Day 18. Twenty-six days until the Gate Break.
Han Sera woke up at 5:30 AM, a full hour before her usual time. She hadn't slept well—the meeting with Vice Principal Kwon was scheduled for 3 PM today, and anxiety churned in her stomach.
But the janitor's message had been clear: check the eastern courtyard statue at 6 AM.
She dressed quickly and slipped out of the dorm. The campus was still mostly empty at this hour, just a few dedicated students jogging on the track and early-rising instructors heading to their offices.
The eastern courtyard housed a bronze statue of the First Hunter—the man who'd received humanity's first awakening during the initial Cataclysm. Students rarely visited it; most preferred the modern facilities on the western side of campus.
Perfect place for a dead drop.
Sera approached the statue, trying to look casual. Just a student out for a morning walk. Nothing suspicious. She circled it once, examining the base.
There—a small gap where the bronze met the stone foundation. She glanced around to confirm she was alone, then reached into the gap.
Her fingers found a folded piece of paper.
She palmed it quickly and walked away, not breaking stride. Only when she was safely behind the dorm building did she unfold it:
*"Training Protocol Delta. Memorize and destroy this message.*
*6:00-6:30 AM: Run the perimeter path. Five laps, maximum speed. Focus on breathing control and mana circulation through legs.*
*During classes: Every hour, practice mana breathing technique for two minutes. Discreetly. No visible movements.*
*Lunch break: East training hall, dummy #7. Practice the combination sequence I taught you. 50 repetitions. If anyone asks, say you're reviewing basic forms.*
*After dinner: Study the advanced combat manual in the library, Level 3, Section 4-B. Focus on chapters 7-9. Take no notes. Memorize only.*
*10 PM: Meditation. Visualize tomorrow's dungeon practical scenarios. Plan three escape routes for each scenario.*
*This is your training now. Self-directed. Invisible. When the investigation ends, we'll resume direct sessions. Until then, trust the process.*
*Destroy this message. - The Janitor"*
Sera read it three times, committing every word to memory. Then she tore the paper into tiny pieces and flushed them down a bathroom toilet.
Her training would continue. Just differently.
She checked her watch: 5:47 AM. Thirteen minutes until she needed to start running.
For the first time that morning, Sera smiled.
The Vice Principal could investigate all he wanted. All he'd find was a dedicated student working hard using publicly available academy resources.
Exactly like the janitor had planned.
---
Vice Principal Kwon's office was intimidating by design.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with hunter theory texts. Mounted certificates and commendations covering one wall. A massive desk made of dark wood that seemed to swallow visitors whole.
Sera sat in the uncomfortable guest chair, trying not to fidget.
Kwon studied her file on his tablet, letting the silence stretch. Classic intimidation tactic—make the subject nervous, more likely to reveal things.
"Han Sera," he finally said, looking up. "Your instructors have noticed significant improvement in your combat performance over the past two weeks. Quite remarkable for an F-Rank student."
"Thank you, sir."
"I wasn't complimenting you. I was stating a fact that requires explanation." He set down the tablet. "Students don't improve this rapidly without external assistance. So I'll ask you directly: who's training you?"
Sera had rehearsed this answer. "No one, sir. I've been practicing more. Staying late in the training facilities. Reviewing materials in the library."
"Materials above your rank level?"
"The library is open to all students, sir. I didn't know there were restrictions on what we could read."
"There aren't. But there's a difference between reading advanced techniques and executing them competently." Kwon leaned forward. "I've reviewed your entrance examination results. You're not talented enough to learn intermediate techniques through self-study alone. Someone is teaching you. Who?"
The accusation stung, even though Sera knew it was meant to provoke a reaction.
"I work harder than people expect, sir. Maybe that's why I'm improving."
"Hard work is admirable. But it doesn't account for—" He checked his tablet. "—a forty-percent improvement in combat evaluation scores in two weeks. That's statistically abnormal."
"I'm sorry my improvement is inconvenient, sir."
