—
Chapter 44
—
“Urk!”
“Kyaaa—!”
Students screamed one after another as they were knocked down.
Every student glared at the grotesque goblin.
No matter how they looked at it, the model goblin was clearly much stronger than a real one.
It was all because Si-hyun had diligently controlled it, taking the Wings Guild members’ opinions to heart.
‘Since I’m hitting softly, this level of agility should be fine, right?’
This subjective judgment also played a part.
In the students’ eyes, it was fortunate the goblin model lacked vocal cords and remained silent.
If it had let out a wheezing growl, it would have been a scene straight out of a horror movie.
“Hmm…”
Si-hyun looked around at the students.
Even though there were only 15 students,
It was clear that using a single goblin to let everyone practice wasn’t going to be enough time.
Some of the more elegantly dressed female students subtly hid behind the male students.
Si-hyun didn’t feel the need to force anyone to participate.
Checking the time again, she glanced at the students.
“Unfortunately, we’re running out of time.”
“……”
“For the last session, I’ll pick one more person before we end the lecture.”
A brief silence followed.
And then—
“M-me!”
A brave voice called out.
It was Go Areum.
Eun-byul, who was standing beside her, widened her eyes in shock and tried to stop her.
“Areum? But you’re a support-type…”
“It’s f-fine! It’s an experience!”
However, Areum shook her head and stepped forward.
Seeing her step up, Si-hyun asked with a concerned expression.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes!”
Areum’s firm reply echoed back.
But her body language and expression said otherwise.
Her face was frozen in fear, her body visibly trembling, and her shoulders hunched.
Anyone could tell she was incredibly intimidated.
Looking at Areum, Si-hyun was suddenly reminded of when she first fell into the other world.
When she first regained consciousness in a strange place,
She hadn’t even had time to grasp the situation properly before she was half-forced into a religious sect by the sudden appearance of its followers.
She had to endure unwanted training repeatedly, and her first real battle was being thrown unarmed into a swarm of monsters.
Wasn’t she in a similar state back then?
Seeing Areum now felt like looking at a reflection of her past self.
‘…Though it’s still different from me.’
Back then, Si-hyun had to fight for her life and heal all her wounds herself.
She couldn’t rest properly, and her freedom was almost non-existent.
Even after being recruited into the hero’s party with the holy knight, this situation didn’t change much.
In comparison, academy students had the luxury of choice and freedom.
And now, Areum had made her choice.
Despite her fear of the goblin, she chose to experience it firsthand.
Si-hyun looked at her with a warm gaze of admiration for her courage.
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
“Y-y-yes—!”
Areum awkwardly adjusted her posture.
It was obvious to anyone that she had never fought properly before.
Still, Si-hyun focused on her more intently than ever.
She didn’t want the time and experience of a courageous student to go to waste.
Of course, she would adjust the strength accordingly…
“Kyaaah!”
“……”
But before she could move the goblin, Areum tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground.
Si-hyun, who was about to make the goblin move, paused and looked at the fallen student.
…It seemed she needed to make it much weaker than expected.
Areum’s combat ability was worse than she anticipated.
***
After Si-hyun announced the end of the lecture and left the area,
Some students wore sulky expressions and began talking behind her back.
“Seriously, why is the goblin model so strong?”
“Maybe the whole holy knight thing is a lie, and she’s actually a summoner?”
“No way. It’s probably just an insanely expensive magic tool.”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
A male student pulled out his phone and looked something up.
“In the very first video, didn’t she introduce the Wings Guild and their D-rank hunters? The master there is a B-rank crafting-type hunter.”
“Whoa, so it was commissioned by a B-rank hunter?”
The students chatting together gasped in surprise.
Crafting-type hunters were an incredibly rare profession.
“Doesn’t the cost of the model exceed the salary of a part-time lecturer?”
“Right? It’s like the tail wagging the dog.”
Some students simply talked about the financial aspect.
But for those planning their futures, their opinions were slightly different.
Their evaluation of Si-hyun rose even higher.
‘She has connections with a B-rank crafting-type hunter?’
‘If I get a recommendation from her later, it could be really valuable…’
Connections between hunters were extremely important.
They allowed for the sharing of knowledge and information about dungeons and monsters,
And were invaluable for joining guilds or forming parties.
If you had a personal connection with a crafting-type hunter?
You could easily get customized equipment without going through intermediaries.
The academy was a certified place for building such connections.
Therefore, the professor’s network played a crucial role in enhancing their value.
Si-hyun’s friendship with Da-young significantly elevated his standing.
“If she has connections like that, she should write it in her profile like the other professors.”
“Seriously. It’s so empty, I thought she didn’t know anyone.”
They were talking about the academy’s academic information system.
Si-hyun’s profile page was practically blank, so they weren’t wrong.
“I’m so glad I registered for this course.”
“Me too! The model is amazing, but the professor’s skills are no joke. Is she really a D-rank?”
Though the students shared various opinions, the conclusion was the same.
Professor Jung Si-hyun’s “Introduction to Monster Studies” was a high-quality lecture!
The students felt their motivation to learn grow rapidly.
Even though it wasn’t Si-hyun’s intention.
