After roughly sitting with our group in the front row, I glanced around.

'...We're in the very front.'

Even though others had arrived first, they had left the front seats empty. Most likely, these seats were reserved for those who had cleared the dungeon.

'Well, the higher-ups would be interested in the raid team, after all.'

As I sat and waited, time passed and soon, Kang Seong-jun stepped up to the podium and began to speak.

"Welcome, new recruits. I am Kang Seong-jun, the Chief Instructor of this Training Facility."

Apart from our group, the other people were staring at the podium with anxious eyes.

They had probably realized something upon arriving at this Training Facility after clearing the tutorial but not being sent back to Earth.

'...Idiots.'

The guide had already mentioned during the tutorial that clearing it granted us the right to live in a place called Eras.

The guide never once said we would be sent back to Earth.

'People always cling to hope even in the midst of despair.'

That's just human nature, I had no intention of blaming them.

If anything, their reaction was expected. I kept these thoughts to myself though.

'They simply don't want to accept that they can't go home.'

"First, let me be direct with you. I understand your concerns, but to put it bluntly, you cannot return to Earth."

As expected, the other newcomers were visibly shocked by Kang Seong-jun’s words.

"Hic... Huuu..."

"Shit... Shit!"

Some were quietly sobbing, while others clenched their fists in anger, whispering curses under their breath.

"You will undergo training here for three months. However, training is not mandatory. That said... as a piece of advice, I strongly recommend that you take part."

A woman raised her hand to ask a question.

"Um... is there a particular reason for that?"

"... I'll explain it simply. So far, the survival rate of new recruits who did not undergo training has been zero percent."

As soon as the sensitive topic of survival rates was mentioned, everyone listening turned pale—including everyone in our group except for Seo Yu-ju.

"Damn... Shit, guess we have to take the training no matter what."

Kang Iseo muttered quietly, but Kang Seong-jun seemed to have heard it and responded.

"That's right. If you want to live, I strongly advise you to take part in the training."

Kang Iseo, embarrassed that her private mumbling had been overheard, turned bright red.

"Ahem, ahem..."

"Now, why does training increase survival rates? The reason is that you will learn essential knowledge for surviving in this world. Understanding Clans, the characteristics of different nations, expeditions, status windows—there are endless things to learn.

Additionally, this Training Facility is home to many instructors besides myself. I will now introduce some of them."

At Kang Seong-jun’s words, several individuals started stepping onto the podium.

'The powerhouses of this world.'

I checked their status windows one by one and found that their strength was beyond comprehension. Some were on par with Kang Seong-jun, while others were slightly weaker but still far from weak. In essence, these people were likely the true rulers of this continent, Eras.

Then, as I examined a woman with tied-up black hair, wearing martial arts robes and gauntlets—

BZZT

"Ugh..."

Suddenly, a slight jolt of electricity ran through my eyes and head, accompanied by a tingling pain.

[The Spy trait has been detected by the target. Mutual information exchange will occur.]

[Name: Lee Yun-seong]

…

[Stats]

Strength - 13 Agility - 14

Stamina - 14 Luck - 18

Magic - 06 Resistance - 12

[Name: Yoon Yeon]

[Age: 29]

[Class: War God (Legendary Rank)]

[Titles: Diligent Martial Artist, Battle Enthusiast, Heroine of Baronia, Successor of the Sage]

[Unique Traits]

Flexible Strength (Legendary Rank) – Temporarily shifts up to 10 stat points between Strength and Agility at will.

Sage’s Eyes (Heroic Rank) – The eyes of a sage protect the user from harmful forces. They can also perceive the colors of people’s emotions.

[Traits]

Perfect Martial Mastery (Legendary Rank) – Massively enhances understanding of martial arts.

Sage’s Martial Arts (Heroic Rank) – The martial arts of a sage differ fundamentally from those of humans. Permanently increases Strength and Agility by 2.

[Stats]

Strength - 92 Agility - 95

Stamina - 90 Luck - 71

Magic - 86 Resistance - 87

'Wh-What the hell!'

A cold sweat ran down my back.

The woman's status window no longer mattered…

What shook me was the fact that my ability had been detected.

For the first time, I had been exposed and I couldn’t calm down.

I hurriedly lowered my head and stole a cautious glance at the woman, only to see her looking at me with a chilling smirk.

'...Shit! What do I do now?'

Kang Seong-jun was saying something, but it wasn’t registering in my ears. I had to come up with a plan immediately.

‘If that woman... tries to kill me, can I stop her?’

Absolutely impossible.

Even if Seo Yu-ju tried to stop her, the difference in abilities was too overwhelming. There was no way we could take her on.

