TRA 03

Chapter 3 The Scorched Earth

Scorched earth.

Step. Step—

Kim Jun slowly raised his head as he passed through the gates of Thebes.

Massive walls built from white marble. Beyond them, red-tiled roofs were dyed in the sunset’s glow.

Watchtowers lined the walls, each with a torch blazing, their light contrasting against the darkening sky.

‘Just as it was.’

It was identical to before his regression. Kim Jun looked at the buildings lining the streets.

Two-story wooden buildings, with warm light leaking from their windows, created a cozy atmosphere.

Clang! Clang!

From the first floor of one building, the rhythmic sound of a blacksmith’s hammer echoed, while right next door, the savory smell of freshly baked bread wafted out into the street.

Walking a little further, he saw an NPC merchant in front of a shop, closing up for the day and tidying the sign.

Beyond that, the wooden sign of an inn creaked and swayed in the wind.

“Oh my, there’s already someone who made it here!”
“That was fast. They got here in just one day?”

Passing residents whispered as they saw him. Their gazes were curious, but held no sign of hostility.

Kim Jun watched them for a moment.

The ‘residents’ who had stayed with him until the very end in his past life.

The ones who had picked up swords alongside him on the city walls when the monster waves crashed upon them.

The ones who had tried to protect the city to the end when the calamity of the 25th floor struck.

Heh—

Kim Jun watched them for a moment longer, then turned his head. He let out a short breath, as if suppressing his emotions, and moved on.

The deeper he went into the city, the more magnificent the buildings became. Passing through the commercial district and entering the area lined with noble mansions, three-story stone buildings adorned both sides of the road.

Stained glass was fitted in every window, and between the buildings, magic stones serving as streetlights emitted a soft glow.

And finally, in the very heart of the city, a massive circular plaza revealed itself.

‘It’s still overwhelming.’

The five spires towering in the center of the plaza. Temples of different shapes soaring towards the sky filled Kim Jun’s vision.

The most striking was, without a doubt, the Temple of the Warrior. A heavy structure built from rough-hewn granite. Its straight-lined, fortress-like architecture left a powerful impression.

Kim Jun walked toward the Temple of the Warrior without hesitation.

Two guardians stood at the temple entrance. Dressed in full plate armor with giant two-handed swords on their backs, they stood as stiffly as statues.

“Challenger. Do you seek to walk the path of the warrior?”
“Yes.”
“Then seek out Sir Balderion. He will judge your qualifications.”

Screeeech—

The temple’s massive door slowly opened.

As Kim Jun stepped inside, a grand hall with a high ceiling and numerous pillars unfolded. Portraits of warriors from past eras hung on the walls, and the weapons they had used were on display.

Kim Jun paused for a moment, looking at those weapons. Swords that were old but had not lost their sharpness, axes that looked heavy and sturdy.

They were all things that must have once shone in the hands of great warriors.

Lifting his head to look further into the hall, he could see a man sitting on a dais in the distance.

‘Balderion….’

His teacher from his previous life, the one who had taught him swordsmanship. Although his level was only 70, his skill with the sword had reached a master level.

Even when Kim Jun had reached EX-rank, in pure swordsmanship alone, he had never surpassed Balderion.

“It’s been a long time.”

Kim Jun muttered.

“Hm?”

Balderion looked up. A man who appeared to be in his mid-sixties. His short-cropped gray hair and beard, along with his sharp eyes, were striking.

“A face I’ve never seen before, and you say ‘long time’?”
“My apologies. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Balderion.”

Kim Jun bowed his head.

“Hmm.”

Balderion looked Kim Jun up and down. His gaze moved from Kim Jun’s shoulders, to his waist, to his legs.

“You are a sword user?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ve come to the right place.”

Balderion rose from his seat and stood before Kim Jun.

“You wish to become a warrior?”
“Yes.”
“Then pass the trial I set.”

Balderion’s expression turned cold in an instant.

“But I warn you, this is no jest. It is a trial where you must stake your life.”

Kim Jun nodded. He already knew. It was more dangerous than any other class advancement quest.

He had already experienced it.

Ding-!

[Class Advancement Quest Generated]

Quest Name: The Warrior’s Qualification
Content: Survive for 5 minutes in the Red Dragon’s Lair.
Difficulty: ★★★★★
Reward: Warrior Class Advancement
Upon Failure: Death
Will you accept?
[Yes] / [No]

Press—

Kim Jun did not hesitate.

“You’re going to die again.”

The coachman looked at Kim Jun with pitying eyes.

“Young man, must you really go? The Red Dragon’s Lair? I’ve never seen anyone come back from there.”
“I must go.”

Kim Jun answered calmly as he boarded the carriage.

“Haa.”

The coachman let out a deep sigh.

“This is already the third one this month. They all went there wanting to become warriors. But…”

The coachman didn’t finish his sentence, but Kim Jun knew what he meant.

Thebes was a massive city with 50,000 residents. The military force guarding its walls numbered 2,000. Among them, only four had acquired the Warrior class.

Balderion, the Warrior Class Examiner.
Garenthus, Lord of Thebes.
Hena, Captain of the Northern Wall Guard.
Draconis, Captain of the Southern Wall Guard.

Hundreds of ‘residents’ had challenged it so far. For honor, for status, or for a better life.

But aside from these four, no one had ever returned.

