A Metaphor for Survival
Ban Oe-min approached, his kitchen knife gleaming after a thorough washing. He scanned the Ghost Rat Leader’s body from head to tail, looking like a butcher contemplating exactly where to make the first incision. Finally, his gaze settled on the creature's throat.
"Squeak! Squeak-squeak!" The Ghost Rat Leader shrieked, thrashing frantically against its bonds.
"Are you asking for mercy?" Bukjin asked.
The Ghost Rat Leader nodded so vigorously it looked like it might slam its head into the dirt.
"Do you want me to save you?"
The rat’s head bobbed again, nearly snapping its neck in desperation.
"If I save your life, how do you plan to repay the favor?" Bukjin inquired.
The Ghost Rat Leader let out a series of complex squeaks, but Bukjin couldn't understand a word of it.
"Ah, so you're saying you want to become my Contract Beast?" Bukjin translated, shamelessly twisting the creature's words to suit his own agenda.
"Squeak?" The Ghost Rat Leader stopped thrashing and stared at Bukjin with a look of pure bewilderment.
"Dean Ban, is there a way to form a soul contract or something with this magical beast to make it my familiar?" Bukjin turned to ask.
Ban Oe-min replied with a stony expression. "That is only possible for those at the Celestial Realm or higher. Their souls are powerful enough to use specialized energy and vast resources to forcibly bind a magical beast into a combat familiar. With your current strength, it is out of the question. Your soul power is nowhere near sufficient for a contract. If you even attempted to draw out your soul's essence, your body would collapse, and you might lose your mind..."
Ban Oe-min’s expression stiffened for a moment, as if he had just remembered that the Bukjin standing before him wasn't exactly "sane" to begin with.
"Since you lack both the soul power and the necessary resources, there is no way for you to do it," Ban Oe-min continued. "Besides, Ghost Rats are low-tier magical beasts. They may be intelligent, but their combat power is pathetic. Their greatest contribution to humanity is serving as a source of protein. A leader like this one is prime ingredients—delicious whether boiled or roasted. In fact, I happen to know a secret recipe for Ghost Rat meat that is quite exquisite. If I were to cook it now, I'm sure it would be..."
Ban Oe-min trailed off, staring at the rat with an intensity that suggested he was struggling to suppress his appetite. Bukjin’s brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the 1st Grade Dean to be such a hardcore foodie. Looking back, it seemed the entire assignment to hunt Ghost Rats yesterday had been nothing more than a grocery run for the man.
"Hey, swear right now that you'll be my slave from this day forward. Heh heh heh," Bukjin said, narrowing his eyes and putting on his best swindler's face. "Acknowledge me as your master, and I'll spare your life."
The Ghost Rat Leader hesitated.
"Fine, have it your way. Dean Ban, kill it."
"Squeak! Squeak-squeak!" The Ghost Rat Leader, despite its pride, finally burst into tears and nodded frantically.
"I was the one who captured it alive. If you want it, you must pay the price," Ban Oe-min interjected. "Nothing in this world is free."
Cho Heun, who had been watching the situation, opened his mouth to help Bukjin out, but Ban Oe-min cut him off instantly.
"Dean Cho, do not interfere. This training is my responsibility; you are merely the assistant instructor. I know you favor Im Bukjin, but excessive coddling is detrimental to his growth. He is still young."
Cho Heun was silenced. Bukjin could only stare at Ban Oe-min in disbelief. This guy really has some rigid educational philosophies, doesn't he?
In the end, Bukjin had to cough up a bottle of Peach Blossom Liquor and a pound of mutton he had bought from the Manseung-ru restaurant just to secure the Ghost Rat Leader.
"You're my rat now," Bukjin said, untying the Mystic Gate Rope that bound the creature. "If you try to run, I will personally hunt down every single Ghost Rat in Bukhwang Mountain and roast them all alive."
The Ghost Rat Leader, who had indeed been planning to bolt the moment it was free, froze in its tracks. How can a human be this venomous?! I have no choice but to bow for now, but I will never truly submit to humanity! I'll find an opening and get my revenge!
With that internal vow, the Ghost Rat Leader stood obediently by Bukjin’s side.
"Go jump in the river and wash your filthy body," Bukjin commanded. The rat immediately dove into the nearby stream and began scrubbing itself.
"What do you plan to do with such a low-class beast?" Baek Geum-un asked, looking puzzled. "Low-tier monsters like that have no value beyond meat. Their fur is worthless, and they don't even have Mana Cores. Even if this leader is smart, it's still just a slightly clever rat."
Bukjin smirked. "Heh, you'll see its worth soon enough."
What worth could it possibly have?
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
A short while later, the Ghost Rat Leader came screaming out of an Ice Wolf den. Behind its round, scurrying body, a pack of red-eyed Ice Wolves came charging out in hot pursuit. Seeing this, Ban Oe-min and Cho Heun finally understood what Bukjin meant by "worth."
