Eun-ak lay on the cold, cracked ground, blood soaking the dirt beneath him. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each inhale burning his lungs. His body screamed in pain — ribs fractured, his arms trembling from the relentless barrage of punches. Yet, his eyes remained fierce.
Slowly, he pressed his hands against the ground, fingers clawing at the rubble as he forced himself to stand. His knees buckled, but he refused to fall. The crowd was long gone, the echoes of their murmurs and jeers fading into the night. Only his team remained — Yejun, Ji-ho, Lee Jun-ho, Seo Do-hyun, the twin brothers Bong and Dong, and the mysterious silver-haired boy who had stepped in at the last moment.
"I don't… need anyone to ask me anything…" Eun-ak's voice was rough, barely above a whisper. "For three days… stay away from me."
Everyone froze. No one dared to challenge his words, but the weight of concern hung in the air.
Before leaving, Eun-ak turned back, his expression grim. "Guard the school. Guard the streets. Other schools will come for us now… they'll want our territory."
The tension was palpable. Yejun clenched his fists, looking down. Lee Jun-ho nodded silently, his jaw tight. Seo Do-hyun punched the nearest wall in frustration. The silver-haired guy, leaning casually against the wall with one leg propped up, tried to lighten the mood.
"Come on, guys… let's not act like this is a funeral."
No one responded. One by one, they left quietly, the last of them leaving only when Eun-ak's silhouette finally disappeared down the street.
When Eun-ak reached his apartment, he barely made it inside before collapsing against the door. Blood trailed from his split lips, dripping onto the floor. He leaned back with a grunt, eyes half-lidded.
With trembling fingers, he opened his inventory, pulling out two shining red vials — Healing Potions. Without hesitation, he downed them both. His wounds knitted together, broken bones realigning with sickening cracks. His breathing steadied.
But the pain in his chest wasn't just physical.
"I'm still… not strong enough."
Eun-ak exhaled sharply and opened the Training Portal. The familiar blue hues of the portal shimmered, reflecting in his exhausted eyes.
[ Enter Training Time ]
Without hesitation, he typed in six months.
— In reality, only three days would pass.
The portal flared to life. A surge of energy engulfed him, and when the light faded, Eun-ak found himself standing in a vast, empty arena. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the same training as last time — fighting clones of the first-year leaders.
But this time… it was different.
The air felt heavier. The energy in the room shifted. A single figure stepped forward from the shadows.
Eun-ak's heart stopped. His eyes widened in disbelief.
It was… himself.
Or rather, a version of himself cloaked in darkness, surrounded by an ominous black aura. Its gaze was cold, predatory — like a tiger eyeing its prey. The aura pulsed with raw power, crackling with intensity.
"This… is me?"
[ System Notification:
This is your future self — what you will become in six months of training. Overcome him. Survive. ]
Eun-ak's lips curled into a wry smile. "This… is what I'm going to become?"
The dark clone didn't respond. It simply stared at him, a quiet, bone-chilling intensity in its eyes. Then it moved.
Before Eun-ak could even register the motion, a fist smashed into his chest.
He flew backward, slamming into the ground with enough force to crack the floor. Blood sprayed from his mouth. The pain was instant, overwhelming.
"Fast…"
But there was no time to recover. The dark clone was already on him again. Another punch. Another crack. This time his ribs screamed in agony.
He rolled, gasping, but the clone grabbed his leg, dragging him like a ragdoll before throwing him across the arena. Eun-ak slammed into a wall. The impact shattered the stone.
Pain. So much pain.
Yet… he smiled. Blood trickled down his lips.
"This… is the strength I want."
And so, the brutal training began.
Back in the real world, the school was on edge. Eun-ak's team gathered the next morning — Yejun, Lee Jun-ho, Seo Do-hyun, Bong, Dong, and Ji-ho. They stood together in the classroom, tension hanging thick in the air.
Ji-ho adjusted his glasses. "We have to hold the school… but the problem is, the other schools won't wait. They know Eun-ak is down."
Lee Jun-ho crossed his arms. "We'll handle it. We just need to—"
Before he could finish, the classroom door slammed open.
Two figures entered.
Park Hyun-woo of 1-H. Ha Seung-won of 1-A.
Park Hyun-woo stepped forward, his eyes filled with arrogance. "Everyone. Sit down."
No one moved.
Lee Jun-ho narrowed his eyes. "You're not our leader anymore."
Park's smile twitched. "I don't care. I'm taking back what's mine."
Ji-ho stepped forward cautiously. "You don't understand. Things have changed—"
"I don't care." Park cut him off. "I'm not kneeling to some kid who got lucky. I'll make every one of you bow again."
The room fell silent.
For a moment, there was tension. No one spoke.
Then the silver-haired guy — leaning casually against the wall — finally stepped forward.
"If you don't follow the rules," he said quietly. "You'll answer to me."
Park's eyes darkened. "You?" He let out a mocking laugh. "You're not even part of the ranking system. Go model somewhere else."
The silver-haired boy smiled. "How about we fight for it?"
Park's face twisted with anger. Without warning, he threw a punch.
But the silver-haired boy caught it. Effortlessly.
The room fell silent.
For a moment, Park stared at his own fist, caught in mid-air. His expression twisted in disbelief. No one had ever caught his punches so easily… except for Ha-jun.
The silver-haired boy squeezed Park's fist slightly. There was a crunch. Park winced.
"You don't get it, do you?" The boy's voice was calm… but the weight behind it was overwhelming. "You stand against Eun-ak… you stand against me."
Park yanked his hand back, his heart pounding. He could feel the density… the power. It was like grabbing onto a monster.
But his pride wouldn't let him back down.
"We settle this… in the basement," Park growled.
"Fine," the silver-haired boy said. "I'll fight anyone who wants to go against Eun-ak's rules."
And with that… the storm continued to rise.
Meanwhile, in the training portal, Eun-ak was barely holding on. His own clone — a vision of his future self — hadn't even broken a sweat.
Eun-ak gasped, covered in blood. Bones cracked. But there was no giving up.
"I'll become… stronger."
No matter how much it hurt.
And the battle raged on.