Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Genius Professor - Chapter 2

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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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Episode 2
Text flickered through the darkness. Something about a DLC update… hero selection, character synchronization… and then, with a message that read , my vision went black.

When I came to, someone was shaking me awake. Very gently, with careful hands.

“Professor.”

My vision swam.
My head felt heavy, like waterlogged cotton.

“Wake up, Professor.”

…Professor?
The blurred world came into focus slowly. I was sitting in a rather ornate automobile.
The rear door hung open, and a woman in a crisp uniform tilted her head at me with a puzzled expression.

“…Where am I?”
“Pardon? Professor, you’re having quite the day. Today’s your first class, after all.”
“My first class?”
“Yes. Are you feeling all right? You wouldn’t wake up earlier, no matter how many times I tried.”

What in the world was she talking about?
Beyond the window stretched a vista that seemed to be the real-world version of Hiaka Academy as I knew it—a beautiful campus rendered in crisp whites and soft blues.
Cadets in pristine uniforms and assassin-class harnesses clustered together in small groups, their laughter ringing out.

“It’s such a fine day, isn’t it?”
“…Indeed.”

I was still disoriented when I noticed something strange.
At the bottom of my vision, the conversation between the woman and me was appearing as a script.

【 Assassination Department Assistant Adel: “It’s such a fine day, isn’t it?” 】
【 Neutral Professor Dante: “…Indeed.” 】

The familiar cadet uniform.
Assassination Department Assistant Adel.
Neutral Professor Dante.
And a game script window.
Nothing about any of it felt out of place.
As if this world had always been exactly as it was.

‘Good Lord…’

After thinking it through a bit longer, certainty settled over me. Somehow, I had entered inside a game. Specifically, Hiaka Academy.

The Assassination Department.

As a professor.

EP2 – The Newly Appointed Professor (1)

Hiaka Academy is a prestigious royal institution dedicated to training exceptional warriors through rigorous education.
If you play through the Warrior Department or the Magician Department, you experience the bright, joyful atmosphere of school days.
But the Assassination Department is different.

‘In the Assassination Department, you must assassinate your professor to graduate…’

To be precise, it’s about securing a Graduation Certificate after four years of education.
Those who don’t obtain one are expelled. Without any credentials or completion certificate.

My current state as a professor was dire.
Every Stat was at 1. Nothing had been developed.
Perhaps that’s why. My entire body felt drained of energy, and my heart felt hollow.
And now, in this condition, my first class was just around the corner.

‘……Once I walk into that classroom, the Assassination will begin. I’m supposed to survive while pretending to be a professor in this broken state?’

It made no sense. So this was Hell Difficulty?
At this rate, the odds of dying the moment I walked into class were high.
To survive, I needed tools.
That was when it happened.

【 Teaching Assistant Adel: ‘Why is the professor like this? Should I take him to the hospital?’ 】

I saw single quotes (”) instead of double quotes (“”) in the Script.
It meant that a thought—not dialogue—had appeared in the 【Script】.
This could mean…….

“……There’s no need to worry so much. I’m fine.”
“Oh, I see.”

At that, Adel smiled.
Warmly and gently.

【 Teaching Assistant Adel: ‘Well, that’s that. I shouldn’t worry too much. This professor will be dead soon anyway….’ 】

……And she was thinking that while smiling so warmly?
How many professors have actually died here?
As if in answer, Adel’s thoughts continued.

【 Teaching Assistant Adel: ‘Hmm… Professor Harun lasted three months. Professor Lucandel was about ten days, I think?’ 】

Three months, ten days.
What kind of professors are those? Cadavers for murder practice.
The setting already had professors dying regularly, but with cadets of Hell Difficulty, it seemed they died even more frequently.
Just then, Adel smiled brightly.

【 Teaching Assistant Adel: ‘Still, I hope this professor lasts a bit longer since he’s so handsome.’ 】

Not reassuring in the slightest.

“…….”

I paused to think.
The Assassination Department’s “Professor Assassination” was an ancient tradition of this world.
Yet despite professors dropping like flies, people still applied for positions here—for one reason: money.
The royal family distributed substantial salaries and research funds to professors.

