Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Farewell to the Instructor
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The term of the skilled teaching assistant, Su-hyeok, wasn't long.
It had only been a two-week field training period to begin with, and Group 8 made it through without any issues.
After that, the graduation ceremony led by Im Sa-yeol, who had taken over from Shar as the overall supervisor, came to an end.
Everyone passed except for Group 3, which had been dropped due to their earlier troubles with Group 8.
It wasn't unprecedented, but it was still rare.
It also meant that this batch of recruits had performed exceptionally well overall.
"You've all worked incredibly hard. No one will call you trainees anymore."
Shar stood before Su-hyeok, Baek Yi-yeon, and Jin Chang-hyeok from Group 8, a refreshingly bright smile on her face.
"Outstanding. With achievements that stand out like yours, all three of you will receive some impressive offers. Choose freely. But as someone who was your instructor, even if only briefly, allow me one piece of advice."
She raised her index finger high and scanned the former members of Group 8, each wearing a complex expression, before continuing.
"You don't need to chase honor. You've already resolved to stand on the battlefield for this world—that alone makes you honorable."
Just make a choice you're not ashamed of. No need for long speeches. Well done."
With that, Shar turned and walked away slowly.
This marked the end of their brief connection with Instructor Shar.
They might cross paths again someday, but for now, it was a definite goodbye.
That fact stirred complicated emotions in everyone.
There was probably only one reason for those feelings.
'She was a great teacher.'
Shar was undeniably an excellent instructor.
Even as a non-human elf, she had been passionate about their training. She might seem a bit rigid, but she held firm principles. She never discriminated emotionally against the trainees and genuinely cared for everyone in Group 8.
Knowing that made the parting all the more regrettable.
But there was no turning back.
Now, they too had to step onto the battlefield as Awakeners—choosing the path of Guardian or Hunter. There was one final ability review left, but Shar wouldn't be there for it.
Sending her off now meant they might not see her again for who knows how long.
"Waaah, Instructor Shar!"
For some reason, Baek Yi-yeon's eyes had grown misty, and she finally burst into tears with a cry.
Shar, who had been walking away leisurely, turned her head.
"What's wrong?"
As Shar asked calmly, Su-hyeok caught a glimpse of a transparent droplet at the corner of her eye.
A sudden gust of wind carried it away, so the other two didn't notice.
In the meantime, Baek Yi-yeon rushed forward and threw herself into Shar's arms.
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Instructor Shar, I really couldn't have worked this hard. Waaah."
Shar watched her, pouring out tears and sobbing, with a slightly flustered expression. A smile gradually formed on her lips.
Her hand, now resting on Baek Yi-yeon's head, gently stroked her hair.
"I was happy to meet you all. And it's an honor to share this moment until the end."
"If you leave now, when will we see you again?"
"Instructor Shar, don't you have a cell phone?"
"A cell phone... Hm..."
Shar's expression turned subtly peculiar.
She had thought it was one of Earth's more interesting inventions.
But deeming it unnecessary, she had never made one.
"If fate allows, the wind will carry us back together."
"Waaah, what kind of answer is that?"
Shar's gaze shifted to Su-hyeok and Jin Chang-hyeok, who had approached nearby, as she held the still-sobbing Baek Yi-yeon.
"I wanted a clean, stylish farewell, but..."
In truth, she could have had that.
If she'd willed it, she could have slipped away like the wind before Baek Yi-yeon even started crying.
But she couldn't.
Her own feet felt heavy.
There was a reason her steps had been so slow.
"Um..."
Jin Chang-hyeok spoke first.
He had been the quietest throughout the training.
Especially toward Shar—he had barely spoken to her.
In fact, Jin Chang-hyeok found her intimidating and burdensome.
"I have something to say."
His voice trembled noticeably as he spoke.
His brow furrowed deeply, and his eyes couldn't meet hers directly.
"As you know... I'm a criminal with a record."
It was something he'd confessed on the first day of training, and Shar had assured him there was no issue with him becoming an Awakener.
Shar nodded with the same smile she'd worn that first day as she listened to his halting words.
"You did say that."
"On the first day, you told me that my desire to become an Awakener was an honorable act of repentance."
It was something Shar had said during the Q&A session on day one.
"I remember."
In the elf tongue: Lang-der.
"No. I... I wasn't honorable. That wasn't my mindset at all. I just... wanted to make money. In my whole life, I've never once had the kind of intentions you imagined."
Now, Jin Chang-hyeok's body began to tremble.
"In all my life..."
"I've never been honorable. Not to my siblings, not to my group members, not to you, Instructor..."
He had become a felon through several thefts and pickpocketing.
Behind it all was the heavy responsibility of feeding three younger siblings alone after their parents abandoned them.
