The North woods were made up of dark oaks, Tall and Broad. The Deep green canopy twice Chisson's height at its lowest turned the beaming sun into speckles of light amongst the shade. It created an atmosphere of calm, while still leaving questions to be asked about what hid in the shadows.

Kamel hadn't said anything about where he would be in the forest, so Chisson had guessed that he would obviously be waiting outside or by the edge.

That would be the logical thing to do.

Chisson, now walking deeper into the forest with no idea where he was going, was starting to think that logic was not the man's strong suit.

He readied the beastwhistle gloves, glad he had brought them, as he walked past a particularly dense patch of shade.

He had mostly picked a random direction and started walking, occasionally calling Kamel's name and hoping the man would bump into him

He couldn't have gone too deep in, right? He was expecting Chisson to find him. So he had to have gone somewhere where he could.

It wasn't like Kamel was going to have Chisson wander aimlessly around the woods until he found the site of his supposed test.

Unless that was the test.

Or worse, there was no test, no training. This is good only just be some elaborate prank, some sadistic plan to waste his time.

Chisson would have considered turning around if this weren't his only hope to help Tay.

Instead he kept trotting forward calling the name of a stranger who he'd only met twice before.

"Kamel!" Chisson cupped his hands to his mouth, "Kamel!!! It's me, Chisson. The bug...erm, entonid from the library. Kame-Ah!" Something suddenly grabbed his arm and he let out shriek this he was dragged between a pair of trees he had been passing.

There was a blur of motion and he twisted in these things grip, activating his glove and throwing a punch in the direction he was being pulled.

His fist connected but there was nothing. Not just no reaction, anything that was strong enough to drag him like this wasn't likely to react to any blow he could give. But there was no feedback. No recoil. He would have expected to feel like he had just punched a brick wall. Instead, despite him putting in all the force he could muster, it was like he had gently tapped whatever it was with his fist. Even if the punch didn't hurt his target should have hurt him right…

He should've felt something.

But… there was nothing.

Nothing but a crinkle in the teal button down shirt and a pearly white grin on russet brown features.

"Hello my young entonid friend. Happy to see you decided to take me up on my offer"

Kamel looked like he hadn't even noticed Chisson's punch. He stood unruffled holding Chisson at arms reach and smiling like a child who had found a new toy

" you will not regret this." He paused " actually that may not be accurate in the coming weeks. Let us instead say that when you look back on this choice in the far future you will think that you made the correct decision. This is the first step on the path to your wishes. Now, do you have any questions or Shall We Begin."

Justin tried really hard to ignore the ominous nature of that statement, he really did try,

"Are you being mysterious and weird on purpose or is it a medical issue?"

Kamel stopped and began stroking his chin as if genuinely considering the question, then he chuckled "I am not sure. I think it was intentional at some point, but by now..." he shrugged, then looked back to Chisson "was that your only question?"

"What? No. I mean it was sarcasti-it wasn't." Chisson let himself get his thoughts in order before asking his actual question, " you said you could help me. And that's great and all but, you're a personal trainer. You must know something about evolving… what I'm really trying to ask is would you be able to help someone struggling at the evolution from birth to Nascent?"

" I suppose so. I hope you are aware that our training here will not directly get you to that point. Even if you continue to work with me that is some time away, years most likely, so I am not sure it is something that you should be worrying about at this time"

"It wouldn't be for me." Chisson sighed, still hating having to ask a stranger for help in this situation "For Tay, she's stuck on the final condensations of the birth stage. You said that if I succeeded in your challenge you could help her too. Do you have some way to get her past this. Please. I don't have time for this if you don't."

"For your lady, hmm?" He gazed down at Chisson meeting amber eye's with coco-brown "Let's say I did have something that would work. How hard would you be willing to fight for it?"

There was no hesitation "as hard as I can. Whatever you need me to do!"

Kamel smirked "let us put that to the test, shall we?" He turned and began walking deeper into the forest "Come on then young Chisson."

And Chisson followed.

Thay walked for a while Chisson partly having to jog to Keep up with Kamel's longer strides.

The trainer started talking as they went

"Do you know what a pseudospaces are?"

Chisson thought for a second but came up dry, "umm... no. the term sounds familiar, I likely saw in a book or something but never looked into it"

"That is fine I doubt many people here would. The population here is relatively small so the ambient maou is low enough that it would take years for even one to form. And even then it would start off incredibly weak. The best way to explain it is that pseudospaces are formed of maou and thought, as people naturally leak maou their thoughts leak along with it. That's what mind-souls read by the way." He added the last part a tangent "Anyway as people's conceptual idea of a place merges with the maou they expell in or nearby that area it likes to... melt together. The more similar the thoughts on an area the more that maou meshes and grows until eventually you have a sort of conceptual bubble. Are you following so far?"

Chisson nodded " I guess so, it makes sense so far."

"Now, the world doesn't like having a bubble of maou tainted by the thoughts and notions of people just sitting around stagnant. So like everything in our world, it changes to fix the problem. These area's and all the maou that stuck in that bubble within them...evolve." he emphasized the last word saying it like there was no greater truth in existence before simply moving on with his explanation,

"An entrance, something like a doorway or a Cave opening or anything that something can pass through, is selected ,and the Maou turns inward through that, becoming space and matter and eventually a pocket of contained reality. A reality that is defined by, as you may guess, the ideas people hold of the original location. As long as similar thoughts continue to exist pseudospace will exist a well that or until it becomes strong enough to develop a consciousness of its own but that is a discussion for another time…"

" that's interesting at all but what does that have to do with training me and helping Tay evolve?"

" the details themselves actually have very little to do with the situation, I just thought you would enjoy the lecture for its intellectual value. But the broader notion of pseudo spaces is actually quite relevant," Kamel stopped mid stride, his head flicking left as he stared up at something. Chisson followed his gaze and felt his jaws drop and his wings flutter with nerves as his vision filled with a cave entrance, that rather than the darkness or gloom one would expect, swirled and an oscillating spiral of uncountable shades of green light, "because we are currently standing in front of one."

The light was ever shifting, wver moving, rippling like a puddle while spinning like a lazy whirlpool. The greens reminded him of the leaves, the grass even somehow the smells permuted the air of the woods.

Chisson looked to Kamel" I thought you just said that pseudospaces couldn't form here"

" I said that it would take them a long time to form here, and that they would start off weak." Kamel gestured to the entrance, which Chisson could only call a portal, " this one just managed to form barely a month ago. It had been centuries in the making with the relatively low population and the even lower percentage of that that know enough about the forest to have a clear mental picture of it. But this is the result. past this Gateway is the realization of how everyone in your town perceives the North Forest or at least what they assume the North Forest to be. I like to call it 'The Deep Woods'"

" so what you want me to go in there and… I don't know collect firewood or something?"

" No, I could collect firewood for myself easily enough. I may be using this as your test but I am admittedly also taking advantage of the situation for you to do something to assist me. Start our relationship off a with the fair transaction of services" Kamel said nodding to himself " a simple one nothing complicated something that, as an Avid Reader, I'm sure has come up a few times in your experience. You see Chisson, I have an overdue library book and the only thing I need you to do is get it for me"

" and why aren't you getting it"

" because if I did what would I use to test my new favorite student? If you really prefer another test I did have one planned before this situation arose though I highly doubt that you would find it more appealing. Tell me, how do you feel about death-piranhas?"

"I'll do the book thing!!! I prefer the book!"

Splendid" Chisson felt himself being picked up by the back of his shirt like a kitten by it's scruff " to reiterate your assignment is simple, go in, get the book, I tucked it away in the nook of a tree at the far end of the space, then you may leave. I would also recommend grabbing any seemingly random stark-white crystals you happen to find. They are… well let's just say useful. Oh! And you could also definitely try to survive! I hope you do not suffer from Lupophobia"

Chisson felt his eyes go wide "Wait what do you mea-"

But it was too late. Kamel had already drawn back and tossed him at the swirling green entrance before he could get another word out there was a rush a feeling of pulling and Chisson's vision was engulfed in a flash of forest colors

Chisson suddenly found himself stumbling, upright despite his unwilling flight.

He tripped landing on his hands and knees as his head spun, an awkward sense of vertigo making him I feel like he was still in mid-tumble . It took him a few moments to recover most of that time spent trying not to rech.

