The Academy Geniuses I Raised and Dressed

The weekend flew by in a blink, and a new week began.

After the afternoon’s training course and a class on Demon Realm Studies, our homeroom teacher led the closing announcements.

“Only one week left in March,” she said, standing at the podium, “Your end-of-month assignment will be announced sometime before Wednesday. It’ll heavily impact your grades, and those who succeed will be rewarded not only with shop points, but also Demon Realm relics. So do your best.”

At the mention of Demon Realm relics, the students' expressions shifted.

On campus, gear was generally banned outside of special situations.

After all, it wouldn’t be fair if some students had nothing but basic skills in their Skill Slots, while others strolled in with Level 20 Skill Gems or high-level equipment.

But dungeon exercises were the one exception. Equipment and consumables were allowed.

The purpose of dungeon practice was to simulate real combat as closely as possible.

So in Latessai, the rule was simple—use every tool at your disposal.

Which is why dungeon practice ends up being anything but fair.

Kids from rich families could easily get Magic- or Rare-grade equipment.

Those who weren’t so lucky had to either pray for good drops from monsters or aim for the prizes given out by the academy.

And this was Gwangcheon.

A Hunter academy where students without money or support tended to gather.

So naturally, everyone got excited at the mention of relics as rewards.

After homeroom ended, Lumina and I left the main building together.

“I wonder what the end-of-month assignment will be,” she said as we walked back to the dorms.

“Hmm… Maybe something like defeating a specific monster in a dungeon?”

What I mentioned was actually a real quest type for end-of-month assignments.

Clearing a specific dungeon section within a time limit.

Retrieving items from a designated monster.

Eliminating a certain number of monsters using specific skills.

There were lots of possibilities, and a few would be chosen at random.

The only constant was that all of them took place in dungeons.

“I hope it’s not too hard…”

Lumina looked worried, but honestly, these assignments were nothing to worry about.

The reason I power-leveled Lumina to Level 15 in the Catacombs was precisely so we could breeze through upcoming scenario quests.

The March assignment was one of those.

Given our current levels and gear, both Lumina and I could clear it easily.

She probably doesn’t realize what the real problem ahead of us is.

If she did, that’d mean she was a player like me—someone who’d possessed a character.

But that was just my paranoia.

If everything Lumina had said and done so far was just acting, she wouldn’t be human—she’d be a god of deception.

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“Yeah.”

I waved back and walked toward the boys’ dorm.

As I passed through the dorm entrance and climbed to the fourth floor, I froze halfway up the stairs.

Jin Cheongwang was there.

He was coming down, while I was going up.

“…”

“…”

Jin Cheongwang glared straight into my eyes.

No way.

There wasn’t any event like this in the game.

Even as I thought that, I slid my hand into my pocket where the icon was hidden—just in case.

“Hmph.”

Jin Cheongwang scoffed and brushed past me.

Right. Not here.

That guy may have a temper, but he wasn’t stupid enough to start a fight in the dorms.

Still, that hostility meant the side scenario was definitely still in motion.

So the real event’s going to happen tomorrow.

I continued up the stairs, thinking about Tuesday’s afternoon class.

Tuesday afternoon.

All the first-year students of Gwangcheon Academy were gathered at the outdoor training ground.

“Today, you won’t be fighting robots,” barked the female instructor with a military buzz cut, “Today, you’ll be fighting each other.”

“We’ll split into Class A and Class B for a team match. Every student on the winning team gets 30 shop points.”

The students reacted instantly. Class A with cheer, Class B with dismay.

“Abilities and Skill Slots are allowed. However, you may only use the basic skills assigned during functional training. Gear must be your default combat uniform. Weapons must be wooden. Everyone will also wear one of these.”

She held up an old, worn-out belt with a glowing blue gemstone embedded in it.

“This is a magic belt that provides a protective shield. The shield has 150 HP and 20 defense. The moment it breaks, you’re out. Eliminated students must immediately leave the field. Fighting without a shield or attacking someone whose shield is already gone will get you a 50-point penalty. Now grab a belt and pick your weapon.”

Students headed to the storage lockers, which used inventory systems, and started gearing up.

Wooden swords, daggers, spears, and staffs were chosen and paired with the old belts.

“Class A, to the left side. Class B, to the right.”

Students split up across the central line of the training ground.

The shield magic activated, wrapping their bodies in a protective aura like a second skin.

Tension filled the air as Cheongwang, Jaesik, and Wolff exchanged glances at the back of Class A’s formation.

