Just then, a cold, mechanical voice that seemed to echo directly in my soul began to broadcast:

【Initial trial candidates: 100; current survivors: 70.】

Thirty candidates were dead just from choosing a cave.

I felt around and discovered a rough crystal fragment had appeared on my person, with faint dots of light flickering on its surface.

I brought it close to my eyes to make out the information.

It was a way for the trial candidates to communicate.

The messages were chaotic, filled with fear.

The man who had been initially furious and roaring had gotten into a fight with several other werewolves over a decent-looking cave on the third level. He had barely won and swaggered into his chosen cave.

Then, a terrifying roar echoed out, followed by the sounds of bones cracking and being devoured.

A half-man, half-wolf creature with giant, burning,crazy flames in its eyes appeared at the cave entrance, licking blood and flesh from its muzzle.

A Gamma warrior, the moment he stepped into a cave on the tenth level, seemed to see something absolutely terrifying. His Lunar Fear instantly shot to 100, and he collapsed, his body melting and dissipating under the blood moon's glow.

The other deaths were just as varied. Some were killed by silver traps, some were torn apart by the feral wolves in the caves, and others were driven mad by an intangible fear.

As I read these messages, I felt strangely calm.

Perhaps my sensory impairment protected me, keeping me from understanding those terrifying symbols.

I stood up and, while Lia slept, began to explore the cave. It was a mess. The ground was littered with things that hurt my feet (I later learned these were bones), and the stone walls were stained with dark, dried filth.

I found some tough vines and made a simple broom, starting the laborious task of cleaning. I swept all the small, uncomfortable things into a corner and covered them with dirt.

The stains on the stone walls wouldn't come off, so I found some damp moss to try and cover them.

I don't know how long I was busy—perhaps it was afternoon (though the blood moon's glow remained unchanged). I grew tired and collapsed onto the pile of dry grass next to Lia, falling into a deep sleep.

I don't know how long I was out, but the cold woke me up.

It wasn't just a chilly breeze; it was a bone-deep, cadaverous freeze that felt like my blood was turning to ice.

The crimson moonlight that had filled the cave was gone, swallowed by a thick, suffocating darkness. The air was heavy with a scent that was ancient, rotting, and sickly sweet—like cracking open a vampire's tomb that had been sealed for a millennium.

Something terrifying had arrived.

A tall silhouette blocked the entrance.

"Who are you?"

The voice rang out.

But it didn't come from where his head should be. It came from his left hand, hanging by his side.

He was holding a dripping, severed head.

The voice was deep, raspy, sounding like it crawled out of the deepest pit of hell.

He chuckled. The sound was like sandpaper grating against my eardrums.

"Interesting."

The mouth on the severed head in his hand moved. Its dark golden, slit pupils glowed with an eerie light in the dark.

"You're the first to survive that little psycho."

Immediately after, Lia's cold voice came from the corner, sharp with the tone of a young wolf, "Don't touch her. This mommy's mine. I'm keeping her to play with later."

The towering, headless body didn't even flinch.

With just an invisible blast of psychic energy, Lia was tossed aside like a rag doll.

Thud!

She slammed into the rock wall.

The sickening crunch of bones snapping echoed through the deathly silent cave.

Lia coughed up a mouthful of blood, curling into a ball in the corner, shaking uncontrollably. It was absolute bloodline suppression.

"Know your place, mongrel," the head spoke coldly, his tone dripping with undeniable cruelty. "Who gave you permission to eye my prey?"

At that moment, every single observer held their breath.

That was the legendary "Executioner," the vampire-werewolf hybrid tyrant! He was known to tear every intruder to shreds before elegantly feasting on their entrails.

I couldn't stand it. I scrambled up from the hay. "How could you do that to a child!" I said as I rushed toward the tall figure, "What kind of father does that!"

I meant to push him, but tripped over a bone and my hands flailed out, accidentally pressing against something firm and textured—it seemed to be his abdomen.

The feeling was surprisingly nice, so I instinctively gave it a couple more pats.

The violent, bloody aura surrounding the man instantly stagnated.

I quickly backtracked:"Lia's my little treasure, and you're my big treasure. We're a family!"

