Chapter 27

“Hey there, students—ya know why certain types of monsters appear together in dungeons?”

“Huh?”

At Si-hyun’s question, the student’s mouth snapped shut.

Never once had they even thought about that.

They just assumed that monsters would show up… and all you had to do was respond accordingly based on what appeared, right?

The other students who’d been nodding along also widened their eyes as they stared at Si-hyun.

“When you first enter a dungeon, depending on the scenery, you should predict which monsters might appear and proceed with a strategy, don’t ya think?”

“Uh… if it’s a cave, goblins…”

“With lower-rank dungeons, sure. But the higher the rank gets, the more diverse the species become, including mutations and sudden variations. Upper-tier species and boss monsters are the prime examples.”

“…”

The student’s mouth shut tight.

With proper examples included, there wasn’t much left to say.

“What will you do if you encounter a monster you’ve never seen before? Are you just gonna run away?”

“…Uh, find its weakness…?”

“What kind of knowledge could help efficiently find those weaknesses?”

“…Ecology.”

“Correct!”

Si-hyun shrugged her shoulders and said,

“How do you learn ecology? I rolled around for years. All this knowledge and information gathered from my experiences is what you’ll be learning going forward.”

It was an attitude brimming with confidence.

Almost like something a war hero would say…

And because of that overwhelming aura, the students’ mouths tightened into straight lines.

Of course, among them, there were some thinking, “Yeah, but she’s still just D-rank…”

But no one dared to speak out loud—it was that serious.

Once all the students quieted down, Si-hyun announced that today’s lecture was over and strode out confidently.

As the sound of her heels clicking faded away…

The classroom erupted into chatter after a brief silence.

“Rolled around for years?”

“To the point where she knows monster ecology? Like…”

“Do foreign hunters get utilized to that extent?”

“I’d never wanna live in a dungeon or anything like that…”

Murmurs spread through the room.

“Is any of this even real?”

One skeptical student muttered, the same one who’d bombarded Si-hyun with questions earlier.

And then…

“Do you think the professor’s seat at the academy is worth jack?”

That sharp retort immediately deflated the student.

While not everyone was entirely convinced by Si-hyun’s explanation, her confident demeanor sparked more interest than doubt.

Several students looked at the papers on their desks.

Lecture plans.

Each lost in their own thoughts, the students picked up the sheets.

—

After finishing her first lecture safely, I leisurely strolled around admiring the academy’s scenery.

It felt different now compared to when Ji-a and I came here alone. People were bustling everywhere.

Even on the sports field, groups were already playing basketball and other activities.

Though I heard there weren’t official clubs yet, informal gatherings must have formed quickly.

Impressive how social circles form so fast. Makes sense though—hunters need connections.

Sports seem like a good way to build those ties.

“Hmm?”

Walking back toward the faculty offices after circling the sports field…

A student bowed slightly from afar.

A bit awkward, but I waved back, and soon others nearby followed suit with greetings.

“Ah.”

The first student to greet me—I recognized them from my earlier lecture. With fewer people, remembering faces isn’t too hard.

Because of that, it hit home: I really am an educator now.

Just exchanging pleasantries with students made my heart race with excitement.

I placed my hand lightly over my chest, savoring the moment.

“Hehe…”

My expression softened naturally as I headed toward my assigned office.

Arriving at the building, I climbed the stairs to the second floor. My personal office was at the end of the hallway.

Normally, adjunct professors don’t get individual offices, but thanks to Ji-a, the president made an exception.

Not huge, but it’s plenty big enough. Having my own space feels great!

Unlike the president’s office, packed with bookshelves, mine was completely empty.

Time to make this place look decent!

I plopped onto the chair, stretched my legs, interlocked my fingers, and stretched them upward.

“Whew!”

My muscles relaxed pleasantly.

Glancing at my shiny heels, I cleaned off some dirt near the heels with magic. Gotta take care of new things properly, after all.

“Alright…”

Approaching the window, I opened it. A gentle breeze tousled my hair. Instinctively tucking it behind my ear, I sat back down.

Gazing outside through the window, I mentally reviewed what I needed to do next.

First things first, becoming a respected professor. Earning recognition!

Today’s lecture went smoothly, even if it was just introductions. But what if the auditorium was packed with students like during the opening ceremony?

Honestly, I’m not sure I could handle that yet.

Guess steady effort’s the only way forward, huh?

Adaptation takes work, but what comes next?

Still gotta finish creating those audio-visual materials and add my own flair to lectures to surprise students!

