The Academy’s Unrivaled Professor - Chapter 54

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

Academy’s Absolute Professor | Episode 54
The Strongest One Leads the Team
Kang Hyun had known from the start about the loneliness that Ohodan felt.
How could he not notice when the man whined about becoming his disciple every time he opened his mouth?
Normally, he would have simply ignored it.
In the Martial World, it was only natural that the strong claimed the position of disciple.
Gangho wasn’t so leisurely a place that it could afford to mind the grievances of the weak.
But then again.
This wasn’t Gangho.
And Kang Hyun was someone who constantly pondered what made a good teacher, so he had come to them.
At the very least, he knew that ignoring the festering hearts of his students was not the mark of a good teacher.
Kang Hyun made a silent vow once more.
‘I won’t become a monster to stand against Asura. And I won’t turn these children into monsters either.’
He would simply live.
Live his own life and prepare for when that one arrives.
When he does arrive?
Well then—laugh and smash him to pieces. That was Kang Hyun’s goal.
“Well? Aren’t you pouring?”
“Ah, yes!”
Gwak Do-jin sprang to his feet and hurried to pour.
Splash—
Watching him fill the glass, Kang Hyun smiled with satisfaction.
That’s right, you lot.
Even if you’re fresh to the Martial World, you don’t spend every day swinging a sword.
Sometimes you eat good food, drink good wine, that’s how it should be.
Especially since you’re still students.
Enjoy a little romance.
“Are you feeling left out?”
“Sir?”
“Are you feeling left out? Like I’m only looking after my disciple and just ignoring the rest of you.”
“That—that can’t possibly be true, sir.”
Gwak Do-jin spoke hurriedly.
It would be a lie to say there was no feeling of neglect, but if he claimed his entire heart was consumed by it, he’d be lower than a beast.
“We know better than anyone how precious the things you’ve taught us are. What professor in the world gives Spirit Pills to students they’ve abandoned?”
At those words, Seo Hae-in’s face grew even more pale.
‘I’ve become garbage that spoke ill of such a teacher!’
He wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but the moment never came.
Kang Hyun’s gaze remained fixed on Gwak Do-jin.
“Good. Then drink.”
He offered his glass, and Gwak Do-jin clinked his against it.
Kang Hyun drained his in one go, then swept his eyes over the Five.
“Who’s next to pour?”
“I will, sir.”
This time, Cha Yu-sik rose and respectfully offered his glass.
At the same moment, he poured out what had been weighing on his heart.
“After you left today, sir, I struck a rock with my sword.”
“How did it go?”
“I couldn’t even leave a scratch. I learned of Do Jeong-hyeok’s talent, and I learned the limits of my own.”
Kang Hyun had no words to offer in response.
‘The truth is, you have no talent.’
Kang Hyun possessed a Heavenly Martial Physique.
It was a talent that could easily absorb any martial art in the world, which was how he had absorbed so many, and ultimately achieved Grand Completion of the Cheonsin Sutra.
If he had lacked that talent?
No amount of effort would have allowed him to comprehend the Cheonsin Sutra.
But then.
‘If there’s one tall mountain in the world, does every mountain need to be that same height?’
Comparison devours the self.
Among eight billion people, you won’t even be the richest—so why keep trying to reach the summit?
If a life without being the best has no meaning, then among all the martial artists in the world, only the number-one should be capable of happiness.
That’s absurdly funny.
‘Even a modest mountain has its charms, its own quiet beauty.’
Of course, he kept that thought to himself.
Did he think Cha Yu-sik wouldn’t understand?
The man grasped it all well enough.
But sometimes, knowing and being able to act are two different things.
There were moments when simply listening, truly listening to the end, offered more comfort than any premature counsel.
Kang Hyun accepted their drinks and listened, silent and patient.
As a professor. As an elder.
When Seo Hae-in poured the next round—
“What I said earlier wasn’t sincere!”
