—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The professor and I were in a standoff.
I stood there, swaying like a typical drunkard, a broken soju bottle clutched in my right hand.
The professor, on the other hand, had lowered his large frame slightly, his hands outstretched in a vague attempt to grab something.
He looked like a professional grappler.
I continued to sway, hoping to make him let his guard down, even for a moment.
…
Actually, I was a bit drunk.
I should have just dumped the rest of the soju instead of chugging it down.
“You think you can start in that state?”
“No pro… ugh… blem…”
Shit.
The nausea was coming back.
The professor looked like he was seriously questioning whether he should be fighting a pathetic drunkard like me.
He eventually gave up thinking and continued,
“Ha… Let’s begin then.”
“But professor.”
“What?”
I looked around briefly and said,
“Won’t the other students get hurt if they watch?”
“I’m surprised you’d even consider that… Interesting.”
Unlike your bald head, I have common sense, you bastard.
You’re a heartless, brainless, and hairless bastard.
A goddamn trinity of shitty traits.
At that moment, a youthful voice came from the back of the classroom.
“Professor, I can take care of that.”
“Ah, Hye-ji, was it? I’ll leave it to you then.”
“Yes sir! Right away.”
A girl stood up from her seat.
She had slightly messy, straight red hair and reptilian, golden eyes.
She walked to the front of the classroom with a small black cube in her hand, a wide smile on her face.
She threw the object between me and the professor and said,
“Activating~!”
“Go ahead.”
A white, translucent barrier enveloped me and the professor.
The professor looked at the girl expectantly, and she immediately explained,
“It’s more effective to confine the two of you rather than cover the entire classroom~.”
“As long as it prevents harm to the others, it’s fine. Thank you, Hye-ji.”
“You’re welcome~! Have fun~!”
Have fun?
Are you crazy?
What fun could I possibly have with this bald old man?
Baldy_attacks_student_in_classroom.mp4.
Just the thought of it made me shudder.
“I’ll let you have the first move.”
“Taking the first move would be pretty shameless, professor.”
“Just shut up and come at me already!!”
As I slowly approached him, I considered my attack strategy.
I formulated a plan with each step.
‘First, I’ll stab him in the gut, then adapt to the situation.’
When I was only a few steps away, I suddenly accelerated.
I pushed off with my left foot and thrust my right arm forward, aiming for his abdomen.
Or at least, I tried to.
Until the black number above the professor’s head increased by one.
He regressed.
You scared, baldy?
You’re using regression against a student?
I halted my right arm just before it reached him and desperately wracked my brain.
‘Assuming he experienced the future where I stab him and regressed…’
‘His hand position hasn’t changed, so he might try to grab me.’
‘I need to change my approach.’
His smug grin after his number went up was particularly irritating.
Suddenly, I felt insulted.
This bastard actually used regression.
I quickly revised my plan of gut-stabbing him with the broken soju bottle.
Instead, I dropped the bottle and pulled back my right leg.
Then, I kicked the bottle towards his face with all my might.
BOOM!!!!!!!
The bottle exploded with a loud bang, shards of glass scattering in all directions.
Most of the fragments headed straight for the professor’s face.
“Huh?!!!”
For the first time, a look of shock, not amusement, appeared on his face.
At the same time, the red number above his head increased by one.
Didn’t expect that, did you, baldy?
Look at how nice he looks when he’s not smirking.
Caught off guard, the professor frantically blocked the incoming shards with his arms.
Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for me, he instinctively took a step back with his right foot.
I seized the opportunity, planted my right foot on the ground, and prepared my next move.
Memories of Kang-hyuk’s teachings flooded my mind.
-Even Hunters are human at the end of the day.
-Fighting techniques against humans are your foundation.
-Unless they’re monstrous, even the strongest are still bound by the laws of human anatomy.
It was just one step for the professor.
One step back with his right foot.
Not a significant change under normal circumstances.
But for me, it was enough.
I lifted my left leg and whipped it towards his left knee.
-For example, if you apply force in the direction a joint bends, it will bend.
A clean thud reverberated through the air, confirming a direct hit.
Of course, I didn’t intend to inflict damage with the kick.
I had already assumed he was tough, considering he had smashed a soju bottle with his head earlier.
I was aiming for something else.
His knee buckled involuntarily from the forceful impact.
And that was enough to disrupt his balance.
I immediately pulled back my left leg and returned to my original stance.
At the same time, my left hand grabbed the fabric of his right elbow.
The movements flowed seamlessly, like water.
And flowing water shouldn’t be stopped.
My right arm reached into his right armpit, hooking onto the inside of his elbow.
It looked as if two hooks were latched onto each other.
-When their balance falters, strike.
I swiftly placed my left foot between his legs, twisted my body, and turned in the opposite direction.
With a final burst of strength, I pulled down on his arm and threw him over my shoulder.
BOOM!!!!!!!
A loud crash echoed through the room, proportionate to his weight.
But it wasn’t over yet.
I recalled what I had learned.
-You think Hunters are invincible? What kind of idiot believes that?
