Chapter 5: Qualification ②

A punch came flying.

A tiny fist, no bigger than a child’s. It looked so harmless that I could’ve just stuck my stomach out and laughed it off.

But once you take the hit, you know.

That’s no fist—it’s a hammer in disguise. A weapon.

I reflexively raised my guard.

“Urk!”

But the impact struck my side instead.

My body lifted off the ground for a brief moment, then crashed down and rolled across the dirt.

So that’s why the floor is dirt. For moments like this. If it had been concrete, my brittle bones would’ve never held up.

I staggered to my feet.

The girl casually retracted her leg from a spinning kick, cool as ever.

She raised her palm toward me.

[From now on, you’ll spar with Yuryeon every day. Starting now.]

[Right now? But I’ve only learned theory…]

[Don’t worry. I’ll limit Yuryeon’s mana output to match yours. You’ll be on even ground.]

[I’ve never thrown a punch in my life.]

[Yuryeon didn’t train in martial arts either. She picked it up through live combat. Stop complaining and begin.]

“As your senior, I’ll give you a life tip.”

“…What is it?”

Her voice dripped with amusement.

I could already tell it wouldn’t be a real tip, but curiosity got the better of me.

“Fire is hot when you touch it.”

A blooming smile spread across her face.

And in her open palm, flames suddenly burst to life.

“If you don’t wanna end up roasted, better block it well.”

“…Such helpful advice.”

I raised my hand in return.

Mana surged through my fingertips, blooming into darkness.

[The defining trait of darkness is ‘absorption.’ At a basic level, it can absorb elemental energy. Any talent with an elemental property will dissipate on contact with darkness. If you refine this ability to its peak, you could even erase a rival’s trump card in an instant.]

The fireball came hurtling toward me.

I met it with darkness, shielding myself.

The moment they touched—
The flames began to vanish, starting from the point of contact.

All my focus went into maintaining the darkness.

So I didn’t realize—

“Idiot.”

A mocking voice right next to my ear.

I turned my head in alarm, but it was too late. A sharp heel was already flying toward my temple.

…Can’t dodge that.

I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for pain—

Pop!

…Slowly, I cracked my eyes open.

A hand had intercepted the heel, blocking it inches from my skull.

Durek had stepped in.

“Haah…”

As soon as I registered what had happened, my strength gave out and I crumpled.

Cold sweat drenched me. My heart pounded like a war drum, as if trying to reward me for surviving.

“Master…?”

The girl’s voice trembled, laced with fear.

Then—

Smack!

She jolted back in shock.

A vivid red welt bloomed across Yuryeon’s cheek. Her amber eyes shook like an earthquake had struck.

She looked like she didn’t even understand what had just happened to her.

“Why did you go for a lethal blow?”

Durek’s voice was like an icicle.

Even I flinched—and he wasn’t talking to me.

He kept pressing her.

“Why did you disobey me?”

“Hik…”

Yuryeon trembled like a rabbit before a tiger.

Even I felt bad watching her.

Where did that fierce girl from earlier go?

“Power you can’t control is no better than what a wild beast has. It’s not valuable—it’s a threat.”

“I… I just…”

“Yuryeon. Don’t forget what happened with the Mad Light.”

Yuryeon shut her mouth, abandoning whatever excuse she was about to make.

At first, I thought Durek was being harsh, but now I understood where he was coming from.

Mad Light.

Former second-ranked villain in the Villain Association.
Leader of Nova Division, overseeing villain activity in Nova City.

He appears in the original work too. Once it was revealed that he was an unparalleled monster in the history of ability users, he was always a prime candidate for the final boss.

But his end was pitiful compared to the fearsome reputation he built.

His mania spiraled out of control, and he stormed the Hero Association headquarters alone, only to be taken down by Gwangmyeong Reminis, the Sword Demon, and other Nova heroes who had been lying in wait.

If he had continued his guerilla tactics and waited for the right moment, the history between heroes and villains might’ve turned out very differently.

“…I’m sorry.”

Yuryeon finally bowed her head. Tears dripped steadily from her eyes.

Durek watched coldly for a moment, then turned away.

“We’ll continue training tomorrow. Be here at 0700 sharp. Yuryeon, escort Iran to her quarters.”

With just that, Durek left.

Now it was just me and Yuryeon.

