05:30 AM, Training Ground for Class 5.
I stood firm, even though my entire body screamed in pain.
"I overdid it yesterday… Whew, my whole body aches."
It wasn't something a 13-year-old should be saying, but my entire body throbbed.
Thanks to the infirmary's treatment and healing techniques, I had felt refreshed until last night. But as soon as I woke up, aches spread through my body.
Especially my jaw, which had taken multiple hits, and the muscles in my thighs and arms, which I had overused, were the worst.
Still, since I was continuously using healing techniques, I figured I'd be back in top condition by the end of the day.
"..."
When I arrived at the training ground, I saw some cadets who had arrived earlier.
"He's here."
"You're early."
I could feel their gazes turning toward me.
They were sneaking glances, as if they wanted to say something.
"Well, that's a relief."
There were still those who showed hostility or discomfort, but at least no one was avoiding me or turning away.
If they had all cowered like they did yesterday, there really would have been no hope.
Even if just a little, something had changed.
"Y-Young Master, you're here."
Just then, one of the cadets, Kim Han, hesitated before stepping forward.
I gave him a slight smile and nodded.
"You're here early."
At my casual greeting, Kim Han's face brightened.
"…I was worried that I showed you nothing but my shortcomings yesterday."
"We're still cadets. It's only natural to have shortcomings."
Kim Han opened and closed his mouth a few times, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Then, as if he had made up his mind, he spoke.
"Young Master, if it's not too much to ask, may I ask you something?"
"Go ahead, ask freely."
"I was really inspired by what you showed yesterday. Your words…"
"Skip the flattery and get to the point."
Kim Han took a deep breath and straightened his posture before asking,
"What should I do? Can I… become like you?"
There was a certain intensity in his eyes.
Seeing that, I smiled again.
"That's more like it."
At this point, I couldn't help but wonder why I had no recollection of this kid.
"If it's that kind of request, I'm always welcome to it. But teaching? I'm not at the level where I can teach anyone yet."
"I understand the importance of fighting. But I don't know what I should do right now to become someone useful."
I recalled how Kim Han had fought yesterday.
He had appeared near the end, when his stamina was already depleted, so I had subdued him quickly with an unpredictable attack.
"Your eyes are sharp. Or maybe your intuition is good."
"Huh?"
"Yesterday, you dodged my feints three times in a row. How did you do it?"
"Ah… As expected, you noticed. My eyesight is a bit sharp. When you threw fake attacks, I saw your strength momentarily weaken."
I was surprised again.
Being able to distinguish between real and fake attacks was something everyone should aim for, but it wasn't easy.
"Then hone that skill. Rather than brute strength, technique suits you better. If you dedicate yourself to sharpening what you already have, you'll be different one day."
"Hmm…."
Kim Han fell into deep thought.
By then, the assembly time was approaching. The dimly lit training ground was slowly brightening.
"…Good morning."
Then, with the brightening sky behind him, Choi In-ha appeared.
His fingers were in a cast. His pale complexion suggested he had internal injuries as well.
"You look terrible."
"Yeah."
"In that state, you won't be able to train."
At my words, Choi In-ha gave a bitter smile.
"If I took a break, would you have understood? You would've just called me pathetic while preaching about fighting, wouldn't you?"
His tone was rather rebellious.
The cadets who knew him looked at him uneasily.
"So?"
"I just came because I don't want to hear that anymore."
With that, Choi In-ha stumbled toward one side of the training ground.
The cadets greeted him brightly, but he only gave a silent nod with a blank expression.
"You've Changed."
Boys in the midst of adolescence are easily provoked and easily changed.
In my past life, Choi In-ha was an unremarkable nobody. A good person, but that was all.
However, if this change continued, things might be different this time.
Starting with Choi In-ha, the cadets slowly approached the training ground, their gazes fixed on me.
Some had eyes burning with determination, some were filled with hostility, and others showed only confusion.
At exactly 6 AM, Lee Jung-ho appeared on the podium.
The scattered cadets quickly formed orderly rows.
"Four on medical leave, five absent without notice. That leaves 11 in attendance. I'll skip the report today. From now on, the class leader will handle it."
At his words, the cadets subtly glanced in my direction.
Lee Jung-ho scanned the group and let out a shallow sigh.
"They all look exhausted."
For so many cadets to be on medical leave on the very first day of the academy… And while they weren't as bad as Choi In-ha, quite a few showed up injured.
"And the atmosphere… It's changed. One predator was enough to put these once-complacent kids on edge."
Every cadet's focus was locked onto a single person—the youngest illegitimate son standing in the back with an indifferent expression.