“Can crafting-type hunters at B-rank make something like this?”
“It must be expensive, but it’s seriously impressive.”
“Look at the insane detail on its appearance. Honestly, it’s scarier than the real thing.”
The Earth Magic Goblin model also elevated Da-young’s value,
Even though she didn’t participate in the model’s creation.
***
[Title: Saw something weird at the academy today]
[ㅇㅇ]
I was passing by the building for melee-type hunters, and students were getting beaten up by a goblin.
– That’s from the Introduction to Monster Studies class, lololol.
└ For real? That’s a liberal arts course.
└ Yeah, the goblin was brought in by the professor.
– A goblin? There was a monster?
└ No, it was a model, lol.
└ They say it’s a magic tool. The professor controlled it to make it move.
└ Lmao, insane.
└ That’s so cool, lolol.
– So the ones rolling around were getting beaten up by a model? lolol.
└ For real, lololol.
└ This is hilarious, lol.
[Title: Forget the model—]
[ㅇㅇ]
The professor was incredible in the video.
– Stop talking and just share the video, dude.
└ It’s not on the computer. I think they connected via USB or something.
At this point, are you all just exaggerating?
└ Stop whining.
└ If you’d seen the students getting smacked around by the goblin yourself, you wouldn’t say that.
└ For real, lol.
└ Hahaha, this is gold.
Honestly, that goblin might be as strong as the professor, lol.
└ Haha, I know, right?
└ You were the one rolling around after getting smacked in the side, weren’t you?
└ Not me. Definitely not me.
A man browsing the academy-related community closed the internet.
Recently, he had been instructed by his superior to investigate Professor Jung Si-hyun.
The S-rank hunter of the Dawn Guild, Yeo Do-hyung, had given him the order,
So the assistant had been steadily gathering information.
He had hunters under the guild investigate whether the goblin knowledge was factual.
After clearing dungeons multiple times, they confirmed it was true.
He also evaluated the quality of the academy lectures.
Although it was still early in the semester, word of mouth was spreading rapidly.
‘But there’s no response to the email…’
Having judged Si-hyun to be a hidden talent,
The assistant had sent an email immediately.
But even after several days, there had been no reply.
In the end, the assistant called the number listed for the academy to contact Si-hyun.
……
After waiting quite a while, the call wasn’t answered.
The assistant was about to press the end button,
When suddenly, the other party picked up the phone at the last second.
– …Hello?
“Hello, is this Professor Jung Si-hyun? I’m calling on behalf of the Dawn Guild—”
The assistant explained his business.
Since it was an offer from the prestigious Dawn Guild, he was certain the other party would accept.
***
After finishing the lecture, I returned to my personal office and displayed the goblin model in a corner.
Just then, I received a call from an unknown number.
I wondered if it might be spam, but just in case, I answered.
The other party introduced themselves as an assistant from a major guild.
I quietly listened to what they had to say.
……
To summarize, it was a scouting offer.
They wanted me to join the Dawn Guild.
– You would have access to far greater resources and research support than you do now.
“…I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to focus solely on teaching for now.”
– I see. Should you change your mind, feel free to reach out anytime.
“…Alright. I’ll consider it.”
The conversation wrapped up more neatly than I expected.
…So they sent an email, huh. I hadn’t noticed since I wasn’t particularly checking. I suppose I should make it a habit now that I’m an academic.
At any rate, I have no intention of joining any guild.
The academy is enough for me.
If I were to join one, I’d either choose the Wings Guild or follow Ji-a.
There’s no reason for me to join a place where I have no ties.
Honestly, I hope they don’t contact me again—it’s a hassle.
Still, why is such a major guild suddenly interested in me?
I don’t think I’ve done anything attention-worthy.
Could it be that word about my lectures has already spread that much? Hmm…
A strange mixture of feelings tickled my chest.
Both the annoyance of being bothered and the satisfaction of having my lectures recognized.
Human emotions are truly peculiar.
-Knock, knock.
“Yes, come in.”
In response to the knocking, I raised my head.
The door slowly opened, and a female student hesitantly stepped inside.
It was Go Areum, who had previously asked if she could visit my office after the lecture.
“Eek?!”
Suddenly, Areum let out a strange scream and hurriedly backed into a corner of the office.
The bookshelf she bumped into wobbled dangerously, but thankfully, it was empty.
“Oh, that’s the goblin model from earlier…”
“Fufu, that’s right.”
Clutching her chest with one hand, Areum breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath.
Her flustered appearance was oddly cute, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You mentioned you wanted to discuss something?”
“Y-yes…”
Areum edged closer to me, sticking close to the wall and side-eyeing the goblin model.
“W-well, I know it sounds strange, but… that goblin model really scared me.”
She trailed off, hesitating, her hands nervously tugging at her hair.
I waited quietly for her to gather her thoughts and speak.
“Well, um…”
“Yes?”
Perhaps the patience helped, as her flushed face now carried a determined expression.
“…I-I want to be like you, Professor! You’re so amazing! You’re my role model—!”
Areum shouted in an emotional, excited tone.
“…Hmm.”
…Could this be one of those situations?
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment