novelraw Chapter 17 : Chapter 17
Chapter 17 : Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Which Club Is Yours? (1)
“The cadets’ levels were high overall.”
Miyu said, flipping through the tablet.
On the screen, the rank test data of each cadet was listed.
Instructor Hojin stood in front of her.
“Good work. It proceeded smoothly overall.”
“Of course. I worked so hard. But there were many interesting students.”
Miyu said jokingly as she approached Hojin.
Looking at the same screen, she operated the device, and real-time training videos followed one after another.
The image of Lily Evans passed by.
“Lily was definitely impressive. She crushed an A-rank monster in 1 second. She turned it into a pretzel. She's definitely not at a freshman level.”
The images of the freshmen passed by at a fast speed.
And finally, that guy appeared.
Ryu Jinwoo.
The one who had most definitely caught Hojin’s attention in this training was, by far, him.
“Ah, Cadet Ryu Jinwoo. This friend was quite impressive too. Whether it was by chance or skill, he annihilated a Cotras in one blow. Hmm, honestly, even looking at it again, I don't know how he did it. What was it?”
“It’s a spell. And a special spell designed for assassination.”
As Miyu scratched her head and wondered, Hojin answered quietly.
“It’s a technique designed to aim for the vital spot in a single moment and cut off the breath.”
Hojin approached a nearby wall and opened his mouth.
Before he knew it, two daggers were in his hands.
A movement so fast and stealthy that it was impossible to tell when he had taken them out.
Miyu’s two eyes shone with interest.
Peo-eok-!
With a dull thud, the first dagger dug into the wall.
Seu-geok-!
But the sound of the second dagger that followed was completely different.
“That’s not the sound of a knife being stuck in a wall, is it?”
At Miyu’s surprised voice, Hojin pulled out the two daggers.
The first dagger had dirty powder on it, but the second dagger was as clean as if it were new.
“The second one is the basis of this spell. You have to be able to control your strength in milliseconds. It’s a technique that requires extreme precision. It takes 3 years just to learn that technique.”
“3 years? Instructor Hojin, it took you 3 years?”
“That’s the average standard. In my case, 6 months.”
“6 months is still long, isn't it?”
“Because it’s that difficult of a technique.”
Hojin muttered, putting the daggers back in his clothes.
“But where could he have learned it? No wait, if it’s a ‘spell,’ how can the Non-Awakened Cadet Ryu Jinwoo use it?”
“Well, even a Non-Awakened can imitate magic power to some extent with the help of auxiliary devices or special weapons.”
“Then, are you saying he can implement that much technique with such an auxiliary device?”
Miyu asked.
In fact, Hojin was also wondering about that.
Because the technical perfection Ryu Jinwoo had shown didn't seem to have been achieved by ‘auxiliary means.’
Perhaps, as Baekseok’s disciple, he had inherited a special method unknown to the public.
‘Well, that’s probably it. If his master is that strange old man.’
On the other hand, in a corner of his mind, an absurd fantasy was blooming.
The thought that the swordsmanship Ryu Jinwoo had shown was quite similar to his own technique.
‘And it’s similar to the [Silver Wolf: Vicious Fang] I used on him in the spar.’
The signature assassination spell of the Silver Wolf unit he had belonged to in the past, ‘Vicious Fang.’
Due to its unique magic power operation, when a blow lands, the wound turns black.
A name derived from that unique mark.
But the technique Ryu Jinwoo had used also showed a similar flow.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Instructor Miyu, let me ask you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Could you imitate a technique I show you, just as it is? I'll give you 3 days.”
At Hojin’s question, Miyu’s eyes widened.
“Pardon? Just by watching a demonstration?”
“Assuming you experience the technique directly. You’ll be the one to receive my sword.”
“Ugh! I can't imagine how many times I’ll have to get hit. Won't I be in the hospital the whole time?”
As Miyu grimaced, Hojin added.
“Then how about once.”
“Once? You want me to imitate it after getting hit once?”
Miyu’s gaze was saying ‘that’s crazy.’
“That doesn't make sense. It’s not just anything, it’s your technique, Instructor Hojin? If that’s possible, then that person is a genius……. What genius. A god, a god.”
“Right. It doesn’t make sense.”
But Ryu Jinwoo might have done that impossible thing.
A cold sweat formed on Hojin’s forehead.
‘If that’s the case.’
As his thoughts reached that point, strength filled Hojin’s fist.
“Instructor Hojin? Are you okay?”
“What is it?”
“You showed an incredible expression just now. It’s so scary whenever you do that sometimes.”
“……I’ve shown an unsightly side. I apologize.”
Hojin said, wiping his forehead.
While thinking that it was a bad habit.
“By the way, you did say to give Cadet Ryu Jinwoo extra points in the rank test, right?”
At Miyu’s question, Hojin nodded.
