School Start Day
Superhuman Academy, Class 1-A.
Everyone admitted to the Superhuman Academy is a genius. At the same time, they’re all 17 years old.
And here, too, the unspoken rule persists: the most arrogant students take the seats at the very back.
“Man, yesterday’s department orientation was such a drag.”
“Right? Hey, Ohyul, wanna ditch class and go grab some drinks today?”
“Ugh, Ohyul, you trying to act like you can hold your booze again…”
True to this rule, the back row of Class 1-A belonged to Shin Ohyul’s group. His cronies were vying for even a word of acknowledgment from him. Finally, Shin Ohyul spoke.
“No. And don’t sit next to me unless I say so.”
“A-ah… okay!”
Shin Ohyul’s cold response left the troublemakers deflated.
Since standing on stage as the freshman representative yesterday, Shin Ohyul had been in this tense mood.
Normally, the Academy has only one freshman representative. However, this year, two were chosen for the first time in history.
“…”
Heat began to rise in Shin Ohyul’s head. The nape of the neck swaying in front of him made him want to strike.
“…Hey, Han Taepyeong.”
“Huh? You called me?”
The owner of the nape turned around. It was Han Taepyeong, the other freshman representative.
His harmless face and innocent eyes only irritated Shin Ohyul further.
Han Taepyeong didn’t try to read his mood or avoid eye contact. He simply wasn’t wired that way. His expression was as if he’d never even considered such a thing.
Should I pick a fight with this guy outright? No… he’d just laugh it off. I’d only make a fool of myself.
“…Never mind. Forget it.”
“Haha, you’re no fun~”
Han Taepyeong turned back around. Staring at the back of his head, Shin Oryul pondered the freshman representative title.
Shin Ohyul wasn’t stupid—far from it. He was too smart, which is why he understood.
A commoner and someone from a noble family wouldn’t score the same. The noble side must have fallen short somehow, leading to a tie.
It was infuriating.
Han Taepyeong turned around again.
“By the way, Ohyul, weren’t you nervous yesterday? I was so jittery I had to take some calming pills. Looked like you were shaking a bit too…”
“…”
“Ah, never mind. Guess not.”
Han Taepyeong turned forward again.
Even someone as oblivious as him sensed this conversation wasn’t going anywhere.
The Class 1-A lecture room wasn’t exactly peaceful—it had a sharp edge to it.
This wasn’t unique to this room. Even though admission to the Academy guaranteed a bright future, distinctions between geniuses and ordinary students still existed here.
The “ordinary geniuses” worked desperately to align themselves with the right cliques. Departments might matter, but they wouldn’t spoon-feed anyone.
Seniors or professors would only mentor promising juniors—not out of charity but self-interest.
Into this classroom filled with simmering tension walked a new student.
No one knew his name. No one paid him any attention.
Except for one person.
Marie Caulfield,
Surrounded by a sea of students, He glanced towards Marie.
“Marie Caulfield! Long time no see!”
“You’re definitely the top of the special admittees…”
“And who are you supposed to be?”
“Marie! Twelve years ago at 3ER Academy, remember me? My name’s—”
Marie Caulfield felt a splitting headache. Her thoughts scattered as if her brain had shattered.
So basically, nothing unusual.
Her thoughts rarely connected properly, often guided by pure emotion.
Now, with all these voices around her, it was unbearable.
So, maybe that’s why she impulsively turned to the newcomer.
“Ha. You’re actually in the same class as me? Hey, you idiot—”
But she stopped.
“…?”
It didn’t even make sense to her. She had no reason to call out to him. Maybe she just wanted to curse at someone.
In that brief moment, though, all the nearby students turned their heads simultaneously.
At her words, “Hey, idiot…”
For a moment, all eyes were on the newcomer, as if in a horror movie. A chill ran down his spine.
Thankfully, their gazes quickly dispersed.
They likely decided he wasn’t worthy of Marie’s attention.
Deemed insignificant.
Dead on.
The Superhuman Academy was chaotic at this time of year. Students flitted from group to group, vying for the favour of the high-ranking ones.
Through this process, cliques naturally formed.
