Chapter 21: S Class Advancement Test (1)

A heavy silence pressed down on the practice arena.

It was an atmosphere that couldn’t even be compared to when Baek Yu-shin and Selena had dueled before.

Well, of course.

Class S was fundamentally different from other classes.

Firstly, unlike ordinary classes, Class S was the only one that existed across all grades.

This was also due to the principal’s educational policy.
In a word, it was for a reason similar to the rotten apple theory.

Just like the rotten apple theory, where one rotten apple can spoil all the other apples.

Conversely, the argument was that keeping good apples together positively influenced each other.

For that reason, Principal Ban Se-rin gathered promising geniuses into Class S, regardless of their grade.

And this, conversely, became the reason why very few students could enter Class S.

Because if a rotten apple were to mistakenly enter, the entire Class S could become rotten.

Usually, students challenging the Class S promotion exam are at most 5, and the average number is only 3.
In fact, in the original work, there were also 3 when Baek Yu-shin challenged.

‘No, it’s actually better this way.’

Hyunwoo barely managed to steady his wavering mind.
Baek Yu-shin was already someone he had been looking out for since long ago anyway.

Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Hyunwoo hadn’t attacked Baek Yu-shin until now.

It was to block any potential variables.
But now, no such variables exist.

Rather, I will properly demonstrate the difference in our class in this Class S promotion exam.
That’s what he was thinking.

That is, until Principal Ban Se-rin herself appeared before them and announced the topic of the Class S promotion exam.

Soon, a strange mirror appeared in the center of the arena with a crackling sound like lightning.

“It seems everyone has gathered.”

The one who slowly emerged from the mirror was none other than Ban Se-rin, the Principal of Cheongwol Academy.

Her hair shimmered like the Milky Way, contrasting with her heavily sunken, cold purple eyes.

Hyunwoo, meeting her gaze, unconsciously averted his eyes.
Because he had been severely dealt with before.

[Interesting, to think there would be a student who plays tricks on me.]

[Cough!]

[But this is the only warning.
There won’t be a next time.]

Hyunwoo, who possessed the affinity system, had already tried to capture the principal in the past.

This was because he judged that once he captured the principal, things would become very easy afterward.

However, the result was a complete failure.
For some reason, the affinity system didn’t work on her.

Instead, he was caught and even threatened.
Thanks to that, Hyunwoo came to fear her.

‘I didn’t want to meet her if possible… but it can’t be helped.’

The Class S promotion exam was an exam personally conducted by Principal Ban Se-rin.

In other words, he was inevitably going to face the principal.

Therefore, Hyunwoo was desperately trying to overcome his fear.

At the same time, a question arose.
Why did the principal personally give Baek Yu-shin the opportunity for the promotion exam?

Principal Ban Se-rin only showed interest in humans who intrigued her.

In other words, if she felt no interest at all, she would view them as mere pebbles on the roadside.

But such a principal personally recommended Baek Yu-shin for the Class S promotion exam?

He felt like a fool in an instant.
He had prepared for the promotion exam for a whole year.

‘So, the protagonist is still the protagonist, I guess.’

However, surprisingly, Hyunwoo felt his mind working calmly.

He had to acknowledge what needed to be acknowledged.
He had been looking down on his opponent too easily.

The opponent was strictly the protagonist of this world, and an awakener who had accumulated numerous achievements even in the original work.

Naturally, he must have such abilities.
He had been utterly disregarding him until now.

But that ends here.
Hyunwoo firmly decided not to be off guard anymore.

Of course, aside from his calmness, his anger hadn’t disappeared.
Since he had already failed countless times.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Hyunwoo came to his senses and began to recognize Yu-shin as an enemy.

What could that guy be thinking right now?
Hyunwoo did his best to read his inner thoughts.

‘I’m hungry.’

Ironically, despite Hyunwoo’s extreme vigilance, Yu-shin wasn’t thinking about anything.

Yu-shin also knew a certain extent about the Class S promotion exam.

In the end, wasn’t it that the strongest among these 5 would move up to Class S?

Then there would be no particular reason to worry.
After all, the strongest one would get to go up.

Just as Yu-shin himself had worked hard to become stronger in the dark fantasy world.

He gained experience by crossing countless death lines and made the opponent’s strength his own.

Thanks to that, Yu-shin could grasp the opponent’s strength to a certain extent even without fighting directly.

‘There are quite a few strong guys here, more than I expected?’

In the fantasy world where Yu-shin had been, it was a power an ordinary person could reach if they strived their whole life.

