Chapter 2. Academy
“You won’t be returning to the dorms for the next two weeks. So check your gear one last time, thoroughly.”
Instructor Andre urged the trainees to inspect their belongings right up until departure. They meticulously checked their packs one final time and slung them over their shoulders. Under the instructor’s lead, the trainees headed to the nearby demon realm.
He explained that the fifth week would be spent in the demon realm itself, and the sixth in its dungeon. Monsters appeared frequently there, but they weren’t all that formidable. In short, it was just right for gaining experience.
Right after leaving the academy, the instructor held back on giving orders. Instead, Rolshar von Kilbape, now the team leader, issued various commands. With some prior experience, he put on a decent show of leadership.
The group—including humans and various other races—marched all day before entering the demon realm. The atmosphere grew tense and eerie, as expected from a place teeming with monsters. But thanks to the survival skills they’d already mastered in the tutorial, they prepared methodically for every contingency. The instructor simply observed from a distance, intervening only rarely.
Even when monsters appeared, the trainees had to handle them on their own. Of course, the instructors would step in if lives were truly at stake, but surprise attacks occasionally led to fatalities. What could you do? Blame the dead ones for lacking the skill.
“The purpose of this exercise is to foster organic teamwork among you. The demon realm and dungeons are unpredictable—anything can happen at any moment. That’s why the team leader must make sound judgments in various situations, and the team members must follow faithfully.”
The instructor added that this training carried heavy weight in their scores, so everyone should give their all in their roles.
Rolshar seemed determined to set an exemplary standard as team leader this time; his actions and words carried extra vigor compared to usual.
Of course, they hadn’t come to the demon realm just to survive. Their goal was to track and rescue a missing person planted there as part of the scenario. The instructors had scattered clues and the mock target in advance.
So on the morning of the second day, they began a full-scale search. Late that afternoon, they finally found their first clue: signs that someone had camped there. That wrapped up the search for day two.
And that night, a monster appeared. Luckily, the watch spotted it early, and they dispatched it without issue.
The third day was a bust. On the fourth, they found another clue and scoured the area more thoroughly. The team’s appearance grew increasingly disheveled. You had to abandon any hopes of looking pretty once you entered the demon realm.
Anyway, on the afternoon of the sixth day, they finally discovered what they believed to be the target dummy. That concluded the search operation.
“It was pretty sloppy, but you found it in time, so good enough.” Expecting true professionalism from them was asking too much anyway. This was just about building experience.
No amount of practice runs—hundreds or thousands—could prepare greenhorns for the real thing. They’d freeze up out there. Some lessons could only be learned in the field.
…Exaggerating a bit, the very air changes the moment you step into it.
In any case, the trainees safely completed the fifth-week exercise. They rested easy on the final seventh day.
Then came the sixth week. All academy trainees gathered before the dungeon in the demon realm. After a week in the wilds, everyone looked ragged. Most seemed desperate to ditch the demon realm and dungeon and head back to the dorms.
Of course, those desperate wishes were utterly ignored.
After Instructor Aslan’s lengthy speech, teams entered the dungeon one by one. Soon it was the humans’ turn.
Rolshar led the way, torch in hand. The other four team members followed, with the instructor bringing up the rear.
This time, the objective was reconnaissance: grasping basic intel on the dungeon. Excluding the instructor and Ji-hyuk, the other four looked plenty tense. Makes sense—it was their first time in a dungeon.
Beyond the torchlight’s reach lay pitch blackness. Even team leader Rolshar seemed clueless about what to do next. So they just pressed forward blindly.
The dungeon was oppressively humid. Water dripped steadily from the ceiling, plinking off the trainees’ heads. Puddles dotted the floor, making it slick.
“Watch your step.” Seizing the moment, Rolshar sounded almost leader-like for once. Though he soon lapsed back into silence.
Ji-hyuk found navigating by a single torch annoying. He turned to Anna walking beside him.
“Can’t you use magic? You’re a level 2 mage, right? Can’t you make some light?”
Anna scoffed with a look of disbelief.
“That’s level 4 magic. Way beyond my level.”
“…Really?”
His old mage comrades had whipped up light orbs so effortlessly that he’d assumed it was basic stuff. Level 4 was still fairly advanced, though….
They endured the poor visibility and delved deeper. The air grew colder the further in they went. The first day in the dungeon passed like that.
It wasn’t a massive dungeon to begin with, so other teams came into view. No monsters, it seemed. They’d entered mainly to show what a dungeon was like.
The real challenge the trainees faced was water and food. Fortunately, they found clean-looking water to drink. But food was scarce, so they rationed strictly.
In truth, that was the main point of entering this dungeon. Unlike the forest, foraging here was nearly impossible—a harsh lesson in visibility and preparation.
The team spent the week feeling that desperation acutely before emerging. They were all skin and bones, faces gaunt. Without the emergency rations they’d packed, someone might’ve actually died.
