Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Orientation (2)

Generally, the first week was the Course Correction Period, so attendance wasn't counted. As such, students skipping the first week of classes wasn't unusual.

But Florian was special.

Befitting Korea's finest institution, every single student attended from the first week.

I went through the motions of calling attendance to pretend I was memorizing names and faces, but in truth, the exercise was pointless. I already recognized most of them.

Playing the game, you naturally grew familiar with high-ranking NPCs. In other words, a fair number of promising freshmen had gathered here.

Song Seokhwan and Baek Seolhwa in particular. Their presence was unexpected.

A strategy guide I'd written long ago surfaced in my mind.

─Don't pick Song Seokhwan. He's a trap card.

The top scorer on the entrance exam was undeniably Park Seohu. But was Park Seohu the best character in the early game? That was a different story.

Park Seohu's talent was the Sword Saint. His main weapon was, naturally, the sword.

To cut to the chase: the sword wasn't a forgiving weapon. Fighting enemies up close in melee demanded precise control from the player. Beginners lured in by the claim that Park Seohu was the strongest would end up cursing the moment they actually tried.

But magic? Just maintain distance and blast away. In a word, the difficulty was incomparably easy.

Song Seokhwan was the runner-up on the entrance exam, the second-strongest among all incoming students.

On top of that, he had the backing of Bisang Guild, which Park Seohu lacked. For those reasons, in the early game alone, Song Seokhwan was an even better character than Park Seohu.

─Academy Song Seokhwan? Obviously he's strong. Broken, even. But that's all he'll ever be.

Average talent. Magic Power potential of 95; all other potential stats below 90.

Of course, he wasn't to be taken lightly. At that level, he could rival Heroes in Korea's national rankings, like the Chancellor or Jo Seongung.

But that was the ceiling. For a Playable Character's final growth, topping out at named NPC level was tantamount to trash.

─Trying to reach the ending with that? Prepare to lose your mind. The final boss with Song Seokhwan? Impossible. If you want even a fighting chance, you'd better bring Park Seohu and Seo Dayun as companions.

For those reasons, even I saved Song Seokhwan's ending for nearly last.

Florian Rhapsody's defining trait was that the relatively easy early game made early-peaking characters easy to raise, but the escalating difficulty meant characters with expiration dates eventually became completely unusable.

Next was Baek Seolhwa.

Third on the entrance exam, the third-strongest after Park Seohu and Song Seokhwan. Having the second, third, and fourth-ranked freshmen in my class—even I found it bizarre.

Baek Seolhwa's signature descriptor was "Park Seohu's budget version." She used a sword like Park Seohu and had well-balanced stats across the board. As a fun aside, even her name's initials matched Park Seohu's.

Overall verdict: a reliable, no-frills character who'd pull her weight if you brought her along. Unlike Song Seokhwan with his expiration date, Baek Seolhwa performed her role even in the late game.

If circumstances allowed, she was well worth making an ally.

After finishing attendance, I declared to the students:

"Rambling on for too long on the first day is boring for everyone. I promise to wrap up within thirty minutes."

A small cheer erupted before I'd even finished speaking. Ending early was orientation etiquette. I had no desire to be one of those professors with no manners.

"Some of you have read the syllabus, some haven't. I'll keep it brief. Your goal after graduation is to become Heroes, right? To do that, dungeon clearing is a given. This course exists to prepare you for what's ahead. It's about clearing dungeons a little more comfortably and smartly."

The students showed varied reactions. Some listened intently, some half-listened, some stubbornly stared at their phones no matter what I said at the podium, and some were flat-out asleep, slumped over their desks.

At least no one was chattering loudly, which was a small mercy.

Only now did I mentally apologize to the professors from my past. I used to read web novels on my phone during lectures, and experiencing it from the other side—it was a truly rotten thing to do.

"You'll be clearing a total of five dungeons. Starting next week, over fifteen weeks, you'll spend three weeks per dungeon learning how to clear them. How well you can apply those lessons depends on your effort."

