The Awakening Hall slowly emptied.
Students continued whispering as they left, their eyes filled with mockery whenever they glanced at Zephyr.
"Level 0…"
"Defective…"
"What a joke…"
Their laughter echoed behind him like poison.
But Zephyr ignored every word.
Because his mind was somewhere else.
---
[Skill Unlocked: System Override]
---
That screen.
That message.
He knew what he saw.
And he knew one thing clearly—
No one else had seen it.
---
The sun had begun setting by the time Zephyr reached the empty training grounds behind the academy.
The area was silent, surrounded by stone walls and old magical targets used for combat practice.
He looked around carefully.
No one.
Good.
---
He raised his hand slowly.
"…How do I even use this?"
Silence.
Nothing happened.
---
Zephyr frowned.
"…System Override."
Still nothing.
---
"…Open status?"
Nothing.
---
He sighed.
"…Of course it wouldn't be easy."
He sat down on one of the broken stone benches, thinking deeply.
If the system had chosen him…
No.
Rejected him.
Then gave him something else…
That meant his power didn't work like everyone else's.
---
He looked toward a small stone target dummy nearby.
Then smirked faintly.
"…Guess trial and error it is."
He walked toward it.
Placed his hand on the dummy.
And focused.
---
"…Activate."
---
For a second—
Nothing.
Then suddenly—
A blue glitch-like screen appeared before his eyes.
---
[Target Identified: Basic Training Dummy]
[Material Integrity: 100%]
[Override Available]
---
Zephyr's eyes widened.
"…It worked…"
His heartbeat quickened.
He stared at the final line.
---
Override Available
---
"…Do it."
---
The moment he spoke—
The dummy glitched violently.
Its form twisted unnaturally.
Then—
BOOM!
It exploded into pieces.
---
Zephyr stepped back in shock.
"…What the hell?!"
His breathing quickened.
That wasn't normal.
He didn't destroy it physically—
He erased it.
---
"…So that's what Override means…"
A grin slowly formed on his face.
---
"This power…"
"…is insane."
---
"Interesting."
A voice suddenly came from behind him.
---
Zephyr froze.
He turned instantly.
And saw—
Elara.
Standing there calmly with her silver hair glowing softly in the moonlight.
Her arms were crossed.
Her sharp eyes fixed on him.
---
"…You've been following me?" Zephyr asked coldly.
---
Elara walked closer.
"…You're suspicious."
---
Zephyr frowned.
"…And you're nosy."
---
For the first time—
A faint smile touched her lips.
"…Fair."
She looked at the destroyed dummy.
"…That wasn't normal magic."
---
Zephyr stayed silent.
---
Elara stepped closer.
"…Whatever happened during awakening…"
She stared directly into his eyes.
"…You're hiding it."
---
The atmosphere grew tense.
Zephyr's hand tightened slightly.
"…And if I am?"
---
Elara didn't flinch.
"…Then I want to know why the system glitched for you."
---
Before Zephyr could respond—
A loud bell echoed through the academy.
---
DING! DING! DING!
---
Emergency bell.
---
Both of them froze.
---
"What now?" Elara muttered.
---
Suddenly—
A loud voice echoed through magical speakers across the academy.
---
"ALL FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS REPORT TO CENTRAL GROUND IMMEDIATELY."
"REPEAT—ALL STUDENTS REPORT IMMEDIATELY."
---
Zephyr and Elara exchanged looks.
---
"…Something's wrong," Elara said.
---
They ran.
---
When they arrived—
Hundreds of students had gathered in the massive central courtyard.
Teachers stood around nervously.
The atmosphere was tense.
Uneasy.
---
Then—
The academy gates opened.
A group walked in.
Not students.
Not teachers.
---
Warriors.
Covered in blood.
Wounded.
Broken armor.
Burn marks across their bodies.
---
Everyone gasped.
---
One of the instructors rushed forward.
"…Captain Rowan?! What happened?!"
---
The wounded man dropped to one knee.
His voice trembling.
---
"…The outer dungeon…"
He coughed blood.
---
"…It broke…"
---
Silence.
---
Everyone froze.
---
A student whispered fearfully.
"…Dungeon break…?"
---
The captain looked up with horror in his eyes.
---
"…Monsters escaped…"
He pointed toward the distant forest.
---
"…And something worse came with them."
---
The sky darkened suddenly.
Clouds gathered unnaturally.
Wind howled violently.
---
Then—
A massive roar shook the earth itself.
---
ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!!!
---
Students screamed.
Fear spread instantly.
---
Far above the academy—
A giant shadow flew across the moon.
Wings so massive they covered the sky.
Eyes glowing crimson.
Scales black as night.
---
A dragon.
---
The entire academy froze in terror.
---
"No way…"
"A dragon?!"
"That's impossible!"
---
Zephyr stared upward in disbelief.
---
The creature roared again.
And then—
Its eyes locked directly onto him.
---
Zephyr's body froze.
"…Why is it looking at me…?"
---
Suddenly—
The screen appeared again.
Only visible to him.
---
[WARNING]
[Ancient Entity Detected]
[Dragon Blood Resonance Found]
---
Zephyr's eyes widened.
---
"…Dragon Blood…?"
---
The dragon opened its mouth—
Blue flames gathering inside.
---
And aimed directly—
At the academy.
---
Chaos erupted.
---
And Zephyr realized—
His life had truly changed now.