Chapter 70

Tadada——

The sound of typing on the laptop keyboard and clicking the mouse filled the quiet living room.

I stared at the laptop screen, browsing through pictures of single-family homes in Seoul.

“Money really is the best, huh…”

Whether it’s location or size, the better it is, the more expensive it gets.

I grabbed a snack and munched on it with a satisfying crunch.

Next, I took a sip of the tea I bought from the mart. It strangely left a bitter taste on my tongue.

It was way too different from the tea that Elder used to give me.

Should I look into tea as well?

If I want to fully enjoy my hobbies, there’s always something new to learn.

The saying “lifelong learning” isn’t wrong at all.

Still, since I’m doing it out of interest, even studying feels enjoyable.

“Hmmph…”

At least C-rank, preferably B-rank Hunter status by the time I stabilize…

Then I’ll get an estimate and visit a real estate agent.

Around B-rank level, I should be able to comfortably enter the dungeons I want to go to.

It would also be good for securing a position as a professor at the Academy.

Heard that even professors specializing in swordsmanship are around B-rank, which is considered high among professors. This seems like the right level.

…Anyway, I don’t know if Si-yoon wants to live with me or independently.

With dungeon and gate income being stable, I plan to support her as much as possible.

Whenever I ask, she just dodges the question…

I’ll need to seriously ask her about this soon.

Ziiing— Ziiing—

My smartphone, placed on the table, started vibrating.

Picking it up, I saw it was Da-young calling.

“Hello?”

– Hello! Si-hyun, it’s almost done!

Even without a subject, I immediately understood what she meant.

After all, the recent request was for nothing else but the VR device.

I felt a slight excitement and responded.

“Oh, already? That’s faster than expected. Will it be ready before the midterm exams at the Academy?”

– Yeah, exactly! Your sister here put in some effort! Since it’s your request, Si-hyun!

“Hehe…, thank you.”

– Thank you? Could you not make things so smooth?

“That’s a bit…”

– Still so picky.

A soft laugh came through the phone.

I could hear her chatting briefly with someone else nearby.

– Anyway, I’ll contact you again once it’s finished! Should I send it via delivery? Though meeting in person would be better for testing.

“Hmm, let’s meet in person. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. I’ll come by the Wings Guild building.”

– Ah, will you? It’s been ages since we’ve seen our pretty Si-hyun!

Pretty face, huh…

Her overly enthusiastic tone made me feel a slight warmth in my cheeks.

As I scratched my cheek in embarrassment, I heard more chatter through the phone.

After a moment, Da-young apologized, saying,

– Sorry, sorry! Everyone’s curious since it’s a VR device using spirit stones—it sounds fresh!

“…Oh, now that you mention it, we did agree to test it together once it’s done.”

– Did we? No wonder everyone’s buzzing!

Da-young giggled happily.

They say laughter is a highly contagious virus.

I couldn’t help but smile too.

– Then, let’s test it together once it’s finished!

“Alright! Thanks for everything.”

We exchanged quick pleasantries and ended the call.

With everything progressing smoothly according to plan, I felt much lighter.

In a cheerful mood, I smiled faintly and reviewed the remaining plans.

Once the VR device testing is done, I need to create study materials right away.

Once prepared, they can be reused for a long time, making things much easier.

I think utilizing them after the midterms would work fine.

For specialized courses, I heard it’s theory-focused until the midterms and practice-focused until the finals.

Unlike those specialized courses, general education classes focus solely on theory throughout the semester, which might get boring.

That’s why I prepared the VR device!

Originally, I planned to adapt the line-of-sight sharing magic commonly used by scouts in this world and engrave it onto spirit stones.

The idea seems decent, but actually creating it might be tough…

[Who am I?! A B-rank crafting Hunter!]

Da-young did a great job. Networking truly is the best!

…Ah, now that I think about it, I forgot to ask something.

Next time we meet, I should ask if I can add my name to the academic information system.

Since I thought of it, maybe I should ask Ji-a too?

Phone in hand, I entered a chatroom and sent Ji-a a message.

A response came back almost instantly.

– Huh? I thought you’d already added it?

– …W-well, yeah?

– Don’t tell me… Si-hyun, your network section is blank, isn’t it?

Caught instantly. How does she notice these things so quickly?

– Fill it up tightly! Add Director Jang Han-soo from the Management Division, and if needed, even the President of the Academy!

– B-but, that’s a bit…

– Anyway, fill it up as much as possible! Got it? And absolutely don’t remove my name!