Who knew dungeons were this brutal—. They were just glad there were no monsters.
“Well, now you know what a dungeon’s like? It’s not a place to enter lightly. You need to be fully prepared.”
Instructor Andre offered that advice to the exhausted trainees.
And with that, the two-week exercise ended. They returned safely to the academy. The trainees collapsed into their soft beds and slept like the dead.
After a full day’s rest, they entered the seventh-week curriculum—a comprehensive review of prior training. They focused on maximizing strengths and shoring up weaknesses. Even the instructors, usually barking orders, softened a bit.
“Soon you’ll be full-fledged members of the continent. You’re still lacking, of course. So give it your all until the end.”
Ji-hyuk knew the past seven weeks had transformed him. His relentlessly trained stamina now held up through long runs; his muscles had hardened; his mana capacity had grown substantially. He wouldn’t drop dead easily anymore, wherever they tossed him.
Now we’re getting somewhere—.
Of course, he was merely serviceable. Far from his personal passing mark. But compared to the tutorial days, when he’d struggled against a single orc, he was unrecognizable.
…As the seventh week neared its end, Instructor Andre suddenly sought out Ji-hyuk. He’d half-expected it.
“We need to talk. Follow me.”
Ji-hyuk trailed obediently after the instructor. They arrived at the training grounds. It was late afternoon, and the area was deserted.
The instructor stared at Ji-hyuk for a moment before speaking slowly.
“I used to think all Earthlings were weaklings. You’ve changed my mind.”
“Is that so.”
“I figure you’re aware.”
Ji-hyuk didn’t deny it.
“Honestly, after years as an instructor, I’ve seen countless geniuses. Far beyond a guy like me.”
He just listened quietly.
“But seeing you… it changed my view.”
Andre’s gaze bored intensely into Ji-hyuk.
“They weren’t true geniuses. That word’s reserved for someone like you. …It was a real shock. And I doubt I’ll see another like you anytime soon.”
“You flatter me.”
“No flattery. Honestly, ‘genius’ falls short—it’s the limit of my shallow vocabulary, and that frustrates me.”
Ji-hyuk nodded lightly.
“You know your own level, right?”
“…Yeah, more or less.”
“Are you really from Earth? Or some other Earth I don’t know? …How can you differ so much from other Earthlings?”
“I’m from Earth, yes.”
“…Live long enough, you see it all.” The instructor chuckled wryly.
“So, what’s next? Within my power, I’ll grant whatever you want. I can even get you a recommendation to the supervisor.”
“No need for a recommendation.”
“…Not planning to join a guild?”
“Correct.”
That caught him off guard. Andre had pictured Ji-hyuk joining a prestigious guild and rocketing up the ranks.
“Then what?”
“Still thinking about my future.”
“Better join a guild first, then decide. You’ve got to make a living. …I’ll set you up somewhere good. No binding contract.”
“No, guilds are out.”
“Alright… I just hate to see talent like yours worrying about money.”
It was sincere. The instructor hoped he’d devote himself purely to the sword.
“Nothing comes to mind right now. I’ll let you know if I need something.”
“Sure, anytime. No pressure—I’m fine with it.”
“Got it.”
They parted ways.
At last, the trainees entered the eighth week. Guilds flooded the academy like they’d been waiting. The trainees plunged into fierce competition.
In a week, they’d graduate and face the harsh reality of survival. The academy had handled food and shelter until now; that burden now fell on them.
Fresh academy grads had few options: shop clerk or manual labor, maybe. With luck, a mercenary baggage handler gig—but newbies rarely got hired.
Their best bet was joining a guild. Hence the frenzy for the best ones.
…Top guilds didn’t bother recruiting here. They cherry-picked via instructor or manager Ralop’s recommendations.
Anyway—. It might’ve been thrilling for the others, but for Ji-hyuk—who had zero interest in guilds—it was endless boredom.
Second- and third-rate guilds pulled out all stops to seem elite. Some trainees signed up, lured by flashy offers. Ji-hyuk endured the tedium by people-watching.
But seven days dragged on forever.
On the third day of the eighth week, guild promotions mercifully wrapped early. Ji-hyuk inwardly cheered.
“We have a special guest to introduce.”
Orc Ralop clapped and urged applause. Amid the cheers, someone ascended the stage.
…Huh…?
Ji-hyuk’s eyes widened slightly at the figure.
“Hero Elraim.”
…Had she come here before?
He rummaged through old memories. After some thought, yeah, maybe once.
…It’d been so long, details were fuzzy.
The non-humans might’ve been immune, but the humans were half-dazed by her beauty. She was stunning enough to make eyes pop.
“Just passing by and stopped in. Not here to lecture or anything—just curious about this batch. …Eh, looks pretty standard.”
Hero, Elraim. The epitome of an annoying fairy bitch.