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?"

Hearing my answer, both Morgana and Morgan froze.

The cave was so quiet you could hear water dripping from the walls.

"Family?" Morgan spoke first, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Little sheep, has the rainforest jungle fever gone to your head?"

I shook my head, continuing to stir the herbs. "I'm perfectly clear. Since the Moon Goddess brought us together and made us live under the same roof, then we're family."

Eros stepped closer to me, whispering, "Serina, they..."

"It's okay," I cut him off, offering the witch sisters a brilliant smile. "Let's all cook lunch together today? I can teach you a few new dishes."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Are you questioning our cooking skills?"

"Of course not!" I quickly explained. "Just sharing some cooking techniques I know. Like how to make meat more tender, or how to remove the gaminess from certain ingredients."

The comments from those watching the trial started scrolling again:

【She's actually going to teach the curse hexenbiest how to cook?!】

【I remember the last trial candidate who just didn't want to eat their food had their head scooped out to use as a stew pot!】

【This woman has lost it!】

Morgan and Morgana exchanged a look, then the corners of their mouths turned up slightly. "Alright, let's see what you can teach us."

The five of us walked together to the cave's kitchen area.

Call it a kitchen, but it was really just a corner with a crude stone hearth and a few stone tables.

Lia excitedly tugged on my sleeve, while Eros followed silently behind, always keeping an eye on the witch sisters' movements.

"First," I picked up a piece of meat still dripping with blood, "we can marinate it in wild berry juice first. That way it removes the gamey taste and adds a fruity fragrance."

Morgana narrowed her eyes. "We usually use swamp toad venom for marinating."

I made a face. "That sounds unhealthy. Want to try my way?"

To my surprise, they actually agreed.

We started preparing food together. I taught them how to identify edible herbs and how to grind nuts with stones to make sauce.

Gradually, the tense expressions on the witch sisters relaxed.

"You know," Morgana said as she mimicked my technique with a tuber, "we used to like cooking too."

Morgan shot her sister a glare, but Morgana continued. "Back when we were still alive. Our mother was often ill, and we would often cook medicinal meals for her."

I stopped what I was doing and asked softly, "Your mother must have been very gentle and kind, just like you."

“Later we started treating the wolves in the slums," Morgan continued, her voice bitter. "And what did we get in return?"

I stopped what I was doing and asked softly, "What happened?"

The sisters fell silent. Finally, it was Morgana who spoke, her voice unnervably calm. "We were accused of practicing dark magic. Those 'patients' we had treated testified against us in court. The noble wolves sentenced us to be burned at the stake."

The sisters were silent. The cave was deathly quiet, save for the crackling of the hearth fire.

"So you see, little sheep," Morgan sneered, "Trusting others is just the fastest way to be burned to ash."

I walked over to them and gently took their hands. "I trust you. I believe you won't hurt me."

【She touched the curse hexenbiest' hands! And she wasn't cursed!】

【Moon Goddess above, what is Serina doing? Does she really trust them?】

To everyone's surprise, the witch sisters didn't pull their hands away.

Morgana even gave them a gentle squeeze in return.

"Come on," I broke the silence, "Let's finish this meal. I promise you'll like it."

At lunchtime, the five of us sat around the stone table.

The table was loaded with the food we'd prepared together: roasted marinated meat with wild berry juice, herb stew, roasted tubers with nut sauce, and simple flatbreads I'd made from wild grains I'd found.

Lia eagerly took a bite of the roasted meat, her eyes lighting up immediately. "Delicious!"

Eros tasted the stew and gave a slight nod. "Not bad."

Morgana and Morgan cautiously sampled each dish, their expressions shifting from skepticism to surprise.

"This flavor..." Morgan murmured, "It reminds me of our mother's cooking."

I smiled, serving more food for everyone. "We can cook together like this more often."

【I can't believe my eyes! The five most dangerous beings in the King's Nest are having a pleasant lunch together!】

【This scene is too surreal. I have to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming.】

【Serina's Lunar Fear is still 0! How is that possible?】

Through my efforts, our cave was gradually becoming more like a real home.

I took Lia to pick wild flowers and colorful stones to decorate the cave, teaching her how to make flower crowns.

Though Eros still maintained his cool demeanor, he would silently help us move heavy things and stand guard, protecting us from wild beasts.

The witch sisters gradually opened up to us.

One day, as we were gathering herbs in the rainforest, Morgana suddenly said, "You know, Serina, we can never fully trust anyone."

I was bending over to pick a patch of moon-moss and looked up at her with a smile. "That's okay. I trust you enough for all of us."

Morgan snorted, but when I nearly tripped over a protruding tree root, she quickly reached out to steady me.

"Watch yourself, you fool," she said gruffly. "The rainforest is full of dangers."

But I noticed that for the rest of the journey, she would subtly clear obstacles from my path.

