Chapter 78

Kang Cheol-min stopped on the stairs and looked at the woman standing there.

It didn’t look like she was heading to the bathroom, since he saw her exchanging pleasantries with another professor sitting nearby.

Anyone could tell those were “see you next time” gestures.

At first, he thought about just letting her go.

But……

‘No matter how I think about it, this is ingratitude, man.’

Who was he again?

One of the single-digit S-rank Hunters in Korea.

And here he was, specially making time to give a guest lecture at the Academy.

And she’s just gonna leave in the middle of it?

Kang Cheol-min started plotting something mischievous in his mind.

‘Gotta teach her a lesson.’

He feigned calmness as he spoke.

“Let’s do a Q&A session now! Young lady, you’re up first! This is a rare chance to ask an S-rank Hunter anything directly. Hehehe!”

The gazes of countless people in the auditorium turned toward Si-hyun.

They alternated their looks between Kang Cheol-min and her.

The key members from Cheongrim Guild watched Si-hyun with regretful eyes.

‘Here we go again with Hunter Kang Cheol-min.’

‘Tsk tsk, we shouldn’t upset him like this…’

His arrogant personality was infamous within the guild.

The Cheongrim members who had dealt with him often could read his expression perfectly.

This was the face of someone itching to scold someone.

They bowed their heads, hoping not to get caught in the crossfire.

‘What should I do…?’

Si-hyun paused for a moment.

She could see right through Kang Cheol-min’s intentions.

Should she play along or not?

But Si-hyun didn’t take long to decide. She walked back down the stairs.

Her brain quickly churned out numerous questions.

‘I was going to let her off easy, but…’

Actually, this worked out better. Time to make her fall into the trap she set herself.

Not a shred of leniency crossed her mind.

“Come on up!”

Kang Cheol-min gestured for Si-hyun to come up on stage.

With confident strides, Si-hyun headed up to the stage and received a microphone from the host.

Kang Cheol-min folded his arms, watching her calmly.

As Si-hyun approached, he tilted his head slightly upward, looking down arrogantly at her.

Compared to his imposing physique, Si-hyun looked like a small animal standing before a ferocious beast.

“Ask away freely.”

Just give me one little slip-up, and I’ll mess with her right away.

He could already imagine her getting teary-eyed and felt a thrill of anticipation.

Kang Cheol-min narrowed his eyes and looked at the woman in front of him.

“Hmm…”

Si-hyun brought the mic close to her mouth.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on her.

From this point forward, the Q&A between the two would be broadcast loud and clear to everyone in the auditorium.

“Hello, I’m Jeong Si-hyun, teaching the Introduction to Monster Studies elective.”

“Oh, so you’re a professor.”

Si-hyun introduced herself to the audience, and Kang Cheol-min smirked.

A professor who didn’t even understand the value of today’s special lecture? It made him chuckle.

“Since you said we can ask freely, let me start. What do you think are the essential guidelines for high-tier Undead-themed dungeons?”

“Hmm…”

When Si-hyun asked, Kang Cheol-min stroked his chin briefly, recalling his experience with the rear group in the double dungeon recently.

“That’s basic stuff. You need to watch out for monster resurrection, ensure that pain-immune monsters don’t charge all the way to the backline by keeping positions tight during combat. Surely you’re not asking because you don’t know this, right?”

“Of course not. Just confirming. You’re saying coordination and distance control with your allies are more important than blindly fighting, right?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Kang Cheol-min nodded confidently.

The audience also agreed with the explanation and listened attentively.

Si-hyun glanced up at Kang Cheol-min’s smug face.

She’d been trying to guide him into giving the answer she wanted, and it worked perfectly—success on the first try.

She continued her line of questioning smoothly.

“Assuming there’s a Support-type Hunter in the party. What do you think is the most ideal way to fight?”

“It depends on the monsters we’re facing. Ideally, the Tanker minimizes damage while the Support focuses on aiding the Dealers.”

“Ah, truly worthy words from an S-rank Tanker!”

Si-hyun lightly tapped the wrist holding the mic with her free hand, praising Kang Cheol-min.

Kang Cheol-min, who had been preparing to catch her in a mistake, unknowingly curled the corners of his lips upward.

‘I like her attitude.’

Even steel dances when praised by a beautiful woman.

But, at that very moment…

Si-hyun pulled an unexpected move.

“So, why didn’t you do that in the double dungeon a while ago? Was there any special reason?”

“Huh?”

