I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius

I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius – 99

EP.99 Skilled Instructor (2)

“Sob…! Ugh, ugh…! Sob! Sob…!”

Park Shin-hye sobbed sorrowfully, burying her face in Kang Seo-jun’s chest. Once her tears started, they didn’t stop easily.

– Pat, pat. –

“Yes, yes….”

Kang Seo-jun patted her back, hiding his displeasure as much as possible. The dampness on his chest from her tears was extremely unpleasant, but Kang Seo-jun endured it with his willpower of ’33’.

After breaking her spirit with harsh words, it was now time to complete the gaslighting by soothing her pain with gentle pats.

“I’m not sorry. It was all for you.”

“Sob…! Ugh, ugh…! Sob, sob…!”

Kang Seo-jun felt the grip of Park Shin-hye’s hand tighten on his collar. Whether it was out of anger or deeper sorrow, he couldn’t tell. But….

▶Park Shin-hye

[Park Shin-hye…. I am Park Shin-hye…. I am Park Shin-hye….]

Seeing that she continued to acknowledge her name as per Kang Seo-jun’s demand, even in her heart, it seemed she no longer had the will to resist.

‘I didn’t expect it to be this effective.’

Acknowledging her changed name could be seen as recognizing her altered identity. Honestly, given her pride, he thought she would resist more and not easily accept her new identity.

‘Is it because her mental strength weakened after the TS?’

In reality, Park Shin-hye’s overall abilities had declined due to the effects of the TS, and her willpower had significantly weakened.

‘But even considering that, this is too easy.’

Kang Seo-jun didn’t realize it, but it was actually due to the influence of the alpha male pheromones he was emitting. Women who secrete estrogen often feel an overwhelming urge to completely entrust themselves to someone else when pushed to their limits. If there’s an ‘alpha male’ who can embrace them, that urge becomes even stronger.

Although unintentional, Kang Seo-jun had targeted this precisely.

Park Shin-hye, who had been mentally cornered due to recent overwhelming events, had been enduring her struggles alone without confiding in others due to her personality.

In that situation, Kang Seo-jun appeared, shaking her body and mind, and providing an opportunity for her to involuntarily open up her painful heart.

It was biologically natural for Park Shin-hye to entrust herself to Kang Seo-jun.

– Sniffle! Sob! –

Park Shin-hye buried her face in Kang Seo-jun’s chest, blowing her nose.

“…………….”

Kang Seo-jun wanted to take a shower with 《Downtown Cleanliness Spray》 right away, but he endured it with his willpower of ’33’.

This was a crucial moment to complete the gaslighting and establish a hierarchical relationship with Park Shin-hye.

“I said I’d help you. Once I say it, I’ll take responsibility until the end.”

“Ugh! Ugh! I, I am…! Sob, sob…!”

“That’s why I had to do it this way. You weren’t acknowledging yourself.”

“Sob, sob! I am Park Shin-hye! Park Shin-hye! Ugh, sob…!”

– Sniffle! Sob! –

“Yes. You’re Park Shin-hye. If you don’t acknowledge yourself, you can’t move forward. You have to acknowledge yourself and face it head-on to start anew.”

Kang Seo-jun spoke as if it made sense, but in reality, he was just saying whatever came to mind. The situation didn’t require much logic.

“Sob, sob! Ugh, ugh! Sob…!”

It was like the school training camp when the instructors would suddenly bring up their parents and force the students to cry.

The instructors’ words didn’t have any special expression or logical consistency, but still, more than 70% of the students would burst into tears and create a sea of tears.

The current gaslighting was applying a similar principle.

Even if the expression was clichéd and the message lacked logic, as long as Kang Seo-jun could convey something that seemed sincere, he could shake Park Shin-hye’s heart.

“I’ll help you.”

“Sob, sob! Ugh, ugh! Sob…!”

“Let’s start from here together. We can do it.”

“Sob, sob! Ugh, ugh! Sob…!”

Park Shin-hye poured out all her emotions, which she had never shared with anyone, and had been accumulating in her heart, into Kang Seo-jun’s embrace, crying tears of sorrow.

Her mind, which had been pure white, was now engraved with only Kang Seo-jun’s warm voice.

The past, including who she used to be and what her goals were, seemed trivial.

What was important was just one thing.

Right now, the only thing that mattered was the comfort she felt in Kang Seo-jun’s arms.

“Sob…. Sob…. Sob….”

After shedding a sea of tears, her heart felt unprecedentedly at ease. She had never felt so refreshed in her life. She never imagined that acknowledging herself could feel so good. Initially, she felt resistance, but once she accepted herself as Kang Seo-jun suggested, everything felt comfortable.

And above all….

‘Kang Seo-jun… accepted me like this….’

When she became a woman, she couldn’t confide in anyone about her struggles. Her grandfather and parents were always at the forefront of the tower, so she hardly ever met them since she was young. Her sister was also busy with work, so they rarely met privately.

The people around Park Shin-hye were only drawn to his power and status. When he lost everything, the reverence and respect directed toward him turned into disregard and contempt in an instant.

‘But Kang Seo-jun… he was different.’

When everyone left and abandoned her, only Kang Seo-jun approached her first and extended a hand.

‘And…’

He showed her warmth she had never felt from anyone else. He made her understand what human affection was.

‘Is this… what friendship is…?’

For the first time in her life, Park Shin-hye acknowledged that she had ‘affection’ for someone else.

Meanwhile, Kang Seo-jun, who received Park Shin-hye’s acknowledgment for the first time, thought….

