Ch 203
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 203
After hearing the telepathic message, she's looking around as if searching for me.
I’m right behind Eunseo but she doesn't seem to notice at all.
It can't be helped since even I couldn't detect Zhang Sambong at all when he hid using Absolute Domain.
I expanded my senses to scan the surroundings in case there were more monsters, but there's no trace of monster presence.
"Teacher? It's you, isn't it?"
—Right. There are no more monsters around, so don't worry. Let's say you caught those ones, Eunseo.
"What?"
—I'll contact you later once the situation settles down a bit.
I thought about briefly showing myself since I came all the way here, but the villa is too close and Lee Ji-sung is also a short distance away, so I can't do that.
By the way, judging from the many people's auras I can sense at the villa, it seems everyone is there, so why is only that guy here?
Don't tell me he came out alone to help Eunseo?
This is quite unexpected.
Of course, since he hasn't acquired his opportunity yet, he would have been more of a hindrance than help.
Still, that's commendable.
Thinking that the kid has more loyalty than expected, I used teleportation magic to return to Mount Seorak where the portal is.
When I entered the portal, Master, Zhang Sambong, and Luciel all came out to greet me.
"You're back early."
"Did you buy Twix?"
"What about my soju?"
Oh right, I was supposed to go grocery shopping.
"Something urgent came up so I forgot..."
"This brat! Of all things to forget."
Master's scolding came along with a flick to the head, but I dodged it all too easily.
"You dodged? Look at this brat?"
"Wait, don't tell me you..."
Zhang Sambong looks very surprised.
"It seems I somehow learned Absolute Domain."
"What, it's only been two days?"
I think it's probably because of the power of love.
"I'm quite talented, you know. Now I'm finally free from Master's annoying flicks to the head... OW!"
What?
I didn't feel anything just now, but there's pain in my head.
"Tsk tsk, did you dream of freedom just because you learned one little thing?"
"Excuse me, Master Zhang? Didn't you clearly say I'd be free from head flicks once I learned Absolute Domain?"
"What I mentioned was ordinary head flicks. You dodged the first one well, didn't you?"
"But just now I didn't feel anything..."
"What happened just now was a head flick that Yu-ryang delivered with sincerity, so it couldn't be helped."
"What does that mean?"
"Your master Yu-ryang defeated even the Sword Immortal, who is the pinnacle of martial prowess in the immortal realm. When such a Yu-ryang puts his heart into it, how could you dodge it?"
...Somehow I feel like I've been scammed.
"Old men, get out of the way. Master already ate ramen. Shin-hyeok, you bought Twix, right?"
Her expression suggests she might kill me if I say I didn't buy it, so I quickly said I'd go right away and immediately exited the portal.
***
Not long after Teacher left, a helicopter arrived.
Following that, hunters from Bicheon Guild, Hwasung Guild, and the Hunter Management Bureau arrived one after another.
"A third-year student caught this alone?"
"Unbelievable. Truly remarkable."
"I knew she was the prodigy who won this year's WHCU, but I didn't know she had this level of skill."
"She didn't even have proper weapons, yet Korea's future looks very bright."
"This year's recruitment war is going to be fierce."
Everyone's praise is so overwhelming that it's a bit burdensome.
Actually, Teacher caught them all...
Well, still better than arousing suspicion.
"Anyway, it's fortunate that all the students are safe."
"That's right. Student Eunseo really did something admirable."
"Ah... I just did what I had to do."
The Hunter Management Bureau said they would handle the cleanup like monster corpse disposal, so everyone immediately boarded the boat heading to the mainland.
"Eunseo, are you really okay?"
"Of course. Maybe it was because of the salt water, but the Giant Frogs were weaker than I thought."
"Still, there were four of them. We used to be similar before, but now you're in a completely different league."
"This year's martial arts tournament and next year's WHCU will be our vice-president's solo stage."
"By the way, what happened to Lee Ji-sung in the middle? I clearly told everyone to evacuate..."
