Chapter 25 This was a conversation held before the midterms began. “Wait a minute. Did I hear you wrong? Let me get this straight… The classroom is too crowded. It’s noisy. Therefore, we need to cut the number of students in half. Um… Ki-hyuk, are you in your right mind? Are you really suggesting disbanding…

Chapter 24 The Sword Tiger and the True Dragon. Undoubtedly, the two families that represent Korea. Like the saying, “The Sword of the Tiger, the Spirit of the Dragon,” these two families are praised as traditional powerhouses in their respective fields of swordsmanship and magic. But what happens when there are two rulers on a…

Chapter 23 Teenage years. A period when instinct prevails over reason, action precedes thought. A tumultuous time, teetering on the edge of maturity and immaturity. Looking back, I was the same. Who hasn’t felt as though the world revolved around them? That was my teenage self, utterly convinced I was the protagonist of some grand…

Chapter 22 Level 6 Gate: The Nest of Conflagration. The area is engulfed in flames, with the sky ablaze from a rain of fire, and the surroundings have turned into a sea of fire. Stones are melting, and every living thing is burning. All of this is the work of one creature. A monstrosity with…

Chapter 21 Amidst the shouts of gamblers and the flickering of cards, people driven by pleasure placed their lives on the line, pushing buttons with the hope of winning big. In this den of depravity and simmering madness, humanity was often left behind with the fall of a single chip. This was an illegal casino—a…

Chapter 20 Hunter. A term that describes those crazed bloodhounds, driven by money. It refers to the superhumans so materialistic that they would willingly crawl into hell itself if there was profit to be made there. Are you curious why I’m suddenly talking about Hunters? Well, it’s because the place I’m currently at is an…

Chapter 19 “Friends…” It was a clear Saturday morning with no gate missions on the horizon. Back at my family’s home after a while, I found myself ruminating on the word “friend” that Merhem and Jun-woo had used yesterday. “Togetherness makes friends… That’s a novel idea.” It’s a word as foreign to me as “family.”…

Chapter 18   Guardians. Safeguards of humanity. What a noble pursuit it is. Yggdrasil cherished this lofty responsibility. To Yggdrasil, guardianship meant fostering a different kind of harmony. Just as the forest offers sanctuary to its creatures, they reciprocate by safeguarding the forest. A life of mutual care and coexistence. Isn’t that the true essence…

Chapter 17 Despite successfully completing the mission, time passed rather chaotically. One week. A short span of time, yet it felt as tumultuous as a storm. The reason was obvious—because of the club. “Cancel it immediately. Do you realize what you’ve done? The administration of the academy is strictly within the professors’ jurisdiction. Including Yggdrasil…

Chapter 16 Optimum Headquarters. Thanks to her son being off on a mission, Kim Yeon-hee arrived at work unusually early this morning. She was enjoying a warm cup of coffee, gazing at a photo of herself with her youngest child, almost as if in a morning prayer. “Well, isn’t he handsome—definitely takes after me.” But…

Chapter 15 That’s just how I am. Once I’ve made a decision, I act on it immediately. Hesitating or overthinking things isn’t my style. If I didn’t say anything, that would be one thing, but if the words have left my mouth, then as a man, it’s only right to see it through. The very…

Chapter 14 My master often emphasized a certain phrase: “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” Human beings are inherently self-centered. When a problem arises, it’s usually due to a clash of perspectives. So, just switch perspectives. If you think from the other person’s standpoint, the problem often resolves itself more easily than you’d expect….

Chapter 13 There is a process called ‘Acquisition.’ If ‘Training’ reinforces the skeleton’s frame and exterior, then ‘Acquisition’ strengthens the skeleton’s movements and behavioral patterns. Thanks to this process, skeletons can learn various martial arts, dozens of weapon techniques, and patterns aligned with specific strategies, evolving from mere walking corpses to soldiers of death. While…

Chapter 12 In the past, during my time as the Grand Duke of the Black Tower. I once asked the old man a question. “What is the difference between magic and shamanism?” “The difference between magic and shamanism? Haha, you’ve been studying hard, it seems. You’ve asked quite a profound question.” In truth, I was…

Chapter 11 The Academy offers numerous courses. From comprehensive weaponry courses like “Comprehensive Weapon Techniques” for beginners wielding swords, spears, and other weapons, to “Basic Physical Training” for students unfamiliar with using their bodies, and even “Introduction to Magic” to help understand the fundamentals of magic. In addition to these combat-related subjects, there are non-combat…

Chapter 10 A week had passed since the Academy’s entrance ceremony. As time went by, the excitement surrounding my title as the top scorer of the entrance exam and the controversies around the 20th team I led had all but subsided. Now, with our first class only a day away, the 20th team, including myself,…