The High School Graduate Myth

In a world of mages, a fight that crosses realms is impossible. That’s why debates like Condensing Realm versus Refined Realm or Condensing Realm versus Sacred Lotus Realm never even become topics of discussion. The reason is simple. Among mages, realm isn’t merely a matter of enlightenment or academic achievement—it is the very hierarchy of living beings themselves.

In the Refined Realm, physical strength, mana, and muscle power can only be trained up to a maximum of 10. Once someone reaches the Condensing Realm, all of those stats can be trained up to 50. That isn’t all. The training cap on skills, previously limited to Lv 10, also rises to 20. And the final reason a Refined Realm mage has no chance against a Condensing Realm opponent is the presence or absence of ranged techniques.

Only after reaching the Condensing Realm can a mage imbue mana with form and maintain that shape outside the body. The sustained mana becomes magic that strikes enemies and brings change to the world—an impossible feat for a Refined Realm mage who can only perform small miracles within their body or just above the skin.

That was why—

“Ah. So the aunt and niece from the Samjin family are having a plunder marriage? What a messed-up household. Oh, and the niece is Refined Realm? This… this aunt is about to give her a proper education.”

Even on Llywelyn’s daytime drinking stream, the outcome was predicted without hesitation: Lee Ah-rang, the Refined Realm fighter, would lose.

Humans, however, are creatures that always enjoy gambling and thrills.

“Eh? What did you say? The betting’s open? Nah, I don’t do that stuff. Ah, I’ve got no money. Seriously. Heh.”

At first, she knew it was a bad idea. So she resisted.

“What? The odds are 1.1 to 11? So if I bet on the aunt, I make ten percent…?”

But people are always like this. Unable to resist temptation, they end up diving in before they know it, unable to even protect themselves.

Llywelyn swept back her red hair and giggled.

“Aigoo. I just dumped all my loans into it. If I make ten percent a day and pay it back right away, I profit, right? Yeah. And now that it’s certain…”

But as everyone knows, there is no such thing as a guaranteed bet in this world.

“No!!!! You can’t do that!!!!”

“No, seriously!!! You can’t dodge that?!”

“She’s Condensing Realm!!! Condensing Realm!!!!”

— It’s the power of a high school graduate. Fool.

“Kuaaaaaah!!!! Just one hit!!!! Just one hit!!!!”

Llywelyn despaired at the world.

The chat window soon filled with incomprehensible messages.

The fervor was so intense it felt like years of pent-up frustration were finally erupting. Then a new superchat appeared.

“……”

I pressed a hand to my forehead.

EP 2 The High School Graduate Myth

The whip of deadly poison tore through the air once more. Lee Ah-rang soared like a bird and glided above Lee Ji-eun’s head.

“One more hit!!!”

An invisible spinning kick slammed into Lee Ji-eun’s head again. As the staggering woman desperately drew up her poison-attribute mana and swept the surroundings, Lee Ah-rang created thirty meters of distance with a single step.

Hit and run. The only tactic a Refined Realm fighter without ranged attacks could use against a Condensing Realm opponent.

Under normal circumstances, the moment Lee Ah-rang entered her range, Lee Ji-eun should have grabbed her and suffocated her with poison. One of Lee Ji-eun’s classmates among the guests shouted.

“Get a grip, Ji-eun! Are you going to lose here?! If you lose your husband and your company, your life is over!!! Win, Ji-eun!!! If you lose, it’s all over!!!”

“I know!!!”

Lee Ji-eun felt sorry for her clueless classmate. Because from the very beginning, every single one of her attacks had landed on Lee Ah-rang.

Basilisk’s Poison Fang, a classic European magic. A powerful short-form spell that imbued mana with the poison attribute, granting muscle paralysis and decay to anyone it touched. The most terrifying thing about this magic was that what you saw wasn’t everything. Even if you dodged the visible black whip, the invisible, odorless, thick poison mist surrounding it would rot your limbs.

Yet Lee Ah-rang remained unharmed by that poison mist. Even in situations where her flesh should have rotted away multiple times, her skin stayed smooth. Blood flowing from her wounds obscured Lee Ji-eun’s vision.

‘No. More than that…’

Lee Ah-rang landed again and shot forward like an arrow. An acceleration beyond imagination. In an instant she exceeded seventy kilometers per hour and drove another kick into Lee Ji-eun’s stomach. The air squeezed from Lee Ji-eun’s lungs came out as a scream.

“Kuh-heo-eok!”

Fast. Far too fast. A speed that made no sense for someone who had only just awakened. Lee Ji-eun, struck by the kick, flew backward and crashed into a wall. Having neglected training after reaching the Condensing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Realm, she was a woman who would have struggled even against a peak Refined Realm opponent. On top of that, she had tried to face her enemy with an unfamiliar spell—Basilisk’s Poison Fang. That was why she had taken so many hits and ended up in this state.

The guests and Samjin family members were exchanging stunned looks at the unbelievable result. The chat window had already gone into overdrive. Considering this footage was being broadcast live on all three major networks, the aftermath was impossible to predict.

