Chapter 7:  It Felt Like Coming Back Home

I gazed at the plate shining with a black luster, like obsidian.  

“Black Iron…”  

If it had been in my past life as an ordinary person, it would have been an unfamiliar metal.  

But now, it was more than familiar—it was almost like an old friend.  

That was only natural.

Among the countless hardships I endured over centuries on the Gritia Continent, this was one of the toughest trials.  

I had crossed dimensions with nothing but my frail body.  

In a world where fists were law and blades even more so, the Gritia Continent.  

I had fought to survive here with everything I had.  

If you asked me when I worked hardest, I would answer without hesitation: when I competed for the position of personal attendant to Albrick Wegger, No 50 Knight of the Asran Kingdom.  

Knights could appoint personal attendants to serve them.  

At first glance, one might think these attendants were mere servants treated as slaves.

But no.  

An attendant was not just a servant but a disciple, someone who served the Knight closely and learned his techniques firsthand.  

On the Gritia Continent, Knights symbolized strength, honor, and power.  

Many coveted the attendant’s seat.  

Naturally, the position of Albrick Wegger’s attendant became a battleground for talented aspirants dreaming of becoming Knights themselves.  

At that time, I was a battle-hardened veteran with fifty years on the battlefield under my belt.  

I had reached the level of a first-class soldier, or so I thought.  

But becoming a Knight’s attendant was no easy feat.  

“Only those who can break this Black Iron Plate with bare hands can earn the right to be my attendant.”  

That was the test.  

Every Knight’s attendant exam was different.  

Some had to cleave boulders as large as houses with their swords.  

Others had to single-handedly slay a hundred enemies in the midst of battle.  

Some survived thirty days in the deadliest regions.  

Albrick Wegger valued physical training above all else.  

Hence, his test was to break a plate of Black Iron—a metal known for its unyielding hardness—with bare hands.  

Hundreds competed for his attendant position.  

Among them were children of noble families and swordsmen recognized by the continent for their talent.  

Yet no one passed the test.  

“Me included.”  

Though I had spent fifty years honing myself, I was just a frog in a well.  

To be honest, I had no advantage over the others who took the exam.  

But that failure was not meaningless.  

It gave me a goal.  

A source of motivation.  

From then on, my life’s goal became breaking the Black Iron Plate with bare hands.  

But Black Iron was reputed to be the hardest metal on the Gritia Continent.  

Attempting to break it bare-handed meant countless times my flesh was torn and bones broken.  

I wondered why I had to do such a meaningless thing, and many times I came close to giving up.  

But I never did.  

Because I remembered the words of the old soldier who had taken me in—my master, my father figure.  

“When the mind is concentrated, nothing is impossible.” 

If you apply relentless effort with obsession and purpose, you can accomplish anything.  

That phrase was etched deep within me, keeping me from giving up.  

Rain or snow, I struck the Black Iron Plate.  

The human body is truly a marvel.  

My fists, which had been broken and bruised repeatedly, gradually hardened until striking the Black Iron Plate felt like nothing.  

Fifty more years passed.  

Though Albrick Wegger died in battle, his test and legacy lived on.  

And finally—  

“Crack!”  

I broke the Black Iron Plate made of that unyielding metal.  

Just like now.  

“W-what the hell!”  The man exclaimed in shock.  

His name tag read Shin Minjae.  

A civil servant of the Awakening Bureau.  

In truth, I could have forced my way into the Tower without his approval, as I possessed no special power.  

But I hadn’t done so.  

Being arrogant and looking down on others just because you have power was exactly the kind of person Ha Yeon Lee and I despised.  

When dealing with allies rather than enemies, one must show at least basic courtesy.  

That was the reason why I and Ha Yeon Lee were different.  

“This seems proven enough.”  

Startled by my calm gaze, he stammered,   “Y-yes. You’ve certainly proven it. If only you’d told us beforehand you’d Awakened, we could’ve let you in without a certificate.”  

He probably assumed I was an Awakener without a license.  

||  

I didn’t bother to deny it.  

There was no reason to explain my situation here at length.  

But…  

“…This is a bit unpleasant.”  

I couldn’t hide the creeping sense of discomfort.  

Awakeners.  

Those fortunate enough to gain powerful abilities.  

To be lumped together with those who became strong from just a lucky flip of fate—it was infuriating.  

My strength was forged through centuries of grueling training and bone-shattering effort.  

Being compared to Awakeners who only got strong because of luck or being chosen was nothing but offensive.  

“Please fill out some information manually and then you may enter.”  

On a simple table lay a sheet of paper.  

Columns for name, entry time, floors to be cleared, and seal.  

Swiftly, I filled it out.  

“All done.”  

“Then.”  

After completing the brief procedure, I stood before the Tower’s entrance, shrouded in pitch-black darkness.  

Whoosh!  

The entrance sucked in the air like a void.  

