Edward’s group moved through the swamp with renewed purpose, following Bella’s directions toward the northeastern sector where Alan Warden was supposedly imprisoned–The five surviving members moving swiftly thanks to a collective Wind Charm.

Edward, surveying their surroundings, then noticed the sudden absence of enemies. 

It seems monster spawning zones were concentrated in only three areas, he mused. The starting point, and the two routes to the NPCs. I bet that we’ll find opposition only after we reach the next objective…

“We’re not out of the woods yet, so prepare for battle,” he announced. “The next zone may be guarded by another boss.” He turned to their sixth member. “Bella, if everything goes south, will you be able to fight?”

“Yes, of course!” The NPC smiled gently. “I can support you from the back lines with my Pyromancy.”

“Good to hear.”

An anxious healer asked, “But Edward, if there really is a boss left—if it’s as dangerous as that golem…”

The Shaman remained quiet. I know what you’re thinking. That thing killed half our team. If this ‘Swamp Witch’ Bella mentioned is the final boss, only one of us might end up surviving. Is that intentional? So only one healer emerges victorious?

Edward glanced at the NPC, who maintained their running pace without needing a Wind buff.

Bella warned us about the Witch. Said we should avoid her at all costs… Are the organizers testing whether we act with prudence during impossible quests?

The landscape shifted as they traveled, trading outcroppings for soggy marshland dotted with skeletal trees. Patches of stagnant water reflected the overcast sky like black mirrors, and thick moss carpeted every nearby log.

A dome of silence suddenly enveloped them upon entering a circular clearing—no insect sounds, no rustling leaves. As if the very concept of sound died in that new territory.

“Edward,” a teammate called out, pointing ahead. “That has to be it.”

A massive white birch tree stood alone ahead, its wood bleached and dead, with an ominous hollow carved into its center like an inviting doorway.

They approached cautiously, their instincts still sharp. 

Edward then noted a strange atmospheric change—not heavy pressure, but the opposite.

This place feels devoid of sin. As if it’s never known violence or carnage. Where blood has never stained this soil. He studied the ashen ground, wondering where these sudden thoughts came from.

“Life Check,” Edward cast quietly. “I sense nothing nearby. Are we really in the right place, Bella?”

Bella continued forward, her expression growing serious as she studied the tree. “This must be it. I’m certain.”

Edward nodded, gesturing for his team to stand guard. 

They had made it. Whatever lay inside—their Guild Master or another challenge—they had arrived first.

But as his teammates prepared defensive charms, Edward heard rustling bushes as audible as fireworks in that silent domain.

A group emerged from the treeline with casual confidence rather than stealth, led by a lavender-haired NPC who could only be Anastasia.

“Son of a bitch,” Edward muttered after locking eyes with Nicholas Laflamme, who approached with well-earned swagger.

Beside him walked a contrasting figure: The humble Paladin who had suggested searching for points of interest before forming teams. It’s hard to believe these two could ever get into an understanding.

Behind them, five figures covered their faces with identical black masks, adopting a soldier-like anonymity. What’s their deal?

But the most important question remained: How did they find this place?

“Does that mean both NPCs know where the Guild Master is?” one of Edward’s team members asked. “That’s bullshit.”

“Calm down, Jonah. What would be the point of lying about the test rules?”

“Yeah! It’s more likely the other NPC knows where the other points of interest are, which by elimination leaves this as the last place to explore.”

“You got it wrong,” Nicholas spoke up, meeting their complaints. “Ah, sorry! Did I interrupt a group meeting? Anyway, you’re mistaken, fellas. We managed to get here thanks to an old-fashioned planted bug. One of you is currently carrying something of mine that can be tracked wherever you go.”

Cursing, Edward’s group frantically searched their clothes and belongings for the tracker.

Behind Nicholas, Maude stared at him in disbelief. Huh? Why would he reveal such a thing? 

Edward remained still, studying Nicholas. Is he telling the truth? When did he plant it? When we parted ways? But it doesn’t make sense… We lost allies during the last fight. What if he marked one of them?

Nicholas met his gaze and smirked, realization dawning. 

Unless he marked the one healer most likely to survive… Which happened to be me! I don’t know how to feel about that.

“That’s cheating!” one healer bellowed.

Nicholas snickered. “What do you mean?”

“You got here by cheating! You didn’t get the info from the correct NPC!”

The others joined in:

“That’s right! He shouldn’t be here!”

“We followed the rules fairly and got here on merit! We can’t share victory with him!”

“What should we do with this guy, Edward?”

“You’re assuming we haven’t gone through our own… tribulations,” Nicholas said calmly, gesturing to the NPC beside him. “We suffered great losses dealing with a powerful boss to save this beauty here.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to—!”

“STOP IT!” Edward raised his voice, turning to his team. “Regardless of his methods, he rescued the second NPC—one of our objectives! We were so focused on winning that we considered abandoning her, right? That was our choice! Instead of arguing, we should congratulate them and welcome them to our team!”

Edward paused, clenching his teeth. Turning away from Nicholas, he whispered to his team: “And we need them in case the Swamp Witch attacks us, can’t you see?” He turned back. “Besides, this is a healing competition, remember? Regardless of the main prize, we should all strive to work as a team. If our numbers hadn’t dwindled from the start, we might have had better opportunities against the bosses!”

