When Park Jiho stepped into the large hall where the students who had passed the exam were gathered, all the conversations inside suddenly stopped. His arrival had caught everyone's attention. The admission of a commoner to Cheonji Academy was a big deal in itself. They all came from noble families and most of them considered Jiho beneath them.

“Wasn't that boy the one who caused trouble at the entrance?” one student muttered.

“Yeah, I laughed when he said he’d take the test, but look—he actually made it,” one student sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Please,” his friend scoffed, eyeing Jiho with disdain. “He looks like he’d crumble after a single punch.”

The nobleman Jiho had argued with at the door was also in the hall, and when he saw that Jiho had passed the test, anger mixed with annoyance appeared in his eyes. He looked hateful, as if he wanted to tear him apart right then and there.

“That’s the boy who argued with a member of the Lee family, isn’t it?” someone whispered nearby,

“Yeah. A commoner, daring to argue with a noble,” a girl responded, her tone dripping with scandalized disbelief.

“Pathetic,” another muttered. “The Lee brat should’ve dealt with him on the spot. Now it’s everyone’s problem.”

“Exactly. Letting a peasant run his mouth without consequence makes all of us look bad,” a third voice chimed in, irritation clear. “If it had been me, I’d have shut him up right then and there. People like him need to learn their place.”

“Without nobles, commoners wouldn’t last a day,” a young man added with a smug laugh.

Jiho caught every word. He could feel the eyes on him, the sneers and disdain radiating from every corner of the hall. But he didn’t falter. He had known exactly what he was walking into when he chose this path.

“Let them talk,” he thought, his gaze steady and unwavering. “Noble or not, we’re all here for the same reason—to become hunters. I’ll prove myself, no matter what.”

As he walked further, a few nobles deliberately stepped into his path, their shoulders brushing against his as if testing him. Jiho didn’t flinch. His calm, icy stare was enough to make even the boldest hesitate before moving on, grumbling under their breath.

At last, Jiho spotted an empty corner near the back of the hall. He made his way toward it, eager to avoid the toxic scrutiny for a moment. But he wasn’t alone.

The corner was near a group of students who radiated an entirely different kind of presence. At the center of them sat Jin Aeri. Her striking, confident aura drew every eye in the room. Even among nobles, her name carried unmatched weight.

The Jin family wasn’t just famous—they were legendary. For generations, they had produced hunters who shaped history. The latest of their prodigies was Jin Aeri, and many believed she was destined for greatness.

Flanked by her childhood friends Kim Hyunsoo and Choi Minho, and her best friend Yoon Jisoo, Jin Aeri’s group was the pinnacle of elite society within the academy. Even the other nobles treated them with cautious reverence, keeping their distance while harboring dreams of being accepted into their circle. To sit with Jin Aeri wasn’t just a privilege—it was a symbol of power, one that could elevate entire families.

The fact that Jiho was so close to them caused murmurs to rise again in the rest of the hall.

“Is he serious? Sitting anywhere near Jin Aeri?” someone hissed.

“Unbelievable,” another muttered, glaring daggers at Jiho. “Does he think he’s even worthy of breathing the same air as her?”

“Arrogant commoner,” a third voice growled. “He’s going to get himself killed if he keeps this up.”

One noble, standing slightly apart from the rest, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His eyes flicked to Jin Aeri, his admiration for her as plain as his disdain for Jiho.

“I can’t stand him,” he spat. “The moment this camp is over, I’ll challenge him to a duel. Let’s see if he still acts so high and mighty when he’s crawling on the ground.”

But Jin Aeri, unlike the others, smiled slightly as she looked at Jiho. “This new boy is really interesting,” she said.

Kim Hyunsoo rolled his eyes and said, “I think he's more arrogant than interesting. A commoner who doesn't know his place,” he said condescendingly. To him, Jiho was too small an insect to deserve his attention.

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Choi Minho looked at Jiho and said, “He seems interesting to me too. He knows he's not popular, but he doesn't seem to care. I like that confidence,” he laughed. Yoon Jisoo also blushed slightly and said, “He seems a little cold, but I think he might be sweet.”

Kim Hyunsoo turned to his friends and said sarcastically, “That boy is an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. As soon as the camp is over, many people will challenge him to a duel and he will probably get injured and expelled.”

Jiho, in the face of all these hostile glances and conversations, looked relaxed and indifferent, as if nothing had happened.

Near where Jiho had settled, a group of four nobles exchanged irritated glances, clearly displeased by his presence.

Han Sora, the only girl among them, wrinkled her nose as if Jiho’s proximity alone was offensive. She tilted her head toward him, her voice dripping with arrogance. “Why is he sitting so close to us? Doesn’t he know his place? Surely, there are other corners he could crawl into.”

