Ch.15New Characteristic – 1

I left the secluded area and entered the middle of the Academy.

Soohyun Kim is a student who needs to attend lectures, and I’m a dispatched civil servant who needs to return to work.

“Well then, Soohyun. Here…”

Looking around—

But when we reached the area where people were coming and going, Soohyun Kim started acting a bit strange.

Every time students passed by, she scanned her surroundings with anxious eyes.

At the slightest hint of someone approaching, she tensed up and clenched her fists.

I still remember how she looked when she came to visit me in the hospital.

She was all smiles then, happily chatting away.

But it seems that was only how she behaved in front of me.

Her current state is painful just to watch.

“Soohyun.”

Still looking around nervously.

Like watching a black cat. No, more like a black meerkat.

“Soohyun?”

“Yes, yes, Arbiter.”

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Is she still traumatized from nearly being kidnapped by The Elder?

It’s certainly possible. I’ve heard some students are suffering from PTSD.

“Ah, no. I’m fine, Arbiter.”

That’s a lie. It’s completely obvious.

From the way she fidgets with her hands to her eyes filled with anxiety—anyone could tell she’s lying.

“There’s no chance villains will attack again. Security has been heightened since the last raid.”

“Yes. I know. That’s… that’s a relief.”

For someone claiming to be relieved, she doesn’t look any different.

Looking at her, I don’t think it’s fear of The Elder—it seems like something else entirely.

I watched where Soohyun’s gaze was directed.

She doesn’t react to people who are far away, but becomes anxious when they approach.

It’s quite a strange reaction. Almost as if she doesn’t want them to come near…

‘Ah.’

I think I understand why Soohyun is reacting this way.

The past hero ‘Minseong Kang’ and the prestigious Weaponry Class family he established.

Soohyun Kim is his granddaughter and a member of that family.

I might have been the only one who didn’t know, but the other students must be aware of who she is.

Naturally, many of them would be paying close attention to her.

‘Whether with good intentions or bad ones.’

All of this must be causing her extreme stress and pressure.

Even that Junwoo Park guy clearly had designs on Soohyun.

All these people expecting things from her when she feels like she’s nothing.

And some malicious individuals trying to use her on top of that.

Is this what’s poisoning her situation, already difficult due to her feelings of inferiority?

People approaching her. People having expectations of her.

For Soohyun, who thinks so poorly of herself, that must be more terrifying than a nightmare.

‘I should try to help her somehow…’

Minseong Kang said that I seemed to have influenced her.

Though our meeting was brief, I accomplished what she wanted in that moment.

‘Let’s see. How did my friend overcome this?’

The first step to overcoming feelings of inferiority is acknowledging your shortcomings.

It’s the hardest yet most necessary thing to do, as my friend once told me.

“They’re lucky.”

“Pardon?”

“The students here. They’re lucky to have been admitted to the Academy.”

Soohyun shows interest in my words. Good. This is a promising start.

It’s unfortunate that I have to self-destruct for this, but oh well.

“I failed the entrance exam multiple times. I thought awakening my superpower would solve everything. I thought I’d live well like everyone else. But that wasn’t the case. My situation actually got worse than when I had no powers.”

“Why…?”

“I was treated much worse. ‘What good is being a superpower user if you can’t do anything with it?’ ‘How are you any different from a non-powered person?’ They’d say things like that while expecting me to enjoy the privileges of being a superpower user.”

Those who awakened superpowers but couldn’t work in the field.

They don’t receive the good treatment I get now.

Superpower users treat them as half-rates. Non-powered people call them fake superpower users.

“It was incredibly difficult. I felt like I was going crazy. This wasn’t the future I had imagined. The reality unfolding before me was nothing like what I had expected. I thought I could be like everyone else.”

“…”

“I spent a few months struggling to adapt, just wandering aimlessly. Then one day, I found myself walking toward the Han River Bridge.”

Suddenly, Soohyun grabs my hand and exclaims, “No!”

Anyone watching might think I was about to commit suicide right here.

“When I got there, a thought suddenly occurred to me: Why should I be so miserable? I hadn’t done anything terribly wrong, hadn’t hurt anyone. I was angry. I felt wretched. And then, finally, I began to see something.”

I pause briefly to look around the Academy.

Then I turn to Soohyun and continue.

“I decided to just live. Not trying to be like them, but to live as myself. I’m not as good as they are, but that’s not something to feel miserable about—I accepted it and decided to just live diligently.”

Soohyun listened to my words without saying anything.

She seems surprised. Surprised that I had a past similar to hers.

That I honestly shared something most people would want to hide.

I don’t expect her to have some grand realization from this one conversation.

But it’s enough if it creates even a small ripple in her heart.

“…Arbiter.”

“Yes, Soohyun?”

“Are you… are you okay now?”

