Chapter 104: Chapter 104

The people trapped in the dungeon quickly hid in the safest spots they could find. However, avoiding combat entirely wasn’t an option. The monsters, sensitive to territorial intrusions, quickly noticed their presence.

Professor Noh and Professor Park desperately continued fighting. With every battle, their injuries and fatigue piled up, especially for Professor Park, who stood at the vanguard.

After a precarious battle, Areum rushed over to heal their wounds. Professor Park inwardly marveled.

"If it weren’t for this student, we wouldn’t have lasted this long."

For a student who had just reached D-rank, her healing skills were extraordinarily effective—enough to surprise even a seasoned Hunter like him. Truly, she was a remarkable rookie.

While the professors took a moment to recover, Jae-Woo, who had been lost in thought, glanced at Eunbyul beside him.

“Um… hey.”

“You’re thinking of stepping in if the monsters come our way, aren’t you?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

Jae-Woo awkwardly scratched his cheek, caught off guard by Eunbyul’s preemptive remark.

“I’m the sturdiest among us, and with Areum here to support us, it feels like the right thing to do.”

“Hmm, trying to act cool, huh? Fine, I’ll help out. Let’s hold out together.”

“Haha.”

Eunbyul’s sharp expression softened slightly as she spoke, and Jae-Woo let out a sheepish laugh. He turned to look back toward the professors, gripping his shield a little tighter.

“Professor Park, we haven’t heard of Wood Bears appearing alongside other monsters. I’d say this area is solely their territory.”

“Hmm, well, that’s a relief. In our current situation, it’s better than dealing with a horde.”

Suppressing the pain from his injuries, Professor Park nodded slowly. If Professor Noh, who specialized in monster studies, said so, it must be true.

Of course, either scenario was difficult to handle. They wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. But defending the students was at least more manageable against fewer monsters. Getting trapped in the dungeon was terrible luck, but this particular situation was a small blessing.

"Not that it really balances out," Professor Park thought with a bitter smile.

Then it happened.

Several students screamed in terror.

“Professor! They’re coming again! It’s the bears!”

Two massive Wood Bears, covered in dark brown fur, emerged from the shadows. Professor Park tapped Areum lightly on the shoulder, signaling her to retreat. Her healing was still incomplete. After hesitating for a moment, Areum reluctantly moved to join Jae-Woo and Eunbyul.

Professor Park wished he could wait until his wounds were fully healed, but the situation left no choice. He stepped forward to face the approaching Wood Bears.

The bears ambled forward on all fours, their colossal bodies casting shadows that seemed to swallow the students whole. Slowly, one of them rose onto its hind legs.

“Ugh…”

Gulp.

Professor Park swallowed hard, tension thick in the air.

"At least there are only two of them."

It was still early in the dungeon event, which explained the low numbers. However, their population would explode the longer this dragged on. Resolute, Professor Park gripped his sword and shield tightly, readying his stance.

ROOOAAARRR!

A deafening roar reverberated through the cavern. The ground seemed to tremble beneath the students’ feet, causing their legs to quake uncontrollably. Despite their fear, Jae-Woo’s group stepped forward to protect the others as the battle between the professors and the bears began.

WHOOOSH!

One of the Wood Bears swung its massive paw with the force of a falling tree.

CLANG!

SCRAPE—

Professor Park managed to block the attack with his shield, but the sheer impact pushed him back, his stance faltering.

ROAR!

The bear swung again, but this time, Professor Park narrowly avoided the blow by rolling backward. Meanwhile, Professor Noh unleashed a barrage of spells on the second bear.

"This isn’t the time to conserve mana!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Professor Noh poured all his mana into casting spells. It was necessary—these were A-rank monsters, after all.

“RRAARGH!”

One of the bears roared, charging at Professor Noh. Though retired from fieldwork, his years of dungeon experience hadn’t dulled his reflexes. He dodged to the side just in time to avoid a crushing tackle.

But the bear didn’t stop. Instead of turning back toward Professor Noh, it continued its charge, heading straight for the students.

“It’s coming this way!”

