As Keon was led through the underground facility, the soldiers guided him down a series of dimly lit corridors reinforced with thick steel plating. The deeper they went, the more the air felt tense, like something was watching.
Finally, they arrived at a dead end.
Keon frowned, glancing around. "Uh... did we take a wrong turn?"
The soldiers said nothing.
That's when he noticed it.
At the very center of the metallic wall before him was a large, glowing core-like structure, pulsing with an eerie purple-blue light. It wasn't attached to anything visible—just floating there, radiating energy that made Keon's skin tingle.
The glow reflected in his eyes as he instinctively took a step closer. There was something unnatural about it. Something that made his gut churn.
Then—
A faint hum vibrated through the walls.
Keon froze, feeling a sudden shift in the atmosphere,his instincts screamed at him.
What the hell is this thing?
As Keon stood there, staring at the floating core-like structure, its eerie purple-blue glow suddenly shifted. The pulsating energy that once felt overwhelming now became gentler, almost... inviting.
A soldier beside him finally spoke. "Step forward."
Keon's eyes narrowed. "And if I don't?"
The soldier didn't even hesitate. "Then we'll make you."
Keon clicked his tongue in annoyance but kept his composure. His gaze flickered back to the glowing core.
Another soldier added, "Once you step through, there's no coming back. This portal is a one-way gate. Wherever it takes you, that's where you stay."
Keon felt his chest tighten.
A one-way trip?
He didn't like the sound of that. Not at all.
Yet, standing still wouldn't do him any favors. He glanced back at the armed soldiers, then at the mysterious, gentler-yet-ominous glow before him.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward.
As Keon stepped forward, his vision blurred for a brief moment—like stepping through a thin veil of static. When his sight cleared, he found himself standing in an enormous chamber.
The walls were steeled, reinforced with massive panels of smooth yet unyielding metal, lined with glowing lines of energy tracing intricate patterns. Bright white and blue lights illuminated the space, casting a cold but strangely pristine atmosphere.
Keon turned around instinctively—only to see a floating purple orb pulsing softly in midair. Before he could react, the glow flickered—then vanished, leaving nothing behind.
No way back.
Keon swallowed. "Well... that's not ominous at all."
As Keon stood there, still processing the strange environment, a sudden electronic hum filled the air. A second later, a voice—calm, mechanical, yet slightly distorted—echoed from hidden speakers.
"Welcome, Keon."
The voice was neither warm nor hostile—just neutral, almost observant.
Keon tensed, scanning the room. "Great... another mysterious voice talking to me. Just what I needed."
The lights in the chamber subtly shifted, as if reacting to his presence. The voice continued:
"You have entered the Designated Evaluation Zone. Your compliance is expected. Please remain where you are."
Keon exhaled sharply. "Yeah, sure. Like I have a choice."
A voice echoed through the vast, sterile chamber, calm yet authoritative, as if it had already decided Keon's fate.
"We'll skip the formalities and get straight to the reason you were brought here."
The tone was neither hostile nor welcoming—it was indifferent, clinical, like an AI reading out an unavoidable directive. Keon felt a chill run down his spine. Whatever this place was, they weren't here to chat.
The voice from the speakers continued, its tone neutral yet authoritative:
"Keon—according to our reports, you possess an unregistered identity and an unclassified Espria within Silvent City. Furthermore, from what we've gathered, it is highly likely that you do not belong to this city at all."
Keon tensed. His mind raced as he processed the words. Unregistered identity? Unclassified Espria? He barely even understood what was happening, let alone how they had come to these conclusions. He clenched his fists, realizing that his situation was far more complicated than he had initially thought.
The voice continued, its tone unwavering:
"To ensure accuracy, we will conduct a test to verify if your Espria functions as described in the reports."
Keon narrowed his eyes. He scoffed before raising his bound hands slightly. "And how exactly am I supposed to use my Espria when I'm in handcuffs?"
In truth, he didn't have an Espria at all. It was all his system—something no one here knew. He wasn't even sure what the reports said about him, but whatever they believed, it wasn't the truth.
The voice responded without hesitation. "Your restraints will be removed if you agree to the test. If you refuse, the test will still proceed regardless."
