First Day at Mid-Level School
"Starting school today, huh."
In the morning, Kim Jihun muttered to himself, a fresh wave of emotion washing over him. Just a month ago, he'd been attending low-level school. He'd fought in the promotion battle, clashed with the Void, and now here he was, stepping into mid-level school.
He marveled anew at his own rapid growth and murmured,
"Alright. Gotta push through the mid-level promotion battle too!"
Just like in low-level school, Jihun planned to breeze through mid-level school via promotion battles. After all, he'd already mastered everything they taught there.
As he pondered his study plans, a dimensional gate suddenly appeared before him.
Jihun grinned happily. It was the gate Leila always used.
Soon, Leila stepped through.
"Hey, Jihun! All set?"
"Yeah. Ready to go."
Jihun stowed his notebook and manual in his subspace as he replied. Switching from low-level to mid-level school hadn't changed his commute kit at all. The low-level god manual had simply become the mid-level one, but the rest was identical: notebook, writing tools, mid-level god manual, Creator God Manual. That was everything he needed.
He stood and approached the gate with Leila.
Jihun muttered,
"Hope I make some decent friends this time. Low-level school was so boring without anyone to hang with."
"Hmph, you got me—why need anyone else?"
"Well..."
Jihun scratched the back of his head, and Leila let out a cute laugh.
"Yeah, it'd be nice to have someone on our wavelength. Low-level school, everyone else was kinda meh besides us."
"Totally. Fingers crossed for good friends this time."
Murmuring like that, Jihun and Leila stepped through the gate. Silence settled over Jihun's now-empty room.
...
To cut to the chase, Jihun's wish for good friends came true fast. The problem? They were the punchable kind.
"Hey, freshman! Come here a sec?"
As Jihun and Leila passed through the school gate together, an unfamiliar mid-level god approached and called out to Jihun.
Jihun narrowed his eyes.
What's this guy's deal?
Long years on Earth had honed Jihun's instincts. Always overlooked for his lack of talent, he'd gotten good at reading rooms and people.
By his seasoned judgment, the guy ahead—Ralph—was a textbook thug. Provocative sneer, twisted smirk, condescending glare. He reeked of disdain.
Jihun scowled.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Who the hell? Ha! You know who I am and still pull that 'you' crap, Kim Jihun?"
The mid-level god shot Jihun a vicious glare, his face twisting uglier.
But Jihun didn't flinch. He just stared back, amused.
What a scrub.
Thanks to handling vast Creation Force and divine power, Jihun could gauge other gods' rough skill levels. Simple: analyze their divine power and its flow.
To him, this mid-level god was laughably sloppy. Decent total power from good bloodline, sure—but the unnatural flow screamed mediocrity.
No matter how he snarled, Jihun just found it pathetic.
Compared to Alquinoa, this is child's play.
Jihun's combat experience dwarfed any average mid-level god's. He'd fought top-tier Leila in promotion, tangled with Alquinoa, even held off a Ma-shin Clan who'd absorbed Void essence.
That intensity made this clown look like a joke. Jihun could squash him easily.
But Leila was beside him. No need for a scene.
So, annoyed, Jihun said,
"Beat it. You're a hassle."
His dismissal caught Ralph off guard. The thug blocking him started fuming, growling as he closed in aggressively.
"You'll regret this, Kim Jihun. I'll make you see your mistake. After school."
He spat that at Jihun, then whipped around and stalked off.
Jihun sighed at the sight.
"Sheesh, weirdos swarming on day one."
All he wanted was peace.
...
"That jerk's got no manners!"
Ralph huffed in rage. Other mid-level gods gathered, chiming in.
"Just stomp him quick."
"Think a scrub like that can handle high creation god direct descendant Ralph?"
"Filthy mortal-born—time to crush him."
Ralph's cronies piled on the trash talk, and his mood lifted, scowl easing. He grinned and muttered,
"Yeah. He's toast today anyway."
Then he yelled at a mid-level god in the corner,
"Hey! Marian!"
A mid-level god flinched at Ralph's voice—Marian.
Marian stood out. Male mid-level god, yet short, delicate features, boyish face like a low-level newbie.
He shuffled stiffly to Ralph.
"Y-you called..?"
His voice was surprisingly soft and melodic—girlish enough to fool strangers.
But it irked Ralph, who scowled and barked,
"Marian! Go tell that Kim Jihun punk to come here after classes. Or else."
"...Got it."
"Scram!"
Ralph barked again. Marian paled and fled.
Ralph muttered, watching him go,
"Just looking at him makes me sick."
Early in mid-level school, Ralph had cozied up to Marian, knowing he was a high creation god direct descendant. Rare kin, after all.
But Ralph started bullying him. Too effeminate, too tongue-tied.
Now Marian was the gang's errand boy.
Ralph eyed him leaving and muttered,
"Gonna smash that one later too. With Kim Jihun."
Ralph was vicious. Anyone irking him got beaten—no exceptions.
...
"Material creation is the foundation of all. As the base components of existence..."
Class began. Jihun's mid-level school life kicked off.
But he was already in a bind.
Boring.
At first, Jihun tried engaging. Reviewed notes despite knowing it all.
Soon, he zoned out.
Just rehashing baby stuff.
Inevitable. Jihun now wielded souls, with 30 billion pure Creation Force. Mastered material creation ages ago; practiced advanced creation pre-enrollment.
This was like teaching arithmetic to a calculus whiz.
Jihun started dozing.
Sleepy...
Total waste. He relaxed, daydreamed, nodded off.
Leila watched, reaching to wake him—but pulled back.
Yeah, makes sense he'd be bored.
This was artifact-crafting Jihun. Basics? Please.
She let him sleep, head on desk. She knew he was beyond this.
How long did he nap?
"You, the new kid!"
The instructor snapped, irked.
"Thought you'd wake up if ignored—but slept through my whole lecture? That boring?!"
Leila woke Jihun at her anger.
He wiped drool from his chin, mumbling,
"Oh, dozed off."
He straightened up fast. But the instructor still glared.
"New kid, come down and solve this."
She pulled a half-made creation object from her hand, set on the podium.
"Finish creating this. If you sleep in my class, you can handle it, right? Fail..."
She grabbed a switch from the podium side. Simple structure, but artifact-grade—faint divine power rippled.
Grinning, she said,
"And you'll feel this 'Pain Amplification' artifact."
Jihun startled. Her vibe was outright hostile.
He tensed.
How bad would that hurt?
No ordinary switch—heavy Pain Amplification. Even a palm smack would agony-bomb.
Tense, Jihun headed to the podium.
"...Just finish this, teacher?"
"Yes. Complete it—no punishment."
Jihun picked up the half-done object, infused Creation Force to scan it.
He smirked.
What? Piece of cake.
Basic shape completion. Mid-level fare: material creation only.
Jihun had mastered it long ago.
Slowly, he intoned his divine word.
"All things exist."
Creation light flickered from his hand.