The world had changed overnight.

It began without warning. One moment, everything was as it had always been, the world’s rhythm uninterrupted by anything strange. The next, a tear in the fabric of reality appeared—gates, towering and gleaming, like windows to another world. They materialized everywhere: in the middle of cities, on mountain peaks, by the oceanside. No one knew where they came from, or why they were here.

Soon, people started passing through these gates—the Awakened—returning from the other side with powers no human should possess. Some wielded fire, others controlled ice or summoned lightning. The gates opened to a world full of monsters, treasure, and untold danger. And those who emerged were changed.

In the wake of this, the Adventure Academy was born. It was a place where the Awakened would train, a place for those with power to hone their skills and unlock their potential. The world, once calm and predictable, had transformed into a place of chaos, filled with guilds, dungeons, and people vying for power.

But not everyone was awakened.

Yao Feng stepped onto the Academy grounds, his steps barely making a sound on the smooth stone walkways. Nothing about today felt special, and that was exactly how he liked it. He didn’t need to stand out. In a world where everyone had something to prove, where abilities were everything, Feng was content to blend in. He was just a shadow in the crowd, unnoticed by most, and he preferred it that way.

He didn’t have power. Not like the other students.

Lana could summon flames with a single thought. Ryu had mastered the art of ice, bending it to his will. Kiera could heal injuries with a touch. They were all exceptional. The rest of his classmates? The same. Their powers were magnificent, incredible. They had gifts, while Feng had nothing but a quiet mind and a reserved demeanor.

At least, that was what everyone believed.

The bell rang, signaling the start of the day’s training session. Students shuffled into the courtyard, eager for the challenges ahead. Teams were formed. Everyone knew this day was important—today, they would be sent on their first dungeon exploration mission. The academy had chosen a relatively low-level dungeon nearby, a chance for the students to work together, test their abilities, and learn the basics of dungeon exploration.

Feng, as usual, stayed in the back of the group. He wasn’t here to prove anything, and the idea of being thrust into dangerous situations didn’t appeal to him. He didn’t care about showing off or gaining fame. As long as he could survive and remain under the radar, that was enough.

The team he was placed with was typical for the academy—Lana, the fire-wielder; Ryu, the ice-bender; Kiera, the healer; and Jace, a quiet boy who was more observant than anyone else, but whose abilities were still largely unknown.

Feng had nothing in common with them. They were fighters, adventurers in the making, and then there was him—just a guy who could keep his head down and get by without drawing attention.

Their mission? To explore the dungeon, collect some resources, and report back. Nothing too complicated.

As they descended into the dungeon, the atmosphere shifted. The air grew thick with humidity, and the faint smell of damp stone filled their lungs. The narrow corridors twisted and turned, lit only by their torches and the occasional flicker of strange, glowing fungi on the walls. The further they went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.

Lana led the group, her flames flickering brightly, illuminating their path. Ryu followed closely, his icy presence causing the temperature around him to drop as he cooled the air. Kiera kept close to the others, ready to heal anyone who got injured. They moved with the confidence of those who had been trained for this very purpose.

Feng, however, stayed at the rear. He wasn’t afraid, but he wasn’t eager either. There were creatures lurking in the dark—everyone knew that—but Feng didn’t fear them. His mind wandered to other things: to the academy’s walls, to the whispers of the more powerful students, to the strange sensation that sometimes flickered in the back of his mind. He pushed the thoughts aside. He didn’t have time for distractions.

The deeper they went, the quieter it became. The usual sounds of the dungeon—scratching claws, distant growls—seemed to fall away. It was eerily silent, and the stillness made Feng uneasy. He glanced around, but all he saw was shadow.

Then, it happened.

A flicker.

The shadows ahead shifted unnaturally, moving against the flow of the air. Before anyone could react, a dozen shadow creatures erupted from the walls, slithering like living darkness. Their eyes glowed with an unsettling crimson light, and their sharp claws scraped across the stone, sending sparks flying.

Chaos erupted.

Lana didn’t hesitate. She raised her hands, fire spiraling from her fingertips, and with a wave of her arm, a burst of flames shot toward the creatures, incinerating the first wave. But there were too many—more came pouring from the walls and the cracks in the floor. Ryu’s eyes flashed as he conjured a wall of ice to slow their advance, but it wouldn’t hold for long.

Kiera shouted, rushing forward to heal an injured student who had been slashed across the arm. The air was thick with tension, and the battlefield was chaotic, with the team struggling to keep their footing.

But Feng?

Feng stood still, his eyes flicking from one creature to the next, his mind calculating, analyzing. He wasn’t afraid, but he wasn’t rushing into the fight either. His role was clear: stay out of the way, keep his head down.

A sharp sound—a crack—echoed through the chamber.

Ryu’s ice barrier shattered. The creatures were swarming, growing more aggressive with each passing second. The others were struggling. Desperation was creeping into their movements.

But Feng, in the back, remained still. His breath steady, his gaze unwavering.

The battle raged.

Lana threw fire, Ryu formed ice, and Kiera healed. But no matter what they did, the creatures didn’t stop. They kept coming, relentless and numerous.

Feng’s heart pounded, but his body remained calm. He watched the chaos unfold with a quiet resolve. This wasn’t his fight.

Not yet.

