The alarm buzzed before sunrise. Han Jiwoo rubbed his face, arms still aching from the resonance test. A week had passed, yet the memory of the explosion and the strange energy that followed refused to fade.
E-rank. Dual attribute. Unknown.
Those words echoed in his mind like an annoying loop he couldn't turn off.
His phone vibrated on the desk. "Mom" flashed on the screen.
He answered. "Mom?"
"Jiwoo, you look pale. Are you eating properly?" her voice was warm but edged with worry.
"I'm fine. Just tired."
His father's voice joined in from the background. "We reviewed your awakening data. The resonance was… unusual."
"Yeah," Jiwoo said, leaning back. "They called it 'unknown.' Whatever that means."
There was a long pause on the other end. Then his mother spoke softly, "Did they treat you badly because of it?"
"Some stared. Some laughed. It's fine."
Seojin's tone shifted to command. "Eclipse Academy's entrance exam is next week. Enroll there."
Jiwoo frowned. "Eclipse? Isn't that where sis goes?"
"Yes, even though there prime have passed they can still help you grow." His mother said.
He didn't ask why she sounded so certain. "Alright, I'll take the exam."
"Good," Seojin said, his tone softening slightly. "Keep your rhythm."
"We're proud of you," Mirae added. "Always."
The call ended, leaving the room quiet again. Jiwoo stared at the phone's reflection.
"Eclipse Academy, huh… let's see if that changes anything."
A week later, Jiwoo stood before the academy gates. The old building mixed stone and steel, tradition and technology, a little worn but still imposing. The banner above the gate read:
Eclipse Academy — Where Light Meets Resolve.
Whispers followed him through the crowd.
"That's the kid who blew up the resonance chamber."
"Dual-type, still E-rank."
"Probably the dual type was a glitch."
Jiwoo didn't respond. He'd learned silence made mockery fade faster.
The written exam came first — Hero law, monster ecology, mana theory. Rows of students scribbled answers while instructors paced between desks. Jiwoo read each question twice, wrote once, precise and controlled.
When time was called, he put his pen down without glancing around. A few students looked at him — curious, cautious — but he ignored them.
The real test came next.
The combat field stretched open under the afternoon sun. Candidates lined up with weapons and wands, tension buzzing like static. Instructors scrolled through their tablets, calling names.
"Han Jiwoo," one of them said. "Association record: Combat class, dual-type, E-rank."
The pause after "E-rank" was deliberate.
"Try not to blow up my arena."
Laughter spread through the line.
Jiwoo stepped forward, grabbed a wooden sword from the rack, and faced the glowing mana dummy that powered up before him. Its blue eyes locked onto him.
The instructor checked his watch. "Begin."
Jiwoo inhaled once, grounding himself. His stance lowered — sharp, balanced, kendo drilled into instinct.
He moved.
Downward slash — precise. The dummy's arm cracked.
Pivot. Low sweep. Its legs buckled.
Final thrust — a breath away from the core.
Silence followed. Then the construct powered down.
The instructor blinked at his tablet. "Time, nineteen seconds. Stable flow, minimal mana use, perfect rhythm."
Murmurs rose behind him.
"Did he just clear it under twenty?"
"That's the E-rank?"
"E-rank my ass."
Jiwoo stepped back, pulse steady. Guess kendo paid off after all.
The examiner smirked. "Too bad you're E-rank. You'd make half my A-ranks look sloppy."
Jiwoo gave a polite nod and walked off. The whispers followed again, fading with every step.
Two days later, a silver-sealed envelope slid under his door.
He picked it up, thumb tracing the Eclipse insignia.
Congratulations, Han Jiwoo.
You have been accepted into Eclipse Academy's Hero Development Division.
Dormitory: Sector B, Room 214.
Classes begin in two weeks.
Jiwoo stared at the letter. After everything — the explosion, the ridicule, the doubt — those words felt heavier than they should.
He folded it carefully, slipped it into his jacket, and looked out the window.
Eclipse Academy, huh…
He exhaled slowly. Let's see what I'll become there.