-If they can’t breathe, they die. Some vulnerable parts, if hit, suffer permanent damage. It’s true.
-Even a body impervious to blades will faint if hit in the jaw.
I immediately pressed my right knee into his throat and forced his eyelids open with my left hand.
-Eyes, for example.
-Some train their groin area, so be careful.
Damn it, why did I have to remember that last part?
I grabbed the sharpened chopstick I had hidden in my sleeve and thrust it towards his eye.
I stopped my hand just before it pierced his eyeball.
All this happened in a matter of seconds.
“Huff… huff… Professor… Is this… considered subduing?”
“…Y…Yes…”
He could barely speak, his voice strained from the pressure on his throat.
I would have loved to press harder, considering my dislike for him, but he kept tapping my knee with his hand.
Tsk.
What a waste.
When would I get another chance to beat him up like this?
I reluctantly released him, letting out a sigh of disappointment as I shifted my knee away from his throat.
He took a few deep breaths and said, lying on the floor,
“Whew… Yes, you subdued me splendidly.”
“Huff… huff… Thank you…”
But I think I’m screwed now.
“This year’s Iron tier looks promising. By the way, would you mind telling me what your ability is?”
“…Huff… huff… Well…”
Ah.
I couldn’t avoid this.
“Yes, yes. Take your time. So, what’s your ability?”
“Blargh…”
The human body is both weak and strong.
Humans adapt and survive even in the most extreme conditions.
But at the same time, they can also be brought down by a single bottle of soju.
I had been moving intensely while the alcohol sloshed around in my stomach.
It was only natural that I’d throw up.
The problem was that I did it on the professor’s face.
Thankfully, because my stomach was empty, it wasn’t chunky vomit, just a torrent of murky liquid.
It wasn’t the worst-case scenario, but tears welled up in the professor’s eyes, tears that didn’t originate from my mouth.
…I’m sorry, professor.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I had unleashed a waterfall of soju and stomach acid onto the professor’s face.
The waterfall wasn’t forceful, but the speed at which the professor’s face contorted in misery was unmatched.
When the torrent subsided, the professor slowly got up and trudged out of the classroom.
He didn’t return even when it was time for the next class.
He was supposed to teach both the first and second periods. Did he cancel his class?
Count your blessings, students.
As soon as I thought that, the door opened, and the professor, now in a fresh set of clothes, walked in.
I was sitting in the front row.
I had no choice.
It’s an unwritten rule that the back rows are always full.
But seriously, you bastards are sitting way too close.
How the hell do two people share a single seat?
The professor walked up to me and met my gaze.
“Well, I haven’t introduced myself properly. My name is Kang Pil-yong.”
“Nice to meet you, Professor Kang. My name is Kim Shinwoo.”
“Right. Let’s just… skip over the unfortunate incident.”
“The vomiting?”
Tears welled up in the professor’s eyes again.
“Don’t mention it. It reminded me of that time a monster threw up on me 20 years ago.”
“So I’m the second one.”
“Anyway, I was truly impressed by how you subdued me. Did you use an ability?”
“Nope.”
Silence descended upon the classroom.
Various emotions flickered in the professor’s eyes:
Doubt. Suspicion. Confusion. Humiliation.
He stared at me intensely, as if trying to decipher the secrets of my non-existent ability.
“?”
“?”
“?… Really?”
“Yes, really. I swear.”
“Wait here for a moment.”
Professor Pil-yong made a phone call and stepped out of the classroom.
Fifteen minutes later, he returned with a black, spherical device adorned with flashing LEDs.
He held it up and began to explain,
“Everyone, please pay attention. This is an Ability Reader.
The government has been encouraging ability users to voluntarily report and register their abilities, but the response has been lukewarm.
So, this is the latest research achievement of my research students.
It’s still in its prototype stage, but it can read most existing abilities.”
…The only reader I know is the Cat of Doom.
This story is doomed!
Kyaru will rule this world!
“I’ll give you a demonstration, so please watch carefully.”
He placed the reader on the podium and placed both hands on top of it.
I hadn’t noticed before, but there were slight indentations on the reader for placing your hands.
As soon as his hands touched it, the LEDs started flashing in various colors.
About fifteen seconds later, the reading finished, and a brief voice announced the result.
「Reading complete」
「Cryokinesis ability detected.」
「Can freeze substances that come into contact with hands and feet.」
“As the reader said, I have the ability to freeze things. The description is accurate.
It’s still a prototype, but as development progresses, it will be even more accurate.”
Damn, I won because he didn’t use his ability.
If he had, I probably would’ve lost.
If he froze me upon contact, I would have been in big trouble.
I observed the reader carefully and thought,
This thing would be useful in the future.
Now, we can catch and register all the unregistered ability users.
But then, I remembered something I had forgotten.
………
Shit.
I’m the unregistered one.
I started sweating profusely, but Professor Pil-yong kept insisting that I try the reader.
“So, Shinwoo, would you mind placing your hand on it?”
“…I’m a non-ability user. Is this really necessary?”
