The air was different.
Not just around the academy—but across the continent. Gate activity spiked everywhere. Reports of new rifts forming, dungeons awakening, and strange monsters never before documented flooded in from guilds, academies, and militaries alike.
And all of them pulsed with the same signature: Echo energy.
---
The Council of Sovereigns – Dominion Capital, East Continent
In a chamber veiled in enchantments, twelve figures stood around a round table. Each was a powerhouse—leaders of nations, guildmasters, clan patriarchs, warlords, and hidden protectors of the world.
A crystal hovered in the center of the table, projecting the image of Jin standing before the collapsed dungeon beneath the academy. His clash with the Forgotten Warden had been recorded by unknown forces.
"He shouldn't exist," one of them growled.
"He broke an Echo-Class dungeon without support," another whispered.
"Where did he come from?"
The Grand Strategist of the Federation rose. "We must send an envoy. No, a warning. If he's not aligned with us, he's a threat."
But the Warden of the Northern Wall merely shook her head. "He's not the threat. What's coming because of him is."
---
Meanwhile — Jin's Room
Jin sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, meditating. The Soul Core hovered before him, spinning slowly. With each turn, it projected fragments of the Warden's memories—visions of a world Jin didn't recognize.
A world before the current one. A realm swallowed by Gates.
He saw monsters that towered like mountains. Dungeon Lords that spoke in forgotten tongues. And something worse—beings who looked human, yet controlled entire rift systems.
The Echo Lords.
And now... they were waking up.
Jin opened his eyes, and for a moment, they glowed faint violet.
---
Training Grounds – Theo, Lira, and Kael
The trio pushed themselves harder than ever. Word had spread that Jin had fought something ancient under the academy and returned alive—barely scratched.
Theo's strikes had become faster. Lira's spells began developing unique traits—like flame bending toward her will. Kael, once more reserved, had begun producing defensive barriers strong enough to tank advanced elemental attacks.
They were changing too.
"I think we're evolving," Lira whispered after a particularly intense spar. "We've all been affected by Jin… or something around him."
Theo stared at his hand. "We're leveling up faster than we should. Something's pulling us toward the next stage."
---
Dungeon Break – Outskirts of Korein City
The city alarms screamed as the sky above cracked open. A Gate tore through the fabric of space, revealing a jagged rift lined with obsidian chains. Monsters began pouring out—doglike beasts with crystalline skulls and tails that exploded on contact.
It wasn't a random attack.
It was a message.
Jin arrived before the defense units could mobilize. His sword gleamed under the blood-red sun as he engaged the swarm alone. The city watched as one man held the line.
Slash. Spin. Leap. His strikes created shockwaves that vaporized incoming enemies.
When a larger creature—something akin to a hybrid between wyvern and spider—lunged at him, Jin dashed forward, kicking off the side of a broken wall, then plunging his blade through the beast's throat.
He pulled the sword free just as the sky began to seal shut again.
Drop Acquired: Crimson Bone Fang (Rare)
Effect: Increases resistance against explosive-based damage. Contains trace Echo energy.
The military arrived just as the Gate closed.
But no one forgot what they saw.
The rumors started again:
"Is he a hidden S-Class?"
"No… He's something else."
---
That Night — Private Meeting Room, Academy
Headmaster Vael confronted Jin.
"That Gate was Echo-infused. You knew it would happen."
Jin said nothing.
Vael leaned closer. "You're not like the others. You're hiding something, and it's only a matter of time before everyone else figures it out."
Jin looked out the window, his voice low. "It's not about what I'm hiding. It's about what's coming."
---
Flashback: Earth – The Moment Before He Returned
Jin sat in his apartment, staring at the watch his disciples had once given him. It had stopped ticking the moment he crossed over into the world he now lived in.
A knock echoed.
But when he opened the door—there was nothing.
Only a note:
"We need you back. The real war is about to begin."
---
Back in the Present — Jin's Decision
Jin stood atop the academy tower, the Soul Core glowing in his hand. He could feel something stirring in the north—a gate larger than any before.
It's not just dungeons now, he thought. They're trying to rewrite the world.
He finally understood what the Warden meant:
The Echoes weren't sealed to protect the world.
They were sealed to protect the Echo Lords from the world.
Because something had been hunting them.
Something that was now looking for Jin.
End of Chapter 15