{The Aura }
The tension finally quieted, but the silence that followed wasn't peace.
It was expectation.
Zara's playful smile faded slightly. Her gaze sharpened.
---
{Zara's Suspicion}
> Zara (calmly):
"Before we go any further…"
"That surge earlier—"
"It came from this room, didn't it?"
Her voice was quiet, but every word felt like a knife laid gently across Jin-Seok's throat.
> Zara:
"Who unleashed that aura?"
"I felt it all the way from the other wing."
"And I wasn't the only one."
---
At that, Azhrel, Lyra, and Daman all exchanged looks.
> Jin seok:
"Oh?"
"So that's what you meant earlier…"
"You were talking about this, weren't you?"
---
Jin-Seok gave a small nod.
No words. Just quiet intent.
And then—
He activated it.
---
{The Aura Unleashed}
A low hum filled the air.
Not a sound, not a vibration.
But something deeper.
Like a presence awakening.
A ripple of pressure slowly spread through the room—calm, unforced, but undeniably real.
---
Azhrel, Lyra, Daman, and even Zara—
All four of them blinked, pausing as a shiver crept down their spines.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing hostile.
But familiar.
So faintly familiar it made them uneasy.
---
> Azhrel (inner voice):
"…I've felt this before… but where?"
> Lyra (thoughtfully):
"That presence... it's the same aura that we felt earlier, but—"
> Daman (to himself):
"not now we have come across same aura as this somewhere…
---
{The Ripple Spreads}
Yet the pressure didn't stop there.
Though gentle where it started, it rolled outward like invisible fog, and—
Far away in the hallway, Kaleon jolted as the pressure brushed over him.
> Kaleon (muttering):
"Okay, no. That's not normal. That's not normal at all—"
In the waiting room, other young climbers turned pale.
Some staggered. A few dropped what they were holding.
---
Even Zayna, standing behind Zara, winced.
> Zayna (groaning):
"Urgh... what the hell is that...?"
Rokhan, Noah, and Zephyr felt it too.
Not enough to hurt. But enough to make them brace.
But before the pressure could spread further—
Zara simply raised a single finger.
The aura flickered… and vanished.
Like snuffing out a candle.
---
> Zara (softly):
"Enough."
"Zayna's getting headaches."
---
{Sibling Shenanigans}
Zayna leaned around Zara and pointed at Jin-Seok.
> Zayna (whining):
"See, Grandma? He's still bullying me!"
"You're just letting him do it now!"
Zara just smiled.
A slow, knowing smile that made Daman, Lyra, and Azhrel tense again.
Zayna peeked from behind Zara's side, pouting.
Jin-Seok just sighed, stepped forward—
—and casually tapped her forehead.
> Jin-Seok (smirking):
"I'll do it again. What will you do?"
> Zayna (whining):
"Grandmaaa—! He's doing it again!"
Zara gave a calm nod.
> Zara:
"That's enough."
Jin-Seok stopped immediately. But that grin didn't fade.
---
{Noah's Confrontation}
Noah stepped forward, arms crossed with a frown.
> Noah:
"Oi, Jin. Why didn't you use that power when fighting us?"
Jin-Seok gave a lazy shrug, as if it was no big deal.
> Jin-Seok:
"Didn't feel like it."
> Noah:
"What?!"
> Jin-Seok (deadpan):
"Besides, I can't just use it freely whenever I want."
> Noah (narrowing his eyes):
"But... you used it just now."
Jin-Seok looked away for a second, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
> Jin-Seok (muttering):
"Well, that's…"
---
Zephyr finally spoke, his calm tone cutting through the tension.
> Zephyr:
"Why ask him? He didn't want to reveal his full power during the Trial either."
Noah raised a brow and pointed at Jin-Seok.
> Noah:
"So you were hiding it. Just like me and Z."
He side-eyed Zephyr with a grin.
> Noah:
"I thought we were the only ones holding back."
> Jin-Seok (calmly):
"Why would I show all my cards before we even start climbing?"
---
{Aris Chimes In}
Inside Jin-Seok's mind, a certain necromancer crossed his arms.
> Aris (exasperated):
"You little brat… How are you saying so many lies with such a straight face?"
Jin-Seok smirked inwardly.
> Jin-Seok (mentally):
"Can't talk about you or the system, right?
Let them make their own assumptions."
He laughed softly to himself, then glanced at them both, his smile slightly teasing.
> Jin-Seok:
"Besides… I know you two didn't go all out either.
You backed off in the end, didn't you?"
> Noah (grinning):
"Sure, going all out with our bloodline? We'd crush the trial…"
"But right after that? Anyone could've picked us off. We'd be too drained."
> Noah (smirking, hands behind his head):
"Besides, we don't want to show our full cards this early—especially not before we've even started climbing the Tower too."
---
{Rokhan's Realization}
Rokhan had been listening silently from the side. His eyes widened as realization hit.
He muttered under his breath, stunned.
> Rokhan (to himself):
"Wait… that was them holding back?"
The memory of their clash—the thunderous roars, craters in the ground, the sheer speed—flashed through his mind.
He looked at the trio again, blinking slowly, and then let out a deep, incredulous laugh.
> Rokhan:
"They fought like wild beasts—blew up half the terrain—and you're telling me they weren't even serious?!"
He shook his head, a big grin spreading across his face.
> Rokhan:
"Tch. These damn monsters…"
He chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck.
---
{Daman's Words}
Standing beside him, Daman placed a hand on Rokhan's shoulder.
