Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Group Assignment (4)
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...That thought didn't last long. I couldn't fight off the crashing waves of sleepiness. In the end, I collapsed onto my desk and dozed off.
.
.
.
.
How long had I been asleep?
"Whoa, that was some seriously sweet sleep."
I stretched and looked around.
The lecture had already ended before I knew it.
By the time I woke up, almost all the other students had left the classroom.
A few stragglers remained in the now-empty room, packing up their things.
Up at the podium stood Professor Cheon Ho-seok.
And in front of him, Seo Jin-ah was chattering away about something.
She was beaming and fawning over him just like always.
'She's really laying it on thick to impress the professor.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Well, it wasn't a bad choice.
There weren't many schools in the country with a Hunter Department.
Plus, the professors in the department were top experts in their fields, wielding considerable influence in Hunter society.
The professor position even put them in the perfect spot to observe students' talents and potential up close.
That was why rumors swirled openly about them trading student info with major guilds or the association on a regular basis.
And surprisingly, most of it was true.
Some professors even moonlighted as advisors for famous guilds.
'But most are retired hunters with massive wealth, so they're not the type to be bought off easily.'
Hunter Department professors were mostly "successful hunters" who'd amassed fortunes and fame during their active days.
They weren't tied down by money or prestige anymore.
They stood at the podium purely to nurture the next generation.
So, just fawning like Seo Jin-ah wasn't enough to catch their eye.
You needed overwhelming talent—or effort to match it.
In that regard...
It had nothing to do with an F-rank hanger-on like me.
'Yawn. Maybe head home and crash again.'
I grabbed my bag to leave the classroom.
That was when it happened.
"Joo-hyuk, could I have a word?"
"Pardon? Me?"
The one calling me was none other than...
Professor Cheon Ho-seok.
I couldn't make sense of the situation.
Had he caught me sleeping through class?
Oh no.
Getting on a professor's bad side was a hassle, separate from currying favor.
I hesitated for a moment.
Turning down his invitation here would make school life—and Hunter life—miserable down the line.
"No reason to drag this out."
"Sure. If it's quick, I'm good."
I had zero interest in complications.
Whatever the misunderstanding, better clear it up now.
"Hm. Not the best spot for a chat, so Joo-hyuk, Jin-ah—come by my office for a bit."
The professor said that and strode out of the classroom.
Seo Jin-ah and I had no choice but to follow.
The whole way down the hall...
She glared daggers at me openly.
I ignored her and minded my own business.
*
Professor Cheon Ho-seok's office was on the top floor of the Hunter Department building.
'First time coming up this far.'
The elevator doors opened right onto his office.
He swiped his keycard, and the door swung open.
A spacious, airy room welcomed us.
It was packed with cutting-edge equipment.
One entire wall was floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a panoramic campus view.
But the real shock...
Was the grad students who leaped from their seats at the sound of the door, bowing 90 degrees in unison.
"Professor, you're here!"
Their voices brimmed with respect.
'Whoa, so this is power.'
Finally, the professor gig felt real.
In the 21st century.
In a society where slavery was abolished, it was the one job where you could legally pick talented slaves, dangle freedom via thesis completion, make them do anything—and if they balked, keep them slaving forever!
Sure, pissed-off slaves occasionally rebelled and murdered professors.
But as an active A-rank hunter and slave master, Professor Cheon probably wouldn't have that issue.
Then again, something was off.
Almost all the grad students were guys.
Just one woman, and she wore thick glasses, hair in a tight bun, dressed plainly.
'If I were professor, I'd only pick grad students with killer figures.'
And use "thesis work" as an excuse for daily naughty fun.
In that sense, Professor Cheon seemed squeaky clean.
"Nothing for you all, so keep at it."
He waved them off dismissively.
"Yes, Professor!"
The grad students returned to their seats and dove back into research.
The professor led us to his private room at the far end.
One wall was crammed with ancient tomes and fresh research papers.
The other held hunter gear, presumably his.
"Sit wherever."
He gestured to the leather sofas along one wall.
Seo Jin-ah sat as far from me as possible, clearly not wanting to be near me.
"Help yourselves to tea. Coffee and snacks over there if you want."
He pointed to a minibar stocked with teas, coffee, and treats.
"Ah, sure."
I wasn't thirsty anyway.
Especially not in this awkward vibe.
Seo Jin-ah looked the same.
She sat ramrod straight, tense as could be.
*
After some awkward silence, I spoke first.
"So, why'd you call me here?"
I'd thought maybe a scolding for sleeping.
But dragging us to his office seemed overkill for that.
Professor Cheon Ho-seok jumped right in, like he'd been waiting.
"No sense wasting time. Straight to it: Jin-ah asked me to remove your name from their group assignment."
Seo Jin-ah jolted upright from across the sofa and yelped.
"Professor!"
He silenced her with a raised hand.
His gaze stayed on me.
"I've seen the materials from her. You didn't do any of the research assigned to you. The role was forced on you, sure, but you didn't object."
I stayed silent.
He wasn't wrong.
"So, what happens to me?"
In Dungeon Ecology, group assignments were half your semester grade.
The other half was the midterms dungeon raid.
This far in, groups set and classes underway—kicking me out solo meant starting from scratch.
Wouldn't retaking the class be easier?
"That depends on Jin-ah."
He eyed me briefly, then turned to her.
"Per her account, you contributed nothing, so a fair grade reflects that. But..."
He paused, fixing her with a look.
"Jin-ah, what if you give Joo-hyuk one more chance? As leader, forgiving a member's mistake and pushing through together is key leadership."
Her face filled with confusion at his words.
"So... it's up to me?"
Professor Cheon nodded.
Without a second's hesitation,
She said firmly,
"Then take him off."
*
"Alright. Joo-hyuk's out of this assignment."
A smile crept across Seo Jin-ah's lips at the professor's declaration.
She shot me a smug, triumphant look.
See? I told you. Should've done it right when I asked nicely.
Something like that.
But the smile didn't last.
"That said, Jin-ah, you'll take a hit too."
Her face froze instantly.
"What? Why me?"
"You're the leader, aren't you? Assigning roles and ensuring they're done—that's your core job. I won't nitpick assignments; that's your call. But when management fails, the blame's clear."
Her face paled under his airtight logic.
She couldn't accept it, firing back heatedly.
"Hold on, Professor! You're saying I have to stop a group member from flat-out refusing? That's not fair! He didn't do it—why should I pay?!"
But Professor Cheon didn't flinch.
"Not fair? Jin-ah, nothing's more illusory in the Hunter world than 'fair.' Do monsters offer fair fights in dungeons? Do rival guilds yield fairly in turf wars?"
She fell silent under his sharp point.
"Leaders bear responsibility for success—and failure. If a member slacks, it's the leader's fault for poor guidance or mismatched tasks."
'Damn, professors are savage with words.'
"When you're an active hunter leading a party, you'll face way worse injustices. Complain 'unfair' then too?"
Seo Jin-ah bit her lip in frustration, glaring at me—the root of it all—like she wanted to kill me.