Meaning, it didn’t feel chill.
On the way there, we were the center of attention even for students outside our section. They knew we were transfers. Hell, I freakin’ anticipated some random douchebag would shout “Fresh meat on deck!” like this was a prison or a military academy. My imagination aside, they stared with intrigue and scorn and complete indifference.
Creepy…
Min-jae was unbothered. Stoic bastard, he was trying to look cool.
Not me. Everyone could see my jitters.
Whatever. Jun-hyeok took us inside the Recreation Center. A surprisingly cozy lobby greeted us. According to the signs, the left half housed the fun stuff: computers, ping-pong tables and billiards, a torture chamber; the right held academic amenities like study rooms and sleeping pods. Normally, I’d be so excited to explore but it was kinda hard when a dozen different people were staring at you as soon as you came through the doors.
“C’mon.” Jun-hyeok took us leftward.
It was like entering a saloon in an old western and we were the wandering gunslingers intruding into town. Everyone stopped what they were doing. No more playing the piano. No more serving or sipping drinks. They stared, and one gross motherfucker actually spat on the carpet.
Jun-hyeok adorably chuckled, his presence somewhat cooling the tension, but not even his pretty looks and amazing singing was a cure-all panacea. He continued to guide us, loudly whistling as whispers broke out amongst groups.
Min-jae continued his stoicism. He looked ahead unflinchingly. Nothing seemed to bother him. Either he had a really good poker face or he had a lot of experience with this sorta thing. Wish I could say the same; this was a new environment to me. I wasn’t sure if these guys would suddenly ambush me and beat me to a pulp or continue staring.
I focused on good thoughts, though. Mostly. Not really. I was terrified shitless.
Eyes, eyes, eyes. People staring, people looking, people gossiping, people being people! It was fucking insane!
Nobody bothered us, thank God. Thank you, Jun-hyeok, for being a Gold! Anyone on our path immediately hopped outta the way, joining the other curious bystanders.
Soon enough, Jun-hyeok took us through double-doors and into a deathly empty hallway with a dozen white doors on either side. Everything was immaculately clean down to the atoms. Saw no life here, but I heard something: the hard thwacking of someone striking up a game of billiards. Right there, inside one of the rooms—these were private playing areas if you didn’t want to be disturbed.
Here we go.
My heart pounded in rhythm with Jun-hyeok’s knocking.
He opened the door and bowed like a butler, letting us transfer students enter first.
Four people were in the room. The Golds.
The first one I noticed was a slim, blue-haired guy playing billiards by himself; he had all the hallmarks of a pretentious jerkass who measured a person’s value through net worth. Something he surely inherited from his rich-as-fuck parents. He got the fancy square glasses and held the pool-cue like an affluent supervillain with a Cuban cigar and a glass of aged whiskey. His status wasn’t completely unearned. Magic naturally flowed through him like blood. Eun Chang-min (???), son of Curio of the Otherguards.
Last but certainly not least was the prince in the back of the room who had been reading a novel before he was rudely interrupted. He was different from the other Golds. Didn’t have the aristocratic pride of Chang-min, the creepiness of Hwa-yeon, or the violence of Won-sik. He was in his own world unbothered by the heavy, tense atmosphere in the room. His clock ran on a different time, his mind operated with different gears, his eyes saw something different compared to his “friends.” Those golden eyes… They were tired and solid and featureless. My target: Lee Yoon-ho. He might be royalty from a chaebol but he was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. So pretty that I might have a crush already.
Couldn’t confess, though! He had the blood of Taeyang running through him: an SS-Rank [Awakened Skill], the hereditary power of his family.
We looked at each other.
Hwa-yeon giggled and playfully leaned against Chang-min.
Min-jae returned the glare.
One blink later, Min-jae was staring down the ugly end of five knuckles. A blunt impact rang. Won-sik slid a few feet backwards with a palm-sized hole in his shirt. A pool-cue popped against a ball. The ball flew as fast as a bullet but was effortlessly caught—returned back to sender, missed, and put a dent in the floor. Won-sik was already closing the distance, arm reeled back for another punch, and Min-jae stomped forward. They would’ve smashed each other’s faces in. Would’ve, if two long needles weren’t pointed at their throats and the rest of the billiards balls hadn’t been levitating in the air.
The whole room was in a stand-off.
What the fuck.
Kim Min-jae and Ban Won-sik were one second away from breaking each other’s noses. Tak Hwa-yeon decided to do them one better and held long, thick needles at their throats. Then Eun Chang-min did her one better and aimed floating concussions at everyone. The only ones who weren’t involved were me and Taeyang!
