The arena was filled with dust and smoke.The students stared, frozen.One voice broke the silence.“Hey… the barrier broke…!”Another shouted, “Look! The smoke’s clearing!”The dust thinned just enough that the crowd could finally see the two figures inside.Jiwoo lay flat on the ground, unconscious, sword a few steps away.Kang Hyunwoo was still up, but barely — one knee down, breathing hard, sweat dripping from his chin. His right hand trembled, faint sparks of fire and wind flickering around him.“What the hell happened in there?”“No way… they blew up the instructor barrier!”“Did Jiwoo had a second awakening or something?!”In the stands—Minjae gripped the railing. “Bro… Jiwoo…?”Rina’s eyes stayed locked on the arena. “So that’s what you meant… when you said Jiwoo put a scratch on Instructor Baek.”Jiwon’s head snapped toward her.“…Jiwoo scratched Instructor Baek?”Minjae let out a sarcastic laugh. “Wow. The Dancing Blade was outdated in news, huh?”Jiwon slowly turned her he

Jiwoo blinked his eyes open.The ceiling was white.“Ah… right. Infirmary.”His head felt heavy. His body felt like he had been squeezed and left to dry.He tried moving his fingers.“…At least they’re still here.”He slowly pushed himself up.The door opened.“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”Jiwoo turned his head.Jiwon walked in with a small paper bag in her hand. She looked way too awake for someone who watched him almost die a few days ago.“You look like you got hit by a truck,” she said, walking closer. “Or a meteor. Or maybe both.”“Nice… to see you too,” Jiwoo muttered.She sat beside him and flicked his forehead.“Idiot.”“Ow.”“You scared everyone.”He gave a tired smile. “You’re exaggerating.”“I’m not.” She crossed her arms. “You went unconscious so badly, Instructor Baek thought you died for half a second.”“…he did?”“Yeah.” Jiwon leaned closer. “He almost yelled at Hyunwoo.”Jiwoo chuckled weakly.“So… who won?”Jiwon tilted her head. “Technically him.”He sighed. “Figu

Jiwoo stared at the blue screen floating in front of him.[ Hidden Quest ]He frowned.“…Hidden again?”The screen shifted.[ Enter a Dungeon ] [ Clear the Boss ]Jiwoo stared.“…Dungeon?”He blinked once.“…Dungeons are already gone.”He sat up on the infirmary bed, rubbing his face.“They were all cleared twenty years ago. That’s common knowledge.”The screen didn’t react.No warning. No explanation. Just the objective sitting there like it expected him to understand.Jiwoo lay back down.“…Yeah. Not dealing with this right now.”He closed his eyes.If the system wanted to kill him for sleeping, then so be it.***Morning came faster than he expected.Jiwoo opened his eyes and immediately groaned.“…My body hurts, that skill really consumes mana higher than I thought.”He checked the screen.[ Daily Quest ] [ Run 5km ] [ 100 Push-Ups ] [ 100 Squats ]He stared at it.“…You again? Can you let me rest? My whole body ached because of that damn shadow step.”There was no penalty listed

Morning at the academy didn’t feel any different—until Instructor Baek walked into the training hall with his hands in his pockets and that look on his face.The noisy chatter slowly died down.Baek stopped in front of the class and glanced around once.“Alright,” he said casually. “Listen up.”Jiwoo straightened slightly.Baek continued, “The inter-academy tournament will be held in three months.”The room stirred immediately.Three months.Whispers spread.“That soon?” “Isn’t that early?” “Wait, three months?”Baek raised a hand. “Relax. That’s plenty of time.”He leaned back against the platform. “Which is why starting today, I’m giving you all freedom.”That got everyone’s attention.“For the next three months,” Baek said, “you’ll be responsible for your own growth. No forced drills. No daily formations. Train how you want. Where you want.”Some students looked excited.Others looked nervous.Baek’s grin widened. “If you want to lock yourself in a room and meditate—go ahead. If yo

The alarm echoed through the cavern like a wounded beast.A sharp, pulsing sound that didn’t belong in stone halls or ancient ruins.Veilbound hunters froze mid-step.“What was that?” someone muttered.Another hunter raised his mana scanner, frowning as the screen flickered. “Structural readings just spiked—then dropped.”A third scoffed. “Probably a minor collapse. Old dungeon, unstable layout.”But no debris fell.No dust stirred.The dungeon remained perfectly still.Too still.At the front, Guild Master Choi Kangmin slowly raised a hand.“Quiet.”His voice cut through the murmurs immediately.“All patrol units, report,” he ordered. “Status and location.”A moment passed.“Unit Three reporting. No hostiles. Corridor’s clear.”“Unit Five here. Same situation. Nothing unusual.”Choi nodded slightly, but his eyes didn’t soften.“Unit Two?” he called.No response.Choi’s gaze sharpened. “Unit Two, respond.”Static answered him.A faint crackle—then silence.A hunter beside him frowned.