Preparations for the duel moved swiftly. Hyungseok Chu, the leader of the X-1 team, stepped forward, while Na Daeyong represented the Fourth Floor Team. Both men, now wearing mana suits that displayed their status on a screen, began to stretch.

"No, no, what is happening all of a sudden!" The X-1 team's manager came running, out of breath. His team's members, who had been standing with their heads bowed like criminals, looked at him as if he were their savior.

'What kind of trouble did these idiots get into now?' the manager fumed internally. Before scolding his team, he approached Yusin, who was sitting calmly to one side.

"Hunter Kim Yusin."

"Ah, Manager Yong," Yusin greeted him warmly.

The manager bowed his head. "On behalf of my team, I apologize for their rudeness! They're still young and foolish, so if you could please find it in your heart to be generous and understanding…"

Yusin waved him off. "Raise your head, sir. I'm not trying to punish the X-1 team. I don't have the right to do that."

"Then what is all this…?" the manager asked, gesturing to the two men on stage who were in the middle of their preparations.

"It's a friendly match to promote camaraderie between the teams! We used to do this all the time at the Academy."

'This doesn't look like camaraderie to me…'

The manager thought, lifting his head. On the second-floor spectator level, Garam executives and employees were starting to take their seats. Garam's main office was nearby, and word had spread, drawing a crowd for the big event.

'He's planning to defeat our top prospects to silence the internal dissent against his mage team.' The manager had to admit, the man was clever.

"Well, let's have a fair fight. Feel free to coach your team if you need to," Yusin said.

"…Ah, yes."

The manager trudged back to where the X-1 team was waiting.

"Ma-Manager! We were just…!"

"You all had better be ready. From this moment on, there's no more coddling you as top prospects." The manager was furious. The team members' mouths snapped shut.

'This is why I should have ignored the higher-ups and run these kids into the ground to get the entitlement out of them. But no, all that talk about harsh training conditions led to this mess.'

More Garam executives, drawn by the rumors, were filling the stands. None of them doubted that the X-1 team, into which they had poured a massive amount of capital, would achieve a complete victory. What would happen if they lost to a non-combat team? They'd be accused of not being worth the investment, and the fallout would be immense. It was even possible that CEO Shin Nara herself would intervene.

'This is no time to stand around.' The manager stood up straight. "Since it's come to this, you must win. Show no mercy!"

"Yes, sir!"

The X-1 manager immediately began coaching his team.

* * *

The main event began. Daeyong Na and Hyungseok Chu, clad in their mana suits, stepped forward. At the instruction of the Garam employee acting as referee, the two shook hands.

"I'm sorry for causing this trouble," Hyungseok said.

"Hahaha! Don't mention it! It's fine!" Daeyong replied with a hearty laugh.

After the handshake, they separated.

"But my opinion hasn't changed," Hyungseok added with a sneer.

He was convinced Kim Yusin had made a mistake. He'd thrown away the chance to publicly reprimand the X-1 team and arranged this instead. Well, they would just have to overturn the negative sentiment with skill. Then no one at Garam could say a word about the issue.

'As expected of our top prospect!'

'The X-1 team wasn't wrong, anyway.' This would put an end to the unsettling atmosphere within Garam, and more importantly, all eyes would be on the X-1 team again.

"Both sides, ready."

As the two took their positions, Hyungseok Chu's lips moved. There was no sound, but his message was clear: 'You. Will. Never. Make. It.'

"Begin!"

At the referee's signal, Hyungseok threw his arm back. A chain of pure magic power shot from his palm, slamming into the ground. Yusin watched with interest.

'Chains of the Primal Dance?'

It was the Unique Ability of Garam's next-generation ace, the leader of the X-1 prospects. With the chain anchored, Hyungseok swung his arm wide.

'Crack!'

He ripped a chunk of the concrete floor, earth and all, straight out of the ground. Weighing well over a ton, he manipulated it with a simple flick of his wrist. The heavy clump of earth, tethered by the chain, swung directly at Daeyong.

