Chapter 105: Change and Contrast (1)
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Most of the subjects I’m taking this new semester have been satisfactory.
From <Harvesting By-products> starting with a thorough theoretical class that was unexpected, to the classes of new lecturers Jeong Seon-young and Lim Hyun, and the legendary lectures of Professor Tak Won-ho that are still brilliant, even the foreign language classes that were more worthwhile than I thought.
There wasn’t a single class I wanted to drop, and they all had a quality beyond what I had hoped for.
This is enough that I don’t need to make any enrollment adjustments at all.
Just until last semester, apart from Professor Kim Myeong-hyun and Professor Tak’s classes, there were almost no worthwhile lectures…
The improved quality of the Academy’s lectures was truly astonishing.
“…So inverse grip dagger techniques can’t always be said to be the most efficient. In the case of a short sword, a normal grip thrust can actually be more effective. Because the battles of the Assassin class don’t always just take place with ambushes or back attacks, you need to consider various variables and situations when engaging in combat…”
The most interesting of them all was, of course, Yoo Eun-seol’s class.
She, who is recognized as the best in real combat, also turned out to be excellent at lecturing.
With easy-to-understand explanations and proper word choices, she helped the students understand easily, and aroused anticipation for the practical lessons by showing simple examples here and there.
Above all, her lectures are fun.
Like when I was listening to <Harvesting By-products> in the 1st period, Yoo Eun-seol’s lecture was never boring and was entertaining.
‘And it’s natural.’
The lecture of the first S-grade Holder in the Academy.
I thought the tremendous title could have been burdensome, but…
Yoo Eun-seol calmly continued her lecture from beginning to end, demonstrating the dignity of the pinnacle that does not falter.
She didn’t seem nervous at all about the public’s attention…
It was an amazingly composed attitude.
It was just like watching a seasoned professor’s skilled lecture.
“…Remember, because the Assassin class focuses on attacking, you must always keep in mind how you will get out of it if that attack fails. I want the students to think about it for yourselves before the next class. Well then, that’s the end of today’s lecture.”
Matching the level of the lecture, the students’ concentration was also tremendous.
There were no students who came just to get attendance credit for Yoo Eun-seol’s class, which they barely managed to register for.
So for the entire 50 minutes of the lecture, the students didn’t lose their focus and listened to the lecture.
To the extent that when Yoo Eun-seol signaled the end, no one seemed ready to stand up.
Yoo Eun-seol quietly looked around the classroom, then nodded and closed her book.
“The next class will be practical training, so bring your weapons. Good work everyone.”
-Wow…
-Good work!
-Clap clap clap clap clap
As the lecture ended, the large classroom was filled with applause and greetings.
Wow…
Are these really the Academy students I knew?
When other professors end their lectures, they’re the first to leave the classroom, but in Yoo Eun-seol’s lecture they’re giving her a round of applause, which is unusual.
But I understood how they felt.
They had the exciting experience of an S-grade Holder’s lecture, and it was a good lecture that lived up to its reputation.
There was no reason to hold back on the applause.
Clap clap clap-
So I also stopped my steps to leave and applauded.
“Hmm?”
“S-she’s coming this way.”
But something strange happened.
Tap tap tap-
Yoo Eun-seol, who was exchanging greetings receiving the students’ enthusiastic cheers on her way out, suddenly turned and headed in one direction.
…Precisely the window seat on the right diagonal.
Where I was sitting.
Her fluttering white dobok stopped in front of me.
Yoo Eun-seol glanced at me once, then said briefly,
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, come see me in the professor’s office after classes end today. There will be personal counseling scheduled.”
With that, she turned around and left the classroom again.
A professor telling a student to meet for a brief consultation.
It would’ve been a very ordinary remark in any other case, but…
In this atmosphere, in this situation, it felt completely different.
It was amazing that she knew one student’s name, and the situation where she was calling me in for a personal consultation.
This was practically a bomb declaration.
…And of course, it was my job to deal with the aftermath.
“What the. Who is he to get personal counseling?”
“Wow… Is it like one-on-one training or something? What’s so special?”
“Could it be that she wants to take him as an exclusive disciple?”
“That guy, you know, the hottest 1st year these days, Do Jae-hyun.”
“Who the hell is that, nerd.”
“The remaining teacher and student alone? This is so…”
Students buzzing all around me.
Endless rumors branching out.
Listening to them, I quietly grasped my head.
No, Professor…
You could have just texted me…
***
Ippotranslation
***
After classes ended, I went to Yoo Eun-seol’s professor’s office.
The personal consultation with her didn’t take as long as I thought.
