TRMGE 11

Chapter 11

Jung Hyun-ah stepped through the open doorway, escaping the wall of flames.

[Congratulations. You have successfully overcome the First Floor trial.]

[Clear Rating: S]

The moment she emerged, hunters began appearing one after another from other exits.

They were all familiar faces.

The heirs of the Ten Great Guilds.

Judging by how they appeared almost simultaneously, their abilities seemed evenly matched.

“Everyone’s pretty fast.”

There was also one man already waiting for them.

“…Hyung Mu-hyun?”

“Welcome. Good work, everyone.”

It was Chae Mu-hyun of Songgwang Guild.

The Guild Master’s much younger brother.

Everyone had assumed he lacked talent, since he hadn’t even climbed the Tower despite already being in his mid-twenties.

Yet here he was, casually waving at them with a smile.

“When did you…?”

“Oh, I just got here myself.”

Jo Seung-hyuk and Kim Min-gi watched him with wary eyes.

His words were modest—

but his tone and attitude were overflowing with confidence.

Meanwhile, more and more hunters cleared the First Floor.

Most were promising rookies from the Ten Great Guilds.

Others were independent hunters or members of smaller guilds.

“Hmm. By the way, Hyun-ah… I don’t see Hyun-soo.”

Looking around for her brother, Hyun-ah frowned when she heard Mu-hyun’s voice.

That idiot…

I told him. Why would he come completely unprepared like that…?

He hadn’t even completed the basic strategy training.

It wouldn’t be strange if he struggled.

What irritated her even more was Mu-hyun’s gentle smile as he deliberately pointed it out.

“I figured he’d have a hard time… but even so, he’s taking unusually long for just the First Floor.”

“I knew Seung-jin simply underestimated him too much. I wondered if there might be something to it, but I guess I was right.”

“It wasn’t because he underestimated him!”

Hyun-ah finally snapped.

“That idiot may have been hopeless, but Chae Seung-jin used Yeolpagi at full power and still got taken down in one hit.”

The smile disappeared from Mu-hyun’s face.

“Yeolpagi?”

“Hyun-ah… can you take responsibility for that statement?”

It was no small accusation.

Yeolpagi was Songgwang Guild’s signature finishing technique.

Claiming one of Songgwang’s direct heirs had used it and still been defeated was an attack on the guild’s pride itself.

“It’s true. I saw it too.”

Ji Min-jung spoke up.

“Unni…?”

“I don’t think outsiders to the guild are qualified to judge whether that was really Yeolpagi.”

Just as Mu-hyun was about to continue—

[The First Floor trial has concluded.]

[A new announcement is available!]

[Today, a new world record has been set for the First Floor of the Tower.]

At the same moment,

clear ratings appeared above every hunter’s head.

Hyun-ah.

Ji Min-jung.

Jo Seung-hyuk.

Kim Min-gi.

All displayed S Rank.

“…S… SS?”

To everyone’s astonishment,

SS Rank floated above Chae Mu-hyun’s head.

Jo Seung-hyuk and Kim Min-gi exchanged stunned looks.

Wasn’t SS only achieved by Alexander from the United States… and Association President Sun Woo-hyun?

Although the First Floor had become much easier than during the pioneering era,

no one had achieved SS even after strategies had become widely known.

And now…

there was even a worldwide system announcement—

something that hadn’t happened in decades.

Songgwang set a world record…?

South Korea had once produced the President of the World Hunter Association.

While the country’s overall hunter force wasn’t considered among the world’s strongest,

its top guilds and elite hunters remained internationally renowned.

That was why today’s rookie debut—

featuring heirs from five of the Ten Great Guilds—

had attracted enormous attention.

No one had expected Chae Mu-hyun to produce such a result.

The way everyone looked at him had changed.

Behind him,

the Songgwang rookies wore expressions full of pride.

“The trial has already ended… Unfortunately, it seems Hyun-soo still hasn’t—”

[The new holder of the First Floor Trial world record is Hunter Jung Hyun-soo of Garam Guild, Republic of Korea.]

[Hunter Jung Hyun-soo has achieved an SSS Rank, establishing a new world record.]

Hyun-ah blinked.

…Did I just hear a familiar name?

“…Congratulations, Hyung Mu-hyun. You actually broke the world record.”

“Wait.”

“The announcement says SSS, not SS.”

Every eye turned toward Mu-hyun.

His SS result was extraordinary…

But no one cared anymore.

“Who got SSS?”

“It said Garam!”

“Jung Hyun-soo from Garam! Where is he?!”

[Repeating the announcement.]

[Hunter Jung Hyun-soo of Garam Guild, Republic of Korea, has achieved SSS Rank and established a new world record.]

[The official First Floor rankings have been updated on HunterNet.]

Almost in a trance,

Hyun-ah logged into HunterNet.

HunterNet was the Tower’s official online community for hunters.

Despite the overwhelming surge of users,

the system remained perfectly stable.

Official Trial Tower – First Floor Rankings

1. NEW — Jung Hyun-soo (Republic of Korea / Garam Guild)

2. Alexander (United States / Galaxy Guild)

3. Sun Woo-hyun (Republic of Korea / World Hunter Association)

4. NEW — Identity Withheld

5. NEW — Chae Mu-hyun (Republic of Korea / Songgwang Guild)

Hyun-ah could only stare blankly at the rankings.

