Gray’s expression hardened.
“You’re serious...?”
I didn’t answer. I just held out my hand.
“Are you really serious? That wasn’t even a real assassination attempt...”
Then came a strange reaction.
A smile spread across her face.
“This is nuts... Fine. I’ve got plenty of knives.”
Gray tossed the sheath with the dagger still inside and turned around.
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Gray: ‘So that’s the kind of style he has?’ 】
What the hell does “that kind of style” even mean?
Still, I was relieved that she left so unexpectedly obediently.
I headed to my office. My own little base.
Then I checked the confiscated dagger.
＊ Dagger of Swiftness [Rare] │ Confiscated
It was a masterpiece.
[Rare]-grade. Mid-tier among rares.
Excellent attack power and durability. And it came with a special option: 『Swift Slash』—the one that sliced my bangs.
In terms of value, it was at least 300,000 Hika... That’s around 30 million won. A luxury dagger, high-end and expensive.
‘I’ll use it for now. And if I need cash, I’ll sell it.’
A professor robbing a student and living off the spoils might sound odd—but hey, that’s the game.
Survival costs money. There are plenty of specs that require hard cash to raise.
I was satisfied.
‘Did I just almost die again......’
Unbelievable.
Meanwhile, I had to write a class journal—but since I didn’t actually hold a class, it was tough figuring out what to write.
Still, I managed to fill it out with the same skill I used when writing my self-introduction essays. Just then, someone knocked on the door.
It was Adele.
“Professor. You haven’t left yet?”
“I was just about to.”
“Oh, this is an interview request form.”
“Interview request?”
“Yup. Cadet Gray submitted it on the way here.”
Wait a second. So she didn’t just hand over the knife and walk off?
Sure enough, when I looked out the door, Gray was waving at me with her fingers in a V-sign, showing off her snaggletooth. That same mischievous, cat-like expression.
“Bye, professor~”
...This, I didn’t expect.
“You told me to submit one, didn’t you? So, does that mean you’ll come with me now?”
“......”
“But wow, professor. No other teacher’s ever talked to me like that before.”
I was at my wit’s end.
Is there any way I don’t have to go?
I thought it over, but nothing came to mind.
“You’re coming to Dormant Dragon Hall with me, right? Hm??”
“...Fine.”
Feeling like I’d die if I went alone, I brought Adele along and headed to Dormant Dragon Hall with Gray.
On the way, Gray clung close to my side and subtly edged Adele away.
As she did, she kept sneaking glances up at me.
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Gray: ‘Hm. He’s good-looking.’ 】
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Gray: ‘How strong is he, I wonder? Doesn’t seem like some pushover.’ 】
Just don’t talk to me...
“Professor. Professor.”
“......”
“Are you from the Black Path?”
Assassins are categorized into White Path and Black Path. And those two factions don’t get along.
Simply put:
White Path operatives work as spies for states or nobles.
Black Path operatives do the dirty work we usually associate with assassins—murder, kidnapping, and so on.
“Why are you curious?”
“I’m just curious. Maybe I already know you?”
“I’m not affiliated.”
“Oh really?”
Suddenly, Gray stepped ahead of me and blocked my path.
Then she stared right into my eyes.
The 【Script】 revealed that she was wondering whether to try assassinating me again.
“Gray.”
Just then, other cadets from Dormant Dragon came out to greet us.
Elize, and some guy I didn’t recognize.
● 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Elize
● 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Balmung
The guy gave a polite nod.
“Nice to meet you, professor.”
At least Gray still called me “professor” and seemed to ease up a little.
Balmung, with stylish horn-rimmed glasses and a sharp doberman-like look, exuded a presence that pressed down on the entire space just by standing near.
‘This guy’s the son of high-ranker “Black Abyss Star⚉”...’
We shook hands, and even that simple act radiated intensity.
Then Balmung offered a compliment.
“Professor, your ability to suppress your presence is... artistic. I couldn’t sense you at all from this distance.”
That’s because I have no presence to suppress...
“Please come inside. It’s rare for all the Dormant Dragon cadets to gather at once, but everyone wanted to meet you. Everyone except one, that is.”
“One?”
“Yes. Princess Rebecca is busy with royal duties right now. But the team leader is here.”
He then bowed to Adele.
“Apologies, but would you mind waiting outside, TA? Dormant Dragon Hall is technically royal residence, so it’s a high-security area.”
Adele looked at me.
Well, it’s not like she could do much even if she came.
“Wait here. I’ll be back.”
“Sure~ I’ll go park the car.”
“Alright.”
So I left Adele behind and entered Dormant Dragon Hall with the cadets.
Dormant Dragon Hall—
The most classic and majestic dormitory in Hiaka Academy.
Because Dormant Dragon’s “Rebecca” was none other than the daughter of King Hiaka, the very ruler of the Academy.
Maybe that’s why.
The moment I entered, I was met with a vintage-style parlor. Sofas and tables that could easily cost hundreds of thousands of Hika. A chandelier that shattered light into pieces.
