A week had passed since the results were announced.
During that time, I trained under Master Bin. I learned how to swim, how to sense locations through energy, and even the art of survival.
For all of this, I was truly grateful to him. But now, it was time to put everything into practice.
David headed toward the underground training grounds. As he stepped inside, he saw many students gathered. Turning to the left, his eyes landed on Emma, who stood there expressionless.
Sensing David's gaze, Emma looked at him. For just a split second, he noticed a hint of curiosity in her eyes — but it disappeared just as quickly.
The gate creaked open, and Vincent entered the hall. As he passed by the two of them, he gave a slight smile and then moved to the center of the arena.
Everyone was stunned by his speed.
"Alright, students," Vincent began. "Today's training will show us how strong you truly are. First, each of you will hit this machine. It's called the Strength Meter."
The first to step forward was Leo — a tall boy with fiery red hair, around 18 years old. David recognized him. He had taken second place in the rankings, while David and Emma had tied for first.
Leo stood before the machine, focused. Gathering his energy, he struck it with full force. The screen blinked and displayed:
18 tons.
Gasps echoed through the room — no one had ever achieved that on the first-year level. Vincent, observing, thought:
Leo, from the Ragnar Clan. No wonder he ranks second — the boy's talented.
Next came Emma. After a brief moment of concentration, she struck the machine.
16 tons.
The students were impressed, though not as much as with Leo's result.
One by one, the other students followed, until only David remained. Vincent glanced his way.
The last one — David.
He stepped forward, slim in appearance, though the academy's nutrition had filled him out somewhat.
Standing before the machine, David whispered to himself:
"I won't be able to hit as hard as they did… but I need to try."
He pulled his arm back and punched with all his might.
9 tons.
Murmurs spread among the students. Many couldn't believe the person who placed first in the rankings scored so low.
Gathering around Leo, they began to snicker.
"See? He's weaker than you. How the hell is he number one?"
Leo remained silent, eyes fixed on David with quiet disbelief.
Vincent was slightly disappointed. Emma, however, thought:
"With that kind of body, hitting 9 tons isn't bad at all."
David, staring at the result, felt the sting of failure. Frustration and confusion welled up inside him.
Suddenly — a voice echoed in his mind.
"Open your eyes."
David froze. The voice repeated:
"Open your eyes... Open your eyes..."
He couldn't ignore it.
Reaching for the cloth over his eyes, he began to untie it. As it fell, his vision changed.
The world turned dark. Everything slowed down.
And he could see energy — black wisps forming in his hands.
The observers looked on, puzzled by what they were witnessing. Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"He's gathering energy… but how?"
David pulled back his arm, now cloaked in dark energy, and punched again.
The machine trembled, and the number blinked to life:
20 tons.
Shock spread across Emma, Leo, and Vincent's faces. None of them could believe what they just saw.
But as the force of the strike settled, David suddenly felt a searing pain rip through his body. Blood burst from his mouth as he collapsed to his knees. Vincent rushed over to him, saying something — but David could no longer hear.
His consciousness faded.
When he opened his eyes again… he was somewhere else.
What is this place?
He stood atop a mountain, covered in black flowers swaying gently in the wind. Below, an endless ocean stretched out toward the horizon.
Above him — a glowing, silver moon.
He took a deep breath. The air was calm, refreshing. He walked forward and sat at the cliff's edge.
"So peaceful," he thought, feeling the cool breeze on his face.
And then, a familiar voice spoke from behind him — one that made his heart stop.
"Beautiful place, isn't it?"