Don't Feed the Professor! - Chapter 22

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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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Ballcap leaned forward and shoved Hoodie’s chest with his fist—a single, deliberate push.
“Hey, did you really think favor bought with cheap offerings would last forever? He loves me, you know. Even if I give Him nothing, I’m more precious to Him than trash like you. Don’t you get it?”
Hoodie’s face went rigid with shock.
“And I know what you did…….”
Ballcap jabbed Hoodie’s shoulder with his finger.
“You took my memo note, didn’t you?”
“Ha…….”
Hoodie lifted his head. His confused gaze fixed on some point in empty air.
“But……, but my offering! He received my offering with joy, didn’t He?!”
Ballcap snickered at Hoodie’s incoherent cries.
“Man, don’t you know what inflation is?”
The Student Council President, who had been silently checking her watch until then, clapped her hands together twice.
“Everyone, quiet now. The briefing is about to begin.”
The scattered students took their seats one by one. No one paid any attention to Hoodie, who remained sitting on the floor with a dazed expression.
“But isn’t the briefing always the same thing every time? There shouldn’t be anyone here who doesn’t know the rules.”
Someone spoke from among those with their faces hidden behind masks and goggles.
“Jesus…….”
The Student Council President clicked her tongue with displeasure.
“Your mouth won’t close? When did I permit questions?”
The room fell silent, and I found a nearby chair to sit in.
Then I counted the number of students here—the survivors—once more with my eyes.
It was difficult to estimate with all their faces hidden, but roughly eight people of similar age, male and female, including myself.
Only those survivors who had been assigned the role of student were present in this room.
Mallo had said there would be about six survivors left on campus. If that was true, there were more survivors staying at Gwangnun University than Mallo had expected.
Where had they been hiding all this time on a campus that was always empty?
Well, if only stagnant water remained, then moving around campus without drawing attention might not have been difficult.
The thought that one of them might have been watching me from somewhere made me uncomfortable.
“Hey there.”
I turned at the sudden voice. A woman in a black leather jacket and large gas mask was standing beside me—I hadn’t noticed her approach.
“……Yes?”
“You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“Um…….”
I quickly glanced around. I could feel everyone straining to listen, even as they pretended not to.
The Student Council President had said there were only unpleasant people left. In other words, everyone but me already knew each other.
Since there was no point in trying to deny it, I nodded.
“Oh, good. Actually, this is my first class registration too.”
When the woman laughed, I heard her breathing hiss through the gas mask’s filters.
‘Liar.’
But I smiled back appropriately and answered.
“I see.”
“But by any chance…….”
Gas Mask lowered her voice.
“Is there someone who shows you favor?”
“……?”
“Oh, I’m not trying to pry or anything, but……, not even hiding your face and appearing like this, and with the Student Council President too…….”
“Ah.”
“So either you have something to rely on somewhere, or…….”
Creak—Gas Mask placed one hand on the desk and leaned in. Then she whispered.
“I thought you were incredibly stupid.”
“……What?”
“Haha, just joking.”
“…….”
“Let’s get along, us newbies together.”
The woman in the gas mask extended her hand to me. Was she offering to shake hands?
I just stared at her. Despite her unusual clothing, she didn’t look particularly threatening.
The way she provoked me so suddenly made me wonder if there was some other motive at play.
I reached into my hoodie pocket, trying to grip the Baby Food Encyclopedia.
That’s when the woman suddenly thrust her arm out.
“What the—?!”
Before I could react, she grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward with force. Then she pressed the gas mask’s vent grill against the inside of my arm and drew a deep breath.
Sniff—as if she were smelling me.
Bang—I shoved her away hard. She stumbled backward more easily than expected.
But she quickly got up as if nothing had happened and walked back to her companions at a leisurely pace.
“See? I told you. There’s no smell at all.”
They murmured among themselves and giggled.
I felt deeply uncomfortable, but I had no intention of pressing the issue. This wasn’t the time for it anyway.
Bang.
The Student Council President slammed her palm on the podium.
She turned her sharp gaze toward me and opened her mouth.
“As I say every time, causing injury to fellow students is strictly prohibited. ……Unless you’ve received separate permission.”
I flinched at those added words.
‘Unless you’ve received separate permission’? So causing injury is acceptable if you have permission?
But no one else looked shocked by this.
The Student Council President continued explaining the basic rules of class registration in that reluctant tone.
First of all, to register for classes, you need “Credits.”
If you go down to the Test Site through the door that opens at noon, you can obtain Credits “depending on your effort.”
With the Credits you’ve earned, you can choose to register for the lectures you want, or not register at all.
And it’s entirely up to the professors which students they select as their class members.
In other words, the student who offers the highest Credits gets priority.
Like an auction.
‘This is absurd…….’
But she didn’t explain what the test actually involved, or how exactly you earn Credits—the crucial information was missing entirely.
I understood now why someone had complained earlier about why they were briefing on information everyone already knew.
And what was this “favor” that Hoodie and Ballcap had been fighting over?
I recalled the torn memo I’d seen on the bulletin board earlier. ‘Offer something to the professor,’ ‘favor bought with cheap offerings,’ and…….
“He clearly received my offering with joy, didn’t He?!”
Why had Hoodie cried out while staring at empty air? As if someone were listening…….
Ding.
I took out my smartphone. At the same moment, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
‘What are you staring at.’
I grumbled inwardly and checked the message. It was from Mallo.
[Your guess was right.]
……My guess? What guess?
You mean the thought that professors might be watching from somewhere while students earn their Credits?
[Will the professor come too?]
Ding.
[If you call me.]
If I call, they’ll come?
Ding.
[Try saying “Professor~ please help me~”]
With a smiling emoticon attached to the end of the message.
“…….”
[I’ve never asked anyone for help my whole life]
Ding.
[Really? Why?]
Why, you ask. Well…….
‘It’s pointless anyway.’
More than that, why was this person—no, this professor—spouting such nonsense today?
‘……Is there something they want to say?’
I put the smartphone back in my pocket.
“Well then.”
The Student Council President gritted her teeth.
“Let it begin.”
* * *
“Gasp……. Wheeze…….”
Again.
Flicker.
The fluorescent light, fitted slightly askew, flickered above my head. I found myself trapped once more in an endlessly repeating corridor.
I took out Amelie’s smartphone and checked the time.
‘Forty minutes…….’
It had been forty minutes since Ballcap smashed Hoodie’s skull with a baseball bat.
At least I could check the time. If I couldn’t, I’d have lost my grip on reality long ago.
When the fluorescent light flickered again, I found myself remembering Hoodie lying on the carpet, bleeding.
I quickly looked away, but even that glimpse told me the injury was severe. Especially that head and right eye…….
‘Ugh…….’
I squeezed my eyes shut.
The others didn’t seem disturbed at all. A masked man had pounced on Ballcap as if waiting for his moment, and someone shattered the fluorescent light with a crossbow in the chaos.
It was pandemonium.
I didn’t have time to assess the situation further. I slipped out of the Large Lecture Hall while staying hidden. I had no way of knowing what happened to those who remained inside.
I would have preferred it if they’d all fought each other to mutual annihilation…….

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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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