Don't Feed the Professor! - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Where am I?
It was my first thought when I opened my eyes that morning. But soon enough, I remembered that this was Amelie’s Dormitory room.
The moment I stepped out from under the blanket, a chill ran through me. I slipped my bare feet into the soft, fluffy Cat-Embroidered Slippers I’d found tucked away in a corner of the wardrobe yesterday.
It had been a week since I fell into the Fortress. My circumstances hadn’t changed much. I still had to dodge students, still couldn’t look up at the bathroom ceiling. And worrying about where my next meal would come from was just the cherry on top.
The funny part was that despite all this, my mind felt more at ease than it ever had in the real world.
“Hmm…….”
I got out of bed and stretched, my joints popping. To be honest, if I looked at just this room alone, it was more comfortable than anywhere I’d ever lived.
It wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t hot or cold, and in the morning, actual sunlight streamed through. No mold, no noise from upstairs neighbors, and most importantly, no one burst in without permission.
Sure, someone had stuck a note on my door once without asking, but compared to the things I’d dealt with in my old rental places, that was nothing.
Especially thinking back to those days in the Pseudo-Religious Cult’s communal lodging. I couldn’t have imagined sleeping this peacefully there.
I checked my mobile phone. The hotline had been quiet lately. Just a few people exchanging pointless pleasantries.
My first-day remarks had been smoothed over well enough that same evening. I’d basically played it off as some clueless concept character who didn’t know any better.
Bibi had gone along with it too. There was no benefit to him revealing that I was a complete newbie.
I dressed in a t-shirt and track jacket, sturdy jeans, and sneakers. I stuffed the fully charged Infant Food Encyclopedia in my track jacket pocket.
According to information I’d gotten from Bibi, once I’d made a deal with the Librarian, I could exchange items I picked up at the Fortress for cash.
After Course Registration was done, I was planning to bring a few items I had over to the Librarian for appraisal.
Things like the Band-aids I’d gotten from the Infirmary, and the Talisman and Terminal Device that a dead agent had been carrying.
I wasn’t sure exactly, but if giant spiders attacked in situations like throwing open a bag, that meant it had to be valuable goods, right?
I left the room and headed downstairs to the second floor.
Creak.
A sound from the dark hallway. It was a noise I heard every time I went up or down the stairs, but nothing unusual had ever actually happened.
But today something seemed to be moving near the ceiling.
‘A shadow?’
I squinted, but the long shadow disappeared quickly.
‘……Let’s just ignore it.’
I had no intention whatsoever of investigating suspicious shadows moving around a dark hallway first thing in the morning.
After greeting the dorm supervisor, I stepped outside to find the sun just rising. The ‘students’ who’d had no activity during the night were beginning to stir one by one.
I craned my neck and scanned the walking path that led to the square. Beside a bench, in light workout clothes, drinking water—I saw a familiar back.
“Morning, Bibi.”
I dragged my feet over and greeted him.
“Tie your shoelaces properly.”
Bibi, glancing at me sideways, said it irritably.
“What, are you some kind of tsundere or something?”
I put one foot up on a flower bed railing and fumbled with my shoelaces.
Today was finally Course Registration day. I still had no idea what that “war” they’d talked about was actually like.
Since I didn’t know what waited for me, there was nothing special I could prepare, so I’d faced the morning with a light heart instead.
“You brought the Infant Food Encyclopedia?”
“I brought it, but……will I actually need it?”
“Always comes in handy.”
His gaze was fixed on my feet.
“Let me see.”
Bibi said it bluntly and bent down in front of me. With practiced hands, he retied my shoelaces, which had been done up sloppily.
“Oh, thanks.”
I bounced my foot a couple of times to test it. The knot was tight enough that it wouldn’t come undone easily.
Bibi clicked his tongue and drained the rest of the water from his bottle. Water droplets fell in succession onto his muscular upper body and black t-shirt.
Over the past few days, I’d been following Bibi around, learning the layout of the campus.
He seemed baffled watching me trail after his morning runs, but he didn’t bother chasing me away.
Bibi still didn’t know my name or my Student Role. But ever since he found out I was a dormitory resident, his suspicion seemed to have eased a bit.