“You could have an ability you’re unaware of. Just give it a try.”
“Be honest. You just don’t want to admit you lost to a non-ability user, right?”
“…Just do it, kid.”
I heard that all academy students with abilities had to be registered.
Violating this rule resulted in expulsion at the very least.
In serious cases, you could even be arrested and have a criminal record.
I’m so screwed.
I resigned myself to my fate and placed my hand on the device.
I hoped nothing would happen, but I was already half-resigned.
Goodbye, my beautiful academy life.
The LEDs flashed brilliantly, but my heart sank.
Exactly 15 seconds later, just like before, the reading finished, and a voice announced:
「Reading complete」
「No ability detected.」
「Non-ability user confirmed.」
???
????????
I was so shocked that I couldn’t speak.
Professor Pil-yong, his eyes bloodshot, grabbed my hand and forced it back onto the device.
「Reading complete」
「No ability detected.」
「Non-ability user confirmed.」
He held onto my hand tightly, refusing to believe the results.
But the result remained unchanged.
「Reading complete」
「No ability detected.」
「Non-ability… Non-ability user confirmed.」
Just say it once, you bastard.
I heard murmurs from the other students.
“Is that thing broken? How can he be a non-ability user?”
“But it recognized the professor’s ability.”
“Maybe the professor pre-registered his fingerprint to cheat.”
“Wow, the professor got research funding for this crap? He has no shame.”
Professor Pil-yong’s face started to turn pale.
The students’ murmurs showed no signs of subsiding.
“Hey, you try it too. What if it says you’re a non-ability user?”
“I’ll kill myself if I’m a non-ability user. Don’t even joke about that.”
“Sorry. If I was born a non-ability user, I would’ve killed myself to make the world a better place.”
…I’m going to beat up those last two assholes later.
I’m gonna beat the shit out of them.
The murmurs only grew louder.
Despite the unexpected backlash, Professor Pil-yong continued to smile.
But his eyes were dead.
And veins were popping up all over his forehead, contrasting with his smiling face.
“Everyone! This device is still a prototype, so it will take some time before it’s ready for commercial use.
Today’s result will serve as a stepping stone for a brighter future.
I’ll showcase it again next time. That’s all for today’s class. Thank you.”
As he was about to leave, I stopped him.
“Professor!”
“Yes, Shinwoo?”
“Do you remember the conditions you promised me earlier?”
“You mean overlooking your tardiness? Yes, I’ll consider you present for today.”
He tried to leave quickly, so I stopped him again.
“There was one more thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you’d cover for me no matter what I do in all my classes today.”
“Ah, did I? Yes, yes. You can do whatever you want today, and I’ll take responsibility.”
He seemed busy, but I pressed for confirmation.
“You promised this in front of all the students here, right?”
“Yes, I promise!”
And he bolted out of the classroom.
I could faintly hear him yelling “Research stu~dents!!!” from afar.
Professor Pil-yong’s research students would spend another night drowning in tears.
Becoming a research student?
You have a talent for expressing suicidal thoughts in a roundabout way!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“So… You’re saying you’re doing this because of Professor Kang? Is that right?”
A strict-looking female professor in her 30s with glasses and green braids gritted her teeth.
I, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm.
Stop glaring at me.
You’ll get wrinkles.
“Yes, that’s right. He said he’d take responsibility for everything. Cheers!”
He did say he’d take responsibility.
I had already given up on the back rows.
They showed no signs of emptying, just like the office bathroom during morning rush hour.
So, I was sitting in the front row, eating snacks and cup noodles, and drinking soju.
I had exchanged the lukewarm soju for a cold one at the convenience store.
I got a new pair of wooden chopsticks in exchange for buying a bag of chips.
I simply got hot water from the convenience store and quietly went back to the classroom.
There was a water purifier right in front of the Gold-tier classroom, but I felt a bit self-conscious after the incident earlier.
The first class was from 09:00 to 10:15.
The second class was from 10:30 to 11:45.
The third class was from 12:00 to 13:15.
Second and third-year students could eat lunch after their second class.
Unfortunately, as lowly first-years, we could only eat after the third class.
But I already had permission.
I hadn’t even had breakfast and only drank soju, so I felt like I was going to die.
So, while everyone else clutched their growling stomachs…
I was enjoying a blissful meal.
I took a swig of cold soju, savoring its tingling aftertaste, and slurped down the spicy instant noodles.
In between, I munched on the salty chips and sweet cookies I had prepared.
When I got tired of the snacks, I bit into the chewy noodles and took another swig of soju.
It was a never-ending loop of pleasure.
Ever had sex?
This is what sex feels like.
That’s what I decided.
The other students, unable to tolerate this inhumane behavior, were on the verge of a breakdown.
The female professor teaching the class was barely holding back her anger as she forced herself to continue the lecture.
Professor Pil-yong would probably get chewed out, or worse, have to write an apology letter.
Of course, that wasn’t my problem.
Thanks for the meal, professor.
Should’ve won if you didn’t want this.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
bro really does not care at all about his integrity