Jin stood alone near the dormitories, the echoes of his phone call with William still fading in his mind. He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it with a silver lighter.
The small flame flickered against his calm eyes as smoke curled slowly into the night air.
The campus was quiet.
Too quiet.
Jin exhaled a thin stream of smoke and looked across the dark grounds. Dormitory lights glowed faintly in the distance while the wind moved gently through the trees.
Then—
Something shifted.
A presence.
Not sound.
Not movement.
Just a feeling.
His instincts sharpened.
[Warning]
[Killing intent detected]
[Distance: 50 meters]
Jin's fingers tightened slightly around the cigarette.
His gaze slowly turned toward the long open corridor connecting the dormitory buildings.
At the far end of it—
A silhouette stood in the shadows.
Still.
Watching him.
For a single second neither of them moved.
Then the figure turned and ran.
Jin dropped the cigarette instantly and rushed forward.
His footsteps echoed sharply through the empty corridor as he accelerated. The cold night air rushed past him as the shadow darted around a corner ahead.
Jin reached the turn seconds later.
But the hallway beyond was already empty.
His eyes scanned left.
Right.
Nothing.
A faint sound came from below.
Leaves shifting.
Branches snapping.
Jin stepped to the edge of the open corridor and looked down.
The ground was far below, covered in dark trees and scattered bushes.
Someone had jumped.
[Killing intent lost]
The night returned to silence.
Jin remained still for a few seconds longer, analyzing the situation.
Fast.
Careful.
And confident enough to approach the dormitories.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then he turned and walked back toward his room.
When Jin reached his door, he stopped.
It was slightly open.
A small gap.
He clearly remembered locking it.
His hand pushed the door slowly.
The room was quiet.
Nothing looked disturbed.
The bed.
The chair.
The desk.
Everything exactly as he had left it.
But in the center of the desk sat a single object.
Jin walked closer.
A chess piece.
The white king.
He picked it up carefully, turning it between his fingers.
His expression didn't change.
"Ethan…" he murmured quietly.
The game had begun.
Morning sunlight streamed through the lecture hall windows as students slowly filled their seats. Quiet conversations echoed across the room.
Professor Cole tapped the blackboard with a piece of chalk.
"Today we begin studying Abyss classification."
Four strange symbols appeared on the board.
"First: the Hollow Abyss. The most common type."
He wrote beneath it.
"Low Energy. Medium Energy. High Energy."
The chalk moved again.
"Second: the Wild Abyss."
Another symbol appeared.
"These are much larger and significantly more dangerous. Hundreds of monsters may inhabit them instead of dozens."
He drew a third mark.
"Third: the Ancient Abyss."
His voice lowered slightly.
"These are extremely rare. Their internal structure is unstable and unpredictable. Standard energy classifications do not apply."
Finally he drew the last symbol.
"The fourth type…"
He set the chalk down.
"The Cataclysm Abyss."
The classroom grew noticeably quieter.
"The last Cataclysm Abyss destroyed an entire coastal city in less than six hours."
No one spoke.
A faint smile crossed the professor's face.
"Most of you will never encounter one."
He paused briefly.
"But if you do…"
His gaze moved across the room.
"Survival is not guaranteed."
The lecture continued with combat protocols, international regulations, and Abyss safety procedures.
Eventually the bell rang.
Students began leaving the classroom.
As Jin and Veron stood up, a group passed through the hallway outside.
A tall young man walked at the front.
Four others followed behind him.
His posture was relaxed.
Yet something about his presence made nearby students instinctively move aside.
His eyes briefly landed on Jin and Veron.
A small knowing smile appeared.
Jin immediately remembered the girl they had helped the previous day.
Her voice echoed in his mind.
Do not interfere with another class again. It is not your business.
Trouble will follow.
She had disappeared right after saying that.
Jin exchanged a glance with Veron.
Trouble had clearly arrived.
Later, Veron walked through the hallway and spotted the girl standing near a staircase.
He approached casually.
"Hey," he said. "Why did you run last time?"
She gave a small apologetic smile.
"Sorry… I was scared. A little."
Veron studied her expression, trying to understand more.
Before he could ask another question, the atmosphere in the hallway suddenly shifted.
Students nearby instinctively stepped aside.
Daphx approached.
Four companions walked behind him.
His expression was calm.
But the pressure surrounding him was unmistakable.
His gaze moved slowly from Veron… to the girl.
"Are you bothering my girl?" he asked quietly.
The girl stepped forward quickly.
"No trouble, Daphx."
He reached out and casually ruffled her hair.
She flinched slightly.
Veron's expression hardened.
Before anything escalated, Daniel suddenly appeared beside him.
"Is there a problem here?"
Emily arrived moments later carrying a stack of curriculum papers beside Professor Cole.
The professor frowned slightly at the gathering.
Daphx simply smiled.
"No problem."
He turned and walked away with his group.
The girl followed silently.
Veron kept watching him until he disappeared around the corner.
Professor Cole handed the papers to Emily.
"Distribute these to the evening session students."
Then he glanced at Veron and Daniel.
"And stay out of other classes' affairs."
Far away, Jin stood before the entrance of an Abyss.
A dark pit stretched before him within twisted forest terrain.
He opened the system interface.
A glowing energy stone appeared in his hand.
Without hesitation, he crushed it.
Energy surged through his body.
"It was a good idea to keep some stones in the Box before I stop," he murmured.
The environment shifted instantly.
The forested island appeared suspended inside a dark void.
No sun.
No sky.
Yet a pale glow illuminated the land.
"I always wondered how the Abyss shines without a sun."
A low growl sounded behind him.
[Killing intent detected]
[Distance: 50 meters]
A monstrous creature burst from the trees.
Jin moved instantly.
The Flame Demon Sword appeared in his hand as fire raced along the blade.
The monster lunged.
The blade flashed.
One clean strike.
The creature split apart as flames consumed its body before it touched the ground.
Another beast leapt from behind him.
Jin shifted his stance slightly and swung backward.
Steel cut through the air.
The monster collapsed.
Three more charged together.
This time Jin stepped forward instead of retreating.
Fire exploded across the forest like a violent storm.
Claws scraped his sleeve as one monster lunged too close.
Jin twisted sharply.
The sword cut upward.
The creature fell.
Moments later the forest grew silent again.
Seventeen monsters lay scattered across the ground.
Energy stones floated toward him one by one.
The system updated.
558 / 1000
Finally, a glowing portal appeared between the trees.
Jin stepped through it calmly.
Sunlight welcomed him outside the Abyss.
The black Rolls Royce waited nearby.
William Hayes opened the door respectfully.
Jin entered the car and leaned back in the seat.
"Take me somewhere I can drink something."
William nodded and started the engine.
The car eventually stopped at a quiet café near the university.
Jin stepped out carrying his laptop and diary.
Across the street, Mira noticed him from another café.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
A Rolls Royce…?
Curiosity won.
A few minutes later she entered.
"Jin."
He looked up.
"Mira. You wanna sit?"
She sat across from him holding her coffee.
"I saw you from across the street."
Jin leaned back slightly.
"So you were spying on me?"
Mira rolled her eyes.
"Pervert."
Warm afternoon sunlight filled the café windows.
Elsewhere, where it was morning, a lone figure stood silently before two graves.
His face was hidden beneath the shadow of a black umbrella.
Cold wind brushed against his long coat.
Slowly he placed a single white flower on one of the graves.
The name engraved there read:
Elira Vance
Beside it stood another tombstone.
Kwon Jin.