[Illustration: Lee Shin standing before Seoul Hunter Academy's towering mana-crystal gates.]
The campus of Seoul Hunter Academy pulsed with energy.
Mana crystals lined every path, students sparred in open fields, and drones floated overhead, scanning mana levels. It was the heart of the new generation—a place where future hunters were molded.
Lee Shin walked through the gates, his new life beginning.
Whispers followed him like shadows.
"The weakling's back."
"Didn't he almost die in the dungeon exam?"
"He should've stayed home."
He ignored them. Words couldn't hurt him anymore. Not after death.
Inside the classroom, he took his usual seat in the corner. Dust coated the desk; it seemed no one had touched it since he'd collapsed weeks ago.
Then came Jin Tae-Sung, a muscular student with a smirk carved into his face.
"Well, look who crawled back from the grave," he sneered.
Shin's gaze was cold. "Careful what you say."
Laughter rippled through the class. "Did the weakling grow a spine?"
Before things escalated, Professor Han Seo-Yeon entered. The class instantly quieted.
She began the lesson on Mana Circulation, her voice calm and steady.
As she released mana to demonstrate, Shin felt the ring pulse faintly.
It's resonating… absorbing ambient mana.
When class ended, Seo-Yeon approached him. "You're improving fast. Don't push too hard, alright?"
He smiled faintly. "I'll be fine."
Later that evening, under the academy's training dome, he tested his strength. Each swing of his wooden sword left faint trails of blue light. His control was rough, but his instincts—those of an A-rank hunter—guided him.
Sweat dripped down his brow.
If I train this body, I can grow again. Stronger.
From the shadows above the dome, a figure watched silently, a faint red glow flickering in their eyes.