Chapter 9

EP.9 Academy Monster Hunt (1)

In the world of Holders, rank is equivalent to power.

The higher the rank, the more authority one can obtain from their affiliated group and the nation, and the more clans that will seek to recruit such a Holder.

Therefore, the highest rank boasts unparalleled power.

S-Rank Holders.

The strongest Holders, of which there are only five in South Korea.

Most of them own their own clans and can join any clan they wish.

Everyone tries to court them.

Not only in the realm of clans, but also in the realm of daily life.

S-Rank Holders can achieve almost anything they desire within South Korea.

This is because each of the few S-Rank Holders in the world is a force that can influence national power.

"Hmm…"

A man with the power of an S-Rank Holder.

Kang Woo-hyun quietly read the newspaper.

"Kang Woo-hyun's daughter, Kang Joo-yeon, enters Seoul Holder Academy as the top student with outstanding scores."

A familiar face appeared in the newspaper.

"Hmm."

Kang Woo-hyun, after checking to make sure no one was watching, smiled broadly and continued reading.

"Of course, she's my daughter."

As everyone expected.

Kang Joo-yeon secured the top position at the Academy without any variables.

Her main rune is [Unextinguishable Flame].

A mage-type epic rune similar to the [Blazing Greatsword's Legacy], which made Kang Woo-hyun an S-Rank Holder.

He was incredibly proud that his daughter, who inherited his affinity for 'fire' runes, had risen to the top of the Academy through this rune.

...Kang Woo-hyun was a dad who was completely smitten with his daughter.

"Did you call me?"

Kang Joo-yeon entered the office.

With her distinct facial features and black hair tinged with the aura of fire, she had a beauty that could turn heads.

She inherited her father Kang Woo-hyun's abilities and her mother's beauty.

"Oh. You're here, Joo-yeon."

"Is there something you need?"

"You've been promoted to B-Rank, haven't you? Congratulations, my daughter. I always believed in you. Haha."

The reason Kang Joo-yeon secured the top position at the Academy with such overwhelming performance.

Her Holder rank, which was hard to believe for a freshman, was B-Rank.

B-Rank is a level of excellence that would allow her to receive considerable high-level treatment in any clan in the country.

The average ranks for the upper, middle, and lower classes of the Academy's first-year students are C, D, E, and F, respectively. Among the first-year students who entered this time, only Kang Joo-yeon achieved B-Rank.

"...Of course. I need to aim higher."

However, Kang Joo-yeon was not satisfied with B-Rank.

The clan <Judgment of Fire>, led by Kang Woo-hyun, is one of the largest and most prestigious clans in the country.

B-Rank Holders in the clan were abundant, and, as a large clan, it also had many A-Rank Holders.

Kang Joo-yeon believed that to become the successor of <Judgment of Fire> after her father, she needed to strive harder and achieve a higher rank to gain everyone's recognition.

"Is that so? Of course, my daughter! Haha!"

Kang Woo-hyun laughed awkwardly.

Although she was his daughter, Kang Joo-yeon had a slightly stiff demeanor, unlike his own outgoing personality.

...Perhaps she took after her mother.

"Ah. Do you remember what I told you? To look for promising new talents among the freshmen."

On the day of the entrance exam, he had told her to observe the final test, the 'practical combat,' and see if there were any candidates worth recruiting into the clan.

...Actually, it wasn't a big deal.

A clan of <Judgment of Fire>'s caliber operates a dedicated scouting team to recruit new members and, even if they receive resources, they hold large-scale entry tests to evaluate their abilities.

There was no need to try to recruit promising talents from mere Academy freshmen.

This was a recruitment strategy typically employed by smaller clans.

'But it's not entirely useless.'

Ultimately, the final approval for recruitment lies with the clan master.

Kang Woo-hyun wanted to help his daughter, who would lead the clan in the future, develop the ability to identify talent.

By observing the practical combat of her peers and finding promising Holders, he believed it would be beneficial when she had to finalize recruitments as the clan master in the future.

However, Kang Joo-yeon's expression was peculiar.

"...There is one."

"Oh, really? Tell me who it is. I heard this batch has many capable talents, and it seems my daughter has found someone impressive. Haha."

"It's not that. Just, just a bit..."

A man came to mind for Kang Joo-yeon.

His skills, runes, and abilities were all ordinary.

But in that examination hall, he fought with more desperation and determination than anyone else.

He didn't hesitate to use dishonorable tactics to win.

And after the battle...

He sat down and rested as if nothing had happened, calmly and composed, doing his job.

