The mysterious voice from last night still hums in Hale's skull like a whisper trapped behind iron bars.
He keeps walking through the academy hallway, but his mind is still stuck on the echo:
*"Descendant of the fallen line… bearer of the incomplete fate… awaken."*
Even now, it sends an involuntary shiver down his spine.
Hale—Ethan, in truth—tries not to think about it, but it's impossible.
He isn't dreaming.
He isn't hallucinating.
He is **inside Revenant Kingdom Online**, the game he played quietly every night after work.
But unlike the players in the game, he has no respawns. No character creation. No tutorials.
Just a stranger's body, a job he doesn't belong to, and a world filled with monsters and calamities.
He reaches the principal's office and takes a slow breath before knocking.
"Enter," a strict voice commands.
He steps inside.
Principal Jasmin sits behind her desk like a queen who rules the room simply by existing. She doesn't speak at first—she studies him with her sharp violet eyes, and Hale feels as if she is peeling open his soul.
"You called for me, ma'am?" he asks.
Her fingers interlock on the table. "Yes. Sit."
He does.
There is a long pause before she continues, voice low, measured.
"It's about what happened during your combat lecture."
Hale tenses. "I apologize if I—"
"You misunderstand," she interrupts. "I'm not displeased. I'm intrigued."
"…Intrigued?"
She nods, gaze turning sharper. "Mr. Hale… why are you hiding your aura?"
Hale freezes.
"What do you mean?" he asks carefully.
"Your capacity is immense. At minimum, you have the presence of an **S-rank**. Possibly more. Yet you behave as a modest instructor with barely above-average power."
She tilts her head slightly.
"Why?"
Hale keeps his face impassive, but his heart pounds.
*The original Hale was B-rank. Not S. I'm using his body, and the body doesn't have S-rank power either. So what did she feel? What did she sense?*
His mouth feels dry. "I didn't want to draw attention."
Principal Jasmin studies him again, then leans back.
"Understandable. High power draws enemies as much as allies. Since that is the case, I will be direct."
She rises from her seat.
"From this moment forward, I appoint you as a **High-Rank Combat Instructor** of Rowanveil Academy."
Hale's mind goes blank.
"…Thank you, Headmistress," he manages.
She nods once. "Good. That will be all. Your talents will be needed in the coming months."
He doesn't dare ask what she means.
He bows and leaves quickly.
The moment the door closes behind him, he exhales sharply.
*Hiding my power? What power? I don't even know why she thinks I'm S-rank. Something must be off.*
He rubs his temples.
This world is too real… too sharp… too dangerous.
And he is too weak.
---
## **Night Falls — And Reality Hits Hard**
In the teacher dormitory, Hale collapses onto the bed.
The ceiling looks unfamiliar. The room smells faintly of old books and mana residue.
In his old world, he used to return to a small apartment after a boring job, scrolling his phone, hoping the next day would be different.
Then one night, after saving a mother and daughter from a killer's knife, he bled out on a cold sidewalk.
And woke up here.
In someone else's life.
Now, he is Hale—teacher, "S-rank," and unprepared.
He closes his eyes.
*I need an advantage. Something. Anything.*
He doesn't know it yet…
…but tomorrow will give him exactly that.
---
## **The Next Morning — Rumors Break Loose**
By sunrise, the academy is a storm of whispers.
"I heard the new teacher crushed a training artifact."
"Not crushed—pulverized!"
"They say he fought the vice-captain of the knight squad and didn't even use half his strength!"
Hale walks through the hall, ignoring every rumor.
If anything, they just make him more anxious.
*If they keep this up, someone strong is going to test me… and then I'm screwed.*
He reaches the classroom door.
*Okay. Students. Teaching. That's safe. Right?*
He opens the door—
---
# **[DING!]**
A crisp electronic chime pierces his mind.
Hale jerks as a translucent blue panel expands in front of him.
His jaw drops.
*No… freaking… way.*
---
## **[WELCOME, PLAYER HALE]**
**Prerequisite Met → Instructor Identity Stabilized**
**Initial Reward Granted → SYSTEM ACCESS (BETA)**
A second panel flashes open.
## **[SYSTEM MENU UNLOCKED]**
1. Status
2. Skills
3. Inventory
4. **Store (NEW!)**
5. Quests
Hale stares, breath frozen.
The system…
The actual system…
*It's real.*
Another window pops open instantly.
---
# **[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]**
### **Quest: AWAKEN THE 5 HIDDEN POTENTIALS**
Your class contains five individuals with extraordinary, dormant talent.
Help them awaken before natural progression.
**Objectives:**
• Identify the five potentials
• Accelerate or trigger their awakening
• Guide them through first breakthrough
**Reward:**
✔ **300 PX Points**
✔ Store Expansion (Tier 1 Unlock)
✔ Passive Skill: *Instructor's Insight (F)*
✔ Affection Boost with chosen students
**Failure:**
✘ Loss of early-store access
✘ Destiny destabilization (Severe)
---
Hale swallows hard.
*I have a system. A freaking system. And a quest. And rewards. And penalties—okay that's terrifying.*
More text slides up.
---
### **[Identifying Hidden Potentials...]**
Five faint outlines glow blue in the classroom.
Hale slowly turns his gaze toward them.
### **1. Lyra Edmiston**
A quiet girl with silver hair tied in a low braid.
Her eyes are cold, calculating—far too mature for her age.
**[Raw Potential: S]
[Awakening: Locked]
[Affinity: Frost + Arcane]
[Growth Type: Explosive]**
### **2. Calen Draxford**
Tall, slightly messy dark hair, broad shoulders. Looks lazy but has the posture of someone who has fought before.
**[Raw Potential: S]
[Awakening: Locked]
[Affinity: Berserker's Blood]
[Growth Type: Unstable]**
### **3. Serin Valemont**
A boy with spectacles, neat uniform, neat everything. A textbook definition of a nerd.
**[Raw Potential: SS]
[Awakening: Locked]
[Affinity: Spatial Distortion]
[Growth Type: Singular]**
### **4. Ronan Crestfall**
A calm boy reading a book even now.
A strange aura sleeps beneath him—dark but not evil.
**[Raw Potential: S]
[Awakening: Locked]
[Affinity: Shadow + Steel]
[Growth Type: Hidden]**
### **5. Elira Thornhart**
A cheerful-looking girl with messy ginger hair and bright green eyes.
Her presence is lively, but the system trembles when scanning her.
**[Raw Potential: SS+]
[Awakening: Locked]
[Affinity: Life + Mana Convergence]
[Growth Type: God-Tier (Dormant)]**
Hale almost chokes.
*THESE FIVE ARE NOT "NORMAL." THEY ARE FUTURE MONSTERS.*
Another alert pops up.
### **[Instructor's Insight (Passive) Activated]**
**You gain:**
• Understanding of student potential
• Ability to detect flaws in technique
• Resistance to student-triggered accidents
• Chance to influence individual destinies
Hale breathes out slowly.
*This is insane. Truly insane. But… 300 PX points…*
He taps the Store icon.
# **[STORE — Tier 0]**
**Available Items:**
• Basic Skill Scroll — 50 PX
• Mana Recovery Potion — 20 PX
• Minor Aura Boost — 30 PX
• Beginner Spellbook (Random) — 100 PX
• Physical Enhancement (Minor) — 80 PX
• Low-Grade Defensive Charm — 25 PX
• Enhanced Reflex Patch — 40 PX
Locked items remain blurred below.
Hale's eyes narrow.
*If I grind PX points, I survive. If I fail… I die.*
He clenches his fist.
*Alright. I'll awaken these kids. Not out of kindness—because I need PX to stay alive.*
The panels fade away.
## **Class Begins — And Hale Has a Goal**
The students straighten as he walks in.
"Good morning, Instructor Hale!"
He gestures for them to sit.
He can still see the faint blue glow around the five potentials, reminding him of his mission.
*Step one: Evaluate them. Step two: figure out how to awaken them.*
He walks to the center.
"Today, we begin with the basics," he says. "Mana aptitude testing."
A few students groan.
Some look nervous.
But the five potentials react differently.
Lyra lifts her head slightly.
Calen yawns but watches him carefully.
Serin adjusts his glasses.
Ronan closes his book quietly.
Elira smiles, seeming excited.
Hale feels the system humming quietly, feeding him little bits of information.
## **The First Assessment — Mana Crystal Testing**
He activates the academy's large mana crystal.
It glows white, waiting.
"Step forward one by one. Place your hand on the crystal. It will show your core aptitude."
Students begin lining up.
Hale activates **Instructor's Insight**, and a small stream of information flows each time someone touches the crystal.
**[Mana Aptitude: D]
[Growth: Normal]**
**[Mana Aptitude: C-]
[Growth: Steady]**
**[Mana Aptitude: C]
[Growth: Balanced]**
The system seems to effortlessly assist his evaluation.
But then—
Lyra steps forward.
She places her hand on the crystal.
The crystal flashes violently—
—and immediately cracks.
Students gasp.
Hale narrows his eyes as the system displays:
**[Mana Aptitude: A+]
[Potential Sync: High]
[Warning: Crystal insufficient for further reading]**
Lyra calmly pulls back her hand, expression unchanged.
Next is Calen.
He yawns, places his hand.
The crystal shakes violently.
A loud hum vibrates across the room as if something primal is stirring.
**[Mana Aptitude: ???]
[Potential Sync: Unstable]
[Warning: Berserker bloodline interference detected]**
The crystal dims afterward, as if exhausted.
