The S-Rank Warden Devours the Academy - Chapter 79

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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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Chapter 79

“Hae-seong, why do you look so worn out?”
Tae Eun-o pulled out a chair for him with genuine concern etched across his face, asking as he did.
Hae-seong barely settled into the seat, offering an embarrassed smile.
“It’s the aftereffects of yesterday’s training. Harder than I expected….”
“Yesterday? What training?”
Go Gyeol voiced his confusion.
He’d heard just moments ago that Yeom Sa-hyeon had gone to an auction house with Tae Eun-o right after handling an incident.
Recognition flashed across Tae Eun-o’s face, and he let out a short exclamation.
“Oh! So that’s why the Physical Technique instructor went out with you yesterday?”
“Yes, I’m starting Physical Technique lessons with Professor Ji from yesterday.”
Hae-seong nodded as he picked up his spoon.
The hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
Go Gyeol raised an eyebrow curiously.
“Not with Yeom Sa-hyeon?”
“He said it would be better for me to learn from a specialist.”
Go Gyeol grasped the situation without difficulty.
“Sounds like he wanted to avoid the trouble.”
“Ha….”
Hae-seong laughed awkwardly, letting that serve as his answer.
“Though I suppose Professor Ji is better suited for it anyway.”
Go Gyeol nodded slowly.
Physical Technique was something you had to learn by direct contact, by taking hits. If he’d trained under Yeom Sa-hyeon, there wouldn’t be any joints left intact.
“At least I can still walk now….”
Hae-seong muttered with distant eyes, then sighed and glanced around the cafeteria.
“Still, there are so many students looking for Yeom Sa-hyeon.”
Curious gazes swept in from all directions. Go Gyeol shook his head with an expression of utter exhaustion.
“Tell me about it. I’m dying of boredom….”
“Oh, that’s right!”
Tae Eun-o wiped his tray clean, set down his utensils, and asked.
“By the way, where did Yeom Sa-hyeon go? He told me and Lee Ha-je to get there first yesterday, but I haven’t even caught a glimpse of him since.”
…….
At that moment, Lee Ha-je’s head — which had remained indifferent to their conversation until now — lifted slowly.
Go Gyeol lightly tapped his smartphone twice, which he’d set on the table with a matter-of-fact expression.
“That’s what I’m wondering. Got a message from the administrative office earlier. Professor Ji Jae-hyeok is teaching today’s class.”
A brief notification glowed on the screen.

-[(Notification) Due to personal circumstances of the assigned instructor, Professor Ji Jae-hyeok will substitute for Combat Class A practical training this afternoon.]

“Ah, so Yeom Sa-hyeon….”
Hae-seong spoke as he barely lifted the spoon from his rice.
“He said he had business at the Association. He’ll return late tonight.”

