Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 101
Hidden World.
Or, to be precise, a "designated beyond-grade dungeon."
It's a dungeon that truly transcends the F-to-S ranks that the Association and the System label with letters.
"Hidden World? What's that?"
"Hey, didn't you do any prep studying?"
"Nope."
"Ugh, show-off. You know those dungeons they always call EX-rank on the news?"
"Oh, that?"
A murmur spreads through the students like a contagious disease.
Some groups are shocked, while others dismiss it as nonsense.
In the news and people's gossip, the Hidden World was said to surpass S-rank, leading to talks of classifying it as EX-grade due to how little information there was about it.
But I know better.
Beyond grade.
That doesn't necessarily mean it's above S-rank, even if it's outside the existing grades.
It could even be easier.
No, I can say with certainty that it is easy.
'It all depends on what kind of world is inside.'
Research and discussions on Hidden Worlds are still actively debated in academic circles. Amid a variety of opinions.
There was one element that everyone agreed on.
'That Hidden Worlds are fragments of destroyed worlds.'
This hypothesis applies not just to Hidden Worlds but to dungeons in general.
Unlike ordinary dungeons teeming with monsters, a Hidden World isn't a mere empty space. It's like the world we live in.
There are people there, called NPCs by some.
They're classified by the scale, size, and level of the NPCs' homeland: village-grade, city-grade, nation-grade, world-grade.
Divided into those four tiers.
'If a dungeon is a world where only monsters live, then a Hidden World is like entering a place where people reside.'
Most dungeons end by killing the monsters and destroying the core that forms the space.
In contrast, Hidden Worlds assign you a specific job or role, and you progress by interacting with the NPCs based on that, guiding the scenario in the right direction.
It's just like playing a game.
The problem is...
'Unlike a game, Hidden Worlds provide no clues or guidelines whatsoever.'
A Hidden World isn't a game.
So there are no hints.
Killing all the people or monsters doesn't clear it.
Protecting them from crises or disasters doesn't end it either.
The only way to clear a Hidden World is to guide it in the "right direction."
That's why, even though there are quite a few at D-to-B rank levels, the number of successful clears barely reaches triple digits.
'The right direction. Whether that's a happy ending, bad ending, or some middling one in betweenno one knows, and that's the biggest issue.'
But I know.
Well, not everything, but one specific thing.
And even the rewards you get for clearing that world.
'Though it's not actually the next scenario.'
As I recall, the next scenario was supposed to be the protagonist showing off strength beyond a first-year's in an A-rank dungeon, establishing himself as the most promising talent with a bright future ahead.
An episode highlighting Kyle's talent and the hype around him as a rising star.
I had considered inserting myself into that originally, but I gave up on it quickly.
Even if he flaunted his talent and skill in an A-rank dungeon and followed the original scenario, there was one thing I couldn't let slide.
What I was aiming for, even abandoning any interference in the protagonist's path, was a dungeon deeply tied to the mid-to-late main story.
There was no way to access it now except illegal entry.
"He's insane. Completely insane."
"Director! Are you really going to let him spout such nonsense?"
"Professor Emilia is right. Baek Seung-woo is just a newbie TA who started this year. His choice is nothing more than youthful bravado."
"Hmm... I see it a bit differently."
All the professors judged it negatively.
Even Director Daltagnan thought it reckless and was about to suggest another dungeon when...
A seductive, captivating voice filled the auditorium.
Daltagnan's gaze turned toward her.
"It's not against any rules, right?"
"...Professor Nam Hwa-yeon, what if something goes wrong? Can you take responsibility?"
"Responsibility? Why would that fall on me? If there's a problem, shouldn't the Academy handle it?"
Her words were soft and gentle, but laced with undeniable pressure and charisma.
She was, without a doubt, the most respected professor at Chilseong Academy.
Even if Daltagnan was the director, he had few options when she took this stance.
I had no idea why she was backing this guy, but...
"Are you serious?"
"Why would I lie or joke about something like this?"
Nam Hwa-yeon knew full well that wasn't what Daltagnan was asking.
His point was justification.
What grounds did she have for taking his side?
That's what Daltagnan wanted to know.
It was too simplistic to assume she was doing it because he was her Junior TAher usual behavior contradicted that.
Nam Hwa-yeon fundamentally never got involved in anything uninteresting.
That's why she boldly skipped the weekly mandatory professors' meetings, claiming they were boring.
For such a woman to lend weight to one particular person's words...
That fact was far from trivial.
Daltagnan probably couldn't have guessed the truth without knowing the details.
The three promises I made in exchange for forming a mentor-disciple bond with Nam Hwa-yeon and teaching her spells.