Thankfully, the overall response wasn't bad.

The ones ignoring me kept on ignoring me, but most were focused on what I had to say. I also progressed smoothly without any mistakes.

Contrary to my initial fears, the brief orientation flew by.

"Any questions?"

I said it that way, but it was merely a formality to close. I'd covered everything without leaving anything out, so naturally there'd be no questions.

Just as I was about to end the lecture, Song Seokhwan raised his hand.

What the fuck. What's he going to ask? One corner of my eye twitched upward involuntarily. I was extremely flustered on the inside, but outwardly I played it cool.

"Seokhwan-gun, what's on your mind?"

"Ah─ it's not me who has a question. Our genius-nim here says she has something to ask."

Song Seokhwan spoke with a sickly grin. Genius-nim? What kind of bullshit is that? My instincts sounded the alarm. I'd gotten caught up in something troublesome.

Song Seokhwan pointed his chin toward Seo Dayun.

"Hey, you said you had a question earlier."

His head was turned, so I couldn't see Song Seokhwan's expression, but I could guess. Seo Dayun, whose hands trembled with fear at meeting Song Seokhwan's eyes.

The lackeys from the Combat Magic Department who'd come with Song Seokhwan sniggered quietly. They were the same ones I'd been watching—the ones not paying attention during the lecture.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Go on, ask your question."

His words were flat, but the atmosphere was ominous. I had a general idea of what was going on.

I stole a glance at An Seri.

Confirming my suspicion, she gave a small nod.

An Seri wore a mask of composure, but she couldn't fully conceal her emotions. I could hear the faint sound of her leg bouncing beneath the desk. That was An Seri's tell whenever she was anxious.

"Enough."

Well, fine.

Kids could grow by fighting among themselves. But this wasn't a quarrel. It was one-sided bullying.

"Song Seokhwan, stand up."

Song Seokhwan smirked. His relaxed posture seemed to ask: who would dare touch me?

And he was right.

In the academy—no, in all of South Korea—who would dare touch Bisang's crown prince? It certainly wasn't something a mere professor should do. That's exactly why he was acting however he pleased.

"Why? It's not me who has a question. Hey, genius-nim, stand up."

As Song Seokhwan continued his mocking, the lackeys snickered. The lower Seo Dayun's head sank, the colder the atmosphere in the lecture hall grew.

The Combat Magic students, along with everyone except An Seri, began whispering in hushed tones.

─What's going on?

─No idea. Are they fighting?

─That's not fighting, that's bullying.

─How childish, doing this even at the academy......

─Shh! That's Song Seokhwan. Shut up and look away.

I heard Seo Dayun quietly whimpering.

Common or uncommon depending on your perspective—bullying, or ostracism.

I wasn't some righteous hero, and I was even less of a caring mentor with affection for his students. I mean, of course. I'd never once wished to be a professor or a teacher. I was nothing more than a powerless nobody worried about his own skin.

That's precisely why I couldn't just sit by.

"I told you to stand up, Song Seokhwan."

It was a simple calculation.

Seo Dayun possessed the talent to become the world's strongest in the future. Song Seokhwan was a dunce who'd grow to a mediocre ceiling. Whose side to take was obvious.

Charisma, talent──.

The Mana Heart inside me began to surge.

Only then did the smirk vanish from Song Seokhwan's face. The rest of his lackeys panicked preemptively and let out short gasps.

"You need private tutoring. Everyone else, get out."

The moment I finished speaking, students scrambled to grab their things and stampeded out of the lecture hall. They must've been spooked by the intimidation radiating through my talent. I felt a little bad about that.

Only three remained in the lecture hall: me, Song Seokhwan, and An Seri.

"Seri-gun, I said to leave."

I now understood why Song Seokhwan had signed up for my course. From the start, he wouldn't have tracked every class Seo Dayun enrolled in.

The one who'd fed him information was most likely An Seri. She'd uncovered what was happening in the Combat Magic Department and then dragged me in. Since directly confronting Song Seokhwan carried too much risk, using me to protect Seo Dayun was An Seri's best play.

