Ch.26What Exactly Are You? – 1

‘No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense.’

Hana Kang pondered as she walked.

As promised yesterday, she had gone to deliver the news of Yuhyun Jung’s demotion to Bronze.

When she arrived, an evaluation for another student was already in progress.

Silver rank evaluation. Hana Kang herself had taken this test immediately after enrollment.

It wasn’t difficult. Her skills were decent, but the evaluation itself wasn’t particularly rigorous.

In the Superpower Academy, ‘Silver’ could truly be considered the minimum acceptable threshold.

Those who remain below it for too long receive warnings about their lack of effort to improve.

It’s unfortunate for the students. It feels uncomfortable, as if they’re looking down on Bronze ranks.

But it can’t be helped. Failing to grow means more than just falling behind.

After awakening to superpowers, being unable to work in the field would be even more terrible.

Hyunwoo Lee. A freshman in the Weaponry Class. His skills were sufficient in that regard.

You could see his growth potential. That should have been enough to promote him to Silver without any issues.

Other examiners would have deemed him sufficient and granted the promotion.

‘But Examiner Seojin Baek didn’t.’

Just like in yesterday’s match with Yuhyun Jung, he was a person she couldn’t understand.

He wasn’t an Academy faculty member but a civil servant on assignment.

Even as a Silver rank examiner from that sector, at best he would be a C-rank ability user.

While better than Bronze, he could be considered on par with Silver.

‘Naturally, his skills should be inferior to Yuhyun Jung’s. That would be normal.’

But the results? Hyunwoo Lee, who was perfectly qualified for Silver, sank.

Yuhyun Jung, who had been at Gold rank and was considered quite skilled, fell to Bronze.

Of course, Hana Kang herself had applied some pressure in the process, but she knew.

Even if yesterday’s match had continued, Yuhyun Jung wouldn’t have won easily.

She even had a feeling he might have been defeated more miserably.

His skills were extraordinary. That judgment, those movements, and that look in his eyes.

Everything belonged to someone who had experienced real combat at least in the double digits.

Hana Kang herself had enough field experience to recognize this.

‘Come to think of it, that incident from not long ago.’

A few days ago, her father, Inbeom Kang, the master of the Matap Clan, had mentioned something.

That there was something strange about how an Elder had attacked students but suddenly retreated.

There were a few minutes—not long, but enough time for an Elder to cause damage.

He said that the data for those few minutes had completely disappeared.

“Officially, it was said that Dean Hakjun Ma stopped the Elder. But it’s strange. I’m not underestimating Dean Hakjun Ma, but the opponent was an Elder. It’s impossible to block them repeatedly.”

Recalling her father’s words, Hana Kang regretted not being there herself.

At the time, the student council members were caught up in the battle and scattered fighting in various places.

Thinking about it now, what Dasom Yoo had said—that Seojin Baek might actually be a special agent—

Was beginning to seem less like a joke and more like a real possibility.

‘And just now. He wasn’t even surprised when I told him about Yuhyun Jung’s backing. Even when I said the guy would fight for his life, he just said “so be it.” This can’t be a normal Silver examiner.’

Could Seojin Baek also have something massive behind him?

He probably wasn’t from a top clan like hers. If he were, there would have been information.

And it was unlikely he had corporate backing like Yuhyun Jung.

‘Dasom said she’d never seen him before.’

The student council treasurer Dasom Yoo. Her identity was that of the granddaughter of a director at “Future,” one of Korea’s largest corporations.

Thanks to that, she had even broader connections in the business world than Hana Kang herself.

If someone like Dasom Yoo didn’t know him, then he probably wasn’t from that circle either.

‘So what remains is… that, isn’t it?’

As Dasom Yoo suggested, a superpowered individual secretly cultivated by the state.

Someone who works unofficially against monsters or villains.

Yes. It would be reasonable to consider him some kind of special agent.

When she thought about it that way, all the questions started to fit together.

A person with no parents or relatives, who doesn’t bow to someone with powerful backing.

Clearly a Silver rank examiner but possessing skills far above that level.

Thoroughly rejecting abilities that would normally be considered decent.

Claiming no field experience yet showing responses thoroughly honed in actual combat.

‘I’m curious…! It’s driving me crazy!’

Hana Kang, who normally had a very calm personality.

But once something piqued her curiosity, she had to investigate to feel satisfied.

Dasom Yoo had nagged her to fix this habit, but she couldn’t help it.

‘I just can’t stand not knowing.’

Wondering if she should really ask her father for help,

Hana Kang was heading back to the main building when she suddenly encountered a female student.

“Ah, hello, senior.”

“Hello, Soohyun.”

Kim Soohyun. The granddaughter of Minseong Kang, one of the great heroes of the past.

Hana Kang’s father, Inbeom Kang, admired Minseong Kang more than anyone.

