A S-Class Hunter With Great Agility - Chapter 65
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 65: Hunter Academy (1)
Lee Cheong-ryu and Sister Yu-kyung engaged in a battle of wills for a while before eventually moving together. When had they been opposing this as dangerous? Their interest seemed to have shifted entirely to keeping Blue Dragon in check.
Because of that, I had to spend time alone while the S-rank Hunters went to set the stage.
‘Nice weather.’
I walked across the Campus of Hunter Academy.
“How much time until the next lecture?”
“About 20 minutes?”
“Ugh, was it theory? I really hate it.”
I could hear the Students’ conversations nearby. Some glanced at me like I was an Outsider, but after seeing the Permission Pass around my neck, they simply passed by.
“There’s practical training after it ends. Just bear with it and listen.”
“What’s the point of practical training when only those three will be flying around?”
“There isn’t any.”
“Fuck.”
They were ordinary conversations. I felt no particular interest. I slumped down onto a bench next to the Garden.
The sky I looked up at absentmindedly was bright blue.
“Oh. Uh, Eun Hae-dam?”
“…?”
But a familiar voice called out to me.
“It, it really is you! Wow, it’s been so long.”
“Nam Jae-yoon?”
It was a completely unexpected face. I looked at him with a bewildered expression.
Nam Jae-yoon, dressed in neat clothes, ran over to me sitting on the bench and grabbed my hands, shaking them.
“What brings you here? I’m so glad to see you! I was actually thinking I’d like to meet you again sometime.”
“Ah, well, I have some business here… It’s hard to explain.”
That was the question I wanted to ask. Why is Nam Jae-yoon here? He’s not old enough to be a Student…
‘Ah, don’t tell me.’
I asked with a light smile. I had a hunch.
“Do you happen to work here?”
“Yes…!”
Nam Jae-yoon immediately confirmed it. Then he smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek.
“My younger sibling’s condition has improved a lot. Since I have some breathing room now, I’ve been working here and receiving a salary rather than entering Dungeons these days.”
“Wow, that’s great.”
“Ah, it’s still just a temporary instructor position…”
Even if it’s temporary, considering the Academy’s reputation, the competition must have been fierce.
I genuinely felt like congratulating him. Good for him, following his destiny.
This scenery suited Nam Jae-yoon much better than Dungeons.
“The pay is less than entering Dungeons, but it seems to suit my aptitude much better. The Students also follow along well… well, I can’t say they follow well, but they’re all passionate.”
Does that mean they don’t follow well? The question that briefly arose was resolved not long after.
“Hey, it’s history class. Who’s that next to him? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…”
“Who cares? When will he quit? So fucking embarrassing… He’s not even from here.”
“How did he even get in, really?”
A group of Students passed by, giggling.
Nam Jae-yoon’s pupils trembled slightly behind his Glasses.
“Just now, that was…”
Blatant disrespect. Even though it wasn’t about me, I automatically frowned.
However, Nam Jae-yoon shook his head.
“It’s okay…! I hear that every day. I’m a C-rank Hunter and not even an Academy graduate… So many people look down on me.”
“…”
“But it’s okay. I’ve decided not to care anymore. I’ve achieved what I wanted. Nothing else matters.”
Nam Jae-yoon smiled brightly, truly like someone who didn’t care about anything.
— You never know. Once my sibling fully recovers and I have some more breathing room… I might be able to continue studying.
‘He’s different from back then.’
It was the face of someone who had lifted the greatest fear from their life.
“Is this your first time at the Academy?”
“…Yes. I have something to do, but I need to kill some time before then.”
“I still have time before my class, so how about taking a quick look around? It seems like you got a Permission Pass too. There’s a lot to see here.”
It was welcome news to hear. I nodded and agreed.
After all, Yu-kyung had given me the Permission Pass telling me to look around the Surroundings while the Guild Leaders prepared.
It was too vast and I hadn’t felt up to it, but having a guide was more than welcome.
“That sounds great to me. Let’s go.”
“…! Yes!”
* * *
As expected, it was much larger than an ordinary school, with facilities that surpassed most universities. The buildings, all decorated in a modern style, looked like they could be mistaken for some guild’s headquarters.
Nam Jae-yoon introduced the facilities with the seriousness of someone entrusted with a weighty mission.
He seemed excited about something, and the reason was soon revealed.
“Actually, I’ve been wanting to thank you continuously. About the talisman you wrote for me back then.”
“Ah.”
After the dungeon boss had taken over Nam Jae-yoon’s body, Nam Jae-yoon had been in a severely weakened state.
He seemed to be referring to the talisman I had given him to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
“The nightmares I used to have frequently have almost disappeared, and how should I put it… I felt like I had overcome it. I’ve entered gates several times since then, and I was less afraid than before.”
Since he hadn’t achieved complete skill awakening, there shouldn’t have been much effect. This was unexpected news.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of talisman was it? I’d like to research it personally.”
“Hmm… It wasn’t anything special. It was just a talisman to boost weakened energy.”
