The Hero Life of the Greatest Villain

Chapter 02

When he went up to the fourth floor of the building she had directed him to, he found a lecture hall with a sign that read “Cadet Class A.”

“Is there really no other way?”

Standing in front of the lecture hall gave him an odd feeling.

Chang-sik hesitated near the door, weighed down by the thought of group life.

And as if to encourage him, the system window appeared once again.

**Ding!-**

《The True Hero’s Path: Step Two》

– Use the trait *Hero Detection* on one cadet in Class A to view their status window.

[Reward: Unlock the *Trait Modification* feature]

It seemed the system was pushing for Chang-sik to settle into academy life.

“Well, I’ve come this far. I guess I’ll just have to face it head-on.”

Resolving himself, he pushed open the door to the lecture hall.

**Click!**

The moment he stepped inside, countless gazes shot toward him.

“…”

Chang-sik, unfazed by their stares, walked calmly to the very back corner of the room and took a seat.

His casual behavior stirred up murmurs among the cadets.

“Who the hell is that? Late on the first day?”

“Wow, so bold. Unreal.”

Amid the murmuring, someone clapped their hands loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.

“All right, everyone, quiet down, please.”

The woman standing on the podium quieted the noisy room.

A stout figure with a double chin and narrow, sharp eyes that gave her a stern appearance—Professor Um Mihwa, the instructor for Cadet Class A.

Recently appointed as an academy instructor, Um Mihwa found Chang-sik particularly irritating.

‘Hah! What’s this? Judging by that unfamiliar face, he’s not even from some famous hero family.’

To her, he seemed like an utterly insignificant cadet.

And to make matters worse, not only was he late to the very first lecture, but he also showed no hint of an apology, which infuriated her.

With a forced smile, she decided to put the latecomer in his place.

“Are you Cadet Kim Chang-sik, who just came in?”

Chang-sik, without a word, nodded in response.

His unapologetic attitude made Mihwa’s face twitch slightly.

‘Oh, look at this guy. A mere cadet daring to act so brazenly…’

She wanted to raise her voice immediately, but with so many eyes watching, she restrained herself.

Suppressing her emotions, she asked again, “Why are you late?”

“Hmm…”

Chang-sik hadn’t realized it was already class time.

But he couldn’t exactly say that outright, so instead, he replied honestly.

“I was sleeping.”

“…What?”

It was the most apologetic tone he could muster, given his rough upbringing.

But to someone unfamiliar with him, like Mihwa, his response was utterly baffled.

“W-what did you just say?”

“…I said I was sleeping.”

Mihwa’s temper finally snapped at Chang-sik’s blunt reply.

“Cadet! Are you mocking me right now?”

Realizing his attempt to sound apologetic had failed, Chang-sik sighed deeply.

“I’m genuinely sorry for being late. So, can we just move on and start the class?”

“W-what?! Hey, you!”

Even though he had apologized, Mihwa continued to fume, clearly annoyed.

Chang-sik became irritated and spoke more icily.

“Let’s drop it already.”

“…”

His straightforwardness brought a heavy silence to the lecture hall.

And then, at that moment—

“Pfft!”

A laugh burst out from the back of the classroom.

It came from a cadet with bright red hair that flared out like a lion’s mane—a strikingly unique hairstyle.

Apparently finding the situation hilarious, the red-haired cadet clutched his stomach as he chuckled.

And then—

“CA-DET!!”

Mihwa’s shrill voice pierced Chang-sik’s ears.

Her words came down like a storm.

“Cadet! Are you insane? Do you even realize who you’re talking to?!”

As she jabbed her finger at him and approached in a threatening manner, Chang-sik’s gaze sharpened with a deadly glint.

His mind accelerated.

‘Eyes, temple, philtrum, jaw, Adam’s apple, solar plexus.’

Almost instinctively, he identified her weak points.

The tension crackled, ready to explode.

But just then—

“Professor.”

A cadet’s voice cut into the heated confrontation.

Hearing the voice, Mihwa’s eyes widened and trembled.

“…What is it, Cadet Gu Chiseong?”

It was the red-haired cadet who had been laughing moments earlier.

“Aren’t we in the middle of class right now? Cadet Kim Chang-sik already admitted his mistake, so wouldn’t it be better to just get on with the lesson?”

