Ch.210Side Story 10

Becoming an arbiter for the United Academy didn’t mean Seojin Baek had relinquished all his existing positions at the academy.

He was merely “dispatched” as an arbiter, while still officially belonging to the Korean Superpower Academy as a Silver grade arbiter.

“Gak!”

And whenever he had time, he would return to evaluate students as much as possible.

“Kyahak?!”

“Krueek!”

Of course, from the students’ perspective, he was an insurmountable wall they couldn’t overcome even if they died and came back to life.

Or rather, it was no different from the return of an undefeatable monster.

“Ah! How are we supposed to be evaluated? We can’t win! This isn’t even objective!!”

Such complaints had long become a thing of the past.

Actually, thinking about it, this was rather beneficial for the academy students.

It was highly unlikely that S-grade arbiters, who were swamped with tremendous workloads every day, would spare time for them.

Besides, no matter how generously those S-grades looked at them, they were mere chicks in their eyes.

Or perhaps like wooden chopsticks that would snap with just one wrong touch.

Naturally, for students who wouldn’t even have the chance to face the massive mountain that was an S-grade.

Having Seojin Baek come personally to evaluate them one by one was the better option.

So now, even though they suffered, no one questioned why they had to do this.

‘Everyone must understand by now. The stronger you become, the longer you live, and the more famous you can be.’

Look at the students from the Superpower Academy who went to the United Academy.

They received proper treatment because they were recognized for their skills and went as representatives of Korea.

Seeing them, the remaining students couldn’t help but think, ‘Me too!’

Crucially, all of them had received Silver evaluations from Seojin Baek at this academy.

Officially, it was said to have no influence, but who would believe that?

When a clear example emerges, most people tend to pay great attention to it.

“That’s unfortunate. In that moment just now, you should have dodged instead of confronting.”

“Ah… but last time when I tried to dodge, you said I should confront. Is there a reason your advice has changed, Arbiter Seojin Baek?”

“Back then, I was telling you to understand the difference between main attacks and feints. And now, beyond simply grasping that, you need to discern your opponent’s intentions as quickly as possible.”

The Great Cataclysm didn’t just make monsters stronger.

Their intelligence has also increased significantly. Some monsters even deliberately deceive ability users.

Falling for those deceptions could result in injury at minimum, and death at worst, so it’s naturally something to be cautious about.

“Did you notice anything? Any strange signs before receiving my attack?”

“Um… I think the mana flow was slightly off at the end.”

“That’s exactly it. You need to be able to instinctively judge and decide in a split second of change. If your opponent is a villain, it would be the flow of mana, and if it’s a monster, it could be its gaze, muscle movements, breathing, things like that.”

While helping the student who was lying face down on the floor to stand up, Seojin Baek continued.

“Surely you’re not planning to settle for where you are now, or just slightly better than this?”

“Of course not. I want to become strong and famous like you, Arbiter.”

“That’s good to hear. If you were planning to settle, it wouldn’t matter if you continued like this, but if you want to go beyond, you must grasp something that can take you there.”

“Is that effort?”

After pondering the student’s question for a moment, Seojin Baek slowly shook his head.

It was slightly different from simply calling it effort.

“It’s a bit more than just effort. Effort, luck, talent. It’s something you can possess when all of these combine. Of course, talent and luck are innate, so they might be beyond your control. But effort can definitely bridge that gap.”

In his case, The Third Eye could be considered his luck and talent.

In fact, luck had the biggest influence. Without it, he wouldn’t have come this far.

But Seojin Baek didn’t rely solely on The Third Eye.

He did what he could, never stopping what needed to be done.

He didn’t simply trust and overestimate the talent and luck he happened to receive.

“Still, you’ve improved a lot compared to before. I think with a little more effort, you could rise to Silver, don’t you think?”

After patting the student’s shoulder, he moved on to the next evaluation.

He needed to wrap things up quickly today to have an easier day tomorrow.

*

“How’s the United Academy? Is it manageable?”

