Chapter 42. Galaxy Martial God Temple - The Android Teacher (1)
The Martial Arts Director, who had personally tested Cheon Jiwoo at the principal’s request, spoke first. “I conducted the test myself, and even I was shocked by the results.”
“Director Kim tested the boy personally?”
Normally, only geniuses or prodigies warranted her personal attention. Anyone ranked lower could have been evaluated by the other instructors. “According to the paperwork, he shouldn’t even be able to reach 3rd-rate at his age, let alone 2nd-rate. The numbers looked like an error, so I verified them directly. Given the special notes attached to his file, I thought it best to handle it myself to avoid any future disputes.”
“Special notes? Ah!”
The file clearly stated that Cheon Jiwoo’s grandfather was Cheon Gyeong-ho—one of the Outer Hall Masters and a candidate for successor of the main family.
“Ahem. If he’s that man’s grandson, it makes sense to test him personally regardless of talent. But the file said 3rd-rate? The results clearly show 2nd-rate.”
“At the exact moment of the test, he was still 3rd-rate. More precisely, he was stuck right at the wall separating the two realms.”
“Which means….”
The Martial Arts Director nodded. “He broke through during my test. The wooden sword couldn’t handle the unstable qi and exploded. We have the full video recording.”
She played the footage. The principal watched it twice, then let out a low whistle of admiration.
“His combat sense is outstanding, even if his natural talent isn’t. He deliberately hid his limits, lured his opponent into lowering their guard, then struck the decisive blow.”
“Exactly.”
As a Transcendental Peak expert, she could have easily blocked the strike with Body-Protecting Qi or its lesser form, Body-Protecting Qi Armor. After watching the video a few more times, the principal sighed with genuine regret.
“What a waste of such sharp combat instincts. If only his physical talent had been even average, we could have poured resources into raising him alongside Cheon So-yeon.”
Displaying that level of combat sense at such a young age was incredibly rare. Unfortunately, in martial arts, physical aptitude was nearly everything. No matter how much effort Cheon Jiwoo had poured into reaching a level comparable to prodigies at his age, simply stepping into 2nd-rate now meant he would be overtaken by the time he graduated elementary school. And not even by the prodigies in the upper ranks—by the average students in the middle tier.
That was the cruel reality of being a dunce.
The evaluation of Lower-High to Middle-High had been assigned based on his current realm, but the machine’s actual measurement of his talent placed him at Lower-Middle—a true dunce.
The remaining evaluations were handled quickly.
“Now for class assignments. Any students with special notes?”
At the principal’s question, the android teacher raised her hand.
“There is one special note.”
“What is it?”
“It concerns student Cheon Jiwoo.”
“Jiwoo? What about him now?”
The android teacher answered calmly. “This student is a genius. Not in martial arts—in academics. His test results are remarkable. His mathematics and science are already at the level of a first-year, second-semester student at a specialized high school. Moreover, his solutions show clear conceptual understanding rather than rote memorization of formulas. And most impressively, he completed the entire language section in just two hours. The results are on par with a linguistics doctorate.”
It was an astonishing level of achievement. As civilization advanced, subjects like math and science had been split between general and specialized schools with entirely different curricula. General high schools only taught up to calculus to develop logical thinking, while specialized high schools provided the foundation for training mathematicians and scientists. They were essentially magnet schools for the gifted.
“According to the submitted records, Cheon Jiwoo has never received private tutoring or advanced instruction. He simply gathered information from the internet. This student should be sent to a school for the gifted where his talents can truly blossom, rather than a martial arts specialized institution like ours.”
The principal examined the records as the android teacher spoke. “Hmm… Director Liven’s argument is completely correct. However, we cannot do that. You understand why, yes?”
“…Because he is the Outer Hall Master’s grandson?”
The principal nodded at Liven’s guess. “We cannot send the Outer Hall Master’s grandson to another school without proper justification. It’s not something that should be said within these sacred halls, but we must consider politics.”
