6
······Early February, Eternity’s entrance ceremony.
Despite the early hour, the grand hall of the Hero was packed with a sea of people.
New students entering Eternity, the best talents gathered from around the world.
Guild scouts, their eyes scanning the crowd to mark these individuals.
Journalists, citizens, and others also flocked to witness Eternity’s entrance ceremony.
It was a sight seen every year at Eternity’s entrance ceremony, the cradle of the giants.
“Hwi-yu~ Still, there seem to be unusually many this year.”
Seo Harin, a high-ranking member of the Giant Guild ‘Guardians of Dawn,’ clicked her tongue at the crowd.
Having occasionally attended Eternity’s entrance ceremony, even she, Seo Harin, was surprised by the unusually large crowd this year.
‘Well, this year does seem to be special.’
Seo Harin herself was one of those drawn to this special occasion.
Indeed, this year, even in Seo Harin’s eyes, the new students seemed particularly dazzling.
The youngest son of the top-tier Giant in Russia, Gorukov, a prominent figure in the Giant Association.
Guildmaster Theodore of the guild ‘Seat of Stars,’ representing the United States.
Even a prodigy who rarely emerges, rumored to possess the qualities of a genius in the art of swordsmanship.
Those who would cause a stir just by enrolling once a year all entered simultaneously.
They were already more famous than most superhumans.
“Ack! Nicolai oppa! Over here! Look here, please!”
“Amelia, my love! I adore you!”
“Woojin-ah! Here!”
Fans who already knew them were holding pamphlets, calling out the names of their favorites.
Debates among fans arose about who the top student was.
Eternity had not yet announced who the top student was.
Seoharin, curious herself, asked the person sitting next to her.
“Senior, please tell me now. So, who is the top student? Is it Cheon Woojin after all?”
Her former boss and supervisor of the Eternity written exam, Jung Haejun, chuckled at the question of whether it was Cheon Woojin.
Seoharin’s eyes widened at his response.
“…Oh, not Cheon Woojin? Then is it the Association’s young master? Or maybe Amelia?”
Seoharin listed all the candidates she had expected, but Jung Haejun just kept smiling, frustrating her.
“Ah, who is it that’s causing such a stir?”
“See for yourself.”
Jung Haejun pointed. Just as the emcee stepped forward to announce the top student’s name.
Seoharin blinked for a moment, then made a foolish sound as the top student stepped onto the stage.
“Huh?”
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She wasn’t alone. Guild officials and fans alike began to murmur in confusion.
The top student who ascended the stage was someone beyond everyone’s expectations.
Seoharin voiced the thoughts of everyone.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Lee Haesol.”
Jung Haejun said with a smirk, seeming to enjoy the atmosphere in the hall.
Seoharin’s brows furrowed.
“Lee Haesol? Who’s that?”
As a high-ranking member of the giant superhuman guild ‘Guardians of Dawn,’ she had her eyes on all the noteworthy individuals at this enrollment ceremony. The name ‘Lee Haesol’ was not among them.
Still, she couldn’t rule out the possibility entirely.
She had heard rumors of the ‘written exam’ circulating among the new students.
But she had dismissed it as too extravagant a rumor to be believable. Yet, out of curiosity, Seoharin spoke up.
“Senior, I know it sounds absurd, but could it be that written exam…”
“That’s right.”
“Really?”
“It was said that the one who passed that written exam.”
“He, he really did?”
“He casually broke through the magical detection barrier.”
Seoharin gazed in astonishment at Haesol, who was reciting the oath.
Breaking through the magic detection barrier of Eternity was no small feat.
Jeong Haejun didn’t just break through; he did it effortlessly.
Even for a top-tier pro-human like him, it was a challenging task.
But for a mere 17-year-old newcomer to achieve it?
“Incredible.”
In a society always thirsty for talent, the emergence of a prodigy was a significant event.
When Cheon Woojin, known for his talent in magic control, first appeared, newspapers worldwide were filled with his name.
“A magic control gift? Awakening a gift at such a young age is remarkable.”