‘……I’ve already signed my name in blood to this arrangement.’

There was no way to abandon the position and escape.
An Assassin in this world is, by analogy, like a real-world intelligence operative. We primarily handle Assassination, espionage, and counterintelligence work.
Location was also a problem. Belonging to the isolated Zone 0, if I tried to run outside, I’d hit iron bars.
Moreover, Adel wasn’t just a simple teaching assistant—she was also a supervisor assigned to me by the academy. Escaping by car was impossible.

“I have some matters to attend to. I’ll see you in the Research Office later.”
“Understood.”
“Then, stay safe.”

With that graceless farewell, Adel climbed into her car and disappeared down the road.
For now, I followed the path toward the distant classroom building—the Assassin Hall.

First, I needed information.
I opened the briefcase and skimmed through the course materials Dante had written out.
Since it was the first lesson, the content itself wasn’t difficult. Perhaps because I’d always had a taste for assassins, much of it felt familiar already.

‘This is…’

There was a sheet I recognized.

───
▶ Assassination Department Bylaws
1. Students of the Assassination Department may kill one another. It is acceptable if you are not caught.
2. Cadets who successfully assassinate a professor will receive a Graduation Certificate and 15 million Hika upon course completion, along with all possessions of that professor.
3. Assassination attempts outside class hours are subject to Demerit Points and equipment confiscation. Equipment is permanently forfeited, and accumulation of 3 Demerit Points results in expulsion.
───

The third rule stood out.
I already knew about the others, but this third one was new.
Attempted assassination outside class hours carried a heavy penalty. At least during non-class time, I could breathe easier.
It felt somewhat reassuring.

Or so I thought.

【 Assassination Department, First Year, Dominic: “Is it him?” 】

Dialogue suddenly appeared in the Script.
Who on earth—
This narrow path through the bushes held only me.
I kept walking steadily, resisting the urge to look around.
They were watching me.

【 Assassination Department, First Year, Hwaru: “Wow. He’s quite handsome.” 】
【 Wol Yeong Society, First Year, Forte: “What’s so good-looking about him?” 】
【 Assassination Department, First Year, Dominic: “He’s definitely handsome. Tall too. Something about him feels dangerous. It looks like they’ve sent someone different this time, since the other professors kept dying one after another.” 】

At least three of them. Yet I couldn’t pinpoint their locations.
From the way they mentioned my appearance, they seemed to be in front of me.
Where exactly were they speaking from?

【 Wol Yeong Society, First Year, Forte: “……Should we kill him? Right now?” 】

Are they insane? It’s broad daylight.

【 Assassination Department, First Year, Hwaru: “What? No way.” 】
【 Assassination Department, First Year, Dominic: “Forte. You haven’t forgotten that assassination attempts outside class hours result in Demerit Points, have you?” 】
【 Wol Yeong Society, First Year, Forte: “So? Those demerit things.” 】

They’d risk taking on demerit points just to attempt an assassination?
Like this, without warning?

【 Wol Yeong Society, First Year, Forte: “As long as we don’t get caught, it doesn’t matter, right?” 】

A chill ran through me. It was the first rule of the Assassination Department.
Murder is lawful if no one discovers it.

【 Assassination Department, First Year, Dominic: “If you’re going to do it, show us what a Wol Yeong Society member is really made of, for once.” 】

Wol Yeong Society.
Damn. Only then did I notice the affiliation next to the name.

【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: “Good.” 】

The Wol Yeong Society meant the elite cadets of the second rank among first-year students in the Assassination Department.
A position given to only about thirty out of roughly a thousand cadets per year.
Overwhelmingly stronger than other cadets.

After that, the Script cut off abruptly. There was no conversation, no thought—just the sound of something being prepared.
My heart hammered. It had to be something meant to kill me.
I had to stop it somehow.
But how?
At the very least, I needed to know where he was…….

‘Ah.’

That’s when I saw the Minimap appear in the lower right corner of my vision. Three red dots were blinking on it.
More than two hundred meters away at a diagonal angle. When I turned my gaze in that direction, I could make out three figures near the rooftop.
There.