I was literally just standing there! I did nothing wrong!
Out of desperation, I inched toward the neutral party.
Won-sik bared teeth and growled like a snarling, rabid dog.
He dropped his arm.
Hwa-yeon huffed and relaxed, twirling her needles around her fingers before they disappeared like magic. The room eased up. The billiard balls were back on the table, and the offenders were on opposite sides of the room. That was a relief.
This was a great introduction to my new friends, and they already scared the shit outta me. These fucking silver spoon kids were outta my reach, and I didn’t know what specialties Jun-hyeok and Yoon-ho were! I was fucked two ways to hell if I wanted a war.
Chang-min put a hand out toward Hwa-yeon. She sighed and slapped a stack of bills on his palm.
Min-jae wiped his lips with his sleeve.
Chang-min tapped the billiard table’s rubber edge.
Hwa-yeon bit her lips, hungry and hopefully not aroused. Then, the air got thicker. It was hard to breathe. This maniac released enough pressure to cause any normal person to submit.
Chang-min pushed his glasses up and exuded aggression.
I really didn’t want to be in this room.
Min-jae spat on the ground and was about to leave the room, until he noticed a stupid bimbo was casually in the corner as the unfortunate and really irrelevant witness.
Now he left, slamming the door so hard that everyone on the peninsula could hear it. His stomps reverberated throughout the hallway. Where would he go next? Nobody knew, but I wouldn’t forgive him—because he just left me alone! In the same room with five kids of some of the most influential people in the whole world!
I slowly looked toward them and gave two very awkward thumbs-up.
Chang-min said,
***
When the door was shut once again, Jun-hyeok loudly sighed and clicked disapprovingly at his friends.
Hwa-yeon frowned.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
Won-sik muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
Yoon-ho kept staring at the door where the two transfers had just left from.
Chang-min held a hand over his mouth to laugh.
The room became quiet as the real purpose of the meeting was finally addressed.
Chang-min continued,
***
[Rector]
Thank you for the speedy report. I already updated your S.Commission.
We will get back to you on Kim Min-jae. In the meantime, stay cool-headed.
You have this under control.
I really hope you’re right. I’m stuck in this psychotic experiment for at least a semester.
Let’s… Let’s focus on my objectives. That sounds like a good idea.
I checked my [Commissions].
Slayer Commission: Operation Sundown - Objectives
Pay: 1,000ssp
Commissioner: Rector
Description: It’s time to get to work, Shen. You have four different objectives to work towards, so please keep your business in order. Report whenever a significant development occurs.
Objective A: Investigate and befriend Lee Yoon-ho alongside Tae Jun-hyeok without arousing suspicion of your true intentions.
Objective B: Keep an eye on Kim Min-jae and his crusade against the Golds.
Objective C: Achieve a high position in the Student Rankings, preferably Gold or Jade.
Objective D: Observe the population of Baekyong and keep a lookout for any significant developments.
They were all long-term goals… The most straightforward was Objective C, which would come naturally. By achieving a high placement, it’d open doors and make completing the other objectives easier. How, though? According to Leo, all transfers would face a test conducted by the academy to officially place them.
But I wouldn’t know until maybe tonight at the orientation meeting.
Let’s think ahead… Most likely, Kim Min-jae would be in the same boat as me…
Alright, I know my next move!
[Dorothea Zhang]
hey
[Kim Min-jae]
What?
[Dorothea Zhang]
oh i forgot to type in hangul
[Kim Min-jae]
English is fine.
[Dorothea Zhang]
cool
so! wanna team up?
[Kim Min-jae]
You want to help me destroy the Golds?
[Dorothea Zhang]
fuck that you can do that by yourself
i mean our first test
chungmu has something devious planned and i dont wanna die
[Kim Min-jae]
I’m not sure.
He’s been breaking tradition lately.
[Dorothea Zhang]
bruh
[Kim Min-jae]
For example, he didn’t tell me that you were also transferring. Well, it’s not “breaking tradition” as much as toying with his students. At least you proved incapable of handling the stress Baekyong brings.
[Dorothea Zhang]
oi those are fighting words
[Kim Min-jae]
You admitted that I would beat you in a fight.
[Dorothea Zhang]
yea i didn’t say i was gonna win
fucking idiot
[Kim Min-jae]
Are Americans often this rude? And curse so much?
[Dorothea Zhang]
we’re not fucking rude take that back motherfucker
[Kim Min-jae]
Whatever, I doubt you can read Chungmu’s mind. If you plan on staying in Baekyong, shore up your defenses and be prepared for anything.
