Chapter 375: A Clue (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 375: A Clue (2)
The surrounding mana was dyed a color completely different from before.
An ultramarine blue, similar to black yet clearly distinct with its intertwining azure light.
The mana, now cloaked in this new color, pressed down on my body.
Rumble…!
“Kuh…!”
The immense pressure from above made me groan, and I forced strength into my buckling knees, willing my collapsing frame to stay upright.
-Hoh….
King let out a sound of surprise, as if he hadn't expected me to remain standing.
No manners?
What a joke.
That absurd excuse was nothing more than a pretext.
His real goal was likely to gauge the extent of my power.
Despite the heavy force pressing down, I forced my trembling head up to face him and smiled.
“That’s a pretty interesting trick you’ve got there.”
There is only one power that can manifest strength by changing the very structure of mana.
A Divine Authority granted by one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
-You’re more than I expected.
His tone was satisfied.
Soon, the ultramarine mana that had been crushing the surroundings began to lose its color and dissipate.
It seemed the light test was over.
“So, do I meet the qualifications?”
In response to my question, white teeth flashed from beyond the black background.
It was a mocking smile.
-I suppose I can give you a clue.
“Oh, is that so.”
His tone was condescending.
But I wasn't offended.
It just meant that Hexagram was that formidable.
And I, too, held their power in high regard.
Han Ju-hee. She's a woman who is endlessly sharp with others, who starts with suspicion before anything else.
The very fact that they broke down her walls and joined hands with her was an indirect testament to their strength.
“So, what’s this clue you’re giving me?”
-Information on a Hexagram member hiding in Korea under a false identity. If you can make them talk, one way or another, it should be the clue you’re looking for.
“Oh… you’re handing me something quite direct.”
-The enemy of my enemy is my friend, is it not?
…In other words, he plans to use me as his hunting dog.
Well, I don't care if I'm treated like a hunting dog.
Right now, the only thing that matters is information about them.
We'll see in time whether I'm an obedient hound or a mad dog that bites its own master.
“So who is this little rat hiding in Korea?”
-They're hiding closer to you than you think.
“…Closer?”
Close to me?
Don't tell me one of the women I've slept with is a Hexagram member?
In the short silence between question and answer, my anxiety grew uncontrollably.
-Baek Hyeon-a. You've heard the name, I presume?
“Uh, um.”
My mind went blank at the completely unexpected name.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Baek Hyeon-a.
A sexy professor who favored form-fitting two-piece suits and one-piece dresses that accentuated her figure.
A sultry appearance supported by a voluptuous body.
On top of that, she was one of Korea University's most popular professors, drawing students in droves with her substantial lectures.
An active A-rank Hunter who had just entered her thirties, and a high-level mage officially recognized by the Magic Tower.
Her age and skill were far too premature for her to be holding a teaching position.
Such questions always followed her.
“Is there any special reason you chose to become a professor at such a young age?”
In fact, she was one of the youngest professors at Korea University.
Considering that most professors her age had retired from active duty due to injury or trauma, her career was certainly unique.
To such questions, she always responded in the same way.
“Because I find it more enjoyable to teach talented students and watch them grow than to conquer dungeons. Fufu.”
As a professor teaching students, it was a perfect, 100-out-of-100 answer.
But her answer didn't end there.
In every class I attended, she would always add one more thing.
“Like our student Do-jin.”
The beautiful professor's blatant praise and gaze.
Each time, the gazes of the other students would follow, a perfect mix of jealousy and envy.
Because of this repetition, an embarrassing rumor circulated around Korea University for a while.
“Don't you think there's something going on between Professor Baek Hyeon-a and Kim Do-jin?”
“Yeah. The way they look at each other so fondly in class… it's like they're dating.”
“Maybe they're secretly dating? Hoho.”
A love affair rumor between a teacher and a student.
It was a rumor so perfect for an erotic novel that for a while, I had a hard time dealing with Yu-jeong's sharp glares.
Now that the year is ending, the gossip has gone from cold to stale, but the embers remain, ready to reignite at any moment. That's why I tried so hard to keep a certain distance from her.
