Special Examination, Not a Rank Test - 2
“…Suhyun. What the hell is going on right now?”
“I-I’m not sure either.”
I had run into Kim Suhyun on my way to work and was chatting with her as we entered the Academy, but an entirely different scene from yesterday was unfolding right before my eyes.
“Yeah, I knew it would come to this. Bronze or Silver, they’re all the same.”
“Look at the way those Bronze bastards are talking! That guy’s the weird one. You think the rest of you are any different?!”
“If you got your ass handed to you by a Bronze, shouldn’t you peel off that Silver sticker?”
“We’ll peel it off if you can beat us. You Bronze trash.”
Just what was this murderous atmosphere? It felt like you could get sliced open just by brushing against it. The place looked like it was one second away from descending into complete chaos.
Something had happened. Yes, something had definitely gone down. Otherwise, the Academy that had been perfectly peaceful only yesterday couldn’t possibly look like this.
Especially here, the lines drawn between each rank were strictly observed. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and even Master. Those belonging to each rank worked hard to climb higher. Only then could they receive more recognition and make their names known for certain.
That strictness wasn’t limited to the high ranks like Platinum or Master. In fact, it was far worse the lower you went. Looking up at those above you felt burdensome, but the rank right above you always looked manageable. To prevent that, each rank tended to thoroughly suppress the one below it.
‘They say the worst relationship is between Bronze and Silver.’
Bronze, who received academic warnings if they stayed too long, and Silver, who could be considered the commoners of the Academy. The gap between the ranks was clear, yet it felt just ambiguous enough to cause constant arguments.
The Bronzes claimed that since anyone could reach Silver, it was basically the same thing. The Silvers shot back that the fact they couldn’t even clear something as easy as Silver proved that was their true skill level. Naturally, the relationship between the two couldn’t possibly be good.
“Um, Examiner. From what I’ve heard… that person’s name keeps coming up.”
“Who?”
“My fellow Bronze classmate.”
“Fellow Bronze… Ah, you don’t mean Lee Hyunwoo?”
“Yes. I just heard that between yesterday and today, he took down several Silvers.”
It seemed someone had properly stepped on the original protagonist’s nerves. Lee Hyunwoo wasn’t the kind of protagonist who was only kind and stupid. He was the type who got angry when it was time to get angry.
In that situation, he had probably clashed with some Silvers who were looking down on Bronzes. Of course, ordinary Silvers wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Unless the opponent was at the level where they could rise from Silver to Gold… though even then, it would be tough. At least one proper Gold would be needed to suppress Lee Hyunwoo.
“So that’s why it’s like this.”
A Bronze had defeated Silvers. It was something that had never happened before. Bronzes were truly scraping the bottom of the Academy’s standards, while Silvers were at least average. Were there no talented individuals among the Bronzes? Of course not. Any promising sprout would have escaped Bronze long ago and shot up to Silver or higher. In a world of ability users where skill was everything, that was only natural.
“S-Shouldn’t we stop them? The mood is getting really dangerous…”
“It’s fine. As soon as one professor shows up and clears his throat, they’ll all scatter.”
Inside the Academy or outside, in the world of ability users, strength was the alpha and omega. It was why Park Junwoo, despite being a womanizing delinquent, could strut around the Academy. Why Jeong Yuhyeon, despite being steeped in elitism, had secured the vice president position. And why even Irina, who was called a crazy bitch even by villains, could continue her activities without issue.
All of it was because they possessed the skill to back it up. In a world where being strong made everything possible.
Of course, most people still paid some attention to societal norms. That was why Irina lived by telling everyone to shove those norms up their asses. Still, from the perspective of Bronzes and Silvers, professors were overwhelmingly powerful beings. Most professors were still in their thirties, so the students couldn’t even begin to compete with them using their abilities.
‘Which makes me wonder why those same people stayed silent when students were beating up examiners.’
Maybe they didn’t consider it a serious issue. After all, it usually took someone dying for it to become a real problem.
‘…But why isn’t anyone coming?’
Not a single professor had shown up to tell them to knock it off and disperse. With dozens of people gathered, it should have been visible from far away. Yet there wasn’t a single professor, staff member, or even a security officer in sight.
“Everyone, stop!”
Instead, the one who appeared was Kang Hana, the student council president.
“It’s almost time for classes. Students with lectures should head to their classrooms. Those without… rather than wasting time like this, how about doing some training?”
The student council president. And a Platinum-rank senior at that. The previously chaotic area instantly fell into an orderly atmosphere. As expected, the world of ability users always worked this way.
“Good morning, Examiner.”
After roughly settling the situation, Kang Hana spotted me and offered a greeting.
“Good morning to you too, Kang Hana.”
“Good morning… doesn’t really feel like one, does it?”
Ah, she had a point. I had unintentionally done some teabagging. When I raised my hand slightly in apology, Kang Hana waved hers, saying it wasn’t that bad.
“More importantly, Examiner. Did you hear? About that student who had a proper match with you last time.”
“Lee Hyunwoo.”
“Yes, Lee Hyunwoo. That was his name. The story that this junior defeated several Silver-rank students.”
