Chapter 167
Epilogue: A Die-Hard Fan and an Anti-Fan (2)
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Common sense.
In Chinese characters, it’s written with the characters for ‘always’ (常) and ‘knowledge’ (識).
Common sense refers to the collective knowledge that members of society generally know—understanding, judgment, and discernment included.
It’s no different from the milestones of life, built through experiences from childhood.
Because of this, people may become shackled by common sense, making the mistake of judging every situation through this lens.
Then, let’s take a moment to ponder.
Based on general common sense, would it really make sense for a hero trainee like Lee Jinhyuk to have taken down someone as formidable as Yoo Dahee?
Yoo Dahee is a villain so outrageous she defies common sense.
As of now, no one disputes her strength.
The footage of her battles on Hero Day, captured via CCTV and black box, was, to put it mildly, unbelievable.
Why? Because Yoo Dahee had single-handedly taken down multiple heroes.
Justice, Sonic Blade, Laser Sight, All Strength, Invisible Woman, and more.
In fact, she didn’t just defeat them—she toyed with them like they were children.
She laughed mischievously while knocking out star heroes who had legions of fans, and people who watched the video were utterly shocked.
And of course, they should be. The common sense they had built up over a lifetime had crumbled in an instant.
People realized something.
Yoo Dahee was a monster, far beyond common understanding.
Seeing is believing, after all—no one could deny what they had witnessed.
It’s said that after that, Yoo Dahee even fought fiercely against nearly thirty heroes, including Han Incheol of Yeouibong and Baek Nam-il the Swordsman.
In the end, she even defeated the legendary Han Incheol.
No one knows how someone so young had obtained that kind of power, but Yoo Dahee’s strength was undeniable.
Yoo Dahee, beyond a doubt, was an unparalleled force of nature.
She was a terrifying calamity, equipped with talents and powers that humanity would never see again.
But.
But isn’t it odd?
Did a mere trainee named Lee Jinhyuk really defeat such a monster by himself?
No.
There was just no way.
People started to doubt Lee Jinhyuk’s strength.
Because, by common sense, it didn’t add up.
Another word for common sense is prejudice.
Prejudice, common sense, and conventional wisdom all cast doubts on Lee Jinhyuk’s power.
Could someone with the kind of talent needed to defeat Yoo Dahee have really entered Union Academy at the very bottom of the class? Moreover, could another person with Yoo Dahee’s level of talent really exist in the same generation?
While it’s a fact that Lee Jinhyuk did defeat Yoo Dahee—countless heroes on the scene testified to that—it’s not proof that his strength equals Yoo Dahee’s.
After all, at the time of their battle, Yoo Dahee was already exhausted and injured.
Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to assume that he had taken her down by sheer luck, catching her in a state of severe fatigue after fighting multiple heroes?
Even so, Yoo Dahee is still Yoo Dahee.
If Lee Jinhyuk had only been at the level of an average trainee, there’s no way he could’ve defeated her.
So people thought.
Certainly, Lee Jinhyuk’s power exceeded that of ordinary trainees.
But to think that he could be on par with someone like Yoo Dahee—now, that would be overreaching.
Maybe his abilities were upper class at best?
Being at an upper class level at Lee Jinhyuk’s age would mean he was one of the top geniuses in South Korea.
Still, coming from the bottom of Union Academy and suddenly rising to the upper class in such a short time felt a bit implausible.
But wasn’t there already a precedent? Jin Soyeon, who grew rapidly within just a few months.
So, perhaps Lee Jinhyuk was an exceptional case, just like Jin Soyeon.
Or maybe he had been concealing his true power all along.
Whatever the case, debates about Lee Jinhyuk’s strength sparked various opinions.
The topic became so hot that online communities erupted into virtual mudslinging battles.
People were that curious.
Just how strong is the hero trainee who took down Yoo Dahee?
And today—on the day of the one-on-one assessment—perhaps some of the doubts about Lee Jinhyuk’s strength would be dispelled.
Why? Because Lee Cheong, the top freshman hailed as a prodigy and often called a monster, had openly declared her challenge to Lee Jinhyuk.
“It’s just a duel between trainees. I don’t get why everyone’s making such a big deal out of it.”
“…I know, right.”
In the center of the sparring arena, Lee Jinhyuk and Lee Cheong faced each other.
The supervising instructor briefly looked both of them over, while the other trainees watched from the stands with gleaming eyes.
“There’s even been articles all over the internet about our duel.”
