NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78
Kang Cheol-min stared at the woman who had stopped on the stairs.
It didn’t seem like she was just going to the bathroom; she was exchanging greetings with another professor sitting beside her.
It was clear to anyone that her gestures meant, “I hope to see you again.”
At first, he thought about letting her go.
But…
‘No matter how I think about it, it’s ungrateful.’
Who does she think she is?
One of the few S-rank Hunters in Korea.
And here he was, taking his precious time to come to the Academy for a special lecture.
And she was just going to leave without listening to the whole thing?
Kang Cheol-min devised a wicked plan in his mind.
‘She needs to be taught a lesson.’
Feigning calmness, he spoke.
“Shall we have a Q&A session soon? I’ll let the lady go first! It’s not every day you get a chance to ask an S-rank Hunter something directly. Hehehe!”
The gazes of the many people in the auditorium all turned towards Si-hyun.
They looked back and forth between her and Kang Cheol-min.
The Cheongrim Guild members among the important figures looked at Si-hyun with sympathy.
‘Here we go again with Hunter Kang Cheol-min.’
‘Tsk, tsk, we shouldn’t irritate him…’
His arrogant personality was well-known within the guild.
The Cheongrim members, who had often been tormented by him, could accurately tell the expression on Kang Cheol-min’s face.
He was in the mood to pick on someone.
They lowered their heads, hoping not to get caught in the crossfire.
‘…What should I do?’
Si-hyun, standing in place, pondered for a moment.
Kang Cheol-min’s intentions were painfully clear.
Should she play along with his agenda or not?
…Si-hyun didn’t take long to decide. She walked back down the stairs.
Rapidly spinning her brain, numerous questions sprang to mind.
‘I was going to go easy on her, but…’
Actually, this turned out well. Let’s trap her in her own little snare.
There was not a smidgen of thought to go easy on her.
“Come on up!”
Kang Cheol-min gestured for Si-hyun to come up on stage.
Si-hyun walked confidently toward the stage.
She received a microphone from the host.
Kang Cheol-min crossed his arms and watched her nonchalantly.
As Si-hyun approached, he slightly raised his chin and looked down at her with an arrogant gaze.
In comparison to his overwhelming physique, Si-hyun looked like a small animal standing before a predator.
“Go ahead, feel free to ask your questions.”
Once she slipped up, he’d be right on her.
Imagining her on the verge of tears filled him with excitement already.
Kang Cheol-min squinted his eyes as he watched the woman before him.
“Hmm…”
Si-hyun brought the microphone close to her lips.
The audience fixed their eyes on her.
From now on, the Q&A between the two would be vividly transmitted to everyone in the auditorium.
“…Hello, I’m Jeong Si-hyun, the professor responsible for Introduction to Monster Studies.”
“Aha, so you’re the professor.”
As Si-hyun introduced herself to the crowd, Kang Cheol-min chuckled quietly.
A woman who doesn’t even know the worth of this special lecture is a professor? It was downright laughable.
“Since you said to ask freely, I’ll start with a question. What do you think is the essential guideline for a high-level Undead-themed dungeon?”
“Hmm….”
When Si-hyun asked her question, Kang Cheol-min stroked his chin and thought briefly.
He recalled the time they were in the later group in the dual dungeon and answered.
“That’s basic stuff. You need to keep an eye on the resurrection of monsters and ensure the pain-immune monsters don’t rush into the backline. You do need to be aware of positioning during combat. I can’t believe a professor like you would ask something so elementary!”
“Of course not. I’m just confirming it. You mean managing distance with allies is important instead of just mindlessly fighting, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Kang Cheol-min nodded confidently.
The audience also agreed with the explanation, listening intently.
Si-hyun looked up at the laid-back expression on Kang Cheol-min’s face.
She was trying to guide the conversation until she got the desired answer, and it was a solid hit. She scored big on the first try.
She naturally continued with her questions.
“Assuming there’s a support-type Hunter in the party, what do you think is the most ideal way to fight?”
“It depends on the monster. The most ideal scenario is for the tank to minimize damage while the supporter focuses on the dealer.”
“Oh ho, those are indeed words befitting an S-rank tank!”
Si-hyun lightly clapped the wrist of the hand holding the microphone and praised Kang Cheol-min.
Kang Cheol-min, who had been ready to catch her, unconsciously smiled.
‘Now this attitude is appealing.’
Even the praise from a beauty could make even steel dance.
But just then.
Si-hyun displayed an abrupt change in behavior.
