Chapter 1: A Dream of the Abyss

Cain woke up with a gasp, his heart pounding like it was trying to escape his chest.

For a second, he didn't know where he was. The air smelled like old books and chalk instead of blood and smoke, and the only thing pressing down on him was the weight of his own bad decisions.

What the hell was that dream?

He blinked, rubbing his temples. The details were already slipping away, but the feeling lingered—something dark, something powerful, something that definitely didn't belong in his very normal, very un-epic life.

A loud clack snapped him back to reality.

He was sitting at a desk. In a huge, fancy hall. Surrounded by people who looked way too confident for their own good.

Oh. Right.

The most prestigious school in the world, where the best of the best trained to become legendary mages, warriors, and apparently overachieving nerds.

Cain groaned. "Why did I even apply here again?"

He wasn't some prodigy. He wasn't even motivated. The only reason he'd taken the entrance exam was because his mom had threatened to sell his gaming console if he didn't "do something with his life."

And now here he was, about to fail spectacularly in front of a bunch of strangers.

Perfect.

A sharp voice cut through the murmurs of the room.

"Trial Seven: Combat Assessment."

Cain looked down at the paper in front of him.

He stared.

Land a hit? On an Elite Instructor?

He couldn't even land a hit on his alarm clock most mornings.

Around him, the other examinees were already standing up, stretching, cracking their knuckles like they were about to walk into a playground instead of a fight.

Cain sighed. "I'm so screwed." He muttered under his breath

The training grounds were massive—a wide, circular space with sand-covered floors and high stone walls. At the center stood a man who looked like he bench-pressed boulders for fun.

Instructor Garron.

Arms crossed, expression bored, like he'd done this a thousand times and expected exactly zero challenge today.

"First up," he said, scanning the crowd before his gaze landed on Cain. "You."

Cain blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Garron said, smirking. "Let's see what you've got."

Cain wanted to argue. Wanted to say there'd been a mistake. But before he could, the other examinees were already nudging him forward.

"Great. Public humiliation it is." He murmured as he walked to his position in the arena.

He stumbled into the arena, his legs feeling like overcooked noodles.

Garron cracked his neck. "Whenever you're ready."

Cain swallowed. "Okay. Just… don't die."

He took a deep breath—

and charged.

It was, without a doubt, the most pathetic attack in history. His arms flailed, his balance was nonexistent, and Garron didn't even bother dodging. He just sighed and sidestepped, letting Cain faceplant into the sand.

The crowd snickered.

Cain spat out a mouthful of dirt. "Yep. This is my life now." He grunted dusting his face.

Garron shook his head. "Pathetic."

Then he lunged.

Cain barely had time to register the movement before instinct took over.

His body moved on its own—twisting, dodging, his hand snapping out in a motion he'd never practiced, never even thought of.

THUD.

His palm struck Garron's chest—

and the instructor flew backward, skidding across the sand like he'd been hit by a truck.

Silence.

Absolute, stunned silence.

Cain stared at his hand. "What the hell just happened?" he asked clearly confused by the sudden movements he displayed out of nowhere.

Garron coughed, pushing himself up slowly. His expression was no longer bored. Now, he looked at Cain like he was a puzzle he couldn't solve.

"...Interesting."

In the crowd, a silver-haired girl Selene watched with wide eyes.

"That movement…" she whispered. "That wasn't normal."

Cain, meanwhile, was still trying to process the fact that he hadn't been turned into a human pancake.

" D-Did I just… win?" He asked himself in disbelief.

Before he could celebrate, a sharp pain shot through his skull.

[System Notice: Memory Fragment Recovered—2%]

He winced. "Oh, come on. Not this again."

Garron dusted himself off, still eyeing Cain. "Pass."

The crowd erupted into murmurs.

Cain didn't care. He just wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and pretend today never happened.

But as he turned to leave, Selene stepped forward, her gaze locked onto him.

Uh-oh.

Something told him his life was about to get a lot more complicated.