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‘Career counseling’ refers to a process where the counselor helps the client decide on a suitable career path for themselves.
In a word, it was about homeroom teachers calling students and giving them advice on their future.
Up to this point, it was a typical career counseling session, but the career counseling at Eternity Academy was quite different.
Since the career path was predetermined for the superhumans from the start, industry veterans, not homeroom teachers, were invited as guest lecturers to conduct the counseling sessions. The issue was that this was not just a simple counseling session; it was an “exam.”
“The score for career counseling will be reflected in your grades, so everyone, pull yourselves together and hope you can make it to the ‘counseling room.'”
The freshman students gathered in the student square. Homeroom teacher Jung Hae-jun stood on the platform and spoke.
“If there are students who can’t make it to the counseling room and end up dropping out, they will have a special counseling session with me, so you can look forward to that.”
Every year, career counseling sessions held at the academy involved guest lecturers from various organizations preparing their own exams.
Only by passing these exams could they finally reach the counseling room.
‘I won’t accept failure.’
What the frontline organizations needed to confront the Maesu and rivals were talents to help them, not dropouts who would hinder them.
They hadn’t come to spare time for career counseling.
Since the goal was talent scouting, it was natural to be selective with the students.
“Well then, I’ll give you 10 minutes to decide where you want to receive counseling.”
After Jung Hae-jun’s words, the students buzzed with excitement, and Eung-aye approached.
“Hey, have you decided where you’re going?”
“Oh, I chose the Guardians of Dawn.”
Eung-aye chuckled at my response.
“The Guardians of Dawn? Why there?”
“If we’re going to face Maesu, they’re the best.”
The top superhuman guilds each pursued different directions.
For example, the Seat of Stars focused on “wealth,” making dungeon raids and relic exploration their priority.
The guild Tianjian City of China pursued pure “martial arts” outwardly, but they were like ruffians who would reject everything if it didn’t go their way.
On the other hand, the Guardians of Dawn had a grand goal of protecting humanity from their establishment, making them a group that staked their lives against Maesu and mines.
Well, if you looked deeper, they had their own issues, but the Guardians of Dawn were the most helpful group for me.
At least there were one or two individuals who would actively assist when it came to facing mines. The one who came as a counselor this time, Seo Ha-rin, was one of them.
Setting up a connection with her would be the most advantageous when quests related to mines came up.
Of course, in terms of “protecting humanity,” the front-runner was not the Guardians of Dawn, but the Superhuman Association, so in terms of utility, the Superhuman Association was higher.
The problem was that they were a bunch of old-fashioned people, and messing with them would only tire me out.
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On the other hand, the Guardians of Dawn were a “new generation” with flexibility.
In many ways, the Guardians of Dawn were much better.
“Oh, really? Should I go there too then?”
Eung-aye lightly murmured in response to me.
– Guardians of Dawn
– Seat of Stars
– Tianjian City
– Yggdrasil
– White Night
– Superhuman Association
– Mage Association
There were seven signs in the stadium, and while most students had already decided on their career paths, Eung-aye was not particularly interested in any of these paths.
As a result, Eungye was hesitating on where to go among the seven factions.
Amelia, who suddenly approached with such concerns, appeared bright and smiled.
“How about the Star Seat? You are always welcome there.”
“Um, thank you, I’ll think about it.”
“Yes, please consider it positively.”
Feeling awkward under Amelia’s proactive pursuit, Eungye nodded hesitantly and withdrew. Eungye, who had lived under the surveillance of the Eun family, including Eun Sobak, had no immunity to Amelia’s such proactive approach.
Consequently, Amelia was also the most burdensome target for Eungye. Although I was familiar with Amelia from encountering her a lot in the game, such ‘friendliness’ without reason must have felt particularly awkward for Eungye.
By the way, the Guardians of Dawn and the Star Seat are in an antagonistic relationship.
The Star Seat pursues ‘benefit,’ while the Guardians of Dawn advocate ‘justice.’
From their very structure, it was inevitable that these groups would clash often.
Due to this, Amelia showed considerable displeasure at my choice of the Guardians of Dawn.
