I tapped the shoulder of Yu Yeonha, who was sitting in the seat in front of me.
“Hey, Yeonha. Can you help me with this?”
Yu Yeonha glanced at the problem Kim Suho had asked.
“······Can you use my last name?”
“Ah, yeah. Sorry.”
I yawned as I watched their exchange.
Just then, someone poked my shoulder. It was Rachel. When I tilted my head, she held out a scrap of paper.
Again, following yesterday, it was a high-difficulty calculation problem.
Lately, Rachel had started asking me things like this. Despite never having actually heard Rachel’s voice.
[Assume the boss monster of a certain dungeon is an upper-intermediate grade, 3rd-rank ‘Inma’ species. This dungeon is stage-based, and each stage spawns between a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 low-grade to intermediate-grade monsters. Given that the scale of this dungeon is small-to-medium, calculate the dungeon’s minimum and maximum mana concentration, and estimate the appropriate number of people for clearing it.]
It was a problem I couldn’t understand no matter how much I read it. Was this the kind of thing that appeared on exams? I glanced at Rachel. She was looking at me, tapping her fingers on the desk.
I supposed I had to help her.
First, I activated my talent. With various abilities added to observation and analysis, if this problem was related to the world within my knowledge, calculations and computations should be possible.
[The minimum mana capacity of an upper-intermediate grade, 3rd-rank Inma species is······ Since a small-to-medium scale stage consists of a minimum of 4 floors and a maximum of 6 floors······]
878ppm~1133ppm. A team of 9 can use and recharge mana without difficulty.
I copied down the sentence that had appeared before my eyes exactly as it was and passed it back to Rachel. In that instant, Rachel’s eyes went wide. She buried her face in the paper and began meticulously examining the formula.
Ding-dong-dang—
Just then, the class bell rang. Supplementary classes—written as such, read as self-study—had come to an end. However, few cadets rose from their seats. Everyone was engrossed in studying.
Of course, I was going home. This was how the smart kids did it.
As I was hurriedly putting my writing tools and notebook into my crossbody bag, a shadow was suddenly cast in front of me. I looked up in bewilderment; it was Chae Nayun.
“Hey. Help me study.”
She grinned as she spoke to me.
I stood up from my seat.
“······I don’t want to.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s annoying.”
The written exam week started next Monday. Meaning there were four days left at most. Even if I started now, my grades wouldn’t change anyway, and more than anything, I had no way of teaching her.
“Hey, hey! No, hey! I’m begging you! Even just a summary of Phenomenon Realm Analysis······!”
A shout far more desperate than I’d expected came from behind me, but I simply walked away coolly.
* * *
Afterward, the written exam week flew by like an arrow. From the first exam on Monday to the last exam on Friday.
I figured I’d scored perfect marks with plenty to spare. At first I’d considered just coasting through, but getting held back a year because of the practical exam would be a disaster like no other, so I’d poured my all into it.
And today was Saturday, the weekend after the written exam week.
The practical exam week would begin starting next week, and Cube had suddenly grown crowded. During practical exam week, Cube was opened not only to cadets’ families but also to all organizations that employed heroes—including guild officials and relevant ministries—so they had all begun gathering in Cube.
“Oh~ ranked 117th in Cube, Kim Junha! I saw you on YouTube. My son happens to be a fan. Could we get a picture?”
Given that family members could attend as well, it could perhaps be called Cube’s festival. It was contradictory that exams and a festival overlapped, but it was Cube’s tradition nonetheless.
“We are in the cube, world best hero academy······.”
They also issued permits exclusively to accredited broadcasters for coverage. Since becoming a hero essentially made you half a celebrity, it was a chance for cadets to grow accustomed to the media.
“Man, there are a lot of people.”
This was Hero Park, located at the center of Cube. In that place, packed shoulder-to-shoulder unlike usual, I sat quietly alone on a bench.
“Ah! Hajin-ssi!”
Just then, someone called my name. Thud, thud—I looked toward the sound of footsteps.
