Divided Factions
I stared at them coldly and spoke in a low voice.
“Listen up. I have something to say.”
As I spoke, I gestured toward the door for Jeong Eunseo. She understood immediately and cast a spell to block any sound from leaking outside. Once the room was sealed, I turned to the group whose eyes were now fixed on me.
“Those of you who took Yoo Heeyeon’s money to watch my back, those who willingly play the role of her lackeys while reading the room, and everyone else here. I’m going to give you all a chance to change your pathetic lives.”
Soundproof Barrier
The room immediately erupted into murmurs. A few students exploded in outrage.
“What the hell is this?!”
“You scared the shit out of me!”
“Who are you calling a loser, you arrogant bastard?!”
I ignored their shouts and placed the weapons wrapped in golden cloth onto the desk with a heavy thud.
◈ Rare-grade and above
◈ Visual activation effect on first use
“To those who listen properly, I’ll distribute these weapons based on merit.”
The entire room fell silent. Every pair of eyes locked onto the desk, breaths held in anticipation.
“Honestly, I know a lot of you don’t really care about the upcoming Class Annihilation Match. After all, only a handful of standout performers get any real attention while the rest are treated like extras and forgotten. Some of you might even resent me for it. If I had picked opponents from B, C, or D Class instead of A Class, a few talented students from our side might have actually had a chance to shine.”
I slowly unfurled the golden cloth as I continued.
“I know I’ve cost you all an opportunity. I understand that many of you don’t like me. That’s why I’m offering compensation. Do you know what these weapons are?”
More than forty pieces of obviously expensive weaponry gleamed under the lights. In truth, their true owners had already been decided long ago. Using the knowledge I gained from playing Broad Academy Online, I had identified which F-class students possessed real growth potential and which ones had upright personalities that wouldn’t betray me. I had prepared weapons perfectly suited for the classes they would awaken into—or had already awakened into.
But I deliberately didn’t single them out from the start. The reason was simple: I wanted them to feel like they had chosen me, not the other way around. Humans instinctively hate having choices forced on them by others. Yet, strangely enough, if they believe they made the choice themselves—even when the options were limited—they don’t mind.
It’s like choosing lunch. If someone says, “You’re eating jajangmyeon today,” you get annoyed. But if they say, “Pick anything you want from the Chinese options,” you feel relatively fine. The choices were restricted, but you were still given the illusion of freedom. Most people don’t question the restriction itself because that tiny sliver of agency makes them feel like they decided.
Let’s see how you react.
I had just given them a choice. Would they helplessly lose to A Class and do nothing? Or would they take these weapons and join my side? It looked like the decision rested with the students, but that was an illusion. Anyone not already on Yoo Heeyeon’s payroll would inevitably choose the second option. It carried higher risk, but the reward was certain.
Soon, one student raised his hand.
“What exactly do you mean by giving these as compensation? If we side with you in the Class Annihilation Match, you’ll give us the weapons?”
“Obviously.”
I lifted one of the weapons, revealing the engraved mark. It was the emblem of the SIH Blacksmith Association, followed by a simple “+”. SIH+—the mark that proved Tak Woohyun had personally crafted it.
SIH+ — Signature of Tak Woohyun, President of the Blacksmith Association
“Whoaaaa—!”
“No way… is that real?”
“Where the hell did he get those?”
“It’s fake, right?”
“There’s no way it’s fake… Only President Tak Woohyun can make weapons of that quality!”
The classroom instantly descended into chaos. I took advantage of the uproar and spoke to the seated students.
“If you want one, step forward. If you agree to be on my side during the Class Annihilation Match, I’ll hand them over with no strings attached. One thing, though—Yoo Heeyeon already knows these weapons belong to me. Whether you sell them or use them, she’ll eventually find out you received them from me as payment. Keep that in mind.”
What I was demanding was simple: side with me when F Class clashed with A Class in the Class Annihilation Match. But the moment they accepted these weapons, they would be placed in a somewhat hostile position toward the Artemis Guild. The convenient loophole of “only teaming up for this one match and then pretending it never happened” was now impossible. It was time for them to pick a side.
Naturally, few were willing to bet their entire future on someone like me. The value of these weapons was beyond imagination. An SIH+ weapon personally made by Tak Woohyun would fetch an astronomical price even at Rare grade, and custom pieces were even more insanely efficient. Yet despite the offer of such treasures with no conditions, the students still hesitated. It showed just how terrified they were of the Artemis Guild.
Since no one moved, Jeong Eunseo stepped forward first.
“This includes me too, right?”
She was already my ally, so of course I had prepared a weapon for her. I smiled and handed one over.
“Of course.”
Jeong Eunseo poured mana into the weapon I gave her. A brilliant light erupted, and the image of a dragon ascending to heaven unfolded before our eyes. Tak Woohyun had engraved a visual effect that activated on first use. It had no impact on the artifact’s actual performance, but the sheer stylishness was undeniable.