Kang Cheol-min wore a dumbfounded expression, unable to comprehend the meaning behind the question.

“I heard from someone in the expedition team. They said you shouted ‘Everybody! Follow me!’ and focused solely on breaking through the monsters.”

“Ahem! I was just trying not to lose momentum.”

“Is that momentum more important than the Tanker’s virtue of being stoic?”

“…”

“And wasn’t it said that your cries for healing echoed loudly? Were you really staying composed?”

The sudden wave of consecutive questions!

Kang Cheol-min felt his head spinning. He tried his best to regain his composure and responded.

“Well, combat inherently requires active responses based on the situation.”

“But earlier, you mentioned controlling the distance between allies as fundamental. Was there any reason to ignore the basics in an S-rank Undead dungeon? Is that what you call active situational judgment?”

“Uh… That… That is…”

Kang Cheol-min found himself speechless.

Si-hyun didn’t hesitate to keep pushing.

“When I saw the pictures taken after the double dungeon raid, your gear was all bent and messed up. Looks like it was quite a fierce battle, huh? Hard work, indeed.”

“…”

Though her tone seemed to sympathize with his hard work, it clearly mocked him.

Ironically, that only irritated Kang Cheol-min further.

But he couldn’t retort, realizing too late that he’d fallen into her trap.

As Kang Cheol-min quieted down, Si-hyun lowered the mic.

She whispered softly.

“All of a sudden, you’re sticking to your virtues, huh?”

A light snark.

Only Kang Cheol-min could hear this remark near his ear.

He gritted his teeth and glared at Si-hyun.

Still, Si-hyun wasn’t one to buckle under pressure.

Calmly, she brought the mic back close to her mouth and spoke.

“My questions end here! I sincerely thank Hunter Kang Cheol-min for answering them so earnestly.”

Clap clap clap clap———!

The applause filling the auditorium was louder than when Kang Cheol-min entered.

People who harbored grievances against Kang Cheol-min subtly clapped harder, influencing even those who weren’t particularly emotional to join in enthusiastically. The atmosphere developed that way.

Smirking faintly, Si-hyun glanced at Kang Cheol-min.

‘Who told you to grab someone who was leaving peacefully?’

Having successfully gone on the offensive, Si-hyun handed the mic back to the host.

She left the auditorium with a relaxed stride, fully savoring the taste of victory.

* * *

After Si-hyun left and a short break was announced in the academy auditorium, participants reacted differently.

“Wow, Professor Jeong Si-hyun really has sharp verbal skills!”

“I thought the hype about her charisma on the academy forums was exaggerated, but nope, it’s real.”

“Plus, check out her beauty! Did you see how Kang Cheol-min’s lips curled up momentarily?”

“Yeah, that part! So funny.”

The students giggled among themselves.

Nearby, Ah-reum overheard their conversation.

Grinning widely, she picked up her smartphone.

– Professor! Professor! Your charisma was absolutely amazing just now!

– Ah, thank you!

– Wow! Everyone wants to take your class next semester!

– Really? Guess I need to keep improving then!

The joy of victory made Si-hyun feel even happier.

Meanwhile, some professors seated at the front row conversed quietly.

“Wow, Miss Si-hyun sure knows how to talk.”

“She definitely lives up to the Dean’s expectations.”

The dean, who usually wasn’t friendly with Cheongrim, quietly chatted with Park Instructor.

“Showing such disrespect to a guest lecturer…”

“Exactly. Isn’t it a bit rude?”

Professors who maintained good relations with Cheongrim expressed dissatisfaction with Si-hyun.

Ultimately, thanks to today’s unexpected situation,

Si-hyun left a strong impression on both students and faculty.

Through key figures, rumors began to spread gradually.

‘A beautiful woman unafraid to stand before an S-rank Hunter.’

Little by little, though subtle, Si-hyun’s name started becoming known.

* * *

After the special lecture ended,

Si-hyun diligently managed her busy schedule day by day.

Starting with grading and recording scores for the midterm exam of the Introduction to Monster Studies course,

she conscientiously handled each weekly lecture.

In her spare time, she completed the mini Orc model she had been working on and displayed it in a corner of her office.

Balancing work and hobbies, she lived earnestly without neglecting either.

Thus, Friday morning arrived in a flash.

After finishing her usual early morning prayers, Si-hyun reviewed her final schedule for the week.

“Today’s the day for observing the early morning guild training.”

Thinking it was just an observation and nothing much would happen,

she planned to wrap things up cleanly and enjoy a relaxing weekend.