Then he remembered Kamel's 'advice' about surviving and somehow found that he was instantly alert.

He scanned the world around him with is eyes, checking for threats, specifically wolves based on the trainer's lupophobia comment. He found none for the moment and instead found himself taking in the environment he had been literally thrown into.

He was in a clearing, stepping out of the same cave entrance he had entered. Dark oaks surrounded him, Rising up to form a high canopy of leaves above his head. But that was where the similarities to the real world ended.

It only took turning around to see that the trees only a few feet behind the cave had grown thicker and much more densely, it made a natural wall and when Chisson looked up he couldn't see the tops of them.

Looking up had another effect too, trying to see past the canopy made Chisson realize that above that was… another canopy. Rather than a sky this place had a ceiling, a ceiling that sprouted trees just as wildly as the ground.

Was he in a tube?

Chisson looked back at the portal. He was Thankful to see that it was still swirling green the same as it had been from the outside.

'looks like I can get out at least…' he had been worried that he would be stuck in here or something, part of him was still terrified that this was just some elaborate trap or sadistic way of committing murder.

But worries weren't going to help him achieve his goal and he wasn't just here to sightsee

To help Tay he needed to get Kamel his book.

He set his fingers to ready his Beast whistle gloves, and set off putting the cave-portal, and a strange wall of trees behind him.

If the book was on the far side of this place like Kamel said then this had to be the direction to go. And so he exited the clearing and entered the tree line.

The path he should follow turned out to be pretty obvious. It was a dirt trail that cut between the trees from off of the clearing.

It swerved and turned and even looped in a few places but ultimately it seems to be heading in the right direction.

The walk was less something out of a horror story in the more of a relaxing stroll than Chisson had expected. The calm atmosphere of the real Forest seemed Amplified tenfold here. He almost managed to forget about the ominous warnings and the stakes of his current mission.

That was until he heard the growls, it came from the unknown, from behind a dense cluster of bushes, from the other side of the trees, from behind his back, from the spot just out of the corner of his eye.

The deeper he walked, the louder and more frequent the growls became.

Chisson attempted to move calmly and steadily, refusing to show fear.

It was starting to feel like they were coming from all directions everywhere except where he was looking, where he could see.

Still he walked, doing his best to pretend he was on a stroll. He kept his breathing easy,to the best of his ability. There was nothing to be scared about there was nothing to worry about this was just a norma- SNAP!

A twig broke under Chisson's foot and he startled at the sudden noise. He felt it more distinctly than ever before as he flinched. A clear sign of nerves, of fear.

Then the growls turn it to howls, the howl of a predator who had just spotted prey, a signal to all its kin to attack.

Chisson ran, but it was far too late for that. A blur of Grey fur streaked through the corner of his vision and he jumped away in time for the wolf to pounce into air rather than bowling him over.

In the instant of confusion that the beast had at the miss Chisson's thumb pressed into the side of his hand, activating the enchantment in his gloves. The hum filled the air and the Wolf backpedalled with a whine, before its face returned to a snarl. It's hesitation gave him enough time to take it in.

gray and white fur bristled as it looked at him. on all fours the beast came up to his stomach it's growl showed its razor-sharp fangs and it's claws dug into the dirt like miniature scythes.

Despite all of that a part of him found itself relieved that this was a seemingly mundane wolf rather than a soul-beast. This thing alone would be impossible enough he didn't need it shooting steel spikes or controlling the trees.

The wolf's yellow eyes shined with a predator's intellect taking him in as well as the horrible sound his gloves were making. He could see it debating if it was worth it.

And he saw the moment when it decided that it was.

Chisson turned, running was the best option here. He didn't need to beat any wolves, he had been told to get the book.

But the beast wasn't inclined to let him escape. With a bark it lunged, it's teeth aimed to tear out Chisson's throat.

His fist flew before he could think, a hook right into the side of the canines head.

It yipped in suprised pain, probably not expecting what it perceived as prey to fight back. Chisson once again dodging out of the way as it's lunge went wild.

It snapped at him, but with a bit more weary now. Chisson stayed back. He didn't think he could outrun it and he didn't want to show his back.

