It was only the third day, and I was already in deep shit.

I could hardly pay attention to the class. I mean, seriously, history was supposed to be interesting. They were talking about Outcall, the origins, the whole world-building of this place. It was like listening to a brand-new Creation Myth, but could I focus on that? Of course not. My mind kept drifting toward the absolute chaos my life had become.

The history class finally ended, and we had a 20-minute break before everyone in the Veritas class had to head to the Novice Field. My heart was pounding the whole time, the countdown to my impending doom ticking away.

Oh… freaking fucky fucks…

I glanced over at Kim Hajin. He looked nervous too, but no way was he as nervous as me. My legs felt like jelly, wobbling underneath me as if they had decided to betray me completely. I glanced down at the dual daggers in my hands, and a fresh wave of panic hit me.

How did I end up like this?

Yesterday, I tried to argue my way out of this situation. Instructor Kim Soohyuk had given me a deadline to pick my weapon, and I—thinking I could outsmart the system—asked for an extension. A chance to find the “perfect weapon” for me. But instead of the sword, or even a bow, they shoved these damn daggers into my hands.

Daggers!

Sure, they sounded cool. The dual-wielding rogue type, all sleek and deadly. But the reality? Oh, no. No, no, no. They were harder to handle than I ever thought possible. It was like trying to juggle two knives while being chased by a bear. I could already imagine how many times I'd stab myself before this day was over.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus, even though my inner monologue was nothing but a string of curses.

Anti-Monster Combat Training.

This was it. My reckoning. The moment where the entire world would see what a phony I truly was. They'd finally learn how unsuited I was for combat, how terribly unqualified I was to be here. Maybe, just maybe, they'd kick me out. That didn’t sound so bad. Chae Nayun wouldn’t chase me out of the academy, right?

I started hoping for the best.

“If you suddenly drop out, trust me, I will hunt you to the end of the world…”

I froze, mid-thought. Did I just hear that right? I turned around, and sure enough, Chae Nayun’s silhouette was strolling past me, all too casually. Was she a mind reader? How had she known what I was thinking? It was like she had the perfect timing to drop that warning bomb. Now, I couldn’t even consider failing the training. That would absolutely spell my doom.

“THANKS FOR THE MOTIVATION!” I yelled after her retreating figure, making sure not to use her name. I didn’t want any extra attention from the other cadets. I was already a walking target, no need to paint a bigger one on my back. To my surprise, my shout seemed to have an effect as Nayun paused, if only for a second, before continuing on her way.

While I wrestled with my inner demons—Anxiety, Fear, and yes, even Constipation—our instructor, Kim Soohyuk, finally arrived to kick off the training.

The cadets immediately stood up in ten neat columns in front of him, snapping to attention.

“I’m sure you all know what this lesson is about, so I’ll announce the teams without explanation. Unless something special happens, this team will be the same until after midterms,” he said, wasting no time with unnecessary formalities.

Team Formation. The term rang familiar. Each team generally had two warriors, one sharpshooter, one supporter, and one utility player. The roles were clear: warriors were the ones charging into battle, meeting enemies head-on and protecting their teammates; sharpshooters, like Hajin, dealt damage from a distance; supporters filled in the gaps, providing much-needed aid when things got rough; and finally, utility players, usually magicians, offered various benefits with their magic.

This formation had been the golden standard ever since Outcall. It maximized team synergy no matter the challenge or circumstance.

I stood there, my heart pounding, waiting for the big reveal. What role would I be stuck with? Would it be something that would get me killed on day one? Something cool? Or, knowing my luck, something completely useless?

I held my breath. My fate in this combat training was about to be sealed.

[Supporter—Rank 5 Yoo Yoenha, Rank 6 Yi Yeonghan... Rank 1111 Hyon Hyung.]

Well, that was it. I was a Supporter. No surprises there. Maybe, if I learned how to throw these damn daggers properly, I could stretch the role a bit, make it more… useful. Sigh. I could dream, right?

Kim Soohyuk’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Team members will be selected fairly. Lower-ranked cadets will be paired with higher-ranked cadets.”

Great. Just great. I was stuck with this role, and now I'd get lumped in with cadets who were way more competent than me. But, hey, at least Cube was fair—no corruption, no rigging. The Great Sage, some genius from the past, had developed an 'Artificial Intelligence' to manage the whole system. Everything from training to class schedules was handled impartially. It was fair, sure, but it made me wonder… how did Djinns even managed to infiltrate Cube? That seemed like a colossal oversight.