– Uhm, got it!

I ended up getting scolded.

Even so, adding the director or president feels a bit excessive… But Ji-a definitely needs to be added.

When I add Da-young next time, I’ll include her then.

All of this is done with my best interests in mind.

A warm feeling gently filled my chest, bringing forth a natural smile.

* * *

10:00 AM on the day of the Introduction to Monsters lecture.

A-reum and Eun-byeol were seated at a café working on their major group assignment with two other female students.

With four women total, they were wrestling with the materials spread across the table.

They planned to finish the assignment by lunchtime and part ways afterward since A-reum and Eun-byeol were taking the same general education course while the other two were enrolled in different subjects.

“Aaahhh… I still don’t understand magic no matter how many times I see it. Seriously.”

“It’s all so unfamiliar since we didn’t study this in elementary, middle, or high school…”

Two women collapsed dramatically onto the table.

Eun-byeol leaned back in her chair with a wry smile. Though she didn’t voice it, she felt similarly. She sighed deeply and said,

“At least we have status windows. It’s still difficult…”

“Exactly, exactly!”

“I want to quit…”

The women enthusiastically agreed with Eun-byeol’s words.

Though they muttered about wanting to quit, it was merely a complaint. They refocused on the assignment.

After all, achieving even C-rank as a magical hunter guarantees a stable life, so there’s no reason not to try.

Quietly focused on the assignment, A-reum adjusted her glasses and spoke up.

“…Still, doesn’t it feel good when your efforts pay off?”

“When efforts pay off?”

“Did you gain a new skill?”

The women’s eyes widened as they asked loudly.

Startled by their reaction, A-reum’s eyes went wide too. She glanced toward the window and said,

“No, I mean… I didn’t gain a new skill… Just that… I can feel myself growing…”

“Phew, what did you think?”

“The professors keep emphasizing it, but do skills really get added?”

The women grumbled lightly. A-reum responded with an awkward smile.

Just then, Eun-byeol smiled and said,

“Nope, when you work hard, skills really do get added.”

“Really?”

“Really?!”

Everyone’s attention turned to Eun-byeol.

“You know my brother, Ye Do-hyeong? His status window only gave him offensive magic skills, but when he worked hard to master defensive magic, it got added to his skills too.”

“Wow… So it really happens.”

“It’s believable coming from Eun-byeol.”

The two women lightly praised Eun-byeol.

Feeling uplifted, Eun-byeol spoke confidently,

“So, let’s focus on the assignment!”

“Right!”

“Let’s go!”

Together, they reenergized and resumed their assignment.

But that energy didn’t last long.

Faced with another challenging part, all of them furrowed their brows.

Despite the frustration, the students focused on solving their doubts.

Time passed slowly yet quickly.

11:00 AM.

12:00 PM.

…It was about time to head out for lunch or risk being late for the fifth period.

Just as the students, tired from the unsolved assignment, were stretching their stiff neck muscles, one of the girls shouted,

“Hey, isn’t that Professor of the Introduction to Monsters over there?”

“Professor Jeong Si-hyun?”

“Yeah, isn’t that her?”

Everyone’s gaze shifted toward the window.

A woman elegantly walked by in a neatly tailored suit.

She sipped her coffee through a straw with poised lips.

One of the women, momentarily drawn to her cherry-like lips, commented,

“Professor is really beautiful. Honestly, she could be a celebrity instead of a professor.”

“That’s true. Nowadays, many hunters double as broadcasters. She’d probably earn a fortune as a Public Relations Ambassador alone.”

“Yeah, and she’s so pretty it doesn’t even feel jealous.”

The women exchanged light-hearted banter.

Eun-byeol and A-reum quietly listened to the conversation while watching the passing professor.

At that exact moment,

While admiring her surroundings, the professor’s eyes met theirs.

All four students startled and bowed their heads to greet her.

Si-hyun casually waved at the students while looking around.

She recognized two of them as today’s lecture attendees, though the other two were strangers.

A strange sense of familiarity arose, causing her to smile warmly.

Passing men momentarily lost themselves staring at her beauty.

Right then,

A-reum forcefully grabbed her notebook.

She opened it wide toward the window where Si-hyun could see.

Noticing Si-hyun’s puzzled expression, A-reum looked at her with sparkling eyes.

The two other women in the group watched A-reum curiously.

It seemed like A-reum wanted advice from Professor Jeong Si-hyun.

However, their current struggle was with the specialized assignment for magical hunters.

This wasn’t something the professor standing before them could help with.