The Eyes That See Potential

Ten days. How much could a person truly change in such a short time?

Kim Gyojun, the trainee himself, had thought the same.

It was only natural.

How many training sessions had he endured since joining Sky Guild? He had thrown everything into his training, pushing himself relentlessly, yet nothing had changed. He was the worst among the youths. His growth rate and skill were pitiful compared to the others. That was why he couldn't help but doubt. How could ten days possibly make a difference?

Of course, he trusted Kang Yujun, the man who had instantly awakened Woo Hana's potential. But he had no trust in himself. He was not Woo Hana. He lacked her natural talent. In a world where innate gifts mattered most for the Awakened, he simply had too little.

Yet Yujun had said otherwise. It wasn't Kim Gyojun who was wrong. The trainers who had taught him until now had simply failed to see his potential.

Kim Gyojun hadn't believed in himself. Even he hadn't been willing to trust his own abilities. And yet, Kang Yujun, whom he had barely known, had believed in him.

"Huuuuh…… It was real. It really existed. Even for me."

This was the result.

He had talent after all. And now he could show it.

"He believed in me."

He had succeeded.

Unlike before, he had properly demonstrated his ability. By enhancing the weapon in his hands, he had struck down the goblins in an instant. The old him could never have done it.

"Kuaaaaaaaaah-!"

Kim Gyojun roared, gasping for breath. His lungs burned, and his head spun, yet laughter kept spilling out. Whether the fifteen-minute limit had passed or not, it didn't matter. Nothing else existed in his mind.

"I did it."

He had followed the training exactly. He had defeated all five goblins.

"I really did it."

The internal evaluation. Expulsion. None of it registered. Only the fact that he had achieved something remained.

He had succeeded!

The moment the evaluation ended, Kim Gyojun rushed straight to Yujun. Catching his breath, he beamed.

"I did exactly as you trained me! Just like you said…… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I could do it!"

Everyone had said it was impossible, but Yujun had said it was possible.

"Even I could do it."

All the negative thoughts that had made him assume failure crumbled away. The resignation that had told him to give up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vanished, replaced by the confidence that he could succeed.

"Thank you for believing in me. Truly, thank you."

That unwavering belief had led him to victory. Yujun smiled along with him.

"What did I tell you? I said you could do it."

The internal evaluations continued.

"Was this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠evaluation easier than usual?"

Kim Gyojun's overwhelming performance against the goblins had been undeniable. Yet he had been the lowest-ranked youth. Some youths began to suspect the difficulty had simply been lowered.

Those doubts vanished the moment the next evaluations began.

"Ugh!"

"Ghk!"

The other youths struggled under the goblins' fierce coordinated attacks. Far from being easy, the evaluation felt significantly harder than before. The relentless assaults forced them into poor positions and bad decisions.

"Kgh!"

They had no choice but to admit it. The evaluation was tougher than the previous one. Kim Gyojun's skill had simply skyrocketed.

"Hah…… hah……."

The youths who finished their evaluations stared at him, breathing heavily.

"How……"

How had he so easily handled five goblins?

Throughout the evaluation, every eye had been on Kim Gyojun. And one more person.

Kim Dohun, the Youth Training Team Leader, couldn't erase the disbelief from his face.

"What kind of training did he do…… How on earth did he turn Kim Gyojun into that?"

He could accept it with Woo Hana. She had natural talent. But Kim Gyojun had none. Kim Dohun had trained him long enough to be certain. Innate talent couldn't be changed. You could improve what someone already had, but you couldn't create what wasn't there.

Yet Yujun had done exactly that.

"Is that…… what it means?"

Did a true trainer have to be capable of changing everything? Not just nurturing existing abilities, but creating something from nothing? Was that the difference in skill and capacity?

Kim Dohun's mind grew complicated. Something stirred within him.

"Next!"

The moment the evaluations ended, the score sheets were distributed. Scoring happened in real time, so it didn't take long.

"Please check your evaluation sheets!"

The results were sent directly to each trainee's smart pad.

Kim Gyojun checked his with a tense expression.