So staying in the room right now was foolish.

"I went through the trouble of cutting the tail, and now you want to reattach it?"

If An Seri remained here, she'd be confirming her link to me. That would make her Song Seokhwan's enemy.

An Seri spoke as if it was nothing, casual and crisp.

"It's just... I feel all blocked up, like something's stuck. I need some relief."

"Tch, don't blame me later."

"Excuse me, Professor. What the hell are you doing?"

Song Seokhwan shrugged in disbelief.

This was probably Song Seokhwan's first time experiencing something like this—having always gotten his way.

That's how he'd been raised, and that's why he'd turned out like this.

Could an ideal educator reform even someone like him through education? Of course, that wasn't my concern. I wasn't an educator.

So what?

You don't have to be an educator to discipline a brat.

You need a beating. Usually, one session of physical therapy sets things straight.

***

"I told you to stand up, Song Seokhwan."

When Cha Eunwoo growled, the atmosphere shifted completely.

An Seri had heard about such things. They said powerful individuals unconsciously radiated mana to overwhelm anyone beneath their level.

An Seri had met many Heroes affiliated with Geumok, but she'd never experienced such a feeling. Of course, no idiot would bare their fangs in front of the Guild Master's daughter.

Facing an unrestrained master's power head-on, she felt as though the air had been squeezed from her lungs.

'Similar to the pressure I felt when Father was in a towering rage... no, even worse.'

If this was how she felt, what about the nobodies? An Seri surveyed the room—everyone was trembling. Seo Dayun in particular could barely breathe.

"Ugh, pull yourself together. The professor's going to handle everything."

Only after An Seri hugged Seo Dayun tight and whispered that it was okay did the trembling stop. What a handful.

"I-I... I'm......"

"Stop. It's all that bastard's fault."

She wanted to comfort her more, but there was no time. Cha Eunwoo had issued an expulsion order to all the students.

An Seri shoved Seo Dayun off to the subordinate waiting outside, then stayed behind in the lecture hall.

"Seri-gun, I said to leave."

In the midst of it all, Cha Eunwoo expressed concern for her. Why? She'd expected him to be furious at being used, but this reaction was completely unexpected.

Come to think of it, why had she stayed? She had no obligation to serve as Cha Eunwoo's accomplice. Her mouth spoke words her mind hadn't thought of.

"It's just... I feel all blocked up, like something's stuck. I need some relief."

I don't know anymore. Whatever happens, happens.

That reckless brat Song Seokhwan wore a clueless expression.

"Excuse me, Professor. What the hell are you doing?"

My thoughts exactly. What the hell is that man planning?

An Seri had only intended to let Cha Eunwoo know what Seo Dayun was going through today. After that, she'd planned to carefully, slowly set traps over time to ensnare and destroy Song Seokhwan—but she never expected Cha Eunwoo to act this way.

She'd thought he was a calculating strategist who meticulously designed schemes and snares. Turns out he had an emotional side too......

"What you've been missing all this time. A proper education."

Cha Eunwoo unfastened his wristwatch and set it on the podium, then tightened his necktie.

Seeing that, Song Seokhwan burst out laughing.

"Bahahaha! What are you, some teacher from an old movie? You're going to hit me? Good luck with that!"

Song Seokhwan boldly pulled a small wand from his bag. Compared to a proper staff, it would hold fewer Memorized spells, but it was enough to deploy a single offensive spell.

A Fire Bolt took shape. A massive fireball large enough to engulf a person began to flicker.

That crazy bastard—is he seriously going to use magic on a person?

"No!"

Just before An Seri could intervene, Cha Eunwoo was faster.

BOOM─!

"GAAAAAH!"

With a crack, he seized Song Seokhwan's arm—or rather, where his arm had been—and Song Seokhwan screamed. In an instant, the deployed magic had blown Song Seokhwan's arm clean off.

"How... how......!"