Wrong thing to say. Kwon's eyes narrowed.
"Your improvement isn't inconvenient, Miss Han. It's suspicious. This academy has standards and protocols. Unauthorized training disrupts our curriculum and creates unpredictable outcomes. If you're receiving outside instruction, I need to know about it. Now."
Sera met his gaze steadily. "I've been using publicly available academy resources to train myself. Training facilities, library materials, observation of advanced classes during open demonstrations. Nothing unauthorized. Nothing against academy policy."
"And you expect me to believe you've achieved this level of improvement alone?"
"I expect you to verify it, sir. Check the security footage. The training facilities log all usage. The library tracks which books are checked out. You'll find I'm exactly where I say I've been, doing exactly what I say I've been doing."
Kwon studied her for a long moment. She was right, of course. He'd already reviewed the footage. Han Sera had indeed been staying late in training facilities, alone. Had indeed checked out advanced combat manuals from the library.
But something still felt off.
"Very well," he said finally. "I'll be monitoring your progress closely, Miss Han. If I discover any unauthorized training arrangements, there will be consequences. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Dismissed."
Sera stood and left, keeping her pace measured and calm even though every instinct screamed to run. Only when she was safely in the hallway did she allow herself a shaky breath.
She'd passed. Barely.
Behind her, Kwon pulled up more security footage on his tablet. Something was wrong with this situation. He could feel it. But without concrete evidence, he couldn't act.
Still, he'd keep watching.
And eventually, the truth would reveal itself.
It always did.
---
Day 22. Twenty-two days until the Gate Break.
Soo-hyun's new training protocol was working better than expected.
For four days now, he'd left daily instructions at the statue dead drop. Each message carefully crafted to push Sera's development while leaving zero evidence of outside instruction.
The beauty of it was that everything he told her to do was technically self-study using academy resources. Security footage would show a dedicated student practicing alone. Library records would show a student researching advanced techniques.
Nothing suspicious. Nothing actionable.
But the compound effect of properly directed self-study was dramatic.
**[QUEST UPDATE]**
**[Han Sera - Combat Rating: D → D+]**
**[Survival Probability: 47% → 58%]**
**[Mana Control: Improved by 34%]**
**[Investigation Status: Active but stalled]**
**[Days Remaining: 22]**
Fifty-eight percent. Better, but still not good enough.
Soo-hyun stood on the academy's roof at 11 PM, watching as lights turned off across campus. This vantage point gave him a clear view of most buildings, including the training facilities where Sera was currently practicing her evening routine.
His phone buzzed. A message on the encrypted channel:
*"I found something weird in Chapter 8 of the advanced manual. There's a technique called 'Shadow Step' but the instructions seem incomplete. Like there's a second part missing. Did I miss something?"*
Soo-hyun smiled. She'd reached the point where she could identify gaps in written instruction. Good.
He typed back:
*"The manual can't fully explain Shadow Step because it requires practical demonstration. The incomplete feeling is correct. Try this: instead of thinking about moving your feet, think about where you want your center of mass to be. Your feet will follow naturally. Practice against multiple dummies simultaneously. You'll understand what's missing."*
He hit send, then added:
*"Also, reduce your running speed by ten percent but increase distance by fifty percent. You're building explosive power when you need endurance. The dungeon practical is a marathon, not a sprint."*
Three dots appeared as she typed a response:
*"When can we train together again? This method works, but I feel like I'm hitting a ceiling without direct feedback."*
Valid concern. Self-study had limits. But direct training was still too risky.
*"Soon. The investigation will cool down after the dungeon practical. Until then, this is how we work. Trust me—when we meet again, you'll be ready for the next level."*
*"Okay. I trust you. Thank you for not giving up on me."*
Soo-hyun stared at that message for a long moment.
*Not giving up on me.*
In his original timeline, everyone had given up on Class F students. Including him. He'd been too focused on the high-level threats, the demon lords, the catastrophic battles. The small tragedies of low-rank hunters dying in routine dungeons hadn't registered as important.