Her face had turned the crimson of a ripe tomato.
“I don’t care about discrimination or anything like that! I genuinely respect you, Professor!”
“I understand. Just sit down a moment.”
Kang Hyun waved his hand to settle her, then filled his own cup.
He drained the soju in one breath, and something grave settled behind his eyes.
“Becoming my student isn’t necessarily some privilege.”
His voice cut through the izakaya’s din, heavy and unrelenting.
Discrimination?
If anything, it was the reverse.
If anyone had cause for grievance, it would be his own disciples.
“Right now, you are Academy students. You learn from me, but your lives remain your choice. After graduation, you can join a good Guild, enlist with the state, live at ease—whatever you wish.”
The Five Tiger Society had freedom.
But his disciples would not.
His word would become law, and if he commanded them to leap into hellfire, they would hurl themselves into the flames.
There was no freedom to escape.
Learn the Chilyojin and then abandon him?
‘That would be unthinkable.’
If that happened, the old demons sleeping in Kang Hyun’s heart might well awaken.
“Then, Professor—does becoming your disciple mean losing that freedom?”
Cha Yu-sik asked.
“Yes.”
Kang Hyun nodded, continuing.
“You cannot go anywhere without me. And once you’ve chosen, you cannot simply leave on a whim.”
His words struck Cha Yu-sik hardest of all.
He had to lead Cheonlang.
“So.”
He poured again, the liquid whisper-soft into the glass.
Kang Hyun refilled his cup.
“Instead of disciples, I’ve created a position.”
“A position?”
“Yes. I’m thinking of establishing a Guild soon.”
The students’ eyes widened.
The professor was founding a Guild?
“Within it, I’ll form teams based on the martial arts I teach you. You’ll research techniques together with your fellow students who learn the same arts, and gain real experience in practice.”
He was creating a collective force to face the Asura’s minions ahead of time, though he saw no need to spell that out.
‘This group will not be constrained as disciples are.’
It would be different.
Entry and departure would both be free.
“The moment you join the Guild, I’ll treat you as one of my senior disciples—meaning you can receive instruction from me anytime, not just during dawn training.”
The students’ breathing quickened.
If they could not become disciples—
wasn’t joining the Guild the perfect alternative?
“If we were to join, would the Guild members be only us at first?”
At Gwak Do-jin’s question, Kang Hyun nodded.
“That’s right. There will be five teams, with only you as members initially. Naturally, you’ll each become a Team Leader.”
Team Leader!
The students’ eyes gleamed with interest.
A Guild founded by Professor Kang Hyun would undoubtedly shake the world someday—and they would lay its very foundation.
Founding members and Team Leaders both!
“But do not grow careless.”
Kang Hyun smiled wryly.
“A team leader is unconditionally the strongest member of that team. If new people come in and surpass you, you lose the position.”
The logic of the Demonic Sect’s hierarchy of strength.
The strong ascend, the weak languish below and crave the power to rise—a structure that breeds relentless ambition.
This would be an extraordinary motivator.
‘And besides.’
The thought had only just occurred to him, but he’d planned to grant team leaders considerable authority.
The power to build the team according to their taste, and control over profit distribution as well.
‘The team itself becomes a martial sect.’
Kang Hyun envisioned it.
The guild he created spreading across the world, innumerable teams spawning by martial discipline, each accumulating disciples and swelling their ranks.
That alone would constitute a formidable intelligence network.
“Um, Professor. Would it be all right to ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“As you know, after graduation I must take the helm of Taejeong Mulsan. Would it be possible to serve as both a Taejeong Mulsan executive and your guild’s team leader simultaneously?”
At Yun Hyun-jong’s cautious question, Kang Hyun let out a short laugh.
“Of course.”
Since Kang Hyun was Taejeong Mulsan’s largest shareholder, there was no problem whatsoever.
In any case, the guild and Taejeong Mulsan would operate as one family.
