“This level of injury is about what you’d expect from training. Still, it’s Maeng Hyo-don.”

Maeng Hyo-don always tried his best to avoid injuries after suffering side effects from the fight club, which restricted his use of recovery items.

All his bold and seemingly reckless attacks were made with the confidence that he could avoid counterattacks.

Thanks to that caution, he rarely needed to use recovery items, and the aftereffects had mostly disappeared.

Still, seeing Maeng Hyo-don injured was surprising and worrying.

The classmates quickly gathered when they noticed the bandages on his face and the backs of his hands.

“Hyo-don, did you get hurt training with Teacher Tak Geosan this morning?”

“No.”

“Maybe you got hurt sparring with Yoon Seop...?”

“That’s not possible. With Yoon Seop’s skill, it’s impossible to injure Maeng Hyo-don.”

When Yoon Seop’s name came up, several classmates with some combat experience nodded in agreement.

It was true.

Unless Maeng Hyo-don was fighting under handicap or being coached rigorously by Tak Geosan to target him—like during that bet when becoming a disciple—small wounds would be hard to cause.

Thinking about Maeng Hyo-don’s schedule yesterday, someone asked,

“Could it be that junior from Tanrae Middle who you said would help you with the practical exam?”

“A middle schooler, to Hyo-don?”

“No way.”

At the mention of “middle schooler,” everyone was incredulous.

By third grade middle school standards, except for me and the unscrupulous Tigers, that meant a two-year age difference, but in the player’s world, that gap was significant.

There were major points where skill differences emerge, like the availability of Kwanglim and the growth speed of supernatural abilities.

So the classmates were doubtful, but Maeng Hyo-don nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah, it was.”

Hearing that surprised everyone but also sparked curiosity.

Even the Tigers, interested, asked,

“What skill did they use? If it was bare-handed combat, you shouldn’t have lost.”

“Let me try guessing. Probably a skill good at ambush and hard to detect. Am I right?”

“Uh... I don’t know about that...”

After some thought, Maeng Hyo-don replied, recalling the fight,

“There were many supernatural energy users. They couldn’t control it well.”

It was a simple but clear answer.

Having many supernatural energy users was overwhelmingly advantageous.

Simply put, which would hurt more, being hit with a light candy stick or a heavy club?

Of course, even if total supernatural energy was high, the techniques wielded, control methods, and ability to channel that energy mattered to realize its full power.

Maeng Hyo-don seemed to have taught the junior how to control supernatural energy, and his skin ended up scratched.

“If they can injure Maeng So-hyeop, it won’t be hard for them to pass the academy. But what about the written exam...?”

“Couldn’t they enter through a special admission like Hyo-don?”

“Hmm, I’ve been reading player-related news for info, but I don’t recall any Tanrae Middle student winning awards in the youth sports preliminaries.”

Ong Gildong was surprisingly well-informed.

Apparently, the Tanrae middle schooler hadn’t swept awards like Maeng Hyo-don.

If they couldn’t control their supernatural energy enough to injure Maeng Hyo-don, they might cause accidents if they entered competitions.

“According to the teacher, that kid studies well. More worried about the practical than the written exam.”

Maeng Hyo-don nodded firmly.

That Tanrae middle schooler’s mentor was a veteran who had successfully gotten Maeng Hyo-don admitted.

They would know the entrance exam well; if they said so, it was probably true.

If they mastered supernatural energy control, passing wouldn’t be difficult.

“They’ve had that much supernatural energy since middle school? Promising.”

“With that much energy, they must have endured being picked by the center.”

The Tigers made a dangerous remark, but the center incident was widely known, as was Tanrae Middle’s involvement, so there was no need to hide it.

Anyway, it seemed almost certain that next year another Tanrae Middle student would enter Eun Gwang High.

Meanwhile, I unexpectedly heard news about another prospective freshman.

[Oh Hyeji] Uishin, how’s the festival prep going?

Oh Hyeji, who had temporarily held the position of Shaman of the Green Clothes, occasionally contacted me even after stepping down.

I felt grateful and a bit sorry that she cared about juniors despite her busy college life.

After some small talk, she got to the point.

[Oh Hyeji] Hyeyul wants to buy some of the chocolates you’re planning to sell, a bit early. Is there going to be a pre-sale?

[Oh Hyeji] The festival starts after exams. After seeing Dongha and Junyeol get perfect scores, she wants to get your chocolate. Even if it’s a superstition, she wants to do her best.

[Oh Hyeji] And she seems to have become your fan after fighting you at Bimuyeon? That seems to be the biggest reason.

I knew Dongha and Junyeol’s great results had spread beyond the school, but I hadn’t expected it to affect prospective Eun Gwang students.

Having personally faced Oh Hyeyul at Bimuyeon, I could say she would surely pass Eun Gwang High.

Even if she made a big mistake during the exam, she probably would pass.

She finished Bimuyeon without major injury and probably grew a lot from the experience.

She wouldn’t need the “Supernova Chocolate,” so why was she trying so hard for perfect scores?

‘I roughly understand the situation, but if I make exceptions, there’ll be chaos.’

It was difficult to speed up the schedule or make exceptions.