It was like throwing a catfish into a tank full of sardines; the moment a predator appeared, the others scrambled for survival.
"Originally, today's schedule was for basic assessments, but given your condition—"
Lee Jung-ho suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
He recalled his sleepless night after being reprimanded by Lee Cheol.
"Do it properly."
With a firm expression, he spoke again.
"Correction. We will begin the basic assessment immediately."
A murmur spread through the training ground.
One cadet quickly raised his hand and shouted,
"Instructor! Due to the sparring match the Young Master led yesterday, many of us are injured and unfit for assessment! There are even cadets on medical leave!"
Lee Jung-ho turned to the cadet with a cold gaze.
"And? That sparring match was something you voluntarily participated in to elect a class leader. You must take responsibility for that choice."
"B-But there are so many injuries, and everyone's condition is—"
"If you're just going to whine, leave. No one is stopping you."
"E-Excuse me? I was just… Why are you acting like this all of a sudden, Instructor Lee…?"
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in the instructor's demeanor, the cadet's voice trembled.
"It seems I've been coddling you cadets too much. From now on, I will properly fulfill my duty as your instructor. You should all keep that in mind."
Another wave of murmurs rippled through the training ground.
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
But this transitional phase wouldn't last long. I would make sure of that. And those who had already changed would lead the way.
"We will begin the basic assessment now."
With Lee Jung-ho's declaration, the first official task of the cadet academy commenced.
***
The assessment had four categories:
Magic, Physical Strength, Martial Arts, and General Knowledge.
I ranked 1st grade in all categories.
"…This is worse than I thought."
As expected, the cadets of Class 5—the so-called trash class—barely managed to rank 4th or 5th grade at best, with most averaging around 6th or 7th grade.
Of course, yesterday's battle had probably affected their performance. Their real abilities were likely one or two ranks higher than what was recorded today.
"Assessment complete. From now on, training will be conducted under the class leader's supervision. Assemble again tomorrow at 6 AM. That is all."
The assessment ended at 4 PM.
Although it was called a "basic" assessment, it had pushed everyone to their limits in a grueling, combat-oriented test.
Excluding meal and break times, the evaluation had gone on for nearly ten hours. Even I felt a hint of exhaustion.
Leaving the panting cadets behind, I stepped onto the podium.
"I don't think introductions are necessary. I'm Lee Cheol, your class leader."
Clap. Clap…
A few cadets, including Kim Han, started to applaud, but upon noticing the others' reactions, they hesitated and stopped.
"You all heard what Choi In-ha said yesterday. The class leader holds full authority over everything except the instructor's orders."
The cadets flinched.
"I will train you mercilessly. If you want to follow, then follow. I have no intention of dragging along those who don't."
"What the hell is he saying?"
"…What an arrogant bastard."
Grumbling voices filled the air. They were saying it loudly on purpose, making sure I could hear.
I didn't bother responding.
"If you don't like me, feel free to challenge me anytime. If you land even a single clean hit, I'll give up the class leader position. But be prepared. This time, there won't be any pathetic restrictions like 'no magic allowed'."
The cadets remained silent.
Amidst the heavy stillness, a quiet voice broke through.
"If we follow your training… will we become stronger?"
It was Choi In-ha.
"No."
I shook my head firmly.
"You still don't get it, do you? Whether you become strong or not… That's up to you. It's not something you should be asking me."
The Cadet Academy is a place that teaches many things.
And within those lessons, what each person takes away and how strong they become is entirely up to them.
"No need for long words—just get started."
I opened my mouth.
"Fight the person next to you."
***
A sudden sparring session began.
I gave no explanation.
I didn't even clarify whether they could use magic or not.
Just fight.
That was the only command I gave.
"Huff, huff—"
"Damn it. Why the hell are we doing this…?"
Everyone was already in terrible condition from yesterday's events, and they had exhausted much of their magic and stamina from the basic assessments.
Few were able to maintain proper sparring form.
"Huff, huff—"
"If you're finished, pair up diagonally and keep sparring. Don't stop. This will continue."
The beginning of an endless sparring session.
Thirty minutes passed.
The first dropouts appeared.
"I quit! I can't do this! I lost! I said I lost!"
"I'm at my limit! I can't go on!"
And then, a few more cadets collapsed.
Now, it had been 45 minutes.
Only eight remained.
Choi In-ha swung his sword with bloodshot eyes.
One hour.
The sparring gradually turned into a chaotic brawl, with people collapsing and losing consciousness.
One hour and thirty-five minutes.
Six were left standing.
They continued to spar indiscriminately against one another.
At some point, Choi In-ha, seemingly suffering from internal injuries, coughed up blood. But he didn't stop.
