It looked sharp, its handle brown and its blade plain but powerful.
Inventory: 2/20
Space Remaining: 18 Slots
Mike slowly approached and picked it up.
"Maybe this… was the real reward."
A portal opened before him. Mike stepped through, and suddenly, he was back in the bathroom. The air was still, as if nothing had happened. He glanced at the wall clock. Only three minutes had passed.
Relieved, he thought, Time must move differently in that forest.
He took a deep breath, straightened up, and walked out of the bathroom.
Outside, Kad and Giel were already chatting. Mike joined in casually, hiding what he had just been through. Time passed quickly, and soon the group was heading toward the cafeteria.
There stood Glus, waiting for them with his arms crossed and his expression serious.
"Training begins today," he announced. "You'll be working in teams, with your roommates as your partners."
A few students murmured, some nodded with anticipation.
"Follow me. We're heading to the training grounds."
They followed him outside, and finally, they saw it—the massive training field.
It was enormous, much bigger than anything they had imagined.
Scattered across the area were:
• Combat dummies in all shapes and sizes
• Targets for ranged practice
• A large obstacle course with climbing walls, ropes, and moving platforms
• Training machines that adjusted in real time, some even seemed to talk
And then one section stood out. A large sign read:
Simulation Arena – Challenge a Friend
A real combat simulator where students could fight one another in a safe but intense environment.
Glus looked across the crowd and smirked. "I have a feeling I know who wants to fight first."
The tension in the air rose.
"Alright then," said Mike.
With a low hum, a digital field flickered to life. The world around them dissolved. They were now standing in a rocky canyon, surrounded by bare stone, the sky above dark and ominous.
As soon as the signal sounded, Giel was already on the move. He focused his energy, his feet barely touching the ground as he shot toward Mike. Magic glowed in his fists.
"Gravity Blast!"
Mike was hit by an invisible wave. His legs were swept out from under him, and he slammed into the ground, but he managed to roll away just in time.
"Not bad," he muttered.
He got back on his feet, clenched his fists, and his eyes sparked.
"Wolf Strike!"
In a flash, he was in front of Giel, striking with full force. The blow landed on Giel's side. He gasped but immediately stood up again.
Suddenly, Mike felt like he was made of lead. Every movement became heavy. He dropped to his knees, sweat dripping from his brow.
"If you give up now, it's over," Giel said seriously.
But Mike slowly raised his head. His voice was calm.
"I'm not giving up."
Willpower Surge activated – Strength and Speed increased for a short time
With a sudden burst, Mike broke through the gravity field and dashed forward, his movements fast as the wind. He kicked Giel in the shin, followed by a sharp left hook.
Giel fell but rolled and sprang right back up. Both were panting.
Giel raised his hands, gathering mana. Small orbs of gravity floated above him. The spheres launched toward Mike. He ducked under one, leapt to the side, and charged straight at Giel.
"Pack Bite!"
Two ghostly wolves appeared at Mike's side. One was destroyed mid-leap—Giel had reacted—but the second made it through and sank its teeth into Giel's upper arm.
Giel screamed in pain, staggering.
Mike didn't hesitate. He jumped. Two solid punches—one to the gut, one to the chest. Giel was thrown against a rock wall. The simulation froze.
Combat ended.
Winner: Mike Tyl
Performance Rating: A-
Giel stood up, took a deep breath, and grinned. "Okay… that was more than I expected."
Mike reached out his hand. "You're fast. That could've gone either way."
Giel took his hand and smirked. "If that's what you're capable of, then you're definitely not a normal Sal-2."
Whispers spread among the onlookers.
"What were those abilities? I thought he only had strength."
"He summoned wolves. That's magic, isn't it?"
"But he doesn't usually use any."
Some looked confused. Lasa, standing quietly nearby, furrowed her brows.
"Must've been the simulation," someone murmured. "Sometimes it brings out what's deep inside… or what's yet to awaken."
Mike said nothing.
He'd heard the questions. Felt the doubt. But deep inside, he knew: that wasn't a glitch. That wasn't a trick.
Something inside him was waking up.
"Hey Mike, what were those wolves in the simulation?" Giel couldn't shake the image from his mind. The way they appeared—almost real.
They were walking back from training, the evening sun low in the sky.
Should Mike tell him everything now? Even he wasn't sure what to say.
Mike paused, then answered honestly. "I… don't really know. They just came. I shouted 'Pack Bite' like usual—but this time, something was different. They felt real."
Giel narrowed his eyes. "You're not supposed to have magic, right? Or… do you?"
Mike looked away. "I'll tell you more when I understand it myself. Promise."
Giel nodded, but it clearly still bothered him. Not suspicion—just concern.
⸻
Meanwhile, with Kad and Lasa:
They stood off to the side on a padded section of the training area. Lasa moved lightly on her feet, then gestured to Kad.
