Director Sung's voice boomed once more. "The Combat Trial has identified the strongest among you. Now we test your ability to work with others and survive under pressure!"
The holographic display shifted, showing team assignments. Each team consisted of five members, balanced by the academy's algorithm to create diverse skill sets.
Jun-woo's team appeared on screen:
Team 7:
- Kang Ye-jun (Captain)
- Wu Xue (Support/Melee)
- Nam Yu-jin (Main Heroine - Ranged/Magic)
- Choi Dae-sung (Tank)
- Lee Sang-min (Scout)
Jun-woo's eyes widened slightly. 'Nam Yu-jin? THE Nam Yu-jin?'
He looked across the assembly area and spotted her immediately—a girl with long black hair tied in a high ponytail, sharp intelligent eyes, and an aura of natural leadership. She wore the standard training uniform, but somehow made it look elegant.
Nam Yu-jin. Main heroine of "Emperor of New Emperors." Destined to become an S-rank hunter and Kim Si-woo's primary love interest. The Ice Empress of the Future.
And the system had just assigned her to Jun-woo's team.
[MAJOR REVERSAL OPPORTUNITY DETECTED!]
[Nam Yu-jin's first impression of Kim Si-woo in the original timeline occurs during the Team Survival trial when he saves her from a boss monster]
[If Host can prevent this meeting and create a positive impression instead, Nam Yu-jin may shift her affection away from the protagonist]
[Reversal Value: 150,000 RP + 5,000 RP/month loyalty bonus]
[Warning: This is a Main Heroine. Stealing her from the protagonist will trigger SEVERE karmic backlash]
Jun-woo's heart raced. 150,000 RP? That was enough to buy multiple S-rank skills or even approach SS-rank territory.
'System, what's Kim Si-woo's team assignment?'
[Kim Si-woo's Team:]
- Kim Si-woo (Captain)
- Park Ji-hyun (Healer)
- Kang Min-seo (Mage)
- Yoon Tae-yang (Warrior)
- Han Se-jun (Assassin)
'So he got a balanced team too, but without Nam Yu-jin. Perfect.'
The teams gathered in their designated areas. Jun-woo approached his group, with Wu Xue following close behind.
Nam Yu-jin looked up as they approached, her gaze sharp and assessing. When her eyes landed on Jun-woo, she frowned slightly. "You're Kang Ye-jun? The one they call—"
"Masochist Kang? Yes," Jun-woo interrupted with a wry smile. "Though I'd prefer if you called me by my actual name. That nickname is... outdated."
Nam Yu-jin's expression softened marginally. "Fair enough. I'm Nam Yu-jin. I saw your match against Park Min-ho. That was... impressive."
[First impression successful]
[Nam Yu-jin favorability: 0 → 15 (Neutral/Curious)]
The other team members introduced themselves. Choi Dae-sung was a massive guy with earth affinity, built like a boulder. Lee Sang-min was wiry and nervous, with wind affinity perfect for scouting.
"Alright, team," Jun-woo addressed them. "I know we just met, but in about ten minutes, we're going to be thrown into a C-rank Gate simulation. Our goal is to survive for one hour and collect as many beast cores as possible. Any questions?"
"Yeah," Choi Dae-sung rumbled. "Why should we listen to you? No offense, but until yesterday, everyone thought you were crazy."
Jun-woo met his gaze steadily. "Because I'm the strongest person on this team, and I have a plan that will get us all through this alive with maximum points. You can follow my lead and succeed, or go off on your own and probably die. Your choice."
The bluntness caught them off guard, but something in Jun-woo's tone—the absolute confidence—made them hesitate.
Nam Yu-jin spoke up. "What's your plan?"
"Simple. We don't just survive—we dominate. Most teams will play it safe, avoid strong monsters, collect easy cores. We're going straight for the mini-boss in the simulation."
"That's insane!" Lee Sang-min squeaked. "The mini-boss is rated E-rank! We're all F-rank!"
"I'm not," Jun-woo said simply. "And neither is Wu Xue anymore. We can handle it. The rest of you just need to support us and stay alive."
Nam Yu-jin studied him for a long moment, her analytical mind working. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. I'll trust you. But if this goes wrong—"
"It won't."
[Nam Yu-jin favorability: 15 → 35 (Respectful)]
Director Sung's voice boomed across the grounds. "Teams, prepare for teleportation! The simulation begins in 30 seconds!"
