Kim Ho-jun's proposal was simply too good to refuse. However, Kang Yu-ra couldn’t help but wonder why he was suddenly so eager to help her.
“Can I ask why you’re helping me so much all of a sudden?”
Her voice, unusually direct for someone as introverted as she was, reflected how important this matter was to her.
At her question, Kim Ho-jun turned to look at her face.
“For someone as introverted as you, who can barely muster the courage to speak to others, to ask me something this straightforward... revenge must be that urgent for you, right?”
“Yes? Yes... it is.”
Her naturally reserved demeanor shone through as she clasped her hands together and lowered her head. But soon after, Kang Yu-ra lifted her head, nodding firmly.
Revenge was something she could never let go of.
Until she reclaimed her mother’s body and avenged her parents, there was nothing that could bring her satisfaction.
And if she could, she wanted to kill Park Hyung-tae with her own hands. If someone else were to do it, it would be better than him staying alive, but...
Even then, the regret of not having personally avenged her parents would likely haunt her for the rest of her life.
“I feel the same way.”
Kim Ho-jun’s words startled Kang Yu-ra. He felt the same? What did that mean?
‘Could it be that he also has someone he wants revenge on?’
She couldn’t imagine what kind of grudge an SSS-class Hunter like Kim Ho-jun could possibly harbor. She was curious, but she didn’t ask him directly.
If someone were to ask her why she wanted revenge, she might answer, but the painful memories would resurface, leaving her uncomfortable. She assumed he’d feel the same.
“I’ll share the details later, after class ends this evening,” Kim Ho-jun continued. “For now, just know that I want to see your revenge come to fruition.”
At his words, Moriya Yuka appeared to be deep in thought.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, dear.”
Seomun Ye-jin smiled gently in their direction, saying, “See you later,” before clinging to Kim Ho-jun’s arm. The two soon disappeared from view.
***
After the class ended, all the students who had been sent to the mysterious space automatically returned to the outdoor auditorium.
"Whoa? We're back?"
"So it really brought us back when the time ran out."
"This is amazing."
The students murmured amongst themselves in awe. While some of them had experienced genuine fear of death during the class, their bodies were now fully healed.
To be honest, they weren’t even sure if what they had experienced was real.
"Did we actually get transported somewhere to fight?"
"No way. Moving a thousand people like that couldn’t be that easy."
"Maybe we all passed out and woke up later. Perhaps just our consciousness was sent to some kind of virtual world to experience it, and then we returned."
"That makes sense. Those floating texts felt more like a virtual reality game than actual reality."
While the other students were buzzing with speculation, Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee stood off to the side, watching their reactions with amused smiles.
They, however, knew for certain that it was reality. After all, if it weren’t real, they wouldn’t have been able to share such an intense experience with Baek Seo-jun.
If it had been a dream, their bodies would still be aching from the unfulfilled tension and frustration of unmet desires. The sense of release they had felt was undeniable proof that it wasn’t a dream but reality.
And there was someone else who, for a different reason, believed that what they had experienced wasn’t a dream, but reality.
***
"‘A dreamlike virtual world? No, that was definitely reality.’"
Baek Seo-jin clenched his fists as he replayed the recent events in his mind. Kim Ho-jun had used the guise of a class exercise to attempt to silence him for good. But thanks to Seomun Ye-jin’s desperate plea, offering herself entirely to serve and obey Ho-jun, Baek Seo-jin had narrowly avoided death.
The fear of death he had experienced during that moment was no illusion. It was all too real. And Seomun Ye-jin’s sacrifice wasn’t just a fleeting image from some virtual simulation—it was reality.
"Seo-jin, what do you think? What we experienced... it was real, right?"
"Yeah, it was real."
When Park Sun-hoo asked uncertainly, Baek Seo-jin answered without hesitation. His voice carried not even a shred of doubt.
"And Ye-jin noona’s sacrifice... that was real too," he added, his voice tinged with bitterness as his gaze fixed on the podium ahead.
There, Kim Ho-jun stood beside Seomun Ye-jin. She stood with her hands neatly folded, smiling at him, but Seo-jin knew her smile couldn’t possibly be genuine.
‘She’s forcing herself to smile. Damn it. She has to act like that.’
Seomun Ye-jin was putting on an act to satisfy Kim Ho-jun, to keep him from harming her. That was the only reason she could bring herself to smile at him as if it were genuine.
