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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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As soon as the class ended, most of the students bolted out of the classroom.
Some hopped over desks, some crawled on all fours, some even scaled the walls.
It was like a scene from a B-grade zombie movie.
Once the hasty ones left, the remaining students slowly filtered out.
Of course, it wasn’t that they weren’t in a hurry.
Their eyes were slightly crazed.
Apparently, eating lunch alone while everyone else was starving was a potent trigger.
One particularly desperate student just flung open a window and jumped out.
A moment later, a thud echoed as they landed on the ground.
‘Guess there’s an ability user among the Iron-tiers who can handle a five-story drop.’
“Argh!!! My leg!!!!”
……
Nope.
We really need to add “No superhero landings unless you’re Captain America” to the school rules.
Eventually, everyone in the classroom left.
The only things left in the classroom were me and the remnants of my feast.
Since I already had an early lunch, I wasn’t particularly hungry.
So, I decided to head back to my dorm, wash up, and return before the lunch break ended.
Even in the Gold-tier classroom, I was momentarily mistaken for a research student.
Damn it.
Please, don’t do that.
As soon as I got back to my dorm, I took off my clothes.
I had been wearing them since yesterday, so they reeked and felt incredibly uncomfortable. I wanted them off my body as soon as possible.
I flung them into the washing machine, dumped some detergent in, and started it up.
I watched as the machine slowly filled with water, churning and cleaning my clothes.
Only then did I finally enter the bathroom, turn on the shower, and wash myself.
The clothes in the washing machine, and my own body, both carried the messy remnants of the past.
With each spin of the machine, with each splash of water on my skin, the past was washed away.
They say you can’t forget the past, but some memories fade surprisingly easily.
Of course, the messy past I’m referring to is the drool stains I left on myself while passed out drunk.
Let’s be clear.
This isn’t a tragedy novel.
It’s an academy novel.
I wanted to ditch classes and everything else and just relax.
My deepest desire was to fill the bathtub to the brim, soak in it, and drift off into a blissful slumber.
Of course, this was just wishful thinking; I wouldn’t actually do that.
As annoying as it was, the academy’s classes were essential for someone with as little knowledge as me.
In the end, it was my loss.
No matter how passionately the professors taught, absorbing knowledge from lectures was a different matter altogether.
Before entering the academy, I mostly relied on brute force.
But here, there were so many things I didn’t know.
Kang-hyuk mainly taught me how to kill people, after all.
Of course, with extreme strength, knowledge becomes irrelevant. You can achieve anything.
Even Uncle Ben’s dying words in Spider-Man emphasized “great… power,” highlighting its importance.
…Something feels off about that, but let’s just ignore it.
I pushed aside my desire to soak in the bathtub a little longer.
After all, I had to get back to class.
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While the academy had a free dress code, they did provide a basic uniform.
The reasoning behind the free dress code was simple: they figured it was better to let students wear whatever they wanted than try to enforce a strict dress code.
I heard that some crazy people even showed up in traditional Korean attire because of this rule.
This world is insane.
That’s not a fashion statement; that’s just being crazy.
Upon confirming our dorm assignments, the academy prepared our uniforms and delivered them beforehand.
The uniform wasn’t much different from a military uniform. It was hot in summer and cold in winter.
And the color scheme followed the classic light novel trope: white top and black bottom.
Even the design was typical light novel style.
Does the supplier also work with other worlds?
You have a monopoly on this shit, you bastards.
I’m mentioning this because the only clothes I had to wear were the uniform.
My clothes from yesterday were in the wash, and I hadn’t unpacked my casual clothes yet.
As I reluctantly put on the uniform, a question popped into my head.
‘…How did they know my size, these bastards?’
The uniform was custom-made based on our measurements taken during the physical examination a week ago.
Of course, my dim-witted brain failed to grasp this simple fact and instead worried about how to protect my precious virginity.
Anyway, I got dressed, put on my ID necklace, and grabbed my writing utensils. I headed back to the classroom just before the lunch break ended.
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I entered the classroom three minutes before class started.
Since I wasn’t late this time, I didn’t attract much attention.
However, as soon as I sat down in the front row, where I had been earlier that morning, murmurs erupted around me.
“Hey, isn’t that the homeless guy from this morning?”
“Why does he look normal after washing up?”
“Right? My face stays the same even after washing.”
“This is unfair! Why do I look like shit while he looks fine?”
“Honestly, I thought he was a Master’s student this morning.”
“I thought he was a Ph.D. candidate.”
Those last two bastards were the ones who were being assholes in the previous class too.
I’ll give you a reason to be jerks soon, you little shits.
A while later, the professor from the third period entered the classroom.
She was also surprised to see me sitting there.
“Oh my, student, this seat is reserved for a research student.”
“…Research student?”
“He’s a crazy bastard.”