Those watching the trial began recording these details:

【Did you see? Morgan just drove away a venomous snake!】

【Morgana is quietly removing those sharp thorns as Serina passes!】

【They say they don't trust her, but their actions are protecting her!】

That evening, I decided to paint a portrait of our whole family.

I ground collected ores into pigments and painted on a flat piece of slate.

Lia curiously watched from beside me, Eros pretended to be uninterested but would sneak glances at my progress.

The witch sisters stood at a distance, their expressions complicated.

"That doesn't look anything like me," Morgan criticized. "My eyes aren't that color."

But I saw her smile secretly.

When I finished the painting, everyone gathered around.

On the canvas, the five of us sat together against the backdrop of our decorated cave.

Lia wore a flower crown on her head, Eros looked relaxed, and the witch sisters had faint smiles on their faces.

"This is... us?" Morgana asked softly.

I nodded. "Our family portrait."

Lia excitedly pointed at herself in the painting. "Mommy drew me so pretty!"

Eros stared silently at the painting, then suddenly turned and left.

I thought he didn't like my artwork, but a few minutes later he returned with a glowing crystal, which he mounted above the frame as a light source.

"It looks better this way," he explained briefly, the tips of his ears turning red.

The viewing screen exploded:

【The vampire-werewolf just decorated that painting!】

【I can't believe it! Is this really the same vampire-werewolf who massacred the entire Silver Moon Pack?】

【Serina's Lunar Fear is still 0! How on earth is she doing this?】

The witch sisters stood before the painting in silence for a long time. Finally, Morgana reached out and gently touched the image of herself.

"No one has seen us as... family in a long time," she whispered.

Morgan turned her head away, but I saw her quickly wipe a damp spot from the corner of her eye.

After dinner, Morgana handed me a small vial.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Insect repellent," she said shortly. "Sprinkle it around your bedding to keep venomous bugs away."

I took the vial, looking at her with emotion. "Thank you, Sister Morgana."

She snorted. "Just don't want you getting bit and screaming, waking us up."

But I noticed that as they left, both of them had faint smiles on their faces.

That night, Morgana and Morgan were mixing new potions in a corner on a stone table. Various colored liquids bubbled in crystal bottles, releasing a strange fragrance mixed with herbs and magic.

Lia was lying in my lap, her little head nodding to the tune I hummed. Her silver-white hair shimmered with a soft glow in the moonlight.

"Mommy," Lia suddenly looked up, tugging on my sleeve. Her large golden eyes were filled with anticipation. "Tonight I want to sleep with you. And I want to hear that lullaby again about the moon and the little wolf."

I was about to agree when a deep voice came from the other side of the cave. "No."

Eros put down the silver dagger he was polishing and stood up, walking toward us.

In the light of the blood moon, his figure looked especially tall. The black leather armor on him bore faint, mottled marks—countless scars from countless battles.

"Why?" Lia immediately pouted, dangerous red lights starting to flash in her eyes. "Mommy always sleeps with me! Mommy's mine!"

Eros crossed his arms, his brows furrowed, but his tone was unusually firm. "Things are different now. Tonight, Serina sleeps with me."

The comments from those watching the trial started scrolling wildly:

【Here it comes! Family war about to break out!】

【My ghost cub Lia will win! She's scary even when she's mad at herself!】

【Betting on Eros! He's the one who can take on an entire pack single-handedly!】

【Place your bets! I'm putting my money on Lia! Those little fangs of hers aren't just for show!】

Lia's form began to change, starting to ghostify. Her nails became sharp and dangerous.

"Mommy's mine!" she growled, a voice completely unlike that of a young cub.

Eros was equally unyielding. Blood-colored energy fluctuations started to surround him, and the air in the cave seemed to solidify. "She's my destined mate." His voice carried the unique deterrent force of a wolf, making the moss on the cave walls tremble slightly.

Seeing sparks about to fly between them, Morgana and Morgan intervened in time.

Morgana still held a potion bottle emitting purple smoke, while Morgan blocked the two of them who were facing off.

"That's enough," Morgana scooped up the ghostifying Lia, skillfully avoiding her flailing little paws. "Stop making a scene, little cub."

Meanwhile, Morgan stood in front of Eros, staring at him with a warning look. "Control yourself, Eros. Your energy fluctuations are going to spill my potions."

Lia struggled in Morgana's arms, her voice choked with tears. "But Mommy promised to sing my lullaby! She promised!"

Morgan turned around and crouched down to look Lia in the eyes. Her tone was surprisingly gentle. "Listen up, little one. If you want little brothers and sisters to play with, Mommy and Daddy need some alone time tonight."

Lia froze, her ears twitching in confusion. The ghostly features began to fade away. "Brothers and sisters?"

