The explosion was impossible to miss.
Even from the far side of the college campus, the sound of the main hall collapsing reached every corner of the grounds.
A thunderous boom shook the windows.
Students screamed.
Professors abandoned their classrooms.
For several seconds, nobody seemed to understand what had happened.
Then the alarms began.
Choi was standing in the middle of a conversation with the college director when the windows behind them rattled violently.
Both men turned.
A column of dust rose above the main hall.
The director’s face went pale.
"What the hell was that?"
"Everyone evacuate the surrounding buildings!" Choi ordered, his voice carrying through the hallway. "Get the students away from the main hall. Call emergency services and Association medical personnel!"
The director stared at him.
"Mr. Choi—"
"Now."
There was something in Choi’s tone that left no room for argument.
He sprinted toward the main hall.
Students and staff poured into the corridors behind him.
By the time Choi reached the building, he was the first person on the scene.
The main entrance had been blown apart.
The walls were cracked.
The floor was buried beneath chunks of concrete and shattered glass.
And in the middle of the destruction was Luvians unconscious body.
’Luvian!’
Choi’s eyes narrowed.
He recognized him immediately.
Dark red hair.
Bloodied clothes.
His body twisted awkwardly against the floor.
Broken bones were visible beneath torn clothing, and blood stained nearly every part of him.
"He’s alive."
Choi crouched beside him and checked his condition.
His breathing was shallow.
His Essence was dangerously unstable.
Choi’s expression hardened.
"Luvian..."
’The son of the S-Rank Awakened, Abrius.’
’This isn’t just some random student.’
’This is going to become a political nightmare.’
"Get a medical team here immediately!" Choi shouted.
Several staff members finally arrived.
Choi stood.
"Don’t move him unnecessarily. His injuries are severe."
The staff members scrambled into action.
Then Choi noticed something else.
A faint distortion.
Barely visible.
Someone was walking away from the ruined building.
Choi’s eyes followed the movement.
’...Huh.’
’Someone using Stealth.’
The skill was good enough that an ordinary Awakened wouldn’t have noticed anything.
But Choi wasn’t ordinary.
He watched the distortion carefully.
The figure was stumbling slightly.
Exhausted.
Injured.
And running out of Essence.
Choi’s eyes narrowed.
’...!’
A wave of realization washed over Choi.
’It’s that kid that blocked Observer’s Eye earlier!’
Choi didn’t call out.
He simply watched Eden disappear around the corner.
Then he looked back at Luvian.
’So that’s what happened.’
Footsteps approached rapidly.
"What’s going on?!"
Sonne pushed through the crowd.
Her eyes immediately landed on the destroyed main hall.
"What... happened?"
She walked closer.
Then she saw Luvian.
Her eyes widened.
"Luvian?!"
She rushed over.
"What happened to him?"
Nobody answered.
Sonne looked around.
Her mind immediately began running through every possibility.
’Who could have done this?’
There were plenty of strong Awakeneds at the college.
But Luvian was no ordinary student.
He was already incredibly powerful for his age, and his father was an S-Rank Awakened.
Sonne’s gaze moved toward the destroyed hall.
’I don’t know anyone here who could do this.’
Then another thought entered her mind.
Earlier.
Luvian had confronted Eden.
She remembered the tension between them.
Luvian’s hostile aura.
Eden’s cold expression.
The way the two of them had looked at each other.
Sonne’s brows furrowed.
’Could it be... Eden?’
Before she could think further, the college director arrived.
His face was pale.
"What happened here?"
His eyes landed on Choi.
"Mr. Choi, do you have any idea who could have done this?"
Choi glanced toward the direction Eden had disappeared.
There was a brief silence.
Then he looked back at the director.
"No."
The director blinked.
"You don’t?"
"I have no idea."
It was a lie.
A very obvious one.
But Choi didn’t particularly care.
The director swallowed nervously.
"This is going to be a disaster."
Choi sighed internally.
’Oh you have no idea.’
A few minutes later.
Eden sat on a bench several hundred meters away from the college.
His breathing was heavy.
His clothes were torn.
Blood had dried along his cheek and neck.
Eden leaned back.
He closed his eyes.
’I actually got away.’
Nobody had followed him.
Nobody—
"Quite the mess you’ve made."
Eden’s eyes snapped open.
He slowly turned his head.
Choi stood a few meters away.
Eden stared at him.
Choi stared back.
Neither spoke for several seconds.
"...Damn."
That was all Eden could think of.
Choi sighed.
"I have a few important questions for you, Eden."
Eden’s brain immediately began working.
’Run?’
’No. He’ll catch up before I get even a step in.’
’Fight?’
’Absolutely not. Fighting an S-Rank now would be no better than shooting myself with a gun.’
’Lie?’
’Possibly.’
’Pretend I have amnesia?’
’Nah, too obvious.’
Choi seemed to read the entire thought process on Eden’s face.
"Don’t."
Eden blinked.
"Huh?"
Choi crossed his arms.
"Whatever you’re thinking right now, don’t try anything stupid."
Eden stared at him.
Then slowly smiled.
"You’re pretty perceptive."
"I get that a lot."
Choi walked closer.
"So."
He looked toward the college.
"What the hell was that fight?"
Eden said nothing.
"Why did you beat Luvian half to death?"
