The Awakening Error - The system's Greatest Error

Three Years Later – The Final Test

The sky was painted in hues of crimson as the setting sun bathed the vast training grounds in a golden glow. The air was thick with tension, not of fear, but of something far heavier—expectation.

Ethan and Ronan stood at the edge of the battlefield, their breathing steady, their bodies honed into peak condition after three relentless years under Veyrn's merciless training.

Across from them stood their master—Veyrn.

For the first time, he had given them a simple goal:

Make him move outside the boundary of the circle he drew.

A small, barely five-meter-wide circle. That was their victory condition.

It sounded easy.

It was anything but.

Veyrn stood in the middle of the circle, his hands behind his back, his eyes calm. He wasn't mocking them. He was simply waiting.

"You've come a long way," Veyrn said, his voice even. "Let's see if it was enough."

A single nod from him, and the battle began.

---

Ethan and Ronan moved simultaneously, a blur of motion as they attacked from both sides. Three years ago, they wouldn't have lasted even a second against Veyrn.

But now?

Veyrn still held the upper hand, but the fight wasn't one-sided.

Ronan's clones flickered into existence, each manifesting a different trait—one with super speed, another with aura creation, a third with enhanced senses, and so on. They attacked in unpredictable formations, forcing Veyrn to adjust.

Ethan, on the other hand, was no longer limited to touch-based resonance.

He extended his will, resonating with the ground beneath Veyrn's feet. The soil trembled, attempting to mirror his movements, shifting at his command.

But Veyrn simply adjusted his stance—his control over mass negated the imbalance immediately.

Still, it was enough to give them an opening.

--

Ethan and Ronan pushed Veyrn to his limits—or at least, the limits he had placed on himself.

Ethan's resonance stretched further, attempting to sync with Veyrn's very movements, reading the vibrations in the air. His perception expanded, feeling the shifting weight in the battlefield.

Ronan used his clones in complex patterns, switching between offense and deception. He created a clone that feigned an attack, only for another to land a hit where Veyrn wasn't expecting.

For a brief moment, it looked like they had him.

But Veyrn adjusted mid-fall, shifting his weight with absolute precision, and instead of stepping outside the circle, he merely leaned back, dodging their final strike by mere inches.

The fight continued—each second feeling like an eternity. Every exchange was an explosion of power, tactics, and instinct.

Then, in a perfectly synchronized final move—

Ethan manipulated the battlefield's resonance to disrupt Veyrn's footing, while Ronan's clones delivered a multi-directional assault.

For the first time… Veyrn's foot slid outside the boundary.

Silence.

Veyrn stood still for a long moment, then exhaled a breath, a small, amused smirk appearing on his face.

"…Not bad."

--

Just as the dust settled, a sudden wave of killing intent washed over them.

Ethan and Ronan immediately tensed, instincts screaming danger.

From the treeline beyond the training grounds, a figure emerged.

Tall, cloaked in shadows, his presence warped the very air around him. His eyes, sharp as blades, locked onto Veyrn with an intensity that made even the seasoned master narrow his gaze.

"…So," the man spoke, his voice deep, measured. "You actually took disciples?"

Veyrn's expression hardened slightly. "It has nothing to do with you."

The man chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Nothing to do with me? You should know better." His eyes flickered to Ethan and Ronan, scrutinizing them like one would examine weapons in a forge.

"They're strong. But are they strong enough?"

Ethan clenched his fists. There was something unsettling about the way this man looked at them. It wasn't admiration. It was calculation.

Ronan's clones instinctively started forming beside him, but before they could act, the pressure in the air doubled.

A single step from the stranger, and it felt like reality itself was bending.

Then he spoke again.

"If they're your disciples, then we will settle this properly."

His smirk widened.

"They'll enter the Academy."

Veyrn's expression darkened.

The air between them was thick with unspoken history, unresolved conflict.

Ethan and Ronan exchanged glances.

The Academy…?

Something about that word sent a shiver down Ethan's spine.

The stranger turned, his coat billowing as he walked away. "We'll meet again soon," he said, as if it was already decided.

Veyrn watched him go, his fists subtly clenched at his sides. A rare moment of unease.

"…Master?" Ronan finally asked.

Veyrn didn't answer immediately.

Then, after a long silence, he exhaled. "Forget it for now. Your training isn't done yet."

His voice was firm, but for the first time in years, Ethan could sense something behind it.

Something rare.

Uncertainty.

And that, more than anything, made him realize—

Something big was coming.

And they had only just begun to scratch the surface of it.