Chapter 44: Chapter 44

“Ugh!”

“Ahhh—!”

One after another, the students screamed and fell back.

Every student glared at the grotesque goblin. No matter how they thought about it, that model goblin was clearly much stronger than a real goblin.

This was due to Si-hyun’s diligent control, taking into account the opinions of the Wing Guild members.

Her subjective reasoning, thinking, ‘I’m hitting lightly, so it should be agile enough,’ played a role as well.

In the end, from the students’ perspective, the goblin model lacked vocal cords, which was fortunate.

If it had been screeching and wailing, it would have truly felt like a scene from a horror movie.

“Hmmm…”

Si-hyun looked around at her students.

Even though there were only 15 students, it was clear that there wasn’t enough time for everyone to have practical experience with just one goblin.

She could see some of the neatly dressed female students sneaking behind their male classmates.

Si-hyun had no intention of forcing them, though.

She checked the time again and looked at the students.

“Unfortunately, time is running short.”

“……”

“Let’s have just one more person go, and then we’ll wrap up the lecture.”

A moment of silence followed.

And then.

“...Me! I’ll do it!”

One student bravely raised their hand.

It was Go Ah-reum.

Eun-byeol, sitting next to her, widened her eyes and tried to dissuade her.

“Ah-reum? But you’re a support-type…”

“It’s fine! I-it’s an experience!”

However, Ah-reum shook her head and stepped forward.

At her arrival, Si-hyun looked worried and asked.

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

“...Yes!”

Ah-reum’s spirited response came back.

Yet her gestures and expressions told a different story.

She wore a frozen expression, clearly frightened, and her shoulders were hunched up.

Anyone could see she was extremely intimidated.

As she looked at Ah-reum, Si-hyun suddenly recalled her own experiences when she first fell into this world.

When she regained her senses in an unfamiliar place, she had been forcibly taken to a cult by suddenly appearing church members without fully understanding the situation.

She had to undergo unwanted training and was thrown into a monster horde for her first real combat experience.

Wasn’t she just like Ah-reum now?

Si-hyun felt as though she was reflecting on her past self in Ah-reum’s demeanor.

‘…Though, of course, it’s different from me.’

Back then, she had to fight for survival and heal her own wounds.

She had barely any time to rest and almost no freedom.

Even after joining the hero party with the paladin, the situation hadn’t changed significantly.

In comparison, the academy students had choices and freedom.

And right now, Ah-reum had made a choice.

Despite being intimidated by the terrifying goblin, she chose to experience it firsthand.

Si-hyun looked at the student’s courage with warm eyes.

“Alright. Let’s get started.”

“Yes, yes—!”

Ah-reum awkwardly took her stance.

She looked like an amateur who had never fought properly before.

Yet Si-hyun focused more intently on her than ever before.

She didn’t want to waste the time and experience of the student who had shown such courage.

Of course, she would adjust the strength of the goblin accordingly, but….

“Eek!”

“……”

In an unfortunate twist, Ah-reum tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground.

Si-hyun, who had been about to move the goblin, paused and looked at the fallen student.

…Perhaps she needed to adjust the strength even further.

Ah-reum’s fighting ability was more serious than she had anticipated.

---

After Si-hyun announced the end of the lecture and left the room, a few students started grumbling in frustration.

“What, how can that goblin model be so strong?”

“Isn’t the paladin just a cover? Maybe she’s actually a summoner?”

“Come on, it must just be a ridiculously expensive magic tool.”

“Oh, now that you mention it.”

One male student pulled out his phone and began to search for something.

“In the first video, the D-rank hunters were introduced as members of the Wing Guild. But isn’t the master here a B-rank crafting hunter?”

“Wow, so it was commissioned from a B-rank then?”

The students chatting were taken aback and gaped in surprise.

Crafting hunters were quite rare.

“Is the price of the model higher than what a part-time lecturer would earn?”

“Right? It seems like the tail is wagging the dog.”

Some students simply discussed the financial aspect of it.

However, those planning their futures saw things a bit differently.

Their evaluations of Si-hyun rose even higher.

‘She has connections to a B-rank crafting hunter?’

‘If I could get a recommendation later, that would be useful…?’

Connections among hunters are extremely important.

They can share knowledge and information about dungeons and monsters and are useful for joining guilds or forming parties.

If they have a personal connection with a crafting hunter?

They can easily get customized equipment without going through someone else.

The academy is a recognized place to build such connections.

Therefore, a professor's connections play a crucial role in elevating their value.

The friendship with Da-young significantly enhanced Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s worth.

“If she had connections like that, she should mention it on her professor’s profile like other professors.”

“Right? I thought it was completely empty, like there was really no one there.”

They were referring to the academic information system of the academy.

Si-hyun’s profile page was almost blank, so it wasn’t wrong to say that.

“I really think I made a great choice in taking this class.”

“Me too! The model is amazing, but the professor’s skills are truly unreal. Is she really a D-rank?”

Various discussions passed among the students, but in the end, the essence remained the same.

Professor Jeong Si-hyun’s “Introduction to Monsters” was a high-quality lecture!

