Chapter 74
—
Two days later, at lunchtime.
Eun-byul, Areum, and Jae-woo met in front of the restaurant.
After exchanging casual greetings, they began their lunch.
As they chatted about various topics, Eun-byul suddenly spoke up, as if remembering something.
“Hey, do you guys want to visit the guild training program after midterms?”
“What? A training visit?”
“Yeah. I was invited to observe the rookie training at the Dawn Guild. If you’re interested, let’s go together.”
“Hmmm.”
Jae-woo sipped his water and pondered.
‘It’s not a bad offer.’
Getting to observe training at a large guild was a rare opportunity.
He couldn’t help but think how good her connections were.
“Are you sure it’s okay for us to tag along?”
“Of course! I already asked one of the staff members, and they said I could bring friends. Areum, what about you?”
At Eun-byul’s question, Areum hesitated for a moment before responding.
“It’s just a visit, right…?”
“What else would it be?”
Eun-byul tilted her head, puzzled by Areum’s question.
Eventually, Areum gave a small shake of her head and agreed to join.
As long as it didn’t conflict with Professor Si-hyun’s guidance schedule, it was fine.
Areum also recognized that this was a rare opportunity.
“Great! No backing out later!”
Eun-byul smiled brightly.
It felt much more comfortable to have her friends join than to attend alone among strangers.
“So, we’re just going to a standard E-rank dungeon today, huh?”
“Well, that’s probably the case, right?”
“Yeah, but… didn’t the professor say to keep our evening free? Isn’t there a bit of extra time?”
“Hmm… I’m sure the professor has her reasons.”
Eun-byul and Jae-woo discussed today’s plans nonchalantly.
Although they had joined out of curiosity about Areum’s private guidance, there was a subtle sense of disappointment.
After all, an E-rank dungeon was something they could handle on their own.
After finishing their meal, the three walked to the meeting spot.
They joined Si-hyun, who was dressed in casual clothes, near the gate.
“Wow, Professor! You look so pretty in casual clothes!”
“…Thank you.”
Si-hyun’s cheeks turned slightly red at the sudden compliment.
Whether it was at the library or the café, she had noticed this student’s friendliness.
‘Well, she does have a social butterfly vibe, just from her appearance.’
Si-hyun held back a small laugh and spoke calmly.
“As Areum mentioned, we’ll be in the dungeon until this evening.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll first assess your skills, and then we’ll move on to guidance.”
“Understood!”
The students responded energetically, and Si-hyun nodded in satisfaction.
Then Eun-byul spoke cheerfully.
“And Professor! Please feel free to speak casually with us!”
“…Hmm, should I?”
“Yes! Please take care of us today!”
Accepting Eun-byul’s request, Si-hyun turned to Jae-woo.
Jae-woo also bowed slightly and said, “Please take care of us.”
‘It’s not a bad thing to become closer.’
When they approached first, it made things easier for her too.
Si-hyun nodded and started walking.
The students followed suit.
Without any particular delays, the four of them entered the dungeon.
A typical cave-type dungeon greeted them.
“Pretend I’m not here and clear the dungeon.”
“Yes!”
The students responded energetically.
They began preparing skilfully, just as they would for their usual parties.
Areum used her skills to enhance all party members.
Eun-byul created a light source, and Jae-woo took the lead confidently.
Unlike before, Areum stood right next to Eun-byul from the start.
While she hadn’t moved forward yet, she wasn’t stepping back either. She wasn’t trembling anymore.
Since observing the Wings Guild, Areum had grown.
As a Support-type, she was already contributing just as much as anyone else.
But Areum’s aspirations were far greater.
‘I have to show the professor how much I’ve improved…!’
With sparkling eyes, Areum looked at Si-hyun.
Seeing her professor smile warmly, Areum clenched her fists and turned her gaze forward.
The group continued deeper into the dungeon.
“Bring it on!”
With Jae-woo’s enthusiastic shout, the first battle began.