Jun-woo turned to his team. "Remember: stay together, watch each other's backs, and follow my commands. We're not just passing this trial—we're going to top the rankings."
The teleportation formations beneath their feet began to glow.
Wu Xue moved closer to Jun-woo, her hand resting on the practice sword at her waist. Her War God's Bloodline was eager for combat.
Nam Yu-jin readied her ice magic, frost crystallizing around her fingertips.
The world dissolved into light.
---
They materialized in a dense forest where the trees were so massive that their canopy blocked out most of the sunlight. An eerie mist clung to the ground, and in the distance, bestial roars echoed.
|[Objective: Survive 60 minutes and collect beast cores]|
|[Current Time: 0:00]|
|[Teams Remaining: 47/47]|
The display appeared in everyone's vision, courtesy of the simulation's magic.
"Lee Sang-min, scout ahead," Jun-woo ordered immediately. "Two hundred meters, report back on enemy positions. Choi Dae-sung, you're on rear guard. Nam Yu-jin, stay in the center with me and Wu Xue. Conserve your mana for when we need it."
They moved efficiently through the forest. Within five minutes, Lee Sang-min returned, breathless.
"I found a pack of Shadow Wolves, F-rank beasts. About eight of them, twenty meters northeast. Also spotted what looks like the mini-boss lair—a massive cave guarded by a Direcat, definitely E-rank."
"Perfect," Jun-woo said. "We take the wolves first for warm-up cores, then head for the Direcat."
"Are you serious?!" Choi Dae-sung protested. "Most teams won't even attempt the mini-boss!"
"Exactly. Which means we'll be the only ones to get its core. That's worth 50 regular cores in points."
Nam Yu-jin's eyes lit up with understanding. "And if we succeed, we'll automatically rank first."
"Now you're getting it."
They engaged the Shadow Wolves systematically. Jun-woo held back, letting the others get combat experience while Wu Xue took point.
Her transformation was remarkable. The timid maid from yesterday now moved like a seasoned warrior, her War God's Strike technique cleaving through shadow wolves with devastating efficiency.
[Wu Xue - Combat Performance: Exceptional]
[3 Shadow Wolves eliminated]
Nam Yu-jin provided support with precision ice spears, freezing wolves in place for the others to finish off. Her control was masterful—not a single drop of wasted mana.
Within ten minutes, all eight wolves were dead, their cores collected.
[Team 7 Current Score: 80 points]
[Ranking: 3rd place]
"Good work," Jun-woo praised. "Everyone still have energy?"
Nods all around.
"Then let's go hunt a Direcat."
---
The protagonist's team had also been efficiently clearing monsters, but they'd taken a more cautious approach, avoiding anything too dangerous.
Kim Si-woo frowned as he checked the rankings.
|[Team Rankings:|]
1st: Team 12 - 150 points
2nd: Team 4 - 120 points
3rd: Team 7 - 80 points (Kang Ye-jun's team)
'Kang Ye-jun is already third? How is he scoring so quickly?'
The ancient soul in his mind spoke urgently: {He's being aggressive. Likely hunting high-value targets. If you want to maintain your destined position as the top scorer, you need to take risks as well.}
"Everyone," Kim Si-woo addressed his team. "We're changing strategy. We're going after the mini-boss."
His healer, Park Ji-hyun, looked worried. "Are you sure? That's extremely dangerous..."
"Trust me," Kim Si-woo said with his trademark protagonist smile. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Park Ji-hyun blushed. [Favorability +5]
They set off toward the cave that housed the Direcat, unaware that another team was already approaching from the opposite direction.
---
The massive cave entrance loomed before them, carved into a hillside and emanating a palpable aura of danger. The mist here was thicker, almost solid.
From within came a low, rumbling growl that made even Choi Dae-sung's bravado falter.
"That's... that's really big," Lee Sang-min whispered.
"Stay focused," Jun-woo commanded. He could feel it—the Direcat was E-rank, which meant it was roughly equivalent to his current power level. This would be his first real test.
'System, analyze the target.'
[Scanning...]
[Target: Shadow Direcat]
[Rank: E]
[HP: 5,000]
[Special Abilities: Shadow Cloak, Frenzy Mode (activates below 30% HP)]
'5,000 HP. With my accumulated Retribution Counter at 847,293 HP stored, I could one-shot it. But that would reveal too much power. Better to fight normally and use the team.'
