The master level of a trait was 7. Usually, when a trait reached the master level, a special skill would be granted.

The "Insight" skill that Sungshik possessed was one such example. It was a special skill granted when the Hyper-Sense trait reached the master level.

However, there were rare cases where, even without reaching the master level, a trait’s special options could be unlocked. Just like now.

―[EX Rank] Consumption has leveled up! A special option has been unlocked.

―Congratulations! You have obtained the special options ‘Extraction’ and ‘Synthesis’ for [EX Rank] Consumption!

“‘Extraction’, ‘Synthesis’?”

It was an astonishing event. These were special options he had never obtained in the past. No, in fact, in his previous life, he had never even managed to raise his ‘Consumption’ trait to Level 5.

“But why did ‘Consumption’ level up?”

He hadn’t consumed a trait, so he couldn’t understand why the ‘Consumption’ trait had leveled up. Perhaps when his rank increased, the accumulated experience points had led to the trait leveling up. Since rank-ups also influenced trait experience, if the ‘Consumption’ trait was already close to leveling up, then this wasn’t entirely impossible.

Whatever the case, it wasn’t bad news for Sungshik. In fact, he felt like bowing in gratitude to the system. Setting aside his joy for a moment, Sungshik checked the additional options he had obtained.

[Extraction]

• Unlocked at Level 5 of [EX Rank] Consumption.
• Has an extremely low probability (0.01%) of extracting traits from a monster’s corpse.
• Upon reaching the master level, the probability of obtaining traits will increase significantly.

[Synthesis]

• Unlocked at Level 5 of [EX Rank] Consumption.
• Combines two or more traits to create a new trait.
• The resulting trait is determined randomly, regardless of the ranks of the original traits.
• Upon reaching the master level, the probability of obtaining high-rank traits will increase significantly.

“Oh.”

The moment he saw ‘Extraction,’ Sungshik’s eyes lit up. A skill that allowed him to extract traits from monsters. Monsters of different species possessed unique traits of their own. For example, a troll’s regeneration or an ogre’s brute strength—traits that represented their species.

However, Sungshik’s ‘Consumption’ trait had never allowed him to acquire such traits from monsters. This had always been a frustrating limitation.

But now, with the newly acquired ‘Extraction’ option, he had opened a path to obtaining traits from monsters as well.

“But… is this probability for real? 0.01%?”

It was an outrageously low chance. Mathematically speaking, he would have to attempt extraction on ten thousand corpses just to succeed once. Acquiring traits through normal methods would require an insane amount of grinding.

“Looks like I’ll have to reach the master level before this becomes truly useful.”

At the end of the description, there was a key phrase:

―Upon reaching the master level, the probability of obtaining traits will increase significantly.

If this was correct, then he needed to reach the master level before ‘Extraction’ became viable.

The same seemed to apply to the ‘Synthesis’ option. The ability to combine traits to create new ones sounded great, but the fact that the resulting trait’s rank was randomized was a concern. It felt like, in his current state, even if he combined high-rank traits, he might end up with low-rank ones instead.

“But will the synthesized trait be related to the original traits?”

As he considered ‘Synthesis,’ a thought suddenly struck Sungshik. He recalled his [EX Rank] One More Time trait. It was the trait that had allowed him to return to the past. Right now, it had exhausted its uses and was marked as ‘unusable,’ but what if he synthesized this trait into something new? He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of trait would emerge.

“Might be worth trying in the future.”

Rather than letting it sit there taking up space, it might be better to synthesize it into a new trait.

“I didn’t expect to power up this much.”

His progress had far exceeded expectations. Setting aside the bonus trait options like ‘Extraction’ and ‘Synthesis,’ he had already reached a 5-star+ rank. And upon reaching 5-star, he had immediately knocked on the door of 6-star. To most superhumans, this would sound utterly absurd.

“Does that even make sense? You might as well say a goblin evolved into an ogre.”

That was how ridiculous it was. Sungshik’s growth speed was beyond the realm of common sense.

‘This must also be due to the effect of the Pocket Watch trait.’

The extreme growth he was experiencing was likely amplified by the effects of the Pocket Watch.

‘This is just broken.’

Sungshik felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he looked at the Pocket Watch trait in his status window. He gazed at it as if it were a treasured family heirloom.

“But I’m still hungry.”

Thinking about how much stronger he would become in the future, Sungshik felt a tingling excitement in his chest.

Not long after Sungshik consumed the Thousand-Year ginseng, the graduation ceremony for the Superhuman Academy arrived.

The Superhuman Academy’s graduation ceremony. This event included not only regular graduates but also those who had met the conditions for early graduation. Normally, external visitors were prohibited from entering the academy, but on graduation day, they were granted access.

Because of this, scouts from various guilds swarmed the event. They came to approach the superhuman graduates they had marked as recruitment targets.

“Hello, Superhuman Heo Sungshik. We are from the ‘Big Crown’ guild, and…”

As soon as the graduation ceremony ended, scouts approached. Sungshik was no exception. Having already risen as the academy’s top rising star, numerous scouts surrounded him, trying to talk to him.

“Wow, Sungshik is really popular.”

Sung Jihwan, watching from a step behind, clicked his tongue in amazement. It was like watching fans swarming a celebrity.

“Sungshik, you must be happy being so popular~”

Kim Subin, speaking in a soft voice beside him, caused Choi Moonguk to interject.

“Subin… you’re not exactly unpopular yourself.”

Indeed, despite already being set to join the ‘Shine’ guild, many scouts still clung to Kim Subin.

“Yeah. If I were a guild scout, I’d definitely try to recruit Subin too.”

