<Breaking News: First-Year Class F's Yohan entered Pluton Academy to create a clan and take aim at the Academy.>
It was the headline of an article printed on the front page of the newspaper inside Pluton Academy.
The students murmured as they looked at the newspaper hung on the bulletin board.
They recalled the sight of Yohan, who had crippled the entire opposing side in the first sparring match in Academy history where one person had faced many.
―CRACK.
―CRUNCH.
The sounds, which made them wonder whether they could truly come from a human body, would not leave the students' minds.
There were even students who still retched when they thought of that moment.
The students' reactions split into two extremes.
The students who had not seen the horrific scene merely scolded the murmuring people for making a fuss.
"Why are you so scared over what is basically a Class F talent show?"
"What a fuss."
The students of Class E and Class D, who were highly likely to face Class F in the upcoming class competition, trembled in fear.
"Surely he won't do that in the class competition, right?"
"If it is the class competition, it will be worse than sparring."
"I am going crazy. I already do not want to do it."
The "class competition" on everyone's lips was a kind of exam where, among the seven classes—Class S, A, B, C, D, E, and F—Class F would begin by choosing another class in order and competing in skill.
As a reward for the class competition, AP (Academy Point), usable within the Academy, was given.
AP could be used to purchase daily necessities, outing passes, and even artifacts inside the Academy.
Because of that, Pluton's students acted desperately to obtain AP.
The class competition was a festival that paid out a large amount of AP if one won.
Every student was preparing thoroughly for the class competition.
As the students murmured in front of the bulletin board, a voice could be heard.
"What is everyone doing?"
Principal Geum Man-bo's thin voice rang through the hallway.
Because Man-bo had to guard the Chairman's empty seat, he returned here as soon as Seong-tae left Pluton.
"It is nothing... Principal...."
"Is that so? Do not play too much. Improve your skills. Be useful to the Academy."
"Yes...."
The students answered while watching Principal Geum Man-bo's expression.
Since he reacted very sensitively to anything related to money, the students had no choice but to watch Man-bo's mood.
At Pluton, if one's skill did not improve, one was immediately expelled. The standard of skill Man-bo held was whether someone brought in money or not.
Seong-tae also knew about this standard, but Man-bo's actions had made Pluton grow, so he did not bother touching him.
Man-bo glanced at the article on the bulletin board the students had been looking at.
Then, as if his interest had been piqued, he tore off the front page of the newspaper and headed for the Chairman's office.
In the Chairman's office where Man-bo arrived, Pluton's achievements until now remained displayed as they were.
Trophies were exhibited, and many certificates stood there.
Amid the countless achievements, a desk had been set up, and behind it was a leather chair.
Man-bo threw his fat, shabby body, shaped like a rugby ball, into the chair.
"Who is this bastard on the front page of the newspaper?"
Then he threw the newspaper he had torn off onto the desk and asked the secretary who had followed him inside.
His secretary opened a folder and found Yohan's file.
"That student's name is Yohan. He is a student of Class F."
"His rank?"
"He entered as the top entrant in first place, but he entered Class F."
"What does he take Pluton for, entering Class F voluntarily? So why is everyone making such a fuss?"
"That student, in this sparring match, faced Student Jung-han, Chairman Shin's son, and...."
"What?"
When "Chairman Shin's son" was mentioned, Man-bo sprang up from the chair he had been leaning back in.
"Chairman Shin is currently sponsoring Pluton! You are telling me he touched the child of such a person?"
"That is correct."
"Does Chairman Shin know about this?"
"He does."
"Pluton's support... surely it has not been cut off...?"
"No. Fortunately, it has not been cut off."
Even at the secretary's words, Man-bo stamped his feet and bit his nails.
"I apologize while you are anxious, but may I tell you the rest of the information?"
"What is it?!"
"It is because he defeated Student Jung-han and the other twenty-eight students—in other words, all of Class F."
"All of them? Are you saying a one-versus-many sparring match happened at Pluton?"
"That is correct."
"And one person won that too?"
"That is right."
Man-bo began turning his mind as he stroked his catfish-like mustache.
As a result of that thought, he reached the conclusion that Yohan could become money.
"What is that student's personal information? Is he the child of some great house, or a descendant of a prestigious family?"
"He is listed as a student who attended an ordinary humanities track."
"Family relations? Anyone around him, anything impressive?"
"He is connected to the Hangeom Family, but he is from a branch line."
"What? A branch line?"
"Yes. Hangeom Seo-yun of the direct line is currently enrolled."
"A branch line is useless!"
When he heard the words "Hangeom Family," he had been about to wag his tail at Yohan, even if it meant cutting ties with Chairman Shin.
But if he was a branch line, the story was different.
In a Family, a branch line was no different from an outsider.
Man-bo flicked his tongue vulgarly and sat back down in his chair.
"That is the end of the information?"
"That is correct. No matter how much I searched, there was nothing else."
The information network possessed by Man-bo's secretary was excellent enough for Man-bo to invest in it.
Since those words came from his mouth, Man-bo had no choice but to trust him.
"How does it make sense for there to be nothing?!"