'KABOOM!'

Daeyong threw himself out of the way just as the earth-ball smashed into his former position, shattering the safety fence behind it.

"Whoa!"

"I thought this was a friendly match! Why is he going so hard?"

Daeyong quickly created a magic circle in the air and thrust his hand into it. The moment he equipped his gauntlet, the earth-ball swung back at him.

'CRASH!'

"Ugh!"

The chain attack, moving like a living whip, made it impossible to get close. Thrown off balance by his awkward dodge, Daeyong stumbled and dropped to one knee. At that moment, the chain connected to the earth-ball behind him went taut.

Daeyong desperately aimed his right fist downward and activated the gauntlet. His body shot upward like a rocket as the earth-ball was yanked forward, pulverizing the spot where he had just been.

"Ooh!"

"Is that magic?!"

Seeing the reactions from the Garam staff, Hyungseok bit his lip. "Tricks like that won't work!"

This time, a chain shot from his left hand and anchored itself to the ground. Now wielding two earth-balls, the chains danced through the air.

"Whoa!"

Everyone watched, mouths agape.

'BOOM!'

'CRACK!'

Hyungseok launched a relentless assault, and Daeyong was too busy dodging to do anything else. The stage around them was so battered it no longer resembled a proper arena. It was a one-sided battle. The difference in power was overwhelming.

'THUD!'

Hyungseok set down the right earth-ball and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, staring ahead. Through the thick cloud of dust, Daeyong's eyes were still shining, his spirit unbroken.

'How?!'

Staggering to his feet, Daeyong quietly muttered, as if reciting a sacred scripture, "…The one who's stronger when it counts, wins."

Enraged, Hyungseok swung his arm. Once again, the chain and its earthen payload bombarded the ground. It had power and speed, but for some reason, it couldn't hit Daeyong.

<Mana Arrow>

A Mana Arrow shot from the dust cloud and embedded itself in Hyungseok's shoulder, taking a huge chunk out of his suit's gauge. He gritted his teeth against the pain and manipulated the chains again. His opponent now had enough breathing room to counterattack, a fact that wore on Hyungseok's nerves.

"Graaaaaah!"

He screamed in frustration and swung the chains horizontally. But his stamina was draining, and he made a mistake. The chain momentarily lost power and veered off course. Seizing the opening, Daeyong's massive frame charged forward explosively. Using the gauntlet on his left hand as a booster, he closed the distance in an instant.

'BAM!'

They collided. Hyungseok fell to the ground with Daeyong on top of him. Smirking, Hyungseok pulled on the chain in his left hand. A trade of flesh for bone. The heavy earth-ball hurtled toward Daeyong's back. Without looking, Daeyong raised his left arm, gauntlet glowing.

'CRACK!'

The massive chunk of earth shattered against the gauntlet's shockwave, spraying debris in all directions. The spectators' eyes widened in shock.

"You…!"

No one was more surprised than Hyungseok. "You could have broken it all along!"

Daeyong raised his right fist to his face, bracing it with his left hand.

<Na Daeyong Original – Lord Fist>

Instead of a typical gauntlet, mana swirled into the shape of a massive palm. Daeyong grinned and recited a new verse. "Deceive your opponent until the very end."

His palm descended on Hyungseok's face.

'KABOOOOOM!'

The surrounding floor cracked, and debris shot up as if from an earthquake. Daeyong's hand was planted in the ground next to Hyungseok's head. Hyungseok himself was unconscious, his mouth hanging open.

"Th-The winner is Player Na Daeyong!"

A thick silence fell over the arena. Ignoring it completely, Daeyong clenched both fists and roared.

"Waaaaaaah!"

The other Fourth Floor team members, who had been watching intently, cheered wildly. After his roar, Daeyong looked first to Yusin and raised a triumphant fist. Yusin gave a small smile and waved back.

-You've raised your disciple well in such a short time, Tower Master, Ea commented.