The air in the dungeon was thick with tension, and the ground beneath them trembled as the shadow creatures continued to surge forward, relentless and ferocious. Each time Lana’s flames cut through their ranks, more seemed to take their place, emerging from cracks in the walls and the darkness above.

Feng observed the battle with a cool detachment, though his mind was anything but calm. He couldn’t help but notice the growing desperation in his team’s movements. Ryu was already exhausted; the cold barrier he had created earlier is now gone, leaving him vulnerable. Kiera’s healing light flickered, and though Lana’s fire was strong, the number of monsters was overwhelming.

Feng’s hands clenched into fists as he watched the others falter, but he didn’t move. Not yet.

“Lana!” Ryu shouted, his voice strained. “We can’t hold them off much longer!”

Lana shot a glance at him, her expression fierce despite the fear creeping into her eyes. She gestured with a flourish, and fire erupted from her palms, pushing back the creatures. But they were multiplying too quickly, creeping in from all sides.

“We need a plan,” Kiera shouted over the chaos, her voice tinged with panic. “We’re being overwhelmed!”

Feng’s gaze flickered to the corners of the room, his mind rapidly calculating. They needed to act fast before it was too late. There was a rhythm to this battle, a cycle of attack and retreat, but the creatures didn’t seem to tire.

“Retreat!” Feng’s voice cut through the din, calm and measured. “Fall back to the narrow hallway. We’ll have better control over the space.”

Lana, Ryu, and Kiera looked at him in surprise. “What are you talking about?” Lana asked, clearly taken aback by the sudden change in direction.

“Listen to me,” Feng said, his voice firm. “We need to control the flow of the monsters. If we stay here, they’ll overwhelm us. If we retreat to the hallway, we’ll have a choke point. We can use that to our advantage.”

There was a brief pause as the group processed his words. Lana nodded first, her expression hardening. “Fine. Move to the hallway!”

The team fell into action, their movements frantic but coordinated. Lana led the way, fire shooting from her palms to clear the path ahead, while Ryu created walls of ice to slow the creatures’ advance. Kiera kept her focus on healing, her hands glowing with light as she mended the wounds of her teammates.

Feng followed, staying in the rear. His eyes never stopped moving, constantly assessing the situation. As the team made their way toward the narrow hallway, he could feel the pressure mounting. The monsters were closing in fast.

“Get ready!” Feng barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.

They reached the hallway, and immediately, the battle shifted. The creatures struggled to advance, their numbers thinned by Lana’s fire and Ryu’s ice. But there were still too many of them. The narrow space was holding them at bay, but the team was tiring. Every attack, every spell cast, drained more of their energy. Kiera’s light was flickering, her healing growing weaker with each passing second.

Lana’s breath came in ragged gasps, her flames weakening. “We can’t hold them much longer.”

Feng’s mind raced. The plan had been effective, but they were running out of time. The monsters kept coming, and their strength wasn’t infinite. He could see it—the moment when the monsters would break through, the moment when everything would fall apart.

But there was one more thing he could do.

He turned, quickly scanning the area for an escape route. There was none. His heart raced, but his face remained impassive. They couldn’t escape. Not now. Not without

“Get back!” Feng shouted suddenly, pushing his team further into the hallway.

Lana, Ryu, and Kiera were about to protest, but they followed his orders without question. Feng raised his hand, his gaze focused on the advancing creatures. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—calculations, possibilities, the rhythm of battle. His team was on the brink of collapse, but there was still one thing they hadn’t tried.

As a monstrous creature lunged toward Ryu, Feng’s hand shot out, his voice low but decisive. “Focus your attacks on the weakest link! If we can bring down the leader, the others will scatter!”

Lana and Ryu nodded, and for a brief moment, everything seemed to align. They turned their attention to the largest of the creatures, its glowing eyes burning with hunger. It was big, stronger than the others, and at its core, it was the one controlling the horde.

But as they focused their efforts, the creature seemed to grow more powerful and more determined. It wasn’t enough. The team was starting to crumble, their powers running low.

Then, just as the largest monster broke through their defenses and was about to strike, something strange happened.

A figure emerged from the shadows, silent, swift, and almost invisible.

In one fluid motion, the mysterious figure drew a long, gleaming blade, its edge shimmering with a strange, otherworldly light. He moved faster than any of them could follow, a blur of motion that sliced through the darkness.

The figure didn’t hesitate. With a single strike, the creature was decimated, its massive form collapsing in an instant. And just like that, the other monsters paused, as if waiting for something before they too crumbled and disappeared into the air, disappearing as quickly as they had come.

The figure stood in the middle of the battlefield, his cloak billowing like a shadow, his face obscured by a dark hood. The sword he carried gleamed with a strange, almost ethereal light, but there was no time to question it.

In a smooth motion, the mysterious figure approached Feng and his team, barely a sound marking his presence.

“Stay back,” the figure said in a low, gravelly voice.

Before anyone could react, he moved swiftly, lifting the unconscious bodies of Lana, Ryu, and Kiera with ease. He then turned to Feng, his eyes flashing with an unreadable expression.

In seconds, they were outside the dungeon, the cool night air surrounding them. The mysterious figure did not say another word, his eyes scanning the horizon as he silently carried them away from the danger.

Feng, still conscious but too tired to resist, couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation of recognition—like he had encountered this figure before. But the figure didn’t stop; he didn’t wait for any questions. The only thing Feng knew was that they had been saved for now.