Chapter 20

Yu Hye-won seemed to have already decided on her callsign.

Golden Viper… Golden Cobra…

A callsign that fittingly matched the evil smile of the blonde Yu Hye-won.

After graduation, surely there would be truckloads of villains destined to have their necks bitten off by that cobra.

Wait. Golden Viper, though?

It seemed slightly different from the callsign Yu Hye-won had in the original story.

Let me think… what was the original callsign again?

Hmm…

Umm…

I can’t seem to recall.

It’s been a few months since I merged, so it’s about time I start forgetting.

This was one of the countless web novels I’d read, and even then, it was a forgettable failure.

Even if I remember the general framework, the finer details are slowly fading from my mind.

And honestly, even that general framework was just a run-of-the-mill plot.

The overpowered protagonist slaughters villains.

Simple, right?

I turned off my cell phone, looked at the dark ceiling, and fell into thought.

I pushed away all thoughts related to the original and brought Professor Han to the forefront.

How should I teach that child?

At the very least, I’ve managed to secure Yu Hye-won for now.

If Yu Hye-won doesn’t disrupt things, then there are currently no external restrictions on guiding Han Min-ha.

Of course, I have no control over when or how Yu Hye-won might change, but at least so far, she doesn’t seem to be showing the extreme hatred portrayed in the original.

If the reason Yu Hye-won chose me is truly because of my appearance, then just pandering to her and coaxing her should be enough for now.

And if she develops a sense of superiority and elitism about Han Min-ha in a positive direction, who knows, she might even come forward and help Han Min-ha herself.

That’s a story for another day.

Right now, it’s about me teaching Han Min-ha…

What I’ve learned so far is that, oddly enough, the subject Han Min-ha seems to be progressing in is my Basic Defense class.

It’s not exactly “progress,” but compared to other subjects, it’s at least the one they are “not as bad at.”

Though Han Min-ha did faint after watching a terrifying video during the initial assessment, my subject still hasn’t required much physical effort, unlike the others.

The professors say that Han Min-ha is a notorious klutz.

In any case, it seems like pushing Basic Defense for now would be a good idea.

If she does well in Basic Defense, she might build some confidence.

And I believe Han Min-ha’s biggest issue is not knowing how to harness her highly potent aura, despite possessing it.

Consistent focus on Basic Defense can overcome this.

The intensity of the defensive barrier is proportional to the calmness of the mind, and disciplining the mind is directly linked to controlling the aura.

But that’s why Defensive Studies, though unpopular and viewed as obsolete, is necessary since most heroes don’t need this to control their aura.

But since Han Min-ha isn’t like the others, it’s something she should focus on even more.

A mental arts practice is essential to solve Han Min-ha’s chronic problem, and that is the first step in Basic Defense, where I am her academic advisor.

Things are lining up surprisingly well.

While drifting off to sleep, I suddenly remembered something and got up.

I had forgotten my evening vitamins.

***

I announced the details of the next meeting in a group chat.

The agenda: Mental Cultivation.

Han Min-ha agreed, but Yu Hye-won seemed quite dissatisfied.

“Why are you doing this again?”

“I already said. We’re moving to an advanced level of Basic Defense.”

“It’s not that. I’m saying, why are we doing this Mental Cultivation thing again? We already covered it earlier in the lectures.”

“Mental cultivation is the foundation of defensive techniques. It’s never excessive.”

Yu Hye-won didn’t respond to my statement.

Judging by her reading the message, she was considerably dissatisfied.

Of course, telling a student who already masters the defensive barrier to meditate again is bound to draw such a reaction.

But my job is to build up Han Min-ha, not worry about Yu Hye-won.

Yu Hye-won will be fine on her own, but Han Min-ha will continue to fall behind if left alone.

So, apologies, but I must focus on Han Min-ha.

Apparently understanding the situation, Han Min-ha stayed silent.

***

On the agreed day, I waited for my guidance students in an empty lecture hall after all the day’s activities were done.

Han Min-ha arrived earlier than the scheduled time, hovering outside the lecture hall.

“Come in.”

“Ah, yes!”

Min-ha, still in the Academy training uniform, must’ve come straight after the last Physical Training session.

“How was your day, Student Min-ha?”

“It was okay…”

“Today was the day for Comprehensive Attack lectures. What did you learn?”

“Uh… We punched the sandbags… and jumped rope…”

Sandbags and jump ropes.

Looks like the lower-level students haven’t moved beyond the basics yet.

They’re not at the point where they can use skills enhanced by aura.

“What about other subjects?”

“I listened to a lecture on Information Acquisition and Operations.”

“Did you find it interesting?”

“Hmm…”

Han Min-ha hesitated, dragging the words.

It must not have been interesting.

The spy operations—such as infiltrating and collecting intelligence, secretly destroying key facilities—that people typically associate with information gathering come much later in the curriculum.

Right now, they’re probably studying tedious laws and organizational charts.

Though eventually, they’ll cover fascinating topics like ‘Assassination and Behind-the-Scenes Strikes,’ but that’s a long way off.

“How are the other students in your class? Have you become close with anyone?”