Even so, frustrated, Man-bo threw an ashtray at the secretary.
"I will search further."
"No, forget it. If you searched and nothing came out, then that is the end of it. Do not waste more money for nothing!"
"Understood."
Man-bo leaned his body, which did not bend well, against the desk and stroked his catfish-like mustache.
"Tsk. He should be a bastard worth making money from."
***
The next day, in front of Class F's school building, Yohan stood guard before the school gate while holding a bamboo sword.
‘I received permission to use the field, and permission to use morning assembly time as well.’
All that remained was for the students to gather at the school building.
Not long after Yohan began waiting, the students who had finished treatment in the infirmary began showing their faces at the school gate one by one.
"Yo... Yohan...!"
"Before you enter the classroom, there is something you must do. Wait until everyone has gathered."
"...."
Because fear and terror had been carved into their bodies, the students had no choice but to obey Yohan's words.
The students who had arrived first could not hide their twisted expressions, but they followed Yohan's words and formed proper rows and columns.
Not long after that, Jung-han appeared last, with gauze wrapped around his face.
"What are you doing right now?!"
"What else? Hurry up and stand in line too...."
The students told Jung-han with their eyes to stop being clueless and line up quickly.
Jung-han, who had been unable to defeat Yohan even with numerical superiority, artifacts, and the power of Ego Weapons, looked at him and lined up with his spirit crushed.
"Everyone is gathered."
Once all twenty-nine had gathered, Yohan tapped the bamboo sword against the ground and spoke.
"Why did you gather us?"
"Right! We have to attend class!"
SMACK—!
With one hand, Yohan swung the bamboo sword and struck the wall of the school building.
"There you go again. Barking like dogs in heat. Looks like your heads weren't cracked enough."
At Yohan's words, the students grew frightened and rubbed their heads.
Looking at those students, Yohan struck the bamboo sword against the floor twice.
"The reason I gathered you is to explain what I will do with Class F from now on."
"Ex-Explain?"
"Yes. First, I will tell you your current state."
Yohan cleared his throat once, then shouted.
"You are trash!"
At Yohan's voice ringing loudly, the students could not even refute him.
"Your unity in the sparring match, the way you used your power, and your methods of response. In not a single aspect were you superior to a passing ant!"
The students chewed over the sparring match from the previous day.
"From now on, you will continue tasting defeats like this while living as Hunters. As mere E-grade or F-grade Hunters, that is."
"Th-That is not...."
"Why? Do you have something to say, loser?"
At the word "loser," the student who had been about to speak closed his mouth in shame.
"However, I have no intention of continuing Academy life while leaving you people as you are! We will stand together, and from now on, we will seize only victory!"
"Victory?"
"Yes! In the class competition, exams, sparring matches, and everything else, you will obtain victories that allow you to seize what you want!"
The students, who had failed to defeat even one person, could not feel Yohan's words.
As he had said at the beginning, after graduating from Pluton, they had merely hoped to live as Hunters.
To them, life at Pluton was nothing more than struggling not to be expelled.
And yet victory? In a situation where they had tasted defeat so heavily, it was the word farthest from them.
"What on earth are you going to do?! We are Class F, with F-grade Unique Abilities and Ego Weapons!"
"Shut up and follow me. This is the result of the sparring match you chose, so accept it obediently and submit!"
"Do you think that makes sense?!"
"Is there some kind of problem?"
Yohan approached the students lined up in rows and columns.
Then he pushed their heads with his finger and asked.
"Do you want to live at the bottom like that for the rest of your lives? Did you enter Pluton to learn a mere bottom-feeder's life? Is this all you are?"
At Yohan's sharp question, one student flared up and shouted.
"No! I didn't enter Pluton to learn this crap!"
"What is your dream?"
"A great Hunter like K and Instructor Seong-hyeon...."
Yohan moved on to the next student.
"Next. You."
"My dream is to become an A-grade Hunter and support my parents."
"Next!"
"I wanted to become the best tank."
In that way, while hearing their dreams one by one, Jung-han's turn came.
"What about you?"
"I...."
"You?"
"I want to make my name known as Shin Jung-han, not as Father's son!"
"Good, my friends! That is your potential!"
Only then did color return to the students' faces.
"If you cannot believe in yourselves, believe in me, the one who defeated you! Then I will guide you onto the path of victory!"
Yohan continued speaking.
"The first victory we will seize is in the class competition! And we will gather a large amount of AP and bestow it upon you!"
"Th-Then is our next goal becoming Class E?"
"If we fight a class competition against a higher class, we can receive more AP! Therefore, our current target is!"
Yohan spread four fingers and showed them to the students.
"Class C!"
"Class C? Can we win?"
"If it is Class C, then Class S, A, and B are above it. That means we are challenging the middle ranks, right?"
To quiet the murmuring people, Yohan struck the ground with his bamboo sword.
"I will say it once more. If you cannot believe in yourselves, believe in me! If you do not want to believe, you do not have to follow. However, in that case, there will be no reward, and the moment you become our enemy, it will not end with expulsion."
"Th-Then what are we supposed to do from now on?"
Yohan looked at the students and smiled.
"What else? Run. Right now!"