“Kehek!”
“Krrk!”
Since it was an E-rank dungeon, the number of goblins appearing at once wasn’t high.
Jae-woo, empowered by Areum’s buff skill, drew the monsters’ attention.
Boom!
Eun-byul, the party’s main damage dealer, steadily reduced their numbers with her magic.
Any injuries were quickly healed by Areum’s skill.
Combined with Jae-woo’s regeneration ability, they were practically immortal in an E-rank dungeon.
Once the number of goblins dwindled, everyone joined in to finish them off.
It was a textbook combat approach.
Si-hyun watched their performance with a calm demeanour.
‘They’ve improved a lot.’
Compared to when she first met them, they had made significant progress.
This was her first time seeing Eun-byul in combat, but the growth in Jae-woo and Areum was evident.
Still, there was room for improvement.
‘I’ll make my judgment after this dungeon run.’
It wasn’t right to make conclusions based on fragmented observations.
It was best to watch, gather information, and evaluate comprehensively.
Si-hyun observed the students patiently as they made their way through the dungeon.
Continuous battles occurred as they progressed deeper.
She mentally noted their habits and tendencies,
even the minor mistakes or reactions they might not have noticed themselves.
After several hours of clearing the dungeon…
Si-hyun handed out water bottles she had prepared to the students as they exited the gate.
“Great job, everyone. You’ve been working hard, haven’t you?”
“Hehe…”
“Ah, thank you!”
“Phew, thank you.”
The students wiped the sweat from their foreheads and drank the water.
Eun-byul, after gulping down her water, checked the time on her phone.
Seeing Eun-byul check the time, Si-hyun smirked and said,
“We’ll have to go to another dungeon, right?”
“W-what?!”
“W-wait, another one?”
“Uh…”
The students all stared at Si-hyun in shock.
Completely unbothered, Si-hyun spoke in her usual calm tone.
“We’re not here for a leisurely outing, are we?”
“……”
The students’ mouths all clamped shut into straight lines.
Si-hyun continued speaking, unbothered.
“First of all, everyone, if a monster manages to get past Jae-woo and comes toward you, what will you do?”
“Areum and I would use our staffs to fend it off or attack with our skills…?”
“And as long as you two are preoccupied supporting, Jae-woo will have to endure even longer, won’t he?”
“……”
Areum and Eun-byul were at a loss for words, while Jae-woo awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Right now, it was almost impossible for such a situation to arise in an E-rank dungeon.
But even in a D-rank dungeon, it would become far more common.
Next, Si-hyun turned her focus to Jae-woo.
“Jae-woo, I know the burden you carry is heavy, but you’ve developed some bad habits.”
“Huh? Bad habits?”
“Yeah. You’re majoring in swordsmanship, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, but…”
“You chose a sword as your weapon, even as a regeneration-type hunter. In that case, you should be utilizing proper swordsmanship. The way you’re handling it now, you’d be better off carrying a shield.”
“……”
Jae-woo also fell silent.
As the students all clammed up, the atmosphere grew heavy.
‘Did I come off too blunt?’
Si-hyun tilted her head slightly, observing the students.
If they grew too dejected now, giving further advice would be difficult.
She carefully watched them, trying to gauge the situation.
‘…Hmmm.’
“E-Eun-byul, I-I’ll handle the ones that come toward us!”
“Are you sure? It’ll be hard on your own.”
“N-no! I can do it!”
“Alright, then let’s do this. First——”
Si-hyun’s expression softened into a pleased smile.
They weren’t showing signs of defeat.
Instead, they were reflecting on her advice and thinking about what they should do.
It was an admirable sight.
Si-hyun gave them ample time to think things through among themselves.
Once the students finished their discussion, she added supplemental explanations.
“Ah, that makes so much more sense!”
“You’re amazing as always, Professor…!”
The students clapped their hands, thoroughly convinced by her advice.
