Monstrous Results

The National Imperial Junior Academy was in an uproar. In front of the massive stone pillar, the crowd of genius students buzzed with restless energy. Having just completed their second written exam, they all looked up, their eyes fixed on the rankings manifesting upon the stone's surface. Bukjin’s name sat at the very top, occupying the first-place slot with a staggering score of 100. That perfect mark loomed over the other prodigies like a great mountain, heavy and suffocating.

Naturally, Bukjin wasn't the only one at the summit this time either. Ya Mi-ang and Im Jin had also secured 100 points, resulting in a three-way tie for first place. To most, Im Jin’s perfect score wasn't particularly shocking. She was already widely recognized as the most brilliant genius in Unmong City, and her reputation was well-earned. In every competition and examination held in the city, she had consistently demonstrated a level of skill that left her peers in the dust.

However, Ya Mi-ang was a different story. As a young priestess from the Sword Lord Temple, she was a virtual unknown—a dark horse who had suddenly appeared on the scene. She had never participated in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition before, yet here she was, matching the legendary Im Jin stride for stride. The other geniuses were reeling from the shock.

The students' gazes naturally converged on the trio of Bukjin, Im Jin, and Ya Mi-ang. A single, baffling question echoed through their minds: How on earth are we supposed to tell which of these three monsters is the best?

Other top-tier geniuses like Im Ui, So So-yeon, and Jo Pacheon had scored 98, trailing by a mere two points. At the very bottom of the list was Jeong Su-chae from the 6th Academy, with a score of 78. The girl who had been so quick to criticize others had now become the object of their disdain. While no one laughed at her openly, the contempt in their eyes was palpable. Jeong Su-chae covered her face, her head hanging low in humiliated silence.

"Looking at this, it seems all ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠four of us will pass the first gate without any trouble!" Han Bul-bu exclaimed, his voice thick with excitement. He was the greatest genius the 3rd Academy's third-year class had produced in years. Having carried the academy's expectations on his shoulders, he had always assumed he would have to fight this battle alone. He never imagined that three other outstanding classmates would emerge to stand beside him, all performing brilliantly. This unexpected camaraderie made the usually stoic Han Bul-bu’s blood boil with youthful passion.

Ak Hong-hyang looked at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her score of 84 and felt a surge of satisfaction. While lower than Han Bul-bu’s 89, it was higher than Baek Geum-un’s 82. Though it placed her in the lower-middle tier of the 72 representatives, it was an incredible achievement that far exceeded her usual performance.

Among the four from the 3rd Academy, only Bukjin wore a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠long face. The thought of having ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to split the prize money again was agonizing. To him, losing money felt as painful as losing a family member. Are these two women trying to make my life miserable on purpose?

Thick-skinned as ever, Bukjin approached Im Jin and Ya Mi-ang once more. He shamelessly proposed that they split the 10 gold taels in a 4:3:3 ratio, with him taking the lion's share. The two girls looked at him, their expressions flat. His blatant greed was so exasperating they both felt a sudden, violent urge to smack him upside the head.

"Lady Im, you must stay strong! You absolutely cannot be the first to drop out!" Ya Mi-ang said with a provocative smile toward Im Jin.

Im Jin turned away, walking back toward the testing hall as she replied, "Even if this is your first time in such a competition, as the rightful mistress here, I have no intention of yielding to you. Try your best to keep up. I’ll make sure your boring life as a priestess is marked by a memory you'll never forget."

Ya Mi-ang’s smile only brightened at the challenge.

A short while later, the third written exam—Mystic Array Theory—began. Bukjin maintained his record-breaking pace, submitting his paper in just fifteen minutes. The content of this exam was far more profound than herbalism; it tested the students' fundamental understanding of martial theory. Consequently, even Im Jin, who finished right after Bukjin, didn't emerge from the hall until thirty minutes after he had already left.

As Im Jin stepped out, Ya Mi-ang followed close on her heels. Their eyes met in mid-air, and for a moment, it felt as though sparks of fierce rivalry were flying between them. Bukjin, who had finished long ago, sat on a nearby step with his chin in his hands, watching the two girls with amusement.

