Ch.28What Exactly Are You? – 3

Why did I suddenly take out my shield? It’s simple.

I was guiding Yuhyun Jung to trap himself there.

He probably thought this was the perfect opportunity since there were no other applicants.

Having boasted about being Gold, he must have been quite embarrassed to take a Silver assessment.

When I raised my shield, Yuhyun Jung—who would naturally want to return to his original position, especially after being thoroughly defeated in our previous match—would inevitably focus on the fact that I “raised my shield.”

He would assume I had some ulterior motive and try to neutralize the shield.

I made him fixate on that and waste his concentration.

‘He probably thought he was perfectly countering my intentions without realizing it.’

I’ve seen many people like him everywhere.

And the common weakness they all share: they think they know everything.

In reality, I’m just dangling bait, wagging my tail, asking them to bite.

As a result, Yuhyun Jung failed to escape Bronze again today.

For someone who claims to be Gold, he seems quite powerless. He seems even worse than Hyunwoo Lee.

‘You lack desperation. Still thinking you’re above me—what will that accomplish?’

I clicked my tongue and returned to my seat, where Soohyun Kim was looking at me.

But that look in her eyes was, how should I put it… a bit…

“Soohyun?”

“Yes, Examiner.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

It’s uncomfortable. Yes, extremely uncomfortable.

To the point where I never knew human eyes could sparkle so brightly.

“You’re amazing.”

“Huh?”

“Examiner, I think you’re truly amazing.”

Suddenly all praise? Soohyun Kim surely wouldn’t have bad intentions.

That means she’s saying these things with complete sincerity.

“I figured it out. You suddenly taking out your shield—you were trying to keep that senior in place, weren’t you?”

“What? You noticed?”

“Yes. It seemed strange that you took out your shield, so I thought about it and came to that conclusion. Making Yuhyun Jung focus only on the shield while preventing him from understanding your true intentions.”

She figured that out just from watching once? That’s no ordinary feat.

…Ah, now that I think about it, Soohyun Kim’s trait is the Inferiority-Driven Genius.

She may be Bronze now and trapped in feelings of inferiority, but that doesn’t mean she’s below average.

If anything, Soohyun Kim’s potential is higher than anyone else’s.

Awakening as The Crimson Witch means she has innate talent.

It’s just that her own inferiority complex has been blocking that talent from blooming.

“So you made him believe he was still superior, then crushed him afterward, right?”

“Well… yes. Yuhyun Jung probably just now realized it. But Soohyun, I didn’t expect you to figure it out so quickly. I think you’re the more impressive one here.”

At my words, Soohyun Kim waves both hands frantically, saying “No!”

Not as a joke, but urgently, as if telling me not to say such things.

“H-how could I be more impressive than you, Examiner? I would never have thought of that myself. I only figured it out because I was watching—if I had been in that position…”

“No, Soohyun. You are definitely an impressive person.”

I approached Soohyun and grabbed her shoulders.

I need to make her recognize it clearly once more. That she is definitely an impressive person.

That she has her own value. That she needs to be more confident.

“Soohyun. You told me, didn’t you? That I’m an impressive person.”

“Yes.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Soohyun Kim answers immediately.

Smiling slightly, I continued along that line of thought.

“Well, in the opinion of this impressive person, you are also an extremely impressive person.”

“B-but I…”

“If you’re not an impressive person, then my judgment is wrong, which would mean I’m not impressive either.”

When I said this with a smile, Soohyun Kim startled with a “What?!”

She was visibly flustered when I indirectly put myself down.

“Soohyun. I told you about my case before.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Have faith in yourself. Don’t look at others, look at yourself. Focus only on you.”

Soohyun Kim lowered her head.

Of course, it won’t be easy to do that right away.

She’s grown up receiving all kinds of expectations and attention from a very young age.

How could it be easy to shake off the pressure that comes with that?

‘Minseong Kang may have avoided saying much to prevent putting pressure on her, but Soohyun might interpret that as her grandfather being disappointed in her. That’s why she needs to find her self-esteem even more.’

So that instead of The Crimson Witch, another genius can bloom in this world.

So she can become someone who protects 500,000—no, 5 million people—instead of massacring 500,000.

“No one shines from the beginning. Everyone’s the same. Being compared to others, feeling so small. I went through it, others went through it, and you’re just going through it too.”

Even Hyunwoo Lee is still Bronze. No one shines from the beginning.

Well, except for… Rina Lee, that Yellow Madwoman.

