I commuted to the academy.
I dozed off for most of the morning monster theory class and only woke up when lunchtime came.
“…Hey, Kim Yushin.”
Han Yoonjung, who was walking beside me, frowned and started talking.
“What’s up with you lately? You used to be so relentless, but now you’re straight-up snoring in class?”
“…I was snoring?”
“Yeah! Do you know how many times I had to wake you up?”
I scratched my head.
That’s kind of embarrassing. I’m not the type to snore, but it looks like the exhaustion from clearing the trial hit me all at once.
“Sorry. I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”
“Hah, and why’s that? What have you been doing at night?”
Instead of answering, I just gave a mysterious smile.
Han Yoonjung flinched, fell silent for a moment, then glared at me with a look of utter disgust.
“…Ugh, that’s gross, seriously.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“Shut up. Since you made me suffer all morning, you’re buying lunch.”
We entered the student cafeteria, ordered our food, and found an empty seat.
“What’d you get?”
“Is there anything worth eating here besides the pork cutlet?”
“True.”
She nodded and tiredly patted her shoulders.
I sat across from her and casually glanced around.
The people who had been secretly watching me in the cafeteria quickly turned away in surprise.
…What’s with them?
Just then, Han Yoonjung let out a small sigh.
“I can really feel how much your stock has risen lately. And thanks to that, I’ve been getting exhausted too.”
“Something happen?”
“Don’t even ask. Because of what happened in Mana Utilization class, people keep coming to me, asking about your secret, how you did it. I don’t even know why they keep asking me.”
I get it. I totally get it.
“And you? You’re not curious about the secret?”
“Not really.”
She replied bitterly.
“Even if you told me, I wouldn’t be able to do it anyway.”
Hmm.
Han Yoonjung seems to have lost some confidence lately.
She was the one who genuinely congratulated me the most on my improvement, but now that a close friend who had been struggling at the bottom alongside her had suddenly shot up due to a change in his innate ability, she must be feeling complicated.
Before the mood could sink any further, I quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, there’s something I wanted to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know a first-year student named Jin Bora?”
Jin Bora. The first person who came to mind when I thought about potion-making.
I once used my detection ability to check her status window.
It had left a strong impression, so I still remembered it vividly.
Her innate ability seemed like a perfect match for potion-making.
Han Yoonjung thought for a moment before clapping her hands.
“Oh! That first-year girl from the student council? Why? You interested?”
“I just have some personal business with her.”
“How boring.” Muttering that, she leaned back in her chair.
“To be honest, I only know her name. We’ve exchanged greetings a few times in passing, but that’s about it.”
“Well, that can’t be helped then.”
“But she’s not very popular among the girls.”
“…Why?”
Han Yoonjung gave a sly smile.
“It’s not something to gossip about here. You’ll have to find out for yourself.”
After finishing lunch at the student cafeteria, Han Yoonjung and I went our separate ways for our afternoon classes.
Since I had some time to spare, I was heading toward the library when—
“Kim Yushin!”
A loud, sharp voice called my name.
I turned and saw a familiar face.
That tall guy with his hair slicked back with mousse was unmistakable, even from a distance.
“Oh, it’s the class rep.”
“‘The class rep’? Do I look like your friend or something?”
Aren’t we, though? We’re the same age.
The guy acting all high and mighty was Go Shinwook, the second-year student representative.
Everyone just called him “the class rep.”
Behind him stood two of his lackeys.
I, unfortunately, didn’t remember their names.
“What do you want?”
“…You’ve been acting cocky lately.”
Go Shinwook spat on the ground and stepped closer.
If anyone here is acting cocky, it’s him.
Of course, there was a reason why Go Shinwook was so openly hostile.
This academy was a bit… different.
“I’m busy, so just get to the point.”
“You applied for the early graduation exam, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“You say that so damn casually. Who the hell do you think you are, applying for that exam?”
Oh, so it’s about that.
I figured this would come up eventually, but it happened sooner than I expected.
“As far as I know, anyone can apply.”
“Even so, that’s not the kind of test some nobody like you should be entering! You’re barely scraping by here—what makes you think you can pass?”
The early graduation exam.
As the name suggests, it allows students to skip the academy’s four-year curriculum and graduate immediately with a hunter certification.
The test always involves one-on-one combat.
Only five students pass each year.
Because of that, even though it’s open to everyone, only those with a solid reputation and proven skill typically apply.
With combat as the test format, an average student has virtually no chance of passing by luck.
“To put it bluntly, what have you even accomplished in this school?”
Go Shinwook clicked his tongue in irritation.
“Because some useless second-year signed up, I’m getting heat from above! They’re saying I’m not keeping the students in check!”
“You’re still getting bullied by the seniors, huh?”
