The final seconds of Aureon's ten-minute countdown ticked away on the massive screen above the arena. Competitors hurried to finish their registrations, arguments still breaking out between those who hadn't settled on teams.
Hyun-Jae stood silently beside Lyrelle, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. He wasn't nervous. He wasn't even particularly focused on the trial itself. All he cared about was what he could gain from it, how much Etherea he could absorb, and whether this trial would offer anything useful for his growth.
When the counter hit zero, Aureon's voice resounded once more, cold and final.
"Time's up. Those who haven't reported a full team will proceed as is. The final culling trial begins now."
Before anyone could react, blinding light swallowed the arena.
The air twisted around Hyun-Jae, pressure shifting as his body disassembled into streaks of radiant particles. A heartbeat later, the light faded, and he was standing somewhere entirely different.
The sky above was a swirling shade of blue and gray. Towering trees loomed around them, their leaves shimmering faintly. Strange, luminous creatures flitted in the distance, and far above, chunks of land floated lazily in midair, tethered by streams of light.
He exhaled slowly
Lyrelle stumbled slightly beside him as she materialized, catching her balance with a small gasp. Her wide eyes darted around, both amazed and unsettled by the alien beauty of the place.
Hyun-Jae didn't seem fazed at all. He scanned their surroundings, sharp eyes taking in every movement, every shift in the terrain. In the distance, teleportation lights flared, other teams arriving, voices echoing faintly through the forest.
"Stay close," Hyun-Jae said calmly, his tone steady but firm.
Lyrelle nodded quickly, falling into step beside him.
Hyun-Jae's gaze turned toward the horizon, where faint structures rose between the mists, ruins that looked old and half-buried, pulsing faintly with the same light as the sky.
Without waiting for anyone else, he started walking.
Lyrelle followed, still unsure what she had gotten herself into. The trial had begun, and every step forward meant stepping into danger. Yet somehow, with Hyun-Jae leading the way, she didn't feel the same panic as before.
There was something about his quiet confidence that made the impossible seem just a little less terrifying.
He moved steadily through the forest, the air cool and crisp beneath a calm, blue sky. The towering trees stretched high above them, their leaves catching faint rays of light that filtered down in shifting patterns. The place was quiet, almost serene, though the faint shimmer in the air reminded him that peace here wouldn't last long.
He scanned the surroundings with a practiced eye, marking the shifting lights in the distance where other teams had been scattered. The objective was simple enough: secure a Keystone. Failure meant elimination. He didn't particularly care about himself, he'd survive one way or another, but Lyrelle probably wouldn't... at least not in her current condition.
He slowed his pace slightly, turning his head toward her. Lyrelle followed a few steps behind, alert but still adjusting to the strange terrain. Her gaze darted around, trying to take in everything at once.
"Lyrelle," Hyun-Jae said, his tone calm but firm. "Aureon mentioned there were a few ways to get a Keystone. What do you think we should do?"
She blinked, startled that he asked. "Right… there were three ways, combat, negotiation, and exploration." She paused, thinking it over. "I don't how the negotiation path works but it sounds less risky, but we can't trust anyone. Exploration might take longer… and combat…" her voice trailed off.
Hyun-Jae said nothing at first. Personally, he preferred combat. It was direct ,no deception, no wasted time, but he didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for.
"Each has its flaws," he said after a moment. "Negotiation's unstable, exploration's uncertain, and combat's dangerous. Still, I'll leave the call to you."
Lyrelle hesitated, then nodded. "Exploration, then. Until we understand what's out here."
Hyun-Jae gave a brief nod. "Fair enough."
As they began moving toward the faint outline of ancient ruins in the distance, his expression didn't change, but his thoughts sharpened. Exploration first. But if it comes to it… I'll fight my way through.
The forest stretched endlessly ahead, its floor uneven with roots and patches of glowing moss. As Hyun-Jae and Lyrelle pushed deeper into the terrain, the stillness broke, distant echoes of battle rolled through the air. The sharp clang of metal, bursts of light, and the low rumble of power clashing somewhere beyond the trees.
Lyrelle flinched at the sound, her shoulders tensing. She glanced in the direction of the noise, eyes wide with unease. "They're already fighting…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wonder what they are fighting"
Hyun-Jae didn't respond right away. His gaze lingered ahead, tracking the faint flashes through the trees.
