To say they were stripped of their abilities wasn’t entirely accurate.

It merely canceled the previously activated item, reverting them from an awakened individual back to an unawakened person.

Reawakening their Fortune Window would solve the problem, but that was easier said than done.

Very few people could check their own Fortune Window like I could.

Even fewer could activate another person’s window.

And the vast majority of those with such capabilities belonged to the Fate Protection Bureau.

Therefore, to check one’s own Fortune Window, a person had to either sign a contract with the Fate Protection Bureau or pay a hefty price.

Simply being selected for this place first was already a massive privilege.

“If you still wish to leave, we will process your request accordingly.”

We might have potential, but we weren’t the only ones out there.

The Fate Protection Bureau had no reason to hold onto someone who wanted out.

Besides, the training provided here was beneficial in countless ways; refusing it was their loss.

The man who had requested to leave hesitated, sinking into deep thought.

“You’re all a bunch of cowardly fools. In a setup like this, losing your abilities guarantees a rock-bottom life afterward.”

Dokgo Jun spoke with an indifferent expression.

He had a point; in this world, being stripped of one’s abilities might be a crueler fate than murder.

He glanced at Shin Sooa.

“You’re not leaving, are you, Shin Sooa?”

“No. It seems just as dangerous outside anyway… But why are you speaking so casually to me?”

“My apologies.”

While the two bickered, a few others apparently decided to leave despite Ahn Nabi’s words.

They headed off somewhere, and soon, only Ahn Nabi returned.

It seemed they had ultimately dropped out.

“We’ve lost quite a bit of time. Is there anyone else who wishes to leave?”

Silence answered her again.

Ahn Nabi continued.

“Very well. I will give you a brief explanation. We will train you, and once you meet certain conditions, you will be allowed to leave.”

She turned around.

On one side of the hall stood seven doors.

“You simply need to clear the seven doors behind me.”

At first glance, they looked quite archaic, each engraved with a different image.

Some depicted fire, others swords.

One could roughly guess what might happen upon entering them.

“Clearing the first door unlocks the second. You can enter either individually or as a party.”

As Ahn Nabi continued her explanation, someone next to me raised their hand.

It was Shin Sooa.

“If we clear all of them and leave, will we work for this Fate Protection Bureau you mentioned earlier?”

“That depends. We offer positions to those with exceptional abilities.”

The Fate Protection Bureau recruited only the elite among the awakened.

The compensation was excellent, and joining the Bureau practically guaranteed substantial benefits.

Forging a connection with them was highly advantageous.

Ahn Nabi glanced at her watch.

“We’ve spent more time than expected. I will distribute manual terminals to everyone; please refer to them if you have any questions.”

The moment people received their terminals, they anxiously opened the manual to check its contents.

I already knew most of it, but I skimmed through it just in case there were any differences.

At a glance, nothing had changed from my past life.

While everyone was reading, someone hesitantly raised their hand.

“E-Excuse me. Where are we supposed to sleep now?”

“The first floor has convenience facilities, and the second floor has accommodations. You must all be exhausted today, so please get some rest.”

Once Ahn Nabi left, the crowd exchanged glances before heading up to the second floor.

Shin Sooa watched them briefly before speaking.

“I should get some rest too. It seems too much to start right away anyway…”

I nodded at her words.

We were all caked in dust, ash, and blood.

“Then I’ll be heading to rest as well.”

“Rest well, Mr. Kangrim. See you tomorrow. And… thank you for today.”

Leaving behind a brief word of thanks, Shin Sooa headed to her room.

Hearing her gratitude, I froze for a moment.

By the clock, it had only been a few hours ago.

Shin Sooa had died protecting me.

Yet here she was, thanking me.

I knew the situation was different now, but an inexplicable wave of emotion washed over me.

Even after returning to my room, that peculiar feeling lingered.

The room was as spacious and pleasant as a luxury hotel suite, but it brought me no sense of security.

I slumped onto the sofa and closed my eyes.

Countless corpses flashed before my eyes—the people of Flying Tiger Sect who had died trying to protect me.

And Baekyoung, standing atop that mountain of bodies.

Did I know Baekyoung?

No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall her face.

Judging by her words and actions, it seemed less like a personal vendetta and more like she was following someone’s orders.

She might have tried to kill me because of my Special Ability.

Because of ‘Fortune Stealing,’ I was already under surveillance by several factions.

If one had no qualms about killing, Fortune Stealing was an incredibly useful ability.

What if I killed Shin Sooa and her executives, absorbing all their powers?

Betrayal would allow for rapid growth in a short period.

That was why many powerful individuals wished for my death.

If I started killing people to steal their abilities, they would soon become my targets as well.

Other factions, fearing my growth, had made several attempts to kill or kidnap me.

