If it weren't for the crisp breeze pushing them forward and the now noticeably cooler autumn weather, Baek Iyeon and Jin Chang-hyeok might have collapsed on the spot as soon as they saw their destination approaching—the entrance to Mapo Station from the past.
In other words, it was thanks to such small mercies that they didn't fall.
Their bodies were a little tired, but they were able to stand with faces that carried much more determination.
"Shahar really is talented…"
Soohyeok quietly admired Shahar's skill.
Letting your guard down before battle is sure to bring disaster. But being overly tense can also backfire.
A body that's too rigid won't respond the way the mind intends.
Right now, the state of their bodies was perfectly in between—just enough tension from the situation, balanced with a loose calm from fatigue.
They had been forced into the optimal state for combat.
Thinking that Shahar had calculated all of this made Soohyeok want to applaud her talent as an instructor.
"We'll enter now."
After checking that the three were ready, Shahar stood before the iron gate sealing off the entrance to Mapo Station, and scanned her retina.
Beep—!
With a mechanical sound, the heavy iron doors slid open to either side.
"Let's go."
The entrance to the underground wasn't very dark.
Thanks to that, the group was able to walk through the old subway tunnel without difficulty.
Two Awakeners stood guard at the entrance, but they immediately saluted and stepped aside when they saw Shahar and confirmed her ID.
And then—at the center of the tracks—
Not far ahead, they could see it: a large, faintly glowing reddish portal, swaying like waves.
"That's a Grade 1 portal…"
The faint red glow symbolized the lowest classification, Grade 1.
Its large size meant the inner world was vast.
Just as Shahar had explained:
"There are no sentient beings in that world. That's why we call it 'Mugye'—the Boundless Realm.
It's not just this place. As you've likely studied, there are many worlds named Mugye. They're forsaken lands, worlds no one even bothered to properly name."
With a calm tone that carried the bitterness they'd already learned during theory lectures, Shahar continued speaking as she walked forward.
"Do you remember what kind of monsters live in the Mapo Station Mugye?"
"Naros," Soohyeok answered.
He remembered them clearly—they were on the first page of the monster encyclopedia, and had a simple name.
"Their characteristics?"
"They're canine-type monsters, about 3 meters long—so relatively short. But they have long legs, giving them strong jumping power and powerful jaws. Fortunately, they're slow runners.
They live in packs, but don't gather in large groups—usually three to five at most."
By the time Soohyeok finished explaining, the group of four had naturally approached the portal.
The portal's energy, licking out like a tongue, swallowed them all at once.
The scenery around them changed instantly.
A red wasteland.
It was a bleak world, with not even a blade of grass in sight, and the temperature was cold.
Thrown into what felt like the middle of winter, the three trainees instinctively shivered.
"Correct. Do you remember anything else about this world?"
This time, Shahar's gaze moved past Soohyeok and turned to Baek Iyeon and Jin Chang-hyeok.
The two seemed relatively calm as they walked into the portal.
"Aside from what the instructor told us... the temperature in the Mapo Station Mugye is around minus 2 degrees Celsius. There's nothing to eat or drink.
And... it's one of the portals that the government deliberately maintains—for resource extraction and training purposes," said Jin Chang-hyeok.
"I bet all that studying feels worth it now."
Shahar smiled gently at him, then looked into the distance.
"Looks like the locals are coming to greet us. Rather than wait around and get bored, let's move forward."
The reason behind her words became clear soon after.
Not long into their walk, five Naros appeared over the horizon, bounding across the wasteland like predators.
Shahar rubbed her chin.
"Hmph… Five, huh?"
Five was the largest number in a typical Naro pack.
Were they suitable as opponents for the three trainees' first real combat?
Her gaze lingered briefly on Soohyeok.
"A chance to see where his confidence comes from…"
The decision was made.
She crossed her arms and took a step back.
"Squad 8, battle prep."
"Battle prep!"
All three shouted in unison, as if they were one.
Looking on with satisfaction, Shahar licked her lips slightly.
"Don't be scared. Objectively speaking, Naros are monsters that even ordinary humans can hunt. You understand what that means?"
"Yes!"
At that moment, Soohyeok suddenly realized something: none of the three had brought a weapon.
The Awakeners' Association usually provided everyone with the weapon of their choice before real combat training.
Modern firearms, however, were excluded from this equipment.
Why? Because beyond Grade 3 portals, firearms, explosives—even chemical weapons—had no effect on most Otherworld beings. The strange thing was that conventional weapons, like swords, spears, and arrows, were still very effective.
The problem was that it was nearly impossible for an ordinary person to drive a sword into a Grade 3+ monster.
That's why Awakener training focused on growing strong enough to hunt such creatures with traditional weaponry.
If guns had worked, humanity would've had a much easier time fighting the Otherworld.
In the end, only non-Awakened soldiers relied on firearms.
As for Soohyeok, he had rejected even conventional weapons, despite being eligible for them as an Awakener.