She said sternly, with a very serious expression,
“It’s dangerous to get involved with a lunatic like him, so I suggest you sit somewhere else.”
“…”
These bastards…
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To be honest, the class was incredibly difficult.
Except for the ability registration process, everything was new to me.
It didn’t take long for my previously empty notebook to be filled with scribbles.
But are these guys really sleeping through this?
Damn it.
Did they all study under a top-ranked cram school instructor?
Before I could dwell on these thoughts, another unfamiliar concept assaulted my ears.
Not my problem.
I’m about to die from lack of knowledge, damn it.
I somehow managed to summarize the lesson’s content.
As soon as the break started, people began to gather in small groups, forming their own cliques.
Honestly, I was hoping someone would approach me after I had defeated Professor Pil-yong on the first day.
But no one did.
Absolutely no one.
They just glanced at me, but no one actually came up to me.
In those otaku light novels, famous people flock to the protagonist just for breathing.
I’m the protagonist too, you bastards.
But nothing changed.
It was probably because I was a non-ability user.
In the early days, discrimination based on abilities was a serious social issue.
Even though it had improved, it hadn’t completely disappeared.
‘These bastards are still stuck in their KKK mentality.’
Suddenly, I thought of Kang-hyuk.
Surprisingly, he never looked down on people for being non-ability users.
He just beat everyone up equally.
‘As expected, guns, blades, and clubs are the true equalizers.’
Don’t believe me?
Go ahead, get shot with a bullet and then we’ll talk.
It’ll take down both ability users and non-ability users equally.
The class, which was both foreign and agonizing for me, finally ended.
As I was about to go home after a long, tiring day…
Tap tap.
Someone tapped me lightly on the shoulder.
I turned around and was greeted by a flash of red hair and golden eyes.
Despite the academy’s free dress code, she was also wearing the uniform, just like me.
She smiled and waved.
“Hi~. We met this morning, right~?”
But my brain couldn’t process the greeting.
The information my eyes were receiving short-circuited my thought processes.
6135 (312).
Those were the numbers above her head.
I had seen four-digit regression counts before.
However, those people usually had high red numbers, indicating many failed attempts.
But this case was different.
The red number was incredibly low compared to her regression count.
“Hello~? Hello~?”
She waved her hand in front of my face, as if checking if I was okay.
I snapped out of it and replied apologetically,
“Sorry, who are you?”
“I set up the barrier for you this morning~. Don’t you remember~?”
Ah.
The one who happily created a cage match for me.
“Thanks for making a fighting pit for wild dogs!”
“…Well, you’re not wrong.”
She scratched her cheek awkwardly and extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Hye-ji~.”
“Nice to meet you too, Hye-ji. I’m Kim Shinwoo.”
“Don’t be so formal~. We’re the same age, so let’s drop the honorifics~.”
“…Okay, Hye-ji.”
Since she said we were the same age, I dropped the formalities.
However…
“Are you sure we’re the same age?”
“Of course!”
“Hmm…”
My gaze drifted towards her height and chest.
She was very short. And completely flat-chested.
…An optical illusion?
Nope, there’s really nothing there.
Seeing me suddenly go quiet, Hye-ji tilted her head in confusion.
Then, as she caught on to where I was looking, her expression quickly stiffened.
Before I could say anything, the number above her head went up by one, and she quickly preempted me.
“Just so you know, I’m still growing.”
“…I haven’t said anything yet.”
“I know exactly what you were going to say, so don’t even think about it. Unless you have a death wish.”
Having a growth spurt after graduating high school?
Sure, that could happen.
In your dreams, maybe.
At that moment, a worst-case scenario crossed my mind.
She’s a guy.
Could she be a crossdressing otokonoko?
The fact that she had no chest and was short would make sense if the Hye-ji in front of me were actually a crossdressing guy.
Of course, making sense and being the heroine are two different things.
If a crossdressing guy dares to claim the heroine spot, there’s only one solution: death.
I cautiously started to speak to figure out Hye-ji gender identity.
But before I could say a word, the number above her head went up again, and Hyeji cut me off, answering swiftly.
“If-”
“If you ask if I’m a guy, you’re seriously dead.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Even her cute speaking manner, ending sentences with a soft ‘~’, slipped.
It was understandable.
When you’re pissed off, formalities and everything else go out the window.
She quickly recovered her composure and continued,
“Anyway, nice to meet you~. We always welcome talented people like you~.”
Talented?
Is this bitch bragging?
“I’m a non-ability user.”
“Of course I know~. That’s why I’m here~.”
As I mentioned before, non-ability users often faced discrimination from ability users.
In their eyes, non-ability users were useless and inferior.
If you were under 20, you could at least hope to awaken an ability, but after that, there was no such hope.
So, why would an ability user suddenly approach a non-ability user like me?
