Those Who Welcome and Those Who Do Not - 1
“Huff! Huff!”
Today, Lee Hyunwoo’s routine was exactly the same as always. He rose at dawn and sprinted at full power to build his stamina. Next he swung his sword, honing the fundamentals every weapon-type hunter needed. After that he headed to the lecture hall for class.
A dry, uninspiring theory lecture that offered neither fun nor excitement. Yet Lee Hyunwoo sat with his eyes wide open, concentrating with everything he had.
“You’ll get burned badly if you keep ignoring theory, Student Lee Hyunwoo.”
After one of their many conversations he had once complained about the theory classes. Baek Seojin had shaken his head and stopped him right there.
“It might look completely useless right now, but the day will come when every piece proves its worth.”
“How can you be sure? That’s simply how life works. Learn it first, and eventually the moment arrives when you need it. Skip it thinking it’ll be fine, and that’s exactly what comes back to bite you.”
Coming from none other than Examiner Baek Seojin, the advice had to carry weight. He clearly knew something. So Lee Hyunwoo had nodded and thrown himself into the theory lessons with genuine effort.
Once that hellish lecture finally ended, the moment Lee Hyunwoo looked forward to most arrived: his Silver-rank promotion test under Examiner Baek Seojin.
These days, this is the most fun part.
Some people might scold him, asking what was fun about repeated promotion failures. But Lee Hyunwoo didn’t see it that way. This wasn’t a duel that decided victory or defeat, nor a life-or-death battle. It was a chance to test every bit of his effort, every new strategy and tactic he could devise. And his opponent, Baek Seojin, was someone capable of handling it all.
An opportunity to pour everything out against a true expert like that was almost impossible to come by.
Most skilled hunters have already moved on to higher places, so you can barely even meet them.
Perhaps this was exactly what Chancellor Ma Hakjun had wanted: a person who could fully withstand anything the students threw at him. The Academy’s professors were already overloaded with lectures. Han Jiyun held a professorship but also had to serve as the sword that protected the Academy. In that situation, Examiner Baek Seojin had been the perfect choice. He wanted the role, and it was literally his job.
“Guhk!”
“Thank you for your hard work, Student Lee Hyunwoo.”
“Haha… thank you, Examiner.”
Once again repelled by Baek Seojin, the Bronze-rank student Lee Hyunwoo stood up with a laugh. He thought he had done fairly well, but his shortcomings had shown through at the very end. It was a shame, but today was over. Still, it was fine. Tomorrow existed. He would simply train again today, temper himself again tomorrow, and challenge once more.
It means my effort is still lacking. My training isn’t enough yet!
Next came the repetition of the morning’s routine. Training, training, and more training. More than yesterday. More brutally than yesterday.
Sometimes it was exhausting. Sometimes he wondered what he was even doing. But all those doubts vanished the moment he closed his eyes and pictured his future self. That alone could erase any worry. Besides, he was no longer the only one living like this.
“Hah! Haht!”
“Haah, haah!”
Ever since the special examinations began, more people had started visiting the training grounds. Some came because they refused to miss this opportunity. Others sweated desperately to reclaim what they had lost. It was the right attitude. Yes, this was what a real Academy should look like.
Bronze students who thought reaching Silver was enough. Silver students who grew complacent the moment they hit their goal. Until recently, that had been the majority of the student body. The Gold ranks and above were a little better, but everyone below them had drawn a line at their own limits and refused to push further.
Lee Hyunwoo could never understand those students. They could become so much stronger. They had the time and the ability to put in the effort. It wasn’t as if the Academy would collapse without more Silver ranks. So why did they act that way? What would they do when something happened later that their current Silver rank couldn’t handle?
In that sense, the Academy right now is finally a proper Academy!
Everyone had their own reasons and was gritting their teeth, working hard. Watching them, Lee Hyunwoo shouted I can’t fall behind! in his heart and threw himself even harder into training. A great wave of training fever had swept over the once-quiet Academy.
The sharp tip of a sword carrying killing intent brushed past right in front of my nose. It was so fast I almost froze and stared blankly for a second.
…What the hell was that?
Cold sweat trickled down my spine. If my reaction had been even a fraction slower, what would have happened? Just imagining it sent chills across my skin.
I really can’t let my guard down just because I have the Gatekeeper trait.
The trait wasn’t invincible. It was better to see it as something that increased the odds. So far the opponents had been within my capacity, so I had blocked them. But what if an Elder appeared like last time? Trait or no trait, I’d be smashed to pieces. I had survived only because Ma Hakjun stepped in, but there might not be a second time. And then? The Gatekeeper would be breached and I’d be having a nice chat with the King of the Underworld.
