LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 89
In the basement store of the Academy’s melee building.
“Professor Jeong Si-hyun said!”
Ah-reum shouted excitedly.
“Victory goes to those who persevere and work hard!”
“That’s just a famous quote.”
“Ah, whatever!”
Eun-byeol challenged her, but Ah-reum didn’t care at all.
“I’m saying I did it!”
“Anyway, that’s really impressive.”
“Hehe!”
Jae-woo handed Ah-reum her Hunter qualification certificate, which he had been looking at.
Ah-reum beamed at the certificate with a big smile.
D-rank Supporter Hunter, Go Ah-reum.
The newly renewed certificate explained Ah-reum’s buoyant demeanor.
Eun-byeol and Jae-woo looked at Ah-reum with envy.
Suddenly, when they heard she had something to brag about, they wondered.
‘Could it be she leveled up…?’
Eun-byeol fiddled with her wallet containing her own certificate.
Had there ever been a Hunter who awakened in late winter and ranked up to D-rank by the end of May in Academy history?
No, could there even be such a case globally, let alone in Korea?
Eun-byeol pondered her memories carefully.
‘…Isn’t this the fastest rank up globally?’
It was truly an astounding pace.
For Eun-byeol, who aimed to be the top of the Academy, it was shockingly and overwhelmingly discouraging news.
Moreover, Ah-reum was a rare Supporter Hunter.
Once the news spread, it would surely cause a commotion everywhere.
She seemed totally unfazed by it, though.
‘No, she might not be aware of the impact.’
Like master, like student.
Professor Jeong Si-hyun often showed an aloof demeanor; perhaps that ran in the family.
Eun-byeol sat lost in thought, listening to Ah-reum and Jae-woo’s conversation.
“Hehe, Jae-woo, don’t you think I can beat the professor’s goblin model now?”
“Haha! Maybe you could.”
Ah-reum clenched her fists like a boxer and threw jabs in the air.
Her arm movements were awkward, but her confident expression clearly revealed her excitement.
Jae-woo chuckled softly, nodding his head while watching her.
“Weren’t you saying you went to a dungeon with Professor Jeong Si-hyun a few days ago? Did something happen then?”
“Yeah! We ran through five dungeons in a row and I learned all sorts of things from the professor.”
“…Five?”
“Wow.”
Eun-byeol and Jae-woo’s expressions twisted into frowns.
It reminded them of the time they had tackled three dungeons in a row.
Now, five in a row.
It was like…
‘Spartan education…’
‘But still, I kind of envy her…’
Eun-byeol and Jae-woo had similar thoughts.
Even so, it wasn’t something they could easily replicate.
“Th-the professor was really amazing! Goblins just dropped like flies with a single gesture…”
As she gazed at the two who had gone quiet, Ah-reum continued her praises about Professor Jeong Si-hyun.
The other two listened blankly while continuing their meal.
After everyone finished eating and began to clear the table, Eun-byeol spoke up.
“Ah-reum, do you have plans today? What are you doing after Monster Studies?”
“Oh, I don’t think I can today! I promised to help Professor Jeong Si-hyun with his research.”
“Aha, got it. Jae-woo, looks like we have to go without her.”
“Yeah, let’s do that. We need to rank up quickly too.”
Ah-reum’s leveling up sparked a strong competitive spirit in the two students.
It was a healthy rivalry pushing them toward growth.
* * *
Meanwhile, in Si-hyun’s case.
She had been waiting in her office since early on for an unexpected visitor.
Maintaining her usual calm demeanor, she was nonetheless tapping her fingers slowly on the desk.
‘This should be enough?’
She had cleaned thoroughly.
The books she had been studying were neatly arranged on the shelf.
And the models she had steadily built were lined up nicely.
Plus, she had a secret weapon.
‘Treats from the elder!’
Just yesterday, she had visited the elder’s house and had fun.
The timing was perfect as a visit was scheduled for today.
‘Indeed, one must live righteously.’
You never know when something will come up, but being this well-prepared felt great.
Si-hyun smiled contentedly.
Knock, knock—
The sound of knocking made Si-hyun’s hands stop.
“Yes, please come in!”
As her voice rang out, a middle-aged man entered slowly.
It was Professor No, one of the prominent professors at the Academy.
“…What’s this?”
He opened his mouth to greet her but suddenly stared at everything in sight.
From hideous monster figures to cute ones emphasized through deformations.
It was quite a bizarre spectacle.
“Oh, they’re all models. Aren’t they adorable?”
“…Ahem. I see.”
He hadn’t anticipated being ambushed like this.
Professor No struggled to clear his throat, trying not to appear flustered.
“Nice to meet you, Instructor Jeong Si-hyun.”
“Welcome, Professor No. Please have a seat.”
Professor No deliberately called her “Instructor” to assert an upper hand.
