Himsoomjjin (힘숨찐)
Not “a loser who hides their strength,” but rather a protagonist who isn’t a loser at all but still chooses to hide their strength—this is the term used to describe them.
At first glance, it may seem derogatory, but for those who love the munchkin and misunderstanding tropes, it’s actually an irresistible theme.
Spider-Man and Superman can be considered classic examples of himsoomjjin stories.
Watching someone who acts like a complete loser suddenly awaken and start thrashing enemies left and right—it honestly makes me feel great.
“Not that I ever had any plans to become Superman myself.”
As a male student, I was already drawing attention, so I had no intention of standing out even more.
At most, I just wanted to make slow and steady progress, subtly planting the idea in people’s minds:
That guy’s actually pretty decent.
That was my plan—to show a smooth growth curve while gradually shaping my image.
[Combat Studies Class 1 Placement Exam]
[1. Shin Yuseong]
I never intended to make it this obvious.
To be honest, I was baffled.
Wait, why am I ranked first already?
I mean, I could do it later, sure, but I haven’t even revealed a quarter of my real abilities yet.
So why am I getting this ranking?
All I did was walk up to a goblin and slice, slice, cut it down.
It wasn’t like I drew some grand, radiant holy sword for all to see.
I was just swinging my sword like any other swordsman.
So why the hell did they put me in first place?
“I even dragged it out and killed the goblin slowly… wasn’t time a grading factor?”
I thought this world favored necromancers and other ability users, that it held magic in high regard. Was I wrong?
[The goddess smiles brightly, congratulating the hero on his recognition.]
I mean, yeah, being first place does feel good…
But seriously, I can’t help but be confused.
“So, the semester is finally starting.”
Students often misunderstand this, but teachers don’t want to be here either.
If anything, students at least get to see their friends.
For teachers, it’s just another day at work.
If money weren’t coming into my bank account, I would’ve told this semester to go to hell.
Professors also prefer vacations over semesters.
And they’d rather spend time on their research than in lectures.
“Huhu.”
However, Shin Arin, a professor in the Combat Studies department, wore a satisfied smile as she gazed at the bustling campus.
She was so excited that she unconsciously clapped her hands, her shoulders twitching with anticipation.
Normally, she had no desire to train students—those brats never listened and always did whatever they wanted.
But this time, she had found a true talent.
Not from some prestigious family.
Not someone who was picked up and trained by a great mentor.
But an absolute top-tier genius.
The memory of the level test sent chills down Shin Arin’s spine again.
A natural-born swordsmanship prodigy, already honed to near perfection.
A cool-headed judgment that never let its guard down, even against goblins.
And an undeniable star quality that would shine as a Hunter.
In other words, he had the perfect appearance as well.
Clap, clap, clap.
“Bravo.”
I couldn’t help but applaud.
Shin Yuseong, thinking he had deliberately taken his time, had no idea that by doing so, he had actually given every professor ample opportunity to observe him.
To them, his measured pace exuded the composure of a true powerhouse.
Shin Arin, an active S-rank Hunter, believed that all of these factors were crucial.
Watching Shin Yuseong during the level test had completely won her over.
There was no way someone could reach that level through mere self-study.
Even if he had an unknown mentor, his combat talent was simply genius-level.
And right now, she was a professor at the academy.
That’s right, it’s my turn now.
They even had the same surname—didn’t that basically make them family?
She was determined to teach this once-in-a-lifetime genius both swordsmanship and combat know-how, setting him up for a successful life.
“Even if he doesn’t become a Hunter, he’s the type who’d do well no matter what.”
But the more, the merrier.
If he could do even better, why not?
Checking her phone, Shin Arin smirked and put on her combat uniform.
Lecture time was approaching.
“Wow, no way.”
“There’s no way a person like that actually exists.”
“How does someone that handsome also rank first? This has to be rigged by the organizers.”
“Rigged? Watch your mouth. Talk like that and you’ll disappear without a trace—dragged off by the professors.”
“Huh? What?”
“You seriously don’t know? That first-place guy is actually…”
Even after reducing my hearing range to the minimum, I still picked up snippets of conversation.
There were just too many people around.
Was it just because it was the first day of the semester?
Why were there so many people wherever I went?
I briefly considered erasing my presence completely and slipping away.
But even if I ran, this commotion wouldn’t die down so easily.
Why do they even know about me?
No, seriously, why?
Puzzled, I cautiously made my way toward my classroom.
At least no one was asking for an autograph.