Cheon Gyeong-ho, currently competing for the position of successor, would never allow anything that could be used against him. If the boy had truly been a dunce incapable of proper martial cultivation, there might have been grounds to send him elsewhere to nurture his other talents. But Cheon Jiwoo had already reached 2nd-rate—a realm that qualified him as a prodigy. The Cheon Clan was a martial family, not a scholarly one.
Liven had known this, which was why she had opened with the principled argument first.
“In that case, please grant me permission to provide this student with specialized education during the time I am allowed here. I will also need corresponding resources and support.”
A principled stance created the justification needed to make such a request. The principal pondered her petition for a moment, then nodded.
“…Very well. If Director Liven teaches him, the facilities may not match a dedicated gifted school, but the education itself will be no less excellent.”
It could easily be seen as special treatment. Yet the principal believed that when adults’ political circumstances threatened to limit a child’s future, the least they could do was offer this much consideration. Even he could see that Cheon Jiwoo was better suited to the path of a scholar than a warrior. This was the minimum conscience he could exercise as an educator forced to bow to politics.
Yay! I’ve reached 2nd-rate!
2ND-RATE
Now I could climb the tower with this realm! …Or so I thought. Unfortunately, there was still no way to absorb the reincarnation avatar. That meant I would have to reach 2nd-rate with my tower avatar as well. But since I hadn’t even gotten used to the realm in my reincarnation body yet, attempting it with the tower body was impossible.
The silver lining was that I was gradually growing accustomed to the 2nd-rate realm with time, and the ban on my cultivation training had finally been lifted. The reason I received permission was that my breakthrough hadn’t come from firmly grasping an insight, but from my body passing through a transitional phase after gaining a vague sense of it. It was proof that my body had grown to match the new realm.
Now that I was 2nd-rate, I could finally set aside the wooden swords that exploded the moment I poured qi into them and begin training with a blunted practice blade.
As I infused the practice sword with qi and drilled my forms, I realized exactly when I had gained the insight for 2nd-rate. It had been the moment I cut down the boss harpy on the 14th floor. The sensation of stepping into 2nd-rate had come to me then.
For a martial artist, “insight” wasn’t some grand epiphany like the protagonists in wuxia novels, nor was it the kind of profound realization that came from emptying one’s mind. It was closer to an instinct—a feeling. That was why martial artists were constantly seeking out battles. There was no moment when the senses became sharper or the mind more focused on the martial path than when life and death hung in the balance.
Come to think of it, the moment I had grasped the sensation for breaking into 2nd-rate, I had been covered in blood and on the verge of death.
To reach 1st-rate, I’ll need to fight even more, won’t I? Then there’s no better place than the tower.
With that thought, I continued my daily routine—training diligently, resting when I needed to, eating well, and sleeping soundly. Days passed, another new year arrived, and I turned seven. It was finally time to enroll in elementary school in earnest.
I had grown accustomed to the 2nd-rate realm, and my status had evolved from preschooler to elementary school student!
On the first day of school, Siwoo handed me the uniform the school had recently delivered.
“Time really does fly. I never thought the day would come when Young Master would wear a school uniform.”
“Right? It’s not even middle school—they make you wear uniforms starting from elementary?”
The uniform consisted of blue pants and a white top, the kind you’d expect to see on a children’s clothing model.
“It is made from the latest synthetic fibers designed to mimic the properties of heavenly silk. It should be superior to most bulletproof or stab-proof vests. At the very least, its performance far exceeds that adult-sized outdated combat suit you impulsively purchased the other day.”
“Oh~! Really?”
I had recently bought a new combat suit after the old one was torn to shreds fighting the harpy flock. When Siwoo asked why I bought another, I simply told her I’d lost the previous one. The combat suit had been uncomfortably tight, but this uniform felt like a perfectly normal, slightly snug fit. Money really did make a difference. Expensive things performed better—it was only natural. Still, for a kid living off allowance, they might as well have been paintings of rice cakes.