It was Hazuki, whom I’d teamed up with during monster confrontation training.
“Hajin-ssi. What are you doing here?”
“Ah······ I was just resting. Who are the two beside you?”
“They’re my family. Here’s Mom, Dad. Mom, Dad. This person is my teammate.”
“Ah, hello.”
I shook hands with Hazuki’s parents. The parents smiled and said something in Japanese. I couldn’t understand, so I just smiled back.
“Hajin. It’s Kim Hajin. My name is Kim Hajin.”
Hazuki kept explaining my name to the two of them. It seemed the parents were asking my name.
“I said it’s Kim Hajin. Not just ‘Hajin,’ ‘Kim Hajin.’”
I watched that spectacle, dumbfounded, and finally spoke.
“······You have to say it in Japanese.”
“Huh? Ah~ right, right.”
Only then did she introduce my full name in Japanese. The parents held my hand, saying something like “Hajin-san, Hajin-san.” Not knowing what they were saying, I just kept repeating “Hai, hai.”
“Nice to meet you!”
Anyway, the conversation ended like that, and Hazuki left with her parents.
I was alone again and sat on the bench. That aside, I was jealous of Hazuki. Her parents had come all the way here.
*Sigh.*
If only I had a mom and dad in this world, I felt like I could somehow make a decent life for myself······.
As I was thinking such idle thoughts.
I saw a woman. Amidst the countless crowds, a woman slowly strolling through the park.
Her long hair was pitch-black like a shadow. Her pupils were submerged like obsidian, and her eyelids drooped languidly as if slightly tired.
Her gloomy charm, darkly radiant no matter where or with whom she stood, seemed to captivate the entire area.
For some reason, I felt like I knew that woman.
She was exactly as I had described.
Currently one of the few wanted criminals designated on the Hero Association’s ‘Black Warrant,’ the leader of the worst criminal organization, Wisaekdan, and a powerhouse who had inherited the title of ‘Yacha’ from the Palbujung (Eight Legions).
Having hidden herself behind countless names and aliases, her real name—known only to me in this entire world—was······
Suddenly, she stopped. Then she slowly turned her head and met my eyes. I should have avoided that gaze, but in that instant, my entire body froze solid.
Those deep pupils tightened around me as if to drown me. She was merely looking into my eyes, yet my breath caught and my back was drenched in sweat.
“······.”
Just as my mind was whiting out in terror, she averted her gaze. Click, clack. The sound of her high heels grew distant from me.
“Hah, hah······.”
I gasped for breath. My chest felt suffocating, as if a heavy stone had settled inside.
“Ah. Is it my heart······?”
In that very moment, I suddenly felt a gaze. I slowly raised my head and looked in the direction she had disappeared.
She had her back to me. Yet a gaze prickled from that back.
I was certain.
That woman was watching me.
I felt it instinctively. I had to say something. Something that could explain why I had been looking at her······
I swallowed hard and spoke.
“Wow. You’re fucking pretty.”
In that instant, the woman turned her head to the side.
But she didn’t look at me, and soon resumed walking her own path.
“Phew. Oof. Whoa.”
I let out a barrage of relieved sighs. I patted my stuffy chest and cupped my flushed face in my hands.
I had almost forgotten.
Wisaekdan was also infiltrating the observation of this practical exam. Their objective was scouting. They were sizing up whether there was anyone with the chops to fill the empty seats.
In the original story, the prime candidates had been Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak. But Kim Suho was eliminated because his beliefs didn’t align. They kept an eye on Shin Jonghak and returned peacefully. Meaning they hadn’t come here planning to cause trouble.
However······
“I’ve been looking around, but there’s nothing, nothing.”
Right now, Cube was filled with heroes dispatched by the Association.
Among them, the particularly noticeable figures were Oh Junhyeok, world ranking 1737, a high-rank, 6th-grade hero.
“No one of note. Let’s just grab a meal in a bit.”
“Be quiet. Keep a close watch.”
And ranking 2000, a high-rank, 7th-grade hero, Seo Yeongji.