‘Shit... shit... first, calm down. There’s still time. Fuck, just... calm down!’

My body wasn’t listening to me.

As cold sweat trickled down my back from the unexpected situation, suddenly, I started hearing the woman’s voice inside my head.

• Ah. Ah. Can you hear me, Lee Yun-seong? Hehe.

‘Shit, what the hell is this?’

• Ahaha... I never expected this. They said this batch of fledglings was out of the ordinary, and it turns out they were right. Anyway, we have something to discuss, don’t we?

‘Shit, shit!’

I never imagined things would go to hell like this right after the tutorial ended.

• I heard you were part of the attack team, so you must have been assigned a dormitory, right? After this speech is over, come to room 304 on the third floor of the building across from the dorms. Just so you know, don’t try to run. If you do... the outcome won’t be pretty.

“......”

• I’m not saying that because I intend to harm you. I just want to have a conversation, so come quietly. Got it?

I had no choice.

Right now, there were no other options but to follow what she said.

I glanced at her slightly and gave a small nod.

• Anyway... this moment is probably important for you, so I won’t say anything more.

After that, the woman stopped speaking inside my head.

Kang Seong-jun’s speech continued.

“Anyway, the instructors I introduced will be in charge of teaching you according to your respective job classes.”

“......”

“If you follow the training properly, it will be a huge benefit to you. The instructors here... well, it’s a bit awkward for me to say it myself, but they are among the strongest individuals in this world.”

People started murmuring.

They likely didn’t understand why people of such high status would be involved in their training.

‘From their perspective, they’re scouting for raw talent. It’s not a loss for them either.’

“In addition, let me talk about Clans. Clans are military organizations, they are made up entirely of Outlanders like us. Baronia has them and so do other countries, there are many different Clans across the world.”

If, as Kang Seong-jun said, there were many Clans in various countries, then there had to be an enormous number of them.

Being among the top-ranked Clans in this world was the equivalent of being one of those globally renowned companies back on Earth.

“Depending on how you perform at the Training Facility, you may receive offers from several Clans, or you may not receive any at all.”

A bespectacled man raised his hand to ask a question.

“Uh... what happens if we don’t receive an offer?”

“... If you complete the three-month course at the Training Facility, you will receive a small sum of money. With that money, you can either form a party or work solo. It’s up to you.”

It was a brutal statement. Essentially, if you didn’t receive a Clan offer, you’d be thrown out with an insufficient amount of money and forced to fend for yourself.

The man who asked the question, along with the others, finally seemed to grasp their situation and their faces turned pale.

“Uh, um... then, is there any kind of welfare... like a guaranteed way to join a Clan?”

“There is none. In this world of Eras, you must survive on your own. Of course, you can apply to join a Clan even if you don’t receive an offer. However, Clans charge an application fee, so I suggest you think carefully before applying.”

He was right.

A newly arrived Outlander wouldn’t have any money. If they applied recklessly based on false hope, they’d quickly become penniless and starve to death on the streets.

“In summary, you will undergo training here at the Training Facility for three months, after which you will receive offers based on your performance. When the training period ends, those who receive offers can choose whether to join a Clan, while those who do not will have to find their own way.”

The suffocating weight of reality silenced the auditorium. Unlike a university or job interview back on Earth, this decision carried life-or-death consequences.

“That concludes the speech. Those who cleared the dungeon will stay in the higher-end dorms, while the rest will be guided to other accommodations by an assigned escort. Today, you may rest and training will begin tomorrow, that is all.”

The others looked at us, who sat in the front row, with envy.

‘...Well, they should’ve at least done something during the tutorial.’

Regret, no matter how early, is always too late.

Kang Seong-jun and the instructors left the stage, but the hall remained silent, void of any applause due to the shock that hung in the air.

About three minutes later, Seo Yu-ju spoke up.

“Then, let’s head to the dorms.”

“Yes.”

As the group followed Seo Yu-ju, I turned to her and spoke.

“Uh, Yu-ju?”

“Yes? What is it, Yun-seong?”

“I need to... take care of something for a bit. You all can go ahead to the dorms, I’ll head there shortly.”

“Huh... Where exactly are you going? Yun-seong? Yun-seong!”

I finished speaking and immediately started moving toward the location the woman had mentioned.

Seo Yu-ju called out to me from behind, but I ignored her.

I wasn’t confident I could explain this situation to her.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Room 304.

‘Damn it...’

Even now, I wanted to turn around and run. If I opened this door, I’d be facing an opponent I couldn’t possibly handle.

As I stood outside for several minutes, unable to move, the door slowly opened on its own.

‘...Shit, this means she wants me to enter, right?’

In the end, I took a step inside the room.