The Professors' Recruitment
There they were. Magic representative professor Lee Hwaryeong. Martial arts representative professor Gainard Marak. Miscellaneous representative professor Kerar Mera. Two professors with a notorious rivalry and one who rarely appeared even in the game. I couldn't immediately adapt to the bizarre sight of all three standing in my room.
'What the hell is going on...'
Their words blurred together, but their purpose was obvious. They had come to convince me to take their classes. 'Wasn't this kind of event reserved for main characters?'
For example, if the sword genius Woo Dohyun didn't choose Gainard's class, the professor would personally seek him out and recommend it. Such surprise events happened occasionally when they didn't want to lose promising talent. This case was completely different.
'They came to butter me up before I even picked my classes...'
The best possible start as Lee Seokhyun kept unfolding, which only made me uneasy. Nothing good ever came without a reason.
'All I did was solve some problems and kill monsters.'
Did they really need to go this far?
The professors ignored my confusion and continued their pitches.
"Lee Seokhyun, you don't seem to grasp the weight of the problems you solved. This could be a truly groundbreaking discovery. Did you figure it out on your own? Either way, if you write a paper in this field and walk the path of magic, just imagine how brilliant your life could become. Have you ever thought about that?"
No. I just memorized the answers and solutions from playing the game too much.
"I saw you take down that troll bare-handed. Moving like that without any martial arts training... It's impossible unless you've spent over ten years honing your instincts in the mountains. You're a genius, Lee Seokhyun. A natural-born genius of the wild. Polish those instincts properly and becoming the top martial artist—or even the top student of your year—won't be just a dream."
I really did live in the mountains for ten years, eating wild animals.
"How can you say such things? Even with talents like his, none of you understand why Lee Seokhyun chose the miscellaneous path? He must have had some grand purpose in mind for it. Yet you're recommending magic and martial arts? As I declared at the meeting, Lee Seokhyun will become my personal disciple. I will respect his will."
I just picked miscellaneous because it had the highest pass rate.
The lengthy, passionate speeches were too embarrassing to endure. I had suspected it when Lee Hwaryeong spoke, but all three professors were clearly under a massive misunderstanding.
'They think I'm some kind of all-rounder with talent in every field.'
The difference between an all-rounder and a jack-of-all-trades was paper-thin. And I was the perfect example of the latter. I could do many things, but everything was mediocre and useless in unexpected situations. I only shone when the scenario followed a fixed script.
If Lee Hwaryeong had suddenly changed her mind and given a problem that never appeared in the game, I would've scored zero on the theory exam. The problem was that I couldn't just say that outright. Knowing they were mistaken yet being unable to correct them was frustrating.
"Thank you for the kind words, but... the good grades I got were purely luck. So please don't expect anything more from me...?"
I tried to play humble with the "luck" excuse and escape their grasp, but the professors weren't listening. They had already unfolded my course registration form and were scrutinizing it line by line.
"Oh my, I didn't know you were so interested in alchemy. But you don't need to take that class. Come see me after taking my lecture and I'll teach you everything personally."
"Basic combat studies are mandatory, but you already qualify for the next level, Lee Seokhyun. I've opened a special class this semester. Come to that one instead."
"Hmm... From what I see, this theology section suggests Lee Seokhyun has broad academic interests. In that case, you should take the class I mentioned earlier."
Their opening lines differed, but the conclusion was the same: "Forget everything else and just take my class." It was repeated three times.
Yet their words weren't entirely unreasonable. The classes they offered were indeed superior to the ones I had planned to take. Still, there was one reason I hesitated.
'It'll get way too intense from the start.'
The difficulty would spike dramatically. A class opened by a representative professor would naturally attract the main characters, forcing me into every major event. One of Lee Seokhyun's few advantages was being able to avoid incidents that main characters had to participate in.
'What should I do?'
The professors had finished their sales pitches and were now staring at me with sparkling, puppy-like eyes, waiting for treats. Weigh the better rewards against the risk, or reject their offers for the sake of stability. When I lined up both options, the answer had been obvious from the beginning.
"I..."
I gave my answer to end the situation. Only now did I realize how troublesome popularity could be.
++++++++++++
Mirinae Academy had one peculiar trait: classes didn't begin immediately after enrollment. Once students received their dorm assignments and submitted their course registration forms, they were given a full week of personal preparation time. It was a consideration from the academy, since students wouldn't be free to leave the premises afterward and would face various restrictions on daily life.
'Basically, "go have fun for a week, then study hard."'
A time to fully enjoy the joy of acceptance, spread the news that you'd gotten into Mirinae Academy, and bask in that freedom and happiness. The break also served to heighten academic motivation through reverse psychology—if you were told not to study, you'd suddenly want to.
"Thank you for everything. Thanks to you, I got to stay somewhere nice and cheap."
"Oh, don't say that. Anyone listening would think someone else did all the hard work. You did your part just fine."
I was also making full use of this week. After packing up my belongings at the inn, I said goodbye to the innkeeper who had helped the ragged, bark-clothed version of me, then headed straight for the mountains.
'I hope no one caught it yet.'
The ten years I'd spent in the mountains had been for both mental and physical training and for memorizing the terrain. Even without playing directly, living there for so long would have etched every geographical feature into my mind.
'It should be around here...'
I dug through the mountain, chasing faded memories. After about three hours—
'Found it.'
I finally discovered what I'd been searching for.
GUOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!
A roar powerful enough to topple nearby trees. A five-meter frame far beyond normal size. Claws massive enough to skewer five people at once. Its ferocious appearance made it impossible to believe it was a bear, sending a chill down my spine.
'The mountain guardian bear, Ungbak.'
The reason I could live on the same mountain as that thing for ten years without dying was simple: the rule that you wouldn't die between the prologue and the main story. If I'd actually played the game, I probably would've died the moment I entered deep into the mountains.
Ungbak was a field boss, a monster that grew stronger by devouring the honey, medicinal herbs, and animals that flourished in the mountains. It had the trait of disappearing after a certain amount of time, making it something you had to hunt early on—yet it was impossible to defeat with early-game specs.
Still, I'd come here because the rewards it offered were too good to pass up.
'The bear gall increases stamina stats... the hide sells for a high price, the claws can be used as weapons...'
Even its dung could be used as medicine. It was a divine beast among divine beasts, so not hunting it would've been absurd.
The problem was—
'Can I actually beat it with my current specs?'
I didn't know my exact combat level yet, so approaching recklessly was difficult. Getting good grades on the practical exam didn't necessarily translate to real strength. There was a huge gap between a safe virtual space and actual combat.
'It would've been nice if I had one more person.'
A martial arts character with rapid early-game growth like a main character would've been ideal. But that kind of convenient situation was unlikely to—
"For the glory of Mudanard! El Rataaaaaah!!!!"
There she was. Mi Juran, princess of Mudanard and one of the main characters, charging at Ungbak while screaming at the top of her lungs.