{Newbie Trials Begin}
Every conversation died instantly. Every laugh strangled itself in suddenly constricted throats. The presence that emerged from the rift was absolute authority given form, and it demanded nothing less than complete submission.
"Silence, Initiates."
The voice carried the weight of ancient power and infinite patience worn thin. Jin-Seok felt it in his bones, in the very essence of what made him human.
The Newbie Trials were about to begin, and he was about to discover whether all his preparation had been enough—
Or whether he would become just another statistic in the Tower's endless hunger for human ambition.
---
{The Waiting Room}
The Tower Trial Waiting Room buzzed with nervous energy. Dozens of rookie climbers sat on metal benches, some fidgeting with their gear, others staring blankly at the massive portal gates that loomed before them. The air was thick with anticipation and fear.
A sharp chime echoed through the chamber, and the Administrator—a middle-aged man in pristine Tower robes—stepped forward.
> "My name is Quoros... of the Split Hour."
"One of the Tower's administrators... and the temporal overseer of this region's Newbie Trials."
"Welcome to the first of your five Newbie Trials."
"The Maze."
His voice carried easily across the room—neither loud nor soft, but layered, like an echo of itself that hadn't quite caught up.
> "Choose your difficulty wisely. You can only choose once... and there are no second chances."
He gestured toward four glowing portals, each pulsing with different colored light.
"Low Difficulty—basic traps, no monsters. Designed to be safe." (The white portal hummed softly.)
"Mid Difficulty—moderate traps, minor illusions, low-tier monsters." (The green portal flickered.)
"High Difficulty—rotating hazards, aggressive monsters, layered maze structure." (The orange portal crackled with energy.)
"Nightmare Difficulty—shifting layouts, intelligent monsters, illusion zones, reality warps, and deadly traps."
He let the silence stretch before adding:
> "Remember... no one has cleared Nightmare mode in decades."
---
{Rumors and Tension}
Nervous murmurs rippled through the crowd.
> "Nightmare mode? I heard it hasn't been cleared in more than thirty years."
"Even heirs from famous Houses and top-tier guilds avoid it."
"My older brother said some guy last year tried to show off and picked Nightmare Difficulty. Got stuck inside the trial—couldn't clear it, couldn't surrender. An administrator had to pull him out. They say he hasn't been the same since... still gets panic attacks just hearing the word 'trial.'"
The atmosphere grew heavier—
---
{Kael of Iron Fang Appears}
Confident footsteps echoed across the room.
A young man with silver hair and expensive gear strode forward, the Iron Fang Guild emblem gleaming like a badge of pride. But despite his polished appearance, those who had witnessed the earlier clash noticed a tension in his jaw, a stiffness in his stride.
> "Kael of Iron Fang," someone whispered. "Number 15 of the top 100 rookies from Blue Star this year."
"He already got invited to the elite strike team in Iron Fang's 4th Division…"
Kael approached the orange portal without hesitation and placed his hand on the activation stone.
> "High Difficulty," he said, voice steady—but lacking the usual flair.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
> "He'll still make top ranks, even after what happened."
"Iron Fang doesn't back weaklings. He must've been holding back earlier…"
But before he could step through, Kael's eyes flicked to the back of the room—
Drawn by a familiar, unnerving stillness.
---
{Spotlight on Jin-Seok}
Jin-Seok sat quietly in a corner, his grandfather's old suit crisp despite its age, and a plain mask covering the lower half of his face. He hadn't moved, hadn't spoken—but somehow, all eyes gravitated toward him.
Kael's jaw tightened for a split second before he spoke.
> "…You're here too."
Jin-Seok looked up. Calm, unreadable.
> "Seems like it."
> "Guess I'll see you in there," Kael said after a pause—no mockery, no challenge. Just tightly wrapped words.
---
{Aris Telvhan's Bet}
Before Jin-Seok could respond, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
The world around him shifted, colors bleeding away until he stood in a vast, ethereal space. Aris Telvhan materialized before him—tall, regal, with an undead aura that made the air itself seem to whisper secrets. His eyes glowed with eternal amusement.
> "How about a bet, kid?" Aris smirked, his voice carrying centuries of confidence.
"Choose Nightmare difficulty. I'll guide you, and you can clear it in under ten minutes.
In exchange, you owe me one favor—and promise to raise my Sync when you have the points."
Jin-Seok stared at him.
> "You heard them. No one's cleared this in decades. And you want me to do it in under ten minutes? Are you joking?"
> "Do I look like I joke about important things?" Aris's grin widened. "Didn't I tell you I would help?"
> "This is insane. Even that Kael guy who knows more about these trials only chose High Difficulty."
> "Trust me, kid. When have I ever led you astray?"
> "We literally just met!"
> "Whatever," Aris waved dismissively. "What do you say? Ready to make history?"
Jin-Seok paused, his lips quirking beneath his mask despite himself. The confident arrogance was infectious, and something about Aris's certainty made him want to believe.
> "Alright," he said finally. "You're on."
---
{The Choice}
Reality snapped back, and Jin-Seok found himself in the waiting room again. Kael had already entered his portal, leaving the crowd to speculate about rankings and outcomes.
