"Next on the agenda is the matter of the new student. Please direct your attention to the screen." As the woman spoke, the entire auditorium turned their gaze towards the large display.
On the screen, a student stood out with his white hair and a faintly tanned complexion. It was his overall aura that made the strongest impression. The question on everyone's mind was, "Should a student like this be admitted to Victory Academy?" He exuded an undeniable sense of trouble.
"His name is Baek Taeyang, aged 20. His ability… though not yet confirmed, is speculated to belong to the debuff type."
"What? Did I hear you correctly, Instructor Ryu? Speculated?" The speaker was a bald man with a name tag that read "Gate Special Instructor Kim Sukgu."
"The reason is… Baek Taeyang has a passive skill, constantly active."
As this revelation spread through the auditorium, it sparked murmurs and hushed conversations. An ability that was active at all times was no small matter.
"It lacks an activation trigger, making it difficult to control, and there are no warning signs before its effects take place. Similar to that incident, if he were to truly decide…"
It appeared that Instructor Ryu Hyemi was about to elaborate on this, causing the auditorium to fall into silence.
"Comparing the Fat Boy Incident to a new student who knows nothing seems quite extreme, don't you think?" These words came from Victory Academy Chairman, Chun Haeil. As he spoke, those who had been drawing comparisons halted their discussions. His authority was unquestionable.
Referred to as the Savior of the Era, the Immortal, the Closer, the Last to Emerge, the Grand General, and numerous other titles, people commonly hailed him as a superhuman. Chun Haeil was a name synonymous with superhuman.
His reputation wasn't because he was 132 years old yet appeared as if he were in his mid-20s. Nor was it because he single-handedly established Victory Academy without external funding or held a higher position than the nation's authorities. It was solely because of his extraordinary ability, allowing him to split the seas and shatter mountains.
During the tumultuous early days of the Gates, when the military itself was powerless, he emerged alone and brought order to the chaos. That's why everyone regarded him as a superhuman.
"Already, we have about five individuals with passive skills in our academy, don't we?"
"But this time, it's quite different from those kids."
While other instructors nodded in agreement with Chun Haeil's words, Ryu Hyemi was the only one who shook her head.
"Please take another look at the screen," Ryu Hyemi requested, gathering everyone's scattered attention as she manipulated the remote control.
"62 counts of total violence, including street fights, altercations, excessive responses to minor incidents, and clashes with a hunter… What's all this about?"
"These are the actions he engaged in before his admission to Victory Academy."
As the screen transitioned, what became visible were Baek Taeyang's records of violence. All had been justified as acts of self-defense, but they were all serious incidents.
"First, I'd like to apologize for somewhat overstating his challenging nature to handle."
"However, as you can see from that chart, he exhibits a clear inclination towards violence."
"What's somewhat fortunate is that he never initiated violence in any of these incidents. Excessive responses were the issue."
With each word, Chun Haeil's expression became increasingly ambiguous. He had tried to maintain a neutral stance, aiming to protect the new student, but this revelation portrayed him as a clear troublemaker. The twist in the narrative was quite impactful. Despite the defense that these actions were in response to altercations, anyone could see that Baek Taeyang was the aggressor based on the results.
"Particularly, this is the most noteworthy aspect. The trigger for awakening. Generally, when ordinary individuals awaken postnatally, they require a dramatic trigger."
"For example, feeling their life is threatened, an intense desire to save a loved one about to die, and so on."
"But Baek Taeyang's awakening was indeed a case of awakening solely to defeat a hunter."
The gravity of the situation was conveyed unmistakably. Initially, they were perplexed as to why a new transfer student had been included in the emergency meeting's agenda.
Admissions were routine affairs. If the qualifications were met, the desire to join Victory Academy was only natural, and on occasion, they scouted talented individuals displaying promise. Why fuss over such a commonplace matter? They now regretted their previous dismissal of Ryu Hyemi's abilities.
"…It's called 'admission,' but isn't it more like a transfer? He's too dangerous."
Ryu Hyemi couldn't counter Kim Sukgu's statement. In reality, Baek Taeyang had a history in juvenile detention and had recently moved into the academy's dormitory. Leaving him unattended posed the risk of a recurrence of the Fat Boy Incident. Even Chairman Chun Haeil, who had initially supported Baek Taeyang, now wore a grim expression.
Upon reviewing the briefing results, it became clear that Baek Taeyang wasn't a criminal, nor did he exhibit the potential to become one. He hadn't initiated the incident, but there was no denying that he represented a potential ultra-high-risk individual.
"Please direct your attention to the next screen." As Ryu Hyemi manipulated the remote, the screen transitioned. The video began from the moment Baek Taeyang confronted an awakened individual.
In the footage, Baek Taeyang fearlessly battled an awakened hunter, even though the awakened figure in the video was the weakest, a level 5 awakened. The distinction between awakened and non-awakened couldn't be bridged, regardless of one's efforts.
