Chapter 83: The Female Professor Likes Handshakes a Suspicious Amount [R-18]

…It’s Seridwen Evelyn.

I smiled, happy to see her for a moment, but my smile faded as she drew closer.

Is that really the Seridwen I know?

Her presence was overwhelming.

Everyone swallowed nervously, watching her dignified, confident stride.

With a black coat draped over her shoulders, she made her entrance like a superstar, flanked by what looked like Hunter Association officials, Stardust Corporation representatives, and a burly man who seemed to be her manager.

“…This is my first time seeing her in person. A Master Hunter.”

Yuuna’s jaw was hanging open.

“She’s beautiful.”

Gasps of admiration erupted from all around.

“Why is the ‘Empress’ here for the second-year exchange event…?”

“Aren’t we all going to get slaughtered today?”

“We’re so screwed… I knew I should have just stayed home…”

Seridwen, standing tall in the center of the training grounds, seemed to glance around for a moment before her eyes met mine.

From that moment on, system messages began to ring out continuously.

[Seridwen already holds very deep affection for you…]

[Seridwen already holds very deep affection for you…]

[First Encounter with Seridwen (Canceled)]

[A Devilish Woman (Canceled)]

…?

A series of ominous-sounding prerequisite quests were being canceled one after another.

Is it… because of the affection I built up early on with Personality Excretion?

Seridwen gave a small wave in my direction. I wasn’t mistaken after all…

She’s looking at me.

“Whoo!!”

“It’s Professor Seridwen!”

“Master Seridwen! Please sign an autograph!”

The guys in my direction all raised their hands and cheered.

Seridwen gave a wry smile at that.

“Sh-she waved in our direction, right? Oh my god!”

Yuuna was also completely starstruck.

This wasn’t the kind of reception a normal professor would get…

Is this the same Seridwen who was cuddling and rubbing against me in my arms?

“Is she that big of a deal?”

Yuuna chattered on, extremely excited.

“Seridwen Evelyn is a living legend! She’s the only Korean national among the seven Master Hunters in the entire world!”

“Seven in the whole world?”

The scale was so immense I could hardly grasp it.

The only Korean hunter out of those seven?

“If an SS-rank hunter is that amazing, how incredible is an SSS-rank hunter?”

When I said that, Yuuna tilted her head.

“What are you talking about? There’s no such thing as an SSS-rank hunter.”

“…Huh?”

“Seridwen Evelyn is the strongest hunter in Korea… There isn’t a single other SS-rank hunter who can even compare to her! Her market value is 23.4 billion…”

What? 23.4 billion?

Not Won, but Coins?

I remembered what Seridwen had said when we met before.

「If I join in now, it’d be too unfair to the others.」

…She was so, so right. More than I ever imagined.

Seridwen had already achieved everything, to a degree no other heroine could compare… She was a woman who could support me for the rest of my life without breaking a sweat.

How many men would kill to live as her dog?

If you became her dog? Isn’t she on a level where she could buy a luxury mansion in Seoul, complete with a sprawling garden, and just call it your doghouse?

‘W-wait a minute.’

I creampied a person like that right after the game started?

I took her down with Personality Excretion… turned her into a Jelly and forced a weird fetish on her…

Wow… If Seridwen had wanted revenge, by now, I’d be…

That’s not even the problem.

My most recent encounter with her flashed through my mind.

What was she doing getting all touchy-feely in an alley with a D-rank student!

I knew I was crossing a dangerous bridge, but I never imagined it was like crossing a thousand-foot cliff on a bridge made of glass.

The thought that a scandalous photo of Seridwen and me could have ended up on the news headlines made my head spin.

“Sang-hyeok? What’s wrong? All the color has drained from your face.”

“…Just remembering some things from the past.”

「I’m going to rape you, Teacher.」

「With that vulgar… power… you… kidnapped me…?」

「What if I did?」

「Nngghh♡」

This wasn’t a delusion. It was all a real conversation we’d had. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my spine.

