The room did not feel like a place meant for conversation.
From the moment the door sealed behind Suho, the air itself shifted, becoming denser, more structured, as if the space had been designed to suppress anything outside its intended parameters. The walls were reinforced with layered materials, faint inscriptions running along their surface—system engravings meant to stabilize mana flow and restrict abnormal fluctuations.
[ Chamber: Evaluation Room – Type IV ]
[ Function: Ability Assessment | Containment Enabled ]
[ Authority: Central Guild ]
[ Override Resistance: High ]
Director Kwon remained seated, his posture relaxed, but his eyes sharp with focus. Jisoo stood slightly behind him, silent as always, observing every movement, every shift in expression. The third figure, still concealed within the shadows, had not spoken once, yet their presence alone carried a pressure that could not be ignored.
"You said you can fix the system," Kwon said, his voice calm, but deliberate. "That's not something we can take lightly."
Suho didn't respond immediately.
Because this wasn't a conversation anymore.
It was a setup.
Kwon leaned forward slightly, resting his hands together. "We don't need your explanation," he continued. "We need proof."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"We've prepared a controlled test."
---
The room shifted.
---
The walls moved.
---
Not physically—
But structurally.
---
The space expanded, the engravings along the walls lighting up as the entire chamber reconfigured itself into something far larger, far more complex. The floor beneath Suho changed, forming a circular arena surrounded by layered barriers, each one designed to isolate, record, and suppress.
---
[ System Notice ]
[ Evaluation Mode Activated ]
[ Combat Simulation: Enabled ]
[ Safety Limiters: Active ]
---
Sera, standing outside the chamber behind reinforced observation glass, felt her breath catch slightly as the transformation completed. She had insisted on staying, and while she wasn't allowed inside, she could see everything clearly.
"…They're testing him," she muttered.
Her grip tightened slightly at her side.
---
Inside—
Suho stood at the center of the arena.
Still.
Unmoving.
---
"Your task is simple," Kwon said. "Defeat the target."
---
A distortion formed across from him.
---
Familiar.
---
Unstable.
---
Then—
It took shape.
---
[ Entity: Rift Walker – Simulation ]
[ Lv: ??? ]
[ Rank: ??? ]
[ Type: Non-System Lifeform ]
[ Status: Replicated | Restricted Output ]
---
Suho's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You recorded it," he said.
Jisoo stepped forward slightly. "Not completely," he replied. "What you erased couldn't be recovered. This is… an approximation."
That alone—
Was telling.
---
The Rift Walker moved.
---
Faster than before.
---
Because this time—
It wasn't testing him.
---
It was being used to test him.
---
Suho stepped forward.
---
[ Hunter: Suho ]
[ Lv: 75 (C-Rank) ]
[ Title: None ]
[ Primary Trait: System Administrator (EX-Rank) — Hidden ]
[ Active Skill: Modifier (A-Rank) ]
---
The moment the entity attacked—
He responded.
---
[ Skill Activation: Modifier ]
---
The trajectory shifted.
The strike missed.
But unlike before—
The chamber reacted.
---
[ System Alert ]
[ Unauthorized Adjustment Detected ]
[ Suppression Protocol: Engaged ]
---
The air tightened.
---
Pressure descended instantly, pushing back against Suho's influence, limiting the range of his control, forcing his ability into a confined state. The system here was stronger, reinforced by the guild's authority, designed specifically to resist interference.
---
"…So this is your limit," Kwon said quietly.
---
Suho didn't respond.
---
Because he felt it.
---
The restriction.
---
And beyond it—
Something else.
---
The Rift Walker attacked again.
---
This time—
It connected.
---
Suho slid back slightly, stabilizing himself quickly as the impact settled. The damage wasn't severe, but the interference within the strike was clear. Even in simulation, the entity retained part of its abnormal nature.
---
"…Not perfect," Suho thought.
---
He stepped forward again.
---
But slower this time.
---
More controlled.
---
The entity moved to intercept—
---
And Suho—
Didn't activate his skill immediately.
---
Instead—
He waited.
---
For the exact moment—
---
Then—
---
[ Skill Activation: Modifier — Precision Output ]
---
The system flickered.
---
Not violently.
---
Subtly.
---
The Rift Walker's movement stuttered for a fraction of a second—
And that was enough.
---
Suho struck.
---
Direct.
---
The entity's form distorted under the impact, its structure destabilizing as the controlled adjustment forced a misalignment within its core.
---
But it didn't collapse.
---
Instead—
It adapted.
---
[ Entity Status: Learning Pattern Detected ]
[ Synchronization Rate: Increasing ]
---
"…Again," Jisoo muttered.
---
The hidden figure shifted slightly in the shadows.
---
Watching more closely now.
---
Suho exhaled slowly.
---
"…So even this version can evolve," he said.
---
The Rift Walker surged forward again—
Faster.
Sharper.
---
This time—
Suho didn't hold back.
---
[ Skill Activation: Modifier — Output Increased ]
---
The system reacted immediately.
---
[ Warning: Authority Conflict Detected ]
[ Suppression Limit: Approaching Threshold ]
---
The chamber trembled.
---
Not from force—
---
But from interference.
---
The barriers flickered slightly, the engravings along the walls glowing brighter as they attempted to stabilize the increasing pressure within the space.
---
Outside—
Sera's eyes widened.
"…What is he doing…?"
---
Inside—
Suho raised his hand slightly.
---
The Rift Walker stopped.
---
Not completely—
But enough.
---
A moment of control.
---
Seized.
---
Then—
---
He ended it.
---
The entity collapsed inward, its structure unraveling under the forced misalignment, breaking apart piece by piece until nothing remained.
---
Silence.
---
The chamber stabilized.
---
[ Simulation Complete ]
[ Result: Target Eliminated ]
---
But the system—
Didn't return to normal.
---
[ Warning: Residual Override Detected ]
[ Source: Unknown ]
---
Kwon's eyes narrowed slightly.
---
"…That wasn't part of the test," he said.
---
Suho lowered his hand slowly.
---
Because he felt it too.
---
The system—
Was reacting again.
---
Not to the simulation.
---
To him.
---
The walls flickered.
---
The engravings distorted.
---
For a brief moment—
---
Something appeared.
---
Not fully.
---
But enough.
---
A symbol.
---
Ancient.
---
Unfamiliar—
Yet somehow—
Recognizable.
---
[ System Error ]
[ Origin Signature Detected ]
[ Classification: ??? ]
---
The hidden figure stepped forward.
---
For the first time.
---
[ Hunter: ??? ]
[ Lv: ??? ]
[ Rank: ??? ]
[ Status: Unsealed Presence ]
---
"…Interesting," the figure said quietly.
---
Their voice—
Calm.
---
But heavy.
---
"You're not just interfering with the system," they continued, their gaze fixed on Suho.
---
"You're triggering it."
---
Silence fell.
---
Because that—
Was something none of them had expected.
---
Suho met their gaze.
---
Unshaken.
---
"…Then maybe," he said quietly, "it's trying to respond."
---
The figure smiled slightly.
---
Not amused.
---
But intrigued.
---
"…Then let's see how far it goes."
---
And just like that—
---
The test—
---
Was no longer under control.