“Uh, yes. Our supervisory assistant is working really hard.”

The sudden mention of the supervisory assistant suggests Min-ha is still struggling to adjust.

“It’ll get better with time. If you can endure until the end…”

At that moment, Yu Hye-won burst into the lecture hall and strode in.

“Good afternoon, Professor. Hi, seaweed lump.”

“Welcome, Student Hye-won.” “Hi, Hye-won…”

Yu Hye-won, calling Han Min-ha “seaweed lump,” surveyed Min-ha with thin, scrutinizing eyes as if dissatisfied about something.

She then turned to me with her characteristic wicked smile.

“Mocking a friend by calling them ‘seaweed lump’ isn’t appropriate, Student Hye-won.”

“Then what should I call her? Milk cow ghost? And I’m not friends with her, Professor.”

“Fair enough…”

I sighed, faintly smiling.

By the way, I did notice the cleverness of the group chat name. It was quite memorable.

Yu Hye-won grinned cunningly and said,

“I thought it was perfectly fitting to describe Professor and that one.”

“Agreed, I find no fault with it. Let’s proceed with today’s meeting.”

We sat on mats arranged in a circle, facing each other.

Han Min-ha sat cross-legged with a determined expression, prompting Yu Hye-won to chuckle.

“Hey, Han Min-ha. If I had to describe your expression, you look like you’re going off to battle Doctor Cypher.”

Doctor Cypher is a notorious villain in this world, though not a real person—more a famous cartoon villain, as iconic here as someone you’d call a “spy” if you didn’t know better.

Yu Hye-won, not in training attire but a short skirt uniform, made sitting cross-legged seem awkwardly inappropriate.

I shifted my gaze elsewhere, to which she smirked even wider and stretched her legs slightly wider—perhaps teasingly.

“Hye-won Student, cover yourself, please.”

I removed my coat and draped it over her exposed knees.

“That’s unnecessary.”

“Not for your sake, but for mine and Min-ha Student’s. It might interfere with the mental cultivation.”

“Hmph.”

Yu Hye-won snorted but accepted the coat without further argument.

I smiled, then began to explain.

“Meditation, as mentioned in class, is the basic step to aura control. Most people skip it, relying on innate talent, but that’s not ideal. No need to force it, Min-ha Student.”

“Understood!”

Han Min-ha hastily shoved away her notebook, which she was about to take out.

“Anyway… If you don’t deeply examine your own aura, you’ll eventually hit limitations… Hye-won Student.”

Hye-won, who had been rummaging through her coat pocket, suddenly withdrew her hand and grinned.

It was… a bit of a rough start to the first meeting…

***

One hour later.

Han Min-ha’s eyebrows twitched like worms as she strained to focus intently.

While earnest effort is commendable, meditation isn’t something you achieve by trying hard.

You need to let go and relax.

Min-ha seemed unable to do this.

A trait of kids who strive but don’t see results.

Looking at her aura, her exceptionally pure and strong energy remained almost motionless around her body, as heavy as it was potent.

On the other hand, Yu Hye-won…

Ah…

Small sparkles like fireflies danced around Yu Hye-won.

They were all her aura.

Not only could she change its form, but she could visualize it too.

Yu Hye-won was undoubtedly a natural genius.

In fact, she didn’t seem to be meditating at all.

There she was, holding her cell phone with both hands, furiously typing.

Honestly speaking… there’s nothing more I can teach this one.

Yu Hye-won nudged Min-ha with her foot.

“Hey. Stop.”

“Huh? Uh?”

Min-ha, her eyes opening in confusion, stared blankly at Yu Hye-won.

“I’m hungry. That’s enough.”

Hye-won stood, folding the coat and handing it to me.

“Buy me dinner.”

“We eat at the school cafeteria.”

“Because of you, most of the dishes are probably gone by now?”

Yu Hye-won pointed her chin at Han Min-ha.

“And Professor, you’re the one who asked us to meet at this time, right? Surely, you considered all these factors? Besides…”

Yu Hye-won’s wicked smirk widened.

“We are aware that there’s a fund for student activities, which includes meals for guidance students. Surely, you’re not trying to embezzle that, are you?”

“Not at all. I’m not so poor as to be blinded by pocket change.”

“Then buy us dinner. Hey, aren’t you hungry too?”

“Uh… Y-Yes… I mean… I should eat…”

Han Min-ha looked at me hesitantly before agreeing with Yu Hye-won.

Checking the time, it truly was past dinner. With talk of funding, I had no choice but to nod.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Since we recently had grilled pork, some warm rice soup sounded good to settle the stomach.

“Since it’s cold, why don’t we have…”

“Let’s go for grilled spicy pork instead. I heard there’s a great place in the nearby town. Are you okay with that? Do you like spicy food?”

Before I could say anything, Yu Hye-won pressed Han Min-ha.

“Yes… I like grilled spicy pork…”

I wasn’t a fan of spicy food.

But…

Since the guidance student wants it, it wouldn’t be right for me, as the professor, to insist otherwise.

“Alright. Let’s go for grilled spicy pork.”