The First Day's Practical Class
"Time's up." The video floating behind Instructor Bang Soo-hwan vanished. "My class is over. As you saw on the timetable, the next lesson is practical training. Check your phones and move to your assigned classrooms."
Along with the rest of the students, I pulled out my phone and checked the room assignment. Most theory classes were held with all first-years together in one place, but practical lessons couldn't be conducted that way. Just like during the entrance exam, we were split into groups of two hundred.
It's going to be in the mock battle rooms. Those rooms allowed us to experience realistic combat in a completely safe environment.
Room 3, huh. My destination was Mock Battle Room 3.
"Jin. Which room did you get? I got Room 2." Yee Eun-chae held up her smartphone, clearly hoping we had been placed together. I gave her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, we missed each other. I'm in Room 3."
"Ah…" Disappointment flashed across her face. "I wanted to be in the same group as you… Can't we switch?"
"I wish we could, but I don't think that's allowed."
"I see…"
Watching her sulk, I was reminded of the novel's description. It had compared her disappointed expression to a dejected puppy, and the comparison was spot-on.
"I'm in Room 2 as well." Arian had also been assigned to Room 2. Though she hid it better than Yee Eun-chae, she looked equally disappointed.
"Me too… Room 2." Yoo Eun-chae's disappointment ran even deeper. She had clearly been looking forward to spending the lesson with me and strengthening our bond.
Seo Moon-hyun is in Room 2. Lee Se-na, on the other hand, was in Room 3 with me. I hadn't interfered with the room assignments this time; the numbers had been randomized. They would change every practical lesson anyway.
Lee Se-na, huh. It wouldn't hurt to create a light connection with her during this class. At the same time, it was a good opportunity to plant a few convenient misunderstandings in Seo Moon-hyun's head.
Yee Eun-chae and Arian would never grow close to him, and Yoo Eun-chae was already prioritizing her relationship with me. Still, simply letting Seo Moon-hyun believe he had risen in status would be enough.
"Jin, I hope we can take the next class together…" Yee Eun-chae said, looking reluctant to leave.
I nodded. "I feel the same. See you later, Eun-chae, Arian, Hyun-ah."
"Yeah… See you later, Jin."
"See you later, Seo Moon-jin."
"Ah, um… See you later, Jin."
While Yee Eun-chae and Arian responded naturally, Yoo Eun-chae wore a visibly relieved expression at being called by name. We parted ways outside the classroom and headed to our respective lessons.
Rooms 3 and 2 are right next to each other on the map, yet they're in completely opposite directions. The National Hero Academy was enormous. Even after leaving the classroom, it took a solid five minutes of walking before I reached Mock Battle Room 3.
Here it is. The moment I stepped inside, I saw ten additional chambers lined up within the larger room. Those were the actual training spaces.
"Whoa, the top-ranked freshman is in our room?"
"We might get to see his skills up close."
Students who entered after me kept glancing my way and murmuring in excitement. Even though it was only a mock battle, the prospect of practical combat was enough to stir the blood of these energetic first-years. Unless someone was as skilled at hiding their power as I was, most people wanted to unleash their abilities freely. On top of that, they were curious to witness the strength of the student who had scored highest on the entrance exam.
"Ah." Not everyone reacted with excitement. One girl flinched slightly upon noticing me.
She had long beige hair and soft light-brown eyes. Her gentle, pure aura immediately gave off the impression of a healer. Lee Se-na. The original protagonist Seo Moon-hyun's childhood friend and first heroine, who had met a tragic end after being abandoned due to his sudden personality shift.
She's really pretty. Up close, Lee Se-na looked even more beautiful in the academy uniform. Unlike the other heroines, she and I had no prior connection, but that was about to change starting with this lesson.
"Is everyone here?" A burly man in his thirties with a large scar on his face walked in. He was the instructor in charge of Mock Battle Room 3.
"My name is Park Do-jun. I'll be your instructor for this class. I'm more of a practical type, so I'm not a professor, but I'll still be teaching you."
Park Do-jun swept his gaze over us. "Hm. The top freshman is here too. Let me warn you right now—don't think you can carry the entire class just because you're strong. My lessons aren't about measuring individual power."
"Yes, I understand."
I answered politely yet firmly. I already knew exactly how Park Do-jun's classes worked.
The National Hero Academy focuses on growth as a hero, not just raw strength. It wasn't enough to simply become stronger. We had to learn how to wield that power responsibly and protect others. Just as the theory class had emphasized from the start, this practical lesson would continue that lesson. Although the mock battles were safe, caution was still required.
"All right. Check your phones for your team numbers. I'll be dividing you two hundred students into teams of twenty."
The moment he finished speaking, a message arrived on everyone's phones.
Team 6. Lee Se-na was also on Team 6. Of course, I had given reality a slight nudge.
Reality Manipulation.
Name: Reality Manipulation
Grade: S
Type: Active
Effect: The flow of the world is altered so that whatever you desire becomes reality.
As an S-rank skill, it was one of the most broken abilities that had manifested after synchronization. Because it was an artificial power, it wasn't completely irresistible when used on people, but when the outcome depended on luck—like gambling or random number assignments—it was trivial to manipulate.
Matching Lee Se-na's number with mine had been effortless. I generally avoided using this power on people, so I only employed it for things like this or winning the lottery.
"You should see the rooms now. Once you have your numbers, move quickly. Head to your assigned chambers!"
""Yes, Instructor!""
The students answered loudly and filed into their respective rooms. Our group of twenty—fifteen boys and five girls, including Lee Se-na and myself—entered Room 6.
The interior was surprisingly empty. Only twenty chairs sat in the middle of the space. No one voiced any confusion.
"Ah, virtual reality, huh. That's a bit disappointing."
"Yeah. If it's practical training, I wish we could move around for real."
Two male students grumbled. They clearly wanted to use their abilities freely in reality rather than in a simulation. Then Park Do-jun's voice echoed through the room.
[Ahem, ahem! Can you hear me? From now on, you'll be experiencing mock battles inside a virtual space. Since it's your first day, I won't give specific instructions. Just act as you see fit! However, remember that your performance today will greatly influence your future evaluations!]
The reactions among the twenty students varied. Lee Se-na, whose specialty was healing rather than combat, looked tense. The two boys who had complained earlier were grinning at the prospect of free rein. Several girls appeared anxious.
It's a hassle, but I should take this seriously. I did decide to live as a model student, after all. Those two idiots who didn't understand the purpose of the lesson and just wanted to play around also needed to be corrected if I wanted my score to rise. Today's mock battle was a trap class designed to thoroughly evaluate not only our abilities and teamwork, but also our character.
Lee Se-na. This moment was also the perfect opportunity to leave a deep impression on her.