There, the cadets of Dormant Dragon were seated.
I could tell right away.
These kids had all been buffed by [Hell Mode]. They were at Balmung’s level, or above......
Every last one of them was a young genius.
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Elize: ‘Cool.’ 】
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Kendreik: ‘Who is this guy?’ 】
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Kwan: ‘...Whoa. What is up with this professor? Even here, he’s not tense at all? Even the department head was nervous!’ 】
Their thoughts tangled around me like threads.
I didn’t care who was who.
The only thing that mattered was this: every single one of them could kill me at any time. It was terrifying.
“Welcome.”
“...Thanks.”
I gave a suitable response and found an empty seat.
My mind was blank, so I just sat wherever.
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Kwan: ‘Gasp! He sat in the seat of honor in a royal household?! That’s Princess Rebecca’s seat...!’ 】
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Kendreik: ‘Does this professor not even realize he’s in someone else’s home?’ 】
No, fuck. I sat in the wrong seat.
But I’d already sat down, and I couldn’t get back up now.
At this point, screw it. I crossed my legs and leaned back.
What are you gonna do about it, you little shits?
【 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Balmung: ‘The new professor is astonishingly relaxed. Is he really that confident?’ 】
I just sat still.
While crying on the inside over the fact that I was scared of a bunch of kids.
“......I seriously don’t get it.”
It was then that a giant cadet, nearly 2.2 meters tall, spoke up.
It was Kendreik.
“Why’d you bring that professor here?”
“Hey. Watch your mouth. Don’t be rude in front of the professor.”
The one who scolded him, surprisingly, was Gray.
“Gray, didn’t you get your dagger confiscated? Why are you taking his side?”
“Confiscated or not, you still need to show some respect, you chicken-brained bastard.”
“Don’t call me that! And respect or not, it just doesn’t make sense. The department head even rejected the idea of assigning us a supervising professor. So why bring in a newbie?”
“Kendreik, calm down. The team leader’s coming soon.”
Even horn-rimmed-glasses Balmung chimed in, and the big guy shut his mouth. But the way he looked at me was still anything but friendly.
Just then, three attendants from Dormant Dragon Hall came over and served tea to everyone.
＊ Five-Colored Black Tea [Normal, Deadly Poison]
Only my tea was poisoned.
Without any [Resistance], one sip of that and I’d be dead.
While everyone else casually lifted their teacups, I stayed still.
“It’s a rare tea.”
That’s when the door at the far end of the parlor opened.
A boy leaning on a cane limped his way out.
It seemed this was the “team leader” they spoke of.
“Perhaps you don’t care for black tea?”
Long black hair. Vertically slit pupils.
A foreboding aura radiated from his entire body.
A male cadet with a face that screamed final boss villain.
● 1st-Year Dormant Dragon Institute – Kaiser
I’d looked him up while researching Dormant Dragon in advance.
This guy was the No.2 in the Dormant Dragon Institute.
And allegedly, four professors had been killed by his hand alone.
Not someone to be treated as just a student.
More like a serial killer.
“Does that look like black tea to you?”
At this point, lowering my head was no longer an option.
The only move left was to straighten my shoulders.
Kaiser’s eyes narrowed.
The others had no clue what he and I were talking about. It was probably something he’d planned on his own.
He limped over and sat in the seat of honor across from me.
“......Just as I heard, Professor.”
“What do you mean.”
“You saw through Elize’s concealment. Measured the exact distance during Gray’s surprise attack. Hid your mana from Balmung. And now, you’ve even detected my 『Formless Poison』—which has no scent, taste, color, or mana signature......”
How the hell am I still alive?
“......You must be at least [Grandmaster] rank, Professor. Like one of the chief professors.”
[Grandmaster].
A rank awarded to martial artists in the top 999 of the continental rankings.
It’s a big deal. There are over ten million registered martial artists on the continent.
Right now, I don’t even have an [Iron] rank badge.
“It’s an honor to have you with us.”
Kaiser bowed his head.
“If your time is limited, let’s skip the small talk. I’ll get straight to the point.”
Yeah. I shouldn’t stay here too long.
“What’s the reason Dormant Dragon asked to see me, the new professor?”
“Yes. I’ll speak plainly. As I’m sure you’re aware, great upheaval is coming to the world.”
“......”
He was probably referring to the upcoming war between demons and humans.
“The world flows beneath the heavens. Everything is moving as if orchestrated. Even the fact that geniuses like us were born in the same year, entered the same academy, the same department—that alone proves it’s all part of Heaven’s plan.”
He’s referring to the game’s contrived setup.
So [Hell Mode] players are aware of even that, huh?
“At the moment, we’re talented but still incomplete. We don’t need professors who try to use us—we need a real professor to teach us.”
“......”
“Until now, countless professors have tried to exploit us. But... if I may say so, Professor, you seem different. And so, I ask you.”
Kaiser’s vertically-slit eyes narrowed even further.
“Professor Dante Hiakapo.”
Then, in a quiet, almost reverent tone, he said:
“Would you ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) become our supervising professor?”