Go Shinwook flared up, ready to lunge at me, but his friends quickly held him back.
“Let it go,” they whispered. “He’s gonna be out of here soon anyway.”
At that, Go Shinwook barely managed to suppress his anger.
…This feels like a scene straight out of some low-budget sitcom.
Might as well cut to the chase.
“I’m telling you nicely—withdraw your application. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to—”
“Then why don’t you test me yourself?”
“…What?”
“See for yourself whether I qualify or not.”
Go Shinwook’s eyes turned bloodshot.
“You’re serious right now?”
“Wouldn’t that be the cleanest way to settle this?”
I pointed toward the gym building.
“Let’s find out.”
It’s true.
This Hunter Academy is one of the strangest educational institutions in the world.
For one, it was personally founded by the so-called “craziest man on Earth”—the president of the Korean Hunter Association.
That alone made it sound like a disaster waiting to happen.
To be fair, the original intent behind its creation was reasonable.
Back in the early days of the Overlay phenomenon, before the concept of “hunters” was fully established, many young adults in their twenties, unable to get recruited by guilds, recklessly hunted monsters as freelancers.
The resulting spike in young deaths became a societal issue, so the association president established this academy to manage and train rookie players.
Here, students receive not only hunter training but also participate in dungeon expeditions as academy-assigned teams.
It’s more of a “hunter guild with an educational program” than a typical school.
So far, so good.
The real issue lies in the academy’s… culture.
Performance-based system.
Here, “skill” is everything.
The fact that the current student council president is a first-year should tell you enough.
Privileges and dungeon expedition opportunities are distributed based on ability, and the disparity in treatment is painfully blatant.
They even have an official “duel” system to clearly determine students’ skill rankings.
Simply put, students can fight each other to steal privileges and ranks.
It’s a system designed to encourage competition to the extreme.
Naturally, this has led to countless problems and controversies.
Journalists have tried to raise public outcry, accusing the academy of fostering a mercenary-like culture and psychologically harming weaker students.
But every time, the association president just scoffed:
“It’s my money, my school. Why are you complaining?”
In this era where hunters equal military power, his authority was so absolute that no one could challenge him.
And so, thanks to that lunatic’s stubbornness, this insane system remains intact.
Over time, dueling has become a normal part of student life, and even guilds looking to recruit talent now pay close attention to duel records.
And right now, Go Shinwook and I were in the gym, warming up for our duel.
The academy’s vast grounds housed over ten sports facilities, all of which were suitable for dueling.
“Don’t come crying later.”
Go Shinwook smirked as he donned his mana suit.
“How do you even fight with just a status-checking ability?”
“He’s just nuts, that’s all.”
His followers threw in their own remarks. Ignoring their nonsense, I examined Go Shin-wook’s status window.
Name: Go Shin-wook
Unique Ability: Rotational Acceleration
Personal Traits: [Determination Lv.3] [Mobile Unit Lv.2] [Excessive Ambition Lv.2]
Primary Stats: [Strength 48] [Magic 35] [Agility 29] [Endurance 25]
Special Stats: [Intimidation 2] [Resistance 1]
Total Stats: [140]
‘He’s got some skill.’
As the second-year class representative in an academy where ones skill ruled, he was undoubtedly among the top students in his grade.
That meant taking him down would effectively establish dominance over the second-years.
“Hey, Kim Yushin.”
Fully dressed up, Go Shinwook approached me.
“For this duel, I’m betting not just my position as class rep but also all the privileges and sponsorships I receive. You should put something on the line too, don’t you think?”
“Sure. What do you suggest?”
His lips curled upward.
“How about this—if you lose, you don’t show up to school tomorrow.”
…This bastard.
He must have found out about my recent unexcused absences.
“Losing would basically mean expulsion, then.”
Go Shinwook only grinned smugly without responding. Fine, if that’s what he wanted…
“Let’s just go all in—I’ll bet my enrollment itself.”
“Khaha! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? You already done with life?”
Just then, a staff member approached, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
“So, you’ve both agreed?”
“Yes.”
“Yup.”
Fights among students often escalated, so for a duel to be officially recognized, it had to take place under staff supervision.
On the large screen mounted on the gym wall, our student ID photos and the durability of our mana suits were displayed.
The rules were simple: the first to reduce their opponent’s suit durability to zero would be the winner.
“Both of you, take your positions. Stop right there. You’ve heard the duel rules a hundred times, so no need for explanations. Starting now.”
The staff member operated the signal device, and a loud buzzer rang out, marking the duel’s commencement.
As soon as it began, Go Shinwook unleashed his barely-contained excitement.
“Kahaha! There’s no backing out now! I’ll make you regret this, Kim Yushin!”
He pulled out a disc-like weapon with a hollow center, hooked it onto his fingers, and started spinning it.
Ziiiing!
