Seungho was shocked... splashed over the screen was a line of numbers between 50 and 63.
That doesn't look good at all.
He felt a grip on his throat.
Then he noted one at the very end, beyond the margins, a 295 scrawled in by hand.
He stared at it.
295.
That had to be his rank.
I am probably the last one.
He just needed to go through the interview. Then leave.
Not do anything, just go through.
The knight glanced at him. Just a glance filled with boredom. And something else...pity? Judgment?
Seungho's throat closed.
"Have I failed?!" Seungho blurted out at a loss.
As soon as he realized the words escaped his mouth he regretted them, his eyes closed.
If I haven't failed before, surely I failed now saying that.
He really wanted to get into Entre, now.
"Of course you have failed! But that hardly matters. The test is designed to bring your powers out."
Seungho blinked.
Hearing that still bruised his ego. It was like an arrow piercing his chest after all he had gone through.
Expectations are different here! I haven't succeed but I haven't failed either.
I am still in the game.
Seungho straightened up to gain composure and concentration.
"What did you see in your test?" asked the leader dryly.
The question surprised Seungho. "A dark silhouette, an angel and a caped figure with a huge hammer.... I am sorry, didn't you see it for yourself?!"
"Please answer the questions," intervened the boss with a decisive tone, folding his arms on his chest as he leaned back.
"Yes, sure." Seungho felt confident now knowing they hadn't witnessed his test first hand.
They don't know. They can't see inside….
"Which one did you find stronger?"
"A dark figure." That was when he was crying.
"Why?"
He couldn't say he almost pissed his pants. "At first his shape was undefined, it was hard to tell where his attacks were coming from." Seungho answered right away, he wanted to show them he had already thought about it, that the shock hadn't thrown him off. Just like ripped pants, he wanted to exude confidence.
"Attacks? As in plural?" asked the hunter from the Duke's team, showing interest for the first time.
"Yes," said Seungho, muffling his excitement.
"What about the caped one, what were its attacks like?"
"It was just one. The last attack. He hit me with his hammer, full force." He couldn't not say that.
They didn't comment on that, but the interview leader consulted briefly with his boss to his ear. The boss nodded. The interview leader kept his gaze down.
"Could you describe the angel?"
"It was black, shorter and smaller than the ones that attacked humans on the Castle."
That prodded the interest of the three of them. The boss adjusted his posture, then asked, "did it try to bite you?"
"No, it screamed." Knowing he had them in his palm.
"The interview is over. Thank you."
Well that is anticlimactic.
The boss got up and buttoned his jacket with style. Put sunglasses on, although unnecessary, and walked straight out of the room. No handshake.
On his way out, he paused beside Seungho who had gotten up. He was close enough that Seungho caught his eyes.
Violet and scarlet. Burning. The same eyes.
Seungho's breath stopped.
Those eyes....
Then the hunter turned and left. He walked away without a word.
Seungho stood frozen. It was fear. Sounding loud and then disappearing.
Did I imagine that?
"Dammit, I thought I had them!" thought Seungho, the angel part was definitely the most interesting. He hated himself--he had deluded himself he knew how the process worked.
The interview leader came close to Seungho to show him out of the room. Shoulders down, Seungho asked for the exit.
He looked at Seungho puzzled, "you shouldn't get out of the building, the next test is in 20 minutes. You better eat something light and use the restroom if you need." The leader signaled someone to take Seungho to the following resting area, before the second test.
Once again escorted. Seungho started to dislike that.
The thought of having to take another test disarmed him.
He was still clueless about the process and that irritated him. He inhaled deeply and ordered himself "focus! You passed the first test and interview! You should be happy!" He smiled to himself, because it was true.
Still their cold treatment made him feel no special at all.
"Yang Seungho-ssi? This way please."
The staff member smiled like a tour guide showing off a museum piece. She pointed to a display case.
"This is a lance that belonged to the founder of Entre. The first hunter to have gained his powers."
They kept walking, like to the opposite side of the building. The staff indicate more things on the wall.
And more medieval thingies...
