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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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…Early February, the Eternity Entrance Ceremony.
Despite the early morning hour, the vast auditorium of the Hall of Heroes was so packed with people that there was no room to set foot.
The new students entering Eternity were the finest talents gathered from all corners of the globe.
Guild scouts, their eyes ablaze as they scanned the crowd to earmark those promising talents.
In addition, reporters and citizens flocked to watch Eternity’s entrance ceremony.
It was a scene that could be witnessed every year at the entrance ceremony of Eternity, the cradle of superhumans.
“Whew~ Still, there are an unusual number of people this year.”
Seo Ha-rin, an executive of the superhuman guild ‘Guardians of the Dawn’, clicked her tongue at the massive crowd.
Seo Ha-rin had often attended Eternity’s entrance ceremonies, but even she had never seen a crowd as large as this year’s.
‘Then again, this year *is* particularly special.’
Seo Ha-rin herself was one of those drawn by that specialness.
The lineup of this year’s freshmen was dazzling, even to her eyes.
The youngest son of Gorgov, a top-tier superhuman from Russia and a real power in the Superhuman Association.
The precious child of Theodore, the guild master of America’s representative guild, ‘Constellation of Stars’.
And even an unparalleled genius, rumored far and wide to possess the qualities of a Sword Saint.
Individuals who would have been a hot topic even if only one of them had enrolled in a year, had all enrolled at the same time.
They were already more famous than most ordinary superhumans.
“Kyaak! Nikolai-oppa! Over here! Please look over here!”
“Amelia-noonaaa! I love you!”
“Woojin-ahhh! Over here!”
Fans who already knew them were holding pamphlets and chanting the names of their favorites.
Disputes even broke out among the fans over who would be the top student.
Eternity had not yet announced who the top student was.
Seo Ha-rin was also curious, so she turned to the person sitting next to her and asked.
“Sunbae, you can tell me now. So who is the top student? Cheon Woojin, as expected?”
Her former work senior and the proctor of Eternity’s written exam, Jeong Hae-jun, simply smirked at the question of whether it was ‘Cheon Woojin’.
At that reaction, Seo Ha-rin’s eyes widened.
“…Wow, it’s not Cheon Woojin? Then the young master from the Association? Or Amelia?”
Seo Ha-rin listed all the candidates she had expected. When Jeong Hae-jun just kept smiling, she grew frustrated.
“Ah, seriously, who is it that you’re being so secretive?”
“See for yourself.”
Jeong Hae-jun gestured with his chin. Just then, the vice-principal, acting as the announcer, called out the name of the top student.
After blinking for a moment, Seo Ha-rin let out a dumbfounded sound as the top student walked onto the stage.
“Huh?”
She wasn’t the only one. The guild officials and fans also began to murmur in confusion.
The top student who stood on the stage was a figure who had defied everyone’s expectations.
Seo Ha-rin voiced everyone’s thoughts and asked.
“Who is that?”
“Lee Haesol.”
Jeong Hae-jun said with a smirk, seeming to enjoy the atmosphere in the auditorium.
Seo Ha-rin’s brow furrowed.
‘Lee Haesol? Who’s that?’
As an executive of the massive superhuman guild ‘Guardians of the Dawn’, she knew all the individuals to watch out for at this entrance ceremony. The name ‘Lee Haesol’ was not among them.
Still, she wasn’t completely without a guess.
She too had heard the rumor about the ‘written exam’ circulating among the freshmen.
But the rumor was so outlandish that she had dismissed it as insignificant. Still, on the off chance, Seo Ha-rin opened her mouth.
“Sunbae, I know this sounds ridiculous, but don’t tell me he’s the one from that written exam…”
“That’s right.”
“Pardon?”
“I said he’s the one who passed that written exam.”
“T-that was real?”
“He passed through the Mana Detection Barrier as if it were nothing.”
Seo Ha-rin stared at Lee Haesol, who was reciting the oath, with a look of astonishment.
To break through Eternity’s Mana Detection Barrier was an incredible feat.
Moreover, Jeong Hae-jun didn’t just say he broke through. He said he ‘broke through as if it were nothing’.
That was something even professional superhumans active on the front lines would find difficult.
But a mere 17-year-old freshman, not even a regular cadet, had done it?
‘A jackpot.’
In the superhuman society, which was always thirsty for talent, the appearance of a rising star was a major event.
In fact, when Cheon Woojin, with his qualities of a Sword Saint, first appeared, the world’s daily newspapers were practically plastered with his name.
