Ch.180Union Academy – 1

“The situation isn’t looking too good.”

Minseong Kang casually brings up the topic while having tea with Hakjun Ma.

I examined his face, wondering if he might be playing some kind of joke.

…His tone doesn’t suggest he’s joking. He’s being completely serious.

“Just counting the casualties tallied up until yesterday, they’re already 10 percent higher than before.”

10 percent. Some might ask, “Is that really such a big problem?”

But when that 10 percent involves human lives, it can never be considered insignificant.

And if those numbers continue to accumulate, eventually we’ll run out of superpowered individuals who can fight.

As Minseong Kang said, the current situation could hardly be called good.

“I understand why the Association President looks so terrible.”

“Indeed. And I hear these numbers are actually low compared to the global situation. Some places have seen their casualties double. I heard they’re requesting support from other countries because of it.”

Hakjun Ma sighs and nods as if he’d expected this all along.

I had anticipated this too. It’s only natural.

Whether it’s monsters or gates, when something is called “The Great Cataclysm,” how could it not have an impact?

The people around me have been forced to grow stronger, so they’re managing to get through this relatively easily.

Other countries and other powered individuals must be struggling and wondering what disaster has befallen them.

What’s worse, there’s still the setting that this will only get more severe.

When you think about it, everything happening now is just a preview of what’s to come.

If we don’t want to get swept up in the main event, everyone needs to stay sharp and be prepared.

“The solution is actually simple, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Just put in twice the effort we’ve been making until now.”

Even as they exchange these words, both old men shake their heads.

I agree with them. It’s easy to say, but doing it is another matter entirely.

Asking people who’ve been complacent until now to suddenly grit their teeth and run.

It’s problematic enough that some will run while others won’t, but even those who do run face issues.

Now, no one can even guess how long they’ll need to keep running.

‘An endless race with no finish line in sight. That’s true hell.’

Until recently, moderate effort and moderate fighting guaranteed a reasonably good life.

While not completely free from danger, the possibility of facing a tragedy that costs one’s life was low.

Conversely, the money and honor one could gain as a powered individual could be considered sufficient.

People were satisfied with that, but now they have to prepare for an endless death match.

I know they need to work harder. Everyone probably realizes that.

But actually putting that into practice is an entirely different matter.

It might be easier to rely on luck, thinking, “The gate I’m assigned to will be safe.”

‘Well, if they die because of that, it’s their loss.’

As I was sipping my tea with these thoughts, I heard someone calling me.

“Examiner Seojin Baek. What do you think?”

“About the current situation. Do you think it will improve?”

They’re not just asking about the domestic situation. They’re asking about overseas as well.

My answer to that is, honestly, quite predictable.

“Well. To be frank, I’d say nothing is certain.”

“Nothing is certain?”

“Yes. Right now, there’s confusion everywhere, but with some luck, this could become an opportunity for growth. Conversely, if the situation worsens, the damage will increase.”

In response to my answer, Hakjun Ma asks, “Then what about just looking at the domestic situation?”

He seems to want some positive response, but my answer remains the same.

“I can’t give you a definitive answer about that either.”

“Really? You’ve been working so hard, and the students have been following your lead diligently.”

“That’s true, but that’s limited to just the Academy students. Those students need to graduate and go out into the world, and even then, the situation could still worsen.”

It’s true that I’ve been striving to raise the students’ level by acting as the Gatekeeper.

But their numbers are just a drop in the bucket compared to all powered individuals in the country.

Things might change when they eventually enter society, but…

“Surprising. I thought you would be much more optimistic.”

“Me too. You transformed Soohyun, and what was his name? Hyunwoo Lee? You discovered him too. Every student you take on shows remarkable achievement.”

“I appreciate your words, but I’m merely playing the role of an ‘examiner.’ I can show them the path and guide them on how to proceed, but ultimately, they must make their own decisions.”

Some will try to break through obstacles and rise, while others might just give up.

I’ll try to motivate them as much as possible, but I don’t expect them all to reach the level of Soohyun or Hyunwoo.

It’s not that I’m underestimating the students; it’s just the objective reality.

Besides, even if we could raise all Academy students one level, their numbers would still be limited.

Even my job as an examiner, when you think about it, didn’t start with grand intentions.

Improving South Korea’s power, producing the world’s best powered individuals.

Did I have such lofty goals? Not at all. That wasn’t why I did it.

I’ll do my best, but I don’t feel any excessive sense of duty beyond that.