Yusin propped his chin on his hand and smiled. 'Do you have any idea how hard it was to get that guy to pull his own weight? It'd be a problem if he couldn't do at least this much.'

By now, everyone's attention had shifted from Daeyong to him. They were all thinking the same thing. 'What kind of magic did he use?'

"Next contestants, step forward!"

The matches resumed. Yusin decided to send out Kim Sarang second and Cha Doyeon third.

"Just watch out for that gauntlet technique! The mana arrows can be dealt with…!" the manager frantically coached the X-1 team.

In contrast, Yusin offered his apprentices only a single piece of advice.

"Just do what you've learned."

The result was a clean sweep. Kim Sarang overwhelmed a swordsman-type player with her Shield and Mana Arrows, while Cha Doyeon outmaneuvered a fire-type player, winning the gauge battle with clever use of her own Mana Arrows. All three had relied on the three basic spells, supplemented only by the 'Grease' spell to make their opponents slip and the 'Light' spell for misdirection.

In the end…

"…We forfeit."

Three straight losses. Unwilling to witness any further humiliation, the X-1 manager declared their defeat, and the fourth and fifth matches never happened. Yusin readily accepted. Seo Shimhee was a classic academic, and Jo Yonghee, with his unique constitution, was too unpredictable a mage. The important thing was that Yusin had used his three sure-win cards to force a surrender from the X-1 team.

A buzz of conversation filled the arena.

It seemed the Garam executives had a lot to think about. With this, Yusin had also saved face with CEO Shin Nara.

"Good work, everyone," Yusin said.

At his words, the entire Fourth Floor Team looked at him with shining eyes. Their trust in him was absolute.

"We still have a long way to go. Let's get back to training."

"Yes!"

The Garam employees who had been watching from their seats couldn't take their eyes off the back of Yusin's departing group, who were laughing and talking boisterously.

But it was undeniably having a global impact. The rise of non-combat classes was becoming a major social issue, with several heart-wrenching stories of their struggles to learn Circle Magic making headlines and gradually shifting public perception. The notion of Magic as a nonsensical fantasy had all but vanished, though many still argued it wasn't practical enough to justify the effort. Everything now hinged on the Fourth Floor Team passing the official rank-5 exam.

"Waaaaaah!"

"Ooooooh!"

Today was that historic moment—the final, all-out battle of the Republic of Korea's Official Rank-5 Certficiation Exam, held in A-Stadium. As one of the nation's biggest events in recent memory, the stadium was packed to the rafters. The crowd roared, cheering on the rising stars and eagerly awaiting the emergence of a new hero.

This year carried the weight of the Labyrinth Dungeon Disaster, making this the first exam for the so-called 'Labyrinth Generation.' The number of applicants was the highest in history, and their skills were rumored to be in a class of their own. Those who passed this final test would become certified rank-5 hunters.

All five members of the Fourth Floor Team had made it to the finals, along with the three administrators of the Magic Tower—Seojin, Bora, and Eunsol. While the administrators didn't strictly need certification, we had decided official licenses would be convenient for any future dungeon runs.

The stadium grounds had been transformed to simulate various dungeon environments. We were in A-Stadium, which was currently a wasteland. I leaned back comfortably in a spacious VVIP seat, taking in the scene. The atmosphere was electric. Even from the stands, I could feel the palpable tension and fighting spirit of the applicants. It might have been a fun memory if I'd participated myself, but I was still relieved I had already passed and earned my rank-4 certification.

'I much prefer taking the easy way out.'

While kids my age fought to the death on the field, I was relaxing in a plush VIP seat, sipping a cold beer and popping a piece of freshly fried chicken into my mouth. 'Mmm, perfect.' Wasn't this what it meant to be a true winner?

"Waaaaaah!"

"Ooooh!"

Just then, my attention was drawn to Bora's fight.

'Thwack!'

Planting her feet on a protruding rock, she launched herself into the air and snapped her arm forward. Potions shot out like bullets, exploding against three separate applicants. Their mana suit gauges instantly dropped to zero.