“Whoa…”
A few students let out gasps of admiration at the beautiful sight of the soaring dragon. Others swallowed hard, eyes gleaming with greed.
Just a little more.
They were almost there. All I needed now was one more person to act as a catalyst and pull the rest along. Right on cue, Kim Yuri walked forward with steady steps.
“Since I already decided to work with you anyway, do you have a weapon for me too? I’m still a non-awakened, though.”
Kim Yuri hadn’t awakened yet, but she was destined to become an Epic-grade Mage soon. I handed her a staff.
“You’re really giving this to me?”
She had assumed I only gave something good to Jeong Eunseo because she was the daughter of the Teore Guild leader. Receiving an equally expensive staff with no conditions left her staring in blank disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.
“Of course. Didn’t I say earlier? It doesn’t matter if you’re non-awakened. I’m giving you the weapon with the highest chance of matching your future awakening. By the way, there aren’t many left.”
The daughter of the Teore Guild leader and a completely unrelated non-awakened student had both received artifacts. The seated students finally reached the same conclusion.
[It’s real.]
[He’s not lying.]
The dam broke. Students began rushing forward.
“Move…! I was here first!”
“Get out of the way!”
“I need an artifact too!”
I began distributing the artifacts one by one. I gave them to the people I had already chosen, rejected Yoo Heeyeon’s paid lackeys with reasonable excuses, and systematically handed weapons to those who would become my true allies.
Soon, only one weapon remained. Several students had stepped forward, but the one who caught my eye was Shin Yuseon. The mage who had thrown a fireball at me during the F-class representative selection. A girl born with the talent of a genius but doomed to a miserable life because of her Normal-grade limit. An extra who would struggle until her death to obtain painkillers and rare medicine for her only younger sister, only to meet a tragic end.
I walked straight toward her.
Shin Yuseon flinched. Even though she had come forward, she seemed to realize how shameless it was and couldn’t bring herself to ask for a weapon. The reason she wanted one was obvious—her younger sister, Shin Yuna. She knew exactly how valuable an SIH+ weapon was. Having failed Yoo Heeyeon’s request, she wouldn’t receive the remaining payment and would likely never get another job from her again. She needed money. Not to use the weapon herself, but to sell it. She desperately needed it to ease even a little of her sister’s suffering from an incurable disease.
Watching her fidget anxiously, I thought to myself, How frustrating. She’s the most important one here.
Right now she was only Normal-grade, but Shin Yuseon was a genius mage who would undergo a second awakening later. She had the potential to grow as much as—or even more than—Kim Yuri. She was one of the people I absolutely had to recruit.
I placed the last staff firmly into her hands.
“What are you hesitating for? It’s fine. Take it.”
“B-but… I threw a fireball at you…”
She asked as if wondering whether I had forgotten what she’d done. I shook my head.
“It doesn’t matter. Take it. Or should I take it back? And take this too.”
I handed her one of the items I had mass-produced while grinding my crafting proficiency—a container filled with powerful painkillers.
◈ Temporarily eliminates all pain upon use
◈ Mass-produced via Double Slot
Shin Yuseon stared blankly at the painkillers in her hands. Then her tears began to fall.
“Why are you crying? Don’t even think about selling the weapon. Use the painkillers on your sister. If you run out, just tell me.”
“Hic… but… these are expensive…”
“I make them myself, so the cost is negligible. The price goes up because of distribution, not the ingredients.”
The painkillers I crafted were easily worthy of being called the highest grade. They only removed pain, but for patients in agony, they were indispensable—and sold at exorbitant prices in hospitals. Thanks to my Double Slot ability, I could produce them endlessly, but to Shin Yuseon, they were more precious than anything.
She didn’t ask how I knew about her sister’s illness. Right now, her heart was filled only with endless tears and overwhelming guilt.
“Th-thank you… I… I’ll never forget this kindness… hic…”
Shin Yuseon kept crying so hard she could barely speak. Even after she had attacked me with a fireball and treated me poorly, I had shown her mercy. Looking at me, she made a silent vow: no matter what happened, she would never betray Lee Hyunseung.
“Alright, that should be about enough.”
After handing out all the weapons, I gestured to Jeong Eunseo again. She dispelled both the soundproof and visual barrier spells on the door. The figures of people waiting outside slowly became visible.
“......”
It was Yoo Heeyeon. Curious about how I planned to use the massive order of weapons I had commissioned, she had been waiting in front of the F-class classroom. Of course, I had sensed her presence from the beginning. That was why I had asked for the soundproofing spell.
Looking at her, I spoke in a chilling tone.
“I didn’t know you had a hobby of peeping from afar. If I’m not the stalker, then doesn’t this make you the stalker?”
A grinding sound came from her clenched teeth.
“Just what… do you believe in that makes you provoke me like this? There is a limit to my patience.”
Yoo Heeyeon began gathering mana throughout her body. A cold wind swept through the classroom.
“What, are you going to hit me right now?”
I started gathering mana as well and raised my pistol.
“Go ahead. If you can.”