*
The moment I crossed the door, an immense pressure suddenly began to crush my body.
My body felt heavy, as if I were in the deep sea, and the space around me was filled with Mana without a single gap.
Just standing still made me feel like all the strength was draining from my body. I staggered as if struggling in water before finally standing up.
Looking around, I saw many Hunters who seemed to be feeling the same sensation, their faces filled with bewilderment.
Some, however, seemed accustomed to this situation, adapting to the environment and standing perfectly fine.
As Hunters, we should always be prepared to adapt to any situation, as we never know what we might encounter, but it's still awkward to experience a space like this for the first time.
'Are they pushing it away by releasing Mana?'
Looking at the faint Mana visible on the surface of the Hunters standing fine around me, I guessed that they were probably reducing the difference between the external Mana and pressure by using their internal Mana.
"Tsk. Can't even handle this much?"
Looking at the dazed Hunters, that show-off bastard was raising the corner of his lips. It seems his shitty personality doesn't disappear, as he's still provoking everyone in a place like this.
However, most seemed too busy adapting to the environment to pay attention to the show-off bastard.
'My body is heavy? If an ordinary person came in here, they'd be dead, wouldn't they?'
It was such a difficult space that even Awakened ones with low ranks probably wouldn't be able to breathe, crushed by the surrounding Mana.
Moreover, it wasn't just the density of the Mana around me, but it also felt heavier than normal Mana, making it difficult to move.
I doubted I'd even be able to use my Unique Ability.
"Looks like you can't even breathe properly. Why don't you just go back to the Academy?"
Coming to my senses, I saw the show-off bastard had already run up to me and was throwing provocations again. At this point, I'd have to consider him a stalker.
Ignoring the smirking bastard, I moved my Mana to adapt to the high-density Mana.
Perhaps because it hadn't been long since I raised my stats, it definitely felt different than usual, making it even more difficult.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Guys like you need to clean up the small fries so Hunters like us can hunt comfortably."
"Small fries... You deal with them."
"What?"
He was the one who provoked me first, but now that I retorted, the show-off bastard was furious again. How did a guy like this even get into the top 10 Guilds?
I must never let a guy like this become an S-Rank Hunter.
"Quiet."
While I was having a war of nerves with the show-off bastard, the old man opened his mouth.
"This is a space that recreates the high-pressure zone inside a Red Gate. You'll often find high Mana densities like this in areas where so-called Gate Keepers reside."
Gate Keepers were monsters that had to be dealt with to close the Gate, essentially boss monsters.
There were Gates that needed to be closed quickly depending on the situation, so what if you needed to eliminate a Gate Keeper in this kind of environment?
It was clear that ordinary Hunters wouldn't be able to do it.
"In a high-pressure zone, Mana is constantly consumed just by breathing. If you try to fight in that environment? Well, I believe you're all smart enough to understand without me having to spell it out."
What if you mismanage your Mana distribution?
You'd be crushed by the high-density Mana, unable to escape, and torn to pieces by the monster.
Everyone wore tense expressions, realizing the environment was even more extreme than they thought.
"There are places with lower and higher Mana densities than this, but you can probably consider this the average."
I couldn't even imagine how to move in a place with even higher density than this.
"Well, it's pointless to explain with words. You'll all experience it anyway."
People who appeared to be affiliated with the Association began handing out devices that looked like bracelets to everyone.
"As I said before, I hope no one dies trying to show off unnecessarily. Behind here are artificially created monsters. I don't know the principle behind it, but Chae-rin-ssi apparently implemented it."
"Anyway, go behind there, hunt the monsters, and collect the tokens here."
Choi Tae-soo flipped a coin that looked like a token into the air. Looking closely, it seemed to have the Association's certification mark on it.
"We'll score you based on the number of tokens. It's best to do everything in moderation. You have to come back here to be recognized."
"Is it just about collecting tokens?"
A test to defeat monsters and collect tokens, it was a Hunter-like task for Hunters.
There was no set time limit, and it seemed you could continue hunting as long as you could endure it.
Well, even if you were a superhuman, there was no way you could hunt indefinitely in this space where recovery was nearly impossible.
If you recklessly endured and hunted without being able to return here and retired, you'd be eliminated, so you had to think carefully.
It was a test where you had to keep an eye on the others while also prioritizing your own stamina management.
"I'll say it again, this is an artificial dungeon. That means everything you do can be recorded. I trust there are no idiots here."
"..."
He emphasized that it was a test for individual evaluation, which seemed to mean that party hunting was not allowed.
It also meant that unsportsmanlike behavior and attacking other Hunters were prohibited.
Anyone who cowardly backstabbed others should be called a Villain, not a Hunter.