"Ooooooh!"

Landing gracefully, Bora dodged a sword strike from another opponent while simultaneously circling behind him. In one fluid motion, she drew the bow slung across her back and, with almost no delay, let a volley of arrows fly.

'Pshnk! Kshnk! Shnk!'

The man staggered back, three arrows embedded in his suit, and was eliminated. Bora lowered her bow and waved to the roaring crowd.

'She's grinning from ear to ear.'

The audience cheered for her every move. This exam was the perfect stage for her attention-seeking personality to shine.

"Look out!" someone shouted from the seats behind me.

An applicant using a booster pack had soared into the air and was aiming a gun-blaster at Bora's back.

'Bang!'

But before he could fire, a potion, arcing in a trajectory he never saw, slammed into his face and exploded. With a triumphant smile, as if she'd known all along, Bora casually tossed her shimmering purple hair.

"Whoa! She's good!"

"That newcomer is no joke!"

I just smiled wryly. Her thirst for the spotlight was as strong as ever.

'Bang!'

"Ooh!"

'CRASH!'

"Woooah!"

'BOOM!'

"Gaaaah!"

But another scene was stealing everyone's attention. One-hit victories. Players in advanced suits were collapsing helplessly, felled by a single, almost lazy punch. A few applicants tried ganging up on him, but it was useless.

"No way… how is he doing that with his bare hands, without a suit?"

Jeong Seojin simply adjusted his glasses and smiled.

'Swoosh!'

As a spear lunged at him from the side, Seojin arched his back, dodging the tip by a hair. He grabbed the spear shaft with his right hand, pulled his opponent off-balance, and slammed his left fist into the man's face.

But a shimmering force field materialized in front of his opponent, blocking the blow. For the first time, Seojin's one-hit victory streak was broken.

He was too stunned to speak.

He looked down at his fist, a flicker of puzzlement in his eyes.

"Did you think you were something special after catching a few minnows?"

It was Jegal Hwa, a rising star from the Red Dragon Guild, one of the top ten guilds in the country. He thrust his spear in a dazzling flurry of motion. Seojin tilted his body, dodging each strike with minimal movement while looking for an opening to counter, but the force field blocked his fists every time.

"Hmm."

Stepping back a few paces, Seojin opened his palm, closed his eyes, and focused. Mana began to stir, slowly tracing the shape of a circle on his hand.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Hwa shouted, closing the distance and lunging with his spear.

Seojin's eyes snapped open. He tilted his head back, letting the spearhead whistle past his face, and threw a counter punch. The prospect just grinned, as if daring him to try.

<Gauntlet>

'Crack!'

Seojin's palm shattered the force field in a single blow and clamped down on the prospect's face.

"What is this—!"

'SLAM!'

Hwa's body was driven straight into the ground. A fresh roar erupted from the crowd. Needless to say, his suit's gauge flatlined.

'He's good, as expected.'

Worrying about Seojin was probably the most pointless exercise in the world. The guy was a complete package. I honestly couldn't think of a single thing he couldn't do.

"Yusin!"

Just then, Shin Nara, who had stepped out to use the restroom, came trotting back, her hands laden with snacks like french fries and squid legs.

"I'm already full. Why did you buy so much?" I asked, even as my hand unconsciously reached for a piece of butter-grilled squid. I took a sip of beer to cut through the rich flavor. Ah, this was the life.

"It's good, right?" she asked, beaming as she sat down next to me.

"I feel like you come back with more snacks every time you go to the restroom, Ms. Shin."

"Oh-ho-ho! I have to work hard! I am on the clock, after all."

"On the clock? Ah, right. For a management company, this is work. Scouting new talent and all that."

"That's not it!" she said with a bright smile. "That's a job for my subordinates. My only objective here is you, Hunter Kim Yusin."

'Well, I guess this is part of her sales pitch.' There had to be a reason she'd arranged for this expensive VVIP seating for free and invited me to watch with her. The Fourth Floor Team would primarily focus on their duties in the tower, but they still needed to do hunter work to keep their skills sharp. I popped a stray french fry into my mouth.

