NOVEL WEB Chapter 34
“Today’s lecture ends here. The timing was just about right. Great job, everyone!”
After two hours of lectures wrapped up,
Si-hyun announced the end of the class and powered down the devices.
Students started to rise one by one and disappeared out of the classroom.
A few students stayed seated, chatting among themselves.
Among them, Ah-reum rushed to catch Si-hyun as she was about to head out.
“Pro, Professor…!”
“…Hmm, yes?”
Si-hyun turned around with a blank expression.
Ah-reum adjusted her glasses, looking extremely nervous, and said,
“I, I have a, um, question…!”
“…Ah-ha.”
Si-hyun’s mouth, which had been expressionless, slightly lifted at the corners.
Not noticing the change, Ah-reum asked the question that had come to her mind during the lecture.
A brief exchange of questions and answers took place.
Once Si-hyun finished answering, she checked Ah-reum’s expression and asked,
“Did you understand?”
“Yes, yes! I understood perfectly!”
Ah-reum’s answer was a bit timid, but full of enthusiasm.
Si-hyun smiled softly and nodded.
She pondered whether someone might come with questions during the break.
What kind of questions would she hear, and would she answer well?
With various thoughts, she approached the lectures.
Thanks to the diligent female student, she felt truly like a professor, which lifted her spirits.
Ah-reum found herself unwittingly gazing at the professor’s face.
With a smile gracing the previously expressionless face, the surroundings felt brighter.
She opened her mouth without realizing it.
“Pro, Professor……”
“Is there anything you’re still curious about?”
The response came in a gentle tone.
Ah-reum blinked in surprise.
Why did I call the professor? What was I going to ask?
“Uh… Ah! When I checked on the site, it said you were a, a Paladin. What kind of job is that?”
Ah-reum blurted out the thoughts that had popped into her head.
Fortunately, the professor didn’t seem to mind at all.
“It’s a tank role among close combat hunters. It can use some support-like skills, albeit slightly.”
“Su, Support skills too?! Wow….”
Ah-reum’s eyes widened.
She imagined what the Paladin job might look like.
Protecting allies confidently in front, supporting them when needed.
In terms of games, wouldn’t it be like an all-rounder character with a hexagonal skill set?
‘You’re so cool?!’
Ah-reum’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Si-hyun.
Indeed, enrolling in the Introduction to Monsters class was a godsend.
“I’m a support hunter! I, um, can I ask you something if I have more questions later…?”
There aren’t many support hunters.
So much so that this year, among the new students, she was the only one! There’s no professor in charge of her.
Thus, despite having “similar” skills attached, Si-hyun, in front of her, looked too amazing.
“A support hunter…. I see, you’re a student.”
Si-hyun’s eyes slightly widened.
She had indeed heard that there was exactly one support hunter among this year’s new students.
She remembered the dean lamenting how the numbers had dropped dramatically compared to last year.
So, this student was in her class.
For Si-hyun, it was the first time seeing a support hunter since returning to Earth.
Her curiosity was piqued.
“Your name is Go Ah-reum, right?”
“Yes, yes!”
Oh my gosh! The professor remembers my name!
Ah-reum’s mouth opened wide as if to say ‘Wow!’
“The corridor at the end of the second floor of the professor’s building is my office. It might be empty often, so it’d be better to contact me in advance before visiting.”
“Yep!”
With Ah-reum’s spirited reply, Si-hyun smiled brightly and exited the classroom.
Watching the professor’s retreating figure, Ah-reum broke into a huge grin.
From afar, Eun-byeol, who had been lying on her desk, finally raised her head.
Approaching the dazed Ah-reum,
“What did you ask the professor about?”
“About the lecture and…… the job?”
“Hmm? The job?”
Eun-byeol squinted and fell into thought.
What was the professor’s job again? Oh, a Paladin.
“That’s unique.”
“Right?”
Eun-byeol’s interest ended there.
She acknowledged that today’s lecture was substantial, but she didn’t have any further excitement.
Of course, the important thing was that today’s lecture was absolutely fantastic.
Eun-byeol scanned the classroom.
Most of the students had left, but several stayed behind observing the professor and Ah-reum.
Eun-byeol approached a well-built handsome guy sitting near the hallway.
“Hello?”
“……? Yes, hello.”
They exchanged names.
The guy, Kwon Jae-woo, looked at Eun-byeol with a gaze full of questions.
Eun-byeol casually said, “I’m planning to check out today’s lecture content directly in a dungeon. What’s your job, Jae-woo?”
“I’m a close-combat hunter.”
“Of course! I’m a magic type and my friend here is a support type. Want to form a temporary party together?”
“Hmmm….”
“Uh?”
Jae-woo fell into thought for a moment.
And Ah-reum gasped in surprise as she looked at Eun-byeol.
“Mo, more, a dungeon?!”
“You said you never went, right? Let’s go together. Isn’t your schedule done for the day?”
“Th, th, that’s true but…”
“As long as we have enough numbers, E-rank dungeons are no big deal! Right, Jae-woo?”
Jae-woo nodded easily.
Compared to D-rank, where the difficulty of dungeons escalates sharply, E-rank dungeons can be manageable as long as you don’t let your guard down.
In fact, Jae-woo went in and out of E-rank dungeons every day with temporary two-man parties.
Thanks to everyone’s awakening and support from their status screens.
“So, Eun-byeol, you have dungeon experience, right?”
“Yes! Not every day, but I go regularly.”
“Great, let’s go.”
Though the fact that it was a first-time support hunter crossed his mind,
His job allowed all of that to be forgiven.
Jae-woo accepted Eun-byeol’s proposal.
Ah-reum glanced nervously between the two.