What else do professors do?

Hmm… research or papers maybe?

I pulled out my laptop and set it on the desk, searching online for various topics.

“Aha.”

Since it’s an academy, they study stuff like Awakened individuals, Gates, Dungeons, Monsters, etc. Maybe I should pick a topic and dive into research?

If I ever settle into a specific field, aiming for full professorship might be cool.

Would require showing more power, but magic or spiritual energy could factor in later.

Oh?

Divine power—worth investigating even if not full-on research. Why does it work on Earth? Is it harder to gather here than in the other world?

Earth doesn’t have the concept of divine power, right? Worth pondering when I have time.

Speaking of which, didn’t they say there’s another returner besides me? Some B-rank Hunter in America.

Kinda curious. If they’re from a different world than mine, that sounds interesting too.

“Cool!”

Nodding satisfactorily, I figured I got a rough idea of what to do next.

No rush—let’s take it step by step.

Most importantly…

There’s no one on Earth trying to suppress or bind me.

I can freely do what I want.

‘Freedom.’

Such a nice word.

—

Early evening, as twilight began to fall, a group gathered for drinks at a quiet bar.

It was the Wings Guild’s celebration. One of their members had achieved their second C-rank promotion!

Especially meaningful since their promising member had stalled at B-rank for a while.

Han-gyeol grinned widely, responding to congratulatory messages from fellow guild members.

It’s been such a long time! So refreshing.

All thanks to Miss Si-hyun. Without her, I’d still be stuck running low-level dungeons.

She gave me courage and confidence.

Thinking of her, Han-gyeol turned to Da-young.

“Master, did you invite Miss Si-hyun today?”

“Yeah, yeah, I sent the invite.”

“Did she reply?”

“Ugh, obviously she came! You that eager to show off?”

“Ha ha…”

Da-young’s teasing caused Han-gyeol to scratch his cheek sheepishly.

“She’s a professor now, kiddo! Just started teaching. Probably swamped.”

“True, that makes sense.”

Han-gyeol imagined Si-hyun lecturing at the academy.

“…Man.”

He envied the freshmen. They’re so lucky.

Right then…

Creeak—

The door opened, and Si-hyun walked in.

“Oh, Si-hyun! Over here!”

“…Hello, everyone.”

Da-young waved enthusiastically, and Si-hyun approached, greeting everyone briefly before sitting beside her.

“How was your first day teaching?”

“Fine.”

“Curious, aren’t we? Can you record it sometime and show us?”

“…No.”

Si-hyun shook her head seriously. Predictable reaction, so Da-young stifled laughter covering her mouth.

Beer and snacks were prepared for Si-hyun.

Seizing the moment, Da-young said,

“Hey, Si-hyun. Han-gyeol has something to say.”

“Hm?”

“Ahem!”

Han-gyeol cleared his throat, ready to express heartfelt gratitude.

“Miss Si-hyun! Thank you so much! Thanks to your help, I managed to promote quickly. Truly grateful!”

His voice echoed throughout the bar.

Bowing deeply, he extended his hand formally.

Everyone’s attention turned to Si-hyun.

“…This is all thanks to Han-gyeol’s efforts. Congratulations.”

Smiling warmly, Si-hyun shook his hand briefly.

“Congratulations!”

“Let’s push to B-rank next!”

Guildmates cheered, clapping excitedly, raising the bar’s energy.

Si-hyun mainly chatted with Da-young, enjoying drinks and snacks.

Han-gyeol stared at his palm, grinning uncontrollably.

Got to aim for B-rank too!

He nodded firmly, setting his goal.

“By the way, Da-young.”

“Hm?”

“I want to use this for class materials. Can you make something like this?”

“Sure, go on.”

Si-hyun described an item she’d been thinking about. Da-young listened intently, stroking her chin.

Meanwhile, Ji-han approached Han-gyeol.

“Bro.”

“What?”

“Wanna team up and try a C-rank dungeon? Riding high off your promotion.”

Han-gyeol looked surprised—never expected Ji-han to suggest this.

“Much appreciated.”

“Let’s go tomorrow or the day after.”

“Alright, let’s do it.”

Ji-han accepted.

Si-hyun watched silently, smiling faintly before taking another sip of beer.

“Hm?”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she checked the message.

It was from Ji-a.

“Hey, Si-hyun, got time in two days? Thinking of checking out an A-rank dungeon.”

Si-hyun reviewed her schedule mentally.

Then replied affirmatively.

Accepted.