I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 11 : Beyond Expectation Existence (2)

"Son, I'm proud of you."

Despite his respected father's congratulations, Seo Jun-seong's expression wasn't particularly bright.

"Are you not satisfied with being the top student?"

"No."

Jun-seong finally opened his mouth.

"It's a sufficiently proud result. It's a position everyone wants."

But he felt that his top position wasn't flawless.

"Lee Yu-jin could have taken it instead, and it wouldn't have been strange at all. The results she showed in the practical exam were remarkable."

"Hmm."

Seo Dong-jin, a hero of the Execution Force with legendary fame.

He smiled gladly at his son's perfectionist attitude.

"This child Yu-jin seems to have impressed you quite a bit."

"Yes."

Jun-seong nodded.

"Jeong Su-hyeon is also no ordinary friend. I feel like he's still hiding something."

"Hmm."

Certainly, even in his eyes, the movements of the boy named Su-hyeon were quite interesting.

'He had an impressive battle against a C-rank Ma-in, and in the entrance exam, he participated in a fight that subdued an instructor. A boy with just D-rank level power.'

People often think that the strength of one's characteristic determines the strength of an Awakened.

But more important is the skill to understand one's own power and draw out the best results.

'Not just anyone can do that.'

Above all, what he highly evaluated was Su-hyeon's background.

'A survivor of the Samcheok incident, I heard?'

At Seo Dong-jin's level, such backstories reached him without him having to ask.

'There are few motivations as good as revenge.'

Whether he would burn himself with that flame or use it as driving force would be something to observe further.

'If it's Young-hwan's recommendation, it's worth trusting.'

He smiled as he recalled the face of his cherished junior.

"But Jun-seong, this is rather something to be happy about."

"Something to be happy about?"

"That day, didn't you learn that there's a better answer than the one you found?"

"!"

"In other words, you learned a lesson. If you were already perfect, what reason would there be to enroll in the Academy?"

Jun-seong bowed his head at his father's words.

"I suppose you're right."

"Since childhood, you've been elevated under the titles of my son and a genius. That must also have been a burden weighing on your shoulders."

He wasn't unaware of his son's feelings.

"You've found worthy companions to be wary of in your new stage, so this should be seen as a gift."

He patted his son's shoulders, which had become sturdy.

"The Sword God's granddaughter and Seo Dong-jin's son. Who will be more remarkable?"

"That's just gossip fodder for storytellers."

"That's right. But surprisingly, such narratives can greatly influence a person's reputation and career."

Seo Dong-jin grinned.

"Be it Yu-jin or Ji-su, it's good. Cooperate and compete with strong rivals to hone yourself. They are all your schoolmates and future comrades."

"Father is right."

Jun-seong smiled faintly, sorting out his complicated feelings.

"I'm looking forward to it. I think we'll have good competition."

'While not having any intention of losing himself. Sly kid.'

He knew well that his son hated losing more than anyone.

"No one can maintain the top position without competitive spirit and constant vigilance. Always remember that fact."

Formidable figures like Yu-jin and Ji-su, and the dark horse named Su-hyeon.

Seo Dong-jin believed without doubt that they would all serve as "appropriate trials" for his son.

'You'll be the best anyway, Jun-seong.'

While Seo Jun-seong's household had such a warm atmosphere after securing the top position.

Hwang Ji-su's household, who had only placed third and not even second, was quite uneasy.

"It's because of that guy."

As Su-hyeon had predicted, second place went to Yu-jin.

'I can understand losing to Seo Jun-seong. He caught more dummies than me.'

But losing to Yu-jin was something she absolutely couldn't accept.

'Moreover, this was a test that favored me over Yu-jin.'

That fact made her even angrier.

For her, who had aimed for the top position or at least second place, ranking third was as good as failure.

And she knew well who was the cause of this result.

'Jeong Su-hyeon.'

Hwang Ji-su knew Yu-jin's personality well.

'This isn't Yu-jin's style. She's a stubborn, single-minded person.'

So the only person left is Jeong Su-hyeon.

'That guy. There's something about him.'

It happened to be a name her mother had once warned her about.

'That makes it even more annoying.'

Though her mother hadn't said anything to her, her expression seemed to mock her failure as if to say 'I told you so.'

And the emotional temperature felt from her father's attitude, who showed no particular reaction, was the same.

Crack!

As Hwang Ji-su's mood sank, the temperature in the practice room also fell endlessly.

Only when frost settled on her naturally wavy hair did she sigh and release her ability.

'That guy. What exactly is he?'

Hwang Ji-su folded her arms as she recalled the video of Yu-jin and Su-hyeon's battle, obtained through her father's connections.

'Is his characteristic reinforcement type? His motor skills were pretty good, and his evasion abilities were good too. But judging by how he fought with knuckles, his destructive power seems lacking.'

