The Academy’s Unrivaled Professor - Chapter 80

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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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Academy’s Absolute Professor Episode 080
This couldn’t possibly be real, could it?
“Waaaaaaah!”
Cheers flooded the domed stadium of Arc Field.
At center stage, a world-class pop star was performing an opening celebration concert, while behind them, a towering jumbotron displayed the solemn faces of each nation’s representative Students cross-cut in rapid succession, stoking the festival’s fever pitch.
“Kang Hyun, look at that! Wow… I never thought I’d actually see Arc Field in person. Korea should grow faster and bring things like this in too.”
Lee Se-ah kept snapping photos with her phone, eyes gleaming with excitement.
But Kang Hyun, arms crossed, wore sunglasses and opened his mouth to yawn.
“Haaaaah, it’s disgustingly loud.”
Never mind the sound system—what was there to shriek about, anyway?
“Come on, try to enjoy it!”
“I can’t enjoy what doesn’t please me.”
“Your posture is all wrong. If you sit like that, even good things look crooked, don’t they?”
“If you’ve gathered everyone here, at least show us a dungeon already—what’s the point of all this?”
Kang Hyun clicked his tongue, watching the pop star dance onstage.
His mind was elsewhere entirely.
‘I need to find the vessels for the Seven Days Formation soon.’
Would they reveal themselves at this Global Exchange Tournament?
Only three vessels remained to find.
First: the Flame Emperor’s Jade Heart Meridian, which unfolds the Tuesday Formation.
Second: the Underworld Vulture’s Heavenly Killing Body, which unfolds the Thursday Formation.
Third: the Sword Light’s Nine Yang Meridian, which unfolds the Sunday Formation.
Given how extraordinary these constitutions were, anyone who possessed them would stand out unmistakably.
“Ah, Kang Hyun. Do you know how much those concert tickets are going for on the black market? And this is just the appetizer.”
“Appetizer?”
“Yes, the opening ceremony is amazing, but the real highlight is the closing ceremony. That’s when she’s coming.”
Lee Se-ah’s eyes sparkled as though stars had been set in them.
“She? Who?”
“Ariana Ashford!”
“Aria, what?”
“You don’t know her?”
“…Is she some famous singer?”
“What?”
Lee Se-ah gaped and clutched the back of her neck.
“Even if you’re reclusive, you’re supposed to be an Academy professor now—how can you not know one of the Five World Hunters!”
The Five World Hunters?
What was that supposed to mean?
“One of the five Hunters who support the entire world! She’s Britain’s number one, and the whole globe went wild when they announced she’d be giving a speech at this Global Exchange Tournament.”
Lee Se-ah was bubbling over with excitement, but Kang Hyun’s response was lukewarm.
‘At best, she’s on the edge of being a top-tier master.’
From Kang Hyun’s perspective, it was no different than getting excited because the neighborhood bully of kindergarten was appearing at the school talent show.
Glug.
He pulled out a drink from his pocket and took a sip, waiting for this tedious event to end and Arc Field to begin operating in earnest.

