Prove It With Results

As soon as we opened the dojo door, the first thing I felt was a heavy wave of mana pressure. It was like being crushed under thousands of tons of seawater. In the center of the training mat, where long shadows of orange sunset stretched across the floor, Mr. Cheolsu and a boy were sparring fiercely.

A low, beast-like growl rumbled from the red-haired boy's throat. In the corner of the dojo, a Cheonmyeong High School uniform jacket lay crumpled and torn on the floor.

"Gangjin, look. There's a uniform over there," Chaeyeon said, nudging me with her elbow.

"A student from Cheonmyeong High...?"

Both of his elbows, bulging like they were about to burst through his shirt, glowed a fierce red. Soon, crimson mana surged from the tips of his elbows, forming sharp blades that looked like fangs.

"Hup!"

In response, the director had dropped his usual cheerful demeanor. He stood as solid as a massive mountain. The worn-out top of his training uniform, which had been draped over his shoulders, couldn't withstand the pressure of the mana he was emitting and tore apart. The heavy muscles he'd built through years of dedicated training were revealed.

Dark blue mana scales sprouted across his shoulders, forming a shell as hard as a turtle's. Above it, a black energy coiled upward like a giant serpent wrapping itself around him.

Jinny, who lived inside my butt, couldn't hold back any longer and shouted from within me.

The most entertaining show in the world is a fight. I couldn't afford to miss a single second. I kept my eyes fixed on them and rubbed my butt. Jinny popped out immediately.

"Whoa... The mana waves are insane."

Jinny marveled at the flow of mana swirling around the two fighters. She watched the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scene with great interest, hovering between Chaeyeon and me.

After observing Mr. Cheolsu's mana control, Jinny spoke up.

"That uncle is handling the power of the Four Symbols' Xuanwu."

Mr. Cheolsu had awakened the power of Xuanwu, the mythical guardian beast of the north from Eastern legends. It was a force that was flexible like water yet solid as stone—perfect for both defense and counterattacks.

"You can read manifested abilities?" Chaeyeon asked, glancing at Jinny beside her.

"Hmph, of course! I've seen those familiar mana signatures at the boundary more than once," Jinny replied, puffing out her chest with an arrogant smirk.

"An Original like me knows everything."

Yeah, that was true. This was the moment our living combat analyzer proved her worth.

"Then what about that red-haired kid?"

Jinny rested her chin on her hand, frowning slightly as she examined the boy's mana.

"There's a mana flow coming from his elbows that smells like blood..."

By now, both Chaeyeon and I were completely focused on Jinny's explanation. It felt like incredibly useful information while watching the fight about to unfold.

"It seems like something close to a werewolf."

The moment Jinny finished speaking, the boy kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. His movement was pure beast, far beyond anything human. Twisting his body mid-air, he brought his right elbow down like a flash of lightning. The spinning mana blade from his elbow carried enough power to slice through steel like tofu.

Mr. Cheolsu didn't dodge. Instead, he poured mana into his legs planted firmly on the ground, rooting himself like a tree. Then he twisted his left shoulder and took the attack head-on.

BOOOOM—!

At the point of impact, dark blue waves collided with red sparks. The dojo's windows let out a thin, screeching wail. The sharp elbow blade tried to pierce through the director's shoulder scales, but Xuanwu's barrier was too thick. Mr. Cheolsu's shoulder didn't budge an inch.

"Those fangs aren't enough to even scratch Xuanwu's shell, Taeyang," Mr. Cheolsu said quietly, then casually shook off the shoulder that had received the blow.

"Still, you've improved a lot since middle school, haven't you?"

Thud— With a heavy vibration, the boy was sent flying backward from the recoil. He lost his balance in mid-air, tumbling three times before landing.

"Tch. As tough as ever, I see."

The boy named Kang Taeyang rolled his shoulders in circles and brushed off his arms.

"Your shell never rusts no matter how many years pass, uncle."

The eyes of Taeyang as he spoke gleamed like a wolf eyeing its prey.

"Dad...!" Chaeyeon stepped onto the mat.

I could only stand there in a daze after watching the lightning-fast spar. The basics of mana control, the hellish training... Mr. Cheolsu wasn't just someone who knew a lot. He was an awakener who wielded the power of a legendary divine beast.

"That was seriously badass," I muttered, replaying the scene over and over in my head.

Jinny, who had been floating absentmindedly, poked me and said,

"Want to hear something interesting?"

Our combat analyzer still had more to share. Nice.

"What is it?"

"That red-haired kid has mana reserves around A-class..." Jinny leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

"And Mr. Lee Cheolsu's mana is barely scraping B-class at best."

"Huh?"

Had our combat analyzer already broken?

"No way. That can't be right."

"It's true! I thought I was seeing it wrong too!" Jinny stepped back two paces and tried to explain.

"I gathered some of the scattered mana and drank it. No matter how I look at it, it's only around B-class."

"But he can still put out that much power? Is that even possible?"

If Mr. Cheolsu really was a B-class awakener, what we'd just witnessed didn't make sense. The combat ability and mana control he'd shown clearly surpassed A-class.

"Be nice to that uncle," Jinny said before slipping back into my butt.