In that sense, Marie Caulfield was the ultimate prize.
A genius from the prestigious Caulfield family. Stunningly beautiful. Even her silence was spun as “cool.”
She wasn’t just popular in school—she had a massive following among viewers.
- “Let’s go, Marie eventtttt!”
- “Skipping every other dialogue except Marie’s?”
- “Not breathing until the Marie event starts.”
And every time, Kim Seungtae had suffered.
Inside and outside the game, Marie Caulfield was protected and idolized.
Even though she was about as useful as a rock, her fanbase was rabid.
“Especially thinking about that one fan named ‘Marie’s Husband’… grinding my teeth already.”
That guy had even sent donations to mess with him.
Anyway.
Quietly taking his seat, the new student scanned the composition of Class 1-A.
The protagonist, Han Taepyeong.
The rival, Shin Ohyul.
The real heroines would appear in the second year, so they weren’t here yet.
Supporting cast included…
Marie Caulfield, frowning deeply.
And Yoon Eunha, snoring away.
Everything seemed in place.
Until someone burst through the front door.
Crash!
“Ha ha! You cheeky little brats!”
A man in a judo uniform stormed in, sweat flying everywhere. His body steamed as though his temperature exceeded 100 degrees.
“Who’s that guy?”
“Did he come to the wrong building?”
The students murmured at the sudden intrusion.
“Nice to meet you all! I’m Kim Heum-heum , your Class 1-A instructor!”
His absurdly loud voice boomed like a shockwave, scattering sweat in all directions.
Splat! The students in the front row were drenched.
Haha. That’s what they get for trying to sit in the front like nerds!
“Let’s see… where to begin? This year, the entrance exams for the Superhuman Academy were held worldwide! Meaning, each of you is the elite of the elite! Back in your middle schools, you were probably called geniuses or prodigies, right? Ha ha ha! But…”
Boom!
Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance.
Was it a bad weather?
“I, Kim Hm-hm, want to tell you to forget about those fond memories! This is the Superhuman Academy! Do you know that most dropouts occur during the first-year program of any training institution? The Superhuman Academy has an exceptionally high dropout rate! The failure rate is through the roof too!”
Gulp. As the cadets’ faces turned pale under Kim Heum-heum’s fierce intimidation.
“Well… that’s the message the dean wanted me to pass on. But I don’t think that way. If you dedicate yourself to training to the point of vomiting and spilling your brains, you’ll become an excellent superhuman. Easy, right?”
Blood and sweat—just thinking about it makes you dizzy.
“Hmm. Now it’s time for <Exploration>. You all know what to do, right? I’ll be waiting in the training ground! Good luck…!”
Kim Heumheum exited with a surge of heat. Does he have a steam engine inside him or something? But more importantly, he left without explaining the mission? That’s a bit harsh, even by Superhuman Academy standards. I’m getting curious about the difficulty level of this world.
“What… what is it?”
“Exploration, you say?”
Look at that. The cadets are starting to panic. However, most of them quickly gathered their composure. Over 90% remained calm. They must have come prepared.
“Hey, do you know what the mission the instructor mentioned is?”
“Not sure?”
Conversations like these were happening all around. Some cadets were asking in confusion, while others feigned ignorance. Only a few people were willing to help, like Han Taepyung and a white-haired female cadet. The cadets entered the academy empty-handed. As superhumans, their task today is simple. It’s not a ceremony, nor a tradition. It starts now.
“Ohyul, I’m heading out first.”
Nod. Shin Ohyul gave a brief nod as his group reported to his and stood up.
“Shall I head out too? I’ve got something reserved.”
“Same here. One of the seniors has something set aside for me. They’re trying to recruit me into their faction.”
“You’re going to betray Ohyul and join them?”
“Are you crazy? I’m just going to take the goodies.”
Shin Ohyul’s group lazily left their seats, showing no urgency. A higher admission rank means a lower difficulty for today’s <Exploration> mission. Even those who are merely Oyul’s lackeys have decent admission ranks.