“So Professor Baek Hyeon-a is a member of Hexagram…”
When I first heard it from King, the boss of Zodiac, it came as quite a shock.
But… thinking about it more carefully, it wasn't all that surprising.
“I did think there was something more to her.”
Back in my first year, she was even more blatant in her attempts to seduce me.
Her actions were far too excessive for a teacher who was merely supposed to be educating students.
So I had a feeling there was something behind her, but…
“I thought it was a large guild at most. I never imagined it would be a villain organization.”
So what does that mean?
“…She approached me all that time to get me to join Hexagram.”
Haaa.
Suddenly, I feel a bit of regret.
If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have played along and left some room for possibility.
Who would have thought a moment would come when I'd regret how things went with her?
“What should I do.”
How will I get information from her?
Before I can think about that, there's one thing I need to find out first.
Whether she knows I've been digging into Hexagram or not.
If Han Ju-hee told her, she'll know. If she kept her mouth shut, she won't.
“I hope it's the latter.”
If so, I'd still be a recruitment target for her organization.
I might be able to get information easily by pretending to be drawn into her atmosphere.
Hell, if things go well, I might even be able to infiltrate the organization.
To find that out, I went to the university, not long after the break had started.
To see her, as she came to work every day for the winter session classes held during the break.
Knock, knock, knock!
As I knocked on the professor's office door, her voice came from within.
“Who is it?”
“It's Kim Do-jin, Professor.”
“…Student Do-jin?”
“Yes, I have something to ask you about magic.”
“Come in.”
Opening the door and stepping inside, I saw her just as she was rising from the chair in front of her desk.
Even during the break, she was dressed in a tight one-piece that clearly revealed her curvaceous figure.
No matter how I thought about it, that seemed to be her personal taste.
Her sultry eyes, which could make a man's loins tingle just by looking at them, turned toward me.
“It's good to see you, Student Do-jin. This is the first time you've come to my office since your first year, isn't it?”
“That's right.”
Because I didn't want to add more fuel to the swirling rumors.
Baek Hyeon-a smiled lightly.
“Fufu… being alone together in my office feels different, doesn't it?”
“Uh… I suppose so. An office is a more private space than a classroom, after all.”
I played along with her words, which felt vaguely sticky, and continued the conversation.
“You said you came to ask about magic, right?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. What are you curious about? I'll tell you everything I can.”
Her tone and the way she held my gaze.
Everything was the same as her usual self.
“I wanted to ask about a high-level lightning magic called Electric Nova.”
“Ah… Electric Nova! The crown jewel of high-level lightning magic. Have you memorized the magic circle?”
“No, I've roughly memorized it, but I'm not sure it's accurate. Could you take a look for me, Professor?”
“Of course.”
I approached her side as she readily agreed and began to draw the magic circle for Electric Nova that I had memorized beforehand.
A total of forty strokes.
I intentionally drew a few of them incorrectly to prompt her to teach me.
“Ah, the direction of the thirteenth stroke was wrong. You shouldn't start from the top right, but from the opposite side so you can connect it naturally to the next stroke.”
“Hmm… I'm not sure exactly where you mean. Could you perhaps guide my hand, Professor?”
I was the one to suggest the subtle physical contact.
As if she never expected me to suggest it first, she blinked her large eyes and then smiled.
“Fufu, of course.”
She took another step closer, our shoulders touching.
Placing her hand over mine as I drew the magic circle, she personally guided me, correcting the direction of the wrongly drawn stroke.
“Drawing it like this can drastically shorten the time it takes to complete the magic circle. See?”
“Oh… you're right.”
“And for the twenty-fourth stroke…”
The intense private lesson continued with our shoulders and hands touching.
In the process, I realized the one thing I had wanted to find out by meeting her.
“Oh, thank you. Drawing the magic circle is much faster now that I'm doing it your way.”
“Fufu… I'm glad I could help.”
Baek Hyeon-a smiled as if she were genuinely happy.
I smiled along with her and spoke.
“By the way, Professor.”
“Yes?”
“You know, don't you?”
“What are you talking about…?”
As she tilted her head with a clueless expression at my subject-less question, I continued.
“The fact that I've been digging into Hexagram.”
Her face began to harden.