As hot water flowed down Shin's body, it loosened his muscles and filled him with a soothing sense of comfort.
His mind replayed the events of that morning. Rage slowly rose within him, yet he was relieved that Jack hadn't discovered what he was hiding beyond Boost. A mischievous smile appeared on his face—only to vanish when a voice far too familiar snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, Shin! I'm here—open up!"
Shin suddenly remembered that he had arranged to go to their internships together with Manu, since their assigned locations were right next to each other.
"Damn it, that's right—we're supposed to go together today!"
After hurriedly getting dressed, Shin rushed to meet his friend.
"Sorry for the wait, man!"
Manu looked grumpy and irritated. Being late on such an important day—one that would determine their futures—wasn't something he took lightly.
"Let's go. I don't want to be late,"said the Little Buddha sharply.
To calm him down, Shin began telling him about what had happened that morning, and Manu quickly forgot his anger.
As Shin spoke, the two of them walked through the streets of the massive city. While it wasn't the largest or most technologically advanced city in the country, it had its own advantages—it was modern and pleasant, with futuristic skyscrapers, a magnetic subway system, and of course… drug dealers.
Wait—what?
As he talked, Shin noticed suspicious figures lurking in various alleyways as they headed toward the police station near City Hall.
"Hey, Manu… don't you feel like something's been off lately?"
"Noticed what?"Manu replied curtly, adjusting his clothes.
"Right… you're probably the last person I should ask. And don't worry—your clothes are clean this time, unlike last time."
Shin burst out laughing as his friend punched him—though not out of anger. Manu was socially isolated and partially hard of hearing, so he was usually the last to hear about anything happening around town.
Either way, the drug situation wasn't Shin's concern. He had a goal to achieve.
"By the way, Shin, I searched the entire library and couldn't find what you're looking for."
"You didn't find anything about the Forgotten Demon?"
"Well, that kind of makes sense when you think about the name, idiot!"
"First of all, for you it's Mister Idiot. Second, you're the one who offered to help in the first place, you filthy bookworm."
"The Sage Art requires cultivating the mind, so I have to read or I won't make progress. I could say the same about you, you lunatic."
Shouting at each other with enthusiasm, the two finally arrived in front of the police station.
It was a colossal building, as large as a stadium, seemingly made of opaque glass that reflected light strangely. Countless drones floated around it in the air.
"Wow… so this is what the station looks like."
"Good thing you didn't know before, Manu. With your weird habits, there's a chance you'd already been here."
"Hey, aren't you two lost?"
Before the voice even finished speaking, Shin's fist—glowing with blue light—was already inches from the stranger's face.
The impact was powerful enough to make the ground tremble, but not enough to knock the opponent back. Shin instantly created distance between them.
"Your turn, Manu!"
"I know!"
Suddenly, chains made of pure light burst from a pentagram etched into the ground, restraining the attacker. That was when the two finally saw their assailant clearly.
A giant over two meters tall, built entirely of muscle. His hair was blue like Shin's, but longer and tied back. Despite his massive frame, his face was gentle, almost innocent—though it was covered in scars carved by a lifetime of battle.
"The Perpetual Cycle and the Blue Sage Art, huh? Not bad. With such pathetic arts, your level is still acceptable."
He flexed his muscles with such force that the chains shattered instantly under his Herculean strength.
Shin and Manu could only tremble. Even Jack—the strongest person they knew—struggled against those chains, and Shin knew better than anyone how sturdy Manu's bindings were.
"Don't be afraid. I'm Tom, chief of the local police forces. I came to welcome you—you've been accepted for your internship here."
Not knowing how else to react, Shin and Manu instinctively lowered their heads and bowed respectfully before the titan standing in front of them.
"I like that attitude. Wait inside—you passed the test. I like you."
"A test…?"Manu asked timidly, his entire body trembling.
Tom smiled and replied in a sharp voice:
"Of course. Not just anyone can hope to intern with us."
Manu didn't ask anything else and followed Shin, who was already heading toward the building, leaving his friend behind.
The moment they opened the door, a whole new world revealed itself.
The interior was even more impressive than the exterior—spotless and perfectly organized, filled with cutting-edge equipment: cleaning robots, holographic screens, and countless other advanced devices. The space was bright and radiant, sharply contrasting with the people inside.
There were only six of them—and every single one looked exhausted, as if they were at the end of their rope.
"Looks like some high schoolers finally passed Tom's test."
A calm yet authoritative voice echoed out of nowhere. A beautiful woman with purple hair appeared before the two young men.
She was an elderly woman, barely 1.5 meters tall—shorter even than Manu. Leaning on a cane, her wrinkled body looked worn down by time, as though a strong breeze might carry her away.
Yet Shin's instincts were screaming at him to run.
"My name is Céline, commander of Special Forces Unit 15. Which one of you is Shin?"
Manu looked relieved that it wasn't him, while Shin's entire body stiffened.
"I… it's me,"he answered timidly, hoping he wouldn't get destroyed on the spot.
"Hm… Perpetual Cycle, is it?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Hahaha! Don't tell me this old woman scares you? I'm only a Level 2 Awakened, you know."
Phew… Level 2, huh?Wait—what!?
Shin was stunned. Most people never even reached Level 1 after ten years of training—and she was Level 2.
The special forces were no joke.
"You're kidding… right?"
"And you?"she turned to Manu."Oh ho—practitioner of a deduction art? A colleague!"
"Ma'am—you too!?"
The shock on Manu's face was understandable.
Martial arts were divided into three categories:Physical Arts, like the Mountain Tiger Art;Magical Arts, like the Perpetual Cycle (a special case);and Deduction Arts, which included the Blue Sage Art.
Anyone could practice physical arts. Magical arts required a specific constitution—except for the Perpetual Cycle. Deduction arts, however, required two things:first, a "special" brain—one with a rare mutation that allowed faster thinking and information processing;and second, genuine talent.
"I imagine it must've been hard for you. There are very few deduction arts, and most of them are garbage."
"If only you knew how much I suffered back in middle school…"
A melancholic expression crossed Manu's face. Céline didn't pry, respecting his privacy.
"You'll discuss your assigned position with Tom. As for you…"she turned back to Shin."You applied for the senior technician position, correct? I don't see any issues. You passed the test, and your academic record shows you're one of the best engineering students of your age."
"Yes, thank you, ma'am."
Before Shin could finish speaking, an unpleasant voice cut him off.
"Not in your dreams. I'm not letting you take that position."
Shin turned to see a boy their age—about his height, slightly shorter, but far more muscular. He had curly blond hair, empty black eyes, and a vile smile plastered on his face as he walked casually toward them.
He stopped in front of Shin, glaring at him with hostility.
Shin didn't step back. He met his gaze head-on.
Another enemy had just been added to Shin's list.