Ranking Match.As the name suggests, the ranking battle was a system that determined rankings through competition among third-year students at the Superhuman Academy.

There were about 1,200 third-year students, including those who had failed to graduate. Since many superhumans had been unable to graduate for over a year or two, the ranks were quite stagnant.

To graduate early, one had to rank within the top 100 out of these 1,200 students.

The ranking system was simple. It was based solely on individual combat strength. Each student engaged in one-on-one duels, earning points based on wins and losses. The rankings were determined by these accumulated points.

There was even a common joke about it:

“Isn’t the ranking battle mostly about luck?”

The reason for such talk was simple. Even if two students had similar combat strength, their traits and fighting styles could create natural advantages and disadvantages.

“Well, that has nothing to do with me.”

Indeed, for someone like Park Tae-sik or Heo Sungshik, who possessed overwhelming combat power, compatibility didn’t matter. They could dominate the ranking battle with an undefeated streak. That was why Sungshik planned to climb the ranks as quickly as possible and graduate early.

Thud!

“Cough, cough… I lost.”

The opponent clutched his stomach and collapsed after taking a single punch from Sungshik.

“Cadet Heo Sungshik, victory!”

With powerful superhumans like Park Tae-sik and Han Hyeryeong having graduated, very few could stand against Sungshik. For most students, a single hit was enough.

“Wow~ He’s finishing everyone with just one punch.”

“He’s literally a One Punch Man.”

The nickname was well-earned. Even against weaker opponents, knocking them out in one blow required an overwhelming gap in skill. But more than just the skill gap, Sungshik had Heaven-Splitting Eyes.

A skill that allowed him to see his opponent’s weak points! Against opponents weaker than him, their weaknesses were glaringly obvious. Sungshik simply needed to strike those weak points, and the fight was over.

“He might have an even stronger presence than Park Tae-sik.”

“Well, he did beat him, after all.”

“Damn… that’s insane.”

Park Tae-sik had once held the undefeated rank one title, but Sungshik was now rising through the ranks even faster, exuding an even greater aura of dominance.

Most of the graduates were gone, leaving only newly promoted third-years and those who had failed to graduate. This made climbing the ranks even easier.

“Hey, why are we fighting already?”

“Haha, I know, right? Let’s have a good match.”

“Ugh, I’m going all out.”

That was how he ended up facing Sung Jihwan.

“Gwaaah―”

Sung Jihwan was no exception. He was sent flying with a single hit.

“Y-you… cruel bastard… How could you do this to a friend…”

“The world of competition is cold.”

Sungshik replied with a wink as he looked down at Sung Jihwan, who glared at him resentfully from the ground.

“Damn it― This makes me want to get stronger!”

“I wish you luck, my friend.”

Since every third-year student had to be matched regardless of rank, encountering Sung Jihwan was inevitable.

“Ah! Sungshik, hi!”

“Oh. Hey, Subin.”

“Ah, seeing you here is kind of scary. Go easy on me, will you?”

“I’ll try.”

While making his way up the rankings, he encountered Kim Subin. Considering that she once pressured even Park Tae-sik, seeing her act coy made him chuckle.

She attacked with full force right from the start, her strikes sharp and relentless.

“Falling Moon.”

“Moonlit Dew.”

“Full Moon’s Descent.”

Her attacks were dazzling. Watching her unleash every offensive skill she had was like witnessing the arena being lit up by a spectacular light show.

“Whoa, he’s blocking all that with just one sword.”

“Since when were swords defensive weapons?”

But more impressive than her attacks was Sungshik. With just one sword, he neutralized everything. Parrying, deflecting, and redirecting each strike flawlessly.

When she unleashed a wide-range attack, he effortlessly blocked it by forming a defensive barrier with his sword.

“Huff, huff.”

Having exhausted herself with a relentless offensive, Kim Subin breathed heavily. Sungshik, who had only been defending, stepped closer to her.

“Tch, I lost.”

“Good effort.”

“I didn’t expect to not even land a single hit.”

