Far from the forest, there was a vast circular chamber.

All around the walls, thousands of screens displayed different images, each monitored by a specific individual. At the very center, Arthur Ragnar watched attentively, analyzing and controlling the candidates’ progress.

Suddenly, one of the seated men widened his eyes. He clenched his fist and instinctively brought it to his mouth.

“Uhhh… what is that?”

Arthur Ragnar, who until then had been observing only the candidates he considered the most interesting, noticed the strange reaction.

“What is it, rookie? Did you find something interesting?”

The man nodded, still staring at the screen in front of him.

“The alert system just triggered for a candidate… and I think you’re going to like this.”

It was impossible to monitor all thirty thousand candidates at the same time. Because of that, they had programmed a special system: whenever an unusual monster was defeated or some strange anomaly occurred—something worthy of attention—the alert would activate automatically.

On the screen, the frantic battle Lucas had fought moments earlier was replaying.

“This candidate has just defeated a Demonic Dwarf Giant,” the man reported, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

Arthur didn’t even fully shift his gaze away from the other screens.

“Normal,” he replied disinterestedly. “It’s just a mid-class demonic beast. Nothing noteworthy.”

The man, however, shook his head, eyes fixed on the data flashing beside the image.

“The system indicates… zero symion usage in his body.”

Arthur stopped. The silence around them seemed to gain weight. He slowly turned his head, focusing on the monitor.

“Zero?” he repeated, frowning. “So he didn’t activate his gift?”

For the first time since the exam had begun, a different glint appeared in his eyes.

“Now this…” he murmured. “This is getting interesting.”

“Zoom in.”

As the images were enlarged and the details of the fight became clear, Arthur made the exact same gesture the rookie had moments earlier—clenching his fist and bringing it to his mouth in restrained shock.

“Uhh…” he muttered softly. “Are you telling me he blocked that attack with nothing but physical strength?”

His gaze scanned the scene with surgical focus.

“And that sword…” he continued. “What exactly is it made of to withstand an impact at that level?”

The rookie nodded slowly, almost satisfied.

“Interesting, isn’t it?”

However, the curious light in Arthur’s eyes didn’t last long. As he analyzed the environmental data of Lucas’s location, his expression changed. The relaxed look vanished, replaced by something serious—almost grim.

“He’s really unlucky…” he said in a lower tone. “Out of all possible places, he ended up right at the Mazine River.”

Arthur crossed his arms.

“If he stays there…” he concluded, “his chances of passing the first exam are extremely low.”

***

The runes appeared once again in front of Lucas, floating in the air and glowing softly, displaying the same message as before—though now with a small but significant change.

Mission

Eliminate 50 Demonic Beasts to advance to the next floor.

Time remaining: 48 hours.

Progress: (1/50)

Note: Whenever you wish to consult the runes, simply speak the word “Mission” out loud. They will appear automatically.

Good luck.

Lucas rested the sword on his shoulder and lightly furrowed his brow, analyzing the message.

“Hm… so every time I kill a beast, this shows up…”

He murmured quietly, already imagining the situation if he were surrounded by multiple monsters at once. A distraction like that—even lasting only a second—could be fatal.

He let out a short breath.

“I’ll deal with it later.”

The runes dissipated like smoke in the air. But before Lucas could relax, new inscriptions appeared immediately in front of him—different from the previous ones, colder, more direct.

Warning

If you feel unable to continue the exam, simply speak the word “I give up” and you will be immediately teleported out.

Any serious injuries or death will not be our responsibility.

Lucas read every line carefully, his expression serious.

They really care about our safety…

The thought carried obvious irony.

But before he could even consider resting after the battle, something changed.

The ground shook.

It wasn’t a normal tremor—it was abrupt, deep, as if something massive had just moved beneath the earth. A chill ran down Lucas’s spine, far more intense than anything he had felt before.

His body reacted instantly.

Lucas spun around, gripping his sword tightly.

Then he saw it.

And for a moment… his mind simply stopped.

“What the hell is that…?”

Whatever was coming wasn’t a single presence.

It was something far worse.

***

Deeper within the forest was Sae Anaragui, a boy with smooth red hair that contrasted sharply with his intense cyan-blue eyes. A sword rested firmly at his waist, while a light armor covered his body—durable enough to protect him, yet flexible enough not to restrict his movements. On his back, he carried a small backpack containing only the essentials; any extra weight could be fatal in this exam.

Sae was filthy, mud staining his boots and fresh scratches scattered across his arms and face—clear signs of a recent battle. His breathing hadn’t fully returned to normal when he stopped, leaning for a moment before lifting his gaze toward the treetops.

