Chapter 158
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: A Changed Me (1)
Several months later, spring.
Orientation day.
A ceaseless wave of freshmen, brimming with new hopes and ambitions, poured through the grand gates of the Hunter Academy.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that most of them had just turned adults.
And amid that throng, one girl stood out with an unusually serene presence.
Swordsmanship Sect freshman, Han Yujeong.
Her eyes were narrowed into thin slits as always, a faint smile playing on her lips as if she were gazing contemplatively at some distant world.
The academy's crisp uniform and the silver rapier at her waist elegantly set her apart from the other freshmen.
However, the uniform seemed tailored a bit too snugly, hugging her ample bosom and straining taut. With every step she took, the subtle weight of it made itself felt.
'The day has finally come.'
Today was the long-awaited first-year orientation ceremony she had been anticipating.
Already slated to join the Swordsmanship Sect, she had received an introduction to the school several months in advance and knew the layout well.
Even amid the boisterous noise and electric atmosphere, she made her way to the auditorium without losing her composure.
Along the way, her footsteps halted in the hallway before a newspaper dispenser mounted on the wall.
[Probe Industries Signs Massive Tech Partnership with Maker Sect]
[Custom Dolls Invented! Order a Maid Doll Identical to Yourself?]
The front-page headlines caught her eye.
Below them was a massive photo of a young man.
Dressed in a sharp suit, he stared confidently into the camera lens with a smile that said he owned the world.
'This guy...'
Han Yujeong's slender eyes narrowed slightly in a frown.
She tilted her head a bit.
The face was definitely familiar.
A vague sense of déjà vu brushed her mind.
'Where have I seen him before...?'
She was sure she'd seen him somewhere...
But remembering someone she'd bumped into just once several months ago wasn't easy.
'Whatever, it's not important.'
In the end, she shrugged it off lightly.
She slid the newspaper back into place and continued on her way.
Right now, she had far more pressing matters than some nameless young entrepreneur's face.
The new academy life that was about to begin today.
An enigmatic, serene smile returned to her lips.
With excitement and anticipation in her heart, she headed toward the auditorium where the crowds were gathering.
The vast auditorium was packed with hundreds—no, thousands—of people.
The buzz of excited fervor, taut tension, and vague expectations filled the entire space like a humming din.
Even in that chaos, Han Yujeong remained a calm island of tranquility.
Through her narrowed eyes, she glimpsed all sorts of faces flashing by. Each one here for their own dreams and goals, no doubt.
She wove gracefully through the crowd, searching for her assigned seat.
That's when a rowdy conversation reached her ears.
"Hey, Kim Do-yoon! Look at your clothes, seriously. What is this? You didn't sleep in them last night, did you?"
The lively voice belonged to a young girl with fiery red hair. She was nagging the black-haired boy in front of her about his outfit.
"Ugh, why again! I ironed everything neatly before coming!"
The boy protested innocently, but the girl paid no mind.
"This is ironed? Your collar's all wrinkled. You wanna look sloppy on the first day? Come here."
With practiced ease, she began smoothing out the boy's wrinkled uniform collar by hand.
'They get along well.'
Han Yujeong glanced at them sidelong with a faint smile.
She slipped quietly past them and checked the number on her admission ticket. F-17.
Following the faintly etched numbers on the floor, she found her seat at last.
She sat ramrod straight, hands neatly folded in her lap.
The principal's tedious address would begin soon.
Her breathing was even, her mind calm.
But right then.
A new commotion erupted near the auditorium entrance.
Murmurs spread like waves.
"Hey, look over there. Isn't that Gold Sun from the Gold Family?"
"For real... He's a freshman this year too."
"Whoa, first time seeing him in person. No joke. What an entrance—he's causing a huge scene already."
The surrounding students stared with eyes full of curiosity and awe.
"Out of the way! Move it!"
With a haughty voice, the crowd parted to either side.
Through the gap strode a student with majestic poise.
Tanned bronze skin, muscular build, and slicked-back golden hair.
From head to toe, he was decked out in the finest luxury brands.
In Tartaros, where wealth reigned supreme, it was no surprise for the heir of such a massive family.
"What're you staring at? Eyes down!"
"Coming through."
"Please make way."
Flanking him were two burly bodyguards shadowing him like ghosts.
But they weren't ordinary bodyguards.
Hunter Academy strictly forbade outside hunters from entering during orientation.
'Which means...'
They were dolls.
Identical to humans in appearance, but their eyes held no emotion, and their voices were cold and mechanical.
"Approach within one meter is prohibited."
Han Yujeong watched the scene quietly.
The newspaper article she'd just seen flashed back in her mind.
'Probe Industries... Yeah, the startup that popped up out of nowhere two months ago, claiming to have developed custom dolls...'
Han Yujeong nodded slightly, watching with interest.
'As expected of a great family. Early adopters...'
She was lost in that oddly off-kilter thought when.
It all went down.
Gold Sun, striding arrogantly, collided shoulders with someone.
Or more accurately, shoulder-checked him.
Kim Do-yoon's face twisted in embarrassment.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't see..."
As he started to apologize, Gold Sun roughly grabbed his collar.
