Let's Go Get Educated
I made it back home.
“Ha...”
The things that happened in the park still clung to me somehow. Even the air itself felt strangely textured, like it was brushing against my skin in a way I’d never noticed before.
I kicked off my shoes and stepped inside. The sensation of the floor against my bare feet was crystal clear.
“Everything feels a lot sharper now.”
Sensitivity multiplied by 2.5.
It was still active.
When I walked into the living room, the familiar scene greeted me. The sofa, the table, the TV that was turned off.
In reality, nothing had changed from usual.
“Whoa. The level of detail in the real world is on another level.”
The tiny scratches on the wallpaper, the individual fibers of the sofa fabric, even the dust floating in the air. I could see it all.
I slowly lowered myself onto the sofa. The feeling of the springs compressing traveled up my back and spine with vivid clarity.
“This… is going to take some getting used to.”
As long as the sensitivity wasn’t cranked up too high, it was actually more comfortable than I expected. It had been an incredibly long day.
I dragged my body into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed without a single thought in my head. The moment my back touched the mattress, an overwhelming softness washed over me and every ounce of tension in my body melted away at once.
I stared blankly at the ceiling.
That was when it happened.
- [Web Message] 【Awakened Management Bureau】
Good day. This is the Awakened Management Bureau. We hereby inform you that your recent status as an awakened individual has been confirmed and that the 「Awakened Registration Process」 has been successfully completed. Accordingly, your attendance at the 「Orientation and Basic Training」 for new awakeners is mandatory.
▶ Education Schedule
Date: 09:00 AM, three days from now
Location: Awakened Management Bureau Education Building
▶ Attendance Notice
You are a required participant in this mandatory education program. Failure to attend without notice or arriving late may result in disadvantages pursuant to relevant regulations.
For the smooth operation of the program, we strongly recommend arriving before the designated time.
▶ Items to Bring
Identification
Awakened Registration Certificate (temporary version acceptable)
Personal equipment (if applicable)
For any other inquiries, please contact the Awakened Management Bureau.
Management Bureau Website:
http://www.gwanligugwebsite.com
I turned the phone screen off.
For a moment, I did nothing at all.
I slowly organized the information I had just read inside my head.
I picked the phone up again and opened the internet browser.
Awakened orientation.
The moment I hit enter, results flooded the screen.
“There’s a lot more than I expected.”
Way more. Official announcements, personal blogs, videos, community posts.
I clicked on one of the blog entries.
First off, there’s less to worry about than I thought.
The atmosphere itself was pretty well-organized, and the whole process felt systematic and efficient.
When you arrive, they check your ID at the entrance and handle a simple registration.
After that you move to the auditorium where the basic education takes place.
They cover the fundamental laws and regulations for awakened people, responsibility when using your abilities, stuff like that.
It’s a bit dry, but it feels like they only deliver exactly what you need, quickly.
Once it’s over you move immediately to the training facilities. That’s when the real training begins.
The first part is a physical ability assessment. It checks basic stamina, reaction speed, and body balance. Mostly running, jumping, and simple reaction tests.
It doesn’t feel like they’re pushing you too hard. It’s more like they’re just measuring your current level.
They have dedicated measuring equipment and staff members stay with you the whole time, so the flow is stable.
The second part is practical application of your awakened ability. They give you basic guidance on how to actually use it and let you try it yourself.
If a hero with a similar type of ability is present on the day, they even share useful tips. That part was surprisingly helpful.
There’s a big difference between using your power by instinct and using it with proper understanding.
There are some testing elements, but it feels less like they’re trying to fail anyone and more like they’re just figuring out everyone’s level.
“So that’s how it works.”
The orientation provided basic legal, moral, and ethical education. The basic training let you actually use your ability and get a feel for controlling it. The structure was simpler than I’d imagined.
“I overcomplicated it for nothing.”
I muttered lightly while still holding the phone.
There was nothing in particular I needed to hide, and it didn’t seem like I had to be overly nervous.
I set the phone down and leaned back.
There was no need to keep digging.
