Chapter 72: Academy Graduation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: Academy Graduation
22
Afterward, I heard from Eunhyeon that the World Returnee Association had taken care of the remaining matters from the incident. I was grateful that they had also taken credit for what happened in the forest.
Next, I had a call with Baek Seol-hyang.
She explained how the situation had been resolved, including the fact that Girasung’s Asura had used Ahyu’s arrival as a chance to escape.
I, in turn, added that it seemed Girasung had been targeting me.
I didn’t want Seol-hyang or the others to worry, but saying nothing felt even more irresponsible.
After hearing me out, Seol-hyang paused in thought before speaking again.
[Ha-chan, honestly, if I had my way, I’d have you quit the company and everything else and stay somewhere safe for a while.]
She told me her thoughts frankly.
But she likely already knew what my answer would be.
[But I know that’s not what you want. More importantly, I don’t want your life to be ruined because of Girasung.]
I was incredibly grateful for her words, which showed a deep understanding of my situation.
[Is Eunhyeon with you?]
“Yes, she is.”
I switched the phone to speaker.
[Eunhyeon, please stay by Ha-chan’s side for the time being.]
“I will.”
Eunhyeon answered without a hint of hesitation.
When I looked at her to ask if she was okay with that, she simply smiled at me.
“Don’t you worry, Mr. Kang Ha-chan. If you’d like, I can even take care of your meals and cleaning.”
That’s a bit more than I was asking for.
“Of course, I can also keep a comfortable distance so as not to bother you.”
I felt a wave of relief as she added that she was joking.
In any case, I figured having a bodyguard would put Seol-hyang at ease, so I nodded in agreement.
I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks either.
“Thank you, Ms. Baek.”
[If you’re thankful, then just make sure you keep your promise to make time for me.]
“Of course.”
Hearing my firm promise, Seol-hyang let out a small sigh.
[…If I could, I’d come see you right now, but I’ll hold back for that day.]
For some reason, I got the feeling she had been about to rush over the moment Eunhyeon contacted her about the academy attack, but had forced herself to wait.
[Don’t get hurt. Not unless you want another scolding.]
“Yessir.”
She let out a faint laugh at my brilliant reply and ended the call.
“Well then, I’ll be just outside. Please get some rest.”
With that, Eunhyeon offered a parting word and left the room.
Watching her go, I fiddled with my phone for a moment before turning to Baeksan.
“Baeksan, I’m sorry. I got too carried away.”
Baeksan had regressed to protect me and prevent the apocalypse.
And here I was, sticking my nose into everything and finally getting noticed by Girasung. From his perspective, he had every right to be angry, and I’d have nothing to say.
Hearing my apology, Baeksan let out a long sigh.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking why this is your fault. You weren’t acting for your own gain. What part of moving with good intentions is wrong?”
With that, Baeksan turned his gaze out the window.
“Listen up, Kang Ha-chan. The thing I hate most is some moron who sits on the floor, whining that he has nothing, and just bemoans his own life.”
Was he thinking of someone?
A flicker of reminiscence crossed Baeksan’s eyes.
“That’s why, even if a guy has nothing, I don’t hate him for struggling. Because I was the same way.”
He ran a hand through his white hair.
“So keep struggling. Whether you’re helping someone or living your own life. I came back to give you back the life I took from you.”
For some reason, his words made me choke up.
“So wipe that look off your face, you bastard. It doesn’t suit you.”
This regressor was an irritatingly good guy.
What on earth did the ‘me’ from Baeksan’s world do for him?
I couldn’t be sure, but I felt that, at the very least, the me from that world hadn’t lived a meaningless life.
“So, about Eunnamu.”
I had no memory of what happened while Baeksan was possessing me.
At my question, Baeksan scratched his head for a moment.
“I don’t know what it was, but it seems like whatever was using that woman did something.”
“Using her? You mean that bundle of hands?”
“Yeah. She suddenly changed, saying you’d be back soon or whatever.”
“Back soon? Why to me?”
“If I knew that, I’d be a god, wouldn’t I?”
Wasn’t he supposed to be the omniscient Baeksan who explained everything?
Feeling a little disappointed, I pictured Eunnamu’s face.
Her languid smile was strangely hard to shake.
Though she was dry with her emotions, I couldn’t help but feel that she was utterly exhausted for reasons I didn’t understand.
Is it because I heard her call herself my ex-girlfriend?
As a member of Girasung, she should be my enemy. I didn’t know what to do with these feelings.
“Stop overthinking and get some rest.”
He was right.
Racking my brain in this state wouldn’t yield any answers, and it wasn’t like I could figure out something that even Baeksan didn’t know.
I decided to just rest and lay down on the bed.
Time to get some sleep.
23
A few days later.
Somehow, the final day of the Hunter Training Academy had arrived.
The artificial portal incident had caused some trouble, but thanks to the swift response from people like Seo-ho and Jo Si-a, there were only a few injuries and, miraculously, not a single death.
