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“Professor…?”

“Hmm?”

At the sound of the disciple calling, Si-hyun smiled softly and looked at Ah-reum.

Gently patting her shoulder as if to say not to worry, she returned her gaze ahead.

Kang Do-joon gives an order to another thief.

“Hey, I’ll take care of that guy over there, so you handle the plain-looking one.”

“Got it, hyung!”

“Hehe, let’s play with them.”

With that conversation among the thieves, the male members of the Wings Guild prepared for battle.

Thus, the clash between the Hunters began.

First, Ji-han’s opponent was Kang Do-joon.

Even though Ji-han was a promising member within the guild, he was still a C-rank Hunter.

Moreover, he was exhausted from the large dungeon raid and had just pushed himself to fight.

As a result, Do-joon openly toyed with Ji-han.

The gap was like an adult bullying a child.

“Haha! It’s so boring I could yawn!”

“Ugh, damn!”

“How about this!”

Swish—!

An intense close-range fight unfolded at breakneck speed.

Ji-han got a superficial wound on his shoulder after failing to perfectly dodge Do-joon’s dagger.

In terms of stamina and skill, Ji-han had no advantageous points against Do-joon.

Ji-han bit his bottom lip in frustration.

On the other hand, Han-gyeol was engaged in one-on-one combat with a C-rank thief from the Thief Party.

Han-gyeol’s situation was not much different from Ji-han’s.

The C-rank thief wasn’t as skilled as Kang Do-joon, but he was also a Hunter with countless experiences in personal combat.

Furthermore, Do-joon had been giving him plenty of breathing room, so his condition was much better.

“Hero! Hero!”

Swish, swish, whizz!

This side was also engaged in close-quarters combat, pushing Han-gyeol back.

Han-gyeol remained calm in a defensive stance, blocking the attacks.

But gradually, he was being pushed back.

If this continued, defeat was certain.

“Gah!”

Han-gyeol braved the pain and quickly attempted a counterattack.

However, the thief twisted his body to easily evade the attack and leisurely increased the distance.

“Like I’d get hit by that! Hahaha!”

He even threw out a mocking laugh.

Han-gyeol got a moment to breathe, but a long scar formed on his forearm.

It wasn’t a profitable exchange at all.

“Guys! Put in some effort!”

“Gah, huff…!”

Even the D-rank Hunters were not in an advantageous situation against the Wings Guild.

They were completely exhausted after a half-day of exploration.

All he could think about was wanting to defeat the boss and rest.

But suddenly, a battle broke out among the Hunters.

They were not in a condition to fully engage in combat.

In contrast, the two D-rank thieves, who were much more physically fresh, used cunning strategies.

Basically, they didn’t charge in first.

Whenever the pressed Wings Guild side charged in, they would dodge and hide.

As the tired men gasped for breath, they would block their path again, laughing.

“Hahaha! With that kind of stamina, can you even handle the night shift, everyone?”

“Can’t you four handle just two of us?”

Their mocking voices echoed.

The archer from the Wings Guild was getting heated and gripped his bow again.

Whoosh—!

An arrow launched at high speed!

However,

“Oh my, shooting so openly, you think you’d actually hit me—!”

“Look at that! That’s what you call a ranged attack! Hahaha!”

The thieves, who had been closely watching the archer, easily dodged the attack.

It was a clear indication of how much experience they had in personal combat.

The archer felt cold sweat running down his back.

If the fight hadn’t started with a standoff?

He definitely would’ve been the one ambushed first.

He was filled with goosebumps.

“W-what should I do…?”

From a distance, Ah-reum, watching the fight, trembled and murmured anxiously.

It was obvious to anyone that our side was losing.

Moreover, those wicked thieves would surely flee using stealth skills if it became unfavorable for them.

What if they brought monsters and hid again?

‘I-I’ll be dead without even a chance to move…!’

Just the thought was horrifying.

Ah-reum shivered once more.

At that moment, Si-hyun, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward.

Ah-reum was startled and looked at Si-hyun.

“P-P-Professor?!”

Before entering the dungeon, during a conversation at the café, the professor mentioned that because he hadn’t submitted his advancement application, he was a D-rank Hunter.

In other words, the professor’s true ability was that of a C-rank Hunter.

But the opponent?

There was a perfectly fit B-rank Hunter.

“Hahaha! Where’d that guy who was shouting loudly earlier go?!”

“Ugh—!”

Currently, that guy is toying with Ji-han, a C-rank Hunter.

Literally a toy.

He could finish him off anytime, but it was clear he was letting him keep going; even an inexperienced person could see that.

Would Professor Jeong Si-hyun stepping in change the tide?

Ah-reum thought it was a hopeless case.

Regardless of her respect for the professor, the current situation was just too dire.

“Professor! A-As much as you’re a professor—”

Ah-reum trembled as she tried to dissuade her.

Hearing the anxious voice of his disciple, Si-hyun turned around.

He lightly placed his index finger on his lips.

As Ah-reum widened her eyes and fell silent, he nodded with a calm face.

Watching Ah-reum tremble with fear, Si-hyun thought.

It would be easy for him to step in and sweep away the thieves.

Honestly, seeing that jerk Do-joon acting up made him feel that way too.

However, handling it so simply felt too wasteful.

He wanted to be the ‘shining person’ that Ah-reum idealized.

He wanted to properly show what an ideal supporter is in front of his student.

He wanted to let her know what a true support can accomplish.

Si-hyun smiled prettily at Ah-reum and said,

“Ah-reum, what do you think the strengths of a support-type Hunter are?”

“Y-Yes?!”

The peaceful tone felt unfitting for the tense situation.

