Chapter 26

The entrance ceremony itself was simple and quick.

The MC introduced the students to the Academy in the predetermined order.

Including separating departments according to the purpose of the Academy’s existence and job characteristics, etc.

Next came the turn to briefly introduce the professors.

– First, let me introduce the professors who will be handling the required subjects.

The called-upon professors stood up from their seats and gave a light greeting.

Starting with swordsmanship, spear techniques, martial arts, and so on, all the way to the professors in charge of magic.

– This year, we will also introduce the liberal arts subject teachers and part-time lecturers.

Next was the turn for the liberal arts subjects.

Unlike the previous required subjects, all the professors were called out at once.

Si-hyun stood up along with the person next to her.

She observed others and greeted the students in the same manner.

The bright white hair that shimmered in the spotlight swayed gently.

Among the students looking at that sight was Kwon Jae-woo.

He looked at the podium with trembling eyes.

‘Wasn’t she a fellow freshman…?’

He thought he’d see her again when he entered the Academy.

And as expected, he saw her again.

But she was a professor, albeit a part-time lecturer.

“Wow, who’s that? She’s so pretty.”

“Is she a foreigner? Her eyes are golden.”

A few freshmen near Jae-woo whispered amongst themselves.

Without realizing it, Jae-woo focused on their conversation.

“But isn’t she teaching a liberal arts subject?”

“It’s not that important for grades. Should we attend her lecture?”

While listening carefully to the boys’ talk, Jae-woo pondered.

The Academy’s grades don’t simply evaluate skill alone.

It becomes a very important item when writing a self-introduction letter later.

Because it helps when entering famous or successful guilds.

If you secure good grades and even get a recommendation from a renowned professor?

You might be able to fast-track into a large guild. That’s how hunter networking works.

That’s why many students carefully choose lectures based on the professors, even for liberal arts subjects.

‘I should think about it a bit more.’

Jae-woo shook his head.

There’s no need to decide too hastily.

* * *

After the entrance ceremony, time naturally passed, and the course registration date approached.

Due to the one-year curriculum of the Academy, there is no senior-junior relationship during enrollment.

However, since communities related to the Academy exist,

many novice hunters share information there.

Freshman Jae-woo wasn’t much different either.

Which professor is recommended by other professors? Who are the professors better avoided? There are also professors who are picky but offer plenty of benefits, etc.

With all this information firmly embedded in his mind,

Jae-woo checked the time at the bottom of the monitor.

There were only a few minutes left.

Start by quickly securing high-priority subjects first,

and then apply for the liberal arts courses I’ve been thinking about last.

Thinking through it repeatedly,

Jae-woo stared at the monitor again.

The time displayed on the monitor kept changing every second.

50 minutes, 55 minutes.

57 minutes.

58 minutes.

…10:00 AM sharp!

Jae-woo’s fingers began rapid movements.

The sound of typing echoed throughout the room.

‘First, the required subjects are a success!’

Though there was a slight tinge of regret, he picked them without any issues.

Next, Jae-woo checked the list of liberal arts subjects.

Subjects lined up one after another.

[Number 1. Introduction to Monster Studies. Enrollment limit——]

“What the hell…!”

There was an unexpected variable.

The community said that liberal arts subjects have a loose enrollment limit.

But there it was, plain as day.

Enrollment limit: 15.

Applications: 14.

Were the thoughts of those gossiping during the entrance ceremony not just some opinions?

Is it because it’s in a prominent position?

I don’t know the reason. But what’s important right now is not that!

Jae-woo hastily clicked the registration button.

With the clicking sound of the mouse,

Jae-woo swallowed hard.

Please, please, please. Let it succeed!

A brief moment of loading.

Jae-woo frowned deeply and stared at the monitor screen.

And then…

“Niceee—!”

Without realizing it, Jae-woo thrust his tightly clenched fist upwards.

Victory pose!

He successfully became the last registrant for the Introduction to Monster Studies!

It was a close call on the last train.

“Hehe…”

Jae-woo grinned as he entered the community.

Surely other freshmen would start gathering there soon.

Let’s enjoy the cries of the losers, shall we?

[Why is course registration so intense lol wtf]

[What? Why is Intro to Monster Studies filling up so fast?]

[Sorry, but I’ll drop a bold comment here]

[Bold comments incoming lol]

[Shit… What the hell is this….]

Jae-woo lightly skimmed through the post list.

He clicked on a post that had something in common with him.

[Title: Why is Intro to Monster Studies filling up so fast?]

[Anon]

When I tried to register, it was already full wtf

Is the cap really 15 people true?

– Anyway, there’s similar subjects, so just take those.

└ Didn’t you see it during the opening ceremony? How could it fill up like this;;

└ True lol

– There’s not enough info about the professor. I skipped because of that.

└ So true lol

└ Me too lol. Too risky to gamble, so I skipped.

– The 15 successful ones are so enviable wtf

– Lmao I started with that

└ This guy seems suspicious?

└ ? Why fight?

└ Just saying, hah

└ Lmao omg

– I just registered because it was at the top

└ Shit, move aside, that’s my spot

└ Nah, not gonna happen

Jae-woo smirked while reading the comments.

The taste of victory was incredibly sweet.

