Chapter 8
“Park Minji! Park Minji!!”
“……”
Park Minji, who was in the middle of organizing her sword, looked up when she heard her friend calling her.
“This is crazy! Minji, your brother caused another incident!!”
“So?”
“Instead of just saying ‘so,’ try to control your expression. Your pupils just dilated.”
It seemed like she had instinctively reacted to the word ‘brother.’
Her friend, who had expected this, thrust her phone in front of Minji’s face.
“Look at this!”
‘Park Ki-hyuk, does he have a personality problem?’ Beating disguised as a test!
Victim K: “He handed me protective gear and then just started punching!”
Too much authority given to ‘Team Leaders,’ experts criticize.
……
…
Is the Korean Academy really okay like this?
“This is insane! He knocked out twenty-eight people! With his bare hands! Without even using a weapon! Damn! That’s so manly!”
“……”
“A friend of mine who attends the Academy told me that everyone used their magic, their abilities, and all that.”
Her brother fought 28 against 1 with all his strength.
And from the article’s reaction, it seemed he had knocked them all out.
“You told me before, didn’t you? You said he’s a genius among geniuses, even your older brother acknowledged that he’s a monster.”
“…When did I say that?”
“Three days and seven hours ago. We were at our usual place, Tori Chicken, and you were really drunk. You said if your younger brother hadn’t developed mana emptiness, he wouldn’t even consider you a worthy opponent.”
“……”
“And what else did you say? You said he was so cute when he was little, and whenever your mom carried him, you’d take him so you could carry him around yourself.”
“Stop it! Just stop!!”
“Ha, Minji’s blushing.”
“Damn it.”
It’s this damn alcohol again.
I must have spilled my heart out during one of my drunken rants. Minji’s friend, knowing this, mischievously patted her shoulder.
“Why don’t you just forgive him already?”
“……”
“What he did to you and your family was wrong, but imagine how desperate he must have been. And now he has amnesia. He wakes up and finds himself hated for things he doesn’t even remember doing. Poor guy.”
“Just stop it. This is my family’s business.”
“Ha, are we not family? Is that how you see it? I thought we were family, but I guess we’re just strangers?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Keke, Minji, you’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Her friend hugged Minji tightly and spoke softly.
“He seems to be trying. Word around the Academy is that he’s practically living in the training hall!”
“……”
“I’m not saying you should forgive him for anyone else’s sake. It’s for you, Minji. You still care about your brother.”
“I don’t know. I don’t care.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop. I’m stopping.”
When her friend raised her hands in surrender, Minji returned to organizing her sword with a stern expression.
“But how is Ki-hyuk going to pass the ‘evaluation’? It seems like he’s short on team members…”
Flinch!
“Ha, Minji flinched.”
This is a memory from my past with the old man.
I was just a poor boy when the old man, the master of the Ebony Tower, chose me, and my status changed overnight.
If you just hear this part, you’d think it was a rags-to-riches story.
But life isn’t that easy. As soon as I entered the Tower, rumors started to spread.
“Who does he think he is, entering a place like this!”
“Damn it, some of us had to serve as attendants for years, and then this guy just gets chosen as the master’s disciple while walking on the street? Damn. Damn!”
Jealousy, contempt, scorn…
This memory is from a time when the old man had a conversation with me while I was secretly wiping away my tears, hurt by the discrimination I faced.
“…So you’re crying over some snobby noble brats’ gossip?”
“I-I’m not crying! I just got some dust in my eye.”
“It’s alright. At your age, crying is part of growing up. Sure, that’s how it is. Keh-keh-keh!”
“I’m not crying, old man!!”
“Keh, you cute little brat.”
Swish, swish.
The old man ruffled my hair and continued.
“You already knew, didn’t you? That you wouldn’t be welcomed here. You didn’t forget what I told you last time, did you?”
“…Think from their perspective.”
“You’re smart enough to understand why they reject and discriminate against you.”
“Even if I understand, it still feels unfair.”
“You’re right. It is unfair. You’ve done nothing wrong except being chosen by me. That’s why I’m telling you to think about it. You don’t have to understand.”
“Hmph… Just wait. I’m going to crush their arrogance.”
“That’s exactly the attitude I hoped for.”
“…?”
“I’ve seen many talented individuals. Some were sons of merchants who grew up drinking elixirs like water, and some were born into noble families with the blessings of spirits from birth.”
“……”
“I’ve met prodigies, geniuses, and natural-born talents. They came to me with piles of gold, seeking to become my disciples. But I didn’t accept them. Do you know why?”
“…Why?”
“Because I realized that talent isn’t everything.”
“…?!”
“Of course, your ‘magic’ is genuine. Don’t doubt it. I chose you because of your talent. Compared to all the talents I’ve seen, it’s on par with the best. But what I want to say is that what I value in you isn’t just your talent.”
“Then what is it?”
“Grit.”
“Grit?”
“Yes, grit! The determination to never give up on your dreams, even in the worst circumstances! The resilience to never back down, no matter the trials you face. It was that grit in your eyes that captivated me.”
In the end, it’s all about the human spirit.
Achieving your dreams, realizing your talent.
Ultimately, it’s up to the person.
From that moment on, I became obsessed with magic.
From morning to night, I never took my eyes off the magic books, often skipping meals. Eventually, I even created a ‘semi-sleep’ spell to study longer, finding sleep a waste of time.
When others gave up, and when others compromised, I didn’t stop. I ignored the world’s gaze, the chains of discrimination, and only looked forward.
I turned the pages of books with desperation, sought out magic with urgency.
I lived with determination in my eyes for ten years.
When I finally came to my senses, no one was left around me.