Three days passed faster than I expected.
Living with 2.5 times the sensitivity for three days taught me that my perception of time had also increased by 2.5 times. As a result, sleeping just four hours felt like ten hours of sleep to my body.
I also tested the limits of my tentacles even further. I discovered I could not only transform parts of my body into tentacles but also make them sprout from me at will.
Even with my Optimized Body, muscle growth was still possible. The more I worked out, the heavier the weights I could lift.
No matter how long I ran, I barely got tired.
Anyway, the morning of the orientation finally arrived.
My eyes opened before the alarm went off.
I turned on my phone and checked the schedule for the day.
“So today’s the day.”
I got up.
After a shower, I changed clothes. Over the past three days I had tested the seduction effect and discovered that the more skin I exposed, the stronger the effect became. Even making eye contact seemed to trigger it.
When I went to the café before, the female part-timer I made eye contact with ended up giving me extra service. She even slipped me a note saying I had pretty eyes.
Whether I liked it or not, I had no idea what might happen, so I needed to minimize skin exposure as much as possible.
I put on a turtleneck that came all the way up to my chin, pulled the sleeves down to cover my wrists, yanked a hoodie over my head, and even wore a mask.
No reason to draw attention on purpose.
I grabbed my phone and wallet and left the house immediately.
While riding the elevator down, I took a look at myself in the mirror. The outfit looked incredibly stuffy.
But this was safer.
If I wanted nothing to happen, this was how I had to dress.
During the trip over, I didn’t have many thoughts. I was just curious about how the day would go.
I took out my phone once to check the time. It didn’t look like I would be late.
I slipped it back into my pocket and kept walking until I arrived at the Awakened Management Bureau Education Building.
The building was more ordinary than I had expected. Clean glass exterior walls and a neatly organized structure. Nothing particularly eye-catching, but the people standing around the entrance gave it a completely different atmosphere from a normal building.
A crowd had gathered near the entrance. People of all ages were there, from those around my age to younger kids and older adults. Their outfits were just as varied. Some had come dressed casually, others were wrapped up tightly like me, and a few were wearing what looked like specialized equipment.
They must all be awakened, right?
A natural line had formed in front of the entrance. No one was giving instructions, but everyone had sorted themselves out. I followed the flow and took my place at the back of the line.
The line in front slowly moved forward.
It was my turn.
There was a simple desk with equipment on it and an employee sitting behind it.
“I’ll need to see your ID and Awakened Registration Certificate.”
Her tone was short and well-organized.
I took out my ID and registration certificate from my wallet and handed them over. The employee checked them quickly and typed something into the terminal beside her.
She immediately held out a small card.
“This is your number ticket. Please proceed to the waiting area inside.”
“Thank you…”
I accepted the card, checked the number written on it, and walked inside.
The interior was wider than I expected. Following the signs, I found the designated waiting area. A lot of people had already taken their seats.
“Wow, there are so many people.”
I found the seat matching my number and sat down. Holding the card in my hand, I looked forward for a moment. A large screen was installed at the front, but nothing was displayed on it yet.
People continued to fill the seats one by one. I leaned back in my chair and lightly scanned my surroundings. A few people were chatting, but overall it was quiet.
I flipped the card over in my hand. There was no information other than the number. It seemed to be used simply for ordering and section assignment.
I looked forward again. The screen was still off.
-Click.
At that moment, a light powering-on sound came from the ceiling speakers. Soon afterward the screen turned on.
The small noises around me naturally died down. Everyone’s gaze locked forward.
A moment later the screen changed and the next message appeared.
At the same time, the door on the side of the stage opened. Several people walked in. There were even a few named heroes among them. They moved to the center of the stage and took their positions.
One of them stepped forward. It was a woman. She wore a crisp, no-nonsense suit and had her hair tied back. Her gaze swept across the audience.
She took the microphone.
“Good day. I am Park Seo-yoon, Section Chief of the Awakened Education & Operations Department at the Awakened Management Bureau. We will now begin the orientation for newly awakened individuals.”