Meanwhile, in Class B, I was surrounded by teammates discussing our strategy.

Up above, the instructor tapped her tablet to launch surveillance drones.

“I’ll count down. Three… two… one. Begin!”

[WAAAAAAH!!]

With a shout, Class B charged.

Class A reeled in surprise.

They hadn’t expected the underdogs to initiate a full-on assault.

But charging didn’t guarantee a win.

Class A quickly recovered and retaliated.

Magic blasts flew, shields flared, abilities roared to life, and wooden weapons clashed.

Amid the chaos of dozens tangled in combat, Jin Cheongwang’s group began circling around the battlefield.

Their goal had never been victory—it was me.

I was in the rear line, lobbing Spike Bombs in an arc like artillery.

Every time one exploded, two or three Class A shields blinked out of existence.

B-class students at the back spotted the trio sneaking around.

“It's Jin Cheongwang!”

“Stop him!”

Five students stepped up to protect me.

“Wolff, open it up,” Jin Cheongwang ordered.

Wolff raised his thick, muscular arms like a boxer and activated his ability.

‘Bull Rush!’

His body swelled, then blasted forward in a straight line.

“Uwaaaah!!”

“Kyaaah!!”

The charge was so forceful, B-class students in his path were sent flying.

Bull Rush.

A 2-second dash skill that boosted movement speed and resistance while dealing damage proportional to attack power to anyone hit.

Wolff closed the distance in a flash. Jaesik dashed in behind him, followed closely by Cheongwang.

“How long are you gonna keep doing that!?”

Wolff shouted as he closed in.

I stopped throwing bombs and jumped back to widen the distance.

But Wolff circled around behind me instantly.

“Click.”

I clicked my tongue and turned in another direction.

“Too late.”

Jaesik was already there.

He’d used a basic movement skill from his Skill Slot to appear ahead of me.

He raised one leg high and slammed it down.

BOOM! The ground trembled beneath me.

I lost my balance and fell flat.

It was Jaesik’s skill. Seismic Step.

Seismic Step was a cone-shaped AoE that inflicted stagger and dealt fixed damage.

The blue shield around me flickered, on the verge of breaking.

That’s when it happened—a powerful spark exploded just meters away.

At its center stood Cheongwang, his entire body glowing gold.

His ability—Lightning Form—had activated.

For 10 seconds, Cheongwang became a living thunderbolt.

His movement speed increased by 500%, and all his attacks gained the lightning attribute.

On top of that, every attack dealt bonus damage and had a 35% chance to cause Shock.

Its cooldown was long—120 seconds—but he wouldn’t need it twice.

Jin Cheongwang kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

In a single bound, he became a bolt of lightning crashing down toward me.

The flash was so intense, Jaesik and Wolff had to shut their eyes.

BOOOOOM!!!

The explosion that followed dwarfed the impact of Jaesik’s Seismic Step.

Every Hunter trainee, Class A or B, stared wide-eyed at the blast site with jaws hanging open.

Everyone thought the same thing.

He’s dead.

At the very least, he’s going to the hospital.

No shield could survive that kind of attack.

Of course, that had been Jin Cheongwang’s group's goal all along.

Once the shield was gone, further attacks were banned—but not before.

When Jaesik’s Seismic Step landed, my shield had only flickered—it hadn’t broken.

That meant Jin Cheongwang was free to use his full power.

And he knew my stamina aptitude was an F—he’d seen the data from Kai’s people.

There was no way I could dodge or tank that hit.

My shield would break, and I’d be crippled.

That’s how it was supposed to go.

But fate twisted.

“!!”

Jin Cheongwang’s eyes went wide.

In the crater left by his strike—there was no sign of me.

Instead, a spiked orb sat at the center.

“Damn it!”

Jin Cheongwang reacted immediately.

BOOM!

The Spike Bomb exploded—and thorns flew in every direction.

“Guh!”

“Wha—?!”

Jaesik and Wolff were struck head-on by the storm of flying spikes.

Caught completely off guard, they didn’t even have time to activate their defensive skills. Their protective shields vanished in an instant.

“Maybe I got a bit greedy aiming for a triple hit.”

The voice drew their eyes—and they froze.

Even Cheongwang, watching from where he’d landed, now had a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek.

I was sitting calmly on the ground, arms folded, a smile on my face.

I looked like I was out on a picnic.

My shield, though faint, still clung to me.

“No way!”

Cheongwang shouted without realizing.

“My attack hit you—I'm sure of it!”

“You’re mistaken. I dodged it using a movement skill.”