‘Noona, even if no one else recognizes your sacrifice, I do.’
Knowing full well that what had happened was not some virtual illusion but harsh reality, Baek Seo-jin tightened his fists in frustration. Still, he restrained himself from making the reckless mistake of provoking Kim Ho-jun.
As infuriating as it was, he understood that he wasn’t strong enough yet. As an SSS-class Hunter, Kim Ho-jun had held his rank for over nine years. Seo-jin knew he couldn’t take him down alone.
‘I need allies.’
If Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon supported him, and if his current companions grew even stronger, there might be a chance.
Perhaps even Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra, if they came to know the truth about Kim Ho-jun, would side with him. If he could recruit them as allies, their combined strength might make it possible to bring Ho-jun down within the month.
‘If that happens, Ye-jin noona will overcome her fear and join us too.’
If he, as an SSS-class Hunter, and Seomun Ye-jin, also an SSS-class Hunter, worked together, their chances would improve slightly. But if they weren’t certain of success, Seo-jin wouldn’t risk wasting Ye-jin’s sacrifice. He resolved to act cautiously and solidify his forces before making any moves.
As he finalized his decision, Kim Ho-jun spoke from the podium.
"Your battles have been fully recorded. Based on your performance against your respective opponents, we’ll evaluate your skills and announce your scores within the next week. Use this opportunity to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses."
Kim Ho-jun’s gaze swept over the students as he continued.
"Though the afternoon will be packed with classes, take time to review your battles. Think about what you could’ve done better. If you do, you might find a way to defeat your opponents next time."
To the other students, it sounded like routine advice from an instructor. But to Baek Seo-jin, it carried an entirely different meaning.
‘He’s taunting me!’
It was clear to Seo-jin that Ho-jun was mocking his failed attempt to save Seomun Ye-jin. He ground his teeth in frustration, vowing silently to turn that taunt into his motivation.
***
That afternoon's classes, aside from Kim Ho-jun's, proceeded at a more reasonable pace.
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However, they still included rigorous practical sessions, such as slaying monsters released into an outdoor auditorium under a protective barrier or engaging in sparring matches against instructors with restricted mana usage.
For most ordinary individuals, the series of intense practical sessions would have been exhausting.
But the students of Kangin Academy, who were mana awakeners, managed to complete the afternoon classes without issue, thanks to their inherent stamina and the recovery effects from Kim Ho-jun's earlier class.
"I'm sorry."
As soon as the afternoon classes ended, Moriya Yuka sought out Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee to apologize.
"What for?"
At Lee Ha-yeon’s question, Moriya Yuka spoke with an apologetic expression.
"I suddenly have to meet with Kim Ho-jun to discuss something. I originally wanted to have a detailed conversation with you two today, but... I’m really sorry, this is something very important. Can we postpone it until tomorrow?"
"I’m really, really sorry," Moriya Yuka repeated, bowing her head.
Following her, Kang Yu-ra also clasped her hands and deeply bowed in apology. Their earnestness brought smiles to Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee’s faces.
"It’s fine. Actually, the things we need to discuss are connected to him anyway," Lee Ha-yeon said with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah! Since Ho-jun oppa already gave us permission, we can go there and explain everything in detail. That works, right?" Han Se-hee added cheerfully.
Kang Yu-ra seemed momentarily taken aback by their mention of Kim Ho-jun being related to their story, but Moriya Yuka’s expression turned more thoughtful.
‘The two of them said someone precious to Baek Seo-jin was harmed and that Baek Seo-jin twisted his own memories to hate and blame his older brother, Baek Seo-jun.’
That was the information Moriya Yuka had gathered from her conversations with Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee. And now, the revelation that Kim Ho-jun was somehow connected to their story made her mind race.
‘Now that I think about it, Kim Ho-jun also mentioned that he has revenge he needs to carry out.’
Connecting the dots—Kim Ho-jun’s age, the earlier incident involving the footage of Baek Seo-jun’s childhood suffering at the hands of villains, and her own observations—Moriya Yuka arrived at a startling conclusion.
‘Baek Seo-jun. Could Kim Ho-jun really be Baek Seo-jun in disguise?’
The possibility hit her like a revelation, and Moriya Yuka began to suspect that the true identity of Kangin Academy’s enigmatic headmaster was, in fact, Baek Seo-jun.