Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I Became the Only Non-mage in the Academy.

Episode 4: Entrance Ceremony (3)

Special stats were special indeed. The power you learned, when combined with stats, resulted in tremendous efficiency.

That power differed from the usual ones.

Eternity, Crimson Lotus, Source Force, Starlight… even I, a seasoned veteran, didn’t know all the types.

It was early in the morning.

I stepped outside to train my Nyeom for a brief moment.

[Name: Lee Seo-ha]

Strength: 3

Agility: 5

Stamina: 5

Nyeom: 1

Skill: 5

◈Talent

-Viewing(-), Dexterity(B+)

◈Skills

-X

◈Constitution

-Heaven Defying Body(S-)

I stood in a fairly large clearing,

I chose a spot and manipulated a nearby branch with Nyeom.

Swoosh!

The branch soared swiftly into the air, moving up, down, left, and right at my will before sticking in the middle of the tree.

‘Not bad?’

It wasn’t just talk; the power was indeed quite impressive.

Although it was said to increase efficiency, Nyeom (念) was inherently like this.

It squared the results when combined with magic, special abilities, or unique qi, but on its own, its power was negligible.

Yet, to this extent, it could be considered a true special stat.

I hummed a tune and continued walking.

Soon, it would be time for me to speak as the top student of the first year.

The entrance ceremony, held in the auditorium of the Hero School, was packed with a vast crowd, thanks to the stakeholders. It was so crowded that finding a spot to stand was challenging.

The faces of the students were recognizable to anyone with even a slight interest in the industry, and the parents behind them were so well-known that the media was busy reporting about them, even to those uninterested in the industry.

It was a scene unique to the Korean Hero School.

“Look at that. The top student. Wow, they seem to have an aura of charisma emanating from them…”

“During the entrance exam, they finished in just a minute, right? Rumor has it they awakened some kind of absolute control talent.”

Students whispered amongst themselves.

I tried to keep as calm as possible.

‘What’s this about charisma?’

I knew about absolute control.

It was a type of verbal command (言領), where you imbued mana into your words. For example, if you commanded ‘split in half and die,’ the opponent would do just that.

As if I would have such a thing.

I chuckled at the absurd idea.

I headed to the front of the auditorium.

At the Korean Hero School, during the entrance ceremony, the order was set by rank, so I had to go to the very front.

“That’s Lee Seo-ha.”

“I can’t feel anything from him…”

“So it’s even more terrifying. His power has reached a state of complete maturity. Attending the Korean Hero School, it feels like all the students will be overshadowed by him.”

As I moved forward, I saw familiar faces.

The protagonist-like Kim Seo-hyun and Hong Yu-hwa, with her eyes burning red, stared at me.

I casually greeted them and sat down, scanning the surroundings.

Everyone around me was familiar.

The son of Korea’s wealthiest, known for his extravagance and acquiring Lu Bu’s weapons, was dubbed the Hidden Ace.

There was also the princess of Eternal Snow, known for her dual swords and her tendency to lash out at anyone with mana, often disarming them first.

“Next, we will have the oath from the representative of the freshmen. Representative, please come forward.”

I ascended to the stage.

As I stepped onto the stage, I saw various expressions.

Those who looked at me aggressively, those who averted their eyes when I met theirs, and behind them, monsters gauged me with calculating eyes.

And the press was capturing everything with their cameras. A mistake here would probably land me on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper.

“Oath.”

I felt relieved that I had taken a calming pill in advance as I began the oath as calmly as possible.

“That concludes the student oath.”

Sigh.

It felt as if all my energy had been drained. I sighed inwardly and descended from the stage calmly.

[You have attracted attention with your valedictorian speech at the entrance ceremony. As a reward, 1,000 points have been awarded.]

…So points were rewarded for things like this.

I loosened up my body and descended.

Normally, schools would dismiss students quickly after the ceremony, but this school was not so lenient.

Suddenly, instructors emerged and stood in front of us.

“All first-year A class students, gather here!”

A deep male voice.

It was the class Kim Seo-hyun and I were in. I looked toward the voice and saw a muscular man with brown skin standing there.

As I took my place in front, 99 others gathered. The Korean Hero School had 100 students per class.

…And half of these would drop out before the first year ends.

“Nice to meet you. I am Seo Woo-ju, your instructor for the year.”

As Instructor Seo Woo-ju introduced himself, the students erupted in cheers.

“Wow, Seo Woo-ju, the ‘Iron Lion’, right?”

“My gosh, the Iron Lion as an instructor?”

Iron Lion Seo Woo-ju.

One of the heroes expected to rise from middle rank to top rank soon. A star hero known to anyone with even a slight interest in heroes.

“Wow, the standards for students and instructors seem really high this year.”

“Of course. Didn’t you know the entrance cut-off was much higher this time? Normally, I would have been in the upper-middle tier for admission, but now I’m at the very bottom.”

“…Sorry.”

There were many students who liked him. But I couldn’t be entirely happy about it.

This instructor was one of those who praised physical training.

In other words, I was in for a tough time.

