As those words left Liam’s mouth, Charlotte paused for a moment and stared at him.

Then she took another bite from the deer leg in her hand.

"Pretty rough honestly," she said simply. "Getting dropped there from the start wasn’t really that bad. I did have to deal with some Horror-class demons, but it wasn’t anything too serious."

She continued eating while Liam simply waited for her to continue.

"Though it got worse the farther east I went," Charlotte continued, her usual tone still present, though no longer filled with teasing. "The demons there were way more territorial, and I can swear most of them were Advanced Horrors. That alone forced me to rely on this new form of mine more often, but I guess I underestimated the place a little."

Liam tilted his head slightly.

"At first, the first couple of hours were manageable for me, and my beast-dominant form helped a lot," Charlotte continued casually. "But the farther east I went, the more dangerous the forest started feeling. There was definitely something there stronger than the Advanced Horrors. And if that’s the case..."

She paused briefly.

"...then it could only be a Sync-class demon."

She took another bite before continuing.

"And honestly, with how much I love myself," she said sweetly, "I knew better than to run into a Sync-class demon on the very first day."

Charlotte shrugged lightly.

"So I changed direction and started moving south instead, which turned out to be the best decision I could’ve made since it eventually led me to my shining strong armor."

She pointed the deer leg toward Liam dramatically.

"And that shining armor is you, bae."

Liam only stared at her while she continued eating as though she hadn’t just mentioned something that could potentially change the entire direction of his assessment.

Charlotte tore another piece of meat from the deer leg and chewed calmly, though the usual playful ease in her expression had thinned slightly. Not enough for most people to notice.

But Liam noticed it.

Even though her voice remained casual and her posture stayed relaxed, her eyes told him the truth.

The moment he had mentioned the eastern side of the zone, the golden glint within Charlotte’s gaze had sharpened in a way that had nothing to do with teasing.

It was caution. Genuine caution.

Liam rested one arm across his raised knee while quietly watching her.

"A Sync-class demon," he muttered at last.

Charlotte hummed softly while still chewing.

"Yep," she answered after swallowing. "I didn’t exactly stick around long enough to ask for its name, rank, age, favorite food, or what kind of poor soul it planned to eat next."

She lifted the deer leg slightly as if emphasizing her point.

"I like being alive, you know."

Liam’s expression remained unchanged as he asked:

"What exactly did you sense?"

Charlotte paused for half a second before glancing at him again.

And Liam caught that look once more.

That brief flicker of calculation.

Not fear exactly.

But something close enough to self-preservation that it carried the same weight.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The presence," Liam clarified calmly. "How did it feel compared to the Advanced Horrors you encountered before it?"

Charlotte stared at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Bae," she said slowly, "that’s a very interesting question coming from someone who should be asking how to avoid that area entirely."

Liam didn’t respond immediately.

Charlotte leaned back slightly on one hand, her eyes never leaving him.

"Most people hear ’possible Sync-class demon’ and immediately think something reasonable. Like, ’Thanks for the warning, Charlotte. I’ll make sure never to go there.’"

She pointed the partially eaten deer leg toward him again.

"You, on the other hand, are asking me how it felt."

Her smile returned, though this time it didn’t fully reach her eyes.

"That’s not survival thinking, bae."

She tilted her head slightly.

"That’s hunting thinking."

The chamber fell silent for a brief moment, the only sound coming from the quiet crackling of the fire between them.

Eventually, Liam spoke again.

"I’m only trying to understand the region."

Charlotte scoffed lightly.

"No, you’re not."

She took another smaller bite, chewing slowly before swallowing.

"You’re doing that thing where you pretend the question is harmless when it obviously isn’t."

She pointed toward him again.

"You’re not asking because you want to avoid the place. You’re asking because you’re trying to decide whether it’s worth going there."

Charlotte paused briefly before smiling faintly at him.

"What?" she asked. "Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?"

She tapped the side of her temple lightly with one finger.

"I flirt too much, sure. But I’m not stupid."

"I never said you were," Liam replied calmly.

"Good," Charlotte hummed in satisfaction. "Because I would’ve been offended."

