I Became an Extra Without Growth in the Academy

It took quite a while for Frank to engrave the mark, and it took about an hour to get back.

Still, since I left early in the first place, I wasn’t late, and it felt like I returned just in time for school.

“Then, I’ll be heading out. Thank you so much, Rudion!”

“Oh, okay.”

I parted ways lightly with Frank.

After all, I’d have to run into him again when I return to the dormitory later, so if there’s anything to say, it could wait until then.

As I strolled away alone, I found myself at the advanced class building before I knew it. I ran into Seria, who was standing in front of the entrance.

“Rudion! Good morning!”

“Good morning!”

We exchanged greetings naturally and walked in together, but then it hit me that something seemed off.

Seria was ridiculously diligent and usually arrived at school with plenty of time to spare.

But today, I had to rush to make it on time. I shouldn’t have run into Seria here.

…But why?

“Hey, Seria. Were you waiting for me out front?”

“Of course. I wanted to go in with you.”

Seriously, why?

I didn’t get it, but I couldn’t press further.

By the time I arrived at the classroom and sat down, Professor Reina was already preparing to start the lecture.

“Okay, today we’ll be learning about the characteristics of monsters. Feel free to sleep if you’re bored. Just know that you might end up sleeping forever… But as long as I’m here, that won’t happen, so don’t worry too much!”

The lecture content was fairly normal. Even when I was a professor for the lower class, I only picked the usual topics to teach.

It was just the teaching style that wasn’t very conventional.

Given her preference for hands-on lectures, it was sure to turn into a practice-heavy class after a few theoretical discussions.

So, I should enjoy this moment of sitting back and relaxing while I could.

However… I figured no student could sleep after hearing that. Not studying and getting into trouble would be their own issue.

Of course, I slept.

Even in this game-like world, listening to lectures was just as boring. Plus, I already knew everything.

…But then Seria nudged me awake, and right in front of me stood Reina, staring at me intently.

Since I was in the front row, the proximity felt quite daunting.

‘Professor, your lecture is so interesting! Go, go, go!’

I desperately shot her a pleading look, but it fell flat.

Then she asked me a question.

“Rudion? What did I say you should do if you encounter a Black Chest Ogre?”

It felt like she was throwing down a challenge to see if I could guess.

But who was I? I was an experienced player who had memorized the dodge timings for every pattern in the game.

Of course, I could flawlessly answer about the monster’s characteristics and strategies.

“The Black Chest Ogre’s chest is made of tough black leather, which makes it hard to deal damage unless you have something as destructive as a magical device-assisted battering ram. Monsters instinctively know this and utilize it, so attacking from the front where it’s easy to guard is not advisable; it’s better to target the relatively weak sides or focus on hitting the Achilles heel to restrict its movement.”

“…Where’s the carotid artery?”

“The black leather of the chest often extends to the neck. Since the area around the neck doesn’t darken and can’t be distinguished by the naked eye unless in very special circumstances, there’s no reason to target it recklessly, barring a dangerous situation.”

I easily answered Reina’s follow-up questions, but then I felt her gaze become more intense.

Did I do something wrong? It turned out I made a huge error.

“I didn’t teach you that yet. You really know a lot.”

“Ah, you… didn’t tell us?”

That was not part of the lecture content.

Yeah, knowing too much can be a problem.

I was interrupted while I was just trying to sleep, and when she tossed out a question, I answered it quickly. When I answered someone else’s unannounced questions, it led to, “Oh? You know this too? This is you trying to seduce me, right?”

That was the kind of situation I ended up in.

I considered trying to make an excuse but dropped it.

It wouldn’t matter to Reina, who was now licking her lips.

“Rudion. Follow me after class.”

In the end, I heard the ultimate line that I was never supposed to hear from the professor, not missing a single word.

I cried.

First-year classes are held a total of four times a day.

Practical classes are conducted based on the situation, so I’ll leave that aside; theoretical classes last about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Starting at 8:40 AM with a 20-minute break and a 1-hour and 20-minute lunch, classes usually end around 4 PM… Not so intense compared to South Korea’s killer schedules.

Still, depending on the lecture content, fatigue can accumulate, so it’s good to manage your condition during breaks…

“Ah, you’re here? Come sit here.”

Caught trying to manage my condition during class time, I completely lost my break.

Having done something foolish trying to sidestep the situation, there was no helping it.

Now I arrived at the Professor’s Research Room. Many professors come to visit the advanced class research room, but today, Reina was alone, perhaps because there were no scheduled lectures.