Of course, there were others who had awakened gifts besides Yi Haesol.
Yet, unlike the already famous ones, Yi Haesol was a new, unaffiliated prodigy.
A golden opportunity lying on the streets, waiting for anyone to pick it up.
Scouts from other guilds began to take notice of Yi Haesol, intrigued by his gift awakening.
Just the fact that he had awakened a gift made Yi Haesol an incredibly desirable talent.
However, Seo Harin was confident that no one could snatch Yi Haesol away.
The “Guardians of Dawn” she belonged to were one of the top guilds in the industry.
Though she wished she could bring him over immediately, Eternity’s regulations prioritized the protection of newcomers until graduation, making contact difficult at the moment.
“I’ll bring him to our side after graduation.”
With that determination in mind, Seo Harin watched Yi Haesol’s retreating figure as he descended the platform.
***
“Phew, this is torture.”
I sighed as I descended the platform, shaking my head.
Reading an oath in front of hundreds of people was nerve-wracking.
With all eyes on me and flashes going off, the tension was palpable.
As I thought about how well I managed my nerves, a status message popped up.
[Read the oath as the representative of the entrance ceremony.]
[Awarded 100SP.]
[Gained the attention of key figures.]
[Awarded 1000SP.]
[Current points: 3100SP]
“Not bad.”
With 1100SP, reciting the oath felt rewarding enough.
As the entrance ceremony concluded, new students exited through doors on the left and right.
Despite the officials trying to clear a path, some students found themselves surrounded by camera lenses.
“Cheon Woojin, a new student at Eternity! Can you share your thoughts on your enrollment?”
“We heard you narrowly missed being the top student. How do you feel about the outcome?”
Cheon Woojin. A character so perfect that he could only exist in fantasies, with looks, personality, and skills all impeccable.
Normally, it would have been Cheon Woojin, not me, as the top student at the entrance ceremony.
Until he graduated from Eternity, he had never missed being the top student, a monster who excelled in every aspect.
If it was Cheon Woojin, he might not have been able to solve the math problems, but he could have broken the test format.
He probably didn’t cheat; that wasn’t his style. He was always honest and truthful, yet his overwhelming skills made it impossible for others to even feel jealous.
That’s Cheon Woojin.
─Nicolaï Sangdo! You ranked 3rd in the entrance exam; are you satisfied with the results?
─Just one picture, please!
While Cheon Woojin was surrounded by reporters at the right door, Nicolaï was at the left.
Nicolaï, son of Gorgov, a Russian elite who received gifted education since childhood and rose as a leader in the Association of Giants. Commonly known as ‘The Son of Russia.’
When asked by a reporter if he was satisfied with the results, he glanced at Cheon Woojin, chuckled, and said something or other.
Though his response was inaudible, the expected answer was clear.
This time, it’s 3rd place, but next time, he’ll take 1st place… he must have said.
It was obvious that Nicolaï, with his strong self-esteem and ability to acknowledge others, would say such words.
‘He may submit, but he won’t give up.’
In the original work, Nicolaï, known as the perennial 2nd place, fought at least once against the monster everyone else saw Cheon Woojin as.
‘But I beat that 1st and 2nd place.’
It was when he was chuckling at the absurd results that a shadow suddenly loomed over him. As he raised his head, a Western beauty with blonde hair, drawn as if from a painting, was looking down at him.
Although it was the first time seeing her in person, he knew this girl as well.
Amelia Romano.
The daughter of Theodore, the owner of the American Giant Guild ‘Throne of Stars.’
‘And the walking piggy bank.’
Amelia was a very grateful presence, generously giving money to those showing potential under the guise of investments.
She must have come to me to lay her cards on the table in advance.
Sure enough, Amelia introduced herself fluently in Korean.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Amelia Romano.”
“I’m Haesol.”
As I greeted her, Amelia smiled brightly.
“I was impressed by your practical exam performance.”
“Were you there too?”
“I saw it on an internet video clip.”
“I see.”
Seems like the cameras that were rolling made it to the internet.
