Chapter 34

“Alright, that’s all for today’s lecture. We’re right on time too. Great job, everyone.”

And with that, the two-hour lecture came to an end.

Si-hyun powered off the equipment, signaling the conclusion of the class.

The students began to rise one by one, slowly trickling out of the lecture hall.

A few remained seated, chatting amongst themselves.

Among them, Ah-reum hurriedly stood up and caught Si-hyun just as she was about to leave.

“Pro… Professor!”

“…Hmm? Yes?”

Si-hyun turned around, her expressionless face meeting Ah-reum’s tense gaze. Adjusting her glasses, Ah-reum spoke up.

“I, I-I have a question…”

“…Ah.”

The corners of Si-hyun’s usually stoic lips curved slightly upward.

Unaware of this subtle change, Ah-reum blurted out the doubt that had formed during today’s lecture.

For a moment, questions and answers flew back and forth.

After finishing her responses, Si-hyun looked at Ah-reum and asked,

“Did you understand?”

“Yes! Absolutely understood!”

Though timid, Ah-reum’s reply carried a spark of passion.

Si-hyun gave a faint smile and nodded.

I wonder if anyone will come with questions during the break?

What kind of questions will I hear? Can I answer them well?

With these thoughts in mind, she approached her lecture.

But thanks to this earnest student, she truly felt like a professor now, which made her feel quite pleased.

Ah-reum unknowingly glanced at her professor’s face.

When that neutral expression softened into a smile, it felt like the whole room brightened.

Before she knew it, words slipped from her mouth.

“Pro… Professor…”

“Do you have another question?”

Her soft response came in a gentle tone.

Ah-reum blinked a few times, confused.

Why did I call the professor again? What was I going to ask?

“Oh! Ah… When I checked online, I saw you were a Paladin. What exactly is that job?”

In a fluster, Ah-reum blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Fortunately, the professor didn’t seem too bothered.

“It’s a Tanker-type Hunter among melee fighters. You can also use some support skills.”

“S-Support skills too?! Wow…”

Ah-reum’s eyes widened in awe.

She imagined what a Paladin might look like in her mind.

A sturdy figure guarding allies from the front while providing backup when needed.

If we were talking about games, wouldn’t this be like a versatile hexagon character?

‘You’re way too cool!’

With shining eyes, Ah-reum stared at Si-hyun.

Taking the Monster Introduction course really was a stroke of genius.

“I’m actually a Support-type Hunter! If… If you ever have any questions later, could I ask you…?”

Support Hunters are rare.

To the extent that among this year’s freshmen, she was the only one. There wasn’t even a dedicated professor for her type.

Thus, despite the “quasi” label, Ah-reum found Professor Jeong Si-hyun incredibly impressive.

“Support-type… I see. So you’re that student.”

Si-hyun’s eyes widened slightly.

She had heard—this year there was only one Support-type hunter among the new students.

Last year, their numbers had dropped significantly, and the president had lamented about it.

So this student was attending her lectures.

It was also the first time since returning to Earth that Si-hyun had encountered a Support-type Hunter.

Her curiosity was piqued.

“Your name is Go Ah-reum, correct?”

“Yes! Yes!”

Goodness me! The professor remembered my name!

Ah-reum’s mouth opened wide in amazement.

“The second floor corridor ends at my office. Since I’m often out, it’d be better to contact me beforehand before visiting.”

“Understood!”

With Ah-reum’s enthusiastic response, Si-hyun smiled faintly and left the classroom.

Watching her professor walk away, Ah-reum couldn’t help but grin widely.

From afar, Eun-byeol, who had been lying face down on her desk, finally sat up.

Approaching Ah-reum, who was still standing there dazed.

“What did you ask the professor about?”

“The lecture content… and… her job?”

“Huh? A job?”

Eun-byeol furrowed her brow, thinking.

What was the professor’s job again? …Ah, it was Paladin.

“That is unusual.”

“Right?”

That was where Eun-byeol’s interest ended.

While she admitted today’s lecture was packed with information, it didn’t excite her further.

Of course, the important part was how amazing today’s lecture was.

Eun-byeol looked around the classroom.

Most students had left, but a few remained, observing both the professor and Ah-reum.

Among them, Eun-byeol approached a handsome guy sitting in the hallway, who was rather large in stature.

“Hello?”

“…? Hi.”

They exchanged names.

Jae-woo looked at Eun-byeol curiously.

Eun-byeol shrugged nonchalantly and said,

“I want to check out the dungeon based on today’s lecture. Jae-woo, what’s your job?”

“Melee Hunter.”

“Of course! I’m magic-based, and this friend here is Support-type. Want to form a temporary party?”

“Hmm…”

“Eh?”

Jae-woo paused for thought.

Meanwhile, Ah-reum gasped in shock at Eun-byeol.

“D-Dungeon?!”

“You said you’ve never been, right? Let’s go together. Aren’t you done with classes for today?”

“Uh… Well, yeah, but…”

“For E-rank dungeons, it’s no big deal as long as we don’t get careless, right, Jae-woo?”

Jae-woo nodded lightly.

Compared to the steep difficulty increase starting from D-rank dungeons, E-rank dungeons were manageable as long as you stayed alert.

In fact, Jae-woo regularly entered E-rank dungeons with a temporary 2-person party every day, all thanks to awakenings and status boosts.

“Does Eun-byeol have dungeon experience?”

“Yes! Not every day, but I visit periodically.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Even though it was his first time working with a Support-type Hunter…

His job forgave everything.

Jae-woo accepted Eun-byeol’s proposal.

