Suddenly, a blinding white light surged from beneath my feet, wrapping around my body and binding my movements. I could sense my entire soul weakening, as if someone had locked it behind a cold wooden door. The white light cocooned me completely, and in that instant, I could no longer feel my body, as if every sense had been stripped away. I suddenly got flashbacks of the day I was transported to this world. Why is this happening?
Almost in an instant, my eyes were met with a bright flash. The first thing I saw was a beautiful blue sky, and the smell that tickled my nose was crisp and invigorating, carrying the clean scent of the mountains. The cold, rocky ground was sturdy, and the cool wind brushed against my exhausted face, helping me wake up faster.
I pushed myself off the ground, sitting up and staring at my surroundings. I saw a majestic mountain range surrounding me from the cliff I was resting on. The shining, luminescent white rivers and lakes stretched far and wide. The trees were beautifully golden, dressed in silver leaves. The grass in this area looked almost unrealistic, a mystical crystal blue covering everything in front of my eyes. Awe and wonder overtook me as I gasped. It was the most mysterious and beautiful place I had ever seen. I love this world...
The others were also slowly opening their heavy eyelids, looking confused and frightened. Kim Seong-Hoon was the first to wake up, looking at me in confusion. "I don't know either..." I shook my head, looking at him. "I'll explain later what happened." He patted his entire body as if checking if he was alive or dead. His draconic blue eyes scanned the entire surrounding. "This place is amazing..." he said in an awestruck voice.
"Big sister Gaon, what is this place?" Park Jieun yawned and rubbed her eyes as if she had just woken up from an afternoon nap. Her face betrayed that she had yet to fully take in the situation. She looked like a baby who had just woken up, her face exhausted as she quickly grabbed Malrang, who was lying next to her sleeping, and took Malrang's body into her embrace like a plush toy, dropping back to sleep.
This child... I felt like she was my little sister, cute and babyish. Her pure black hair made her look like a doll.
Kang Eun-Woo quickly jumped up, and the ground shook from his tall, muscular frame. "Phew... We did it, Gaon! But... what is this place? Is this the trial area?"
"Trial? What trial?" Kim Seong-Hoon asked in confusion. "And who are you?" He had just noticed the new addition to our group. His aura rose, and he was about to summon his dragon weapon.
"Calm down!" I shouted at him. "He saved our lives. We owe him..." I felt conflicted saying that. I knew that without external help this time, I might have lost my life.
"No need to put it like that..." Kang Eun-Woo shook his head. "I was only passing by, and my class is mostly suitable for protection. All I did was shield you, which is my only strength. Miss Gaon, you did all the work." His voice suddenly became excited. "The way you left a hole in that monster's throat—it was marvelous! I could watch that fight every day! Your class must be so strong!" He acted like a geek once he started talking about the fight.
"I... Thank you, but it was due to luck and everyone's hard work. I could never kill that lizard alone, at least not with my level..." Suddenly, it struck me like a tidal wave. Why didn't I get any experience from it? I clearly saw the monster die... Could it be related to this trial?
Kang Eun-Woo approached Kim Seong-Hoon and extended his bear-sized hand. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Kang Eun-Woo. I'd be happy if we could be friends." His smile beamed like the sun, without any malice.
I could not get a good look at him during the battle but now that I looked at him again I could see that he wore light brown hair and emerald-like green eyes. His facial features were rough, but he gave the feeling of a big teddy bear, not a giant almost 2-meter bulky giant.
His broad shoulders were clad in simple leather armor that seemed just tough enough to withstand a few scrapes but flexible enough to move easily with his every step. A chest guard made from thick, well-worn leather hugged his frame, reinforced at the seams with rough stitching.
On his forearms, he wore leather bracers that looked sturdy. His trousers were a deep dark brown, fitted snugly with patches over the knees. His ankles wore high boots, reinforced at the toes and heels. He looked completely different without his majestic weapon and shield. So I guess everybody has to summon their weapons, not only me. His shield and hammer were nowhere to be found on his body, leaving me to question the way this world works.
Kang Eun-Woo's look was modest, even humble, but there was a quiet resilience about him, a readiness to step forward even when his gear was anything but flashy. This was the gear of someone starting their journey—a protector in the making.
"So, you're saying you wish to hang around?" Kim Seong-Hoon asked before slowly reaching for his hand. I could see his hand shaking in hesitation, still not fully trusting a new person.
"If your group is okay with it, of course!" The bulky giant shouted excitedly, his eyes shining like diamonds.
"Big sis, what is your decision?" Kim Seong-Hoon asked me hesitantly.
"As I told you, he saved our lives and is already in our party. Moreover, we were transported here together, meaning we might only be able to leave if we work together. But it's up to you and Jieun. I still don't know any of you well. And he is not an exception. We need to make decisions as a group. I'm not your leader. And don't make me one..." I don't know why I said that, but I've never liked responsibility.