“I need to write down the reason, could you tell me?”
“He injured me in our spar. I promised to give him points as a reward, so it should be reflected.”
“Aha! In the spar with Instructor Hojin…… pardon?”
Miyu’s expression and hand, which had been fiddling while writing down the reason, froze on the spot.
***
-Freshman ranks have been confirmed! Please check the bulletin board at the school's central hall!
The next day, a message arrived on my Zero Watch.
A message saying that the freshman ranks have been confirmed and to check them.
‘It’s obviously B, though.’
Whether you catch an A-rank monster or a B-rank monster in the rank test makes a significant difference in score, enough to determine the freshmen's ranks.
If you defeat an A-rank monster with difficulty, you get 50 points, and if you defeat a B-rank easily, you get 40 points.
Therefore, if you want to start your freshman rank as A-rank, you have to choose and defeat an A-rank monster, whether you succeed or fail.
Except for cases where there are extra points, it’s usually like that.
I'm just a confirmed B.
Because there's nothing for me to get extra points for.
‘B-rank is the real honey pot.’
If you become A-rank, the treatment is good, but the training intensity also becomes tougher, and the obligations increase.
It’s the B-rank where you can suck up the honey moderately.
It’s also the reason why I filtered out the A-rank monster despite Sonic Park’s provocation.
There was no need to check.
I left the cafeteria and passed by the central hall.
“Here to check your rank?”
At that moment, someone called out to me.
A face that was slowly becoming familiar.
“Park Sonic.”
“It’s Sonic Park.”
The guy glared, as if displeased.
Aren’t they the same thing?
“You haven’t forgotten our bet from last time, have you?”
“I said I wouldn’t do it.”
“Hmph, I said if you don’t, I’ll do it by myself.”
As expected, a madman.
I can understand why he’s being so stubborn.
He had defeated an A-rank, albeit with difficulty, and I had defeated a B-rank monster.
So he must think he’s at least on the same level, or definitely higher.
‘And that’s probably true.’
So there’s no reason to play along.
“Go ahead and do it by yourself.”
“You coward! Are you running away again?”
“Yeah, this coward is running away.”
Just as I was about to go on my way.
“Ryu Jinwoo!”
A voice calling me from afar was heard.
This time it was Do Haru.
Do Haru ran up to me and held out her palm as if for a high-five.
“You’re A-rank? Dude, you’re pretty good?”
“What?”
Hearing Do Haru’s words, Sonic Park’s eyes widened.
“Th-that’s impossible!”
The guy started running towards the entrance of the central hall, aghast.
“What’s with him?”
Do Haru looked back at Sonic Park, as if he were strange.
But I was surprised too.
I’m an A? What kind of bullsh\*t is that.
I also ran after him.
As I entered the lobby of the central hall, the cadets’ names and the alphabets next to them were posted on a large bulletin board.
Sonic Park and I hastily scanned the list and soon faced the truth.
[Ryu Jinwoo - A]
[Sonic Park - B]
A shocking result.
For some reason, I was an A, and Sonic Park was a B.
“N-no way!”
“This can’t be……?”
Sonic Park’s shout and my mutterings intersected.
Was there an administrative error? Me, an A? Why? What about B-rank? What about my well-being life?
A train of questions ran through my head.
But my being captivated by the unsolvable question was brief; Sonic Park next to me caught my eye.
The guy who had provoked me for no reason and made me more aggressive.
The guy who might have brought this misfortune upon me.
Since it’s come to this, I had to take whatever I could.
“Didn't we make a bet?”
“…….”
The guy’s face turned deathly pale.
***
The meals at the academy cafeteria are always plentiful.
There was spaghetti, tarts, mashed potatoes, and for the main dish, steak.
And ten plates of it, at that.
A plentiful meal that I had never had before.
Do Haru looked at me strangely as I stuffed steak into my mouth and said.
“Is it good? You’re eating so hard.”
“Mmm- mmph.”
“Can you talk after you’ve eaten?”
As I spoke with a mouthful of steak, Do Haru shook her head.
“But this is amazing. This must be insanely expensive, and he bought all of this for us. And for me and Hayun too.”
For reference, I didn’t buy it with my own money.
That’s why you could say it’s even more delicious.
The wallet was, of course, that guy.
The guy who had provoked me into a pointless bet.
“I don’t know if I should be eating this. It feels like it was coerced.”
Seol Hayun looked down at the table with suspicious eyes.
It was certainly understandable.
Because it was Sonic Park who had bought the steaks that filled the entire table.
Since the plan was already ruined, I decided to go with plan B and get some food out of the guy.
‘Damn it, Ryu Jinwoo! Just you wait!’
The sight of the guy running away while spouting a third-rate villain’s line was a masterpiece.
“What’s the big deal, he said he’d buy it, so we should just eat. Dig in, dig in.”
