Masked Man (1)

-Druruk.

I opened the door and stepped into the classroom.

With a smile that others couldn't see, I firmly pressed down on my mask, feeling the familiar scent of the classroom. There weren't many unfamiliar gazes directed at me.

-Didn't he disappear for a while?

While such murmurs occasionally reached my ears, like the typical fleeting interest of others, they soon paid no further attention.

As I found my seat, Guseul, a familiar face and a girl who lived next door to me in the dormitory, greeted me with a smile.

"Yo!"

"Yo?"

"It's the trend these days. Long time no see!"

What isn't a trend these days?

I closed my mouth, dumbfounded, and Guseul let out a hearty laugh, "Pfhihihi-"

"Did you know our instructor changed today?"

"Yeah, yeah."

I replied casually and looked ahead, noticing Jin Dallae sitting in the front.

Feeling my gaze, she turned her head. Our eyes met, and she smiled with her eyes. I was about to greet her with my eyes but then remembered I was wearing a mask, so I just waved my hand.

"What's going on? What's your relationship?"

"Friends."

Guseul, who was observing us back and forth, quickly found an angle to tease, but I wasn't going to fall for such childish jokes. I settled down and waited, and soon, the classroom door opened, and a male instructor walked in.

Druruk- the sound of the door opening.

-Oh!

Exclamations spread throughout the room like waves.

A man with sturdy shoulders and a mature charm. The instructor badge around the neck of the handsome man bore a familiar name.

Man Sejeok.

Although not much experienced as an instructor, he was quite known as an A-grade hero.

'Is he the one?'

I remembered meeting him a couple of times since the entrance exam. His impression? With his stylish appearance and flexible way of handling things, he was the kind of person one easily liked. Seyeong had mentioned him as a reliable instructor, and indeed, I felt I could trust him. He was not only skilled but also seemed to have a lot to teach.

"I regret to say this just before the exam, but from today, I am the instructor in charge here, Man Sejeok."

He skillfully engaged the students, slowly unfolding answers to queries and his introduction.

Now…

Having seen the instructor's face, I must find my routine.

'I just need to do well.'

Midterms. Genius.

To raise my name value and attract the attention of many guilds.

To beg for votes from the World Tree folks who were annoyingly watching, I had to prove my usefulness and worth. But that wasn't the only thing I needed to care about. While following through on what I said, I couldn't attract too much attention from Flower. A misstep could mean getting stabbed on the street.

In other words, I needed to widen my political maneuvers.

It was like walking a tightrope, where stepping too hard could lead to a fall. I had Cheonma's support, but she couldn't always protect me.

'Let's do this.'

In game terms, it's reputation-building.

There were suggestions from Cheondo and Hwangdo, but I set them aside.

I wasn't taking what was about to happen lightly.

Did I lack support, ability, or effort?

Although I didn't have the insight of those girls, attracting attention had always been my innate talent since I started hammering nails into trees.

No one else could do such crazy things.

'And because my bloodline is so dirty.'

Politics? Agitation?

There was a reason I felt capable of doing it.

Come to think of it, it was somewhat my area of expertise.

After all, I was the son of a politician.

-Tuk-tuk.

Of course,

'It's time to take off this mask.'

Even though I was the son of a politician who had been to prison.

When asked to name the Korean students at El Academy, the names that always came up among the students were predictable.

Of course, there were Jung Siwoo and Sansuyu, the top and second-ranked in their year. Then, there was Jin Dallae, a first-class spirit master who recently drew attention due to a pseudo-event. And though he had some personality issues, Lim Jonghyun, a swordsman whose skills could not be ignored.

Among the first years, these four names were always mentioned. If a few more were to be added, it would probably be Guseul, Sooyoung, and Shin Jeonga.

Despite being praised for having many talented students this year, only these individuals were consistently mentioned. And there was a clear reason for that.

Overwhelming combat abilities, judgment, and reaction speed.

With no one able to follow them, it was impossible for others to even think about inserting their name among theirs.

"Okay, who wants to try this demonstration match?"

So, when the instructor asked this, raising his hand, the students hesitated to volunteer.

-Swish.

In the training room for the midterm tournament test.

As expected, the first to raise his hand was Lim Jonghyun, filled with confidence and momentum.

"Don't just raise your hand, say your name."

"Yes. I'm Lim Jonghyun."

"Okay, Jonghyun… Come on out."

Jonghyun took off his coat and walked into the arena, holding a blunt steel sword that wasn't sharp. His well-defined muscles were visible through his tight-fitting combat uniform.

-Wow…

A few girls gasped.

At the center of it all, Shin Jeonga, with her hands tightly clasped, looked at him with the face of a girl in love.

Jonghyun's opponent was an AI doll. This doll, placed in the training room, was of a higher quality and ability than the regular training dolls.

"Alright, three, two, one… start."

-Beep!

The whistle sounded. And the wooden doll, resembling a human figure, started to move, its eyes glowing red.

"Watch closely. It's not for nothing they say blood flies in the tournament."

As the instructor added this, Jonghyun's body leaned forward.

-Snap!

A sudden burst of movement. The two swords intersected, creating a blue wave.

"There are many subjects in this midterm, right? If you're not confident, it's okay to skip this evaluation. Accidents sometimes happen. Fortunately, the scores in the first-year tournament aren't that high."