“Miss…”

“What… is this?”

She had witnessed Hyun-soo crushing Chae Seung-jin.

She knew he was strong.

But…

a world record?

An SSS Rank—

something no one had ever achieved—

felt completely unreal.

“Congratulations, Hyun-ah.”

Ji Min-jung smiled warmly.

“H-Huh? Ah… um…”

“…Well… it’s only the First Floor…”

“…Anyway… thank you.”

She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore.

[The entrance to the Second Floor has now opened.]

[Challengers may proceed.]

Seeing Garam’s name at the very top was unbelievable.

Even so,

Hyun-ah reminded herself to focus on climbing.

Is this a dream…?

Still…

she couldn’t deny feeling a little proud of her brother.

Even if he still seemed like nothing more than a troublesome delinquent.

* * *

[Transferring to the Second Floor.]

Having revealed their true names and overcome the manifestations of their deepest traumas,

the rookie hunters arrived on the Second Floor.

Before them stretched an unfamiliar landscape.

“So this is… the Corridor of Memory Erosion…”

Veteran hunters had described this place countless times.

But seeing it in person was entirely different.

A crimson mist covered the land,

as though announcing the true beginning of the Tower.

It filled everyone with an instinctive sense of dread.

Even so…

they had no choice but to move forward.

Each hunter had come with their own purpose.

But in the end,

everyone had to keep climbing.

One by one,

they entered the crimson fog.

Waiting inside were—

“…Names…”

[The Nameless Ones]

The monsters of the Second Floor.

Those whose names had been stolen by the Tower.

Researchers who studied the Trial Tower debated their origins.

Some believed they were hunters who had lost their names while climbing.

Others claimed they came from entirely different worlds.

The truth remained unknown.

Only one fact was certain.

Anyone caught by them would have their memories stolen.

Once enough memories disappeared,

the victim vanished completely.

No one had ever seen such a hunter return to reality.

“…My… name…”

The Nameless Ones wandered through the red mist searching endlessly.

Their appearance was unsettling.

Pale skin.

Gray bodies.

Empty eyes.

Emaciated figures that looked as though they could collapse at any moment.

One of them suddenly stopped walking.

Its head slowly turned.

Its mouth opened.

It licked its lips.

The Nameless Ones possessed an insatiable hunger for those who still had names.

That hunger came from loss.

They had lost both their names—

and their very existence.

Now,

having discovered a hunter whose memories remained intact,

the creature trembled.

“…Mine.”

“What…?”

“…Give…”

“…it…”

It staggered toward the hunter.

One step.

Then another.

At first,

its movements were painfully slow.

Then—

SWISH!!

It suddenly closed the distance in an instant.

WHOOSH!

Its claw slashed through the place where the rookie hunter had been standing.

The attack resembled an eagle’s talon strike.

“AAAAAAAGH!”

The hunter collapsed with a scream.

The crimson mist immediately began writhing violently.

“Memories!”

“Give them to me!”

“They’re mine!”

More Nameless Ones emerged from the mist,

drawn by the scent.

They surrounded the hunter from every direction.

“W-What is this…?!”

Within moments,

the unfortunate hunter disappeared.

The Nameless Ones hadn’t eaten his flesh.

His very existence had simply…

ceased.

Several nearby hunters trembled in horror.

Everyone entered the Tower filled with confidence.

Especially the lower floors—

failing there was considered embarrassing.

Yet someone had been erased almost immediately after entering the Second Floor.

It was enough to chill anyone’s courage.

Even so,

some continued advancing without hesitation.

“Stay calm!”

“If you spot enemies in the mist, signal the others immediately!”

Especially the talented hunters of the Ten Great Guilds.

They pushed forward confidently.

“Name…”

“Give it… AAAAAAH!”

Using the formation tactics and combat techniques drilled into them by their guilds,

they steadily advanced toward the center of the floor.

Then—

Hyun-ah noticed a hunter surrounded by Nameless Ones,

on the verge of being erased.

She immediately rushed forward.

Dark energy,

empty as the void itself,

burst from her body.

BOOM!!

One of the Five Kings Martial Arts—

Hyeoncheon Guiwon Art.

Its power sought to return all things to their origin.

The empty darkness swallowed the Nameless Ones’ attacks,

returned them to nothingness,

and then exploded outward once more.

“T-Thank you!”

“Today isn’t your last day.”

“…Huh?”

“I don’t know your circumstances…”

“…but you know dying is the end.”

Leaving behind those words—

essentially telling him to give up if he lacked the strength—

Hyun-ah walked away without waiting for a reply.

“Where on earth is that idiot…?”

Her eyes searched through the crimson fog for her brother.

As captain of Garam’s rookie expedition,

finding missing guild members was only natural.

Not far away,

Ji Min-jung was likewise leading Hanul Guild’s team toward the center of the floor,

displaying the skill expected of a successor.

“Heh… those girls look delicious.”

Hidden within the darkness,

an unidentified man licked his lips as he watched them.

“I was already in a rotten mood…”

“…might as well have a little fun.”

“Hehehe.”

Behind him,

dozens of shadows slowly emerged from the darkness.