7:30 AM - Abandoned Industrial Complex, 60km Outside the City
The delivery truck rumbled to a stop in front of what appeared to be a derelict factory complex, its windows boarded up and rust stains streaking down concrete walls like dried tears. Min-woo stirred from his exhausted half-sleep, blinking in the early morning light filtering through the truck's back windows.
"This is it?" Park So-ra asked skeptically, peering out at the seemingly abandoned buildings. "It looks like it's been empty for decades."
Lee Tae-jun smiled as he stepped down from the passenger seat. "That's exactly the point. Welcome to Facility Zero-Seven. Officially, this place doesn't exist."
As the group climbed stiffly out of the truck, Min-woo felt his system automatically scanning the environment:
[LOCATION ANALYSIS INITIATED]Surface Assessment: Abandoned industrial complex (falsified) Structural Integrity: 45% (deliberately degraded facade) Hidden Energy Signatures: MASSIVE qi-based installations detected Security Level: ★★★★★ (Maximum classification) Threat Assessment: 12 concealed defensive systems active
"There's something underneath," Min-woo said quietly, watching the system display information about hidden power sources and advanced technology buried beneath the innocuous exterior.
"Very perceptive." Lee Tae-jun led them toward what looked like a rusted maintenance door. "This facility was originally built by the Purification Alliance's predecessor organization fifty years ago. When the moderate faction gained influence, we... repurposed it."
He placed his hand on what appeared to be an ordinary door handle, but Min-woo's enhanced perception caught the subtle qi flow as advanced biometric scanners activated. The door, which had looked ready to fall off its hinges, swung open silently to reveal a pristine corridor with gleaming metallic walls and soft blue lighting.
"Holy..." Kim Chul-su breathed, his eyes wide with amazement.
The Descent
The corridor led to an elevator that descended much farther than should have been possible. Min-woo watched the floor indicator drop: B1, B2, B3... it kept going until it finally stopped at B7.
"How deep does this go?" Ji-eun asked, her scientific curiosity overriding her exhaustion.
"Deep enough that we're below most scanning ranges," Lee Tae-jun replied. "And isolated enough that even the most intensive training won't be detected from the surface."
When the elevator doors opened, Min-woo felt his breath catch in his throat. The space before them was vast—easily three times the size of the underground facility they'd just escaped from. Multiple levels stretched both above and below, connected by walkways and platforms that seemed to float in the air without visible support.
[ADVANCED TRAINING FACILITY DETECTED]Scale: 15,000 square meters across 7 underground levels Technology Level: Military-grade advanced systems Environment Bonus: +35% to all training effectiveness Safety Rating: 94% (Maximum security classification) Resource Availability: Professional grade equipment detected Optimal Training Conditions: ACHIEVED Special Note: Unprecedented qi-rich environment detected
"This is incredible," Yoon Sung-min whispered, pulling out a small notebook to start sketching the architecture. "The engineering alone must have cost..."
"More than most countries' entire martial arts budgets," Lee Tae-jun finished. "But when you're trying to reshape the future of martial arts, expense becomes secondary to results."
The Grand Tour
As Lee Tae-jun guided them through the facility, Min-woo felt increasingly overwhelmed by the scope of what they were seeing.
Level B3 - Training Halls: Multiple specialized chambers, each designed for specific types of martial arts practice. Min-woo could see rooms with reinforced walls for impact training, chambers with complex obstacle courses for agility work, and even what appeared to be a room with artificial weather systems for environmental training.
Level B4 - Medical and Recovery: An entire floor dedicated to healing and recovery, with equipment that Min-woo didn't recognize but that his system identified as advanced medical technology capable of treating severe training injuries and monitoring qi circulation in real-time.
Level B5 - Research Laboratory: Ji-eun's eyes lit up as they passed through a laboratory that rivaled anything she'd seen at the university. Advanced analysis equipment, massive computer systems, and even what appeared to be a materials fabrication unit for creating custom training weapons.
Level B6 - Living Quarters: Comfortable but spartanbedrooms, a common area with a kitchen, and even a small library filled with rare martial arts texts and theoretical works.
Level B7 - The Arsenal: The bottom level contained an impressive collection of training weapons, protective gear, and even some equipment that Min-woo couldn't identify but that made his system display warning indicators.
"This place has everything," Kim Chul-su said, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and concern. "But Lee Tae-jun... what's the real cost of using this facility?"
Lee Tae-jun's expression became serious. "Complete isolation. Once you commit to training here, there's no communication with the outside world. No contact with family, friends, or even other Guardian Corps cells. As far as the world is concerned, you've vanished."
