Ji-Han looked at them quietly and glanced at his own band again. Weak, low-class and was completely ignored. He was pained and almost teared up for being useless. The courage he had mustered up until now was crumbled, because he never expect himself to get to that level. Even though some were the same age has him and younger than him he was disappointed on himself.
As they passed by, Yoon se-ah looked around and notice Ji-Han though she didn't see him well because he was leaving. But noticed the energy he released was somehow different from theirs. Though weak, she didn't bother and went after him, but before she could get to him, he vanished and she was down.
"I would like to see him, he feels different"
"I hope I meet you in the training camp." She muttered.
There was no excitement in her voice, and she walked on, as if nothing had happened. But within her a small, unfamiliar interest had been sparked.
ONE MONTH LATER – AWAKENING TRAINING CAMP
A cold morning mist hung over the vast training grounds.
The camp, located far from the city and surrounded by dense forest and reinforced barriers, stood like a fortress built to forge monsters.
Steel structures. Combat arenas. Mana-testing towers. And everywhere, awakeners. Some trained with weapons, some unleashed abilities, and some simply tried to survive the pressure.
At the center of it all stood a massive digital board displaying ranks.
Names flickered.
Updated.
Rearranged.
A constant reminder.
Only the strong rise.
Ji-Han stood at the edge of the field, quiet, unnoticed Just like before. But something about him had changed.
His body was leaner.
His eyes… calmer.
Less hesitation.
The band on his wrist still marked him as low-class, and people still ignored him.
"Oi, move."
A trainee brushed past him without a second glance.
"Don't block the path."
Ji-Han stepped aside silently, no reaction, no anger, Just… acceptance, or so it seemed.
A loud explosion echoed across the training field.
BOOM!
Flames erupted in the distance.
Heads turned instantly.
"Is that Kang Ji-won again?!"
"Her control got even better…"
Not far from her—
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Blades collided at blinding speed.
Han Seo-jun moved like a streak of light, cutting through reinforced targets with terrifying precision.
"HAHA! AGAIN!"
A shockwave burst outward as Park Min-jae slammed his fist into a training construct, completely crushing it.
"Too weak!"
Meanwhile, in the shadows of a structure… Yoon Se-ah stood still, watching, and observing everything. Silent as ever.
And at the far end of the field, the air distorted violently.
Energy surged, then collapsed, rose again.
Unstable.
Lee Hyun-woo.
"…Control it," an instructor warned.
Ji-Han's Moment
Ji-Han watched them all, but the gap was still there clear and wide.
Unreachable, or at least…
that's what everyone believed.
He clenched his fist slightly, not in frustration this time, but quiet resolve.
"One month… I didn't waste it.
"ALL TRAINEES—ASSEMBLE!"
A commanding voice echoed across the entire camp.
Instant silence followed.
Even the strongest turned.
At the center platform stood a high-ranking official of the Association.
His presence alone was overwhelming.
"This month was only the beginning," he announced.
"From today onward… real training begins."
A pause.
Then—
"Survival exercises. Combat ranking. Live monster encounters."
The crowd stiffened.
Some were excited, while some were afraid and nervous.
"And one more thing—"
His gaze swept across everyone.
Then stopped briefly…
On Ji-Han.
"…Ranks will no longer protect you."
A heavy silence fell.
"Only strength will."
Ji-Han slowly lifted his head, for the first time, his eyes held something dangerous. From a distance, Yoon Se-ah noticed and her gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Found you."
And for Half a year (Six Months), the training proceeded so well, that some leveled up and challenged low dungeon to improve themselves same with Ji-Han, though he was low but he passed more than average because his level was at 10 and barrier levels all exceed level 3.
And with both training, and the challenge of low dungeon, Ji-Han continued, while making friends with others of the same categories as him, except for Se-ah who was at a different level, who began drawing closer to Ji-Han. {This continued for a year}.