Keon felt a chill at the finality in the voice's words. It didn't matter what he wanted—they were going to test him no matter what.
Keon let out a sigh and raised his arms in surrender. "Okay, okay! I agree!"
The voice responded almost immediately. "Good choice."
A sharp click echoed through the room, and before Keon could react, the metal cuffs snapped open—only to drop straight onto his head.
"Ouch!" Keon winced, rubbing the sore spot as the restraints clattered onto the floor.
He glared up toward wherever the voice was coming from. "Was that necessary?"
The voice remained indifferent. "Proceed to the testing area."
Keon looked around, arms crossed. "Uh… where exactly am I supposed to go?"
The voice responded, cold and direct. "Walk straight. Do not stop until you are told to."
Keon blinked. "That's it? No signs? No glowing arrows? Just 'walk straight'?"
Silence followed for a moment before the voice repeated. "Walk. Straight."
Keon sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. No need to sound all ominous about it." He adjusted his posture and started walking forward, his steps echoing in the massive steel-lit space.
Keon took a few more steps when the voice suddenly commanded, "Stop."
He halted immediately, glancing around. A mechanical whir filled the air, followed by the descent of a hovering drone from above. It was a compact, metallic sphere with a central glowing red eye. Four cylindrical extensions protruded from its body, each emitting a faint hum of energy. Small blue lights flickered along its edges, and a row of red indicators pulsed near the top.
"This is the T.R.A.C 0.2 Drone," the voice announced. "It will fire a laser shot at you. Your task is to use your Esperia to store the energy within your barrier."
Keon's eye twitched. "Uh… yeah, about that…" He scratched the back of his head, thinking fast.
"One."
The drone hummed ominously, its red eye glowing brighter. Keon could feel it—not just see it, but actually feel it. It was inside his Rift Barrier's influence, as if its presence had been pulled into his space.
Keon barely had time to process that realization before—
BZZZT!
A searing laser shot from the drone, streaking toward him in an instant.
Move? Dodge? Block? No time!
Instinct kicked in. Keon focused, channeling everything into his Rift Barrier. Instead of resisting, he did what he was told to
He stored it.
The moment the laser touched his barrier, it vanished. Absorbed. Sealed. Gone.
Keon's heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Got it! Keon already knows how his Rift Barrier works, so this isn't a surprise to him—just another test he has to deal with.
---
The voice echoed once more, calm and absolute.
"Now, return fire."
Keon raised a brow. "Excuse me?"
"The stored energy must be released. Fire it back at the drone."
Keon glanced at the hovering sphere, its red eye flickering as if analyzing his every move. He sighed, flexing his fingers. "You know, most places ask nicely."
No response.
Keon rolled his shoulders. Fine. No need to drag this out. With a thought, he willed the Rift Barrier to release the energy it had absorbed.
A sharp hum filled the air—then—
BZZZT!
A bright crimson streak of energy shot from Keon's barrier, aimed directly at the hovering drone. The moment the laser made contact—
BOOM!
The drone exploded in a burst of sparks and metal shards, its remains scattering onto the smooth metallic floor.
Keon blinked. "Huh. That was… easier than I expected."
Silence followed. The floating cameras in the room adjusted slightly, as if recalibrating. Then the voice spoke again:
"Noted. You were able to store and release the attack efficiently. Moving to phase two."
Keon's expression flattened. "There's a phase two?"
Before he could react, the floor beneath him shifted. A metallic plate descended, revealing a new opening—then, with a heavy mechanical clank, a much larger machine emerged from the ground.
It was no simple drone this time.
Keon's gaze swept over the figure now standing before him—tall, humanoid, sleek but heavily armored. Its mechanical limbs whirred to life, glowing blue lines pulsing across its body. In its right hand, it wielded a large, cylindrical cannon, while its left arm crackled with electrical energy.
The voice continued, as cold as ever:
"Engagement combat activated. Proceed with the next test."
Keon let out a slow exhale. "Hold up—why the sudden shift from easy mode to boss fight? Did I skip a cutscene or something?"
The machine took a step forward.
Test—Begin.