"That's right," Morgana picked up the thread, winking mysteriously. "But they can only appear when Mommy and Daddy are alone together. Like magic—it needs special conditions."

The viewing screen was instantly flooded with question marks and exclamation marks:

【Little brothers and sisters?! What are they teaching this kid?!】

【Wait, are these witch sisters actually trying to play matchmakers?】

【This is the weirdest family mediation I've ever seen!】

【This parenting style is way too hardcore!】

Lia tilted her head, thinking for a moment, her face completely serious. "Little wolf cubs that can run and jump? The kind that can play hide-and-seek with me?"

"Something like that," Morgan suppressed a smile. "And you can teach them how to hunt and take berry picking. So will you come sleep with us tonight, okay?"

Lia's eyes instantly lit up. She immediately nodded obediently and even took Morgana's hand. "Then I want three little brothers and sisters! No, five!"

The witch sisters left with expressions of victory. As they went, Morgan even shot Eros a meaningful look over her shoulder. "Don't waste this night," she mouthed.

Suddenly, it was just Eros and I in the cave. The tense atmosphere from moments ago suddenly became subtle and quiet. I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat echoing between the stone walls, unusually clear.

Eros cleared his throat uncomfortably, the tips of his ears clearly flushing red. "They always stick their noses in where they don't belong," he muttered, his gaze shifting around.

I couldn't help but laugh, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere. "But it worked, didn't it? At least Lia's going to bed obediently."

We walked side by side toward the sleeping furs covered with soft animal pelts. The air was filled with a sweet tension.

Just as I was about to lie down, Eros suddenly spoke, his voice even deeper than usual. "You said before... that you like my muscles."

I froze, feeling my face start to heat up. "Um... I was just saying that to lighten the mood..."

But he started unfastening the clasps on his leather armor, his movements slow and deliberate. "You said you wanted to touch them. Now's your chance."

The viewing screen exploded:

【Wait, wait, wait! Is this available for free?!】

【That bloodthirsty vampire-werewolf is actually offering himself up?!】

【Serina's Lunar Fear is still 0! Isn't she supposed to have a "perception disability" from birth?!】

【This is more exciting than any romance novel I've ever read!】

Eros took off his shirt, revealing a solid chest and abs. In the dim light, I could see his body covered with marks of varying depths, densely packed.

Curiosity compelled me to reach out and gently touch those scars. My fingertips felt the uneven texture.

"These are..." My fingers stopped on a particularly gruesome wound, a mark that stretched from his collarbone to his waist, clearly visible even in the dim light.

"Left by a silver whip," his voice was calm, as if telling someone else's story.

I gasped, my fingers trembling slightly. "Why? Why would they do that to you?"

He gave a bitter smile, his gaze drifting as if looking through the stone walls at a distant past. "I was the youngest commander in the Shadowfang Pack. At only twenty years old, I was promoted to Gamma Commander. Everyone said I would be the next Alpha."

There was a hint of barely perceptible pride in his voice, but it quickly faded. "During a territorial war, our Alpha chose to surrender, handing me over to the enemy pack as the price for peace. Trading his own commander's life for his safety."

My throat tightened, and I continued listening, my fingers unconsciously stroking those scars, as if that could ease the pain he had once endured.

"They shackled me with silver chains and whipped me with silver whips every day." His voice remained calm, but his fists clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white. "Later I heard that the surrender agreement demoted all members of our pack to slaves, and the cubs weren't spared either."

The comments from those watching the trial turned serious:

【The Shadowfang betrayal incident! I read about that in ancient texts!】

【So Eros didn't become a vampire-werewolf willingly?】

【Oh god, how desperate he must have been...】

【Did his family include those slaves?】

"So I escaped," the corners of his mouth curled into a cold arc. "In a way they never expected. Alone, I stormed their den and sent every member of that pack to the Moon's embrace. Not a single survivor left."

I covered my mouth, tears uncontrollably sliding down, dropping onto the scars on his chest. "And then?"

"Then?" He sneered, his gaze turning sharp. "The surviving witnesses said I was a monster who enjoyed killing. The Alpha Council sent three elite squads to hunt me down, leaving even more scars on my body, and finally pierced my heart with a silver sword."

My fingers gently traced the overlapping scars, my voice choked with tears. "It must have hurt so much. Every time, every wound..."

He froze for a moment, his deep eyes widening slightly, as if surprised by my question. "I'm used to it. The burning of silver, the cuts of blades... I used to all."

"But it hurts me," more tears fell onto his scars. I could even feel the muscles beneath the old scars twitching slightly. "Thinking about what you went through, thinking about you enduring all this alone... it hurts here." I pointed to my chest. It was indeed throbbing with pain.

Eros's expression instantly froze. His deep eyes locked onto me, swirling with complex emotions—shock, as if something long frozen was beginning to melt.