I wonder if there’s any way to get an adult version cheaply…
Fully dressed in my uniform, I headed out for school while entertaining that impossible dream. Naturally, Siwoo drove me in the family car. The school did operate buses for students who needed transportation, but we had chosen private transport for safety reasons. And that safety wasn’t just for me—it was for the other children who would have ridden the bus.
After all…
“Jiwoo! You’re out early!”
I would be going to school with Cheon So-yeon.
The bus driver and supervising teacher weren’t particularly high-level martial artists. If kidnappers targeting the Heavenly Martial Body attacked, the entire bus could get caught in the crossfire. The Cheon Clan had apparently assigned long-range escorts to protect Cheon So-yeon from kidnapping, but if the whole bus was taken hostage, those escorts might not be able to act effectively. Besides, one Transformed Realm expert guarding her up close was far more reliable than several lower-level guards watching from afar.
As compensation for escorting Cheon So-yeon to and from school, the family provided Siwoo with quite a generous reward. The sheer amount of attention they were giving her showed just how extraordinary the Heavenly Martial Body truly was.
“Please take good care of our So-yeon, Siwoo.”
Siwoo responded to Cheon So-yeon’s mother with a gentle smile. “Please don’t worry. It’s only a fifteen-minute drive.”
Both of Cheon So-yeon’s parents were captains in the combat division, so they naturally had to go to work. The parental leave they had received after her younger sibling was born had apparently already ended.
When we arrived at school by car, students of all sizes from first to sixth grade were streaming through the gates. Some, like us, came by private vehicle. Others took the school bus, walked, or rode bicycles.
“I’ll contact you when school ends.”
“Understood. I will arrive on time.”
Siwoo watched us enter the school grounds before driving away. Cheon So-yeon looked around with sparkling eyes, clearly fascinated by everything.
“We came here for the entrance exam and the entrance ceremony, remember?”
At my words, Cheon So-yeon’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “But we didn’t get to wander around inside the buildings back then. Whoa, Jiwoo! What’s that!”
She pointed excitedly at the anatomical model visible through a classroom window. Even in the 50th century they still used those? Or was it for martial arts study rather than science? Acupuncture point theory usually started in middle school, but early learners could study ahead. Since this was Cheon So-yeon’s first time attending school, her excitement was understandable. This was my second time entering elementary school, though, so I wasn’t particularly moved. My body might have gotten smaller, but my brain certainly hadn’t.
“Keep staring like that and we’ll be late.”
“Ah! You’re right! We can’t be late on the first day! Let’s go!”
I let Cheon So-yeon drag me along to Class 1-1. The middle-aged female teacher who had tested me during the entrance exam greeted us with a warm smile.
“Cheon So-yeon, Cheon Jiwoo. Take any seat you like.”
The spacious classroom contained twenty-one oversized sofas instead of desks. I knew this was a rich school, but sofas instead of desks? Shaking my head, I chose a quiet corner seat by the window. Cheon So-yeon immediately claimed the spot beside me.
“Oh, this is a virtual reality device.”
Cheonmu Elementary wasn’t just wealthy—it was obscenely wealthy. They had placed a full VR unit at every single desk? These things cost more than I could ever dream of buying with my allowance or living expenses. Not that Siwoo would ever let me buy one even if I could afford it.
When I touched the device on the sofa armrest, a dome-shaped lid rose from behind the couch.
“Student Cheon Jiwoo! Do not touch that without permission!”
“Ah, yes.”
I quickly returned it to its original position.
Once all the students had arrived and taken their seats, the middle-aged woman standing at the front of the class wrote her name on the electronic board.
— Kim Dohwa —
“Nice to meet you all. Starting today, I am your homeroom teacher and the instructor who will teach you martial arts. My name is Kim Dohwa.”
(To be continued)