After having tea in her office,
Yoo Eun-seol immediately took me to a personal training hall.
Thanks to that, although classes were over for today, I was standing in full gear in a training hall.
Yoo Eun-seol leaned lightly against the wall and looked at me.
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, do you remember the promise we made back in the dungeon?”
At those words, I looked around for a moment.
Fortunately, since this was a personal training hall provided to professors and instructors, only Yoo Eun-seol and I were here.
“Are you referring to the dual dungeon raid?”
“Yes. At the time, Holder Do Jae-hyun asked me to wait until you had the skills to raid together.”
“Yes, I remember.”
The dual dungeon located inside <The River Touched by the Breath of a Dragon>.
I didn’t know exactly how high the dungeon’s level was, but I could predict that my current level was woefully inadequate.
Even with the help of an S-grade Holder, raiding the dungeon…
In a high-level dungeon where any variables could occur, I needed to build up at least enough skills to protect myself.
On top of that, just sitting there and getting bussed through a dungeon without doing anything wasn’t that good for me, who needed ‘combat contribution’.
Yoo Eun-seol nodded and continued.
“Accepting the Academy instructor position proposed by Professor Tak Won-ho was the biggest reason for that. To bring that wait forward. To help Holder Do Jae-hyun’s growth even a little.”
“…..”
This was information I had heard in advance from Professor Tak Won-ho.
Yoo Eun-seol came to the Academy because of me?
I still have a hard time believing it, but her joining as an instructor proved it.
Whether she knew it or not, the dual dungeon in <The River Touched by the Breath of a Dragon> seemed quite important to Yoo Eun-seol.
On top of that, a Holder with that ‘prerequisite’ didn’t seem to be easily found either.
Thanks to various strokes of good luck, I was able to take Yoo Eun-seol’s lecture directly.
But from there, Yoo Eun-seol made a new proposal.
“But just giving mass lectures has its limitations. To achieve our planned goal…I felt that more concrete education was necessary. As I said before, I hope it doesn’t exceed one semester.”
Yoo Eun-seol took out a dagger from her clothes.
Then she turned it towards me and looked into my eyes.
“So I want to give Holder Do Jae-hyun additional guidance.”
“Additional guidance…?”
“Yes. I know Holder Do Jae-hyun is already an exceptional prospect with remarkable growth potential and speed…but we need to accelerate that a bit more. So I want us to coordinate our time and engage in consistent one-on-one training every day.”
It was a bold offer.
Just listening to Yoo Eun-seol’s lecture filled me with anticipation, and now I could get personal training from her every day…?
An opportunity that may never come again.
And it was a chance to raise the Assassin class that I had practically abandoned.
“Then…are you taking me as your exclusive disciple?”
When I tensely asked, Yoo Eun-seol shook her head.
“It’ll be difficult to be exclusive. Anyway, the period Holder Do Jae-hyun and I are planning for is after one semester has passed, until next winter break. It would be better to think of it as a temporary contractual relationship until we raid the dungeon.”
Ah…
I let out a light sigh, but I couldn’t help it.
Yoo Eun-seol’s offer was reasonable.
An S-grade Holder wasn’t someone you could find hanging around the backyard, and suddenly taking on a partnered Holder as an exclusive disciple was stranger.
On top of that, even a short-term contract had no downsides for me.
It was personal training from Yoo Eun-seol, after all.
Even if it wasn’t exclusive, being able to take her dedicated lessons for one semester was an enormous blessing as an Assassin-type.
‘Ah.’
But there was one thing I couldn’t give up.
Suddenly remembering something, I slightly raised my hand and asked.
“Then… would it be okay if I called you Master during the dedicated lessons?”
Even if it’s a four month half-discipleship…
I can’t easily abandon the title of Yoo Eun-seol’s first disciple.
At my sudden question, Yoo Eun-seol’s eyes widened slightly, then she smiled gently and nodded.
“Yes, do that.”
“Thank you, Master!”
And so.
The temporary master-disciple relationship between Yoo Eun-seol and I was established.
***
Ippotranslation
***
And the one-on-one guidance from my master that followed was…
[The freely wielded dagger, as if handling a limb! Now even you cannot distinguish whether the small blade in your hand is a weapon. The Martial art greatly grows due to the rapid proficiency increase in dagger techniques.]
[The ‘Master of Martial Arts’ rune has leveled up.]
[You gained 1 point of Speed from the rune’s nature.]
[You obtained the derived skill ‘Staircase Slash’ from the ‘Master of Martial Arts’ rune.]
The effect was tremendous.
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