Uhyon suddenly fell out of bed. He opened his eyes and saw he was in his own home, and it was just 6 o'clock. He thought it had all been a dream. As usual, he went to wash his face and hands. But while washing his face, he noticed a scar on the right side of his forehead, like a crack. He didn't understand where it came from or what caused it. When he touched the scar, it hurt so badly that Uhyon lost his balance and fell onto the tile floor.
He knew he needed to show it to a doctor, but since he hadn't received his salary yet and had very little money, he decided to postpone it. Instead, he chose to hide the scar with his hair.
Not knowing what to do next, he sat deep in thought. Just then, his teacher, Mr. Feng, called him.
— "Hello, Mr. Feng, what's going on so early in the morning?"
— "Hello, Uhyon. I just wanted to check how you're doing, if your treatment is going well."
Uhyon was surprised.
— "Why do you ask that, sir?"
— "What do you mean? Aren't you in treatment right now? Where are you?"
— "No, I'm at home. Is everything okay?"
— "What? How did you get home with a broken leg?"
— "I don't understand, sir. I'm perfectly fine. Did something happen?"
— "I don't understand. You were in a car accident. They said you'd be in the hospital for a month!"
Uhyon looked at the calendar on his phone—March 12th. It had been exactly five days since the event in his dream. He fell into deep thought again. "But it was just a dream... If not, why wasn't my leg broken? Why don't I remember anything?"
— "Hey, Uhyon, are you listening?"
— "Yes, sir."
— "Good. Can you come to school today?"
— "Yes."
— "Okay. If you really don't know, I'll tell you what happened after the lesson. By the way, have you heard about the mysterious murders? They happened right around the car that hit you—exactly at that time. Everyone within a 100-meter radius died... of course except for you. That's why the 'HFE' (hunters' forensic expertise) want to meet you at school."
Uhyon felt a strange unease upon hearing this bizarre story.
— "Okay, sir."
He wanted to ask about Kang, but realized it wouldn't useful for him now. Then he ate and got dressed to head to school. He made sure to cover the scar with his hair, thankfully, his hair was a bit longer than average.
The gentle morning breeze and the scent of blooming tree flowers, which he used to enjoy, now felt strangely unpleasant. On the way, he saw several classmates—and even Kang. Kang also saw him, and the joy he'd had with his friends vanished instantly. There were odd bruises on his body, as if someone had beaten him. But like Uhyon, Kang had tried to hide them, which Uhyon noticed. Kang continued walking as if he hadn't seen Uhyon at all.
At school, students who had heard about his condition were surprised to see him. The school was ordinary, but it constantly monitored hunter students. Since hunters usually awakened their powers at age 12, magic-related subjects started in middle school.
Mr. Feng's lesson was the last one of the day, and until then, Uhyon had to sit through other subjects with patience. Almost every teacher asked about his condition and why he came to school. Uhyon explained he felt fine and couldn't remember the events. He asked teachers and classmates what happened, but no one knew the full story.
Finally, Mr. Feng's lesson began. Once all the students were inside, he wrote the topic on the board and quietly sat down.
— "So, what was the homework?"
The students raised their hands. Mr. Feng called on Woo, one of his top students.
— "We were to study 4 out of the 7 great world-class dungeons and learn about the legendary hunter Arthur."
— "Good. Kang!"
Kang stood up reluctantly.
— "When and where did the third Great Gate open?"
Even though Kang heard the question clearly, he pretended he hadn't. Finally, he adjusted his blond hair and replied, "I don't know," and sat down without being asked. Mr. Feng ignored the behavior.
— "Voo, you answer!"
— "The third Great Gate is estimated to have opened in the 5th or 6th century around the area of modern-day Germany. The reason for this belief is the presence of concentrated mana energy in that region."
— "Good. What kind of monsters came from that gate?"
— "Normally, demons would be expected, but anomalously, an army of ice creatures emerged — including ice elves, magical white bears, snow yetis, and ice orcs."
— "Who fought them, and how many survived?"
— "Since those lands were part of the Roman Empire, most other nations refused to help. However, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table from England agreed to join the fight. The battle was brutal, with many casualties. But thanks to King Arthur's Excalibur and his knights, many people survived. Due to his major contribution, Arthur became famous, and several legends were later created about him."
— "Good, Voo, you may sit. Now, who knows how Arthur died?"
No one responded.
— "Alright, that wasn't part of the homework. But according to the legends, King Arthur went to the island of Avalon; however, there is no scientific proof of this. But according to recently discovered information, Arthur didn't die from illness or assassination. When he was dying, his body slowly disintegrated and disappeared. Then, his Excalibur rose into the sky. It is said that his main magic was light magic, and he could wield magic and swordsmanship simultaneously. But after his death, his body couldn't handle the enormous mana load…"
Suddenly, Uhyon burst into laughter. He wasn't someone who laughed easily, especially not in class. He didn't understand why he found it funny, and everyone stared at him, making him feel awkward.
— "Alright, write today's topic on the board: Great magical items created through sorcery between the 5th and 7th centuries. So, who can name some of them?"
Silence fell. Time passed, and still, no one answered. Mr. Feng smiled.
— "Has anyone ever wondered how magic are added to weapons?"
Again, silence.
— "Alright then. A great scholar and inventor who contributed significantly to hunting, William Adamson, created a device that could add abilities to weapons. It's called the "Anti-Sealer."
At that moment, many students raised their hands.
— "You must've learned how it works in Magical Physics lesson, right? Min, go ahead."
Min slowly stood up and began to speak. Meanwhile, Uhyon, having composed himself, went back to thinking about how he skip five days and the unanswered questions.
Lesson ended. Everyone went home. Uhyon packed his books and followed Mr. Feng to his office. When he entered, several people were already there.
— "Before I tell you what happened, the expertises will ask you a few questions," said Mr. Feng, sitting down and sipping some coffee.
— "Thank you for your time, Mr. Feng. Alright, student Uhyon—parents unknown, 16 years old, raised in an orphanage. No record of intentionally harming anyone," read a representative from the Hunter's Association. "Now, do you remember anything from the car accident?"
— "No, I just remember the car coming toward me."
— "So, you don't remember how you destroyed it?" he asked, adding the answer to the report.
— "What? I destroyed the car?"
— "Yes, according to our findings, you destroyed it—and killed everyone around. The only conclusion of our investigation is this: You've experienced a delayed awakening."
Uhyon was in shock. "Could I really have had a delayed awakening?" he wondered.
Delayed awakening refers to gaining mana powers after age 12, and it's rare—often leading to highly ranked hunters.
— "If that's true, we could detain you. But since you've never harmed anyone before, we'll only strengthen the investigation and apply restrictions. Uhyon, please place your hand on the mana meter."
The mana meter is a device used to measure the mana levels of any being, and it's often used to determine a hunter's rank.
— "You probably saw this device during your test four years ago."
Uhyon felt strange. Something inside him whispered, "Hurry up. Show them they're wrong."
He placed his hand on the mana meter, and...