Had my spiritual power returned?
‘…No.’
I clenched and unclenched my hand once. I still couldn’t feel any spiritual power.
When I used the Divine Descent Ritual, it did return little by little… But otherwise, only an alien energy—probably mana—swirled around.
“It might be that Nam Jae-yoon overcame it on his own.”
So… the effect Nam Jae-yoon felt might have been his own achievement.
People tend to grow stronger the more danger they experience.
“Is, is that so?”
“Yes, definitely.”
Nam Jae-yoon hurriedly adjusted his glasses like someone who had heard something completely unexpected.
“Th, this way…! There are many other facilities too. They’re incredibly well-made. The third-years should be having practical classes right now.”
Nam Jae-yoon guided me to the next location with a happy expression.
* * *
Nam Jae-yoon and I came up to the 5th floor. This was where the training ground was located, where the third-years were supposedly having practical classes.
Since it was certainly different from ordinary schools, I felt somewhat curious.
‘I might as well learn the basics while I’m here.’
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated—I casually asked a question.
“How is this place operated? The facilities are good, and it seems like there’s a lot of money. I’ve heard the name before, but I don’t know the details.”
“Hmm. You know that Hunter Academy is an institution under the Academy Guild, right?”
“Yes. I heard that someone named Heo Gil… is the principal.”
“That’s right. Hunter Heo Gil, who is the Academy Guild Leader, serves as both guild leader and principal of this place.”
Nam Jae-yoon nodded.
“So there’s really a lot of support coming down from the Academy Guild. The students here receive that support and steadily follow an elite course for three years. Their skills are outstanding too, so when the large guilds’ rookie draft season comes, Academy students are very popular.”
So—they take classes to become hunters, and upon graduation, they immediately debut as hunters. That kind of system?
‘It feels like a hunter training facility.’
From the 5th floor onwards, students equipped with gear were walking around. Their stats were all on the high side too.
I repeatedly blinked to turn my Spiritual Sight on and off.
“Ah, they’re indeed having practical training.”
As we turned the corner of the corridor, another space appeared. One entire wall was a transparent large window made of glass.
Beyond it, students were each engaged in combat.
Thoom, thud!
Slight vibrations could be felt through the thick soundproof wall.
“All practical training is conducted openly. Students keep each other in check… They say they aim for that kind of atmosphere, but I’m not really sure about it.”
Nam Jae-yoon smiled awkwardly.
The students in the corridor were whispering while watching the practical combat.
“Hey, what was that guy’s rank again?”
“B-rank? Or was it A? I don’t remember. But the power doesn’t even look like C-rank.”
“Pathetic. Which guild would recruit someone like that?”
‘Something feels a bit…’
Unsettling.
“What are those monsters? They don’t seem real.”
I asked, trying to shake off the strange thoughts that were arising.
The students were each fighting what appeared to be monsters. However, at first glance, they didn’t seem like real monsters.
“Ah, those are monsters made with holograms! It’s new technology.”
“Oh…”
Crash, thud!
A male student wielding a large scythe slashed across the monster’s shoulder. Despite being clad in white armor all over his body, his movements were light.
He instantly eliminated all the legs of the insect-type monster. It was a clean trajectory.
Swoosh.
The monster that had been attacked soon lost its form and disappeared.
In the place where the monster vanished, the number 87 appeared.
“It’s not completely identical to reality. No blood either.”
The monster didn’t spray blood, nor did it violently attack its opponent.
For me, who had fought real monsters many times, this was an unfamiliar sight.
“Still, seeing how it’s used, the training effects must be good.”
“Uh… Yes! It’s not bad. I’m in charge of theory so I don’t know much, but everyone says their skills have improved a lot since introducing this technology.”
“Don’t you fight actual monsters at all?”
“Of course we enter real dungeons too. The Academy has something called rankings, and students who rank in the top 10 go to actual Gates for practical training.”
Nam Jae-yoon earnestly provided detailed explanations.
“Rankings are literally school-wide grades. It’s like listing the strongest students in the Academy. However, it’s a ranking that only reflects practical grades, um. If you’re within the top 10 of those rankings…”
“…”
“They’re really strong.”
Nam Jae-yoon’s face grew somewhat serious.
“Contracts with large guilds are already predetermined for them. They’re at a level where they can decide for themselves where to go… they’re geniuses.”
I looked at the battle beyond the glass again.
This time, a student with flames wreathed around both hands was burning a plant-type monster.
Whoosh!
The plant-type monster disappeared without leaving even a handful of ash. The student acquired the number 94 with a triumphant expression.
‘Young geniuses, huh.’
— Please match me with the best one. The student with the highest grade and, well, academic performance too.
It seemed my opponent had been decided.
“Ah, would you like to observe a class? Come to think of it, class is starting soon. I’m in charge of Hunter History. That permission pass allows observation too.”
“…Should I?”
“Come this way!”
Nam Jae-yoon led me to another location once again.
Clang, clank!
Screech, groooan.
The sounds of students engaging in combat echoed throughout the corridor.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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