The Academy's Start 3: Declaring the Immeasurable
Dean Decard, who had declared the measurement impossible and turned away, scratched his graying hair vigorously.
"Phew..." He let out a light sigh as he gazed at the shards of the shattered crystal orb. That orb had been worth the price of an entire building.
"If he'd awakened, he should've just said so... that damn brat."
The seventh son of the Cult Leader, the Seventh Prince. It was the first time an heir had awakened before even entering the academy.
He shook his head at the innocent remnants of the mana measurement crystal orb.
"Already at 3 Circle (Master). What a monster."
Dean Decard could faintly see the halo blooming behind Hadojin's back. Three layers of radiance. Raw, unrefined crimson-black mana was visible to the dean's eyes.
And then an even more astonishing sight followed.
The Seventh Prince's pet was licking the shards of the broken crystal orb. It looked like a honey slime rabbit at a glance, but Dean Decard was stunned by the immense mana emanating from the pet.
"Raising a beast like that as a pet..."
It wasn't licking the shards—it was devouring the mana coating them. A mana-eating beast... and one from the honey slime lineage that could freely change its form.
"A predatory-type beast, huh..."
Dean Decard slowly walked toward Hadojin. Desire for the beast began to simmer in his eyes.
"Student Hadojin?"
"Yes, Dean."
Dean Decard's expression twisted slightly at the sinister crimson-black mana radiating from Hadojin. He already knew the boy had been born between an upper demon and the Cult Leader.
"Would you sell me that beast of yours? In exchange, I'll teach you an S-rank mana trap."
"Oh my! You're offering to teach me an S-rank formation?"
Decard chuckled heartily at Hadojin, whose eyes had widened round. Despite the corrupted mana, he didn't give off the sleazy vibe of the other heirs. Maybe it was the high-pitched, egenam-like tone or the way he covered his mouth.
"A formation? Haha, you could call it that. It's magic that manipulates the mana flow of the terrain, after all."
Hadojin suddenly bit his lower lip and lowered his voice tone.
"I appreciate the offer, but I can't sell my child."
"...Your child? I've been rude."
Seeing the shift in voice tone made Decard realize he'd made an unnecessary request. A dean trying to take a pet from a brand-new freshman—what a sight.
Dean Decard bowed his head in embarrassment and apologized to Hadojin politely.
"Pretend you didn't hear that. Come find me later, and I'll prepare a gift for your beast."
Hadojin was startled by the dean's un-authoritative apology and bowed even deeper.
"Thank you for showing interest in my Mochi. He's thrilled too."
"Oh ho... so you can read each other's minds?"
Dean Decard stroked his beard and examined Hadojin closely, thinking to himself.
'He's definitely different from the other heirs. They said he was an egenam... is that why?'
The Cult Leader's heirs, created through the Special Talent Development Department's Genesis Project. After watching those arrogant heirs flaunt their status, seeing one who knew manners was refreshing.
On the other hand, Hadojin's thoughts as he looked at Dean Decard were different.
'A 7 Circle (High Master) archmage recognizes Mochi's value.'
An S-rank mana trap. Identical to the formations in wuxia novels, but an installable spell powered by mana. The academy's Dean Decard was a grandmaster who had revolutionized mana traps.
Tak!
Dean Decard tapped the floor once with his staff. The sound made several students flinch, and all eyes focused on him. His lips moved as he stroked his beard firmly.
"Student Hadojin will be assigned to the special class."
The hall buzzed at the mention of the special class. No freshman had ever been placed there before.
As the dean finished speaking and turned to leave—
"Wait a moment!"
The student council president, wearing a red armband, stepped forward. Carlos von Hohenberg—the one who had tried to humiliate Hadojin and gotten burned instead. His face was a mix of third-year top-student pride and council president confidence. Having only recently entered the special class himself, his expression twisted.
"Dean, this needs verification!"
Carlos picked up a shard of the crystal orb scattered on the floor. Crimson-black mana still clung to it.
"Look at this color! It's not normal mana! This is clearly demonic—"
Kuwoong!
The dean's staff slammed the floor, cracking it. The shockwave made Carlos stagger.
"Carlos von Hohenberg."
The dean's voice turned icy cold.
"What do you want to verify... and what are you trying to say?"
"I-I just want to ensure the students' safety—"
"Carlos... Do you know that 'cult decree' refers to the decisions of the cult elders' council, and that your actions question the cult itself?"
The dean approached step by step. Though small in stature, his presence rivaled a giant's.
"Are you, a mere third-year 3 Circle (Master), trying to compare your insight to the collective wisdom of the seven elders?"
"Absolutely not!"
