"When power is unknown, fear replaces logic."
The events of the shattered crystal had left a strange silence over the academy. No one dared speak of what happened. Those who had been there felt like something important had occurred, yet they couldn't remember what.
Only Jiwoon remembered everything.
And he acted like he remembered nothing.
The Phantom Reputation
By the second day of class, Jiwoon had already become a topic of whispered conversation.
"That's him… the one who broke the crystal."
"He didn't even show a Divine Mark. Is he even qualified to be here?"
"They say he cheated his way in. Some sort of system error."
He didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
Because from the moment he walked into the combat training hall, everyone understood—this was not someone to mock.
The Prodigy Appears
The top-ranked student of the academy, Vera Aclaine, stepped forward.
She was flawless in posture, calm in aura, her Divine Mark glowing in soft white-blue light on her forearm—The Seal of Revelation, a sign of someone chosen by the divine to expose all lies.
"You," she said, looking at Jiwoon, "haven't shown your Divine Mark. And yet you're in this class."
Jiwoon didn't flinch.
Instead, he smiled lightly.
"Do you need to see a mark to know what's divine?"
The instructor paused, unsure whether to intervene.
But Vera didn't back down.
"Then fight me. One exchange. If you land a hit, I'll recognize your qualification."
One Move: Too Fast to Measure
They took their positions.
The students gathered, excited, expecting Vera to showcase her famous ability: Truth Chain Bind, a technique that locked opponents with divine energy threads.
But she never had the chance to activate it.
Because Jiwoon vanished.
And in the next instant—
CLANG!
Vera's blade flew out of her hand.
She staggered back, shocked. Her cheek was cut—not deep, but enough to show she'd been touched.
Jiwoon stood behind her, his finger extended like a blade.
"You asked for one hit," he said, his voice quiet but firm.
Silence and Realization
No one cheered.
No one moved.
Because what they had witnessed was beyond normal speed, beyond any known combat form.
Even the instructor looked pale.
Vera slowly turned to face him, her pride burning behind her calm exterior.
"You… aren't normal."
Jiwoon only gave her a calm look.
"And you haven't seen anything yet."
System Log (Hidden)
[Combat Log: Duel – Jiwoon vs. Vera Aclaine]
[Result: Victory – Jiwoon (0.1 seconds)]
[System Note: Divine Suppression Protocol Failed. Unregistered entity bypassed tracking.]
[Status: Threat Level Escalated to Class Omega]