The tournament to distinguish the talented among the newcomers.

Usually, at this point, those with experience or exceptional talent started to rise.

"If you've had a tremendous enlightenment in these few months! Then it's okay to aim for victory."

While he said that, it was rare for someone to become a star in the midterms.

Maybe Jonghyun was close to that category.

He came in with enough talent and was one of the four prodigies, but his growth had been truly remarkable.

Several instructors who taught him regarded him as the next top or second-ranked candidate. His personality might be disagreeable, but his talent is real.

-Bang!

A fierce whirlwind lashes out towards the students.

Their hair flew in different directions, and leaves danced along with the divided sword strokes. Attacking with magic-infused leaves between sword techniques was Jonghyun's specialty.

Gyesunamu. The style of swordsmanship he practiced.

Gyesunamu was a family leading a giant corporation, successful in expanding their business in Japan. They were famous for popularizing the Katsura logo.

Always among the top conglomerates in Korea. That explained the aristocratic air he exuded.

He was forced to live as a noble from the bone, so his swordsmanship was always far ahead of his peers.

-Kudang Tang!

Jonghyun, who glanced at the fallen doll with rough scars, returned as if it were expected. He considered receiving admiration, love, and even envy as natural.

He looked at the instructor in his combat uniform, and upon receiving a nod, Jonghyun returned to his seat.

"Good job, you can sit down. But it's hard to get a feel when only one person goes, right? Especially since Jonghyun finished so quickly."

The instructor looked around at the students, who were nodding in agreement, and slyly raised his hand, asking,

"Who's next?"

The students looked around at each other, their gazes shifting rapidly.

After Jonghyun, there were few who could make an impact comparable to his.

"Hey, want to try?"

"No, I'll pass."

A student spoke to Jung Siwoo, who firmly declined.

In the ensuing silence, as everyone licked their dry lips, the instructor, trying to hide his confusion, scratched his cheek. Then, someone broke the silence and raised their hand.

"Me."

"Let's see… Okay, I like the spirit. Give it a try."

A robust figure with a ridiculously mismatched mask.

Almost everyone among the Korean students knew who he was.

His involvement in a few issues made him occasional gossip material among the students. Rumors that he was involved with Baekdo, a person with significant name value, increased interest in him. However, many students withdrew their attention due to Shiheon's unremarkable actions.

Just a weird kid.

Unpredictable.

Some even said it was a case of delusional adolescence coming late.

-Who is that?

-The guy with the mask.

-No, I mean, what's his name?

There were those who speculated on his skills based on Jung Siwoo's evaluation and a few training sessions, but good rumors don't spread easily.

-You don't know the rumor?

-I know that. But is he strong?

-Don't know. He skips so many classes, I've never seen him fight. Anyone know his rank?

-152nd, I heard.

-Oh, nothing special, then.

Only malicious gossip spread quickly.

A peculiar individual like Lee Shiheon would be more prone to this due to his unsightly charm.

"Alright, begin."

Thus, no one had any expectations.

Except for a few who knew or doubted his skills,

Among them was Lim Jonghyun, who had been watching him due to Jung Siwoo's comments at a previous drinking session.

-Beep!

The whistle sounded.

The AI doll immediately charged at Shiheon.

The well-finished wooden doll's sword, aimed menacingly at his face, targeted precisely between his brows. Shiheon didn't move until the sword was about to stab him.

Standing in a neat posture, he appeared as if he couldn't even react. Some already burst into laughter.

'Why did he step up if he's like that? At least he gave us a laugh.'

A natural reaction, and one that could be easily overturned.

The doll's sword went through him.

-What?

Or so it seemed.

Shiheon's head tilted at the last moment. The doll's sword harmlessly sliced through the air. Effortlessly, he placed his hands on the doll's forearm and snapped its joint in the opposite direction.

-Drrruck!

A lethal blow infused with magic.

It made one wonder if they could have reacted properly if they were on the receiving end of that technique.

The doll tried to fight back with its remaining arm, but Shiheon responded to each movement, showing different stances. The stance collapsed once the heel broke, and he struck the next blow.

-Kwang!

His punch to the doll's face was more fluid than flashy, a combat method distinctly different from Lim Jonghyun's.

Although different from the dominating style of Cheonma, it was enough to elicit admiration from many.

Showy martial arts. Could that be a fitting description?

-Wow…

Exclamations of admiration erupted here and there.

The doll, correcting its twisted stance, swung its final sword stroke.

-Snap!

But perhaps due to a lapse in concentration, he regretfully took a hit from the sword stroke he had been avoiding so well. The attack grazed his chin, and his mask fell off.

-Degururur.

The mask rolled sideways on the floor. He immediately spun around and delivered a kick to the doll's heart.

-Kwang!

The doll was pushed far back, eventually collapsing to the ground, its inner light fading.

"Phew…"

A breath that sounded exhausted. In contrast, his face didn't have a single drop of sweat as he twisted his wrist and sat down to pick up his mask.

Silently picking it up, he dusted off the sand and put it back on his face. Then, eyes filled with various emotions turned towards him.

"Uh, uh, okay. Well done. Good job."

Having received the instructor's approval, he returned to his seat. He had hoped to leave a lasting impression.

The rumors about the peculiar one would spread very quickly.