{Ancient Ruins – Trial Chamber}
The portal's luminescent edge dissolved behind them as climbers emerged into a vast jungle clearing. Ancient stone ruins jutted from the earth like broken teeth, their surfaces carved with symbols that seemed to pulse with forgotten power. Twisted vines claimed the crumbling walls, while shafts of golden sunlight pierced the dense canopy overhead.
The Administrator's voice cut through the ambient sounds of the wilderness.
"Welcome to the Crystal Guard Trial. This is a team-based challenge—five members per team, ten monster waves over ten rounds."
His gesture swept toward the center of the clearing, where a brilliant azure crystal stood atop a weathered pedestal.
"Your objective is simple: protect the crystal. Failure means elimination."
Weapon racks materialized along the clearing's perimeter—gleaming steel, polished wood, and exotic materials that hummed with latent energy.
"You have ten minutes to form teams and select your armaments. Choose wisely."
The announcement triggered immediate chaos. Climbers with guild insignias and sponsor badges moved with practiced efficiency, their alliances already predetermined. Within moments, the strongest formations had crystallized, leaving scattered independents to scramble for the remaining spots.
Jin-Seok stood apart from the frenzy, his traditional robes and mask drawing curious glances. Beside him—invisible to all others—Aris materialized with his characteristic smirk.
"Well, well," he drawled, arms crossed. "This should be interesting. Your charming reputation might make team formation... challenging."
"My records speak for themselves," Jin-Seok replied quietly, adjusting his mask. "Two perfect clears on Nightmare difficulty."
"Oh yes, your records are impeccable." Aris's tone dripped with mock sincerity.
"But let's be honest—you look like you raided a costume shop. That outfit screams 'mysterious weirdo who talks to himself,' and a maniac who only goes into Nightmare levels."
Jin-Seok's jaw tightened beneath the mask.
"This belonged to my grandfather. It's a respected fashion in Kairo City."
"Kairo City fashion, he says." Aris threw back his head in silent laughter.
"And here I thought you couldn't get more endearing. Tell me, oh fashion icon, how's that Nightmare difficulty working out for your social life?"
"You're the one who told me to choose Nightmare!"
"Did I? My memory's a bit fuzzy after a few millennia—"
"A few millennia my—"
---
{Desperate Measures}
Across the clearing, four climbers huddled in urgent conversation. Three young men flanked a determined woman with short auburn hair and calculating eyes. Their equipment marked them as competent but unsponsored—skilled enough to survive, not strong enough to dominate.
"Time's running out," the woman hissed, scanning the dwindling pool of available climbers. "All the powerhouses are taken."
"What about sword guy over there?" The tallest of the men pointed toward a muscular climber examining blade grips.
"Already committed to a team," another replied. "Face it, Sera. We're looking at scraps."
Sera's gaze swept the clearing before settling on a lone figure arguing with empty air. The masked man in traditional robes stood perfectly still, his body language suggesting intense conversation despite his apparent solitude.
"Him." She nodded toward Jin-Seok. "The masked one."
The three men followed her gaze, their expressions shifting from hope to horror.
"Isn't he the crazy Nightmare guy?"
"He's been talking to himself for five minutes straight."
"Plus, he's obviously strong. Why would he want us?"
Sera squared her shoulders. "Because asking costs nothing, and regret lasts forever. Come on."
---
{Unexpected Alliance}
They approached cautiously, catching fragments of what sounded like a heated argument with an invisible opponent. Jin-Seok's gestures grew increasingly animated, his voice carrying hints of exasperation.
"—completely unreasonable expectation, and you know it!"
The four teammates exchanged nervous glances. Was he... arguing with himself?
"Excuse me—" Sera began.
Jin-Seok spun around mid-sentence, his fox mask creating an unsettling eyeless stare.
"What?" The word came out sharper than intended, his irritation with Aris bleeding into his voice.
The three men stepped back involuntarily. The masked figure seemed to loom larger in that moment, radiating an aura of barely contained power and potential violence.
