Pain was nothing new.
But this time… it wasn't in control.
Kang Seung-ho stepped out of the forest with the first thread of dawn, his body barely carrying itself. Every muscle screamed, every breath burned his lungs, yet he didn't collapse.
Not because he was strong.
But because he no longer allowed himself to fall.
Behind him, the forest slowly faded away, as if it had never existed at all—like everything that happened within it was nothing more than a long, brutal nightmare. And yet its marks were carved into his body, etched deep into his eyes.
Death walked beside him in silence.
No guidance.No words.Only a heavy presence.
Seung-ho finally broke the silence.
"Is… this it?"
Death glanced at him.
"This is only the foundation."
Seung-ho stopped walking.
"The foundation?" A tired, bitter laugh escaped him. "I was broken, beaten, tortured for hours… and all I gained was the ability to feel the hit before it lands."
Death stopped in front of him.
"Yesterday," he said calmly, "you couldn't even see the hit."
Seung-ho fell silent.
He knew it was true.
In the alleys… on the street… that night, he had been nothing but a body thrown to the ground. Now, at the very least, his body was beginning to understand.
"The difference between a fighter and a victim," Death continued, "is not strength. It's awareness."
Then he added, his voice firm:
"From today onward… I will not save you."
Seung-ho stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that any mistake, any hesitation, any mercy… will be your end."
Silence fell.
Then the system appeared.
[Notice]Basic Training Path UnlockedPath: Heir's AscensionCurrent Stage: Combat PerceptionCondition: Continuous Survival
Seung-ho stared at the words.
"Survival… again."
"No," Death corrected. "This time, survival alone."
Seung-ho returned to the city two days later.
Not because the training was over.
But because the next stage could not happen anywhere else.
Seoul looked the same as always—crowded, loud, alive. And that made it even more terrifying. There were no monsters in the streets. No blood. No screams.
But Seung-ho saw it now as a hunting ground.
Every corner was a possibility.Every shadow a blind spot.Every person could be a watcher… or a hunter.
On the third night, he felt them.
He didn't see anyone.
But he felt that same pressure.
Intent.
Three… no.
Four.
They moved slowly. Confidently.
They didn't attack right away.
They were testing him.
Seung-ho stopped beneath a flickering streetlight, his breathing steady, his body ready.
One of them finally stepped out of the shadows.
A tall man in a black coat, eyes devoid of emotion.
"The heir," he said. "You're moving faster than we expected."
Seung-ho didn't respond.
A faint, incomplete window appeared at the edge of his vision.
[Limited Analysis]Target: UnknownThreat Level: High
"We're not from the Seven Squads," the man continued. "We're not even hunters."
He took a step closer.
"We're just… a test."
The other two moved at the same instant.
But this time—
Seung-ho felt them.
He turned before the strike fully formed, his body shifting instinctively, his fist slamming into one man's ribs. It wasn't strong enough to take him down, but it was precise.
The difference was clear.
Strike.Retreat.Controlled breathing.
But he made one mistake.
Pain tore through his leg as he was slammed to the ground.
Before the next blow could land—
Everything stopped.
Death appeared between them.
"That's enough."
The men froze where they stood.
Death looked at them with absolute indifference.
"Deliver a message."
One of them vanished instantly, as if reality itself had rejected him.
The other two dropped to their knees without resistance.
"Tell them," Death said, "the heir is no longer an experiment."
Then he turned to Seung-ho.
"And that anyone who approaches… will die."
They disappeared.
Seung-ho remained alone, sitting on the asphalt, his breathing heavy.
"You said you wouldn't interfere," he said quietly.
"I didn't," Death replied. "I ended the nonsense."
Then he added:
"But next time… I won't."
Seung-ho slowly stood.
He was afraid.
But fear no longer paralyzed him.
It was fuel.
And that night, as he walked home, he finally understood the truth:
This path would not give him peace.It would not return his life.It would not make him human again.
But it would make him something else.
Something the world could not ignore.
And somewhere, far beyond perception—
One of the Seven Authorities stirred.
The ascent… had truly begun.