Over the course of several hours, William repeated the same tactic again and again—luring the giant centipede and four-armed ape golem into attacking each other, then using the chaos to escape.
Luckily for him, the golems didn't seem to have any self-learning or adaptive capabilities, allowing him to pull off the same trick repeatedly.
Still, there were complications.
Timing the baiting process wasn't always smooth—sometimes, the two monsters wouldn't arrive together, and other times, the terrain would interfere.
But despite the risks, William survived a full day in the Terra Forest.
He now hid inside a different boulder, the first one having been destroyed by the dragon centipede.
Fortunately, it hadn't discovered him. He had somehow survived another round of the alpha golems' relentless hunt.
Right now, William looked utterly miserable.
He hadn't slept at all—too afraid he might pass out for more than five hours.
He needed to stay alert, constantly watching for threats. There was no time to rest.
His mana reserves were nearly depleted. He had overexerted his body far beyond its limits—digging tunnels, running, hiding, constantly straining himself.
The physical exhaustion was only matched by the mental toll: the stress of failure, the fear of being hunted, and the pain of pushing himself again and again.
His eyes had hollowed out, void of emotion. His uniform was torn to shreds, caked in mud and dried blood.
Dirt clung to every inch of his skin. He sat curled up inside the boulder, staring blankly at his ID bracelet, watching the seconds tick by.
Every tear had already been shed. Every emotion had been numbed. Even the reason he began all this—the reason he chose to suffer—felt distant and faded.
The only thought keeping him together was this:
"I have to pass the test."
And so William sat, motionless, staring at the passing time. Minute by minute. Second by second.
At last, the clock hit 10 p.m.—the time he was supposed to be retrieved.
Nothing happened.
He waited. A few minutes passed.
Still, no one came.
But William didn't react. He just continued sitting and watching the time pass.
He remained like that until midnight.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through his hiding spot, followed by a loud slicing noise.
The boulder he hid in was split cleanly in half.
***
At General Isaac's Office
"Hmmm… I feel like I'm forgetting something," General Isaac muttered.
He sat behind his desk, surrounded by layered holographic screens forming a wide arc. His hair was disheveled, and his uniform wrinkled.
Dark circles framed his bloodshot eyes—clear signs he had been working nonstop.
Then, after a moment of thought, he snapped his fingers. "Ah, right. I need to pick that kid up."
Tapping an intercom on his desk, he spoke aloud. "Jacob, go pick someone up for me. Sector A, Zone 7: Terra Forest."
Without another word, Isaac stretched and dove back into his work.
***
With his eyes already adjusted to the darkness, William clearly saw the figure standing before him as the boulder split open.
The man stepped forward, wearing a military uniform and holding a sword.
"Are you here to take me away?" William asked in a dull, flat voice—completely devoid of excitement or relief.
"Yes," the soldier replied.
Without another word, he motioned for William to follow. They took off in a flying vehicle.
Back at Isaac's Office
"What? He actually survived a whole day?" Isaac asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes, sir. When I found him, he was hiding inside a boulder," Jacob reported.
"Well, I'll be damned. That kid's got potential after all. Where is he now?"
"At the hospital, receiving treatment."
"And his condition?"
"Physically, he's not in danger—just extreme exhaustion, mana strain, and minor internal damage from constant trauma."
"But... I believe his physical state is the least of our concerns."
"Oh? Go on."
"The moment I saw him, I knew something was wrong. He looked hollow—completely lifeless. I later discovered he encountered an Aethorn Elk, which trapped him in a torturous dream."
Jacob paused, then continued.
"From what I've seen so far, William is suffering from severe trauma."
"His physical condition is fine, but mentally… he's starting to shut everything out—pain, fear, even hope. He's operating purely on survival instinct now."
Isaac stayed silent for a few seconds.
"You know why he's doing all this, don't you?" he asked. "What's your opinion—what should we do next?"
Jacob took a moment before answering.
"Sir, truthfully, he never should've been deployed. His training is far too lacking."
"And yet, with barely over a month of preparation, he managed to survive Terra Forest alone—even if only for a day."