“Help!”

The students screamed as panic set in. Some collapsed to the ground, paralyzed by fear.

“Damn it!” Professor Park cursed, grappling with the other bear. Professor Noh, being a mage, couldn’t stand his ground against the charging monster. Desperately, he summoned a protective barrier in front of the students.

BOOM!

The bear’s charge collided with the barrier, which held firm. However, the assault didn’t end there.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The bear raised its massive paws and struck the barrier repeatedly. Each blow caused cracks to spread across its surface.

"I can’t let this break!" Professor Noh thought, gritting his teeth. He channeled every ounce of mana into maintaining the barrier, his trembling hands gripping his staff tightly. Sweat poured down his furrowed brow.

"I must protect them. That’s why I’m here—not to hunt monsters, but to safeguard these students."

But the barrier finally gave way.

CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!

“No!” Professor Noh’s eyes widened in horror as the barrier shattered. He looked toward the students, determined to shield them with his body if necessary.

The Wood Bear loomed over the students, raising its paw for a decisive strike.

At that moment, Jae-Woo stepped forward.

THUD!

“Ugh…!” Jae-Woo blocked the attack with his shield, but it was nearly destroyed in the process, and his arm bent awkwardly from the force.

The bear raised its paw again, aiming to crush him. If it struck, Jae-Woo wouldn’t survive.

CRACK!

The bear’s next blow was slightly deflected by a thin protective barrier—Areum’s magic. Though it shattered instantly, it bought a brief moment.

“Thanks, Areum!” Jae-Woo shouted, retreating to gain distance. In that short window, his arm began to heal.

The bear prepared another attack, but a sudden bolt of lightning struck its side.

ZAP! BOOM!

Eunbyul’s magic struck the bear, causing it to flinch. Though it sustained minimal damage, the brief distraction was enough for Jae-Woo to recover fully.

“Phew…”

Jae-Woo readied his shield once more. Areum stood poised to support him, while Eunbyul waited for the perfect opportunity to strike again.

These three students, trained directly by Jeong Si-Hyun, managed to hold off an A-rank monster—even if just for a short time, and even if it was only one bear.

It was an extraordinary feat.

Then.

WHOOSH—CRACK!

The bear’s powerful swipe was suddenly deflected and sent flying backward.

“Guys, you did great. Truly outstanding.”@@novelbin@@

Jeong Si-Hyun had arrived.

Areum, Eunbyul, and Jae-Woo—students of unparalleled potential, trained by none other than the Saint of immeasurable rank—had succeeded in buying enough time for their mentor to take over.

***

Shortly after defeating the two Wood Bears, Jeong Si-Hyun returned to the group, dragging Professor Yoo, who dangled helplessly over her shoulder. His face was twisted into a scowl as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"What the hell just happened?"

One moment, a temporary instructor had appeared out of nowhere. After pointing her in the direction of the group, she had forcibly hoisted him onto her shoulder without any room for resistance. Being a mage, Professor Yoo couldn’t stand up to a close-combat hunter like Si-Hyun, and the sudden movement had left him dizzy. He must have blacked out for a moment because, when he regained consciousness, the Wood Bears were already lying defeated before him.

"Damn her!"

Seething, Professor Yoo spat onto the ground and turned away without a word. Quickly scanning his surroundings, he began walking with hurried steps, intent on finding somewhere that looked remotely safe to hide.

“...?”

Si-Hyun tilted her head, puzzled by his behavior. She had gone out of her way to rescue him from isolation, and now he was deliberately moving away from the group. His actions made no sense to her.

“...Let him be,” said Professor Noh, watching the scene unfold. “Unlike you, Jeong Si-Hyun, he is someone unworthy of the title of professor.”

“Hmm, understood.”

Si-Hyun gave a small nod, even though she didn’t fully grasp the meaning behind Noh’s words. Regardless, the man was running off of his own accord, and she had been told to leave him be. That was good enough for her.

Besides, she had no personal ties to him.

Si-Hyun shifted her focus away from the fleeing Professor Yoo. There were more pressing matters to attend to now.