Chapter 4: Clash of the New Storm

The Challenge Commences

The training hall underground was abuzz with excitement. Jung Min-Ho's challenge had everyone talking, and now there was a crowd of people around the sparring ring, waiting for whatever would transpire.

I stepped onto the battle platform, rolling my shoulders as I appraised him. Jung Min-Ho was an A-Rank Hunter, and it was evident. His movements were calculated, his stance assured. He had been trained by his father, one of Korea's strongest S-Rank Hunters.

But he had made one error.

He underestimated me.

"You ready, Arashi?" Min-Ho cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Or do you need to back out before you make a fool of yourself?"

I stared him down, unphased. "Let's just get this over with."

The instructor stood between us, holding up his hand. "This is a friendly spar. No deadly moves. First to land a clean hit wins. Got it?"

We both nodded.

"Alright then. Start!"

The First Exchange

Min-Ho took the first move, covering the space between us in a flash. His speed was good for an A-Rank Hunter, but relative to what I had heard was out there in the world, it was within my means.

He snapped out a fast jab for my ribs, probing at my response time.

I side-stepped with ease.

A flash of surprise flickered across his face, and then he landed a high kick, the air whispering through as his leg sliced through.

I leaned back far enough to allow the kick to whisper past my chin, then turned to the side, opening up some space.

The crowd gasped in shock.

"Did he just dodge it?"

"Min-Ho's kicks are insane fast, no way!"

Min-Ho clicked his tongue. "Not bad. But how about this?"

His aura burst and his fists crackled with power. Mana-amplified strikes.

He lunged forward once more, quicker this time, throwing a strong punch at my chest.

I changed position and caught his wrist out of the air, halting the attack in its path. A silence swept through the crowd.

Min-Ho and I locked stares for an instant. His shock was evident.

"You—"

I twisted his wrist a bit, making him stagger forward, then smoothly re-directed his motion, sending him sliding back along the platform.

Power Awakening

The audience broke into whispers.

"What the heck? He countered Min-Ho so effortlessly!"

"Who is this person?"

Min-Ho narrowed his eyes. He stiffened, shaking out his arm before his mana burst again. "Okay. You want to get serious? Let's get serious."

His aura became stronger, his muscles tensing as he called upon more of his Hunter strength. A blue aura enveloped his fists as he turned on his combat style.

"Steel Impact."

He threw a punch like a cannonball, sending it directly to my stomach. This time, I didn't move out of the way.

I lifted my arm, intercepting the punch directly. The force sent a shockwave in the air, cracks appearing beneath my feet.

But I barely winced.

Min-Ho's eyes went wide with shock. "What…?"

I smiled. I see. My body is already adjusting.

The sleeping power inside me began to stir, and for an instant, a soft flash of lightning danced along my arm. I didn't quite comprehend it yet, but one thing was certain—my strength was already exceeding what should have been possible for an unawakened Hunter.

I took Min-Ho's wrist once more, this time clenching my fingers around it. "My turn."

In one swift motion, I spun my body and hurled him onto the platform.

He rolled to a stop, crashing against the ground.

Silence.

Then, a burst of whispers from the crowd.

"No way! He threw Min-Ho like he was nothing!"

"What rank is he, really? There's no way he's just a normal student!"

Min-Ho groaned, scrambling to his feet. He glared at me, incredulity written on his face.

The teacher moved forward, holding up his hand. "That's it! The match is finished."

He looked at me, unreadable. "Winner: Manjil Arashi."

The Fear Spreads

I exited the stage, the crowd dispersing as I moved through it. Whispers trailed after me.

Arashi…

That name….

Some of the students were still clueless, but the teachers, the officials in the Hunter Association, they knew. They knew the name.

And they were scared.

I walked by, and I caught a glimpse of a man spying on me in the shadows. Older, presence unseen, yet I felt him. A Hunter.

Our eyes crossed for the split second that our paths lasted, then he vanished.

The cold run through my body.

They already know I'm watching me.

A Warning from the Past

That evening, I sat in my room, gazing at my hands. The power that fluctuated earlier, the voice that I heard in the emptiness… All of that was linked to my father.

Kael Arashi.

What did he leave for me, exactly?

I fisted my hands. I want answers.

Then, a knock on my door.

I got up, opening it slowly.

Woo-Jin was standing there, his usual nonchalant expression replaced with something somber.

"Mind if I come in?"

I nodded, moving aside.

He shut the door behind him, folding his arms. "I was planning on waiting, but after today, what you did, I don't think I have an option."

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Woo-Jin let out a sigh. "Manjil, I want you to listen to me. The authorities… They're already in motion. Your father's name is enough to get you on their list. But what you did today? That just sealed it."

I scowled. "Sealed what?"

He looked at me. "That you're not some ordinary student. You're something more. And they're going to want to know exactly what."

A thick silence fell between us.

Then Woo-Jin's voice became a whisper.

"And believe me, you do not want them to know."

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End of Chapter 4.