Seoul Portrait Ability Academy.
For any enrolled student, the route to the special autonomous district where the academy is located is incredibly clear and convenient.
Shuttle buses run throughout Seoul, and a dedicated subway line exists solely for the academy.
There’s no need to worry about interference from outsiders since only those with a student ID and transit pass can board—meaning only students and academy staff have access.
Since a shuttle bus also stopped near my apartment, I waited while eating a sandwich I bought from a convenience store and was able to hop on in no time.
Well, there was a minor issue, though.
“Is that… them?”
“Wow, how did this not spread sooner?”
“Maybe everyone went blind because they were too dazzling.”
“Oh, that actually makes sense.”
Tapping my student ID and taking a seat was smooth enough.
But for some reason, everyone on the bus kept sneaking glances in my direction.
I was sure I had never seen any of them before, yet their gazes were filled with what seemed like admiration…
What was this? Delusions of grandeur? Or some new kind of bullying unique to this reversed world?
“Goddess, what is happening here?”
I wanted to ask for the Goddess’s wise counsel for the first time in a while.
[…….]
But after she sent me a message about being furious when I left the convenience store earlier, she hadn’t responded since.
Well, there were times when she was unavailable even in the other world.
Maybe she just went to the restroom or something.
Setting aside the missing Goddess for now, I decided to focus on analyzing the situation on the bus.
“Okay, so I’m not imagining things—everyone really is looking at me.”
I was a warrior who had reached the peak of my abilities.
It was easy to tell whether someone was looking elsewhere or directly at me.
And yes, they were definitely sneaking glances my way.
This wasn’t just my imagination!
[The Goddess hurls harsh insults at you.]
Well, it wasn’t uncommon for her to disappear and then return just to cuss me out in the other world too.
So I didn’t really mind.
What concerned me more was the nature of everyone’s gazes.
In my early days, I was a hero.
By the end, I was worshiped as a god of destruction.
Being watched by others wasn’t unfamiliar to me.
“People used to look at me with reverence and awe.”
Experiencing a shift from human to something half-divine.
It wasn’t unpleasant at all—it was an exhilarating, dopamine-filled experience.
But it was difficult to find equals, which is why I returned to the modern world.
Even here, people stared, but the emotions reflected in their eyes were different.
Back when I was a hero, the gazes I felt were filled with reverence, awe, admiration, and sometimes fear and resentment.
But here, I sensed curiosity, admiration… and, more subtly, lingering desire.
They were curious about me.
In many ways.
Based on the big data of Shin Yuseong-style analysis from the past few months of consuming creative works, they held a rational curiosity and a certain level of attraction toward me.
[……?!]
[The Goddess asks if you were aware of this.]
‘Of course, I was.’
It’s natural for middle and high school students to steal glances at a pretty part-timer in a café or PC bang, isn’t it?
After questioning this during my last trip to school, I had evaluated myself every morning in the bathroom mirror.
No matter how I looked at it, my face wasn’t bad at all.
In other words, there was demand.
Under the assumption that the dynamics of battle prowess and romantic desire had somewhat reversed in this world, I figured that, based on my natural looks alone, I wasn’t too bad of a catch.
Especially in an academy where male students were scarce, I might even get to experience the feeling of being the protagonist in a harem fantasy.
[The Goddess stares at you in shock.]
[She asks if you knew all this and still acted the way you did.]
Hey now, what do you mean, “that way”?
As a former hero, I’ve lived without shame.
I didn’t even have time to do anything wrong, considering I was holed up indoors most of the time.
[She says that’s exactly what she finds unacceptable.]
[(0_0)]
This Goddess really finds fault in everything.
“Look, market research is important. Besides, I’ve already decided on my main target location… should I call it my route? Anyway, the academy is where I’ll focus.”
Running out into the city and shouting, ‘Look at me!’ to gather attention wasn’t my style.
I had already received too much attention in the other world to enjoy it just for the sake of being popular.
Popularity was nice, sure, but what I truly wanted was romance.
‘Pure love is great, but harems are nice too.’
I’ve always been the type to just devour everything.
A simple, honest desire—if I liked someone, I just wanted them to like me back.
So for now, I planned to fully commit to academy life.
“A top student? A model student image would be best.”
I wasn’t suited for the role of a delinquent or some flashy golden boy.
I had no intention of playing that kind of role either.
