In truth, there was no such position within Shield as an “independent patrol officer.” By any reasonable standard, a student who had not even become a Hunter yet would never be granted the authority to act alone in dangerous situations. Shield, the organization responsible for maintaining order in the academy city and composed primarily of…

No matter how you looked at them, they were still just villains who, at best, planned something like a jewellery heist. We were the ones people called “promising.” It wasn’t as if we couldn’t handle them. Besides, they were nothing more than disposable antagonists meant to push the story forward in the early stages. They…

Unusual phenomena occurred with striking frequency along Fantasy Road in District 23 of Academy City. It was even worse on weekends, when foot traffic surged. The mana people unconsciously released, blended together, creating fluctuations in the ambient mana and turning the air itself unstable. [Yes, this is the Shield Patrol Bureau.] “Speaking. This is Kwon…

On the restricted rooftop of a building along Fantasy Road in District 23 of Academy City, five adult men and women gathered in secret. Below the barbed-wire fence, a large jewellery store, its windows glittering beneath the afternoon sun. “If we pull this off properly like you said, even split five ways, it’ll be enough…

Nam Yu-ri’s club activities had never been an important element in the game. It was never revealed which club she joined, or whether she was even active in one at all. Considering her personality, how she disliked being tied down and reacted with irritation to requests, persuasion, or orders, it wouldn’t have been strange if…

On Thursday during 8th and 9th period, there was a class called the Endurance Mountain March. Kang Han-byeol and I went to the Cultivation Hall, just as the syllabus stated, since the first session was being held there. “Knowing Instructor Su Ho-guk, he won’t end the first day with nothing but orientation. Beginner Swordsmanship I…

Out of everyone attending the class, I was the first to finish. After leaving the Cultivation Hall, I checked the time on my smartphone. “5:42 p.m….” It was a decent time for an early dinner. Or I could wait a little longer. “What should I do….” With time unexpectedly left over, I stood there, lost…

A new week began. Starting today, afternoon classes will be held. In other words, our life at Geumgang Academy was finally beginning in earnest. “There’s no class during fourth and fifth periods, right? Then let’s go eat.” “I don’t have any plans, so sure. But you’re not planning to walk all the way to someplace…

Longing is a frightening thing. When you are a freshman who knows nothing, the academy feels vast and unfathomable. Second-years, who seem fluent in campus life and confidently take the lead in events, naturally look impressive. Third-years, who watch from the back as if they have stepped away from the front lines, or who are…

Five years ago, ever since Do-gyeon-woo defeated him at the evaluation assembly of the Divine Sword Do Clan. The appraisal of Do-seung-woo, once hailed as a promising prodigy, plummeted without mercy. As Do-gyeon-woo began to shine brighter and brighter, Seung-woo found himself compared to him at every turn. “This time, you said you’d really show…