The nobles did not hesitate.
After leaving the battlefield behind, they changed direction almost immediately, moving with an ease that suggested familiarity rather than improvisation. Their pace wasn't rushed, yet there was no wasted motion—each step placed with confidence, each pause purposeful.
Ren followed at a distance, maintaining a careful buffer of terrain and foliage between them.
They know where they're going, he realized.
The forest gradually thinned, replaced by uneven terrain that dipped gently downward. The air changed—cooler, fresher. The sound of flowing water reached his ears long before it came into view.
A small valley opened before them.
Low cliffs ringed the area on three sides, natural stone walls rising unevenly but steep enough to discourage most monsters. A narrow stretch of forest bordered the fourth side, dense but not wild. At the valley's center, a clear spring bubbled quietly from the ground, its mana faint but pure.
Ren felt it immediately.
This place was chosen.
Before he could fully process the terrain, a translucent overlay flashed across his vision.
[Appraisal Activated]
Zone Identified: X1 – Minor Strategic Area
Features Detected: Natural Spring | Defensive Terrain | Low Monster Density
Note: supposedly safe zone at night
Ren's breath hitched.
So it really is a designated zone.
The nobles spread out the moment they entered.
Not cautiously—methodically.
Each of them took a direction, eliminating threats as they appeared. A lurking lizard beast was cut down in seconds. A pair of mana-infused insects never even reached the air before being burned to ash. A burrowing creature was dragged screaming from the ground and dispatched without ceremony.
They worked alone.
No calls for support. No overlapping attacks.
Two hours passed like this.
Ren stayed hidden the entire time, rotating positions with Kian and Lira in silence. They watched as the valley was stripped of danger piece by piece, until the mana flow settled into a calm, steady rhythm.
Then the nobles regrouped at the valley's center.
One of them stepped forward and removed a compact metallic device from his storage pouch. He placed it gently on the ground and took three steps back.
Ren's appraisal flared violently.
[Warning]
Object Detected: Defensive Artifact
Grade: D
Function: Area Shield (Radius: ~60m)
"Now," Ren whispered sharply.
Kian and Lira didn't question him.
They moved instantly, slipping into the radius just before the artifact activated. A translucent dome expanded outward, locking into place with a low hum that resonated through the valley.
A shield.
Ren exhaled slowly.
If we'd hesitated even ten seconds…
Before anyone could react further, another noble stepped forward, pulling out what looked like a torch—except its shaft was etched with complex runes, and its tip glowed with a restrained, ominous light.
He planted it into the ground.
Kian's eyes widened.
"…That's not a torch," he muttered.
Ren didn't need appraisal this time.
Lira whispered first, voice tight. "Level C… Laser Ward."
The device activated.
Invisible beams shot outward, bouncing off rocks, trees, and terrain, forming an intricate web of death. Any non-living surface redirected the beams instantly. Any living thing that crossed their path would be pierced—burned, tracked, and alerted.
A silent killing field.
Ren clenched his fist.
That thing would shred weak monsters… and notify them instantly.
Another noble produced a small, palm-sized cube and tossed it onto the ground.
The cube unfolded.
Panels expanded outward, reinforced fabric stretching into shape, until a full-sized tent stood where it landed—large enough to house twenty people comfortably. Mana lines glowed briefly along its surface before fading.
A temporary structure.
High-grade.
Then came the food.
One of them reached into a pouch and pulled out wrapped portions—steaming, fragrant, unmistakably warm. Enough for at least ten people. Meat, vegetables, even bread.
Lira stared, stunned.
"…That pouch," she whispered. "It's mana-lined. Food preservation."
Ren nodded silently.
The four ate silently not greedily showcasing a nobles habit .
Casually. Comfortably.
As if this were a planned camp, not the middle of a lethal trial.
The nobles spoke proudly even talking about their assets .
When they finally lay down to sleep, the defenses were already complete and impenetrable.
Ren let out a slow breath only after their breathing evened out.
"Thank the gods we slipped in early," Kian murmured. "That shield…"
"…Would've been impossible to breach," Ren finished quietly. "Even a guardian would struggle for an hour. Maybe two."
They didn't risk approaching the tent.
Instead, they scavenged what they could—discarded food scraps, faint mana residue, anything usable. No greed. No noise.
Then they withdrew.
The shield radius extended roughly fifty-five meters from the tent. Ren measured it carefully before leading them to a resting spot just outside its range, hidden behind uneven rock and low foliage.
Far enough to avoid detection.
Close enough to benefit indirectly from the cleared zone.
Once settled, Ren spoke softly. "Slimes."
Kian blinked. "…Slimes?"
"Low threat. Fast points. Minimal mana cost."
Lira nodded. "And they'll be drawn here by the residual mana."
They split briefly, hunting the gelatinous creatures that crept toward the valley's edges. Weak, slow, but numerous. Ren froze them in place. Lira pierced them cleanly. Kian finished them with efficient strikes.
Points accumulated steadily.
Afterward, they regrouped and rested.
Ren lay on his back, staring at the faint glow of the noble's shield through the trees.
They didn't survive because they're stronger, he thought.
They survived because they were prepared long before this began.
Above them, unseen, the viewing board shifted again.
Many eyes lingered on the nobles' camp—impressed, approving.
Only a handful noticed the three shadows moving at the edges of the valley.
Watching.
Learning.
Waiting.