Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Two days later, at lunch.

Eun-Byeol, Areum, and Jae-Woo met in front of the cafeteria. After exchanging brief greetings, they began their lunch.

In the midst of casual chatter, Eun-Byeol suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, guys, after the midterms, how about we visit a guild training session?”

“What? A tour?”

“Yeah. I got invited to observe the Dawn Guild's new recruit training. If you’re interested, you can join me.”

“Hmmm.”

Jae-Woo took a sip of his water as he thought it over.

‘Not a bad suggestion.’

A chance to observe the training of a major guild was a rare opportunity. It was clear Eun-Byeol had good connections.

“Is it really okay for us to join the tour?”

“Of course! I already asked the staff, and they said it’s fine to bring friends. Areum, what about you?”

Eun-Byeol’s question made Areum hesitate for a moment before answering.

“Is it just the tour…?”

“What do you mean, what else would it be?”

Eun-Byeol, looking confused by Areum's question, asked in return. Eventually, Areum nodded quietly, agreeing to join.

It didn’t hurt to join, as long as it didn’t clash with Professor Jeong Si-Hyun’s schedule. Areum also knew this was a rare opportunity.

“Decision made! No backing out later!”

Eun-Byeol flashed a bright smile. As always, she preferred having friends accompany her rather than mixing with strangers.

“Well, today’s still just a regular E-rank dungeon,” Areum commented.

“Yeah, I guess that’s probably for the best,” Jae-Woo added.

“But, we’ve got free time until tonight, right? Shouldn’t we do something else?”

“Hmm… I’m sure Professor Si-Hyun has a plan,” Eun-Byeol said casually.

Eun-Byeol and Jae-Woo continued discussing the day's schedule. Although curious about Areum’s private session, Jae-Woo felt a little disappointed. The E-rank dungeon was something they could easily handle on their own.

After finishing their meal, the three of them strolled towards the meeting point. They met Professor Jeong Si-Hyun near the gate, who was dressed casually.

“Wow, Professor! You look amazing in casual clothes!”

“...Thank you.”

The compliment came instantly as they greeted each other, and Professor Jeong Si-Hyun blushed slightly. Areum had the ability to make anyone feel at ease with her friendly nature, something Professor Jeong had noticed both at the library and in the cafe.

‘Yeah, she definitely has that outgoing vibe about her.’

With a smile, Si-Hyun greeted the students and spoke calmly.

“Areum told you, right? Today, we’re going to explore the dungeon until evening.”

“Yep!”

“First, I’ll check your abilities, and after that, we’ll proceed with the guidance.”

“Understood!”

The students answered energetically, and Si-Hyun nodded in satisfaction.

Then Eun-Byeol made a friendly request.

“Professor, please speak comfortably!”

“...Hmm, okay.”

“Yes! We’re counting on you today!”

Si-Hyun looked at Jae-Woo after hearing Eun-Byeol’s request. Jae-Woo nodded, saying “We’re counting on you” as well.

‘It’s good if we all get along better.’

Si-Hyun figured if the students approached her first in a friendly way, she could be more at ease. Nodding, she began walking forward, and the students followed.

Without any further interruptions, they made their way straight into the dungeon. The simple cave-type dungeon greeted them.

“Pretend I’m not here and focus on clearing the dungeon.”

“Got it!”

The students responded eagerly. They quickly readied themselves, just as they had done in their previous parties. Areum used her skills to buff the team, Eun-Byeol lit up the area with a light spell, and Jae-Woo stepped forward, ready for action.

The key difference from before was that Areum now stood right beside Eun-Byeol from the start. She hadn’t taken a step forward yet, but she no longer hesitated or seemed scared. After the guild tour with the Dawn Guild, Areum had made great progress.

As a support, Areum was already playing a key role. But her dreams reached far beyond this.

‘I’ll show Professor Si-Hyun how much I’ve improved...!’