Wolf ran at him faster than he could react he barely had time to bring his arm up so it bit into that rather than his throat he felt its teeth dig into his exoskeleton and Flesh, chitin crunching as blood welled up. His Lifeline dropped buy a chunk this one attack leaving at well below its maximum.

Chisson bit back a scream,

Another punch to its head and a knee to its ribs and it let go, but Chisson wasn't done. He slammed his open hand the Beast whistle glove ringing from it into it's ear and the Wolf stumbled he kicked on its leg hoping to bring it down, and heard it whimper as it jumped back away from his assault

He he was winning. he could do this. he had a chance.

Sharp sharp pain spiked into his left calf, instinctually he elbowed downward pulling his leg free despite the tearing pain of doing so.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes, he jumped, barely more than a hop but it was enough to keep the third wolf from being able to land on top of him. instead it just pushed him causing him to stumble and wince putting weight on his now injured appendage

Chisson's wings buzzed in an attempt to keep him upright but he rolled as he hits the ground.

It was a pack... of course it was a pack. Wolves hunted in packs. He had heard multiple growls. In fact he was sure there were many more than just these three.

Should he run away? That last attack had left his life below half and they were surrounding him at this point but if you need a break for it maybe he could get back to the portal.

But…

He couldn't he was in here for a reason and that was to get the book only then could he get out.

It was for Tay of all people there was no way he could quit. He would do this or die trying

So he made a break for the gap between the wolves that would leave him further into the pseudo-space.

Both of the left leg and his right arm we're killing him to the point where he had to use maou to dull the pain in order to run. Even then he limped. With effort, he was able to clear the two wolves on that side as he heard the third closing in. It tried to pounce on his back but he whirled throwing a punch that landed straight and it's throat and it fell to the ground hacking but that only free him up for the other 2, no 4 two more had appeared in the time he'd been distracted

They attacked as a pack, all for dashing in a blur of speed.

Chisson wheeled in a roundhouse kick. The full force of his leg striking back of the rightmost wolf.

He winced, his injuries burning at the impact.

Instantly he drew his leg back and cracked a sidekick into the same wolf's Ribs.

The beast toppled. Falling directly into its pack mate to its immediate left.

The two Wolves tumbled in a heap, both quickly working to get back up.

The remaining Duo didn't even falter, they came at the left. The side of his worst injury. More maou was pushed to his leg to numb the pain as they closed.

He activated his gloves. But the Wolves were past hesitation.

One jumped going for his throat, the other staying low.

Chisson kicked, bur had prioritize protecting its head.

He threw up his arm, feeling the airborn beast's full weight slam into him.

It's claws tore into his chest. Shreading his shirt and the uncovered skin beneath. It's jaws crunched into his arm. His chitin shattered both of his forearms freely bleeding.

At the same time the other wolf was tearing into his leg. Pain ripped through Chisson and he crashed to the ground their combined attack and weight to much.

The upper wolf bit down harder as they fell Agony shot through Chisson wrist then numbness.

He heard snapping and crunching and felt bile rise. His lifeline bottoming out.

He bled there in agony for a moment. The seconds feeling like they stretched on forever. No lifeline. No hope. It was over.

Chisson still fought. Thrashing and flailing. He hit the beasts a few times but they didn't care he couldn't muster up much strength and they were far too sure of their victory.

Even more so when the three that he had downed joined in.

He was losing blood. Losing strength. losing clarity.

When he couldn't fight anymore he dared to Hope. Hope hated Kamel would save him that the Strange man had been watching the whole time and wouldn't let him die just for a test. That Tay had succeeded in her evolution, and somehow figured out where he was going. She would save him.

But none of that happened is the last of his strength left. And one of the wolves finally made it past his guard to his throat.

There was a flash of horrific agony then… He was gone.

Chisson screamed for the next few moments. Somewhere in his mind he came to the realization that if he could scream he was likely not dead.

This actually made him scream more because if he wasn't dead then that meant he would have to feel the pain from his injuries and would likely spend the rest of his life horribly mutilated. That went on for another few moments until Chisson realized that he wasn't in pain.

Aside from his throat from all the screaming.

That meant that he actually had died and was in some sort of afterlife.

That made Chisson open his eyes.

The afterlife looked remarkably like the northwoods. Even the portal was there in the cave entrance, and Chisson had found himself laying on the ground as if he had fallen out of it.

