Abyssal Monarch: Rebirth of the Forsaken

As the crowd began to disperse, their murmurs fading into the background, Jin-Su felt a familiar calm settle over him. Testing Kang-Woo had been nothing—merely a way to gauge the power of someone who might prove useful later. The fight had been more of a formality than a real challenge. Sure, Kang-Woo's strength was undeniable, but his raw, unchecked power had been easy enough to handle. Jin-Su had faced far worse in the Abyss.

He adjusted his slightly torn uniform, casually brushing off the dust as he walked away, blending into the crowd until no one was paying him any attention. His movements were smooth and measured, like a predator that had just finished toying with its prey. Even as the aches from the blocks and the mental strain of enduring Kang-Woo's brute force settled into his body, Jin-Su remained composed. He was no stranger to this kind of aftermath—minor fatigue, a few bruises. It was nothing worth worrying about.

As soon as he was out of sight, away from prying eyes, Jin-Su felt it again. A subtle shift in the air around him. Dark, swirling tendrils of aura seeped out from his body, just barely visible in the dim light. It moved like a shadow, circling him briefly before sinking back into his skin.

He paused, watching the aura with mild curiosity. He hadn't taken any serious damage, but somehow, his body was already healing. The faint cuts on his hands from blocking Kang-Woo's blows, the strain in his muscles, the mental exhaustion—it was all fading. His uniform, once dirtied and torn, was slowly mending itself. Even his mind felt sharper, more alert than it had been moments ago.

"What is this?" Jin-Su muttered to himself, watching the last of the dark energy disappear. He had never felt this before—at least, not in this way. Sure, he'd grown stronger since his return to the past, but this healing, this strange power… it was different.

Before he could ponder further, the cold, analytical voice of the system rang in his mind.

"Analyzing."

Jin-Su waited as the system processed, its response quick and to the point.

"The phenomenon you observed is a side effect of your Abyssal Influence skill. This passive ability restores minor physical and mental damage automatically. The aura is a visual manifestation of the healing process."

A smirk played on Jin-Su's lips. "Abyssal Influence... I see." He had almost forgotten about it. The skills he'd brought back from the Abyss were vast, and it made sense that some of them would manifest without his conscious control. This one, in particular, seemed useful.

"I never used it in the Abyss," he mused. "Why now?"

"The skill has been active since your return, but only now triggered due to the strain from your recent encounter," the system explained, its tone devoid of any emotion. "It is automatic and activates under conditions of moderate physical or mental fatigue."

Jin-Su rolled his shoulders, already feeling completely refreshed. He had been curious about Kang-Woo's potential, but now it seemed like that curiosity had led to more than just a physical confrontation. The fight had drawn something out of him, something he hadn't tapped into before. A power that had been dormant, now awakened.

"Show me my full stats," Jin-Su commanded, the familiar sense of control returning as he refocused his mind.

"Displaying full status screen."

A glowing panel appeared in front of him, detailing his stats and abilities in full. Jin-Su scanned it quickly, his eyes narrowing as he took in the information.

Name: Jin-Su

Title: Abyssal Survivor

Class: ???

Level: N/A (Pre-set)

Stats:

Strength: 145

Agility: 137

Endurance: 160

Intelligence: 148

Willpower: 178

Charisma: 129

Skills:

Abyssal Influence (Passive): Restores minor physical and mental damage over time. Dark aura may appear as a visual side effect.

Whispers of the Abyss (Active): Can subtly influence the thoughts and decisions of others. Duration varies.

Abyssal Knowledge (Passive): Grants insight into the hidden potential and abilities of others. Can appraise their talents.

Abyssal Domination (Active): Temporarily overpower an individual's will. Can be resisted by those with strong mental defenses.

Combat Mastery (Passive): Retains all combat abilities learned in the Abyss. 

Abyssal Legacy(Passive): Allows the use of all known skill known in the past life before the abyss. 