The Goddess removed the difficulty level for capturing her. The capture order never mattered in the first place.

“I am Seridwen Evelyn, and I will be in charge of today’s exchange event. I look forward to working with you.”

Cheers erupted from the students.

I swallowed dryly and clapped along.

“First, since some of you are new to the exchange event, I should explain.”

A Gravity Wave appeared in the center of the training grounds.

Seridwen approached it and lightly touched the Gravity Wave.

At her touch, the shape of the Gravity Wave distorted, taking on a more complex pattern.

‘She’s directly interfering with the Gravity Wave…’

Is something like that even possible?

Seeing everyone’s shock, it was clear this wasn’t something just anyone could do.

“Let’s start with the concept. What you call a dungeon, I see as a single ‘Rule’.”

I’d never heard a lecture like this. You couldn’t even hear anyone breathing.

I could tell everyone was intensely focused.

Every single word… was spoken by someone so influential that her words were worth billions.

Thinking about it that way made me incredibly nervous.

How am I supposed to face her next time…?

The Seridwen who had whimpered and begged me to pat her felt like a completely different person from another world.

Amid that sense of distance, the Master Hunter’s lecture continued.

“It’s because, within this space, you are forced to obey a ‘Rule that is different from the real world.’ Only by understanding this can you become a hunter who can aim for higher levels.”

You realize it quickly if you use guns.

When we were getting unfairly nerfed, Yuuna said it herself: the more complex the machinery, the more likely it is to fail.

Is it because the air inside dungeons is bad for machines? Or because mana and machinery have bad compatibility?

That alone can’t explain how a magical beast that can’t even block a sword can easily deflect bullets.

Ah. So this place has its own rules.

Seridwen was putting into words the sense of wrongness I had instinctively understood but couldn’t explain.

It’s not that most dungeons are environments where machines frequently break down, but that you are forced to obey a ‘Rule that prevents the convenient use of machinery.’

Seridwen was teaching us the perspective that dungeons are the Rule itself.

“First and second-year students have probably experienced certain weapon types being nerfed. In high-rank dungeons, those restrictions become much more severe. That’s why the academy recommends basic melee weapons like swords, bows, and spears.”

It seems there are fewer Rules that reject them.

Swords are a reliable choice. I’ve never seen them get unfairly nerfed.

If they were treated like guns, swords should also be chipping and breaking all the time, but the fact that they don’t…

…is proof that swords are treated as high-value weapons inside dungeons.

“…Through this exchange event, I want to help you cultivate the strength to survive in the domain of an external god that forces all sorts of Rules upon you.”

Seridwen smiled faintly.

“So that you can handle even the most difficult situations with ease.”

Yuuna flinched.

“Sang-hyeok… We might not be able to go on our date today…”

“Why?”

“…Come to think of it, I heard Professor Seridwen’s classes are notoriously difficult, even among the third-years… We might be stuck inside the dungeon for a few days.”

…A chill ran down my spine.

“From this moment…”

Seridwen touched the Gravity Wave.

A violent current, more powerful than I could have imagined, surged outwards.

“Kyaaah!”

“Ugh, ack!”

“I’m going to create a complex Gravity Wave that all of you can dive into.”

…She’s going to create one?

“This is a true anomalous Gravity Wave, students of Essol Academy.”

Kwwwwwaaaaaa…!!

I thought space itself was about to crack open.

In an indoor training ground where up to thirty Gravity Waves usually formed, a single, colossal one now appeared, dominating the entire area.

Just looking at the shimmering current was enough to take my breath away.

[Insight – Red Activated]

[A-Rank Dungeon]

[Number Zero. Artificial Data] [Rarity: D] [Reward: S] [Anomaly: D]

[Interferer – Seridwen Evelyn]

[Max Participants – None]

My first time seeing an A-rank. And with no participant limit, at that.

The low rarity and anomaly ratings told me this was a dungeon where Seridwen was firmly in control of any irregularities.

What on earth will appear inside? What dangers will we face?

“More eyes are on you than usual. This is a good opportunity to prove your worth. But if you’re truly too scared to do it, you’re free to withdraw. Those withdrawing, head to the left exit. Participating teams, gather on the right to register.”

Clap!

Seridwen clapped her hands, breaking the tension.

“Alright! Move!”

The students began to move about busily.

‘More people are withdrawing than I expected.’

If I were still back at 5 stat points, I would have given up too.

But now, I think I’m ready.

“No wonder there were so many cameras…”

“Yuuna. You’re going, right?”

“Of course! An exchange event personally run by Professor Seridwen is an opportunity that’s hard to pass up.”

“Hena?”

…

Hena looked scared.

Honestly, I couldn’t guarantee I could protect her 100% in an A-rank dungeon.

Hena had to be resolved herself.

“…To be honest, I’m scared. I don’t want to do it.”

“Hena, it’s okay! We’ll protect you. I’m here, and Sang-hyeok is, too…”

“Yuuna. Shh.”

Yuuna pressed her lips together.

It was time to listen to what Hena had to say.

“Can’t we just let the really dangerous dungeons go? We can earn money in safer places and be satisfied with that… I think…”

Hena and Yuuna have different personalities.

If there was a place that was more dangerous but offered incredible rewards, Yuuna is the type who would already be at the entrance, waving and waiting for me.

The very picture of a lovely dungeon wife!

Hena, however, doesn’t want that kind of nightmarish risk.

She’s not a pro hunter, just a timid academy student.

There’s also a future where she quits being a hunter, becomes a mother, and takes care of her family.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Even at a prestigious academy, there aren’t many students as dedicated as Yuuna.

Those who charge toward success even when their own lives are at risk are always in the minority.

But, still.

There was something I had done for this very moment.

“But… I know why Sang-hyeok spent so many of his precious Coins to buy my stats… I know what it means.”

That’s right. You know.

Because I wanted us to experience our once-in-a-lifetime academy days together.

I helped you grow, knowing a day like this would come.

“I… I’ll try going, just this once… to a place I never could have gone on my own, as far as Sang-hyeok has helped me reach.”

I love that.

I squeezed Hena’s hand tightly.

This is why I don’t regret spending money on you guys.

Because you understand so well why those precious Coins were spent.

“Let’s go together, Hena.”

“Okay!”

“Even if you can’t make it as a hunter and have to retire, I’ll support you.”

Hena’s ears turned bright red.

“Isn’t… isn’t that a proposal…?”

Yuuna tugged insistently on my sleeve.

My second girlfriend is pouting up a storm.

“…What about me? Are you just going to be all lovey-dovey with her?”

“My princess. We have a date planned, so please cheer up.”

The corners of Yuuna’s lips curved up uncontrollably.

She likes that, doesn’t she.

“I like being called ‘princess.’ Say it more.”

“Let’s change the name of your masterpiece sword, too. Instead of ‘Yukihime,’ how about ‘Onahime’?”

“That’s cute!”

See? Even Hena thinks it’s cute.

“…W-what are you trying to do to my Yukihime! No way!!”

Yuuna hugged her sword and turned her back to me.

Onahime sounds good, though.

Anyway, our Onahole Squad…

…got in line to register as a squad for the A-rank dungeon.

I could see Stella and Serena at the registration counter.

Serena had friends with her, too. I’d seen them before.

One was the girl with pink hair, huge breasts, and a YouTube channel. Isolde, was it?

She happened to spot me and bowed her head along with her friend.

The other one was Sarika? The cute girl with the brown ponytail that suited her so well.

She bowed a full 90 degrees when she saw me.

‘Cute…’

I could feel the fresh charm of the first-years.

But the most adorable are my own little sisters.

Stella turned her head away coldly, as if to say, “What are you looking at?” but…

[Stella]
Orabeoni

[Stella]
If it gets dangerous, come to me. I’ll protect you no matter what.

[Stella]
Don’t get hurt, Oppa.

