand the prop to the department administration office.

(Note: Your performance will determine the Mysticism Department's overall evaluation of you.)'

"Another test... I'm only here to study, yet they really are strict.

First there was the Destiny Event, then the interview, followed by a secret background investigation. And now, before registering at the building for my major, I need to undergo another test?"

Han Dong had assumed that after reaching the Mysticism Department's building, he would undergo some basic testing through special equipment to determine his strengths and plan his future course of study.

He had not expected it to be conducted in such an eerie manner.

"How well I perform in this test will affect my future studies at Knight Academy. I need to focus."

After several days of carefree rest, Han Dong was in better condition than ever... Not to mention that he had acquired a Ghoul Arm.

Pulling himself together, he swiftly examined the various props in the cabin.

A "green crystal ornament (frog-shaped)" placed inside a jewelry box.

A "Box of Mourning" sealed beneath a glass cover.

A steam-styled "Gas Mask."

A "Stitched Pig Head Mask" hanging on the wall.

"Silk White Thread" scattered across the floor.

"Leaving aside the miscellaneous objects in the room that can also be taken away.

There are twelve choices among the special props alone. Once I make a choice, the nature of the following test will be decided, and the difficulty may vary.

I'll choose this one..."

Han Dong stared at the Box of Mourning inside the glass coffin. Just as he was about to choose this prop, which seemed to have come from hell.

Creak. (The sound of wood.)

He had stepped forward and landed on a peculiar floorboard... This detail immediately caught Han Dong's attention.

The sound this floorboard made when compressed was different from the others.

"Just as I thought... A hidden compartment?"

He easily moved aside the strange wooden block beneath his feet.

Inside a concealed compartment beneath the floor was a small, rusted iron box.

After examining the item stored inside the iron box, Han Dong was somewhat moved.

After considering it for several minutes.

Han Dong chose the iron box and turned to leave the cabin.

"Someone's there!"

The instant he stepped out of the cabin, faint footsteps came from the woods.

Han Dong's gaze shifted, and he immediately entered a guarded state... Green plague-like lines flowed across the surface of his right arm.

To his surprise, the person running out of the forest was a black-haired girl covered in grime.

Judging by her complexion and facial features, she appeared to be from the Middle East. She wore three golden nose rings through her nose.

The girl clutched a golden card symbolizing a Knight-Errant.

Squinting slightly, she asked warily, "You... you're a Knight-Errant?"

"Yeah."

"Thank goodness!... I've been lost in Dark Moon Forest for days. I finally found the right direction."