Chapter 23. First Day at the Royal High Academy

***

The morning sunlight warmly illuminates the interior.

…It wasn’t just a figure of speech; Han Chunsung woke up due to the genuinely hot sunlight.

“……”

As he raised his upper body, his entire body felt stiff.

It felt like heavy sandbags were attached all over his body.

While brushing down his messy hair, he first stretched widely.

Crack, pop!

The numerous bone sounds that rang out at once involuntarily made him frown.

‘It hurts like hell.’

As if his entire body was bruised, muscle pain was felt with every small movement.

“Will I die if I have two more duels?”

While making a joke-like remark, he newly checked his condition.

He thought he had gotten used to muscle pain after two months of intense training. But whether it was the aftermath of yesterday’s duel that hadn’t disappeared, the muscle pain he felt now was a completely new kind of pain.

It was as if he was experimenting with his own body to see how much more it could hurt.

Still, he soon found himself smiling.

It wasn’t a morning faced in a shabby inn, but rather a morning faced in a fairly clean dormitory, and the feeling wasn’t bad at all.

“I’m really glad it’s a private room.”

From C-class onwards, students are given private rooms in the dormitory. D-class students share rooms in pairs in a different dormitory building. For someone like him who prefers to be alone, this was the most satisfying aspect right now.

While stretching to wake himself up, he gently gazed into the air.

*
ㅡㅡㅡㅡ
Name: Han Chunsung
Gender: Male (20)
Title: None
Height · Weight: 178cm 67kg
Current Continental Influence: 172

*Talent Profile.
[Strength 12]
[Agility 21]
[Health 19]
[Mana 10]
[Luck 5]

*Possessed Talent [1]
[Spearmanship Lv.4]

*Skills [0]
ㅡㅡㅡㅡ
*

“Wow….”

An exclamation of admiration escaped involuntarily.

A sense of fulfillment welling up deep in his heart.

The numbers visible on the clearly rippling status window had completely changed. Except for luck, which was a fixed ability score, all other ability scores had entered double digits.

Especially the fact that the mana score had increased from 2 to 10 was really satisfying to him.

“…I was worried about how little my mana might increase, but thankfully it didn’t.”

Feeling once again how important it was for a Talent to level up, his gaze absently went to the “Spearmanship Lv.4”.

He thought it would take at least half a year to reach level 4, even at the most conservative estimate.

But that… he achieved in just one day.

Even now, he couldn’t believe that he had grown at such an unbelievable rate.

It felt like he had obtained what is commonly referred to as a fortuitous encounter in martial arts novels, something only the protagonist could experience.

“That’s right. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a true fortuitous encounter.”

For someone like me who has no special privileges or cheats, and even the Talent I was given is common, the evolution of a Talent level is like the most valuable thing one can obtain in this world.

Of course, there are some special items that can be obtained during practical training, but for me right now, that was like a dream.

…

After waking up, I washed in the attached bathroom of the private room and changed into my student uniform. Even as I habitually slung the iron spear on my back, a faint smile lingered on my lips.

Click.

When I left the private room, it was just past 8 AM.

Even the fact that classes start at 9 AM sharp, fitting for the novel’s world setting, pleased me now.

Thud.
Thud.

As I descended the multi-story dormitory, I saw various students.

Students leaving their rooms one by one, heading towards the academy.

The C-class student uniforms were impressive.
Since this was the dormitory wing for C1 to C5, everyone seemed full of determination on this first day.

‘Come to think of it, this is different from D-class too.’

On the day the entrance exam results came out, I hoped for B-class, but part of me also wondered if I might be assigned to D-class.

If I had assumed the worst, I would have been in D-class.

And D-class students had a completely different level of determination. While some students burned with enthusiasm like the current C-class students, happy to have passed, nearly half of the remaining students didn’t show as much motivation.

Most of them have common Talents, so they strongly feel that it will be difficult for them to advance to higher classes.

In the worst-case scenario, I might have had to leave the dormitory among them.

Spearmanship was that much of a taboo Talent in this world.

‘It’s strange when you think about it.’

After reaching Spearmanship level 4, I wondered why Spearmanship is so undervalued in this world.

Although its grade is common, from my direct experience of Spearmanship, there was something beyond its grade.

The more I handled the spear, the more superior it felt. To me, it clearly felt like an extremely strong Talent.

Moreover, just looking at yesterday’s fierce battle with Leonhardt, Spearmanship was certainly not a bad Talent.

It led to a duel result that would have been absolutely impossible without the spear.

But why is the sword, which is in the same close-range category, well-regarded, while Spearmanship, which can defeat the sword, is so undervalued?

…As I headed towards the academy lost in thought, I could easily realize the answer.

Thud.

Blinking my eyes, a bitter laugh escaped.

‘Spearmanship doesn’t have a Talent that could be called an upper version, huh.’

The reason was really simple.

ㅡThere is no Spearmanship Talent with a higher grade than common Spearmanship.

In this world called “RHA,” strangely, there was no upper version Talent for Spearmanship.

