The academy entrance ceremony took place in March, but official classes wouldn't start until April.
All students were required to live in the dormitories, and the month-long gap was supposedly to give them time to settle in, move their belongings, and spend a final few weeks with their families before a long separation.
At least, that was the official reason.
In the original story, however, things didn't go as planned. Classes were postponed to May due to the terrorist attack.
For some students, this gap was nothing more than a dull waiting period. For others, it was a precious opportunity to spend time with loved ones before being buried in coursework.
But for me?
This month was critical.
As someone in the special position of being a transmigrator, what was the very first thing I did after the entrance ceremony?
Was it settling into the dorms?
Making connections with important figures?
Strengthening my abilities before things spiraled out of control?
No.
The first thing I did was—
Climbing this damn mountain with a sick body.
If anyone saw me right now, they'd probably ask—What the hell are you doing?
And honestly? Fair question.
A proper transmigrator should be training, leveling up, honing their talents, and unlocking overpowered abilities. Blah, blah, blah.
But here's the thing—this body? It's barely holding together. I'm not exaggerating when I say that if I pushed myself too hard, I might just keel over and die tomorrow. No amount of hard work or sheer determination is going to fix that overnight.
So instead of torturing myself with impossible training regimens, I'm focusing on the first step—getting healthy.
And climbing this mountain? That's just part of it.
The real reason I'm here?
A fortuitous encounter.
Or, well… it's not exactly fortuitous when you already know it's here. Call it an insider tip, courtesy of my knowledge of this world's setting.
Hidden treasures, miraculous cures, secret power-ups—every transmigrator knows the drill. And this? This is my ticket to survival.
Because in my current state, I can't change the story, rewrite my fate, or even exist properly in this world. Not unless I fix this weak, pathetic excuse of a body first.
And that starts here.
The mountain trail was brutal.
Every step felt like dragging a corpse uphill—except the corpse was me. My legs burned, my lungs ached, and my head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to it.
Great. Fantastic. Just what I needed.
But I gritted my teeth and kept going. This wasn't just about suffering for the sake of it—there was a very real reward waiting at the top.
***
"Gasp… Huff… Gasp… Huff… Damn, this body is pathetic."
It had only been an hour, and I was already too exhausted to move.
I knew this body was weak—pathetically so—but I hadn't expected it to give out this fast. One hour of climbing, and I felt like I was about to collapse.
I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to sit down against a nearby rock. My legs were trembling, my chest burned, and my muscles ached like I'd been running for days.
This was worse than I thought.
Good thing I didn't go too far from the academy. If I had pushed my luck, searching for a fortuitous encounter in some distant, dangerous place, I probably wouldn't have made it back alive.
No, I had chosen this place for a reason.
First, because it was the only place I could realistically reach in my current condition.
And second—because in the original work, this fortuitous encounter was found and completely wasted by some random extra villain.
Right now, all the major opportunities were far beyond my reach. But this one? This was still possible. This was within my grasp.
At least, that had been my plan.
Everyone has a plausible plan.
Until they end up half-dead on a mountain.
I groaned, tilting my head back against the rock. My body felt like a ticking time bomb—fragile, unreliable, just waiting to betray me at the worst moment. Some people might call that a blessing, but I had no intention of living like this.
I wasn't going to die here.
I refused to die here.
"Shit…" I muttered under my breath.
And the moment I let it slip—
"Excuse me, are you alright?"
A voice.
I blinked, my breath hitching.
Just when I thought I was on my own, a lifeline was thrown my way by the heavens.
***
Lena.
A professor at Velcrest Academy and the Chairman's right hand.
She wasn't just an advisor—she was the Chairman's eyes, hands, and feet.
Whenever the Chairman needed something done, Lena was the one who made it happen. Information, leverage, influence—if it existed, she could get her hands on it.
Most of the time, her work involved keeping tabs on the world's biggest figures, gathering intel on powerful individuals. But on rare occasions, the Chairman's interest would land on a mere cadet—someone who had made an impression.
And when that happened, Lena followed orders without question.
Because if there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was that the Chairman's gut instinct was never wrong.
…But this time?
For the first time, Lena couldn't shake the feeling that she was wrong.
Her latest assignment?
Rin Evans.
A prospective student set to enter the academy this year. An Enhancer with an A-rank talent.
On paper, it sounded impressive. A-rank talents weren't unheard of, but they were rare enough to warrant attention. And yet, as Lena skimmed through his file, any initial intrigue quickly faded.
Because the more she read, the clearer it became—this boy was nothing special.
His talent, while strong in theory, came with a major drawback.
Possessed Talent: Enhancement, A-Rank. Elevates the target's level without restriction. However, consumes Primal Qi upon use.
That last line explained everything.
The reason for his weak physique, too frail to be considered superhuman, was tied directly to his ability. Every time he used it, it drained him—leaving him weaker instead of stronger.
Lena sighed.
So that's why.
His family must have been thrilled when they first discovered his talent, only to be bitterly disappointed when the reality set in. A power that came at too great a cost. A gift that was, in truth, a curse.
She scrolled further down.
The more she read, the worse it got.
His relationship with his family had fractured.
His records grew bleaker with every passing year.
Lena shut off the tablet, exhaling through her nose.
Why is the Chairman interested in him?
She could usually see the pattern, the reasoning behind the Chairman's curiosity. But this time, nothing about Rin Evans stood out. There was no hidden potential, no secret genius. Just a boy with a flawed ability and a broken past.
And yet…
The Chairman wanted him watched.
Lena leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers against her armrest.
Was she missing something?
Or was this truly the first time the Chairman's instincts had led her astray?
None of that really mattered right now.
She was here on orders—to observe Rin Evans and report everything back to the Chairman.
And for the past hour, that was exactly what she had been doing.
Watching. Analyzing.
And one thing had become painfully clear—his physical condition was terrible.
'So the penalty for using his talent… it's real.'
She had read the reports, of course. But seeing him in person was something else entirely. His body was frail, his movements sluggish. He looked like he needed constant protection just to get through the day.
She was a professor, and he was a prospective cadet of Velcrest Academy.
And as a professor… she couldn't just stand by and watch until he collapsed.
She couldn't ignore someone struggling right in front of her, especially not when they were trying to push through it.
Not when they were out here, in the middle of the mountains, doing their best to survive.
So, before she could second-guess herself, she stepped forward.
"Excuse me, are you alright?"
She had approached him with nothing but pure goodwill—an honest, unguarded attempt to help.
Which was why she didn't see it.
The way the corners of his mouth curved up, just for a fleeting moment.