"Ah, well, he told me he was going to the bathroom and then went to your side... Well, I guess he wanted to help since you were fighting alone."
So he really did butt in on his own.
That guy really...
"I overheard earlier that he thought he could help even without weapons since he's a magician?"
With that guy's level, who's helping whom?
"Actually, he made it more dangerous. He used water-type magic on the Giant Frogs and ended up healing their wounds."
"He... he did? Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? I really don't know what that guy was thinking... I really hate him."
"He probably wanted to help you, and anyway, it worked out well in the end. Don't think too badly of him."
Sister's words aren't entirely unreasonable, but she's saying that because she doesn't know the truth or the situation properly.
I told him I didn't need help and to leave, but he wouldn't listen.
If Teacher hadn't come to help, that guy would have gotten me killed, and Sister and everyone else at the villa would have been...
Sigh... If he were here, I would have given him a piece of my mind, but that guy went back on the helicopter.
Thinking about it again makes me angry. Maybe I should spread rumors about him wetting himself.
"Maybe he still likes you?"
"Lee Jinsu, do you really want to die? I really hate him, so don't say things like that."
"Ah... okay."
While talking with the kids, we arrived at the mainland before we knew it.
Sister gave a brief closing remark and declared dismissal.
There was a bit of an accident at the end, but it was resolved well, so it's really fortunate.
"Eunseo, should we take a taxi home?"
Taking a taxi from Incheon to home would cost a lot, but maybe because the tension was relieved, fatigue was hitting me, so I agreed.
I called a taxi through an app and after waiting briefly, it arrived quickly.
"Going to Seoul?"
"Yes."
Both Sister and I got in the back seat.
I leaned my head against the window.
It'll take some time, so I should at least close my eyes for a bit.
"Eunseo, going to sleep?"
"Yeah. Wake me up when we arrive."
"Okay... Ah! But who was that number 1 you told me to call earlier? Some man answered."
"Uh... huh?"
"When I said you were in danger, he only asked for the island name and hung up. He didn't even come to the island earlier."
Fortunately, she doesn't seem to have figured out it was Teacher. How should I explain this...
I tried pretending to sleep quickly, but Sister poked my side.
"Don't pretend to sleep, who was it?"
"That, well... it was a hunter from Ares Guild."
"Ares Guild? Where Sister Se-jin is?"
"Yeah. I'm planning to go there after graduation, so I got the contact information before."
"But getting such contact information before the second semester even started, isn't that tampering?"
"What does it matter? The semester will start after vacation ends anyway. I'm definitely going to Ares Guild no matter what."
Sister looks a bit surprised.
I made up an excuse and it worked out fortunately, but how long do I have to keep hiding this?
I feel bad about continuously deceiving everyone.
Even if not others, I want to tell Sister the truth at least...
I should ask Teacher about this later.
"Still, it might become a problem later..."
"If Sister doesn't report it, nothing will happen."
I answered playfully.
"Is that supposed to be an answer? Geez, fine. But is your insistence on Ares because of Teacher?"
It is because of Teacher, but it's a bit different from what Sister thinks.
Sister probably thinks I'm going to Ares because I can't forget Teacher and it's the guild most connected to him, but Teacher is alive.
"Ares isn't bad either. Sister Se-jin is there too."
Right. At Ares Guild, there's Sister Se-jin who likes Teacher just like me.
After all, to catch a tiger, you have to enter the tiger's den.
***
I've been lying in bed for a while now, but I can't fall asleep at all, so I kicked off the blanket and got up.
This is really the worst.
I went out thinking I should do something to avoid the worst-case scenario of the vice-president's death...
Of course, no one died as a result.
But... even now, when I close my eyes, those contemptuous eyes looking at me come to mind.
And I even wet myself...
Honestly, I feel wronged too.
How was I supposed to know that water-type magic would have a beneficial effect on those frog-like monsters!
Moreover, when someone came with good intentions to help, she kept telling him to get lost.
She even kicked me.
