The tavern door closed with a soft thud.
For a moment, no one at Eokimo's table spoke.
The bowl of stew in front of him had gone cold, but he barely noticed.
His wrist still tingled faintly where the system window had appeared.
He rubbed it again.
"…Okay."
No one answered.
Eokimo looked around the table.
"Someone explain what just happened."
Rye leaned back in his chair, staring at the door where the stranger had disappeared.
"That," he said calmly, "was another Candidate."
"I figured that part out."
Eokimo gestured at his wrist.
"The system literally told me."
Lira rested her chin on the table.
"Yeah, but it doesn't usually announce them like that."
Eokimo blinked.
"…What do you mean usually?"
Dagan folded his arms.
"Candidates normally recognize each other the old-fashioned way."
Eokimo frowned.
"The old-fashioned way?"
"Fighting."
"…Great."
Before anyone could continue, a slow clapping sound came from behind the counter.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
The old man from earlier stood there, smiling faintly.
"Well now," he said. "That's not something you see every day."
Eokimo turned.
"You knew that guy was a Candidate."
The old man shrugged.
"Of course I did."
"Then why didn't you say anything?!"
The man chuckled.
"Because it's not my job to interfere with the system's games."
He walked out from behind the counter slowly, wiping his hands on a cloth.
Up close, Eokimo noticed something strange.
The old man wasn't as fragile as he looked.
His back was straight.
His movements steady.
And on his wrist—
A faint scar shaped like a symbol.
Eokimo's eyes widened.
"…Wait."
The old man noticed his gaze and smiled knowingly.
"Sharp kid."
Rye sighed.
"Yeah. He used to be one."
Eokimo whipped his head toward him.
"YOU KNEW THAT?"
Lira laughed.
"You're the only one who didn't."
Eokimo looked between them.
"Okay, hold on. Why does everyone know everything except me?"
Dagan shrugged.
"Because most of us have been here longer."
Sen finally spoke from her spot near the wall.
"Not everyone arrived at the same time."
Eokimo stared.
"…There are different waves?"
The old man nodded.
"Correct."
He pulled out a chair and sat across from them.
"Candidates arrive in batches. Sometimes days apart. Sometimes weeks."
Eokimo slowly processed that.
"So you're saying…"
He pointed at Rye.
"You guys have been doing this longer than me."
"Yep."
He pointed at the old man.
"And you were a Candidate too."
The old man smiled again.
"Long ago."
Eokimo leaned forward.
"…Did you win?"
The tavern went silent.
Even the travelers at nearby tables seemed to pause.
The old man looked at the ceiling for a moment before answering.
"No."
Eokimo blinked.
"Then how are you alive?"
"Because not all Candidates die."
He tapped the wooden table.
"Some simply stop being Candidates."
That answer raised even more questions.
Eokimo groaned.
"This system makes no sense."
Rye chuckled.
"You're just catching up."
The old man stood again.
"I run this tavern now. The system allows certain survivors to manage safe zones."
Eokimo blinked.
"…So you're basically an NPC."
The old man stared at him.
Rye immediately facepalmed.
Lira burst out laughing.
"Did you really just call him that?"
Eokimo shrugged.
"I mean… am I wrong?"
The old man snorted.
"Kid, I've been alive longer than your entire group combined."
"…Fair."
He turned serious again.
"But that Candidate you saw tonight…"
The old man's expression darkened slightly.
"…He's not like most of you."
Dagan leaned forward.
"You've seen him before?"
"Once."
"And?"
The old man sighed.
"That trial ended very quickly."
Eokimo didn't like the way he said that.
"…Quickly how?"
The old man looked at him directly.
"Almost everyone died."
The room went quiet again.
Rye stood up.
"Alright."
Eokimo looked at him.
"Where are we going now?"
"The plaza."
Eokimo frowned.
"Why?"
Rye smirked.
"Because the system loves dramatic announcements."
They stepped outside into the safe zone plaza.
Lanterns glowed along the stone paths.
Candidates gathered near the center.
And there—
A tall stone pillar stood in the middle of the square.
A glowing screen floated above it.
Eokimo stepped closer.
The moment he did, the system activated.
[Safe Zone Announcement]
Next Trial Approaching.
Trial Name: The Labyrinth Hunt
Participants: Candidates Only.
Start Time: 12 Hours.
Eokimo rubbed his face.
"…Of course it has a dramatic name."
But something else appeared beneath the announcement.
A list.
Candidate Registry.
Names began scrolling across the screen.
Dozens of them.
But two names were highlighted.
Eokimo's.
And another one.
The tall stranger from the tavern.
The system window appeared again.
[System Notice]
Candidate Link Detected.
Status: Active.
Eokimo stared at the message.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Behind him, Rye sighed.
"Yeah."
Eokimo turned.
"You knew this would happen?!"
"Not exactly."
"…Then why aren't you surprised?"
Rye pointed at the screen.
"Because the system doesn't highlight names for no reason."
Eokimo looked back.
His name and the stranger's name were still glowing.
Linked.
And somewhere beyond the safe zone walls—
The next trial was already waiting.