Lee Ah-rang calmly accepted the gazes directed at her and swept back her hair. A refreshing sense of liberation kept bursting in her mind, as if five years of humiliation had finally been repaid.

“Hoo.”

Lee Ah-rang’s eyes turned to the skill window floating in front of her.

Lee Ah-rang, who had been sweating from the heat, belatedly clutched her chest and took a deep breath. Gripping her pounding heart, she walked toward the wedding cake that decorated the ceremony.

Lee Ah-rang smirked.

“Joint operation?”

Lee Ah-rang grabbed the base plate of the seven-tier cake that held Lee Ji-eun’s dreams, hopes, and future, and lifted it.

“Cutting ceremony!!!”

Lee Ah-rang flew with the seven-tier cake’s plate in hand.

“Do it yourself!!!”

She slammed the cake straight down onto Lee Ji-eun’s head. The seven-tier cake collapsed into a grotesque shape, just like Lee Ji-eun’s remaining life.

Lee Ah-rang pointed a finger at Lee Ji-eun, now covered in blood, whipped cream, and cake.

“Auntie. Solitary death suits you.”

Witnessing that sight, several young ladies from the Samjin main house and some of Lee Ji-eun’s friends among the guests shouted.

“That’s too much!!! You crazy girl!!!”

“Ji-eun was looking forward to this wedding so much!!!”

“Do you even know how Ji-eun feels?!”

Lee Ah-rang answered with a bright smile.

“I guess it’s really pretty to threaten a man who doesn’t want to get married and try to force him into it. For five years I vomited blood in my room and cried my eyes out because of boils, and not a single person came to visit me in the hospital. Every day my aunt went around wishing I would just die instead. My aunt really has a lot of good connections. I’m so jealous.”

At the sudden confession of her past, people fell silent for a moment. This was territory they knew nothing about.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“But it’s fine. I don’t really need good connections. As long as I have husband luck, that’s enough.”

Thud, thud. Lee Ah-rang kicked the floor, which had been crushed and twisted by her own footsteps, as if her energy had drained away.

“Anyway, Yoo Ji-tae is mine. If you understand, answer me.”

*****

Han Sang-jin had stepped down from management due to illness. His three wives were each managing their own divisions of Samjin. But those wives were complete husband-fools who would do anything Han Sang-jin said. The real owner was Han Sang-jin, and that had never changed even once.

So Han Sang-jin, the true master of the Samjin Group, could not help but lament this terrible spectacle.

‘What kind of disgrace is this.’

Samjin. It was practically his everything. It was his life itself, built together with his wives. Yet his foolish daughter and granddaughter had tarnished the great name of Samjin. They had even broadcast it live, and all three networks were spreading it around like some kind of advertisement.

‘The entire nation has now been imprinted with Samjin’s disgrace.’

Men? Sure. In an era of virtuous wife competitions, fighting was inevitable. But fights had dignity and etiquette. They could have talked it out nicely in a corner, or requested mediation from the main house. Instead, they had applied for a plunder marriage within the family, fought it out, and even humiliated the loser in the most miserable way possible. They had even proudly aired the family’s dark internal rivalries and secrets. It was the kind of behavior only beasts would engage in.

In a modern society where the mistakes of the owner family led directly to brand collapse, this kind of disturbance was unwelcome to Han Sang-jin.

“How much damage will today’s incident cause the company?”

Yoo Ji-tae. Han Sang-jin firmly engraved that name in his mind. That damned bastard. How dare he seduce his daughter and granddaughter and cause this mess? Like Diaochan who drove Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo to kill each other, there was no denying the possibility that a Wang Yun lurked behind him.

“Are you angry…?”

When Han Sang-jin closed his eyes and sighed, Lee Seon-hee clung to him affectionately. Even though she was still a cute wife despite her age, he just wished she would leave him alone at times like this.

“…No. It’s fine.”

Forcing a smile, Han Sang-jin patted Lee Seon-hee’s head.

Just then, a secretary approached Lee Seon-hee with a cautious expression. Without looking at her, Lee Seon-hee spoke.

“Speak.”

“Samjin Department Store and Samjin Hotel stocks have risen 16% and 13% respectively. In addition, we’re receiving love calls from various companies wanting to use Yoo Ji-tae as a model. Perhaps due to the aftermath of this fight over Yoo Ji-tae, everyone seems to be taking considerable interest…”

Han Sang-jin kept his mouth tightly shut before finally opening it.

“Where is he?”

“Pardon? Who are you referring to…”

Han Sang-jin smiled.

“Yoo Ji-tae. Our household’s lucky charm.”

The fact that Yoo Ji-tae had already returned home became known to everyone at the wedding venue about fifteen minutes later.

*****

“Hwaaaaaah.”

I collapsed onto the bed and groaned.

“I’m exhausted……”

This incident had been a series of things I could never have imagined. Still, there had been gains. I had properly learned how to use the skill. And I had confirmed the true nature of women.

Women pretended to be polite on the surface, but they were beings with a dual nature that could corner you whenever they felt like it. Lee Ji-eun wasn’t particularly bad. Marriage with a man represented social status, so it was natural for her eyes to roll back. Well, there seemed to be some good people occasionally, but they were probably a minority.

