The morning started like any other day in hell.
Shinsei walked through the crowded hallways of Jaeil High, keeping his head down and his strange silver eyes hidden behind long black bangs. Students pushed past him without a second glance. To them, he was invisible - just another weak kid in a school full of monsters.
He preferred it that way. Being noticed meant becoming a target.
But today was different. Today, someone was already watching him.
"Hey, freak with the weird eyes."
The voice belonged to Taeyoon, a third-year student known for his amateur boxing background. He wasn't the strongest fighter in school, but he was strong enough to make Shinsei's life miserable.
Shinsei tried to walk faster, but Taeyoon's friends blocked his path.
"I'm talking to you," Taeyoon said, grabbing Shinsei's shoulder. "Look at me when I'm speaking."
Reluctantly, Shinsei raised his head. His Reverse Eyes - silver irises that seemed to swirl like liquid mercury - met Taeyoon's gaze.
"Disgusting," Taeyoon spat. "Those creepy eyes make me sick. You think you're special or something?"
"I just want to go to class," Shinsei whispered.
"What was that? Speak up, freak!"
A crowd was gathering now. Students pulled out phones, sensing drama. Some laughed. Others just watched with bored expressions - violence was routine at Jaeil High.
"I said I want to go to class," Shinsei repeated, louder this time.
Taeyoon smiled - the kind of smile predators give their prey.
"Class can wait. You and me, after school. Behind the gym. Time someone taught you your place in this school."
***
The alley behind the gymnasium was Jaeil High's unofficial fighting arena. Graffiti covered the brick walls, and old bloodstains marked the concrete where countless battles had been fought.
Shinsei stood at one end, trembling. He'd never been in a real fight before. He'd seen plenty - this school was full of them - but always as a spectator, always safely hidden in the crowd.
Taeyoon cracked his knuckles and took a proper boxing stance.
"Don't worry," he said mockingly. "I'll make this quick."
The first punch came faster than Shinsei expected. A sharp left jab that caught him in the face and sent him stumbling backward. Pain exploded across his nose, and he tasted blood.
The crowd cheered. Someone was recording everything.
Shinsei tried to run, but there was nowhere to go. Taeyoon followed up with a right cross - a textbook boxing combination that sent Shinsei crashing into the wall.
"Stay down, freak," Taeyoon warned. "This can end now if you apologize for existing."
But Shinsei's pride, what little he had left, wouldn't let him stay down. He struggled to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth.
"Wrong choice," Taeyoon sighed.
What followed was a systematic beatdown. Taeyoon wasn't just hitting him - he was teaching him a lesson. Each punch was precise, calculated to cause maximum pain without doing permanent damage. The work of someone who knew exactly how to hurt people.
Left jab to the ribs. Right cross to the jaw. A low kick that swept Shinsei's legs. Then, as he lay gasping on the ground, a brutal stomp to the stomach that left him unable to breathe.
The crowd dispersed, bored now that the show was over. Taeyoon walked away without a backward glance, already forgetting about his victim.
Shinsei was alone.
Rain began to fall as Shinsei lay crumpled in the alley. Each drop that hit his battered face felt like ice, washing away the blood but not the humiliation.
He'd always been weak. Always been a target. But this time felt different. This time, he'd been broken not just physically, but spiritually.
Why was he so pathetic? Why couldn't he protect himself? Why was he doomed to be a victim forever?
As these thoughts consumed him, something strange happened to his vision. The world seemed to slow down, and images began flashing through his mind.
Taeyoon's stance. The way his left foot had pivoted. The rotation of his hips during the cross punch. The angle of his shoulders during the low kick.
Every detail of the fight replayed in perfect clarity, as if his eyes had recorded everything and were now showing it back to him in slow motion.
Then came the sound - a soft chime that seemed to echo inside his skull.
```
[Unknown System Detected]
[Scanning host compatibility...]
[Compatibility: 100%]
[Initiating emergency activation...]
