145

Chapter 145 — The New Generation

The Association training center was busier than it had ever been.

Since the International Awakener Development League had ended, applications for advanced training programs had increased dramatically. Young Awakeners from different countries wanted access to experienced instructors, specialized facilities, and real combat simulations. The Association had originally expected a few hundred applications, but the number had quickly crossed several thousand.

The change was visible everywhere.

Training halls were occupied from early morning until late evening. New instructors had been recruited, and experienced A-rank Awakeners were being asked to conduct specialized sessions. Even the cafeteria had become crowded with young Awakeners discussing abilities, dungeon strategies, and the latest developments in the ranking system.

Subin stood near the entrance of the largest training hall and watched them.

There were swordsmen, spearmen, archers, mages, shield users, martial artists, healers, beast tamers, and several unusual ability users whose classes had never existed before Awakening.

The variety interested him more than their ranks.

A young swordsman practiced fast consecutive strikes while constantly changing his stance. Nearby, a spear user focused on maintaining distance. A girl with a defensive ability repeatedly created barriers and adjusted their shape. Another Awakener controlled small pieces of metal, trying to understand how many objects she could manipulate simultaneously.

The world had changed so much that even the Association could no longer predict what abilities would appear next.

Yerin walked up beside him.

"You've been standing here for five minutes."

"I'm watching."

"I noticed."

"They're improving."

Yerin looked toward the training hall.

"Some of them are very talented."

"Yes."

"Are you thinking about teaching again?"

Subin considered the question.

"I don't know."

Yerin smiled.

"You don't have to decide immediately."

Before Subin could respond, Director Kang approached.

"There you are."

Subin turned.

"What happened?"

"Nothing urgent."

Min-seok appeared behind Director Kang.

"Whenever he says that, something happens."

Director Kang ignored him.

"I want you to meet someone."

He led them toward a smaller training hall.

Inside, six young Awakeners were waiting.

Most looked nervous.

One of them, however, stood calmly near the center of the room.

He was a tall young man with dark hair and a long sword.

Director Kang introduced him first.

"This is Park Ji-ho. B-rank swordsman."

Ji-ho bowed.

"Sir."

Subin nodded.

"You don't need to call me sir."

Ji-ho looked confused.

Director Kang smiled.

"He's still getting used to having Subin as an instructor."

Subin glanced at him.

"I'm not an instructor."

Min-seok laughed.

"Keep telling yourself that."

Director Kang continued introducing the others.

"Kim Eunchae, C-rank healer. Marcus Reed, C-rank shield user from the United States. Rohan Mehta, B-rank spear user. Aiko Tanaka, C-rank swordswoman. And Daniel Park, B-rank martial artist."

Subin nodded to each of them.

They were all young.

Most had awakened within the last year.

Their abilities were still developing, and their combat habits were not yet fixed.

That made them interesting.

Director Kang gestured toward the training floor.

"They're part of a new advanced development group. We want you to evaluate them."

Subin looked at him.

"Evaluate what?"

"Not their ranks."

Director Kang pointed toward the young Awakeners.

"Their potential."

Subin remained silent for a moment.

"I don't know how to measure that."

"Neither do we."

Director Kang smiled.

"That's why I'm asking you."

Subin accepted.

The young Awakeners moved onto the training floor.

Instead of immediately sparring, Subin asked them to demonstrate their abilities.

One after another, they showed what they could do.

Eunchae could accelerate the body's natural recovery, but her ability became less effective when she was exhausted.

Marcus could create shields, but his barriers became weaker when he tried to maintain multiple defensive points.

Rohan's spear ability allowed him to increase the momentum of his attacks.

Aiko's swordsmanship was based on speed and footwork.

Daniel reinforced his body and specialized in close combat.

Ji-ho was the most interesting.

His ability did not directly strengthen his sword.

Instead, he could temporarily increase the sharpness of an object he touched.

Subin watched him carefully.

"How long does it last?"

"About eight seconds."

"Cooldown?"

"Almost none."

"Mana consumption?"

"Low."

Subin nodded.

"Then why are you B-rank?"

Ji-ho hesitated.

"Because I can't use it effectively against stronger opponents."

"Why?"

"I need to touch the weapon first."