That’s how I became the Grand Duke of the Ebony Tower.
“…Eyes… look at the eyes.”
“……”
“Team leader, open your eyes already.”
“……!”
I opened my eyes to a sweet voice.
“It’s 5 o’clock. Time’s up. No one showed up.”
“Seems like it.”
There’s not much difference from when I had my eyes closed.
A princess with worried eyes looking at me, and a guy who is as absorbed in his book as when we first met.
That’s all.
Just the two of them.
It’s funny. Out of nearly thirty people, only these two remain after just one punch.
If I had handled it the way the old man taught me, there would have been a formal complaint by now. It’s so absurd I can’t help but laugh.
“This isn’t the time to laugh. This is serious.”
“Serious?”
“Of course. It’s just us three. There are no teams with just three members. We should call them, even now.”
“Hmm, I thought you’d be lazy, but you’re more proactive than I thought?”
“I am lazy. But you, you’re even lazier than I am.”
Her pronunciation is fine, but her word order is strange.
So, she’s usually lazy, but she’s moving because we’re too frustrating?
She’s unexpectedly cute. I smile.
“You’re smiling? You’re still not getting it. If things stay like this, we’ll have to take the evaluation!”
“Alright, alright. I’ll do something. Let’s make a call.”
I picked up my phone as if being pushed to do so.
Seeing this, she nodded, satisfied as if I had made the right decision.
But what we encountered a little later was…
“…What is this?”
“Food. That’s tonkatsu, that’s jjajangmyeon, there’s soybean paste too. And chicken, fried.”
“I know that. Weren’t you going to call the others?”
“Why would I call them? Let’s eat. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I prepared everything. He’s already eating.”
The guy who was focused on his book had already taken a bite of tonkatsu. His reaction time is impressive. And he still hasn’t taken his eyes off the book.
I was impressed before, but this guy is something else.
Meanwhile, the princess still couldn’t wrap her head around the situation.
“I don’t understand. There are only three of us in the team. If it stays like this, we’ll have to go through the first semester with just three people. And the team leader just ordered a lot of food. It’s confusing. Are all Koreans like you?”
“We’re eating while we talk. Here.”
I handed her a chicken leg. Her pupils wavered at the sight of the crispy chicken, and in the end…
Crunch!
She surrendered.
I watched them contentedly and quickly mixed my jjajangmyeon, devouring it in one go.
“Don’t worry too much. I knew this would happen.”
“Nim? What do you mean?”
“I knew only you two would be left.”
When you engage, you can sense it. The mindset of the person standing in front of you.
The old man called this the ‘conversation of bodies,’ and with years of experience, it’s a fairly accurate verification method.
They say the body never lies.
The mouth may speak lies, but the instincts never do.
“I gave them protective gear. They even wore gloves. But they went down with one hit. They could have kept going, but they gave up. They didn’t have the will to fight.”
“You’re too strong…”
“That’s no excuse. They’re not ordinary people.”
Let’s focus on the essence.
What’s the point of becoming a superhuman?
Killing. That’s it. No matter how many fancy words you add, that’s the essence.
Then what is the Academy for?
It’s a place to get stronger, to learn the techniques of killing your enemy.
“But they face a strong opponent, get scared, and surrender? That’s a serious issue. It means they have no concept of power. That’s when I knew. Ah, these kids don’t have a clear goal.”
“You’re asking for too much. What you’re talking about is what we learn at the Academy. Usually, everyone’s like that.”
“Exactly. That’s why. That’s why they didn’t come today, and that’s why you two are here, eating with me.”
Kids who don’t know why they need to get stronger, why they need to hone their skills.
On the other hand, these two are different.
“You two… it feels a bit awkward to keep calling you that. Let’s start with introductions. I’m Park Ki-hyuk. Your team leader.”
“I’m Sheikh Merhem. Just call me Merhem. I’m from the Middle East.”
“Han Jun-woo.”
“Good. Merhem, Han Jun-woo. What did you think after I hit you?”
“…I was upset. I didn’t think my ‘sand’ could be destroyed.”
“It won’t happen again.”
“Exactly.”
Merhem was upset, and Han Jun-woo denied it.
That means they have pride in their skills and have worked hard for a long time to develop that pride.
And yet, they simply acknowledge it? That doesn’t make sense!
In the end, you can only prove yourself.
To me, these two are normal, and those who ran away after taking one hit are abnormal.
“I have no confidence in dragging around chicks who don’t even have the basics. And I don’t see the need to.”
“Wait, Ki-hyuk. Did I misunderstand something? Are you planning to complete the team with just the three of us?”
“You got it right.”
“Oh, God… Do you think that’s even possible? What about the ‘evaluation’? How are we going to pass that?”
Here, ‘evaluation’ refers to the ‘competency assessment.’
Given that the curriculum involves various practical tasks and tests within gates, the Academy conducts an evaluation to ensure a minimum level of combat capability for safety reasons.
Usually, this evaluation is almost meaningless.
It’s not the individual who takes the test; it’s the team’s overall combat power that’s evaluated.
“The average number of first-year team members is 13.3. If we just meet this average number, we pass the evaluation. And you’re saying we’re going to do this with just three?”
That’s right.
Passing the Academy’s entrance exam means you’ve got the basics down.
As long as the team is full, the evaluation itself is a pass.
But as you can see, we’re just three.
Which means the three of us have to do the work of at least thirteen people.
“Simple.”
I smiled and pointed my finger at Merhem.
“You’re one.”
Then I pointed at Han Jun-woo.
“You’re one.”
Finally, I pointed at my own chest.
“I’m eleven.”
Totaling thirteen.
“Got it?”
Any problems with that?
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