Chapter 79

Friday morning, 10 AM.

“Ah-reum, over here!”

“Oh, hello!”

The newbie training observation for the Dawn Guild starts at 1 PM.

Since we were heading out anyway, I decided to visit a big bookstore in Seoul a bit early.

When I asked Ah-reum yesterday for recommendations on places to go, she kindly offered to come along today.

What a diligent student!

“The transportation here is pretty good. Should we grab lunch around here too?”

“Yeah! Sounds good!”

With Ah-reum’s energetic vibe, we entered the bookstore.

The warm lighting created that cozy atmosphere only bookstores can provide.

I already feel refreshed even though we haven’t done anything yet.

“Definitely different being in such a big bookstore…”

“Is this your first time here?”

“Yeah, I just settled in Seoul not long ago. Next time, let’s check out another place.”

“I’ll guide you again next time!”

We exchanged soft conversations as we carefully moved through the store and looked around.

New releases, recommended books – they all passed by lightly until my steps stopped at the corner with various novels.

“Oh, this one’s here too.”

“What is it?”

I happily picked up a familiar book to show Ah-reum, but she suddenly made a strange face.

“…What’s wrong?”

“Eh, uh… Professor, have you heard about the author’s news?”

“Huh? No, what happened?”

“It’s a novel that got its serialization delayed because a gate appeared right outside the author’s house a few days ago.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…”

I was steadily enjoying the web version of this novel…

And now it’s delayed due to the gate?

…Delay’s fine, but please don’t tell me it’s going on hiatus or something…

“Hold on.”

I quickly searched the author’s name and updates on my phone.

“…”

“Ah-reum.”

“Yes?”

“This is a low-tier dungeon in a regional area. If it’s not cleared by next week, let’s go together.”

“Ye-Yes sir!”

There’s no way it won’t be cleared by then.

I trust the hunters in the region.

High-tier dungeons might get assistance from people like Ji-a, but this is a low-tier one!

“Shall we finish looking around and head to lunch?”

“Yessir!”

We casually took a lap around the bookstore before heading out while wondering where to eat lunch.

Ah-reum then recommended a nearby chicken dish restaurant, which seemed like a good idea, so we naturally headed there.

It was indeed a good suggestion.

“Since we’re going to the dungeon later, let’s eat something mild that won’t bother our stomachs.”

“Um, okay!”

The menu was intimidating.

But I didn’t want to appear weak in front of Ah-reum…

…Fortunately, everything went smoothly during the meal, and we moved toward the subway station.

Sitting side-by-side with Ah-reum, we headed toward our destination.

After roughly checking the remaining stops and time, confident we wouldn’t be late, I casually asked Ah-reum:

“So, how did you end up participating in the Dawn Guild’s new member training observation? Do they take separate applications?”

“Eh, well… Eun-byeol invited me to come along, right?”

“Eun-byeol applied?”

“Uh, Eun-byeol’s older brother is an S-rank Hunter in the Dawn Guild! Ye Do-hyeong! So, maybe that’s why?”

“…What?”

Who is this Eun-byeol’s older brother?

“S-rank Magical Hunter Ye Do-hyeong!”

“Whew…”

A wildcard.

Never would’ve guessed he had a younger sister who was taking my class!

The world sure is small.

“Is Eun-byeol close with her brother?”

“Uh, well, I’m not exactly sure. Probably just a normal sibling relationship?”

“Hmm…”

Tricky. I was thinking of teaching Eun-byeol the “Burning Tongue of Pain,” but…

…Wait, reconsidering now, the rank difference is too great. From the start, it would’ve been impossible.

If he’s an S-rank magical hunter, his resistance must be considerable.

Let’s put the plan to make Eun-byeol into an assassin of spiciness on hold for now.

Now, let’s talk about Ah-reum’s education.

“Ah-reum, isn’t it true that after the midterm exams, your major focuses more on practical training?”

“Y-Yes! That’s correct.”

“Then, shall we start diving deeper into advanced learning?”

“Huh? Advanced learning?”

Ah-reum’s eyes widened.

“Didn’t you learn how to cast spells without a status window earlier in the semester?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“On that note, I—”

Just as I was about to give Ah-reum a detailed explanation,

“Why are you staring at me, old man?”

“Huh?”

“While we’re talking, stop bothering us.”

Suddenly, a young guy with a bowl cut and an old man started arguing.

People sitting around turned their attention toward them.

“Hey, the student was in the wrong, right?”

“What? Ugh, this is annoying.”

The old man spoke softly, but the young man’s voice was full of complaints.

His tick-tock tone irked everyone around him.

That unique tone was extremely grating.

Looking at the expressions of those around, it seems they felt the same as me.

