The heavy door slid shut behind them with a dull thunk, sealing Hyun-Jae inside the chamber. The noise echoed for a moment, then faded into silence. He blinked, adjusting to the dim lighting. Compared to the endless expanse of the training facility, this place felt almost…claustrophobic. The walls were smooth and metallic, faintly humming as if alive, and the ceiling hung lower than anything he'd seen so far, pressing down on him.
The line shuffled forward before halting again at the far end of the narrow corridor. Hyun-Jae craned his neck, trying to get a better view of what awaited them, but all he saw was the back of Soo-Min's head a few steps ahead. The stillness in the room gnawed at him, after all the grandiose, overwhelming spaces, this smaller chamber felt unnervingly personal, like it had been designed to strip away the safety of numbers.
Soo-Min glanced around, her lips tugging into a small frown. "This room feels quite cramped with this many people," she muttered, her voice low but audible over the quiet shuffle of the line.
Hyun-Jae nodded quickly. "Yeah, it really does," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He opened his mouth, ready to finally ask her how she managed to withstand the celestial's suffocating aura so effortlessly.
Before he could get the words out, a voice boomed from above, vibrating against the metallic walls. "Attention. I will only explain this once, so listen carefully."
The entire line stiffened, the weight of the announcement sinking in as the low hum of the chamber seemed to grow louder, like the room itself was waiting with them.
The attendant's voice echoed with steady authority, each word carrying the weight of finality.
"There are currently six levels of Etherea mastery," he began, his tone leaving no room for distraction. Each one represents your strength and development of your skills."
A murmur rippled through the room, but the voice cut through it like a blade.
"An E rank is the would be the weakest, one who has only just touched upon their connection. D rank follows, a step above but still considered fledgling. A C rank on the other hand… is the true mark of an individual who has grasped their Etherea. Beyond that lie B, A, and S rank which are realms of power most of you will never even glimpse."
The words hung heavy in the chamber, but it was the next line that crushed what little hope lingered.
"For the vast majority of you, it is very unlikely that any will be placed higher than D or reach a level higher than C."
Disappointment spread through the crowd like a wave, shoulders sagging, faces dimming with frustration. Even Hyun-Jae felt a pit form in his stomach after all was this the ceiling waiting for them?
But the attendant wasn't finished. His voice sharpened, like iron striking against stone.
"However… a rank is not permanent. With the right stimulus, with the right growth, you may advance. Your Etherea can evolve if you survive long enough to push it further."
The mood shifted again, still heavy, but with sparks of determination flickering among the doubt. Hyun-Jae clenched his fists, his chest tightening. So this won't be the end.
Without waiting for further questions, the attendant raised a small, rectangular device in his hand. Its surface shimmered with faint light as his fingers danced across it. A faint hum vibrated through the corridor, and then, with a soft whoomph, new doors began materializing along the walls.
One after another, sleek metallic frames etched themselves into existence, until the once bare hallway now stretched with identical doorways, each one waiting for someone to step through. The crowd shifted uneasily, startled by the sudden transformation.
Hyun-Jae swallowed. Just like that? The constant shifting of this place, the sudden teleporters, vanishing keycards, and doors appearing from thin air gnawed at his nerves. Nothing here stayed the same for more than a few hours. And judging by the mutters and restless looks around him, he wasn't the only one who found it unsettling.
The attendant, however, showed no concern for their discomfort. His voice remained flat and firm.
"Each of you will enter one of these rooms alone. An attendant will already be waiting for you inside. Do not waste time. This process must be completed for all of you."
The line began to move, people filing toward the doors one by one, each with a mixture of anxiety and resignation on their faces. Hyun-Jae glanced at Soo-Min, who gave him a brief nod before stepping toward her assigned room.
When the line shifted again, he realized his turn was next. His pulse quickened as he stared at the door in front of him, the metallic surface glinting faintly under the corridor's light.
What exactly is waiting for me in there…?
Hyun-Jae stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him with a quiet hiss. The room was smaller than he expected, plain white walls, a faint glow coming from the ceiling, and in the center, a single pedestal with strange markings etched across its surface.
Standing beside it was a woman. She wore the same crisp, uniform-like attire as the other attendants, but something about her felt… different. Her presence wasn't mechanical or detached like the others he had met. She stood calmly, her eyes following him as he entered, almost as if she had been waiting for him specifically.
Hyun-Jae hesitated, then took a step forward, trying to gauge her expression. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped, waiting for her to acknowledge him first. For a few moments, she said nothing, simply studying him with a measured look. Finally, her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"I will be the attendant assigned to you," she said evenly.
Hyun-Jae blinked, confused. "Assigned… to me? What do you mean by that?"
The attendant clasped her hands neatly in front of her. "I will be in charge of tracking all information tied to you," she said, her tone professional but not cold. "That includes your identification, reports, and eventual rank evaluations. If you ever require help within the facility, you can summon me directly through the assistance system."
Hyun-Jae nodded slowly, trying to take it all in.
"So…" he began carefully, "how exactly will my rank be determined?"
The attendant gave a faint smile, her tone calm but carrying a subtle edge of authority."It's pretty simple," she said, motioning toward the glowing pedestal beside her. "Just place your hand on that."
Hyun-Jae looked at it as it pulsed with a soft light. For a moment, he hesitated, glancing between it and the attendant.
"It won't hurt," she assured him, though the faint curve of her lips didn't exactly make him feel at ease.
Taking a slow breath, Hyun-Jae extended his hand and pressed it onto the pedestal.
Almost immediately, a cold pulse ran up his arm. It felt like something unseen was pulling the life out of him. His instincts kicked in, and he tried to yank his hand back, but before he could, the sensation faded as quickly as it came.
He blinked, slightly disoriented, while the attendant beside him calmly studied a floating screen. Her expression didn't change in the slightest as she spoke, "Rank E."
Hyun-Jae exhaled quietly, shoulders slumping just a bit. He glanced at the pedestal again, its faint glow pulsing rhythmically, almost taunting, but he couldn't even bring himself to care. It was about what he expected.
With a faint shake of his head, he muttered under his breath, "Figures," and turned away, too tired and too used to disappointment to feel anything stronger than mild annoyance.