[REPLICATION SYSTEM ONLINE]
Welcome, Shinsei Hayashi.
Your suffering ends today.
```
The words appeared in his vision like glowing text overlaid on the real world. At first, he thought he was hallucinating from the head trauma.
```
[Scanning recent combat data...]
[Analysis complete]
Observed Opponent: Taeyoon (Fighter Class: Amateur Boxer)
Techniques Recorded:
- Left Jab (Accuracy: 43%)
- Right Cross (Accuracy: 51%)
- Low Kick (Accuracy: 17%)
- Stomp Attack (Accuracy: 23%)
[Storage Capacity: 3/3 techniques]
[Current Replication Level: 0% - Requires training]
Would you like to begin tutorial mode?
```
Shinsei's hands shook as he slowly sat up, ignoring the pain that shot through his body. This couldn't be real. Systems like this only existed in video games and web novels.
But when he tentatively reached out and touched the "Yes" option floating in his vision, everything changed.
[Tutorial Mode]
```
[Tutorial Mode Activated]
[Lesson 1: Understanding Combat Analysis]
The Replication System has recorded your opponent's fighting techniques with varying degrees of accuracy. Higher accuracy means better understanding of the technique's execution.
Current Analysis - Taeyoon's Right Cross:
- Power Source: Hip rotation + shoulder engagement (Missing: 34%)
- Timing: Strike during opponent's exhale (Missing: 28%)
- Recovery: Return to guard position (Missing: 43%)
To improve accuracy: Observe technique multiple times or engage in closer-range analysis.
```
As the tutorial explained the system's functions, Shinsei felt something he'd never experienced before: hope.
He wasn't doomed to be weak forever. This system - whatever it was - could help him learn from every fight he witnessed. He could copy the techniques of the strongest fighters in school.
He could become strong.
***
That night, Shinsei stood in his small apartment, staring at himself in the bathroom mirror. His face was a mess of bruises and cuts, but his silver eyes burned with new determination.
He raised his hands and tried to mimic Taeyoon's boxing stance.
```
[Stance Analysis]
Current Form: 23% accurate
Issues Detected:
- Feet too close together (reduces stability)
- Hands positioned too low (vulnerable to uppercuts)
- Weight distribution 60/40 instead of optimal 55/45
[Recommendation]: Practice basic boxing stance for 30 minutes daily
[Estimated Time to Master]: 2-3 weeks with consistent training
```
His first attempt at throwing a jab was pathetic - slow, unbalanced, and completely lacking power. But the system provided instant feedback:
```
[Technique: Left Jab]
Current Accuracy: 12%
Major Issues:
- No hip rotation (reduces power by 40%)
- Arm fully extended too early (telegraphs the punch)
- No proper breathing technique
[Tip]: Focus on throwing straight punches from the shoulder, not the arm
[Progress Saved: 12/100%]
```
Shinsei practiced until his arms ached and sweat poured down his face. Each repetition improved his form slightly, and the system tracked every small improvement.
By the end of the night, his jab accuracy had increased to 18%.
It wasn't much, but it was progress.
For the first time in his life, Shinsei fell asleep with a smile on his face.
-The Next Day-
Walking through Jaeil High the next morning felt different. Shinsei still kept his head down, still tried to avoid attention, but now he was watching everything with new eyes.
He saw the way the delinquents carried themselves - confident strides, relaxed shoulders that could explode into violence at any moment. He noticed the subtle positioning games students played in the hallways, how the strong took the center while the weak hugged the walls.
Most importantly, he watched the fighters.
```
[New Target Identified]
Student Name: Marcus Kim (Class 2-B)
Fighting Style: Street Brawler
Notable Techniques: Haymaker punch, Knee strikes, Grappling basics
Recommendation: Observe during lunch break fight scheduled behind Building C
```
The system was already identifying potential learning opportunities. Shinsei's heart raced with excitement.
He was no longer just a victim waiting for the next beating.
He was a student of violence, and every fight in this school was now his classroom.