"Fine. I'm Kim Seong-Hoon. Let's be friends then, you giant bear!" With a hearty shake and cheerful laugh, he greeted Kang Eun-Woo, their hands connecting with a resounding clap that echoed through the mountain range. "Good clap!" he shouted excitedly.
"Hahaha! Let's do that again! This time louder and with more power!" They started playing around, trying to make the loudest clap possible. The entire mountain range filled with the sound of powerful claps. Are they kids?... I was watching them bond instantly, any animosity between them vanishing like a cloud of smoke in the air.
"Enough!" I shouted at them. How can they act so stupidly in an unknown place? "I already regret letting any of you join. Just use your tiny brains for once. What if there are monsters lurking around, and you two idiots are being loud for no reason... Honestly..."
Kim Seong-Hoon and Kang Eun-Woo hid their hands, feeling a surge of embarrassment. "Sorry, big sis, you're right."
"Yeah..." Kang Eun-Woo scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, looking down at the ground with his lips parting in a hesitant, apologetic smile. "I must have gotten ahead of myself. I've never really had a friend before, so..."
"Hey, we're already your friends. Don't be sorry about that. Big sis Gaon may be ruthless but not completely heartless." Kim Seong-Hoon patted Kang Eun-Woo's shoulder.
"I..." I was lost for words. How did I suddenly turn into a villain? "Talking about heartless... once we get out of this place..." I shot him a furious glance. "That damn lizard was all your fault, Kim Seong-Hoon! Where the hell did you run off to? Not only that, you almost killed us all!"
"That…" He quickly turned his gaze away from me. "You're right; we should first think of how to leave this place. Good thinking, big sis!" He stepped in Jieun's direction and gently woke her up. "Little sister, wake up. It's time to go. Big sis is angry at us. Quickly!"
Watching him shift the topic felt like a slap in the face. Does he think I won't kill him? "I'm only angry at you! Don't involve others while trying to save your ass. Hey! Hey, I'm talking to you!" Kim Seong-Hoon ignored me and focused all his attention on waking the girl and the fox, completely ignoring my words.
"Little sister!" he gently shook her again.
"What?! I'm sweeeeping!!" Jieun finally opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. "Ahh! Where am I?" Her little face betrayed her confusion as she looked around. After noticing me and Kim Seong-Hoon, she calmed down slightly, but once she saw an unfamiliar tall figure towering over her, she became agitated again. "Wh-Who's this uncle...?" she asked in a low, shaky tone.
"I'm sorry, little lady. Let me introduce myself!" Kang Eun-Woo shone a wide grin at her, jabbing a thumb at his chest, glowing with enthusiasm as he introduced himself. "Please do not be afraid of me. I'm Kim Seong-Hoon's friend. If you'd like, I can be your friend as well!" He beamed like the sun, his face rough but softened in that moment.
"Really? I like having a lot of friends! I accept." She nodded her head cutely. "But why is...?" She looked at Malrang. "Why isn't Malrang waking up? Big sister... is Malrang okay?"
The fox was still lying unconscious, and guilt tore my heart into a thousand pieces. I knew it was my fault. "I'll take her from you for now. Let her rest next to me." I slowly reached over to pick her up. My first companion... Why did it come to this already? Why did you have to try to kill yourself for my sake? I'm not worth that. I never will be… "Malrang..." I whispered gently as I took her from Jieun's embrace. I could feel our connection still strong, but her body was weak. Even though I held back, my attack was likely too strong. She didn't have any external injuries, but having her ability canceled midway may have left some internal injuries... I hugged her to my chest, feeling her small heartbeat align with mine.
"Don't worry, Jieun. She'll be fine after some more sleep. First, we need to figure out why we're here and how we can escape." I knew it wasn't time to sit around. "Since you both were knocked out before we got transported, let me brief you on what happened..." We sat around, and I explained how Kang Eun-Woo rushed to my aid at the last second and how I slayed the monster.
"But if you killed the monster, shouldn't we all have gained experience points?" Kim Seong-Hoon asked with a concerned expression.
"That is what's puzzling me too." I continued, "Right after the monster died, I got a message saying there was some sort of error, and that we achieved the impossible. Right after that, another message popped up; Kang Eun-Woo must have also received it." He nodded in agreement. "We've been transported here to take on a trial. But there was no information on what we must do."
"It doesn't make much sense," Jieun added. "Even if big sis killed the monster, why would it be such a big deal? Why would we need to be tested?" Her little face tilted to the side, with her finger on her lips.
Kang Eun-Woo opened his mouth to speak; "I already told Miss Lee Gaon that I saw someone kill this creature alone, but he was level 12 at that time. After that... he jumped all the way to level 15. It might be because all of us are low-level. The monster must be at least above level 15, or perhaps..." His expression sank. "It could have been a level 20 monster we took down. What I don't understand is, how Miss Lee Gaon's attack was able to finish it in 1 go... I could feel you were strong since you could hold the breath attack of that monster with your shield. But even that person's attacks took a long time to kill it... Unless..." He looked at me with curiosity and awe. "Are you the new Ruler by any chance?!"