I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

Some time after Kang Hanna’s disappearance.

“Ugh, my eyes……”

“Could you please shut up?”

“Sorry……”

Lim Gyeongsu hunched his shoulders at Na Joo-hee’s sharp rebuke and quietly closed his mouth.

Baek Hana watched them for a moment, then turned her attention back to Lee Nayoung, who was sitting on her lap.

“Are you okay?”

“Umm, I’m getting better.”

Lee Nayoung had brought various types of potions to prepare for any situation, and she was now using a healing potion meant for topical application to recover her blurred vision.

“Wow, I can see now……!!”

“Could you please keep it down? What kind of man is so chatty?”

“……Hmm.”

Im Gyeongsu, who had recovered his sight thanks to the eye drops-like potion, jumped up but immediately shrunk back down at Na Joo-hee’s rebuke. This had been repeated countless times already.

“Yeah, I can see clearly now.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

“Uwwit~”

Baek Hana pressed down on Lee Nayoung’s undereye area a few times, then got up from her lap. It was time to resume their strategy now that the team members had recovered.

“Nayoung, the map.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

Lee Nayoung quickly took out the parchment from her bag and spread it on the floor.

Naturally, Im Gyeongsu and Na Joo-hee approached.

“I think we need to reconsider our route.”

“I, I agree.”

“……Me too.”

They had expected to encounter monsters summoned from the summoning device, but they never anticipated facing a professor.

Even with the restrictions, she was still a professor.

If a newly appointed professor like her could defeat them, they would surely be eliminated if they faced other professors.

“It won’t be too different from our original plan. We’ll still take the shortest route. But instead of going straight in, we’ll take a look inside first and then decide.”

If they didn’t enter, they wouldn’t get trapped, and they could always backtrack if needed.

“What if the professors chase us from outside?”

“If we make such assumptions, this whole discussion is pointless. The professors could ambush us anywhere.”

“Oh, um, yeah……”

Im Gyeongsu scratched the back of his head awkwardly and closed his mouth.

“If it looks like a professor inside, we’ll turn back, and if not, we’ll break through.”

“……That sounds good.”

“Me too.”

Na Joo-hee and Im Gyeongsu nodded, and Baek Hana’s gaze naturally shifted to Lee Nayoung, who was sitting next to her.

“What do you think, Nayoung?”

“I think it’s fine too, but……”

Lee Nayoung hesitated for a moment before raising her head.

“Well, Bwiar said there would be collectibles, right……?”

“Yeah.”

“I think there might be some hidden here, just like this map. And there might be paths that aren’t shown on the map.”

“……”

“Huh? What?”

Lee Nayoung flinched at the sudden attention directed at her and fidgeted with the parchment in her hand.

“I, I’m sorry… I, I was just thinking out loud……”

“No.”

“……Huh?”

Baek Hana placed her hand on Lee Nayoung’s shoulder, who was about to sulk, and said, “Nayoung, you’re right. It’s not just about what we see.”

“I do think there might be something hidden, just like in the practical training.”

Baek Hana nodded, and Im Gyeongsu followed suit.

“There doesn’t seem to be a time limit on entering, so we can take our time to search thoroughly.”

Finally, Na Joo-hee nodded as well, and Lee Nayoung blushed as she closed her mouth, which had been pouting.

“It seems like we’ve decided, so let’s get up.”

“Ah, u, um……!!”

Lee Nayoung memorized the route to the shortest path and rolled up the parchment, putting it back into her bag.

“Im Gyeongsu.”

“……Me again?”

Baek Hana called his name, and Im Gyeongsu made a sullen face as he held up his shield and took the lead. Na Joo-hee, who was watching him, frowned and said, “Since your position is a tank, isn’t it basic for you to take the front?”

Kang Hanna’s combat skills had been overwhelming, to the point where one wouldn’t even dare to compete.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Really……?”

Im Gyeongsu scratched his head and glanced at Baek Hana.