"That's the problem?"

"Yes."

Subin shook his head.

"No."

Ji-ho looked surprised.

"Your problem is that you're treating your ability as an attack."

Ji-ho frowned.

"What else can it be?"

"Information."

Subin walked toward him.

"Your ability tells you something when you touch an object. You can increase its sharpness."

Ji-ho nodded.

"So?"

"What happens if you sharpen something that isn't your weapon?"

Ji-ho stared at him.

Subin picked up a wooden training sword.

"Try it."

Ji-ho touched the wooden sword.

The blade immediately became sharper.

Subin smiled.

"Now imagine what happens if you touch the environment."

Ji-ho looked around.

"The floor?"

"The walls. Railings. Debris. Anything."

His eyes widened.

"Then I could create weapons everywhere."

"Exactly."

Subin returned the wooden sword.

"But don't stop there. If your ability can alter the cutting property of an object, experiment with how far that property can be pushed."

Ji-ho looked at his hands.

"I never thought about it that way."

"That's why you're here."

The other young Awakeners watched closely.

Subin turned toward them.

"Your abilities are not finished products."

Everyone became attentive.

"Most of you awakened less than a year ago. Your classes and abilities will probably change as you understand them better. Don't treat the first form of your ability as its final form."

Rohan raised his hand.

"What if we don't know how to evolve it?"

"Then experiment."

"That sounds dangerous."

"It can be."

Subin looked at him.

"That's why you train before you experiment in combat."

Aiko stepped forward.

"What about swordsmanship?"

Subin looked at her.

"What about it?"

"I've been trying to learn your style."

Subin's expression became serious.

"Don't."

Aiko froze.

"Why?"

"Because my swordsmanship was created through my experiences. Copying it won't give you the same result."

She looked disappointed.

Subin continued, "If you like something about my style, understand why you like it. Then adapt the principle to your own body."

Aiko nodded slowly.

"What if my swordsmanship becomes completely different from yours?"

"Good."

She smiled.

That answer seemed to relieve her.

Subin spent the next two hours observing the group.

He didn't teach them techniques.

Instead, he asked questions.

Why did Rohan always step forward before attacking?

Why did Marcus place his strongest shield in front even when his opponent was attacking from the side?

Why did Daniel chase opponents instead of controlling distance?

Why did Aiko retreat whenever she missed an attack?

The young Awakeners gradually began noticing habits they had never considered before.

That was what Subin wanted.

He didn't want them to fight like him.

He wanted them to understand themselves.

After the session ended, Director Kang approached him.

"You were good."

Subin looked at him.

"I asked questions."

"Exactly."

Yerin smiled.

"You're definitely becoming a teacher."

Subin sighed.

"I still don't like that."

Min-seok laughed.

"You've given up on denying it."

"I haven't."

"You just taught six people for two hours."

"That doesn't make me a teacher."

Ara joined them.

"What does?"

Subin didn't answer.

Everyone laughed.

Later that afternoon, the Association announced the opening of the Global Awakener Development Center, a permanent international training facility.

The announcement attracted immediate attention.

Young Awakeners from around the world would be able to train with experienced combatants, researchers, healers, and specialists. The facility would also conduct controlled ability-development experiments and battlefield simulations.

The idea was simple.

Humanity could no longer rely on spontaneous growth.

Awakeners needed proper training.

That evening, Subin and Yerin sat together on the rooftop of the Association.

The city lights stretched beneath them.

Yerin looked at the announcement on her phone.

"The new center is going to be huge."

"Yes."

"Do you think it will work?"

"It will help."

"That's not the same as saying it will work."

Subin smiled.

"Nothing works perfectly."

Yerin put her phone away.

"You've changed."

Subin looked at her.

"How?"

"When we first met, you only cared about becoming stronger."

"I still do."

"I know."

She smiled.

"But now you care about what happens to everyone else."

Subin thought about it.

Maybe she was right.

He had once believed strength was entirely personal.

If he became strong enough, that would be enough.

But now he understood that strength also created responsibility.

The stronger someone became, the more their actions affected other people.

He wasn't sure when that idea had entered his mind.

Perhaps it had happened during Greenfall.

Perhaps during the international missions.