Areum’s eyes sparkled as she watched her professor. After catching a small smile from Si-Hyun, she clenched her fist and turned her gaze back to the front.@@novelbin@@

The team proceeded deeper into the dungeon.

“Bring it on!”

With Jae-Woo’s loud battle cry, the first fight began.

“Kehehek!”

“Keurek!”

Since it was an E-rank dungeon, only a small number of goblins appeared at once.

First, Jae-Woo, who had been buffed by Areum, drew the monsters’ attention.

Boom!

Eun-Byeol, the main damage dealer of the party, used magic to significantly reduce the goblin numbers. If anyone was injured, Areum’s skills healed them instantly. With Jae-Woo’s regenerative abilities combined, the team was nearly invincible in this dungeon.

Once the number of goblins decreased significantly, they all teamed up to finish off the remaining monsters. It was a textbook strategy.

Si-Hyun watched the entire process calmly.

‘They’ve improved a lot.’

They had all made noticeable progress since she first met them. Though it was Jae-Woo and Areum’s first time seeing Eun-Byeol in action, it was clear from the start that they had all improved a great deal.

However, there were still some shortcomings.

‘I’ll hold off on making any final judgments until this dungeon is over.’

Making decisions based on isolated observations was not ideal. Si-Hyun preferred to observe and analyze all aspects of their performance before making any conclusions.

She continued to watch the students, mentally noting their habits and reactions, even the smallest mistakes.

After a few hours of dungeon clearing, the group emerged from the gate. Si-Hyun handed out bottles of water she had prepared beforehand.

“You all did great. You’ve been working hard, right?”

“Hehe…”

“Thank you!”

“Phew, thanks.”

The students wiped the sweat off their foreheads and drank eagerly. Eun-Byeol quickly checked the time on her phone.

Noticing Eun-Byeol checking the time, Si-Hyun smiled and spoke.

“So... should we go to another dungeon?”

“Y-Yes?!”

“Again?”

“Hmm…”

The students were all shocked and looked at Si-Hyun in disbelief.

Ignoring their surprise, Si-Hyun spoke in a calm tone.

“We didn’t come here to take a break, did we?”

“….”

The students fell silent. Si-Hyun continued on without minding the silence.

“First, what if Jae-Woo can’t stop all the monsters and some slip through? What would you do?”

“Areum and I would use our staves to hold them off, or attack with skills?”

“Since the two of you are delayed in your support, Jae-Woo has to hold out longer?”

“….”

Areum and Eun-Byeol were left speechless, while Jae-Woo scratched his cheek awkwardly.

Though this was an E-rank dungeon and such scenarios didn’t happen often, it would become more common in D-rank dungeons.

Now, Jae-Woo was the next target for advice.

“Jae-Woo, I know you’ve got a lot of pressure, but you’ve developed some bad habits.”

“Eh? Bad habits?”

“You’re learning swordsmanship, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“Before you’re a regen-user, you chose the sword as your weapon. You should be using sword techniques properly. Right now, you might as well carry a shield instead.”

“….”

Jae-Woo fell silent.

The students were all quiet, the atmosphere heavy with contemplation.

‘Maybe I was too direct?’

Si-Hyun tilted her head slightly, assessing the students. She didn’t want them to become too discouraged—she needed to give them a chance to process the feedback.

She observed the students carefully before continuing.

‘…Hmm.’

“Eun-Byeol, I’ll take care of the monsters coming towards us.”

“Are you sure? It’ll be hard on your own.”

“Oh, no! I can do it!”

“Alright, let’s do this. First—”

Si-Hyun’s expression softened with satisfaction.

It wasn’t a discouraged look. Instead, the students were thinking for themselves, reflecting on her advice.

Such a commendable attitude.

Si-Hyun gave the students enough time to figure things out, then added some extra guidance once they were done discussing.

“Aha! That’s definitely a better approach!”

“Wow, as expected of you, Professor!”

The students clapped in agreement, fully trusting the professor’s advice.

