“What the hell are you three doing?”
Do Gyeon-woo stood with impeccable posture, glancing around at the three who had surrounded him from different directions.
Surely, the trio recognized him now—his figure illuminated by the glowing orb of Light he held.
“…Do Gyeon-woo?”
“Gyeon-woo? Why are you here…?”
“Wait—he’s Do Gyeon-woo?!”
“Yeah… it’s him. Do Gyeon-woo.”
Awkwardly, the triplets adjusted their stances, straightening themselves like soldiers caught misbehaving.
Their expressions twisted into shock and guilt.
Of course, they were embarrassed.
“Repeat what you just said.”
“…”
“Did you say I should hand over my pass if I don’t want to die? Called me stupid, too?”
“Hey, hey, it’s all a big misunderstanding! Why would we say something like that to you?”
“Right! It was just dark—we couldn’t see well!”
“If we knew it was you, we would’ve said something right away!”
“Well then, why didn’t you let me know you were still my lackeys?”
“A-anyway! Gyeon-woo, buddy! It’s so great to see you again!”
“You’re staying the night here too, right? Perfect! We were looking for a spot ourselves!”
“Let’s stick together! If we have you with us, collecting passes is a walk in the park!”
The triplets scrambled to flatter him, hoping to sweep their earlier words under the rug.
But Gyeon-woo wasn’t about to let them off the hook.
“You think I’ll let you get away with that?”
No matter how much they tried to laugh it off, a dog that couldn’t recognize its master deserved to be disciplined.
He drew his indigo-coloured blade from its sheath.
“Whoa! Hey! Wait!”
“Why are you drawing your sword?!”
“We apologized already!”
“Isn’t it obvious? You three said you wanted a fight. Alright then—let’s see what you’re made of these days.”
“Come on, man! Don’t be like this!”
“We said we were wrong!”
“Does it really have to come to this?!”
“Yes. Yes, it does. So, go on—draw yours too.”
“You’re seriously not going to regret this?”
“We’re three-on-one, Gyeon-woo.”
“We’re not the same as we used to be.”
Realizing that Gyeon-woo had no intention of backing down, the triplets changed their tone completely.
With a sudden burst of resolve, they each drew their swords, gathering their spirits.
“Fine! You know what? This is actually good! We’ve been holding back our complaints!”
“You’ve been treating us like dogs just because we obey!”
“Even Do Seung-woo never treated us this badly!”
“What did you say?”
“…But you’re still better than Do Seung-woo.”
“R-right! What we mean is, maybe it’s time we got a little more respect.”
“Do you have any idea how long we’ve been your lackeys? Five years! Five whole years!”
“And?”
“And?! What do you mean, and?! Are you seriously asking?”
“Like how minimum wage goes up every year, our treatment should improve too!”
“Exactly! It’s time for a raise!”
The triplets ranted and raved.
Gyeon-woo could only laugh.
Still, they weren’t entirely wrong.
“Fine. You’ve got a point. I have been treating you like trash.”
“See? We’re not saying we’ll quit being your lackeys!”
“We just want a little change. That’s all.”
“Finally, you understand us!”
“Alright. I’ll consider your request—if you can take my pass from me.”
“…”
“You do that, and I’ll think about it.”
“So we really can’t talk this out, huh?”
“This is your ‘fight for your rights’ speech, isn’t it?”
“Fine. Let’s do this! But don’t come crying when we wipe the floor with you!”
The triplets charged from three angles with remarkable coordination.
Their teamwork was tight, well-practiced.
Unfortunately…
“Well, you’ve definitely improved.”
“Ugh…!”
…but not enough.
Gyeon-woo easily overpowered them, stripping their exam passes from their hands as they lay groaning on the ground.
Three red passes—worth fifty points each.
One hundred fifty points in total.
“Hey! Why are you taking those!?”
“You already have enough!”
“Come on! Don’t do this! Give them back!”
“You tried to take mine. It’s only fair I take yours in return. But I’ll be generous and leave you with the ones you earned from others. No need to worry.”
“Take anything else, please…”
“Those were our only hundred-pointers!”
“Please, Gyeon-woo…”
The triplets begged.
Gyeon-woo ignored them.
“Gold, Silver, and Bronze Lackeys.”
“Gold Lackey!”
“Silver Lackey!”
“Bronze Lackey!”
“I expect you three to keep growing, alright?”
Despite how it might’ve looked, Gyeon-woo felt fondly toward them.
They were childhood friends, really—just like Yeon Ha-neul.
The bullying he’d suffered from them back in elementary school was now a distant, laughable memory.
And so…
“Work hard. Here, take your passes.”
“…!”
He hurled the red exam passes far into the shadows.
The triplets’ faces contorted in horror.
“DOOO GYEEEON WOOOOOO!”
“YOU ABSOLUTE BASTARD!”
“THAT MANIAC!”
They scrambled to their feet, stumbling off in pursuit of the flying passes.
By the time they reached where they’d landed, the passes had already disappeared into the darkness.
Gyeon-woo turned away.
“You’ll thank me someday. No friend’s better than I am.”
Since they’d be busy chasing down their lost passes, he decided to make use of the shelter they were about to claim for the night.
Now that was what he called friendship—a little give and take.
Night fell upon Spirit Veil Island.
It was the first evening of the trial, and the darkness spread across the sky like ink in water.
The distant clash of steel and explosions had gone silent—proof that most examinees had ceased their fighting and were preparing for nightfall.
“No way anyone has more points than me by now.”
The youngest of the Magic Noble Clan, Min Ah-rin, was no exception.
Including her own pass, she had amassed nearly three hundred points in just one day.
It was time to find a safe place to rest.
The forest trail was too dark to see ahead.
She could’ve used Light, but that would only expose her position to nearby threats.
Instead, she activated Owl Eyes, a Tier 3 vision-enhancing spell from the element of light.
Her vision sharpened. Even the distant outlines in the darkness became visible.
“The spot I marked should be around here somewhere…”
The sound of waves guided her steps.
She moved through the forest, scanning the area.
Soon, she spotted a glowing arrow—visible only to her.
Following it deeper into the woods, her gaze caught a shadowed figure.
“….”
Hair like snow, faintly tinged with blue.
And atop her head, long ears—rabbit ears—swaying gently.
“A disciple of the Seven-Hued Witch.”
Min Ah-rin instantly identified her.
It seemed the witch’s apprentice had also chosen this forest to spend the night.
She was glancing around—clearly searching for a place to rest.
“Should I let her pass… or…”
Min Ah-rin leaned behind a tree, mulling over her options.
A disciple of the Seven-Hued Witch would no doubt be unlike any examinee she’d faced so far.
This wouldn’t be a brief scuffle.
It would be a true battle.
And both would walk away exhausted.
“Nngh…”
Still, the potential rewards were too tempting.
First: the black exam pass was worth a full 100 points.
And someone of her calibre likely held more than one.
She’d surely taken passes from others by now.
“If I take everything she has… I’ll enter the academy as top scorer.”
Second: it would silence future comparisons.
Among Hunters, ten branches of specialization reigned supreme:
Magic, Swordsmanship, Spearman ship, Alchemy, Dark Magic, Light Magic, Spirit Arts, Archery, Martial Arts, and Shield craft.
Min Ah-rin was a magician—and so was the disciple, most likely.
“We’re the same age, same speciality. Of course, people will compare us.”
Others like the heir of the Black Flame Sect or the Holy Light Clan didn’t concern her—they were in different domains.
But this girl?
She’d be a rival for life.
Min Ah-rin didn’t fear the comparison. She’d spent her life competing.
She just hated the idea of being equal.
The griffin soared alone—proud and untouchable.
To be placed on the same level as someone else?
Unbearable.
If she defeated her now, that future could be prevented.
And finally, the third reason:
“If I walk away now… it’ll look like I was scared. Me, Min Ah-rin?”
She had her pride to protect.
From the looks of it, the disciple hadn’t yet noticed her presence.
If she walked away now—if she chose not to fight—the meaning would be clear.
It would be as though she were tucking her tail between her legs.
Some might call it petty pride.
But from a magician’s perspective, pride—no matter how small—was the very foundation of magic.
To turn imagination into reality, magic demanded conviction. The clearer the imagination, and the stronger the will to manifest it, the more powerful and tangible the magic would become.
And if she were to retreat now?
Her subconscious might come to believe that she was somehow lesser than that girl.
It would create a magical imbalance—an unseen hierarchy between them.
In magic, even the subtlest thought could shift the outcome.
Min Ah-rin could not—would not—ignore that.
And so—
“Might as well make a bold first impression.”
She made up her mind.
The girl hadn’t yet noticed her. This was the chance.
Min Ah-rin raised her staff, the focus for her spell.
A massive orb of fire erupted into the air.
Larger, stronger, and faster than any ordinary fireball—it was a Tier 2 elemental spell of flame: Fire Rush.
Without hesitation, Min Ah-rin released the spell.
Whoosh—!
The flaming sphere tore through the air, its blaze illuminating the dark forest like a meteor.
The fire swallowed the unsuspecting apprentice of the Seven-Hued Witch.
Min Ah-rin’s eyes glinted as she watched the inferno engulf the space her opponent had occupied.
“…Did I get her?”
She uttered the most dangerous phrase one could in a fight.
Because right then—
BOOM—!!
The flames shook violently.
The fire that had ravaged the area flickered and scattered into sparks, vanishing into the night sky as though blown out by an unseen wind.
“….”
And from within that dissipating blaze stepped the girl—completely unharmed.
She held a Warhammer taller than herself.
Her crimson gaze locked onto Min Ah-rin.
And then she moved.
“Fast…!”
She surged forward, slamming her foot into the ground with explosive force.
Whether it was a spell or some innate ability, Min Ah-rin couldn’t tell.
But in the blink of an eye, the distance between them was gone.
Her glowing red eyes left streaks of light in the darkness as she charged.
Letting her get any closer would be dangerous.
Min Ah-rin wasted no time—casting the same spell again.
Another giant fireball formed in the air, roaring toward the oncoming girl.
Fwooosh—
Whiiing—!
“That was dangerous. I nearly got hurt.”
“…!”
The girl didn’t dodge.
She swung her massive hammer straight into the fireball.
With a single motion, the flames shattered, scattering into harmless embers.
Min Ah-rin’s eyes widened.
“What even is that strength?!”
It was as if the hammer itself nullified the spell-like brute force had become magic.
The very idea was horrifying.
She realized then—this would not be a simple battle.
She was in for a fight.
Leave a Reply