She was still sniffling. I didn’t want to comfort her and accidentally make things worse, so I stood silently, replaying the spar in my head.

Then Yuryeon suddenly snapped her red-rimmed eyes open.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Ranking third? That’s way beyond you. Our master always sets goals that are way out of reach.”

Why was she taking her anger out on me?

Well, whatever. Good chance to ask.

“Why do you hate me?”

Yuryeon’s lips curled into a crooked smirk.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“…What?”

“Because you’re weak.”

I was momentarily speechless.

But then I accepted it.

Yeah. That’s the kind of logic a villain would use.

This is what I need to learn, too—if I want to become a proper villain.

“In your city, even worthless trash gets to strut around, protected by society, right?”

Yuryeon kept going.

“…”

“You have no idea what it’s like to live without protection.”

Her words proved themselves true very quickly.

“Oh, a newbie. Say hi.”

The dorm supervisor left after saying that.

I tilted my head up to read the plaque.

[Unit 8 – Dormitory]

Then I turned back to face the room.

Ten bunk beds. Seventeen boys and girls already seated at their respective spots, all staring at me with sharp, assessing gazes.

Their eyes glimmered with a mix of wariness and curiosity.

I offered them a friendly smile.

“I’m Iran! Looking forward to being with you all for a while.”

Suddenly, every single head whipped around.

Their eyes sparkled, like they were waiting for someone’s reaction.

Naturally, I followed their gaze.

The girl by the window on the lower bunk.

She stared at me in silence.

She had a solid, athletic build—clearly not someone who slacked off on physical training, especially for a girl.

She must be the class rep, or maybe the squad leader.

Her eyes scanned me from head to toe, finally returning to my face.

Then she stared—intently. For a long time.

If stares could burn holes, my face would be full of them.

Eventually, her crimson lips curved into a smile.

“You’re pretty.”

“Thank you.”

“Your rank?”

Of course that’s the first thing she asks. All eyes turned to me again.

I hesitated for a moment. Should I lie?

But it’s not like it wouldn’t get found out instantly.

“I don’t have one yet.”

The ranking system goes up to 9999. A four-digit number at best.
When I answered, a flicker of disdain crossed the eyes of the others.

But the rep just looked pleased.

“Your talent?”

“…Dark attribute. I can create smoke.”

Durek had warned me not to reveal the full extent of my ability. He said it’d just draw unwanted attention from villains obsessed with ranks. Something like that.

The kids around me started murmuring.

“Dark? That’s a thing?”

“I heard some of the higher ranks have it.”

“Then it’s strong, right?”

“She’s unranked. Must be a useless combat talent.”

As if they’d reached a consensus, the kids turned their gazes back to me. Now they didn’t even try to hide their disdain.

“So, Iran? I’m the class rep of this unit. Ariel.”

Ariel?

The name felt weirdly mismatched.

As I was trying to figure out why, her expression turned cold.

“You just laughed, didn’t you?”

“…I didn’t.”

I just thought the name didn’t suit her.

“Hah. And here I was thinking I’d go easy on the newbie. What a mood killer.”

Her tone was oddly even, like she was reading lines from a script.

“Alright, everyone. This gutsy newbie—how should we teach her some manners?”

One by one, the kids threw out suggestions.

Some of them were so vile they made my ears burn just hearing them.

And then I understood.

Whether I laughed or not—it didn’t matter.

“Aww, thanks for the input, guys. Once the protection period ends, we’ll definitely try a few of those. But for now… come here.”

Right now, I was the weak one.
That alone made me guilty. That alone made me fair game.

I wondered what her rank was.

Definitely higher than mine, anyway…

Well, no helping it.

I accepted the reality cleanly and quietly.

When I stepped closer, a rough hand grabbed my face.
She stroked, pushed, distorted—playing with my face like clay.

When she finally let go, she crossed one leg over the other and gave a command.

“From now on, you’re Class 8’s dog.”

“…Yes.”

“Do dogs walk on two legs?”

I put my hands on the floor.

“Bark.”

“Woof.”

Her expression flickered. Like that wasn’t the reaction she expected.

“Paw.”

I held out my hand.

“Three spins, then bark.”

I did it.

“Woof.”

When I looked up again, Ariel’s face was twisted with vague discomfort.