"I'd be satisfied just with the expulsion being revoked."

Yujun grinned.

"From what I saw, there was no one."

"Excuse me?"

"No trainee outperformed Kim Gyojun."

Kim Gyojun nervously checked his smart pad.

-Kim Gyojun

-Evaluation Grade: A

-Internal Evaluation Rank: 1

-Notes: Expulsion Revoked

Grade A. First place in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the internal evaluation. And the expulsion revocation alongside it.

"……N-no way. T-that can't be!"

Kim Gyojun had never imagined he would take first place. His goal had only been to escape the expulsion list and receive the revocation notice.

"K-Kang Trainer-nim!"

"It's the natural result. You were the fastest. Far quicker and more dominant than any other trainee."

"M-me?"

He had never achieved anything like this in his life. Never produced such overwhelming results. Never received a top grade. The shock left him dazed.

"Hey, Kim Gyojun!"

"Gyojun!"

"Congratulations! Seriously, congrats!"

His fellow youths approached to celebrate. Some gritted their teeth in frustration, but even that felt unfamiliar to him. People envying him? Being jealous of him? It was the first time.

"Thanks……!"

Yujun naturally stepped back.

'Now's the time for him to enjoy it.'

But this was only the beginning.

'From what I saw today, that mental strength grade has a bigger impact than I thought.'

It was a crucial factor in training.

'From now on, I'll leave Kim Gyojun to the other youth trainers.'

The first goal—revoking his expulsion—had been achieved. It was time to set the next one.

'It's just a matter of time now.'

Even without Yujun's direct guidance, Kim Gyojun would grow well on his own. Yujun already had his next step planned.

"Kang Trainer-nim. It's me, Team Leader Kim."

"Ah, Team Leader Kim. Good work today."

"No, it was nothing. More importantly……"

Kim Dohun got straight to the point.

"You've come about Kim Gyojun, haven't you?"

"Yes. There's something I wanted to ask."

"Please, have a seat first."

Yujun gestured toward the sofa.

"How…… did you do it?"

A single question carried countless others. How had he managed it? Kim Gyojun had been an obvious candidate for expulsion. His potential was severely lacking, his limits clear. Yet somehow, Yujun had elevated him this far. It wasn't simply about the time spent. The fact that he had changed him was what mattered. Kim Dohun had already concluded that training Kim Gyojun was impossible. And yet, that same Kim Gyojun had produced real results.

"I told you, didn't I? He had potential."

"Where did you see that potential? I…… couldn't see it at all."

"His eyes."

Yujun spoke with a bitter smile.

"As you know, I'm a failure myself."

The golden youth who had been expelled for failing to awaken. In contrast, Kim Dohun had been an active A-class Awakened.

"That's why I learned to look. There was no grand reason. Of course, there were other factors, but the most important one was the eyes."

"……"

Did that mean someone who had experienced success couldn't see it? The words stirred complex emotions in Kim Dohun. He wanted to argue, but no words came. He could only blink.

This was a trainer on a different level. Even though Yujun had only just started, his eye for people already surpassed his own. The realization felt humiliating to Kim Dohun.

But then—

"But on the other hand, there are things I can't see that you can, Team Leader Kim."

"……"

Kim Dohun's eyes widened at the unexpected reply. He had never imagined Yujun would say something like that. Yujun had succeeded where Kim Dohun, the team leader, had given up. He could have acted arrogant. He could have said, "See? I told you it was possible." He could have questioned Kim Dohun's qualifications as team leader. But Yujun had done none of that. Instead, he had humbled himself. That approach left a deep impression on Kim Dohun. He hadn't expected such rhetorical skill as well.

Kim Dohun let out a small chuckle. The things that had been weighing him down began to rise again. Yujun was right. What he could see, Kim Dohun might not. And what Kim Dohun could see, Yujun might not.

"I got lucky this time. Now, if you're curious about what kind of training I used……"

"No, it's fine. I didn't actually come here to ask about the training method."

Kim Dohun's eyes gleamed.

"Thanks to you, my eyes have been opened."