【 Assassination Department 1st Year Hwaru: “Huh?” 】
【 Assassination Department 1st Year Dominic: “Is the professor seriously looking at us right now?” 】
【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: “No way. At this distance, how could he see anything?” 】

But I saw them.
Stop. Now.
Still, they were too far away, and with my Perception stat so low, I couldn’t make out what they were doing from this distance.
Three tiny points were moving frantically.
What on earth are they——.

【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: ‘Head.’ 】

I understood. It was Sniper Marksmanship.
There was no doubt—he was aiming for the head.
It was small and hard to see, but something like a scope gleamed in the distance.
A sniper.

【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: ‘Breath.’ 】

So he really was a sniper.
If he’s holding his breath, the shot should be coming any second now…….

【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: ‘3.’ 】

The countdown began.
I was still feigning composure, but my mind went white.

【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: ‘2.’ 】

What do I do?
What am I supposed to do here……?

【 Wol Yeong Society 1st Year Forte: ‘1.’ 】

Damn it!

Screeeeeeeeeee――!

In that instant, a sharp crack of air pierced past my ear.
I’d twisted my head perpendicular to the angle I was flying toward.
I barely dodged it—by a hair’s breadth, 0.01 seconds of difference.

Crash!!

Turning to look back, the bullet that had grazed me shattered the stone statue standing there.
My heart hammered against my ribs.

【 Hwaru, Assassination Department 1st Year: “Huh? You dodged it!” 】
【 Dominic, Assassination Department 1st Year: “What? He saw the bullet coming with his naked eye and dodged?” 】
【 Hwaru, Assassination Department 1st Year: “Wooow~~!” 】
【 Dominic, Assassination Department 1st Year: “Reflexes that defy reason. At only 200 meters!” 】

Chaos broke out.
I decided to calm down for now.
The dodge had been close to luck, and my opponent still had a rifle.
I had to make him stop!
But how could I stop him? I couldn’t just shout clumsily for him to quit his Sniper Marksmanship.

【 Forte, Wol Yeong Society 1st Year: “He didn’t block it… he dodged it…?” 】

There was a hint in that thought.
Stopping a bullet with an ability or magic wasn’t difficult.
But dodging a bullet fired from 200 meters away with nothing but a turn of the head—with no ability, no magic—was something no ordinary person could do.
In other words, to make him stop the Assassination attempt, I had to look like a strong person.
So strong he wouldn’t dare try to assassinate me.

After thinking it over, I raised my hand and gestured.

【 Hwaru, Assassination Department 1st Year: “Uh, uh!? That was really him, I think. Looks like he’s calling us over?” 】
【 Dominic, Assassination Department 1st Year: “Forte. Go apologize. You have to take responsibility for what you started.” 】
【 Forte, Wol Yeong Society 1st Year: “Shit… Is he really that strong…?” 】

At least the gunfire had stopped for now.
But there was no room for relief.
Soon a cadet leaped down from the seventh floor of a building, descending slowly through the air using a Parachute Mana Device to control his descent.

● Forte, Wol Yeong Society 1st Year

As the distance closed, the tension between us ratcheted up.
His face was taut with it.
I didn’t show it, but something twisted inside my gut.

【 Forte, Wol Yeong Society 1st Year: ‘God, this is humiliating…’ 】

Finally, he came to a stop in front of me.
A young man with burgundy hair and the sharp impression of a wolf.
He carried himself with the pride his appearance suggested.

【 Forte, Wol Yeong Society 1st Year: ‘I can’t just accept Demerit Points and call it done.’ 】

What was this lunatic planning?
The rifle was still slung across his back. What other move did he have? Was he going to come closer and strangle me?

“Greetings. I am Forte of the Wol Yeong Society, first year.”
“…….”
“I attempted an Assassination rashly. I forgot that it violates school regulations to attempt Assassination outside of class hours. I apologize.”

He bowed at a sharp right angle, and the moment his hand touched the pocket of his thigh, something flickered in my mind.

* Jackknife [Common]

I spoke without thinking.

“Draw that blade, and you’re dead.”

Forte’s body went rigid, head still lowered.
His fingers froze mid-motion.

【 Wol Yeong Society First-Year Forte : ‘……!!’ 】

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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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