episode_0167

167.

Common sense.

In Chinese characters, it is always written as 상(常) for constant and 식(識) for knowledge.

Common sense refers to the collective knowledge, understanding, judgment, and discernment that members of society generally possess.

Common sense is nothing but a milestone in life accumulated from childhood.

Because of this, people make the mistake of judging every situation based on common sense.

So let’s think carefully now.

When we think based on common sense, did the hero trainee Lee Jinhyuk really have the strength to defeat Yoo Dahee?

Yoo Dahee is an extremely wicked villain who goes beyond common sense.

By now, no one denies Yoo Dahee’s strength.

The fight scenes between Yoo Dahee and the heroes revealed through Hero’s Day CCTV and black box footage are truly unbelievable.

Because Yoo Dahee alone defeated numerous heroes.

Justice, Sonic Blade, Laser Sight, All Strength, Invisible Woman, and more.

Not just defeating them, but playing with them as if they were children.

Those who saw the footage of Star Heroes laughing and knocking down numerous fans were truly shocked.

Their lifelong common sense crumbled in an instant.

And people realized.

Yoo Dahee was a monster who surpassed common sense.

They couldn’t deny what they saw with their own eyes.

It is said that after that, he fiercely fought against nearly thirty heroes, including Han Inchul and Geumju Baeknamil.

He even managed to defeat the former legendary Han Inchul.

How did he have such strength at such a young age? We don’t know, but Yoo Dahee’s strength was undeniably real.

Truly, Yoo Dahee was an unprecedented genius.

A terrifying disaster with talents and powers that humanity will never see again.

However.

However.

Is it really possible that Lee Jinhyuk, a mere trainee, defeated such a monster on his own?

No.

It’s impossible.

People questioned Lee Jinhyuk’s strength.

Because it didn’t make sense based on common sense.

Another name for common sense is prejudice.

Prejudice, common sense, conventional wisdom, people had doubts about Lee Jinhyuk’s strength.

A person with such talents would not rank last in the Union Academy, and it was unlikely that another talented individual like Yoo Dahee would appear in the same era.

Of course, it is a fact that Lee Jinhyuk defeated Yoo Dahee.

Many heroes who were present at the scene testified to this fact, so it cannot be denied.

But even if he did defeat Yoo Dahee, there is no guarantee that his strength could be compared to Yoo Dahee’s.

At that time, Yoo Dahee was extremely exhausted and injured.

Wouldn’t it make more sense that he luckily defeated a heavily exhausted and injured Yoo Dahee who had been battling numerous heroes?

Well, even if he was exhausted, Yoo Dahee was still Yoo Dahee.

If he had been an ordinary trainee, he would never have been able to defeat him.

So people thought.

Lee Jinhyuk’s strength will surely surpass that of an ordinary trainee, but it may not reach the level of Yoo Dahee, the best in the world.

Perhaps not even above average?

Being above average at Lee Jinhyuk’s age means being a genius that can be counted on one hand in South Korea.

It was honestly a bit unlikely that Lee Jinhyuk, who ranked last in the Union Academy, suddenly grew to be above average in skill.

However, isn’t there a case of Jin Soyeon who grew rapidly in just a few months?

It could be a special case like Jin Soyeon’s.

Or maybe, she intentionally didn’t show her strength until now.

Anyway, opinions about Lee Jinhyuk’s strength are still divided.

On the internet community, they are even having a mud fight.

That’s how curious people were.

How strong is the hero trainee who defeated Yoo Dahee?

And today is the day of the one-on-one performance evaluation.

Perhaps, some doubts about Lee Jinhyuk’s strength might be resolved.

Because Lee Cheong, the newcomer who has been called a monster from the beginning and ranked first, confidently challenged Lee Jinhyuk.

“At most, it’s just a sparring match between trainees, why are they making such a fuss?”

“…That’s true.”

In the middle of the training ground.

Lee Jinhyuk and Lee Cheong were facing each other.

The instructor glanced at the two and the trainees were watching from the stands with sparkling eyes.

“They were writing articles about our match on the internet.”

They had to.

Currently, the most famous trainee in South Korea is Lee Jinhyuk.

No matter what the process was, he defeated the worst villain who slaughtered tens of thousands of people.