“First of all, you all know what kind of place the Korean Hero School is. Don’t think of this as your final destination. It’s just the starting line.”

Seo Woo-ju’s words made several students look dejected.

“Today’s schedule is tight. I hope no one relaxes just because it’s the entrance ceremony. At the Korean Hero School, everything is measured by performance. If you don’t progress, you’ll be left behind. I hope everyone follows me.”

With those words, Seo Woo-ju turned around.

“The first agenda then, weapon selection.”

Weapon selection at the Korean Hero School was a very special event.

You might wonder how choosing a weapon could be so special, but this event truly was unique. Here, you might choose the weapon you would use for life.

Fifty years ago, a great war plunged the world into a state of panic.

The hero who ended that war collaborated with his allies to establish this school and declared that special weapons were needed to select heroes. Consequently, a variety of unique weapons were displayed in the Armory.

The weapons ranged from the highest S grade to at least D grade.

Even a D grade should not be underestimated. They were made with cutting-edge magical engineering, powerful enough for even a commoner to cut through rock.

However, you couldn’t just choose what you wanted. Here, the weapons ‘selected’ their ‘owners.’

“Let’s begin the weapon selection now.”

Surprisingly, the Korean Hero School gave the chosen weapon to the student for free.

“And as you all know, if you are expelled, you must return the weapon. Even if you don’t graduate.”

Instructor Seo Woo-ju spoke of weapons, but this place held more than just weapons.

‘I have a different target.’

Having a weapon would be nice for me, but I am weak regardless of what I use currently.

Plus, the chances of me, with my Heaven Defying Body, being selected by a weapon are slim.

Then, the best course was to establish a foundation for growth.

After all, the Korean Hero School provided D grade weapons for such students, so it wasn’t a big deal.

What I was targeting was one thing.

The Alchemy Kit of Argos.

This kit was quite unique, choosing its owner from those who came to it.

In the process, it didn’t choose based on the owner’s talent—a very unusual kit.

I planned to use this kit to create an unknown artificial Spirit Elixir, consume and sell it, and grow from the profits.

Upon arriving at the Armory, I saw all sorts of weapons planted in the ground, leaning against the walls, or floating in the air.

‘Fascinating.’

It was amazing to see things I had only seen in games before.

“I will be the owner of the Giant’s Sword that Beowulf used!”

“Is this where the legendary Dream Book and Crimson Magic Book of the great hero are? The quality of the mana here is on another level.”

“Everyone is so ambitious. There’s a reason why the seniors weren’t chosen by these weapons.”

Students excitedly searched through the Armory.

“Kim Seo-hyun, aren’t you choosing?”

“I’m about to. I’ll choose casually. It’s good to have a weapon, but relying on it hinders growth.”

I heard Kim Seo-hyun’s voice.

Regardless, the weapon Kim Seo-hyun would choose was predetermined.

The Sword of Wrath, Gram.

He liked its worn appearance but got angry when he found out it was one of the few S-grade weapons here.

I looked around. Except for Kim Seo-hyun and a few others, most would end up with average A-grade weapons.

S-grade weapons were so picky that they had only allowed themselves to one person among all those who had entered the Korean Hero School.

Kim Seo-hyun and Ershil, a transcendent girl with the soul of someone from another world, were exceptions.

‘There might be one more.’

She didn’t lag behind them in talent, but she was unaware that her own talent was restricted.

“My goodness! The Giant’s Sword chose an owner? Not me, but that nobody?”

“Who is that nobody? Weapons judge based on talent, don’t they?”

“Not just talent, but how much it’s been awakened. She’s someone to be wary of.”

“Wait a minute! Isn’t that the Dream Book? The one that belonged to the owner of illusions?”

“…That was here at the Korean Hero School?”

Screams erupted everywhere. Ershil took the Dream Book, and a nobody took the Giant’s Sword. Without looking, it was obvious to me who it was.

“Oh, I think I found mine.”

Kim Seo-hyun’s eyes sparkled as the old sword blade flew toward him.

The Sword of Wrath, Gram.

“So, Kim Seo-hyun chose that worn sword? Heh, I might be able to defeat him soon.”

“An S-grade weapon holder getting beaten by someone with an old sword?”

“What did you say?”

One by one, everyone began finding their weapons.

Maybe it was time for me to start looking too.

Suddenly, a powerful ripple filled my perception. I turned and saw a pitch-black sword creating a different kind of ripple, landing in my hand.

“…Huh?”

I uttered in surprise.

Could this be the selection?

Sorry, but I needed the Alchemy Kit of Argos. I had to make artificial Spirit Elixirs and get rich.

But I couldn’t just ignore a weapon that had come into my hand without even appraising it.

Appraisal.

[Black Heavenly Demon Sword (S)]

A divine sword once wielded by a celestial demon.

Constructed from black iron and millennium stone, renowned for its supreme strength and hardness.

Legend has it that a soul resides within the sword.

:Innate Skill 「Sword Soul」

:???

:???

:???

:???

…But the grade was too high to refuse.