This was fishy.
Alarm bells were ringing in my head.
I listed out Hye-ji’s possible motives, my guard up.
“Multi-level marketing? Cult? Shincheonji? Insurance? Which one is it?”
“…None of those.”
“Then what kind of scam are you trying to pull?”
The fact that it wasn’t any of those made it even more suspicious.
Hye-ji sighed and said,
“I’m a support type, that’s why I’m here~.”
“Support meaning you’re a Supporter?”
“That’s right~.”
Suddenly, the banned words for utility supports in MOBA games popped into my head.
And her name even fit perfectly.
The number above her head increased again, and she interrupted me before I could speak.
“Are you about to-”
“I fucking hate MOBA games, so if you say anything about them, I’ll kill you!!!”
Her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by pure rage.
Before I could even open my mouth, she continued to vent her frustration.
“And don’t you dare ask if I like cats and fairies!! I hate them, damn it!!!”
She was about to lose it.
Then, she pointed at me and shouted,
“Don’t ask if I’m a utility support. Just don’t say anything!!!!!”
Aggressive preemptive strike.
I’m jealous, she’ll make a lot of money with that attitude.
Hye-ji’s anger, which had flared up like wildfire, took a while to die down.
Once she regained her composure, I finally spoke.
“Can I ask just one thing?”
“What is it~?”
“Do you dislike mermaids too?”
“You son of a bitch!!!!!”
Her rage ignited once again.
This time, it took even longer for her to calm down.
After regaining her composure again, she finally got to the point.
“I’m a support type, so I actually prefer working with non-ability users like you~.”
“Why?”
“I can support you with the equipment I create~.”
“Are these equipment properly tested?”
She suddenly looked away.
“…”
“Answer me.”
She hesitated, then started rambling nervously,
“It’ll be fine if I test them as I make them~.”
“That’s a huge problem for me.”
“You get the equipment, and I get the results. Win-win, right?”
“Win-win, my ass. It’s clear that I’m the lab rat here.”
Hye-ji tried to reassure me,
“If something goes wrong, I can always ask my seniors in the Support Department for help~.”
“Support types are just unreliable.”
“Why~? Who’s more trustworthy than a support~?”
Why wouldn’t I trust them?
Because I’m the top laner, that’s why.
“I don’t really trust tools.”
“You bastard!!! Stop calling me a tool!!!”
She snapped again, abandoning all pretense of composure.
In the end, I was half-coerced into signing a contract with her. But honestly, it was more like exploitation than cooperation.
It’s probably the same thing.
Both exploitation and cooperation are two-syllable words.
……
That was a dangerously naive thought.
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The contract between Hye-ji and me was sealed.
However, I didn’t expect it to be revised on the very same day.
“Try this on.”
“What is it?”
Hye-ji suddenly brought out an exoskeleton suit.
“I just made it. It’s already tested.”
“…Really?”
I had a bad feeling about this.
Do I trust tools?
No.
Never trust tools.
Before putting on the exoskeleton suit, I turned it on for a test run.
The lower half of the suit anchored itself to the ground.
Then, the upper and lower halves separated, and the upper body started to fly upwards.
Hye-ji and I silently watched as the exoskeleton’s torso soared into the sky.
“…”
“…”
“You said you tested it, you bastard.”
“…I guess this wasn’t it.”
If I had put it on without testing it, I would have become Kim/Shin/Woo:
A protagonist who dies after only eight chapters.
‘They say to be careful when signing contracts…’
My distrust of Hye-ji had reached its peak.
However, I was completely serious when it came to drafting the contract.
“Hey, let’s specify the details here.”
This Kim Hye-ji.
Why was she only normal when writing contracts?
Why did she always act like a retard otherwise?
“Hey, Kim Shinwoo. What’s this clause about?”
“I don’t know~?”
“You little shit.”
It won’t work, bitch. I’m even more of a retard than you.
Our fierce mental battle continued.
In the end, I managed to add two crucial clauses to the contract:
I would immediately run away if she subjected me to reckless experiments.
All equipment tested must meet minimum safety standards.
With this, I shouldn’t die, right?
There’s no way I’d die after all this effort.
I died.
I died a lot.
Tuesday. Wednesday.
In just two days, I added 24 deaths to my count.
“Let’s start the next test~!”
“Oh, God.”
You’re supposed to be a support, damn it.
Why do you have such a high kill count?
Please, stop killing me.
The only upside was that she never failed to provide me with equipment.
Hye-ji’s ability was specialized in that aspect, after all.
Simply put, she could materialize metal objects.
“Just a moment~. I’ll make it right away~.”
“Please, take your time.”
Her ability had two specific applications:
First, she could materialize weapons and armor she had personally touched and used.
Second, she could materialize any object whose structure and design she knew.