??? (Locked)

??? (Locked)

Jin-Su's gaze lingered on the locked skills. They were still hidden from him, and that bothered him. He had returned with his full stats from the future, yet some aspects of his power were still sealed away. It felt like a puzzle he had to solve, and it irritated him.

"What are the locked skills?" he asked, his tone flat.

"Insufficient data to provide an accurate explanation," the system responded immediately. "These abilities will unlock as certain conditions are met."

Jin-Su frowned. "Conditions?"

"Conditions unknown," the system replied, unphased. "They may involve significant emotional or physical events, or reaching certain milestones in your personal development."

"Of course," Jin-Su muttered under his breath. It wasn't surprising, but it was still annoying. The system had never been one to offer answers freely. He would have to uncover these powers on his own, through whatever trials lay ahead.

Closing the status screen with a flick of his wrist, Jin-Su straightened his posture, his mind sharper now. The fight with Kang-Woo had merely been the first of many tests to come. And while Kang-Woo had raw strength, Jin-Su had something far more dangerous—a power that ran deeper than anyone could see.

He took a final glance around the courtyard, his gaze steady. Whatever was coming next, he was ready. For now, though, his focus was on control—on mastering the powers within him before they mastered him.

With that, he turned and walked back toward the academy, the setting sun casting long shadows behind him. The system's voice echoed one last time in his mind.

"Your powers will only grow from here, Jin-Su. Be prepared."

Jin-Su smirked, his steps confident and unhurried. "I always am."

Half an hour later.

He is lost.

"No I am not."

Jin-Su wandered around the academy grounds, taking deliberate steps as he tried to retrace his way to the dorms. His memory wasn't foggy, but he preferred to navigate on his own terms. A map would have been too easy, too impersonal. He wanted to remember where everything was, how it all connected. The pathways, the courtyards—it would all be useful later.

As he passed by another set of identical buildings, frustration began to creep in. This place was bigger than it looked, and it was easy to get lost amidst the grand architecture. He didn't like being lost.

Just as Jin-Su considered going again, a small voice broke through the surrounding silence.

"There you are! I've been looking for you!"

Jin-Su stopped, barely glancing in the direction of the voice. A teal-haired student—one of the weaker ones, the one he had stepped in to "rescue" earlier—approached him, looking shy yet eager. The guy was nothing remarkable, with plain features and an unassuming presence.

Jin-Su kept walking.

"Oh, you're welcome," he said dismissively, barely looking over his shoulder. "It's fine, really. Don't mention it."

He didn't even bother to fully acknowledge the student's presence, his focus still on trying to orient himself in the sprawling campus. The last thing he needed was another distraction. Besides, the situation with Kang-Woo had been trivial at best—a show of force, nothing more. He didn't expect anyone to follow up.

But the teal-haired student kept pace, despite Jin-Su's clear disinterest. His voice wavered slightly, like he was trying to muster the courage to say something more. "I… I just wanted to thank you properly. What you did back there was… really brave. I didn't think anyone would help me."

Jin-Su nodded without breaking stride, still not turning his head. "It's no big deal. I don't really do things for thanks."

There was a pause, as if the student was trying to find the right words. "Well, still… I wanted to say it."

Jin-Su half-listened, brushing it off like the countless other small talk interactions he'd had over the years. He wasn't oblivious to the awkwardness in the guy's tone, but it didn't register as anything more than nervous gratitude. If there was anything else going on, Jin-Su simply didn't notice—or care.

Just as he was about to continue walking, the system's voice cut through his thoughts, emotionless as ever.

"Suggestion: Use Abyssal Knowledge on this individual to assess potential. This will also allow you to test its functionality."

Jin-Su paused, mid-step. Abyssal Knowledge. Right. He hadn't fully tested that ability yet. Without thinking too much about it, he finally turned to face the teal-haired student, really looking at him for the first time.

