Ch.38Special Evaluation, Not Grade Evaluation – 2

“…Soohyun. What’s going on here?”

“I, I’m not really sure either.”

I entered the Academy while chatting with Soohyun Kim whom I met on my way to work.

A completely different situation from yesterday was unfolding right before my eyes.

“Yeah, I knew it. Bronze or Silver, they’re all the same.”

“Look at these Bronze bastards talking! That guy is the exception, what makes the rest of you any different?!”

“Shouldn’t you have your Silver badge stripped if you got your ass kicked by a Bronze?”

“Beat us and we’ll take them off. You Bronze losers.”

What is this hostility? It feels like I could get cut just by touching it.

It’s like watching the moment right before absolute chaos breaks out.

Something happened. Yes, something definitely happened.

Otherwise, the Academy that was peaceful until yesterday couldn’t possibly be like this.

Especially here, the lines drawn between each rank are strictly observed.

Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Master.

Those belonging to each rank strive to climb higher.

That’s how they gain more recognition and make their names known more definitively.

This strictness isn’t just among higher ranks like Platinum or Master.

If anything, the lower ranks are much worse than the higher ones.

Looking up to the highest places feels intimidating, but the rank just above seems attainable.

To prevent this, each rank tends to thoroughly suppress the ranks below them.

‘They said the worst tension is between Bronze and Silver.’

Bronze, where maintaining that rank gets you an academic warning, and Silver, which could be considered the commoners of the Academy.

Though there’s clearly a difference in rank, I heard there’s a lot of talk because it’s somewhat ambiguous.

Bronze says everyone eventually reaches Silver so they’re basically the same.

Silver says not being able to reach even the easy Silver rank shows your true ability.

No wonder these two groups can’t get along.

“Um, Arbiter. From what I’m hearing… that person keeps coming up.”

“Who?”

“My Bronze comrade.”

“Bronze comrade… Oh, could it be Hyunwoo Lee?”

“Yes. I just heard that he defeated several Silvers yesterday and today?”

Seems like someone has seriously provoked our protagonist.

Hyunwoo isn’t just a naively kind protagonist; he’s the type of character who gets angry when pushed.

In that situation, he probably clashed with a Silver who looked down on Bronze.

Naturally, an ordinary Silver would be no match for Hyunwoo.

Unless the opponent was at a level ready to advance from Silver to Gold.

No, even that would be difficult. It would probably take at least a Gold to suppress Hyunwoo.

“So that’s the situation.”

A Bronze defeated a Silver. This has never happened before.

Bronze is truly just barely meeting the Academy’s standards.

Silver, while not barely hanging on, is exactly average level.

You ask if there were never any skilled people in Bronze? How could there be?

Promising talents escape Bronze early and climb up to Silver or higher.

In the world of superpowers where ability is everything, this is natural.

“Sh-shouldn’t we stop this? The atmosphere is getting really hostile…”

“It’s fine. Just one professor clearing their throat would scatter everyone.”

In the Academy or outside, strength is the alpha and omega in the world of superpowers.

The reason Junwoo Park could strut around the Academy despite being a womanizer.

The reason Yuhyun Jung held the vice president position despite being a supremacist.

And the reason Rina Lee could continue her activities despite being called crazy even by villains.

It’s all because they have the skills to back it up. In this world, if you’re strong, anything goes.

Of course, most people are still human, so they inevitably pay some attention to social norms.

That’s why Rina lives with the attitude of “Go ahead and criticize all you want.”

Anyway, from the perspective of Bronze or Silver students, professors are absolutely dominant.

Most professors are still in their 30s, so they’re not even close to being challenged with superpowers.

‘I wonder why these people stayed silent when students were going after the arbiters.’

Perhaps they didn’t consider it a serious matter. Well, things only become a real problem when someone dies.

‘…But why isn’t anyone coming?’

Not a single professor has come to tell everyone to disperse.

With dozens of people gathered, it should be visible from a distance.

Yet there were no professors, other staff members, or even security personnel in sight.

“Everyone, that’s enough!”

Instead, the one who appeared was Student Council President Hana Kang.

“It’s almost lecture time. Students with classes should go to their classrooms, and those without classes should spend their time training rather than wasting it like this.”

Student Council President. And a Platinum rank senior at that.

The noisy place suddenly transformed into an atmosphere of order.

As always, this is how the world of superpowers works.

“Hello, Arbiter.”

After roughly sorting out the situation, Hana Kang noticed me and greeted me.

“Good morning, Hana.”

“Good morning… though it doesn’t seem very good.”

Ah, I guess so. I unintentionally rubbed salt in the wound.

I slightly raised my hand in apology, and Hana waved it off saying it wasn’t that serious.

“By the way, Arbiter. Have you heard? That student who had a proper match with you before.”

“Hyunwoo Lee.”

“Yes, Hyunwoo. That was his name. They say that junior defeated several Silver ranks.”