Those two really have it out for each other. Sigh, is this all because of me? Ah! Why was I born so handsome and dashing? There was a saying that excessive beauty invited disaster. Bukjin didn't want such a fate. I should probably lower my profile and act a bit more humble. But will my overwhelming talent even allow that? Bukjin let out a small, dramatic sigh.

About an hour later, the third exam concluded. With that, the first phase of the competition—the three written subjects—came to an end. The final scores were revealed on the stone pillar.

Bukjin was still the undisputed number one. Furthermore, his score hadn't dropped by a single point; he sat at a perfect 100! It was a legendary performance. However, the scores of the two girls everyone was watching had finally shifted. Im Jin and Ya Mi-ang had failed to achieve a perfect score this time. Yet, as if they were fated rivals, they both received exactly 99 points. Jo Pacheon also scored a 99, joining them in a tie for second place.

Baek Geum-un scored 78, placing her second to last, while Han Bul-bu stayed in the upper-middle tier with an 86. Ak Hong-hyang, who was once again the last to submit her paper, pulled off a miraculous feat by scoring a 96. The only students who scored higher than her were Wang Hyeong-yeo and Mi Yeo-yeon with 97, Chang San-seol and So So-yeon with 98, and Im Ui with 98.5. In terms of ranking for this specific exam, Ak Hong-hyang was 6th!

"Whoa! Junior Ak, I had no idea you had such a talent for Mystic Arrays!" Han Bul-bu said, sounding like he couldn't believe his ears. Her score had far exceeded even Bukjin and Baek Geum-un’s expectations.

Bukjin rubbed his brow. That’s strange. It’s natural for me to get a perfect score since I’m copying the answers from my smartphone, but how did Junior Ak get such a high mark? She didn't show this kind of brilliance during the academy's mid-year competition.

"The thing is... would you believe me if I said I never expected to get this score myself?" Ak Hong-hyang looked just as bewildered as everyone else. During the exam, she had felt the questions were incredibly difficult—far beyond the level of what she had studied. She hadn't fully understood many of the problems and had simply written down answers based on her own intuition and reasoning. She had hoped for a 70 at best. To her shock, she had received a 96.

Could it be that every answer I deduced was actually correct? Ak Hong-hyang was completely at a loss. What on earth is happening?

The first gate of the competition ended with a cloud of questions hanging over Ak Hong-hyang’s head. Shortly after, the final rankings for the written portion were announced.

Bukjin’s performance was nothing short of monstrous. He had successfully continued the miracle he had started at the 3rd Academy's mid-year competition. Im Jin and Ya Mi-ang, representing the National Imperial Junior Academy and the Sword Lord Temple respectively, were tied for second with 299 points.

The results were a far cry from what the city's famous gamblers had predicted. Many had placed high hopes on Dongbang Jeon, but he had ended up in 51st place with a total of 254 points. However, this wasn't an entirely unacceptable result. The written portion only accounted for 20% of the total score for the competition. While Dongbang Jeon’s performance was lackluster compared to his reputation, his martial prowess was undeniable. He was already a Martial Warrior, and in a previous duel, he had once used a single sword to drive Bukjin into a corner. His fame was no empty boast.

Because of this, while the written scores caused a stir, they weren't expected to have a massive impact on the overall outcome of the competition. Furthermore, there was an ominous legend surrounding the event: historically, the student who placed first in the written exams almost always performed poorly in the practical martial arts portion.

Still, the written exams held the power of fate. Once the first gate was closed, Jeong Su-chae and ten other students whose scores were noticeably lacking were ruthlessly eliminated. As the list of names was announced, Jeong Su-chae and the others burst into tears of bitter disappointment. They would no longer be able to participate in the competition, relegated to mere spectators watching from the sidelines. But no one offered them sympathy. In this world, weakness was a sin.

"That concludes today's testing," announced Lee Ung-bu, the Chief of the Education Bureau, from the podium. He offered a word of praise to Bukjin and the other top performers before distributing the prize money.

"Starting tomorrow, the practical martial arts examinations will begin. I hope all of you will persevere and show the full extent of the talent that makes you the pride of Unmong City."

With that, the first day of the competition came to a close. The distinguished guests were the first to depart, followed by the instructors leading their respective students out of the Imperial Academy.