Jeong Su-hyeon has surpassed Seo Jun-seong and taken first place!
This news caused a stir even among outsiders connected to the academy.
[Seo Jun-seong! That guy's a crazy talent monster!]
Su-hyeon responded calmly to Park Min-cheol's excitent coming through the phone.
"I was just lucky."
[Lucky my ass! Does it make sense to beat Seo Jun-seong with luck? Even the fact that you beat Hwang Ji-su and Lee Yu-jin was unbelievable in the first place!]
"If we faced off one-on-one, I'd still have a hard ti winning."
[Still? Keu, look at that confidence!]
"...Don't hype
up too much. Let's just talk business."
[Hah, getting shy now?]
It was because he'd heard these reactions so many tis that it was annoying, but.
Su-hyeon didn't bother to correct him.
"Hmm."
In a spacious chairman's office.
Hwang Yong-jae, who had co to work early and was skimming through reports on his tablet while having a light brunch, tilted his head back.
"Chief Kim."
"Yes, Chairman."
Chief Secretary Kim Jin-hyung stepped forward and bowed his head.
"This Jeong Su-hyeon fellow, he's really sothing, isn't he?"
"Yes. I was surprised too."
"First place, overtaking Seo Jun-seong. It was already surprising that he beat our Ji-su."
Not that he had simply stood by watching his daughter fail to overco the wall nad Seo Jun-seong.
But no matter how good the facilities he provided and how many outstanding hunters he hired as private tutors.
It was impossible to overturn the slight difference with Seo Jun-seong, who had a father with prestige no less impressive than the B&S Group.
"And this Jeong Su-hyeon didn't even receive support in a good environnt like Ji-su or Seo Jun-seong."
It was a natural conclusion that Su-hyeon's talent, which had exploded with such potential just from spending a few months at the sa academy, now seed greater than those two.
"And look at this too, hmm?"
Su-hyeon's exam footage played on his tablet.
"Look at how he fights. How is that a high school student's skill? Hmm? Don't you agree?"
"Yes. It was surprising when he faced the Hell Hound and Ammut, but to be able to match Instructor Lim Jeong-tae to this extent is truly remarkable."
Chief Kim Jin-hyung said.
"I don't think there are many at this level even among active Execution Force mbers."
"Right. There wouldn't be many in our security team either, would there?"
"...That's correct."
"That young man you're raising, how old is he again?"
"He'll turn 23 this year."
"What if our scholarship student fought him?"
"...!"
His eyes narrowed as he gauged the superiority between the two.
"...At minimum, they're evenly matched."
"Hahaha. Promising. Very promising."
Hwang Yong-jae's snake-like gaze scanned Su-hyeon up and down as he exchanged punches with Lim Jeong-tae.
"I covet him."
Sword God Lee Un-hak was savoring the chirping of his carefully raised birds in the dojo early in the morning, before even his disciples had arrived.
Woowoong.
However, a phone call in the early morning disrupted his long, deep breath.
"Hmm."
Normally, he would have certainly set it to silent and not answered.
But he had set it to vibrate in case his beloved granddaughter called.
"So it's this guy."
The Sword God clicked his tongue as he saw the na Lee Ho-seung appear on the phone.
"When will he ever grow up?"
The Sword God picked up the phone, recalling the face of his wayward disciple.
"You brat, what business do you have this early in the morning?"
[Hehe, Master, it's been a while.]
"Huh, what do you an 'it's been a while'? Stop with these trivial calls and send a wedding invitation for once."
[Ah co on. What marriage for soone like ? You sound just like my dad.]
"Tsk tsk, impertinent brat."
Setting aside his usual dignity for a mont, the Sword God listened to his troublemaker disciple's chatter and asked.
"So. I heard Yu-jin got fourth place?"
[Well, yes. It was a hair's breadth difference from Hwang Ji-su.]
"Did you not support her enough?"
[Co on, shouldn't judgnt be fair? Yu-jin fought well, but Hwang Ji-su was a bit better.]
"Hmm. I heard she faced soone nad Jang Han-su? Our Yu-jin must have had a tough ti."