"Hey, you little shit. Are your eyes just for show? You know who I am and you bump into me?"
Kim Do-yoon's face showed clear bewilderment.
But he wasn't scared. If anything, his eyes sharpened fiercely.
"I was about to apologize first, but your attitude is something else. Let go of me."
"What? This punk talking back?"
Anyone could see it was Gold Sun picking a fight.
Han Yujeong read their auras.
Gold Sun was just a spoiled young master with a big frame, but Kim Do-yoon radiated a far stronger, more solid energy.
Naturally, she figured Gold Sun would come out on the losing end.
But what unfolded after their exchange was nothing like she'd expected.
"Hey, you two. What are you waiting for? Deal with him."
At Gold Sun's single command, the two bulky doll bodyguards lunged at the boy without hesitation.
Thud! Bam!
Kim Do-yoon was caught off guard.
He blocked the incoming fist with his arm.
"Urk...!"
A heavy impact rippled through his body.
He quickly backpedaled, regaining his stance. It was orientation, so he hadn't brought a weapon.
"What the hell? Those guys pros? Hunters? How'd they get in here?"
Anyone could tell they were martial fighters. Hunters.
He had no idea they were dolls. Clones.
Perhaps three-quarters of the original's power.
With that level of combat ability, Kim Do-yoon might've handled one barehanded.
But two was too much.
They attacked from both sides in perfect sync.
Their movements held no emotion, no hesitation.
Only cold killing intent to subdue the foe.
Kim Do-yoon desperately dodged and blocked.
But it didn't last.
A massive fist finally slammed into his gut.
"Guh...!"
He crumpled to the floor.
His childhood friend, Yoon Ha-rin, screamed and rushed over.
"Do-yoon! You bastards!"
Gold Sun eyed her red hair and beauty with a sleazy grin.
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. You know what happens if you use skills here, right?"
Yoon Ha-rin gritted her teeth at his words.
Using skills during orientation—in the auditorium no less—was strictly forbidden.
"And how do you bring pro hunters to orientation? That's a clear violation of the rules!"
"Hunters? If you've got eyes, look properly. They're not hunters. Custom dolls ordered straight from our family. Gotta admit, these dolls are pretty lifelike these days."
"Dolls...?"
Han Yujeong pondered Gold Sun's claim inwardly.
Who'd believe that so easily?
Dolls that realistic, acting so human?
But contrary to her expectation, Yoon Ha-rin backed off, grinding her teeth at the word "dolls."
'Huh...'
And it wasn't just her.
The other students were surprised too, but accepted it as fact.
"Whoa... Those are from Probe, right? To buy dolls with that performance... The Gold Family's wealth is on another level."
"Reservations are backed up for months. Even money has limits."
Han Yujeong tilted her head at their reactions.
'Was I the only one out of the loop on dolls...?'
Right around then.
An instructor arrived to break it up.
A beautiful woman with long pink hair flowing down her back pushed through the crowd with sharp, clicking steps.
"What is this commotion?"
"Instructor? Eh, just a little scuffle."
"...Looks like it's clearly your fault to anyone watching. Causing trouble on day one. Come with me. Now."
"Y-Yes. Understood, Instructor."
Gold Sun smirked and followed her obediently.
But before leaving, he didn't forget to warn the surrounding students.
"Everyone see that? That's what happens if you mess with me. Got it?"
At that exact moment.
Seraphina's eyes gleamed coldly.
Her fingers twitched lightly in the air.
Then Gold Sun's arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
Crack—
"Gaaahhh!"
"M-Master!"
Gold Sun's scream erupted.
The bodyguard dolls rushed in, but their bodies twisted the same way.
Seraphina spoke icily to everyone.
"That's right. Mess with me, and this happens. Now come on."
With that, she dragged the writhing Gold Sun away.
The chaotic auditorium fell silent in an instant at her overwhelming display.
A tense standoff.
Everyone held their breath, watching.
'I hope that guy's okay...'
Han Yujeong quietly observed as the situation settled.
The fallen Kim Do-yoon was helped to the infirmary by his childhood friend and other students.
New tech always created legal gray areas, but dolls identical to humans—even mimicking skills?
'Might squeeze out low-tier hunters even more.'
Still, she didn't see it as a bad thing.
She glanced down at her rapier.
Not everyone had to pin their hopes on combat to survive.
The further from fighting, the higher the survival odds.
"There was a minor disturbance."
As Han Yujeong pondered this.
The academy principal finally took the stage.
Rene Moro.
The current Hunter Academy principal, known as the "Reformer" for turning it into a brutal arena of competition.
Dressed in a black coat and bowler hat, with a neatly trimmed beard, Rene Moro stood at the microphone, slowly surveying the students.
A faint smile graced his lips, but his eyes weren't smiling at all.
"Dear freshmen. I sincerely welcome you to Hunter Academy. You all have high expectations, I'm sure. New knowledge. New skills... All for humanity's hope and this world's future."
"But this academy won't make you heroes. It only teaches you to endure the rifts' disasters a bit longer, a bit more viciously than others."
"So please, survive until the very end of the coming apocalypse. That is the sole value you must prove here. Learn the diverse knowledge offered and survive the doom ahead."