Kang Joo-yeon couldn't help but be drawn to his unique fighting style and attitude as a Holder, which were completely different from what she had learned and seen throughout her life.

"...Just a bit strange."

She found out which common classes he was taking and...

deliberately applied to a lower-level class.

It was purely out of curiosity.

* * *

[Accurate Throwing, Smooth Dagger Techniques, Stealthy Assassination. Your skill with daggers becomes sharper.]

[Your rune has leveled up.]

[You gain 1 Speed due to the rune's nature.]

[The aura of magic in the air envelops your body, allowing you to control magic.]

[You have obtained a new rune.]

[You gain 1 Magic due to the rune's nature.]

"Growth never stops~"

My mouth couldn't stop smiling at the relentless growth of my runes.

Receiving lessons from professors at the Academy brought about an effect far beyond what I had expected.

Not just haphazard training, but systematic education.

And [Sweat of the Seeker], which absorbs knowledge like a sponge, accelerating the growth of my runes.

The synergy between the professors' teachings and this rune was beyond my imagination.

Especially Professor Kim Myung-hyun's lessons were nothing short of amazing.

His sword techniques and teachings were smooth, fitting the description of 'elegant.'

Even I, who had only recently started using a sword, could quickly absorb his lessons, which were tailored to be more accessible.

The level of [Sword] I had learned late was on par with [Dagger], which showed the incredible quality of his teaching.

I checked my Holder information for the first time in a while.

<Holder Information>

◎Name: Joo-ae-hyun

◎Gender: Male (20)

◎Attributes

[Strength: 14] [Magic: 3]

[Speed: 13] [Spirit: 12]

[Endurance: 8] [Mind: 12]

◎Resistances

[Poison: 1]

◎Runes

[Rune Hunter Lv.Max] [Sweat of the Seeker Lv.Max]

[Dagger Lv.4] [Sword Lv.4] [Cooking Lv.3] [Fighting Lv.2]

[Charging Lv.2] [Blunt Weapons Lv.1] [Bow Lv.1] [Axe Lv.1]

[Spear Lv.1] [Magic Control Lv.1] [Shield Lv.0] [Poison Lv.0]

◎Skills

[Quarter Knife] (Dagger)

[Poison Claw] (Poison)

[Combo] (Sword)

◎Ultimate Skills

-

Just the first week after entering the Academy.

In just one week, my information window became much more diverse.

[Dagger] and [Sword] both reached level 4, and [Fighting] reached level 2 through consistent physical training.

Additionally, I obtained the [Magic Control] rune from the new class <Basics of Magic Control>.

This is a rune that Holders naturally gain as they become aware of and control magic, not one obtained through specific actions.

It was a different case from artificially obtaining runes like [Sword] or [Spear] through hidden pieces.

Not only my runes but also my main attributes, Strength and Speed, have grown evenly, and my Magic attribute has slightly increased since I started controlling magic.

"Seems like I have some competitiveness even in the middle class..."

While I continued to grow by clearing Out-Holders, the growth I've experienced since entering the Academy and receiving education is incomparable.

I feel like I'm growing much faster and higher as a student.

"Joo-ae-hyun!"

Then, a voice calling my name came from the lecture hall door.

It was Kim Chae-eun, dressed casually as usual.

"Are you here?"

"Yeah! Let's get ready for the next class quickly."

This semester, I have a total of six classes.

Four are specialized classes for my major, and two are common classes for my grade.

Among them, I take <History and Information of Monsters> with Kim Chae-eun.

It was perhaps natural, given that she had been singing since the opening ceremony.

However, what was unusual was that the upper-class students Kang Joo-yeon and Moon Ga-eun were also taking this class.

Originally, common classes could only be taken by students of the corresponding grade, but upper-class students could apply to take any class they wanted.

Kang Joo-yeon and Moon Ga-eun used this system to enroll in <History and Information of Monsters>.

No one knew the reason.

So everyone just speculated and gossiped.

Rumors like the professor being a hidden S-Rank Holder or a distant relative of Moon Ga-eun.

As Kim Chae-eun and I prepared for the next class, we packed up our things.

Then, at that moment.

"AAAAH!!"

"What the hell is this, damn it!!"

"Help me…!!"

From the lecture hall directly opposite ours, the screams of students, as if being torn apart, echoed.

"What's going on…"

Kim Chae-eun looked at me with a bewildered expression.

And I immediately realized.

The first important event in the original story line.

The appearance of a monster inside the Academy...

was happening right now.