However, Si-hyun showed no particular reaction.
With a friendly smile, she guided him to his seat.
‘Hmm, this reaction is different than I expected.’
Once seated, Professor No examined Si-hyun with sharp eyes.
In person, she was much more beautiful than the photos he had seen.
But one shouldn’t judge a person by their looks.
He had come to directly verify the rumors.
Was this young instructor genuinely as capable as the stories suggested?
“This is a treat I received from an elder. It’s really delicious. You should try some.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Professor No leisurely reached for the treat.
His piercing gaze shifted and moved.
‘…It’s tasty.’
That was unexpected.
Truly unexpected.
It was a treat that more than satisfied his refined palate.
He impulsively almost asked where the treat came from but held back.
That wasn’t the point right now.
“Do have some tea as well.”
Professor No took a sip of the tea Si-hyun poured for him.
…It was quite insufficient.
“…I’ve been hearing a lot of praise about your Monster Studies course.”
“You’re too kind. It’s thanks to you permitting the citation of materials, Professor No. It helped tremendously. Thank you.”
Professor No frowned at Si-hyun’s humble reply.
He hadn’t expected such a polite reaction.
“Hmm, but you see, recently—”
Professor No began to employ his subtle probing.
He brought up questions to test her abilities one after another.
* * *
Creeeak.
The sound of the door closing echoed softly in the hallway.
Stepping out of the office, Professor No inadvertently frowned.
‘…This isn’t right.’
He had come to check the facts behind the rumors.
It was also to set the record straight with this part-time instructor.
Surely that was his intention.
‘…What the heck?’
At some point, he had begun exchanging academic insights with her.
In logical conversation, he found himself sharing deeper insights than he anticipated.
It was more than just a simple talk between an instructor and a professor.
There was something special about her—a distinct feeling.
As a result, this visit turned into a time of sharing knowledge.
He found himself deeply absorbed in the conversation with her.
Professor No tilted his head as he crossed the hallway.
‘Could it be that the rumors about Professor Jeong were purely factual?’
…But still, he thought he should confirm that once more.
Professor No slowly reviewed his schedule in his mind.
He had already begun calling Si-hyun “Professor,” rather than just “Instructor.”
* * *
After Professor No left, in her office.
Left alone, Si-hyun took a sip of her tea.
‘…I still have a long way to go.’
Professor No was a master of expression management.
However, it wasn’t entirely imperceptible.
When tasting the treats gifted by the elder, he had maintained his poker face.
Yet, as he sipped the tea, his gaze had briefly softened.
It seemed like he had something to say but was holding back.
‘Maybe I should learn to brew tea before I learn from the elder?’
Lost in serious thought about tea, Si-hyun was.
This was because she truly enjoyed the time spent discussing academics with Professor No.
It was the first time she had engaged in such deep scholarly conversation with someone.
Professor No’s insights were sharp every time, and she had to respond seriously.
It was genuinely a fruitful experience.
Understanding something and sharing it deeply were entirely different matters.
Si-hyun hoped that Professor No would visit again.
‘No, that’s not it. Should I request a visit? Maybe apply for a lecture observation instead?’
The grade table of monsters used in her Monster Studies.
Most of the skeleton of the lecture had its source in Professor No.
To adequately apply the knowledge she had from the other world to Earth, she studied and studied again.
Professor No’s abilities regarding Monster Studies on Earth were authentic.
“Oh, it’s almost lecture time.”
Realizing the time, Si-hyun got up from her seat.
With a relaxed demeanor, she gathered her things and left the office.
Once outside the building, some passing students recognized Si-hyun and greeted her.
“Hello, Professor!”
“Yes, hello.”
Si-hyun smiled gently, exchanging greetings before heading to the Monster Studies lecture hall.
Drrr—
“Professor! Hello!”
“Professor, good day!”
“Hello.”
In the lecture hall were Eun-byeol, Ah-reum, and Jae-woo, three students who had arrived early.
As Si-hyun approached the podium, Ah-reum, sitting in the front row, smiled broadly.
“Professor! No models today?”
“Oh, that.”
At Ah-reum’s question, Si-hyun realized, belatedly.
She had forgotten them, leaving them displayed in her office.
Even though she had worked hard to make models that could rival the goblin model.
Si-hyun swallowed her disappointment.
“I left them in the office today. Want to see them after class?”
“Oh, um… sure…”
Ah-reum answered but avoided eye contact.
She hadn’t thought about seeing them after class; she was only focused on now.
As if knowing this subtle psychology of Ah-reum.
Si-hyun smiled faintly and said.
“I prepared something even better today.”
“Something better?”
“Yeah, VR equipment. What do you think? Exciting, right?”
At Si-hyun’s words, not only Ah-reum but also Eun-byeol and Jae-woo widened their eyes in surprise.