The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 57: Welcome Home

The cafeteria was too full.

Jin knew it was strange to think that. They'd barely been here a day. But after everything that had happened, it felt unnatural to have so many voices filling the space.

They had barely settled in before being thrown into hell. They survived. They came back stronger. And now, for the first time, the school actually felt like a base.

Jin set his staff against the table and rolled his shoulders. Exhaustion was creeping in, but rest wasn't an option yet.

The recruits moved cautiously, claiming spots at the long cafeteria tables. Some sat stiff and uncertain, still processing that they were here. Others—like Haneul, gripping Jin's old staff—hovered near the edges, watching.

Jin scanned the room, reading the tension in their postures. They weren't used to this yet.

Then again—neither were they.

Seul sat on the edge of a table, arms crossed. "We should start the debrief."

Joon stretched, cracking his neck. "Oh yeah? We making it official now? Should I take notes?"

Echo leaned back in his chair, feet propped up on another seat. "No, but you should shut up so Jin can talk."

Jin ignored them both. "We fought something new."

Echo's smirk barely lasted a second. "Define 'new.'"

Joon leaned forward, grin sharp. "Ever heard of the Qi Sha?"

Echo froze.

The lazy, half-bored expression vanished. His hands, which had been resting behind his head, dropped.

"…Say that again."

Jin met his gaze. "It called itself a Qi Sha. 'The Seven Faces of Death.'"

The recruits shifted, uneasy.

Echo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "That's… not just some random name."

Jisoo frowned. "You know it?"

Echo didn't answer immediately. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, something unreadable flickering in his expression.

"Yeah. I do. You ever heard of the Path of the Veil?"

Silence.

Jin narrowed his eyes slightly. "A religious sect, isn't it?"

Echo nodded. "An old one. Real old. They believed life and death were a cycle, and when you died, you were judged. The Qi Sha wasn't just some spirit—it was a guide. The face you met decided what kind of death you deserved."

He exhaled. "And you're telling me you fought one?"

Joon smirked. "Not one. All seven."

A chill passed through the recruits.

Mina crossed her arms. "Which ones did you face?"

Jin let out a slow breath. "First was the Face of Violence. That one was simple. It just wanted to kill us."

Joon chuckled darkly. "Then came the Face of Suffering. That bastard played dirty."

Echo raised an eyebrow.

Seul's voice was even. "When we hit it, we felt the damage we inflicted. Any pain we caused, we experienced ourselves."

Echo let out a low whistle. "Shit."

Jin nodded. "Then came the Face of Honor."

Joon let out a laugh, shaking his head. "That one was something else."

Seul smirked slightly. "It kicked our asses."

Joon gestured at Jin. "And then it looked us dead in the eye and said we weren't even worthy of dying yet."

Mina blinked. "So… what, it let you go?"

Jin exhaled. "It healed us. Then it trained us. Harder than anything we've ever faced. It made us stronger."

Echo stared at them. "...And you killed it?"

Joon's grin dimmed slightly. "Yeah. Had to. But if things were different... I dunno, man. I kinda liked that one."

Jin pushed past the thought. "After that, the Face of Regret came."**

The recruits visibly tensed.

Seul's fingers twitched. "It didn't fight us. It just… showed us things. Regrets. Choices we didn't make. Things we lost."

No one spoke for a moment.

Jin forced the memories down.

Joon let out a breath. "Then came the Face of Self-Destruction. It didn't care about us. It was a walking time bomb."

Mina frowned. "Like... it was going to blow itself up?"

Joon nodded. "And take us with it."

Echo muttered something under his breath.

Seul continued. "The Face of Decay was worse. Anywhere it moved, the ground rotted. Weapons disintegrated before they could even touch it."

Jin's jaw tightened. "And then… the last one."

Echo's fingers tapped against the table. "The Face of Fate."

Jin nodded. "It wasn't like the others."

Joon exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Didn't attack. Didn't test us. Just... watched."

Seul's voice was quiet. "And it had control."

Mina frowned. "Control?"

Jin's fingers twitched. "It could rewind time. Manipulate us. Like we were pieces on a board."

The room went silent.

Echo exhaled, rubbing his face. "You guys keep finding new ways to make me question reality."

Joon grinned. "That's what makes us fun."

Echo snorted, then his eyes flicked toward Joon's hands. "Hold up. What the hell are those?"

Joon spun one of his Magnetron Spheres between his fingers, the metal humming with static. "Oh, these? A little something extra I picked up after the fight."

Echo's eyes narrowed. "You didn't have those before."

Joon's smirk widened. "Nope."

Seul sighed. "His potential unlocked mid-fight. The system forced him past his limits."

Echo stared at Joon for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he exhaled. "Okay. Yeah. That's ridiculous."

