The prestige of the Academy was immaculate and immense. It commanded overwhelming influence in both academic and professional circles.

That’s why students squeezed every second of their four years. There was no room for waste. Any time squandered today would become tomorrow’s defeat.

They built networks. They earned top marks in relative evaluations. They did everything to get on the professors’ good side.

All for one thing… the diploma.

they said graduation was harder than admission.

It meant that even among the best talents, some would still be filtered out. Some students turned into husks, falling into darkness after failing to graduate.

Others transferred to regional academies to obtain their diplomas there.

That’s why a diploma from a prestigious institution carried unimaginable value.

In this era, a diploma effectively doubled as a Hunter license.

Everyone might start at F-rank, but graduates of the Korean Hunter Academy had a different starting line.

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

"I want to climb the Tower as fast as possible. That way, I can explore the world with my own eyes."

Early graduation. Perfect GPA was a given. Top of the department? Obviously a prerequisite.

I had to optimize my course layout just to meet graduation requirements. Seasonal semesters were a must.

I had to take core subjects strategically and enroll in advanced ones ahead of others. My double major finally showed its worth.

But grades alone weren’t enough. I had to maintain high grades while handling assignments, team projects, and research.

Especially since early graduation implied, "I have nothing more to learn from the Academy." Naturally, others would not look upon that favorably.

I also needed achievements recognized by the academic community.

In short… it was something only geniuses could accomplish. Fewer than ten people in Academy history had ever graduated early.

That’s why anxiety welled up.

"So this is a group project."

I had heard plenty about how terrifying they were.

Opening the [System] and logging into HunterNet, there was a community of Academy students. Theoretically, wouldn’t the best minds work well together?

Reality said otherwise. The clash of perfectionists in their own right often created violent friction.

–-------------------------------------------------------------

[How do you deal with freeloaders who don’t do research?]

[Our group exploded from disagreements. WTF.]

[Who decided group leader = slave?]

[If you’re considering taking a leave, this post is for you.]

–-------------------------------------------------------------

Like people suffering from magic backlash, students practically coughed up blood.

The Academy knew the dangers of group projects. It was filled with hot-blooded youth, and there had even been murders sparked by flaring tempers.

So students were allowed to freely form their own teams. But me? Even if I ranked first, I was completely ignored.

Because I used firearms.

The disdain from that alone was widespread.

In the Department of Magic, I was seen as some kind of monster due to the inherent counterability of [Cancellation].

But it was different in the Martial Arts Department.

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

And me? A blind person with a gun. Sure, I got a perfect score in the Practical Evaluation. But I barely ever spoke to my classmates.

"And now I’m supposed to do a group project."

Each team had to have four members. No exceptions.

Our team had stalled at two for too long and was forcibly assigned two more members by a TA. And now, those two were the problem.

Loran spoke in his usual irritated tone, sounding like she’d kill whoever answered wrong.

"Was it Kim Cheolsu and Jung Heedo? When the hell are those useless bastards getting here? Every other team is already inside. We’re the only ones left."

That’s when I sensed something.

Two guys approached at once.

"Ah, seriously, sorry. We didn’t mean to be late."

Kim Cheolsu lifted the corners of his mouth in an ambiguous smile. He was scanning us.

Who’s mad? Who should he apologize to? Who could he brush off?

His gaze went straight to Loran. I didn’t even register in his view. He had spotted the sunglasses and pistol at my waist.

At least he feigned apology. Jung Heedo, however, was shameless.

"We may be late, but it’s not a big deal. There’s no penalty for late entry into the Labyrinth anyway."

His attitude was basically: what’s the problem?

It felt off. Like maybe I had the wrong idea about common sense.

"...Let’s just go in."

I sighed. It was a day when the sun shone lonely.

The System measured conquest rate. It graded your Tower clears from F to SSS. Rewards varied by rank.

The exact standards? Nobody knew.

Some days, you’d get an S just for finishing the mission. Other days, you’d finish and get no grade at all.

But the professors had analyzed it. They created the most realistic combat environment possible. It wasn’t just about combat power.

The test evaluated thinking, reflexes, judgment, and teamwork.

Group project. Labyrinth exploration.

Students had to overcome monsters and obstacles to achieve certain objectives: survive, defeat the boss, reveal the map, find treasure.

Clear the Labyrinth as a team. The better you did, the higher your evaluation.

I looked down at my tightly fitted gear.

Miles, an expensive set. It had an integrated shield system.

Each student had equal HP settings. Lose all of it, and you’re considered dead.

Instant F-rank. Game over. No excuses.

So you had to be careful. Don’t let your teammates drag you down.

Our steps echoed. The walls were coarse, the air damp. Four of us walked side by side through the dim maze.

The path was narrow and long. The darkness gave no sense of depth.

Then the path split into seven branches.

"Which way should we go?"

The two guys were now using honorifics with Loran. Just a little connection could change their lives. Even without seeing, their intent was obvious.

Loran stayed indifferent. Or maybe just uninterested.

I spoke up.

"Let’s take the fourth path."