Especially Eun-Byeol and Jae-Woo. They scolded themselves for feeling disappointed earlier about the E-rank dungeon.

‘Disappointed? We learned things here that we never would have in class.’

‘We got pointed out on things we couldn’t realize on our own.’

The students were filled with gratitude for Professor Si-Hyun’s guidance, who had kindly accepted their request for training. They gazed at her with sparkling eyes.

For Si-Hyun, that was more than enough.

Seeing the students’ lively reactions, she felt fulfilled.

With a smile, she said.

“Shall we head to the next dungeon?”

Snap!

Si-Hyun snapped her fingers, and at that moment, mana swirled around them, gently enveloping the students.

Though Areum had seen it before, it was the first time Eun-Byeol and Jae-Woo witnessed Professor Jeong Si-Hyun using a “skill.”

Their tiredness melted away as they felt their stamina return.

Si-Hyun spoke.

“Ah, one last thing. Let’s think about whether we’re relying too much on our status windows.”

The sudden advice made the students tilt their heads in confusion, but Si-Hyun just smiled playfully, not providing further explanation.

“By the way, I booked three dungeons for today. Let’s get moving!”

“...”

Three dungeons? The students were dumbfounded but followed Si-Hyun without complaint, knowing they had asked for the guidance themselves.

And so, by the end of the day,

Though they were exhausted, they had no choice but to push on.

Their mental and physical fatigue were completely restored, and they ended up fighting monsters without holding back.

***

After conquering three dungeons that day, Si-Hyun treated the students to dinner, asking if there was anything they wanted to eat. They enjoyed a relaxed meal together, chatting away before heading home.

Once they were done, only the three students remained. The sky had turned dark, with streetlights and shop signs casting their soft glow on the surroundings.

Eun-Byeol suddenly spoke up, her voice filled with energy.

“Let’s go for round two!”

Without any hesitation, they made their way to a nearby bar. They ordered their favorite dishes and drinks and began to unwind.

Eun-Byeol propped her chin up with one hand, a thoughtful look on her face.

“Didn’t Professor Si-Hyun look a bit strange during dinner?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Like... she looked kind of teary-eyed. Was there something emotional going on?”

“Hmmm... I’m not sure…”

All three of them tilted their heads in confusion.

They all recalled Professor Jeong Si-Hyun wiping her eyes and sniffling, her eyes red as she tried to smile and continue eating without a hitch. The memory of her during the meal lingered in their minds.

Jae-Woo was the first to offer a theory.

“Maybe she really liked the food?”

“Aha! That might be it. Honestly, the stir-fried baby octopus was really good. It was a bit spicy though.”

“I liked the spice, actually.”

“You like spicy food, huh?”

Eun-Byeol chuckled, playfully nudging Jae-Woo's shoulder. Areum quietly sipped her drink, watching them.

‘I wonder if Professor Si-Hyun likes spicy foods like stir-fried baby octopus?’

Areum made a mental note. She decided she’d look up good restaurants. Professor Si-Hyun had taken time out of her busy schedule to give them personal training, and Areum wanted to repay her in small ways. Imagining the professor’s happy, graceful face made Areum smile broadly.

“Hey, look at that.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Eun-Byeol pointed toward the TV in the corner of the bar. Everyone's attention shifted to the screen, where the news was playing.

"There has been an increase in failed gate occurrences recently. The Hunter Management Agency continues to claim that there are no issues with the devices."

After the announcer's brief explanation, an expert's analysis followed.

"The reliance on the American returnee's invention for dungeon occurrence means that device improvements are necessary. Moreover, the frequency of high-level dungeons has been rising sharply."

The expert’s expression was tense, filled with concern.

“What’s going to happen later?” Eun-Byeol muttered, furrowing her brow. Jae-Woo also scowled.

“…I guess we’ll need to level up hard,” Jae-Woo said.

“Well, obviously!”

As Eun-Byeol took another sip of her drink, the others followed suit, drinking their own as the weight of the conversation sank in.