She clearly didn't have powers. She hadn't noticed he was looking at his screen.
[ SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: COMBAT INITIATION PENDING ]
[ PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE ]
[ DIFFICULTY: 10 | REGRET: -- ]
Seungho blinked. Difficulty 10?
Seungho grinned and put his hand on his chest. He couldn't believe it, finally, a number.
"If you could follow me please."
"How long will the test last?" Seungho asked. His body had held up so far, but he didn't know when it would crumble.
He had acquired healing, but couldn't check reserves.
She smiled. No answer. Probably didn't know.
They walked. Then Seungho saw him.
Park Sanghyun, aka ripped pants. Still in the same torn suit, chatting with another staff member like he owned the place.
Sanghyun flinched when he sensed Seungho approaching.
Wow. His senses are sharp.
Sanghyun turned. His face split into a grin—but there was something behind it. Desperation. Seungho had seen that look before. In the mirror.
"You don't say..." Sanghyun raised his voice. "Guess who I got paired with?"
Seungho wanted to mock his pants. Thought better of it. Instead: "I don't think we have met."
Be nice, he's strong. If things go bad, he can protect you.
Sanghyun extended his hand. Friendly and over-confident. A performance.
"Park Sanghyun."
Seungho took it with a firm grip. Didn't want to look weak.
Sanghyun squeezed harder than necessary and pulled him close. Their foreheads almost touched. Grinning.
"Seungho Yang," Seungho said, not breaking eye contact. Squeezed back and grunted. Felt stupid, but he wouldn't be intimidated.
"Let's make this work!" Sanghyun released him.
Seungho smiled.
So we're making it work. Good.
The staff member addressed them both. "You will enter this test together. Defeat the opponent by any means possible."
That was it.
Instruction. Finally!
Although that meant he had to actually defeat his opponent this time.
"Are you ready?"
"I am always ready to hunt." Sanghyun winked at her.
Seungho rolled his eyes behind his back. "Yes."
The screen was still there.
Sanghyun-ssi's numbers are probably much higher.
Not now.
He waved his hand. The screen slid out of vision.
Oh. That's convenient.
"Are you alright?" the staff member asked.
"Just a bug." Seungho smiled.
Sanghyun watched him from the corner of his eye. Seungho hoped he hadn't noticed anything wrong. Not before the test.
The door opened. They stepped inside. It was like stepping into another world.
A huge gate made of stone. To the side a small creature was carved. The only one. Face of a monkey. Claws of a bird of prey. One long feather for a tail. Barely visible for how shallow it was. Seungho had noticed it.
"What's that thing?"
Sanghyun glanced at it. "Apelox. Old symbol. Means nothing now."
But his voice was too casual. Like he was hiding something.
And guess what? More medieval thingies...
Two knights in armor opened the gate.
Inside, it was massive. Arched like a cathedral. Carved with medieval scenes of saints, monsters, battles on the columns. The space seemed to have no end in sight.
Seungho stared. Something about it felt wrong. Familiar. Like a dream he couldn't remember.
Light flooded out. Then dimmed to something ghostly. The doors closed behind them.
Torches flickered along the walls. The ceiling opened to the night sky—real stars, real constellations. Above, carved into the arches, figures leaned down like spectators overlooking an arena. Medieval paintings with saints and demons. Winged creatures. All watching.
Waiting.
They're alive, Seungho realized. They're looking at us.
"What do we do?" he murmured.
Sanghyun dropped to all fours. Feline. Predator. His body began to change—muscles thickening, skin shimmering with mana.
"Hunters hunt," Sanghyun said. His voice was lower now. Rougher. But his eyes stayed human. And in them, Seungho saw something he didn't expect. Focus.
Sanghyun had dropped the performance. This wasn't a show for him.
Just a man preparing to do his job. He had control of his powers.
Seungho concentrated. Tried to summon the scales. Nothing.
Come on. Come on
Nothing.
Seungho's own powers hadn't stirred.
I need to take this seriously.
A massive gate lifted at the far end of the arena. Seungho was sure it hadn't been there before.
Something stepped through.