For the Glory of the Academy
Bukjin lowered his head and stared blankly at his own palms. I-I can’t believe it! I actually blew up a 6th-grade Testing Stone!
He realized that the effects of his smartphone apps were far beyond his wildest imagination. For the past few days, he had kept the Intermediate Mystic Qi Condensation app running constantly in the background. He hadn't been paying much attention to it, but his Mystic Qi had been steadily rising every second the app was active.
Bukjin couldn't even begin to guess what level his Mystic Qi had reached now. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over him. I broke three of those stones... I heard they’re incredibly expensive. They’re not going to make me pay for them, are they?
Cho Heun rubbed his eyes and stared at the shattered remains of the Testing Stone. He looked back and forth between the debris and Bukjin, his expression a mix of shock and bewilderment. Finally, he turned his head toward the spectator stands, looking at Lee Cheong-hyeon as if pleading for help.
However, even Lee Cheong-hyeon, the man known as the Iron-Faced Venomous Tongue, wore a look of utter consternation. An explosion? For a 6th-grade Testing Stone to shatter like that, his Mystic Qi must be at least 7th-grade... How is that possible? Could there really have been a defect in the stones?
Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Lee Cheong-hyeon blurred into motion, utilizing a high-level movement technique to appear on the sparring platform in an instant.
"What cultivation method have you been practicing?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Bukjin.
"It is the Intermediate Mystic Qi Condensation, sir," Bukjin replied.
Upon hearing the answer, Lee Cheong-hyeon and Cho Heun exchanged a stunned glance. Intermediate Mystic Qi Condensation was a common subject taught at every junior academy in Unmong City. Theoretically, the absolute ceiling for Mystic Qi one could accumulate through that method was the 7th grade.
Therefore, unless there was some hidden secret within the technique that they were unaware of, Bukjin’s current cultivation could only be described as the Peak Great Perfection of the Intermediate Mystic Qi Condensation. Theoretically, it made sense. But...
Who among the second-year students in a junior academy could possibly master the Intermediate Mystic Qi Condensation to the level of Peak Great Perfection? Perhaps such a monster existed at the National Imperial Junior Academy. But within the walls of the 3rd Junior Swordsman Academy? Absolutely not.
While it was theoretically possible to reach the 7th grade with it, actually achieving it was considered an impossible feat. In the entire North Sea Empire, it would be difficult to find a single person who had accomplished such a thing—excluding those who had already passed away young due to various circumstances. In short, anyone who could do this was a peerless talent, a once-in-a-generation genius. The probability of such a person appearing was infinitesimally small.
The entire training grounds fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. The students watching the scene looked as if they had seen a ghost. Oh So-bang, standing there with his body wrapped in bandages, felt a deep, hollow despair settle in his chest.
Until now, Oh So-bang had clung to a shred of pride, refusing to acknowledge Bukjin’s superiority. But facing this overwhelming reality, that pride had vanished. If the gap between him and Bukjin were something that could be bridged with effort, he might have remained defiant. But before a difference that transcended his very understanding of reality, he couldn't even muster the will to compete.
Oh So-bang had no confidence that he could ever close the distance. At that moment, the thought took root in his mind: I might never catch up to him. The boy once hailed as the genius of the second year had finally tasted absolute defeat. It felt as if someone had ruthlessly trampled a flower that was just beginning to bloom.
Even the third-year geniuses in attendance, including Gwan Bi-do, stood with slack-jawed expressions. 7th-grade Mystic Qi? It was a realm beyond their imagination. Even Gwan Bi-do, who was ranked among the top three in the third year, had yet to reach that level. It was likely a realm that even the third-year valedictorian, Han Bul-bu, could not touch.
Beyond mere surprise, it was terrifying. They began to wonder if Bukjin was even the same species as them.
Mok Sim-wol felt the same way. As she watched the situation unfold, a look of profound realization dawned in her eyes. And then... tears of regret began to track down her cheeks.
If she had known just a little sooner that Bukjin was this powerful, she would never have broken up with him. Having a genius like Bukjin as a boyfriend would have provided her with infinite utility. Mok Sim-wol had always believed that Bukjin’s greatest value lay in his father and his noble house; the moment he lost that background, she had discarded him without hesitation.
But Bukjin was a diamond in the rough, a man whose intrinsic value far surpassed any family name or background. What a waste... A wave of uncontrollable regret and anger surged from the depths of her heart. She hadn't been the one to dump Bukjin; she was the one who had been discarded by her own shortsightedness.