When I nodded, Hana responded with “I see” and scratched her cheek.

She clearly looked like she was saying, “I have a serious headache right now.”

“Seems like there’s a problem. Probably related to what just happened.”

“Yes. This has never happened before. Even when Silvers provoked Bronzes, the Bronzes would just try to rise to Silver rank somehow.”

“Because that’s the easiest and fastest way.”

It’s extremely difficult for a Bronze to defeat a Silver.

If it were easy, why would the Academy give academic warnings to Bronze ranks?

It’s more effective to just get rid of that stigmatized Bronze label quickly.

“The situation suddenly becoming like this is really troublesome.”

After that, Hana suddenly started pouring out her concerns.

“Higher-ranked students looking down on lower ranks is more serious than you might think. There’s a problem. I know that. But it’s even worse outside. At least here, we maintain some boundaries because we’re all students, right? I tried to fix it, but the backlash was too severe.”

“I understand. Outside, people even commit suicide after being targeted by higher-ranked ability users.”

“This might sound like sophistry, but the Academy established ranks to stimulate competition. Better treatment is guaranteed at higher ranks. That’s why it was created and maintained. Students know this, so they all remain silent.”

“Are you saying, Hana, that this incident is having a very negative impact on that aspect?”

At my question, Hana thought for a moment and then closed her eyes as if unsure.

“I don’t know. Whether this situation is a wind of positive change. Or just an impulsive act by a talented junior who will only briefly stay in Bronze anyway.”

From those words, I finally understood what Hana was worried about.

She’s not concerned about the Academy’s order being shaken.

Right now, Hana is worried about the future of the Bronze rank students.

Hyunwoo is skilled enough to leave Bronze soon anyway.

If someone who’s about to leave stirs up conflict, it only makes things difficult for those who remain.

It’s a reasonable concern.

In reality, there aren’t any particularly skilled individuals in Bronze rank besides Hyunwoo.

Soohyun is there too, but she’s a special case, so excluding her.

Silver probably isn’t much different, but they’re likely better than Bronze.

In that situation, if Hyunwoo stirs things up and then quickly advances?

The Bronzes will be silenced again, and the Silvers’ hostility will only grow enormously.

‘You’re looking further ahead than I thought. I guess you’re not Student Council President for nothing.’

“Um… senior.”

At this moment, Soohyun Kim, who was standing beside me, cautiously spoke up.

“The current situation is the problem, right? Then, if the Silver rank students show that they’re qualified, wouldn’t everything quiet down quickly?”

“What do you mean, Soohyun?”

“Seojin Baek is in charge of Silver rank evaluations. And my Bronze comrade, Hyunwoo, failed that evaluation. So if the current Silvers receive recognition from Arbiter Baek, wouldn’t that resolve things naturally? That’s what I think.”

At those words, Hana let out a surprised “Oh?”

And I also thought “Oh?” as I slowly digested those words.

So Hyunwoo defeated a Silver. But he couldn’t pass my Silver rank evaluation.

Therefore, to resolve this situation, if Silvers receive my evaluation and prove they’re worthy of Silver rank, that would work.

That would establish grounds for acceptance by both Hyunwoo and other Bronze students?

‘Soohyun, I think you might be a genius.’

You’re not Minseong Kang’s granddaughter for nothing. Our Soohyun, you had it all figured out!

“It seems to make sense, but also doesn’t…”

Hana kept tilting her head as if she had realized something.

As I was about to try steering the conversation in a certain direction…

“Excuse me. Arbiter Seojin Baek.”

Suddenly someone called my name from behind.

I turned slightly to see a male student standing there with a stern face.

“I’m very sorry to make such a sudden request when we’ve just met. Would it be possible to have a match instead of an evaluation? I, um, have an urgent situation.”

I wonder if making abrupt requests like this is a specialty of Academy students.

As if sensing my thoughts, Hana moved slightly closer to me.

“Second-year Juyeol Chang. Currently the most outstanding junior in Silver rank.”

“So, you’re saying he’s the Silver rank number one?”

“If you put it that way… yes. He was probably asked by other Silvers to resolve the current situation. To show the difference between Bronze and Silver.”

They want to show the difference? I question whether this makes sense.

If they want to show the difference between Bronze and Silver, they should bring the lowest-ranked Silver, not the highest.

That would establish the claim that even the worst Silver is better than Bronze.

“They must be really desperate. Afraid the boundary between Bronze and Silver might collapse.”

From Hana’s words, I could vaguely understand the situation.

The boundary between Bronze and Silver determines whether you receive academic warnings or not.

If that boundary becomes blurred, Silver students will obviously lose out.

So they persuaded the most skilled Silver student.

Get recognition from the hottest Silver rank arbiter, and firmly establish Silver’s position.

By doing so, prevent Bronze students from harboring any more resistance.

That seems to be the rosy future our Silver friends are dreaming of…

‘I apologize in advance, kids. I don’t think you’re going to make it through.’