I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

“Alright, please write your name here and drop it into the container.”

Following Jayden’s instructions, the students wrote their names on white slips of paper and placed them in the container.

The professors observed the scene from a distance.

“Hey, Kang Hanna.”
“Heheheh… Yes?”

Kang Hanna, who had been chuckling quietly, wiped a small trickle of drool from her mouth with the back of her hand and turned toward the voice calling her name.

A third-year professor who had looked out for her countless times during her student and assistant days was staring at her with an expression that seemed to say he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.

“You seemed like you were pushing yourself a bit earlier… Are you okay?”
“Pushing myself? How so?”
“What do you think, you rascal.”
“Ahk!!”

As expected of another combat skills professor.
It was just a light tap, but it sent a jolt of pain through her side.

“Stop being so dramatic.”
“…Just so you know, don’t do that to the students. Your hands are ridiculously heavy, Professor.”
“Hey, what’s with your language? Watch your mouth, kid.”

Even though he was her senior by a wide margin in terms of experience, Kang Hanna wasn’t particularly intimidated by Professor Hwang Minho, likely because of their past student-teacher relationship.

Hwang Minho ruffled the hair of Kang Hanna, who had now become a fellow professor, and asked again.

“So, who’s the one you placed all your money on?”
“…Don’t concern yourself with my little darling.”
“Ha, look. The bets are already in. Telling me now won’t change anything.”
“Oh, right.”

Hwang Minho clicked his tongue at her response.
Even as a student, she had been relentless about winning scholarships and participating in competitions with expensive artifacts as prizes.

Now, even as a professor, the sight of her getting giddy over money was almost endearing in its consistency.

“So, who is it?”
“Ah, ouch! Fine, I’ll tell you!”

Kang Hanna rubbed her slightly pinched arm and pointed toward the group of students.

“See that one over there? The one that looks like a snow-white fairy?”
“Yeah, I see her. That’s the one?”
“Yes. Baek Hana. She’s my little darling who’s going to make me rich. Hehe…”
“…”

Hwang Minho clicked his tongue again at the sight of Kang Hanna grinning like an uncle marveling at a family prodigy.
He shifted his gaze toward the white-haired girl Kang Hanna had pointed out and studied her carefully.

“Hmm… She just seems average to me…”

In fact, the two girls clinging to her sides seemed far more remarkable.

“Still, there’s probably something about her.”

Considering the two girls from the top guild families hovering close, there had to be something he wasn’t seeing.

“Hehehe… 37 times my bet… ehehehe…”
“…Ugh.”

Hwang Minho looked at Kang Hanna with a mixture of pity and amusement.

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Arena Academy

The elite of the elite, a place where only the most exceptional talents gathered.

If this were an ordinary academy, freshmen might have been able to overpower seniors simply due to their awakened abilities and mana levels.

But this was Arena Academy.
Even the freshmen here were among the best, and so were the upperclassmen.

The students gathered in this arena were the crème de la crème.

‘Does she not remember her own student days…?’

Geniuses struggled and fought to climb higher, yet these young, wild beasts, freshly thrown into the wilderness, thought they could bring down seasoned predators ready to become apex hunters.

Hwang Minho’s gaze shifted to the girl standing beside Jayden.
A plain-looking girl with black hair, nothing particularly striking about her appearance.

The current vice president and next in line to be the student council president—a third-year.

‘Yoon Isul…’

As he recalled her abilities, he glanced sideways at Kang Hanna, who was still chuckling to herself.

In the history of Arena Academy, the “king” had always been a third-year.

‘I should buy her a meal someday.’

Hwang Minho was certain this year would be no exception to that tradition.

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“Let me explain the rules for the freshmen first.”

The upperclassmen’s gazes turned toward Baek Hana, Nam Seo-hee, and Na Joo-hee. The three of them were the only freshmen participating in the ranking battles.

“First, each person draws a name from the container. After confirming your opponent, you decide whether to proceed with the match. If you think you can’t win, you can forfeit on the spot.”

Students who agreed to battle would face off on the stage, splitting into winner and loser brackets afterward.

Those in the loser bracket would compete again, and winners from that round could challenge anyone in the winner bracket.

“Of course, those challenged by someone from the loser bracket can also forfeit. If they do, their positions will simply switch. After another round of sorting winners and losers, the rankings are finalized.”

The ranking battles were held weekly. Lower-ranked students could only challenge those directly above them. Any students not participating today would have to start from the bottom of the rankings.

“Not too complicated, right?”

Baek Hana nodded, and the two girls beside her also agreed.

“Alright, let’s have the first-year students draw their names.”

Jayden held out the box, and Baek Hana stepped forward without hesitation, reaching into the opening.

Rustle, rustle.

Despite her confident stride, she was quite meticulous in choosing a name, as if searching for a specific one.

Swish.

Finally, she withdrew her hand and unfolded the slip of paper she had picked.

[Yoon Isul]

“Hmm, Yoon Isul?”

Jayden called out the name written on the paper while glancing at the black-haired upperclassman standing nearby.

-Wow, of all people…
-I hope this doesn’t escalate to us.
-Their hair colors are complete opposites, huh.

