Wei Jin barely heard the noise around him.
Seven days for the exam. College rankings. Rewards.
None of it mattered right now.
Tomorrow.
His thoughts tightened around that single word. In his past life, everything had started tomorrow—the sirens, the panic, the monsters tearing through the outer district before anyone understood what was happening.
Too many things are happening at once, Jin thought, his gaze fixed on the desk. But the priority hasn't changed.
He considered the obvious choice first.
The Gene Security Bureau.
If I report a rift opening, he reasoned, they'll ask for proof. I have none. To them, I'm just a low-grade student making a false emergency report. At best, they'll ignore it. At worst, they'll tag me as a fraud and investigate my family.
His jaw tightened.
I can't risk that.
His mind moved to the next possibility—and stalled.
Trust.
There was no one he could fully trust.
Friends were out of the question. Teachers wouldn't listen. Even trained hunters wouldn't mobilize without authorization.
Then a familiar figure surfaced in his thoughts.
Li Yuan.
His uncle's face rose clearly in his mind, the same man who had pulled him from the ruins and trained him when no one else would. A veteran hunter. Experienced.
But even that wasn't simple.
If I tell him everything, Jin thought, he'll think I'm joking. Or worse, he'll think I'm losing my mind.
He could already imagine it—Li Yuan frowning, telling him not to spread panic, reminding him that rift predictions weren't things anyone could make.
I can't explain regression. I can't explain how I know.
Jin exhaled slowly.
But I don't need to explain everything.
He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.
I just need to move him. Just enough.
A warning. A reason to be nearby tomorrow. If there's someone who'll notice something's wrong without being told directly, it's him.
Still, doubt lingered.
What if I fail?
What if I hesitate again?
Last time, I waited. I trusted the system. I trusted that someone else would handle it.
This time, I won't.
Even if no one believes me, I'll act.
His gaze lifted, steady now.
I'll start with Uncle Li Yuan.
fingers interlocked beneath the desk as his thoughts raced.
I need a reason. A real one.
If he wanted Li Yuan to come to the house tomorrow, it couldn't be vague. A simple "come visit" wouldn't work, not for a veteran hunter constantly moving between raids and missions.
What excuse would be enough?
His mind brushed against the system panel again, lingering on one line.
Sensory Enhancement (Epic).
If I say I awakened a skill… Jin thought, then paused. What if he asks how? What if he tests me and finds nothing?
His jaw tightened.
Then it hit him.
I don't need to explain how. I just need him to come and see.
It was a gamble—but tomorrow was do or die anyway.
Jin took a slow breath and pulled out his communicator.
The call connected quickly.
"Jin?" Li Yuan's voice came through, steady. "What is it? You sound hesitant. Just say it."
Jin swallowed. "Uncle… I think I awakened a skill."
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"A skill?" Li Yuan repeated, his tone sharpening. "Are you sure?"
"I'm not," Jin admitted honestly. "That's why I want you to check. Can you come tomorrow?"
Another pause, longer this time.
"Tomorrow I'm on a raid right now," Li Yuan said. "But I'll be done by then. I also have work near your area tomorrow evening, so I'll stop by."
Jin's chest loosened slightly. "Thank you, Uncle."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Li Yuan added. "We'll see when I get there."
The call ended.
Jin lowered the communicator, exhaling slowly.
At least he's coming.
Far from the academy, beyond the outer district, ruined buildings rose like broken teeth against a gray sky. The air was thick with dust and the stench of blood.
Li Yuan stood amid the wreckage, gripping his weapon as distorted shapes crawled out from the shadows.
A hunter beside him glanced over. "Something wrong? You looked distracted just now."
Li Yuan huffed quietly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "My nephew called. Said he might've awakened a skill."
The other hunter blinked. "Really? With his gene quality?"
Li Yuan's gaze sharpened as he recalled years past. "His quality was so low I tried everything. Rare cores. Unique cores. Even a Epic one. Nothing worked. No evolution. No skills."
He tightened his grip.
"If he's calling me himself, something must've changed."
Li Yuan raised his weapon, eyes locking onto the monsters ahead. "Let's finish this quickly. I've got somewhere to be tomorrow."
The hunters surged forward as one.
Li Yuan's grin widened, sharp and feral.
The ground trembled as the Riftborn Chimera emerged from the ruins, its four legs cracking concrete, tail whipping erratically, shards along its back glowing faintly.
A pulse of energy radiated outward, and even the air seemed heavier, pressing against the hunters' chests.
Li Yuan's eyes narrowed. A low hum ran along his veins as he activated his lion gene, his muscles swelling, golden mane flaring slightly around his shoulders. Strength, speed, reflex—everything sharpened instantly.
The Chimera lunged, claws digging into the rubble with deafening cracks.
Li Yuan moved first, twisting midair to deflect a tail strike, landing lightly on his feet as the monster's roar shook the ruins.
With a roar of his own, Li Yuan slammed his paw-like fist into the Chimera's armored shoulder, cracking the scales just enough to slow it.
He didn't strike for kills—he struck to control, guiding the monster into a corner where the other hunters could safely attack.
The Chimera lashed again, shards glowing brighter, attempting to pierce him, but Li Yuan pivoted, tail-strike deflected with a sweep of his own, claws raking the monster's flank.
It staggered, and though the wound was minor, even an Epic monster hesitated against a veteran's precision.
Minutes passed, each movement measured, each strike calculated. Finally, with one coordinated strike, Li Yuan and the hunters drove the Chimera into a makeshift trap, its energy shards dimming as it collapsed with a rumble.
Li Yuan exhaled, mane settling, golden eyes scanning the horizon.
Back at the academy, the bell rang and students began filing out.
Zhao Chen fell into step beside Jin, bumping his shoulder lightly. "So? Did you signing up for the NCEE or what?"
Jin looked at him, then nodded. "Yeah. I am."
Zhao Chen's eyes widened. "Seriously? Since when did you—"
"Come on," Jin said, cutting him off with a rare, genuine smile. "Let's go. I'll treat you to lunch."
Zhao Chen laughed. "Now that's the Jin I know."
The two headed toward the cafeteria together, their voices blending into the crowd.
Jin walked calmly, but inside, every thought circled back to tomorrow.
This time, he wasn't alone.