The Weight of the Battlefield
Basic Evaluation (2). I considered pretending to know her, but decided against it. With yesterday’s video spreading and drawing so much attention, approaching her first in front of all the freshmen would only spark rumors. The press had swarmed me just for exchanging a few words with Yoo Hee-won; the combination of a handsome young professor and a quiet, timid freshman was far too tempting a gossip item. I still needed to return her handkerchief, but that could wait. Much later, when the timing was better.
The teaching assistant in charge of the group called out names from the roster. “Han Min-ha.”
“Y-yes…”
She raised her hand hesitantly, her posture still hunched and withdrawn. If someone was going to be this thoroughly intimidated, it was excessive. At this rate, she wouldn’t even make it through the evaluation, let alone make friends with the others.
Our eyes met. “Ah…”
She recognized me and her lips moved as if to speak, but she quickly dropped her head again. Fine. For now, we would pretend we had never met. That was better for both of us.
The groups of ten freshmen dispersed under the assistants’ guidance. There were too many subjects in the basic evaluation to run them sequentially; instead, groups rotated through each station in turn. I headed toward the Basic Defense testing area.
Calling it Basic Defense was generous. Very few freshmen could actually form anything resembling a barrier yet. The test was really just to gauge their latent talent and mental resilience. The shape and strength of any barrier a person could produce varied wildly from individual to individual, because defensive techniques grew stronger the calmer the mind remained. Blindly burning with fighting spirit did not produce a stronger shield. That was why most hot-blooded heroes only learned the bare minimum of defensive skills before setting them aside. Reaching true mastery required years of training, and no one had that kind of luxury in the middle of a war against villains.
I, of course, could use the technique known as Mental Barrier, which even blocked mental attacks. Professors who specialized in defensive studies called it the ultimate technique, yet no hero in their right mind would waste effort on it. They would rather learn intercontinental flight, deep-sea diving, or bunker-busting instead.
Perhaps the reason I had no assigned students in the original story had less to do with my personality and more to do with the subject’s unpopularity.
I arrived at the testing hall, sat at the desk, and arranged the evaluation sheets. Soon, ten freshmen filed in. Among them, coincidentally, was Yoo Hee-won. She caught my eye and smiled.
“Good afternoon, everyone.”
“Huh…? It’s Professor Kyo Suhyeon…”
The students lowered their voices and began whispering. I waited until they had their fill of murmuring. Throughout, Yoo Hee-won continued to stare at me. Only when they finally fell silent and straightened their postures did I offer a faint smile.
“First, congratulations on your admission to Graford. It is the world’s foremost hero academy. You have been chosen, so you may feel proud.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“Understood.”
The students nodded.
“We will now conduct a modest test to determine your aptitude for Basic Defense. It poses no physical danger, so please relax.”
I gestured for them to take the prepared seats. Once everyone was seated, I turned off the lights.
“The strength of the barrier you can deploy depends on how calm your mind remains. Therefore, I intend to test your mental fortitude. You may experience hallucinations during the evaluation, but remember that none of it is real. There is no need for excessive concern.”
Reassurances did little to ease the freshmen’s nerves. The basic evaluation carried weight even after graduation, and the word “hallucinations” clearly unsettled them. I could hear someone swallow.
“Professor Kyo Suhyeon, I have a question.”
Yoo Hee-won raised her hand.
“Go ahead.”
“This is going to push us to our limits through hallucinations, isn’t it?”
“You already know. Correct. That is exactly what it does.”
“Explosions everywhere, limbs flying around?”
“Something like that, though none of it is actually happening.”
“But didn’t some people drop out before even finishing the evaluation because of the sudden shock?”
The other students glanced at one another nervously. She was not wrong; such cases had occurred in the past. Yet if someone could not endure even a recording, they would lose their life on a real battlefield. It was only right to send home students who lacked that level of resilience.
“That would still count as a voluntary withdrawal. Even if you fail to pass, it is not the end. Those who do not pass will simply receive remedial training appropriate to their level. We are out of time, so let us begin.”
The students donned the VR helmets placed before them.
“If you truly cannot continue, press the button on the side of the helmet. The footage will stop.”
After confirming everyone had fitted their helmets properly, I powered the devices on. They were about to experience an actual battlefield in vivid detail. What they would see was not simulated reality, but raw footage captured by senior heroes’ body cameras. It would be nothing like the sanitized versions shown on the news.
“Hrk…!”
“Ugh…”
Within minutes, pained groans erupted throughout the room. Some students leapt from their chairs; others thrashed and tried to tear off their helmets while screaming.
“You bastard! Get the hell away from there!”
“No… no!! Don’t kill them! Put the baby down, you son of a bitch!”
Completely immersed, the students hurled curses at the villains as though they themselves were heroes on the front lines.
“Aaaaargh! I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you limb from limb!”
This group felt anger before fear. Anger could fuel combat performance on the battlefield, but it alone would not sustain them for long. Still, none of them appeared ready to give up.
I wondered how Yoo Hee-won was faring. To my surprise, she sat perfectly upright with her arms crossed, saying nothing at all.
The short evaluation period ended with the sound of a timer. When I shut off the equipment, the students flinched and froze.
“It is over. You may remove your helmets.”
They let out heavy sighs and slowly lifted the helmets off. Though only a few minutes had passed, every one of them was drenched in sweat.
“Well? That was a small taste of the battlefield you will face after graduation. How does it feel?”
“That was… real footage…?”
“All of it was recorded by senior heroes.”
The students lowered their pale faces.
“Professor, this test doesn’t seem to have much discriminatory power,” Yoo Hee-won said, raising her hand again. “Honestly, anyone could pass if they just grit their teeth and endure. How does this determine who becomes a hero?”
“I do not believe the ability to watch people die without feeling anything is a hero’s qualification.”
Her expression hardened.
“This evaluation checks whether you possess the courage and mental strength to overcome that reaction and still act.”
Unable to respond, Yoo Hee-won turned her head away.
* * * * *
Several more groups rotated through without any dropouts. Some might quit later tonight after the footage replayed in their minds, but at least no one had thrown off their helmet on the spot.
“Next group incoming, Professor.”
The assistant opened the door and led the students inside. It was Han Min-ha’s group. She met my eyes and quickly looked away.
I seated the students, repeated the explanation I had already given several times, and had them don their helmets. While checking the fit, I noticed Han Min-ha’s back was already damp with sweat from tension.
Hmm… This feels ominous…
Suppressing a sense of foreboding, I powered the devices on.
“Mom!”
“Don’t come! Don’t come near me!”
As expected, the students screamed and flailed in terror. I glanced at Han Min-ha. Surprisingly, she sat perfectly still, just like Yoo Hee-won, without uttering a sound. Her mental fortitude seemed far stronger than her appearance suggested. As a hero descendant with extra admission points, she evidently possessed a certain baseline level of resilience.
Just as I thought that, Han Min-ha slumped forward and collapsed.