“Your value isn’t something others find for you. You find it yourself. Don’t compare yourself to someone and say ‘I can’t do it.’ Instead, compare, accept who you are now, and think ‘I will definitely become someone like that.’ Think that way and move forward slowly.”

“…The desire to become someone like that.”

“Yes, Soohyun. Nothing gets accomplished by just sitting down. You sit and rest for a while, then get back up.”

So even if we take assessments, fall down, get broken, and fail to advance.

Let’s not give up and keep challenging ourselves to surpass who we were in the past.

As I was speaking like that, trying to instill firm resolve in Soohyun Kim…

◎ Notification

: A seed has been planted.

: Planted seed – Admiration

◎ Seed List

: Anger, Admiration

…Now what is this?

*

Once again, my commute home was not pleasant.

Something else has been added to Soohyun Kim’s traits.

After Anger, now Admiration. At least this time it’s a positive word.

I wonder what effect these “seeds” will have in the future.

To make matters worse, Soohyun Kim has the original setting of “The Crimson Witch,” which is driving me crazy.

It would be truly devastating if someone I managed to save turned into a villain again.

And now I know her sad story, and that she has a family that loves her.

I hope neither Soohyun Kim, her family, nor the future citizens of Seoul end up unhappy.

‘The problem isn’t just Soohyun Kim, which makes it even more depressing.’

Today’s Silver rank assessment candidates were just Hyunwoo Lee and Yuhyun Jung, only two people.

Just the day before, dozens had come, but it changed so drastically in a single day.

It’s beyond disappointing—it’s devastating. It feels like I’ve been severely reprimanded by my superior.

But since the reason is none other than me, I can’t really complain.

‘If things continue like this, it’s going to be really problematic.’

It’s troublesome for me, and thinking ahead, it will be troublesome for Hyunwoo Lee and Soohyun Kim too.

And additionally, all the potential talents I might be missing.

Things might improve if Hyunwoo Lee quickly becomes a Named.

If someone like him keeps challenging me.

There would surely be others who would come out of curiosity.

‘Of course, that alone wouldn’t be nearly enough. Do they know how long the waiting time is?’

I thought about it the entire way home.

A perfect solution to overcome this situation.

But no effective method came to mind.

‘Let me organize my thoughts. First, students have no reason to seek Silver rank assessment from an examiner who doesn’t pass them easily. After all, faculty members are acting as examiners, and they’re more lenient. There’s absolutely no merit in getting assessed by me right now.’

So what’s important now is creating merit in getting assessed by me.

There needs to be a reason for them to come despite knowing it will be difficult and challenging.

And simply getting them to come once isn’t enough.

They need to come continuously, steadily, creating a rotation.

‘…No matter how much I think about it, there’s no solution.’

At first, I thought about using the Bittersweet Triumph trait.

But there was a major problem with that.

The Bittersweet Triumph trait requires forcibly keeping someone in Silver rank assessment.

Is it enough to just accumulate stacks that way? No, it’s not.

The ability only strengthens by the amount of stacks when I actually pass someone.

The problem is, when I successfully promote someone that way.

I don’t know what penalty might exist according to The Silver Gatekeeper trait.

So I decided to put the Bittersweet Triumph trait on hold for everyone except Hyunwoo Lee.

It will open again next week when Soohyun Kim takes her assessment.

‘Maybe I should deliberately spread rumors about my match with Yuhyun Jung?’

That might attract the attention of skilled students who might be at the academy.

If those students come to me for matches.

Or if they get demoted without taking the assessment themselves and then come back.

Perhaps some of them might speak positively about the effects.

Saying that assessments have been too easy until now. That they should be this difficult.

That since the academy ensures no one dies, it’s better to struggle more here.

This is just wishful thinking. I have no certainty, and the possibility is extremely low.

How on earth can I fill the assessment hall, which is now only attracting flies, with students again…

Bump—

“Ah. I’m sorry.”

I was so lost in thought that I bumped into someone passing by.

It wasn’t a light collision, and it was largely my fault, so I quickly apologized.

“…Found you.”

Excuse me? What did you find…

– Activating The Third Eye. –

◎ Sujin Hyun

: Shadow Craving Revenge

◎ Details

: Warning – Dangerous Individual

Warning – Dangerous Individual

Warning – Dangerous Individual

The moment I saw the person with The Third Eye, I couldn’t think at all.

It was too sudden. And I wondered if this was even real.

I only came to my senses after someone else bumped into me from behind.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

A person apologizing with a bow and continuing on their way.

All around, people finishing their ordinary day.

This isn’t a dream.

Only then did my frozen mind finally start working again.

The identity of this woman before me, Sujin Hyun, is…

‘The Elder!’