Chapter 32: Group Assignment (2)

The academy’s reputation was pristine and immense.
It wielded the greatest influence in academia and industry.

So students squeezed every last drop out of their four years.

There was no waste.
Because the time wasted today would return as tomorrow’s defeat.

Building connections.
Achieving high scores in relative evaluation.
Striving to catch the professor’s eye.

The diploma.
That was all they were after.

It was said that graduating was harder than entering.
It meant that even the best talents were filtered out.

There were students who became zombies and turned dark because they couldn’t get their graduation recognized.
It wasn’t uncommon for students to go down to other academies in the provinces and obtain their diplomas there.

That was why the diploma of a prestigious school had unimaginable value.

Because the diploma was the hunter’s license in this era.

Even if everyone started at F-grade.
Graduates of the Korea Hunter Academy had a different starting line.

However.
I had no intention of conforming to that system.

‘I want to climb the tower quickly. So that I can see the world with my own eyes.’

Early graduation.

Grades had to be perfect.
Top of the class? That was a given.

I had to optimize even the course arrangement to meet the graduation requirements.

Summer school was also a must.
I had to strategically take the required major courses and take higher-level courses faster than others.

The fact that I had a double major shone.

But it wasn’t just about filling up the credits.
While maintaining high grades, I had to handle assignments, team projects, and even research.

In particular, graduating early meant, “I have nothing more to learn from the academy.”
There was a high possibility that people around me would not like it. Therefore, I also needed achievements that would be recognized in academia.

In a word.
Something only geniuses could accomplish.

It was said that fewer than 10 people in the history of the academy had graduated early.

So anxiety arose.

‘Is this a group project?’

I had heard about the horrors of group projects.
If you opened the [System] and entered the Hunternet, there was also a community where academy students gathered.

In theory, one might think, ‘Since the best talents are gathered, shouldn’t collaboration be smooth?’

But the reality was the opposite.
The sound of rupture when people who pursued perfection in their own ways clashed was often more intense.

[How do I deal with the type that dumps everything and doesn’t do research?]
[Our group had a big fight because our opinions didn’t match, crazy]
[Who made the rule that the team leader = s*ave?]
[Press like if you feel like taking a leave of absence]

Like people who had been hit by magic.
Students who were spitting blood were everywhere.

The academy was also aware of the dangers of group projects.

It was a place full of young and spirited people.
It seemed that there had been murder cases as people’s emotions intensified.

That was why students could freely form groups.

But I?

Because I used firearms.
There was widespread disregard because of that.

In the magic department, they looked at me like a monster because of ‘Cancellation’, which had an absolute advantage.

But it was different in the martial arts department.

What they trusted was the body.
Swords and spears, fists and feet.

Guns were heresy.
But me?

A visually impaired person who shot guns.

Although I received a perfect score in the performance evaluation.
I had barely spoken to my classmates.

‘But they’re telling me to do a group project.’

The team had to consist of four members.
There could be no exceptions.

Our team, which showed no signs of developing from two members, was naturally dealt with.
The teaching assistant forcibly inserted two people.

And now, those two were the problem.

Loran also expressed her annoyance with her characteristic tone. I could feel the spirit of wanting to kill anyone who got in her way.

“Kim Cheolsoo and Jeong Heedo, was it? When are these trash going to come? The other groups have already gone in and we’re the only ones left.”

At that time.
Something caught my senses.

Two men approached at the same time.

“Ah, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to be late.”

Kim Cheolsoo raised the corners of his mouth ambiguously. He was searching.

Who was angry,
Who he should apologize to,
Who he could just brush off.

His eyes immediately went to Loran.
I was out of his sight. He had seen the sunglasses and the gun on my waist.

At least he pretended to be sorry.
Jeong Heedo was brazen.

“Although we’re late, it’s not really a big problem. We can enter the labyrinth without penalty even if we’re late.”

It was an attitude that suggested this much should be understood.
It felt strange. It felt like my common sense was wrong.

“…Let’s just go in.”

I sighed.
It was a day when the sunlight poured down lonely.

The system measured the completion rate.
It graded when clearing the tower.

From F-grade to SSS.
The rewards differed depending on the grade.

The exact criteria?
Nobody knew.

One day, they received an S grade after completing a mission.
Sometimes the message didn’t even appear after completing the mission.

However, the faculty analyzed and implemented the environment closest to actual combat.
A test that comprehensively evaluated not only combat power, but also thinking ability, quick wits, judgment, and collaboration ability.

Group project, labyrinth exploration.

Students had to achieve several goals while overcoming monsters and obstacles.

Survival, boss kill, map revealing, treasure hunt.

The group members overcame adversity and conquered the labyrinth.
The better they did than others, the higher the evaluation.

I looked down at the tightly fitting equipment.
Miles.

It was expensive equipment. It contained a shield inside.
If the HP, which was set equally for each student, was all depleted, it was considered death.

At that moment, the group project was immediately F grade.
The end.

No excuses would work.
So I had to be most wary.

Preventing my teammates from holding me back.

Thud thud.

The walls were rough, and damp moisture permeated the air.
Four people stood side by side and walked through the dark labyrinth.

The path was narrow and long. The darkness made it impossible to gauge the depth.

Then the path split.
Seven paths.

“Where should we go?”

The tone the two men took towards Loran had somehow become polite.
If they could somehow make a connection, it would be a life-changing event.

Such an intention was visible even without opening my eyes.
Loran was aloof. No, was she indifferent?.

I immediately spoke up.

“Let’s go down the 4th path.”

I had opened my eyes once inside the sunglasses.
It throbbed painfully, so I closed them tightly again.

But once I saw it, I couldn’t forget.
I had memorized the entire structure of the labyrinth.