He kept moving, his pace even and deliberate, but he noticed the growing distance between them. Lyrelle's steps had slowed, uncertainty pulling at her every motion. Without saying a word, Hyun-Jae adjusted his stride, subtle enough that she wouldn't notice, slow enough for her to keep up.
"Don't worry about them," he said finally, eyes forward. "As long as we stay out of their way, their fight won't matter to us."
Lyrelle nodded, though the tension in her shoulders didn't ease completely. Still, she followed, matching his pace. The sounds of conflict grew fainter as they moved, replaced again by the quiet rustle of the forest, but the unease lingered, trailing behind them like a shadow neither wanted to name.
Then the air shifted abruptly, a deep, pulsing pressure rolling through the forest that made the leaves tremble and the ground hum faintly beneath their feet. Hyun-Jae halted mid-step, his senses sharpening as he turned his head toward the source. The weight of it was immense, suffocating even, as if something powerful was stirring nearby.
Lyrelle stopped too, her breath catching. "Do you feel that…?" she asked, her voice barely audible. Her fingers curled slightly, instinctively reaching for her bow. The pressure was unlike anything she had felt before, cold, vast, and heavy.
Hyun-Jae didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the dense treeline in the direction it came from. "So there's something interesting here after all," he murmured, his tone flat but certain. There was no excitement in his voice, only focus, like someone who had just found a clear objective.
He started turning in that direction, already walking. "We're going that way," he said, his voice even. "If that's where the source is, then getting a Keystone will be easier there."
Lyrelle hesitated, the pressure making her chest tighten. "But… what if something happens?" she asked quietly.
Hyun-Jae stopped for just a moment, glancing back over his shoulder. His gaze was calm, unreadable. "Nothing will happen," he said simply. "Its my responsibility to protect you."
And with that, he turned forward again, walking deeper into the forest as if the crushing aura didn't exist.
Lyrelle stood still for a moment, her ears tinting faintly pink at his words. He hadn't said it with warmth or bravado, just certainty. Somehow, that made it feel heavier, more real. Still anxious, she hurried after him, keeping close as the pressure thickened around them with every step.
They pushed through the last line of trees, and the pressure that had filled the forest suddenly became clearer, focused. In the small clearing ahead, a creature prowled between the rocks, its scales glinting under the light that filtered through the canopy. It was large, easily twice Hyun-Jae's height, its movements sharp and deliberate.
Hyun-Jae's eyes flicked briefly to the faint glow pulsing at the creature's chest a Keystone, embedded deep within its body. He exhaled quietly. "Just a high C-rank," he muttered under his breath. "Tch… I need to get better at judging that from a distance."
Lyrelle stood beside him, tense, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for her bow. "That's… strong," she said softly.
Hyun-Jae glanced at her. "You're a C-rank too," he said evenly. "Think you can handle it?"
Her eyes widened at the question. "Me?"
He nodded once, calm and matter-of-fact. "Yeah. You should be able to take it down. I'll stay back unless you really need help."
Lyrelle hesitated, her heart pounding. Every instinct screamed at her to back away, to let someone stronger deal with it. That's what she'd always done. Hide behind the capable ones. Survive while others fought. But as she looked at Hyun-Jae, standing there with that same quiet composure, not mocking or doubting her, just watching… something in her shifted.
He's an E-rank, and he's not scared at all. He's been walking through this like it's nothing. If I can't even face this… then what am I doing here?
She took a slow breath and steadied herself, raising her bow. "Alright," she whispered, mostly to herself. "My turn, then."
Etherea gathered around her fingers as she drew the string back. The air trembled slightly with each pulse of energy. Hyun-Jae watched from the side, his arms folded, silent but attentive.
Lyrelle exhaled, eyes narrowing. Then she released.
The arrow flew like a streak of light, cutting clean through the air and slamming into the creature's side. It roared, the sound shaking the ground, but she was already drawing another shot, steadier this time, her form tightening as confidence replaced hesitation.
Hyun-Jae watched her movements carefully, his expression unreadable. Good. She's learning.
He didn't move to interfere. This was her fight, and she needed to win it on her own.
The creature turned sharply, its molten eyes locking onto Lyrelle with murderous intent. It was a Drathenfang, a reptilian beast known for its brutal speed and dense scales, a predator that usually made short work of anything below B-rank. The ground quaked as it let out a guttural roar, its tail slicing through the air with enough force to shatter the bark off nearby trees.