> Daman:
"Don't let it get to you."
> Daman (softly):
"You're not any less than them, Rokhan.
You don't have to win every battle.
What matters is how you fight—what you learn, what you become."
> Daman (grinning):
"Keep growing. You'll be standing beside them one day."
Rokhan turned to face him, eyes gleaming with determination.
> Rokhan:
"I know, Uncle."
> Rokhan (firmly):
"I'll definitely stand alongside them one day."
The two shared a knowing grin—warrior to warrior.
---
{Kale the Sneaky Merchant}
Just as things began to settle, Jin-Seok tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing toward a nearby pillar.
> Jin-Seok (flatly):
"Kale. You planning to keep hiding, or…?"
A pair of wide eyes peeked out, followed by the familiar messy-haired merchant with his signature grin.
> Kale (rubbing the back of his head):
"Well, I was hoping I could stay unnoticed a little longer…"
Before he could say more, Noah grinned and jabbed a thumb at him.
> Noah:
"Come on, man. We all knew you were following us the whole time."
Kale's smile froze mid-stretch.
> Kale (blinking):
"Wait, what?! Then why didn't any of you say anything? I could've just walked with you instead of sneaking like a rat!"
Lyra chuckled softly, arms crossed.
Daman let out a low laugh.
Even Zephyr gave a quiet exhale through his nose, which—by his standards—was practically a belly laugh.
> Lyra (smirking):
"Honestly, watching you sneak around was more amusing than stopping you."
> Daman (grinning):
"We figured we'd let the little spy have his fun."
> Noah (laughing):
"I was this close to tossing him a bag of chips."
Kale let out a theatrical sigh, slinging his pack forward like it weighed his soul.
> Kale:
"You people are heartless. Just letting me embarrass myself like that…"
Jin-Seok raised a brow, crossing his arms.
> Jin-Seok (flat):
"Yeah, yeah. Now answer me. Why are you here?"
Kale scratched his cheek, avoiding direct eye contact.
> Kale (quietly):
"...I was worried about you."
Jin-Seok blinked, caught off guard.
> Jin-Seok:
"Huh? Me? Why?"
He looked away for a moment—then smiled.
> Kale:
"I thought… they were coming for you. Just a feeling. But hey—don't mind it.
Anyway… congratulations. First place, huh? Kinda expected it, but still—well done."
---
{Congratulations}
The others seemed to register it now that he'd said it out loud.
> Lyra (smiling slightly):
"Oh right, that's true. You did take first. Congratulations."
> Daman:
"Tch. Not bad, kid. You've made the Colosseum buzz for hours."
> Azhrel:
"Congratulations, kid."
Zara glanced at Azhrel, then to Jin-Seok, giving a nod.
> Zara:
"You did well. Congratulations."
---
A faint whirr echoed behind the group as a small mechanical figure stepped through the hallway doors.
Alfred, Jin-Seok's ever-faithful companion, approached with his usual calm grace.
The soft blue glow in his eyes flickered gently as he came to a stop.
> Alfred (warmly):
"Young Master Jin-Seok. First place… as expected."
(He bowed slightly)
"You continue to make me proud."
Jin-Seok's expression softened for the first time that day.
> Jin-Seok:
"You watched?"
> Alfred:
"Every second. I cheered exactly thirty-nine times, though I refrained from public noise after the eighth warning."
A few chuckles rippled through the group.
> Zara (raising an eyebrow, then smiling):
"Alfred… you're here too?"
Alfred turned smoothly, bowing with a grace no human could match.
> Alfred:
"Madam Zara. A pleasure, as always. It has been some time since you visited Master's residence."
> Zara (fondly):
"You still remember. Of course you do."
(She glanced at Jin-Seok)
"You weren't around back then. But Alfred here used to brew the strongest tea."
Zara's gaze shifted briefly toward Jin-Seok, then back to Alfred. Her smile lingered, but she said nothing more.
---
{Final Note – Who is Alfred?}
Noah leaned closer to Jin-Seok, whispering:
> Noah (muttering):
"Okay... who is that guy really?"
> Jin-Seok (deadpan):
"My butler."
Noah gave him a long, flat look — as if waiting for the punchline that never came.
Just then, a small figure peeked out from behind Alfred's long coat. Big eyes, wide with awe — it was the little girl Jin-Seok had saved earlier.
Her hair was still a little messy, her cheeks faintly flushed, but she held a small stuffed rabbit in her hands — probably something Alfred had gotten her.
> Girl (softly):
"Mister Jin…"
Jin-Seok blinked in surprise, then smiled and knelt down to meet her eyes.
> Jin-Seok:
"You're here too?"
She nodded shyly and took a hesitant step forward.
> Girl:
"You didn't get hurt… right?"
> Jin-Seok (gently):
"Not a scratch. Thanks to your lucky charms, I even won."
The girl beamed with pride, giggling as she hugged the toy tighter.
> Noah (grinning):
"Tch, so that's the real reason I lost. I didn't have any lucky charm support!"
> Kale (elbowing Noah, then crouching to the girl's level):
"Hey, ever thought about joining my business? You'd be perfect for Combat-Approved Lucky Charms™ — guaranteed first place!"
The others chuckled as the girl laughed, clearly enjoying the attention.
---
{Announcement Cue}
Suddenly, a deep mechanical voice echoed throughout the chamber.
> [Tower System Broadcast]:
"—Class Selection will now begin."
"All participants must prepare themselves."
"Your Administrators will arrive shortly to escort you to the Selection Zone."
_______________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}