His bold comment left Mihwa speechless for a moment, forcing her to glance around nervously.

“…”

Chiseong spoke again, as if to press the matter.

“Professor? Let’s just start the class.”

“F-fine. You’re right. As Cadet Gu Chiseong said, this is class time, so I’ll proceed with the lesson.”

Though her glare still burned into Chang-sik, Mihwa reluctantly began the lesson.

Chang-sik tilted his head slightly.

‘…What’s this?’

While it was true that cadet instructors weren’t as high-ranking as regular academy professors, seeing one cowed by a mere cadet was… unexpected.

He glanced over at the red-haired cadet.

“…”

The guy, resting his chin on his hand, was grinning as though he found all of this endlessly entertaining.

For some reason, Chang Sik felt oddly familiar with him.

—

Because it was the first day of cadet training, there wasn’t much instruction.

After a quick orientation, the class ended.

Staring out the window, Chang Sik reflected.

‘There’s no way out of this. I really am stuck as an academy cadet now.’

During the break, the chatter of the other cadets filled the air, grating on his ears.

“A few days ago, I met a C-rank hero, and…”

“Man, this academy is really something else.”

“Did you see the latest Hero Times?”

As expected of hero academy cadets, their conversations revolved around heroes.

But to Chang Sik, it was all meaningless noise.

Resting his chin on his hand, he sighed, only to have someone plop down into the seat beside him.

“Hmm?”

It was the red-haired cadet from earlier.

With a cheerful face, he stared at Chang Sik, who frowned slightly.

“…What? You got something to say?”

“Huh? Not really. Just curious—is that your thing?”

“…What are you talking about?”

At Chang Sik’s calm reply, the red-haired cadet widened his eyes.

“I mean, being late on the first day, talking back to the professor—are you doing it on purpose or something? It’s kinda unique.”

Chang Sik hadn’t even realized it was class time earlier.

As for his casual tone of speech…

‘So they think it’s rude?’

There was a time, back when he was Ha Jinseok, that he used honorifics.

But after one particular incident, he’d stopped using them altogether.

“Mind your own… Hmm?”

Suddenly, the phrase “first day” hit him like a lightning bolt.

‘…Wait, what?’

The voices of cadets chatting nearby drifted to his ears.

“Did you see Black Sonic at the entrance ceremony?”

“Of course I did! It was my first time seeing an A-rank hero in person.”

‘Entrance ceremony?’

A sense that he was missing something gnawed at Chang Sik’s mind.

Abruptly, he stood and headed for the door.

“Huh? Where are you going all of a sudden?”

The red-haired cadet called out after him, but Chang Sik ignored it.

“…What the hell?”

He stepped outside onto the grassy courtyard, where a cool breeze was blowing.

**Rustle…**

Leaving the wide, open lawn behind him, Chang Sik spotted the massive front gate, firmly sealed to keep out outsiders.

The academy was so quiet and peaceful that it felt almost unreal.

But for some reason, Chang Sik couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling creeping up his spine.

‘I’m definitely missing something important…’

No matter how much he tried to jog his memory, nothing came to mind.

Left with no other choice, he headed back to the lecture hall, deciding to focus on his priorities.

‘Let’s just clear that second mission I got earlier and figure things out from there.’

Taking a deep breath, he scanned the room for a suitable target.

And then, right at that moment, a massive guy dropped himself onto Chang Sik’s desk with a loud thud.

“Yo, Chang Sik. What’s up with you? Why’re you sighing so hard?”

“…And you are?”

“Huh? Why’re you pretending not to know me now?”

The guy grinned wide, acting like they were old pals, even calling him by name.

But Chang Sik didn’t have the energy to deal with him.

“Look, I’m kinda tired right now. Let’s talk later.”

“Whoa, what’s with the serious act all of a sudden?”

As the big guy got all buddy-buddy with him, a few other cadets started gathering around them, curious.

The guy reached out his massive hand and rested it on Chang Sik’s forehead.

“You’re not sick or something, are you?”

“It’s not that—”

Just as Chang Sik brushed the guy’s hand away, he noticed the faint smirk twisting at the corner of his lips.

The tone changed to one of sarcasm and mockery.