Lyrelle's heart skipped, but her grip on the bow tightened. She forced herself to move, rolling to the side just as the Drathenfang lunged, its claws raking through where she had stood a second earlier. She loosed an arrow mid-dodge, the projectile bursting into a streak of light as it struck the creature's shoulder.
The Drathenfang hissed, smoke curling from the wound. Hyun-Jae watched from the edge of the clearing, arms folded, his eyes tracking every movement both hers and the beast's. Her aim's pretty good already, he thought, though his expression didn't shift. Good.
Lyrelle kept moving, using her smaller frame to stay just ahead of each strike. Her breath came in sharp bursts, sweat forming along her temples. The creature swiped again, and she ducked low, sliding along the dirt before planting her knee and firing another arrow that struck its leg joint. The Drathenfang roared again, the pain making it reckless, exactly what she needed.
She focused, pulling the bowstring all the way back until the air around her began to shimmer. Etherea gathered at the tip, condensing into a single radiant shot. "Not this time…" she whispered. Then she released.
The arrow shot forward like a flare, piercing straight through the creature's throat. The Drathenfang staggered, let out one last rumbling growl, then collapsed into the earth with a heavy thud that sent dust rippling through the clearing.
Lyrelle stood there for a moment, chest rising and falling with each deep breath. Then, slowly, a small, proud smile spread across her face. She stepped forward, cutting into the beast's hide until her fingers wrapped around the faintly glowing Keystone embedded inside. Pulling it free, she turned toward Hyun-Jae and held it up, eyes gleaming. "We got it," she said, voice full of triumph.
Hyun-Jae's gaze lingered on her for a moment, the sweat, the dirt on her face, the determination in her eyes, the corner of his mouth curved faintly.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "You did."
Before Lyrelle could fully savor her victory, movement caught Hyun-Jae's peripheral vision, something small and fast, charging at her from the shadows.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward. His body slid between her and the incoming threat, his hand shooting out to grab hers, yanking her back out of the path. Pain exploded through his shoulder as the attacker's blade grazed him and pierced through, but he didn't falter, holding her steady.
The figure recoiled from his grip, twisting in midair, and then leapt back into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Hyun-Jae's eyes followed the retreating silhouette for a brief moment before he exhaled, grinding his teeth slightly at the sharp ache in his shoulder.
Lyrelle, still clinging to his hand, looked up at him wide-eyed, her ears faintly pink from both shock and worry. "Y–you're hurt…" she whispered.
Hyun-Jae shook his head, his voice low and calm. "I'm fine. Nothing's going to touch you while I'm here."
Even as he spoke, his gaze scanned the clearing and the surrounding treeline, calculating where the threat had come from, and if it might return.
Hyun-Jae flexed his shoulder briefly, noting the sting from the small cut. It wasn't serious, nothing that would slow him down, but it was a reminder. I can't just rely on leveling up to fix injuries. I need to invest in a healing skill at some point, he thought, already filing it away mentally as a priority.
Before he could dwell on it further, a blur darted from the shadows again. The same figure, moving at an alarming speed, aimed a precise stab at him. This time, Hyun-Jae was ready. Without hesitation, he twisted his body, caught the attacker's wrist mid-thrust, and squeezed with deliberate force.
A sharp snap of pain echoed from the figure's arm as they tried to yank free, but Hyun-Jae held firm. The grip was crushing, unyielding, and the attacker finally let out a grunt of pain before leaping back, retreating a short distance to clutch their injured wrist.
Hyun-Jae released the wrist and took a step back, his expression calm as always. He watched the figure flinch and retreat, noting the speed and technique with quiet attention. Persistent, but predictable. I shouldn't hold back next time.
Lyrelle, still standing close behind him, glanced nervously at the figure. "Are… they gone?"
"For now," Hyun-Jae replied evenly, eyes scanning the surrounding forest. "But if they try again, I'll be ready."
Even as he spoke, his mind was already planning, evaluating, anticipating, and noting that every encounter, even a minor one, was a lesson he could turn into an advantage.
Lyrelle stared at Hyun-Jae for a moment, her heart still racing from the attack. She had seen the way he moved, calm, precise, without hesitation. That wasn't how an E-rank fought. That was how someone seasoned, dangerous, and far above her level fought.
