The Awakening Error - The system's Greatest Error

Night had fallen.

The wind was crisp, carrying the scent of the distant mountains. The training grounds, once filled with the echoes of battle, were now silent—except for the crackling of a small fire in the courtyard.

Ethan and Ronan sat across from Veyrn, their bodies still aching from the earlier match. Despite the exhaustion, neither of them had spoken much after the arrival of the mysterious figure.

Finally, Ethan broke the silence. "Master… Who was that?"

Veyrn, sitting with his arms crossed, stared into the fire. His expression was unreadable, but the flicker of old memories was evident in his eyes.

"…A rival," he finally said. "One of the few people who could ever match me."

Ronan frowned. "That doesn't explain why he suddenly appeared or why he said we'd enter the Institution."

At the mention of the name, Veyrn's gaze darkened slightly. He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"The Institution isn't just some school," he said. "It's the single most elite training ground in the world. Every generation, only a handful of people are chosen to enter. And every single one of them… is destined to become a powerhouse."

Ethan's grip tightened around his knee.

"What makes it different?"

Veyrn leaned forward, his tone serious.

"You've already noticed that the world isn't uniform in its understanding of power. In the West, magic reigns supreme. Elemental mages, sorcerers, rune wielders—they shape reality with sheer force of will. In the East, it's different. They cultivate their bodies and spirits, forging their power through an internal path of refinement. Meanwhile, some bloodlines possess innate abilities, passed down through generations."

He glanced at them. "Your traits—Resonance and Cloning—would be classified as such."

Ethan exchanged a glance with Ronan. The idea of an academy where all these different paths of power existed together was… overwhelming.

"Then," Ronan asked, "how does the Institution balance all of them?"

Veyrn smirked slightly. "Through one simple truth—power is power."

He tossed a small stone into the fire, watching as the flames flared.

"No matter the method, no matter the approach, strength can be measured. Whether it's magic, cultivation, or raw ability, the outcome is what matters. That's why the Institution doesn't care how you fight—only that you win."

Ronan whistled. "Sounds brutal."

Veyrn chuckled. "It is. The selection process alone has a survival rate of less than 10%. The students that get in? They don't just train. They fight, they clash, they grow stronger every single day. The weak either rise… or they're discarded."

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.

It was far beyond what he had expected.

And yet… his heart was pounding.

"What about you?" Ethan finally asked. "You said you were there?"

Veyrn's smirk faded slightly. He leaned back against the stone pillar behind him, staring up at the night sky.

"…Yes," he admitted. "That's where I trained. Where I became what I am today."

Ronan furrowed his brows. "And that guy? Your rival?"

Veyrn exhaled. "He was one of the strongest there. Back then, we were both monsters in training. The difference was… he wanted to rule. I just wanted to be free."

He looked at them, his gaze sharp.

"And now he's here, standing before me again."

For the first time in years, Ethan saw something strange in his master's eyes.

It wasn't fear.

It was acknowledgment.

Veyrn wasn't underestimating his rival.

And that meant… neither should they.

---

The Storm on the Horizon

The fire crackled between them, but the night felt colder.

Ethan and Ronan sat in silence, absorbing everything they had learned. The Institution wasn't just a school. It was a place where only the strongest survived.

And now, they were being dragged into it.

Ethan clenched his fists.

For three years, they had trained under Veyrn. They had thought they were growing strong.

But if this was only the beginning…

Then how much further did they have to go?

And what kind of monsters awaited them at the Institution?