“I’ll have to be careful from now on….”

I logged into Alchemist, the community of the Alchemy Association. Suddenly, there were thousands of comment notifications. When I checked, it was a post I had written a long time ago.

“…Tch.”

I tapped the notification.

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, they had said something about making medicine at Samjin. I had made the medicine for the sake of fame. Because with the status of a beginner high school graduate, it would be impossible to receive artifact appraisals or crafting requests.

“Well, I guess it worked out.”

When I looked at the popular posts on the board, they were all filled with articles about me. I clicked on a few more.

“Hmm.”

Well. It had a festive atmosphere. Through this incident, even someone like me—a [Beginner] [High School Graduate]—would probably be able to receive profitable requests or proper artifact appraisal requests from now on.

As I was stretching, a broadcast announcing the Nobel Prize winners happened to be playing on the TV.

“Aah. It’s already that season.”

The Nobel Prize was the world’s most prestigious award, given annually to those who contributed to the development of human civilization. Originally awarded in fields like medicine, science, and engineering, an ability-user category had been added after abilities began driving social development.

…No. These days, the ability-user category was the main event, and the others barely got any attention.

On the screen appeared a young female alchemist with red hair. Professor Llywelyn. The woman known as the world’s strongest alchemist.

A female voice flowed from the TV. It was the announcer narrating the situation.

[“This year’s likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Alchemy is Professor Llywelyn. She has long been considered a Nobel candidate, but every year she was beaten by Japan’s Murakami. This year is different! She has completed the final piece of the Arthur Project, which has continued for decades, and Llywelyn is now certain to win the Nobel Prize!”]

Llywelyn appeared on screen again. With an ashen face, she took a sip of ginger ale and opened her mouth.

[“…How much money do you get if you win the Nobel Prize?”]

The camera quickly panned to interviews with related alchemists. By the way, why did her face look so ashen?

I clicked on the rankings in the Alchemist community of the Alchemy Association.

The Nobel Prize was determined by ranking. The reason was that long ago, the great alchemist Karno had overturned the Nobel Foundation, asking what right they had to decide. Since then, the Nobel Prize had been determined through the ranks of creations selected on the Alchemist site.

“The Arthur Project, huh.”

A project to summon past heroic spirits by collecting the relics of the King of Knights. Since most of the relics had been recovered, the summoning of the heroic spirit would likely take place within the year. The summoned heroic spirit would appear with overwhelming power and abilities. An S-rank creation rank was only natural.

Professor Llywelyn appeared on the TV screen again. She was smiling brightly, as if she had heard some good news in the meantime. Then a question came.

[“Eh? Hermes? What. There seems to be a lot of talk about him lately? Still, that guy who’s a beginner and a high school graduate can’t possibly match me, a master and a doctor, right? Well, I guess I should just think of him as a cute junior?”]

The moment of the Nobel Prize announcement was only seconds away. Llywelyn, looking drunk, smirked at a question.

[“Eh? SadnessEndurer… what’s with this guy? Haa…. High school graduates can’t win Nobel Prizes.”]

[“Master! Count! Count!”]

[“Oh no! Count! I have to count. I have to count. I have to count!”]

Grinning, Llywelyn folded her fingers one by one.

[“Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!”]

Academic background wasn’t everything, but it was a world where many things were determined by academic background. And having a high academic background also meant having learned a lot. Of course, if one had the attitude to learn outside of school without accumulating academic credentials, then the whole world would be a place of learning.

[“Six! Five! Four!”]

The ranking appeared on screen.

[“Three! Two!”]

[“One!!”]

With a pop of fireworks, the screen displayed in large letters: [Nobel Prize in Alchemy Winner: Hermes].

Llywelyn pointed at the screen and spoke to her disciples.

[“Hey. The screen looks like it’s glitched.”]

At those words, the disciple with a ponytail lowered her head in silence without saying a word. A few seconds passed like that.

Llywelyn looked around as if trying to deny reality, then looked at the large letters on the screen again.

[Nobel Prize in Alchemy Winner: Hermes]

Llywelyn let out a roar. It was a lion’s roar.

[“My money!!!!!!”]

Llywelyn began rampaging, smashing the table. Her disciples grabbed her and tried to calm her down.

[“Hermes… I’ll kill you!!! I’ll definitely kill you!! I’ll kill you!!! I’ll kill you!!!”]

The screen immediately switched to the announcer.

[“Yes. Hermes is a Korean alchemist who, despite currently being a beginner and a high school graduate, has synthesized medicine with overwhelming results. Korea’s first Nobel Prize winner in the ability-user category! And the only winner among high school graduates!”]

[“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! Hermes! I will definitely kill you!!!!”]

[“What are you doing? Turn off that mic! It’s mixing in!” “Ah, I’m sorry!” “Off! Off! Off!”]

I turned off the TV. Scratching my head, I opened the forum.

Completely drained, I collapsed onto ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the bed. It felt like I could hear Llywelyn’s voice shouting that she would kill me from somewhere, so I covered my ears.

EP 2 The High School Graduate Myth (Complete)