Junjie's eyes fluttered open, the brightness overwhelming. He was back in the execution realm, a stark white light engulfing him. Beams of light, sword-like in their intensity, encircled him, one piercing straight into his heart.
"So, this is the vessel," Kensei murmured with a smile, observing Junjie with a discerning eye.
"I didn't die?" Junjie gasped, his voice a mix of confusion and relief.
"If I pulled this out, you would," Kensei said, never stop smiling
"Who are you?" Junjie managed to ask, his mind racing.
"I am Kensei, Kensei Kuzuharu," the man replied, his voice calm and measured. His name carried the weight of a legacy unknown to Junjie.
"Are you here to kill me?" Junjie's confusion deepened as he tried to piece together the puzzle.
Kensei's lips curled into a knowing smile. "In a manner of speaking, yes. But now It's questioning time."
With a casual gesture, he conjured a chair from the shadows, settling into it with an air of ease. His eyes, sharp and penetrating, fixed on Junjie.
"Shi Junjie, a 16-year-old high school boy, half Chinese, half Korean, living your entire life in Korea. 172 cm, still growing," Kensei recited as if reading from an invisible script. "And now, leading your classmates to what seems like their doom."
Junjie's heart pounded in his chest. "How does he know so much about me?" The questions swirled in his mind.
"Does this mean... it wasn't a dream?" Junjie's voice was a whisper, barely audible over the hum of the light beams.
Kensei leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Junjie's. "Ah, I see. So you do remember everything. Impressive."
The revelation hit Junjie like a wave. The memories of the cave, the ghostly figures, the throne, and the haunting music flooded back to him. He wasn't just a high school student caught in a bizarre situation; he was something more, something connected to this mysterious realm.
"I didn't lead my classmates to that door!" Junjie shouted, desperation creeping into his voice."
Kensei's smile widened, revealing a sense of satisfaction. "Good, good. You hear that, old man? The boy hasn't committed any crimes yet. Otherwise, my Heaven Light would have shattered his heart." His voice boomed, directed towards an unseen presence in the air.
He then turned his attention back to Junjie, who was trying to process the rapid turn of events. "Now, let's get to the fun part. Your body that you've possessed for the past two years is constructed from cursed energy and dark matter, making it the perfect vessel for Valfar possession."
Junjie's eyes widened in shock.
"I'll need to exocise all the cursed energy first," Kensei continued, his tone serious. "Are you ready?"
Junjie felt a mixture of fear and resolve. "Ready for what? What does this exorcism involve?"
Kensei stood up, his presence commanding. "It will not be pleasant. The process of cleansing your body of such deep-rooted energy is intense and potentially painful. But if you don't I will have to kill you."
Junjie swallowed hard, the gravity of his situation settling in. "If it's the only way to get rid of this curse, then I'm ready"
As Kensei began the exorcism, piercing Junjie's body with beams of light of pure energy, Junjie's form started to change dramatically. The light enveloped him, and his body began to burn, shrinking back to his frail, skinny form from two years ago. His height decreased, and the tattoos etched into his skin reappeared, only to dissipate into black smoke, all except for the one on his forehead.
Kensei exerted more force to remove this stubborn mark, but the effort seemed to cause Junjie immense pain, culminating in him vomiting blood. Finally, Kensei ceased his efforts.
"You did great, Junjie," Kensei said, a hint of respect in his voice. "Starting from now, become a student at Ryuhai Shinmyoung Academy."
As these words echoed in Junjie's ears, darkness enveloped him once more, and he fainted.
—--
When Junjie opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar wooden room. Sitting across from him was a man with blonde hair, his demeanor serious and mature. Unlike Kensei's black uniform, this man wore a crisp suit and adjusted his glasses as he greeted Junjie.
"Good morning, Shi Junjie. My name is Hyun-woo Kim ," the man introduced himself with a formal nod. "From now on I'll be helping you acclimate to your new life at Ryuhai Shinmyoung Academy."
Junjie, still disoriented, tried to sit up, taking in the surroundings and the man before him.
"Good morning?" Junjie repeated, nodding
"I am the administrator here at the Academy," Hyun-woo explained. "It's my responsibility to ensure you're informed and prepared for what lies ahead."
Hyun-woo's tone was calm and reassuring, yet there was an underlying firmness that suggested he was not a man to be trifled with. He began outlining the structure of the Academy, the courses Junjie would be taking, and the expectations placed upon him as a student.
Hyun-woo gestured for Junjie to follow him outside. As they walked through the sprawling campus of Ryuhai Shinmyoung Academy, Hyun-woo pointed out various buildings and facilities. They passed the student dormitories, a vast gym and open field and several larger buildings.
Junjie noticed some students casting curious glances his way. Then as he walked, briefly made eye contact with one of the boys, sensing a mix of curiosity and caution in his gaze.