‘A Mana Control Gift? If he awakened a Gift at that age, he’s a big catch.’
Of course, there were a few others besides Lee Haesol who had awakened a Gift.
But unlike those who were already famous, Lee Haesol was a newly emerged rising star.
A piece of gold thrown on the street, not yet belonging to anyone, that anyone could pick up.
The scouts from other guilds seemed to have similar thoughts, as they began to watch Lee Haesol intently.
Just the fact that he had awakened a Gift made Lee Haesol an incredibly coveted talent.
However, Seo Ha-rin was confident that she wouldn’t lose Lee Haesol to anyone.
The ‘Guardians of the Dawn’, to which she belonged, was a top-tier guild in the industry.
If she had her way, she would recruit him right now, but due to Eternity’s regulations, which prioritized cadet protection until graduation, it was difficult to make contact at the moment.
‘I have to bring him over to our side once he graduates.’
With that resolve, Seo Ha-rin burned the image of Lee Haesol’s back into her memory as he walked down from the stage.
***
‘Hoo, this is complete torture.’
I shook my head as I descended from the stage.
Reading an oath in front of hundreds of people was an incredibly nerve-wracking experience.
Not only were all eyes on me, but the countless camera flashes were enough to make anyone nervous.
As I came down from the stage, thinking it was a good thing I had taken the calming medicine, a status window message appeared.
[You have read the oath as the representative of the entrance ceremony.]
[100 SP is awarded.]
[You have gained the interest of the main characters.]
[1000 SP is awarded.]
[Owned Points: 3100 SP]
‘A decent haul.’
1100 SP was more than enough reward for reciting the oath.
Once the entrance ceremony ended, the freshmen exited the auditorium through the doors on the left and right.
School officials cleared the way, but even so, a few freshmen were surrounded by camera lenses.
─Cadet Cheon Woojin! Could you please share your thoughts on enrolling in Eternity!
─We heard you unfortunately missed the top spot. What are your thoughts on this result?
Cheon Woojin. A ridiculously overpowered character, befitting a protagonist, who lacked nothing in looks, character, or skill, and seemed to exist only in imagination.
Originally, it should have been Cheon Woojin, not me, who was the top student at the entrance ceremony.
He was a monster who had never once lost the top spot until he graduated from Eternity.
Even the magic formation in the written exam, if it were Cheon Woojin, he might not have been able to solve it, but he could have broken it.
He probably didn’t because he thought it was cheating. That’s the kind of guy he was. An honest character, always truthful. Yet, a being whose overwhelming skill made it impossible to even feel jealous.
That was the person named Cheon Woojin.
─Cadet Nikolai! You placed third in the entrance exam. Are you satisfied with the result?
─A photo, just one photo, please!
If Cheon Woojin was surrounded by reporters at the right door, then at the left door, it was Nikolai.
The son of the Russian superhuman and executive of the Superhuman Association, Gorgov, and a model elite who had received gifted education from a young age. Commonly known as the ‘Son of Russia’.
At the reporter’s question about whether he was satisfied with the result, he glanced at me and Cheon Woojin, then smirked and said something.
I couldn’t hear him, but I could guess his answer.
*I may be third this time, but next time, I will take first place.* …is what he would say.
Nikolai, who had strong self-esteem but also knew how to acknowledge others, would surely say that.
‘He’s the type to accept defeat, but not give up.’
In the original story, when everyone else just looked up to the monster that was Cheon Woojin, Nikolai was the so-called eternal number two who struggled and toiled to win even once.
‘And yet, I beat that number one and number two.’
I was letting out a dry laugh at the absurd result when a shadow fell over me. I looked up to see a picturesque blonde Western beauty looking down at me.
It was the first time I’d seen her in person, but I knew this girl too.
Amelia Romano.
The daughter of Theodore, the master of the American superhuman guild ‘Constellation of Stars’.
‘And a walking piggy bank.’
Amelia was a very grateful existence who generously poured money into promising individuals under the pretext of investment.
Her coming to me like this was probably a ploy to get acquainted with me beforehand.
Sure enough, Amelia introduced herself in fluent Korean.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Amelia Romano.”
“I’m Lee Haesol.”
When I greeted her back, Amelia smiled brightly.
“I was very impressed with your performance in the practical exam.”
“Were you there too?”
“I saw it in a video clip circulating on the internet.”
“Ah.”