"..."
The cadets who had given up stood watching, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
No, they all knew exactly what they were feeling.
It was defeat.
"Aaaargh!"
Choi In-ha screamed as he instinctively blocked an attack with his right hand, which was still in a cast.
Even as tears streamed down his face, he refused to let go of his sword.
One hour and forty-five minutes… two hours.
They had long surpassed their limits.
Those still standing could barely move their arms anymore—it wasn't even a real fight at this point.
'This is enough.'
I knew excessive training wasn't good.
But for this Class 5, this kind of external pressure was necessary.
Today, this would be enough.
I lowered my sword.
"That's enough. We're done for today."
Even I was breathing heavily. At my words, the six who had remained standing collapsed onto the ground.
"We endured to the end. It's not like we… huff… didn't fight… huff!"
His name was Im Young-ha, if I remembered correctly.
A well-built boy who had openly resisted me during our second sparring session yesterday. He glared at me with fierce eyes.
"So what?"
"I just have one question."
"Ask."
"If we change… if we embrace this so-called struggle… can we actually achieve something?"
"At the very least, you'll be standing at the starting line."
Silence fell over everyone.
I glanced at the cadets who had been watching the sparring.
As our eyes met, they flinched or looked away uncomfortably.
"That's all for today. Dismissed. You all did well."
With that, I left the training grounds.
A heavy silence lingered in the training grounds.
"You all worked hard."
"You must be exhausted."
The cadets who had dropped out earlier hurried over and began collecting the equipment of those who had fought to the end.
"..."
The ones who had sparred until they passed out, and those who had lasted until the end, gave no response.
Feeling awkward, some of the other cadets forced a laugh and spoke again.
"What a pain, all because of that bastard."
"Seriously. This is ridiculous."
Class 5 of the Cadet Academy wasn't like this last year.
Back then, led by Choi In-ha, the class had a warm, supportive atmosphere.
"…I really don't like that bastard. What's the point of all this?"
"Outdated ideals. We should be sticking to a structured training schedule, not this nonsense. I'm not following his lead."
"Enough."
It was Kim Han.
His eyes trembled as he spoke.
"I… I feel frustrated. Even though the Young Master was exhausted, I couldn't land a single hit on him."
The cadets who had been badmouthing Lee Cheol fell silent.
An awkward, uncomfortable air settled over them.
One cadet, unwilling to accept reality, spoke up.
"Y-yeah. That's right. In-ha, what do you think? I can't stand that bastard. At this rate, I might just quit the academy. Things were good last year. You should just—"
Choi In-ha, who had been staring blankly at the ground, suddenly let out a chuckle.
"You liked it so much you got held back."
"…What?"
"If you hate it that much, then leave. I'm not going anywhere."
Choi In-ha coldly slapped away the hand of a cadet who had tried to support him, his eyes gleaming sharply.
"If I don't change now… I really will end up living like a worthless failure. Even if my limbs get broken, I want to try. I really, really do…"
He gritted his teeth.
"How is this going to help?! This is the 21st century! What's the point of endless sparring? There are more efficient ways—"
"I know. I know this is crazy. But… following that so-called efficiency never got me anywhere."
Choi In-ha gave a bitter smile and continued.
"I'm not the descendant of some successful branch family or the child of a powerful retainer. I'm just an orphan from an institution. Maybe efficiency is a luxury only for those born with privilege."
Despite the benefits given to orphans of fallen warriors, life as an orphan was always the same.
Clenching his teeth, Choi In-ha spoke again.
"You all know the truth, don't you? That kid—the Young Master—no, our leader, is trying to teach us something."
"..."
The cadets' eyes wavered.
"I've decided to embrace the struggle. I don't want to be someone my parents would be ashamed of. No, I don't want to be ashamed of myself. I feel like this is my last chance."
Silence.
They all knew it.
They just didn't want to acknowledge this uncomfortable change.
Both the cadets who had been held back and the new recruits.
If they had truly felt nothing after watching Lee Cheol over the past two days, they wouldn't have made it into the academy in the first place.
"So wake up. Stop resisting. Stop pretending you don't understand. Instead of wasting time, I'm going to get stronger. I've abandoned the thought of just barely scraping by. I now understand that this is what it takes just to reach the starting line."
This was Sungmuiga.
A place where strength was the highest virtue.
Where struggle was ingrained into their very bones.
The weak were eliminated. The strong took everything.
Trying to live here half-heartedly was nothing more than a fantasy.
Here, whether child or adult, those who did not fight could not survive.
Choi In-ha staggered to his feet.
His steps were unsteady, his body on the verge of collapse.
But he did not look weak.
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