It had been two weeks since Zachary Quinn left the hospital.
Two weeks of relentless training.
Zachary jogged through a park near his apartment, his footsteps steady but heavy.
Sweat poured down his face, dripping from his chin as his breathing grew rough from the constant cardio.
His body moved almost on instinct now, each stride faster and more controlled than before.
He lifted his wrist mid-run.
"10:16…" he muttered, his voice shaky from exhaustion.
But he didn't stop.
People passed by him—some walking their dogs, others jogging at their own pace—but to them, Zachary was just another runner.
None of them knew the intensity behind each of his steps.
Eventually, he slowed.
Then stopped.
He dropped onto a nearby bench, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Huff… Huff…" he gasped, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm.
After a few seconds, he muttered under his breath—
"System… open stats."
-[Stats]-
-[Strength: 356.9 points]-
-[Agility: 293.9 points]-
-[Recovery: 25 points]-
-[Durability: 10 points]-
-[Mana: 29 points]-
-[Casting speed: 35 points]-
Zachary stared at the numbers.
"…That's insane."
In just two weeks, his strength and agility had skyrocketed. The increase wasn't just noticeable—it was overwhelming.
Every movement he made now felt lighter, faster, stronger.
But the other stats…
Haven't moved.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Recovery… durability… mana…
"Guess I've been avoiding the harder ones…" he chuckled under his breath.
Then—
His phone buzzed.
He pulled it out and checked the notification.
'Notification! You must return to the academy at 11:00 AM, Zachary Quinn.'
"What!?" he shot up from the bench. "It's today!?"
He paused.
"…Oh yeah."
Back at his apartment, he rushed inside, heading straight for his closet. His usual clothes were drenched in sweat, clinging uncomfortably to his body.
"Ah! There it is!" he said, grabbing his uniform.
It was a clean jacket bearing the emblem of Nexus Academy—simple, but unmistakable.
He checked the time again.
"…Thirty minutes!?"
Without hesitation, he stripped out of his sweaty clothes, grabbed a random pair of pants, and threw on his uniform as fast as possible.
No time to waste.
Then—
He ran.
Not like before.
Not like a normal person.
Zachary blurred.
His agility—now far beyond average—kicked in instantly.
Each step launched him forward with explosive speed, his figure becoming a streak as he dashed through the streets.
People nearby barely had time to react.
They saw movement—
But not him.
Within minutes—
He arrived.
Zachary stepped into his classroom, his breathing slightly uneven but controlled.
Inside, students were already gathered, talking among themselves.
Then—
They noticed him.
The chatter didn't stop.
It changed.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"That's Zachary…"
"I heard he got injured in a dungeon…"
"He's that level 1 mage… haha…"
Zachary didn't react.
He simply stood there.
Then—
Someone stepped forward.
A familiar face.
Ben Beckmann.
A grin stretched across his face, filled with mockery and amusement. The same expression Zachary had seen for years.
The same person who had made his life miserable since high school.
Ben let out a small laugh as he approached.
"Well, well…" he said, clapping slowly.
"Look who decided to come back."
His eyes scanned Zachary from head to toe.
"That dungeon didn't finish you off, huh?"
The classroom grew quieter.
Everyone watching.
Waiting.
For what Zachary would do, Zachary stared at Beckmann intensely, a seemingly weak aura coming from Beckmann, according to Zachary.
And for the first time in five years—
Things weren't the same anymore.