Ah-reum alternated her gaze between the two, trembling.

She wanted to back out, but it seemed impossible.

“Hmph…”

She lowered her head dejectedly.

‘It was bound to happen someday…’ she consoled herself.

* * *

“Wow! They say your trait is regeneration, and you really are tough!”

Inside the E-rank dungeon after a battle.

Eun-byeol observed Jae-woo with intrigue.

From far away, Ah-reum dashed over and used her skill on Jae-woo.

Combined with his trait, the wounds disappeared instantly.

“Having both a Tanker and a Healer makes things incredibly stable, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, indeed. And you’re quite skilled too, Eun-byeol.”

“Hehe.”

As Jae-woo calmly praised her, Eun-byeol grinned.

“This feels good, doesn’t it? We should probably go a few more times. How about forming a permanent party for now?”

“…”

Ah-reum’s face paled dramatically upon hearing those terrifying words, staring at Eun-byeol.

But Eun-byeol replied firmly.

“Ah-reum, you’re an academy student. You need to adapt.”

“Ugh…”

Ah-reum obediently nodded.

Not all Awakened individuals become Hunters.

Many stop at E-rank and live ordinary lives.

This doesn’t change because she’s Support-type.

Enrolling in the academy meant deciding to live as a Hunter.

Eun-byeol pointed this out.

“We just need one more Melee Hunter, and we’ll be perfect. Hmm.”

Satisfied, Eun-byeol thoughtfully considered.

On the other hand, Ah-reum…

Because she kept her distance and only observed during battles…

Though scared, she realized something.

The movements of the goblins were exactly as described in the lecture!

Of course, there were individual differences, but they weren’t significant.

Literally, everything taught in the lecture unfolded right before her eyes.

The more she observed, the more she realized not a single word of Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s was wrong.

Moreover, both Eun-byeol and Jae-woo seemed to fight while considering what they learned in today’s lecture.

‘Isn’t this lecture more substantial than the specialized ones?’

Ah-reum’s trust in Professor Jeong Si-hyun skyrocketed within her heart.

She had only enrolled in the course because she thought understanding monster basics was necessary.

Had she missed this lecture, she would’ve surely regretted it forever.

Ah-reum nodded vigorously to herself, deeply impressed.

Listening to this lecture was absolutely the right choice.

* * *

Clack-clack—

Walking leisurely toward the academy entrance.

I think today’s lecture went exceptionally well.

Feeling light-hearted. Hohoho…

Plus, that shy student asking questions at the end!

Her enthusiasm really resonated with me.

I believe people who work hard deserve recognition.

If she contacts me separately, maybe giving private lessons wouldn’t be bad?

I’d satisfy my own curiosity about Support-types too.

It’s a win-win situation.

‘Did I arrive a bit early?’

Before I knew it, I reached the gate.

Checking my phone, it seems the Wings Guild’s car will be here in a few minutes.

Since I have some time, I pulled out the student roster.

Until now, I hadn’t paid much attention beyond names and faces for attendance checks.

But after meeting Go Ah-reum, I thought, ‘Maybe I should note down basic traits.’

“Hmm…”

There was a Magic-type Hunter student, wasn’t there?

That girl who yawned while resting her chin during the start of the lecture.

She started taking notes enthusiastically halfway through, looking so cute…

“Hmm?”

Kwon Jae-woo. Melee Hunter, trait: Regeneration.

Regeneration, Regeneration…

Something about it feels familiar…

Ah! It hit me! Observation Target No.1.

That rookie E-rank Hunter who reeked of inexperience.

He mentioned he was an academy freshman, so he must’ve taken my course?

During the two lectures, he didn’t acknowledge me either.

Well, going into a dungeon once together isn’t that significant.

I probably would’ve done the same.

Still, his special ability is enviable.

I forgot about it, but now that I remember, it’s tempting again.

Awaken me too…

– Beep!

Lost in thought, I turned my head at the sound of a horn.

The window of the van parked a little away opens.

“Si-hyun!”

“Ah.”

It was someone from the Wings Guild.

Approaching the car, I climbed into the backseat.

“Hi!”

“Hi.”

“Looking forward to working with you today!”

“Sure.”

Responding lightly, I glanced around.

Including the driver and passenger seats, there were five men total.

One of them was Han-gyeol.

Today’s dungeon run consists of one C-rank and four D-ranks, meaning half of the Wings Guild’s strength.

Having assessed the situation, I leaned back comfortably in my seat.

At that moment, Han-gyeol beside me spoke.

“Si… Si-hyun, thank you so much for joining us today.”

“No, it’s just work and part of the contract.”

“Still! You took the time despite being busy, right? This time, Ji-han got injured, so I feel like I need to adapt quickly.”

“Ah.”

So Ji-han was injured.

Nodding lightly, I heard voices from behind.

“Hey, did you see this?”

“What is it? Oh, it’s Kim Ji-a’s video.”

“Ji-han recommended it, so I watched it, and wow, it was amazing.”

“Should I watch it?”

“Wait. Ji-han forced me to fill the playlist with her videos. But once you watch, it makes sense, right?”

…Ji-a’s video?

My interest piqued, I listened closely.

“Man, she’s incredible, seriously.”

“Quick, play the next one!”

These guys seem to know something…

Yeah, I get it.

We’ve explored dungeons together, and I’ve watched her recommended videos.

The way her spear flows gracefully is truly an art.

Especially how her hair sways each time…

“When her hair sways while shaking… Man, wow.”

“Hurry up and play the next one!”

These guys clearly know what they’re talking about…

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