I paused, then added, "I'm Serina. I'm here to join the family. Seriously, dear, you've kept in great shape. Though you seem a bit... on the short side? Don't worry, I'll cook for you both every day, and I'll make sure you grow tall and strong!"

Those watching the trial began to stir again:

【She's lost her mind! Is she actually hitting on the Executioner?!】

【So this is her, the legend! He has to be the strongest being in the Blood Moon Trial, right? Even Silver-maned Kaelan died by his hand.】

【She called monster like that short? OMG, that's because he's holding his own head!】

【Wait, are the vampire-werewolf's ears turning red? Is he blushing...】

【Why did this vampire-werewolf let this trial candidate keep touching his stomach! Isn't that the most vulnerable part for werewolves?】

Everyone watching the trial in this cave was waiting for me to be torn to shreds.

According to past records, that was the fate of all who dared offend this being.

But in the next second, the man did something no one expected.

He raised a hand and pressed what looked like a round object he'd been holding back onto his neck. With a soft click, it settled into place.

He leaned toward me, the previously untouchable image completely gone, his voice even carrying a hint of unbelievable hurt:

"Short? I'm six-foot-five! Want to take a better look?"

Even legendary terrifying beings, it seemed, cared about their height when it came to men.

"Serina," he suddenly said my name, a voice so beautiful it made my heart skip a beat, "I suggest you look closely."

I grabbed the front of his leather jerkin, pulling him closer to me, while deliberately whispering in a sweet voice, "I can't see clearly. A little closer."

Facing the now-clearly visible handsome face before me, I silently rejoiced that thankfully this damn trial only monitored Lunar Fear, not heart rate. Otherwise, I'd be doomed.

Seeing the man silent as he stared at me, worried he was actually angry, I immediately switched to an admiring gaze and nodded vigorously, "Wow! Six-foot-five to my five-ten—what a perfect height difference for kissing! We really are a match made in heaven!"

The man in the black leather armor's face clearly flushed red.

Just as he was about to speak, Lia, who had just finished resetting her own bones, rushed over and kicked him straight into the cave ceiling with such force that he got temporarily embedded in the rock.

Then, the little wolf cub turned to me, nuzzling my face with her wet nose. Her golden vertical eyes looked at me pleadingly, "Mommy, Lia's hungry. Need food."

Who could resist that?

I immediately started searching through the cave, squinting carefully to identify the stored food, and excitedly went to prepare dinner for Lia—and for my "husband" hanging from the ceiling.

My cooking skills are no joke.

After I'd stewed a thick pot of soup with the wild pork, tubers, and herbs I found, the father and daughter pair licked the stone pot clean, not a drop of broth left.

When I went to the back of the cave to wash at the water pool, I could overhear their "harmonious" conversation:

"Lia, keeping this woman might not be such a bad idea. She cooks really well."

"But Daddy, tomorrow those corpse witch twins will be back. They'll get mad if they find out we didn't eat their food."

"Call that food? If they've got a problem with it, I'll take care of them first."

"Okay, I'll keep watch."

After washing up, I naturally claimed the deepest, softest pile of hay in the cave—clearly the master bedroom. I peeked out from the fur blanket, watching the dark figure still sitting motionless on the stone bench.

So, I used the sweetest, most considerate voice to show off my wifely skills:

"Dear, do you need me to help you clean your wolf? It looks like you've just been hunting."

I pointed to where I'd been cooking, where there was a large pool of water.

To my surprise, the man actually agreed. He silently walked to the side of the pool and sat down, shifting into his wolf form.

Those watching the trial went wild again:

【What the hell is she talking about?! Offering to clean a vampire-werewolf?!】

【Has this woman been kicked in the head by a rogue?】

【The vampire-wolf's fangs are longer than her thigh!】

【There's blood dripping from its mouth! And chunks of some unknown creature on its teeth!】

Facing the ferocious wolf with terrifying vampire fangs, I felt no fear at all.

In my eyes, he was just a big, fluffy dog.

I happily scooped up warm water and started washing the blood-splattered wolf.

"You know," I said as I worked through the tangled fur, "in my old pack, only family members help clean each other's wolves. It means we're close."

As I gently wet his fur, I unconsciously increased the pressure of my strokes.

I could feel the wolf under my hands tremble slightly, but he didn't resist.

Lia came over, resting her head on my lap. "The other trial runners see his fangs and run," she whispered. "Why aren't you afraid of us?"