I shook the thought away. No use worrying about that right now. I had bigger problems—like surviving this training session.

Then came the kicker: my team.

Shin Jonghak. Shin freaking Jonghak was on my team.

I had been praying, deeply praying, that I’d get paired with someone like Rachel. She was just a dozen meters away, looking all calm and composed with her cool blonde hair and regal aura. But no, fate had other plans. Instead, I got Jonghak—the literal worst-case scenario. My heart sank.

Jonghak noticed my stare, of course. He was like a shark smelling blood in the water. His eyes narrowed into slits, and without missing a beat, he spat, “Do you have a problem with me?”

I froze. His glare was cutting, like he was daring me to give him an excuse to pummel me right here and now. “Look down, you bastard…” he growled, clearly irritated by my very existence.

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I swallowed nervously and quickly averted my gaze. This was not the guy I wanted to mess with. Not today. Not ever.

“Of course not!” I blurted, my voice higher-pitched than I’d like. My survival instincts kicked in, overriding any remaining sliver of pride I might’ve had. “No problem at all!”

Jonghak scoffed. “Good. Know your place.”

Yeah, I know my place, I thought bitterly. At the bottom of the food chain.

I glanced back at Rachel again, hoping she'd somehow rescue me from this nightmare. But she was already absorbed in her own team discussion, completely unaware of the hell I was about to go through. Lucky me.

There was only one way out of this mess. “Shin Myungchul is the best!” I cried, desperation leaking into my voice. If I wanted to survive this interaction, I had to praise Jonghak’s ancestor like he was my own. It was my only chance at avoiding his wrath.

I could already feel the eyes of others on me, no doubt confirming what they probably already thought: that I had a screw loose. But if that was my reputation, I might as well use it to my advantage. So, I doubled down. “Shin Myungchul is the best!” I repeated, louder this time as if I were declaring it to the heavens.

Shin Myungchul—the legendary Hero of Outcall. The man who had saved the world when monsters first burst forth from the towers and dungeons, a name etched into history forever. Everyone knew who he was. And more importantly, everyone knew that Shin Jonghak idolized his ancestor to an absurd degree.

Jonghak, the secondary main character of The Returnee Hero, was notoriously difficult—arrogant, snobby, and convinced of his superiority. But if there was one thing that could melt that icy, self-righteous demeanor, it was any mention of his hero grandfather.

“SHIN MYUNGCHUL IS THE BEST!” I kept at it, shamelessly laying it on thick. “Among all the Heroes, he’s number one! His heroics are legendary, making him more immortal than anyone! A hero to all! If Shin Myungchul is a star, then he’s the brightest star to ever exist! Even now, he watches over us, making sure we live by his values!”

Honestly, I had no idea what I was even saying at this point, but I couldn’t stop. I was on a roll, and, miraculously, it was working. I glanced at Jonghak, and sure enough, he was rubbing his nose in that smug, self-satisfied way people do when they’re trying to look humble but are secretly basking in the praise.

And was he… blushing? Oh yeah, this was definitely working.

Jonghak’s cheeks had turned a faint pink, his expression softening as my relentless praise for Shin Myungchul filled the air. I could almost see the tension draining from his body as he soaked in the compliments. For once, his usual haughty arrogance seemed to melt away, replaced by something resembling pride—real pride, not the kind that made him act like a jerk.

Maybe I wouldn’t get pummeled today after all.

Suddenly, someone yanked on my ear.

“O-ouch! Ouch! I-it hurts!” I yelped, my eyes watering.

Chae Nayun was the culprit, glaring at me as she hissed, “Stop with your schemes, Devil…”

She finally let go, thankfully distracted by her own team and their preparations. Rubbing my ear, I stood there, trying to recover from the sudden assault. But the awkward silence in my own team was impossible to ignore. My teammates just stared at me like I was some rare, exotic creature from the zoo.

The only one who seemed completely unaffected by the awkwardness was Shin Jonghak. He slapped me on the back with far more force than necessary, nearly knocking the wind out of me. “Great, great! You know your stuff!” he said, still basking in the afterglow of my earlier praise.

Then, just as quickly, his mood flipped like a switch. His voice dropped, and he glared at the rest of us. “Don’t be a hindrance, or else, all of you are dead…” he growled, and I felt an icy chill crawl down my spine.