Eden considered his answer.
’I guess there’s no point in lying.’
Choi had already seen enough.
So Eden told him.
Everything.
Luvian’s offer.
His refusal.
The threat against Mihui.
Choi listened without interrupting.
When Eden finished, Choi rubbed his forehead.
"So let me get this straight."
He looked at Eden.
"You got into a fight with the son of an S-Rank Awakened because he threatened someone you care about."
"Yes."
Choi stared at him.
Then sighed.
"Eden, your sob story isn’t going to get you out of this."
"I wasn’t telling you a sob story."
"Whatever you want to call it. You’ll end up in Jail for this."
Eden raised an eyebrow.
"Jail?"
Eden suddenly smiled.
"I won’t get arrested."
Choi couldn’t help it.
’Did he see through it?’
A nervous smile appeared on his face.
"And why exactly do you think that?"
Eden leaned back against the bench.
"If you intended to arrest me, you’d have already subdued me."
Eden continued.
"You knew where I was. You followed me here. You found me when my Stealth ended."
He tilted his head.
"But I’m still sitting here, without any handcuffs."
Choi stared at him.
"And that means?"
"You’re covering for me."
A short silence.
Eden’s silver eyes narrowed.
"As for why..."
He shrugged.
"My talent?"
Choi’s expression changed.
Eden noticed.
’There it is.’
Eden already knew about Choi’s Observer’s Eye.
He had seen the skill in his previous life.
But obviously, he couldn’t tell him that.
Choi suddenly remembered something.
Eden had exhausted his Essence.
Completely.
That meant whatever mysterious force had blocked his Observer’s Eye before—
It might no longer be there.
Choi’s eyes sharpened as he activated his skill.
[Observer’s Eye]
Every Awakened possessed a ceiling.
Sonne had been over three thousand.
Luvian had been over four thousand.
Neville, the Association’s sword stood at Seven thousand eight hundred and ninety.
Choi had seen some incredible numbers during his career.
His eyes locked onto Eden.
The number appeared.
[14,700]
Choi stopped breathing.
His pupils shrank.
For several seconds, his brain refused to process what he was seeing.
’...What?’
He blinked.
The number remained.
[14,700]
Choi’s knees nearly gave out.
Eden stared at him.
"You okay?"
Choi didn’t answer.
His mind was racing.
’Fourteen thousand seven hundred!’
The highest talent ceiling he had ever personally recorded.
A number tied only with one other individual.
’Gaku.’
It took Choi several minutes to snap out of it.
He exhaled dramatically.
Choi couldn’t help but smile.
’The Association can’t afford to let this kid walk away.’
’Not anymore.’
Whatever Eden eventually became—
Choi had no intention of letting another organization call dips on him.
He rubbed his temples.
’That’s going to be a lot of paperwork.’
"You’re right."
Eden looked at him.
"I am?"
"To some degree."
Choi sighed.
"I’m not arresting you."
Eden’s smile widened.
"The Association will handle this incident."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning we’ll make sure the blame doesn’t fall entirely on you."
Eden nodded.
Choi pulled a business card from his pocket.
He held it out.
"Here."
Eden took it.
Choi’s contact information was printed neatly across the card.
"If you ever need something, contact me directly."
Eden glanced at the card.
"And what’s the catch?"
"I want you to at least consider joining the Association."
Eden looked up.
Choi’s expression became serious.
"I’ll have your back."
Eden considered that.
It wasn’t a bad offer.
But he had no intention of becoming someone’s subordinate.
Still...
Having Choi as a contact could prove useful.
"I’ll think about it."
Choi nodded.
"That’s all I’m asking."
Then he remembered something.
"Oh. There’s another reason I came here."
Eden raised an eyebrow.
"Tryouts."
"The Awakened Tryouts?"
"Yes."
Choi explained.
The Association’s upcoming selection event.
Thousands of Freshly Awakened people, competing in multiple rounds.
Every participant gets an official Awakeneds license.
Furthermore, there’s no better place in the world than the tryouts if it comes to Guild offers, fame and recognition.
Guild representatives would be watching.
The strongest participants would receive recruitment offers and rewards.
"So?"
Choi asked.
"Interested?"
Eden smiled.
"Of course."
Choi relaxed slightly.
"Good."
"But..."
Eden raised one finger.
"I want a second invitation."
Choi froze.
"...For who?"
Eden’s smile became wider.
"Her name is Lucy."
Choi stared at him.
"Lucy?"
"She’s still a diamond in the rough."
Eden looked down at the business card in his hand.
"But if I train her properly..."
He looked back at Choi.
"She might even win first place."
Choi’s face twitched.
’First place?’
He had just discovered one person with a talent ceiling of fourteen thousand seven hundred.
And now Eden was casually presenting him with another potential monster.
Choi laughed nervously.
"You really don’t ask for small favors, do you?"
Eden shrugged.
"Why would I?"
Choi stared at him for another moment.
Then he smiled.
"Fine."
Eden raised an eyebrow.
"I’ll make sure she gets an invitation."
"Good."
Choi turned around.
Then stopped.
"And Eden?"
"Yeah?"
"Try not to destroy anything else before the Tryouts."
Eden thought about it.
"No promises."
Choi closed his eyes.
’This kid is going to kill me with paperwork.’