I couldn't see properly because I was running away, but according to the hunters who arrived later, the vice-president dispatched the monsters with a single strike.
If she could kill them that easily, she should have done it from the start.
I'm starting to think she deliberately waited for me to be humiliated.
No, I'm certain of it.
Come to think of it, the vice-president said she received teachings from some possessor named Kang Shin-hyeok or something who left.
From the beginning of the fight, she didn't look that anxious, and she was irritated with me who came to help with good intentions because she wanted to monopolize the credit but excluded me on purpose when I interfered.
Damn .
Then in front of the hunters, she acts modest, innocent, and kind. Absolutely disgusting.
I won't let this slide.
***
"You're asking if you can tell Eunsu? Did she find out?"
—It's not that, but today I made up that it was a hunter from Ares Guild, but I feel bad about continuing to deceive her... Couldn't I tell at least Sister?
Hmm, ever since Eunseo found out, I thought other kids might find out too...
Well, today couldn't be helped.
It wasn't about anything else, but the kids' lives were at stake.
"Alright. I'll have to talk to Eunsu directly after school starts."
Well, one more person like Eunsu knowing shouldn't be a big problem.
She's not the loose-lipped type like Minhee or Jinsu.
And graduation is coming soon anyway.
—Really? Thank goodness.
"More importantly, how's your body? Are you hurt anywhere?"
I checked roughly earlier, but just in case.
—I was a bit tired, but I slept in the taxi on the way back, so I'm fine. But Teacher, how did you come so quickly?
"There are ways. It wasn't just anyone, but our Eunseo who was in danger."
—You just say that, but you didn't even show your face.
"I thought I might be seen from the villa. That Ji-sung guy was also nearby. How is he? Wasn't he hurt?"
—If it's Lee Ji-sung, he's probably fine? He went back on a helicopter.
"Really? As expected of a chaebol, he's different."
—Teacher, are you close with him?
"Well, somewhat?"
—I hate him.
What? Eunseo isn't the type to hate people for no reason.
Is it because of the confession at the entrance ceremony?
But Eunseo is quite popular and has received confessions several times and rejected them, but I know she doesn't treat the guys who confessed to her badly.
In fact, just today, Lee Ji-sung came alone to help Eunseo.
"Why? From what I saw today, it seemed like he came to help you."
—Help my foot, he was completely in the way. I almost died because of him... If it weren't for that guy, I could have held out for about an hour...
As expected, I thought earlier that Lee Ji-sung's current skill level would be more of a hindrance than help, and it seems that was actually the case.
"Come on, but it was resolved without any major problems, wasn't it? He probably had good intentions, so don't hate him too much. Unlike his reputation as a troublemaker, the kid seemed decent."
I don't have good feelings either since Lee Ji-sung put Eunseo in danger, but it's not like he deliberately trolled.
Also, he's the protagonist after all, so it wouldn't be good if their relationship went bad for no reason.
—Isn't that all an act? He's cunning and exactly the type I hate. And I wasn't going to say this, but he even wet himself today.
Haha... That guy completely lost face.
If kind Eunseo is saying such things, she must really dislike him.
"Still, he's student council and your junior. Don't hate him too much."
—Everyone says that, but I really hate him. Let's stop talking about him and how is your body, Teacher? Are you okay?
Suddenly me?
Ah, I said I had a cold.
"I'm fine."
—Then maybe tomorrow...
"Tomorrow might be difficult, how about next week?"
She replied that she understood, so we agreed to contact each other again next Monday and hung up.
Although I learned Absolute Domain, Zhang Sambong hasn't left yet.
Because I haven't completely mastered it yet.
Moreover, the Demon God that the Primordial Heavenly Honored One showed me last time was truly tremendous.
Can I face such a being with just Absolute Domain?
I wish I could gain more teachings.
Since Eunseo has also learned the Wudang mental cultivation method, it would be good to learn what I should teach Eunseo during this opportunity.
This week seems like it's going to be very busy.