Sera forced herself to hold steady.
"We... we want you to join our team!" The words tumbled out in a rush, louder than she'd intended.
Silence stretched between them. Jin-Seok studied the four faces—three terrified, one determined. His annoyance with Aris faded as he recognized their genuine desperation.
"Fine," he said finally. "But I lead, and you follow my orders without question during the trial. Agreed?"
Their relief was palpable.
"Yes!"
"Absolutely!"
"Whatever you say!"
"Good. Select your weapons and prepare yourselves."
---
{The Point of No Return}
As the ten-minute timer expired, teams moved toward their chosen difficulty portals. The majority gravitated toward Easy and Medium, with several confident groups approaching High difficulty. The Nightmare portal stood alone, its swirling vortex darker and more ominous than the rest.
Sera's team followed Jin-Seok, assuming he would choose High difficulty like any reasonable leader. When he turned toward the Nightmare portal, their footsteps faltered.
"Wait," one of the men called out, voice cracking slightly. "We're going into Nightmare?"
Jin-Seok paused at the portal's threshold.
"You agreed to follow my orders."
"We thought you meant High difficulty!" Sera protested. "Not... this!"
"Too late for second thoughts." Jin-Seok's tone brooked no argument. "Just trust me."
The three men began whispering frantically among themselves, their earlier confidence evaporating. Sera's shoulders sagged, the weight of her decision settling like a stone in her stomach.
Jin-Seok turned back, his voice softening slightly.
"I didn't expect anything from you four. Just guard the crystal. If something slips past me, stall it. I'll handle the rest."
---
{Trial by Fire}
The Nightmare portal deposited them in an arena that made the previous clearing look quaint. Obsidian walls rose impossibly high, their surfaces carved with writhing bas-reliefs that seemed to move in peripheral vision. The crystal they were meant to protect blazed like a captive star, its light the only warmth in the cold stone chamber.
Wave One erupted from shadow-portals with bestial howls. A dozen goblins poured into the arena—smaller than expected, but their eyes burned with feral intelligence and their crude weapons dripped with something that definitely wasn't rust.
Jin-Seok moved like flowing water given deadly purpose. His blade sang through the air in precise arcs, each strike ending a life with surgical efficiency. The goblins barely had time to register his presence before they were cut down, their formation shattered by a single devastating charge.
His teammates stood frozen by the crystal, weapons raised but unused. The wave ended before they could process what they'd witnessed.
"Wave Two incoming!" Jin-Seok called out, already positioning himself between the spawn points and the crystal.
---
{Escalating Chaos}
Each subsequent wave brought new horrors. Goblin warriors with proper armor and weapons. Archers that filled the air with barbed arrows. Shamans whose guttural chants summoned elemental fury. High goblins that stood as tall as men and fought with tactical precision.
Jin-Seok adapted to each challenge, his fighting style shifting like mercury. Against the warriors, he became an unstoppable force, shattering shields and armor with overwhelming power. Against the archers, he transformed into shadow and mist, appearing among them before they could draw their bowstrings. The shamans fell to precision strikes that interrupted their spellcasting mid-syllable.
His teammates watched in awe and growing confidence. By Wave Six, they began to believe they might actually survive. By Wave Eight, they started cheering his victories.
But the waves were taking their toll. Jin-Seok's movements remained precise, but his breathing grew labored. Sweat darkened his traditional robes, and his recovery between waves stretched longer.
Wave Nine brought a mixed assault—every goblin variant working in terrifying coordination. Jin-Seok found himself truly tested for the first time, forced to give ground before the overwhelming numbers. A high goblin's axe carved a line across his ribs, drawing first blood.
"Final wave!" The Administrator's voice echoed with excitement through the arena. "Survive this, and victory is yours!"
[ Against impossible odds, a team that should've shattered under pressure held their ground.
Not because they were the strongest… but because they believed in the one they followed.
Jin-Seok didn't just fight—he inspired.
And though they don't know it yet… this was the beginning of something that will change them all.
Their journey isn't over. ]
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{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}