Baek Geum-un, Han Bul-bu, and Ak Hong-hyang all had the same realization at once.
Bait!
It was a tactic Bukjin had used frequently in games back on Earth. While adventurers in this world used bait for hunting, no one had ever heard of using a live, intelligent rat to "pull" mobs like this.
"Move it! They're almost at the kill zone! Get ready to engage!" Bukjin shouted excitedly.
The thrill of pulling monsters from their camps in an MMO flooded back to him. It felt like he was playing a game, but the experience was far more visceral and exhilarating. Bukjin was already fully immersed in the "raid."
Ice Wolves were notorious magical beasts in Bukhwang Mountain. Individually, they had the combat power of a 7th or 8th-grade Warrior and possessed skills to create ice blades or freezing mist. They carried Mana Cores, and their pelts fetched a high price, though their meat was inedible.
The wolves were incredibly agile, possessing powerful lunging and charging capabilities. Bukjin, Han Bul-bu, Ak Hong-hyang, and Baek Geum-un each took on one wolf.
Bukjin finished his fight first. A Water Arrow fired from his hand pierced the Ice Wolf’s eye, sending it into a death throe. Since awakening his elemental attribute, Bukjin’s strength was firmly in the Master Realm. At the level of a high-tier 1st-grade Master, taking down a single Ice Wolf was child's play.
However, the others were having a harder time. Ban Oe-min and Cho Heun watched from the rear, their Hyeongi surging as they remained on high alert. If any student fell into true danger, they were prepared to intervene instantly.
"Aaaaah! Die!!!" Baek Geum-un screamed at the top of her lungs.
Her fighting style was surprisingly brutal. She wielded a massive two-handed sword she had dubbed the Great Treasure Sword, swinging it like a berserk warrior. It was a jarring contrast to her petite, curvaceous frame. After a frantic exchange, the Ice Wolf she was fighting collapsed, riddled with gashes. However, Baek Geum-un hadn't escaped unscathed; she was covered in scratches and bite marks.
"Milk! Senior Bukjin, give me some milk, quick!" Baek Geum-un yelled.
Bukjin rolled his eyes but manifested his skill anyway.
Water Ring (Su-hwan)
Effect: Restores vitality and heals physical wounds through high-purity water energy.
He tossed several glowing blue hoops toward her. "Ahhh..." A satisfied moan escaped Baek Geum-un’s lips as the energy washed over her. Her wounds closed, and her stamina returned. Reinvigorated, she rushed forward to deliver the finishing blow to the dying wolf.
Bukjin, having finished early, acted as the "healer" for the group. Whenever Han Bul-bu or Ak Hong-hyang took a serious hit, he would manifest a Water Ring to patch them up. Under the support of Bukjin’s potent recovery abilities, the students successfully hunted all four Ice Wolves.
Ban Oe-min and Cho Heun exchanged a look of pleasant surprise. While Bukjin’s unique water-attribute energy didn't seem particularly suited for direct combat, its healing properties were unparalleled. Even a basic Water Ring technique produced incredible results in his hands. This specialized energy would be a game-changer in the team battles of the upcoming Academic & Martial Arts Competition.
That little rascal actually has a talent for providing unexpected joy, Cho Heun thought with a wide grin.
Once the battle was over, Cho Heun began clearing the battlefield. Meanwhile, Baek Geum-un approached Bukjin with a suspicious look.
"Senior, the name of your technique is Water Ring. Why do you make us ask for 'milk' instead of 'water' every time you heal us?"
Ban Oe-min, Han Bul-bu, and Ak Hong-hyang all pricked up their ears, clearly curious about the answer as well. Bukjin replied with a perfectly straight face.
"It's a metaphor, a sort of code. When you're healed by my Water Ring, doesn't it feel as nourishing and life-giving as a baby drinking its mother's milk?"
"Hmph!" Baek Geum-un’s face turned bright red. "You pervert!"
Ak Hong-hyang stared blankly for a moment before a deep blush crept up her neck. Han Bul-bu looked like he had no words left to say. Even Ban Oe-min’s lips twitched slightly.
"Haha! We got four Mana Cores! That's about 500 silver coins right there! And look at this wolf pelt—it's in perfect condition. That'll fetch at least 100 silver!" Cho Heun laughed heartily as he returned from the cleanup.
Bukjin nearly jumped out of his skin. "What? Mana Cores and pelts are worth that much?"
His eyes lit up as if he had just discovered a literal gold mine. Cho Heun narrowed his eyes, looking at Bukjin as if he were the most naive person on earth. "You didn't know?"
Bukjin gave a wide, greedy grin. "Wait, aren't there three more wolf carcasses over there? Those pelts..."