The students began gathering one by one in the Intro to Monsters lecture room.
Si-hyun, who had arrived early at the lecture room, greeted the incoming students with a cheerful welcome.
After the start time of the lecture and attendance check,
Si-hyun nodded satisfactorily upon confirming there were no absentees today.
“Today’s lecture will cover orcs, and we’ll also touch on trolls.”
With a relaxed tone, she projected visual aids onto the screen.
The students placed their pre-printed papers on their desks.
Some students already showed signs of prior study.
It was proof they’d even done pre-reading!
“As you all know, monsters come in many varieties. Some even change attributes depending on their environment.”
A prime example of this is today’s subject: orcs and trolls.
Si-hyun proceeded smoothly with the lecture in her now familiar style, carefully observing student reactions and encouraging active participation.
Fifth period flew by, and after break, sixth period began.
“Like last time, we’ll watch video material today.”
Click.
The black screen of a paused video appeared on the screen.
The students watched with casual expressions, thinking:
‘No matter what, this should be normal, right?’
‘Surely it won’t defy expectations again?’
‘At most, it’ll just show the professor slicing through monsters, right?’
Click.
The video started as Si-hyun pressed play.
The students watched calmly as the dark screen disappeared and a figure appeared against the background.
[Hello, Academy students!]
[…This is Hunter Kim Ji-a joining us as a guest.]
[Si-hyun, do I really need to act so stiff for a recording? Ah, does this need editing?]
[…Um, necessarily? Anyway, today I’ll show you how orcs adapt based on their environment within this dungeon.]
Right from the start, it was a bombshell!
‘Huh? Kim Ji-a Hunter?’
‘Why is Kim Ji-a Hunter here!’
‘Wow, Professor Jeong Si-hyun and Kim Ji-a Hunter look like celestial beauties together.’
With wide eyes, the students stared at the screen.
None other than Kim Ji-a Hunter—specialist in avoided dungeons and widely recognized as Korea’s top spear-wielding hunter.
Especially now that the previously renowned S-rank spear hunter has passed away, many citizens eagerly await her promotion to S-rank.
For such a famous person to appear as a guest in an elective lecture—it left every student utterly shocked, watching with wide eyes.
[Graaahk!]
[GGGRRREEEEK—!]
On-screen, orcs fell with pig-like squeals.
The camera captured the action dynamically and dramatically.
Every angle of Ji-a’s movements, the spear strikes, and methods of efficiently taking down multiple enemies were shown.
Accurately striking monster weak points—every move captivated the students’ attention, showcasing footage worth more than money could buy.
‘How did they film this?’
‘Wow, this is more entertaining than TruTube!’
‘Kim Ji-a Hunter is truly amazing…’
Breathlessly, the students were completely absorbed in the video.
Starting with cave orcs, the footage seamlessly edited through marsh orcs, volcano orcs, and more, showing various types being tackled.
Finally, trolls too. The video ended cleanly with Si-hyun’s sword severing a troll’s head.
Staring blankly at the screen, students remained immersed in the afterglow. Meanwhile, Si-hyun, the only one not watching the video but instead observing the students, nodded contentedly.
She had spent a lot of time ensuring the dynamic footage packed in all necessary details. Honestly, filming was far harder than hunting monsters. But seeing the students’ focused reactions made it feel worthwhile, making her smile faintly.
“Now, let’s talk about monsters exhibiting diverse attributes depending on their environment—”
Si-hyun resumed the lecture. The students poured all their focus into the professor’s teachings.
* * *
“That concludes today’s session. Next week’s midterm exam will cover everything up to today, so take note.”
Having neatly wrapped up the lecture, Si-hyun quietly left the lecture hall. Soon, the students began chatting excitedly.
“Whoa, today’s lecture was insane.”
“To be honest, this elective feels more useful than my major courses.”
“The clean decapitation of the troll was legit.”
“Oh, speaking of trolls—Kim Ji-a Hunter appearing as a guest was totally unexpected!”
Excited chatter filled the air. Then, one student sitting alone suddenly shouted.
“Holy crap!”
All eyes turned toward them.
“Uh…so, like…”
Caught off guard by everyone’s attention, the student awkwardly scratched their temple before holding up their phone.
“Everyone, check out Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s academic profile.”
Curious, the students scrambled to look up the information. Quickly, their widened eyes revealed shock.
“What? Now the ‘connections’ section isn’t empty anymore?”
“Includes B-rank crafting hunter responsible for models AND Kim Ji-a Hunter?”
Connections—a key indicator of a hunter’s abilities and influence—now listed two high-ranking hunters.
And it didn’t stop there.
“Professor got promoted to C-rank?!”
“Wow…this is insane.”
What used to be considered Professor Jeong’s only flaw in “Intro to Monsters”—being merely a part-time lecturer at D-rank while most professors were C-rank—was now resolved.