Serin steps next.
He hesitates before touching it—
—and the crystal flickers in four different colors at once.
Students recoil, terrified.
Hale's eyes widen.
**[Mana Aptitude: SS]
[Affinity: Spatial Distortion — Evolving]
[Risk: Spatial Instability]**
Ronan is next.
The moment his hand brushes the crystal, it turns black.
A shadow spreads inside it like ink dropped in water.
Gasps fill the room.
**[Mana Aptitude: A]
[Affinity: Shadow + Steel]
[Potential: Concealed]**
Then Elira walks up, cheerful as ever.
She touches it—
—and the entire crystal turns **green-gold**, glowing brighter than the sun.
Students shield their eyes.
Hale feels warmth wash over him.
**[Mana Aptitude: SSS+]
[Affinity: Life Resonance]
[Potential: World-Class]**
The crystal bursts.
Literally bursts into harmless dust.
The room goes silent.
Hale simply whispers:
"…Okay. So this class is insane."
## **The Students React**
Murmurs spread.
"She broke the crystal!"
"No, the last girl destroyed it!"
"What are they? Monsters?"
"No, prodigies!"
The five potentials react differently:
Lyra quietly returns to her seat, unfazed.
Calen grins like someone ready for a fight.
Serin is pale and trembling—clearly overwhelmed.
Ronan simply nods, as if confirming something to himself.
Elira giggles. "Oops…"
Hale raises a hand.
"Calm down, everyone."
His voice echoes firmly.
"I will explain your results later. For now, we continue class."
But inside?
He is screaming.
*I have FIVE future calamities in one room and a system telling me to awaken them. Why is my life always impossible?*
Still, he straightens and breathes deeply.
Teaching begins.
## **Instructor Hale's Demonstration**
He decides to test basic combat form.
"Pair up," he orders. "We'll do stance evaluation."
The five potentials react strongly:
Lyra chooses to stand alone.
Calen smirks and cracks his knuckles.
Serin keeps distance from everyone.
Ronan stands in a quiet corner.
Elira tries to partner with anyone who will agree.
Hale notices their behavior patterns useful for their awakening.
Lyra → isolated, analytical
Calen → aggressive, explosive
Serin → anxious but brilliant
Ronan → controlled, dangerous
Elira → cheerful but hiding something
He tests their footwork, posture, aura.
He already knows the truth:
They are far beyond their peers.
Even before awakening.
## **System Insight Flashes Again**
At random intervals, the system gives notes:
### **[Lyra]**
"Frost affinity dormant. Emotional detachment prevents awakening."
→ Needs emotional trigger.
### **[Calen]**
"Bloodline locked behind rage threshold."
→ Needs combat pressure.
### **[Serin]**
"Spatial distortion awakening requires mental stability."
→ Needs confidence boost.
### **[Ronan]**
"Shadow affinity suppressed by self-restraint."
→ Needs controlled environment.
### **[Elira]**
"Life affinity requires mana overflow or near-death moment."
→ Needs careful handling.
Hale massages his forehead.
*So I need to emotionally heal one, pressure another, stabilize the third, release the fourth, and almost kill the fifth? Perfect. Just perfect.*
This will be hell.
But also—
**300 PX points.**
If he wants to survive future story arcs, especially the Demon King's return…
He needs every point.
## **The Class Ends — But Hale's Work Just Begins**
The bell rings.
Students rush out.
Only the five potentials stay behind, each for different reasons.
Lyra remains because she is naturally calm; chaos doesn't faze her.
Calen stays because he wants to test the new teacher.
Serin stays because he is too nervous to move.
Ronan stays because he prefers quiet spaces.
Elira stays because she wants to talk.
Hale turns to them.
"Since you're here, let's talk about your results."
They look up.
The system flashes:
**[Quest Progress: 7%]**
Hale sighs internally.
This is going to be a long journey.
He begins explaining gently, carefully, referencing only safe information.
But inside?
He analyzes every movement, every word, every reaction.
He needs to understand their psychology to awaken them properly.
---
## **End of the Day — Hale's Resolve Hardens**
When they finally leave, Hale collapses into his chair.
He stares at the empty room.
The broken crystal dust still floats gently in the air.
In this quiet moment, the system softly chimes:
---
### **[You have taken your first step.]**
### **[Five futures now revolve around you.]**
### **[Destiny branches…]**
### **[Survival chance: +3%]**
Hale laughs weakly.
"Three percent? That's all?"
Another chime:
**[Current survival chance: 19%]**
"…Great. Amazing. Perfect."
But then he looks at the Store icon.
The quest reward awaits him at the end of this journey.
**300 PX.
Store expansion.
Skills.
Power.
Life.**
He stands.
Straightens his coat.
And walks out of the classroom.
*Fine. If fate dumped me here… I'll rewrite it my way.*