Silence.
A suffocating, endless silence.
Kang Jinhyuk couldn't feel his body—no sight, no sound, no breath. Only darkness surrounded him. "…So this is death." The thought came without fear, without regret.
Then—a sharp ringing tore through the void. His vision snapped open. "Haa—!" Air rushed into his lungs as his body jolted forward. Cold air. Heavy. Unfamiliar.
Jinhyuk slowly raised his head.
Towering pillars stretched endlessly upward, pale blue flames flickering along the walls of a massive hall filled with students standing in perfect lines. "…Where…" His voice was rough. Then it hit him—a memory that wasn't his.
A novel. The Rise of the SSS Hero. His eyes narrowed.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
"Next."
A cold voice echoed. A student stepped forward, touching a floating crystal. It shone brightly. "Elementalist. B-Rank." Applause followed. Jinhyuk's gaze hardened. This scene… he knew it. This wasn't a dream. He was inside the novel.
"…The awakening ceremony." The moment where class and rank decide everything.
"Next. Kang Jinhyuk." His name was called without meaning. A few glanced at him, already uninterested. He stepped forward calmly. The crystal floated before him, radiating pure mana. "…So this decides everything." He raised his hand and touched it.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then—the light flickered. Once. Twice. Then violently. A low hum spread. CRACK. A fracture formed on the crystal. The instructor frowned. Students stepped back. The light twisted, turning from white to black as cold air spread. "What's happening…?" The crystal pulsed violently.
A distorted screen appeared before Jinhyuk alone. [ERROR 404: CLASS NOT FOUND] His eyes sharpened. "…An error?" The text glitched. [FORCING ASSIGNMENT…] Letters broke and reformed. [Class: ???] [Rank: F]
The light vanished. Silence followed. "…F-Rank." The instructor spoke flatly. "Next." Just like that, it ended. Whispers spread. "F-Rank?" "Pathetic…" Jinhyuk stood still, unbothered. The screen flickered again. [Hidden Trait Activated] → ??? → ??? → Detection Risk: CRITICAL
His heartbeat slowed—not from fear, but realization. "…Interesting." A faint, cold smile formed. "They think this is failure…"
His eyes darkened slightly. "…but something's wrong."
As he turned away from the crystal, ignoring the whispers, a thought echoed quietly in his mind—
"This isn't the end."
"It's the beginning."