She spoke regretfully.

“You were amazing, though. I couldn’t take a single step forward.”

“Pfft— You were totally holding back, and I know it.”

She wasn’t unable to make him move—he had simply chosen to only defend out of consideration for her. She knew that, and rather than being offended, she seemed somewhat pleased.

Sticking her tongue out playfully, she teased him.

‘She’s cute.’

Seeing her act like that, Sungshik found himself unconsciously smiling.

Feeling his warm gaze, Kim Subin’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“Good job.”

“Th-thanks.”

As he looked at her, he felt the sudden urge to pat her head but stopped himself. For a moment, Sungshik wondered when he had last been in love.

Before his regression, he never had the chance to seriously be with anyone. At first, he had struggled desperately to catch up, and later, he had fought merely to survive.

Then, during the third Night Trial, he met Gong Hayeon. She was superior to him both in combat and mental resilience.

Having lost all her family during the Night Trials, she was emotionally shattered. Yet, when she saw Sungshik struggling desperately to survive, she embraced and comforted him. That was when Sungshik opened his heart to her. They had relied on each other, forming an unbreakable bond.

‘Was that love?’

Before he could answer that question, he lost her during the fifth Night Trial. He remembered weeping bitterly the day she died.

That was the last time he had ever been with someone. After living such a life before his regression, Sungshik wasn’t sure what he felt whenever he looked at Kim Subin. Affection? Or something with the potential to become more?

He shook his head. Now was the time to focus on becoming stronger. There wasn’t enough time to move forward, let alone stop and look around. If the time ever came when he had the luxury to do so…

‘Maybe then I’ll find my answer.’

Clearing his thoughts, Sungshik smiled at Kim Subin.

“Let’s go. I’ll buy you a meal.”

“Since I lost, I’m picking something expensive today.”

Looking at Kim Subin, Sungshik felt something warm stir within him.

“Yeah. Let’s feast on an entire cow today.”

Without overcomplicating things, he simply enjoyed the lingering emotions of the moment. Heo Sungshik’s steps, as he walked alongside Kim Subin, felt noticeably lighter.

Kim Subin. The first reason she ever got close to Heo Sungshik was none other than—

—Subin, Heo Sungshik might be the ‘key’ to saving humanity.

The Moon Goddess Luna. In her astrological readings, Heo Sungshik had been designated as such. That was why, following Luna’s advice, she began to build a connection with Heo Sungshik. Initially, that was the only reason.

She had already heard of Heo Sungshik before. He was, in a way, somewhat famous—though not in a good way.

“Oh, Heo Sungshik? Isn’t his nickname ‘Kuruma’?”

It was a name given to him because he had failed to awaken a special ability for over a year at the Superhuman Academy. People believed he had no chance of graduating and would end up as nothing more than a porter for superhumans in the outside world. Because of this, there were those who looked down on him and mocked him.

Kim Subin never had any intention of joining such groups or belittling Heo Sungshik, but she had overheard his nickname and circumstances a few times by chance. That only made her more curious.

Why had he been designated in Luna’s astrological reading? After that, she began observing Heo Sungshik from a distance.

“The first student to score a perfect mark on the Superhuman Academy’s fifth theoretical exam.”

He suddenly gained attention for scoring full marks on a theory exam.

“Cleared a mutation gate.”

He cleared a mutation gate entirely on his own.

“An unprecedented turnaround. From dead last to the strongest student in the academy.”

He wrote an unexpected underdog story, going on to win the tournament.

The transformation she had witnessed in Heo Sungshik was astounding. Some dismissed it as mere luck, saying he had just awakened an extremely good ability. But she knew the truth.

‘Incredible effort.’

The Heo Sungshik she observed never wasted a single moment. She knew that his dramatic change was backed by an unimaginable amount of hard work.

Before she realized it, she found herself looking forward to what he would achieve next and silently cheering for his efforts. That was why she felt disappointed.

“A guild? I haven’t decided yet, but I plan to act alone for now.”