He'd dropped out of school early and entered the harsh working world, which led him down the wrong path.
In the process, not wanting to seem weak or foolish, he'd gotten tattoos.
He'd even nearly joined an organized crime group.
Ultimately, lingering worries had kept him from fully committing.
"I could have worked hard. I could have studied and found a new way, but I... a guy like me... always chased the easy path." Jin Chang-hyeok's eyes were red-rimmed now.
His clenched fists were veined with strain.
"I was a liar. I never stood here with honorable intentions, yet I nodded to your comfort. Yes, I'm a liar, a coward, and a deceiver."
Tears streamed from the man's eyes.
Regret overflowed down his wrinkled cheeks.
"To someone like me, you were comfort itself, Instructor. You said a guy like me could become an honorable warrior, giving me the courage to try. Thank you. Thank you."
Jin Chang-hyeok bowed sharply at a perfect ninety degrees, his most respectful gesture, tears dripping to the ground.
"From now on! I'll be a great brother. A disciple you won't be ashamed of!"
Jin Chang-hyeok's confession was sincere and weighty.
Baek Yi-yeon had stopped crying by then, and Su-hyeok watched him in surprise.
Shar, with her usual smile but a hint of awkwardness, lifted him by the shoulders with both hands and said,
"During the time we were together, you never brought me shame."
No matter your beginnings, they can't be undone—but neither are they irreversible. Remember: Lang-der.
"Lang-der."
Jin Chang-hyeok repeated after her, his eyes trembling.
"You'll shed no more tears of regret. Every battle, every will to protect, will bring honorable repentance. You are the hero."
Shar and Jin Chang-hyeok's eyes met deeply, solemnly.
Unshakable conviction.
Shaken by the unfamiliar emotion at first, he soon melted into it completely.
Confirming that resolve, Shar's eyes curved into a warm smile.
"I'll be watching."
Straightening his bowed back, Jin Chang-hyeok declared proudly,
"Yes!"
Shar gazed at him approvingly, then turned to Su-hyeok.
"As for you..."
Her eyes held complex thoughts.
In truth, she hadn't taught Baek Yi-yeon or Jin Chang-hyeok—instinctive fighters—much either.
She had simply done her best to be their pillar during the training.
She couldn't be sure they'd succeeded.
But now, at the end, it didn't feel bad.
Su-hyeok's case was different, though.
She had truly done nothing for him.
Not even been a pillar.
He had been peerlessly independent, far too exceptional.
A vessel so vast no one could presume to instruct him.
"It was an honor training with you."
Su-hyeok bowed his head in greeting.
Lightly said, but his voice was sincere.
Echoing her own words.
"Indeed..."
What greater joy than mutual resonance?
An honor for each other.
That was the bond of master and disciple.
Not one-sided giving, but exchange.
That alone filled Shar's heart with deep satisfaction.
She wanted to praise herself for choosing to join this Earth's trainee program.
"See you on the battlefield."
"Yes."
Shar extended her hand, and Su-hyeok clasped it firmly.
It was a clear, bright farewell on a pristine day.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The day after parting with Shar.
Su-hyeok headed back to the Yeouido Awakener Association.
To complete his full registration as a Korean Awakener.
As planned from the start, he aimed to become a Hunter.
Physical ability tests and mana aptitude assessments followed.
Even after completing training, an Awakener's work remained dangerous.
Thus, they reclassified internally into grades.
Grades 1 through 3.
These were the current grades of Hunters in Korea.
Among them, there was one lone Grade 13, and five Grade 12s.
These six were the core forces protecting and leading Korea—no exaggeration.
Su-hyeok diligently took the tests to gauge his objective standing.
And he received the results that very day.
Grade 6.
The association staffer handing him the results sheet and a silver bracelet symbolizing a Grade 6 Hunter stared in undisguised shock after all the tests, including physicals and mana aptitude.
'Didn't they say he just finished training yesterday? A rookie?'
Where in the world was a Grade 6 rookie?
Most Awakener trainees received Grade 1.
Decent ones got Grade 2.
Mid-to-small guilds and the Association prioritized recruiting these Grade 1-2 talents.
They weren't true rookies, but their potential wasn't negligible.
Some late bloomers started slow but later reached high grades—rare, but real.
Then there were the Grade 3 "rookie" Awakeners.
These appeared at most two per batch; without luck, none for two batches.
Combat-ready for Grade 3 portals right after training.
Major guilds coveted them.
Rare late bloomers aside, most shone even in short training, making Grade 3 post-training an extraordinary feat.
These prodigies could surpass Grade 10.
Grade 10 was top 1% among Korean Awakeners.
Love calls poured in for such potential.
Of course, monsters surpassing even these rookies had appeared on rare occasions.