On top of that, doctors sent directly from the World Returnee Association had worked diligently, and all the injured had recovered within a day.
With the added offer of psychiatric counseling for those who were mentally shaken, the academy decided to continue.
After all, the program was almost over, and nobody wanted to repeat the mandatory Hunter Training Academy next quarter.
Besides, a hunter’s job was to face dimensional entities.
This incident was an opportunity to weed out those who were scared off by such things, proving they weren’t cut out to be hunters in the first place.
Thanks to all that, the academy proceeded without any major issues, and now, here we were, a day before graduation.
“And I thought my room would finally be empty…”
I let out a slightly weary sigh as I looked at the people sitting in my room.
“You gonna use your spatial powers to cheat at cards? You wanna lose a hand?”
“Shin So-ra, you were cheating from the bottom of the deck just a second ago.”
“Hey, are you all cheating?! Why are my cards the only ones that suck?!”
“Jo Si-a, you’re being loud. Keep it down. And I’m out. You’re last.”
“Aargh! I’m stuck with the joker again!”
From Ahyu to Si-ho, Jo Si-a, and Seo-ho.
I felt a throbbing headache as I watched the four of them gathered in my room, playing cards.
I glanced out the window and saw Eunhyeon in her fox form, perched on a tree branch, letting out a lazy yawn.
The white fox with an eye patch met my gaze and gave a little swish of her three tails.
At this point, isn’t my room filled with national-level powerhouses?
With this lineup, I doubt Girasung or anyone else could get close.
Though, to be honest, that’s probably part of the reason they’re here.
The biggest reason the four of them had gathered here was that I had been targeted by Girasung.
My body, which had been pushed too far thanks to Baeksan, still wasn’t back to normal. They were staying with me out of concern that something might happen to me in this state.
I appreciate the thought, but…
Is it just my imagination, or has all my freedom completely vanished?
“By the way, Snow Mountain Wolf, let me in on that team you’re making with student Kang Ha-chan.”
“What nonsense is that?”
Just then, Jo Si-a abruptly spoke to Seo-ho.
Seo-ho frowned at her words, then turned to me as if asking if I knew what she was talking about.
“Seo-ho, I heard you’re making a hunter team after leaving Alterz. The story is that you and I are on the same team, and you even came to the academy to hide my existence from Alterz.”
“Why would such a story be going around?”
“Ask her yourself.”
Seo-ho immediately turned his gaze to stare directly at her.
Her face slowly turned red, and she threw down her cards.
“Ah, whatever! I’m leaving Alterz anyway! Just think about letting me on the team!”
With that, Jo Si-a phased right through the wall and disappeared.
I wonder if she’ll get stuck somewhere one of these days.
I had no idea when that misunderstanding would be cleared up, but I just let it be and passed the time.
And just like that, the final day dawned.
Dressed in the standard Hunter Training Academy tracksuit, I attended the graduation ceremony.
It wasn’t much of a ceremony.
We were officially registered as hunters and received a company pamphlet and an F-rank hunter license. That was it.
Since the World Returnee Association was keeping quiet about me, my license was issued based on the academy’s assessment.
After that, all that was left was a boring speech, just like on the first day.
“F-rank in Lightning, huh…”
Ignoring the speech completely, I ran my fingers over the license I’d received.
My real awakened ability was breaking perfectly good weapons.
I looked down at my hand, clenching and unclenching it.
The ability I’d used for the first time against Delpharis.
It was still unrefined, but just as Baeksan said, it made sense that my sister could sweep through dimensional entities with it.
More importantly, what’s the name of my ability?
Dimension Break, since it’s strong against dimensional entities?
How damn cheesy.
Maybe I should ask Baeksan later what my sister called her ability.
Speaking of which, I suddenly became curious about my sister’s title.
With an ability like this, wouldn’t she have been called the Dimensional Breaker?
Ooh, I should call her that to her face when I see her later.
Perhaps because I knew she was alive, I’d been thinking about my sister a lot lately.
Maybe, without even realizing it, I had started to hold onto the hope that I could find her.
“Excuse me.”
It was at that moment.
Now that Eunnamu was gone, I had not a single friend here. Someone spoke to me.
Were they going to scold me for not paying attention to the speech?
As I put my hunter ID in my pocket and turned my head, I saw Lee Su-ho’s girlfriend.
When did she sit next to me?
“Lee Su-ho’s girlfriend?”
“I-I’m not that trash’s girlfriend anymore!” she shouted, flustered.
For a moment, all eyes turned toward us.
Her face flushed bright red, and she bowed her head.
“It’s Kim Seo-a. Kim Seo-a. Please remember.”
“Ah, yes. Ms. Kim Seo-a.”
When I said her name, she looked pleased for some reason.
Seeing her expression, I had a sinking feeling.
Maybe it was because I’d recently become aware of the fact that Ji-eun, and even Si-ho, liked me.
I had become more sensitive to the signals of affection people sent.
Her behavior right now was a clear sign of interest.
God, I hate this.