The training grounds were filled with tension.
Jin stood at the center, surrounded by the rest of the Fifth Division squad. The air was sharp, like something was about to snap.
Yesterday, they were bruised and broken.
Today, they stood fully healed — thanks to Dok Yun, the twisted genius of the Blood Blade. Judging by the looks of disgust on their faces, it hadn't been pleasant.
Jin shivered just thinking about it.
Thank the heavens I've never needed that guy's help.
"Hey, Jin!"
A voice cut through the crowd.
"Where's Mae-Bi?"
"Yeah, you said he'd be here!"
"What's wrong with him?!"
They all shouted at once — a chaotic storm of accusations, confusion, and frustration.
Jin raised his hands. "Look, I don't know, alright? I told you—he said he'd be here this morning!"
That didn't help.
The crowd only grew louder. Angrier.
Han Yuri stepped forward, face dark with rage. She grabbed Jin by the collar, yanking him down to eye level.
"You better talk," she hissed. "Because of that bastard, I got humiliated in front of every commander here."
Jin's eyes narrowed.
So now she's taking it out on me?
The noise swirled. The squad was one spark away from erupting — again.
Behind them, Jeong Rak leaned against a wooden post, arms crossed, eyes closed.
He wasn't saying a word.
But it wasn't peace.
It was pride.
Fools, Rak thought. Screaming like children. That bastard beat me, yes... but at least I'm not clinging to excuses like the rest of them.
He didn't forgive. He didn't forget.
But he didn't act like a brat either.
Yuri's hand shot into the air, ready to strike Jin across the face.
Jin's eyes widened.
He could've blocked it.
But blocking her would've escalated things, and she was stronger than him — emotionally unstable and looking for a fight.
So he braced himself, jaw clenched.
Just take it. Don't make it worse.
But the slap never landed.
A hand gripped Yuri's wrist mid-swing.
She froze.
Everyone did.
Even Rak's eyes snapped open as he felt it — a pulse of Qi, silent and sharp.
"That Qi..." he muttered.
They turned.
And there, standing at the center of the circle without anyone sensing his approach, was Mae-Bi.
He stood with his back slightly turned, hand still gripping Yuri's wrist.
"What...?"
"I didn't even sense him..."
"How did he get here without a sound?"
More than the surprise, it was his appearance that rattled them.
He looked taller.
His shoulders broader. His arms, toned. Not bulky, but sharp — like someone carved down to function.
A quiet pressure radiated off him.
The kind of weight you only feel from someone who knows how to kill and survive.
Mae-Bi was aware of their stares.
He thought back to this morning. After the system's enhancement, his body had changed — taller by a few centimeters, more defined muscle mass, refined footwork. His Veil Step had reached near-silent perfection.
But no breakthrough yet.
The system had held that back — smart move. Too much power would raise more suspicion.
Yuri yanked her arm free and leapt back, breathing heavily.
"That's some high-level Veil Step..." she muttered, clearly shaken.
Mae-Bi stepped forward, voice steady.
"You were about to hit a teammate. Over what? Because I trained harder? Because I fought to earn this position?"
Yuri snapped back immediately, pointing at him.
"Of course I'll hit him! And I'll never take orders from you! You—who suddenly got stronger overnight—who humiliated us! It's obvious you took something! You probably killed Cho Gwan and stole his spot!"
The rest of the team whispered behind her.
Mae-Bi's expression didn't change.
She's smart, he thought. Too smart for her own good.
And dangerous.
The First Commander suspected him. So did Hyeolgeom Gunju. And now the team was beginning to follow Yuri's voice.
He couldn't let that happen.
Yuri was impulsive, emotional, and predictable — the easiest to use and control if pushed right.
He stepped closer, slowly.
"Are you accusing me of killing my former squad leader?"
Yuri hesitated, but stood her ground. "I'm saying it adds up."
"And what do you base that on? Your feelings? Your pride?" Mae-Bi tilted his head. "Or the fact that you couldn't land a single strike when I beat you in front of the division?"
The tension sharpened. Even Rak glanced over, interest flickering in his eyes.
Mae-Bi let silence settle before continuing.
The air tightened.
Even Jeong Rak, who had stayed silent until now, opened his eyes, looked at Yuri—
And shook his head in quiet disappointment.
This is the ally I would've used to challenge him? What a disgrace.
"You're just spouting nonsense!" Yuri snapped. "I know you killed our leader!"
Mae-Bi didn't even blink.
"I see. So you're openly questioning the chain of command... the rule that the First Commander upholds — the one created by the Lord himself."
Yuri faltered.
A nervous laugh slipped out.
"T-Then explain how you changed. How you got taller. Stronger. Just like that."
Mae-Bi folded his arms. "Simple. I had a breakthrough last night. Jin can confirm."
All eyes turned to Jin.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah... I saw the aftermath. He stank up the whole room with his so-called 'breakthrough'."
Yuri wasn't satisfied.
"But breakthroughs don't do that! Your body doesn't change like—"
"That's because," Mae-Bi interrupted smoothly, "I cultivated a forbidden internal cleansing technique I found in the archives. It purges impurities, resets muscular tension, and unlocks dormant growth potential. Rare, painful... and effective."
Yuri's mouth opened—
But she didn't get to speak.
"Yuri!" Rak's voice cut through like a blade. "Stop disgracing yourself. Look at the others."
She turned.
And saw the eyes.
Her teammates weren't looking at her like comrades.
They looked like they were mourning her — like they were burying her six feet under with sand and silence.
Their stares were heavy. Empty.
Judgmental.
It hit her like a wall.
She'd once been the strongest girl in the squad. The one praised by Baek Mu-Gi. The one everyone whispered could be leader if Cho Gwan ever fell.
But now?
That future had been taken by a former slacker with the calm voice of an old man and the fists of a trained killer.
Her hands trembled.
Her pride twisted.
Then—
She moved.
Red Qi exploded from her legs as she charged forward, leaping in a blur.
"Watch out!" Jin shouted.
Mae-Bi didn't flinch.
He moved with fluid ease, dodging mid-air, letting her momentum carry her forward—
Then twisted and struck her midsection with a precise airborne kick.
THUD.
Yuri slammed into the courtyard wall and dropped.Groaning.
Defeated.
Again.