“I think it would be more efficient if you protect Nayoung and I take the lead.”

“It’s fine.”

“……Really?”

Baek Hana gave him a cold stare, completely different from the one she had given Lee Nayoung, and said, “But don’t forget that the professors are watching.”

“……I think it’s better for me to take the front after all.”

Im Gyeongsu quietly turned away and walked towards the door.

Kiiik-

The door opened with a spine-chilling sound, revealing a suspiciously straight corridor.

“Wait.”

Na Joo-hee stepped forward and placed her hand on Im Gyeongsu’s shoulder.

Paaat―!!

“Waaahk?!”

Im Gyeongsu flinched as ice shards flew past his ear, large and small.

-Pababak……

Ice fragments were scattered on the floor, walls, and even the far end of the corridor.

“There don’t seem to be any traps.”

“……You should’ve warned me!”

“What kind of man is so scared?”

“I, I mean……!”

Im Gyeongsu stood up straight, and Baek Hana turned his shoulder away.

“Stop it. And, Na Joo-hee, you could’ve added a word or two since there doesn’t seem to be a time limit, as you said.”

“……I’ll be more careful.”

Na Joo-hee pouted, and Im Gyeongsu sighed softly. He knew that arguing would only make the atmosphere worse.

“Im Gyeongsu. I’ll watch the front, so you watch the floor as you walk.”

“The floor?”

Baek Hana narrowed her eyes and said, “Na Joo-hee checked, but there might be weight-triggered traps, so be careful.”

“……Are things going to fall from the ceiling or something?”

“I don’t know. Just watch your step.”

“……Haa.”

Im Gyeongsu walked forward with a sullen expression.

“Nayoung, if you notice anything suspicious, let me know right away.”

“Umm, okay……!!”

However, contrary to their tension, the corridor was devoid of any hidden devices or threatening traps.

“This feels a bit anticlimactic……”

“Don’t jinx it. If there’s nothing, just be grateful. Didn’t you learn that in specialized schools?”

“……I mean, yeah.”

If this had been a real rift, he would have deserved harsher criticism for his words. But since it wasn’t, and since Na Joo-hee kept biting at him, Im Gyeongsu grumbled under his breath.

“Left here… then right…… and straight ahead.”

They soon reached a fork in the road, where the path to the left was shorter.

“The left side is the shorter room, and the right side is the longer route.”

Lee Nayoung took out the parchment again, and Im Gyeongsu, Baek Hana, and Na Joo-hee looked at it.

The squares representing the rooms on the parchment were surprisingly uniform in size.

“Let’s go left first, as we decided earlier.”

“……Left.”

Im Gyeongsu sulked, feeling left out, but no one paid attention to his feelings.

Kuuwung―!!

“Hick……”

“It’s fake lightning, so don’t worry.”

The four of them were briefly startled by the incredibly realistic scenery outside the window.

Outside, the fierce rain and wind created a darkness where nothing could be seen but the dark clouds and the storm.

“……Let’s move.”

The scenery wasn’t particularly pleasant, so the group started walking again at Baek Hana’s instruction.

“I guess I should open it……?”

Im Gyeongsu swallowed as he looked at the massive door in front of them.

“We’re going in anyway, so hurry up and open it.”

“……Okay.”

Im Gyeongsu pushed the door with his shield-clad hand while covering his body with the other hand.

-Block it!!
-Can’t you see we’re blocking it?!

Desperate voices could be heard through the slightly open gap.

“Hurry up and open it!!”

“Huh? Oh, yeah……”

At Na Joo-hee’s urgent voice, Im Gyeongsu pushed the door open with force.

-What kind of ridiculous test is this?!
-Watch out on the left!!

A medieval-style banquet hall.

Two classmates were huddled in a corner, frantically moving about.

“Kang Seok―”

“Get out of the way!!”

Na Joo-hee pushed Im Gyeongsu aside and jumped into the banquet hall, immediately manifesting her ability, Elementalization.