The first was for her to back me up right here today and act as my support.
Only Nam Hwa-yeon and I knew that in the whole world.
Along with Tamamo, who'd eavesdropped.
"..."
Daltagnan's conflicted expression.
His gaze shifted to the group I was leading.
Among this year's golden generation freshmen, ten particularly shining prospects. He scanned the faces of the group that included three of them.
Five girls and one boya weird 5:1 gender ratio, and oddly, the boy seemed the weakest.
All their faces showed pure shock.
As if they were hearing this for the first time.
Though that couldn't be the case.
If it was...
"Temporary Instructor Baek Seung-woo."
"Yes, Director."
"Submit your activity plan and the students' consent forms to the main faculty office within two days."
"!!!"
Allowing a mere TAa brand-new one who'd just joined this yearinto the main faculty office.
The implications were enormous.
In a negative way.
"The main faculty office..."
"Then I have nothing more to say."
"Whoa, that's rough. Or is it just desserts?"
The main faculty office was where director-level professors like Daltagnan organized lecture materials or took breaks.
For students or TAs, just being there meant enduring immense pressure from the professors' gazes.
One timid TA had actually fainted within ten minutes from the stares and ambient mana pressure.
And now I had to go there.
I wasn't particularly worried.
For a stickler like Daltagnan to say that meant he'd already accepted my proposal. No complaints from above on this matter.
Phew. I let out a sigh of relief.
The biggest hurdle was cleared.
"Hey, grab the teacher."
"Even so, going after a TA like that is a bit..."
"We're about to die here, and that's your concern? Hey, Isabel, you wanna grab him too?"
"Why bother? He'll come on his own two feet anyway. We can chew him out then."
"Ah."
Of course, there was still one mountain to climb before that.
And more after, but...
In my eyes, the one right in front looked the toughest.
Sigh. I walked over to Isabel with a groan.
'Well, at least I won't die.'
* * *
"Are you insane? What were you thinking, saying that without even consulting us first?!"
"Ah! Don't hit mehit wrong and it'll dislocate!"
"You need a good beating. You've always acted on your own without discussing anything. Maybe that'll knock some sense into you."
Isabel chased me, wielding a baseball bat conjured from swirling colors of light.
Whoosh!
Each swing cut through the air, and I bolted in panic, scared witless.
But with my low agility, evasion was impossible.
"Shouldn't we stop her? Teacher's kinda frailmight actually get hurt bad."
"Nah, he's the teacher. He'll handle it."
"Yeah, Sis. Easy there. He knows what he's doing."
The students watched impassively.
They all seemed to sympathize with Isabel.
Seo Ye-rin and No Yu-ra looked a tad uneasy, but they didn't intervene.
Left alone, I shouted desperately to survive.
"I can convince you! I can do it, so just stop for a sec!"
"...How?"
Yeah, how exactly?
I racked my brain.
But first...
"No, stop so I can convince you."
"Fine. Give it a shot if you can. Convince me, and I'll let you live."
"Do it, TA. If you can."
"Doubt he can."
"...Still, I believe in Teacher."
"Honestly, I don't care. If it's an even harsher trial, I'd welcome it gladly."
"Me too, with Sis. As long as we get stronger, rank doesn't matter much."
Convince them, and they'd spare me.
I closed my eyes and thought.
I had several prepared lines in mind.
But in this situation, anything I said seemed likely to get me hit.
An unexpected scenario.
To persuade the students, even if with sophistry, I desperately polished my words.
In the end, I adapted part of my original prepared speech.
Tamamo voiced her take on my three cobbled-together points.
You don't seriously think you can fool these kids with sophistry, do you?
'Shut up.'
Looks like you do. Heh... I can't wait to see their faces change with every flimsy argument you make.
Chattering noisily, Tamamo annoyed me.
I wanted to grab and scold her, but I couldn't initiate contact with her intangible form.
She could poke me freely, though.
No clue why I couldn't touch her first.
If I could, I'd gag her.
'Just you wait till I grow stronger. I'll pay you back double for all this teasing.'
Ooh~ For that, you'll need to become a Seven-Tail Fox at least. Think you can last? Well, if you grow enough by then to get revenge, I won't complainbut right now, shouldn't you focus on what's in front of you?
Her words made me look straight ahead.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Not a single good expression among them.
To borrow a metaphor, they looked ready to smack me any second?
Wait, not a metaphor.
They might actually hit me.
"Let me explain."
Just let me live.
Especially you, Isabel.
Put down the bat in your hands and Eejay's hand axe from her belt, and let's talk.
I know you won't throw them at me, but instincts fear what's scary.
...Or not?
Are they actually gonna throw them?