"Never... no one has ever said such things to me."

He slowly lifted his hand, gently stroking my cheek, his fingertips tenderly wiping away my tears, his movements awkward but careful. "Everyone was afraid of me, hated me, or wanted to use me. Even my own pack betrayed me. Never... no one has ever cried for me."

His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a vulnerability I had never heard in him, like he had finally shed a heavy armor.

Then he leaned down and kissed me lightly. At first, the kiss was tentative, as if checking if this was real.

When I didn't pull away, it deepened—warm and firm, with an urgency that felt like long-suppressed emotions finally finding an outlet.

The viewing screen froze for a second, then exploded with a flood of comments:

【Moon Goddess above! They actually kissed!】

【! How is this possible?!】

【I'm actually seeing real love in a horror trial!】

The kiss was gentle and long-lasting. When he finally pulled back, we were both slightly breathless, our foreheads touching.

"Serina," he whispered, his warm breath brushing my cheek. "You remind me what it's like to be alive. Not as a weapon, not as a monster, but as a living, breathing person."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in the crook of his shoulder, feeling his strong heartbeat. "Eros, you deserve to be loved, deserve to be treated with tenderness. No matter what happened in the past, you deserve it."

He held me tighter, his arms firm and warm, as if I were his only anchor in the world.

"Stay," he whispered, his voice filled with a pleading I had never heard before. "Stay by my side forever. Be my moon, illuminating this eternal darkness."

Just then, there was a rustling sound at the cave entrance.

We both turned to see Lia and the witch sisters peeking through the stone doorway. Lia was on tiptoes, with Morgana and Morgan supporting her on either side.

"Are they making little brothers and sisters?" Lia asked innocently, her voice unusually clear in the quiet cave.

Morgana quickly covered her eyes: "Hey, little one. This is between adults."

Meanwhile, Morgan gave Eros a thumbs-up, a rare brilliant smile on her face. She mouthed: "Well done!"

Eros sighed helplessly, pulling a fur blanket over us.

"Looks like we lack basic privacy." His tone was complaining, but I could hear the amusement in it.

I couldn't help but laugh, leaning against his solid chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. "This is what family is like, Eros. They always show up at the most awkward moments, but they're always there for you."

He looked down at me, his eyes as gentle as the moonlight on a deep pond. "Maybe it's not so bad. With you here, it finally feels like home."

Those watching the trial all commented:

【This is the warmest horror trial I've ever seen!】

【This was supposed to be a blood moon trial! It's basically a dating sim game!】

【But why do I feel my eyes getting... wet?】

【So even these legendary monsters crave love...】

That night, we slept wrapped in each other's arms. In Eros's embrace, I felt a sense of security I had never experienced before.

His arms were wrapped around me, his chin gently resting on top of my head.

His breathing gradually became steady and deep. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I felt him gently kiss my forehead, and in a voice so low it was barely audible, he said:

"Thank you for coming to me. Thank you for seeing the real me."

The first three days passed quietly in our cozy atmosphere.

But dreams are eventually torn apart by reality.

As the dawn of the fourth day arrived, the color of the blood moon turned almost blackish-red, hanging in the sky like a dried blood scab. The air was thick with the nauseating smell of rust.

I had just woken up and was combing Lia's long silver-white hair.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed through the entire rainforest like a death sentence:

【Phase One Complete.】

【Initial Trial Candidates: 100; Currently Surviving: 20.】

The number made my fingers pause involuntarily.

In just three days, eighty lives had become fertilizer for the rainforest.

Fragments of last-minute messages flashed across the communication crystal—filled with despair and madness.

【Don't go to the swamp! There's a mutated hydra there, it has no reason, it eats anyone it sees!】

【Did anyone see the Omega on the fifth level? He was driven mad by the illusions there and clawed himself to death...】

【Stay away from other candidates! Everyone is hunting each other!】

"Mommy, your hand is shaking," Lia looked up, her small face full of worry.

I forced a smile, but I couldn't suppress the chill in my heart.

Here, in this "King's Nest," I had Eros, Lia, and the witch sisters. I had traded sincerity for the protection of a family.

But what about outside?

Those beasts lurking in the abyss had no thoughts, no emotions, only primitive instincts to devour. Playing the "family card" with a hungry hydra? That was suicide.

And then there were the surviving candidates. To live, to reduce the competition, they wouldn't hesitate to turn their blades on me, the one who seemed the weakest.

Just then, the new trial mission was released, every word dripping with blood:

【Phase Two Mission: Token Collection】

【Collect at least ten tokens from other caves within the next three days】

【Those who fail will be consumed by the blood moon on the seventh day】

I gripped the comb tightly, looking out at the unfathomable darkness of the rainforest outside the cave.

I didn't know what fate awaited me once I stepped out of this nest wrapped in love.