Turning back to Ah-reum, I whispered:

“Ah-reum, this is what I want to teach you.”

“?…”

Pointing with my finger at the villain still making noise,

as soon as Ah-reum’s gaze met his,

Snap!

The finger pointed at the male flicked lightly.

At that exact moment,

“…!”

“Ugh?”

The young man who was yelling at the old man fell silent.

He opened his mouth but no sound came out, maintaining silence.

Grabbing his throat, he showed a look of discomfort, but it was useless.

Because I’d silenced him with magic.

Enjoying the restored peace in the subway, I said to Ah-reum:

“I’ll teach you to do things like this.”

“Did the professor do that?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow…”

Ah-reum looked at me with shining eyes.

What a pure expression!

Unconsciously, I ruffled Ah-reum’s hair.

“Hehe…”

While admiring Ah-reum’s cute smile for a moment, I glanced upward to check the remaining stops.

At that time,

A few people sitting opposite gently closed their eyes and slightly nodded to me.

Apparently, our quiet conversation was heard nearby.

Embarrassedly smiling, I returned the nod.

—

* * *

Near the C-rank Gate where the Dawn Guild’s new member training was scheduled,

a manager approached the B-rank Hunter responsible for overseeing and protecting the new recruits.

“Ms. Kim Hunter, there’s something you need to pay special attention to during this training.”

“Huh? What’s this special attention?”

“Today, three Academy students and one part-time instructor will join as observers. It’s a special request from the department head.”

“Observers?”

As Ms. Kim Hunter stiffened her expression and asked, the manager nervously rubbed his palms together and explained.

“Well, they’re calling them this year’s promising talents. Plus, the accompanying part-time instructor is also quite talented.”

“Hmm… Judging by how you’re saying it, I assume the instructor has already rejected recruitment?”

“Y-Yes, that’s correct. So, we managed to arrange a spot using the students. Please help create an atmosphere for joining the guild during the training. Show off your skills, Ms. Kim Hunter, and promote the guild’s good image.”

Sighing deeply, Ms. Kim Hunter crossed her arms with a stern expression and said:

“I’ll do my best, but this is a C-rank dungeon. Anything could happen. Depending on the situation, I’ll withdraw the observers based on my judgment. Do you agree?”

“Oh, of course! We leave it to you, Ms. Kim Hunter! Haha!”

As the manager laughed and stepped back, Ms. Kim Hunter approached the other hunters, briefly summarizing and informing them of the situation.

Most hunters weren’t particularly concerned.

The protector was a famous B-rank hunter, and the rookies were in sufficient numbers.

It didn’t seem like adding a few observers would cause problems.

However, Yang Chae-wook, the most important target of this training—a C-rank Support Hunter—furrowed his brow.

“Isn’t this supposed to be serious training instead of some sightseeing trip?”

“…Everyone needs to keep joining the guild as newcomers, like all of you recently did. Please understand.”

“Hmph…”

Everything Ms. Kim Hunter said was correct.

Despite being filled with complaints, Yang Chae-wook refrained from showing any further dissatisfaction.

Afterward, they gathered one by one: Eun-byeol, Jae-woo, Ah-reum, and Si-hyun.

Once the observers were assembled, the manager stepped forward to begin various explanations.

Si-hyun listened carefully to the instructions while observing the group they would be working with.

“One B-rank and five C-ranks…”

Conquering the dungeon itself is possible with just the C-ranks.

How the B-rank hunter handles the rookies is what Si-hyun curiously observed.

At that moment, her eyes met a male glaring at her with displeasure.

As if perfectly timed, the frowning man approached her.

“Manager, isn’t this enough explanation for just an observation? Let’s get moving.”

“Understood, Mr. Yang Chae-wook Hunter. We’ll wrap up quickly.”

“Hmph.”

The man clicked his tongue and walked away.

Thinking he was rather arrogant for a rookie, Si-hyun silently looked at the manager.

The manager gave a wry smile and explained:

“That’s a C-rank Support Hunter.”

It was a brief explanation.

Soon, the manager’s endless promotion of the Dawn Guild ended swiftly.

Preparations completed, the Dawn Guild hunters entered the gate.

“Shall we go in?”

“Yes!”

Listening to the enthusiastic response from the students, Si-hyun also entered the dungeon.

The familiar cave-like scenery of the dungeon unfolded.

The smell of dirt and moisture stimulated the nose.

Additionally,

“Ugh, there’s a sour smell.”

“There’s a pungent yet spicy smell.”

The foul odor mixed with a sharp chemical scent tickled the nostrils.

Si-hyun immediately realized what kind of dungeon this was.

“Bugs will come out.”

Muttering quietly, the students all frowned upon hearing her words.