Clatter! The sound of chairs being pushed back echoed as most cadets rushed out of the classroom. These cadets didn’t have the luxury of time. Their eyes burned with determination, and they bit their lips as they hurried out, anxious about falling behind.
Now, only two types of people remained in the classroom: those who didn’t know what to do, and those who didn’t need to do anything.
“ZZzZzZzZ….”
Yoo Eunha was still sound asleep.
“…….”
Marie Caulfield gazed blankly out the window, seemingly relieved now that the noisy students had left. Then there were Han Taepyeong and Shin Ohyul. The <Exploration> mission didn’t matter to them; special rewards awaited them. And then there was me, Kim Seungtae, sitting quietly.
Han Taepyung shouted loudly.
“Guys! Snap out of it! You need to find the <Weapon> you’ll use within the academy by 5 PM today! A professor told me secretly yesterday!”
!!!!!! The seated cadets were startled. They all stared intently at Han Taepyung.
“What… What did you say? Then where do we find the weapons?”
“What happens if we can’t find one?”
Shin Ohyul laughed loudly, kicking a chair nearby. It seemed genuinely amusing to him.
“……!”
The cadets lacking information hurriedly bolted out. They ran frantically, but… it wouldn’t be easy.
“How do we find weapons within the academy?!”
“Can’t we use the weapons we brought? This one has been passed down in my family….”
No, they can’t. The Superhuman Academy’s education policy includes a weapon restriction. During lessons and training, only weapons acquired within the academy may be used. So, how do you find a weapon? I approached the sleeping Yoo Eunha.
“Snore….”
I gently tapped Yoo Eunha’s shoulder.
“Hey, Yoo Eunha.”
“Snore…?”
Yoo Eunha woke up with a burst of snot. A scene straight out of a gag comic, but seeing it in real life? It reminded me of a sleeping Pokémon blocking the way.
“Yoo Eunha, did you get your weapon?”
“Huh?”
“Did you get your weapon, you little punk?”
I tugged on Yoo Eunha’s ear lightly, then let go.
“Huh…? Oh? I dozed off for a bit! Where did everyone go?”
“To find weapons.”
“You were out cold so I woke you up!”
Yoo Eunha was as thick-skinned as in the original story.
“Ah.”
Yoo Eunha stood up, adjusting her collar leisurely.
“Right. I need to go get my weapon!”
So relaxed. Ranked 13th upon entry. Yoo Eunha, a differentiated student, specializing in healing, and a secondary specialty of… something. Anyway, 13th overall and top of the <Healing Department>. In a non-combat department, it’s rare for the top ranker to place so high. Being 13th is extraordinary. The faculty must be ecstatic about having such a high-ranking student. Weapons? The <Healing Department> faculty will handle it. In the Superhuman Academy, rank is everything, and the faculty are like gods. Yoo Eunha just needs to leisurely head to her department, sign for the issued weapon, and walk out with it.
“Hey! What’s your name? Thanks a bunch! I’ll owe you one!!”
Yoo Eunha waved as she exited with a light step, her voice echoing in the hallway.
Healing~ Department~ Top~ Student~
Is~ Coming~ Through~!!
Weapons? With such a high admission rank, they come automatically. But if your rank is low? You’ll wander around the campus all day, hoping to find hidden pieces or scavenging junk from department storage. It’s the rich-get-richer and the poor-get-poorer. Rank begets rank. The Superhuman Academy doesn’t favor mottos like <Fair Competition>. It’s harsh and unfair to the weak.
“Wow, you’re so kind. But did you get your weapon?”
Han Taepyeong approached me with wide rabbit eyes, asking. Only three of us remained in the classroom: Han Taepyeong, Shin Ohyul, and me.
“No, not yet.”
“…! Shouldn’t you hurry?”
“It’s fine. I’m well-loved by my department.”
“Ooh.”
Han Taepyeong was genuinely awestruck.
It wasn’t a lie, but it was sad. No, actually… it was sad because it was true. One member out of one. I am the sole student of the <Necromancy Workshop>, and I cherish myself. Isn’t that enough? Self-love is important.
And so, I strolled leisurely to the <Necromancy Workshop>.
(To be continued)
