LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 72
Students gradually started gathering in the Introduction to Monster Studies lecture hall.
The students who had just entered the room all stopped in their tracks, staring at the object in front of the lecture desk.
A petite skeleton model.
This model, prepared by Si-hyun as a response to Ah-reum’s suggestion, occupied the space.
It had a cute, cartoonish appearance one would expect to see in a cartoon.
However, the reactions of the students who discovered the model were cold.
‘There’s no way we’re actually going to practice with that today, right?’
‘It looks cute, but scary considering what happened last time…’
‘If I get hit by that thing, it’s basically a horror movie!’
Typically, most liberal arts subjects induce sleepiness because they are so ordinary.
But Introduction to Monster Studies delivered fresh shocks in every lecture.
Because of that, the students were on high alert, refusing to be fooled by the model’s adorable appearance.
Si-hyun quietly observed the students’ reactions and smiled faintly.
‘How is it that every single one of them has the same reaction…’
The innocent expressions of the students were quite cute. There was enjoyment in observing them.
‘Is it about time to start?’
Si-hyun checked the time.
He straightened up from where he was leaning against the lecture desk and adjusted his clothes.
“Hello, everyone.”
It was Si-hyun’s clear voice after two weeks.
The students greeted him warmly.
Si-hyun nodded his head, then, with an apologetic expression, said,
“I’m sorry about the sudden class cancellation last week. I couldn’t notify you in advance; there were unavoidable circumstances.”
Si-hyun scanned the students’ expressions.
There were no particularly special responses.
“I have a small gift for you all. I’ll hand it out while I take attendance.”
At the unexpected announcement, the students’ eyes widened.
‘A small gift, you say?’
While there were indeed complaints about the abrupt cancellation of class, a professor preparing gifts was uncommon.
Usually, it’s expected to have a makeup class to fill in.
But what a surprise.
Preparing gifts?
“Kwon Jae-woo.”
“Yes!”
As Si-hyun took attendance, he personally handed out a thin folder containing an introduction letter.
The students responded energetically and received the folders respectfully.
The students’ eyes widened when they saw what was inside.
‘Isn’t this an introduction letter for a C-rank production hunter?!’
‘Wow, this is hard to come by!’
‘To prepare something like this, you really are detail-oriented!’
In an instant, the atmosphere in the lecture hall turned lively.
Si-hyun slowly observed the students’ reactions.
Seeing the students excited and happy made him feel good as well.
‘I’m glad I asked the department head for this.’
With a bright smile, Si-hyun clapped his hands.
**Clap!**
The students’ attention turned to Si-hyun as they quieted down.
“I’ll start the lecture now.”
Announcing in a calm voice, he began manipulating the equipment.
And thus, the lecture commenced.
“Today, we’re going to discuss the undead monsters that appear in low-rank dungeons.”
Si-hyun’s prepared materials were displayed on the screen.
The students also placed their pre-printed materials on their desks.
There wasn’t a single student who forgot their printouts.
“Before we dive into the content, shall we take a look at an article first?”
As the pages flipped over, an article about a recently occurred incident appeared.
“A suddenly revealed A-rank dual dungeon themed around the undead. It’s been quite the buzz lately, and the excitement hasn’t died down yet.”
The students nodded along.
Being a significant event, it had been covered extensively, and no one was unaware of it.
It was literally an extraordinary and shocking case.
Because of that, the students’ curiosity was piqued.
‘Why is the professor mentioning this incident?’
‘Is he using it as an example for today’s lecture?’
Their attention turned to the learning content, and they began to focus on the lecture.
“If you all, someday, rank up to become high-level hunters, you could encounter events like this at any time. It’s not just someone else’s problem.”
Si-hyun made the students aware of how the incident connected to their own lives.
The students opened their eyes wide, realizing one by one.
‘Oh, I see! I shouldn’t think of this as just an incident.’
‘If I live as a hunter, this could be something I face directly….’
The realization that they might experience such incidents in the future!
As this recognition naturally occurred, the practical relevance of today’s lecture was recognized, boosting the students’ motivation to learn.
‘Great, everyone’s focused now.’
Si-hyun carefully observed how the students’ psyche shifted, as he intended.
Inspecting their expressions, he formally began the lecture.
“Everyone remembers the content about goblins that we learned last time, right? By now, goblins should be familiar to you. So let’s start with goblin undead as an example.”