The students felt a surge of motivation for learning.

And although it wasn’t her intention,

“Do you think a B-rank could make something like that?”

“Surely it would be expensive, but it’s impressive.”

“Look at the detail on that model. Honestly, it looks scarier than the real thing.”

The earth magic goblin model had also enhanced Da-young’s value.

Though she hadn’t participated in its creation at all.

---

[Title: I saw something strange at the academy today]

[ㅇㅇ]

I was passing by the close-combat hunter building, and I saw students getting beaten up by a goblin.

- That’s the Introduction to Monsters class, lol.

└ Really? That’s a general studies class.

└ Yeah, the professor brought in a goblin.

- A goblin? There was a monster?

└ No, no, it was a model, lol.

└ They say it’s a magic tool? The professor controlled it while it moved.

└ No way, lol.

└ That’s wild, lol.

- So, those rolling students were all getting beaten by a model? lol.

└ For real, lol.

└ That’s hilarious, lol.

---

[Title: The model is impressive, but…]

[ㅇㅇ]

Dude, the professor was amazing in the video!

- Don’t just say that, share the video!

└ I had it connected via USB, but there’s nothing left on the computer….

- At this point, aren’t these guys just exaggerating?

└ Yeah, for sure.

└ If they had seen the students getting beaten by the goblin, they wouldn’t be able to say such things.

└ For real, lol.

- Honestly, that goblin seemed as strong as the professor, no joke, lol.

└ Hahaha, lol.

└ Were you the one getting hit on the side of the head?

└ No, that wasn’t me. Anyway, it wasn’t me.

---

While browsing the academy-related community, a man closed his internet browser.

Recently, he had received an order from his superior to investigate Professor Jeong Si-hyun.

Yeo Do-hyung, an S-rank hunter of the Dawn Guild, had directed his secretary to consistently gather information.

He had instructed the hunters under the guild to verify the knowledge regarding goblins.

After multiple explorations of dungeons, the information had been confirmed as true.

He had surveyed how the academy's lectures were perceived.

Although it was still the early part of the semester, he noticed that rumors were gradually spreading.

‘But there hasn’t been any reply to the email…’

Judging that Si-hyun was a hidden talent, he had immediately composed an email.

However, days passed without a response.

Ultimately, the secretary dialed the number listed at the academy to contact Si-hyun.

….

After waiting for quite a while, she was about to press the end call button when, at the last moment, the other party picked up the phone just in time.

- …Yes, hello.

“Hello, is this Professor Jeong Si-hyun? I’m from the Dawn Guild—”

The secretary explained her purpose.

She thought that since it was a proposal from a large guild, the other party would naturally accept.

---

After finishing the lecture, I came to my personal office and displayed the goblin model in one corner.

At that moment, I suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

For a moment, I thought it might be spam, but I picked up just in case.

The caller introduced themselves as a secretary from a large guild.

I listened intently to the conversation.

….

In summary, it was a scouting offer.

An invitation to join the Dawn Guild.

- You would receive much greater resources and research support than now.

“...No, thank you, but I’d like to focus on my teaching for now.”

- I see… If you change your mind, feel free to reach out to us again.

“...Yes, I’ll think about it.”

The conversation wrapped up more neatly than I expected.

……But now that I think about it, I should check my email.

I hadn’t received anything, so I hadn’t paid it much mind, but now that I’m a member of society, I should periodically check.

In any case, I had no intention of joining any guild.

Being affiliated with the academy was enough.

If I were to join one, it would be the Wing Guild or follow Ji-ah.

I had no intention of joining a place I had no connections to.

I hoped I wouldn’t receive any further contact; it was just a hassle.

I wonder why a large guild is eyeing me? I hadn’t done anything particularly noticeable.

Could it be that rumors about my lectures have already spread that much? Hmmm….

A complex feeling stirred within my heart.

A mix of annoyance and the warmth of being recognized for my lectures.

The human heart is truly peculiar.

- Knock knock.

“Yes, come in.”

I replied as I lifted my head at the sound of knocking.

The door slowly opened, and a female student timidly stepped inside.

It was Go Ah-reum, the student who had contacted me in advance to ask if she could visit my office after class.

“Ugh?!”

Suddenly, Ah-reum let out a bizarre scream and hurriedly dashed to the corner of the office.

The bookshelf she bumped into shook violently, but thankfully, it was empty.

“Oh, it’s that goblin model from earlier…”

“Hehe, that’s right.”

Ah-reum placed a hand on her chest and gasped for breath.

The sight was oddly cute, causing me to involuntarily chuckle.

“Did you want to discuss something?”

“Yes, yes….”

Ah-reum cautiously approached while glancing at the goblin.

She pressed herself against the wall, unable to keep her hands still, tugging at her hair repeatedly.

I waited quietly for her to find the right words to say.

“W-well…”

“Yes.”

Perhaps due to the ample time I allowed,

the student’s cheeks flushed as she looked at me with a resolute gaze.

“...I want to be like you! You’re so amazing! You’re my role model—!”

Ah-reum shouted with an excited voice.

“...Hmm.”  @@novelbin@@

Was this perhaps it?