When he said he wasn’t planning to join a guild, the first thing she felt was regret. Deep down, she had hoped that they would end up in the same guild after the academy.

So, without thinking, she made a request.

“Alright, alright. But if you ever decide to join a guild, promise me you’ll tell me first?”

Kim Subin still didn’t fully understand her own feelings. She thought her desire to stay with him was simply because she wanted to support him.

There was someone watching the two of them with great interest.

—Fufu, this is such a sweet time for you both.

The Moon Goddess Luna smiled warmly as she observed Kim Subin.

Heo Sungshik’s unstoppable march through the ranking matches became a hot topic in the SASU community.

[Anyone here seen Heo Sungshik in the ranking matches?]
└I did. Right now, he's at 48 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses. Ranked 128th.
└Wow, only five days in and he’s already at rank 128?
└Insane;; At this point, isn’t he even more overwhelming than Park Tae-sik?
└Agreed. Everyone just collapses in a single hit. He’s literally One Punch Man.
└One Punch Man. LOL, I totally agree.

The academy students were reacting with fervor as they watched his ranking matches. And understandably so. In just five days, he had climbed from dead last—1,200th place—to the top 100. It was an unbelievable pace. Fighting ten matches a day required immense stamina, but even more impressive was his 50-match undefeated streak.

Normally, it would be difficult to accumulate enough points to enter the top 100 in just 50 matches. However, because Heo Sungshik had won every single match, he gained additional streak bonuses, catapulting him into the rankings.

Now, with just a few more wins, he would secure a spot in the top 100—his initial goal for early graduation.

But Heo Sungshik had no intention of stopping at rank 100.

‘Since I’ve come this far, I might as well take first place.’

His confidence wasn’t baseless. With Park Tae-sik gone, there was no one left to challenge him. It was like a lone wolf stepping into a pen full of sheep.

[He’s a real ecological disruptor.] [Honestly, doesn’t this scream early graduation?]
└Park Tae-sik had his reasons for staying, but Heo Sungshik should just graduate early.
└Yeah, no doubt. He’s definitely graduating early.
—If that exhibition match against the instructor had actually happened after the tournament finals, I bet Heo Sungshik would’ve won.
└Come on… No way. He’s still just a student. No way he could beat an instructor.
└Did you even see his presence in the finals? Even if it had been Park Tae-sik instead, he still would’ve won.
└Agreed, agreed.

At this point, even the other students acknowledged that Heo Sungshik was on a completely different level, an untouchable anomaly in the Superhuman Academy. The exhibition match against the instructor had been canceled due to Heo Sungshik’s injuries in the finals, but if it had happened, many believed he would have won.

And with all eyes on him, he finally did it—achieving first place with an overwhelming undefeated streak in just two weeks.

Ranking Match Standings:

1st: Heo Sungshik – 3,412 points (129 matches, 129 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses)

2nd: Gu Hanna – 2,708 points (113 matches, 67 wins, 3 draws, 43 losses)

…

17th: Kim Subin – 2,369 points (79 matches, 75 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses)

…

1,189th: Sung Jihwan – 359 points (88 matches, 6 wins, 0 draws, 82 losses)

He had secured first place with an overwhelming lead over second place. The fact that he had completed 129 matches in just two weeks was impressive enough, but even more remarkable was—

“Undefeated.”

As expected, he had won every single one of his 129 matches. No one had been able to stop him. He had already reached first place before the ten-day mark, setting a new record for the fastest climb to the top.

Though overshadowed by Heo Sungshik, Kim Subin had also climbed into the highest ranks with an impressive win rate. If not for him, she would have been the one in the spotlight.

After leaving yet another record in the academy, Heo Sungshik realized that the time had come.

“Early graduation.”

That’s right. Having also passed the theoretical exam with ease, Heo Sungshik had now met every requirement for early graduation.

“Before I submit my request, there’s someone I need to see first.”

He recalled the person he needed to meet before graduating and began walking toward them.