“Anyone would think you’re the one buying, Haru.”
“I’m the one who suggested following Jinwoo, right? So technically, it’s right that we’re eating thanks to me. Isn't it?”
While I was inhaling my food, Seol Hayun and Do Haru were chatting.
I didn’t bother to stop them when they wanted to come.
It’s not like I was paying anyway.
Thanks to that, Sonic Park spent more money, so it was actually better for me.
“But Jinwoo, how did you get to be A-rank? I heard it’s hard to get assigned to A-rank if you choose a B-rank monster.”
In the middle of our hearty meal, Do Haru asked.
Actually, I’m curious too.
How I became an A-rank.
Just as I was keeping my mouth shut because nothing came to mind, Seol Hayun casually threw out a comment.
“You probably got points for injuring Instructor Hojin.”
“Huh? Hojin? You mean that spar from before?”
“That’s right. Ryu Jinwoo’s attack got through to the instructor.”
What is this now.
I injured Hojin?
“Me?”
As I asked blankly, Seol Hayun looked at me intently.
“You might not have known. Since you fainted right after, Ryu Jinwoo. I saw it faintly. Instructor Hojin hiding the wound on his arm.”
He probably hid it to maintain his dignity as an instructor.
Seol Hayun added quietly, as if muttering.
“I didn’t see it? I didn’t even know he was covering his arm.”
If that was true, then the reason I got A-rank was because of me.
Just as I had learned this unexpected fact.
A person in a stiff uniform and glasses at the entrance caught my eye.
He glanced around the cafeteria once, and as if having found something, he walked in this direction.
The place his feet reached was our table.
“Junior Seol Hayun? Nice to meet you.”
The bespectacled man said, pushing up his glasses.
His slightly sneering expression and his hair styled with an excessive amount of wax were quite annoying.
As if he were trying his best to look annoying.
“This is who I am. First of all, your senior.”
He didn’t say much and just held out his business card.
A small and elegant crown shape was drawn on the business card.
A very luxurious design.
The name ‘Ji Soohun’ was written along with the organization name ‘Crown.’
“I just dropped by to say a quick hello. I must have disturbed you while you were eating with your friends. I’m sorry. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.”
Ji Soohun smiled brightly, made the shape of a phone with his hand, and shook it next to his head.
That was all.
He didn’t say anything else after that and just left.
An intense, if you could call it that, entrance and exit.
“Somehow, he’s annoying. Why?”
And watching him walk away, Do Haru said without hesitation.
I agree.
It wasn't just because of his impression.
It was also because I knew about that senior.
“But Crown, isn’t that amazing? It’s one of the 4 major clubs.”
Clubs. And the 4 major clubs.
The academy operates a club system.
At first, it was just a simple club activity.
But from a certain point, the story changed a little.
It was probably from when cadets started gathering and gathering in the clubs.
The clubs became large groups, and the amount of support they received from Zero Academy increased according to their performance.
Taking it a step further, the cadets themselves created value, increasing their capital and influence.
And so, the ‘clubs,’ which were once simple extracurricular activities, became the core of the school's power structure from a certain point.
And with that, the ‘4 major clubs’ appeared.
“What are the 4 major clubs? ‘Veritas,’ which focuses on knowledge research, the volunteer club ‘Blue Cross’ armed with a spirit of service, the ‘Economic Forecasting Research Society,’ which encompasses corporations and the industrial world, and finally, ‘Crown,’ which is said to only pick and gather the golden spoons.”
Do Haru’s face became serious as she began her story.
It seems this Do Haru girl was the type to actively engage in gossip.
Do Haru’s words were also a perfect summary of the clubs and the school's power structure.
“That senior just now is from the golden spoon group, ‘Crown,’ right? He does look rich. Did you see his glasses? They were worn by the S-rank hero ‘Dragon.’ They’re super expensive.”
“You know a lot.”
“Hmph, buying is expensive, but knowing is free, you know?”
At my gibe, Do Haru said triumphantly.
It wasn't exactly a compliment.
“So what are you going to do, Hayun?”
Do Haru, who had finished her long speech, asked right away.
Seol Hayun stared blankly at the business card she had received.
“I don't know.”
“Think about it. Honestly, I didn't want to say this, but there are rumors that they’re a bit shady behind the scenes.”
Do Haru said in a low voice.
“Ah, what about you, Jinwoo? Do you have a club in mind?”
Ddiring-!
[A ‘Required Task’ has arrived.]
-Task: Which Club Is Yours?
-You can't have a fulfilling school life without a club! Let’s find a club that’s right for you and join.
I put down the spoon I had been using to eat my soup and looked at the new message.
‘Here it comes.’
The moment of choice, which might be the most important, had arrived.
“I'm thinking about it.”
I shrugged at Do Haru, who had a curious expression, and made an excuse.