I gently scratched her chin, thinking for a moment. "Because we're family now. What's there to be afraid of between family?"

Lia's voice turned low. "We're not what you think we are. What if we're monsters?"

"As long as you don't do anything to hurt me, you're my family. So what if you're monsters? My old pack wasn't monsters, but they abandoned me. You, at least, have given me a home for now."

I started scrubbing his fur, like washing a soft, black blanket.

【She's washing the vampire-werewolf's mane! He hates it when anyone touches his wolf! The last trial candidate who just brushed up against him lost all his teeth and fingers and was thrown into the crocodile pond in the rainforest!】

【What's wrong with this woman? She's even humming! Is she really not afraid at all?】

【That vampire-werewolf is actually closing his eyes in comfort? Can her massage skills be that good?】

"You're in a good mood?" The wolf under my hands spoke.

I finished washing and found a large, dry leaf. As I dried the remaining water from his fur, I said, "This is the first time I've ever had a family. I'm an orphan, and now I have a lovely daughter like Lia and such a strong mate. I'm so happy."

I could've sworn the wolf's temperature rose, like he was getting shy.

After I finished drying the wolf, I leaned my entire body against his smooth, fluffy fur, my voice muffled, "I still don't know your name."

He seemed to think of something unpleasant and quickly shifted back to his tall human form.

"The Werewolf Council stripped me of my name, declaring me a cursed being."

He paused, then added, "Maybe you could give me one. A name that belongs only to you."

After speaking, he turned and left in a huff.

Looking at his retreating figure and his words, I felt a little shy myself.

"Eros," I said. "That's the name I've chosen for you."

"Do as you wish." He was already far away, but I still heard his consenting reply.

By the first night, I was a little hopeful that Eros would sleep with me in the same hay pile. After all, he hadn't refused my request to join this home.

Plus, I kind of missed that the feeling of his strong muscle.

But I miscalculated. By midnight, he still hadn't shown up.

But Lia came. Her small body suddenly appeared in my bedding, her eyes glowing with an eerie light.

A true ghost wolf cub.

Her cold arms wrapped around me. "Mommy, will you wash me like that too?"

"Of course," I hugged her, trying to warm her little body. "Not only will I wash you, but I'll make you pretty little clothes. Dress up our little Lia."

Lia looked at me, puzzled. "Why dress me up?"

"Because our Lia is the most beautiful and lovely little wolf cub, of course?" I answered gently.

"But... when I was alive, people called me a monster. And that vampire... he's a monster too. His wolf could swallow a whole werewolf in one bite."

I sighed softly, pulling Lia closer to me, feeling her slightly cool body temperature.

"Listen, sweetheart," I said gently, my fingers lightly combing through her tangled silver-white hair.

"People who say bad things about you are just wrong. If I ever meet them, I'll make them pay and show them how special my little Lia really is."

Lia buried her face in my neck, her voice muffled. "But... they all called me a monster. My fur color is impure, brought shame to the pack."

Hearing such a cruel truth from Lia's young voice, I couldn't help but tear up. "Listen, that's not your fault. Those who hurt you don't deserve to be your real family. From now on, I'm your mom."

"It's just that they don't know how to appreciate your uniqueness," I cupped her small face, looking seriously into her glowing eyes in the darkness. "Every single strand of your fur is a gift from the Moon Goddess, just as special as the stars in the night sky. Promise me you won't say things like that about yourself anymore, okay? It makes Mommy very sad to hear you talk like that."

She hesitated, then nodded. I started humming that off-key lullaby again, my fingers gently stroking her back.

I don't know how much time passed, but we both fell into a deep sleep, her breathing gradually evening out.

After I was sound asleep, Lia quietly crept closer to my face. Her glowing eyes in the darkness fixed on mine for a long while.

It was as if she were struggling with something inside herself. Finally, she gently pressed a cool kiss to my cheek, whispering softly, "Mommy would be sad... can't make Mommy sad."

The energy around her stabilized, and even her ghostly form gradually solidified into that of a real little girl, curling up in my arms to sleep peacefully.

Those watching the trial were shocked:

【She even manifested a solid form! How is that possible? A ghost cub's energy form is supposed to be unchangeable!】

【What did this trial candidate do? She changed the very nature of the ghost cub!】

【I checked the records. This has never happened before. This Serina... she's a variable.】

The next morning, I was woken by a cold mechanical voice.

