Weak Class of Anti-Hero

I remained silent. The S-Rank Promotion Exam. It was the academy’s Holy Grail. The ultimate test.

Usually, only the ten students in the Top 10 were invited, once a year. It was an open secret that this was their way of testing and recruiting for my father’s secret organization.

"Me?" I finally said. "I’m only a C-rank. That’s impossible."

"Your official rank is meaningless now, and we both know it," the director replied. "Your actual power is far beyond that. You defeated a monster that some of my S-ranks would have struggled to handle."

He returned to his seat. "The exam isn’t a simple fight. It’s a series of trials designed to push a candidate to their absolute limits, both physically and mentally. Most fail. Some don’t come back."

His gaze grew more intense. "But those who succeed... they gain access to resources and information the rest of the world knows nothing about. They become the true guardians of this world."

He was giving me a key. The key to access the same world as my father. The key to get the answers I was searching for. The key to becoming strong enough for my revenge.

"Why me?" I asked. "Why now?"

"Because things are accelerating," he said, his face turning grim. "The Creators are getting closer. We no longer have the luxury of time. We need every ’anomaly’ we can find. And you, Kang Ji-Hoon, are the greatest anomaly I have ever seen."

He waited for my answer.

I didn’t need to think long.

It was dangerous. It was probably a trap. It might have been the stupidest thing I could do.