I just wanted to experience a normal school life—doing well academically while also exploring romance, like an average college student.
That was my simple goal in this world.
[The Goddess sighs, muttering that she must have raised the wrong hero.]
“What? Why?”
[She simply says she feels bad for the convenience store clerk.]
“Wait, why?!”
As always, my tastes never seemed to align with this damn Goddess’s.
The train rumbled along the iron tracks above the blue river, and beyond it, an island came into view.
Seoul Portrait Ability Academy.
A special autonomous district prepared solely for this academy—an academy city built on an island.
A cradle of talent attracting elites from around the world, drawing the attention of governments, corporations, and even villain organizations.
But there was no need to worry about outside espionage or terrorist threats.
Click.
The train just crossed the trigger.
For a moment, a wave of magical energy swept through the train and its passengers, scanning them.
She turned to look out the window.
Bright, dark, and colorful.
For an instant, day and night, dawn and dusk intertwined over the river outside the train.
It was as if space and time were entangled in a complex, multidimensional manner.
No matter how many times she saw it, it was always a breathtaking sight.
Alice Severus, a professor in the Combat Studies and Magic Department, maintained a neutral expression as she compared her vast knowledge of magic with the miraculous phenomenon unfolding before her eyes.
Even if it had been constructed by grand mages and sorcerers of equivalent skill, the fact that such a powerful barrier enveloped the entire island was astonishing.
Some people might dismiss it with a simple, “Tch, just another barrier,” but for a mage with even a modicum of understanding, it was a truly awe-inspiring spectacle.
It was so discreet that most students didn’t even realize they had passed through the barrier.
The fact that this was an educational institution rather than a military facility made such subtlety all the more valuable.
Students could enjoy their freedom and rights while attending the academy without any unnecessary interference.
In line with that educational philosophy, the interior of the academy was diverse and aesthetically pleasing.
There were modern buildings and streets, but also sections that felt like they had been plucked from a medieval village—simple markets, plazas, and fountains creating a unique atmosphere.
There were even traditional Eastern-style training halls designed for Asian students practicing close combat, and the dormitories were built in four distinct seasonal themes.
Some dismissed this as excessive spending on a minority, but the sheer amount of investment and expectations made such luxuries possible.
Graduates often became A-rank Hunters, donated generously, or returned as educators, ensuring that all costs were recouped.
Not to mention, the tuition fees were already exorbitant.
Because of the sheer concentration of talent at the academy, Professor Alice Severus always felt anticipation during this time of year as she observed the new students.
Despite disliking troublesome tasks, she had even volunteered to handle the illusion magic for the Combat Studies placement exam.
Every year, she held high expectations for the incoming students.
After all, they weren’t just potential A-rank Hunters—they could become graduate students or even evolve into exceptional experimental subjects.
“I’ll have to guide them carefully so they don’t become discouraged.”
This year was particularly unusual.
As always, the heirs of prestigious families and the Magic Tower were outstanding, but there were also unexpected dark horses.
One in particular caught her attention, despite belonging to an entirely different discipline from hers.
In the academy village’s plaza, where various foods, desserts, and magical items were sold, a bulletin board stood.
[Combat Studies Class 1 Placement Exam]
Aris Severus stopped in front of the board and examined the posted rankings.
“Oh?”
This year was definitely more intriguing than usual.
[The Goddess’s eyes widen dramatically.]
[She frantically looks around the hero.]
Aside from the entrance ceremony, this was my first day of actual classes.
It should have been a day full of potential big events, yet I had been joking around with the Goddess as if it were nothing.
Because I had assumed it was nothing.
Even if I were a bit good-looking or skilled, I was just another academy student.
I had no reason to stand out for my abilities.
I hadn’t even checked my entrance exam scores, but I was certain they had barely met the cutoff.
And during the level test on entrance day, I had only put in a minimal effort against the goblin horde.
It had been a long time since I needed to go all out just to kill goblins, after all.
So my plan had simply been to casually stroll around the campus, treating it like a reconnaissance mission.
But then…
“Wow, he’s insane in person.”
“Should I just smash my phone? My camera lens must be trash.”
“That face and that level of skill?”
Something felt off.
I only realized the exact reason when I saw the level test ranking sheets posted all over campus.
“Uh…”
Wait a second.
[Combat Studies Class 1 Placement Exam]
[1. Shin Yuseong]
Wait… Me?!