Stage 3 began differently.
There was no arena.
No platforms.
No polite separation between candidates.
Across South Korea, the remaining examinees stood inside massive circular chambers—each one engraved with ancient runes, their glow faint but oppressive, like something sleeping beneath stone.
At Hunter Association Headquarters, every screen synchronized.
The title appeared once.
And only once.
STAGE 3: SURVIVAL & DOMINANCE TEST
The room fell silent.
This was the stage that decided everything.
The AnnouncementInstructor Han's voice echoed across every examination site, calm and precise.
"This is the final examination."
No applause.
No encouragement.
"Your objective is simple."
The main screen shifted, revealing a massive three-dimensional map.
A fractured landmass.
Ruined terrain.
Multiple zones marked by color.
"At the start of the test, you will be placed randomly across the map."
Colored markers appeared.
Green. Yellow. Red.
"These zones contain monsters of varying threat levels."
A list followed:
E-Rank Monsters — Unlimited
D-Rank Monsters — High Density
C-Rank Monsters — Moderate Density
B-Rank Monsters — Limited
A-Rank Monsters — Ten Total
A murmur rippled through the candidates.
Ten A-rank monsters.
That alone was excessive.
Instructor Han continued.
"Your ranking will be determined by total monster kills."
Simple.
Brutal.
Fair.
Or so it seemed.
The Unspoken RuleAt headquarters, several academy instructors leaned forward.
Because they knew what was coming.
Instructor Han's voice lowered slightly.
"There is an additional condition."
The map zoomed inward.
Toward the center.
A massive sealed structure appeared—covered in thick chains of mana and ancient symbols.
"This is the Central Seal Zone."
The runes pulsed faintly.
"Inside it is a single monster."
The screen flickered.
A silhouette appeared.
Wings folded tight.
A long serpentine neck.
A horned head.
The air in the hall turned cold.
"A sealed A-Rank Plus Wyverin."
Several instructors frowned.
Some exhaled slowly.
Instructor Han continued, voice steady.
"This monster cannot be accessed normally."
Chains appeared on the display.
"Only when six out of the ten A-Rank monsters are slain, and the candidate responsible reaches the center of the map, will the seal respond."
The room erupted.
"Are you insane?"
"That thing isn't meant for students!"
"Even A-rank hunters avoid group encounters!"
At headquarters, even the Supreme instructors grew serious.
Vice Dean Yoon Seolhwa's emerald eyes narrowed.
"That creature…" she said softly, "has killed professional teams."
Chief Examiner Kang Ara crossed her arms.
"And yet," she replied, "no one has ever triggered it."
That was the truth.
A Monster No One BeatInstructor Han raised his hand, silencing the noise.
"Let me be clear."
"This is not a requirement."
The emphasis mattered.
"In previous years, no candidate has defeated the sealed monster."
The words settled heavily.
"Most never even see it."
A pause.
"And those who triggered the condition…"
The screen showed old footage—blurred, classified.
Seals trembling.
Alarms flaring.
Emergency extraction.
"…failed to release it."
The implication was clear.
The monster was too dangerous.
Even for groups.
That was why—
The Safety MeasureThe map shifted again.
Barriers appeared.
Dividing the terrain into isolated spaces.
"To prevent casualties," Instructor Han said, "all candidates are sealed in separate spatial layers."
Each student would fight alone.
No help.
No rescue.
"No candidate will encounter another unless the seal reacts."
At headquarters, Director Seo Tae-hyun frowned.
"That's not protection," he said quietly. "That's containment."
JinBack at the Seoul examination site, Jin watched the map without expression.
His exam watch displayed the rules in quiet text.
Kill count.
Zones.
Conditions.
And then—
the center.
The sealed Wyverin.
Something stirred faintly in his chest.
Not excitement.
Not fear.
Recognition.
So that's what you're hiding, he thought.
Around him, candidates whispered nervously.
"Ten A-rank monsters? That's crazy…"
"Who would even try to go to the center?"
"Just surviving is enough…"
Jin lowered his gaze to his watch.
CURRENT KILLS: 0
REGIONAL RANK: 1
NATIONAL RANK: 1
He exhaled slowly.
I don't need to fight it, he reminded himself.
This exam is about ranking.
And yet—
His eyes drifted back to the sealed zone.
Unmoving.
Waiting.
Headquarters — UneaseAt Hunter Association HQ, several instructors exchanged looks.
Vice Dean Yoon Seolhwa broke the silence.
"If someone triggers it by mistake," she said, "can you stop it?"
The director hesitated.
"…Only after the seal fully reacts."
Chief Examiner Kang Ara smiled faintly, though there was no humor in it.
"So if it opens," she said, "we pray the candidate survives."
The screens shifted again.
STAGE 3 — BEGINNING
Across Korea, light swallowed the remaining candidates.
At the Seoul site, Jin felt the world fold.
As he vanished into the map—
no one noticed the quiet flicker on his exam watch.
A small line of text, appearing for less than a second.
CENTER ZONE — RESPONSE POSSIBLE
Jin didn't see it.
But something else did.
Deep beneath stone and seal—
a wing twitched.