"Ow! Could you be a little gentler!?"
As Shin writhed in pain, a man in his fifties—with tired eyes and the look of someone completely done with life—examined his arm.
"Shut up, you little brat. Do you realize you're the only high schooler in my entire career who ends up here every single week!?"
"Thanks for the compliment! I'm very dedicated, you know."
Sighing at the boy's antics, the nurse pulled out a cigarette from his coat and lit it.
"Can't you hurry it up? Classes are almost over, and I want to enjoy my vacation."
"SHUT IT!"
With a weary look, the nurse took a deep drag and blew the smoke onto Shin's arm. In a truly astonishing process, the flesh began to regenerate.
"No matter how many times I see it, being an Awakened is incredible…"
Shin stared in awe at the sight before his eyes as the nurse chuckled quietly.
"Your arm was seriously messed up. The principal's martial art is no joke."
"Yeah, but honestly, even if Jack had used the Perpetual Cycle Art, I still would've lost. That guy's just too strong."
"You're not jealous? I'll remind you that if he weren't in this school, you'd be the one who got that martial art."
"Of course I'm jealous. He beats me in every category…"
A dejected expression appeared on the young man's face. The nurse was about to comfort him—but to his surprise, Shin suddenly burst out laughing.
"You'll see. In the end, I'll be the one who wins. And it wouldn't be any fun if he were weaker than me."
The nurse smiled nostalgically and laughed heartily.
"Good luck, kid. For now, you're off to a rough start. Anyway, I'm done with your arm."
As if by magic, Shin's arm was restored to perfect condition.
The Awakened weren't famous and respected for nothing. After all, they were people endowed with supernatural powers that defied logic.They made up 30% of the world's population.
As for me, I was currently a Level 0 Awakened—a normal human with the potential to become a true Awakened.
"I still have a long way to go."
"You mean because you're still Level 0? Don't worry about that. Most people your age don't reach Level 1 until the end of their university years."
"I don't care about that. I want to get into Mythopoiós."
"I know, I know—you say that to everyone."
After a brief silence, the nurse stood up and lit another cigarette while Shin stretched his arm to test it.
"It is the best university in the world. You're going to need at least that much to get in."
"I'm aware."
With a mocking laugh, the nurse turned toward him and handed him an envelope.
"What's this?"
"A recommendation from me—for the national internship."
Shin was speechless.
The national internship…It was the most important event in a student's high school life. During their final year, students completed a year-long internship under the government. Depending on their contributions, they could then apply to universities.
However, to achieve his goal and enter Mythopoiós, Shin needed at least a Level 4 contribution—a tangible achievement that would benefit the country in the short term.
"I thought only the principal and vice principal could write recommendations."
"Normally, yes. But in very special cases, a recommendation can come from the faculty—if everyone agrees."
"You mean… all of you did?"
"We've all seen your efforts, kid. So we decided to give you a little push."
As Shin took the envelope, tears silently streamed down his face.
"Thank you…"
"Go on. I hope you make it."
And so, after wiping away his tears, Shin left. After all, his efforts over the past two years hadn't been in vain.
Even though a recommendation didn't guarantee an internship, it greatly increased the chances—and depending on the recommendation, one could obtain a better position.
For Shin, who aimed to become a senior technician in the government forces, this was a huge advantage. Despite his grades, he needed that extra edge to be sure he'd be accepted.
As Shin walked home, he suddenly burst into a diabolical laugh.
"Haha! I finally got a recommendation! In your face, Jack! You and your girlfriend may have snatched the principal's and vice principal's recommendations from me, but I still got mine!"
Shin danced joyfully when a hoarse voice called out to him.
"What the hell are you doing, dancing in the middle of the courtyard?"
Shin recognized that voice instantly—it was his longtime friend Emmanuel, or Manu for short.
"Manu! You finally escaped the library!"
Standing before him was a young man about ten centimeters shorter than Shin, with an even more unkempt appearance. He had a mustache, a monk-like haircut, and a perpetually tired look. People called him the Little Buddha.
"Yeah, I finished my research. I made some progress—and I got a message from my mom saying my national internship results came in."
"Oh? And how did it go?"
"I got accepted into the local police's scientific unit."
"That's awesome, man!"
"I know, I know. Keep applauding."
"You'll never guess what's inside this envelope."
"Wait—don't tell me you somehow got photos of Cynthia in a swimsuit?"
"I've got something even better!"
The two friends shared stories about their day, laughing together with a rare sense of joy. Of course, Shin left out the part where he cried—it was far too embarrassing to tell.
"So you finally got your recommendation! See? I told you."
"Weren't you the one telling me to quit because I sucked?"
"Me? Say that? No way…"
As Manu avoided his friend's gaze, both of them burst into laughter.
"Congrats. That's one step closer to your dream, right?"
"Yeah. I'm going to change this world—and show them who's boss."
"I'm looking forward to seeing that."
After walking together for a while, they parted ways. That was when Shin's phone vibrated.
'Congratulations. Your internship application has been accepted.Following the recommendation of your professors, you have been assigned the position of Assistant Engineer for the Special Forces, Unit 15.'
Shin's breath caught as he read the message again and again.
He had reached his first goal.