Especially Eun-byul and Jae-woo.
They quietly scolded themselves for feeling disappointed earlier about entering an E-rank dungeon.
‘What disappointment? We can’t even learn this kind of thing at the academy.’
‘She pointed out things we’d never realize on our own.’
They had asked her somewhat abruptly to let them join Areum’s private guidance.
Yet, the professor had kindly agreed and generously shared her knowledge.
Their hearts swelled with gratitude as they looked at Si-hyun with bright, twinkling eyes.
For Si-hyun, that was more than enough.
The students’ genuine reactions made her feel rewarded.
Smiling warmly, she said,
“Shall we head to the next dungeon now?”
Snap!
Si-hyun snapped her fingers.
At that moment, mana spread out, gently enveloping the students.
Areum had seen this before, but it was a first for Eun-byul and Jae-woo.
It was their first time witnessing Professor Si-hyun use a skill.
Their eyes widened as they felt their fatigue melt away.
Si-hyun spoke again.
“Oh, one last thing. Think about whether you’re relying too much on your status windows.”
It was an unexpected piece of advice.
The students tilted their heads in confusion.
But Si-hyun simply smiled without offering further explanation, speaking playfully instead.
“I reserved three dungeons for today. Let’s get moving!”
“……”
Three dungeons, not two?
The students wordlessly followed their professor.
No one had forced them—they had chosen this guidance willingly, so they couldn’t complain.
Thus, the day unfolded.
Even though they felt like they should be exhausted, they couldn’t be.
Their physical and mental fatigue was forcibly recovered.
As a result, they were able to slaughter monsters to their hearts’ content.
***
After clearing all three dungeons,
Si-hyun asked the students what they wanted to eat and treated them to dinner.
They chatted over the meal and then parted ways to head home.
The three students were left alone.
Night had fallen, and the dark sky was illuminated by streetlights and store signs.
Eun-byul exclaimed enthusiastically,
“Let’s go for round two!”
Naturally, they headed toward a nearby bar.
They ordered their favourite food and drinks and began enjoying themselves.
Resting her chin on her hand, Eun-byul said,
“Didn’t Professor’s expression seem strange during dinner?”
“Y-yeah, it did…”
“It looked like she was about to cry. Was something emotional happening?”
“Hmm… I-I don’t know…”
They all tilted their heads in puzzlement.
The image of Professor Si-hyun sniffing, wiping her nose, and tearing up came to mind.
She hadn’t stopped smiling and had diligently eaten her food.
Jae-woo was the first to share his theory.
“Maybe she really liked the food?”
“Oh! That could be it. Honestly, the stir-fried octopus was amazing. It was a bit spicy, though.”
“I liked it more because it was spicy.”
“You like spicy food, huh?”
Eun-byul chuckled and lightly punched Jae-woo’s shoulder.
Areum quietly sipped her drink, observing the interaction.
‘Does Professor Si-hyun like spicy food like stir-fried octopus?’
She mentally jotted it down.
She made a note to look for good restaurants.
After all, the professor had taken the time to provide them with personal guidance.
This was one small way to repay that kindness.
Imagining the professor’s delighted expression brought a smile to Areum’s face.
“Hey, look at that.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Eun-byul pointed at the TV in the bar.
All eyes turned to the screen.
The news was reporting on recent events.
-Recently, there has been an increase in gate failures. The Hunter Management Bureau continues to insist there is no issue with the devices, but…
After the anchor’s explanation, an expert provided further commentary.
-Since dungeon occurrences rely on inventions from American Returnees, there’s a clear need for improvements in the devices. Moreover, the frequency of high-grade dungeons has been rising sharply.
The expert’s expression was grim.
“What’s going to happen in the future?”
Eun-byul muttered, furrowing her brow.
Jae-woo also frowned.
“……Looks like we’ll have to work hard to rank up.”
“Well, that’s a given!”
Eun-byul took another sip of her drink, followed by the other students.
—
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