The morning sun rose over the towering spires of Elysian Academy, casting long, golden beams through the crystal-glass windows that overlooked the training fields. Students filed into lecture halls, sparring arenas, and cultivation chambers, each determined to carve a name for themselves in a world shaped by dungeons, gates, and the ever-looming threat of monster outbreaks.
Jin walked among them quietly, a shadow slipping through the light. No one knew who he really was—not yet. He was just another student, recently transferred in, but his aura, his movements, and the way his eyes scanned the world around him made it clear: he was different. He carried the weight of another lifetime, one forged in a realm where time had passed him by, yet had changed him forever.
While others talked and laughed in the corridors, Jin kept his interactions brief, observing instead. He had seen many things in the other world—gods who played with fate, kingdoms that rose and fell, and warriors who defied the very heavens. But here? This world was quiet. Too quiet. And that made it all the more dangerous.
---
In a grand hall lined with banners from noble families, Elysian Academy held its annual examination ceremony. New students were to be evaluated and assigned their official starting rank within the institution. While some trembled with nerves and others burned with ambition, Jin stood calm at the edge of the crowd.
He wasn't alone in drawing attention. Among the other promising students were:
Theo Ward, son of Lucas—Jin's former disciple and now a revered pillar of humanity. Theo was quick-witted, a natural leader, and already being scouted by elite divisions.
Selene Raine, daughter of Aira. Cold, analytical, and deadly precise with her spells. She had inherited her mother's unparalleled control over elemental magic.
Riku Taejin, son of Ryo. A fierce brawler who wielded heavy weapons with terrifying ease, often underestimated due to his carefree personality.
None of them knew who Jin truly was. To them, he was just a mysterious prodigy from nowhere.
The exam was split into three parts: physical combat, magical aptitude, and dungeon survival simulation. As Jin waited for his turn, whispers swirled around him.
"Who is that guy?"
"He's not from any of the noble families."
"Did you see how he moved during warm-ups?"
Jin ignored them. His focus was on the practicals.
---
When it was finally his turn, the audience went silent. His opponent was a young noble from the Crimson Fang family, arrogant and loud-mouthed.
"I'll make this quick. Hope you like eating dirt," the noble sneered.
Jin didn't respond.
The signal was given.
The noble lunged forward, sword blazing with a fire enchantment. The crowd expected a clash, but instead, they saw a blur.
Jin moved like a phantom.
With a single, elegant step, he dodged the attack. His counter was swift and precise—just enough force to knock the sword from the noble's hand and send him sprawling to the ground.
Silence.
The judges looked stunned. So did the spectators. Even Theo, Selene, and Riku were watching now, eyes narrowed with interest.
The mage aptitude test followed. Jin, with a calm incantation and a flick of his hand, conjured a multi-layered barrier spell—a technique thought to be long lost.
The simulation dungeon was the final challenge. Inside, teams of students were dropped into a replica dungeon and forced to survive for an hour. Jin was placed alone.
Inside the simulation, illusions of low-tier monsters charged him—fang beasts, shadow wolves, and stone ogres.
Jin didn't just survive. He moved through them like water.
Dodging. Disarming. Disappearing. Reappearing.
His movements were almost art. He knew every weakness, every pattern.
At the end of the hour, he exited the dungeon calmly, untouched.
The examiners were speechless.
---
Later that evening, back in his dorm room, Jin sat on the edge of his bed, staring out the window at the twilight-covered academy.
He had hoped to stay low-profile. But that possibility was fading. Too many eyes were now on him. Too many questions. Even some of the academy's instructors had begun whispering his name in passing.
A knock came at the door.
It was Selene.
"You moved like my mother," she said softly. "No. More precise. Like her teacher might have moved."
Jin said nothing, eyes fixed on the horizon.
"You're hiding something," she added.
"I'm hiding nothing," Jin replied, calm and collected. "I've simply walked a different path."
Selene stared at him for a while before turning to leave. "I'll find out what that path was. You can count on it."
---
Far away, in a chamber lit by blue fire, a cloaked figure watched a magical projection of the exams. The man's face was aged, yet his eyes were sharp.
"So… you've returned."
He reached into his robe and withdrew a sealed scroll.
"The gates are stirring once more. The real test hasn't even begun."
Outside the academy walls, in the dark corners of the world, dungeons pulsed with an eerie glow. Something ancient was awakening. Something that recognized Jin's presence.
The world would never be the same again.
And neither would Jin's journey.