“You barely won, yet you find it impressive.”
“Wasn’t that your intention?”
“What do you mean?”
As I furrowed my brows, Amelia turned the conversation with a smile.
“The entrance ceremony is over; aren’t you leaving?”
“Yes, I still have something to see.”
I sat down, watching the new students leaving the auditorium.
My duties at the Heroic Academy were just beginning.
“Well, too bad. Let’s talk later; I should be going now.”
Amelia, seeing the reporters gathering, gave a wry smile.
“Sure, see you later.”
“Yes, goodbye.”
Amelia politely bid farewell and left the auditorium.
Behind her, a cluster of reporters and fans followed.
Amelia, one of the members of the Star’s Seat, had already become a popular figure attracting attention wherever she went.
“Poor thing.”
I leisurely stretched in my chair. Not a single reporter clung to me.
The freshman seats were off-limits to outsiders.
Soon, as all freshmen left and the noise in the auditorium subsided, a pink-haired girl hurriedly approached.
She was Erica, a senior member of the student council.
“Sorry, I’m really late. I’ve been busy tidying up the auditorium. Oh, can I speak informally? Hyesol is officially enrolled in our school now.”
“Yes, I’m comfortable with that too.”
“Thank you. Shall we go then?”
Following Erica’s cheerful smile, we moved to the back of the platform where a small space awaited us.
It was the waiting area of the platform and a preparation room used for miscellaneous tasks by the student council.
*Click*
As Erica swiped her executive card on a small iron door, it creaked open with a sound.
Behind it, several shelves came into view.
My eyes sparkled as I looked at the items displayed on the shelves.
This was the place where the artifacts collected by the student council were stored, as well as where the Hidden Pithos of Eternity lay dormant.
‘The Report of the Heroes.’
***
Most of the shelves of the report were empty.
The usable artifacts must have been taken away, so it made sense.
Still, there were quite a few decent-looking artifacts, but they were never my concern to begin with.
‘Surely it was here?’
I reached into the lower left of the innermost shelf and tapped the wall rhythmically.
Several times. Then, as if the wall had lied, it vanished, revealing a dusty ring.
“Bingo.”
I remember digging through the Report of the Heroes like this to find this ring when playing a game.
And how disappointed I was when I found a ring I couldn’t use…
‘But now I can use it.’
I chuckled as I looked at the featureless black ring.
[Cursed Ring of Icarus]
─A ring imbued with the curse of Icarus, the 2nd student council president of Eternity. Wearing it renders magic unusable.
From the contents alone, it was a useless ring.
No one would voluntarily wear a ring that disables magic.
When I played games, I used it as a substitute for handcuffs rather than wearing it myself.
But now, without magic, things were different.
Since I never had magic to begin with, there was no change even if I was cursed.
Energy was a different force from magic.
Of course, if that was the only thing, there would be no reason to wear the ring, but the Ring of Icarus held more than just a curse.
Usually, these restricted magical items come with opposing beneficial effects as well.
In short, it’s a ‘high risk, high return.’
▶ Magic Nullification
– The wearer of the ring can nullify magic. The amount of magic nullified is proportional to the wearer’s mental strength.
The ability to nullify magic by consuming the wearer’s mental strength.
Of course, since mental strength is consumed, it can only be used once or twice a day at best, but as a means to protect myself, it was perfect.
Without knowing this, Erica raised her eyebrows when I brought out Icarus’s ring.
“Huh? A ring I’ve never seen before. Did such a thing exist? It doesn’t look that great… Or should I recommend something?”
“It’s okay. This is enough.”
Without a doubt, there was no magical item better than Icarus’s ring.
After all, it was a ring that nullified magic.
After confirming with Erica, I wore Icarus’s ring on the index finger of my left hand. Then, a status message appeared countless times.
[Hidden Piece, found Icarus’s cursed ring.]
[500 SP will be rewarded.]
[Warning! Magic is restricted.]
[No magic is restricted.]
[Magic nullification applied to the target, Haesol.]