"Fine, I'll try to think about it positively," I said.

"Hunter Kim."

"Yes?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled faintly. "Not about that."

"It's not?" 'Not a sales pitch? Something else? Her objective is only me, but it's something else? Hmm.'

"Heehee, I'm kidding! You're so cute."

Was it because she was older? For some reason, I always felt like she had me wrapped around her finger. She activated the tabletop grill and took out some meat she'd brought from an icebox. As befitting a VVIP seat, we could even grill our own food.

"Ms. Shin."

"Yes?"

"You're working right now, correct?"

"Ah, yes."

"I'm suddenly craving pizza."

Nara, who was about to place the meat on the grill, looked crestfallen for a moment. "…I'll go get some."

"Hahaha! I'm kidding."

"Ah, Hunter Kiiim!"

I chuckled and grabbed another piece of the butter-grilled squid she'd bought.

"Hmph. Back when you brought that ridiculous contract to negotiate, you seemed like such a cute corporate rookie."

"Please, let's just forget about that."

She placed a slice of pork belly on the grill, and the sizzling sound was music to my ears. The well-dressed middle-aged couple at the next table was going all out, grilling king prawns alongside their meat. VVIP seats were the best.

While grilling, Nara touched her earpiece, listening intently. "Kim Sarang just took down two in Stadium B! Oh! And Na Daeyong has taken down seven!"

She was giving me real-time updates on the Fourth Floor Team's progress in the other stadiums. As expected, they were all doing great.

"And our Eunsol… took down nine? She's on a completely different level!"

In Stadium C, Eunsol was piloting an iron golem she had built herself, mowing down competitors left and right. As long as it wasn't an illegal weapon, any suit, hunting device, or even summoned creature was permitted, so her golem was fair game. As the Master of the Magic Tower, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. I savored a piece of perfectly grilled pork belly.

"It's amazing," Nara said, watching Seo Shimhee neutralize an opponent with a barrage of Mana Arrows. "How did you manage to cultivate such promising talent in such a short time? As someone who's been in this industry for over ten years, I almost feel ashamed."

"What are you talking about? Half the credit for the Fourth Floor Team's growth belongs to Garam."

She paused, tongs in hand, and smiled brightly. "Thank you for saying that! It's a bit of a comfort."

"I'm not just saying it. I genuinely believe it."

"…Um." Nara glanced at me, her expression turning cautious. "I don't mean to pressure you, but are you considering having the Fourth Floor Team join Garam?"

"I'm not sure. Their own opinions are what matter most, right?"

"Oh, please. Those people would believe you if you told them the sky was green."

'Heh, nice try beating around the bush, but it won't work.' She was right. The decision was mine. I reached for my beer, then grabbed the shot glass next to it, poured a quick shot, and downed it.

"For now, I'm considering a short-term contract with Garam."

"Ah! I see! And after that contract ends…?"

Hmm, this was a little embarrassing to admit. "Actually, there's something I've wanted to do for a long time."

"What is it?"

"Eventually, I plan to start my own guild."

"…Ah."

"Not just an ordinary hunter guild," I continued, "but one that fosters and trains mages."

She nodded, her expression surprisingly calm. Had she expected this?

"It sounds ridiculous, right? Running a guild requires decades of know-how."

As I reached for the soju bottle, Nara caught my wrist and poured me a shot herself. I accepted it with both hands and drank.

"Heehee. I always thought Garam was too small to contain you, Hunter Kim."

"…Ms. Shin."

"Could I have a glass, too?"

"Ah, of course."

This time, I poured for her. She downed it in one go and smiled softly. "I will always support and cheer for you. Have you forgotten? Regardless of whether you're under my management, I was your fan from the very beginning. I'm sure there will be a role for me in your plans, too."

What did she mean by that? I looked at her, silently asking for an explanation, but she just smiled and placed a piece of perfectly cooked pork belly on my plate.

* * *

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