He didn't need them.
"I do have Gwang-gwi Nanbong… but I'm more comfortable using my own body."
Soohyeok was a martial artist who preferred unarmed combat—striking and grappling with his bare body.
Since his internal energy and martial techniques hadn't fully matured yet, it was only natural to rely on what he was most used to.
But what about Jin Chang-hyeok and Baek Iyeon?
The Naros were getting closer.
Their size and vicious faces were now clearly visible to the trio.
At that moment, Jin Chang-hyeok, who had bent halfway forward like a beast, emitted a strange aura.
Surprised, Soohyeok looked over—just in time to see thick blades spring out from between Jin Chang-hyeok's knuckles, one from each hand.
It instantly became clear why he hadn't needed any weapon issued to him.
Startled, Soohyeok turned to look at Jin Chang-hyeok—just in time to see thick blades spring out from between his knuckles. It became immediately clear why he hadn't needed any issued weapons.
"…Are you V-Man or something?"
Soohyeok involuntarily let out a dry chuckle, the image of a superhero from a sci-fi movie flashing through his mind.
Baek Iyeon, on the other hand, had brought her hands together in a prayer-like posture, her eyes glowing faintly.
'Magic type? Or maybe healing?'
Among trainees, personal abilities were kept hidden.
Though they received theoretical training, Awakeners were ultimately judged by how they performed in real combat. Those with more practical, powerful, or flashy abilities naturally drew more attention and admiration. To prevent unnecessary comparisons, jealousy, or tension, Shahar had strictly forbidden disclosing one's powers during training.
Thanks to that, Soohyeok was seeing Chang-hyeok and Iyeon's abilities for the first time—right here, in battle.
Still, not a bad team.
Clearly, the instructors had thought carefully about how to pair them.
"Grrrr…"
While Soohyeok's thoughts continued, the Naro's growls reached his ears.
They were close.
Very close.
"Let's see what you've got."
For some reason, Shahar sounded a bit excited—her voice like a starting pistol at a track meet.
FWOOSH—!
At the same time, Soohyeok and Chang-hyeok launched forward.
Soohyeok was faster.
His inner energy surged through every meridian in his body, empowering him. His bones hardened.
His muscles tightened, becoming dense and solid, taking on a menacing form.
He broke through the natural limits of the human body in an instant.
This was the power of internal energy.
Right in front of him—
One of the Naros lunged with its mouth wide open, trying to intercept him.
'Too slow.'
And too linear.
That was the drawback of being a mindless beast.
No matter how powerful or fast the attack, it wasn't threatening to someone like Soohyeok.
A slight shift of his body allowed him to easily dodge the snapping jaws.
At the same time, his open palm extended forward, containing the essence of a martial technique—Paechul Fist: Wave Strike .
The moment his palm made contact with the Naro's temple, a ripple of inner energy surged into the beast's skull like spreading water.
CRACK—!
Soohyeok could see the creature's short fur cracking like parched earth under the force.
Then—
BOOM!
A muffled explosion echoed near his ear.
Not loud.
That was expected.
Paechul Fist's Wave Strike was a technique that exploded internally, not externally.
The Naro, hit squarely, didn't even scream. It was flung into the air, lifeless, before crashing down to the ground.
At that same moment, a second Naro lunged for Soohyeok's thigh.
"Tailwind Kick – Wind Sink ."
Soohyeok had sensed its movement even before he had finished the first.
His body responded instantly.
WHOOSH—!
His leg shot up vertically, slicing through the air, then came crashing straight down—slamming into the second Naro's head just as it opened its mouth.
CRACK—!
This time, the explosion was loud, ringing in everyone's ears.
The Naro's skull caved in, and its body twitched violently for a moment before going limp.
Two enemies down in seconds.
Shahar, watching like she was under a spell, unconsciously let her mouth fall open.
"That's a trainee? What a load of nonsense…"
Even if he were thrown into a Grade 3 or higher portal right now, he wouldn't be out of place. His movements were polished—refined.
And on top of that, he was brutal. Completely unhesitating in dealing lethal blows.
Shahar was sure—even among the elite rookies of Elvenheim, known for being far superior to humans, there wasn't one who could move like Soohyeok.
He wasn't someone you could even compare to an ordinary trainee.
And then came the climax.
A third Naro, perhaps frightened by what it saw, was cowering, its body trembling.
Soohyeok flowed toward it like water.
A quick, light punch landed on the beast—and he passed right by.
That was all it looked like.
But the Naro stood frozen for a moment, then shuddered, let out a faint groan, and collapsed—blood pouring from multiple points across its body.
It had been struck with dozens of internal shockwaves, in the span of a single second.
Fast. Not just physically. The manipulation of Qi was as smooth and instinctive as using his own limbs. That kind of mastery was only possible thanks to Soohyeok's deep understanding of martial arts—and his opened Ren and Du meridians.
To Shahar, it was nothing short of shocking.
"The Martial God Levels Up..."