She lowered the deer leg slightly and rested her elbow over her knee.

For once, her posture looked less playful and more grounded.

"Look, I ran from that place for a reason," she said. "Not because I couldn’t kill anything there either. I handled myself fine at first. Better than fine, honestly."

A faint smirk crossed her lips.

"Like I said, my beast-dominant form is ridiculously effective in an environment like this. Maybe too effective. It made me a little careless."

Liam remained silent, allowing her to continue.

Charlotte looked toward the fire for a moment, quietly watching the flames move.

"The first few hours were normal. Annoying, but normal. Horror-class demons here and there. A few pack hunters. Some territorial things that thought I looked edible."

She shrugged casually.

"I corrected them though."

Then her expression shifted slightly.

"But the deeper east I went, the less normal things became. The forest changed first."

She paused briefly.

"Not physically. At least not by much. But the feeling changed."

Her eyes narrowed faintly.

"The air felt heavier. The scent trails became messy. Like too many things had died in one place and the forest itself never fully recovered afterward."

She lightly tapped one finger against the exposed bone of the deer leg.

"And the demons there weren’t moving normally anymore."

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"They were avoiding something?"

"Some were," Charlotte answered. "Others weren’t avoiding it at all."

She looked back at him directly.

"They were being drawn toward it."

That immediately caught Liam’s full attention, and Charlotte noticed it at once.

"There it is," she muttered quietly. "That look again."

"What look?" Liam asked calmly.

"That one," Charlotte said while pointing directly at him. "The one that says I just gave you useful information."

Liam didn’t deny it.

Charlotte stared at him for another second before letting out a slow breath through her nose.

"Honestly, you’re exhausting."

"Please continue," Liam replied calmly.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, though she still continued.

"The Advanced Horrors there were different. Not like the ones I fought closer to where I landed. Those ones were aggressive, sure, but still normal enough."

Her tone lowered slightly.

"The ones farther east moved like they were guarding territory."

"Guarding?" Liam repeated.

"Yeah," Charlotte answered. "Not hunting. Not wandering around randomly. Guarding."

She paused briefly.

"And some of them were wounded."

Liam’s gaze sharpened slightly.

"Fresh wounds?"

"Some fresh. Some older."

Charlotte looked back toward him.

"And before you ask, yes. The wounds looked like they came from other demons."

Liam said nothing, but Charlotte still noticed the subtle shift in his eyes, causing her to sigh heavily.

"Stars above..." she muttered. "You really are thinking about going there."

"I haven’t decided anything yet," Liam said calmly.

"Bullshit," Charlotte replied bluntly.

Liam stared at her.

Charlotte stared right back.

Then she leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering.

"Listen to me carefully, bae."

The teasing in her tone faded almost completely.

"I didn’t come here because I suddenly wanted to spend the rest of this assessment playing house inside your cave."

She paused briefly.

"I came here because you’re the safest option I’ve found so far."

Her golden eyes remained fixed on him.

"Like I said..."

A faint smile appeared.

"You’re my shining armor."

There was no embarrassment in her voice. No attempt to soften the statement either.

She said it plainly because, to Charlotte, it was simply the truth.

And Liam quietly studied her while she continued.

"I like you. I genuinely do. You’re strong, interesting, annoying, handsome, and somehow boring enough to make me want to bother you forever."

She paused briefly.

"But I like myself more."

The fire crackled softly between them.

"Which means I’m not following you into something suicidal just because you got curious."

Liam’s expression remained unreadable.

Charlotte smiled faintly again, though this time there was no seduction in it.

Only honesty.

"I survived this long because I know when to leave. That’s it. That’s my secret."

She shrugged casually.

"I don’t care about pride. I don’t care about proving I’m brave. And I definitely don’t care if some instructor sitting safely back at the academy thinks I ran too early."

Her eyes gleamed softly within the firelight.

"If I see something stronger than me, I leave."

She lifted one finger.

"If I smell something wrong, I leave."

Another finger.

"If the forest itself starts feeling like it doesn’t want me there..."

She shrugged lightly again.

"...I leave."

Charlotte leaned back afterward.

"That’s why I’m still alive."