Not surprising.
The most famous trainee in South Korea right now was none other than Lee Jinhyuk.
Regardless of how it happened, he was the one who took down the worst villain who had massacred tens of thousands.
Naturally, people’s attention was drawn to him.
And the media, in turn, focused on Lee Jinhyuk.
Currently, South Korea was abuzz with Lee Jinhyuk’s fame.
“But you.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you challenge me? You don’t seem like the type to enjoy troublesome matters.”
“Well…”
Rubbing her sleepy-looking eyes, Lee Cheong stifled a yawn before eventually focusing on Lee Jinhyuk with a somewhat clearer expression.
“…Maybe I just wanted to learn something from you?”
“…”
“Since I’m the top-ranked freshman… I’m curious about the skills of a senior who might be stronger than me…”
“Really?”
Lee Jinhyuk chuckled.
“It’s not because of Ha Yua?”
“…”
Lee Jinhyuk glanced over at the audience, and his gaze briefly met Ha Yua’s.
Upon being noticed, her face flushed slightly as she shyly cheered them on.
…Although, there was also Jin Soyeon watching from behind her with a rather displeased expression.
“Well, since we’re already here, I’ll give it my best.”
Lee Jinhyuk began to loosen up his wrists slowly.
“Actually, this is perfect. This duel will be a good opportunity to clear up all the rumors people have been whispering about me.”
He had been bothered by the way some people murmured about how he might be weaker—or stronger—than expected. Now, he would show them exactly just how strong he really was.
“Lee Cheong.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve defeated an upper class hero before joining the academy, haven’t you?”
“…!”
Lee Cheong’s half-lidded eyes widened slightly.
That was supposed to be a secret. Inside the clan, her victory over the upper class hero had been kept confidential.
If the fact that an upper class hero had been defeated by a mere trainee became public, that hero’s career would be utterly ruined.
But how did Lee Jinhyuk know about it?
The duel had been conducted in secret, with all involved sworn to silence.
“Even if your win was due to your opponent’s carelessness, the fact that you defeated an upper class hero at your age would be something even Lee Siwoon couldn’t manage. That’s impressive.”
Lee Cheong’s special ability was absorption and release.
The more she absorbed, the more powerful her release became.
If she stored up maximum energy and then released it, she had strength that even a top-tier hero couldn’t disregard.
Her ability was immensely powerful and unique.
She could absorb almost any kind of force and release it in moments of crisis for a potential one-shot victory.
“Don’t hold back like you did in the entrance exam. Go all out from the start. If you don’t, this will end too easily.”
“You seem quite confident, senior.”
Lee Cheong narrowed her eyes slightly.
Even among peers, her skills were unrivaled.
She was confident that even famous geniuses like Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan couldn’t beat her in a first-year match-up.
She might fall short compared to Lee Jinhyuk, who had brought down Yoo Dahee, but still, his casual overconfidence irked her.
There wasn’t a single peer who dared act so haughty in front of her.
Her pride was slightly bruised.
“…Alright, senior.”
Lee Cheong nodded calmly and adopted a ready stance.
“Then, I’ll also take this as an opportunity to see whether your skills are as impressive as they say.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Lee Jinhyuk shrugged indifferently.
“Are both of you ready? Then, the sparring will now begin.”
The supervising instructor raised his hand and looked back and forth between them before proceeding with the countdown.
“3.”
The trainees in the stands watched intently, their faces brimming with both tension and anticipation.
“2.”
What kind of sparring would unfold?
“1.”
“Begin!”
Their hearts began to race as they eagerly watched the battle between two prodigies… Hmm?
Boom!
Whoosh!
Someone flew through the air, crashing into the arena wall with a loud thud.
The wall cracked open, plastered with spiderweb-like crevices.
“Ugh… Ugh… Urgh!”
The figure that had slammed into the wall slid weakly down and collapsed into the stands, letting out a short groan before coughing up some blood and slumping over unconscious.
They lay still.
It was pretty clear they had fainted.
The trainees gazed in shock at the fallen figure.
Only then did everyone fully realize who had been knocked out.
…It was Lee Cheong.
The match lasted only about 2.4 seconds.
The outcome was so swift that everyone was left dumbfounded.
Lee Jinhyuk had simply won in an instant.
“Ah.”
Still posed in a punching stance, Lee Jinhyuk blinked as if somewhat startled.
Had he overdone it unintentionally?
“Did I use too much force…?”
End of Chapter