[Dorothea Zhang]
that means literally nothing
[Kim Min-jae]
That’s your problem.
[Dorothea Zhang]
i thought we were working together
[Kim Min-jae]
I never said that. We aren’t working together, and frankly, I don’t care whether or not you survive the first test. I’m only telling you this because you were recommended by Hwarang.
[Dorothea Zhang]
heh jealous?
[Kim Min-jae]
No. Frankly, I think it’s a lie. Hwarang would never recommend a girl like you.
[Dorothea Zhang]
hey if chungmu believed it then so can you!!!
hwarang loves me!
[Kim Min-jae]
Right. Are you at least a competent fighter?
[Dorothea Zhang]
not really i always get my ass beat by the guys in my family they're really strong
[Kim Min-jae]
I hope you’re stronger than you are smart.
[Dorothea Zhang]
can you stop calling me an idiot for five seconds
[Kim Min-jae]
Good luck, Zhang.
When the test starts, don’t count on me for help.
Shit. Could I make alliances—? No, not before the test. Hell, who would want to be my friend after embarrassing myself? I was alone, friendless, and stuck in a foreign country with no way out!
I mean… That also described Hangzhou.
I survived that. Survived High Home. Surely, I could survive an easy test, right?
Only time will tell.
I gotta focus on one thing at a time.
I need to unpack all my shit, get my room in order, and head to orientation.
***
[You have created a new Note “Baekyong Student Factions”]
These are the student factions in Baekyong University. To think I’m playing politics in Korea, but c’est la vie.
Taeyang Faction
Leader: Lee Ha-yoon (1)
Known Members: Tae Jun-hyeok (5)
Summary: The most powerful faction on campus. Why? Well, look at the freaking name. They’re Taeyang. Nobody wants to fuck with Taeyang, everyone wants to be on their good side. As a result, as Jun-hyeok described, they became a “neutral faction,” which probably means they’re a mediator whenever conflict arises or a middleman for communication. This, I think, is mainly Jun-hyeok’s job.
Curio Faction
Leader: Eun Chang-min (2)
Known Members: N/A
Summary: Chang-min is the child of Slayers; specifically, his father is Curio, a very high-ranking officer in the Otherguards around these parts. He most likely has connections with mils and other connecting institutions, but fortunately I have an uncle who has even better connections than this dipshit.
Unified Korea Faction
Leader: Tak Hwa-yeon (3)
Known Members: N/A
Summary: On the other aisle, we have the heiress of a pharmaceutical company. I’m not so sure what else to add other than the fact she really creeps me out and I need to be careful around her.
Shining Sunset Faction
Leader: Ban Won-sik (4)
Known Members: N/A
Summary: Won-sik is the typical hothead whose father is a bigger hothead. Lots of reports of abuse in his guild, Shining Sunset, but Won-sik has a few more digits of IQ at least. He needs the intelligence to maintain his place in the Rankings, but I think he’s barely passing.
Emo Faction
Leader: Kim Min-jae (N/A)
Known Members: Suicide
Summary: War
Angel Faction
Leader: Me
Known Members: Me
Summary: Me
So.
Chungmu did not announce a test during orientation and that scared me. I’d written this [Note] as therapy, but fuck, gimme a bullet to the head at this point.
Tonight, I wasn’t gonna do anything other than research. I gotta compile everything I knew thus far and hopefully it’d give me an edge when the test—whatever it is—officially started.
On the official school app, it had a portal listing the Student Rankings for every individual section. After all, you couldn’t fairly rank combat students against supports or engineers. They had very different roles and a competition ‘tween them wouldn’t make sense. Regardless, in my section (Year 1 Combat), I had access to everybody’s names, ranks, and point-values.
At the bottom of the Ruby, there we were: Zhang and Min-jae, together.
I scrolled to the Golds.
[1] Lee Yoon-ho: 9566pts
[2] Eun Chang-min: 4441pts
[3] Tak Hwa-yeon: 4327pts
[4] Ban Won-sik: 4289pts
[5] Tae Jun-hyeok: 4100pts
Shit, that was a lot of points. Sixth place, Jade tier, had 3539 points; meanwhile, the Blacks were scratching one-thousand. If I had to guess, Yoon-ho was acting as a “bank” for faction leaders. After all, according to the handbook, point-transfer was possible between students; though, the mechanics differed between the five tiers.