If it's true that his estimated rank came out as D-rank, it probably isn't such an impressive characteristic.

'Well, fine. I'll find out about his characteristic soon enough anyway.'

In her thinking, being a bit clever has its limits.

In the end, what distinguishes the caliber of an Awakened is the strength of their characteristic.

'We'll see.'

Besides, the idea that Su-hyeon did something is just suspicion.

'Maybe Yu-jin developed such improvisation skills without my knowledge.'

But whatever the truth, it didn't matter.

'I don't want to lose to anyone.'

When there are opponents to overcome, she becomes stronger.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

I arrived at Cheongnyangni Station pulling my carrier.

"Strict security."

It's a station that was greatly destroyed once during the chaos of the Gate era decades ago and then rebuilt.

Now, it had transformed into a quasi-military facility with ironclad security considering its importance.

Unlike during the entrance exam, all accepted cadets gather here to travel by train.

It was an act meant to showcase future pillars to forces wishing for social chaos.

'The 100 people gathered here are literally the top 0.1% elite.'

Considering that even the 900 applicants who failed the entrance exam were elites who had broken through competition ratios of tens to one.

The 100 individuals who passed the final threshold could indeed be considered the most outstanding Awakened of this age group.

"That's Jeong Su-hyeon."

"Where?"

"They say he ranked 6th."

"Wow, really?"

"I get that he fought well, but is he good enough to be 6th?"

"Right? Honestly, without Yu-jin, it would have been impossible."

Ignoring the reactions of the freshmen who recognized me, I boarded the train and secured a window seat.

About 20 minutes remained until departure.

We would only reach the Academy after arriving at Gangneung Station and traveling on a dedicated road.

"Can I sit next to you?"

Opening my eyes at the voice, I saw Nam Tae-hoon waving his hand with a grin.

"...Sit somewhere else."

"Oh, why? Someone's going to sit here anyway."

"That's why I'm saying it."

"Hey now, is it right to treat a comrade so coldly?"

Then he smoothly sits down next to me.

"Want some boiled eggs? I brought them from home."

"...I'll eat them later."

While we were like this, Yu-jin, who had made eye contact with us, made a low clicking sound with her tongue.

"Tsk."

"...Did you do something wrong to her?"

"Huh? Me?"

Nam Tae-hoon's eyes widened at my question.

"I didn't do anything."

Hmm.

Is it because of me then?

Clank, clank.

In the train with moderate vibrations, I quietly absorbed the scenery outside the window.

It wasn't a beautiful, pastoral landscape.

Rather, it was cratered as if bombed, and there were many ruins too devastated to even consider rebuilding.

'It makes the world setting feel real again.'

The rampages of demonic beasts resulted in nearly wiping out small provincial cities and rural farming and fishing villages.

'Population concentration centered around hub cities.'

To survive the hunting of demonic beasts, it was advantageous to have as many people as possible gathered together.

Therefore, people gathered around cities that were advantageous for defense and survival, creating massive fortresses.

Looking at the afterimages of that desperate era, I habitually thought about what lay ahead.

'First, I need to secure the first semester's top position.'

Making Seo Jun-seong feel excessive inferiority from the time of admission wasn't a good choice.

But after enrollment, it's a different story.

'Above all, the money issue is significant.'

EFAC's tuition isn't cheap.

Scholarships are given to outstanding cadets, but ranking among the top amidst powerful individuals is quite difficult.

Because of this, newbies unfamiliar with EoG often see endings where they're expelled for not being able to afford tuition.

I also had the painful memory of ending about ten runs with expulsion endings.

Even beyond the money issue, only with grades that could earn scholarships could one qualify to apply for intern selection starting from the second semester.

'I can't miss this.'

There were so many events derived from this intern dispatch that if one failed to be selected for an internship, the game had to be restarted.

'This is why it's cursed as a ruined game.'

Meanwhile, the hidden piece given for taking first place is also a honey item that shouldn't be missed.

In the end, I had virtually no luxury to enjoy the romance of the Academy peacefully.

'It's no exaggeration to say that the biggest obstacles at this stage are the classmates who are competition targets.'

That's why, all the more.

Laziness here meant the same as falling behind.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"Move in order!"

Upon arriving at the Academy, we were supplied with bracelet-shaped dedicated devices.

'Unnecessarily high quality.'

It was an item that served multiple roles including location tracking, body condition checking, and functioning as a credit card and student ID.

Made from materials processed from demonic beast carcass byproducts, it was also so sturdy that it wouldn't even get scratched easily.

"Unpack your luggage and rest in your assigned dormitories."

"Yes!"

My assigned room was 312.

As I was pulling my carrier up to the third floor, I frowned looking back.

"Why do you keep following me?"

"I'm going this way too."