Meanwhile, Jeong Sam-seok, who understood Bukjin better than anyone else, seemed the least shocked. Of course, the result Bukjin produced defied common sense, but at this point, nothing the boy did felt truly strange anymore. Since the kid claimed to train in his dreams, it seemed only natural that he would pull off another miracle.
Cho Heun and Lee Cheong-hyeon held a brief discussion. They decided that procuring a 7th-grade Testing Stone just to measure Bukjin’s exact level was unnecessary.
"After consultation between the faculty and the Special Inspector, we have concluded that Im Bukjin’s Mystic Qi is at the 7th grade!" Cho Heun announced the final result himself.
Bukjin had no objections. He was just relieved they weren't asking him to pay for the broken stones. He worried that if they brought out a 7th-grade stone and he broke that too, he’d be in real trouble. In truth, he was still uneasy. Even he didn't know the full extent of the smartphone app's power. Besides, since he had already secured first place in the Annual Competition, his exact Mystic Qi level didn't matter much anymore. It was enough to know that he was incredibly strong.
The students below the platform accepted the result without a word. The fact that the 6th-grade stone had exploded was proof enough that his Qi was at least 7th-grade.
Following the announcement, Special Inspector Lee Cheong-hyeon stepped forward to announce the final four students of the Annual Competition. The four who earned the right to represent the academy in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition were Bukjin, Mok Sim-wol, Oh So-bang, and Ak Hong-hyang.
It was a moment of great honor, but for the other three, they felt like mere ornaments meant to make Bukjin shine even brighter. With his handsome features and terrifying skill, Bukjin’s prestige was absolute. To the observers, Bukjin was like the protagonist of a novel—a handsome, powerful youth who revealed his true self only after his family had fallen into ruin.
"The rewards for this competition are more bountiful than ever before. In addition to the prize money and the qualification for the Academic & Martial Arts Competition preliminaries, we have prepared martial arts manuals and medicinal pills," Cho Heun said with a smile.
"Traditionally, the winner of the competition is given the first choice of rewards. Come, Im Bukjin, make your selection."
The rewards were laid out on a long table made of black stone. There were four martial arts manuals and four medicinal pills.
Bukjin looked at the table, a panicked expression flickering across his face. How am I supposed to choose? I have no idea what any of these are!
He didn't recognize a single manual or pill on the table. He wanted to pull out his smartphone to look them up, but the situation didn't allow for it. He tried to ask Cho Heun for descriptions, but the Dean simply replied that the winner must choose for himself and that no outside advice could be given.
In the end, Bukjin decided to leave it to luck. Steeling his heart, he selected the Peerless Sword Body and the Spring-Restoring Powder. His reasoning was simple: they were the two items at the very front of the rows.
However, he immediately felt a sinking sensation that he had chosen poorly. The moment he made his selection, Cho Heun, Lee Cheong-hyeon, and even Jeong Sam-seok widened their eyes, staring at him as if he were a complete idiot who knew nothing of the world.
Dammit! Did I pick the wrong ones? What do I do now...
But the choice was made; there was no use in regretting it now.
"Phew..."
As an awkward silence filled the air, Bukjin’s quick wits kicked in. A faint, noble smile touched his lips as he spoke.
Bukjin spoke with a profoundly serious expression. And as soon as he finished his sentence, something extraordinary happened.
Coincidentally, the dark clouds that had blanketed the sky suddenly parted, and the sun peeked through. A brilliant, golden pillar of light descended through the gap in the clouds, illuminating Bukjin from behind.
In that moment, Bukjin appeared as if he were wreathed in a divine halo, his entire body shimmering. The scene was both sacred and majestic, and an indescribable aura seemed to radiate from him in all directions.
Cho Heun stared blankly, looking deeply moved by Bukjin’s words and the "sign" from the heavens. In his eyes, Bukjin was a boy of impeccable character and a righteous heart. Cho Heun felt his own heart swell with admiration. He began to think that this selfless version of Bukjin might be the boy's true nature. Even Lee Cheong-hyeon’s gaze softened as he looked at the youth.
Jeong Sam-seok, however, felt a bit differently. He remained skeptical. Because he had a fair understanding of what kind of brat Bukjin really was, he couldn't feel as at ease as the others. That damn kid... he’s definitely cooking up some other scheme he can’t tell anyone about.
Grade Dean Cho Heun, looking more impressed than anyone, spoke up.
"You have chosen the lowest-tier martial art and pill among the rewards. Truly, you are a student of vast heart and deep thought! However, we cannot treat our academy's greatest genius so poorly. Let us do this: if there is anything else you desire outside of these rewards, speak it. If it is within my power as Grade Dean to grant it, I shall do so."