"Fine," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. His eyes locked onto the student, and in an instant, a faint glow appeared in his vision, as the system pulled up the stats.

Name: Mina (Alias: "Min-Jae")

Gender: Female

Stats:

Strength: 10/25

Agility: 12/30

Endurance: 8/20

Intelligence: 15/20

Willpower: 10/18

Charisma: 12/14

Special Stat - Magic Potential: 60/500

Special Stat - ???: 72/500

Jin-Su blinked, briefly surprised. Female? He glanced at the teal-haired student again, this time really taking in the slight frame, the soft features hidden behind the hair covering her face. He hadn't even noticed before. The name, too, seemed familiar somehow, like it was a distant memory trying to resurface. "Mina…?" He couldn't quite place where he had heard it, but the stats told him something important. She wasn't what she seemed.

Her regular stats were unimpressive—almost laughably low compared to his—but those two special stats… Magic Potential and something unknown. They were impossibly high for someone so untrained. It was rare to find someone with that kind of potential, especially in someone so unassuming. Jin-Su had seen prodigies, but this was beyond ordinary.

He became slightly more courteous, though his demeanor remained mostly the same. "Interesting," he said, his voice softer than before. "What's your name again?"

The teal-haired student seemed to shrink under his sudden attention, cheeks reddening slightly. "Uh, Min-Jae… but—" she hesitated before speaking again, voice soft, "my real name is Mina."

Jin-Su nodded slowly, barely acknowledging her slight awkwardness. His mind was still on the stats. He had found someone special—someone he could use. Though, at the moment, she didn't even seem to know her own worth. He would have to keep an eye on her.

"Right… Mina. Do you happen to know where the boys' dorms are?" Jin-Su asked, steering the conversation back to more practical matters.

Mina blinked, looking momentarily flustered, as if thrown off by the sudden shift in topic. She stammered slightly, "I-I'm not sure. I don't really know where the boys' dorms are. I just, um… I think there's a map on your phone. You probably got it when you became a student here."

Jin-Su raised an eyebrow, finally remembering the phone app. Of course. That would've saved him a lot of trouble earlier, but old habits died hard. Still, Mina's nervousness didn't go unnoticed, though he attributed it more to her awkward personality than anything else. He was completely oblivious to the way she kept stealing glances at him, her shy, bashful demeanor something that flew right over his head.

"Right, thanks," Jin-Su said, still nonchalant. "I'll check that out then."

Mina nodded, clearly relieved that the conversation was shifting back into something more casual. "Y-yeah. It should have all the locations on it."

Jin-Su nodded once more, briefly meeting her gaze before he turned away. He wasn't sure what the future held for Mina, but for now, she was an anomaly worth observing. The high magic potential made her an outlier, someone who could become much more than she seemed. But for now, she was just another piece on the board.

He turned back to the path, heading toward the dorms at last, leaving Mina standing there, watching him walk away. She didn't follow, just stood there, her expression a mix of relief and something else Jin-Su didn't bother to notice.

As he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling that Mina—no, Mina—was going to be important. He just didn't know how yet.

Just as he was about to leave the encounter behind completely, Mina's voice called out once more, softer this time. "W-wait… before you go, could we… exchange contact information? Just in case."

Jin-Su paused and turned back toward her, briefly considering the request. It wasn't unusual, and there could be practical uses for keeping in touch. Without much thought, he pulled out his phone. "Sure."

They quickly exchanged numbers, Mina's hand shaking slightly as she inputted her information into his phone. Jin-Su remained as casual as ever, not noticing the slight blush on her face as their hands brushed momentarily during the exchange.

"Alright, see you around," Jin-Su said with a nod, turning away again.

"Yeah… see you," Mina replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she clutched her phone, watching him disappear into the distance.

With that, Jin-Su continued toward the dorms, not thinking much of the moment. But Mina's contact stayed in his phone, another small connection in a web that would only grow more intricate as time went on.