The administration established “systems” to ensure a “competitive yet fair battlefield,” so no one or no one faction could bully everyone into expulsion. Well, there shouldn’t be quotations because there were actual systems and safeguards in place. Administration monitored point-transfers like the IRS. If you had to conduct a transfer, they wanted to know who, how much, and how. Any suspicious activity? Get audited. Any activity that went against the competitive nature of Baekyong? Get fucked.
Point-transfers were meant to be a tool to build loyalty among a faction. Paying dues, paying subordinates, and perhaps a little bribery and betrayal. While points were the main metric, they could also be used as currency in certain cases—like tests that let you place point-wagers. Seeing a sizable difference between Gold and Jade made sense, but still, having ten-thousand points was insane.
Dammit… All this research was good and all, but this was bare-basics. None of this would help me during the test. There were too many variables to keep track of, analyze, and integrate into my strategy. Maybe that’s the point, right? This wasn’t a test of preparation but of adaptation. Wasn’t gonna be easy either way.
I yawned. I checked the clock: a little before ten.
I might as well go to sleep early and get as many hours tonight before the real show starts.
***
I woke up to constant notifications in my section’s [Public Channel].
Someone had attached a [Note] and pinned it.
Gold Rush
written by Eun Chang-min
Welcome back to Baekyong University. This semester, we are honored to welcome two new students into our section: Kim Min-jae and Dorothea Zhang. Chungmu has broken tradition with testing transfers. Instead of performing the duty himself, he had given us the pleasure instead! We, the Golds, have decided on our transfers’ first test to determine their place in the Student Rankings: the Gold Rush!
There are two parties: Transfers and the Golds. Obviously, I shouldn’t explain who is in each party.
The rules are as follows:
- The Transfers have five (5) days to obtain a Gold’s “Student ID.”
- Note that the evaluation is individual-based, not group-based.
- Transfers must APPEAL to the Golds through 1 of 3 actions:
- DUEL: The Transfer challenges a Gold to a Duel.
- CONDITIONS:
- Upon victory, the Transfer will receive the Student ID and complete the Gold Rush.
- Upon defeat, the Transfer will not receive the Student ID and cannot appeal the challenged Gold again.
- GUIDELINES:
- The Gold can declare a RULE where both parties must abide by. The Rule must be followed. If either party breaks the Rule, it will be considered their defeat.
- The Transfer is offered 1 VETO, forcing the Gold to change the Rule.
- The Duel follows academy guidelines for sparring. In this case, the witnessing party must be another Gold, a qualified member of faculty, or a student chosen by both parties. If either party breaks the Rule, the witness is expected to make a final determination.
- TASK: The Transfer seeks a Task from a Gold.
- CONDITIONS:
- Upon completion, the Transfer will receive the Student ID and complete the Gold Rush.
- Upon failure, the Transfer will not receive the Student ID and cannot appeal the challenged Gold again.
- RULES:
- The Task has to be completed within 24 hours.
- The Task has to be reasonable and fair.
- All components of the Task have to be completed within campus boundaries.
- The Transfer is offered 1 VETO, forcing the Gold to change the Task.
- TRADE: The Transfer seeks to Trade with a Gold. They must come to an agreed Trade with a physical contract.
- CONDITIONS:
- Both parties agree to a Trade, where the Transfer will receive the Student ID and complete the Gold Rush.
- Transfers can use Trade for any Golds EVEN IF they have Appealed them already.
- RULES:
- The Trade will only be known to the Transfer and Gold.
- The contract must be approved by the Headmaster Building.
- The contract follows standard academy guidelines.
- Special guidelines:
- If the Transfer attempts to hand in a forged Student ID, they are automatically disqualified.
- If the Transfer attempts to obtain a Student ID outside these three Appeals, they are automatically disqualified.
- If the Gold refuses to Duel, give a Task, or Trade; they automatically forfeit their Student ID.
- By the end of the five days:
- VICTORY: If the Transfer completes the Gold Rush, they will begin the semester with 3000 points.
- DEFEAT: If the Transfer: a) does not have a Student ID when the five days are over; b) can no longer Appeal; or c) forfeit; they will begin the semester with 1500 points.
ALL STANDARD EXAMINATION GUIDELINES APPLY.
The Gold Hunt has already begun. I hope to see you soon, Kim Min-jae and Dorothea Zhang.
Holy shit.
[Dorothea Zhang]
helppppp
[SYSTEM]
You cannot send messages to Kim Min-jae as this user has blocked you.
[Dorothea Zhang]
FUCK YOU
[SYSTEM]
You cannot send messages to Kim Min-jae as this user has blocked you.