That wasn’t just empty talk. Kim Subin’s star power was on par with Heo Sungshik or Park Tae-sik. When recruiting new superhumans, guilds valued not just combat ability but also star power. A single well-promoted superhuman could shape a guild’s entire image.

“That’s right~ Subin is pretty, after all.”

In that regard, Kim Subin’s appearance also contributed to her star quality. Her fair skin and cute, pretty features naturally drew the gazes of many men.

On top of that, her trait was from the dazzling ‘Light’ attribute series. With this, she had more than enough potential to become a major star. That was why, despite already having a signed contract with a guild, scouts still clung to her, eagerly sending love calls.

“Hmm~ Looks like everyone has good taste?”

Feeling proud after hearing the praises from Sung Jihwan and Choi Moonguk, Kim Subin struck an exaggerated pose.

“Ugh, I take back what I said about you being pretty.”

“Yeah, I’d like to unsee that too.”

“What—? Are you guys going to take back your words just like that?”

While they were bantering playfully—

“Oh, it’s Park Tae-sik.”

“Park Tae-sik, hello. We are from…”

Scouts rushed toward Park Tae-sik, who had come out a little later. It was like watching moths drawn to a flame.

“Whew, thanks to Tae-sik, I’m saved.”

“Good work, Sungshik.”

“Being popular is tough at times like this.”

Thanks to Park Tae-sik, Sungshik managed to escape from the horde of scouts and let out a deep sigh. His hands, which had been trapped among the crowd, were now filled with business cards from various guilds.

‘Tae-sik… my condolences.’

He was about to throw away the business cards but decided to shove them into his subspace storage instead. Then, looking back at Park Tae-sik, he saw the people swarming him like leeches and shook his head.

“By the way, congratulations, Heo Sungshik, Kim Subin.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“It would have been nice if you guys graduated with us—”

“Well, we’re not skilled enough yet, so there’s no helping it. We’ll be graduating soon too, so we’ll see you then.”

Indeed, among the thirty-one early graduates, only Heo Sungshik and Kim Subin were included. Sung Jihwan and Choi Moonguk’s expressions were a mix of regret and genuine congratulations.

At that moment, a chilling sensation swept over him, making every hair on his body stand on end.

‘……!’

That feeling came from a presence approaching them. Sungshik instantly recognized who it was.

‘That man…’

“Hello.”

A man approached with a bright smile. His hairstyle was completely different, but Sungshik immediately knew who he was.

‘It’s him—the man I saw back at Baekdu Mountain’s Heaven Lake.’

His palms grew damp with sweat.

Insight.

Name: Li Xiaoguang

Rank: ?

Trait: ?

The status window still displayed nothing but question marks except for the name. But the name alone was enough to confirm his identity.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Li Xun of the ‘Revolution’ Guild.”

At Choi Moonguk’s question, the man introduced himself.

“Revolution? Sorry, but that name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“That’s understandable. We’re based in China. We’ve just established a branch here in Korea.”

The man spoke with a relaxed smile. But knowing the malice hidden behind that expression, Sungshik became even more tense.

“I actually came to meet Heo Sungshik.”

‘What? Did he recognize me and come here specifically?’

For a moment, a worry crept into his mind—had this man realized who he was from their encounter at Baekdu Mountain?

‘But this place is safe. No matter how strong he is, even a 7-star wouldn’t dare cause a scene here.’

Sungshik quickly regained his composure. No matter how formidable this man was, he wouldn’t recklessly act out in a place filled with so many superhumans.

‘Besides, if he knew it was me, he would’ve approached me outside the academy, not here.’

It was a rational thought. If Li Xun had truly recognized him and came seeking revenge, he would have approached him somewhere outside, not inside the academy.

“I was very impressed by your tournament match, Heo Sungshik. Do you have any guilds in mind?”

“Ah, no. I’m not thinking about joining a guild just yet.”

Lowering his voice slightly so it wouldn’t be recognized, Sungshik answered carefully. The man didn’t seem to notice anything strange about it. However, Sung Jihwan and the others beside him were giving him puzzled looks as if wondering, ‘Did he eat something weird? Why is he suddenly lowering his voice?’

“That’s unfortunate. If you ever change your mind, please contact me.”

With that, the man handed over a business card.

The words ‘Revolution N’ were scrawled in a dark shade, with the bold typography giving it an impressive look. But instead of admiration, Sungshik silently cursed in his mind.

‘That crazy bastard really is from Revolution Knight.’

While cursing inwardly, Sungshik felt the man’s unwavering gaze on him and met his eyes.

“Hmm, have we met somewhere before? You seem familiar.”

The man stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes slightly. At those words, Sungshik felt his heart drop.

‘My disguise should have been perfect…’

There was no way he recognized him by appearance. The Reverse Transformation Ring had completely changed his face back then. If that was the case, did this man remember Sungshik’s unique aura?

Realizing this possibility, Sungshik’s mind raced.

‘He can distinguish that? Is that even possible?’

Recognizing a unique aura meant memorizing the mana scent of an individual. But mana didn’t have a tangible scent—being able to recall it was something nearly impossible.

Only someone blessed with an extraordinary sensitivity to mana—so rare that they might appear once in ten thousand years—could possibly have that ability.

“I’m not sure. This is my first time meeting you.”

“Ah, my apologies. You just seemed familiar for some reason.”

The man gave a slight smile and immediately apologized. Seeing this, it seemed unlikely that he had actually recognized Sungshik’s mana scent.

‘Of course. There’s no way he’d notice.’

Just as he sighed in relief—

“By the way, may I ask the name of the martial art you used?”

The man suddenly threw a sharp question at him, his gaze piercing through Sungshik like a blade.