Chapter 37
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Dragon's Shadow (6)
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Objectively speaking, Lee Sang-hee was a beauty.
A slender, elegant neckline, porcelain-white skin, and large eyes hidden beneath long, drooping lashes.
Though they weren't visible since her head was bowed.
"I-I'm starting now."
Lee Sang-hee's trembling voice echoed through the classroom. A soft glow began to emanate from her fingertips.
I was a little impressed.
'A light-attribute barrier, huh.'
Light attributes were cheat-level abilities.
No matter what skill you had, just having the light attribute gave it an overwhelming edge in certain areas.
'Come to think of it, aren't I a light attribute too?'
That's when Erich spoke up in a sleepy voice.
You're holy attribute, remember? Not even comparable!
'Yeah.'
Anyway, Lee Sang-hee's magic was impressive.
The light started small and faint, like fireflies, but it grew steadily until it softly enveloped her.
The light gradually took shape. A transparent membrane formed in a perfect circle around her.
A barrier. A defensive shield of light attributes.
"Ooooh!"
Exclamations erupted from all around. I found myself gaping at the sight too.
Light-attribute barriers weren't common skills. And Lee Sang-hee's wasn't just blocking physical attacks—it filled the inside with a gentle glow that instilled a sense of stability, something special.
"This is the 'Haven of Light' skill that student Lee Sang-hee awakened in the Moon Hare Dungeon. It's a D-rank barrier, but unusually, it has a buff effect that maintains the awakened state for party members inside it."
Another wave of gasps followed the professor's explanation. A D-rank with a buff? And not just any buff, but one that preserved awakening—the single most crucial buff for dungeon clears?
"Of course, the duration is still only about 30 minutes, and the range is around a 3-meter radius, but it's a skill with tremendous growth potential. If student Lee Sang-hee keeps training, it could evolve into a B-rank, or even A-rank barrier."
"That's insane."
The guy next to me, Hyun I-seo, muttered under his breath. I was thinking the same. A barrier user with a skill like that? They'd be treated like royalty in any party. In the hunter world, skill trumped personality every time.
Lee Sang-hee finished her demonstration and returned to her seat.
Head bowed deeply, hiding her face behind her hair again. Envious glances followed her every step.
Watching her, I recalled how in the original story, Lee Sang-hee joined Yoo Han-seong's party and gradually gained confidence—while developing an increasingly obsessive attachment to him.
She was timid now, but maybe the seeds of obsession were already sprouting inside her.
And judging by how she disliked me, she already saw me as a rival heroine or something.
This was exactly what I'd been worried about.
'Especially how she loses all reason when it comes to Yoo Han-seong.'
I glanced casually toward the back of the classroom. Yoo Han-seong sat by the window, staring outside as if the professor's lecture and Lee Sang-hee's demo meant nothing to him.
His expressionless face.
That signature cold, emotionless look he always had.
In the original, Lee Sang-hee fell for him at first sight. I didn't know the exact moment, but probably around the start of school.
And those feelings grew until they twisted into a pathological obsession.
'How far along is it now?'
Surprisingly, Yoo Han-seong wasn't showing any interest in her, just like in the original.
Class ended, and break time began. I was organizing my notes and prepping for the next lesson.
As an F-rank, I was far from casting awakening maintenance buffs, but knowing the theory would help someday, I believed.
That's when it happened.
"Y-Yoo Han-seong."
A small, trembling voice caught my ear.
I looked up. Lee Sang-hee stood near his desk, holding two cans of soda, her face flushed bright red.
"U-Um, th-this..."
Her shaking hand extended one can toward him. Yoo Han-seong looked up from his book, face still blank.
"What."
"F-For earlier, during the d-demo... y-you helped me, so... th-thank you..."
"I didn't do anything."
His curt, icy reply. Lee Sang-hee's face burned even redder. Her hand trembled faintly.
"St-Still. Back in the Moon Hare Dungeon... y-you were there for me. Th-That gave me the courage."
Moon Hare Dungeon. Was she talking about that time?
I'd just waited outside, so I didn't know the details, but apparently that's where she awakened her new skill.
And Yoo Han-seong had been there too.
He stared at her without responding.
Several seconds of silence passed.
Lee Sang-hee shrank further, and nearby students' eyes began to turn their way.
"...Fine."
Finally, he took the soda. But his expression didn't change—no thanks, no apology. Just accepted it.
"Th-Thank you...!"
Lee Sang-hee beamed and hurried back to her seat. Her back looked joyful somehow. Head down, but her shoulders shook with laughter, unmistakably.
'She really likes Yoo Han-seong.'
You didn't need original knowledge to see it. She had feelings for him. Deep ones, beyond mere liking.
I turned back to my notes. No time to meddle in others' love lives. Survival came first.
But then, a strange feeling hit me.
Someone was watching me.
I looked up—and locked eyes with Yoo Han-seong.
He'd set the soda can on his desk and was glancing my way. Uncharacteristically sneaky.
'Why not just talk to me?'
Maybe it was time to ask what his problem was.
'Is something bothering him?'
Oh, right.
I started brewing a new potion. Prep for the Blue Dragon Dungeon.
'That must be it.'
Yoo Han-seong's gaze shifted away. Back to staring out the window.
As if nothing had happened.
I shook my head and refocused on my notes.
But then, another gaze prickled my skin.
This time, Lee Sang-hee.
Sitting at her desk, she'd turned to stare at me. No—she'd caught Yoo Han-seong looking at me and was now observing me herself.
Her eyes were different.
Not her usual timid, anxious look. Sharp, cold, guarded. Like an animal sensing an intruder in its territory.
'Gulp.'
A chill ran down my spine. She'd definitely seen it. Him looking at me. And she clearly didn't like it.
Her hands gripped the desk tightly, veins bulging faintly on the backs. But with her head down, no one else could see her face.
Just me.
Those cold, dark eyes.
'Sigh.'
Things were getting messy.
Yoo Han-seong paying attention to me, and Lee Sang-hee noticing.
Classic love triangle setup, right?
Except I wasn't the heroine, but that didn't seem to matter to her.
In the original, Lee Sang-hee's obsession with Yoo Han-seong turned her yandere over time.
She wasn't there yet, but the seeds might already be sprouting.
The thought that I could be the first target made my skin crawl.
'I just want to lay low for a while.'
But the world rarely bends to one person's wishes.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students surged out of their seats and into the hallway. I grabbed my bag and stood.
That's when I saw Lee Sang-hee heading my way.
Well, not exactly toward me—she was pretending to pass by, but sneaking glances to size me up.
Her eyes scanned from my face to my bag, my shoes, back to my face. Like she was assessing me. Threat or not.