Klein woke in terror, his chest heaving. In his dream, someone had gripped his hand tightly, dragging him through pounding footsteps and urgent shouts.
"Keep up! Don't slow down!" a voice had cried.
When Klein looked back, a creature lunged at him, its mouth gaping wide—then darkness.
He jolted awake, falling from his hanging cloth bed with a thud. "Ugh…" he groaned, crawling back up. The bed was little more than stitched fabric, uncomfortable but better than nothing.
"Small boy, having a nightmare?" sneered a boy with an imposing demeanor. He slapped Klein on the head as he passed, his companions laughing behind him. Klein glared at their backs.
A hand extended toward him. "Ignore that fool. He always acts like that."
Klein looked up, startled. At first glance, he thought it was a girl—but no, it was a boy, with long blond hair tied in a ponytail. He grinned warmly. Klein accepted the hand and was pulled to his feet.
"My name is Mikail. We didn't get the chance to introduce ourselves yesterday," the boy said.
"Yesterday?" Klein tilted his head in confusion.
Mikail scratched his own head. "Well, you collapsed after staring too long at the Centipede Tower. Your body was too tense. You slept all day and only woke up now."
Klein sighed, rubbing his temples. Exhaustion weighed on him.
"You're lucky," Mikail continued. "You'll at least witness today's trial. But first, since Renzou isn't here, I'll handle the formalities. Follow me."
Klein noticed he was dressed now, though he didn't remember how. He frowned, feeling vulnerable. Careless, he thought. Never again. He followed Mikail, who had already walked ahead.
"Sentinel Seven isn't as impressive as the other Sentinels," Mikail explained. "No girls—only boys. That's because of an old incident. You'll learn about it in time. We're divided into five groups."
He pointed toward a cluster of boys. "Those are the Bullies. They don't actually bully much, but they're physically strong. Their leader is Kaz."
Klein recognized him immediately—the same boy who had mocked him as 'small boy.' He nodded grimly.
"You've already met him," Mikail chuckled. "Kaz is decent when he's not busy teasing the weak. But let's just say his IQ isn't exactly upright." He tapped his temple with a grimace. Klein smirked faintly.
"Next, the Builders. They handle most of the construction. Only three of them, led by Anzu—smart guy, very reliable."
They passed Kaz's group sparring in combat drills. Klein guessed they were the fighters and defenders.
"The third group are the Farmers," Mikail said, pointing at himself. "I lead seven people. After Renzou, I'm considered second in command."
Klein was surprised. He had assumed Kaz held that position, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"And lastly, the Mappers. They're the ones who enter the trials. Nobody wants that job, so there are only four—sometimes fewer. It changes day by day."
Klein frowned. "You said five groups."
Mikail's expression hardened. "The last group is… special. If someone becomes antisocial, disruptive, or threatens Sentinel Seven's harmony, they're cast out." He pointed toward a shadowed corner of the plain, where a small tent stood alone. "There's only one resident there. Pet."
"Pet?" Klein echoed.
Mikail nodded. "He used to be kind. But during one trial, he failed to escape in time. He was trapped inside the Tower for a month. When he returned, he was… different. Violent. Rude. The Centipede Tower changes people."
Both boys turned to face the looming structure. Its dark silhouette dominated the horizon, crowned with the ouroboros centipede emblem.
"Our mission," Mikail said quietly, "is to reach the summit. Renzou believes it's the way out. But the Tall Men always block progress."
"Tall Men?" Klein asked.
Mikail waved dismissively. "Don't think about it. You won't be assigned as a Mapper." He smiled, his grin almost too bright. Klein's eye twitched.
Hours later, Klein slipped in the muddy manor, the stench clinging to him. Displeased, he muttered under his breath.
"Hahaha, not enjoying the work?" teased a boy shorter than Klein. He didn't help him up, instead continuing to dig into the soil. The others laughed.
Mikail glanced at Klein and chuckled briefly before harvesting tomatoes.
Klein stood, brushing mud from his hands. Mikail's words echoed in his mind.
You are a farmer.
"Well, it seems like you didn't come from the same place as us all," said another voice.
Klein looked up from the soil, still fumbling with how to harvest the tomatoes. He had to kneel, his hands clumsy, but he raised his eyes to the speaker.
"My name is Eskedar," the boy said.
It was growing darker; evening was settling in. Mikail glanced at the sky and stood.
"Okay, guys, that's enough for today. Gather what's ripe and let's end the day."
Everyone nodded.
Klein sighed in relief—the torture was over. Thud! A light slap landed on his back. He turned and saw the boy who had ignored him earlier when he fell. But Klein didn't hate him. This boy had quietly done most of Klein's work, correcting his mistakes with a mix of a smile and a frown.
"My name is Dain," the boy said, extending his frail hand. Klein shook it gladly.
"Welcome to the family."
One by one, the other farmers came forward to greet him.
"My name is Lorenz."
"Dimitri."
"Axel."
"Mark."
"Ben."
Klein smiled at the warmth of their welcome. Mikail was pleased Klein had managed to integrate on his very first day. Still, he would need to learn farming properly if he wanted to be useful.
"Okay, guys, it's time…" Mikail clapped his hands, grinning. Everyone smiled—until his next words dropped like a stone.
"The trial will start."
The atmosphere grew heavy. Klein felt it immediately. The boys stopped what they were doing and began walking toward the tower.
As they approached, Klein saw it clearly for the first time: a vast surface etched with a linear seam, forming a door. A passage. He finally had the chance to see every member of Sentinel Seven gathered together.
An alarm blared. The door shook, then opened. Klein stepped back as a gust of foul wind burst out. The stench was overwhelming, a mix of rot, mold, and decayed flesh. Worse than the manor used for the plantation.
"What's going on?" Klein asked.
Dain, beside him, answered quietly. "The tower chooses who will go in."
Klein frowned. "I thought we decided. The Mappers?"
Mikail stepped in to explain. "The Mappers only chart the mazes inside. They don't do the trial itself. The tower decides who enters."
Lorenz added, "Think of it like this: sometimes the doors open on their own. But they only stay open for a limited time. During that window, the Mappers go in to study the environment, so they can prepare strategies for the real trials. It's like studying for an important exam."
Klein nodded slowly.
"Don't worry," Dain said. "It takes at least two weeks before a newcomer is chosen."
"Have you ever been called?" Klein asked.
Dain shook his head, but his grim expression said enough. It was only a matter of time.
"Hey, you there—keep quiet," Kaz snapped, glaring at them.
Mikail ignored him. "Stay cool," he whispered to Klein.
Kaz turned back to the entrance. Silence fell. Then Klein felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Renzou, flanked by his followers.
"Don't worry. It's not your turn yet."