Maybe he was planning to repay me with four million won’s worth of goodwill.
In any case, thanks to him, I’d managed to gather some useful information.
“Just to recap—there are six surviving Student Role students left at Gwangryun University, including me, right?”
“I didn’t say that. I just said it looks like about that many.”
“Right, right. Can’t give me high-level intel like that without being fair to everyone else.”
I winked playfully, and Bibi flinched before clicking his tongue.
“You’re an idiot, seriously…….”
Meanwhile, I hadn’t run into Mallo in days. I’d thought about whether I could get hints from him, but honestly, I was afraid of the price that would come with it.
“If you ever need help, whether it’s Course Registration or anything else, just come find me anytime.”
That’s what he’d said.
But I wasn’t stupid. At least I was trying my dog-hard best not to be. It was true that I’d gotten a little cocky hearing Mallo call me his “only disciple” and such.
But as my experiences at the Fortress piled up, I grew more convinced I should be wary of him. Teaching for Mallo was probably just entertainment, but for me it was a matter of survival.
If I let my guard down, it would be me who suffered the consequences. And creating invisible debts seemed risky in every way.
Besides, nothing in this world comes free, anyway.
Beep!!
At the sudden noise, Bibi and I both looked up. A woman’s voice poured from speakers installed around campus.
[Attention to all students on campus.]
Something about it made me uneasy, and I found myself tensing instinctively.
[As we’ve informed you previously……. What, we never told you? Then what am I supposed to say? You guys wrote the opening remarks, didn’t you?]
A tongue-click sounded through the microphone.
[Ah, you all know anyway—today’s Course Registration. We start in two hours, so quit messing around and wait in the Main Lecture Hall.]
Beep.
I thought the broadcast had ended with a thud from putting down the microphone, but then someone picked it back up.
[Yes, haha……. That was the Student Council. Um……, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Administration Office anytime!]
“That’s Gwon Taehyun.”
“It’s Gwon Taehyun.”
Two days ago, I’d gone to see Gwon Taehyun to pick up the Course Registration form. Following the instructions that were tucked into Amelie’s diary.
Gwon Taehyun had made a startled face, asking when on earth I’d gotten such old documents.
“Student information gets synchronized anyway. Of course, that’s probably not your only worry.”
It was the kind of unhelpful advice he always gave. Still, I managed to learn that the lineage of Amelies had been going on for quite a long time.
Ding.
At the clumsy notification sound, I pulled out my mobile phone.
[You know you can play games on your phone, right?]
“……?”
It was such an absurdly random message, but the sender was obvious.
“What?”
“Huh? Oh, sometimes notifications like that pop up. Anyway, I’m gonna head over to the Student Council Building. Thanks for tying my laces!”
I brushed off Bibi’s question and said goodbye. I’d decided to keep information about Mallo exclusively for Gwon Taehyun, so it was better to keep my mouth shut.
Even if Bibi seemed laid-back, he was an agency operative too, and things could turn into a competition for results.
Anyway, games? I couldn’t help my curiosity and started exploring the folders on the home screen.
“Is it this one?”
Pop, ding.
There were old games like Snake and Othello—things I’d heard of somewhere.
If I was stuck in the dormitory late at night with nothing to do, having games like these probably would’ve been some comfort.
Everyone lives the same way, I thought, and then I spotted a name that looked familiar.
BAD CITY
Bad City? Isn’t this the game I played on Goldilocks a few days ago?
“The person who wins becomes ‘it.’ If you break the rules, we all die.”
I shuddered, recalling Gomtal’s terrified expression and bloodshot eyes. This gives me bad vibes—I shouldn’t delete it, but I won’t play it either.
I opened the message window.
[I’m not planning on playing games for a while, anyway.]
About ten seconds passed, then ding—a reply came back.
[You can make calls too.]
……Were they seriously telling me that you can make calls on a phone right now? Are they treating me like an idiot?
[I already know that much.]
Ding—this time the reply came back in less than ten seconds. A laughing-while-crying emoji.
‘Corny…….’
I bit my lip to stifle a laugh. I shoved the phone into my pocket and quickened my pace.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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