Ten months passed.
To the world, it was just time.
To Jin, it was transformation.
⏳ Ten Months of Silent GrowthThere was no dramatic breakthrough.
No miraculous leap.
Only repetition.
Pain.
Discipline.
While others relied on talent, background, and instructors—
Jin relied on something else.
Consistency.
Every morning, physical quests.
Every evening, combat training.
Every night, dungeon hunting and shadow devouring.
He never skipped a day.
Not once.
And slowly—
His body changed.
His movements became sharper.
His posture straighter.
His presence calmer.
Not aggressive.
Not arrogant.
But… refined.
Like a blade hidden inside velvet.
Jin's Status late at night.
Jin stood alone in an empty training hall.
"Status."
The black screen appeared.
Name: Jin
Class: Shadow Hunter (SSS - Hidden)
Strength: 87 (B)
Agility: 85 (B)
Magic: 83 (B)
Vitality: 89 (B)
Endurance: 86 (B)
Intelligence: 82 (B)
Overall Rank: B-rank
Condition: Close to A-rank
There were no weak attributes anymore.
No imbalance.
His growth was complete.
Controlled.
Balanced.
If measured officially—
He was already beyond ordinary students.
But still below true A-rank hunters.
Exactly where he wanted to be.
System Reward A message appeared.
System Notification
Rank Milestone Achieved: B-rank
Reward Granted.
✅ Skill Acquired
Shadow Concealment (B Rank)
✅ Skill Acquired
Shadow Authority (B Rank)
Jin didn't react emotionally.
He only understood their value.
Shadow Concealment — True MeaningSkill: Shadow Concealment
Effect:
• Suppresses killing intent
• Conceals aura and presence
• Masks true power level
• Makes shadow appear completely normal
Jin closed his eyes briefly.
Until now, something about him had felt "off" to others.
Now—
Everything was ordinary.
His shadow looked like any other shadow.
His presence felt harmless.
His aura felt weak.
Perfect.
Shadow AuthoritySkill: Shadow Authority
Effect:
• Shadows move only by the user's will
• Prevents autonomous shadow reactions
• Stabilizes shadow-based abilities
Before, his shadow sometimes reacted instinctively.
Now—
It would never move without his command.
No mistakes.
No exposure.
Control.
That was the true meaning of power.
Orion High School — The Next DayThe classroom felt the same.
Students laughed.
Elites dominated.
Weak students stayed silent.
And Jin—
Jin walked into the classroom quietly, as he always did.
Nothing about him was loud.
Nothing about him demanded attention.
Yet, somehow—
people's eyes lingered on him longer than before.
His figure had grown taller, leaner.
His posture was straight, unhurried.
There was a calmness in his movements, as if he had learned how to control not just his body, but his presence.
His features were sharper now.
The faint tiredness that once clouded his face had disappeared, replaced by a quiet composure.
Not the rough handsomeness of a warrior.
Not the flashy charm of a celebrity.
But something subtler.
Like a painting refined over time.
Like a blade polished until it reflected light without trying to.
Aira noticed it.
Before she realized it, her gaze had already drifted toward him.
Jin was sitting by the window, reading silently.
Sunlight brushed against his face, tracing the outline of his profile.
For a moment, she forgot to look away.
…Why am I looking at him again?
Her brows knitted slightly.
She turned her eyes to her book.
Then, a few seconds later—
her gaze returned to him.
Unconsciously.
He looked different.
Not dramatically.
Not suddenly.
But undeniably.
He wasn't like this before.
His presence felt calmer.
More stable.
Almost… distant.
As if he belonged to a world that did not need to prove itself.
Aira felt a faint disturbance in her chest.
Why does he seem more composed these days?
Why does he feel… closer and farther at the same time?
Her fingers tightened slightly around the book.
Then a thought surfaced—
one she did not expect.
Am I… interested in him?
Her eyes widened slightly.
She immediately rejected the idea.
No.
That wasn't possible.
Jin was F-rank.
She was S-rank.
Their worlds were different.
So why—
Is it curiosity?
Or… something else?
She looked at him once more.
Jin turned a page calmly, unaware of her gaze.
There was no arrogance in his expression.
No desperation.
No inferiority.
Just quiet confidence.
Aira looked away slowly.
Her expression returned to normal.
But her mind did not.
Why am I getting distracted by him these days?
She didn't know the answer.
And that disturbed her more than she wanted to admit.