I fed her a special melon bread as a way to appease that displeasure.
The melon bread hanging from Amelia’s mouth right now is the result of that. Of course, I can’t erase her displeasure with just that, but would it be okay to give her one more? With such a silly thought, I turned my head.
Han Seyeon was surrounded by disciples, chatting amiably with them.
It would be quite a hassle to talk individually with so many disciples, but she was not some idol doing fan service, and her smile never faded from her face.
“She’s really something.”
I could never pull off such a thing. Well, that’s probably why she’s the captain, right?
While coming to terms with that, I approached Han Seyeon, and the disciples made way for me.
I hadn’t intended it, but an implicit rule had formed in our group that my actions wouldn’t be obstructed (largely due to the defeat Elaine suffered at my hands not long ago).
It felt a bit awkward, yet convenient, so I didn’t pay it much mind.
When I approached, Han Seyeon looked puzzled.
“Haesol, what’s up?”
“If you haven’t decided where to go for career counseling, I have something to tell you. It’s a bit awkward to talk about it here.”
I led Han Seyeon to the shade of a tree in the square.
Looking around at the empty surroundings, Han Seyeon’s eyes widened.
“Haesol, you’re too fast.”
“?”
“I’m not mentally prepared yet.”
I furrowed my brow.
“What are you talking about?”
“Wasn’t it a confession?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Ah, that’s a shame.”
Seeing Han Seyeon’s jokingly disappointed expression, I clicked my tongue.
Even when joking, it was hard to read her emotions due to her unchanged facial expression.
As she kept tilting her head, Han Seyeon asked, “So, what’s the matter?”
“Stay away from Yggdrasil at all costs. No, don’t even go near it.”
Han Seyeon tilted her head slightly.
“Is there a reason for that?”
“You might get caught if you mess with someone from Morudo.”
Han Seyeon hesitated.
“You mean I might get caught?”
“Well, it’s unlikely, but the instructor who came today is quite special.”
Yggdrasil was a guild centered around summoners, experts who knew more about summons than anyone else, skilled at sensing their presence. And the instructor who came today was renowned for being the best at sensing summoners’ presence among them.
“Kim Dojun, Yggdrasil’s Team Leader of 3.”
His nickname was the Demon Slayer.
Having lost his entire family to demons, Kim Dojun was truly a man obsessed with demon hunting.
Rumors even circulated that he only ate and hunted demons.
Though fitting for the role of a Guardian of Dawn, he was a crucial member of Yggdrasil for his exceptional skills in handling high-level fire elementals.
While not someone typically invited as an instructor at the academy, Yggdrasil, valuing its members, pushed for Kim Dojun to take up this role as a way to give him a break.
Nevertheless, Kim Dojun’s ability to sense demons was extraordinarily developed.
No matter how cautious Han Seyeon was, there was still a possibility of her being exposed if she spent a long time near Kim Dojun.
Therefore, Han Seyeon needed to keep her distance from Kim Dojun as much as possible.
In response to my words, Han Seyeon nodded.
“Got it. Just avoid Yggdrasil.”
“No, don’t join the Guardians of Dawn either.”
Seo Harin, the Team Leader of Guardians of Dawn, was also skilled at hunting demons.
While not as peculiar as Kim Dojun, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
“Are you listening?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
I clicked my tongue.
“Why is the one listening taking so long to respond?”
“It’s because I’ve never had someone care like this before.”
Han Seyeon looked at me strangely. Avoiding unnecessary awkwardness, she said,
“Anyway, if you’re told not to go, then don’t go.”
As we turned our backs and headed back to the square, Jung Haejoon shouted,
“Everyone, move to the sign indicating where you want to receive career counseling.”
As the students went to the groups they had in mind, I also headed towards the Guardians of Dawn. Eungaye followed me.
“Weren’t you going to the Star’s Sanctuary?”
“Are you crazy? Why would I go there?”
Eungaye seemed to be disapproving of my suggestion with a horrified expression. It seemed like Amelia was quite a burden to her.