When I nodded, Kang Hana replied with “I see,” then scratched her cheek. It was obvious she was thinking, ‘My head is killing me right now.’
“It seems there’s a problem. And it’s probably related to what we just saw.”
“Yes. This has never happened before. Even if Silvers provoked the Bronzes, the Bronzes would simply find a way to rise to Silver. That was all.”
“Because that’s the easiest and fastest path.”
It was incredibly difficult for a Bronze to defeat a Silver. If it were easy, the Academy would have to be insane to issue academic warnings for staying in Bronze. It would be far more effective to just rip off that hated Bronze label as quickly as possible.
“The situation suddenly turning out like this has left me truly at a loss.”
After that, Kang Hana suddenly began pouring out her complaints.
“The way higher-ranked students look down on and disregard those below them is more serious than you think. I know there’s a problem. I’m aware of it, but it’s even worse outside. Still, since we’re all students here, we at least try to maintain some boundaries, right? I tried to fix it, but the backlash was too severe.”
“I understand. Outside, people even commit suicide after being marked by high-ranking ability users.”
“This might sound like sophistry, but the Academy’s ranking system was created to spark competition. The higher you are, the better the treatment you’re guaranteed. That’s why it was made and why it’s maintained. The students know this too, which is why they’ve all stayed silent.”
“Are you saying, Kang Hana, that this incident is having a very negative effect on that system?”
At my question, Kang Hana thought for a moment before closing her eyes as if she wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know. Whether this situation is a good wind of change… or just an impulsive act by a talented junior who will only stay in Bronze for a very short time anyway.”
Only then did I finally understand what Kang Hana was truly worried about. She wasn’t concerned about the Academy’s order being shaken. Right now, she was worried about the future of the other Bronze-rank students.
Lee Hyunwoo was talented enough to leave Bronze soon anyway. If someone who was going to leave soon stirred up trouble, only those left behind would be the ones who suffered. It was a perfectly reasonable point.
In reality, there were no other particularly skilled students in the current Bronze rank besides Lee Hyunwoo. Kim Suhyun was there too, but she was a special case so she didn’t count. Silver probably wasn’t much different, but it was still likely better than Bronze.
If Lee Hyunwoo got everyone’s hopes up and then shot straight up the ranks? The Bronzes would fall silent again, and the Silvers’ hostility would only grow massively.
‘She’s looking further ahead than I thought. I guess the student council president title isn’t just for show.’
“Um… Senior.”
At that moment, Kim Suhyun, who had been standing beside me, cautiously spoke up.
“The current situation is a problem, right? Then what if the Silver-rank students show that they truly deserve their rank? Wouldn’t that quiet things down quickly?”
“What do you mean, Suhyun?”
“Examiner Baek Seojin is in charge of the Silver rank. And my fellow Bronze classmate, Lee Hyunwoo, failed that examination. So if the current Silvers receive the Examiner’s recognition, wouldn’t everything sort itself out? That’s what I think.”
At those words, Kang Hana let out a soft “Huh?” I also unconsciously echoed “Huh?” and slowly mulled over what she had said.
So Lee Hyunwoo had defeated Silvers. But he hadn’t been able to overcome me, the Silver-rank examiner. Therefore, to resolve this situation, the Silvers just needed to take my examination and prove they deserved their rank. If that happened, it would give Lee Hyunwoo and the other Bronzes a clear justification to accept the outcome.
‘Suhyun. You really are a genius.’
She really was Kang Minsung’s granddaughter. Our Suhyun had been thinking several steps ahead!
“It sounds like it makes sense… but also like it doesn’t…”
Kang Hana seemed to have sensed something as well, tilting her head repeatedly. I was about to try building on that momentum when—
“Excuse me. Examiner Baek Seojin.”
Suddenly, someone called my name from behind. I turned slightly to see a male student standing there with a stiff expression.
“I’m truly sorry for making such a sudden request when we’ve never met before. But… would it be possible to have a spar instead of an examination? I have a rather urgent situation on my end.”
Did all the Academy students have a special talent for making abrupt requests with no context? As if reading my inner thoughts, Kang Hana subtly stepped closer.
“Second-year, Chang Juyeol. He’s currently the most outstanding student in the Silver rank.”
“So he’s the Silver ranking number one?”
“If we’re being precise… yes. It looks like the other Silvers asked him to resolve the current situation. To show the difference between Bronze and Silver.”
He wanted to show the difference? I had doubts about whether this would even be meaningful. If they wanted to show the gap between Bronze and Silver, they should have brought the bottom-ranked Silver, not the number one. Only then could they plant the justification that even the worst Silver was still better than a Bronze, right?
“He must be really desperate. He’s probably worried the boundary between Bronze and Silver is about to collapse.”
From Kang Hana’s words, I could vaguely sense the situation. Bronze and Silver—the boundary that determined whether you received an academic warning or not. If that line became blurred, the Silvers would be the only ones to suffer.
That was why they had persuaded the most skilled student in Silver. To receive recognition from the hottest Silver-rank examiner right now and solidify the position of Silver. To ensure the Bronzes could no longer hold any resentment.
That seemed to be the rosy future our Silver friends were dreaming of…
‘Sorry in advance, kids. Looks like you’re not getting through after all.’