* * *

Once again, a short period of time passed.

Finally, the start of classes at the Academy began.

The Academy didn’t have a separate building dedicated to liberal arts subjects.

Thus, the lecture room in the building primarily used by melee hunters was borrowed for the Introduction to Monster Studies.

Right next to it was a large field.

It was also not far from the building where the faculty offices were located.

Students with spare time strolled around the Academy grounds enjoying the scenery.

They then gradually entered the building as lecture time approached.

In the relatively small lecture hall, 15 students gathered snugly.

Soon after,

Clack-clack—

The sound of heels echoed as a woman stood beside the blackboard near the lectern.

Her appearance drew the gaze of all the students.

“…Hello, everyone.”

A beautiful and gentle voice.

Some male students wore mischievous grins.

“I’m Jeong Si-hyun, and I’ll be handling the Introduction to Monster Studies.”

Si-hyun skillfully operated the projector.

While the machine booted up, Si-hyun indulged in a small reflection.

She deliberately set the enrollment limit low.

Would it even fill up? she wondered.

But in reality?

Si-hyun glanced at the direction where the students sat.

15 people, the limit was completely filled.

The feeling of a pleasant start made her heart flutter.

It wasn’t a large number, and since she had practiced sufficiently,

she wasn’t overly nervous.

This is where it truly begins!

Si-hyun took a deep breath while looking at the screen.

Hoo—!

The computer’s standby screen appeared on the screen.

“Since today is the first day, I’ll confirm attendance, go over the syllabus, and briefly introduce the upcoming lectures.”

Si-hyun, holding a folder, called out each student’s name one by one.

The novice hunters responded energetically when their names were called.

“Kwon Jae-woo.”

“Yes!”

Jae-woo, sitting in the front row, responded enthusiastically.

However, Si-hyun nodded lightly and moved on to the next student.

Jae-woo felt a slight sense of regret.

Occasionally, some quirky reactions appeared, but Si-hyun smiled lightly and moved past them.

After attendance was completed, Si-hyun introduced herself.

“Many people ask if I’m a foreigner, so I’ll address that first. I am Korean, but I’ve lived abroad for a long time and have returned.”

A somewhat vague piece of information.

The students assumed she lived abroad for a long time and roughly inferred that.

Of course, there were those who questioned things like her eye color, but they didn’t delve too deeply into it.

It wasn’t that important, after all.

“My rank… I’m a D-rank Hunter. However, I have detailed knowledge not only about E~D-rank dungeons but also C-rank dungeons, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

Anyway, not many students signed up for this lecture expecting that.

Besides, it’s not a practical combat class. Even a D-rank Hunter can master theory well enough.

Everyone quietly nodded.

“In the future, you will learn various pieces of information about monsters through diverse audiovisual materials. Their ecology, features, combat methods, etc. I hope you gain a deep understanding of each monster.”

It was a smooth introductory statement.

Nevertheless, the heads of a few curious students tilted.

‘Monster ecology?’

It was indeed written in the syllabus.

Therefore, the students felt even more strange.

Unless you’re near a berserk gate,

you can only see monsters by entering the dungeon.

So how exactly do they know about their ecology?

Some students developed distrust towards the professor.

“As you may know, monsters can also be classified through a classification table. This is—”

Si-hyun continued introducing the lecture.

She flawlessly delivered the prepared and rehearsed lines while observing the students’ reactions.

A few yawned occasionally.

Some fiddled with their smartphones.

But overall, they mostly listened attentively to her explanations.

With the lecture proceeding smoothly, Si-hyun felt a small sense of relief.

“That’s all. My introduction went on a bit longer than intended.”

Si-hyun checked the time once and looked around at the students.

“Lastly, any questions?”

For a moment, silence fell over the lecture hall.

No one has any questions? Si-hyun tilted her head.

‘The explanation must’ve been clear enough,’ she thought while tidying up the documents.

Just as Si-hyun was about to conclude her first lecture,

one student suddenly raised their hand.

“Professor! Why do we need to study the ecology of monsters?”

“Ecology, you mean?”

Si-hyun paused for a moment.

Quickly organizing her thoughts, she spoke.

“Ecology is also an important aspect. Through it, we can understand the behavior patterns and characteristics of each monster.”

There were plenty of systematically organized materials available in this world.

Si-hyun read books whenever she had time.

The student who raised their hand calmed down.

Si-hyun nodded lightly and said,

“Well, today’s lecture is—”

Just as Si-hyun was about to wrap up,

the same student vigorously raised their hand again.

“Professor! Wait, how exactly do we know about the ecology of monsters? It’s weird!”

At the student’s shout, a few nearby heads nodded.

An atmosphere of agreement formed.

Si-hyun looked back at the student.

What’s strange about it? She didn’t understand.

It was valuable information, and she had prepared it thoroughly for these cute students.

Feeling slightly irked by the student’s tone, Si-hyun sensed a small emotional stir but slowly calmed herself down.

On second thought, it was a reasonable question.

So, explaining it step-by-step would suffice.

This is a good opportunity to show them how precious the knowledge they’ll gain is.

To prepare them to marvel at my ambitious lectures ahead.

“That’s a good question.”

Si-hyun calmly began to speak.