【Get down!!】

Along with the magic-infused voice, a massive wall of flames rose around Kang Seok-ho.

-Kiyaaaaaaak!!

The surrounding lace race, which had been flying around, screamed in agony as they turned to ashes upon touching the flames.

“Joo-hee?!”

【It’s not over yet!!】

Just as Na Joo-hee had said, there were still many lace race spirits hovering around. At a glance, there were dozens of them.

Hwaaaak―!!

A vast amount of magic began to gather around Na Joo-hee, who had become one with the flames. Seeing this, Baek Hana pulled Im Gyeongsu back and closed the door.

“What, what is it?”

“Don’t open it yet.”

Baek Hana pushed aside the hesitant Im Gyeongsu and stood in front of the door. After about a minute, she opened the door again.

“Uwaak……”

Im Gyeongsu raised his shield against the intense heat, and Baek Hana released magic to protect Lee Nayoung’s body.

Small and large embers were scattered all around, sticking to various surfaces.

Surprisingly, the embers stayed in place, burning where they were without spreading to other areas.

“Joo-hee.”

“……Wait.”

Na Joo-hee, who had deactivated her elementalization, wiped the sweat from her brow and began to collect the scattered embers.

“Joo-hee?!”

“……Haa.”

Na Joo-hee sighed softly as she watched her fiancé running towards her. Recently, she had seen too much of his pathetic side, and it had diminished the excitement she used to feel around him.

“Thanks.”

“……Hmph.”

Despite the presence of others, her fiancé rushed to her and hugged her tightly. Na Joo-hee’s mood began to improve slightly.

“……Why is it just the three of you?”

Kang Seokho and another classmate were fending off the lace race spirits in the corner. And there was another non-combatant student, just like Lee Nayoung.

“Hehe, we had some issues. What about you guys?”

“We met a professor as soon as we opened the first door.”

“……But you all look fine?”

“……”

Na Joo-hee’s eyebrows furrowed at her fiancé’s hesitant reaction.

“Why are you acting like an old man, hmm?”

“I, I’m just embarrassed. You guys are all fine, but we lost two members……”

“So what? The professors have different strengths, so it’s normal for some teams to lose members. If it weren’t for Baek Hana, we would’ve been eliminated in the first room too.”

“……Really?”

“Yeah.”

“So, you’re saying that Baek Hana defeated a professor?”

“Yeah.”

Na Joo-hee was completely honest, not hiding anything. After all, there was no need to hide Baek Hana’s strength, as everyone had witnessed her defeat of a professor.

“I see…… Ah, wait a moment.”

Kang Seokho turned away from Na Joo-hee and brought over the two non-combatant students who had been standing idly in the corner.

“Myung Ho, get that out.”

“The book we got in the first room?”

“Yeah, that one.”

A student named Myung Ho, a non-combatant, opened his bag and took out a thin, old book that looked like it had seen better days.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a book that explains the hidden rules of this test.”

“……Hidden rules?”

“Yeah. Come and take a look.”

Kang Seokho naturally opened the book and held it out to Baek Hana, not Na Joo-hee.

“……”

Baek Hana glared at Kang Seokho for a moment, then handed Lee Nayoung to Im Gyeongsu and stood next to Na Joo-hee to look at the book.

[ ψ(｀∇´)ψ Hidden Information! ]

This test is not a team battle but an individual battle.

If you defeat another student and make them surrender, you can take the points they’ve earned.

The special bonus will be given to all students who reach the heart of the gate, not just one person! (So you don’t have to fight if you don’t want to! (っ˘ڡ˘ς) )

“An individual battle……?”

The first page contained surprising information.

“This is―”

“Joo-hee?!”

Na Joo-hee, who had been about to ask her fiancé about the book, turned her head at the sound of Kang Seok-ho’s urgent voice.

And―

“Heuuuup!!”

His face was flushed red with embarrassment.

A white tail was clutched in both hands.