It’s already challenging enough to take care of myself and those around me.

“When you put it that way, I see your point. …Nevertheless, isn’t it true that the students’ level has improved thanks to you?”

Level. Speaking of levels, if nothing else, their endurance and determination have certainly grown.

Despite all the hardship I put them through, they’ve managed to endure. Almost to the point where I feel sorry for them.

“…I think that’s true to some extent, if not entirely.”

If I had used the Bittersweet Triumph trait, perhaps more students could have become stronger.

But I discovered this trait also has limitations. A maximum of five at once.

I hadn’t realized this before when I was only working with Soohyun and Hyunwoo, but when I lowered my evaluation standards…

When I tried to apply it to other students who met the criteria, a warning message appeared.

It seems my trait is meant to focus on blocking with all my might after all.

“Hmm.”

In response to my answer, Hakjun Ma strokes his chin and suddenly looks at Minseong Kang.

“Seeing this, I want to hear your opinion again.”

“I told you, Hakjun. This would be quite a good idea.”

What are they suddenly talking about? A good idea?

Did they discuss something while I was being summoned?

As I looked back and forth between them, Minseong Kang spoke up.

“First, Examiner Seojin Baek. You know that many of my disciples are overseas, right?”

“Yes. I’ve heard you operate everything from small sword training halls to large-scale training centers for the Weaponry Class. Is that correct?”

“That’s right. Because of that, I have quite a few international connections.”

“The Foreign Ministry even contacts him when they have difficult issues.”

Even Hakjun Ma, who doesn’t usually care much about disciples, seems envious of this.

Not only news from abroad but also various support and requests.

It’s enough to show just how powerful Soohyun’s maternal Kang family is.

“Anyway, I’ve had some discussions with powered individuals overseas.”

“About what?”

“Monsters are getting stronger every day, and gates are appearing more frequently. To reduce regional disparities and become shields for each other, we need higher quality educational institutions.”

Higher quality educational institutions?

“Um, Chairman? Don’t countries already have institutions that train powered individuals?”

South Korea has the Superpower Academy, and other countries have similar institutions.

Each country assigns carefully selected individuals to train their future powered individuals.

Powered individuals aren’t just the strongest weapons against monsters.

They’re also a measure of a nation’s strength.

“Yes, you’re right. But because everything is so disorganized, they often fail to enhance their strengths or compensate for their weaknesses.”

“That’s…”

“Additionally, as you know, the monsters that appear in each country are slightly different. Powered individuals are trained according to those specific monsters, but lately, gates have become unstable, and completely unexpected monsters have been emerging. Naturally, those who encounter such monsters for the first time will be temporarily caught off guard.”

“…And that confusion can lead to injuries or, in severe cases, death?”

Minseong Kang smiles at my response, confirming it’s accurate.

“So, after the current situation unfolded, the leaders of various countries had several discussions. They proposed creating a kind of united academy where each country’s know-how could be shared, weaknesses could be compensated for, and everyone could become stronger.”

As soon as I hear Minseong Kang’s words, a question arises.

Would all countries truly want and welcome such an arrangement?

Sharing one’s know-how essentially means revealing one’s strengths.

If that information is exposed to villains, it would certainly help them too.

I wonder if they would agree to this despite the obvious risks.

“I think I know what you’re thinking.”

Hakjun Ma answers my unspoken question.

“I was worried about that too. Would all countries really cooperate? Would powered individuals from each country recognize the authority of a united academy? If either of these doesn’t happen, it might be worse than not creating it at all.”

“What do you think, Principal?”

“In the end, everyone will agree and recognize its necessity.”

Hakjun Ma explains that everyone understands the reason for a global united academy.

They all know that if one place falls, it will create a domino effect.

When Britain lost its S-rank individual, France was also affected.

An S-rank gate that Britain failed to close became a dungeon.

Unfortunately, this dungeon kept spewing monsters toward France.

“Until now, everyone could handle things in their own country, so it was like an individual competition. But not anymore. It’s not enough to just defend your own country. If another place falls, the monsters you have to deal with will double, no, multiply several times.”

After saying this, Hakjun Ma takes a sip of tea.

“So, that’s the discussion so far. I’d like to hear your opinion as well.”

Once again, Minseong Kang asks for my opinion.

Each country would send their powered individuals to receive standardized education and improve their abilities.

And all of this would begin at the World United Academy.

This possibility still has many issues to resolve.

“…I think you already know my answer.”

For me, of course, there couldn’t be a better stage.