However, the second application was limited to weapons and armor.
I was swinging a hammer that Hye-ji had materialized, when a genius idea struck me.
“Hye-ji, let’s make a fortune selling gold weapons.”
“They only last for 15 minutes~.”
“You’re useless, aren’t you?”
“You bastard.”
The drawback of her ability was that the materialized objects only lasted for 15 minutes.
It would be problematic if they were permanent, so in a way, it was fortunate.
And there was another issue…
“Why is the hammer handle made of metal?”
“Non-metallic parts get replaced with metal~.”
She explained that any non-metallic parts of the materialized objects would be substituted with metal.
And weapons that relied on chemical reactions couldn’t be used even if she could materialize them.
“It’s a bit restrictive~. It’s a good thing I can at least materialize bullets~.”
“Stop bragging in front of a non-ability user.”
I pressed a switch on the hammer that Hye-ji had added as a new feature.
Thud!
Spikes shot out from the hammer and pierced my hand.
I stared at Hye-ji, blood dripping from my hand.
“Hey.”
“What~?”
“Why the hell are there spikes on the hammer handle? I’m Jesus now.”
“…I was supposed to put them on the head, but I guess I installed them backwards~.”
I wasn’t even surprised anymore.
I removed the hammer from my hand and said,
“Hye-ji, you said your ability lasts for 15 minutes, right?”
“That’s right~! Why~?”
“Let’s quickly sell these and run away. This country is a scammer’s paradise after all.”
She looked at me as if I were an idiot and said it was impossible.
“That’s impossible~.”
“It’ll be fine if we don’t get caught.”
“First of all, selling items materialized with abilities is prohibited within the academy~.”
??????
Hold on, you bitch.
“You said we’d make money selling this shit.”
“……”
“You said you were giving me a special discount, you liar.”
She avoided my gaze.
She coughed awkwardly and said,
“Anyway, any kind of financial transaction is forbidden, and even if we did, it would be a problem~.”
“What if I already sold them?”
“We’d get caught~.”
She explained that the academy was riddled with CCTV cameras.
Additionally, there were surveillance ability users who monitored the academy in shifts.
“This isn’t an academy; it’s a prison or a military base, damn it.”
“But the food is good~.”
“Yesterday’s sausage and vegetables were amazing.”
Of course, there were some shameless professors who tried to sneak into the student cafeteria.
The quality of the food was significantly better than the professor’s cafeteria.
The student cafeteria is a professor-free zone. What right do those professors have to crave our sausage and vegetables?
Go eat your fancy meals in the professor’s cafeteria.
Hye-ji seemed lost in thought for a moment, then said with a weary expression,
“We have to submit a plan every time we do this~. It’s so tedious~.”
“Can’t we just skip it?”
“If we could, I wouldn’t be submitting them every morning~.”
The academy truly reflected the harshness of Korean society.
“We have to do it in designated areas, and the entire process, from creation to disposal, must be done within that area~.”
“I’m so glad I’m a non-ability user…”
“And there’s a surveillance ability user watching us the whole time~.”
Suddenly, I felt incredibly envious.
Getting paid just for being a peeping tom.
“I’m so jealous. They get paid for being creepy?”
“The requirement for the surveillance ability is to maintain a plank position~.”
Suddenly, I wasn’t envious anymore.
“If they do it for too long, they’ll suffer too, right?”
“That means we’ll need to do more tests~, with new equipment~.”
“I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
It was still unsettling to have my body ripped apart repeatedly.
At least there were no restrictions within the academy.
Outside, there were even stricter regulations.
For example, you could only use your ability in designated areas, and they would scan your body before and after to compare.
If there were any discrepancies, you had to explain them.
Three days passed.
Hye-ji and I “cooperated,” repeatedly testing equipment and dying.
Then, on Friday morning, 15 minutes before class started…
The front door of the classroom burst open.
A woman strode in.
She had navy blue hair tied back in a ponytail, a black martial arts uniform with gold embroidery, and bandages wrapped around her hands and feet.
Her emerald green eyes were blazing with anger.
She looked like a female martial artist.
As everyone stared at her in bewilderment, she walked confidently to the center of the podium.
She glared around the classroom and shouted,
“Where the hell is that son of a bitch Kim Shinwoo!!! Get your ass out here!!!”
Her sudden roar made the students cover their ears and groan.
But no one stepped forward.
Her expression hardened with anger.
She let out another even louder roar,
“Kim Shinwoo, you bastard, get out here!!!!!”
“Um…”
“Shut up!!! Kim Shinwoo, come out here right now!!!”
Someone tried to speak up, but she cut them off.
No one answered, no one came forward, and everyone just suffered.
Why didn’t anyone come forward?
Because I wasn’t there, of course.
I wouldn’t go to class that early.
I’m not an idiot.
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God this peak fiction