"Where are we exactly?" Junjie asked, trying to orient himself.
"The Academy is located in Seoul"
"How about my grandpa?" Junjie's thoughts immediately went to his family.
"We've taken care of everything, " Hyun-woo said in his aura of assuring
"Do you know what might have happened to him?"
"Your grandfather is in a state called 'dream coma,' a condition for those exposed to cursed energy for a very long time, that causes an imbalance of core energy. The curse's energy imbalance causes them to enter a state of coma where they dream continuously until they die."
Junjie's heart sank. "Is there a cure?"
"The only known cure is for the patient to experience a nightmare and desire to wake up from it on their own. The rate of the patient will wake up is 1 in 1000"
Junjie felt a pang of guilt and sorrow. "It's my fault..."
"Don't blame yourself, Junjie. You couldn't have known," Hyun-woo said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"For now, let's head to my office. We have much to discuss regarding your role here and the matters at hand."
Junjie's mind was still reeling from the information as he entered Hyun-woo's office. The reality of his new life was overwhelming, and he found himself lost in thought.
"Junjie there you are " his attention was abruptly brought back to the present as Kensei made a surprising and unannounced entrance.
"Knock first, don't you have any manners?" Hyun-woo scolded, visibly annoyed by Kensei's immature and playful demeanor.
"Ahh, sorry, sorry," Kensei replied with a nonchalant shrug, then his focus quickly shifted to Junjie.
He took a seat next to Hyun-woo on the couch opposite Junjie.
"Junjie, I've already arranged for your enrollment in a new high school here in Seoul. And seeing that you're in your second year, that means you'll be studying with Haruki," he said with a smile.
"Don't be rude and decide everything on your own," Hyun-woo interjected, a vein popping on his forehead.
"Oh right, are you okay with transferring schools from the countryside?" Kensei asked, turning back to Junjie.
"Yes, I'm okay, I don't mind any school" Junjie replied, still processing the rapid changes in his life.
"Good, now, have some breakfast and come with me," Kensei said, standing up. "There's much you'll need to know"
After finishing his breakfast, Junjie followed Kensei to a massive building.
"Welcome to the training ground," Kensei announced with a smile.
Inside, they were greeted by a tall lady in a lab coat.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Hye-Jin Park," she introduced herself her tone was clam with a hint of tiredness, two big dark cycle under her eyes
Dr. Park guided Junjie to a chair equipped with various monitors.
"Please, sit down here," she instructed. As Junjie complied, she started monitoring his veins.
"These will monitor your vascular reactions to various stimuli," she explained. "It's crucial for understanding how your body interacts with curse energy."
"This machine will conduct a full-body scan using concentrated energy beams. It will give us a detailed look at your internal energy structure." As the green beams swept over him.
Once the scan was complete, Dr. Park motioned him towards a large, imposing machine.
"Please, place your hand on this panel,"
As Junjie complied, he felt an intense pressure, as if his very core was being squeezed. He grimaced slightly but endured.
Dr. Park observed the readings closely, and after a while her expression turned serious.
"You are an E rank cursed user," she announced, her voice carrying a hint of uneasiness. The assistants in the room exchanged quick glances, a silent communication passing between them.
Dr. Park looked at Kensei, who gave a slight nod, signaling her to continue. She then turned her attention back to Junjie and presented a sleek, black wristwatch.
"This device is called "Energy Monitor or EM", we designed it to detect and analyze curse energy,"
"Since you're a cursed user, you'll need to use this black watch. The watch will alert you to the presence of curse energy in your vicinity. A green alarm indicates lower-level threats, while a red danger alert signifies a higher-level entity, more powerful than yourself."
She paused, ensuring Junjie was following.
"Additionally, this watch is also best at tracking your own energy fluctuations. If there's a significant change in your cursed energy level or rank, it will update accordingly, and another key factor is to track the rank and power level of other users. The accurate rate of it's detection is 99.9998%"
"It's more than just a tool; it's a responsibility. You must remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times."
As Junjie strapped the watch to his wrist, he nodded, absorbing her words.
"Thank you, Dr. Park,"
"Welcome to Ryuhai Shinmyoung Academy, Junjie." Dr. Park gave a small, weary smile.
"Now, let learn to use it" she urged
Junjie, curious, pointed it at Kensei, who was leaning against the wall. The device's screen lit up
**Power Level == Thousands, Millions, Billions…**
**Speed == Max**
**Durability == Max**
**Energy Intensity == Max**
**Intelligent == Max**
**Technique == Max**
**Adaptability == Max**
The digits skyrocketed - until the rank displayed as SS, then SSS, and kept climbing until the watch screen flashed 'Error' repeatedly and went dark.
Who is this person!