But standing here now, reading those words from a student fighting desperately to survive, he understood something crucial:
Saving humanity didn't just mean stopping the demon invasion. It meant saving people like Han Sera who deserved a chance but had been written off by a system that only valued immediate power.
He typed back:
*"I won't give up on you. Ever. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow's message will be at the statue as usual."*
He deleted the conversation thread, wiped the encryption keys, and pocketed his phone.
Twenty-two days. He needed to get her survival probability above seventy percent minimum. Preferably eighty.
Which meant the training was about to get significantly harder.
---
Day 25. Nineteen days until the Gate Break.
Director Choi found Soo-hyun cleaning the faculty lounge at 7 AM and handed him a cup of coffee.
"You look tired," the older man observed.
"Haven't been sleeping well," Soo-hyun admitted. Not a lie—he'd been staying up until 2 AM planning training protocols and watching security patterns.
"I heard the Vice Principal's been investigating that Class F student. The one who's been practicing late."
Soo-hyun kept his expression neutral. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Kwon thinks someone's training her secretly. But the security footage shows she's always alone. Library records confirm she's just studying hard." Choi shrugged. "Sometimes students surprise you. Not every improvement needs a conspiracy theory."
"True."
"Between you and me, I think Kwon's paranoid. The girl's just motivated. Nothing wrong with that." He finished his coffee. "Anyway, wanted to say you're doing good work. The faculty's noticed how clean everything's been lately. Keep it up."
"Thank you, sir."
After Choi left, Soo-hyun allowed himself a slight smile.
The investigation was losing momentum. Kwon was finding nothing because there was nothing to find. Just a janitor doing his job and a student working hard.
Exactly as planned.
His phone buzzed with the morning report he'd been waiting for—an encrypted message from a monitoring program he'd installed:
*"Vice Principal Kwon searched for 'Kim Soo-hyun employment records' and 'military contractor verification Southeast Asia' at 11:47 PM. Search returned minimal results. User appeared frustrated based on keystroke patterns."*
So Kwon was investigating him now, not just Sera. Smart. But Soo-hyun's cover identity was solid—built by the System itself, with enough real documentation to pass scrutiny but vague enough to be unremarkable.
A ghost with just enough substance to seem real.
Still, it meant he needed to be even more careful. No mistakes. No slips.
For nineteen more days, he was just a janitor.
And Han Sera was just a dedicated student.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
---
Day 26. Eighteen days until the Gate Break.
The message at the statue that morning was different:
*"Protocol Escalation. Your improvement has plateaued. Time to push harder.*
*Tonight, 11 PM. You know where. Come prepared for real combat simulation. The investigation has cooled enough for one session.*
*This will be brutal. This will hurt. But it's necessary.*
*Eighteen days left. No more time for gentle training.*
*Are you ready? - The Janitor"*
Sera read the message three times, her hands shaking slightly.
She'd been wondering when he'd call for another direct session. Part of her had hoped for more time. Her body still ached from the last training session, and that had been over a week ago.
But part of her—the fighter's instinct he'd been cultivating—felt relief.
Self-study had limits. She'd reached them.
Time to break through.
She destroyed the message and checked her watch: 6:23 AM.
Sixteen hours and thirty-seven minutes until her training resumed.
Sera spent the day preparing mentally. Attended classes normally. Practiced her regular routines. Ate properly. Hydrated.
All the while, anticipation and anxiety warred in her chest.
At 10:47 PM, she slipped out of her dorm and made her way to the abandoned storage building.
The door was already open.
Inside, the janitor—Kim Soo-hyun—waited. He'd rearranged the space completely. Training dummies were now positioned in complex patterns. Obstacles created a maze-like environment. Weapons were laid out on a table.
"You came," he said, not turning around.
"You called."