Even after I reached the third floor and turned two corners, Nam Tae-hoon didn't leave from behind me.

'No way.'

I had a bad feeling.

Dormitory room assignments are events that occur randomly each time.

As a result, roommates would change each time.

Among them, Nam Tae-hoon wasn't a preferred choice for gamers.

'He's too talkative and bothersome.'

"Don't tell me you're room 312?"

"Yes. You too?"

"......"

As if enjoying my reaction, Nam Tae-hoon held out his palm.

"We have some kind of connection. Right?"

"Hmm. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a connection."

"Hey, how cold. Haven't you heard that when coincidences repeat, they become destiny?"

"First time hearing that."

"Really? Perhaps your written score..."

"Let's just go in."

The interior was quite pleasant.

It was spacious enough to have room left over even after accounting for the large window, desk, bed, wardrobe, and bathroom.

'If it's like this, they might as well split it into single rooms.'

"The room's nice."

Nam Tae-hoon also nodded and looked satisfied.

'Compared to where I used to live, it's hotel level.'

For someone who had been living in a cheap boarding house to earn tuition, it was a luxurious room.

"Well then, shall we formally introduce ourselves? I look forward to working with you this semester."

"Sure. Since it's come to this, let's get along."

"Hehe. Don't look so disgusted. We'll be a good match."

I stare at Nam Tae-hoon's eyes as he grins.

'A guy with many secrets.'

But he was also a named character who would make an excellent force if he could be made an ally.

"By the way, there's one thing I'd like to establish beforehand."

"Huh?"

"Watching movies alone or listening to music is fine, but after bedtime, please use earphones."

"Well, that's just manners."

"And this is the most important part."

As my expression became serious, his expression also became serious in response.

"What is it?"

"Never watch horror movies."

"...Huh?"

"Especially genres with ghosts are absolutely forbidden. Remember that."

Jeong Su-hyeon's only weakness despite being calm and meticulous in everything.

It was that his resistance to ghost fears was at the level of a sunfish.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Meanwhile, at that time.

"Are you Yu-jin? Nice to meet you! I'm Song Yu-ha! Starting with rooming with the famous Sword God's granddaughter, this feels good from the beginning!"

Yu-jin was exchanging greetings with her friendly roommate.

Song Yu-ha.

She was a girl with a height just under 160, a petite build, bobbed hair, and round eyes that gave a slightly mischievous impression.

"Nice to meet you."

"Can I call you Yu-jin?"

"Yes. Feel free."

"You can call me Yu-ha too! Come to think of it, both of our names have 'Yu' in them?"

"Ah, you're right."

"Wow! I dedicate this glory to the naming master! How far did they see into the future!"

"......"

Yu-jin blinked at the high tension that made it hard to believe they had just met.

"By the way, I heard Yu-jin got second place? It's a pity I couldn't see the exam firsthand."

Yu-jin, who was a bit embarrassed about her second-place position, blushed.

"Why couldn't Yu-ha see it?"

"I'm in the non-combat category. I took the exam a day earlier than you all."

"I see."

Supporters in the non-combat category, where only 20 out of 100 slots are available for admission.

Song Yu-ha was an Awakened of the healer type among them.

"So it's a shame. I heard this entrance exam was really fun? Friends who applied told me."

Though they were soundly rejected, Song Yu-ha laughed.

"Seeing it directly, Seo Jun-seong is the most handsome, but Jeong Su-hyeon and Hong In-hyeon? They also had a manly charm, they say? Sigh, no wonder they failed if they were just there to check out boys' faces."

"......"

The focus was a bit unexpected.

"So? What do you think?"

Song Yu-ha, who had been clicking her tongue, suddenly changed her expression and approached Yu-jin.

"...About what?"

The smile that appeared on her face was cunning.

"Who's the most handsome?"

"Th-that's unseemly."

"Tsk! What's unseemly about it!"

At Yu-jin's response, unfamiliar with such talk, Song Yu-ha's smile became more mischievous.

"It's going to be hard enough living at the Academy, we need some fun like this. Don't you think?"

"...What use is it that friends are handsome?"

"Hmm. It's always the ones who say they don't look at faces who look the most. Are you one of them?"

"I am not!"

Yu-jin, recalling Su-hyeon's face, showed a suspiciously intense reaction.

"I think I'll go out for some fresh air."

"Hey, where are you going! I'm sorry! I won't tease you!"

Yu-jin, who had escaped as if fleeing, could see the male dormitory across from the window.

'Su-hyeon must be unpacking too.'

She had been blaming herself for not getting his contact information after the entrance exam.

'I wish I could have given him a gift before enrollment.'

Clear debt and gratitude relationships.

It was her grandfather's iron rule.

Of course, as Su-hyeon said, since they've enrolled in the same school, they would be seeing each other for the next three years, but...

'I hope we're in the same class.'