Chapter 036 …
Trial of the Storm (5)
A nameless Magic Tower and a nameless ruin.
Just by the names alone, there seemed to be some connection between the two, yet even the job skill “Master of the Tower” reacted to them.
‘Well, it would be stranger if there wasn’t something going on between them.’
The problem was that this seemingly helpful but oddly unhelpful system didn’t seem willing to provide any further details.
As always, the only way to find out was to face it head-on.
“Hmm, still… I arrived way too early.”
The current time was 8:20 a.m. Considering that the meeting time was 10 a.m., it was clearly early.
He hadn’t planned to come this early.
‘I’m not a middle schooler on a field trip. I should’ve been able to sleep because I’m tired, but here I am wide awake.’
He had gone to bed later than usual, yet woke up earlier than the alarm.
So now, he had eaten breakfast at a fast-food place in the station and was killing time at a café.
‘The Magic Tower is running smoothly today as well.’
A’s research on “Flight” was nearing completion, so results would likely be available soon.
Meanwhile, B had finished resting and was preparing for the next hunting task. With a magic trap now in place, preparation naturally took more time.
Regardless, the mages were all busy.
Shinwoo, on the other hand, could only stare blankly, restless with time still to spare.
He pondered how to make this time meaningful, then thought:
‘Right, I should figure out who my teammates are for today’s gate run.’
He already knew Suho and Jiho, so he moved on.
Shinwoo decided to look for the teammate he was most concerned about first.
‘Oh Sangsoo… I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.’
Of course, a simple search would return only people with the same name, so he looked at the Hunter gallery. The internet wraiths known as Mansur surely would have organized a list of promising candidates for this Hunter trial.
As expected, a post titled “Promising Candidates for the January 2025 Hunter Exam” appeared.
Among them, Oh Sangsoo was at the very top.
Name: Oh Sangsoo
Age: 23
Occupation: Magic Knight (A-rank)
Background: The second son of Yeomjae Oh Chan-hyuk, an A-rank Hunter and one of the flagship Hunters of the Meteor Guild. Known to have inherited his father’s talent, he reportedly had four skills even when newly awakened. However, perhaps because of this, his personality isn’t very agreeable.
Skills: Ignition, Fire Manipulation, Spear Techniques, Fire Resistance
Pass Rate: Certain (Honestly, if he doesn’t pass, there’s something wrong with the exam’s difficulty.)
‘Ah, the son of Yeomjae!’
Although lacking a Hunter license and thus not ranked among Korea’s top ten prospects, he was undoubtedly a genius who would belong there once licensed. He was also an A-rank Magic Knight, increasing his chances of reaching an A-rank Hunter status in the future.
However, as the post stated, his public demeanor was arrogant—Shinwoo didn’t particularly like him.
‘And the fact that he’s powerful means my own chances of passing are lower.’
After all, there’s a limit to how many can become Hunters.
It seemed he would need to keep a close eye on Oh Sangsoo during the trial.
Luckily, except for Oh Sangsoo, the other teammates were normal.
‘OO Academy, OO Academy, OO Academy.’
Hmm, aside from all being from major academies… That explained why people paid so much to attend Hunter academies. Shinwoo had a newfound understanding.
“But I have nothing on Jiho? That’s annoying.”
The writer couldn’t know much about him since he had recently awakened, but Shinwoo was determined.
‘Let’s see what posts appear after I pass.’
Shinwoo glared at the Hunter gallery in frustration.
Through the café window, he saw teammates led by Suho arriving one by one.
Time had passed quickly while Shinwoo dug through information, and seeing the people in real life made him tense. It didn’t look easy.
‘But at least I can use this during the practical test.’
Shinwoo felt the presence of the Black Angle fixed to his forearm as he left the café.
It was time for the Master of the Tower to make his move.
Current Time: 10:00 a.m.
All practical test candidates had arrived, and two more appeared late.
And yet, they seemed familiar.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Han Jincheol, a C-rank Hunter responsible for guidance and safety during this trial.”
“I-I’m Italy, also a C-rank Hunter. Please listen carefully to us, or accidents may happen. Seriously, pay attention!”
The same examiners from Classroom 4 during the written exam.
No wonder they were desperate to prevent incidents—they were also the practical exam supervisors.
It made sense now why Italy was so earnest.
‘It’s reassuring that the examiners are familiar faces.’
Better to have someone you’ve seen before than strangers.
“Alright, I’ve confirmed that none of you are carrying prohibited items. Now, let me explain the practical exam in detail.”
Han Jincheol pointed toward a gate beyond a high metal fence.
“This is the F-rank gate, ‘Nameless Ruin,’ that we informed you about. Your task is to enter and clear it.”
“Many of you asked about the gate’s name. Don’t worry—it’s just a crude stone tower built by goblins. Nothing unusual was found during investigation.”
Italy’s firm assurance suggested many had inquired.