They were monitoring the Cube grounds in disguise.
Because the Yunhyeok incident, which originally happened after the exams, had been moved up to before the exams, a large number of Association heroes had been deployed.
“Let’s eat pizza.”
“Shut up. If you see anyone suspicious or sense any ‘energy,’ report it.”
If Wisaekdan were to clash with them······ it wouldn’t end with just a single death.
* * *
Click, clack.
The woman stopped in a nearby artificial forest. Confirming that no gazes were upon her, she muttered quietly.
“Someone saw me.”
This forest should have been a tranquil space without even a shadow of a person. Yet a strange voice rose from the ground.
—Yeah? Are you sure it’s not a mistake?
“No. He said I was pretty.”
—······Pfft. So, Captain. Did it feel good?
“I’ll kill you.”
—Check it once. The necklace might not have worked.
A long full-length mirror rose from the ground. She looked at her reflection in it. The necklace that caused a disturbance in people’s perception, the ‘Siren Necklace,’ was definitely around her neck.
“The necklace is still there.”
—Yeah? Breaking through perception disturbance. Must be someone with sharp senses. I’ll keep an eye on him. Do you know his name and face?
“······Don’t mess with me. You saw too.”
—Hehe. I know, I know. I’m checking his info right now. Wait a minute, Captain.
Click-clack, click-clack. The sound of typing echoed.
The woman quietly closed her eyes and waited for the information he would deliver.
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────
Uninvited Guests (2)
—Captain, there’s nothing special.
It was the answer that came after 10 minutes of waiting. The woman smacked her lips. It was a habit of hers that surfaced when she was dissatisfied.
—It’s true. Born an orphan, no parents, no relatives. At age 6, an anomaly was discovered during an inspection of the orphanage, and he entered the military academy. Without particularly standing out, he hovered between the lower and lower-middle ranks before entering Cube. Debt: 300 million won. That’s it.
“······.”
But how did he recognize me?
That was her question. The Siren Necklace was a myth-grade accessory. For reference, ‘Siren’ was indeed that half-human, half-bird—or half-human, half-fish—creature from Greek mythology.
‘Perception disturbance’ was one of the many abilities attached to such an incredible necklace, a type of single-layer barrier that couldn’t be broken through without considerable sensory ability and perceptiveness······.
—Does it bother you? Then jot it down in your notebook.
“······No.”
The woman quietly lowered her head.
“There’s plenty of opportunity left. It won’t be too late to find out more later.”
“Ah, Captain. You were here.”
As they were continuing their conversation, a large, booming voice came from behind her. The woman turned around. A man of enormous build wore a sinister smile.
“Long time no see, Captain.”
The sight of him calling a woman who didn’t even reach his shoulder ‘Captain’ was absurdly comical, but his attitude toward her was quite respectful.
“Quite a lot of strong ones have gathered here, right?”
Clank, clank. He spoke while clenching and unclenching the gauntlets wrapped around both fists.
“Put them away. That’s not why we came here.”
“Ah, right, right. I almost forgot.”
The black gauntlets scattered into dust at those words. Afterward, the man scratched the back of his head without another word. The woman glared coldly at him.
“W-why?”
What she wanted to say was asked by someone who wasn’t there instead.
—More importantly, the report?
“Ah~ there’s nothing to report. They’re all just guys who look like their heads would explode if you flicked their foreheads.”
—No······ that’s a given. Not now. People with potential worth looking at later, you know.
The man stroked his chin and thought deeply.
“Hmm, I don’t know? I checked out the first-place guy in the third year, and he was nothing special.”
—The freshmen are the best in this Cube, so focus your checks there. Well, I have things to do, so see you later, Captain.
"Yeah. Piss off."
—......You shut up.
The annoying voice disappeared, and the man smirked at the woman.
"Captain. I don't think there's any 'sprout' here. What do you think? Can't I just fight those so-called heroes who came here?"