Well, there probably weren't any guys who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, but it was good to be clear about these things.
"Then, let's begin."
With the old man's words, the curtain that had been hiding the area behind disappeared, revealing a forest made of giant trees.
"Get out of the way!"
"I was here first!"
Since unsportsmanlike behavior was prohibited, the Hunter who made the first attack had priority over the monster.
That's why most of the Hunters were running to secure the monsters first.
They probably thought it was advantageous to catch them first since they didn't know how many monsters there were.
'It's not a wrong decision, but they lack information.'
They lacked information about how strong the monsters were and about the high-pressure zone.
'Should I watch for now? They said there's no time limit.'
*
Kim Heo-sang, who had just been promoted to A-Rank, ran forward without looking back.
It wasn't easy to move, but it was uncertain how long he could endure in this environment anyway.
'It's hard to last long... I'll end it quickly!'
Kim Heo-sang ran faster than anyone else and began searching for monsters.
Of course, he knew that a skilled Hunter would identify the unknown monster and fight in a favorable environment, but right now, he was in a competition.
If he was even a little late, he would be pushed back by others, and he didn't have time to wait.
'Is it over there?'
The first-attack priority, called the unwritten rule of the Hunter industry, was a rule that gave the person who attacked a monster first a higher priority in the distribution of rewards.
Most of the Hunters here were active in the field, so they couldn't possibly not know these simple rules.
'Well, there's one brat mixed in, but...'
He didn't like that a mere Academy student was mixed in here, but what did it matter since he was going to fail anyway?
Kim Heo-sang ran faster than anyone else and found a monster first.
A monster that looked like a beetle, it was about the size of a person, but those things were common inside Gates.
It didn't seem to notice him at all, as if it was eating something. He couldn't miss such a good opportunity.
'I'll take it down in one shot!'
Kim Heo-sang gathered Mana into the sword he was holding and approached it from behind.
The closer he got, the more ominous its size seemed, but there was no way there would be an ordinary monster here anyway.
'The first coin is mine!!'
Just as he confidently attacked, the beetle jumped to the side and avoided Kim Heo-sang's attack in an instant.
Kim Heo-sang's attack went futilely towards the tree, and the tip of Kim Heo-sang's sword got stuck in the tree.
'A Mana-enhanced blade only goes this far in?'
Normally, the tree should have been torn like paper, but the sword stuck in the tree, which boasted unbelievable strength, and wouldn't come out easily.
Before he could even admire it, the beetle flew in instantly and executed a body slam.
It was a straightforward attack that could be seen from a typical monster, but the only problem was that its speed was too fast.
'I... I can't block this!'
Kim Heo-sang quickly made a decision and rolled his body to avoid the beetle's attack.
__Ujikkun!
With a tremendous sound, a dent appeared in the tree behind where Kim Heo-sang had been standing, and it looked like it would collapse at any moment.
The tree that even a Mana-enhanced blade could withstand was shattered like that with just one body slam.
Kim Heo-sang, who had been full of confidence after being promoted to A-Rank, felt goosebumps all over his body.
"Sh... Shit... Di... Die!!"
He was surprised, but he was a Hunter who had risen to A-Rank.
Not missing the opportunity to attack while it was staggering from the impact, he immediately ran up and swung his sword.
The beetle seemed to have taken a considerable shock, as it was as hard as his sword could withstand.
If he didn't kill it quickly, he would be in danger. He poured all his Mana into the sword without thinking about the aftermath.
__Kaang!! Kang!!
Only the shock of hitting a giant lump of iron with his sword came back to him. His attacks weren't working.
He needed his attacks to work to do anything, but how could he fight a monster that didn't even get a scratch?
Even with an attack that contained all the Mana he could use.
He was so panicked that his mind began to go blank.
'Sh... Should I give up? Already? Just after starting? But...'
All sorts of thoughts confused his mind, and in the meantime, the staggering beetle regained its senses.
He had definitely chosen the wrong monster.
He should have moved more carefully. Kim Heo-sang admitted his mistake and decided to run away.
Just as he was about to run away without looking back, his legs faltered.
'Sh... Shit? Already Mana...?'
Perhaps because his composure was broken, or perhaps because he wasn't used to the environment, his Mana wasn't listening to him.
In the meantime, the beetle was preparing to jump like before.
The moment he saw death before his eyes, something fell from above.
__Kwaaaang!!!!
With a tremendous explosion, Heo-sang spat out coughs in the rising smoke.
"I'm sorry. You looked like you were in danger."
Hearing a person's voice, Heo-sang's strength left his body, and he collapsed to the ground.
Feeling relieved that he was alive, he belatedly looked at the man in front of him.
A face that was somehow familiar.
'Blue Flame Sword... Kim Si-woo?'