[Yes. Her tactics didn't work at all. She needed to encounter soone like that at least once.]
"It must have been a good lesson. Yu-jin will do well."
[Of course. She handles things well on her own.]
"Help her out properly."
[Even if I don't, Su-hyeon helps her quite well.]
"Hmm."
Jeong Su-hyeon.
The Sword God's white eyebrows twitched at that na.
"So. Is that child's sword talent really that extraordinary?"
[Extraordinary and then so. Even Cheong-myeong-hyung couldn't manifest sword energy in such a short ti, could he?]
"Hmm. Though their ages were different."
[Anyway. I wonder what he would have been like if he had held a sword from a young age.]
"Yu-jin has been talking about that child often, actually."
[Oh?]
Lee Ho-seung snickered.
[Are you concerned?]
"Ahem. Concerned? Not at all."
[Co on. You seem concerned?]
"Quiet, you brat. I need to take Yu-jin's call, so I'm hanging up now."
[Hey, what are you talking about so early in the morning......]
Click.
Lee Un-hak, who had hung up the phone, stroked his long beard.
'So that child has that level of talent.'
Beating Seo Jun-seong for first place? While matching Lim Jeong-tae at a considerable level?
Talent of that caliber was indeed rare even in his generation.
Moreover, both Lee Ho-seung and his granddaughter attested to his sword talent.
'That impertinent brat may be flippant, but he doesn't lie.'
Though a terrible disciple who barely listens to his master.
His sword talent was comparable to his youngest son, Sword Warrior Lee Cheong-myeong.
'I'm curious.'
What level of unpolished gem would he be when seen with his own eyes?
Sreung.
As the Sword God casually drew his sword, the air throughout the dojo grew heavy.
'...If I ask him to co with Yu-jin once... hmm.'
Gugugugugugu.
Sohow, the Sword God's mood had been disturbed.
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Min Hae-na of the second year. Seo Jun-seong of the first year.
These two were the most likely candidates for top student even before enrollnt.
While Min Hae-na, the principal's granddaughter and possessor of a characteristic ranked first in the crowd control category, had been firmly maintaining the top position by standing out from the beginning.
Seo Jun-seong entered with two threatening competitors and eventually ended up ceding the first place to an unexpected dark horse.
'What an interesting batch.'
Instructor Kim Cheol-han, the horoom teacher of Class 1, thought as he signed off on the cadets' score sheets.
'Honestly, among the top students the academy has produced in the last decade, I thought Seo Jun-seong could be placed at the very front in terms of talent.'
That ans he thought so even before enrollnt.
But even he hadn't anticipated the current situation.
'I thought that if an upset were to occur, Hwang Ji-su might have a slight advantage over Lee Yu-jin.'
But an unexpected Jeong Su-hyeon?
While he had highly valued Su-hyeon's potential and the latent power of his characteristic, he hadn't anticipated such rapid growth.
'But Hwang Ji-su and Lee Yu-jin are still powerful.'
Moreover, the rivalry between these two was very interesting.
'During the entrance exam, Lee Yu-jin was second and Hwang Ji-su was third.'
Of course, since there was the variable of Su-hyeon at that ti, Hwang Ji-su should be considered the actual winner.
And in the one-on-one match during the practice class, Lee Yu-jin won, seeming to be a step ahead.
However, in the match against the instructors, Hwang Ji-su put up a better fight than Lee Yu-jin and received a higher judgnt score, giving her a slight edge.
This ant the hierarchy between the two had reversed again.
'The skills and qualities of both are equal.'
However, he valued more highly that ice manipulation as a characteristic allows for balanced fighting at not only close range but also dium and long range, in both individual and group battles.
'Jeong Su-hyeon and Seo Jun-seong, Lee Yu-jin and Hwang Ji-su.'
It felt like the rivalry structure between these four people was definitely forming.
'It's good for any batch to have such rivalries.'
Kim Cheol-han smiled slightly.
'Both sides are fierce. It's aningless to gauge who is superior at this stage.'
He just needed to do his duty and watch.