I held up my arm, showing the skill slot on my combat uniform.

“If I hadn’t, do you really think I’d still be here? If your attack had landed, my arms, legs, guts, or skull would’ve been shattered and I’d be lying there instead.”

Cheongwang flinched.

“The plan failed, huh?”

I dropped the smile and spoke coldly.

“Kh!”

Cheongwang clenched his teeth and tried to lunge at me again—but the light around him flickered and vanished.

The ten seconds of Lightning Form were up.

And in the next moment—

CRACK!!

“…!”

Cheongwang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He’d just been struck in the stomach.

Right in front of him stood Lumina, holding a wooden dagger.

Jaesik and Wolff’s jaws dropped.

When they saw the state of Cheongwang’s shield—or lack thereof—they realized with horror what had happened.

His shield was gone.

“What are you doing just standing there? Get out of the training zone already.”

I stood up, a Spike Bomb in my hand.

“Or are you thinking of attacking me anyway?”

I pointed up at the surveillance drones floating overhead.

“Kh…”

Cheongwang grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

“Ch-Cheongwang…”

Wolff glanced toward the instructor and called out softly.

Jaesik gave Cheongwang an uneasy look as well.

“……”

Cheongwang relaxed his shoulders and let the tension drain from his body.

Finally, the three of them left the field without a word.

The battle went on for about three more minutes.

B-Class won.

No matter how you looked at it, the victory was due to two things—my wide-area ability, and the early elimination of Cheongwang’s squad.

“That was insane!!”

“I can’t believe they knocked out Cheongwang’s group that fast!”

“Did you see Lumina one-shot Cheongwang? Gave me chills!”

“And Nam Yein just sat there calmly while fighting those three like he was Buddha facing Sun Wukong!”

“Today’s win is all thanks to Yein and Lumina!”

The classroom buzzed with excitement.

Beating Class A felt like the sweetest victory ever.

Lumina’s face was bright red as she shyly tried to wave off the praise.

“We never would’ve won if it was just me and Lumina. Everyone followed the plan perfectly—that’s why we won.”

I acted humble and shifted the credit to the class.

Right before the mock battle, I’d convinced B-Class to follow my strategy.

Leave a small group behind to protect me while I bombarded from the rear.

Have everyone else charge forward to prevent Class A from reaching me

Cheongwang’s group would definitely target me—but I had a plan to deal with them.

That was what I’d told them.

“But seriously, Cheongwang’s attack? That wasn’t training—that was murder.”

“Right?! I mean, who the hell turns into lightning?”

“How did you even dodge that, Yein?”

They all looked at me.

“I knew it was coming. If you’re prepared, dodging isn’t that hard.”

“Woooah…”

“As expected of Yein. You’re just built different.”

They were impressed—but I was lying.

When Cheongwang’s crew attacked, I had been stunned by Jaesik’s Seismic Step. I couldn’t move at all.

Dodging was impossible.

And Cheongwang’s attack had definitely hit me.

That was the trigger.

A fatal attack that should’ve killed me activated the item I had hidden inside my combat uniform.

[Substitute Doll]

A mysterious straw doll that sacrifices itself when the user takes a fatal hit.

Upon activation, the user is teleported a short distance away. The doll consumes all but 1 HP in exchange for your life.

Only one may be carried at a time.

Do not dishonor the noble sacrifice of the doll.

The straw used to make the Substitute Doll had come from Eleanor’s workshop.

It was a Rare material—one I could never have gotten on my own.

But I’d known it was there because I’d played a character with a craftsman class.

That was why I went to Eleanor before the Cheongwang event started.

I’d made all the preparations I could—but it was still a gamble.

When I talked so casually with them earlier, I had only 1 HP left.

The reason I was sitting on the ground?

I literally couldn’t stand.

My vision was spinning and I was on the verge of vomiting.

If I had taken even one more hit, I would’ve died for real.

That’s why I held the Spike Bomb when they approached.

I wanted to take them out quickly and prevent any further attacks while they were off-guard.

Cheongwang, still in Lightning Form, might have escaped the blast radius.

So from the start, I had ordered Lumina to use Stealth and wait for an opening to strike Cheongwang.

While I stalled them with conversation, Lightning Form wore off—

And Lumina, true to the plan, attacked at just the right moment.

That’s one death event avoided. If I weren’t playing as Nam Yein, and just some regular character, this wouldn’t have been necessary.

Now that Cheongwang was down, the side scenario would move to its next phase.

It wouldn’t be long before I met Meiling.

(End of Chapter)