She didn’t want to go, but the atmosphere was irresistible.
“Ugh….”
She drooped her head weakly.
‘I had to go eventually…’ she comforted herself.
*
“Wow! It really is durable if it has the regeneration trait,”
After completing a battle inside the E-rank dungeon,
Eun-byeol observed Jae-woo with curiosity.
From where she was hiding, Ah-reum rushed over to use a skill on Jae-woo.
Combining with his traits, his wounds disappeared in an instant.
“With a tank and healer together, it’s super stable, right?”
“Yes, it is. Eun-byeol, you’re pretty skilled too.”
“Hehe.”
When Jae-woo praised in a calm tone, Eun-byeol grinned.
“I feel good about this! We may need to go a few more times, but should we form a fixed party for a while?”
“Yikes….”
Ah-reum’s face paled as if she had heard something horrifying, glancing at Eun-byeol.
But Eun-byeol said firmly,
“Ah-reum, you’re an academy student. You have to adapt.”
“Uh-huh….”
Ah-reum obediently nodded.
Not every awakened person lives as a hunter.
Many stop at E-rank and live ordinary lives as everyday people.
This fact didn’t change just because she was a support hunter.
Enrolling in the academy means she decided to live as a hunter.
Eun-byeol was pointing that out.
“It would be perfect if we had one more close-combat hunter. Hmm.”
Eun-byeol, looking satisfied, fell into thought.
Meanwhile, for Ah-reum,
Having only observed from a distance during battles, she realized something in the scary environment.
The movements of the goblins were identical to what she had learned in class!
Of course, there were individual variations, but they weren’t significant.
It was literally like the content learned in the lectures unfolding right before her eyes.
The more she observed, the more it was clear that Si-hyun’s words were never wrong.
Moreover, it seemed like both Eun-byeol and Jae-woo were fighting with the content learned in today’s lecture in mind.
‘Isn’t this more enriching than the major lectures…?’
Ah-reum’s trust in Professor Jeong Si-hyun skyrocketed.
She initially thought taking the Introduction to Monsters was a must, but—
What if she had missed this lecture? She would seriously regret it for a lifetime.
Ah-reum nodded vigorously in her mind.
She was really glad she took this class.
*
Tap, tap—
I walked leisurely toward the academy’s main gate.
Even I think today’s lecture went exceptionally well.
I felt light and airy, ho-ho-ho….
Moreover, the timid student who asked questions at the end!
I really appreciated that enthusiasm.
I believe that those who work hard should be rewarded.
If I were to receive inquiries separately, I might even consider tutoring.
It would be a great deal: I satisfy my curiosity about support types as well.
‘Did I come a bit early?’
Before I knew it, I had arrived at the main gate.
Checking my phone for messages, it seems the Wings Guild’s car would be coming in a few minutes.
With some time left, I pulled out the student registry.
Until now, I had only noticed names and faces for attendance checks, but seeing Go Ah-reum made me think, ‘Maybe I should keep track of basic traits?’
“……Hmm.”
There’s a magic type hunter among the students?
Wasn’t she the one dozing off with her chin resting in the start of class?
She looked so cute making notes fervently halfway through…
‘Huh?’
Kwon Jae-woo. Close-combat hunter, trait of regeneration.
Regeneration, regeneration…
Something about it feels familiar?
…Hmm.
Oh, I remember! Subject 1 of my observation!
The rookie E-rank hunter who was so obvious about their inexperience.
I see now, they are an academy freshman who signed up for my class?
They didn’t show any overt familiarity during the two lectures.
Come to think of it, what’s the big deal about having gone through a dungeon together?
I probably would have been the same way if it were me?
Hmm, regardless, I envy that superpower.
I had forgotten, but now that I remember, it’s starting to feel crave-worthy again.
I want an awakening too…….
BANG!
While I was lost in thought, the sound of a horn made me turn my head.
A nearby van had its passenger window rolled down.
“Si-hyun!”
“Ah-ha.”
It was someone from the Wings Guild.
I approached the car and got into the back seat.
“Hello!”
“Hello.”
“Thanks for today!”
“Yes.”
I lightly responded and looked around at the people.
Including the driver and passenger seats, there were a total of five men.
One of them was Han-gyeol.
This meant today, they would head into a dungeon with one C-rank member and four D-rank members.
That was half of the Wings Guild’s power.
Having understood that, I comfortably leaned back in my chair.
At that moment, Han-gyeol sitting next to me spoke,
“Si, Si-hyun, thank you so much for joining us today.”
“…No problem. It’s all work and a contract.”
“Still! You’re making time for us despite being busy, right? I feel like I should adapt quickly since Ji-han got a little hurt.”
“…Ah-ha.”
So it was Ji-han who got injured.
As I lightly nodded, I heard voices from the back.
“Hey, did you see this?”
“What is it? Oh, it’s a video of Hunter Ji-a.”
“Ji-han recommended it to me, and it was really amazing.”
“Should we watch it?”
…A video of Ji-a?
Somewhat intrigued, I leaned in to listen.
“Wow! She’s really so cool, you know.”
“Seriously, that’s awesome! Are there any other videos like this?”
“Wait a sec. Ji-han forced me to fill the watch later list with tons of videos. But once I watched one, I got it, you know?”
“Ha-ha, he’s really enthusiastic.”
The men were praising Ji-a.
I nodded knowingly.
Yep, I get that feeling.
We’ve been through dungeons together, and I’ve seen many recommended videos too.
The graceful way she wields her spear is pure artistry.
Especially as her hair sways every time—
“Her hair flowing is just stunning. Wow.”
“Quick, put on the next one!”
These guys know a thing or two!