The route to acquire the treasure first and then go to catch the boss was the cleanest.
If they just followed me, I could be the best guide.

But.

“Let’s go to number 1.”
“Huh? Number 1?”

“I have clairvoyance. This place has the fewest traps.”
“Hmm.”

A groan came out naturally.
Number 1 had few traps, but there was a problem.

This place was ‘Survival’.

The academy’s evaluation was all relative. The same was true for group projects.
Naturally, there would be strategies to target others’ HP.

Moreover, our group entered the labyrinth the latest.
Naturally, we were at a disadvantage.

If someone was ambushed and received a death judgment, the score would drop drastically.

But to go the easiest way?
Was he crazy?.

“You see a lot of footprints here. It seems like another group has already entered this way, so we won’t be able to avoid a fight.”

The opinion was valid.
Avoid fighting and only take efficiency.

But, my opinion was not expressed.

“Clairvoyance is king.”
“Brat. You’re just hitching a ride, so just follow along and don’t act up. What does a disabled person know.”

The three’s movements headed towards the first path.
It was understandable. There was no way they would follow the words of a visually impaired person.

‘Should I just abandon them and do it alone?’

I soon shook my head.
Even a painful finger was still a finger.

At that time.

There was a sensation that spread from my head.
It was because the function of handling the will became more detailed after the upper danjeon was opened.

I felt the fluttering of the energy. The sign was strange.

The moment the enemy stretched out his foot, a familiar tremor was transmitted.
I knew this well. I was faster.

I took a step with the will to pierce a hundred steps in an instant.

My whole body sprang out like a crossbow. In an instant, the world broke and the scenery changed.
A rough fist full of calluses was close to my face.

Not one, but three.

I used the right foot that I had stepped on as the flow to handle the fist power.
There was a countermeasure. I still had breath left.

‘I have to block it, not avoid it.’

I released the condensed air force explosively and blocked the strike.
It wasn’t a reflexive response, it was an intentional release.

The shock flowed from my hand to my elbow, shoulder blade, and then to my back, disappearing.
The freely moving air force helped this.

Perfect shock dispersion.
Even the body of a kid could become a mountain depending on how it was used.

It was the mystery of Nahangwon. It was based on how to get hit without getting hurt.

“?”
“What?”
“Where did he come from?”

The surprised reactions of the triplets were enjoyable. It was proof that my judgment was not bad.

But.
As expected of prestigious academy students, the time to collect their emotions was fleeting.

The martial arts department students who came from China rushed in.
The situation was still in their favor. They knew how to thoroughly exploit their advantage.

“Oh yeah. Come on, you little br*t!”
“It’s time to repay the humiliation from last time.”
“Try blocking this too?”

It was said that not wasting energy was the way to ride the flow.
Movements using resilience continued.

The swimming strikes approached, tearing through the air.

Whoosh!

I showed off my skills without caring.

Thud!

I stepped on the ground. The floor caved in.
My whole body caused an elastic reaction.
Because I had been doing stretching exercises without fail, my flexibility was no joke.

My hip joint, spine, and shoulders rotated simultaneously to create a central axis.

My center of gravity shifted momentarily and my body turned half a circle.

Even though I performed a big movement, the enemy’s flank was still open.
It was chilling even though I performed it. The world was turned upside down.

A light strike was properly embedded through the fluttering hair.
It was because I applied Gunrimbo like a kick.

The shield embedded in the Miles equipment greeted my sole.

Bang!!

It didn’t feel like I hit a person, the sensation of stepping on my foot remained.
Following that feeling, I did a somersault in the air and landed on the ground. Lightly.

Thud.

With that.
One of the twins slammed the floor with a frustrated face.

“Ugh! What is this? Is it broken? From just one kick?”

It seemed that his HP was completely depleted in one shot.
I could feel it. I got stronger again. I didn’t even open my eyes this time.

At that time, a strange silence was felt.

Whether it was conscious or unconscious.
Everyone had swallowed their breath at some point, and they were staring at me with a mixture of astonishment and caution.

Loran’s face was the funniest. Her mouth was clicking even though she wasn’t a skeleton.
She seemed to know that she was protected.

“What did I just see?”
“I was also a super-promising prospect in my hometown.”
“…You. Were you hiding your strength?”

I was in doubt.
Couldn’t he do this much himself?.

At that time.
A man with a neat energy walked out.

It was a gait with a perfectly controlled center of gravity. So that he could draw his sword at any moment.

“Ho. So you’re the top student of the first year. I was only looking forward to going up, but I didn’t expect to run into you like this. It was worth the ambush.”
“Who?”

I just expressed my question.
A sigh that seemed to ind

icate that there was a problem with that question poured out from the twins.

“You b*tch! You lowly bt*ch, you don’t even recognize the young master of the Sword Alliance!”
“Among all the weapons, the sword is the best. Therefore, the Sword Alliance. He is the nephew of the 9th guild director.”
“He is scheduled to enter the Yongbongjihoe (the gathering of the greatest young martial artists). He is not someone you can treat carelessly!”

That arrogance was hard to believe.
No matter how much a person valued blood ties, would he take care of his nephew’s cousin?.

“So?”

I showed an attitude of ‘so what’ with all my might. The body of an elementary school student could do that with just words.
When the twins were about to get angry at my words.

“Enough.”

He stepped forward.

“You recognized Nahangwon properly. Since the Sword Alliance is a rival, you can’t not know. I wanted to mix hands at least once. Let’s compete. Fist technique against fist technique.”

At those words, my hand naturally went to my waist.
It was there. As always.

A heavy touch. A gray sheen.
As soon as my finger touched it, it responded.

[Oh! Touch me! Use me!]

‘Gun technique?’