Si-hyun linked the previous learning with what the students would learn today.
At the same time, he related the content closely to the students’ experiences.
Characteristics of undead monsters.
The grades and classification of famous undead, etc.
The lecture progressed with a structure not much different from previous sessions.
However, not a single student was dozing off or distracted.
Even though it was right after lunchtime in a liberal arts class.
Such a naturally heightened eagerness to learn kept the students’ focus strong.
“…With that said,”
After sufficient basic explanation, Si-hyun decided to test if the students understood properly by asking a question.
“Are undead monsters also considered living organisms?”
“Uh?”
“Hmm…”
Everyone was taken aback. It was a completely unexpected question.
The students squinted their eyes and fell into thought.
They were hard at work speculating in their minds.
Si-hyun smiled gently before saying,
“We had a discussion before about classifying monsters as living organisms.”
The students nodded in agreement.
“Take some time to really think about that part.”
Si-hyun checked the time.
It was almost exactly the end of the fifth period.
“Let’s discuss this again after a break.”
Rustle—
Click click.
Si-hyun, leaving behind a heap of questions in the students’ minds, exited the lecture hall, the sound of his shoes gradually fading away.
The students stared at the front door of the lecture hall for a moment.
A short while passed.
Murmurs began.
One by one, they started lively discussions.
Break time naturally morphed into study time.
No one had to prompt them, but everyone joined in to exchange ideas as if it were natural.
That’s how captivating the Introduction to Monster Studies lecture was.
“Wasn’t the mainstream view that monsters are classified as living beings?”
“Still, aren’t undead a bit different?”
“Humm, what exactly does undead mean again?”
“Wait! Let me look it up.”
Undead. A word they had used as casually as everyday language.
However, not a single student could accurately define it.
The students unknowingly began to engage in critical thinking.
What does undead really mean?
They carefully analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated the information.
Totally immersed, the students didn’t even realize how much time had passed.
Rustle—
Before long, break time ended, and Si-hyun returned.
He checked the time, smiled broadly, and looked around at the students.
The students gazed at him with eager eyes full of passion.
‘In the end, what’s the answer?’
‘What will the professor say?’
‘Am I correct in my assumptions? I’m kind of excited.’
All the students focused their hearts and minds on the professor.
With perked ears, they awaited his words.
Si-hyun spoke in a gentle voice.
“Has everyone thought enough? I bet many questions arose, right?”
The students nodded vigorously.
“Before I share my answer, how about we hear your opinions?”
Si-hyun encouraged the students’ active participation.
Students confident in their guesses raised their hands excitedly.
“Since they’re neither really alive nor dead, shouldn’t they be classified separately?”
“Since they’re technically corpses, it’s hard to see them as living organisms, right?”
“Aren’t undead just characteristics rather than living things?”
Various opinions poured out.
Si-hyun nodded with satisfaction.
He felt pride in the efforts the students had put into thinking.
“The answer is…”
Si-hyun slowly began to clarify.
‘Finally, the mystery will be solved!’
The students focused intently as they awaited the answer.
Si-hyun exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders and said,
“Everyone is correct.”
“Whaaat?!”
The students exclaimed in surprise, causing a commotion.
Si-hyun gestured for them to calm down and smoothly continued his explanation.
“Undead aren’t a singular concept. They are a large classification. It could be magical life forms, or perhaps simply corpses or spirits controlled by mana. Ultimately, it varies by monster.”
It was about viewing things differently based on perspectives and classification systems.
It wasn’t anything particularly profound.
Simply basic and fundamental information.
This was, of course, expected since this lecture was an “Introduction” to Monster Studies.
Aimed at E~D rank students.
However, the students had genuinely gained knowledge.
They actively participated in the lecture with their minds fully engaged.
“Now, shall we give this a try?”
Si-hyun stood in front of the petite skeleton model.
At that moment, a sense of tension arose among the students.
‘Are we seriously going to use that today too?’
‘Again, really…?’
‘If that’s the case, why bother making it cute in the first place…’
Si-hyun noticed the rigid expressions on the students’ faces.
It was clear what thoughts were running through their heads.
“Hehehe….”
He couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was amusing.
How could this be so entertaining when the students were in agony?
Si-hyun beamed as he thoroughly enjoyed the adorable reactions of the students.