* * *
AcaNet, Questions Board.
[Where to watch the exchange tournament live?]
└ Why?
└ OP) To watch it
└ Are you a first-year?
└ OP) Yeah
└ Just search for it, newbie
└ OP) My bad lol
└ Our country doesn’t have broadcast rights, so you gotta download the World Association app. Opening ceremony and highlights are free, but for live streaming you need an Arc Field Pass
└ OP) Damn, it’s paid?
└ It’s only 19.99 dollars a month, just buy it
└ But it doesn’t have Korean commentary lol
└ OP) Oh
└ Still, this year’s worth getting. Gotta see the Four Prodigies’ performances.
[But aren’t you guys hyped about this tournament’s representatives? Do they use the Samjae Sword Technique there too?]
└ Wow, this guy’s actually pulling out Pinfire combo.
└ Why the Samjae Sword Technique lol
└ The Global Exchange Tournament doesn’t have 1v1 matches anyway
└ lololol
└ That’s clearly just fishing for attention
In truth, the exchange tournament had never generated this much buzz among the students of the National Academy.
The reason was simple: overseas broadcasts rarely featured Korean matches, and when they did, they offered little commentary.
There were only a handful of content creators who bothered covering it.
Last year, the team hadn’t even cleared the dungeon—they’d suffered a Total Party Kill Judgment.
└ But they’ll at least clear it this year, right?
└ I’m a second-year. Can someone explain the rules?
└ You don’t know as a second-year?
└ Yeah, I wasn’t here last year lol
└ lolol
└ lololol lucky
└ Honestly, there’s probably way more second-years who didn’t watch it than did.
The Academy’s network was absolute chaos.
Finally, someone who couldn’t take the confusion any longer stepped in to set the record straight.
[Info) Global Exchange Tournament Breakdown.txt]
Since everyone’s been spouting nonsense, I’m going to break this down simply.
First off, the Global Exchange Tournament is a massive event involving 48 nations registered with the World Hunter Association.
A lot of people think it’s some kind of martial arts tournament, but it’s literally an exchange competition. A festival, in other words.
1. How It Works
Nine combat students form a team and clear randomly assigned dungeons. The difficulty level is set slightly harder than S-rank.
The evaluators are watching for teamwork, crisis management, and clearing speed.
2. Ranking and Evaluation
There’s no official ranking announcement, but there is a subjective one. Either way, the panelists provide commentary on the clearing process.
International communities establish unofficial rankings, and that’s where an academy’s reputation gets determined. Obviously, next year’s budget and sponsorships will depend on the results too.
3. Our Sad Reality
We’re basically perennial underdogs. In the ten years since the tournament started, our clear rate is 0%. Last year we didn’t even get near the boss before getting Total Party Kill Judgment. Three nations run simultaneously, so we rarely make it into the broadcast.
└ Upvote
└ Upvote for info
└ Yo! Thanks for the info;;;
└ But what about the special students?
└ OP here) Those guys compete in symposiums instead. They don’t participate in Arc Field.
└ 0% clear rate crosses a line ㅠㅠ
└ I decided not to buy a pass after reading this
└ OP here) Nah nah, this time it’s not a bad idea to get one. You’re not going to watch Ariana Ashford live?
└ Oh, right!
└ Gotta watch that lol
└ I don’t care about anything else, I’m just heading to the ticket booth to grab a pass.
└ Such a scam goddess
└ World’s strongest in her mid-twenties and a face like a goddess ㄷㄷ
└ OP here) Yeah, apparently millions of otaku are buying passes just to see this.
└ Ah lol
Unusually, Korea was beginning to take genuine interest in the exchange tournament.
Whether because of Kang Hyun’s friend group or Ariana, it was hard to say.

