Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra initially found themselves bewildered by the unfamiliar surroundings, glancing around cautiously. However, the floating text in the air reassured them that this was part of a legitimate class session.
"If we’re supposed to advance, we should move forward, right?"
"Yes, Yuka. Should I take the lead?"
"No, I’ll go first," Yuka replied, declining Yu-ra’s offer.
Her decision wasn’t based on Yu-ra’s introverted nature but rather on a different aspect of her personality that emerged during battles—a side Yuka had witnessed during their dungeon expeditions before enrolling at Kangin Academy.
Moriya Yuka judged that her own calm and analytical approach would be better suited for leading in combat. Moreover, with her expertise in manipulating wind and ice, she could efficiently scout ahead and detect potential threats.
Her wind manipulation allowed her to sense her surroundings with precision, an ability she had honed in dungeons to pinpoint the locations and numbers of monsters. This skill would undoubtedly prove useful in this unfamiliar environment.
"Let’s move forward, Yu-ra."
"Okay, Yuka."
As they proceeded, the corridor opened into a vast, empty plain.
"A flat field?"
The area was devoid of any obstacles or notable features. Even Yuka’s wind-based sensing abilities detected nothing unusual.
Yu-ra, gripping her sword, seemed similarly unconcerned, her stance relaxed. If there were an imminent threat, her posture and readiness would have been much more intense.
But the respite didn’t last long.
"This feeling!"
A sudden, overwhelming presence washed over them. It wasn’t just powerful—it was suffocatingly oppressive.
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[The lesson has begun. Confront your enemy.]
[Your performance against the enemy will determine your grade.]
The appearance of their opponent made Yuka’s breath hitch. It was someone she had never expected to see in this setting.
"Park Hyung-tae!"
The figure before them was unmistakably the SSS-class villain, Park Hyung-tae—the one responsible for killing Kang Yu-ra’s parents, Kang Tae-ho and Yoon Ji-hye.
Known for his rare "Tamer" abilities, Park Hyung-tae’s pure combat power was rumored to be weaker than other SSS-class awakeners. However, his ability to command and control a variety of powerful monsters made him an exceptionally dangerous foe.
If this were truly Park Hyung-tae, Yuka knew they stood no chance against him with just the two of them.
"No, something’s different."
As the system messages appeared, Yuka noticed the blank, emotionless expression on Park Hyung-tae’s face.
The real Park Hyung-tae would never appear so impassive. He was infamous for his depravity, and if he had truly been here, his reaction to seeing two women as beautiful as Yuka and Yu-ra would have been far different.
The man who had attacked Kang Yu-ra’s parents had done so because of Yoon Ji-hye’s extraordinary beauty, intending to abduct her. Even after accidentally killing her, he had taken her body. Such a man wouldn’t have remained expressionless in front of two other women ranked among the most beautiful in the world.
"Park Hyung-tae!"
But Kang Yu-ra wasn’t as calm as Yuka. Her voice quivered with raw fury, and her body trembled as she gripped her sword tightly, ready to charge.
Yuka could see that Yu-ra wasn’t thinking clearly, her emotions clouding her judgment.
***
"Park Hyung-tae!"
The face of the nemesis she had never forgotten appeared before her. Kang Yu-ra’s mind was consumed by a single thought: she had to kill him.
Rage and hatred boiled within her, but her thoughts were tempered by one thing—the lingering question of her mother Yoon Ji-hye’s missing body.
"Park Hyung-tae!"
With a scream, Yu-ra swung her sword, unleashing a surge of lightning that streaked toward him. Her plan was simple: subdue him first, then force him to reveal the whereabouts of her mother’s remains.
But her attack never reached its target.
A humanoid SS-class monster clad in specialized armor—a Juggernaut Knight—stepped forward to block her strike.
Yu-ra froze.
That spear...
She recognized it instantly. It was the same spear that had driven gaping wounds into her parents’ torsos, stealing their last breaths.
"Yu-ra, calm down! That’s not real!"
Moriya Yuka’s urgent voice cut through her rage, snapping her back to reality.
"Not real?"