It sounded absurd, but judging by the way they were looking at me…
I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
[The goddess snickers mischievously, saying she’s pleased that the hero is so popular.]
Yeah, well, I wasn’t about to trust that damn goddess.
I’d have to figure out a way to survive this chaos on my own.
Step by step, I made my way down the corridor until I arrived at one of the combat studies lecture halls.
This was where S-rank Hunter—High-Ranker Shin Arin—was about to hold her class.
Of course, professors were usually people of great renown in their respective fields.
But when I looked her up online, she wasn’t just well-known—she was hugely popular.
Back when I watched a video titled “Crazy Shin Arin Mad Movie,” I had been curious.
Just how powerful are the strongest fighters in this world?
But now?
“I’ve got bigger problems to worry about.”
Standing outside the lecture hall, I wasn’t worried about the professor.
I was more concerned about the students.
I really hoped they wouldn’t go crazy in class like the ones I had just passed by.
…Nah, no way.
This was the equivalent of a military academy in a fantasy world.
Future knights wouldn’t just mess around during class.
Unless they had a death wish.
“No more attention. Never.”
Even a shut-in deserves to dream of being somewhat popular.
Sure, I appreciated the goodwill and interest, but this was getting out of hand.
I wasn’t an extrovert.
As a proud introvert, there was no way I could handle this for 24 hours a day.
Even a starving plant will choke and die if you drown it with too much water.
“Please, let the classroom be friendly, but not too interested in me.”
Oh, and as a bonus, it’d be great if I could meet a fated lover in there too.
[The goddess scowls.]
[She grumbles, saying I sure have a lot of demands.]
[Uuuuuu.]
I mean, it’s not like I saved the world in my previous life—I literally just did it in this one.
Isn’t this much selfish desire perfectly reasonable?
Completely ignoring the complaints of that damn goddess, I opened the classroom door.
Creak—
The lecture hall was packed.
Apparently, I was the last to arrive.
“…Hmm.”
And damn, it was silent.
Ah.
I could hardly breathe.
The truly skilled always recognize each other.
At the very least, they know each other’s names.
If they’re even a little familiar, they’ll have seen each other’s faces a few times.
And if their families or factions are closely connected, they’ll have crossed paths even more often.
Of course, just because they know of each other doesn’t mean they’re friends.
This was Class 1 of the Combat Department.
Everyone in this room was elite, and as such, they knew each other well.
The veiled and mysterious Jeil Yeongrak Sect.
The handful who got in through special admissions aside, most of them had at least encountered one another in passing.
They had heard phrases like “That guy is the one you have to defeat.”
They had been labeled as rivals within the same generation.
Since their year was being hyped up as the “Golden Generation,” the pressure was immense.
This was a specialized school, operating within a competitive industry.
A world where the drive to win against one’s peers was ingrained.
A place where one’s classmates and future colleagues were seen not as allies, but as competitors.
That suffocating tension filled the lecture hall, rigid and electric.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Tch. Look at all of them, wasting energy on useless mind games.”
A girl with ivory-colored hair and a massive slab of metal always strapped to her side.
Sefine Alabad, a summoner from the prestigious Alabad family, swept her gaze across her classmates with a look of pure boredom.
She was simply waiting for the professor to arrive.
Given her indifferent personality, she had zero interest in this kind of tension.
She didn’t even like coming to school in the first place.
“I just wanna go home already.”
And the small girl beside her?
The spirit summoner from Japan seemed to share the same sentiment.
Her head was already slumped onto her desk, lightly snoring.
Only the beast-like ears atop her head twitched with life.
“I’ve heard that spirit summoners with high affinity sometimes physically transform…”
So were those real ears?
Or just decorative?
I was mildly curious, but not enough to ask outright.
She wasn’t a close friend, and I wasn’t that nosy.
Sefine merely glanced at her classmate’s twitching ears, waiting for class to start.
Then suddenly—
Twitch.
The white, fur-covered ears perked up.
The gentle, rhythmic breathing of her sleeping deskmate halted.
As if sensing something, the wolf-eared summoner slowly lifted her head and turned towards the door.
Sefine Alabad, drawn by curiosity, followed suit.
And then—
“Huh?”
It was a shocking sight.
The moment felt almost scripted.
An aura of mana, meticulously woven over his body, settled perfectly and naturally around him.
A flawlessly balanced physique, devoid of any weaknesses.
And above all, the most unbelievable part—
A face so perfect, it was as if the gods themselves had sculpted it.
Standing there, clad in his uniform, was a man too unreal to exist.
“…Ah.”
The room froze—
For an entirely different reason this time.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.