So, it was natural for people’s attention to be focused on him.

As people showed interest, the media also paid attention to Lee Jinhyuk.

South Korea was buzzing about Lee Jinhyuk.

“But you.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you challenge me to a match? You seem to dislike troublesome things.”

“Well…”

Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Lee Cheong glanced at Lee Jinhyuk with a slightly clearer expression.

“…I just wanted to learn a thing or two?”

“…I’m the top newcomer, so I was curious about the skills of a senior who might be stronger than me…”

“Really?”

Lee Jinhyuk chuckled.

“Not because of Ha Yua?”

“…”

As Lee Jinhyuk glanced at the stands, Ha Yua met his gaze and she blushed lightly, cheering for Lee Jinhyuk and Lee Cheong.

…Jin Soyeon was watching that scene with a displeased look.

“Anyway, since it turned out like this, I’ll do my best.”

Lee Jinhyuk slowly rolled up his sleeves.

“Well. It’s better this way. Let’s use this opportunity to show these kids who were whispering about me what I’m capable of.”

He was a bit annoyed by the speculation about his strength, so he wanted to show it clearly this time.

“How strong Lee Jinhyuk really is.”

“Lee Cheong.”

“Yes.”

“Did you defeat a top-ranked hero before entering the academy?”

“…!”

Lee Cheong’s half-closed eyes widened slightly.

Because defeating a top-ranked hero within the clan was a secret.

If this fact were to be leaked outside, a defeat to a mere trainee could ruin the career of the top-ranked hero.

But how did Lee Jinhyuk know this fact?

Surely the match was conducted secretly and strictly without any leaks.

“Although I was able to win because the opponent was careless, it would be impossible for Lee Siwoon to defeat a top-ranked hero at that age. You’re amazing.”

Lee Cheong’s ability was absorption and emission.

The more she absorbed, the more powerful force she could emit.

If she accumulated as much power as possible and emitted it, even a top-ranked hero would not dare to underestimate her.

Her ability to absorb almost all types of power and turn the tables in a crisis moment was remarkable.

“Do your best from the beginning, don’t be careless like during the entrance exam. Otherwise, it could end very easily.”

“…You seem to be overflowing with confidence, senior.”

Lee Cheong furrowed his brows slightly.

Even among his peers, Lee Cheong possessed almost unrivaled skills.

Despite being famous for his genius since ancient times, even if he were to face Lee Si-woon or Kang Dae-han, he was confident he wouldn’t lose based on first-year standards.

Although he might be a bit lacking compared to Lee Jin-hyuk, who had defeated Yoo Da-hee, he still didn’t like how relaxed Lee Jin-hyuk was.

None of his peers dared to show such a relaxed attitude in front of her.

Lee Cheong’s pride was subtly hurt.

“…Alright, senior.”

Lee Cheong nodded respectfully and adjusted his posture.

“Then, shall I take a look at the skills of the senior who defeated Yoo Da-hee?”

“Sure, whatever.”

Lee Jin-hyuk shrugged nonchalantly in response.

“Are both of you ready? Then let the match begin.”

The instructor raised his hand and looked at the two alternately before finally opening his lips.

“3.”

He started the countdown.

“2.”

The students sitting in the stands watched the match with a mixture of tension and anticipation.

“1.”

What kind of match would unfold?

“Match start!”

With a pounding heart, they watched the match between the two geniuses with great interest… Huh?

Crash!

Whiiiiing!

Someone flew and crashed into the wall of the stands with a loud thud.

The wall cracked like plastic, leaving a crater-like mark.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!”

In-yeong, who had crashed into the wall with force, weakly rolled back onto the stands and fell. Then, with a short groan, she struggled and spat out blood once. Soon after, she dropped her head heavily.

It seems like she fainted.

The children looked at the fallen In-yeong with surprised expressions.

And then, they could clearly see who the person lying there was.

…It was Lee Cheong.

Approximately 2.4 seconds after the match started.

In the blink of an eye, the victory was decided, with Lee Jin-hyuk emerging as the winner.

“Ah.”

Lee Jin-hyuk, still in the posture of extending his fist, stiffened his body slightly, blinking his eyes as if he was a bit flustered, and muttered to himself unconsciously.

“Did I use too much strength…?”