Jin-Seok stood and walked forward, his movements calm and unfazed. Every conversation died as he approached the portals.
He placed his hand on the crimson portal that pulsed like a heartbeat.
> "Nightmare Difficulty," he said clearly.
The room exploded.
> "Is he insane?!"
"A no-name rookie chose Nightmare?!"
"Does he have a death wish?"
"Who the hell is he?!"
"A suicidal clown?"
"Maybe he's a secret clan heir?"
"Don't joke—no clan heir would risk Nightmare mode! They have too much to lose!"
---
{Kael's Reaction}
Kael had paused mid-step just before his portal activated. His eyes narrowed slightly, gaze flicking toward Jin-Seok with a mixture of disbelief and tightly veiled frustration.
His jaw clenched—but only for a second.
> "Tch… show-off," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for a few near him to hear.
But beneath the scoff, his knuckles had whitened.
---
{Legacy Sync}
The Administrator's eyes widened.
This kid... is he an idiot? Or a genius being reckless? Either way, he's already made his choice.
Jin-Seok ignored the chaos around him as the portal began to activate.
> "Sync with me," Aris's voice whispered in his mind.
"Even at 1%, you'll get a physical boost from my Level stats. No skills, but your body will know power for the first time."
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION – LEGACY SYNC ACTIVE]
Legacy Character Synced: Aris Telvhan (Eternal Necromancer)
Sync Rate: 1%
[STATS UPDATED]
• Health: 100 ➝ 394
• Strength: 10 ➝ 70
• Speed: 10 ➝ 60
• Stamina: 10 ➝ 72
• Endurance: 10 ➝ 75
• Mana: 10 ➝ 110
• Intelligence: 10 ➝ 98
→ Passive Boost: Physical Awareness Heightened
→ Reflex Sync: Active
→ Aris Telvhan (Mental Link): Stable
The surge was immediate and overwhelming. Jin-Seok's mind sharpened like a blade being honed. His limbs felt lighter, his heartbeat steadier. A predator's edge crept into his muscles, and suddenly the world seemed... slower. More manageable.
> "You could've told me about this earlier," Jin-Seok muttered. "I wouldn't have argued about syncing!"
> Aris laughed, the sound rich with amusement. "And ruin the surprise? You kids never listen to your elders anyway."
> "Yeah, yeah..." Jin-Seok stepped toward the portal, confidence replacing his earlier uncertainty. "Now let's see what this 'Nightmare Difficulty' can do."
---
{Inside the Maze}
The world shifted. A pulse of crimson light enveloped him, and then—darkness.
Jin-Seok stood in a stone corridor lit by flickering torches that cast dancing shadows on the walls. The ground rumbled beneath his feet, and he could hear the distant sound of grinding stone as the maze began to shift and change around him.
> "First lesson," Aris's voice guided him. "Trust your enhanced senses. The maze will try to confuse you with illusions and false paths. Don't rely on your eyes alone."
---
{First Encounter – Goblin Ambush}
Jin-Seok had barely taken ten steps when he heard it—the soft scrape of clawed feet on stone. Three goblin warriors burst from hidden alcoves, their crude weapons gleaming in the torchlight.
With his enhanced reflexes, they seemed to move in slow motion. Jin-Seok sidestepped the first goblin's swing, grabbed its wrist, and used its own momentum to send it crashing into the wall. The second goblin lunged, but Jin-Seok was already moving, delivering a precise strike to its throat.
The third goblin hesitated, fear creeping into its beady eyes. Jin-Seok didn't give it time to reconsider—one swift kick sent it flying backward into the darkness.
> "Not bad," Aris commented. "But that was just the warm-up."
---
{Second Encounter – Goblin Archers}
The corridor opened into a large chamber with raised platforms and shadowy alcoves. Jin-Seok's enhanced hearing caught the whisper of bowstrings being drawn.
> "Above you," Aris warned. "Six archers, positioned at your two, four, seven, nine, ten, and eleven o'clock."
Arrows whistled through the air. Jin-Seok moved like water, flowing between the projectiles with impossible grace. He spotted a loose stone on the ground and kicked it upward, striking one archer in the face. In the same motion, he grabbed a fallen arrow and hurled it at another platform, the improvised projectile finding its mark.
The remaining archers tried to reposition, but Jin-Seok was already scaling the wall, his enhanced strength making the climb look effortless. In moments, the chamber was silent.
---
{Third Encounter – Illusion Trap}
> "Now it gets interesting," Aris murmured as Jin-Seok entered a circular room lined with mirrors.
The reflections began to move independently, showing false corridors and phantom enemies. The air shimmered, and suddenly Jin-Seok couldn't tell which direction was real.
> "Close your eyes," Aris instructed. "Rely on your other senses. The illusions can fool s
ight, but they can't fool everything."
Jin-Seok shut his eyes and listened. He could hear the genuine echo of his footsteps versus the false ones, feel the real air currents against his skin. Following Aris's guidance, he navigated through the maze of illusions with confidence, never once opening his eyes.
And then… silence.
The distorted echoes faded. The twisted corridors stilled.
Jin-Seok opened his eyes.
The illusions were gone.
And just ahead, an ancient archway waited—leading deeper.
_________________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}