* * *

The secretary knocked and opened the door.
“Chairman, Yeom Sa-hyeon is here to see you.”
“Ah, yes. Please show him in.”
The door opened wide after the response came from inside the office.
As leisurely footsteps drew near, the Association Chairman set down the documents he’d been reviewing and rose from his seat.
“The interrogation went smoothly, then?”
He gestured toward the sofa as he spoke.
“Took longer than I expected.”
“There was so much they’d gotten into.”
Yeom Sa-hyeon adjusted his gloves and dropped heavily onto the sofa.
“The documents you requested.”
The secretary, with perfect timing, set a thick stack of papers on the table.
It was a document containing the Academy President’s criminal history, recorded by Yeom Sa-hyeon.
The Academy President flipped through the report and let out an exasperated breath.
“…You’re telling me he did all this in just five years?”
The pages were densely covered with writing.
Everything from embezzlement of public funds to black market dealings.
The spectrum of charges was remarkably diverse.
“This… he won’t be getting out of this easily.”
“There are quite a few people who’ll go down with him once this unravels.”
Yeom Sa-hyeon exhaled sharply in frustration, running a rough hand through his hair.
“What’s the point of all this hard work if the Bureau Chief just takes a bribe and lets him walk? How long are we supposed to just sit and watch?”
The Association Chairman closed the report and spoke with a bitter edge.
“I’m documenting everything you bring me without exception, so bear with me a little longer.”
Yeom Sa-hyeon frowned in displeasure, then crossed his legs and gave a slight nod.
“What about Go Gyeol?”
“His condition is unstable right now. We’re planning to transfer him to the research facility once he’s recovered.”
“Let me know the moment you find anything out.”
“Will do.”
The Association Chairman nodded readily, then exhaled lightly as if to clear the air.
“Anyway, with the Academy President’s position vacant, there’s been talk from above about needing someone to fill the gap.”
“I thought it would take a while?”
“Well, it’s only temporary. They said to keep it brief anyway, so I asked them to come over….”
Before the Association Chairman could finish speaking.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Perfect timing.”
The door opened as the Association Chairman gave his permission.
Someone entered the office with the measured sound of polished dress shoes.
A middle-aged man with a cold expression, his suit tailored with sharp, angular precision.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice, Chairman.”
He bowed politely before taking the seat across from Yeom Sa-hyeon and offered his greeting.
“I am Ji Se-guk, Deputy Chief of the Hunter Management Bureau.”
“Deputy Chief?”
Yeom Sa-hyeon’s brow furrowed.
There was something oddly familiar about him….
He raised one eyebrow and studied Ji Se-guk’s face.
Ji Se-guk parted his lips dryly.
“I hear news of my son and grandson from time to time.”
“Ah, that stubborn Physical Technique instructor and the reckless chick who lost his nerve?”
True to family, there was something strikingly similar even in the stiff atmosphere between them.
When Yeom Sa-hyeon replied tersely, the Association Chairman hurriedly changed the subject.
“Ha, what brings you to visit?”
……
The Deputy Chief held his lips closed for a moment, reserving his words before speaking.
“The Academy situation is quite turbulent right now, isn’t it. Starting with the student’s rampage….”
His sharp gaze turned toward Yeom Sa-hyeon.
“All the way to questions about a professor’s qualifications.”
It was a remark aimed precisely at Yeom Sa-hyeon.
The Association Chairman watched him carefully, inwardly worried that Yeom Sa-hyeon might counter with barbed words and start an argument, but Yeom Sa-hyeon simply gestured calmly for him to continue.
Ji Se-guk proceeded with composure.
“It would be problematic for our prestigious Hunter academy to bear such disgrace. I believe we need to quell public opinion as soon as possible.”
“So what’s your proposal?”
Yeom Sa-hyeon tapped his fingertips against the armrest and asked with indifference.
Quelling public opinion wasn’t something Yeom Sa-hyeon objected to from his position.
If attention shifted away from himself, he’d have more breathing room.
Ji Se-guk offered his suggestion in a low, measured voice.
“What if we reconvened the Combat Class A test that was interrupted before?”
“The test?”
The Association Chairman asked in return.
He quickly sorted through the situation.
‘Of course…. Right now the chatter is all about where someone with such incredible skill as Yeom Sa-hyeon came from, and whether he’s qualified to teach Lee Ha-je, who is S-rank.’
If he could pass this test and demonstrate tangible results, the questions about his qualifications should fade away.
“However….”
There was one thing that troubled him.
“The Academy test Gate was under the former Academy President’s supervision, was it not? Given the need for a thorough reinspection, I’m afraid it would be difficult to proceed immediately.”
The former Academy President was already under suspicion for negligent Gate inspection.
If they forced through a test using a controversial Gate in the current climate, it would backfire spectacularly.
The Bureau Chief fell silent for a moment, then opened his mouth again, his expression unmoved.
“What about Jeju Island?”
“Jeju Island? Are you referring to the training facility in the evacuation zone?”
“Yes, precisely.”
“There’s a training facility on Jeju Island?”
Yeom Sa-hyeon furrowed his brow, asking the question.
“Ah, yes, of course.”
The Association Chairman let out a brief exclamation.
Since it was operated with such secrecy, it was natural that Sa-hyeon wouldn’t know about it.
The Association Chairman explained methodically.
There were only two institutions in the country that educated Hunters.
The Hunter Academy in the capital region, where most Awakeners enrolled.
And the southern training facility, which provided education for graduates.
Finally, there was one more training facility that wasn’t known to the public.
Jeju Island, where various research institutes clustered together.
It was where Hunters under special government management received their education.
Once the Association Chairman finished his explanation, Ji Se-guk added his own remark.
“Isn’t the only domestically stabilized Gate located on Jeju Island? If we use that location, the students should be able to take the test safely.”
“If it’s the D-30… we could certainly secure both the legitimacy and the safety, couldn’t we?”
The Association Chairman stroked his chin in agreement.
Ordinarily, Gates vanished once they were conquered.
But very rarely, a Mutant Gate appeared instead.
Jeju Island’s D-30 Gate was precisely such a case.
Despite having been conquered, it refused to disappear—it had maintained its position for four years now.
Thanks to that, resources that regenerated inside the Gate could be continuously harvested, and this naturally became the reason research institutes flocked to Jeju Island.
“Hmm….”
Yeom Sa-hyeon drummed his fingers against the armrest, then slowly opened his mouth.
“If I step away, what about the Conflict Zone? Wasn’t that why you dragged me into this in the first place?”
The real intention was probably to foist the Academy professor position onto him.
When Sa-hyeon raised his eyebrows pointedly, the Association Chairman gave an awkward cough and averted his gaze.
Ji Se-guk rebutted as though he’d been waiting for this moment.
“A week is manageable with the current personnel. We assigned the Conflict Zone to you in preparation for the possibility of a Near S-rank Gate emerging.”
Ji Se-guk met Sa-hyeon’s eyes directly.
“What do you say?”
“I’m not sure….”
Yeom Sa-hyeon adopted a thoughtful expression while scrutinizing Ji Se-guk’s head intently.
The way he rattled off his arguments so smoothly only made him seem more evasive.
‘He’s got some scheme cooking.’
Without him saying a word, it was obvious the gears were turning behind his eyes.
For Sa-hyeon, it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable proposal.
As long as safety was assured, more practical Gate experience was always preferable.
Moreover, while he’d been underground, Jeju Island had changed considerably—he knew this from glimpsing others’ memories.
Taking this chance to see how things had transformed seemed like it wouldn’t hurt.
But….
‘I can see the wheels turning, but it’d be a shame to let it slide that easily.’
He smiled meaningfully and spoke.
“And if a major incident breaks out in the Conflict Zone while I’m away, you’ll take responsibility for it?”
With the Dungeon Break occurring now, there were no guarantees.
There was no way to predict when or where another Gate might rupture.
“That would….”
Just as Ji Se-guk began to furrow his brow, Sa-hyeon spoke smoothly.
“One must be prepared for unforeseen circumstances.”
After all, if there was leverage to be extracted, one ought to extract it.
Yeom Sa-hyeon sank deeper into the sofa’s backrest and tossed out his words lightly.
“Grant Portal access, then.”
“…!”
Ji Se-guk’s eyebrows flinched, creasing sharply.
“…Portal is a precious resource available only to key state officials. How could I possibly—”
Yeom Sa-hyeon cut in as though he’d been waiting for exactly this.
“Then transfer yours over.”
“!”
“Surely the Academy’s honor is worth that much?”
Yeom Sa-hyeon narrowed his eyes and curved his mouth upward into a smile.
“…….”
A crack appeared in Ji Se-guk’s poker face.
Watching the tremor ripple through Ji Se-guk’s irises, the Association Chairman swallowed a hollow laugh.
‘The deputy director really got put in his place by Sa-hyeon.’

S-Rank Instructor Devours the Academy — Chapter 79

Author
Baek Ruga
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yun Tae-ri
Cover
Thom

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260512043.0079

ⓒ2026, Baek Ruga

※ This electronic book is protected under the Copyright Law of the Republic of Korea.
No part or all of the contents of this work may be reprocessed in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

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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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