Chapter 12 – WITH A PINCH OF LUCK

"The sun is really going at it today," Ji-ho growled, standing in front of a massive building that stretched far into the back, heavily guarded and crawling with security. "So this is the EDC HQ, huh…"

He wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead, still a little unsure if coming here was a good idea. Ye-rin had only agreed to let him come after a long hour of convincing, and probably because of his recent praise worthy acts. Still, it felt more like she was just tired of stopping him.

"It was rather kind of her... though she almost got hurt," Ji-ho muttered. "Damn that old man for tempting me." Just then, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Is that you, boy?" Ji-ho turned and gave a small smile. "Good afternoon, Dae-ho nim."

"Wow, I'm pleased. Didn't expect you to be that respectful, given we only met once" the older man laughed. "Alright, come on. Let's head in." They moved through a series of gates, each tighter than the last, with soldiers giving them long stares and machines scanning every inch of their body. Ji-ho kept quiet, but his eyes wandered, taking in everything.

Finally, they stepped into the heart of the EDC HQ. The building was massive from the outside, but inside… it was something else. It stretched deep, with courtyards, houses, barracks, gyms, and even gardens tucked inside. A whole world built for soldiers. "Try not to get lost," Dae-ho chuckled, walking beside him. "It's your first time, so I'll show you around later, if you live long enough." Ji-ho didn't respond.

Dae-ho glanced sideways. "I know you don't use mana. So tell me, how do you plan on saving anyone with just brute strength What if your opponent can crush you with a single spell? What if the mission needs magic, what will you do then?" The question hung in the air like a weight. The wind blew gently between them, easing the heat for just a second.

Ji-ho finally spoke. "Then I'll rely on my teammates." Dae-ho stopped in his tracks, staring at him. A second passed before he let out a short laugh. "You're an interesting lad," he muttered. "I know what you're capable of. Just… do your best, kid."

They arrived at a tall door. Dae-ho gave him a small nod, then stepped aside as another officer took Ji-ho in. "Do your best, kid. Prove your worth… no matter what," Dae-ho whispered under his breath as the elevator doors closed.

Inside the glass elevator, Ji-ho watched the world drop below him. Soldiers marched in neat lines. Some trained with weapons. It was so much more advanced than Nekronis, where technology was outdated and progress moved slower. He lowered his gaze, seeing both men and women, young and old, each of them sharp, focused, and deadly. This wasn't a place for dreams. It was a place for results.

The elevator pinged, signaling it had arrived. They had reached one of the highest floors. Ji-ho stepped out and was immediately met with scattered chatter. "Woah, isn't that the guy they call White Blade?" "The same guy who took down Jae-hyun?" "Didn't he fight without mana?"

Ji-ho ignored them all. He was led into a room. It was dark, plain, and cold. One bulb hung from the ceiling, its flickering light barely holding back the shadows. Ji-ho looked around. "Feels like I'm getting interrogated," he muttered. The door creaked open.

A tall man stepped in. He had short hair, dark skin, and a thick beard that looked like it hadn't been shaved in months. His shoulders were broad, and the scar across his neck made him look like a war veteran.

He looked at Ji-ho for a second, clearly unimpressed. "So this is the runt Geon-woo nim talked about," he said flatly.

"A fool who thinks he can go far, without using mana. Don't let a single duel win get to your head, boy." Ji-ho's gaze darkened. His jaw clenched, but he said nothing. The officer beside them looked like he was choking from the pressure in the room. The tension was thick, almost too much to breathe.

"I don't like judging the old man," the tall man continued, pulling out a cigarette. He lit it up with a flick. "But I don't believe in giving chances to weaklings." "Sir… this is a closed space…" the officer warned. "You got a problem with that?" the man snapped, turning toward him."No...No, sir," the officer replied quickly.

The man took a long drag and looked back at Ji-ho. "Well then… shall we get to it?"

He turned and walked toward the door again. Ji-ho followed silently, eyes sharp, fists tighter. Ji-ho followed the tall man silently, stepping into another room.

This one was different from the dark, moody space before. A soft blue light flowed from the corners of the walls, giving it a strange calmness. A woman in a white uniform stood waiting, her hair neatly tied back. She carried a tablet and looked up briefly. "Strip," she said flatly, not even blinking. Ji-ho raised a brow. "Here?"

The woman didn't respond. She just stared at him with the same blank expression, like he was just another item on a checklist. Ji-ho sighed. "At least give a guy some privacy." He grumbled under his breath as he pulled off his hoodie and pants, left only in his boxers. The woman handed him a tight black suit, one that shimmered slightly under the light.

Ji-ho zipped it up, but as soon as it closed around his chest, he staggered a little. "What the hell…" he muttered. The suit was heavy, absurdly heavy. It felt like he was carrying a grown man on his back. But he adjusted his shoulders and took a deep breath. "You will perform a basic physical assessment," the woman finally spoke again. "Strength, endurance, balance. Begin with one hundred push-ups." "Alright then." Ji-ho cracked his knuckles.

He dropped down without hesitation and started. The first ten were easy. So were the next twenty. By fifty, his arms were shaking, not from exhaustion, but from the weight of the suit pressing into his back and limbs like metal hands. Seventy… Eighty… The woman tapped her tablet every few seconds, checking boxes. Ninety-five… Ninety-six…

Ji-ho clenched his teeth, sweat rolling down his cheek. "...Ninety-nine… One hundred."

He stood up, exhaling hard. His arms burned, but it was the good kind of burn. He liked it. It reminded him he was still alive. The tall man who had brought him in leaned against the wall with arms crossed, watching silently. Still no expression, but something had changed. His eyes were no longer lazy, they were sharp now, watching closely.

Next came a squat test, then running laps in the training hall with added weight, climbing walls, dragging a weighted dummy, and holding his breath under simulated pressure. Ji-ho completed each task with grit, grunts, and the occasional curse. His muscles screamed, his lungs ached, but he kept going.

"Stubborn bastard," the tall man muttered under his breath, though Ji-ho didn't hear it.

By the time Ji-ho was done, his legs were shaky, and he was drenched in sweat. The suit had become a second skin now, tight, suffocating. The woman wrote one final note on her tablet and walked out without saying a word. Just like that, she was gone.

Ji-ho turned to the man, who was now walking forward. "Not bad runt," the man said, voice rough like sandpaper. "You're not the worst I've seen." Ji-ho wiped his forehead. "Thanks, I guess." "But strength is only one part," the man continued. "Let me ask you something. Do you think brute strength is enough to survive out there?"

Ji-ho looked him in the eyes. "No. But it's a start." The man gave a low laugh. It wasn't friendly, but it wasn't mocking either. "Your instincts are raw. Wild. But you've got grit." He paused and then, for the first time, a wicked smile cut across his face. "Alright then, runt."

Ji-ho narrowed his eyes. "For your final test," the man said, rolling up his sleeves, "you'll be facing me." Ji-ho blinked. "Wait, what?" "Out there," the man said, pointing to a massive door at the end of the hall. "Training Arena Six. No mana. Just you and me."

"Are you serious?" Ji-ho asked, his voice caught between excitement and panic. The man smirked. "I don't like you.. lets see what trick You have left. There Will also be people physicallystronger than You, then what? He stepped closer. His presence was heavy now, like standing in front of a moving train.

"You pass this," he said, "you join the EDC. You fail… you go home." Ji-ho's breath slowed. then he nodded."Good." The man turned and began walking toward the training arena. "Give it your all. Because I won't hold back."