There were a lot of kids with cameras, so it must have been uploaded to the internet.
“I barely won, what’s there to be impressed about.”
“Wasn’t it your intention to make it look that way?”
“What are you talking about?”
When I narrowed my eyes, Amelia smiled and changed the subject.
“The entrance ceremony is over, but you’re not leaving?”
“Yeah, I still have something to do.”
I was sitting in my seat, watching the freshmen leave.
My business in the Hall of Heroes was just beginning.
“That’s a shame. Then let’s talk later. It seems I have to go now.”
Amelia gave a bitter smile as she saw the flock of reporters.
“Yeah, see you later.”
“Yes, then.”
Amelia gave a polite bow and left the auditorium.
A swarm of reporters and fans followed behind her.
Amelia, a member of the Constellation of Stars, was already a popular figure who attracted a lot of attention.
“She’s got it tough too.”
I leaned back leisurely in my chair and stretched. Not a single reporter had approached me.
That’s because outsiders were forbidden from entering the freshman seating area.
Soon, after all the freshmen had left and the commotion in the auditorium had died down, the pink-haired woman hurried over.
It was Erica-sunbae, the student council member.
“Sorry. I’m late. I was busy cleaning up the auditorium. Ah, it’s okay if I speak casually, right? Haesol is officially a student at our school now.”
“Yes, that’s more comfortable for me too.”
“Thanks. Shall we go then?”
Following the smiling Erica, we moved to the back of the stage, where a small space greeted us.
It was the waiting area for the stage and a preparation room used by the student council for various tasks.
*Chiiiik—*
When Erica tapped her member card on a small iron door on one side of the preparation room, the door opened with a noisy sound.
Beyond it, several shelves came into view.
My eyes sparkled as I looked at the items displayed on the shelves.
This was the place where the magic tools collected by the student council were stored, and the place where Eternity’s Hidden Piece lay dormant.
The ‘Treasury of the Hall of Heroes’.
***
Most of the shelves in the treasury were empty.
It made sense, as all the useful-looking magic tools would have been taken.
Still, there were quite a few decent-looking magic tools, but they were outside my interest from the start.
‘It was definitely here, right?’
I reached my hand into the bottom left of the innermost shelf and tapped on the wall.
Several times, rhythmically. Then, as if by magic, the wall disappeared, and a dust-covered ring emerged from within.
“Bingo.”
I remembered searching the Hall of Heroes’ treasury like a madman just to find this one thing when I played the game.
And how empty I felt when the ring that came out was unusable…
‘But now, I get to use it.’
I grinned as I looked at the plain black ring with no special features.
[Icarus’s Cursed Ring]
─This ring is imbued with the curse of Icarus, the 2nd student council president of Eternity. When worn, the user becomes unable to use mana.
Judging by the description alone, it was a ring no one would take even if it were free.
Because no one would willingly wear a ring that makes them unable to use mana.
I myself had used it more like a pair of handcuffs than for my own use when I played the game.
But now, without mana, it was different.
Since I didn’t have mana in the first place, nothing would change even if I was cursed.
Ki was a different energy from mana.
Of course, if that were all, there would be no reason to wear the ring, but Icarus’s Ring didn’t just have a curse.
Usually, magic tools with such restrictions also have a corresponding beneficial effect.
The so-called ‘High Risk, High Return’.
▶Mana Nullification
─The wearer of the ring can nullify mana. The amount of mana nullified is proportional to the wearer’s mental strength.
The ability to nullify mana by consuming the wearer’s mental strength.
Of course, since it consumed mental strength, I could probably only use it once or twice a day at most, but it was a perfect means of protecting myself.
Erica, who didn’t know this, tilted her head in confusion when I brought out Icarus’s Ring.
“Huh? I’ve never seen that ring before. Was there something like that? It doesn’t look that great… Or should I recommend one for you?”
“It’s fine. This is enough for me.”
I could say with certainty that there was no better magic tool in the treasury than Icarus’s Ring.
At least for the manaless me.
After getting Erica’s confirmation, I wore Icarus’s Ring on the index finger of my left hand. Then, a myriad of status window messages appeared.
[Hidden Piece, Icarus’s Cursed Ring, has been found.]
[500 SP is awarded as a reward.]
[Warning! Mana will be restricted.]
[There is no mana to restrict.]
[Mana Nullification is applied to the target, Lee Haesol.]
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
As always if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
Heheheh
We love a character who knows how to apply the game’s cheese