“And it’s not as if we don’t have something valuable to offer, my friends,” Nicholas followed, puffing his chest. “We came with crucial information to finish this final phase!”

Edward looked at Nicholas suspiciously before glancing at the Paladin, who had remained silent. Wasn’t he super talkative at the beginning? Like he wanted to be our leader?

“Is that true?” Edward asked the Paladin, who smiled.

“That’s right,” the man said softly, hand on his belt. “Please, listen to this warning.”

Nicholas took over, sighing. “It seems that aside from difficult boss battles and these damn puzzles, we also have to deal with an impostor! Can you believe that? Whoever designed this test is such a fiend!”

Those words took time to sink in.

“Are you serious?!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“An impostor? Among us? That’s ridiculous!”

But as his team cried out in disbelief, Edward remained calm. He stared at the NPC and asked, “Anastasia, right? Is that true? Is there an impostor here?”

“Yes,” the long-haired NPC replied with a blank expression. “It’s true.”

Maude listened and chuckled. I see what you did there, Nepopod. Not bad at all.

Edward used all his willpower not to panic. What the hell is going on? The NPC confirmed it, so we can’t question it. And why is that part of the test?!

He turned to Nicholas’s group, suddenly noticing something overlooked. “What was your name again?”

“Are you talking to me? I’m Nicholas Laflamme.” He smirked. “Entrepreneur and S-Tier Healer. You are?”

“Edward Yelverton…” The Shaman’s voice turned grim. “Tell me something, ‘Nick.’ Why are the people behind you categorized as ‘Undead’?”

Edward’s team focused on this new information, finally realizing the names and levels above each of the five healers behind Nicholas and the Paladin were displayed in red—something rarely seen unless…

“Because they died during the test, obviously? I just raised them to help us finish the job,” Nicholas said nonchalantly, shrugging.

His casual attitude enraged them further.

“How could you do that?!”

“With black magic.”

“A healer using black magic? What were you thinking?!” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novｅlfire.net

“There’s nothing preventing a healer from learning a thing or two from the Warlock arsenal. Despite what you might think, or the overall consensus, it actually works quite well!”

“You’re using their bodies without permission? That’s disgusting!”

“How can I ask consent when they’re, you know, dead? And what’s disgusting about it? We’ll need all the help we can get if there’s a final boss remaining, right?”

“If there’s an impostor here, he’s the most suspect!”

They all stood on guard—except Edward—ready to deliver judgment. The fact that Nicholas had not defended himself from the accusation put them further on edge, until Anastasia stepped between them with extended arms.

“Back off, all of you, please! I assure you that Nicholas Laflamme is not the impostor!”

“That’s right!” the Paladin chimed in. “We shouldn’t fight among ourselves! If we let this impostor information blind us, we won’t be able to work as a team!”

Maude snickered to herself at this.

Meanwhile, Edward was lost in thought. By elimination, the impostor can’t be Anastasia or Bella—they’re following this test’s script. And since Anastasia just vouched for Nicholas, and his team is mostly undead minions anyway, that rules them out too.

He looked at the people bickering behind him in a new light. It wouldn’t surprise me if the organizers planted an impostor among the competitors. So it must be someone who followed me from the start. But who?

“Fine. We’ll work together,” Edward finally said, looking at everyone gathered. “We’ve voiced our discontent and disagreements, so it’s no longer productive to rehash them, understood? We can’t afford to hunt for the impostor right now either. They’ll eventually reveal themselves, so I ask you to stay vigilant for now.” He turned to Nicholas. “We were about to explore that tree. Could you send one of your—an Undead User?”

“In case there’s a trap? Sure! And thanks for being reasonable.”

“Screw off,” Edward muttered as Nicholas commanded one of his minions forward.

Maude was chosen for the job, and after a thorough inspection, she returned to report: “There are two carvings resembling keyholes,” she said, making her best ‘mind-controlled’ impression, which inadvertently resembled her normal speaking manner.

The group stared at each other. Now they needed two keys? And this time without a clue to their location.

“You have one key, don’t you, Anastasia?” Nicholas asked aloud.

“Yes.” She plunged her hand deep into her cleavage, her arm disappearing up to the wrist as she felt around extensively, catching the attention of every single male healer around–especially Nicholas. Her face scrunched in concentration, before finally fishing out a silver key.

Maude shook her head. That’s it?! No explanation of why she had it or where she found it?

“I have one too!” Bella said joyfully. Everyone turned with expectant eyes, but she already held the object in her hand, prompting a collective groan of disappointment.

Maude just sighed. So nobody’s questioning this, eh. Just part of the script? Okay. Cool. She reluctantly took the keys and proceeded with her task.

A minute later, a lanky figure emerged, wearing a red jacket, black pants, and red sneakers. It had something resembling red hair–although looking inflated and full of liquid–and those were its only human features.

It lacked flesh or apparent bone structure, yet walked with a straight, proud posture. Its faceless head was jarring when it started speaking in a childlike tone: “Nice to meet you, everyone! I’m Alan Warden! Nice job saving me! Nya-Ha-Ha!”

Everyone studied the strange blue humanoid and concluded it was the most unusual Slime they had ever seen.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep