Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Look at That Gaze
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I followed behind my assigned professor on the pretext of a private meeting.
‘Has he guessed the dean’s true identity?’
A chill smile played on his lips.
There was no reason for him to suddenly direct that expression at me, so it had to be because of the unexpected intruder who had soured his mood.
And there was only one such person: the dean.
‘…No. He wouldn’t know he’s a villain.’
Given the professor’s personality, if he had figured it out, he probably would have smashed the dean’s head right then and there.
‘The kind of guy who’d pick fights with the council elders and the association president like that.’
Definitely.
He wouldn’t have let it slide.
“What? Who’s badmouthing me?”
The professor suddenly scratched his ear as if it itched, letting out an irritated grunt.
“By the way, Professor. Why do we need this private meeting?”
“Huh? Oh, that? Just an excuse to slip out of there.”
The professor replied in a cynical tone and glanced to the side.
“Speaking of which, why’d you bring Cadet Mina along? Because of this?”
He waggled his pinky finger.
Ugh. So outdated.
“What? Feels like you’re cursing me again?”
Sharp senses, too.
“It’s not that.”
“Then?”
“Didn’t want to leave her there alone.”
Intrigued by my words, the professor nodded for me to continue.
Mina was watching subtly, curiosity piqued as well.
I revealed my thoughts matter-of-factly.
“There was a ‘dean’ there, right?”
“Huh? Why bring him up?”
It was an odd—very odd—thing to hear from a mere cadet.
“As you know, deans are tied to major families. They lend family power and, in return, get exclusive rights from the association to scout future talents.”
Catching their eye all but guaranteed a bright future.
“After graduating the academy, play your cards right, and you could join a family on great terms. Or they might tip off an allied guild to give you a spot.”
No matter how I looked at it, the cadet before me—Sin Bihyeong—couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.
Didn’t he prove it on the first day of enrollment?
With Golden Taeyang’s family on the verge of crossing lines, he’d borrowed my eyes and voice to shield Mina and the vice-chief from outside interference.
I answered the unspoken question simply.
“I have no intention of joining a family.”
The professor was momentarily speechless at the bold declaration.
Fine, you maybe, but… what about the vice-chief?
“Mina won’t join a family either.”
I responded to the doubt on his face with equal confidence.
“She’s formed a party with me.”
“…Hah. Hahaha!! What’s this? Confidence that you can surpass any family whenever you want?”
Should he praise the ambition?
Or…
‘Praise the self-awareness?’
Either way, the professor loved what he heard.
“Smart thinking. Not all families or guilds are good news. That’s why I wanted to pull you out—the dean had his eye on you.”
Sure, some were decent, but most power holders had rot somewhere up the chain.
“Get tangled with them, and they’ll exploit your talents without letting them bloom.”
They wouldn’t tolerate anyone encroaching on their turf.
“Tch. Such a moronic mindset. They only hoard power because they think they can handle yokai on their own.”
Pathetic lack of grit.
I stifled a hollow laugh as the professor muttered under his breath.
‘Who the hell is this guy’s backing that he can talk like that?’
A man shrouded in mystery.
I’d never seen an NPC like him in the game.
Now I was seriously curious about the professor’s identity.
But I couldn’t ask.
Not when he’d already scanned his faculty badge and led us into a room.
“Well, words are out, so let’s do the meeting.”
“Why hold it in the ‘training hall’?”
That’s right.
The room we’d followed him into was another indoor training hall.
Unlike the gym-like one from before, this resembled an ancient coliseum—save for the architecture.
“Why do you think? To check your skills.”
The professor drew the bamboo staff slung diagonally across his back.
“And appraise whatever elixir you scarfed from the treasure vault.”
“You knew I took a spirit elixir?”
“Eh… roughly? Skyrocketing to Rank 3 in one go, and no talisman packs that potent—so had to be an elixir.”
He scratched his head.
“Still, honestly baffling. Even top elixirs don’t boost ranks that fast.”
If they did, prestigious houses would feed them to every dog and cat for combat power.
“Refining insights from an elixir needs a solid base. You’ve only learned basic arts since enrolling.”
Basic arts were the essence of all arts, sure—but just the basics.
Not profound enough for a Rank 2 to leap to Rank 3 via enlightenment.
“Curious, right? What miracle elixir jacked your rank, and what side effects it has. I’ll appraise it properly.”
The professor smiled, tapping his shoulder with the staff.
It seemed like satisfying his curiosity, but it benefited the cadet too.
High-grade elixirs that boosted ranks surely had backlash.
I nodded, grasping his intent.
“So you’ll check for side effects and gauge my growth.”
“Something like that. And advise on any flaws I spot.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll dial attacks to 10% power. Any dangerous ones dissolve instantly. That work?”
With the training hall’s spells set, a talisman formed in his hand.
Thus began my first spar with the assigned professor.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Boom!
Fierce flames rained down like droplets.
I gritted my teeth and moved.
‘About 10% of full power. And it’s still this fast…’
Reducing power to a tenth wasn’t just raw destruction.
Speed, effects, size—all scaled down.
Every element that could harm got cut to 10%.
Yet the professor’s spells poured like rain, boulder-sized.
‘…I knew a single rank gap was huge, but feeling it again.’
I’d thought sparring with Dugeuk had familiarized me.
But facing arts head-on was different.
‘What… does he have a versatile bloodline like Mina’s?’
I’d assumed close-combat from the staff on his back.
Yet his arts rivaled his rank—no, surpassed it.
Bang!
My stray thoughts shattered.
“Who zones out mid-spar? Am I that easy?”
The fiery barrage suddenly swirled midair, sharpening into deadly blades.
From the ring of fire emerged a massive bow and arrow.
A bow drawn taut, ready to loose.
Whoosh!
The air-splitting arrow streaked like light.
I poured everything into the Fighting Joy Spirit to counter.
‘Can’t dodge. Have to block.’
Roots burrowed into the training floor.
Arts infused simultaneously.
Wood to Fire to Earth.
‘More.’
Then Metal.
Fighting Joy Spirit.
Mutual Generation Triple Overlap.
Kaboom!
Diamond Metal aura cloaked my thrust fist, smashing the arrow aside.
“Ho?”
The professor smiled approvingly.
“That packed more punch than most Rank 3 arts. And you punched through? Wow! That fist rivals Rank 4 at least…”
Before he finished,
my form closed in instantly.
“Whoa!”
Thud!
My explosive step and slashing leg were sword-sharp,
but he simply leaned back to evade effortlessly.
“Fast. But too linear, no? I might’ve taken it if…”
“I know.”
That’s why I feinted with my eyes.
My body spun like a top.
Force flowed,
accelerating as my foot slammed the ground.
Crash!
His chest caved like a footprint in the floor.
“Guh!”
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
A fatal wound by any measure.
Yet my gaze remained impassive.
“Enough acting. It’s an illusion from the start.”
“Ah, darn. Busted?”
Only after I spoke did he grin sheepishly, his form shifting.
Skin like bark, limbs like vines.
A Wood Art: Wooden Doll.
Crack.
As it crumbled, he emerged unscathed from the floor nearby.
An irrepressible smile lit his face.
“To see through that. How?”
“No sensation on impact.”
“Hah. Insane senses.”
How is that Rank 3 perception?
Even heaven seemed unfair granting such talent.
“Still, plenty of rough edges.”
“I know. That’s why we’re sparring—to pinpoint them.”
“Right.”
Grinning wider, he raised a finger.
“Biggest flaw? Lack of ‘response.’”
“Response?”
“Bluntly: senses too sharp.”
They’d nullify most assaults.
But nothing’s perfect.
“Face an enemy who counters that sense, and you’ll lack ways to respond.”
“……”
I couldn’t argue.
The Fighting Joy Spirit, evolved from Demon Combat Technique, was peak striking art.
Goblin-style relentless offense.
‘And half-demon senses mesh perfectly.’
You block what you can.
Oh, that’ll kill me? Instinct kicks in to dodge.
That’s what the professor was pointing out.
“Just work on responses, and your combat power soars.”
That was one goal of this spar.
“Gut feeling. Find it and surprise me… I’ll gift you one of my spirit pills.”
My eyes lit up.
“A promise?”
He read the ‘resolve’ in my gaze and thought.
‘Whoa. Look at that gaze. Feels like he’ll pull it off.’
Call it off now… Nah.