As the rotation accelerated, mana blades sprouted from the chakram’s edges. Even if his fingers stopped moving, the weapon now whirred fiercely on its own.
I stood still, arms crossed, watching him.
‘Eia, you seeing this?’
—Yes, Tower Lord. I’m observing.
Eia’s calm voice resonated in my mind. Just hearing her reassured me—it felt like I wasn’t fighting alone.
‘First battle debut. Analyze the opponent for me.’
—Understood. Player Go Shinwook’s unique ability is Rotational Acceleration. He utilizes a custom weapon woven from Mitora tendons, amplifying its rotation for long-range attacks.
Hmm, a ranged attacker.
—His combat style is a textbook Hunter type, including a recognized combat ability, a monster-derived weapon, and mana-enhanced techniques.
‘How should I counter him?’
She went silent for a moment before responding.
—Unclear.
“Die!”
Go Shinwook hurled two high-speed, rotating disc at me.
I noted their trajectories and projected a mana shield in midair.
Thunk! Thunk!
The discs bounced off effortlessly, clattering to the ground. His once-confident face twisted into disbelief.
—Estimated victory rate: 99%. Regardless of strategy, Tower Lord’s victory is inevitable. Thus, devising a countermeasure seems unnecessary.
…Haha. So that’s how it is.
“W-what the hell was that?!”
Go Shinwook shrieked in frustration.
“How the hell did you block that with just a detection ability?!”
“It’s not an ability. It’s magic.”
His face turned red, either from anger or embarrassment.
“And about your technique…”
I gestured toward the discs, now lying uselessly on the floor.
“They look intimidating, but have you considered how they’ll fare against armor?”
“…What?”
“Sure, they’ll slice through weak monsters, but what about creatures with natural durability or those wearing heavy armor? You’ll struggle. You should focus your mana on reinforcing cutting power instead of just spinning them faster.”
“You…”
Enraged, Go Shinwook spread his arms wide.
“Who the hell do you think you are to lecture me?!”
Click! Click!
Small circular blades latched onto each of his fingers, whirling violently.
“Take—”
Thud! Thud!
Before he could finish, two of my mana arrows embedded themselves into his thighs. His face contorted in pain, and the spinning blades tumbled to the floor.
“More than anything, your attacks are too slow. Who’s just going to stand there and let you spin those things?”
“$#$$#&^#%!”
Foaming at the mouth, Go Shinwook lost it.
Well, I could understand why. He was a second-year class rep, while I was just the delinquent everyone expected to get expelled any day now. The humiliation must have been unbearable.
“I’m going to crush your goddamn face!”
He pulled out a mid-sized disc, giving it only a light spin before throwing it in quick succession.
But sacrificing rotation for speed weakened its power, and my summoned shields deflected every attack with ease.
One after another, the discs piled up on the floor.
Go Shinwook was panting, exhausting himself with his relentless assault.
‘Second-years aren’t even a challenge anymore.’
Not long ago, I had survived a nightmarish scenario.
After dodging barrages of mana arrows aimed at my life, deflecting these slow, predictable projectiles was almost boring.
I exaggerated a yawn. His face burned bright red in fury.
“Kim Yushiiiin!”
At last, he pulled out his trump card—a massive, shield-like disc, large enough to cover his entire body.
He positioned it in front of himself and began to spin it furiously.
“Shinwook! Behind you! Behind you!”
Alarmed, his friends shouted warnings.
Realizing his mistake, he turned his head.
Too late.
While he had been busy blocking his own vision, I had already slipped into his blind spot.
Grinding his teeth, he flung the shield aside and lunged at me, mana swirling around his fists.
“You think you can beat me in close combat?!”
Thud!
A mana arrow struck his ankle mid-charge. Losing his balance, he stumbled forward.
Seizing the opening, I stepped in and raised my gauntlet-covered fist.
“You talk too much.”
His expression twisted in fear and shock as I swung.
BAM!
Blue sparks scattered as my punch caved in his face.
His body flew back, crashing into the ground with a resounding thud.
“Urgh…”
“Shinwook!”
His friends rushed over in panic. Meanwhile, Eia’s voice chimed in.
—Warning: When using magic against non-monsters, finer power control is advised.
…Yeah, I might’ve overdone it.
Flexing my fingers, I turned to the staff member.
He alternated his gaze between me and the unconscious Go Shinwook before checking the suit durability display.
Kim Yu-shin: 1,000/1,000
Go Shin-wook: 0/1,000
“The match is over! The winner is second-year Kim Yushin!”
An overwhelming victory.
“…AAARGH!”
Go Shinwook writhed on the ground, moaning in agony.
As I slowly approached, his eyes widened in terror, and he scrambled backward.
Crouching in front of him, I smiled.
“Now, pay up.”
