NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90
“Is that a VR device?”
Ah-reum blinked her large eyes again, questioning.
It’s not that I didn’t know what a VR device was.
But it wasn’t a word that would appear in an Academy’s general lecture.
“Ah-reum, want to come over?”
“Yes, yes!”
At Si-hyun’s gesture, Ah-reum got up and trotted over to her professor.
As the student approached, Si-hyun pulled out the devices stored in her bracelet.
She handed one that goes on the head to Ah-reum.
“This is a device made by applying magic that shares sight. Da-young helped out as well.”
“Ah, I see. From the Wings Guild, right? A B-rank crafting hunter!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Receiving the device from Si-hyun, Ah-reum turned it around, examining it closely.
In the meantime, Eun-byeol, who was in the back, raised a question.
“Professor, so you mean magic that shares sight?”
“Why? Are you curious? Want me to tell you more?”
“Um, uh…”
The reply was so casual that Eun-byeol was taken aback.
Just the fact that magic had been developed was astonishing enough.
And that she’d casually offer to share it?
‘If it’s a magic I made myself, its value must be enormous…?’
It seemed my earlier thought about Ah-reum and “that professor and that student” was not unfounded.
Professor Jeong Si-hyun had a strangely detached yet unique aura.
‘Is it really okay to learn magic this easily…?’
Flustered, Eun-byeol found herself blinking repeatedly, not knowing what to do.
When no reply came from her, Si-hyun cocked her head for a moment before smoothly shifting her gaze back to Ah-reum.
“Ah…”
Eun-byeol attempted to say something but fell silent instead.
She looked at the professor with a complex expression.
Meanwhile, Si-hyun lightly organized her thoughts.
‘Seems like it’s not too appealing since it’s easy magic.’
In this world, sight-sharing magic was relatively common.
She was willing to share it readily, but given that it wasn’t met with much enthusiasm, perhaps they thought similarly.
Si-hyun and Eun-byeol were thinking along different lines.
“Professor, I just put this on my head, right?”
“That’s right. Want to give it a light try first?”
“Yes, yes! I want to try!”
As Ah-reum placed the device on her head, Si-hyun remotely activated the mana stone.
The VR device, Da-young’s masterpiece, smoothly powered on, emitting a soft glow.
“Wow! This is so amazing—!”
Ah-reum’s awe burst forth immediately.
“Oh, be careful now. Just your sight is changing.”
“Ah, yes!”
Even in her short response, Ah-reum’s excitement shone through.
Si-hyun, satisfied with her reaction, wore a proud smile.
As students began trickling into the lecture room—
With their eyes on the new monster models, questions began to fill the students’ minds.
They found Ah-reum, who was wearing an oddly shaped device and waving her hands in mid-air.
Moments later, glancing at the time, Si-hyun lightly tapped Ah-reum on the shoulder.
“Ah-reum, let’s stop here for now.”
“Yes!”
Ah-reum handed the now inactive device back to Si-hyun, regret lingering in her eyes.
‘I want to see more…’
It was an incredibly fresh experience.
The professor’s VR device offered a unique experience that couldn’t be easily found elsewhere.
Thus, Ah-reum returned to her seat, eagerly anticipating the start of the lecture.
She even felt a sense of urgency to continue watching what she had just experienced.
“…Nice to see you, everyone.”
Once all the students had gathered, Si-hyun greeted them, and the lecture began.
Like always, attendance was taken before transitioning into the theoretical lesson about the new monster.
This time, students had their reasons to focus on the lecture.
The VR device Ah-reum wore during break.
Curiosity about wanting to experience it themselves.
It was a simple but clear motivation.
“…It’s break time. We’ll use the newly prepared device in the 6th period.”
With precise timing, Si-hyun stepped outside the lecture hall.
The students left behind started whispering to each other.
“Looks like it’s a VR device, right?”
“I get motion sickness from 3D. Do you think it’ll be okay?”
Several students approached Ah-reum, asking her questions.
“Was that a magical tool?!”
“You really used that connection with crafting, huh.”
This time they were all shocked to learn it was a magical tool.
Simultaneously, some students raised objections.
Most of them were students with a magical faction specialty.
‘Did they create magic?’
‘That’s not something just anyone can do.’
‘Does Professor Jeong Si-hyun have significant connections in the magical realm?’
