Ma Hakjun’s worries had not been misplaced. The moment I left the headmaster’s office and returned to the main hall, students swarmed toward me.
“Examiner! I’d like to apply for the Silver rank evaluation!”
“I got here first! I’m in big trouble if I don’t pass this time!”
There were almost ten of them. A quick glance told me their abilities were on par with Park Junwoo’s.
“These bastards, huh?”
The rumor that Park Junwoo got thoroughly beaten by the Silver rank examiner must’ve spread like wildfire. Given his thug-like behavior, it was no surprise that he had more enemies than allies.
It seemed they had gathered to take me down and solidify their positions in the Silver rank. And if they succeeded, it would give them ample opportunity to mock Park Junwoo. I was certain of this, especially after activating the Third Eye.
Opportunists. Attention seekers. Glory hounds. Every single one of them was here to exploit Park Junwoo’s defeat.
“Not a single decent one in the bunch.”
Now I understood why Han Jiyoon and Ma Hakjun were so concerned.
These students didn’t represent the Academy as a whole, but their actions could easily cast a shadow over it. It would take just a handful of them to sully the reputation of the many diligent students preparing to become superhumans.
It was disheartening to see these so-called future heroes behaving . I wanted to tell them all to get lost, but that wasn’t an option. After all, I was here as a government-dispatched examiner. A public servant, funded by taxpayers, representing the assessment department.
“Line up and prepare yourselves. We’ll begin the evaluations immediately.”
- The Third Eye is Activated.
No one can pass without the Gatekeeper’s permission.
Nothing had changed since the moment I faced Park Junwoo. That same sharp awareness lingered in my body, urging me forward. I could do this. I could take on Academy students and hold my ground.
The first challenger was a weapon specialist. He chose a simple wooden training sword. Though it wasn’t a real blade, even a wooden sword could cause serious injury. In the past, I would have instinctively stepped back. Now, I knew without a doubt that moving forward was the right call.
I lowered my body and pushed off powerfully, closing the gap between us. The wooden sword whizzed past my ear, just barely missing me.
The student’s face showed visible panic. He had likely started with his strongest move, fully expecting it to work. As he tried to adjust his stance, his footwork faltered, leaving an opening. I stepped forward again, exploiting that fleeting moment.
With two light taps to his neck, the student staggered back, groaning. His wide eyes screamed disbelief. He probably thought victory was a given. But in reality, his skills were only marginally better than Park Junwoo’s.
Not even a bead of sweat. My body felt lighter than ever. For a moment, I wondered if I should quit my desk job and head to the field instead.
It wasn’t just my body that had changed. Before stepping into the Academy, I had regarded these students as something beyond my reach. They were the elite, future heroes under government management. Now, that unconscious sense of inferiority was gone.
“You’re pretty good, Examiner.”
The next challenger was from the martial arts division. His stance exuded confidence. His face had lost its earlier smirk, replaced by cold determination.
“Not that it’ll change anything.”
As expected, he attacked first.
A spinning kick aimed directly at me. The sound it made was enough to make my heart skip a beat. I knew I had to block it. Or did I?
Something inside told me there was no need to take it head-on. With a slight twist of my upper body, I dodged the kick by a hair.Before my opponent could launch another move, I targeted his supporting leg.
A firm stomp to his unguarded left thigh. It wouldn’t break the bone, but it would leave a nasty bruise.
At that point, the enthusiasm of the challengers began to waver. Some were already backing away, likely considering abandoning the evaluation.
“Oh no, you’re not leaving. Coming here was your choice, but leaving? That’s up to me.”
“How many has he beaten now?”
“And he hasn’t taken a single break?”
“Is he really just a Silver rank examiner?”
The murmurs from the observing students grew louder. Initially, they must have thought I was just another weak examiner waiting to be humiliated. But with every challenger defeated, it was clear something wasn’t adding up.
"All of them were at least Silver rank, with some nearing Gold-level proficiency."
It wasn’t like I had no experience in this field. My ability, categorized under the support type, specialized in detection and measurement.
Those guys had intentionally avoided rank evaluations to drop down to Bronze. They had the skills to climb back up whenever they wanted, which was why they could afford to pull off stunts .
Of course, they couldn’t have predicted the situation would turn out . I understood their shock. I hadn’t expected things to unfold this way either.
- The Third Eye is Activated.
No one can pass without the Gatekeeper’s permission.
Nine down. Just one more to reach ten.
I had no idea what would happen when I hit that milestone, but I doubted it would be bad. If it were, the Third Eye would have issued some sort of warning.
“Is there anyone else?”
“Right here, Examiner.”
A lone male student stepped forward from the group, raising his hand. He was different from the others—no arrogance, no swagger.
“Pleasure to meet you, Examiner Baek Seojin. I’m Lee Hyunwoo, Bronze rank.”
His introduction was met with snickers from the other students. It seemed he was a genuine Bronze rank, unlike the others who had intentionally fallen to that level.
“Wait… did he just say Hyunwoo?”
As soon as I processed his name, I felt a chill run down my spine.
- The Third Eye Activated.
The Master of Effort Beyond Talent
Loves extreme training. Will one day surpass everyone. Training effects are doubled. Training fatigue is halved.
“No doubt about it. It’s him.”
I double-checked the Third Eye, and the result was the same.
Lee Hyunwoo. The “Master of Effort Beyond Talent.” The protagonist of the original story.
“That’s right… Hyunwoo started as a Bronze too.”
This guy would skyrocket to Diamond rank within a year.
He would slay monsters, defeat villains, and grow stronger with every battle. Calling him a sponge wasn’t an exaggeration—his efforts knew no bounds.
But for now, he was just a Bronze-ranked student, ridiculed by his peers.
“Sorry, Hyunwoo. You won’t be making Silver today.”
For a moment, I considered letting him win. As the protagonist, he was bound to have the story’s favor on his side.
But then I dismissed the thought.
Who was I now? A rookie from the Assessment Department? A government-dispatched examiner?
No one can pass without the Gatekeeper’s permission.
A gatekeeper is defined by their ability to hold the gate. And there was no guarantee I wouldn’t face consequences for failure.
“Let’s see what happens when I block ten challengers.”
“Shall we begin, Hyunwoo?”
“Please go easy on me.”
Unlike the others, Hyunwoo didn’t charge recklessly. His stance was measured, his movements cautious.
“Good. It’s better to be careful than overconfident.”
But caution alone wouldn’t win him the evaluation.
“What was that noise?!”
A deafening explosion rocked the Academy, followed by a piercing siren.
[Code Black. Code Black.]
Students sprang to their feet, panic spreading as the announcement echoed.
“Code Black… That’s…”
I racked my brain, recalling the significance of those words.
Code Black meant only one thing: an emergency. It always signaled chaos in the original story.
And if I remembered correctly, Code Black was the backdrop for Hyunwoo’s first moment of heroism.
“Damn it. How did I forget this?”
The explosions grew louder, now coming from all directions.