“Oh, look at you, Chang Sik. So scary now, huh?”

“…”

“Hey, punk. What’s with the tough guy acting all of a sudden? You’ve been pulling that crap since earlier.”

The big guy’s sneering comment opened the floodgates for the other cadets to pile on.

“Man, I nearly wet myself when he talked back to Professor Um Mihwa earlier.”

“Right? I thought this guy was high on something or what.”

“Hey, jerk. If you ruin our class’s image, are you gonna take responsibility for it?”

Chang Sik, clueless about what kind of academy life “Kim Chang Sik” had before, found himself at a loss for words in the situation.

Instead of responding, he activated the *Hero Detection* trait on the hulking figure sneering in front of him.

**Ding!-**

**Name**: Kim Daechun

(*Weak to the strong, strong to the weak.*)

———————————

§ Strength: D
§ Agility:D
§ Stamina: C+
§ Magic: D

———————————

[Unique Trait]
– **Stone-Like Skin (Rare)**
– When activated, your skin turns to stone, allowing it to repel most attacks.
– However, mobility becomes heavily restricted during activation.

At the same time, a system notification chimed, letting him know the *Trait Modification* feature had been unlocked.

But Chang Sik wasn’t paying attention to that right now.

‘…What the hell is this trash?’

Chang Sik was baffled.

Seeing his confused expression, Daechun smirked even more.

“Oh, our Chang Sik’s confused, huh? Look at him—he’s totally scared. Hah!”

Sure, Chang Sik was caught off guard, but not for the reasons Daechun thought.

Faced with such an absurd situation, Chang Sik rubbed his face with his hands a few times.

“Huh? What’s wrong with him now? Is our Chang Sik mad?”

Grinning, Daechun grabbed Chang Sik by the collar and yanked him up.

With a smirk still plastering on his face, Daechun taunted him further.

But Chang Sik, his expression completely blank, looked him straight in the eye and said:

“Let go of me unless you’ve got a death wish.”

Instantly, the room went dead silent.

—

“What a damn mess because of one troublemaker!”

Professor Um Mihwa stormed into her office, still fuming.

She’d joined the academy as the instructor for Cadet Class A with plans to leave a great impression on cadets who might one day become renowned heroes.

But Kim Chang Sik had thrown a wrench into her plans from the very start.

“Seriously. What a jerk. What kind of excuse is ‘I was sleeping’ for being late?”

Just remembering his shameless attitude and half-assed apology made her grind her teeth in anger.

“How dare he talk like that to a professor of *the academy! Ugh!”

Sure, she wasn’t a full-fledged academy professor but just a cadet instructor, but that didn’t matter.

What mattered was that some nobody cadet had humiliated her.

“But why the hell did Cadet Gu Chiseong step in like that?”

Gu Chiseong, the red-haired cadet with the lion-like mane, was the top-ranked student of this year’s class and the heir to a powerful, prestigious family.

Even before enrolling, he was already famous as a promising hero.

Um Mihwa had been planning to cozy up to him, hoping for some kind of connection.

“Why’d he stick his neck out for that delinquent?”

As she muttered angrily to herself, a terrifying thought crossed her mind.

“Wait… Could it be?”

She suddenly wondered if Kim Chang Sik was actually the child of some powerful family that she wasn’t aware of.

‘…If that’s true, this could get messy.’

Feeling uneasy, she hastily pulled out the student files and started flipping through them.

“Kim Chang Sik… Kim… Chang Sik. Got it!”

But when she saw his details, her face twisted into a scowl.

“What the hell is this?”

He was listed as an orphan with no family, and he’d entered the academy through the non-awakened admission track—a total loser by her standards.

The thought that she’d been disrespected by someone so insignificant only made her angrier.

“That little punk dared to…!”

Consumed by rage, she stormed out of her office, ready to confront him right away.

And then—

**Boom!**

The entire building began to shake violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

“W-what?! Is this an earthquake?”

Panicked, Um Mihwa pressed herself against the hallway wall, covering her head.

After a few moments, the shaking stopped, almost as if they had been a lie.

At the same time, the windows along the hallway turned a deep crimson, as if dyed by the sunset.

And then, she saw it.

“W-what is that?!”

The academy’s cadet division was surrounded by a sizable wall of flaming red flames.

—