Of course, they kept their thoughts to themselves.
In the first place, looking for the ‘ordinary’ in Monster Studies 101 was already strange.
In a variety of ways, the students completed their learning for the day.
Just before break time was over, Si-hyun returned.
She scanned the lecture hall to ensure all students were present.
With a light nod, Si-hyun spoke in a voice filled with laughter.
“From now on, I’ll lend out the VR devices I prepared separately. But before watching….”
Handing out the devices to the students, she recited precautions.
“Don’t move around too much so you don’t get hurt.”
“Since it’s expensive, be sure to handle it carefully,” and so forth.
Once preparation was complete, under Si-hyun’s instructions, the students put on the devices simultaneously.
Watching their actions, Si-hyun snapped her fingers lightly.
Snap!
In that moment, a hush fell over the lecture room.
“Ooooooh!”
“Wow!”
A loud cheer resonated throughout.
“Everyone, be careful not to get hurt!”
“This is amazing!”
“Totally cool!”
Si-hyun’s voice seamlessly blended into the background noise.
All the students, regardless of each other, were ecstatic and shouting.
The students were immersed in the magical world.
Though their bodies remained in the lecture room, their sights shifted to an entirely different realm.
They found themselves inside a dungeon.
Not just any dungeon, but one of a high rank they had never visited.
“Whoa!”
“Hehe!”
The students experienced a live dungeon raid unfolding from the professor’s viewpoint.
The VR footage, incorporated with magic, didn’t induce motion sickness.
As swords swung, monsters fell one after another.
Each time, students gasped, relating the experience to their own.
Melee students admired the professor’s sleek movements.
Magical students were captivated by the fresh perspective of a front-line fighter they hadn’t experienced before.
All were united, deeply engrossed in the footage.
“Wow!”
“Screech?!”
Today’s Monster Studies 101 classroom was more rowdy than ever.
So much so that passersby looked through the windows to see the commotion.
After the lecture concluded, Si-hyun escorted Ah-reum away.
Most students remaining in the classroom stared blankly into space.
“…I want to see more.”
“Me too…”
Wrapped up in lingering fascination, they made no move to rise.
Their feelings were quite similar.
‘Who would have thought we could have such a vivid experience without side effects.’
To summarize the video—it was essentially a massacre, wiping out monsters effortlessly.
It was stimulating and at the same time refreshing.
“Hey, sorry for being mad earlier. So this is what being a front-line fighter feels like.”
“It’s okay, I should have done better too.”
Some students casually exchanged awkward apologies.
The magical students experienced the vividness of close combat, while melee students realized their path forward.
They naturally found a moment to switch perspectives with each other.
Through today’s lecture, they genuinely walked a mile in each other’s shoes.
“Shall we hit the dungeon again today?”
“Let’s go!”
Once Monster Studies 101 concluded, many students headed off toward the dungeon.
This had become a regular occurrence.
Meanwhile, upon arriving at Si-hyun’s office with Ah-reum,
“Professor, about the VR device…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“I, I want one… Is it very expensive?”
“Hmm…”
After a brief pause, Si-hyun replied.
“It’s pricey, but for you, Ah-reum, I’d be okay giving you one. However, there’s one major issue.”
“Yes, yes?!”
Ah-reum gasped in surprise.
Her ears perked up, eagerly waiting for the next words.
Si-hyun chuckled before continuing.
“From filming to playback, it’s all magic. So you’ll have to study really hard, okay?”
“…Eeep.”
Ah-reum rolled her eyes.
In an instant, her desire faded away.
* * *
In some building office in America,
An unremarkable-looking Western man, Evan, handed an object to his companion.
It was an average-looking watch.
Jason, a lanky man sporting a watch on his wrist, turned it this way and that, checking its design.
“Since it’s important, let me emphasize it again.”
Evan, a returnee from America, said.
“A staff member from the association will be dispatched to Korea for Kim Ji-a Hunter’s S-rank evaluation. You can accompany them to Korea.”
Though it’s a formal procedure, an S-rank requires inspection by the World Hunter Association.
He had mentioned that point.
“And simultaneously, a celebratory party for Kim Ji-a Hunter will be held. That’s where it all begins. Please find my target hiding somewhere.”
“Are you sure they’ll come to the party?”
“Yes, based on the information, it’s a high probability. If they’re nearby, the watch will