The dense forest canopy allowed only faint beams of light to pass through, casting restless shadows around him.

“I only fought a single beast…” he muttered through clenched teeth. “And I’m already in this state. Fifty…”

The word felt heavier than it should have.

“Can I really pass this test?”

Sae’s fists clenched tightly. Anxiety squeezed his chest like an invisible hand. This wasn’t just an exam. He knew that. His life—his future—depended on this outcome. Perhaps more than he was willing to admit.

Then something changed.

The ground beneath his feet began to tremble.

At first, it was subtle. A barely noticeable vibration. But within seconds, it grew violent, shaking the earth and sending leaves and branches crashing down from the trees.

Sae’s eyes widened as his hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword.

“What…?” he whispered, his heart racing. “What’s happening…?”

The tremor intensified.

And something was coming.

To Sae’s right, something massive flashed past.

For an instant, the world seemed to slow down.

When Sae turned his head, his eyes widened in pure shock.

A colossal serpent tore through the forest, moving at an absurd speed—so fast that the air around it seemed to vibrate. Its monstrous body crushed everything in its path. Trees were ripped from the ground, earth was hurled aside, leaving behind a trail of destruction impossible to ignore.

But that wasn’t all.

The serpent’s mouth was wide open… forced to remain that way.

Caught between its fangs was a man.

Dark-blue hair sliced through the air as he resisted being swallowed, his arms braced against the creature’s fangs in a desperate struggle. The strength required for that was simply absurd.

For a single second—maybe less—the eyes of Sae and that man met.

It was brief. Brutal. Intense.

Then the serpent shot forward again like a living lightning bolt, vanishing deeper into the forest and leaving behind nothing but a massive trail of shattered trees, torn earth, and absolute silence.

Sae approached slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the path of destruction before him, swallowed hard, and murmured in shock:

“What the hell… just happened?”

Sae hesitated before the ruined trail. The earth was torn apart, trees split in half, roots ripped from the ground as if something colossal had passed through without resistance.

His hands were shaking.

The fear was real—visceral.

But at the same time, something inside him screamed.

A deep, almost primal instinct told him that following that path would change everything.

Before he could think any further, his body moved on its own. Sae swallowed hard… and followed the trail.

A few minutes later, he reached a devastated clearing.

And then he saw it.

At the center of the destroyed landscape, Lucas lay on the ground, writhing in pain. His entire body looked drenched in blood—not just splatters, but deep marks, scratches, and bruises. Every breath seemed to cost him dearly.

Beside him… lay a gigantic serpent, dead.

The creature’s jaw was completely shattered, twisted at an impossible angle, as if it had been crushed by an overwhelming force.

Sae’s eyes widened.

“W… what is this…?”

Lucas planted his sword into the ground and leaned on it to keep from falling. It took several seconds before he managed to stand fully upright.

He let out a slow breath.

“Hmm… my back didn’t like that at all.”

He brought a hand to his lower back, grimacing slightly.

“More than twenty beasts at once… a well-designed test. Very human of them.”

He stretched his body far too carefully.

Crack.

The sound came from his spine.

“…great. That shouldn’t make that noise.”

He took a deep breath.

“And this is only the first exam.”

He shook his head.

“The next ones will probably come with instructions like ‘survival is optional.’”

The tone was almost dark humor, but the pain was real. There might even be broken bones.

Clack.

The dry snap of a branch echoed through the trees. Lucas turned instantly, sword already raised on instinct.

“Who’s there?”

Behind a tree, Sae tried to hide… and failed miserably.

“I—I’m human.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes.

“I assumed as much. Beasts tend to be quieter.”

“Then why were you hiding?”

Sae slowly stepped out from behind the tree, raising his hands. He was still visibly shaken by the scene before him.

“You…” He swallowed hard. “You crushed that beast’s jaw… without a weapon.”

There was fear in his eyes. And something close to respect.

“That’s… absurd…”

Lucas let out a short breath before replying.

“It wasn’t brute force. I used my gift… unfortunately.”

Sae tilted his head, attentive.

“Your gift? What kind of ability is it?”

Lucas shot him a cold look.

“And why should I answer that?”

“I don’t even know your name.”

Sae looked visibly awkward, scratching the back of his neck.

“Ah… sorry.”

“My name is Sae Anaragui.”

“And yours?”

Lucas hesitated for a second. Then replied indifferently.

“Lucas.”

“Just Lucas.”

The two stood in silence for a few moments, surrounded by blood, wreckage, and the corpse of the colossal creature. Neither of them knew it yet.

But from that moment on…

their lives were about to change completely.