"Good. Because tonight we simulate the worst-case scenario." He finally faced her, and his expression was grim. "In eighteen days, you'll enter that C-Rank dungeon. The official plan says you'll stick with your group, follow the instructor, take no risks. But plans don't survive contact with reality."
He walked to a diagram he'd drawn on the dusty floor—a rough map of a dungeon layout.
"Three years ago, Park Min-jun died because a nest of C-Rank Shadow Spiders spawned unexpectedly in the safe zone. The instructors panicked. The formation broke. Students scattered." His finger traced a path on the map. "Min-jun ran the wrong direction. Got separated. Died alone fighting three spiders he couldn't handle."
Sera's blood ran cold. "How do you know the details?"
"Because I've seen the classified incident report." A lie, but necessary. "And I know the same dungeon is being used again because the academy wants to prove it's safe now. But dungeons evolve. Spawn patterns change. Nothing is guaranteed."
He pointed to the training setup he'd created. "So tonight, we train for chaos. For when everything goes wrong. For when you're alone, injured, and have to survive anyway."
"I... I don't know if I'm ready."
"You're not. That's why we're training." He tossed her a combat blade. "Three scenarios. Each one, you start surrounded by enemies—" He gestured to the dummies. "—with limited escape routes. Your job is to survive and extract. I'll be playing the role of unexpected threats. Every time you fail, we reset and try again."
"Until when?"
"Until you succeed three times in a row. Or until 4 AM. Whichever comes first."
Sera looked at the setup, at the blade in her hand, at the determined expression on the janitor's face.
Eighteen days until the dungeon practical.
Eighteen days to become someone who could survive when everything went wrong.
She gripped the blade tighter. "Let's start."
Soo-hyun nodded approvingly. "Good answer. Scenario one begins in thirty seconds. Remember—survival first, victory second. If you have to retreat, retreat. If you have to sacrifice your weapon to create distance, sacrifice it. Pride gets hunters killed."
"Understood."
"Twenty seconds. Get into position."
Sera moved to the starting point, surrounded by six dummies positioned at different heights and angles. Her heart pounded.
"Ten seconds. Control your breathing. Fear is useful only if you control it."
She breathed in slowly. Out slowly. Found her center.
"Five seconds. Remember—you're not trying to win. You're trying to survive."
*I can do this*, she thought. *I have to do this.*
"Begin!"
Everything happened at once.
Dummies suddenly had weights attached to them on pulleys—they "attacked" by swinging toward her with real force. The janitor appeared from the shadows, his own blade creating real pressure on her defense.
It was chaos. Controlled chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
And for the next five hours, Han Sera learned what it really meant to fight for survival.
---
**[QUEST UPDATE]**
**[Training Session: Extreme Difficulty Completed]**
**[Han Sera - Combat Rating: D+ → C-]**
**[Survival Probability: 58% → 71%]**
**[Mental Fortitude: Significantly Improved]**
**[Days Remaining: 18]**
At 3:47 AM, Sera finally completed three survival scenarios in a row. She was covered in bruises, completely exhausted, but standing.
"Good enough," Soo-hyun said, lowering his blade. "You've hit C-Rank threat response. Not C-Rank power, but the mentality to survive C-Rank situations. That's what matters."
Sera collapsed against a wall, gasping. "That was... horrible."
"That was necessary. And it might save your life in eighteen days." He offered her a water bottle. "No more direct sessions until after the dungeon practical. Too risky. But you're ready now. Trust your training. Trust your instincts."
"What if I'm not ready? What if—"
"Then you improvise. Adapt. Survive anyway. That's what real hunters do." He helped her to her feet. "Now go. Get some sleep. And Sera?"
"Yes?"
"I'll be watching during the dungeon practical. Not officially. But I'll be there. If things go catastrophically wrong, I'll intervene. You won't see me, but I'll be there."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. Thank me after you survive."
She left the building, every muscle screaming, but her mind clearer than it had ever been.
Eighteen days.
She was ready. Maybe not perfectly ready. But ready enough.
And that would have to be sufficient.