Jae-Hyun awoke to the sharp pain in his muscles, every inch of his body aching from the brutal training session. His bones felt like they had been shattered and stitched back together overnight.
I feel like I got run over by a truck…
Groaning, he sat up, wincing as his back cracked. The sky outside was still a deep shade of indigo, the first rays of sunlight barely creeping over the horizon.
Despite the exhaustion, a strange thrill coursed through him.
I actually hit Garan yesterday.
It was a small victory. But it proved something—he wasn't completely hopeless.
"Still alive, brat?"
Jae-Hyun flinched as he saw Garan standing by the entrance of the barracks, arms crossed. The instructor's presence alone sent a wave of pressure through the room.
"Get up," Garan ordered. "Training starts now."
Jae-Hyun stared at him, in disbelief.
"Now? It's barely dawn!"
Garan smirked. "The strong don't sleep in."
Jae-Hyun wanted to argue, but his pride refused to let him complain. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself off the cot, his legs wobbling from soreness.
"I swear… you enjoy watching me suffer."
Garan chuckled. "Damn right I do."
Trial of Instinct
Jae-Hyun followed Garan into the wilderness surrounding the training camp. The ground was uneven, thick with gnarled roots and towering trees that blocked most of the morning light.
The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
Jae-Hyun frowned. Something feels… off.
His instincts screamed at him to be on guard.
"We're here," Garan announced, stopping in a small clearing.
Jae-Hyun glanced around. "What exactly are we doing?"
Garan pointed to the other side of the clearing.
Jae-Hyun's stomach dropped.
Standing in the shadows was a creature—a beast with glowing yellow eyes, its body shrouded in mist-like darkness.
A Night Stalker.
A predator known for its speed and ability to blend into the darkness.
Jae-Hyun stepped back.
"You brought me here… to fight that?"
Garan smirked. "You want to get stronger, right? Then prove it."
The Night Stalker growled, its fangs gleaming as it disappeared into the shadows.
Jae-Hyun's pulse spiked.
Where did it go?
WHOOSH!
A claw sliced through the air, barely missing his throat. Jae-Hyun rolled to the side, his heart hammering.
It's too fast!
"Don't rely on your eyes," Garan's voice rang out. "Use your instincts."
Instincts?
Jae-Hyun gritted his teeth, trying to focus. His vision was useless against something that moved unseen.
He took a deep breath, tuning into the flow of Mana around him.
And then—
He felt it.
A shift in the air.
A flicker of movement behind him.
Jae-Hyun dropped low—
SLASH!
The Night Stalker's claws missed his head by inches.
His body had reacted before his mind even processed the danger.
His instincts had awakened.
Jae-Hyun smirked. "Got you."
His fist crackled with golden energy, and as the beast lunged again—
BOOM!
Jae-Hyun's punch collided with its ribs, sending it skidding backward.
It growled, eyes burning with fury.
But Jae-Hyun didn't feel fear anymore.
He felt excited.
Pushing Beyond Limits
The fight dragged on.
Jae-Hyun's arms burned with exhaustion, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The Night Stalker was relentless—each attack more ferocious than the last.
But something was different now.
He was keeping up.
Dodging by instinct. Countering with precision.
Garan, watching from the sidelines, nodded in approval.
"The brat's adapting faster than I thought."
Finally—Jae-Hyun saw his opening.
The beast lunged—exposing its chest.
Jae-Hyun gathered every last ounce of Mana into his fist.
His golden energy flared as he struck.
CRACK!
The impact sent the beast crashing into a tree, its body twitching before it collapsed.
Jae-Hyun stood there, panting.
I… I did it.
He had won.
His first real battle.
The realization sent a rush of exhilaration through him.
Garan walked over, nodding. "Not bad, kid."
Jae-Hyun grinned, still catching his breath. "Does this mean I—"
BOOM!
Before he could finish, an overwhelming presence crashed down on him.
Jae-Hyun's blood ran cold.
A second Night Stalker emerged from the shadows.
But this one—
Was twice as large.
Its red eyes burned with killing intent.
Jae-Hyun's exhausted body froze.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a death sentence.
The Edge of Despair
The beast charged, the ground trembling beneath its weight.
Jae-Hyun tried to move—but his legs wouldn't respond.
His body was at its limit.
He had nothing left.
This is it.
The Night Stalker's claws descended—
And then—
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted.
Jae-Hyun barely processed what happened before realizing—
The beast was on the ground.
And standing before him—was Garan.
The instructor cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"You did well, brat. But you're not ready to die just yet."
Jae-Hyun collapsed, gasping for air.
As he stared at Garan's overwhelming presence, a single thought burned in his mind.
I need to get stronger.
Stronger than exhaustion.
Stronger than fear.
Stronger than anything.
Because next time—
He wouldn't need to be saved.