[31st Tower of the Northern District, 4th Sector of Jarion VI]
A middle-aged man with a pale, tired face stood in front of a skyscraper-sized tower, wearing a police uniform.
"Damn it… I just wanna go home… These overtime shifts are hell…"
He sighed, dark circles under his eyes as he struggled to keep them open.
"Excuse me, sir?"
A voice called out, snapping him out of his drowsiness.
In front of him stood a middle-aged man with the typical haircut of a forty-year-old bureaucrat. He wore rectangular glasses and had an awkward smile plastered on his face.
"Ah… Yes… Uh, good evening. What can I do for you?"
"Well…"
"It's to enter the tower!"
Another voice interrupted him. The middle-aged man stepped aside, revealing a boy. He was wearing an oversized white sweater that looked two sizes too big for him and a simple pair of black jeans. His hair was a strange mix of brown and gray, and he had a warm, genuine smile on his face.
The officer blinked.
"Huh…"
He sighed again, already regretting staying on duty tonight.
"Alright… Your hunter license, please."
___
'Perfect, now all Ho-Bong has to do is show his hunter license and say that I'm part of his team…'
I thought as the officer pulled out a scanner to verify hunter credentials.
Ho-Bong handed over his hunter card, and the officer examined it.
[Ding]
[Ding]
[Hunter title validated!]
"You may enter. And the kid ?"
"Oh, don't worry, he's with me! He's sixteen!"
"I see… But I'll still need an ID. You can never be too careful."
'Kid ? And an ID? Do I not look my age or something?'
Then it hit me.
My voice.
Right… My voice still doesn't sound mature. In fact, I probably don't even sound like a sixteen-year-old boy…
Suppressing a sigh, I handed over Sugil's ID.
The officer scanned the card, his eyes darting between the ID and me, up and down, up and down.
My expression stiffened slightly, but I forced myself to maintain my warm smile, acting as if I didn't notice.
"...Alright. You're the ninth team to enter the tower tonight."
He held out two bracelets. One for each of us.
We silently took them.
"I must warn you: [The Hunter Agency] is not responsible for anything that happens inside a tower. If you return injured or even die, you will receive no compensation."
"The only thing we can do is be notified of your death through these bracelets. They emit a signal upon contact with death, allowing us to retrieve your bodies… or what remains of them."
Cold. Ruthless. Indifferent.
I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist, and the moment it made contact with my skin, a faint light pulsed from within it, activating instantly.
"Good luck with your hunt."
Then the officer stepped aside.
In front of me and Ho-Bong stood the entrance to the tower—
Not a giant door.
Just a simple two-meter-long magic portal leading inside.
Yeah… When I first read the novel, I also thought the giant door was the entrance. But no.
A slight disappointment, but whatever.
'Alright, the first floor is supposed to have only low-rank monsters. Wolves, slimes, goblins…'
Nothing dangerous for an normal hunter.
But for me?
Of course, it is
I tightened my grip on the short sword I made appear in my hand, feeling its weight.
'This isn't a simulation anymore. These are real monsters. Real battles.'
And yet…
Despite the fear creeping up my spine—
I felt something else.
Excitement.
was it because of the simulation room or the training against Sae-jin?
in any case, fear wasn't just what was stirring in me now
___
Elsewhere inside the academy
back in the room with piles of books
A man sat in a leather chair, arms resting on his desk, fingers interlocked in front of his mouth. Behind his glasses, his deep green eyes gleamed with amusement.
A smirk played on his lips.
"Well, well…"
"It's been a week since we last met…"
"..Kim Sae-Jin."
[Quest: Reach Level 5 during the entrance exam
Rewards: New card abilities of 1 or 2 stars, gain points in STR and END.
Failure to complete the quest within the time limit will result in penalties for the next 10 days. Quest difficulty: RANK F.]