Is this guy bipolar? I wondered, barely managing to suppress a shiver.

Before I could process anything further, Kim Soohyuk’s voice rang out, booming over the field. “There’s no time for chitchat. You should have received the coordinates and information on the monster you’re assigned to kill on your smartwatches. Get going!”

That was the signal. My team scrambled into action, rushing forward as Jonghak took the lead. He kept glancing back at us, clearly annoyed by our lack of speed. His tongue clicked in irritation, and I could practically feel his judgment seeping through the air.

I wasn’t exactly the most athletic person, and the physical demands of this were quickly proving to be too much. With every step, the gap between me and the rest of the team grew wider. Jonghak's dissatisfaction was palpable, but fortunately, I had a little trick up my sleeve.

Always Here, my Gift, kicked in. I activated the effect, blending into the background as if I were just… there. Nothing special, nothing to notice. Just a Nobody. If I was lucky, they wouldn’t even realize how far behind I was lagging.

But it didn’t take long to recognize that my physical abilities were, well, garbage. In less than a minute, I found myself at the rear of the pack, wheezing like an asthmatic turtle, with the distance between me and my team growing by the second.

I was lagging behind miserably, but hopefully, they wouldn’t notice me.

There were a total of 25 teams, with other classes joining in, bringing the number to 100 cadets. It was a competition—one based on speed and efficiency. Whoever cleared their mission objectives the fastest and safest would rank higher.

Our mission was simple in theory: head to the coordinates, find the designated monster, and kill it. Of course, nothing was ever simple when it came to me.

Jonghak projected the target information from his smartwatch, and I tried to focus despite my lungs screaming for air.

[Blackhump Octopus 73 Degrees 13’ 23’’ N]

Jonghak’s voice was firm and commanding. “We move fast, we kill fast, we rest fast…” He practically barked out orders like some drill sergeant, and we took off at a breakneck pace. Every step felt like running uphill through molasses—superhuman speeds, and I was barely keeping up.

We briefly rested under the shade of a tree, but before I could catch my breath, we were off again. Jonghak pushed us forward, leading with an almost robotic level of stamina. Meanwhile, I was in the back, dying with every step.

Gasping for breath, I tried to recall anything useful about the Blackhump Octopus. I had to contribute somehow because, with my current stats and complete ineptitude with daggers, I couldn’t see myself actually fighting.

Between ragged breaths, I managed to speak up, “The... weakness of... Blackhump Octopus... is its black hump... And be careful... of its suction cups... and baby octopuses...”

I faltered again, nearly tripping over my own feet. They barely acknowledged me, speeding ahead like it was nothing. I could only hope they heard my advice because, at this rate, they were going to leave me for dead in the dust.

These guys… really know how to run, I thought miserably as I struggled to stay on my feet. I seriously need to invest in stamina… or a bike… or a jetpack.

A short while later, after gasping for breath and pushing my legs to their limit, I finally reached the destination.

When I arrived, the fight was already over. Jonghak was reclaiming his spear, which had been embedded perfectly in the Blackhump Octopus’s black hump, its weakness. I didn’t even get to see any of the action. The monster had been subdued without my involvement, and I knew, without a doubt, that I was dead weight. It stung.

Shin Jonghak approached me, his voice rigid but not as harsh as I expected. “You are weak. If you wish to become a Hero, become stronger. If you cannot, you can still be a Hero, but not here in Cube.” His words were cold, but somehow... less cruel than I had imagined. After delivering that blunt truth, he turned and walked away, leaving me to process it all.

Ouch. His words stung, but what could I say? He was right. I was weak. Still, for someone I pegged as an arrogant hothead, Jonghak showed a surprising amount of restraint. I had always remembered him as the temperamental bastard who blew up at the smallest provocation, but now... maybe he wasn’t so bad. He still had the fanboy tendencies about his grandfather, but there was something more to him.

I looked down at my double daggers, feeling a wave of frustration. I wasn’t just desperate for a weapon—I was desperate for strength. The kind of strength that could keep me in Cube, keep me alive in this world.

I scoffed at my own weakness. I was useless today, but I swore it wouldn’t be like this forever. My plan—my gambit—was still in motion. If it paid off, I’d be able to acquire the strongest arms possible, ones that would fit me perfectly.

“I will become stronger...” I muttered under my breath, clenching the daggers tighter. No matter how weak I was now, I couldn’t let it stay that way. I had too much at stake.