Ah-reum couldn’t respond immediately.

She shifted her gaze between the men and Si-hyun.

“In this situation, even if one more ordinary C-rank Hunter is added, it wouldn’t change the tide, right?”

“Y-Yeah…. You’re right?”

“But what if that one person could use support skills?”

His calm voice continued to explain.

‘What is he trying to say?’

Ah-reum gulped and focused on the professor’s lips.

His cherry-like pretty lips parted once more.

“What if, rather than merely adding one more person, there exists someone who can make all the allies stronger?”

With a soft, almost poetic voice.

Ah-reum perked her ears and listened closely.

“What if our team doesn’t just go from 6 to 7 members, but something much larger changes occur?”

“A-Aah—!”

Finally understanding, Ah-reum gasped and covered her mouth in surprise.

Even just calculating it simply, the impact would be on a different level.

Even if I’m only E-rank and lack such amazing skills.

There’s no way our professor is the same!

I had been thinking wrong until just now.

The professor wasn’t just an ordinary C-rank; he was a special person who could also use support skills.

Ah-reum had never seen Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s skills.

That’s why she couldn’t imagine what kind of change would occur.

But she didn’t doubt.

The professor had never shown a hint of fear throughout the day, unlike her.

He neither trembled nor seemed flustered.

He was merely watching the situation calmly.

‘I have faith…!’

Seeing the change in Ah-reum’s expression, Si-hyun smiled brightly.

How many opportunities would there be in life to show off like this?

He needed to present himself properly and impressively.

“Watch closely now. This is the ideal image of a supporter that you should strive for.”

As Si-hyun finished explaining, he snapped his fingers.

Snap!

In the midst of the noisy chaos of battle, it was a small sound that went unnoticed by anyone.

Yet from this moment onward.

The battleground of the Hunters.

Began to shift dramatically.

The start of a comeback.

“I believed in you! Hahaha!”

“W-What the heck?!”

Han-gyeol, who had been maintaining a defensive stance, instantly switched to an offensive position.

The defensive focus he had maintained had vanished completely.

He charged forward fiercely, pressuring his opponent.

“I’ll repay you for the debt from earlier!”

“Uagh—!”

The thief that had been pushing Han-gyeol began to take steps back.

Han-gyeol’s movements, strengthened through the buff, were now enough to keep up with the speed of the thief.

Originally, the thief could have pressed Ji-han leisurely, but now the situation had drastically changed.

Losing his special skills, he gradually began to be pushed back by Han-gyeol’s attacks.

Every time Han-gyeol took a step with his longsword, the dagger-wielding thief became frantic, focusing solely on defense.

The balance was slowly breaking apart.

Moreover, this wasn’t just happening to Han-gyeol.

“Hahaha! Where’d that arrogance from before go?!”

“Damn it! What the hell! Why are you changing so much!”

“Uhah! If you don’t like it, you’d better have decent connections too!”

For the first time, Ji-han, who received Si-hyun’s buff, began to wildly thrive.

Having previously been on the receiving end of an unknown power, Ji-han immediately realized who was responsible as soon as he felt the change in his body.

There was only one person capable of such a thing in this place.

“Uhaha! Si-hyun unnie is the best!”

The tired and worn-out condition of his body rapidly recovered.

It wasn’t just simple healing.

Ji-han instinctively felt that he was beginning to surpass his limits.

Dopamine was surging through his body like crazy.

The outpouring of pleasure washed over his peripheral nerves.

With euphoria rising, he stared straight at his opponent.

‘Now I can do this!’

He was convinced he could defeat the B-rank thief right in front of him!

“Hahaha! You were talking about yawning earlier, but now I seriously feel like yawning!”

“You little brat!”

“Yawn—!”

“Damn brat!”

Ji-han openly mocked his opponent.

Do-joon, fired up with anger, cursed him out, but the changed situation couldn’t be reversed.

Clearly, just a moment ago, he was the one doing the bullying.

Now they were engaged in nearly equal combat.

It was an absurd situation.

That kid had been on the verge of collapsing just a while ago!

No, even if he hadn’t been exhausted, there’s no way a C-rank could ever be his match!

‘What in the world is this situation?!’

Ji-han and Do-joon exchanged brutal attacks, blending their combat skills.

Every time their weapons clashed, sharp sounds echoed.

Swish, swish, swoosh!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Neither side easily crumbled.

However, Ji-han began to gather momentum, gradually pushing his opponent back.

Do-joon attempted a sharp counterattack, but Ji-han twisted his body to deflect it.

Without missing a beat, he swung his sword.

Whoosh—!

Do-joon narrowly ducked to avoid the sword strike.

With both of his eyes bloodshot, he glared at Ji-han.

‘This is getting dangerous!’

Do-joon felt his body trembling.

Had it been from fear of the situation? No, it wasn’t that.

Since a while ago, an incomprehensible power seemed to scratch at his physique aggressively.

Alongside that unpleasant sensation, he gradually felt his body dulling and energy draining away.

If this state persisted.

He would lose to that damn brat right in front of him, a foreboding feeling crept in.

He felt extremely wronged, yet trusted his instincts more.

He needed to turn this situation around.

‘What should I do, what should I do…!’

Do-joon fervently spun his thoughts, searching for a solution.

Continuously thinking and rethinking.

In that moment, by chance.

He caught sight of the beautiful woman standing proudly at the edge of his field of vision.

Dodging Ji-han’s attacks again.

He yelled with all his might.

“Guys! Focus on the women——!”

He shouted once more.

“Bring monsters too——!”

Hearing his cries, the thieves began to move in a manner different from before.