He was so proud that they shared the same surname.

‘Even though they’re actually from different branches.’

The two had met and talked at some point.

As a result, Hana Kang had developed quite a few connections with the Kang family.

And in the process, she had also gotten to know Kim Soohyun.

“Where are you going?”

“I, um, have something to take care of…”

“Something to take care of? Are you going for an evaluation?”

“What?”

“The way you’re heading is toward the evaluation room.”

As Hana Kang said, Kim Soohyun was heading toward the evaluation room.

More specifically, where Examiner Seojin Baek was waiting.

“Are you really going for an evaluation?”

“Well… not right away. I’m planning to take it next week…”

“So you’re planning to take an evaluation at some point?”

Nod—

Though it was a bit sudden, Hana Kang felt relieved.

She knew that Kim Soohyun felt extremely burdened by people’s gazes and judgments.

She hadn’t been enrolled for long, but it was sad that she couldn’t adapt.

Yet showing too much concern might make Kim Soohyun feel even more pressured.

So she had been watching from a distance, and fortunately, things seemed to be improving a bit.

“Hang in there, Soohyun. Don’t stress too much about what others say.”

“Yes. Thank you, senior.”

“Won’t you call me unni? You can call me like you used to.”

When Hana Kang smiled, Kim Soohyun hesitated briefly before nodding.

After all, she was one of the few people who saw her for who she really was.

“Anyway, I should get going. Take care, Soohyun.”

“You too… work hard as student council president, unni.”

After exchanging brief greetings, Kim Soohyun continued on her way.

Hana Kang watched her for a moment, then let out a surprised “Huh?”

‘Wait. Come to think of it, when has Soohyun ever sought someone out?’

Never. No matter how she thought about it, never.

She had never sought anyone out or expressed her own opinion.

Kim Soohyun was always the type to barely follow along when someone else suggested something.

Perhaps it was due to excessive expectations and the pressure that came with them.

But now, Kim Soohyun was seeking out the evaluation room on her own.

And that direction was none other than where Examiner Seojin Baek was located.

Naturally, Minseong Kang’s family had close ties to government agencies.

Though they hadn’t established a separate clan, the family itself was like one massive clan.

They were entangled with the business world, political circles, and all sorts of places.

And in this situation, Kim Soohyun, the beloved granddaughter of Minseong Kang,

Was seeking out Examiner Seojin Baek, who seemed strange in many ways?

‘Kim Soohyun. Minseong Kang. Great hero. Seojin Baek. Special agent….’

It was a moment when Hana Kang’s curiosity, which had just begun to subside, exploded once again.

*

A small bar in an entertainment district.

A place where people who were neither ability users nor villains—truly neither here nor there—gathered.

“…So this is the target, right?”

“That’s right.”

“The method? Kidnapping? Surgery? Or seduction?”

In response to the scarred man’s question, another man in a suit clicked his tongue.

“Either way, he’s a civil servant. Openly performing surgery or seduction would be troublesome.”

“Then kidnapping would be the same, wouldn’t it? He’s not just any civil servant but assigned to the Academy, which makes it complicated.”

“There are still ways. Social destruction should be enough, they said.”

The suited man handed something to the scarred man.

“These are the candidates I’ve screened. Pick one and set it up properly.”

“It’ll be trouble if they’re amateurs.”

“Don’t worry. They’re all desperate for money, so they’ll do whatever it takes.”

What the suited man handed over was a document containing information on several women.

They varied in age and appearance, but they had one thing in common.

They were ability users who had served time for crimes,

And had been expelled from their clans, leaving them desperate for a way to survive.

“It’s not difficult. Just twist the situation somehow so the two of them end up together.”

“Not bad. They say there are three things a man needs to be careful with.”

“Three things to be careful with?”

“His head. His tongue. And that.”

The scarred man pointed toward the suited man’s groin.

The suited man chuckled and nodded.

“As a civil servant, even a hint of scandal would be fatal. If we add some embellishments, the media will be all over it. ‘Civil servant commits sexual harassment.’ That’s the kind of headline they drool over.”

The scarred man nodded and picked up the document.

“But why is your young master suddenly making this request?”

“Don’t know. Must have taken a dislike to someone again. He’s been quiet for a while.”

“The chairman wouldn’t be pleased if he knew.”

“In the end, he’d still take the young master’s side. He can’t stand seeing ants climbing up.”

The scarred man agreed with that assessment.

“Poor civil servant, about to fall into the abyss.”

“What can you do? He was unlucky enough to stick his neck out.”

“Seojin Baek… Soon we’ll be seeing news about the suicide of a civil servant named Baek.”

The two men were about to get up from their seats.

Thud—

Until they suddenly found themselves forced back down into their chairs.

“I just heard something interesting. Would you mind repeating that?”

A stunningly beautiful blonde woman with tied-back hair and glasses was smiling at them.