Wednesday’s first class was anti-personnel training, a 2 hour class where cadets simply paired up and sparred. Cadets used training weapons to avoid injuries and make grading easier. Kim Suho paired with Yi Yeonghan and Shin Jonghak paired with Kim Horak.

“Uwoooh.”

“Rank 934 Kim Hajin, get up!”

“I, I can't.”

As for me, I paired with the anti-personnel combat instructor rather than a cadet because there were no training guns. I was stuck fighting the instructor since a real gun could cause serious injury. 

“What do you mean you can't!”

The female instructor ordered me to give my all. Exactly 1 minute later, it was the instructor giving it her all. It seemed my gift threatened her more than she anticipated.

“Get up!”

She furiously grabbed my collar when a bullet grazed her forearm. I suddenly regretted spending my first 2 weeks in this world loafing around. I should've been working out.

“I can't continue.”

“Yes, you can!”

“My body won’t move.”

“It will!”

The instructor forcefully pulled me up.

“Put your guard up and do something!”

She ordered, but the handgun in my hand felt heavy. I pulled the trigger half-heartedly. The instructor blocked the bullet with her hand and tackled me. I couldn’t resist and fell. A stinging pain coursed through my body.

“I give up. I give up.”

“You didn’t move after shooting. I said do something!”

Chak! She slapped my face.

“GET UP!”

Chak! I was starting to get annoyed. Come to think of it, wasn’t this woman younger than me?

“I said, GET UP!”

I refused to take it a third time. I grabbed her arm, then…

“You fucker.”

I bit the instructor’s hair.

“Ah! What are you doing!? 934… Ak! Let go! Let go! Let go!”

I gnashed on her hair and pulled back as though my life depended on it. My strange actions turned the surroundings silent, but I didn’t have the time to pay attention to something like that.

“T-This is a warning! Let go! I said, LET GO!”

This hair, I’ll bite it off. I swear I’ll bite it off.

“Y-You…!”

I could see the instructor's fist in front of my eyes. I had no memories of what happened next, but it didn’t feel too bad since I managed to gain 40 SP.

***

Cube also had various clubs. Head instructor Kim Soohyuk said we wouldn’t be able to enjoy our youths, but I didn’t create Cube to be so horrible. While it was normal to be covered in monster blood or to kill djinns from time to time, Cube encouraged cadets to enjoy their hobbies for mental health. Being in a relationship was technically prohibited, but tacitly allowed by all the faculty.

Cube's clubs were no different from college circles. Club promotions happened in the second week after first year cadets arrived.

I set the number of clubs in my novel to around 100, but that might not have been realistic considering the school only had 5000 cadets. A club existed for practically any topic: hobby clubs like bowling, pool, VR, and also academic clubs like studying, martial arts, and training.

I planned to join more than one to stay close to the main characters. I already knew who was in which. Kim Suho and Yi Yeonghan were in traveling. Chae Nayun was in traveling and hunting. Yoo Yeonha was in traveling and academics. Shin Jonghak wasn’t in any and Rachel was in reading. Obviously, I had to choose the traveling club. Next, I had to decide between the hunting club, reading club, or academic club. I could join all 4, but that would be too tiring. I only had one body, and the easiest club to gain SP seemed to be the academics club. Among the academic clubs, the academic circle called Veritas contained an important antagonist early in the story.

“VR club, Folklore Village… Interesting.”

I felt strange sitting on a bench in Cube’s Hero Park. The park bustled with students after classes had ended. It all felt too mysterious. The setting I had scribbled took a life of its own, filling up missing holes and creating this complete world. Many things were new to me, like the VR club and the couple secretly making out behind the bushes.

“Sigh, that’s a bit…”

I left with a frown after seeing their public display. Then I busily ran around to collect club applications around the park. Four forms. I didn’t receive favorable looks when I asked, but I succeeded nonetheless.

“I’ll need to join the traveling club for sure.”

Four leading characters participated in the traveling club because I simply wanted them together for major and minor events. The club played a major role, but it wasn’t popular. It only had 20 students from all three grades, but third years were usually busy with guild interviews and internships, so the club really only had about 14. That was just how I set it because more people seemed troublesome.

