In the beginning, many were dissatisfied with the teaching methods at Siwon School.
It was inevitable, as the curriculum consisted entirely of repeating the basics—starting with the basics and ending with the basics.
In fact, why were the basics called the basics?
There was no need for any other explanation; they were the basics because they were literal foundations.
Horizontal slashes, vertical slashes, horse stances, and so on.
Those weren’t things that required someone’s instruction; they were the very fundamentals that anyone could practice on their own.
This was completely different from what the public—and the Awakeners—expected from Siwon School.
What they wanted were the Secret Techniques of the world’s top Awakeners.
If one was going to open an academy under their own name, they should be passing down secret methods worthy of that name.
Did it make sense to only train in the basics?
Furthermore, the ones teaching weren’t even the great Kim Si-won or Leon, but the first-generation graduates.
Because of this, from the second generation onward, there were inevitably many dropouts and expulsions.
The expulsion rate was over 50%.
Most of those expelled held citizenships from the United States, Russia, China, and Japan.
Having been expelled in disgrace, they voiced their complaints.
“I am disappointed in Siwon School. Despite holding the title of the world’s top Awakeners, they didn’t give us proper instruction.”
“Our disappointment is as great as our initial expectations. For weeks, the only instruction we received was grueling basic training. If that had been all, I wouldn’t have dropped out. But the verbal abuse was constant, and it even crossed into personal insults. It wasn’t the kind of teaching worth enduring all that for.”
“They are clearly ostracizing us. Due to bad feelings from the past, this seemed like nothing more than a petty revenge, entirely different from how they treated the first generation.”
Though they were expelled, these talents from various countries insisted they had dropped out on their own.
They began to lash out at Siwon School through the media.
The logic of their argument was simple: because of past grievances, the school was discriminating against the second generation, which included many from countries like the United States.
In the past, this would have triggered a wave of international condemnation.
However, they were no longer superpowers.
Unlike the days when they stood at the top of the world, they now had to walk on eggshells around Spain and other nations—and South Korea was the nation standing at the absolute pinnacle.
Even countries currently called superpowers, like Spain, could not act recklessly toward Korea; instead, they were busy trying to maintain a friendly stance while watching Korea’s every move.
Forced to consider the feelings of this unprecedentedly powerful nation, the complaining countries could only speak of their “disappointment” in hushed tones.
They hadn’t expected a grand response.
They had at least hoped for some kind of conciliatory reply, but…
“Siwon School is a place that trains talent to save humanity from the crises to come. If you left for any reason, it simply means you were not qualified.”
The only thing that came back was a cold response.
The translation of that statement was simple: You were expelled because you had no talent; there is nothing wrong with Siwon School’s education.
A few nations expressed their hurt at that frigid reaction, but it didn’t last long.
It took only one year of learning.
After that one year passed, the second-generation graduates of Siwon School began to show dazzling performances.
At first, it was the opposite.
Those who “dropped out” of Siwon School entered the Tower early under the extreme care of their respective countries.
They proved their talent one by one by clearing the [Very Hard Difficulty], which no one but Siwon School graduates had ever achieved before.
In some circles, criticism arose against Siwon School for failing to recognize their talent.
This was exactly what those individuals and the nations backing them had wanted.
Thus, they worked even harder.
They wanted to prove they could become strong even without Siwon School.
They wanted to prove their talent was real and that Siwon School’s judgment was wrong.
Thanks to this reaction, it seemed at first that their plan was succeeding.
However, one year later…
After that time—which might seem very short to some—the second-generation graduates finally emerged into the world and began their climb of the Tower.
Then came the shocking results.
Most of the second-generation graduates easily passed the [Very Hard Difficulty].
Some even challenged [Nightmare Difficulty], and a few even entered the realm of [Penance Difficulty].
It was something no one had expected.
It couldn’t be helped, as most of those who had remained at Siwon School were those evaluated as having average talent or below.
In terms of their Awakened Traits or learning speed, they weren’t better than those who had dropped out in any way.
By talent alone, they were ordinary people who had been mocked, with claims that they only got in because of Kim Si-won’s connections.
They were the ones who had faced all sorts of criticism, with people saying they only stayed because the basics were all they could handle.
Yet, they performed a complete reversal.
Ultimately, it was proven.
Siwon School’s eyes had not been wrong.
Their teaching had not been wrong.
The basics were indeed the most important thing.
And their judgment had been perfect.
When the recruitment for the third-generation students began, it was only natural that the entire world fell into a frenzy of competition to enter Siwon School.
***
Seoul, South Korea.
In the middle of the city center.
A massive crowd had gathered in the central playground of a complex building that boasted a scale unlike any ordinary school.
The reason thousands of people of different nationalities and races had converged could be easily seen by looking straight ahead.
[Siwon School, Third-Generation Entrance Examination]
It was the crowd gathered to take the Siwon School entrance exam, which was held every year around March when spring arrived.
To enter this place, Siwon School, only one condition was required: you had to be an Awakener.
No matter how common Awakeners had become through various methods, awakening a Trait was still a fairly rare blessing considering the total population of Earth.
Seeing thousands of such people gathered in one place was quite a sight, especially since it was a gathering of talents not only from South Korea but from all over the world.
“Phew…”
One individual let out a sigh as if nervous while blending into the crowd.
A high school student who still looked youthful, Lee Seo-jun had just turned eighteen this year.
