Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Ella's Circumstances - 2
****
Silence filled the professor's office.
Ella stared blankly at the spot where Tae-jin had been, then suddenly ruffled her blonde hair.
“Aghhh…!”
A shiver ran down her spine from embarrassment, and her cheeks flushed so hot she could probably fry an egg on them.
‘Ella! Are you crazy?!’
*Bang!*
*Crack!*
Her fists slammed down hard, cracking the desk.
But Ella wasn't concerned about that now.
A single thought was making her head explode.
She was crazy.
What kind of nonsense had she just spouted to her student?!
‘No! I simulated it dozens of times! Why did I panic like that?!’
*Thump thump!*
Ella agonizingly flicked her own forehead. Her plan had been clear.
She wanted to find out if his hobby of observing had been the foundation of his recent growth, if he had been quietly observing other students at the academy to build his foundation.
She had intended to approach the topic naturally and subtly inquire about his hobby.
But from the start, she had given off a strange vibe, implying that his hobby was observing people, and in the end, she just rambled on incoherently.
Her heart pounded, and her hands and feet trembled.
And then…
“Ha…”
A long sigh escaped her lips, carrying her regrets.
What was done was done.
He probably thought she was a strange, stuttering homeroom teacher.
She wanted to hide in a hole from embarrassment, but worry overshadowed her shame.
“Ugh… so he’s not stalking me anymore…?”
It had been two weeks since she had last seen him.
At the same time, he was showing rapid growth.
“Why?”
Why did he suddenly stop stalking her after two years, right before graduation?
Did he stop because it was nearing the end?
She was dying to know the reason, but she couldn't bring herself to ask.
She was too embarrassed and ashamed to muster the courage.
And the longer she spoke, the more she felt like her true feelings would be exposed.
“Ha…”
Ella slumped over her desk, her head hanging low. Her disheveled blonde hair covered her flushed face.
“Tae-jin… why are you doing this to me…?”
She wished he had at least given her a heads-up.
He had been chasing after her relentlessly just ten days ago, and now he had suddenly changed overnight.
She felt so frustrated, so resentful, that she wanted to pick a fight with him.
“What’s the reason… hobbies don’t change so suddenly, do they…?”
A bewildered murmur.
It wasn't like a long-term boyfriend had suddenly dumped her, but she felt a similar level of heartbreak.
If she knew the reason, she could at least try to do something about it.
Not knowing was driving her crazy.
“Hmm… sh-should I… follow him…?”
Ella bit her nails.
The clicking sound echoed, reflecting her anxiety.
The word 'follow,' which she had uttered impulsively, lingered on her lips.
Then her eyes lit up.
“That’s it…! J-just to understand my student’s special circumstances! For purely educational purposes…!”
She had initially intended to find out about his hobby by speculating that 'observing' was the foundation of his growth, but honestly, it wasn't entirely implausible.
She, too, had been working hard and training diligently for the past two years.
Moreover, there were times when she had used magic specifically so Tae-jin could see her better.
If he had used those observations as fuel for his growth, wouldn't that be a valuable lesson for other students?!
“Yes! That's right! This is just ‘research’ as a homeroom teacher, ‘observing’ for the benefit of the students!”
Yes! It wasn't stalking, it was just 'observing'!
Ella clenched her fist and stood up, a slightly misguided enthusiasm burning in her brown eyes.
And who knew, he might become complacent with his rapid growth and stumble!
If a wave of despair hit her student, she, as his homeroom teacher, should naturally act as a breakwater!
“It’s all for the endless development of my student!”
She declared, clenching her fist again.
But the blush on her face didn't fade.
No matter how she rationalized it, the core of her motivation was 'lust.'
“Ugh…”
Like a balloon that had inflated and then deflated, she slumped back into her chair.
The fluctuating waves of emotions reflected her current state.
“Well… I just need to know the reason. If I know that, it’s over. Then it’s all clear, right? And is observing a bad thing? No, it’s not.”
Ella tapped her index finger on the desk, repeatedly reassuring herself. It was almost like self-brainwashing, but Han Tae-jin’s change of heart was that important to her.
Why?
Because Han Tae-jin had been an outlet for her simmering lust, allowing her to maintain her vow of chastity before marriage.
Just being stalked by him gave her a thrilling sense of excitement that helped her keep her vow.
Therefore, Cadet Han Tae-jin was like an emergency exit for her, a way to escape the burning flames of lust.
“Hmm… it’s already been two weeks…”
Professor Ella’s wistful murmur echoed in the warmth of the drowsy afternoon.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Ha…”
A long sigh escaped my lips before the afternoon sparring class.
I just wanted to enjoy the sweet life of this other world like any other transmigrator.
How did I end up in this swamp of anguish?
I glanced at Choi Do-han, who was also preparing for sparring.
At the same time, my eyes met Han-Na's, who was looking at me from beside him.
'Ugh, why does she keep staring at me?'
We had been making eye contact for days.
As if she was monitoring me.
Even surveillance wasn't this blatant.
Han-Na quickly averted her gaze when our eyes met.
I clicked my tongue and looked forward.
It was the protagonist Choi Do-han's turn to spar, and everyone's attention was focused on him.
“Alright, the next match is between Cadet Choi Do-han and Cadet Choi Seo-yun.”
A match between supporter Choi Do-han and close-range dealer Choi Seo-yun.
A supporter was a class that provided support from the sidelines, dealing damage, tanking, and buffing. They weren't specialized in one skill, but rather had decent abilities in various areas.
A jack-of-all-trades.
But when the supporter was the 'protagonist,' things were different. Their damage output was top-tier, their tanking was top-tier, and they were more of an 'all-rounder' than a supporter.
“Seo-yun, fighting!”
Although the outcome was predictable, Choi Seo-yun was also among the top close-range dealers, so there would be some decent competition.
I also kept a close eye on the sparring arena to compare myself to Do-han.
The match began.
They both used standard training weapons.
First, Seo-yun initiated the attack.
“First Form, Line Breaker!”
Seo-yun wielded a dagger.
A sharp whooshing sound cut through the air as she swung her dagger, sending a yellow blade of energy flying.
*Thud!*
But it was effortlessly blocked by Do-han’s shield. In that instant, Seo-yun closed in, jumped high over the shield blocking Do-han's view, and spun in the air.
“Second Form, Downfall!”
A combination attack following the first form.
Spinning in mid-air like an acrobat, Seo-yun kicked off an invisible magic foothold and plummeted towards the ground.
Her speed was tremendous, creating visible air ripples.
*Crash!*
A loud impact.
A powerful gust of wind filled my vision.
“Whoa…! Fast!”
“Did she actually beat Do-han?”
“It looks like a direct hit!”
No way.
[See-Through (Lv10) activated.]
[Detecting a silhouette beyond the hazy magic wind.]
Just before impact, Do-han had performed a forward roll, narrowly dodging the attack. Supporting himself with his back foot, he cast a skill at Seo-yun, who had crashed into the ground.
“Third Form, Rotary Fels.”
A skill that maximized the power of his blunt weapon by expanding its size.
It was one of Do-han's favorite skills.
*Boom!*
“Ugh!”
Seo-yun didn't even have time to react.
Before she could regain her footing, the heavy blunt weapon struck her, sending her flying out of the sparring arena.
A flexible tactic, countering a combination attack with another combination attack.
It was an easy victory for Do-han.
Seo-yun, flung away by the force of the magic wind, rolled helplessly and crashed into the padded wall.
“Wh-what the? Seo-yun!”
“He dodged that and counterattacked?!”
The other cadets wouldn't have been able to see that brief exchange.
I, too, would have only seen the hazy magic wind if it weren't for the See-Through trait.
A moment later, the magic wind dissipated, revealing Do-han with his enlarged blunt weapon slung over his shoulder.
A triumphant smile played on his lips.
“Choi Do-han wins!”
Professor Choi Seok-min raised his hand towards Do-han and declared. Since the result was expected, there wasn't much commotion.
Only applause praising Do-han's skill and applause comforting Seo-yun echoed through the gymnasium.
'As expected, his movements are unlike a cadet's. I'd believe it if you said he was a seasoned hunter.'
Even in that short exchange, the movements of those who had reached a certain level of skill were different.
Choi Do-han's movements were like that.
Fluid like water, and swift like the wind.
And the destructive power to send a top-ranked close-range dealer flying with a single skill.
'I still have a long way to go.'
His skills were truly overwhelming.
If it were me, I would have broken several ribs.
A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of being hit by that skill if the harem shifted.
“The next match is between Cadet Yong Seong-sik and Cadet Moon Ga-eun. Step forward.”
Several more matches followed.
Evenly matched opponents, but the bouts ended quickly.
That's how the world of hunters was; victory and defeat were decided by the smallest of margins.
“Alright, the next match is Cadet Han Tae-jin.”
“Yes!”
Finally, my turn.
Who would my opponent be?
With a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, I looked at Professor Choi Seok-min, who then stepped into the sparring arena.
“...?”
“Cadet Han Tae-jin, for accurate assessment, you will spar with me.”
Excuse me?
..
..
Excuse me?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Weak, frail, sickly, apathetic.
These were the four words that came to mind when evaluating Han Tae-jin.
He had taught graduating classes for many years and nurtured countless cadets, but Han Tae-jin was a uniquely apathetic student, lacking motivation and passion.
He couldn’t even fully draw a bowstring, resulting in pathetic destructive power, and his accuracy was even worse. It was truly lamentable.
'How could he…'
However, after the practical skills test a few days ago, he had been in a state of confusion.
A growth spurt he couldn't comprehend, no matter how many times he replayed it in his mind.
Forget passion, his dull, vacant eyes were so pathetic that they drained your energy just by looking at them.
'It doesn't make sense. He’s growing faster than Cadet Choi Do-han.'
And now…
To determine if this incomprehensible growth was just a midsummer night’s dream or not, he decided to spar with Han Tae-jin himself.
Perhaps he had used some kind of trick, or maybe he had borrowed 'forbidden power.'
Of course, that possibility was close to zero.
Using illegal doping resulted in expulsion from the academy, and what graduating student would take such a reckless gamble at this point?
'Well… unless he *wanted* to be expelled.'
That wasn't entirely implausible, considering it was Han Tae-jin.
Anyway, he had stepped in to dispel those suspicions.
—*Whoosh!*
'Huh?!'
And Han Tae-jin dispelled those suspicions in an instant.
It was undoubtedly pure magic power.
“Here I come, Cadet Han Tae-jin.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The arrow's power, speed, and accuracy had all noticeably improved. It was hard to believe he was the same frail kid who couldn’t even properly draw a bowstring just ten days ago.
However, attack power wasn't the only important factor for hunters.
Especially for archers, evasive maneuvers were essential.
For months, Han Tae-jin hadn't been able to exchange even a single blow with him.
He always collapsed after one move.
But this time would be different.
If he could just dodge one attack, he would push Han Tae-jin to his limit again.
Filled with anticipation, he threw a punch.
—*Whoosh!*
A fist-shaped gust of magic power shot out with a powerful whooshing sound.
The swiftly approaching fist struck Han Tae-jin's entire body.
—*Boom!*
“Ugh!”
And then…
Han Tae-jin’s knees buckled.
[Frail (Lv7.0) activated.]