This gave Shinwoo valuable information.
‘“Master of the Tower” reacted to that stone tower inside the gate…’
His certainty grew that a secret lay hidden inside. Surely, it wasn’t just the stone tower itself that triggered his skill. If that were the case, he’d already be overwhelmed just dealing with the tower.
While Shinwoo pondered worst-case scenarios, Han Jincheol continued.
“The time allocated for this task is two hours.”
“Some may think that two hours is more than enough to handle goblins, but if you think that, discard it now.”
Shinwoo nodded at Italy’s warning. Their task wasn’t just stopping monsters—they needed to enter the gate and hunt the boss.
“When a gate appears in a city or is large, Hunters enter to prevent collateral damage and eliminate the boss.”
Yet siege is always harder than defense.
“What we really want to see is whether you have the courage and ability to enter a tiger’s den and kill the tiger.”
“And not to pressure you, but the practical test is observed by pro Hunters and officials through these badges, so give it your all.”
Han Jincheol pointed to the badge on his chest. Judging by the mana aura, it seemed to transmit footage of the gate externally.
‘Right, Cheoljin, Oh Hana, and Professor Cheolsu said they’d be watching too.’
Likely from a waiting room, officials and pros would observe the situation. The presence of observers made everyone more serious.
“Enough explanation. Let’s begin the practical exam.”
Clank—
The barricade swung open.
Facing the swirling gate, Shinwoo took a deep breath.
“All in, go!”
He jumped in at Han Jincheol’s command.
A sensation of being sucked somewhere.
In that moment, he vaguely saw a tower—familiar, longed-for, blue.
But it vanished like a fleeting dream.
As his hand grasped at empty air, the surroundings suddenly brightened, signaling arrival.
First-time entrants to a gate often comment similarly:
They thought the system, monsters, and skills had made everything mundane, but stepping inside reveals the truth.
‘This is part of another world.’
Jiho looked over the vast forest.
Tall trees, dense undergrowth, and vines untouched by human hands.
More than anything, the air—its smell and mana density—was different.
Richer, stronger.
‘No wonder high-rank dungeons feel like stepping into water.’
Even the first moment of awakening and sensing mana hadn’t felt this unreal.
The goosebumps on his skin—was it fear or excitement?
‘Feels like I’m Gulliver in the land of giants.’
Fortunately, everyone else seemed equally stunned.
Even Oh Sangsoo, the son of Yeomjae, loosened his folded arms, scanning the surroundings.
Ah, correction: everyone but one person was stunned.
“Come on, snap out of it! You’re in the tiger’s den, and someone’s watching!”
Shinwoo glanced behind them. Italy stood quietly with a staff taller than himself.
The timid demeanor was gone, replaced by a solemn look, as if saying the exam had already started.
Han Jincheol, unseen, must be watching too.
And pro Hunters and officials were likely observing through them.
Realizing this, everyone quickly adjusted and checked their surroundings.
Jiho hurriedly checked his gear.
After spacing out, being careful was the least he could do.
‘Meanwhile, Shinwoo is so relaxed.’
The one who awakened last was the calmest—a paradox.
And he wasn’t the type to be optimistic about finishing the next exam either.
‘Truly unpredictable.’
Jiho had no way of knowing Shinwoo had used cold-headed magic to stabilize himself.
Thanks to Shinwoo, everyone regained composure.
“Check your equipment, then let’s decide how to tackle this gate.”
“Good.”
The group gathered cautiously after checking their gear.
“Well, I think we should first locate the boss or the goblin tribe…”
“I don’t see the need.”
“Then…?”
“Since it’s just goblins, let’s finish it quickly. We need to make up for earlier point deductions anyway.”
Others from major academies nodded. Jiho agreed to some extent.
But Suho frowned, clearly not liking that plan.
Oh Sangsoo, lightly swinging his spear, scoffed.
“Goody-two-shoes nerds. Save your score games for your academy. You think this gate run is a joke?”
“…I guess he has a point. It’s an exam, so we should calmly approach the gate strategy.”
“Ha, frustrating. This is a relative evaluation. If that team scores better, we all fail here.”
“If you’re not confident, just die trying.”
“Damn, here we go.”
Each word from Oh Sangsoo worsened the atmosphere.
Jiho chuckled helplessly at the “demon mouth.”
“Quite a few.”
Shinwoo muttered, eyes fixed on a section of the forest.
No one asked what he meant.
And indeed…
Click-click…
Goblins perched on thick branches, staring at them.
Bloodshot eyes brimming with murderous intent.
“Ah.”
Jiho realized why the “Nameless Ruin” gate could be maintained.
Normally, monsters would rush out of the gate, but not here.
Why?
‘Hunters beat them down and trapped them inside.’
And if these trapped goblins saw relatively weak humans, the outcome was obvious—
“Kyaaaak!”
A furious volley of spears shot toward them.
