Jin arrived late.
It was a habit. One he never bothered to correct. In his past life, time bent for him. Schedules meant little. He moved when he chose.
And that hadn't changed.
He stood at the classroom entrance, door sliding open with a hiss.
The professor—young, firm-voiced, dressed in a high-collared robe—was mid-sentence when she turned.
Her gaze narrowed the moment she saw him.
"Mister Drayce!" she snapped. "You are late!"
Jin didn't flinch. He didn't even look at her.
He walked silently down the aisle, ignoring the rows of curious eyes now glued to his bruised face.
The sunlight poured through the tall windows, lighting half his expression as he took a seat near the back.
The professor's face twitched—either from anger or confusion.
"Mister Drayce," she said, slower now, "you will stay after class."
Jin leaned back in his seat.
"Sure," he replied, tone flat and unbothered.
A ripple ran through the students. They weren't used to hearing Rael speak like that.
But Jin wasn't here to perform.
He let the sunlight warm his face as he scanned the room casually. Most students were faces he recognized from his previous life—now a little younger, a little less jaded. Future warriors, sect leaders, traitors, fools.
And then he froze.
There. In the front row.
Him.
The Jin of this timeline.
Back straight. Eyes focused. Quietly taking notes.
So I'm not me? he thought, mildly detached.
Or maybe… I'm the only me that matters.
He turned away.
He wouldn't interfere. Not unless fate demanded it.
---
The class dragged on.
Starstream theory. Core formation. Essence flow dynamics.
Things Jin had already mastered in his previous life before most of these students had even begun walking.
He didn't take notes. He didn't need to.
Time moved like syrup.
Then, all at once—it ended.
The bell chimed.
Students packed up. Whispers floated.
Jin stepped into the hallway, gaze steady.
And there they were.
The four bullies from yesterday, leaning against the far wall. Waiting. Their smiles wide. Too confident.
The hallway was full now—students passing through, stopping, watching.
Whispers buzzed like flies.
"Guess he'll get beat up again…"
"Pathetic. How'd he even get into Zenith?"
"Poor guy."
"Well, I guess this is one way to spice up the day."
Jin stopped mid-step.
Slowly, he turned toward the four.
They pushed off the wall and approached. The biggest one cracked his knuckles.
"Well, well. Look who thinks he can walk out like he's—"
Crack.
The punch hit before the sentence finished.
The boy's head snapped back. His feet left the ground. He flew into the wall hard enough to leave a dent.
Silence.
Jin didn't wait.
The second tried to grab him. Jin stepped inside his guard and elbowed him in the throat. The boy collapsed, gasping like a fish out of water.
The third backed up—too slow.
A sweeping kick took his legs out. Jin stomped once. Something crunched.
The fourth boy froze, trembling.
Jin met his gaze.
"Move," he said simply.
The boy ran.
Blood stained the tiles. Groans filled the hallway.
Still, no one moved.
The students watched in stunned silence.
Then Jin turned his head, voice carrying through the corridor—calm, low, cold.
"You all watched yesterday."
No one responded.
"You whispered. Gossiped. Laughed."
His eyes swept across them. "But none of you stepped forward."
He took a step forward.
"You're cowards."
Another step.
"And if any of you think about challenging me for merits…" His eyes gleamed. "Come. Be my example."
A pressure fell.
Like a wave crashing down on the crowd.
The hallway turned to ice. No wind, no sound, no motion—only bloodlust. Old. Heavy. Precise.
Several students flinched. A few turned pale. One vomited.
They forgot how to breathe.
It wasn't just pressure. It was killing intent—sharpened over a lifetime, honed through wars, duels, betrayals. It coiled in the air like a predator.
He said nothing more.
He turned, hands in his pockets, and walked away.
And the crowd—
Parted.
On instinct. As if before a beast in human skin.
No one dared speak.
No one dared follow.
---
There was a reason the Merit System existed.
At the Academy, strength wasn't just survival—it was currency.
Every student started with 1,000 merits.
Every month, that count reset.
Challenges could be made at any time.
Beat someone lower-ranked?
Earn a small reward.
Beat someone higher-ranked?
Earn status. Recognition. Power.
Top students earned ten times the norm.
The student representative held 10,000 merits.
With enough, one could buy rare elixirs. Weapon enhancements. Even favors from elders.
In this system, Jin had just announced himself.
He hadn't taken anyone's merits yet. But he'd made one thing very clear:
If you challenged him—prepare to break bones.
And unlike before, Rael Drayce was no longer the weakest student in the academy. Everyone could feel it.
Now, he was something much worse—
And unpredictable.