Even looking at the common Talent ‘Swordsmanship’, it’s known that there are dozens, hundreds of Talents that could be called its upper versions.

Even with the same Swordsmanship, it’s said to be different for each person who receives the Talent.

A simple example is the Legendary Talent ‘Sky-Splitting Blade’ that Leonhardt possesses.

A sword that holds the blue sky. A swordsmanship with an absurd image that can truly capture even the sky in the sword at its end when the Talent level rises in the distant future.

But Spearmanship…

“It’s strange. Why isn’t there any for Spearmanship?”

The more I thought about it, the more intense disappointment I felt.

If there was a higher-grade Spearmanship, I could have aimed for that to further develop my Spearmanship.

After all, it would mean there’s a guide or pioneer for me to follow.

Lost in such thoughts, I walked for some time.

I was able to enter the academy.

ㅡRoyal High Academy.

As the largest facility, the sophisticated exterior I saw as I entered, despite having seen it yesterday, felt new.

‘Is it because things are going well, everything looks different.’

I could really see everything positively.

[C1 Class]

Upon reaching the classroom where I would stay for half a year, the door was open.

“…”

Taking a calm deep breath before entering, I stepped into the classroom confidently.

Thud.

“Oh?”
“He’s here!”
“Isn’t that Han Chunsung?”

Immediately, strange voices were heard. As soon as I entered the classroom, I could feel gazes on me blatantly.

And even with those gazes, I wasn’t greatly flustered.

The result of yesterday’s duel. I had expected that its aftermath could certainly spread within the academy.

Receiving various gazes, I looked around calmly.

‘He should definitely be here.’

As I looked for David, who should be in the classroom, I soon found him.

David, who was looking at me with a light smile.

“Hey~ Han Chunsung.”

As he called out to me, I naturally headed towards David. And I sat down in the empty seat next to him.

“David. I’m really sorry about yesterday.”

“No, it’s fine. What are you sorry for? When an A-class student came looking for you, how could I have held you back? Anyway, tell me. What exactly happened? What’s this about a duel with Leonhardt, this year’s top student… Honestly, even after hearing various things, I still don’t understand.”

As soon as I sat down, David asked with eyes full of curiosity. Wondering how to answer, I decided to just respond simply.

With rumors already spread, it would be ridiculous to make up excuses or act humble.

“Just… somehow I ended up competing with Leonhardt. And the result wasn’t bad. Everything ended well. David, by the way, has the rumor about yesterday’s duel spread that much?”

“Much more than you think. Yesterday, a classmate saw you disappearing with the A-class students. Moreover, it’s said that there’s already quite a lot of talk among the instructors about the duel result?”

“Among the instructors?”

“Before you came, several instructors dropped by our classroom. Just to see you.”

As David said with a slight smile, I momentarily paused.

‘Am I that big of a deal?’

I certainly thought the aftermath of yesterday’s duel would be significant.

So I had expected the interest from classmates in the same classroom, but it was unexpected that even several instructors had dropped by this classroom just to see me.

That was originally attention that should be directed at Leonhardt.

Top of the entrance exam. Legendary Talent. Even besides that, instructors naturally show a lot of interest in Leonhardt, about whom various rumors circulate.

That wouldn’t be different even now after yesterday’s duel… But that attention that should only be poured on the protagonist.

Now it’s also directed at me. It felt somewhat surreal.

Honestly, after reaching Talent level 4, I certainly had confidence. Confidence to remain calm under various attention, and to consider that attention as natural.

‘It’s certainly true that I’m strong.’

But that wasn’t the case for everyone.

Students’ Talents vary greatly, and there are actually countless Talents against which I have an unfavorable match-up.

It meant that there might even be cases where I could lose to a fellow C-class student.

“Han Chunsung. Even yesterday, I expected you to be strong based on what you said. But to think you’d be able to compete with Leonhardt to this extent.”

“Saying ‘compete’ makes it sound really grand…”

“No, is yesterday’s duel true? Then you’re already not at C-class level, right? By the way, the examiners who saw you during the entrance exam must have had their eyes crossed. To assign someone like you to C-class.”

As David sincerely praised me, I could only smile awkwardly.

“When you say it like that… It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Just as I was chatting about various things with David.

Tap.

Suddenly, a completely different footstep sound was heard.

As I turned my head, I could see a woman entering the classroom.

Red hair like a blazing flame.
A face made even more beautiful by a faint smile.
Above all, the black-series formal wear unique to academy instructors, not a student uniform, caught my eye.

“Is it because it’s the first day? Everyone seems so full of determination?”

Following the confidently ringing, charming voice… I could only stare blankly.

‘Why…?’

Why is that woman in the C-class classroom?

It was a truly unexpected situation.

ㅡKali Ishtar.

An instructor with a Unique Talent said to be close to Legendary despite its grade.
Originally known as the Blood Dawn.
And also an examiner who had left quite a good impression during the entrance exam.

And now, she.
Had entered the C-class classroom.