Shin Sooa and Flying Tiger Sect had always fended them off.

And this time, they had died protecting me again.

They were fools.

They had gone out of their way to recruit me into their faction simply because of the bond we forged in this Education Facility.

They took me in, claiming they knew I was a good person deep down.

They had recruited a useless person like me, and died for a Insect Grade like me.

I couldn’t stand by and watch them do such foolish things anymore.

This life had only one goal.

To find and kill Baekyoung, no matter what it took.

This time, I would focus solely on that.

There was no better place to grow rapidly than this Education Facility.

I had to grow as much as possible here before leaving.

This time, I would never allow Flying Tiger Sect to be annihilated.

* * *

[A summons from ‘Ahn Nabi’ has been issued. Please gather in the hall by 12:00.]

I opened my eyes to a notification sound that seemed to echo directly in my brain.

I must have dozed off briefly after staying up all night lost in thought.

After a quick wash, I headed down to the hall and found the same faces from yesterday gathered there.

Shin Sooa was among them.

Her face looked younger than I remembered, evoking an inexplicable sense of unfamiliarity and nostalgia.

So this was what Shin Sooa, the Sect Leader of a major faction, looked like five years ago.

As I quietly observed her, she seemed to feel my gaze and offered a greeting.

“Mr. Kangrim. Hello. Did you rest well?”

“Hello.”

It felt a bit awkward.

While I hesitated over what to say, the clock in the hall chimed exactly at 12:00.

With that, Ahn Nabi walked out from the inner corridor of the first floor and took her place in the center of the hall.

“Hello. I hope you all rested well.”

She looked exactly the same as yesterday.

After a brief morning greeting, Ahn Nabi cut straight to the point.

“Today, I will explain things in more detail. First, if you look at your Fortune Windows, you will see various sub-categories for each of you.”

═══════════════

[Strength] Stage 1

[Stamina] Stage 1

[Agility] Stage 1

[Senses] Stage 1

[Magic Power] Stage 1

═══════════════

“Your stats can be increased through training, combat, and hunting. It is also possible to raise them through other methods. Please refer to the manual for further details.”

Everyone here started with their stats at Stage 1.

Whether one was Insect Grade or Divine Grade, everyone began at the same point upon awakening, so there was little difference at first.

However, the amount of effort and time required to raise a stage differed drastically depending on one’s grade.

For example, if an Insect Grade required 100 experience points to grow from Stage 1 to Stage 2.

A Human Grade needed 80, a Ghost Grade 60, a Dragon Grade 40, and a Divine Grade 20.

While I, an Insect Grade, was crawling, a Human Grade was walking, a Ghost Grade running, and a Dragon Grade flying.

That was why, among the strong awakened ones…

[“Saying you’re weak because of a low Fate Rank is just an excuse! It’s all because you lack effort! If you try hard enough, even an Insect Grade can become strong!”]

…there were those who spouted such nonsense.

To put it in extreme terms, a Divine Grade at Stage 1 and an Insect Grade at Stage 1 showed no significant difference in raw stats.

But if the two fought, the Divine Grade would win with a high probability.

That was only natural, as a higher Fate Rank guaranteed possession of a superior Special Ability.

While I skimmed through the manual, Ahn Nabi continued her explanation.

“Upon entering, if you exit through the same door you entered, you can return he—”

“E-Excuse me.”

One of the listeners quietly raised their hand.

Their face was full of worry, clearly agonizing over something.

Ahn Nabi turned to them and asked.

“Do you have a question?”

“No, it’s not that… I, I would like to drop out after all. Is that still possible?”

“Yes. You may drop out at any time during the training period.”

“Then I would like to drop out.”

The revelation that dropping out was permitted at any time caused a small stir among the crowd.

Amidst the murmuring, someone who appeared to be the dropout requester’s companion urgently tried to stop him.

“Are you really leaving? Just hang in a little longer. Please?”

“But my little brother is home alone! I don’t know what will happen to him without me…!”

When I first entered this place in my past life, I had thought simply.

I assumed people left because they feared the training.

But those with families to care for or dreams to prioritize must have felt compelled to return, even if it meant abandoning their new abilities.

I hadn’t gone back.

Because back then, I had nothing.

I glanced at Shin Sooa standing next to me.

She wore an impassive expression, seemingly unconcerned with the outside world.

Given her strained relationship with her family, it made sense.

As the argument between the dropout requester and his companion dragged on, Ahn Nabi fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“Many of you must be anxious about not being able to contact the outside world. I understand. So, I would like to offer you all a condition.”

Her words sparked a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

Even the dropout requester paused, turning his gaze toward Ahn Nabi.

“This is the first door. To the first person who clears it…”

Ahn Nabi raised one hand, pointing to the first door, and continued.

“…I will give you the Wi-Fi password.”