Chapter 356
On the fifteenth floor of the Core, at the Second Trial, a massive Imoogi, the size of a standard house, was coiled in place, its eyes gleaming with anticipation. It was tasked with overseeing the Second Trial, evaluating an adventurer’s worthiness to proceed to the Deep Realm. In a particularly good mood, it flicked its tongue and chuckled gleefully, then formed a mirror of magic to check its forehead. Etched on it was the number “11.”
I can’t believe this is happening, it thought.
It had come across a golden opportunity to evolve into a dragon, the ruling species of the Deep Realm!
Changing one’s fundamental nature was said to be as difficult as plucking stars from the sky, but thanks to borrowing the power of “Law” from Solomon, the Imoogi had obtained immense magic. In just one hundred years, it would fully transform into a full-fledged dragon.
“To think I’ve managed to get on Solomon’s side... I am so lucky.”
Solomon was the very being, no, the only being, who rivaled the Overlord, ruler of the Deep Realm. This fact was known only to a select few.
In the coming Great War, survival would depend on standing with the powerful. From that perspective, the Imoogi couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest being in the Core. It double-checked the “11” it had drawn on its own forehead. It had heard that dragons ranked themselves by the numbers on their foreheads, so the Imoogi, who would eventually become one, had drawn its future rank early.
Who wouldn’t think I’m already a dragon? I’m such a dragon. The Imoogi let out a pleased grin, admiring what it deemed a handsome reflection.
***
March was a particularly busy month for the Fissure Management Division of Seoul City Hall. Well, in truth, there was no such thing as a slow month for them. For example, January was packed with budget planning, February was filled with meetings about new projects with partner organizations, and each passing year only increased the workload.
Still, for Cheol-Soo, the Section Chief of the division, these were happy days. After all, the more the division’s workload grew, the more it signaled Seoul’s growing influence in the world of Hunters. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling the pressure as this year’s Academy Information Session approached.
“We can participate. That’s perfectly fine. But why do we have to go first?” he complained.