I had opened my eyes once behind the sunglasses. The pain made me shut them again, but once seen, I can’t forget.

I had memorized the Labyrinth layout. The cleanest path was to get the treasure first, then go for the boss. If they just followed me, I could be the best guide.

But...

"Let’s go with number one."

"Huh? Number one?"

"I’ve got [Clairvoyance]. That route has the fewest traps."

"Hmm."

I couldn’t help but sigh.

Route one did have fewer traps… but there was a problem. This was ‘survival.’

Everything in the Academy was relative. That included group projects.

Naturally, there’d be strategies targeting other teams’ HP. And we were the last team to enter the Labyrinth. Already at a disadvantage.

If someone got ambushed and declared dead, our score would plummet.

And now they wanted to take the safest path?

Insane.

"You can see there are lots of footprints. Another team probably went this way. That means we can’t avoid combat."

A fair point. Avoid fighting and go for efficiency.

Still, my opinion was dismissed.

"Clairvoyance is king, no arguments."

"Hey, kid. You’re just here for the ride, so don’t act up. Just follow along, blindy. What the hell would a blind girl even know?"

The three of them headed for the first path.

Fair enough. No one would listen to a blind girl.

‘Should I just ditch them and go solo?’

I shook my head.

Even a hurting finger is still part of your hand.

Then I felt something spread from my head.

My upper Dantian had opened, and my control over [Ideation] had grown more precise. I sensed energy rippling.

Something was off. As the enemy took a step, I felt a familiar tremor.

I knew this well. I was faster.

I moved with a single step that pierced through a hundred paces. My whole body launched like a crossbow. In an instant, the world bent and the scenery shifted.

A gnarly, calloused fist was right near my face.

No, three of them.

I used the foot I had planted as a channel for [Na Han Kwon]. I had a plan.

I still had breath.

‘Don’t dodge, block.’

I released compressed energy to absorb the blow. It wasn’t a reflex; it was calculated.

The impact flowed from my hand to my elbow, shoulder blade, and back, then dissipated.

Free-moving energy helped. Perfect shock absorption.

Even a child’s body could become a mountain. That was the mystery of [Na Han Kwon]. It was built on the principle of taking hits without pain.

"?"

"What?"

"Where did you go?"

The triplets’ surprised reaction was amusing. A good sign. It meant I hadn’t made a bad call.

But as students from a prestigious academy, they recovered fast.

A fellow Martial Arts Department student studying abroad from China charged in. They still had the upper hand and knew how to use it.

"Alright, bring it on, you little brat!"

"Time to repay the disgrace from last time."

"Let’s see you block this one too."

You flow with the current to save strength.

Using rebound motion, I continued to move.Floating strikes ripped through the air.

Boom!

I stepped hard. The ground dented. My whole body responded elastically.

Thanks to constant stretching, my flexibility was no joke. Hips, spine, and shoulders rotated to form a central axis.

My weight shifted and my body spun halfway. Even with the large move, their flank was still open. It was chilling even to me.

The world flipped. Through flying strands of hair, my [Radiating Shockwave] hit dead on.

It was a kick, modified from [Dominating Step].

The shield built into Miles gear absorbed the force under my foot.

BOOM!!

It didn’t feel like I hit a person. More like I landed. I flipped and landed lightly.

Tap.

One of the triplets slammed the ground in frustration.

"Uuugh! What the hell? Is this broken? From just one kick?"

Looks like his HP dropped to zero.

I could feel it. I’d gotten stronger. And I hadn’t even opened my eyes this time.

Then a strange silence settled.

Intentional or not, everyone was holding their breath, faces a mix of shock and caution.

Loran’s expression was the funniest. Her jaw practically clicked open. She knew he’d been saved.

"What did I just see?"

"I used to be a star in my hometown, too..."

"...You. Were you hiding your power?"

I was confused. Wasn’t this something they could all do too?

Then a man with a refined presence stepped forward. His gait was perfectly balanced, ready to draw a sword at any moment.

"Ho. So you’re the freshman top-ranker. I’ve been waiting for a chance to meet you. The ambush was worth it."

"Who are you?"

That’s all I said.

And the twins erupted.

"You wench! Can’t even recognize the heir of the Sword Guild?"

"Among all disciplines, sword is the highest! That is the Young Master of the Sword Guild, the ninth guild director’s cousin!"

"He’s already set to join the Dragon-Phoenix Society. You dare speak that way?!"

That arrogance was unbelievable. Even among kin, who favors a cousin?

"So?"

I showed exactly what I thought. Elementary school bodies can express that with tone alone.

As the twins fumed, ready to snap—

"Enough."

He stepped in.

"I saw your [Na Han Kwon] clearly. They are rivals to the Sword Guild, so there’s no way I wouldn’t notice. I’ve always wanted to cross fists with them. Let’s fight, fist to fist."

My hand instinctively went to my waist.

It was there, as always.

Solid. Cold. With a smoky sheen.

The moment my fingers touched it, it responded.

[Ooooh! Touch me! Use me!]

"A Gun Technique?"