Taeyang swept back his sweat-soaked red hair and glanced over at us. Then he muttered to himself in a low voice.

"Gaon High first-years...?"

He picked up his crumpled uniform jacket from the floor, brushed the dust off, and spoke to Mr. Cheolsu.

"I'll come back again, uncle. Next time, I'll actually land a hit."

"Come whenever you want. I'll wait ten years if I have to."

Leaving behind an arrogant smile, Taeyang stormed out of the dojo like a whirlwind. But rather than looking upset, Mr. Cheolsu seemed to be enjoying the whole thing.

I quietly watched the Cheonmyeong High student named Kang Taeyang leave the building. I had a feeling we'd run into each other again soon.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"This is nothing. Just our usual practice match."

Mr. Cheolsu smiled brightly at the worried Chaeyeon. It wasn't a forced smile—he really hadn't taken a single scratch. After we all cleaned up the mat, which had gotten a bit dirty from sweat and mana residue, Mr. Cheolsu called us over to the break room in the corner of the dojo.

"So you two ended up joining the student council."

He served us warm barley tea and began speaking with a serious expression.

"Chaeyeon. Gangjin. Joining the student council was a good decision."

Chaeyeon and I sat side by side, sipping our tea as we listened to him.

"The Gaon student council doesn't just handle normal school affairs. They also protect order from the shadows, where no one can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠see."

Shadows...? Order...? What was he talking about? I'd never heard anything like that.

"Um, I didn't hear anything from the student council president senior..." I scratched my head, feeling awkward.

Mr. Cheolsu chuckled at the sight.

"You'll find out soon enough. Think of Gaon High's student council as a trial version of what national agents do."

I glanced at Chaeyeon beside me. She met my eyes, widened hers in surprise, and gave me a look that said, 'Did something happen?'

"Chaeyeon, did you know about this?"

I hadn't heard anything about the student council doing shadow work. Chaeyeon nodded like it was obvious.

"Didn't you read the application form? It was written right there..."

"Ah."

I remembered the application form I'd filled out in a rush while watching Chaeyeon. It was my fault for not reading it properly.

"I can teach you both about mana control and how to use it properly," Mr. Cheolsu said, looking back and forth between us.

"The real combat experience the student council gives you, and the theory you learn here... Don't miss out on either. Master them both."

As he smiled, I could feel the warm aura of a true mentor. At the same time, I caught a glimpse of the demonic instructor who'd put us through hellish training. The future looked a little scary, but from what I'd heard, it seemed like the perfect environment to grow as an awakener.

Ziiiing—

On the way home from the dojo, my phone vibrated heavily in my pocket.

I saw that Chaeyeon and I had been invited to a new chat room.

I sent a short greeting. The first thing I always did when invited to a new chat was check the full member list. I scrolled through with my thumb. They all seemed to be second- and third-year seniors currently in the student council. Among them was senior Han Seungwoo, who had recruited us.

Chaeyeon must have seen the messages too, because she sent a greeting right after.

10 PM...? Old school building...? Checking the time, it looked like I'd have to shower as soon as I got home, change into comfortable clothes, and head back to school.

The numbers next to Seungwoo sunbae's and Chaeyeon's messages were decreasing. A lot of people were probably reading the chat, but it didn't seem like the kind of noisy group where people chatted endlessly.

At 10 PM, the old school building gave off a completely different oppressive feeling than it did during the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠day. When we arrived at the entrance, student council president Kwon Dohee was waiting for us in casual clothes. Beside her stood Han Seungwoo, sharpening a pair of giant scissors made of mana.

"Right on time, kids," President Dohee said. Her smile was kind, but her eyes were sharp.

"The student council exists not only for the safety and welfare of students, but..."

Senior Dohee approached with relaxed steps.

"...also to deal with residues that slip in through tiny cracks connected to the boundary."

Senior Seungwoo added,

"There's a lot of mana above A-class flowing out of Gaon High. To residues, it's basically ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an all-you-can-eat buffet."

He gripped the scissors with both hands.

"These are too troublesome and sensitive for the official investigation teams to handle."

Senior Han Seungwoo snapped the scissors shut in the air. Invisible mana threads instantly wove a tight net over the sewer entrance.

"This mission is to clear out the low-grade residues that have invaded through the sewers."

Senior Seungwoo looked at Chaeyeon and me, who were standing there blankly.

"While I reseal the crack to the boundary, you two will hold back the incoming waves."

President Dohee placed a hand on Senior Seungwoo's shoulder and looked at me.

"Gangjin, you can rub your butt or do whatever you need to down there. I don't care."

Then she looked at me with eyes full of strange anticipation.

"Prove your worth with results alone."

There was no threat or shame in her words. Instead, the fact that someone recognized my ability as a necessary power gave me a strange sense of motivation.

Polish your inner self at the dojo. Unleash that power here with the student council.

"Let's go, Chaeyeon."

"Yeah."

I slowly built up heat in my butt as I stepped into the darkness underground.

[Whoa! This is finally a proper playground!]

With Jinny's cheerful shout, our first mission as members of the student council was about to begin.

[Let's show them what we're really made of!]