“Haah… haah…”
Kim Suhyun staggered to her feet, breathing hard. Unlike last time, she didn’t approach in confusion, apologizing over and over. It seemed she had no idea what she had just done.
“Judging the subject unable to continue, I am ending the examination, Student Kim Suhyun.”
“Th-thank you for your hard work…”
At my words, Kim Suhyun collapsed on the spot. I had forced her to keep going even when she was staggering from exhaustion multiple times. If she experienced the limit of her limits, she would surely be able to cross beyond it. If it was Kim Suhyun, she could definitely do it.
That last moment was seriously dangerous.
With her stamina completely drained, she had lost balance while swinging her sword. The instant I closed the distance to exploit that opening, Kim Suhyun suddenly swung again. It wasn’t a calculated move after reading my movement. I had been completely outside her field of vision. Her body had simply reacted on pure instinct in that split second.
Her foundation was clearly different from the other students. She hadn’t fully awakened yet, but her talent overflowed. The saying that blood doesn’t lie was no empty phrase. No wonder she had the Genius trait.
Among all the students I had met so far, only Lee Hyunwoo and Kim Suhyun possessed that particular trait.
Sweet After Bitter
Target: Kim Suhyun
Stacks: 3
Three stacks. Still not enough. She had a long way to go. Lee Hyunwoo was already on the verge of double digits. That was natural since he came every single day without rest. In contrast, Kim Suhyun’s chronic stamina issues kept her from taking the test daily. I wanted to push her harder, but it was still too early. What she needed right now wasn’t pressure but confident encouragement.
“Suhyun.”
“Yes, Examiner.”
“I’m not just saying this—you’re seriously amazing.”
Ah, saying it out loud even sounds weird to me. It comes off like empty praise given out of politeness. Maybe Kim Suhyun thought the same, because she slowly shook her head and muttered that it couldn’t be true.
“No, Suhyun. I mean every word.”
“It’s fine, Examiner. You don’t have to say that… I’m really okay.”
I’m telling you it’s sincere. This is unfair. A quick glance showed she still lacked confidence in herself. From my perspective she had more than enough reason to be confident. I couldn’t figure out why she kept undervaluing herself so much… Ah.
Come to think of it, her mother’s side was the Kang Minsung family. That explained everything. It made perfect sense. Kang Minsung wasn’t the only monster in that bloodline. All his children were powerhouses, and even his grandchildren had begun showing talent as ability users. I think I saw a news article about it once.
But that was only when compared to them. By the current Academy standard? She was so far above the rest that no one could complain even if she bragged. It was like a student with ninety-two points standing in front of kids who couldn’t even break fifty and crying that she had failed.
“Of course your stamina issues keep holding you back. That definitely needs to be fixed. But as a weapon-type, your sword is sharp to the point of being scary. You probably didn’t realize it, but the moment I closed in you reflexively swung your sword to counterattack.”
“I did?”
Exactly. When I nodded, Kim Suhyun let out a small sound and fidgeted with her fingers. She seemed embarrassed to receive praise for something she wasn’t even aware of.
“It’s not that you lack talent. You’re not behind anyone else. Everyone is the same. There’s only one difference: whether you can hold confidence in yourself, think, decide, and finally act. That’s it.”
Why had Kim Suhyun only become the Red Witch after being brainwashed? Because the brainwashing removed all hesitation from her decisions and actions. That synergy had turned her into an overwhelmingly powerful villain. Thanks to that, even Lee Hyunwoo—one of the most broken characters—had suffered a massive headache dealing with her.
“You’re already doing plenty well right now, Suhyun.”
Her face flushed at a single word of praise. With that pure heart intact, she could awaken fully even without any brainwashing. If she became an ally, there would be few ability users more reliable than her.
And she’s not an uncontrollable maniac like that crazy woman Irina.
…Though if I was being completely honest, I couldn’t say I had zero worries. Those red eyes she had shown last time, the way she had lost all reason—those parts still concerned me. But I believed she could control it.
“Oh.”
Speaking of triggers, the former Gold who had played that role was walking by right now.
“Student Jeong Yuhyeon! Aren’t you taking the examination?”
He had been so quiet lately that I called out on purpose to provoke him. Given his supremacist personality, there was no way he would stay silent. But…
What the hell is wrong with that guy?
Why did he take one look at me and bolt away in terror?