"Watch—you're putting too much force into your first strike," she said. "Try to control with movement, not just brute power."
She demonstrated: block, sidestep, a swift strike to the solar plexus.
Kad tried, but stumbled a bit. "Ugh… I'm not really built for finesse."
Lasa smiled. "That's okay. You've got strength. Let me show you how to blend it with technique. Strength and precision."
Kad nodded. For the first time in days, he seemed focused. Calm. He trusted her.
⸻
Back with Mike:
He now walked alone toward the dorms. The wind stirred gently around him, and the sky had grown darker. His thoughts raced.
What if something really was inside him? Something the system itself couldn't define?
Fourteen Years Ago — The Fireborn Incident
Fourteen years ago the world changed.
The strongest S rank Fal and his wife Mis, who was an A rank, had just welcomed a baby. The child was only a few days old when a messenger arrived with terrible news.
Five S ranks are dead, the man said.
The world is lost.
Our last hope is the strongest S rank. We need you.
Mis stared at her husband, hands trembling. Fal looked at the infant cradled in her arms.
"This is terrible," she whispered.
"I know," he answered.
He lifted the newborn and handed him to Mis. "Take our son and leave the city now," he said. Mis took the baby, tears already falling.
"But you?" she asked.
"I will follow soon," Fal said, voice steady.
He pressed a final kiss to the baby's forehead. Then he spoke words Mis did not understand, old words that felt like a closing door. Before she could ask, he stepped back and vanished into the distance.
Fal raced to meet Fireborn. He fell, but he did not fail. He sealed Fireborn inside the ancient Shadow Realm, a place he himself had forged with the last of his strength. The cost was unbearable. Fal did not survive his injuries.
Mis learned what had happened and the grief broke her. Still she climbed to a rooftop and watched her city burn. A massive dragon, a living furnace, burned everything in its path. She knew she had to stop it, even if it would be the last thing she ever did.
She held her son close. "Mike Tyl, my child," she said, fastening the necklace at his neck. "Keep this safe for me."
Little Mike reached up and tapped her nose as if to promise.
Mis stood and faced the dragon. Light shield, she called. Light beam, she added. The shield held the worst of the fire. The beam struck the dragon's eye. It screamed and lashed out. With a single beat of its wings it threw Mis like a ragged doll. She fell and did not rise again.
Then the Sals came. Fifty A rank fighters arrived together and fought the dragon down. They found the baby alone and filthy among the ashes.
Poor child, one of them said.
What will become of him now, another murmured.
Twelve Years Later
Mike grew up under government care. At twelve he was finally given his own apartment.
"Mike," the agent said while handing over keys, "do you want to know what happened to your parents?"
Mike hoped. "Yeah. Where are they? Can I meet them now?"
The agent's face tightened. "I am sorry. Your parents died in a car accident. Twelve years ago."
Mike's smile fell away. He only managed a quiet, Oh.
"But today is still a good day," the agent added hurriedly. "You are getting your own place. What do you think?"
Mike turned his gaze to the window and tried to look pleased. "Yeah. Finally," he said, but inside he only wanted silence.
The complex was small. Six people in the whole building. The agent showed him his apartment and explained that he would receive monthly support so he would not have to worry. Then the agent left.
Mike stood in the empty room and felt something like relief. Finally he was alone.
Later That Night
The wolves you summoned during the fight, that was not a normal skill, was it, Giel asked quietly. His voice was calm but there was tension underneath.
In the simulation only preset abilities are allowed. Your attack was not programmed, Giel continued. It was real.
Mike met his friend's eyes. Giel was serious now. "I am not your enemy," he said. "But if you are hiding something, you could be in danger. We all could."
Mike exhaled. The confession tasted heavy. "I sometimes receive quests. Like in a video game. I do not know why or who gives them to me, but they give me powers."
"A system?" Giel repeated, eyebrows lifting. "In your head?"
"Or in my body. I am not sure."
Silence stretched between them. Then Mike added, "And the wolves. I got them after a battle. I was teleported during it. They came after I used an ability."
Giel took a few steps and then turned back. "That is not a normal ability, Mike. That is something different. Maybe even dangerous."
"I know," Mike said.
"Have you told anyone else?" Giel asked.
"No. Only you."
Giel looked at him for a long moment, then closed his eyes briefly. "Then it will stay that way," he said. "As long as I know you are on our side."
He started to walk away, and after a few steps added without looking back, "And Mike, thank you for trusting me."
Mike stayed where he was. He looked up at the night sky and whispered to himself, "What am I?"
He looked down, then nodded to his reflection in the dark window. "I just want to understand what I am."
Later that evening, just before curfew, Mike stood in the hallway outside their rooms. He took a breath and knocked.
"Giel. Kad. Lasa. Can we talk? It is important."