“So, this is where I’ll find the answers I seek.”  

I checked the note in my pocket again.  

Step by step, I walked toward the entrance.  

The moment I stepped into that darkness—  

[Kim Si-won currently has no floors cleared.]  

[You may attempt to clear the 1st floor, the starting floor.]  

[Please select a difficulty. Options are Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard.]  

[The closer you get to Very Hard, the greater the rewards, but also the more complex the trials.]  

In a strange sensation as if floating in the primordial universe, a mysterious voice whispered in my ear.  

“So this is the system message that Awakeners hear every time.”  

Awakeners were special because they belonged to the System as soon as they Awakened.  

Like playing a game, they received guided messages with various information.  

That’s why even if one Awakened suddenly, they could follow the tutorial-like guidance and steadily grow stronger.  

But for me, who had never experienced such kindness, the Tower’s messages felt unfamiliar.  

Moreover—  

[Easy]

[Normal]  

[Hard]  

[Very Hard]  

The difficulty selection menu appeared like a choice window.  

“If I put my hand here…”  

I selected the far right.  

[Very Hard difficulty selected.]  

[Warning! Very Hard difficulty is an entirely different level from the existing difficulties. Changing difficulty after selection requires rare items such as a Difficulty Change Permit. Do you still want to proceed?]  

The message warned me again.  

Of course, I knew what Very Hard meant.  

“A difficulty no one in the world has ever cleared.”  

Unknown.  

Incomprehensible.  

A formidable challenge.  

Such were the labels attached to Very Hard.  

Though fifty years had passed since the Tower’s arrival and the upheaval began, no one had ever cleared Very Hard.  

There had been attempts.  

But most ended in death, and those who survived called it hell and refused to try again.  

And now, I had chosen that hell.  

Why?  

“Because I feel like I have to.”  

Honestly, there was no grand reason or purpose.  

Only a vague premonition that this was what I must do.  

And with that choice—  

[Very Hard difficulty selected.]  

[Beginning the 1st floor trial of Very Hard difficulty.]  

Despite the warnings, I chose Very Hard.  

Then—  

Softly, as if paint spreading, the surroundings began to shift.  

Yet, nothing seemed to change much.  

I was still surrounded by an impenetrable darkness.  

Of course—  

“Splash, splash.”  

Unlike moments ago, when I floated in a void like space, the floor now was wet and muddy, soaked with moisture.  

“…A cave?”  

I guessed the cramped space where I couldn’t stretch my body fully was indeed a narrow cave.  

And the message that confirmed my suspicion crept into my mind.  

[You are one of the adventurers who set out on a journey with your party.]  

[But alas! Your greed for treasure has led your companions into a goblin trap, and you’ve fallen into the Goblin Lair where goblins dwell.]  

[There is only one way to survive: defeat the countless goblins whose numbers are unknown, and find the single exit hidden in this labyrinthine lair.]  

[May the blessings of survival be with the adventurer in danger.]  

The situation was more than dangerous—it was a crossroads between life and death.  

Goblins were a species that lived in lairs.  

These cunning little monsters, possessing a certain degree of intelligence, dug dozens or even hundreds of connected tunnels to prepare for intruders.  

The paths in this maze-like lair were almost impossible to map unless you were a goblin living there.  

Finding the single exit in this dark lair was nearly impossible.  

“Splash, splash.”  

The constant sound of footsteps echoed around, heightening anxiety and fear.  

“There are at least hundreds of goblins dwelling in this lair.”  

Though it looked small, the number of goblins moving inside this complex maze was no less than hundreds.  

But—  

A grin.  

In the face of this crisis, a smile bloomed.  

Crazy from extreme anxiety?  

No chance.  

“Goblins. Welcome old friends.”  

To modern Earthlings, goblins were unfamiliar monsters.  

But not to me.  

Goblins were one of the many races inhabiting the Gritia Continent.  

I once spent twenty years training and earning money by hunting only the lowest-class monsters: goblins.  

It was an unavoidable choice.  

Goblins were the only monsters I was capable of fighting.  

Over those twenty years, the continent’s people gave me a title.  

Goblin Slayer.  

I was recognized as an expert who had mastered all there was to know about goblins—their habits, tendencies, combat styles.  

For me, goblins weren’t a crisis—they were just everyday life.  

Trial Objectives  

★☆☆: Escape the Goblin Lair alive!  

★★☆: Escape the Goblin Lair within one hour!  

★★★: ???  

I looked at the trial objectives, which floated like parchment before me.  

“Splash, splash.”  

I moved first.  

Even when called Goblin Slayer and trapped in a goblin lair, I would have moved carefully.  

But now, not at all.  

Impenetrable darkness?  

No limitation whatsoever.  

Flash!  

With centuries of honed senses, I could pierce through the darkness.  

With the only obstacle—darkness—vanished,  “Time to start the hunt.”  

It was time to hunt the prey laid out before me.