Shorm Rong and Sujan stood stiffly near the entrance of the examination ground, arms crossed, faces taut with barely concealed irritation. The morning sun cast long shadows behind them, yet their gazes were fixed ahead, unimpressed by the carriage slowly approaching the Academy gates.
Shorm scoffed. "Who are they? Showing up this late?"
Sujan narrowed his eyes, watching as the carriage door opened and two figures stepped out. One was elderly but upright, dressed in black with silver trim, the unmistakable uniform of a noble house servant.
"…Huh. Isn't the man on the right Vermin? The butler of the Lion family?" Sujan muttered, glancing sideways.
Shorm's eyes narrowed. "Hmm… I think you're right. Which means the boy beside him—"
"—must be their young master," Sujan finished, his voice tinged with curiosity and judgment.
Shorm's frown deepened. "Late on the most important day of his life. Can't even manage basic punctuality for the entrance exam?"
From the carriage, Jun Lion stepped out, the light catching his raven-black hair and the sharp glint in his amber eye. He turned to Vermin with a calm, almost gentle expression.
"You can go now, Sir Vermin."
Vermin hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "Huh? But, Young Lord… I should stay until your exam ends—"
Jun offered a rare smile. "No need to worry. I'll be fine."
There was a pause—brief, but heavy. Vermin's lips trembled with unspoken emotion. Then came a quiet, almost wistful chuckle.
("He's all grown up now… Maybe I don't need to worry anymore.")Vermin's face softened as he bowed. "Very well, Young Lord. We'll take our leave."
The coachman nodded silently, and the carriage rolled away down the cobbled path.
Around the massive Academy gate, dozens of families stood clustered under hovering banners and magical shade umbrellas, nervously watching the flow of candidates. Most children was still in the gat. Some, got disqualified, were leaving in tears with their parents, heads bowed.
Jun walked forward alone, the silence around him oddly stark. His footsteps echoed slightly on the marble, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
He stopped a few paces away from Shorm Rong and Sujan.
Jun: "…"
Shorm & Sujan: "…"
Whispers began to bubble in the crowd.
"Why are they just staring at each other?"
"Isn't that the boy who came with Vermin? That means… he's the Lion family's young master."
"No way… He actually showed up?"
"Where's the rest of his family? Why's he alone?"
Jun finally broke the silence. "I'm here for the entrance exam."
Shorm's voice was clipped and cold. "You're late. We don't tolerate tardiness—even for nobles."
Jun didn't flinch. His tone was even. "I'm not asking for tolerance. Just tell me where to go."
Sujan gave a short laugh, crossing his arms. "He's got a mouth on him, I'll give him that."
Shorm eyed him, then reached into his robe and pulled out a thin stone tablet. He tapped it and a blue inscription glowed faintly.
Shorm: "Your name?"
Jun: "Jun Lion."
As soon as the name was spoken, silence dropped like a blade.
Several children stepped back. Some parents clutched their kids protectively.
Whispers erupted again like thunder.
"Jun Lion?!"
"The one who—!"
"No… no, it's just rumors, right? He couldn't really be— There are also rumors that he is a good-for-nothing son of the Lion family. He didn't even go out of the room for several years."
"Why's he here than?"
Shorm's eyes flicked across the tablet again. "Your name is on the list," he admitted reluctantly. "But the only gates left are B-rank now. No more beginner trials are available."
He paused, clearly expecting Jun to falter or back out.
"So, I think you should—"
"No problem," Jun interrupted smoothly.
Shorm blinked. "Huh?"
"I'll take the B-rank gate."
Even Sujan was momentarily speechless. "…O-okay, then. Head to the western trial gate."
Jun nodded silently and began walking away without so much as a glance back.
Shorm watched him go. "He didn't even ask what the test was…"
Sujan's voice was lower now. "I think he already knows."
Behind them, the crowd buzzed with renewed intensity.
"He's going in alone?!"
"Why does he get his trail alone?"
"Because no one wants to risk being in the same trial as him, idiot."
Western Trial Gate
The western gate towered above the others—an ominous swirl of blue energy framed by jagged stone and runes that pulsed with a cold, flickering light. This was no ordinary portal. Even from a distance, one could feel the hum of magic vibrating in the air, dense and turbulent.
Jun approached it alone.
As he neared, a metallic voice echoed from the void.
["Candidate Jun Lion. Your test begins now."]
Without hesitation, Jun stepped into the light—and vanished.
[System Notice: You have entered a Special-Type Dungeon.]
[Warning: Due to candidate's unique profile, difficulty has been adjusted.]
[Gate Difficulty: B-Rank (Variant – Chaos Infused)]
[Objective: Eliminate all threats and reach the core chamber.]
Jun opened his eyes inside the dungeon, now sealed from the outside world. Behind him, the entrance shimmered—then disappeared completely.
"…No turning back," he muttered.
The dungeon was unlike any natural cave or forest gate. This one resembled a collapsed facility—half-metal, half-concrete, all in ruin. The walls were cracked, wires dangled from shattered panels, and rusted rails lined the floor. The air buzzed with static and the acrid smell of burnt ozone. It felt like a world long dead—and angry about it.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
A metallic door burst open ahead.
From the darkness, a wave of monstrous beasts poured out—low to the ground, canine in shape. Their eyes pulsed red, and jagged wires sprouted from their spines.
Jun sighed as the dagger appeared in his hand with a shimmer of black smoke.
"…System, you really couldn't give me a break for once?"
He rolled his shoulder, his expression darkening—but his eye began to glow with crimson light.
"…Never mind."
He took a step forward, grin sharpening.
"Then let the hunt begin."
To be continue...