Following her instructions, I sat down in the chair in front of her.

“Rudion. I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while, and I just got confirmation during the recent lecture. Want to come under me?”

Whoa, Professor. You need to give me a breather! You can’t hit me with that out of nowhere!

Honestly, I decided to refuse her proposition.

“Do I have to?”

“Don’t you have to?”

“No, it’s not ‘Don’t you have to?’… I said, I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to?”

“Don’t you have to?”

What kind of conversation was this?

This woman had no intention of persuading me at all. She was just demanding.

So instead of outright declining, I decided to ask what it was about.

Of course, I already knew what she was planning, as the main character ends up being Reina’s subordinate in the original story, but if I let on that I was aware, it would be game over.

“Are you going to take me to capture battle-ready monsters?”

“…Excuse me?”

But she said something completely unexpected.

I was a bit confused. Isn’t it supposed to be something like ‘make sure you get to fight the battle-ready monsters first to be a spectacle for the others until they figure things out’?

Capturing monsters? It didn’t make sense that she’d take risks like that, especially not with a student.

“Will I be any help?”

“What’s the weakness of the Red Wyvern?”

“The roof of its mouth.”

The Red Wyvern is red, so it has a fire attribute.

It’s not easy to forget something as straightforward as that statement; you’d burn your palate eating hot food.

I actually wish I could have forgotten it.

As soon as I answered reflexively, I realized I made a mistake.

“So you’re quick on the draw… At least you won’t be a hindrance.”

This blabbermouth…

It’s not like a single question could determine my knowledge, but answering so promptly was a blunder.

I had aced the theoretical part of the entrance exam. My knowledge proved to be sufficient, but it was familiar enough to roll off the tongue right away?

I didn’t even have anything to say in my defense. From now on, any attempt to decline or belittle me would be impossible.

So, I needed to keep the atmosphere of refusing using my status as a student…

“But I’m still a student. Isn’t capturing monsters too dangerous?”

“I’ll be honest. I don’t see you as a student.”

…So much for trying to come across as a student. I ended up sounding ridiculous.

Reina began to list her reasons for thinking that way.

“I just felt like you’ve been through countless real battles, even though you only took the entrance exam. That’s why I excluded you from the performance evaluation yesterday.”

“…I wouldn’t say I have zero experience.”

I couldn’t lie since I had shown quite a bit. Raids and PvP in the game count as real experiences after all.

At my honest statement, Reina smiled and continued.

“Right. If you said you had none, I’d find that suspicious. Don’t worry. I’m not particularly interested in your life. Just come under me.”

“No, I mean, I don’t particularly want to…”

“Oh, please don’t stress about it. I have many people under me. I won’t give you much to do. Just need you here for a few times when I go to work, so there’s no worry of stealing too much of your time… Oh, and of course, it will positively affect your grades. What do you think?”

I didn’t really care about grades, and besides, I had already scored full marks in theory.

Practical exams… Well, I’d manage that later, but it wasn’t really necessary right now.

After all, Seria is the top of the class. No matter how much I strive, I’d just emphasize my lack of abilities.

And… I absolutely do NOT want to become a graduate student! I’m still deep into my academy life; I don’t want to be a slave this early on!

That’s why I was making such a concerted effort to escape this situation, but why does it keep leaning toward becoming her subordinate?

Continuing this discussion would only put me at a disadvantage.

Realizing that, I stood up firmly to express my refusal and bow respectfully.

“Professor, I truly appreciate the offer, but I feel I’m not worthy of becoming your subordinate…”

“Okay, Rudion. You’re short on money, right? If you come under me, I can give you some monthly support. Maybe… this amount?”

Is she trying to buy me with money? I mean, sure, I’d run out of cash after a few meals, but with a little effort, I could earn enough to get by… Wow, how much is that?

“Because I’m short on cash, I’m going to work hard to become your subordinate!”

“Hmm, there’s no need to try hard. Just say you want to, and I’ll make it happen immediately.”

Just like that, I became Professor Reina’s direct teaching assistant.

If you want to call me spineless, go ahead. But that was a LOT of money to turn down.

Receiving that money monthly wouldn’t just solve my living situations; I could actually save up enough for a house!

“I should have been offered money from the start.”

Seeing my attitude change in an instant, Reina chuckled in disbelief, but judging by her expression, it felt like this was her plan all along.

I got a taste of the true power of the Trier family, which even wields influence in the academy with money.

It’s truly terrifying, the Trier family…

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