‘Damn it. How long is she going to keep crying?’

His patience was wearing thin.

‘I’m already worried sick about Se-rin outside.’

He had spent more time than expected with Park Shin-hye, leaving Se-rin unattended for too long.

The longer I delay, the harder it will be to handle Se-rin. I need to wrap this up with Park Shin-hye and get to Se-rin.’

It was time to finish establishing the hierarchy and separate from Park Shin-hye.

“…Are you feeling a bit better?”

Kang Seo-jun cautiously asked, intending to move on to the main point.

“…Th-Thank… Thank… you…. Hic!”

“?!”

At that moment, words he never expected came out of Park Shin-hye’s mouth.

‘What did she say!?’

He almost asked back, but Kang Seo-jun barely managed to swallow his words.

Who would have thought that Park Shin-hye, who only cared about herself, would express gratitude? Even in the original [Grand Hunter Academy], Park Shin-hye never said such words.

‘Did I push her too hard?’

Is this really Park Shin-hye in front of me?

“Sob, sob…! Sob!”

Park Shin-hye seemed to feel extremely embarrassed after saying something she normally wouldn’t.

– Sniffle! Sob! –

She rubbed her tears and snot on Kang Seo-jun’s chest and then pushed him away.

“…It’s because of you.”

‘Hmm. As expected.’

The grateful Park Shin-hye was just a brief happening. She immediately reverted to blaming others.

But it didn’t matter. Kang Seo-jun hadn’t gaslighted her to reform her.

‘My intention was solely to establish the hierarchy.’

Whether through fear or dependence, the goal was to imprint an emotional mark on Park Shin-hye so she couldn’t easily oppose Kang Seo-jun.

“…So. What are you going to do now?”

– Sniffle! –

Park Shin-hye looked up at Kang Seo-jun with her reddened eyes and asked. It was a timely and good question.

“I’ll give you an elixir.”

“…Elixir?”

“Take this.”

Kang Seo-jun handed her an elixir he had pre-purchased from the dimensional shop.

“What’s this….”

“It’s a mana elixir. Let’s focus on your mana growth first.”

▶《Starlight Elixir》

[Grade: Rare]

It was a high-performance mana elixir, almost too good for Park Shin-hye, who was currently at [C] grade level.

“…No, no! …This, …hic! …You’re just giving this to me!?”

Park Shin-hye jumped in place upon receiving the elixir. Any awakened individual with mana could feel the immense power contained in this elixir. It was worth at least hundreds of millions, possibly even a billion.

However, Kang Seo-jun replied nonchalantly.

“Of course. And I’ll also lend you an artifact for mana training.”

“…Wha-what!?”

Kang Seo-jun took out the 《Grand Magician’s Mana Cultivation Aid Artifact》 from his pocket and handed it to Park Shin-hye.

“This elixir is called Starlight Elixir, and it’s most effective when taken at night. So tonight… around 11 PM? Take it then….”

“No, no! Hic! …Wait, wait!”

Just as Kang Seo-jun was explaining, Park Shin-hye interrupted him.

“Why.”

“…What, what is this!? Why are you doing all this for me…!?”

Although Kang Seo-jun said he would help her, she never expected him to hand over such expensive elixirs and artifacts. These elixirs and artifacts were things even she, the youngest of the Taesan family, couldn’t easily obtain. What was he thinking, giving her something so precious?

“Sigh…. I explained it last time. I don’t want you to be a hindrance to me in group projects and the class competition.”

“No, but that’s….”

It was a completely unconvincing statement. Someone like her… whether she was there or not, Kang Seo-jun had enough skill to aim for the top on his own.

Of course, Kang Seo-jun knew that such words wouldn’t completely convince Park Shin-hye.

“Oh. So, are you going to take it or not? Should I just put it away?”

“Oh! No!? …Who said I wouldn’t take it!?”

She couldn’t understand it, but she had no intention of cutting off this lifeline that had rolled her way. Park Shin-hye quickly took the elixir and the crystal orb artifact before Kang Seo-jun could change his mind.

“Make sure to do mana training tonight. Oh, and don’t tell anyone I gave it to you. Got it?”

“Uh, I don’t have anyone to tell anyway…!”

“Okay. Good. Then let’s go out now.”

“…Oh, oh? Already? …Hic!?”

“What? Why? There’s nothing more to do here, right?”

He had established the hierarchy, given her the mana elixir, and explained the training method. There was no more business to attend to, yet Park Shin-hye seemed somewhat reluctant.

“Oh. No…. Let’s go…. Yeah. It’s time to go….”

Even she didn’t know what she was expecting, but… for some reason, Park Shin-hye wanted to stay here a little longer.

However, Kang Seo-jun had no more time to waste on her.

‘Sigh…. How am I going to calm Se-rin down when I get outside?’

Kang Seo-jun thought as he tapped the system window to open a portal. While Park Shin-hye would be safe if sent back to the dormitory, he now had to face Jin Se-rin’s wrath.

‘Well…. As always, I’ll figure something out.’

He needed to resolve the Se-rin issue as quickly as possible and get back to mana training. If he raised his magic experience to just before a stat increase and then leveled up with Park Shin-hye’s mana training, he could earn a ‘Trait Exchange Ticket’ today.

‘And when midnight comes….’

He planned to go to Ulleungdo and raid Omen’s secret warehouse once more.

‘Looks like I’ll be pulling another all-nighter.’

For Kang Seo-jun, there was no day or night in his growth journey.