Academy's Silver Gatekeeper

“Whew! Whew!”

Today, once again, Lee Hyunwoo’s routine was exactly the same as usual.

He woke up early in the morning and ran full speed to build his stamina without a single pause. Next, he grabbed his sword and practiced as a weapon-type superhuman, honing his fundamental skills.

After that, he headed to his theory lectures. They weren’t fun and had no emotional payoff, just pure, boring drudgery. Even so, Lee Hyunwoo kept his eyes wide open, focusing intently on each lecture.

“You’ll regret it if you ignore the theory classes, Lee Hyunwoo.”

He’d once complained at length about how pointless the theory lectures felt. In response, Examiner Baek Seojin shook his head and warned him to keep at it.

“They might seem useless now, but a day will come when you need them. ‘How can I be sure?’ Because that’s just how the world is. Anything you learn, you’ll eventually need. And the stuff you skip because ‘I’ll never use it’ inevitably comes back to bite you.”

It was advice from none other than Examiner Baek Seojin. He must have had his reasons—he definitely knew something. Convinced of that, Lee Hyunwoo nodded and poured extra energy into the lectures.

And then, after the torment of those classes ended, came the moment Lee Hyunwoo most looked forward to:

the chance to take his Silver-rank evaluation under Examiner Baek Seojin.

‘Lately, that’s the most fun part of my day.’

Some might say, “What’s so fun about failing to advance?” But Lee Hyunwoo didn’t see it like that.

It wasn’t a win-or-lose spar, nor was it a life-or-death battle.

He got to test out all his effort, newly devised strategies, and refined tactics. And his opponent, Examiner Baek Seojin, had the skill to handle everything Lee Hyunwoo could bring. A chance to go all out against someone so strong was almost impossible to come by.

‘Usually, real pros head for bigger stages right away, making it nearly impossible to meet them.’

Maybe that’s what Headmaster Ma Hakjun had in mind: finding someone capable of fully handling the students’ challenges, no matter how hard they pushed.

The Academy’s professors were already swamped with lectures, and Professor Han Jiyoon had to fill the role of the Academy’s sword as well.

Which meant Examiner Baek Seojin was the perfect solution. He himself wanted that role, and it was literally his job to oversee these tests.

“Grrgh!”

“You did well, Lee Hyunwoo.”

“Haha… Thank you, Examiner.”

Again, Lee Hyunwoo, that Bronze rank, ended up getting knocked down by Baek Seojin. He grinned and got to his feet.

He thought he’d done fairly well, but in the end, he’d run out of steam. Regrettable, but that was it for today—and that was fine. There was always tomorrow. If he trained more today, worked harder overnight, he could come back for another try tomorrow.

‘That just means I’m still not training enough! I need to work harder!’

So he’d rinse and repeat his morning routine once more: training, training, and more training—longer and more intense than the day before.

Sometimes it was grueling, enough to make him question what he was doing with his life. But all those doubts vanished whenever he closed his eyes and pictured the future version of himself. That was enough to chase away any hesitation.

On top of that, he wasn’t alone in this anymore.

“Haah! Hyaat!”

“Huff, huff!”

Ever since the launch of the “Special Evaluations,” more people had been coming to the training halls.

Some were pouring sweat because they wanted to seize this golden opportunity. Others were trying to reclaim what they had lost. This was how it should be. Yes, this was what an Academy ought to look like.

Bronze students simply needed to reach Silver, and once they did, they often got complacent. Until recently, that was exactly how most Academy students behaved. It was only less common for the Gold tier and above.

Lee Hyunwoo couldn’t understand them at all.

If they could still grow stronger, and they had the means and the time to train, why settle? There’s no immediate crisis just because the Silver count is low. What if, later on, that “just enough for Silver” proved woefully insufficient?

‘In that sense, the Academy right now is a proper Academy!’

Everyone had a reason to grit their teeth and push themselves. Watching them fired up Lee Hyunwoo’s own competitive streak—he wouldn’t lose to them!—and so he threw himself into training with even more fervor.

It was the moment a wave of training fever swept through what had been a placid Academy.

… 

A blade, surging with killer intent, whistled right past me, close enough to brush my torso. It moved so fast that, for a split second, I almost froze and just stared.

‘…What was that?’

A cold sweat trickled down my spine.

If I’d been even a tiny bit slower, what would’ve happened then?

The mere thought made me shudder.

‘Sure enough, I can’t rely on my Gatekeeper Trait and let my guard down.’

That Trait doesn’t make me invincible—it just raises my chances. Up to now, I’ve managed because my opponents have been within my capacity.