【Initial trial candidates: 100; current survivors: 40.】

I rubbed my eyes, fumbling to find the communication crystal and holding it close to strain and read the flickering information. Another thirty candidates had been lost overnight. The number made my heart sink.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Lia asked sleepily. She now looked completely like a solid little girl, her white nightgown making her look especially adorable.

I put down the crystal, smiling as I ruffled her hair. "Nothing, sweetheart. Here, Mommy will braid your hair nicely today."

Just then, the crystal suddenly flickered to life with a private message from Safiya:

【Serina, thank goodness you're still alive! I've been dealing with the Delta warriors in my cave and couldn't warn you in time. The first three days are crucial. You must build a good relationship with your "family." Here's some information I compiled from the Alpha Council records. Hope it helps. I'm sorry I didn't explain the cave selection rules beforehand, forcing you into the King's Nest.】

I noticed Safiya was also active on public channels, offering advice to other candidates:

【Remember, don't make direct eye contact. That's seen as a challenge.】

【If you hear a low growl, stop whatever you're doing immediately.】

【Always let them eat first...】

Taine occasionally chimed in:

【What's the point of helping these newbies? It doesn't benefit you.】

Safiya always replied gently: 【Crossing paths is fate. Don't be so calculating.】

The surviving candidates were all grateful to Safiya, calling her "The Guide."

These two Alphas were certainly interesting.

I leaned close to the crystal, replying cautiously: 【Thanks for checking in. I'm doing fine. Your info is helpful.】

After putting down the crystal, I saw Lia sitting obediently to the side, while Eros was doing strength training with a massive boulder. His muscles looked particularly distinct in the morning light.

"What would you like to eat today?" I asked him, still braiding Lia's hair. "I found some wild berries in the back of the cave yesterday. I could add them to breakfast."

Eros set the boulder down and walked over to sit beside us. His gaze was gentle, nothing like the ferocious vampire-werewolf of legend. "You decide," his deep voice had a hint of warmth. "Everything you make is delicious."

Blood-colored moonlight streamed through cracks in the cave ceiling, casting dappled spots of light on us.

Lia leaned against my knee as I carefully braided her hair, occasionally weaving in some small wildflowers I'd picked yesterday.

Eros sat quietly and watched us. The scene was so warm it hardly seemed like a life-or-death trial.

Suddenly.

The temperature in the cave plunged to freezing point.

Eros shot to his feet, muscles coiled tight, a thunderous growl erupting from his throat. His dark golden pupils constricted to pinpoints, fixed on the darkest corner deep within the cave.

"Get back!" he snarled, shielding Lia and me behind him.

The warmth that had filled the air vanished instantly, replaced by the pungent stench of formalin, mixed with the sickening odor of rotting flesh and burnt hair.

Hee hee hee...

A chorus of overlapping, spine-chilling cackles echoed from all directions.

Black slime began to ooze from the cave ceiling without warning.

Two twisted shadows, defying gravity like crawling insects, hung upside down from the roof and slowly writhed their way down.

They were two absolutely terrifying "creatures."

The one on the left had skin the ashen gray of a corpse, her limbs bent at grotesque angles.

Her face was devoid of features save for a massive mouth crudely stitched shut with rough black thread. As she laughed, the stitches snapped, revealing rows of sharp, jagged shark teeth.

The one on the right was even more horrific. Her hair writhed in the air like living venomous snakes, with tiny, dripping finger bones hanging from the end of every strand.

A gaping hole tore through her abdomen, but instead of entrails, it was stuffed with withered thorns and wriggling maggots.

"What a cozy little family of three..." the witch with the snake-hair shrieked, a sound like nails scratching violently on a chalkboard. "Sister, that woman's skin looks tender. If we peel it off, it would make a lovely, translucent lampshade."

The stitched-mouth witch didn't speak. instead, she ripped the black threads from her lips, unleashing an inhuman screech!

Eros extended his claws, his aura surging with bloodlust, clearly facing a massive threat. "Morgana, Morgan! Get the hell out of my territory!"