Carlos dropped to his knees. He realized his misjudgment too late, but it was already over.
"Carlos von Hohenberg... I strip you of your student council president position."
"Dean!"
"Six months of confinement. Copy 'Cult Hierarchy Theory' 5,000 times in the library."
"Please, just once—"
"7,000 times."
Carlos shut his mouth. His red armband unraveled and fell to the floor on its own—the moment his magical authority was revoked.
"Drag him out and resume freshman mana measurements."
Two guards appeared and dragged Carlos away. His screams echoed down the hallway.
"Dean... please reconsider! I'm from the noble house of Hohenberg...!"
The door slammed shut, cutting off the sound.
Dean Decard turned to Hadojin with a warm smile. The cold demeanor from moments ago was gone.
"Student Hadojin, the special class is inside the building ahead."
"Dean. Could I choose the class I want to join?"
Hadojin's question made Dean Decard's eyes widen slightly.
"Do you want the hunter class? It's below special class, but if you insist, I'll specially approve it. Basics are important too."
"Thank you, Dean. But... I want to join the gathering class."
The auditorium buzzed again at Hadojin's bombshell declaration.
"He's joking, right?"
"Giving up special class for gathering class?"
"Is he crazy?"
At that moment, Valerius burst into mocking laughter. The prodigy son of the Kreuzer family from the Almadian Kingdom, who had measured nearly 2,000 mana. He doubted Hadojin had enough power to shatter the orb.
"Ha! So it was all bluff. A coward running to gathering class because he can't even use proper magic."
The gathering class was for the lowest students, with mana under 50. No monster hunting—just gathering herbs and picking up minerals, menial chores.
Hadojin glanced at Valerius once, then looked back at Dean Decard.
"Isn't the gathering class the perfect place to learn from the basics?"
Dean Decard stared at Hadojin. His eyes flickered with complex emotions.
The seventh son of the Cult Leader. A 3 Circle (Master) awakener who had been disqualified as heir, then reinstated by cult decree.
"I heard even the Cult Leader started from the lowest tasks. Please allow it."
He wanted to keep the demon-human hybrid close and watch his growth. Plus, having the Cult Leader's sons clash was a burden. It hadn't been long since he'd quelled the dispute between the first and second sons.
"...Very well."
Surprisingly, he approved readily.
At Dean Decard's response, Harin shot her hand up.
"I'll go to gathering class too! I need basics!"
"You're already set for hunter class—"
"I want to build more foundation!"
Dean Decard shook his head.
There was no reason to refuse when he'd already sent Hadojin there.
"If you value basics that much, no helping it. Both of you to gathering class."
Dean Decard let out a weary groan and headed to a quiet corner.
The mana measurements continued in the auditorium.
Harin stood behind me, grinning ear to ear.
"Gathering class too!"
"Aigoo... you need tank training in hunter class!"
"You can train me as a tank, big bro!"
Harina talking like a boy was too cute—dangerously so for my heart. She just wanted to be with me.
"Ppii~ Ppii."
Mochi was nuzzling from my shoulder to my head. After the chat with Dean Decard, he'd gotten even more clingy.
"Hey, Hadojin..."
"Ah... Professor."
Turning around, it was Amagi Souma. He approached with a sly grin.
"Great choice. Gathering class..."
He whispered in my ear.
"That was Hadomong and Hadomyeol's joint work. The fresh golem."
Amagi Souma's curved eyes narrowed further.
"Not telling you to get revenge—just to avoid it."
"Thank you. But if someone hates me for no reason, what would you do, Professor?"
My counter-question made one of Amagi Souma's eyebrows twitch up.
"That's how I am. If someone hates me without reason... I gotta give 'em a real reason to hate me."
"Even if it means war?"
"...Yeah. Even war."
Amagi Souma's shoulders shook violently.
"Wahahaha! A real badass showed up, huh? Fine. If you get bored picking flowers in gathering class, come find me. I'll make you strong."
"Thank you."
I bowed politely to Amagi Souma. I knew this spiky-haired guy with the outdated monocle—the smile guy—was the strongest martial artist, surpassing even the Fist King.
That's when it happened.
Mochi climbed onto Amagi Souma's shoulder and licked his cheek.
"Kuhaha! What's with this guy?"
"Kyaa! Sorry! Mochi's never climbed on anyone else's shoulder before."
I hurriedly grabbed Mochi and put him back on my shoulder. I was so flustered I let out an egenam-like scream.
The reason I was shocked enough to yell "Kyaa" was because—
I'd read Mochi's emotions through Life Detection.
His feeling was... hunger for Amagi Souma.