Joon spun the sphere in his palm. "If I was gonna break through, I had to do it with style."

Jin shook his head, turning back to Echo. "That wasn't the only thing we did."

Echo raised an eyebrow. "What, you kill another god?"

Jin exhaled. "No. We checked the map. Decided to head for a hospital. See if there were any survivors."

The recruits behind him straightened slightly.

Jin gestured toward them. "Fifteen fighters. They weren't using their abilities before, but we changed that. And now they're here."

Echo let out a breath, scanning them. "Damn." He leaned back, rocking his chair onto two legs. "So, what? You adopted an army?"

Jin smirked slightly. "Something like that."

Echo exhaled. "Well. Hope they're fast learners."

Jin barely had time to process Echo's last remark before he turned to the recruits.

"Alright. No need to be shy, I wanna hear some introductions."

There was a brief pause—not hesitation, exactly, but a shift in weight. These weren't people used to speaking up. For so long, their survival had been silent, cautious. But now, the world had changed.

One of them stood.

Haneul.

The kid clutched Jin's old staff in one hand, shoulders squared.

"Haneul Lim. Seventeen." His voice was steady, sharper than it had been back at the hospital. "My skill is 'Shadow Step.' I can move through shadows in bursts. Doesn't matter if it's an object or a person—if there's a shadow, I can move through it."

He paused.

"Too many jumps make me dizzy, but I'll get used to it."

He sat back down. No extra words. Just facts.

Next, a woman with short, fiery red hair and burn-scarred hands rose from her seat. She had the air of someone who didn't need to prove herself—because she already knew her worth.

"Mina Choi. Ignite Touch."

She lifted her palm, and the air around it shimmered with heat.

"Anything I touch, I can burn. Simple as that."

The glow faded as she lowered her hand.

Doyun, the tall, wiry one in the hoodie, stood next.

"Doyun Park. Shockwave Pulse." He rolled his shoulders, then flicked his wrist.

A blast of compressed air shot out, rattling the empty trays on the nearest table.

"I generate air pressure. The stronger the blast, the more force I can hit with."

Jisoo was already standing before he finished speaking.

"Jisoo Oh. Burst Dash."

She tapped her foot against the floor, grinning.

"I can move faster than the eye can track. Straight-line bursts only, but at full speed?" She cracked her knuckles. "I hit like a damn truck."

Next was a soft-spoken woman with her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Unlike Jisoo, she didn't radiate restlessness—she was still. Centered.

"Sujin Lee. Verdant Snare."

A soft, green glow flickered over her fingertips before thick, coiling vines sprouted from her palm, twisting into the air before retracting.

"I can grow and control vines. Fast. Strong. If they take root in a surface, I can use them to restrict movement or create barriers."

She lowered her hand.

A scarred man with a lean, fighter's build stood next. His grin was loose, easy—the kind of person who didn't take anything too seriously. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

"Taesung Kwon. Acid Spit."

He spat onto the floor.

The spit hissed as it ate through the tile.

"You get the idea."

A girl with sharp, feline-like eyes rose from her seat, brushing platinum blonde hair out of her face. She had the kind of body language that made it seem like she was always ready to strike.

"Yujin Song. Predator Shift."

Her fingers morphed—nails sharpening into curved, claw-like points. Then her eyes shifted, pupils thinning into slits before returning to normal.

"I can take on animal traits. Strength, speed, sight, hearing—whatever fits the situation."

She sat back down without another word.

Next was Kyung Min.

She didn't speak immediately. Instead, she lifted an arm, and her skin hardened into stone.

"Granite Armor."

She let the effect fade and sat back down.

Then came Hyunwoo Kim. He didn't look rushed, or nervous—just comfortable.

"Mimic."

A pause.

"I can copy an ability. One at a time. If I see it, I can use it."

Then he sat down.

The rest followed in quick succession—Daehyun (Chain Strike), Areum (Glassblade), Jinhyuk (Pulse Shield), Haeun (Echo Dash), and Byung-ho (Iron Grip).

Their introductions were quick. Efficient. To the point.

By the time they finished, a silence settled over the room.

Echo let out a breath, dragging a hand through his hair.

"Alright. You got some variety. Could be worse."

Jin nodded. "We train tomorrow."

Some of the recruits straightened.

Jisoo grinned. "Hell yeah, I can't wait to get strong like you guys."

Kyung Min cracked her knuckles. "Good."

Doyun sighed. "Fantastic. More ways to get my ass kicked."

Jin exhaled.

The recruits were solid. Not perfect, but promising.

They had the potential. Now they just had to survive long enough to use it.

Before Jin could speak again—

A notification flashed across his vision.

[Territory Alert: Unidentified Movement Detected]

Jin's jaw tightened.

Because, of course, they wouldn't get a little peace after a long day.