I confirmed the traveling club. I decided to join just 2 more after some thought. I chose the hunting and academic club instead of the reading club.

Clubs began after classes and these 3 never overlapped. The academic club met on Tuesdays, hunting on Thursdays, and traveling was either Saturday or Sunday. I ended up leaving Rachel out, but I couldn’t interact with her yet anyways.

“Okay.”

Thwack. I flicked the application papers and stood up. The club leaders would surely give me strange looks.

***

The capital of Korea, Seoul was filled with guilds that vied for the world’s top position. Distinguished guilds such as Essence of the Strait, Desolate Moon, and Frost Sanctuary were all located in the collective guild district of Seoul, making it the center for djinn and monster subjugation requests, technological advances, and businesses.

“The guild visit is set for the Friday in 2 weeks.”

Skyscrapers filled Seoul’s guild district, but one particular building wasn’t too tall. However, the geometric design would catch any passerby’s attention. It belonged to the guild, Creator’s Sacred Grace.

The building’s interior was double its appearance with cutting-edge magic engineering and its mana density was always maintained above grade 3.

“Mmm, understood.”

Vice-leader Yun Seung-Ah reviewed her secretary’s report in this mana-rich environment for heroes. Currently, Yun Seung-Ah was solely devoted to finding promising talents. Everyone widely acknowledged that Cube’s freshmen class was exceptional. Some had gifts that could alter guild rankings. Their first place position would be jeopardized if she let her competitors take them. Yun Seung-Ah stared at the guild’s intranet database, which contained videos from Cube’s first combat training.

“Kim Suho really is something.”

Her screen displayed the combat training’s 1st place finisher, Kim Suho. His sword qi looked extremely sharp, but that wasn’t the only awe-striking scene. His techniques flowed like water. Like a formless style, his swordsmanship didn’t resemble anyone else’s. With this, he seemed to tear apart space along with the monster.

“Yes, he doesn’t seem close to any guilds either. He’s first on our priority.”

“I want to bring him in no matter what. Oh? Someone’s using a gun?”

Kim Suho’s video ended and another caught her curiosity.

“Yes. There were some talks about it in the guild community.”

“Was there? Sorry, I’ve been too busy lately.”

"It was uploaded from the Cube community. He was in Yoo Yeonha’s team, which was why it gathered so many views in the first place. He’s quite the strange one according to insiders.”

“Mmm… Strange one, huh?”

Yun Seung-Ah watched the video out of curiosity.

[Team 5] [Jin Hoseung, Hazuki, Yoo Yeonha, Kim Hajin]

It didn’t awe her, but the 10 minute video most certainly drew her attention.

“He wasn’t using an automatic rifle, but still managed to fire 60 shots in 2.78 seconds?”

That was physically impossible. The gun wouldn’t endure even if you could pull the trigger 60 times. A trans-physical power was at play.

“Yes. It seems he changed weapons from a sword to a gun as soon as he entered Cube.”

“… Enlightenment.”

“I think so too.”

Enlightenment at just 17 years old… Yun Seung-Ah leaned back in contemplation. Changing weapons after enlightenment. It was rare, but it happened. Gifts presented cadets with individuality, but it was impossible to know one’s gift before enlightenment. In cases like this, it would take at least 3 years to catch up after changing weapons. This was why Cube’s lower academy, the Military Agent Academy, encouraged cadets to experiment with a variety of weapons. Knowing how to wield several weapons made it easier to transition should it be necessary.

“He experienced enlightenment early, but I can’t say it’s too desirable if using a gun is all his gift can do.”

“Right, he would’ve chosen a bow if his gift allowed it.”

Yun Seung-Ah agreed, but enlightenment at 17 was still rare.

“We should keep an eye on him at least. Is there a free recruiter?”

“No. Everyone is full because of this year’s exceptional cadets.”

Yun Seung-Ah hesitated. Recruiters were expensive nowadays. They could simply run away with the information if she hired a new one from outside the guild.

“… Then let him be. I’m sure he’ll stand out again if he’s special.”

Her secretary nodded without objection.