* * *
Flash!
The full 48-nation schedule blazed across the display screen.
“Ugh! That’s not fair!”
Lee Se-ah pouted.
“What?”
“Look at our country’s slot. Second week, Thursday. And it’s the very last time slot!”
Arc Field only opens for two time slots a day—morning and afternoon.
With three nations running simultaneously per slot, six nations could be processed daily.
Clearing the entire schedule required exactly eight days.
First week, Monday through Thursday: twenty-four nations.
After a weekend break, second week, Monday through Thursday: the remaining twenty-four.
South Korea had been assigned to the very last time slot of the final day.
“It’s fine. We’d see everything anyway, wouldn’t we?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Someone just told me to think positively about it.”
“Huh? Who?”
Who else could be here besides me?
Lee Se-ah glanced around in alarm.
“You said it yourself. Not to sit there looking sour.”
“Oh.”
“Look at it this way—the protagonist always makes their grand entrance last.”
“That’s actually true.”
Once the opening ceremony concluded, the first time slot finally began.
Kang Hyun anticipated this as well.
He’d only heard Lee Se-ah describe the Arc Field until now; seeing it in person was a first for him too.
The instructors from France, India, and Canada climbed onto the stage one by one.
– Please place your hands on the device, and a random dungeon will be assigned for you to conquer!
Whoosh.
As the instructors pressed their hands down, dungeon names appeared on the massive screen.
[France – Ancient Ruins (A+ Grade)]
[India – Toxic Swampland (A+ Grade)]
[Canada – Ice Valley (A Grade)]
“Ohhhhh!”
With the crowd’s roar, Kang Hyun removed his sunglasses.
He wanted a proper view.
The representative students took their positions in each zone.
Whooom!
The entire Arc Field began to vibrate and emit light.
And then.
Where the stage had been empty, an actual sandstorm-swept ruin materialized, a squelching wetland manifested, and an ice-capped mountain materialized—so cold it made you shiver just to look at it.
“……!”
Even Kang Hyun, who rarely showed surprise, found himself breathless at this moment.
‘They can do something like this with Magical Stones?’
An Illusion Formation existed in the Martial World, yes, but nothing nearly this precise.
‘If Jin-gwi the Peerless could have seen this alive, he would’ve jumped for joy.’
The amazement didn’t end there.
“Advance! Maintain formation!”
The Indian team pushed through the swampland with swords drawn.
To them, it surely felt as though they were covering great distance, but from the audience’s perspective, they seemed to be circling within a confined space.
‘The floor is moving.’
In perfect sync with the students’ speed and direction of movement, the floor panels beneath them rotated backward like a treadmill, keeping them anchored to the center of the Arc Field no matter how they advanced.
If the previous effect was the power of Magical Stones, this was the pinnacle of modern science.
‘Extraordinary.’
Screeeee!
Phantom monsters lunged from within the illusory landscape.
Though phantoms, they could not be allowed to land their attacks.
Because.
“Agh—no, this can’t—!”
When the swampland creature’s tail pierced the Indian student’s abdomen, the light in the Suit he wore went dark.
[India – Student Karim]
[Vitality: 0%]
[Death Judgment]
The status appeared on the screen.
From that moment on, the dungeon itself would no longer respond to anything Karim did.
Simultaneously, the judges waiting outside rushed in and dragged the student beyond the arena boundary.
Kang Hyun took a sip of his drink and let out a quiet laugh.
‘This is entertaining.’
It was clear they’d spared no expense.
‘The show won’t be boring, at least.’

* * *
France, India, and Canada in the morning.
Brazil, Australia, and Italy in the afternoon.
Six nations’ explorations were demonstrated in total.
France, Canada, and Brazil succeeded in clearing by narrowly defeating the bosses, while the remaining three nations, unfortunately, received a Total Party Kill Judgment.
‘Hmm.’
Yet somehow, Kang Hyeon seemed to have come away more disappointed than before.
‘No real talent.’
There were certainly those capable enough to fend for themselves, even if he dropped them into the Martial World, but compared to Seven Days Formation-level talent, they weren’t even worth the dust beneath one’s feet.
‘Don’t be impatient.’
There were still forty-two nations remaining, and the festival had only just begun.
“Today’s a bust. Let’s go find something good to eat.”
“A bust, sir? What are you looking for?”
“That sort of thing.”
Time passed in that manner.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Before long, the entire first week’s schedule had come to an end, and yet…….
‘Nothing.’
Kang Hyeon’s brow furrowed.
‘How can there be nothing at all?’
Wasn’t this a martial arts tournament bringing together the greatest talents in the world?
Talent Will Show itself — surely if someone possessed true ability, it would emerge one way or another.
Yet not even a shadow had appeared.
Just to be thorough, he’d scrutinized every hunter and civilian in the stands, but none had struck that responsive chord within him.
‘Hah.’
Now he was beginning to feel a touch of unease.
Surely he wouldn’t come away empty-handed?

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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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