The timing couldn’t have been better. Students already fired up from the lecture were now doubly motivated.
Rank promotion!
Every student’s dream!
‘I want to reach D-rank soon!’
‘I need to level up!’
In moments, the lecture hall emptied, leaving only silence and lingering impressions behind.
* * *
[Title: Look at Those Who Dismissed Monster Studies]
[Anon]
Professor Jeong Si-hyun got promoted to C-rank hahaha
– Really?
└ Seriously, check if you don’t believe me.
– Wait, is this real? I thought you were losing it over exams.
└ You’ve been living under a rock lol.
– That post about the professor’s crazy skills wasn’t fake?
└ Haha yeah.
– I thought she was just pretty, but C-rank makes sense now haha.
[Title: We Need to Recruit Professor Jeong Si-hyun as a Major Professor]
[Anon]
First to recommend!
– What the hell did you say?
– This once only…
– First time seeing no insults in comments on this thread lol
└ Haha true.
└ Lol how do you insult someone ranked C?!
[Title: Are You Serious?]
[Anon]
I don’t attend Monster Studies, but I remember when you guys got demolished by goblin models. If she takes over majors, are students going to get beaten?
– OMG;
– Hold up, that sounds kinda scary.
– Don’t switch genres mid-conversation lol
– It’s a reward.
└ OMG lmao
└ Haha lol
└ On the contrary, I like it haha.
[Title: Speaking of the Video…]
[Anon]
Wasn’t the Monster Studies video featuring Kim Ji-a Hunter filmed in a B-rank dungeon?
Anyone took the class?
– Hmm…now that you mention it, yeah?
└ Right? Aren’t volcano orcs exclusive to higher-ranked dungeons?
– ??? Kim Ji-a Hunter starred in the video?!
└ Yeah, she guest-starred today’s lecture vid.
└ OMG you’re making me jealous rn.
└ Haha lol
└ With Kim Ji-a Hunter, it makes sense lol
└ Damn, hope she teaches next semester—I’m signing up!
└ Good luck, only 15 spots lol.
* * *
…Another week passed. Midterms season at the Academy.
“You worked hard.”
Quietly addressing a student submitting their test paper, they looked up tiredly, nodding shyly upon meeting my gaze.
‘They all put in effort.’
While general education grades aren’t as important compared to majors—just hitting benchmarks suffices—their diligent problem-solving was admirable, giving me teaching satisfaction.
“Arum, good job.”
“Hehe…”
One by one, students exited the lecture hall, finishing the exam earlier than the full hour.
Looking around the now-empty room felt strange, unused to seeing it this way since I usually leave first after lectures. Somehow, it feels odd without students filling the seats.
When I first started teaching, I wondered, “What if no one shows up?” or “Would it be overwhelming if too many came?” Yet here I am feeling strange about an empty classroom.
Guess this is another sign of growth.
Smiling faintly, I picked up the stack of papers.
Tap, tap.
Neatly organizing the test sheets, I tucked them into my bag.
‘Now I need to visit Elder.’
How long has it been since our last meeting? He sounded genuinely happy when I told him I’d visit after so long. With recent intensive Go practice, maybe this time I can win without losing any pieces!
“Hmph…”
Exiting the academy building, I briskly walked toward the elder’s residence via public transport. As expected, he opened the gate waiting for me.
“Hello.”
“You look radiant, child. Did something good happen?”
“Guess my excitement showed.”
“Ho ho ho.”
Though flattery, his hearty laugh seemed genuine. Smiling along, I crossed the garden to sit on a chair.
“Oh, is this yuzu tea?”
“Yes, its refreshing quality suits spring perfectly.”
Elder sipped the yuzu tea and ate some rice cake, which was also yuzu-flavored. I grabbed one too.
“Wow, delicious!”
“If you like it, take some home.”
“Okay! My younger sibling will love it!”
“Ho ho, then I’ll pack extra.”
Chin-stroking, Elder smiled warmly. Gazing briefly at him, I admired the serene garden reflecting his personality.
Living so modestly as an S-rank hunter and guild master seems unusual.
Casually glancing around, I commented,
“Feels peaceful, doesn’t it?”
“Hmm?”
“I always imagined great hunters lived in lavish homes.”
“Ho ho ho.”
Listening to my comment, Elder chuckled kindly.
“I’ve built my life exactly as I wanted. This house brings me peace.”
“Doesn’t the guild or government bother or restrict you?”
“Hmm…”
He didn’t answer immediately, looking deeply into my eyes. After a pause, stroking his beard, he spoke.
“It took much effort to live life on my terms, free from others’ control.”
“Hmm…”
“That’s all there is to it.”
A concise statement packed with meaning, resonating deeply within me.
“Hmm, shall we play Go?”
“Yes! I’ll win today!”
“Ho ho ho.”
We played Go until evening.
Defeat, Victory.
Though I lost the first round, I triumphed in the second.
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