As the intense confrontation continued for a brief period, the awakened seized the opportunity to strike Baek Taeyang in the abdomen. Normally, his intestines should have spilled out, but he appeared to regain his composure and managed his strength to prevent such an outcome.
Baek Taeyang stumbled and vomited everything he had consumed, including alcohol, food, and undigested items. With a look of disbelief, he charged forward once again, and in the moment the opponent attempted to catch his oncoming fist to subdue him.
"He awakened."
A black aura cloaked Baek Taeyang's body. The awakened individual, realizing what was happening, hastily tried to muster his strength, but it was too late; the punch had already landed. Consequently, the awakened individual was sent crashing through a building, ultimately wedging against a parked truck, and the video abruptly ended.
"Awakening for the sole purpose of beating up someone, and with that level of destructive power!"
"According to the information, that hunter is of the enhancement type. Even with enhanced physical abilities, taking such a blow…"
"It seems like a debuff type, despite the delayed ability activation; the damage was extensive."
"Accepting postnatal awakened individuals is natural, but how to manage them is a significant concern…"
Congenital awakened individuals receive education with their skills restricted. Until the age of 19, postnatal awakening, as long as it occurred within an educational institution, wasn't a problem. The issue arose with postnatal awakenings beyond that age.
Since no one knew when or where they would awaken, vigilance was necessary. This was a top priority for academies worldwide, not exclusive to Victory Academy.
"So different from any students we've had so far, but he's too different…"
"It's a dilemma figuring out which class to place him in."
As the instructors exchanged opinions, one person continued to silently fix their gaze on the screen, their stern expression unwavering from the moment Baek Taeyang's case was raised.
That individual, who clenched their fists and remained in silence, appeared to sense the attention around them and nodded.
"I'll take care of him in my class."
The name under the black nameplate labeled "Training Instructor" was "Jang Duchul." Just the name instilled confidence. Despite being overshadowed by the superhuman Chun Haeil, as one of the strongest at Victory Academy, they could certainly manage Baek Taeyang effectively.
"But when is Baek Taeyang arriving?"
"Tomorrow."
"What?"
Ryu Hyemi promptly provided an explanation in response to the gaze.
"The date of the video is just from the day before yesterday. And just today, we received the case…"
"…Baek Taeyang was in juvenile detention and suddenly lost consciousness due to the effects of his awakening…"
Ryu Hyemi desperately explained, even mentioning that she hadn't had time to change into proper clothes. She pointed out that they had just finished data processing and organizing information. She wanted to convey how much work she had managed to get done in such a short time. In reality, everyone understood her situation, but they found her comical as she scrambled around.
***
"I made a mistake."
Recalling the events from just yesterday, Jang Duchul sprinted. Despite witnessing his physical abilities, he had severely underestimated Baek Taeyang.
"I thought he'd be bedridden after such an incident…"
But he had woken up and gone to school. It was beyond his calculations. As a postnatal awakened individual, his physical adaptation was extremely rapid. From an instructor's perspective, this might have been impressive, but judging by Baek Taeyang's actions, it didn't seem like a good sign.
"He's brought to the guidance room on his first day of school… The student council members are in danger."
No one knew what might happen. Instructors should avoid treating a student they knew nothing about like a ticking time bomb, but what could be done? He had received the report, and this was a reasonable measure, he thought.
He quickly arrived at the student council guidance room, having just completed the data entry. With no time to catch his breath, he grabbed the doorknob and knocked on the door.
"Baek Taeyang, are you in there? Open the door."
With an expression of determination, he exerted force in his fist. He counted in his mind.
'Ten… nine… seven…'
If there was no response by the time he counted one, he would break the door. Knocking on the door again, he counted down, and when it reached two, the door opened.
"Instructor, what's going on?"
Jang Duchul was momentarily taken aback. The one who had opened the door was not Baek Taeyang but Yoo Soojin.
'Did nothing really happen?'
Baek Taeyang was standing behind her, looking exactly like a junior who had been scolded by a senior. Of course, Jang Duchul had assumed that Baek Taeyang would be the one to subdue Yoo Soojin and open the door…
"Instructor?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. Baek Taeyang has been assigned to my class. Is this going to take long?"
"No, it's done. It was just a misunderstanding on my part. There's no problem at all."
He felt a bit uncomfortable with Soojin's face turning slightly red, but he assumed it was because she had gotten angry.
As Soojin and Taeyang naturally left the student council room, they closed the door behind them. The action of not revealing what was inside was clear, but Jang Duchul didn't catch on.
"Baek Taeyang, I'm Instructor Jang Duchul, who will be your homeroom teacher."
"Nice to meet you," Taeyang smiled gently and shook hands with Jang Duchul. Seeing him in person, he was so different from the video that Jang Duchul began to feel confused. He had expected rebellion, but he looked so docile that he couldn't figure out what was really going on.
***
"I could've been in serious trouble."
Thinking that what had just happened was revealed, my spine tingled with fear. Looking back, the desperate measures I took to rectify the situation seemed incredibly reckless.