"Here's the plan," Jun-woo outlined quickly. "Choi Dae-sung, you tank and draw aggro. Nam Yu-jin, target its legs with ice to slow mobility. Lee Sang-min, harass from range. Wu Xue and I will go for critical strikes when openings appear. Everyone clear?"
"Clear!"
They entered the cave. The Direcat was exactly as terrifying as expected—a massive feline beast the size of a bus, with midnight-black fur that seemed to absorb light and glowing red eyes that promised death.
It spotted them instantly and roared, the sound shaking loose rocks from the cave ceiling.
"NOW!" Jun-woo commanded.
Choi Dae-sung charged forward, his earth affinity coating his body in stone armor. "Earth Fortress!"
The Direcat's claws raked across his defenses, sending sparks flying but not breaking through.
Nam Yu-jin's hands wove complex patterns. "Ice Prison!"
Frost erupted from the ground, encasing the Direcat's legs. It roared in fury, thrashing to break free.
Jun-woo and Wu Xue moved as one, flanking the beast from both sides.
Wu Xue's blade glowed with red energy—her War God's Strike activated. She aimed for the beast's hindquarters, her sword biting deep and drawing black blood.
Jun-woo activated Punch of Iron and struck the Direcat's exposed flank.
CRACK!
The impact echoed like thunder. The Direcat's ribs shattered, and it stumbled, howling in pain.
[Direcat HP: 5,000 → 3,200]
The battle raged for five brutal minutes. The team worked together with increasing synchronization, each member covering the others' weaknesses.
When the Direcat's HP dropped below 30%, it entered Frenzy Mode. Its speed doubled, and its attacks became wild and unpredictable.
"Everyone back!" Jun-woo shouted. "I'll finish it!"
He activated Retribution Counter—not the full stored damage, just enough to end the fight. His fist glowed with dark energy as all the damage he'd accumulated over the past few minutes condensed into a single strike.
"Final Strike!"
He punched the Direcat directly in the skull.
BOOM!
The beast's head exploded in a shower of dark mist. Its massive body collapsed, twitching once before going still.
[Shadow Direcat Defeated!]
[Team 7 Score: 80 → 580 points]
[Current Ranking: 1ST PLACE]
The notification appeared in everyone's vision simultaneously.
The team stared at the score in disbelief.
"We... we're first?" Lee Sang-min stammered.
"We beat an E-rank mini-boss..." Choi Dae-sung muttered in awe.
Nam Yu-jin looked at Jun-woo with new eyes. "You weren't exaggerating about being able to handle it."
[Nam Yu-jin favorability: 35 → 65 (Impressed)]
Jun-woo smiled tiredly. "Told you. Now let's collect that core and—"
His words were cut off by the sound of footsteps.
Another team entered the cave from the opposite tunnel—Kim Si-woo's team.
The protagonist's eyes widened in shock when he saw the dead Direcat, then narrowed in recognition when he spotted Jun-woo.
"Kang Ye-jun," Kim Si-woo said, his voice tight. "You beat us here."
Jun-woo met his gaze calmly. "We did more than beat you here. We killed it."
The tension in the cave became suffocating as the two young men stared at each other—the Fate Thief and the Heaven's Chosen, protagonist and anti-protagonist, locked in a silent battle of wills.
[CRITICAL REVERSAL MOMENT]
[Kim Si-woo has witnessed Host stealing his destined opportunity]
[Protagonist's determination increased]
[Warning: Karmic backlash imminent]
Jun-woo could feel it—the world's will itself reacting to this confrontation, preparing to punish him for defying the story.
But he didn't care.
Let the world try to stop him. He'd survived a hundred days of hell to reach this point.
"Come on, team," Jun-woo said, breaking eye contact first. "Let's collect our prize and finish this trial."
As they passed Kim Si-woo's frozen group, Jun-woo heard the ancient soul in the protagonist's head whisper urgently, though no one else could hear it:
{That boy... he's dangerous. More dangerous than anyone we've encountered. He's not just strong—he's changing fate itself. You must eliminate him before he becomes too powerful to stop.}
Kim Si-woo's hands clenched into fists, his protagonist aura flaring with barely controlled rage.
The war between them had officially begun.
---
[30 Minutes Remaining in Trial]
[To Be Continued…]