The courtyard fell silent.
Baek Seung's screams echoed like a dying animal, sharp and desperate.
Jin Muyeon didn't even blink.
Fear.
He could feel it spreading—slow, thick, suffocating. The other disciples stepped back, their eyes trembling.
Good.
Fear meant control.
[Villain Points +5]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Aura of Dread (Lv.1)]
Nearby enemies experience fear
Weak-willed targets lose fighting intent
Muyeon's lips curled slightly.
"So this is how power feels…"
Even without lifting a finger, they were already breaking.
One disciple finally shouted, "Y-you're dead! When the instructors hear about this—!"
Muyeon turned his head.
The boy froze mid-sentence.
Their eyes met.
And in that moment—
He saw death.
"I haven't even touched you," Muyeon said calmly. "Why are you shaking?"
The boy stumbled back, nearly falling.
"N-no… you're not the same…"
Of course he wasn't.
The old Jin Muyeon was weak.
Pathetic.
But Kang Jinhai…
He had died once already.
What was there to fear now?
Muyeon stepped forward.
Each step felt heavier—like the air itself bent to him.
"From today," he said quietly, "things will change."
No one dared to reply.
Even Baek Seung had stopped screaming. His body trembled under Muyeon's foot, eyes filled with terror.
Muyeon looked down at him.
"You bullied the wrong person."
CRACK.
Another scream.
[Quest Progress: 1/3 Targets Defeated]
[Villain Points +10]
Suddenly—
A cold, sharp voice cut through the courtyard.
"What is going on here?"
All heads turned.
An instructor stood at the entrance, robes dark as night, eyes filled with killing intent.
The disciples immediately dropped to their knees.
"I-Instructor Han!"
Muyeon didn't move.
He simply turned.
And looked.
Instructor Han narrowed his eyes.
The broken body of Baek Seung.
The terrified disciples.
And at the center—
Jin Muyeon.
Something felt… wrong.
Too calm. Too cold.
Too dangerous.
"You," the instructor said, voice heavy. "Explain yourself."
Muyeon stared at him for a moment.
Then—
He smiled.
"He attacked me," Muyeon said simply. "I defended myself."
Silence.
The disciples' faces twisted.
That was a lie.
But no one dared to speak.
Instructor Han stepped closer.
Each step carried pressure, like a blade pressing against the skin.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Muyeon didn't flinch.
"Believe what you want."
A dangerous glint flashed in the instructor's eyes.
Arrogant.
Too arrogant.
For a useless young master… this was suicide.
In a flash—
The instructor moved.
His hand shot toward Muyeon's throat.
Fast.
Too fast for ordinary disciples.
But—
Muyeon saw it.
[System Warning]
[Host in Danger]
[Activating Emergency Response…]
Time slowed.
The world dimmed.
Muyeon's eyes sharpened.
So this… is the system's help.
At the last second—
He moved.
A slight tilt.
A minimal shift.
The instructor's hand brushed past his neck.
Missed.
The courtyard froze.
Instructor Han's eyes widened.
Impossible.
He dodged?
Muyeon stepped back, calm as ever.
"Is that all?" he asked.
A ripple of shock spread through the disciples.
That wasn't courage.
That was madness.
Instructor Han's expression darkened.
"Kneel," he said coldly. "Now."
The air turned heavy.
This wasn't a request.
It was an order backed by power.
The weaker disciples instantly collapsed to the ground, unable to resist.
Muyeon felt it too.
A crushing force pressing down on his body.
But—
He didn't kneel.
[Passive Skill Activated: Aura of Dread]
[Effect Resisting External Pressure…]
His legs trembled slightly.
Then steadied.
Slowly—
Muyeon straightened his back.
And stood tall.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Instructor Han stared at him.
Not with anger anymore.
But with something else.
Interest.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
For the first time—
Jin Muyeon had caught the attention of something far more dangerous than bullies.
[New Hidden Quest Triggered]
"Survive the Instructor's Judgment"
Muyeon smiled faintly.
"Finally," he thought.
"A real challenge."