"Damn it," I thought, shocked by the situation.
Honestly, Shin has a real talent for getting himself into impossible situations—but the guy challenging him has even less luck… After all, he just picked a fight with the most resentful person in the world.
"Calm down, please."
By stepping between the two young men, she stopped a fight that was about to break out at any moment. But Shin looked genuinely furious; I could feel his murderous intent from here…
"You can talk all you want, Céline, but that position is mine!"
"You're being rather harsh toward an old lady like me—no pun intended."
"Shut up. I said I want that position, and I'll get it. After all, I'm aiming for the best university."
As he finished speaking, he ignored the old woman once again and shot Shin a piercing glare.
The outsider had spoken to her without the slightest trace of politeness or restraint. He must have some kind of past… I wondered what Shin would do.
"Hey, you're not the only one who wants it. If you plan on blocking my path, believe me—your internship ends today."
Everyone in the room was stunned. No one expected such a response from Shin… except Manu. He alone knew how insolent Shin could be when he wanted to be.
"Hoho… now this is starting to get interesting."
A deep voice cut through the silence. The giant known as Tom had entered the room. No one dared reply; it felt as though no one there had the authority to defy him.
"How about settling this the old-fashioned way—with a good, old duel?"
The moment he finished speaking, Shin's opponent looked displeased. After a brief pause, a mischievous smile spread across his face.
"So, you in, loser?"
Shin didn't hesitate for a second and replied with a sadistic grin.
"You think you're strong enough?"
This guy really has a talent for asking for trouble…
"Since we're at it, this is a good chance for me to see your level in the Art of the Blue Sage. How about you create a barrier for their duel?"
"Damn it… I mean, yes! I need fifteen minutes!"
…
The moment Manu finished speaking, he moved at lightning speed, drawing a pentagon on the floor while chanting a mantra.
Arts of deduction were no simple matter. Beyond strict conditions, one had to master incantations and manipulate ether precisely enough to form constructs. It was like learning a programming language—and actually making it work.
Yet, in the limited time he was given, Manu succeeded. A thin, translucent blue layer rose from the edges of the pentagon, forming a dome around me and my opponent.
"Impressive, I admit it. Even at your age, I couldn't do that—especially not with the Art of the Blue Sage…"
The people in the room began murmuring about Manu's abilities. After all, even a level-2 Awakened was praising him.
That was when I sensed a hidden presence watching us from the shadows. Someone stood at a distance, observing the scene intently. For now, it wasn't my priority—beating the guy in front of me mattered more. Still, something about that bastard felt strangely familiar…
…
Shin took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance, while his opponent remained relaxed, stretching lazily and occasionally throwing dark glares at the young Awakened.
"To think you're acting all cocky when you're about to get beaten to a pulp… really unlucky, huh?"
Silence fell over the room once more. No one expected that from Shin. He looked like a model student, but behind that mask hid a true demon—Manu could confirm that.
"You asked for it!"
The opponent charged and unleashed a devastating barrage of blows. Shin stayed calm, deflecting each strike while counterattacking whenever he found an opening.
The two fighters were testing each other, and surprisingly, they seemed evenly matched. Very few could boast such skill at such a young age.
"So it wasn't just empty talk… but it's still not enough."
To Shin's surprise, a sudden kick sent him flying back several meters.
"Oh really? Didn't you notice?"
Shin grinned, waving a piece of fabric he had torn from his opponent's jacket during the fight.
Rage and humiliation twisted the opponent's face, though he managed to restrain himself.
"He who laughs last, laughs best."
His body suddenly became engulfed in a greenish glow—something Shin knew all too well. The Art of the Mountain Tiger. The same one Jack used.
The glow turned into burning flames that took the shape of a furious tiger—the Tiger's Roar.
Shin's mind wavered under the spiritual attack. When he came back to his senses, a fist was already inches from his face.
He took the blow head-on and was thrown backward several meters, but he remained standing. Instinctively, he had jumped back to reduce the impact.
His body ignited with a bluish light in response, though he wasn't in peak condition. Maintaining steady breathing with a bleeding nose wasn't exactly easy.
"Hoho… he's mastered the Art of the Mountain Tiger quite well. At his age, Gordon couldn't even do half of that."
Everyone held their breath. Yet Shin shocked them once again by stretching casually, a glint of madness burning in his red eyes.
"Want some more?"
Suddenly, his shoe flew through the air and slapped his opponent square in the face.
"You bastard!"
As he tried to locate Shin, a growing shadow spread across the floor. He looked up—another shoe struck him cleanly.
Rage took over. Then came a sharp whistling sound behind him. He turned just in time to see a hand slicing through the air at terrifying speed, slamming him backward.
Shin finally reappeared, flipping him off with a sadistic grin. His opponent's pride had been utterly crushed.
"You…!"
He prepared to unleash the technique of the Great Mountain, while Shin activated Boost.
But suddenly, gravity intensified inside the dome, crushing both fighters to the ground.
"That's enough. I don't want either of you getting hurt."
The voice was weak, yet it echoed throughout the room. Céline had appeared inside the dome. Even Tom was stunned.
"Besides, I lied… there are two senior technician positions. Hohoho."
"What?! I'm old—it's not my fault if I have memory lapses!"
And thus ended the first day of Shin and Manu's internship.