A bit more looking around revealed the features of a now familiar Brown face looking down at him

"So Kamel, you're a god?"

"In many matters of speaking, yes. But not in the way I think that you intend that question"

"So what, you're dead too?"

"Not this time, no. I am currently alive, as are you"

"No I can't be I just died. I was torn apart by Wolves after you threw me through-" hot anger rose like bile though Chisson "You killed me!"

"Maybe, but you are not dead so I don't think there was any harm done."

"Not dead!? Why am I alive? What happened in there? And even if it didn't stick what excuse do you have for getting me killed!?"

Kamel put up a hand stopping Chisson's rant "Before you continue your tirade, allow me to ask you a question. Do you know of anyone who has ever died in this place" he asked gesturing to the forest around them

"No but-"

"Up bup bup! That's right and neither has anyone else in recent memory. Most people have access to maou and techniques which means that despite its association with wolves and other beasts it isn't actually very dangerous at all at worst people may need some of there lifeline restored but death isn't something that people consider when thinking about this place and the pseudo-space is made out of the perceptions people have of the real area. Sure the real woods would get dangerous if you ventured much much deeper into them but when people from your town think of the Northwoods they are thinking of this fringe area and that is what dictates the laws of the pseudo-space. In short you cannot really "die" in there. You just get popped back out. Your Lifeline can be depleted though but it should be refilling at its natural rate."

Chisson checked.. Lifeline was still bottomed but with his body being healthy life energy was slowly trickling in refilling it with time.

Chisson's anger dissipated a little not by much but enough that some of it was replaced with cold horror.

" I still felt like I was dying…"

For the first time Kamel's face softened " pain if a part of gaining power. It is inescapable, undeniable. Emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, the most powerful have experienced all manners of pain that can be offered by our world. But it is always rewarded."

" I didn't get the book."

" I am aware. and sadly I'm a man of my word. But." He reached into his trouser pocket pulling it out with his fist closed around something "My word was only that retrieving the book was required to begin your training it not to help Mrs.Tay"

He opened his hand to Chisson revealing what looked like a piece of hard candy still in its wrapper. The paper had golden edges with swirls of Deep Purple and sky-blue splitting them. It looked for a lack of a better word, rare.

Kamel's grin returned " this is a alchemical pill that should help with the symptoms of Evolution to Nascent. It'll still be up to her to succeed but it will make it much less likely that she will be a victim of Evolution Madness. It will only last for a couple of hours but that will give her time to get through one condensation and get to sleep."

A few hours? one condensation? Chisson frowned "she's going to need more than one then"

"Yes she will. And that is how I will, excuse the pun, sweeten the deal for you. Everyday you attempt to retrieve the book from the pseudo-space, wolves and all, I will give you another pill-candy. If you succeed I will give you as many as you need no questions asked. For now each attempt to gets you one. Does that seem fair?"

Chisson wanted to argue wanted to demand more. If these were real he could use as many of them as he could get. But now wasn't the time to push his luck; despite his grin Kamel gave off an aura of stern decree that made it clear he wouldn't budge on this one. Whether it was some sort of technique or just his demeanor Chisson wasn't sure.

Plus, how could he be sure this was even real. This man had just fed him to wolves ostensibly to get a book. What kept Him from giving him poison to feed to Tay? Almost worse what if it was just a normal candy. And he wouldn't be able to tell that it wasn't working until it was too late.

But he was alive, the Wolves haven't been able to actually kill him. He was pretty sure that he was slightly traumatized, and definitely in shock at the moment, but he was alive…

This was what he had came here for.

It was why he was here would he give it up because of a low chance that it might be fraudulent.

Kamel spoke " I am sure you will want to test if the pill is real or not before making your decision to return as well as taking some time to recover.

If you do decide that you would like more pill-candies expect for you to be here tomorrow afternoon. For now I think it would be best if you went home" he said his dismissal clear.

Chisson didn't have any desire to argue there, only one more question "so she just eats it or swallow it whole or…?"

Kamel shugged " any method of consumption will work though I have heard it is best to put it in one's mouth and suck while cycling"

Chisson nodded in affirmation, the motion only bringing his head down for a moment, but when he looked up Kamel was gone