If an Elder, like last time, shows up again, then trait or not, I’m done. Back then, I survived only because Ma Hakjun intervened. There’s no guarantee he’d be around for a second time.

Which means if that happens again, forget Gatekeeping—I’ll be meeting the Grim Reaper.

“Hah… hah…”

Kim Suhyeon gasped harshly, staggering to her feet. Unlike before, she didn’t stand there apologizing, all flustered. She didn’t even seem aware of what she’d just pulled off.

“Judging you to be in no shape to continue, I’ll end the evaluation here, Kim Suhyeon.”

“Th… thank you for your time….”

As soon as I said that, she sank back to the floor.

I’d kept her going even after she began wobbling from exhaustion, pushing her right to the edge. Once you experience that boundary enough times, you’ll eventually break through. If anyone can do it, she can.

‘And that moment just now? It was actually really dangerous.’

Her stamina was completely spent, and she lost her balance momentarily. I leapt in to exploit that opening, but she suddenly swung her sword. She wasn’t reacting to my position in her field of vision—she couldn’t even see me. Her body just moved on its own at the crucial moment.

She really was built differently from the average student.

She still hasn’t fully awakened, but she’s overflowing with talent. That clan bloodline didn’t lie. People weren’t joking when they said her lineage ran strong.

After all, that’s probably why her Trait included the word “genius.” Of all the students I’ve met, only Lee Hyunwoo and Kim Suhyeon have “genius” in their details.

◎ No Pain, No Gain

Trait activated

Target – Kim Suhyeon

Stack 3

Three stacks. Not enough. Still a long way to go. Lee Hyunwoo’s nearing double digits because he’s shown up every single day without fail. Meanwhile, Kim Suhyeon couldn’t handle daily challenges due to her chronic stamina issues.

I’d like to push her even more, but it’s too soon for that. Right now, what she needs isn’t pressure but confidence-boosting support.

“Suhyeon.”

“Yes, Examiner?”

“I mean it: you’re seriously impressive.”

As soon as I said that, I realized how weird it sounded—like an empty compliment with no substance.

Maybe she felt the same, because she shook her head as if to say, “That can’t be true.”

“No, Suhyeon. I’m not just saying it.”

“It’s alright, Examiner. You don’t have to… I’m really okay.”

Seriously, I’m telling the truth here. Feels kind of unfair that she won’t believe me.

She clearly still lacks confidence in herself. From my perspective, she’s more than good enough to believe in her own skills. Why does she sell herself short…?

Oh. Right. She’s from the family of Kang Minseong on her mother’s side, isn’t she?

Well, that explains it. No wonder she’s forever comparing herself to that clan of overachievers. Kang Minseong’s not the only remarkable one—his children are all strong superhumans, and his grandchildren, too. I remember seeing something in the news a while ago.

But that only applies if you measure yourself against those monstrous relatives. From the Academy’s perspective, they’d scold her for fussing over a “mere 92 points” in front of a bunch of 50-point stragglers.

“Sure, your stamina issues keep holding you back—definitely something you need to fix. But as a weapon-type, your skills are so sharp it’s almost scary. You may not remember, but you nearly counterattacked me just by reflex when I closed in.”

“I… did?”

She had no idea, so I nodded, and she murmured some vague noise while fiddling with her fingers. She looked anxious getting praised for something she didn’t even realize she’d done.

“You’re not untalented. You’re not weaker than anyone else. Everyone’s basically the same. The difference is whether you have enough faith in yourself to think, decide, and act. That’s it.”

We all know how, in the original storyline, she only gained that unwavering drive after she was brainwashed, turning her into the Crimson Witch. She overcame her hesitancy, and that synergy turned her into an immensely powerful villain.

That headache gave even the cheat-level protagonist, Lee Hyunwoo, a tough time.

“You’re doing great, Suhyeon.”

Just that bit of encouragement made her face go bright red.

She’s pure as can be—definitely doesn’t need some twisted brainwashing. If she awakens this potential naturally, she’d be one of the best allies any superhuman could ask for.

‘She’s not uncontrollable like that psycho Irina, either.’

…Though, honestly, I can’t say I have zero worries. I haven’t forgotten those red eyes and how she briefly discarded her reason. But I think we can handle it.

“Ah.”

Right then, I spotted the illustrious ex-Gold, the source of that trigger, passing in the distance.

“Jung Yuhyeon! You’re not taking an evaluation?”

He’s been strangely quiet, so I decided to toss out a little taunt. With his arrogant attitude, he’d never just let that go… right?

But…

‘What the heck’s with that guy?’

The moment he saw me, he flinched like I was a ghost and ran away.

Yuyu: Of course, he's scared of Irina. 🙄

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