Perhaps during the day he realized he trusted Yerin enough to walk beside her without talking.

It didn't matter.

He had changed.

And he didn't dislike the person he was becoming.

Yerin leaned back against the railing.

"Do you ever think about what you'll do if you reach the peak?"

Subin looked toward the night sky.

"I don't know."

"That's unusual."

"I've never been there."

She laughed.

"Fair."

After a moment, she asked, "Would you still use a sword?"

"Yes."

"Even if you became the strongest person alive?"

"Especially then."

Yerin smiled.

"That's the most Subin answer possible."

The next morning, however, the Association received an unexpected report.

Not an emergency.

Not a monster attack.

Something else.

A new type of Awakener had appeared.

The report came from a small city in northern Japan.

A seventeen-year-old boy had awakened during a routine school activity.

At first, his ability appeared useless.

He could create a tiny amount of mana.

Nothing else.

No physical enhancement.

No elemental power.

No weapon ability.

No defensive skill.

His initial evaluation placed him at F-rank.

The Association wasn't particularly interested.

Then the boy touched a damaged mana stone.

The stone began repairing itself.

Researchers initially assumed it was a healing ability.

But further tests showed something stranger.

The boy wasn't healing the stone.

He was restoring its original mana structure.

When given a damaged weapon, he could restore its original condition.

When given a broken magical artifact, he could partially reconstruct it.

The ability had no combat value at present.

But it could potentially become extremely important.

Director Kang showed the report to Subin.

"What do you think?"

Subin studied it.

"His ability is incomplete."

Director Kang raised an eyebrow.

"How can you tell?"

"Because he doesn't understand what he's doing yet."

Subin looked at the damaged mana stone displayed in the report.

"Abilities are like swordsmanship. The first thing you see isn't always the whole thing."

Director Kang nodded.

"We're sending researchers."

"Good."

"Do you want to meet him?"

Subin thought for a moment.

"No."

Director Kang looked surprised.

"Why?"

"He needs people who understand his ability, not someone famous telling him what it should become."

Director Kang smiled.

"That's a surprisingly responsible answer."

Subin ignored the comment.

Later that day, he returned to the training hall.

Ji-ho was there again.

So were Aiko and the others.

They had apparently decided to continue practicing without being asked.

Subin watched them from the doorway.

Ji-ho was experimenting with his ability.

Instead of sharpening his sword, he was touching different surfaces.

Wood.

Stone.

Metal.

He was trying to understand the limits.

Aiko had changed her footwork.

Rohan was practicing attacks without stepping forward first.

Marcus was experimenting with smaller shields instead of always creating one large barrier.

Daniel was working on controlling his distance.

They were changing.

Not because Subin had given them answers.

Because he had made them ask better questions.

Subin smiled faintly.

Yerin appeared beside him.

"They're improving."

"Yes."

"You look proud."

"I'm not."

She laughed.

"You are."

Subin didn't answer.

Inside the hall, Ji-ho suddenly shouted.

"Subin!"

Subin looked over.

Ji-ho held up a small metal fragment.

"I think I found something."

"What?"

"I can sharpen one side without affecting the other."

Subin walked toward him.

"Show me."

Ji-ho touched the fragment.

One edge became razor sharp while the opposite side remained unchanged.

Subin studied it.

Then he smiled.

"Good."

Ji-ho grinned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're finally starting to understand your ability."

The young swordsman looked at the metal fragment with renewed excitement.

Subin turned toward the others.

"Everyone has something like this."

They listened.

"Something you haven't discovered yet."

The hall became quiet.

Subin continued, "Don't rush to become strong. First understand what you already have."

His words were simple.

But the young Awakeners remembered them.

Outside, construction continued on the new Global Awakener Development Center.

Across the world, new Awakeners were awakening every day.

Some would become powerful.

Some would remain ordinary.

Some would discover abilities nobody had imagined.

And some would eventually stand alongside the strongest people on Earth.

Subin didn't know which of them would reach the top.

He didn't need to know.

For the first time, he was beginning to understand that his journey wasn't only about reaching the peak himself.

It was also about living in a world where others were climbing toward their own peaks.

And perhaps, one day, some of them would become strong enough to walk beside him.