Though it was Oh Hyeji’s request, I reluctantly refused.

[Me] Sorry, the packaging printing isn’t done yet, so early sales aren’t possible.

[Oh Hyeji] No worries, I’m sorry for making you worry! Just checking. Could you tell me the name of the chocolate you gave Dongha and Junyeol? Also, what else do they usually like?

Thanks to Oh Hyeji’s straightforward reply, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ I felt a bit relieved.

I was surprised Oh Hyeyul took such superstitions seriously, but it showed how much she aimed for perfect scores.

I recommended some other especially tasty products as well.

Meanwhile, I got a message from an excellent senior and disciple who had triggered this commotion.

[Yeom Junyeol] (photo)

[Yeom Junyeol] (photo)

[Yeom Junyeol] Uishin, thanks to your support, I got these results.

Junyeol sent separate messages as senior and disciple.

Though his tone differed, both included two photos.

[Yeom Junyeol] (photo)

[Yeom Junyeol] (photo)

[Yeom Junyeol] Thank you, teacher. I wanted to report this before graduation.

The first photo was the college entrance exam score report.

Though it didn’t show his rank, the percentile made it clear he had a perfect score.

The second photo was the final exam transcript, showing both scores and rank.

Both were perfect scores, and he was top of the class.

‘I’ve been bothered by being second place for a long time. Glad I ended on a high note.’

I was proud and happy, and giving him chocolates was nothing compared to that.

I didn’t have a long conversation with Yeom Junyeol about grades, but I sincerely expressed my joy at his achievement after a long challenge since he became my disciple.

At the same time, I felt a bit bittersweet.

‘This will probably be the last time I hear about Yeom Junyeol’s results.’

It was bitter, but Junyeol would now enter a bigger world and face greater challenges.

While Eun Gwang High gathers excellent students and teachers in a freer atmosphere, there was a wider world outside.

I hid my regret and silently wished Junyeol success.

Then, I prepared to welcome the next new student.

On the day of the Eun Gwang High entrance exam,

I helped guide examinees as a class officer.

My role was to assist with directions.

The school was large, so students often got lost, requiring several students to guide lost examinees around the exam buildings.

‘We have Hwang Ji-ho who can use his power as the guardian of Shin Station, and Cheon Dongha who controls the eyes that contain Kunkon. Even if someone gets lost, it should be fine.’

While thinking this, an exception came to mind.

It concerned the kid taking the exam this time.

‘Come to think of it, Joo Suri got lost once because of the Silver Hero.’

Joo Suhyuk’s cousin, Joo Suri.

Suri had gone missing last year during the festival visit.

It was a stunt by the Silver Hero to lure me, but even with Hwang Ji-ho’s power and Cheon Dongha’s Kwanglim, Suri’s whereabouts couldn’t be found.

In other words, there was a way to erase one’s trail within Eun Gwang High even with their powers.

“Uishin, there you are.”

“Hello.”

“You don’t have to greet me so politely every time.”

At that moment, Cheon Dongha spoke.

I was a bit surprised since I was just thinking about him, but I immediately greeted back.

Cheon Dongha smiled and looked around.

“...Have you seen anyone who looks like me?”

Someone who looks like Cheon Dongha?

If there was such a person, I’d notice immediately even if distracted.

When I said no, Cheon Dongha lowered his eyes and looked troubled.

I wondered if someone was lost, but it didn’t seem serious.

“Hmm, it’s kind of difficult to use Kwanglim for this kind of thing.”

“What’s wrong?”

Cheon Dongha hesitated while looking at a paper bag in his hand.

The contents were hidden by good packaging, but the MITRON logo was printed on the outside, so I guessed what was inside.

Carrying something like that during exam season clearly meant something.

Seeing Cheon Dongha hesitate to speak, I said first,

“You must be planning to give it to the kid who almost became Cheon Geumha.”

“That’s right. I’ve seen photos but never met them in person. Maybe I should have arranged to meet them first.”

Although he hadn’t met the kid in real life, he had encountered them in the replay.

In the replay, everything went according to the black curtain’s plan, and Eunho, who was supposed to attend the TC Group meeting, was absent.

So on Christmas Eve, Cheon Dongha met the kid who might become Cheon Geumha.

That didn’t happen in this world, though.

I saw that kid through the replay.

“It’s better if I or my sibling deliver this.”

“...You think that’s better?”

Uncharacteristically, Cheon Dongha’s tone trailed off a bit.

He seemed worried about the kid and uncertain if he should get involved.

I reassured him,

“Yes, it’s before the exam. The kid you saw in the replay trusted you a lot. They might get flustered and mess up the exam. It’s better to meet after the exam.”

His expression brightened somewhat at my words.

Though that kid who might be Cheon Geumha wasn’t a blood sibling, the bond was clear, so he cared.

It would be best to entrust the gift to Eunho, who had met the kid directly, but since distance was a problem, I decided to deliver it myself.

But then an unexpected situation followed.

“Unknown Supernova!”

The kid who looked very much like Cheon Dongha looked at me excitedly.

Not only Cheon Dongha but I also seemed to trigger something in that kid.