He was a South Korean Awakener who had awakened a Trait.
Until recently, he had been enrolled in another Awakener academy, but after a certain incident, he had gathered his courage to come here to Siwon School.
‘I can do this.’
In the past, he couldn’t achieve his dream due to certain circumstances, but here, it would be different.
In Siwon School, which strove for the very best, the same kind of misfortune wouldn’t happen again.
He was staring at the banner for the entrance exam with a firm resolve when…
“Hey there—”
It was a friendly-sounding voice.
However, upon hearing it, Lee Seo-jun flinched.
His entire body couldn’t help but tremble.
It was because that voice was the kind he didn’t even want to hear in his dreams.
“Step, step.”
A group of people could be seen approaching through the crowd.
They were three young men around his age but with much larger builds.
“Wow. I’m seeing a familiar face here. Siwon School really is great. I even get to see a friend I lost touch with.”
At the word “friend,” Seo-jun’s face stiffened instantly.
It was only natural.
‘Friend?’
If this young man had the courage, he might have thrown a punch first.
The three people calling themselves his friends were the protagonists who had given him a nightmare of a past filled with misfortune.
‘Hey, you orphan brat.’
‘Aren’t you more of a bastard than a Seo-jun?’
‘Pricks like this really ruin the atmosphere of the academy.’
Scenes from the past flashed by like a panorama.
They had been from the same academy.
But because of their malicious bullying, physical assault, and even personal attacks, he had suffered.
It was a fairly prestigious academy, so he had tried to hold on somehow, but he felt that if he stayed any longer, he would commit suicide.
So, he had been forced to quit.
Six months had passed since then.
He thought the wound had healed a little, but it hadn’t.
The wound hadn’t healed; he had just forgotten the pain for a while.
The scar was still deep, and seeing them was enough to bring back the fear and misery of the past.
“Thud.”
One of them placed a hand on his shoulder as if they were happy to see him, but his grip was tight.
“Hey!”
His tone of voice had already changed.
“A talentless piece of trash like you is gracing us with your presence here? Is there something left for you to scavenge? Can’t you learn?”
While he had acted glad to see him from a distance, his true nature came out as soon as he got close.
“I told you clearly. What sin did the people attending the same place as someone like you commit? A half-wit like you brings down the quality of not just an academy, but Siwon School itself.”
The reason they bullied Lee Seo-jun was simple.
He was from an orphanage, and his talent wasn’t exceptional.
“You’ve got nothing going for you except for a sturdy body. Where do you think you’re sticking your nose in?”
Seo-jun’s Trait was “Hardy Flesh.”
It literally meant his body was a bit tougher than average, an ability so mediocre it was ambiguous whether it should even be called a Trait.
Because of that, he was ostracized.
In a world centered on ability, he was targeted for lacking it.
It would have been better if he were just a normal person, but because he was born with an ambiguous Trait, they used that and his lack of parents as an excuse to make him their toy.
“I’m telling you clearly. You, don’t show up for the test. Just seeing you in the same testing hall makes me feel disgusted and annoyed.”
And the nightmare of the past became the nightmare of the present.
“I’m giving you a warning. If you show up at the testing center…”
He let out a low, growling sound.
“…it won’t end like it did in the past.”
Having delivered the warning, the group returned to their spots.
Lee Seo-jun couldn’t say a single word.
‘Damn it!’
For six months, he had stayed holed up in his room, hardening his resolve.
He had promised himself that if he saw them again, he would find the courage to speak his mind.
But the nightmare he had suffered in the past still remained in his body and his mind.
He was too weak in the face of the nightmare.
He felt pathetic and resentful toward himself.
Even as he watched their hideous backs as they walked away…
“Ugh!”
The nausea surged from the sheer revulsion.
Before he knew it, he was standing at the entrance, far away from the testing area.
“I guess… I really can’t do it.”
The test?
To be honest, he already knew.
He had only come here to test his own courage and resolve.
He had already judged that he wouldn’t pass anyway.
It was just an act to show a different side of himself from the past, to show his determination.
But this time, too, he was weak.
At those few words, he stood at the entrance without being able to say anything, looking like he was about to leave at any moment.
“Let’s just give up…”
Nothing had changed.
Even if he took the test, he wouldn’t pass.
Moreover, if he challenged them out of petty spite, it would be difficult to handle their anger.
Unlike himself, those guys had talent, wealth, and good backgrounds.
If he got on their bad side, the orphanage and the nuns would be put in a difficult position.
If he was the only one who gave up, many people could be happy.
With that thought, he turned to leave the testing center.
However…
“Candidate?”
When had he approached?
A man he hadn’t even noticed was there asked him a question from beside him.
“Ah…”
Just as he was about to say no.
“Passed.”
“Wait, what?”
‘Passed? What did that mean?’
“Congratulations on your admission to Siwon School. If you take this with you, you can enter immediately without any separate documents or other procedures.”
The man pressed a badge into his hand.
On it, the character for “Special” was engraved.
“No way?!”
Come to think of it, he had heard a rumor.
The founder of Siwon School, the world’s top and one-of-a-kind existence, would sometimes appear at the testing center and hand out special badges to the talents he wanted.
That meant…
“Ki, Kim…”
But before he could even utter the name, the man was already gone.
It was as if he had never existed in the first place, vanishing without a trace.