The next morning, the academy was busy.
Students talked in groups. Teachers walked by in robes.
The sky was clear, and the training field was full of noise.
So Hyun walked through the academy gates. His body still ached from last night's fight.
"Looks like no one noticed I was gone," he said quietly.
Then suddenly—
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
A white horse stopped in front of the academy.
A boy stepped down.
He had silver hair that shined in the sun. His golden eyes looked strong, but calm.
He wore a sword on his back.
All the students turned and whispered:
"It's Arthur!"
"He's finally back!"
"The genius swordsman!"
Arthur walked slowly through the crowd. Students moved aside.
So Hyun stood still.
His eyes narrowed. "That's him... Arthur. The main hero of the story."
In the novel, Arthur was the strongest. He always saved people.
He was kind, brave, and powerful.
Arthur looked around the crowd.
Then his eyes stopped—on So Hyun.
Their eyes met for just one second.
So Hyun felt a chill.
"Did he sense something?" he thought.
Arthur gave a small nod… and walked away.
So Hyun watched him go.
"That guy... I can't let him see me as the villain. Not this time."
So Hyun sat in the garden behind the academy.
The wind was soft. Flowers moved in the breeze.
He looked up at the sky and thought hard.
"Arthur… He's not just a student. In the novel, he's the main hero."
So Hyun closed his eyes and remembered the novel story.
In the story, Jin Haru bullied people. He tried to steal the healer heroine's heart.
He got jealous of Arthur and attacked him during a dungeon raid.
Then Arthur beat him and left him half-dead.
After that, Jin Haru lost everything—his rank, his power, and his pride.
So Hyun sighed.
"That can't happen again. I need to change this story."
He opened his status window.
> Special Skill: Enemy Scan
Effect: See target's Level, HP, and attributes.
"I'm not the strongest. Not yet. But I have something Arthur doesn't."
He looked at his sword and held it tight.
"I'll keep growing. I'll play this world like a game—but smarter."
Suddenly, a bell rang.
Ding dong!
It was time for class.
So Hyun stood up and walked back inside, thinking,
"I'm not Jin Haru anymore. I'm the player now."
The classroom buzzed with voices.
So Hyun sat near the window. He kept quiet, watching students talk.
Then the door opened.
Everyone looked.
Arthur walked in, calm and quiet.
The teacher smiled. "Everyone, welcome back Arthur. He returned early from his special training."
Students clapped. Some looked at him with respect. Others with jealousy.
Arthur sat in the front row.
But after a few minutes, he stood again.
He walked toward So Hyun's seat.
So Hyun blinked. "What does he want?"
Arthur stopped beside him and said, "You're Jin Haru, right?"
So Hyun nodded. "Yes."
Arthur smiled slightly. "You've changed."
So Hyun's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Arthur looked at him calmly. "Your eyes… they're not full of pride anymore. Interesting."
Then he walked away.
So Hyun stayed quiet.
His heart beat fast.
"He noticed… just from a look?"
He leaned back in his seat.
"That guy really is the hero. I need to be careful."
After class ended, students left the room, chatting and laughing.
So Hyun stayed behind, sitting alone.
He looked down at his hands.
"Arthur saw through me in seconds. He's not normal."
He opened his status window one more time.
> Level: 5
Skill: Enemy Scan
Points Left: 0
"I still have a long way to go," he whispered.
He stood up and walked outside.
The sun was low. The sky turned orange.
In the courtyard, he saw some commoner students being pushed by nobles. They looked scared.
So Hyun paused.
"Jin Haru would laugh at them… but I'm not him."
He walked past the scene, but in his heart, something changed.
He made a silent promise:
> "I will grow stronger, not to rule this world… but to survive it.
I will not follow the villain's path.
I will create my own."
Then, he looked up at the school tower where Arthur stood alone, looking down at the world.
So Hyun narrowed his eyes.
"Next time we meet, I'll be ready."