Song Seokhwan's expression was less about pain and more about sheer outrage. An attitude of absolute refusal to accept what had happened. He'd been hit and still couldn't understand why.

An Seri was equally lost. Did that man just cast magic without a medium? And without an Incantation?

"Seokhwan-gun, no experience in PvP?"

"Ngh, grrh......"

"I'll give you a brief lesson, for the sake of your stupidity. In a mage-on-mage fight, you don't need big, flashy spells. Because mages aren't tough like monsters or warriors. Even the lowest-tier Magic Missile is enough to kill someone. Trying to show off with Fire Bolt is why you're rolling around like that. Remember this—in mage PvP, whoever strikes first wins."

"Shut up, ngh......!"

"Now, now—the lesson's just beginning."

SLAP—!

Cha Eunwoo grabbed Song Seokhwan by the throat, hauled his upper body upright, and slapped him across the face. Smack, smack. In the silent lecture hall, only the sound of slaps echoed loudly.

"......!"

Song Seokhwan clenched his teeth and held back his groans, clinging to whatever pride he had. Cha Eunwoo smirked and drove his fist downward.

"Hurk......!"

A direct hit to the abdomen left Song Seokhwan with no choice but to expel the air from his lungs. The whimpers finally ceased after several more blows.

"Feeling any remorse?"

"Fuck off, you piece of shit."

Song Seokhwan spat bloody saliva. He didn't even have the strength to spit properly—it fell far short of reaching Cha Eunwoo, let alone with any force.

How dare you touch Bisang? I'll get my revenge. I'll rip your limbs off and feed them to the dogs. Song Seokhwan thrashed, unable to suppress the fury boiling inside him.

"Dying like this wouldn't be so bad for you."

Huh?

What is he saying?

Song Seokhwan tried to respond, but no words came out.

"Gkh, hck!"

All that escaped his mouth were choking sounds. He couldn't breathe.

Cha Eunwoo was squeezing his throat with both hands.

Song Seokhwan tried desperately to pry the hands off, tried tapping and slapping to say let go, but they didn't budge.

What is this?

I can't breathe. It hurts.

Am I really going to die like this?

I don't want to die. I'm scared.

I'm sorry, please let me live.

"Gkh, hck......"

Tears streamed down Song Seokhwan's blue-tinged face.

Even the crown prince who hadn't yielded to violence couldn't remain composed in the face of death.

Just when he truly thought he was about to die, he could breathe again.

"Gakh, haack! Hff... haahh......!"

The air he met again was unbearably sweet. Song Seokhwan inhaled and exhaled like a madman.

"I'll ask again. Feeling any remorse?"

"Hck!"

It sounded like a summons from the reaper.

With the fear of death compounded by Cha Eunwoo's Charisma talent, Song Seokhwan was overcome by unparalleled helplessness and terror.

"I was wrong... I was wrong......"

In the end, Song Seokhwan prostrated himself and begged until his hands became feet.

Goosebumps rose on An Seri's arms. She'd expected Cha Eunwoo to put Song Seokhwan in his place. But destroying that brat like this—she never could've imagined it.

"...A monster."

Could this really end cleanly?

There was no way Song Seokhwan would let it go. With this much enmity, he'd surely seek revenge. No matter how impressive someone was, at the end of the day they were still one person. If Bisang became an enemy... the thought alone was terrifying.

On top of that, An Seri had stood by and watched Cha Eunwoo nearly kill Song Seokhwan. That meant the backlash would reach her too—what should she do?

She looked at Cha Eunwoo with worry about how he planned to handle the aftermath.

Cha Eunwoo smirked and spoke with effortless ease.

"All that moving around made me hungry. Let's go eat. Lunch is on you today, Seri-gun."

It was absurd. Something huge had clearly just happened, yet she wasn't worried at all.

That man's back looked far too reliable.

So reliable that she felt she could trust him with everything and just let go.

"Isn't it embarrassing for a professor to mooch off a student?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Heh... There won't be a next time."