Eun-ak panted heavily, sweat dripping down his face as he stood inside the glowing blue expanse of the training room. His muscles screamed with every breath, his ribs ached from the countless hits he had taken, and his hands trembled from sheer exhaustion. But there was something different this time.
He could finally see it.
The clone lunged at him once again — a blur of speed that almost seemed impossible to track. Almost.
Eun-ak narrowed his eyes, his breath steady despite the pain. He focused not on the attack itself but on the rhythm behind it. The timing. The clone always attacked in patterns — fast jabs followed by a low kick, then a sudden knee to the ribs. It had been overwhelming at first, but now…
Now I can see it coming.
As the clone's fist shot forward, Eun-ak tilted his head just enough for the punch to graze his cheek. He felt the air ripple past his face, but there was no impact. The clone shifted immediately, aiming a knee toward Eun-ak's ribs.
But this time, Eun-ak was ready.
He twisted his torso, grabbing the clone's leg mid-attack. With a grunt, he spun and slammed the clone to the ground. Dust exploded on impact.
For the first time since the fight began, Eun-ak landed a clean hit.
He staggered back, wiping the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving. "Finally…" he muttered.
But before he could celebrate, the clone shot up from the ground with unnatural speed. Its eyes locked onto Eun-ak with cold, ruthless intensity.
"I'm not done yet," Eun-ak thought. He raised his fists again.
The battle continued, but something had changed. Eun-ak wasn't getting beaten down as easily anymore. He landed a few more strikes — a punch to the clone's ribs, a kick to its thigh. They weren't heavy hits, but they were hits.
Yet the longer the fight went on, the heavier the clone's punches felt. Each blow sent shockwaves through Eun-ak's body. His bones felt like they were on the verge of snapping.
"I need more time… Just a little more time."
Meanwhile, in the Basement…
The tension in the underground parking lot was thick enough to choke on. Park Hyun-woo lay on the cold concrete floor, gasping for breath as the silver-haired guy stood over him, holding Baek Ji-hwan's wrist in an iron grip.
No one moved.
The students from Pipik High stared in disbelief. Even Park's crew — Bong, Dong, Lee Hun-ho, and Seo Do-hyun — froze where they stood.
Baek Ji-hwan's eyes flared with fury. "You… You bastard," he growled. "Let go."
But the silver-haired guy didn't flinch. His grip was steady, calm, and unbothered.
Baek Ji-hwan ripped his hand free and stepped forward. "I challenge you," he snarled.
The silver-haired guy tilted his head slightly, his expression calm. "Fine."
He took a few steps forward, standing tall in the dimly lit basement. Finally, he spoke.
"My name is Jay Yoon," he said. His voice was calm but carried weight. "I'm from America."
The room fell silent.
"America?" one of the students muttered.
A foreigner… in Korea?
For a brief moment, everyone stared at Jay in shock. But Jay didn't waste time. He took a single step forward.
Baek Ji-hwan charged, his fists clenched, ready to crush this outsider. He swung with all his strength — but before his punch could even connect…
BAM!
Jay's foot shot upward — so fast it was nearly invisible. It connected with Baek Ji-hwan's chin with an earth-shaking impact. The sound echoed through the parking lot.
Ji-hwan's body lifted off the ground. He crashed down seconds later, unconscious.
Silence.
No one could believe what they had just seen.
Park, who had struggled so hard against Ji-hwan, could only stare with wide eyes. His teeth clenched. "I… I was about to win…" he muttered bitterly.
But no one was listening.
Jay Yoon's Stats:
Strength: YXX+
Speed: YXX
Potential: Undefined
Intelligence: Y
Endurance: YXX+
He was beyond anything they had ever seen.
The students from Pipik High stared at Baek Ji-hwan's unconscious body in shock. Then their shock turned to rage. Gripping their metal bats and hockey sticks tighter, they charged.
But it didn't matter.
Jay Yoon moved faster than they could blink.
BAM — one punch.
CRACK — a kick to the ribs.
THUD — another fell before he could even swing his bat.
One by one, they dropped to the ground, unconscious. None of them lasted more than a single hit.
Park watched from the sidelines, his fists clenched in frustration. The fight was over before it even began.
Back in the Portal…
Eun-ak stumbled, gasping for breath as the clone pressed him harder. Its punches were like hammers, each impact rattling his bones. But even with the pain, Eun-ak wasn't backing down.
He could see it now. The rhythm. The pattern.
The clone threw a right hook — Eun-ak slipped under it.
A low kick — Eun-ak lifted his leg just in time.
An elbow strike — he blocked it with both arms.
He wasn't perfect. He was still getting hit, still bleeding, but he was starting to fight back. Every time he blocked or dodged, he saw another opening. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up faster.
The clone's attacks were heavy — heavier now because of his injuries — but Eun-ak refused to break.
I won't fall here.
Hours passed. In the real world, a full day had gone by.
Back at School…
With Eun-ak still inside the portal, Jay Yoon stood at the gates, arms crossed. The school was quiet now — no more fights, no more chaos.
He had protected the school without breaking a sweat.
But as he stood there, staring at the horizon, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"We will meet soon again," he muttered quietly. "Let's see how much you can hide, WHITE GHOST ."