Chapter 3: The Awakening Storm

The Shadows That Followed

I exited the training hall with a tempest of thoughts building up in my head. The name Kael Arashi had rattled even the veteran Hunters in the room. Woo-Jin's words went round and round in my head:

"The Hunter Association won't take any chances."

It was a warning, and I wasn't dumb enough to ignore it.

As I strolled through the darkened corridors of the Hunter Academy, I could sense the pressure of their gazes. The rumors were already beginning to spread like fire.

"Did you hear?"

"They say he's Kael Arashi's son…"

"But that's impossible, right?"

I gritted my teeth. I wasn't some attraction for them to stare at. I had to determine the truth about my father, about myself.

But first, I needed to prepare.

The Black Dagger of Secrets

My black dagger, given to me by my mother, still rested in my pocket, heavy with every step. It felt. live, like something was waiting.

I closed the door behind myself in my bedroom and brought it out, raising it up toward the pale glow of my bed lamp.

Why did my mom give this to me now?

I had woken my memories at fifteen, but my body had not given any indication of waking as a Hunter. No status windows, no skills, nothing.

I drew a deep breath and held the dagger tightly.

Nothing.

I let out a sharp breath, frustration growing. Was it simply a keepsake? Or was I missing something?

Then, as if responding to my feelings, the dagger throbbed. There was a subtle hum that resonated through my fingers, and the blade glimmered, rippling like shadowy liquid.

I stared in shock. What the heck?

Before I had a chance to respond, a pain flashed through my palm. The dagger melted away, flowing into my skin like writing pen ink into paper.

And then the world blew up.

A Voice from the Past

Darkness enveloped me. A chilly, crushing nothing.

Then, a voice reverberated across the void.

> "Be neither god nor demon. Be human—it's the one thing they can't understand."

My body went stiff.

That voice. It was low, authoritative, yet somehow familiar.

> "Manjil… my son."

A bolt of lightning split the emptiness, and all at once, I could see.

A man stood before me, shrouded in churning storms, his black coat long and flowing, billowing around him in the windless nothingness. His eyes burned like two storms imprisoned in human flesh.

Kael Arashi.

My father.

He moved toward me, his presence crushing, as if the air itself bowed to his dominance.

> "You are not ready. But they will come for you anyway."

I forced down a swallow. Who? Who will come for me?

> "Your power is latent. But the moment you unleash it, the world will know."

The lightning that surrounded him flashed, and then I was falling.

Falling back into reality.

Storm Monarch's Wrath: Latent

I jolted up in bed, gasping for breath. My skin was prickling, my body felt… different. Stronger. I balled up my fists, feeling a weird energy coursing through my veins.

I rolled up my sleeve. Bizarre markings, similar to ancient runes, pulsed weakly on my forearm before disappearing into my skin.

A message flashed before my eyes.

---

[«Storm Monarch's Wrath» (Dormant)]

Status: Unawakened.

Potential:???

Warning: When fully activated, the power signature will be detected.

---

My breath froze in my throat. This was not the System Jin-Woo possessed. This was something different.

Something left behind by my father.

And the warning… it was clear. The moment I unlocked this fully, they would come for me.

The Hunter Association.

The Monarchs.

Anyone who feared the legend of Kael Arashi.

A Test of Strength

The next morning, I stepped into the Academy's underground training facility. I needed to test this power before anyone found out.

The facility was huge, a battleground created for S-Rank Hunters to train against one another without considering collateral damage. The mana-laden air saturated the facility, the magic-absorbing alloys used on walls.

I moved toward the pillar of strength—the machine where they measured raw strength output.

The students in attendance, from the mid- and high-C-Ranks, sat in line witnessing as one by one A-Rank students queued up for practice.

BAM!

8,900, read the flashing number of impact.

Whistles, murmurs, and expressions of admiration rippled through the assembled crowd.

"Insane! He's bound to get scouted by a Guild any time now."

I took a step forward.

The instructor, a B-Rank Hunter who looked like he was bored out of his mind, raised an eyebrow. "You sure, kid? This thing doesn't play nice with first-timers."

I didn't reply. I just retracted my fist.

Something within me woke up. The markings on my arm weakly pulsed.

I punched.

CRACK!

The machine creaked, sparks flying as the number increased.

12,300.

Silence.

Then, whispers.

"What the hell?"

"Wait… Isn't he unawakened?"

"No way. That power… it's already A-Rank level…"

The instructor stared at the machine, then at me, then back at the machine. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

I turned to leave. My heart was pounding. This power… I've barely unlocked anything, and I'm already this strong?

Then, a slow clap echoed through the hall.

A tall figure, dressed in high-end combat gear, stepped forward.

Jung Min-Ho.

Son of Jung Woo-Seok, one of Korea's top five S-Rank Hunters.

He smiled, arms folded. "Not bad, Arashi. But numbers don't mean shit without technique. How about a spar?"

The crowd sat up. Min-Ho was famous for destroying students who got too arrogant. And now, everyone wanted to see how the 'mystery kid' would fare against him.

I looked him in the eye. He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"Fine."

I entered the sparring ring.

The tempest within me churned, ready to be unleashed.

---

End of Chapter 3.