CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3

It has been a year since that fateful day on Jeju Island. A year since I stood atop a mountain of ant corpses, drenched in blood and exhaustion, barely clinging to life. A year since I had been given a second chance in a world I had only read about.

During this time, I had done everything I could to adapt to this new life. I spent days training my body, pushing it beyond its limits, honing both my magical ability and my newfound physical capabilities Unlike before, when I relied solely on my mana to fight, I now trained with the sword, ensuring that my combat potential was not bound by my magic alone.

My reawakening had changed everything.

When I first returned to Korea, the world was in an uproar. The Hunter Association declared my death, believing that S-Class mage Choi Jong-In perished alongside his squad during the Jeju Raid. My survival was nothing short of a miracle, and people were desperate to know how I had managed to return. News reporters, interviewers, and curious citizens bombarded me with questions, and I was left with little to no choice but to fabricate a half-truth.

"I reawakened," I had told them. "As a Fighter-Class."

The moment those words left my mouth, the world exploded with speculation. A second reawakening was already an exceedingly rare event, but to have an S-Class mage transform into a hybrid class—a Fighter and Mage—was unheard of. It defied common knowledge. Hunters usually specialize in one field. Mages were fragile but wielded immense magical destruction. Fighters were physically enhanced, capable of withstanding blows and charging into battle. But to be both? That was something new entirely.

As the interviews and speculation continued, I found myself wanting nothing more than to retreat into solitude. The Korean Hunter Association, despite their initial wariness of my supposed reawakening, chose to support me, eager to understand the true extent of my newfound abilities.

I did not let my new opportunity go to waste. I entered countless gates alone, battling monsters without the help of a raid team. The first few months were the hardest. Despite my second class granting me enhanced strength and agility, I was still learning how to use my new abilities efficiently. My movements were rough, and my swordsmanship was unpolished.

Every day, I trained relentlessly, sparring against skilled fighters, practicing magic control, and refining my combat style. My body grew stronger. My speed increased. My mana control became sharper. I no longer fought like a mere mage—now, I was something far more dangerous.

I bought a new sword, that closely resembled the katana wielded by Yamamoto from Bleach. Its craftsmanship was quite good, the blade forged to withstand magical and physical attacks. It was an extension of my will, allowing me to channel my destructive magic and swordsmanship into each strike.

Gone were the robes that once defined Choi Jong-In, the great S-Class mage. Now, I dressed differently, marking my transformation both in power and identity. I donned an all-black long-sleeved shirt, with black pants and matching leather shoes. The attire was simple yet elegant, radiating an aura of authority and discipline. I also acquired a special robe infused with enchantments—enhancing my defense and boosting my mana regeneration, ensuring that I will be able to fight at my full potential for extended periods.

Gone was the frail, robe-clad mage who relied solely on magic. In his place stood a warrior wielding both sword and spell, striking down enemies with sheer physical strength and devastating magical power.

Reporters wrote headlines about my transformation, hunters discussed my new abilities in whispers, and the Hunter Association kept a close eye on my progress. No one knew what to expect from me anymore. I had become an anomaly, that defied the conventions of hunter classifications.

And yet, I had only just begun.

With my new identity solidified, I continued my relentless pursuit of strength. I took on more difficult gates, facing monsters that would have once been my death sentence. Each battle refined my abilities, pushing me closer to mastering the balance between magic and swordsmanship.

Chapter End