She opened her mouth as if to speak but then stopped herself. He must have his reasons, she thought, tightening her grip on her bow. If he wanted to hide his true rank, I shouldn't question it.
Hyun-Jae's voice broke the silence. "Do you still have the Keystone?"
Lyrelle blinked and nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah, right here." She held it up for him to see.
"Good," he said, his tone steady. "Then let's make our way to the extraction portal."
Before leaving, Hyun-Jae approached the fallen Drathenfang. The creature's dark, scaled body lay twisted among the broken foliage, faint traces of energy still leaking from it. He stood over it and quietly muttered, "Absorb."
A faint pulse of light surrounded the corpse, and a stream of bluish energy flowed into Hyun-Jae's chest, fading into him like smoke drawn into a flame. It wasn't much, just a sliver of Etherea, but he could feel the faint enhancement ripple through him. Meager, but it adds up, he thought, turning away.
Lyrelle watched in awe, eyes wide. "Wait… you can absorb Etherea directly?"
Hyun-Jae glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable. "Something like that."
She hesitated, then finally blurted, "Are you… a faction leader in secret or something?"
Hyun-Jae paused mid-step, frowning slightly. "Faction leader?" He looked genuinely puzzled. "What are factions?"
Lyrelle blinked, confused by his tone. "You… don't know?"
Hyun-Jae shook his head slightly. "No. Explain."
Lyrelle took a breath, glancing around to make sure nothing else lurked nearby before she began explaining.
"Well… even though everyone here is technically from the same realm, things changed after the first culling trial," she said, her voice quiet but steady. "The Celestials decided to give us freedom, to manage ourselves, our own base, our own hierarchy. At first, it sounded like a good thing, but…" She hesitated, her eyes flicking toward Hyun-Jae. "You can probably guess what happened next."
Hyun-Jae said nothing, his expression calm as he listened.
"The S-ranks took charge," she continued. "They were the strongest among us, and naturally, everyone looked to them for leadership. But none of them could agree on how our realm should move forward. Each had their own ideals, some wanted order and structure, others wanted power and dominance, and a few just wanted freedom without rules. So they started forming groups under their banners. They called them factions."
She glanced down at her hands, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "Each faction promised to protect the lower-ranked participants… as long as those participants supported their leader's ideals. It didn't take long before everyone had to choose a side."
Hyun-Jae's eyes narrowed slightly. So that's how it is.
Lyrelle sighed softly. "It's not really a team anymore. It's just… a collection of competing beliefs under the same banner. And if you don't belong to a faction, no one really looks out for you."
Hyun-Jae looked ahead toward the misty horizon, his tone quiet but edged with thought. "I see. So strength determines not just survival, but loyalty."
Lyrelle nodded faintly, unsure how he would take it. She didn't know that as she spoke, Hyun-Jae was already thinking back to that first trial, the one he hadn't survived, and silently wondering just how far these so-called leaders would go to maintain their power.
He glanced at her as they made their way through the forest. "So, are you part of a faction too?"
Lyrelle hesitated before answering. "Yes… I am. It's called The Verdant."
He nodded slightly. "And what's their ideal?"
"They believe in survival above everything else," she said quietly. "Winning, living, doing whatever it takes to make it through. They don't care how it's done, only that their members survive the trials."
Hyun-Jae hummed faintly, thinking. "So that's why you couldn't find a team."
Lyrelle looked down. "Probably. Even though everyone from our realm has to participate, factions still choose who they want close to them. The Verdant didn't think I was… strong enough. They said I'd only drag them down."
Hyun-Jae's expression didn't change. "Then they're the ones who made a mistake."
Lyrelle blinked, her steps faltering for just a moment. Hyun-Jae's words lingered in her mind, steady and matter-of-fact, as if he were stating a simple truth rather than trying to comfort her.
Her cheeks warmed, a faint blush rising as she looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice. No one had ever said something like that to her, not without hesitation or pity.
"R-right," she murmured, barely above a whisper, before quickening her pace to match his.
Hyun-Jae didn't seem to notice her flustered expression, his attention already fixed on reaching the extraction portal.
"Let's move," he said calmly. "No point in staying out here longer than we have to."
Lyrelle nodded, her heart still beating a little faster than before as she followed him through the mist, his quiet confidence somehow making her believe, just maybe, she really wouldn't drag him down.