If this wasn’t the real Park Hyung-tae, it changed everything. Normally introverted and reserved, Yu-ra could become a berserker in battle when confronted with her true nemesis. But if this was just a simulation...
"I see."
The nature of the class became clear. It wasn’t just about fighting enemies—it was an evaluation. The system had replicated their most deeply hated adversaries to test their abilities.
Even so...
"I won’t forgive you."
Whether or not this was the real Park Hyung-tae, just seeing his face reignited her fury. And facing the same monster that had murdered her parents made her thirst for vengeance burn even hotter.
Recognizing that Yu-ra wouldn’t back down, Yuka stepped up beside her.
"Yu-ra, let’s do this together."
"Okay, Yuka."
"It’s a class, so let’s give it everything we’ve got."
"Got it."
Yu-ra’s voice was cold and emotionless, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor, as she tightened her grip on her sword.
The two launched a coordinated assault. While Yu-ra focused on attacking the Juggernaut Knight, Yuka used her wind and ice abilities to pin down the simulated Park Hyung-tae.
The outcome of the battle hinged on how quickly Yu-ra could dispatch the Juggernaut Knight.
Despite their best efforts...
"Commencing split annihilation," the fake Park Hyung-tae muttered in an emotionless, mechanical voice.
A grotesque, centipede-like creature wrapped itself around his arm, radiating a chilling aura.
"Ugh!"
Yuka recoiled. The creature wasn’t just horrifying in appearance—it completely negated her ice-based attacks.
"Too strong!"
Even if his raw combat abilities were supposedly weaker than other SSS-class villains, Park Hyung-tae’s ability to summon and command monsters made him a formidable opponent. The simulated version of him was no different, and the assistance of his summoned creatures turned the tide entirely against them.
Victory had never been a realistic possibility.
Forty grueling minutes later...
"Haa... haa..."
Moriya Yuka was gasping for air, her energy nearly spent. Her relentless attacks had all been blocked, and her body bore the evidence of the battle—her school uniform was torn in multiple places, though its enchanted fabric barely maintained its integrity.
The shredded hem of her skirt revealed glimpses of the shorts she wore underneath, but the greater issue was her rapidly depleting mana. Fighting an overwhelmingly stronger foe had left her no opportunity to conserve energy.
"Haa... sniff!"
Beside her, Kang Yu-ra was also struggling to catch her breath. Though she had managed to defeat the Juggernaut Knight, it had taken every ounce of her strength. She hadn’t even scratched Park Hyung-tae.
Frustrated by her own limitations, Yu-ra’s tears began to fall. Her inability to land a decisive blow reminded her how far she still had to go to avenge her parents.
"I need to be stronger... much stronger."
Without more power, she couldn’t achieve her revenge. If this had been a real fight, she wouldn’t have been able to protect Yuka, just as she had failed to save her parents.
"You fought well enough."
The cold, impassive voice of Kangin Academy’s director, Kim Ho-jun, broke the silence.
At his words, the simulated Park Hyung-tae vanished without a trace.
"Kim Ho-jun-nim..."
"Ah, Kim Ho-jun-nim."
Yuka and Yu-ra turned toward him weakly, their voices filled with exhaustion. Accompanied by Seomun Ye-jin, Kim Ho-jun raised his mana, and in an instant, their bodies were restored.
Even their torn uniforms were repaired, and their depleted mana began to regenerate at an accelerated rate.
"My body... it’s healed... even my clothes are fixed! My mana’s recovering so quickly—I didn’t know something like this was possible," Yuka murmured, astonished.
Yu-ra, though silent, shared her shock. To not only heal their injuries but also restore their clothing and drastically boost their mana recovery... It was a level of magic beyond anything they had imagined.
"Yu-ra," Kim Ho-jun addressed her.
"Yes, Kim Ho-jun-nim," she replied, straightening despite her fatigue.
"I promised to help you find your parents’ killer and give you the strength to defeat him. I can assist you more directly in achieving your revenge... but what would you prefer?"
Kim Ho-jun’s gaze bore into her, his words hanging heavily in the air.