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Kim A-yun didn't achieve any notable results during the midterm exams.
The tactics she brought out to face the instructor were limited to shooting lightning from a distance and controlling space by discharging energy at close range to prevent approach.
Of course, each attack was incredibly intense.
But they were aningless if they didn't hit.
On the other hand, Instructor Jang Gi-seok easily ended the fight by using his quick feet to dodge the lightning.
"This level of characteristic utilization. You don't seem to have made any special growth compared to when you entered."
Instructor Jang Gi-seok's sharp remark made her feel sha and a sense of crisis.
'Everyone is clearly finding their direction and working hard. But I...'
At this rate, she would only fall behind.
But is that truly the path she wanted?
To idly spend ti doing nothing and move down to Class 2 next year, then to Class 3 the year after...
'I don't want that.'
She knows well how others see her.
A quiet girl with a good characteristic but timid, dull, and not aggressive.
Or an inferior student.
In contrast, what about Su-hyeon?
Despite growing up in an environnt 'even worse than hers,' he trained alone steadily to build his strength.
From the entrance exam, he showed a different appearance from others, confidently passed, and has been making significant contributions enough to make the academy buzz every ti.
He even took the lead in defeating Ma-ins.
Eventually, he achieved the feat of taking first place in the midterm exams, overtaking Seo Jun-seong whom everyone considered an insurmountable mountain.
'Su-hyeon is amazing.'
But.
Is it right to just watch from afar, saying how amazing he is, how different he is from , and only looking at my feet?
'...That's not right.'
Rather than following Su-hyeon, with whom she had arbitrarily begun to feel a sense of kinship, she wanted to stand beside him and beco as confident as he was.
"Could it be that what you fear is 'causing harm to others because of your ability'?"
That's what Su-hyeon had said to her.
'How did he know?'
Perhaps he had experienced sothing similar to her?
She couldn't know.
But clearly, Su-hyeon's eyes when saying that were those of soone who understood her.
'...I need to be brave.'
At least.
Despite embarrassnt and awkwardness, setting aside fears of seeming shaless.
She needed to approach Su-hyeon, who had reached out to her first.
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[Hi Su-hyeon, it's A-yun. Sorry for contacting you suddenly.]
[Could we talk for a bit?]
[Please.]
I nodded as I saw the ssage from Kim A-yun.
'Finally here.'
The sparks needed to ignite Kim A-yun's lacking resolve and fighting spirit had finally gathered.
'Since I was the first to reach out, it's ti to guide her now.'
Kim A-yun's awakening.
It was one of the essential pieces needed to clear the scenario.
'After all, Kim A-yun's power, when she fully masters it, is truly imnse.'
Lightning is an ability more destructive than ice or fire.
There are almost no creatures that can remain unhard after being directly struck by lightning.
'It's a one-hit kill move if it lands properly.'
Literally, it could be a ga-changer, a powerful ability.
Therefore, I imdiately replied.
[Anyti is fine.]
The reply ca quickly.
[Then, would today be okay?]
"Hmm."
It was a bit fast.
Since today I didn't have any sparring appointnts with Lee Yu-jin or Hwang Ji-su, I t Kim A-yun after finishing training with Kwon Seung-yeon.
"You need my help?"
"I rembered what you said to
before."
Kim A-yun bowed her head with a face full of embarrassnt and apologetic feelings.
"I... can't handle my ability as skillfully as Ji-su. I can't support team mbers like Minseon. I'm not good at fighting like Yu-jin or Seung-yeon."
But.
"That doesn't an I want to stay sitting down like this."
It was quite an admirable statent.
"You have lightning as a weapon, more powerful than anyone else's. You have the potential to beco infinitely strong."
"...Do I?"
"Of course, there are many problems now."
"Yes."
Her expression beca a bit downcast.
"Your biggest problem isn't just control."
My words made a question mark appear on Kim A-yun's face.
"Rather, the problem is that you're limiting the output of your lightning by forcibly focusing on control."
"!"
"There's a way to regulate your lightning."
I said with certainty.
"And when that happens, by the next final exam, your na might be found at a similar height as ours."
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