The wind was violent at that altitude.
It howled against the metal body of the aircraft like a living thing.
Jin stood at the open door of the plane.
Below him—nothing.
Only darkness.
A vast abyss stretched beneath the clouds, swallowing the world in silence.
No ground. No lights. No end.
Just an endless void.
The freezing wind whipped across his bare chest.
He wore only black pants and heavy boots. His upper body was exposed to the cold air.
Black ink covered both of his forearms.
Intricate tattoos.
The lines continued across his ribs and chest like sealed markings carved into his skin.
His dark blue hair moved slightly in the wind.
But his eyes were calm.
Too calm.
He looked down into the abyss.
Then he smiled.
Not with excitement.
Not with fear.
But with quiet acceptance.
"I need to know the truth."
Without hesitation—
He stepped forward.
And jumped.
His body vanished into the darkness.
For several seconds, there was only the sound of the wind roaring past him.
Faster.
Colder.
The abyss rushed upward.
Then—
Something changed.
The darkness below began to move.
Not like smoke.
Not like fog.
It twisted.
The void folded inward.
The air froze around him.
A voice echoed through the emptiness.
Cold.
Mechanical.
Emotionless.
[Condition met.]
[Unique Candidate detected.]
[Synchronization: 1%…]
Jin closed his eyes as the wind screamed around him.
A faint smile returned to his lips.
"Good."
"Let's start."
The wind roared louder—
Then suddenly stopped.
Total silence.
⸻
Two Years Earlier — Morning
Cold air brushed against his face.
Jin walked down a quiet street.
The sky was pale gray. The morning wind carried a light winter chill.
Students moved around him, all heading to the same place.
Eclipse Dominion University.
Today was orientation day.
Jin wore a clean black coat, fitted trousers, and polished shoes.
A cigarette rested between his lips while he held a paper cup of coffee in one hand.
A carved silver ring with black lines on his middle finger
His phone began to ring.
Caller ID: William Hayes
He answered.
"Where are you, young master?" William asked, his voice calm but sharp. "Orientation started ten minutes ago. I'm waiting at the front gate."
Jin took a slow drag from his cigarette.
"I'm already here."
Silence.
"…At the university?"
"I walked."
He ended the call.
For a brief moment—
His hand trembled.
Just slightly.
Then it stopped.
His body couldn't hold energy anymore.
Not since that day in the Abyss.
What little he absorbed from monsters leaked back out always—slowly killing him.
And worse… it killed someone else.
He exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
Two years.
That's all the doctors gave him.
Two years left to live.
All he wanted now… was a normal life.
But the System inside him had other plans.
In the distance, the massive iron gates of Eclipse Dominion University came into view.
Thousands of students passed through them every year.
Only a few survived graduation.
Jin threw the empty cup in the trash and crushed the cigarette under his shoe.
At that moment, a black luxury car pulled up near the gate.
The driver stepped out and opened the back door.
A girl stepped out.
Long silver hair. Sharp blue eyes. Elegant posture.
She moved like someone trained to stay calm under pressure.
Jin noticed her briefly—then looked away.
But he'd see her again soon.
Inside the administration office, she stood at the front desk, speaking softly to an employee.
"Another new student?" the man asked when Jin approached.
"Yes."
He handed over his ID.
Typing filled the silence.
Two cards were returned.
"Department C-52. Down the hallway."
As Jin turned, the girl moved too.
He stepped aside slightly to let her pass.
She glanced at him—just once.
Then walked out without a word.
⸻
Classroom C-52
Already half full.
Jin took a seat by the window.
From there, he could see most of the room.
The girl from earlier sat in the middle row.
Other students trickled in—some nervous, some excited, some pretending to be confident.
The door opened.
A tall, middle-aged man entered.
His presence silenced the room.
"Good morning," he said.
"My name is Professor Adrian Cole."
He turned toward the large screen behind him.
"Welcome to Eclipse Dominion University."
The lights dimmed.
The screen lit up.
At its center—
A massive black abyss, floating in the middle of a city.
"Fifty years ago," the professor said, "these appeared."
The screen changed.
Bodycam footage played.
A man was screaming, falling from the sky.
The camera shook—impact.
Heavy breathing.
Dust.
Then… something moved in the fog.
Huge.
A shadow.
The video cut to static.
The room fell silent.
"You may die before you even touch the ground," the professor said.
The screen changed again.
Floating islands, suspended in a vast void.
"Each Abyss is gateway to an island in another world."
He paused.
"When someone enters one of them…"
The screen showed a figure falling through clouds.
"…he begin by falling."
Uneasy murmurs spread.
"Each island contains monsters—hostile to all life. You must kill every single one. Only then will the exit appear. You'll have thirty minutes to leave."
More images—creatures of all shapes and sizes.
Some monstrous. Some strangely human.
"Our mission," the professor continued, "is to train individuals capable of surviving these environments… and conquering them."
The screen changed again.
A QR code appeared.
"Scan this to activate your student accounts."
Phones went up. Jin scanned his.
Room Assignment: 217
"Now," the professor said, "introduce yourselves."
A tall athletic boy stood first.
"My name's Daniel Brooks. I'm a professional boxer."
He smiled confidently.
"Looking forward to working with you all."
Jin glanced at him.
Our class leader, he thought.
Next—
"Emily Turner. I want to become a powerful Descender."
Bright smile. Pink hair.
A few boys started whispering.
She'll be popular, Jin noted.
Then the girl from earlier stood.
"My name is Seo Mira. I enjoy playing chess."
"Korean heritage?" Professor Cole asked.
"Yes. My parents are Korean. I grew up here."
At that word—
Korean—
A shadow passed through Jin's eyes.
A memory.
A sharp one.
But it vanished just as fast.
Then Jin stood.
"My name is Jin."
The room waited.
"My goal is to live a normal life."
Confused looks. A few chuckles.
"I don't have any special talent," he continued.
"But I hope to be useful."
The chuckles faded.
Then another student stood.
"I'm Veron Walker."
⸻
Evening
The sky burned orange.
Jin walked alone across the quiet campus.
He reopened his student account**.**
Room 217.
Then—
A notification.
From the university.
Before he could open it—
Thud.
He bumped into someone.
Emily stepped back, annoyed.
"Watch where you're going."
His phone vibrated again.
Jin looked down.
A message appeared.
[We will meet again.]
[Be ready.]
Emily waved a hand in front of his face.
"Hello?"
Jin didn't respond.
His eyes hardened.
Another message appeared.
[Find my man inside the Abyss.]
Then the final line.
[If he finds you first—]
[You die.]