Mana.When superhumans awaken, they become able to sense and manipulate mana. As their proficiency with mana increases, they can later emit an aura. This ability is highly useful as it allows interference with an opponent even without direct physical contact.
“Hup.”
Kim Hoyun, who was about to charge at Heo Sungshik, was startled by the sudden, razor-sharp aura and hesitated. Realizing who had interrupted their fight, Kim Hoyun’s face showed a hint of surprise.
“You know you can’t fight in the academy, right?”
Sungshik also turned his head to look at the one who had intervened. Standing there was a tall boy with piercing eyes.
“He already knows how to handle an aura? Impressive. But… who is he?”
Sungshik felt as though he was looking at a finely honed sword. The fact that a student at the academy could wield such an aura suggested extraordinary skill and talent.
“P-President… it’s not what it looks like….”
Kim Hoyun, who had just moments ago looked as though he wanted to devour Sungshik, stammered nervously, addressing the newcomer as "President."
“President? Ah, right. Back in the day, there were numerous small to mid-sized clubs thriving in the academy.”
Hearing the word “President” brought back memories for Sungshik of his time at the Superhuman Academy. In addition to regular classes, there were many active clubs formed for various purposes.
“Hoyun, if you keep causing trouble like this, we won’t be able to cover for you anymore.”
“I-It’s not like that… I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Hoyun, flustered, bit his lip and apologized to the President.
“Sigh. Fine. We’ll talk later. And you are…?”
“I’m Heo Sungshik, a second-year student. I’m in the same class as Kim Hoyun.”
Sungshik quickly glanced at the name tag of the boy he addressed as President and replied respectfully. The name tag was yellow, a rank above his own blue one, signifying the boy was a third-year student.
“It feels strange using honorifics for someone so much younger… but I guess I should play along since he’s technically my senior.”
Despite feeling awkward about addressing someone younger with respect, Sungshik managed to do so.
“I’m Park Tae-sik. I’m not sure what happened with Hoyun, but I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize, Senior. It’s fine.”
“Hoyun has a bit of a temper, so I’ve been looking out for him. I must’ve let my guard down recently… Anyway, you’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, I’m fine. Really, it’s not a big deal. It’s just that Kim Hoyun likes…”
“Hey! Sungshik! I was wrong, okay? I’m sorry about today.”
Hoyun, blushing furiously, hurriedly interrupted Sungshik and apologized.
“Look at him, turning red all the way to his ears.”
Hoyun’s embarrassed reaction was quite amusing to Sungshik, almost making him want to tease him further.
“Ah, I get it now.”
The President, who had been observing with a bemused expression, smiled as if understanding the situation.
“Wow, Senior, your perceptiveness is no joke.”
Sungshik was impressed by Park Tae-sik’s quick wit. In fact, anyone who observed closely could tell that Kim Hoyun had feelings for Kim Subin.
“To be a club president, sharp observation is a basic requirement. That said… if I hadn’t stepped in earlier, I’m guessing…”
Tae-sik’s meaningful comment hinted that he was aware of Sungshik’s intent during the earlier confrontation.
“Did he figure out that I was waiting for an opening to counter?”
Earlier, when Hoyun was too agitated to think straight, Sungshik had been readying himself to exploit an opportunity to counterattack. Just before Tae-sik intervened, the perfect moment had presented itself. Sungshik had planned to use his opponent's strength against him, applying a technique known as the "Four Lightning Tendons."
It seemed Tae-sik had picked up on that.
“Not bad.”
The name "Park Tae-sik" felt familiar. It was likely that he was among the notable students back in the day.
“Well, I was ready to make a quick escape.”
“Ha, is that so? Alright. I’m sorry for today. Let’s grab a meal sometime to make up for it. Hoyun, apologize properly, and let’s head back to the club room.”
“I’m sorry… for earlier.”
Hoyun, now visibly deflated, bowed slightly to apologize before following Tae-sik.
“Things are eventful right from day two of my return.”
After exerting himself, Sungshik felt the reality of his regression sink in.
At the Superhuman Academy, the school year was divided into four quarters, with comprehensive exams at the end of each quarter. The written tests, in particular, were notorious for their difficulty, requiring thorough understanding rather than rote memorization.
Even students who excelled in practical exams often failed the written ones. As a result, the library was packed during exam season, resembling a battlefield.
“Wow… it’s crowded.”
Standing in front of the seat allocation terminal, Sungshik clicked his tongue as he saw the near-full seating chart. The massive library, designed to accommodate an entire grade, was 90% full.
“This is making me nervous.”
Seeing how intensely everyone was studying, Sungshik felt his earlier confidence about excelling in the theory exam waver.
“What’s making you so nervous?”
Startled by the sudden voice, Sungshik turned around to see a girl with sparkling eyes staring at him.
“The Moonlight Holder, Kim Subin.”
Her smooth, flawless face seemed to radiate light today.
Looking at her extraordinary beauty, which made the other girls around her look plain, Sungshik felt he could understand why Kim Hoyun was so infatuated with her.
