FEBRUARY
2 MONTHS AFTER SUHO RECEIVED A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BUREAU
KOREAN NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR THE AWAKENED: ENTRANCE EXAM
The entrance exam to the academy was strange in many ways. Not only was it designed to test the physical capability of its students rather than normal academic subjects, but the exam for prospective second year students also doubled as the final exam for the first years.
The timing was uncommon—normally entrance exams were held months earlier. The exam for incoming first years to National had been at the regular time, in December. But the problem was with the incoming second years.
Very few students joined National in the second year, and even fewer went on to do well. So the exam was simplified and merged with the first year final exam. All you had to do was prove that you could perform at the same level as the current first years. It seemed simple.
It was an incredibly high bar to meet.
Some of the first years were milling about nervously in the Tank—the viewing platform above the stadium that people said resembled a fish tank—waiting for it to begin. If they couldn’t pass, then they wouldn’t be able to continue into the next year at the school. Losing their enrollment at the academy would be a gigantic blow to any aspiring hunter. Graduating from National’s hunter department basically guaranteed stable employment in any sector as an awakened.
The vibe was different by the windows of the Tank. The students sitting by the glass had no doubts about their skills. They were relaxing on the couches, not at all nervous.
“Lee Sunghyun*!” a female voice shouted.
Dam Sohee, the newspaper club president, rushed to one person, microphone pack in hand.
“Please say some words about how you’re feeling about the upcoming exam,” she said. “As your class’s valedictorian, I’m sure you have some thoughts on your performance.”
Sunghyun glanced over at the upperclassman. He had a look that could captivate anyone—brown hair, amber eyes, attractive enough to outshine many male k-pop idols.
Sohee’s eyes were sparkling as she waited for his response. He was not only the strongest of the first years, but he always ranked first in written exams too. He already had fans waiting for him to graduate and become a full-fledged hunter, so it was her job as a journalist to hang on his every word.
He smiled lightly.
“I may be ranked first, but I don’t think I’m worthy of representing the entire class,” he said. “All the students here are admirable in their own ways. I’ll just do my best.”
“Humility!” Sohee replied. “As expected of our Sunghyun.”
He laughed politely. It was awkward, but he didn't blame her. She was infamous for getting excited about everything related to hunters.
“Can you comment on your rivalry with Shin Yuna?” she continued, bulldozing forward. “We’ve already spoken to her, and she has expressed that she aims to dethrone you today.”
“Haha, it’s all friendly competition. I respect Yuna a lot.”
He glanced out the window. The Tank wrapped around the whole top of the stadium, and on the other side was Yuna. She was standing as far as she possibly could get from him, looking down at the prospective second years who had entered below. She’d always aimed to become the #1 ranked student, but had been stuck in #2 until now.
“I look forward to her performance, and I wish her the best,” he commented.
“As do I!”
Sohee pushed up her glasses, smiling with pride.
“Then, do you have anything to say to the prospective second years that are coming to be tested alongside your class today?” she asked, holding the mic closer.
“Since the written exam is over, you guys only have one more hurdle to get over. Do your best, and let’s not get hurt.”
“Yes, let’s do our best!”
With that, Sohee clicked the mic off and bowed to him.
“Thank you for the interview, Sunghyun! I’ll be off!”
“Ah, yes, thank you, senior.”
She sped away, her next target probably already in her sights. He glanced towards the second year exam takers, now being slowly organized into orderly rows of seats. It wouldn't be long before the first years joined them. Almost all of the prospective students would fail. The standards were just too high. He wanted to feel bad for them, but that didn't do any good for anyone. And he had his own exam to think about.
Sunghyun could feel the people around him staring. They were always sneaking looks, assuming he couldn't tell. What was with that? What did they think looking at him would achieve?
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Nobody got stronger by focusing on the success of others. But the kids here didn't seem to understand that.
Sunghyun had already resigned to being alone in that thought.
⊕
There were a lot of people staring at Suho, probably because he was tall. Suho didn't really notice though. Compared to the hordes of monsters that would sprout from gates in the mountains surrounding the village, the sideways glances of a bunch of kids his age didn't feel like anything.
He took his seat, glancing over the stadium floor. People were setting up testing equipment, all strange machines that he’d never seen before, but he’d read about while studying for the exam.
He glanced down at the pile of business cards he had in his lap. They were from various guilds, none of which he had ever heard of. There had been scouts crawling all over the stadium entrance, trying to lure prospective students their way. Minors couldn't go into dungeons, but they could still sign contracts promising to participate once they became adults. And small to medium-sized guilds didn't have a good chance of getting at academy students once they graduated—they’d be headed straight for the top guilds instead. They needed to nab the kids who failed the entrance exam, who would see them as an opportunity to still break into the industry.