In Hakjun Ma’s office, the person sitting across from Seojin Baek was none other than Minseong Kang.

It was only natural for Hakjun Ma to nag when he suddenly showed up asking for coffee.

But since he said he had something to discuss with Seojin Baek, he couldn’t bring himself to chase him away.

“To be honest, it’s chaotic. I don’t understand why everyone is in such a rush.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Unlike our national academy, the United Academy is almost like a national competition. Hmm, should I call it a kind of Olympics?”

“Too much competition isn’t good. I’m worried.”

Hakjun Ma grumbles with dissatisfaction as he sips his coffee.

From his perspective, the academy should remain an educational institution.

Becoming an arena for competition between nations is not something he welcomes.

“What can we do? People like you who want to live in seclusion won’t go into politics.”

“What seclusion? If anything, you’re the one living in seclusion. I’m sitting at the forefront of education, struggling day after day, while you’re just enjoying yourself like an immortal!”

Seojin Baek almost found himself nodding in agreement with Hakjun Ma’s words.

Minseong Kang and Hakjun Ma, both heroes who were active during the early days of the Gate incidents.

In terms of power, Minseong Kang is said to have a slight edge, but the difference isn’t significant.

Nevertheless, their current public perception has diverged quite a bit, due to their different modes of action.

While Hakjun Ma continued his activities and was perceived more as a gentle old man than a hero.

Minseong Kang, on the other hand, only met with high-ranking government officials or notable ability users.

Just from this, it was obvious how the world would view them.

“That’s your choice, Hakjun. You can’t blame me for that. Isn’t that right, my granddaughter’s husband-to-be?”

“…Now you’re just calling me that openly.”

“What else should I call my granddaughter’s husband-to-be? From what I heard from Soohyun, you’re practically living together, just without setting a date.”

Puhuk— Cough!—

Seojin Baek, who was taking a sip of coffee, coughed as if he’d heard something shocking.

This was Minseong Kang, of all people. The man who loved his family so dearly.

If he heard they were practically living together without saying anything…

“Why are you so surprised? Haven’t you already promised a future with Soohyun?”

“That’s true, but… I thought I should have at least mentioned it to you.”

Minseong Kang waved his hand dismissively.

They had already dined together, and he had been introduced, so what more was needed?

“It’s not that simple, is it?”

Hakjun Ma, who had been observing silently, clicked his tongue and spoke.

“What do you mean, Hakjun?”

“You know what I mean. The woman who has her eyes on Arbiter Seojin Baek isn’t just your granddaughter, is she? And the other one is even more of a big shot than your granddaughter, if anything.”

This was the part Seojin Baek had been trying to avoid mentioning.

And while Minseong Kang had noticed, he had deliberately ignored the fact.

The fact that Seojin Baek wasn’t just with Kim Soohyun.

“Whatever it is, you should make a decision, Arbiter Seojin Baek. Whether it’s this guy’s granddaughter or that crazy one. If either of them feels they’re being pushed aside, there will be some form of reaction.”

“I know that, but… I’m still not sure how to handle the aftermath.”

“You didn’t grow this situation without knowing. You just didn’t want to push either away, you wanted to have both, so you indulged in greed.”

Seojin Baek lowered his head at the sharp observation.

The deeper his relationship with both women became, the more he worried.

How to conclude his relationship with these two women was the question.

“I think that…”

Woong— Woong—

Just as Seojin Baek was about to speak, his phone vibrated.

After briefly checking the message, he stood up.

“Another Gate appearance?”

“Yes. And they say they can’t accurately measure its grade, so I should head there immediately.”

“You’re busy. Go ahead. We’ll continue this conversation later.”

“I’m sorry, Principal. And Chairman.”

As he left the principal’s office, Seojin Baek checked his phone again.

The content was notably different from what he’d seen before, which was concerning.

[Ungraded Gate appeared in Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province]

[Differences from existing Gates confirmed]

[No monsters have emerged, and there’s been no reaction since the Gate’s appearance]

A Gate with no discernible pattern. What was going to happen this time?