The weight of that statement settled over the group like a heavy blanket. Min-woo felt the reality of what they were undertaking sink in. This wasn't just intensive training—this was cutting themselves off from everything they'd known.
"And if we're discovered?" Ji-eun asked quietly.
"Then we're all marked as enemies of the state," Lee Tae-jun replied bluntly. "The moderate faction can only provide so much protection. If the hardliners find evidence of this facility's use, even I won't be able to shield you from the consequences."
Unexpected Evolution
As they settled into the main common area, Min-woo felt something strange happening. The facility's qi-rich environment seemed to be affecting his system in ways he'd never experienced before. The interface flickered, displaying new windows and options that hadn't existed moments before.
[CRITICAL SYSTEM EVOLUTION DETECTED]Environmental Trigger: Unprecedented qi concentration + advanced training environment Evolution Type: Network expansion capabilities New Function Unlocked: [Random Network Fusion]
[WARNING: EXPERIMENTAL ABILITY]Function: Spontaneous combination of 7 martial arts simultaneously Activation: Chaos-based random selection from available techniques Power Range: 10% - 500% of normal output (completely unpredictable) Risk Assessment: EXTREME - Unpredictable results could be catastrophic Recommendation: Use only in dire emergencies or controlled testing**
Min-woo stared at the system display in shock. Seven martial arts at once? The implications were staggering—and terrifying.
"Min-woo?" Ji-eun's concerned voice cut through his concentration. "You have that look again. What's the system showing you?"
He hesitated, unsure how to explain what he was seeing. "It's... evolving. The environment here is triggering new capabilities. But they're dangerous. Really dangerous."
Lee Tae-jun leaned forward with interest. "What kind of capabilities?"
"Random combination systems. The ability to fuse seven different martial arts simultaneously, but with no control over which techniques get selected or how they'll interact." Min-woo met Lee Tae-jun's eyes. "It could produce incredible power, or it could kill me and everyone in the vicinity."
The room fell silent as everyone processed this information.
"A gambling system," Yoon Sung-min mused, his theoretical mind already working through the implications. "High risk, high reward, but completely unpredictable outcomes."
"Which means," Kim Chul-su added grimly, "it's exactly the kind of power that could either save us or destroy us when we face the national champions."
The Point of No Return
Lee Tae-jun stood up, his expression solemn. "This is your last chance to reconsider. Once we begin training here, there's no going back to your old lives. You'll be fugitives, hidden away from the world, pushing the boundaries of what human martial artists can achieve."
He looked at each of them in turn. "The national tournament is 87 days away. What we're attempting has never been done before—compressing years of advancement into months, while managing consciousness contamination and developing abilities that shouldn't be possible."
Min-woo felt the weight of decision settling on his shoulders. Around him, his friends were looking to him for guidance, but he could see the determination in their eyes. They'd already made their choice.
"We're not the same people who entered that underground facility at the university," he said quietly. "We can't go back to being ordinary students, even if we wanted to. The question isn't whether we're ready for this—it's whether we're ready to face what happens if we don't try."
Ji-eun reached over and took his hand. "Then we try. All of us, together."
Kim Chul-su nodded firmly. "The Guardian Corps has been preparing for this moment for 300 years. We won't let that legacy down."
Park So-ra and Yoon Sung-min exchanged glances before nodding their agreement.
Lee Tae-jun smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Then welcome to hell, everyone. Training begins in one hour."
System Status Update
As the group dispersed to settle into their quarters, Min-woo checked his system one final time:
[FACILITY INTEGRATION COMPLETE]Current Status: Day 2 of 89 remaining Location Bonus: +35% training effectiveness activated New Abilities Available:
Random Network Fusion (7 martial arts chaos combination) Enhanced analysis speed in optimal environment Accelerated recovery protocols
[WARNING NOTIFICATIONS]
Consciousness contamination baseline: 29% (stable but concerning) The Infinite One consciousness: Dormant but responsive to power increases Random fusion system: Untested and potentially catastrophic Isolation stress: Monitor for psychological effects
[MISSION STATUS] Path of the Underdog: 87 days remaining Current combat effectiveness: Advanced beginner level Required growth: Achieve competitive viability against S-Class opponents Success probability: Calculating... ERROR: Variables too numerous to process
Min-woo closed the system interface and looked around at the incredible facility that would be their home for the next three months. Somewhere in this underground complex, he would either become strong enough to stand against the greatest martial artists of his generation, or he would lose himself entirely to the ancient consciousness that grew stronger with every passing day.
The real journey was just beginning.