Jin stood alone near the dormitories, the echoes of his phone call with William still lingering in his mind. He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it with a silver lighter.
The small flame flickered across his calm eyes. Smoke curled lazily into the night air. The campus was quiet. Too quiet.
Jin exhaled a thin stream of smoke, scanning the dark grounds. Dormitory lights glowed faintly in the distance, shadows shifting in the gentle wind.
Then—something shifted.
A presence.
Not a sound. Not movement. Just a feeling.
His instincts sharpened.
[Warning]
[Killing intent detected]
[Distance: 50 meters]
His fingers tightened around the cigarette. His gaze snapped toward the long corridor connecting the dorm buildings.
At the far end—a silhouette. Still. Watching him.
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
Then the figure bolted.
Jin dropped the cigarette instantly and sprinted forward.
His footsteps echoed sharply through the empty corridor. Cold night air whipped past him as the shadow darted around a corner.
Seconds later, Jin reached the turn.
But the hallway beyond was empty.
He scanned left. Right. Nothing.
A faint sound below—leaves shifting, branches snapping.
Jin edged to the open corridor and looked down. The ground was far below, dark trees and scattered bushes stretching into the night.
Someone had jumped.
[Killing intent lost]
The night swallowed the sound. Silence returned. Jin stood still for a moment longer, calculating, analyzing, every sense alert.
Fast. Careful. Confident.
Then, slowly, he walked back toward his room.
When he reached the door, he froze.
It was slightly ajar. A small gap.
He clearly remembered locking it.
He pushed the door open slowly.
The room was quiet. Nothing looked disturbed. Bed, chair, desk—everything exactly as he had left it.
But in the center of the desk sat a single object.
A chess piece. The white king.
Jin picked it up, turning it carefully between his fingers. His expression didn't change.
"Ethan…" he murmured.
The game had begun.
Morning — Lecture Hall
Sunlight streamed through the windows as students filed into their seats. Quiet conversations echoed across the room.
Professor Cole tapped the blackboard with chalk.
"Today, we begin studying Abyss classification."
Four strange symbols appeared.
"First: the Hollow Abyss. The most common type."
He wrote beneath it:
Low Energy. Medium Energy. High Energy.
"Second: the Wild Abyss." Another symbol.
"These are much larger, significantly more dangerous. Hundreds of monsters may inhabit them instead of dozens."
A third mark appeared.
"Third: the Ancient Abyss."
His voice lowered.
"These are extremely rare. Their internal structure is unstable and unpredictable. Standard energy classifications do not apply."
Finally, the last symbol.
"The fourth type…" He set the chalk down.
"The Cataclysm Abyss."
The room fell noticeably silent.
"The last Cataclysm Abyss destroyed an entire coastal city in less than six hours."
No one spoke. A faint smile crossed the professor's face.
"Most of you will never encounter one. But if you do…"
His gaze swept the room.
"Survival is not guaranteed."
The lecture continued, covering combat protocols, international regulations, and Abyss safety procedures.
Eventually, the bell rang. Students began leaving.
As Jin and Veron stood, a group passed through the hallway outside.
A tall young man led them. Four companions followed.
His posture relaxed, yet the pressure he exuded made nearby students instinctively step aside.
His eyes briefly met Jin and Veron's. A small, knowing smile.
Jin remembered the girl they had helped the day before.
Her words echoed in his mind: Do not interfere with another class again. It is not your business. Trouble will follow.
She had vanished immediately after saying it.
Jin exchanged a glance with Veron. Trouble had arrived.
Later, Veron spotted the girl near a staircase. He approached casually.
"Hey," he said. "Why did you run last time?"
She offered a small, apologetic smile.
"Sorry… I was scared. A little."
Veron studied her, trying to read her expression.
Before he could speak again, the atmosphere shifted. Students nearby instinctively stepped aside.
Daphx approached, four companions in tow. Calm, yet the presence surrounding him pressed down like gravity.
His gaze swept slowly from Veron to the girl.
"Are you bothering my girl?" he asked quietly.
The girl stepped forward quickly.
"No trouble, Daphx."
He reached out, ruffling her hair casually. She flinched.
Veron's expression hardened.
Before anything escalated, Daniel appeared beside him.
"Is there a problem here?"
Emily arrived moments later, carrying curriculum papers beside Professor Cole, who frowned slightly at the gathering.
Daphx simply smiled.
"No problem."
He turned and walked away with his group. The girl followed silently.
Veron kept his eyes on him until they disappeared around the corner.
Professor Cole handed the papers to Emily.
"Distribute these to the evening session students."
Then he glanced at Veron and Daniel.
"And stay out of other classes' affairs."