"This is our territory too. Don't you remember who cooked for you before?" the witch with the hollow abdomen said sinisterly. Her arm, withered as dead wood, suddenly shot out, elongating meters in an instant, claws aiming straight for my face with a gust of foul wind! "As payment, this woman's hair is mine!"

My vision blurred as a wave of stench hit me.

I instinctively raised my hand to block, catching the withered hand accidentally.

The texture was dry and rough, like a piece of dead wood.

I paused, not letting go. Instead, I rubbed it more carefully.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, completely ignoring Eros's shocked expression and the witch freezing mid-attack. "This texture is terrible! Severe dehydration, dermis damage, and the stratum corneum is as thick as tree bark!"

I followed the arm up, my gaze piercing through the terrifying illusions—to me, they just looked like two eccentric, unkempt sisters—and landing on that wild, dancing "snake hair."

"And this hair!" I cried out in heartbreak. "The split ends are severe, and the cuticles are completely blown out! Is this why you're so grumpy? Dry hair affects your mood, you know!"

The terrifying atmosphere, primed for a slaughter, instantly solidified.

The hand that was meant to pull out my hair was now awkwardly suspended in mid-air.

The witch whose hand I held—Morgan—froze.

Her eyes, which were nothing but whites, stared fixedly at me.

It seemed she had never encountered a human who, instead of dying of fright, started critiquing her skin condition.

The stitched-mouth witch—Morgana—stopped her screeching. Her terrifying maw hung slightly open, the black threads fluttering messily in the wind.

"What... are you talking about?" Morgan's voice trembled with uncertainty, and the wild "snake hair" on her head wilted a little.

"I said，your skin and hair need emergency care!" I didn't waste another second.

I pulled out the herb I had mixed yesterday. "I'm the mistress of this house now. Since you're here, I can't watch family treat themselves like this!"

I grabbed Morgan's terrifying hand and slathered a glob of green paste onto it.

"This is aloe and moon-grass extract. specifically for dead ski—uh, dry skin."

Eros retracted his claws, his expression shifting from alert to dumbfounded. Lia peeked her head out from my arms, watching the scene with curiosity.

"You... aren't going to chop my hand off?" Morgan stared at her now green and shiny hand, forcefully holding back the corrosive venom she had prepared to release.

"How can I do a treatment if I chop it off?" I rolled my eyes at her, then looked up at Morgana hanging from the ceiling. "Sister up there, stop hanging around like that. All that blood rushing to your head is bad for the roots; it causes hair loss! Come down, I'll give you a scalp massage."

The observers' chat exploded:

【She's crazy! Those are the Hexenbiest! They were about to eat people just now!】

【Morgana's hair is a Medusa curse! And this woman wants to give her a scalp massage?!】

【Oh God, Morgan is actually looking at her hand... She seems to think the hand cream smells good?】

【This trial has taken a weird turn! It went from Silent Hill to Desperate Housewives?!】

Morgana hesitated, then actually crawled down from the ceiling like a giant spider, squatting obediently in front of me.

"If it's not comfortable... I'll turn you into fertilizer," she threatened through her leaking mouth, though her voice clearly lacked conviction.

I slapped a huge glob of nourishing hair mask right onto her weird, dripping hair.

"Less talking, relax your scalp." I massaged vigorously, muttering, "Look at this dryness... this is the consequence of staying up late and neglecting maintenance. From now on, in this house, I won't allow you to be this sloppy."

As I massaged, Morgana let out a comfortable groan. The terrifying illusions of venomous snakes on her head slowly vanished, reverting to smooth—albeit gray-white—long hair.

Morgan leaned in too, proactively extending her other hand to me. "Do this one too."

The cave, originally filled with the stench of death and decay, was now filled with the fresh scent of herbs.

I cheerfully started preparing the hair treatment for the two hexenbiest.

Eros and Lia watched with their mouths agape. In the cave, the once-feared Cursed Twins, the vampire-werewolf, and the ghost cub were all gathered around me, waiting for my special herbal treatment.

"You know," I said as I crushed bay leaves, speaking to Morgana, "Proper care not only improves your hair but can lift your spirits. I noticed the muscles around your mouth look very tense. This formula is perfect for helping you relax."

Morgana looked at me thoughtfully. "You... you're not afraid of us?"

I looked up and smiled at her. "Why would I be afraid of my own family?"