Suho had no interest in any of them. But he’d kept the cards anyway, just to study. He didn't know anything about Seoul or how the guilds worked here. Memorizing a few guild names wasn't hard.
The seats for the prospective second years were slowly filling. The first years would be taking their final first—setting the standard that they needed to live up to. And he could see that the glass viewing room above was slowly emptying of them.
Suho shifted slightly, making the nervous girl beside him jump. He nodded his head in apology and she didn't even see him. Instead, when he looked back forward, his eye caught the sharp gaze of another male examinee.
He had hazel, cat-like eyes under a pair of outdated prescription glasses. He was thin and not very tall, but somehow through the throngs of other children, he was staring directly at Suho.
He held his gaze for a second. Then the boy nodded to him calmly.
Suho nodded back. Confused but polite.
Satisfied, the boy looked away. And in time. The crackle of the speakers came on in the next moment.
“Ah, ah, test.”
A voice echoed clearly throughout the stadium, making the hubbub die down. The examinees rushed to their seats.
“Ahem. Yes, hello. The doors are opening now, so please clear the way.”
The test administrators and helpers made sure everyone was inside the cordoned areas. And with a deep groan, the huge doors opened.
The air changed immediately. It was like a wave of humidity had swept in, but instead of making it warmer, the atmosphere turned cold. This marked the presence of awakened—a lot of them.
The first years had arrived.
“Holy crap, that’s Lee Sunghyun…”
“Shin Yuna too, omg. Their aura really is different.”
“Crazy…”
Whispers came from around Suho as the valedictorian appeared along with the infamous second rank, the two of them leading the pack. The first years scanned the examinees with vague disinterest as they entered—curious, but not hopeful. Most of the faces they saw now they’d probably never cross paths with again.
Except, for some reason Sunghyun seemed to be looking directly in Suho’s direction.
What was with people and staring today?
“Woah, is he looking over here?”
“Right? Does he know someone?”
“So handsome…”
Their eyes locked. Or at least he thought they did. Suho’s brow furrowed, but then the girl sitting next to him jumped in her seat again, making him glance over.
“It’s not me, right? Right?” she muttered to herself. “No way haha…”
He let out a short sigh and looked back up. But Sunghyun had already moved on, heading towards his seat in the first year area.
“Ahem, is this working?”
The sound of the speakers rang out again. There were general murmurs of ‘yes.’
A man dressed in a blue suit ascended the steps of the center platform where the devices had been set up. He had his hair slicked back and obviously was going to be the announcer for the exam.
“Alright, everyone, welcome to the Korean National Academy for the Awakened!” he said.
Cheering came from all around. Suho stayed quiet, just waiting.
“For some of you, this is the culmination of your first year in school,” he continued. “But for some of you, this is your first step! I congratulate you for passing the slough of written exams and making it this far.”
More cheering. It really had taken a while for the kids to get this far. Although the final physical test was by far the most difficult to pass, it was actually the shortest section of the entire process. Before getting to this stadium, they had taken several written exams over about a week of time—basic subjects, monster knowledge, industry knowledge, everything the first years had already learned.
The announcer seemed to enjoy the enthusiasm he was receiving. He smiled wide.
“Now then, although I’m sure you’re all already familiar with the format, I will explain it for all of you,” he said.
He gestured towards a huge circular target that had been set up on the stage.
“It’s very simple: all you have to do is strike this with all of your strength.”
It was padded with black foam and mounted on rails so that the angle and distance could be adjusted to whatever the student believed to be optimal.
“It will score you between 0 and 10,000,” he continued. “The bar to pass is 1,000 points. For your information, that’s nearly a C-rank hunter’s strength!”
Some of the prospective students gasped. If they were C-rank at this age, then they probably would've signed with a guild already.
“You can strike it with whatever weapon and using whatever skills you prefer,” the announcer explained. “We will lend you any weapon in the school’s arsenal, so don’t hold back!”
Raucous cheering echoed through the stadium as part of the floor drew back and a huge rack of weapons rose up—swords, spears, bows, even guns. All standard-issue, grey with no embellishments. For this exam, students were banned from using personal items that could skew their performance. They had to pick from these.
“You get three chances,” the announcer said, “and only the highest score will count.”
Suho stared quietly at the weapon rack. It was all very foreign. He had never used any real equipment, though he’d studied up on all of them while preparing for the entrance exam. He didn’t see anything like a farming hoe, or a broom, or a rake…
“Are you ready?!”
He was snapped out of his thoughts as people cheered around him, ready to start. The announcer gestured across the crowd and flashed a huge smile.
“Alright, then let’s get this exam going!” he said.
He turned towards the first years.
“First are our continuing students. Starting from the lowest rank—let’s begin!”