“What about pay?!”
This time, Gwak Do-jin asked urgently.
For him, raised by his grandmother without parents and scraping by for tuition, this was the question that mattered most.
“How much would you compensate us?”
“Eighty-twenty.”
He’d already looked into it.
Industry average was seventy-thirty, and some startups ran eighty-twenty.
“For a guild to operate properly, the house apparently needs at least twenty percent.”
“Wow.”
The students exclaimed.
The terms weren’t bad at all.
Eighty-twenty was a ratio used when recruiting experienced hunters; fresh graduates straight out of school couldn’t command such terms.
Beginners typically started at sixty-forty.
Then Kang Hyun raised the stakes further.
“Team leaders get ninety-ten.”
“Gasp!”
Gwak Do-jin clenched his fist.
‘This is it!’
Working under Professor Kang Hyun was far better than scraping by on crumbs at some mediocre large firm.
Everyone except Cha Yu-sik had eyes gleaming.
He wanted to lead Cheonlang.
Kang Hyun thought that was fine too.
“Think it over carefully. Those who’re in, bring me a team name each by tomorrow—something that sounds right. The team name is also the leader’s decision.”
It was as Kang Hyun was tossing back the last of his soju.
Buzz.
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
[Ma Chul-ung]
The message said he’d hit a wall with the Qiankun Lianhuan Tuobai Saber technique and was asking if it was okay to come find him.
‘Perfect timing.’
Kang Hyun’s lips curled upward.
In fact, Ma Chul-ung had already agreed to join the guild Kang Hyun was founding.
On the condition that he’d receive the Five Tiger Single Slash Saber technique, naturally.
‘Introducing one member ahead of the guild’s official launch is something I can manage.’
Kang Hyun sent him the location by message.
Told him to come over for a bit.
Then.
“Seo Hae-in.”
“Yes, sir!”
“You joining?”
“Ah, yes! Of course!”
Seo Hae-in had nowhere else to go anyway.
If she could stay under Professor Kang Hyun, she wanted to stay no matter what.
“Then you don’t need to come up with a team name tomorrow.”
“……!”
Her face crumpled.
‘He really does hate me after all!’
He must still be misunderstanding what she’d said in that drunken moment!
Just as she rushed to explain, Kang Hyun cut her off lightly.
“Your team leader is someone else.”
“I’m sorry?”
Not just Seo Hae-in but all the other students tilted their heads in confusion.
A separate team leader?
Was there really anyone else in this world besides the professor who could handle that crude Five Tiger Single Slash Saber technique?
It was then.
“Gasp!”
“Uh-what—?”
“M-m-m……!”
A commotion erupted on the first floor, and soon after.
Thud, thud, thud!
Heavy footsteps began climbing the stairs to the second floor.
Overwhelming mass.
A giant man with scars like blade marks carved into his face, his expression fierce beyond measure.
“Gasp!”
“Ma Chul-ung!”
The students’ jaws dropped.
Why was Ma Chul-ung, notorious as the most fearsome S-rank Hunter, here?
Normally when a celebrity appeared, people would swarm to take photographs, but no one dared do that to Ma Chul-ung.
Just looking at him quietly made the backs of their knees go weak.
And yet.
Ma Chul-ung was walking toward their table.
‘Oh, oh no.’
‘W-why is he coming this way!’
‘Terrifying… he looks even scarier in person.’
The students’ hair stood on end as a chill ran through them.
“Sir.”
Ma Chul-ung bowed his head slightly to Kang Hyun.
“You called for me?”
“Yes, you’re here. Come over here for a moment.”
At those words, the students were utterly dumbfounded.
An S-rank Hunter……
And not just any, but the famous Ma Chul-ung……
Calling Professor Kang Hyun “sir”?
“Seo Hae-in, introduce yourself.”
Kang Hyun continued with a slight smile.
“That guy is the team leader of the team you’ll be joining.”

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