2025-11-04 19:07:19
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Before the Storm
Morning light bled through the clouds, touching the empty combat field with gold.Jiwoo's breath came steady — in, out — as he swung his wooden sword through the crisp air.Each motion was precise. No wasted movement.The echo of his strikes cut through the silence, rhythmic and controlled.He paused only long enough to wipe sweat from his brow before resetting his stance.The duel with Kang Jisoo still played in his head — the way the strikes connected, the sound of wood clashing, the flicker of something inside him that even he couldn't name.He'd been chasing that feeling ever since.From the edge of the field, Instructor Baek watched quietly, arms folded.The faintest smirk tugged at his lips."Good. He's learning how to feel the fight, not force it,"he muttered under his breath before turning away.He didn't need to correct Jiwoo anymore. The kid was starting to understand instinct — the difference between moving and knowing when to move.Later that morning, the training field w
The Announcement
The morning bell rang across Eclipse Academy, echoing down the old corridors like a warning.Today wasn’t normal. No classes, no schedule. Every student was told to gather in the main auditorium, but no one knew why.“Okay, I’m calling it,” Minjae said as he and Jiwoo followed the crowd. “They’re either expelling someone, or we all failed as a species.”Jiwoo gave him a side glance. “You really think they’d cancel class just to kick someone out?”“You’d be surprised,” Minjae muttered.The auditorium was already packed — voices bouncing off the metal walls, holograms flickering above the stage. The LED strips overhead buzzed faintly, struggling to keep up with the heat of too many bodies in one place.Instructors stood along the sides, arms crossed, faces unreadable. That was never a good sign.Then the lights dimmed.A hush fell over the room as the side door opened and Headmaster Elias Kain stepped out. He didn’t need a microphone — his presence alone was enough to shut everyone up.
Shadows of the Past
By the time classes ended after that spar, a talk of the sparring match had already swept through the whole Combat Division.The corridors buzzed with half-heard gossip."Did you see it? Kang Jisoo lost!""To an E-rank, no less—how?""Instructor Baek was actually watching. That's serious."Jiwoo heard the whispers as he left the hall. Students passing by gave him quick glances—some curious, some impressed, others just wary—but he paid them little mind.Minjae jogged to catch up beside him, grinning wide."Bro, you realize you just became an urban legend, right? E-rank slays S-rank, no mana used—boom! Instant myth."Jiwoo didn't even slow his pace. "It was just a spar.""Yeah, and I'm just a comedian performing to a bunch of mana-junkies," Minjae said, deadpan. "Seriously, you need to work on accepting praise.""I'll pass," Jiwoo said.They stepped into the courtyard. Afternoon light cut between the spires of the academy, glinting on the glass channels where mana flowed underfoot. For
The Forgotten Rival
Weeks later…The noise about the leaderboard had finally begun to fade. Fewer whispers followed Jiwoo through the halls now—though sometimes he still caught a glance, a half-smile, a quiet whisper of "that's the E-rank brother."He didn't care much anymore.His focus was back where it belonged: training.The morning light cut across the Combat Field, where the first-years gathered for their weekly combat exercise.Instructor Baek stood at the edge of the field, his expression unusually neutral."All right," he said, voice carrying easily across the open air."Today will be different. No drills. No formations."A ripple of confusion went through the crowd. Baek folded his arms."Today, we're changing the pace. No drills, no formations. Instead—Combat Class A versus Combat Class B. One round each."Excitement burst instantly among the students."Wait, interclass sparring already?""Man, this is gonna be good.""Hope I don't get paired with someone crazy…"Baek raised a hand, silencing th
The Weight of a Name
Morning light spilled over the training field, cutting through the faint mist that clung to the academy grounds.The Combat Division stood in formation, rows of gray-and-silver uniforms gleaming under the rising sun. The air hummed faintly — the sound of mana channels beneath the field, alive and restless.Instructor Baek Gunho paced in front of them, hands behind his back, eyes sharp as blades."Formation drills. Three rounds," he said. "Keep your core steady — no one leaves until I say so."A whistle cut through the air.Wooden swords clashed. Students grunted, stumbled, and swung.Among them, Han Jiwoo moved with quiet precision — not the strongest, not the fastest, but unyielding.His strikes were clean, his stance unbroken. The memory of Baek's spar still lingered in his body, the rhythm of each swing carved into muscle.Baek watched from the side, arms folded. His gaze flicked to Jiwoo once — unreadable — then back to the rest."Discipline first. Power comes later," he barked. "
Between Duty and Instinct
The day was ending at Eclipse Academy.Beyond the courtyard windows, the sky burned orange, bleeding slowly into dusk. The last of the students were still on the field — wooden swords striking against mana dummies, their voices faint through the wind.Up in the faculty wing, away from the noise and chatter, the academy felt almost still.The hum of mana circuits in the walls replaced the sound of students, and the faint aroma of coffee hung in the air like an old habit that never left.The faculty lounge was empty, save for one man standing by the tall window — Instructor Baek Gunho, his posture rigid, the sleeve of his uniform rolled to his elbows. He watched the training fields below as if searching for something only he could see.The light caught the scar on his jaw, the mark of too many battles — and one fresh cut that hadn't yet faded.He'd told himself it was nothing.But the memory of that strike — the way the boy's mana had turned inside out — refused to leave his mind.Behin
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