Getting Famous - Part 1
I suddenly had a thought flash through my mind. That guy, Kwak Hyuk. Was he really all bark and no bite? Just an empty shell? Otherwise, there was no way this result could have happened.
‘No, seriously. How the hell can you be this fine after getting wrecked by an Elder?’
The doctors had practically held me hostage, running every test and scan imaginable. They kept saying they needed to make sure there wasn’t any hidden damage. After all, even if the emergency treatment on-site had been perfect, the sheer trauma my body took should have left some kind of lasting aftereffect.
They seemed oddly desperate, so I went along with it. Honestly, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of my body being messed up either. If I was going to live, the best option was to live long and pain-free.
And the results? Shockingly, one hundred percent clear. No, make that one thousand percent. I was so healthy that the doctors themselves seemed to doubt whether it was even medically possible.
“We were worried about aftereffects, but this is truly fortunate.”
“The field treatment appears to have been exceptionally appropriate.”
“Patient Baek Seojin’s physical abilities seem outstanding as well.”
“Frankly, I’m starting to wonder if he might actually be Superman!”
Well. From where I’m standing, the real problem is clearly that bastard Kwak Hyuk. Shouldn’t an Elder at least be capable of turning someone into a half-cripple? How does someone end up so perfectly fine that they kick you out of the hospital early?
I’d only regained consciousness a few days ago, yet here I was, being discharged. I honestly thought I’d be stuck in here a bit longer, but that clearly wasn’t happening.
That alone was annoying enough. What came next was even worse.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
The moment I stepped out of the hospital, the first thing I saw was a bunch of tax-funded suits. They were split into several groups, waiting right in front of the main entrance. They were wearing pitch-black suits that looked completely out of place. And what the hell was with the sunglasses? Were they trying to advertise ‘look at me, I’m suspicious as hell’?
A whole crowd of men and women in suits who practically screamed shady organization. I didn’t even need to guess who they were here for.
“Mr. Baek Seojin.”
As soon as I walked out the front doors, the suited group immediately approached. I wondered if saying ‘Sorry, I’m not Baek Seojin’ would actually work. I wasn’t expecting much, but maybe they’d fall for it once.
“Are you the man himself?”
“…Yes. I am indeed Baek Seojin.”
Of course, I didn’t actually say anything like ‘That’s not me.’ I knew full well that would only make things more exhausting for me. They had clearly already confirmed my face before approaching. So when I acknowledged my identity, they smoothly moved to flank me on both sides.
“We’re from a government agency. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we need you to come with us immediately.”
“Excuse me. I literally just got discharged.”
“We’re aware. We also know that there are no physical abnormalities.”
“Physically, sure. But mentally, I’m completely exhausted. I’d like to rest.”
I was so fucking tired. So please fuck off. That’s what I was trying to convey in the politest way possible. At this point, I’d hoped they’d read the room and say something like ‘Oh, is that so? Understood.’
“This is a matter of national security. Time is of the essence, which is why we’re making this request.”
Wow. These bastards were really pulling the national security card. National security? What kind of national security issue could possibly involve me? It was obviously just an excuse to dig into who I really was.
I racked my brain trying to figure out how to shake them off. But no clever solution came to mind. Should I just start yelling for help? That might draw a crowd wondering what was going on.
“Excuse me.”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind the suited group. Standing there with her arms crossed and an extremely displeased expression was none other than Han Jiyun. She must have heard about my discharge and come to meet me.
“What exactly do you people think you’re doing?”
“Road… I mean, Professor Han Jiyun. We are currently performing official duties…”
“Official duties from where, exactly? Which department? Actually, never mind. It doesn’t even matter which department. I’m asking you nicely—turn around and leave. What do you think you’re doing, ambushing someone who just got discharged?”
Clicking her tongue, Han Jiyun pushed through the suited crowd. A few of them looked visibly uncomfortable but still tried to step in front of her again, as if to explain their position one more time.
“However, Professor Han Jiyun…”
Srrrng—
Without waiting to hear more, she drew the sword at her waist just enough to show the blade. The moment steel left its sheath, sunlight glinted off the edge in a distinctly threatening way.
“Do I look like an easy target to you? Unlike Irina, I’m not completely unreasonable. I can be reasoned with, can’t I?”
The suited men and women immediately shook their heads and stepped back. An S-rank ability user. The only reason they blended into society was by choice. If they ever felt like it, they could throw everything away and become a villain at any time. And that would mean one more Elder for the already overwhelmed world to deal with.
Especially in South Korea, which had lost two S-ranks just a few years ago. And they hadn’t just been lost—they had become villains. As I knew all too well, those two were Hyun Sujin and Kwak Hyuk.
‘That’s why they can’t do anything about Irina either. If that crazy bitch became an Elder too, it would be a complete disaster.’
In that kind of situation, another S-rank like Han Jiyun had appeared. And these idiots thought they could say ‘We’re from the government, step aside’? If word of this reached their superiors, it wouldn’t end with them simply losing their jobs.