Jang Taesoo, seated beside her, gave a small laugh and nodded in agreement. “A boy who’d normally be a servant polishing our boots, walking around like he belongs here?” He shook his head in mock disbelief. “It’s almost amusing.”

Hwang Dongwook folded his arms across his broad chest, his sharp eyes locked onto Jiho with barely concealed disdain. “Amusing? No, it’s audacious,” he said in a low, measured voice. “It takes nerve to sit here, among us. I don’t think he realizes who he’s dealing with.”

Moon Jaewon, the unspoken leader of the group, sat back in his chair, observing Jiho silently. His cold, calculating gaze lingered on the commoner, his expression unreadable. Unlike the others, Jaewon didn’t indulge in petty insults; he didn’t need to. His very presence demanded respect. His family, while not as powerful as the Jin clan, was still among the upper echelon of nobility.

The rest of the group glanced at Jaewon expectantly, waiting for him to act. His approval—or disapproval—would set the tone. After a moment of heavy silence, Jaewon stood up and began to walk towards Jiho. The attention of everyone in the hall was focused on this unexpected encounter.

Jiho did not move as he approached, but rather watched his arrival with an even colder expression on his face than usual.

Jaewon came up to Jiho and stood a few steps away. The air in the hall was heavy with the silent challenge between the two.

“You can’t sit here,” Jaewon said at last, his tone mocking but firm. “Go find another corner. Somewhere more... appropriate for you.”

Jiho tilted his head slightly, considering Jaewon’s words. For a moment, he said nothing, letting the silence hang in the air. Then, with a casual shrug, he replied, “Why?” His voice was calm, steady, yet loud enough to carry across the room.

Jaewon’s eyes narrowed at the audacity of the question. “Because someone like you,” he said slowly, his words sharp and deliberate, “doesn’t belong here.”

Jiho straightened, meeting Jaewon’s gaze without flinching. “And who exactly do I need to be to stay here?”

"Do you actually think you’re our equal?" Han Sora asked, her voice sharp and challenging.

Jiho didn’t even look at her. Instead, he chuckled lightly, a sound that, despite its softness, carried an undeniable edge of defiance. "Equal?" he replied, his tone calm and even. "I’m not sure about that." His eyes shifted to Jaewon, unwavering. "But I’m here, aren’t I? I passed the test. Isn’t that enough?"

Hwang Dongwook’s jaw tightened, and his fists clenched at Jiho’s casual response. "You passed the test?" he spat, his voice thick with contempt. "Do you really think that makes you one of us?"

Jiho’s gaze flicked to Dongwook, his expression remaining calm, almost bored. “No,” he said simply. “But it does mean I earned my place here.”

Jaewon’s smile twisted into something colder. “You’re either incredibly brave or unbelievably stupid,” he sneered. “I can’t decide which. How does someone like you manage to act so confident?”

Jiho didn’t even acknowledge him. His gaze kept scanning the area, his face unreadable, as if Jaewon’s words were little more than background noise. He even seemed a little bored, as though Jaewon weren’t worth the effort.

Jaewon’s jaw tightened. Anger and hatred swelled inside him. How can a peasant, a commoner, insult me?

He stepped closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl. “I’ll make sure you regret that.”

Jiho glanced at him with indifferent eyes. “So you’re a talker, huh? All bark and no bite.”

Jaewon’s smile twitched. “Just wait until the training camp ends. You’ll regret every second of this conversation.”

At Cheonji Academy, the rules of the training camp kept things calm—at least for now. Fights were strictly prohibited during the first month. But after that? All bets were off. Anyone could challenge anyone to a duel, and there was no way out. Mercy didn’t exist in these duels; the strong crushed the weak. Even for fun, they would target the vulnerable.

Those who couldn’t defend themselves had two options: join a powerful group for protection or get chewed up and spat out. There was no middle ground.

Jiho knew exactly what was coming. The moment the camp ended, the challenges would start. He’d be the first target—the weakest in the academy.

They’ll come after me no matter what I do, just because they think I’m weak. So there’s no reason to show respect to these people, he thought coldly.

They thought they could humiliate him, break him.

But that’s where they were wrong.

Every fight, every bruise, every defeat would only fuel him. He didn’t fear the pain. He welcomed it. If crawling through the dirt was what it took to grow stronger, then so be it. He’d endure. He’d rise.

One day, the ones looking down on him would have no choice but to look up.

Jin Aeri was still watching him while Jiho was thinking this. Looking at Jiho's calm face

“This boy,” she said to herself, ”is really interesting.”