“Well then, why didn’t you do that in the recent dual dungeon? Was there a special reason?”
“…What?”
Kang Cheol-min, unable to understand the question, wore a dumbfounded expression.
“I heard from someone in the assault group. They said you shouted, ‘Everyone! Follow me!’ and focused on breaking through the monsters.”
“Cough! I was just trying to maintain momentum.”
“Is that momentum more important than the tank’s virtue of being reserved?”
“…….”
“Your loud shouts demanding healing echoed behind you. You were calm at that point, right?”
A sudden wave of consecutive questions!
Kang Cheol-min felt dizzy. Struggling to keep his wits about him, he answered.
“…Well, combat should be done actively according to the situation.”
“You mentioned earlier that managing distance with allies is basic. Why was there any reason not to adhere to the basics in an S-rank Undead dungeon? Isn’t that active situational judgment too?”
“Uh… that, that…”
Kang Cheol-min was completely tongue-tied.
Si-hyun pressed on without hesitation.
“When I saw photos taken after the assault on the dual dungeon, your gear looked all battered and messed up. It seems like it was quite the intense battle, right? You must have had a tough time.”
“…….”
While her sarcasm seemed like an attempt at consolation, that very point irritated Kang Cheol-min even more.
However, he couldn’t retort.
He realized all too late that he had fallen into her trap.
As Kang Cheol-min fell silent, Si-hyun pulled the microphone away from her mouth.
She whispered softly.
“You’re suddenly being quite virtuous.”
A light mockery.
This comment reached only Kang Cheol-min’s ears.
Grinding his teeth, he glared at Si-hyun.
Of course, that didn’t mean Si-hyun would feel pressured.
Calmly, she brought the microphone back close to her lips again.
“My questions end here! I sincerely thank Kang Cheol-min Hunter for answering with such dedication.”
Clap, clap, clap———!
A louder round of applause filled the auditorium than when Kang Cheol-min entered.
People who had harbored complaints against Kang Cheol-min were clapping vigorously, causing even those who had no strong feelings to join in heartily. That’s how the atmosphere was set.
Si-hyun glanced at Kang Cheol-min with a smirk.
‘…Who told you to hold on to someone just trying to be nice?’
Having successfully gone on the offensive, Si-hyun handed the microphone back to the host.
With a pleasant step, she exited the auditorium.
Si-hyun leisurely savored her triumph.
* * *
After Si-hyun slipped out, a brief recess was announced in the Academy auditorium.
Participants of the special lecture showed various reactions.
“Wow, Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s got some serious speaking skills.”
“I thought all the hype about her charisma was overblown, but it clearly isn’t.”
“And look at her beauty! Did you see Kang Cheol-min’s lips almost curve up for a moment?”
“Ah, that was hilarious!”
The students giggled and laughed.
Nearby, Ah-reum heard their chatter.
Smiling broadly, she grabbed her smartphone.
– Professor! Professor! You were totally charismatic just now!
– Ahaha. Thanks!
– Everyone wants to take your class next semester!
– Really? I guess I need to step it up!
Making Si-hyun, who was enjoying the bliss of victory, feel even more cheerful.
Meanwhile, the professors seated at the front were having their own conversations.
“Wow, Si-hyun speaks very well.”
“She really should catch the attention of the president.”
The president, who usually didn’t view Cheongrim positively, was quietly conversing with Professor Park.
“Isn’t that attitude toward an invited lecturer a bit much?”
“Exactly. That lacks proper etiquette, doesn’t it?”
Professors who had maintained friendly relations with Cheongrim expressed dissatisfaction regarding Si-hyun.
Ultimately, today’s unexpected turn of events allowed Si-hyun to embed her image strongly among both students and faculty.
At the same time, word began to spread subtly among the important figures.
‘A beauty who doesn’t shrink in front of an S-rank Hunter.’
Gradually, albeit subtly, Si-hyun’s name began to be known.
* * *
After the special lecture concluded.
Despite her tight schedule, Si-hyun diligently tackled each day.
From grading and recording scores for midterms in her Monster Studies class,
to faithfully fulfilling her weekly lecturing duties,
and during her spare time, she completed miniature orc models she had been working on, displaying them in a corner of her office.
With a hardworking routine that didn’t neglect either work or hobbies, her days passed earnestly.
Thus, Friday morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
As always, after finishing her dawn prayers, Si-hyun checked the last schedule for the week.
‘Today is the day for the Dawn Guild training visit.’
Since it was just a visit, she thought it would be uneventful.
She planned to wrap it up nicely and have a relaxing weekend.