As the suited group hurriedly retreated, Han Jiyun slid her sword back into its sheath. Then, still in that cold voice, she spoke to them.
“I don’t know which department you’re from, but go back and tell them to show some restraint. Understood? Don’t you dare harass a patient who was just discharged today—especially not someone who suffered severe injuries protecting the Academy’s students. Instead of showing any respect, you jump straight to ‘national security’ nonsense. I am officially warning you. If I see this kind of behavior one more time, it won’t end with words. Consider this a clear and official expression of ‘regret.’ Make sure your superiors understand that.”
“Y-yes, ma’am. Understood. We’re very sorry, Road… I mean, Professor Han Jiyun.”
The suited group scattered like startled pigeons. Thanks to that, we were drawing quite a bit of attention from passersby, but Han Jiyun quickly took me by the arm and moved us away.
“I’m sorry, Seojin. I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
“Why are you apologizing, Professor? It’s fine. Besides, those people are just poor civil servants following orders from above. I can understand where they’re coming from.”
If civil servants didn’t understand other civil servants, who would? When you say you don’t have the authority and need to pass it to another department, people complain that you’re not doing your job. When something clearly can’t be done, but your boss tells you to do it anyway, you just have to shut up and comply.
“So really, I’m perfectly fine.”
“…Thank you so much for saying that.”
To avoid drawing any more attention, we slipped out through the back. Several men and women who had been waiting there guided us to a car. They were probably either Academy staff or members of her clan.
“I’ll take you home.”
“Are you sure that’s alright? From what I know, you’re an incredibly busy person, Professor.”
With two S-ranks having turned into villains, and one of the few remaining S-ranks being a complete lunatic, the remaining S-ranks were drowning in work. Whether it was joining international operations to repel villains or handling monsters and dungeons that even A-ranks struggled with, S-ranks were needed everywhere. On top of that, the government would keep bothering them about managing important figures.
I could understand why Hyun Sujin and Kwak Hyuk had basically told the country to fuck off and become villains.
“I’m busy, but I still have enough time for this. There are things I want to talk about.”
Han Jiyun looked at me for a moment, then suddenly bowed her head.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry. It was something I should have handled, but I ended up leaving everything to you. I’m truly sorry. As someone who carries the title of S-rank, I have no excuse.”
I had expected the thanks, but the apology caught me off guard. It wasn’t Han Jiyun’s fault that an Elder had appeared, nor had she pushed me into it. She had simply done her best to rush to the scene as quickly as possible. And the fight against the Elder hadn’t been forced on me—I had chosen it myself.
To protect my students. To protect those who still needed to take my exam. To stop someone who hadn’t even been tested yet from crossing the line.
I had simply done what was expected of someone with the Silver Gatekeeper trait.
“I really am fine. Please don’t do this. You’re making me feel more burdened.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
After that, Han Jiyun updated me on several people. First, Ma Hakjun was extremely grateful for what I had done. He said that after the previous Academy attack, I had now saved the students twice, and he wanted to offer his highest praise. Whenever I had time, he hoped we could talk comfortably somewhere quiet—not as chancellor and examiner, but just as two people.
‘Ma Hakjun is always welcome. He’s a reliable ally.’
She also mentioned that quite a few people had heard about this incident. It seemed they hadn’t tried to hide my involvement this time like they had before. Or rather, they simply couldn’t hide it.
Last time, I had just blocked the attack and been sent flying. But this time, against an Elder, I had been beaten to a pulp yet still managed to land a fatal blow. And not only the students, but national ability users had witnessed the entire thing. Trying to cover all of that up would have been impossible.
“Oh, and one more thing. It looks like you’ll be undergoing a rank re-measurement before the end of this month.”
“I was expecting that.”
“The government seems to be quietly hoping for a lot. They lost two precious S-ranks in just a few years, so they must be desperate. That’s why they’ve even been calling certain A-ranks the next S-rank candidates. No matter how talented someone is, there has never been a single case of an A-rank rising to S-rank.”
I had heard that story before. Reaching A-rank was possible through effort and the growth of one’s abilities. But S-rank—the realm of demigods—was ultimately determined by innate factors. Whether one awakened early or late, effort alone was never enough.
“What do you think, Seojin?”
“For now, I agree that my ability awakened quite late. However…”
However, during the rank re-measurement, B-rank would probably be the limit. Even with incredible luck… A-rank? Honestly, that alone would be a miracle.
‘They’ve probably caught on by now.’
My trait wasn’t something I could use anytime, anywhere. Especially not during something like a rank re-measurement, which had no real justification.
“It probably won’t come out the way the higher-ups are hoping.”
At first, I had thought it was simply because of the ‘Silver’ rank I had wanted before possessing this body. But now I knew it wasn’t that simple. The Silver Gatekeeper trait was being influenced by something I still didn’t fully understand.