“Hmm, it’s just that I came to study, but… everyone seems so intense.”
He gestured toward the seating chart display.
“Last quarter’s exam period was even more intense! It was nearly full back then~. You don’t usually come to the library during exam periods, do you?”
“Ah… I used to study in my dorm room.”
Looking back, Sungshik vaguely remembered how competitive library studying had been even before his regression.
“That’s right, I failed the theory exam back then, didn’t I? It’s been over ten years, so my memory’s fuzzy.”
Recalling his disastrous past performance, Sungshik shook his head.
“So, you’re here to study, Subin?”
“Oh, I just finished and was heading back to my room. You’re here to study, right? Take this and do your best!”
Subin rummaged through her eco-bag, pulled something out, and pressed it into Sungshik’s hand before giving him an encouraging pose with clenched fists and leaving.
“This is…”
Sungshik chuckled as he looked at the item in his hand. It was the same energy drink Subin had given him yesterday.
“Does she only drink this instead of coffee? Did she get sponsored or something?”
As he nodded to himself, amused by the idea, his thoughts were interrupted.
Zing―
“Ugh.”
As he watched Subin walk away, a sudden headache struck.
―Certain conditions have been met, allowing partial retrieval of pre-regression data.
―The trait ‘Hyper-Senses—S Rank’ has been retrieved.
“Guh… What is this?”
Suddenly, all of his senses became razor-sharp. He could feel what was previously unperceivable and see what had been invisible. It was as if all five senses had awakened to their fullest potential. It was an exhilarating sensation, as if a blind man who had lived in darkness all his life suddenly opened his eyes to see the world.
Moreover, he could feel and see mana permeating everything around him.
“This must be… the sensation one would have if they mastered the Hyper-Senses trait.”
The feeling was akin to what he had imagined a Master-level (Level 7) Hyper-Senses trait would provide before his regression.
Shhh―
The heightened senses began to recede, returning to normal.
“This is the Hyper-Senses trait. But such a transcendent sensation… it’s almost like…”
Before his regression, Sungshik’s Hyper-Senses trait had only reached Level 4, far below the Master level of Level 7. While it had given him sharper instincts than most, it had never provided him with anything close to the omniscient sensation he just experienced.
However, this momentary sensation seemed to be what one would experience at the Master level.
“Excuse me, are you alright?”
Sungshik, who had slumped to the floor under the flood of sensations, heard someone calling him and snapped back to reality.
“Ah, yes. I just got a bit dizzy… I’m fine now.”
“Ah, okay. If you keep feeling unwell, you should visit the infirmary.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Thanks to the passing student, Sungshik managed to collect himself and began pondering the situation.
“What… just happened? Status Window―”
[Status Window]
Name: Heo Sungshik
Title: None
Rank: 1-Star (★)
Combat Power: F
Stats: Strength F / Agility F / Stamina F / Mana F
Traits:
- [EX Rank] Consumption―LV 1 Unlocked
- [EX Rank] One More Time (Activated, Unavailable)―LV 7 (MAX)
- [S Rank] Hyper-Senses―LV 1 New―Notification Received
Sungshik’s unique trait was Consumption. Literally, it was a trait that allowed him to “consume” other traits.
For a long time, this unique trait had remained dormant, unbeknownst to him, until it was unlocked by chance! It was this broken ability that turned Sungshik into a rising star and a super rookie.
“The trait has been unlocked. But I didn’t meet the conditions for absorbing a trait… Could it be that mysterious power I sensed from Kim Subin?”
A moment ago, as Kim Subin was walking away, he had felt a transcendent presence emanating from her, and at the same time, he awakened his Hyper-Senses.
In fact, from the very first moment he saw Kim Subin, he had felt something strange. It was as though the gaze of an unknown being was fixed on him. At first, he dismissed it due to the chaos of his recent regression, but after seeing her again today, the vague feeling solidified into certainty.
“Interesting. The Priestess of the Moon, Kim Subin… Could she be linked to a transcendent entity?”
Occasionally, there were superhumans who were linked to transcendent entities related to their traits. These cases were extremely rare, but those who experienced it were sometimes referred to as “chosen by the gods.”
In reality, their growth far surpassed that of others with similar traits. For instance, about one-third of the 11 Throness were linked to transcendent entities.
“If the transcendent entity linked to the Priestess of the Moon is the Lunar Goddess Luna… why would she bestow such a privilege upon me?”
It was clear that the unlocking of Sungshik’s trait had originated from the transcendent presence he had sensed in Kim Subin. This was evident from the fleeting Master-level experience of the Hyper-Senses trait. The transcendent entity connected to Kim Subin had granted him this privilege.
It was known that transcendent entities suffered a significant loss of power when exerting influence over anyone other than their direct linkers.
“Hmm.”
He pondered deeply for a while, but the mystery remained unsolved.
“For now, let’s check the notification.”
The new notification had arrived when the Hyper-Senses trait temporarily reached the Master level. It was likely a special reward notification given at that level.
“Open notification―”