He didn't bother hiding his desire for victory. His fighting spirit transformed into magical power and radiated freely, carried away on the wind. It was a rash action, but the woman watched him without any change in expression.
"......Gyeong."
"Hmm?"
"Let's do a test."
She infused mana into her necklace. In an instant, the necklace's color changed from gold to blue.
"How is it? Can you see me?"
"Oho. Is that the treasure you got last time? I can see a person, but I can't make out the face. Ah. I need to focus on this. If I don't focus, my gaze keeps wandering. Huh? You just merged with a tree, Captain!"
"......."
As expected, there was no problem with the necklace's function. The man before her was a brute who had trained only his body, yet he possessed senses befitting such a physique. If even he couldn't see through it, how could a mere cadet......
"Ooh, hey. I can't tell where you are now. Captain. Lend me that later too. My body is so big that I stand out too much. When there's someone I want to kill......"
"Forget it. Get going."
She cut off the man's words before they could drag on.
"Do the mission you were assigned properly."
"Oya."
The man turned around without another word.
The woman watched his retreating figure. Shoulders and back spread like a mountain range. His impeccably sculpted physique spoke for itself that he was no ordinary person. In fact, he was an Irregular who had inherited the spirit and mettle of an ancient Mushin (武臣) in their entirety.
—......The Cheok Jun-gyeong of old probably wasn't that stupid. Right, Captain?
The strongest swordsman in the history of the Korean peninsula, and a tempestuous figure of an era who swayed the nation's fate as a mere warrior.
That name, Cheok Jun-gyeong (拓俊京).
That was the 'past life' that the man had realized through 'Eye Opening' and 'Legacy Transmission (傳承)'.
* * *
Once the weekend passed, the practical exam week began in earnest.
The first exam on the first day, Monday, was 'Duel.'
The procedure for this exam was simple. You nominated a cadet to duel with beforehand and fought them. Each person only had three 'nomination rights,' and the nominated person had no right to refuse.
At first glance, it might seem like an unfair method where the strong beat up the weak, but Cube wasn't stupid. This exam adopted a relatively fair system. It was the 'compensation point system,' where the points acquired differed depending on the rank difference between cadets.
This point system awarded different points depending on the cadets' ranks.
For example, if 1st place Kim Su-ho fought last place so-and-so, Kim Su-ho would receive minus (-) points even if he won, and last place so-and-so could gain points even if he lost.
Furthermore, an invisible factor called 'attention' induced fairer and more challenging duels.
There were many cadets taking the exam, various dueling grounds, and limited time. It was only natural that scouts from guilds of various countries would come to see high-ranking cadets. Therefore, if low-ranking cadets nominated high-ranking cadets, they could appeal themselves to the scouts even if they lost.
"......So it ends up like this."
However, despite that mechanism encouraging challenges and rivalry.
I was nominated by the 18th-ranked cadet.
[1st Round Duel]
[18th Rank Kim Ho-rak → 934th Rank Kim Ha-jin]
This guy probably wouldn't even gain 3 points even if he beat me. A fight between 934th place and 18th place. Now that's a sight to see. This bastard with nothing but muscles in his brain.
"Well, what can you do."
He wants to beat me up that badly.
I put my laptop in my crossbody bag and went outside the dormitory.
Outside the dormitory, a completely different scene unfolded.
It was, so to speak, much more heartwarming and gentle. So much so that I had the illusion of flower petals drifting on the wind.
"Now, Yoon-seok, say cheese~"
"Wow, oppa, i-isn't that Kim Su-ho? M-me, oppa! Are you close with him? I want to take a picture!"
There were many cadets and their families. From last weekend until this Friday, the cadets' families were staying together in this dormitory.
I walked alone through the families laughing and chatting freely.
"Where are you going?"
At that moment, someone approached and stood beside me with a soft shashashak—like a cat. I turned my gaze toward them.
"Where do you think. To the dueling ground."
"Ah, Ho-rak nominated you~"
Yoo Yeon-ha feigned ignorance, drawing out her words.
"......What are you trying to say?"
"Stopping you—"