With a wry smile, as we headed towards the Guardians of Dawn, we noticed that the number of gathered students was close to a hundred. Compared to the other group with 60-70 members, it was a significantly larger number.
Eungaye clicked her tongue.
“Wow, the Guardians of Dawn are really popular.”
“When you’re my age, justice sounds great till you die.”
“Do you talk like you’re not your age?”
“Right, of course.”
At the core, they were the right age, though.
In any case, as all the newbies gathered, we followed the guide to the ‘Hall of Heroes,’ the testing ground of the Dawn Guardians, in the Eternal Hall, Eternity.
At the heart of the Hall of Heroes, a woman awaited them.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Seo Harin, the leader of Team 1 of the Dawn Guardians, who has come as a career counselor for this academy!”
Clap, clap, clap!
Seo Harin, with her black long hair, clapped, bowed, and smiled. The reaction from the newbies was enthusiastic.
“Wow! So she’s Seo Harin.”
“The White Knight!”
“Ranked 357th in the Super Ranks…”
It was no wonder. Seo Harin was a master who ranked within the top 1000 in the Super Ranks, a reputation well-known among the newbies.
Boldly confronting injustice, she was undoubtedly a true super of this era. Hence, her nickname was ‘Knight.’
Ranked 357th in the Super Ranks. Leader of Dawn Guardians Team 1. The White Knight, Seo Harin.
“Alright! Let’s stop the introductions here and move on to explaining the test topic.”
Pointing to a red circle at the center of the vast hall, Seo Harin spoke.
“There is a mental barrier set up there. If your mental strength is weak, you won’t be able to escape.”
“Whether you fill it with mental strength or use another method, it doesn’t matter. Once you escape from that circle, the test is over! Just come to me for career counseling according to your turn.”
Even though she might have to counsel a hundred people, Seo Harin’s expression remained serene.
“Alright, everyone, please enter~”
As Seo Harin’s words led even the last newbie into the red circle, a red light shot up like a pillar from the circle.
“Oh!”
“What, what’s this?!”
Ignoring the startled reactions of the newbies, Seo Harin continued speaking.
“The time limit is now 2 hours! I’ll be waiting in the counseling room, so take your time coming in.”
After finishing her words, Seo Harin disappeared beyond the hall with the officer who had guided the newbies.
***
“How many do you think will pass?”
“Well, hmm? At least one is guaranteed to pass. They’ll escape soon.”
“Soon?”
At the back of the Hall of Heroes, in a temporary career counseling room.
At Seo Harin’s words, Lee Soo-hak, a member of Team 1 of the Dawn Guardians, showed a puzzled expression.
Although Seo Harin had said it was fine to fill it with mental strength, the barrier couldn’t be passed with mental strength alone.
After all, it was a barrier equivalent to 6 Circles. Lee Soo-hak and the mage of Team 1 had combined their powers to set it up.
If you were a super, you had to use your head; relying solely on physical strength was the most foolish thing, and that was the purpose of this test – to teach that.
So, to escape the barrier, one had to use their ‘head.’
One had to face the illusions of the barrier’s demon, read its movements, figure out how to kill it with one strike, and determine the ‘best move’ to escape.
That was a total of 38 steps.
To find all 38 answers, even if you were a natural-born genius, you needed at least an hour. But soon?
Reading Isuhak’s question, Seoharin chuckled softly.
“Do you remember who was the first to pass this test last year?”
“It was Yuskal Arsei from England.”
“He managed to pass the test in just one hour.”
“Yes, I remember. He was truly remarkable.”
“Perhaps, among the third-year students, there aren’t many who could defeat Yuskal in a numerical battle.”
“That’s correct.”
Isuhak nodded as if empathizing.
“However, the student who defeated him in a numerical battle is among the first-year students this time.”
“······Really?”
Isuhak’s eyes widened in surprise, and Seoharin nodded.
“He’s right over there.”
On the CCTV screen showing the auditorium, a student was stepping out of the center of the boundary.
Isuhak’s eyes widened.
“He’s already at level three······”
“Watch closely; he’s truly exceptional.”
Seoharin smiled confidently.