The Red Dragon’s Lair was that kind of hopeless place.

“I’ll take the money in advance. I’ve no confidence in bringing back a corpse.”

Kim Jun handed over a coin purse. It was the reward he’d earned clearing floors 1 to 5.

“This much?”

The coachman looked surprised.

“That includes the round trip. Ah, and for future rides too.”
“You’re confident you’ll come back alive?”
“Of course.”

A confident smile spread across Kim Jun’s lips.

The coachman couldn’t understand him.

It had only been a day since this massive Tower was erected in this ‘new place’.

And yet, a Hunter had already reached Thebes after clearing up to the 5th floor. And alone, at that.

‘He must be incredibly strong.’

Achieving such results in just a day was miraculous in itself. Usually, it took guilds several days just to manage that.

But for someone so strong to choose the Warrior path, of all things…

There were Mages who could safely cast spells from the rear, Guardians specialized in defense, even Rogues who moved stealthily—any of those would be better than a Warrior.

‘Just when I thought someone had finally appeared to save us.’

The coachman’s expression was one of disappointment.

The residents, trapped in Thebes for so long, had a desperate wish. That someday, a hero-like Hunter would appear and end all these trials.

That Hunter’s level must still be low.

He’d only cleared the early floors of the Tower. To face the Red Dragon in that state…

The class advancement quest itself had an extreme survival rate from the start, and even if one became a Warrior, it was a class that always had to bear the most dangerous fights on the front lines.

‘It seems we’ll have to keep waiting.’

The coachman let out a sigh. No matter how strong, the Red Dragon was a different matter entirely.

“…It will take about 4 hours to reach the Scorched Earth. You should get some rest. Ah, not that it matters, since you’ll be closing your eyes forever soon anyway.”

Clip-clop. Clip-clop—

The sound of hooves echoed rhythmically, picking up speed.

Kim Jun got off the carriage and looked ahead.

The Scorched Earth.

Not a single blade of grass grew on the black earth stretching to the horizon.

Smoke still rose from various spots, and whenever the wind blew, ash and charcoal dust swirled into dancing whirlwinds.

Even the sky was tinged red. A hellish landscape created by the dragon’s breath mixing with the dust in the atmosphere.

And in the distance, at the edge of the earth, a massive red cliff soared.

The entire cliff face glowed red-hot like lava, and from the enormous cave entrance pierced into its midsection, flames periodically erupted.

[Red Dragon’s Next]

The rocks around the cave entrance were all melted and solidified like glass.

‘In my previous life, I learned about it from the information broker on the 50th floor. The existence of hidden classes.’

Information he bought from the broker at a high price. The existence of hidden classes.

Every class advancement quest held a hidden truth. A hidden power that only opened when special conditions were met, not just by achieving the surface goal.

Squeeak—

Kim Jun clenched his fist tightly.

What if he had known from the beginning? What if he had started as a Dragon Slayer from the 5th floor?

Whoosh—

Kim Jun stepped forward onto the scorched earth.

The ash beneath his feet crunched, and the hot wind scorched his face.

“You’re really going in.”

The coachman spoke as if making a final confirmation.

“I’ll see you in a little while.”
“Tch!”

The coachman clicked his tongue.

“We’ve spoken, so for that bond, I’ll wait for you an hour. Not that it matters, you’ll be dead in five minutes anyway.”
“Haha. I’ll see you later, Radel.”
“Huh? Uhh?”

The coachman, Radel, was flustered. He was sure he’d never mentioned his name, so how did this Hunter know?

“Wait, when did I…”

But Kim Jun had already turned and was walking towards the cave.

Radel frowned, watching his retreating back. Something was strange. It was a Hunter he was seeing for the first time, yet he felt oddly familiar, and he even knew his name.

‘Just who is that guy?’

The mystery deepened, but soon Radel shook his head. It didn’t matter; he’d be dead soon anyway.

Kim Jun continued walking across the scorched earth.

With every step, ash and charcoal dust flew up, and the air grew hotter. His throat stung with every breath, but he didn’t stop.

Finally, he reached the cave entrance.

Whoooooom—!

A giant breathing sound echoed from deep within the cave. At the same time, a faint golden barrier covering the entire entrance came into view.

A translucent, liquid-like membrane shimmering. Beyond it, a red light pulsated.

As Kim Jun brought his hand close, a system window appeared.

[Red Dragon’s Lair]

Warning: Upon entry, exit is impossible for 5 minutes.
Will you enter?
[Yes] / [No]

Press—

A vast space unfolded. An endlessly high ceiling, red lava flowing down in various places, dyeing the entire cave in a hellish light.

And Kim Jun was momentarily speechless as he looked down at his feet.

“….”

The entire floor of the cave was covered in white bones.

Human, beast, and unidentifiable giant bones.

Hundreds, no, thousands of skeletons were piled in layers, forming a carpet of bones.

They were all the remains of those who had challenged this place and failed.

Among those bones lay scattered rusted swords and fragments of armor. Weapons that were once someone’s hope were now lumps of scrap metal, mingled with the bones.

As Kim Jun took a step—

Rumble—

The piles of bones shifted and flowed away in all directions. They receded like waves, revealing new skeletons.

At that moment, the sound of something massive moving echoed from deep within the cave.

He was prepared.

His level was significantly lower than before.

But because he was armed with a greater resolve,