Villain Studies: Bloody Clown
After morning roll call, the third day at the academy felt more like ordinary school life than the others.
According to our homeroom instructor Ji Suhyun, the third day was meant to strengthen our mental faculties rather than physical training. But honestly, it seemed more like they were just giving us students a break from the physical grind.
"No good reason for it, huh."
The real reason for this break? I knew better than anyone—it was to prepare for next Tuesday's class ranking battle.
Class ranking battle.
It was an event every student at Seoul Hero Academy had to go through once: classes from the first-year cohort cleared dungeons to determine their rankings.
Most ranking battles happened on randomly selected dates during the first semester, so only a handful of academy staff knew the exact day.
Of course, I knew because in the game, it always happened the Tuesday after enrollment week.
"Heh heh. It'd be great if every day was this sweet. Right, boss?"
When I saw the guy lazing around without lifting a finger, I wondered if he knew too. But eventually, I realized he was just that kind of slacker.
Sharp instincts or total obliviousness? Who could tell.
"Alright, class is starting. Everyone get ready."
The classroom, buzzing moments ago, fell silent as the instructor entered.
It hadn't been long since the semester started, so most of these visiting instructors were new faces to the students.
Not to me, though. I knew exactly who he was.
Description: An instructor at Seoul Hero Academy. Conducts research on modern villains and has faced numerous villains in the past as a hero.
As the character guide described, in the game, Park Yunho was the NPC who dished out villain intel and missions at the academy.
His slicked-back hair and sharp eyes screamed cold and meticulous, but he was actually one of the academy's most principled heroes.
He even handed out rewards personally whenever students captured, subdued, or eliminated villains.
"I'm Park Yunho. Starting today, I'll be your instructor for Villain Studies. Classes will be twice a week, but they may change based on my schedule."
He wrote his name on the smartboard at the front, then beamed data to the tablets at every desk.
"This is your textbook for the semester. Introduction's over—let's dive in."
No fluff, straight to business on the first day. Groans rippled through the room, but his expression didn't budge.
"Today, we'll cover villains from pages 15 to 30. First up: Bloody Clown. Known as the 'Bloody Clown' in Korea. Anyone know him?"
No hands went up. Makes sense—his active years were 2012 to 2014. Most of us were babies back then.
"Hmm... Right, this class has the top enrollee, doesn't it? Han Yujin, what about Bloody Clown?"
The spotlight swung to me out of nowhere. Top seat or not, I hadn't raised my hand.
But I knew the guy inside out.
"Real name Jack Clew. American villain with the ability to turn his breath into gas bombs and alter his appearance."
Park Yunho nodded approvingly.
"Spot on. An A-rank villain who toyed with the American Association using those powers. Sending a photo now."
A picture popped up on my desk tablet: a man with ghostly white makeup, ridiculous outfit—a perfect mad clown.
"He was caught by American hero Luna Armstrong and our own instructor Ji Suhyun. Sentenced to 235 years in Niflheim, the U.S. Awakener prison. Today, we'll learn what makes a 'villain' through him."
...And later, he'd break out and come to Korea for revenge on Ji Suhyun. Another academy event I remembered well.
"First things first: What is a 'villain'?"
He scrawled VILLAIN in huge letters on the board.
"You there in front—name's... No Yu-un? What's a villain?"
The kid jumped at his name, then answered slowly.
"Uh... Awakened who commit crimes?"
The instructor nodded.
"Half right. A 'villain' is an Awakened who commits crimes. But precisely, it's anyone registered as such in the Hero Association Database."
Confused looks all around. Only database-listed ones? What?
Park Yunho pressed on.
"Simple example: Vito Calione, ruler of the former Incheon refugee area—now the Incheon Foreign Quarter. Villain or not?"
...Dad's name, out of the blue?
Vito Calione, my body’s father, was one of the world's top non-association Awakened. But the world didn't call him a villain.
"I... don't think he's a villain."
"Why? Isn't he running a mafia on Korean soil, gripping the global underworld? Sounds like a villain."
"Well... From what I learned, his presence brought order to a chaotic post-war world and slashed crime rates."
Park Yunho snapped his fingers, pleased.
"Exactly. I don't defend Calione, but he created order. That's why the Association defines 'villains' as those registered in the database for causing massive international or social harm."
He rapped the board hard.
Setting down the marker, he snapped again—and the classroom transformed.
Park Yunho overlaid an illusion on the room with his magic.
Lights blazed like a party. His podium became a dining bar, surrounded by people toasting with bottles, lovers in flashy clothes kissing passionately.
One eerie detail: everyone was frozen, like time had stopped.
"This is the party venue where Bloody Clown was last captured, recreated with my ability. 99% accuracy."
He grinned at us.
"Here's your problem. First to solve it gets 1 academy point. Give it your all."
Academy points lit up their eyes—rare currency for gear or elixirs from the academy shop.
I already had 1 from Incheon branch chief Kang Seung-tae, so this would make 2.
"One person in this crowd is Bloody Clown. Who? All clues are here—think smart, and you'll find him fast."
Murmurs erupted. How to spot him in this sea of people? He changed appearances, only revealing himself right before terrorizing. He had to be disguised here.
Way too hard.
...Or so the others thought.
I raised my hand first. Park Yunho pointed at me.
"Yes, Cadet Han Yujin. Your answer?"
"Yes, sir."
This was a game event testing deduction and focus. And I'd cleared it before.
"The man standing alone in the corner—that's Bloody Clown."
I pointed to the guy in the room's corner.
"Ho? Why him?"
"Bloody Clown's breath is like a gas bomb. The book says he couldn't control it well normally."
I scanned the crowd, noting the smokers.
"As you see, it's an American party—most are smoking and partying. One breath from him, and boom: disaster, including himself. So he's the farthest from any fire source. That's my guess."
Park Yunho's eyes widened.
"That's it?"
"...Extra clues: baggy clothes hiding clown garb, white powder on his shoes, and an open bag you can't see inside—subspace artifact."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The illusion vanished amid applause.
"Excellent. Just as you said—he avoided fire pre-terror due to poor control. Pick up your point after class."
"Thank you, sir."
Two points now. Potions were 3 each, so solid gain.
"As Cadet Han Yujin noted, he left tons of villain tells. But catching him after so many attacks? Not easy. Why? Villain intel wasn't systematized."
He grabbed the marker, crossing out VILLAIN.
"What you'll learn from me: villains' habits, traits, weaknesses. Looking forward to it."
...Yeah, if I said I knew it all already, I'd probably get deduction points.