The rain did not stop.
Its droplets cascaded over the stone streets of the city, as though the heavens were attempting to wash away the sins of this world… and failing.
Kim walked calmly through the alleyways, his eyes shifting slowly. Observing. Learning. Memorizing.
In this world… information was far more lethal than magic. And he who could read people well… could move them like puppets.
He abruptly halted in front of a small shop. An old man was being violently thrown outside. One of the guards kicked him to the ground with utter disdain.
> "A wretched commoner like you dares to ask for a loan again?!"
>
The old man collided with the wall, coughing up blood.
> "My daughter… she just needs medicine…"
>
But the guard merely laughed.
> "Let her die, then."
>
Silence fell. The crowd around them lowered their heads and kept walking. No one intervened. For the weak here… had learned that survival was far more important than dignity.
As for Kim… he stood watching in silence, then whispered:
> "When injustice becomes ordinary…"
> "The problem is no longer with the tyrants."
>
He raised his gaze toward the passing crowd.
> "It lies within the herd that has grown accustomed to the slaughter."
>
The guard approached the old man again. But before his boot could connect—a calm voice echoed from behind him.
> "How much is the debt worth?"
>
Everyone turned. The guard knitted his brows in disgust as he took in Kim's soiled garments.
> "Huh?"
>
Kim repeated the question, his voice devoid of emotion.
> "How much is it?"
>
The guard laughed mockingly.
> "You?"
> "Even my boots are worth more than you, commoner."
>
He pulled out a small piece of parchment with derision.
> "Thirty silver coins."
>
Kim reached his hand inside his torn coat, then tossed a small pouch to the guard. The coins chimed within.
Silence fell. The guard opened the pouch… and his eyes widened. Real silver.
As for the old man… he looked up at Kim in utter bewilderment.
> "Why… why are you helping me?"
>
Kim looked down at him with a long, steady gaze. Then, a small smile graced his lips.
> "I do not help people."
>
The guard snatched the pouch swiftly, his eyes gleaming with sudden avarice.
> "Heh… it seems the vagrant has coin."
>
He approached Kim with a sly grin.
> "Follow me quietly… and we will only take half of what you possess."
>
But Kim… suddenly laughed. It was a very low, muted laugh that unnerved the guard. Kim slowly raised his eyes, and for the very first time… the guard felt something freezing pierce through his flesh.
An instinctive, primal dread.
> "Do you know the difference between me and your kind?"
>
Kim smiled serenely, taking a step forward.
> "You look at the clothes first."
> "But as for me…"
>
He peered directly into the guard's eyes.
> "I look for the most suitable way of death."
>
The guard froze. For a single fraction of a second… it felt as though something unfathomably dark had stared directly into his soul. He instinctively stumbled backward, completely losing his nerve.
Kim, however, continued walking as if nothing had happened. Yet, he could hear the whispers of the people trailing behind him.
> "Strange…"
> "That commoner is terrifying…"
> "His eyes are not normal…"
>
But Kim paid them no mind, for he had finally found something of genuine interest.
As he passed near the central square, he spotted a massive notice affixed above an iron gate, bearing the crest of Aetheron Academy.
> "In three days…"
> "The annual entrance examination."
>
His steps halted. The crowd gathered around the notice was speaking animatedly.
> "Almost only the nobles pass."
> "I heard the children of the Great Families will participate."
> "A princess from the Drake Family is entering this year!"
>
But an old man laughed bitterly, spitting on the ground.
> "As for the commoners… they only enter to become laughingstocks."
>
Kim raised his gaze toward the fortress floating in the sky. His eyes became terrifyingly still. An academy that gathered the geniuses, the nobility, the future monsters, and the minds that ruled this world.
A perfect place. Not to gain power… but to understand the rules. And he who understands the rules… can shatter them.
Kim smiled slowly.
> "It seems I have found my new home."
>
But in that exact moment—the Chaos within him suddenly stirred violently.
He froze. Then, he slowly raised his head toward the sky, his eyes narrowing slightly. Because he felt it. Something he hadn't felt since his arrival in this world.
An aura… that felt just like his own. Dark, cold… and terrifyingly ancient.
High above, in the topmost tower of the academy, a girl suddenly snapped her eyes open.
She was sitting in the center of a pitch-black magic circle. Her long silver hair shifted slowly, and her crimson eyes widened for a fleeting moment.
Then, she whispered in a hushed tone:
> "He has finally arrived…"
>
And in the darkness behind her… something began to laugh.