The upperclassmen began whispering among themselves.

Jayden cleared his throat briefly and continued.

“Hana, this upperclassman here will be your opponent.”
“Understood.”

Baek Hana nodded calmly and moved to stand beside Yoon Isul.

Jayden hesitated as if to add something, but eventually continued the process by holding the box out to the next student.

“Hello.”

While the pairs were being decided, Yoon Iseul was the first to greet Baek Hana.

“Hello.”

Baek Hana responded to her greeting calmly.

Yoon Iseul looked intently at Baek Hana’s face, who was slightly taller than her, and softly asked,
“You were searching for my name tag, weren’t you?”

The reason for this question was simple.
As soon as Baek Hana drew the name tag, the white-haired junior beside her stared at her intently.
Almost as if trying to confirm whether she had drawn the correct one.

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Baek Hana admitted it without hesitation.
Yoon Iseul, too, nodded without much reaction.

She was slightly curious about how Baek Hana had managed to find it.

‘She didn’t even use magic.’

The names had been written with an ordinary pen.
Naturally, the name tags were just plain pieces of paper.

How could she have found her specific one?

She wanted to solve the mystery right away, but the other person was a junior—
One who would soon face her on the stage.

No matter what, Yoon Iseul wasn’t inclined to expose her junior’s capabilities with probing questions.
Besides, she wasn’t sure Baek Hana would even answer.

Licking her lips, Yoon Iseul carefully observed Baek Hana.

Sharp eyes and smooth skin.

‘She’s so pretty, she probably smells amazing if you hug her.’

‘I’ll take her to a café after this is all over.’

By then, she’d likely come to understand her place.

Yoon Iseul’s eyes curved like a snake’s.

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Once all the pairs were decided, Nam Seo-hee was looking down at the stage with a thoroughly displeased expression.

“Do you think Hana can win?”

Nam Seo-hee’s mood was clearly off, but Na Joo-hee, sitting beside her, paid no heed and said what she wanted.

“…Don’t call her like you’re close.”

“Hana gave me permission, so why do you care?”

Crack!
Nam Seo-hee clenched her teeth, a chilling sound escaping from her tightly shut mouth.

“Does Hana know you’re like this?”

“…”

Nam Seo-hee didn’t respond, turning her gaze back to the stage.

Baek Hana and the upperclassman Yoon Iseul had just stepped onto the platform.

“Are you mute? I’m asking what you think.”

“…Hah, just shut up and watch.”

Nam Seo-hee found Na Joo-hee insufferable not only because she was also interested in Baek Hana but also because of her loud, assertive personality.

Nam Seo-hee, who hated chaos and noise since birth, was a complete mismatch for Na Joo-hee, whose temperament was fiery and explosive.

The two were polar opposites in every way.

“I admit Hana’s incredible, but it’ll still be tough against that senior.”

“…”

“If you had backed me up, Hana might’ve reconsidered and forfeited. Why didn’t you?”

“…”

“Are you mute?”

Eventually, Nam Seo-hee used magic to block out the noise, silencing her surroundings completely.

Finally, peace returned to her mind.

She focused on the two now positioned about 300 paces apart on the massive stage below.

The senior students’ training grounds were far more impressive in scale compared to those for the first-years.

‘How will she win?’

Why hadn’t she sided with Na Joo-hee to convince Baek Hana to forfeit?

The reason was simple.

She was absolutely certain Baek Hana would win.

‘Yoon Iseul.’

Currently, excluding the soon-to-graduate student council president, she was the strongest in the academy.

A rare ability user who could manipulate “shadows,” one of the most elusive powers in the world.
She possessed innate magical sensitivity and an exceptional intellect for interpreting magical formulas.

A true genius in every sense of the word.

Despite her plain appearance, her inner nature was that of a fierce, dominating predator.

This information was passed along by Maria, but after seeing Yoon Iseul herself, Nam Seo-hee was convinced.

‘Hana is superior.’

Baek Hana, a transformation-type ability user with magical power surpassing most innate powers.
Yet only a select few knew just how vast her magic reserves were.

On the other hand, Yoon Iseul’s magical presence was formidable, even if somewhat restrained.

This alone was enough for Nam Seo-hee to believe in Baek Hana’s victory.

‘It’s started.’

Though sound was blocked, Nam Seo-hee could tell the duel had begun as both moved into action.

Baek Hana charged forward to close the distance immediately.

In front of her, a jet-black wall rose up.

Without hesitation, Baek Hana punched the wall.

The shadowy wall twisted like fabric under the impact of her fist, clinging to Baek Hana’s right hand as if swallowing it.

At that moment, a blue glow burst from Baek Hana’s hand.

The shadow recoiled violently as if in pain before releasing her hand and retreating back to Yoon Iseul.

“Hmm…”

A brief exchange that ended in an instant.

Nam Seo-hee unconsciously parted her lips as she watched the outcome.

In Yoon Iseul’s hand was a black half-glove.

That glove was one of Baek Hana’s most treasured possessions, a precious gift from Baek Woo-jin, second only to her own life.