“I still get called half-rate, fake superpower user, and things like that, but I’m living pretty well as a civil servant. I focus on myself, not others. Along the way, I met Jiyoon Han and even got beaten up by The Elder. I think that’s pretty okay, don’t you?”

Soohyun looks at me briefly before turning her gaze forward again.

She’s not affirming or smiling, but this thoughtful expression isn’t bad either.

Even a tiny shift in perspective could lead to significant changes later on.

“Oh my. Soohyun, isn’t your lecture starting soon?”

“Ah! Yes. There’s not much time left.”

“We shouldn’t be standing around like this. Go quickly. What if you’re late?”

At my urging, she nods and takes a few steps.

Then she stops, turns around, and says:

“…Thank you, Arbiter. I’ll see you later.”

She looks a little more stable than before.

Feeling relieved inside, I nodded.

*

Academy lectures are divided into two main categories:

‘Theory and practice.’

Theory is the teaching method everyone knows.

And as always, it’s the lecture that catches you off guard if you take it lightly.

The definition and concept of superpowers. The ethics and morals that must be upheld.

The characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of each superpower. Situation handling and things to avoid.

Gate identification methods and protocols for responding to monsters and villains.

‘They say theory is the hidden enemy of Academy graduation, right?’

The practice portion is further divided into two parts.

One is training within the Academy. The other is external support.

Support mainly involves gaining field experience at gates.

With bad luck, you might even engage with villains in between.

Why do I know so much about lectures when I’m not even an Academy student?

Because these lectures are somewhat related to my work.

Student rank evaluations mostly take place when there are no lectures.

So naturally, when there are many free periods, evaluation applicants flood in…

‘I didn’t expect there would be this many.’

A quick count shows easily over thirty people.

And that’s with other faculty members helping alongside me.

I heard some professors died or were injured during the recent villain attack.

As a result, with lecture times now vacant, students want to take rank evaluations.

‘Even though faculty members are helping in anticipation of this…’

Since the new semester just started, there are many applicants for Silver rank evaluation.

Meanwhile, faculty members have other duties and can’t focus solely on this.

That’s why people from the measurement department are dispatched, and I fall into that category.

There should be more dispatched staff, but everyone seems busy passing the buck because of that challenge.

“Sigh.”

I looked over the students who had applied for rank evaluation.

Unlike before, there weren’t many with bad intentions.

Most were genuinely trying to advance from Bronze to Silver rank.

That’s a relief. If more weirdos had shown up, I would have started cursing.

“Arbiter.”

And the first evaluation subject I’ll be handling today is:

“Student Hyunwoo Lee.”

The protagonist. The master of effort beyond talent, Hyunwoo Lee.

“Are you feeling alright?”

In response to his concern, I smiled and gave a sad answer.

“The fact that I came to work should be answer enough.”

“…You have it tough.”

A look of sympathy spreads across Hyunwoo’s face.

Even he must find it absurd. Coming to work right after being discharged from the hospital.

I wonder if I’m imagining his inner thought: “I should definitely never become a civil servant!”

“You were amazing, Arbiter.”

As I prepare for the evaluation, Hyunwoo suddenly says this.

Amazing? Wondering what he means, I stare at him blankly until he continues.

“When you stood in front of The Elder.”

What? You saw that too? I thought only Soohyun Kim had seen it.

And all I did was get beaten badly. There was nothing amazing about it.

I couldn’t even escape because of my trait.

“That courage. I want to have it too.”

Standing in front of The Elder isn’t courage—it’s recklessness.

Even A-rank superpower users couldn’t withstand that, so what is he talking about?

My conclusion was to quickly start the evaluation before more embarrassing words came out.

“Let’s begin. There are many students waiting behind you.”

Hyunwoo Lee is the protagonist. He’s like a guaranteed winning lottery ticket.

He may be just a Bronze now, but someday he’ll become an overwhelming powerhouse.

That’s a good thing. From my perspective, I desperately hope he does.

Rampaging gates, increasing monsters, villains who never miss an opportunity.

The situation will only get worse. Hyunwoo will be essential then.

‘That’s exactly why I can’t let him pass.’

– The Third Eye is activated.

◎ Seojin Baek

: The Silver Gatekeeper

◎ Details

: No one can pass without the Gatekeeper’s permission.

And something new appeared due to the required values.

– Trait strengthened due to reaching required values.

– Sub-trait has been created.

◎ Sub-trait

: Sole Arbiter

◎ Details

: Recognizes all those who have not received promotion from you as evaluation subjects.

◎ Sub-trait

: Bittersweet Triumph

◎ Details

: Stacks accumulate in proportion to the designated target’s number of promotion failures.

Upon successful promotion, the designated target’s ability is strengthened by the number of stacks.

If there’s one thing I can say with certainty, it’s this:

Blocking Hyunwoo’s promotion isn’t because I dislike him at all.