"If he continues this growth trajectory, he could become a valuable asset to the city. That's why I believe you should honor your promise... and allow him to be deployed."
"Even his mental state might degrade further?"
After a respectful bow, Jacob added, "I'm simply doing what I believe is best for the city."
Isaac smirked.
"Cold-blooded as ever, Jacob. No pity for the kid?"
"There's no pity on the frontlines, sir. This is a chance to turn him into someone exceptional."
Isaac chuckled softly to himself, then leaned back in his chair.
"A chance, huh? Well, throwing him straight into the frontlines would be boring without a proper test..."
Thinking to himself, General Isaac let out a small smile as he considered William's circumstances.
***
Back to William—
After a quick check-up and minor healing, the hospital cleared William for discharge.
There was nothing severely wrong with him—just extreme exhaustion. What he truly needed was rest.
As he stepped outside, he was greeted by a landscape of green.
His dull eyes scanned the surroundings.
He had entered the hospital park.
It was calm, quiet, peaceful—everything the Zone 7: Terra Forest had not been. The stark contrast made it feel almost unreal.
Wandering aimlessly, William eventually found a bench and sat down.
From there, he observed patients in hospital gowns walking slowly along the garden paths, chatting softly or simply enjoying the breeze.
The sight created a scene of serene tranquility—something William had grown estranged from.
He sat still for hours, staring blankly at the peaceful scene, the soft rustle of trees and murmurs of laughter slowly filling the silence around him.
It wasn't until sunset that someone approached him.
"General Isaac wants to see you."
***
The moment William entered the office, General Isaac looked up and smiled.
Having already groomed himself before William's arrival, Isaac now looked like a dignified and seasoned general.
"Your performance far exceeded my expectations, William. Consider me genuinely impressed."
He pushed aside the paperwork on his desk and stood, locking eyes with the boy.
"Let's be honest—I never expected anything from you," Isaac said plainly.
"You were the infamous playboy from the capital. Barely trained. Privileged. You didn't even know what the word 'suffering' meant."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Isaac began to pace the room.
"That's why I made the test as hard as possible. You had too little time to train.
You lacked stamina, strength, and even the mental fortitude of an average recruit. I never intended to deploy you.
You would've only been a burden to your squad."
He paused—letting the silence stretch, watching for a reaction.
"But despite all of that… you survived. You endured Terra Forest alone for a full day."
Isaac turned and looked directly at William.
"Do you know what that means, William? What does it say about you?"
"…"
"You have potential," Isaac said with emphasis. "Incredible potential. With the right training, you could become one of the strongest soldiers in the entire army."
His tone shifted from grim to animated, a spark of enthusiasm showing.
"It would be a terrible waste if you died on some random mission. That's why I'm making you an offer."
He stepped closer.
"Join Unit 0, the special unit. You'll receive elite training and superior resources—and you'll regain your lost status."
"In return, you'll forgo deployment. I'll also make sure Captain Jack never bothers you again."
He smiled faintly.
"You don't have to suffer anymore, William."
For the first time, something inside William stirred. The words echoed in his mind.
'You don't have to suffer anymore.'
'Should I accept?' he wondered. 'If I do, Captain Jack won't come after me... I could get back the status I lost.'
'I... don't have to suffer anymore?'
His body began to shake slightly. The offer was tempting—more than he wanted to admit. The phrase kept looping in his mind.
'Don't have to suffer anymore…'
"I…" William began, struggling to find his answer.
Then, her face appeared in his mind. Zenith.
"What about Zenith?" he murmured, barely audible.
"Sorry, what?" Isaac asked.
"What about the Toxcarver cure?" William repeated, more clearly this time.
Isaac crossed his arms.
"Our department is still working on it. The scientists are doing everything they can to find a cure. But there's nothing you can do to speed up the process."
William lowered his head, torn and uncertain. He didn't notice the small grin that crept onto Isaac's face.
"I've heard you're doing all this for a girl—Zenith, was it?"
"Yes."
"Give up."
"…"
"I've seen her medical reports from Dr. Lenny. That level of poisoning… even if we find a cure, she'll likely end up in a vegetative state for life."
"It would be more merciful to let her go. I'm sure that's what she would have wanted."