The upper limit of that power was usually classified as Knight Class.
Although they were underestimated more than one might think.

Knight Class also boasted immense power, to the point where an ordinary person would see them as superhumans.

And the stage beyond that was the Hero Class.
An extremely powerful realm that even surpassed superhumans.

In Yu-shin’s eyes, as many as 3 students seemed to have reached the Hero Class.

Was it because they grew up receiving countless supports in a more stable environment than the fantasy world?

“I haven’t seen your face before, nice to meet you.
My name is Lim Kang-doo.”

“Uh, yeah.
My name is Baek Yu-shin.”

A huge boy with an awkward smile on his lips extended his hand to Yu-shin.

His height seemed to be about 2.30m, and his black hair was cut in a two-block style.

Commensurate with his massive build, he had considerable muscle.
What is this?
Could he be a gym addict?

If he had to pick one peculiar thing, it was his slit eyes, as if he were closing them.

“It seems you’re my first opponent.”

“First opponent?”

“That’s right!
The Class S promotion exam is decided by a tournament format.”

“So the person who wins all the matches becomes Class S?”

“You got it right.”

The one who answered Yu-shin’s question was, by now, Ban Se-rin, who had taken her place in the center of the arena.

Yu-shin turned his head.
There was no one else in the arena except himself and Lim Kang-doo.

Lim Kang-doo also dropped his awkward smile and faced Yu-shin with a determined expression.

Originally, only 4 people could challenge the Class S promotion exam.

Baek Yu-shin was a student who suddenly appeared like a paratrooper.
In that case, one might have been negligent.

There was not a single student underestimating their opponent in the current Class S promotion exam.
Because there was a reason for everything.

‘Baek Yu-shin, in particular, achieved an overwhelming victory against Selena from Class A.’

If Selena was judged purely by firepower, she was one of the top individuals in Class A.

But Yu-shin possessed techniques capable of parrying all of that guy’s firepower head-on.

Naturally, they couldn’t help but be wary.
Yu-shin, confirming that sight, let out a sigh.

‘He looks incredibly tough at a glance.’

The equipment he used was a shield and a one-handed sword, a combination that could be called standard if it were standard.

Moreover, since he was a talent capable of challenging Class S.
He must surely possess that power called Bloom.

Yu-shin, judging that a long battle would be troublesome, decided to go all out from the start.

Soon after, as soon as the principal’s signal fell.
It was Yu-shin who took the initiative first.

必殺
Killing Blow

固有名斬
Unique Name Slash

A slash close to a mutual kill, containing the desperate resolve that if he couldn’t cut down the enemy, he would die.

However, by predicting the opponent’s movements and full power.
And blocking all defense and counterattacks.

In the end, an absolute slash that left him no choice but to be helplessly struck, severely cut Lim Kang-doo.

However, it didn’t feel like a definite cut.
It felt like hitting hard steel and bouncing off.

And in fact, Yu-shin’s Unique Name Slash could not cut Lim Kang-doo’s steel-like body.

“Indeed, the speed is incredibly fast.”

“…”

“However, this level of slash can be endured dozens of times without a flinch.”

By now, Lim Kang-doo was clad in full body armor.
Not a brightly shining armor.

An incredibly crude armor made of steel.
It was the longing he once held for heroes.

Although he had been hurt by hitting the wall of reality.
Nevertheless, his unwavering longing.

Was protecting Lim Kang-doo’s body right now.
It was more like a fortress.

開花
Bloom (Kaehwa)

起動要塞
Mobile Fortress (Gidongyosae)

“A hero is ultimately one who protects!
Then, I will not fall until I protect perfectly!”

If it was foolish, it was foolish, but such foolishness.
Yu-shin didn’t particularly dislike it.

In fact, even though he had become weaker.
Hadn’t he easily blocked the Unique Name Slash?

That meant, purely in terms of defense.
He must be at the top level of this academy.

“You said earlier you could withstand dozens of slashes?”

“…?!”

“In that case, shall we test it?”

Lim Kang-doo was horrified.
Just when he had defended the attack and was about to definitely counterattack.

This was because his opponent, who had clearly been one person, had instantly multiplied into four.

“Is it an illusion?”

“No.”

“Every single one of them has a real body.”

“What the f*ck is going on?
Wasn’t he a swordsman?”

While Kang-doo was horrified, Yu-shin was quickly checking the status of his clones.

Although his hardware was weakened, reducing the number of clones.
It still didn’t matter.

The technique that generates clones with power similar to his own, the beginning and end of all provocateurs.

Full Power

Fluid Clone Technique