[Stella]
(Emoticon of a muscular cat with its arms crossed, glaring)

Her text messages were filled with nothing but concern for her dear older brother.

[Serena]
The three of us—me, Sarika, and Isolde—decided to go as a squad, Oppa.

[Kim Sang-hyeok]
I just made eye contact with your friends

[Serena]
Ah

Serena seemed to be talking with her friends, then she spotted me.

There was a sense that the first-years and second-years were sticking to their own groups, so it was an awkward atmosphere to just walk over into each other’s territory.

But it was still possible to signal a greeting from afar between participating teams.

“Oh! Who do we have here? The handsome Kim Sang-hyeok?”

Huh?

There was a student council member at the registration desk. Had I seen her before?

The one who was making a fuss about how handsome I was when the student council president was tearing me a new one…

“Evangeline?”

“Oh my. You remembered my name?”

Evangeline was a gentle-looking older girl with voluminous, wavy brown hair like an elegant noblewoman, and a large chest.

Her bust was on the same level as the student council president’s. Amazing.

“Go ahead and register your squad. Squad name here, and the members below…”

Swoosh.

Evangeline placed her hand over mine as it rested on the paper.

So soft…

“Seonbaenim. Excuse me, but why are you holding his hand during registration?”

Yuuna was on guard behind me.

“Oh. You had a girlfriend? Sorry~~.”

All I could do was give an awkward laugh.

Even if I was Erotic Game Sang-hyeok, I couldn’t just spout something like, “If you’re interested, give me your number,” with so many eyes watching.

“Did the President not come?”

“The President is out on hero duty. She can’t let the villains run wild on a day like today!”

“…I see.”

I felt a little dejected that I wouldn’t get to see Isabella.

“Oh my. If you make a face like that, your girlfriend will be upset…?”

Cough.

I quickly fixed my expression and squeezed Yuuna’s hand tightly.

I feigned innocence.

“Guys. What should we name the squad?”

“You decide, Sang-hyeok. You’re the leader.”

Yuuna said something strange out of the blue.

“You’re not doing it?”

“If you’re not confident, I can take over~.”

After hearing that, there was no way I could back down.

Leader Kim Sang-hyeok, squad name Onahole.

“The Onahole Squad, please.”

Yuuna flinched.

“…Are you really going with that name?”

“The squad of the ‘Onahole Collector’ is called the ‘Onahole Squad.’ Is there a problem?”

“But…”

I know there are bad rumors going around behind our backs.

How, because I’m D-rank, it’s being portrayed as if Yuuna is sponsoring me and just playing around with me.

But so what? The people who want to twist things will twist them anyway, even if I’m the leader.

“Let’s not worry about what others think. Let’s just focus on what we have to do.”

I was using the fame of Kim Sang-hyeok, the “Onahole Collector” known to the entire student body.

It was a kind of defiance, as if to say, “No matter how much you trash talk, Kim Sang-hyeok the Onahole Collector is going to live happily and be all lovey-dovey with his girlfriend.”

“…Anyone can see it’s the squad of Kim Sang-hyeok the Onahole Collector. Hehe.”

Yuuna laughed.

Just then, I saw Seridwen walking toward the area where the participating teams had gathered.

…No. She was walking in a straight line, right toward me.

For a moment, Yuuna and Hena didn’t know what to do.

I, too, was overwhelmed by the aura radiating from the “Red-Eyed Empress.”

She’s no joke when she’s in business mode. Seriously.

“…A D-rank is participating?”

Seridwen spoke as if she were seeing me for the first time.

“…He’s a D-rank, but I’ve worked hard to raise him.”

“I like that. You. What’s your name?”

“It’s Kim Sang-hyeok.”

Seridwen’s eyes darted around.

She suddenly gave a few awkward coughs and then…

“…W-well then… how about a handshake? It’s been a while since I’ve met such a spirited student… As a commemoration?”

…This is incredibly awkward.

This damn hand fetishist!

No matter how I look at it, the segue is so unnatural!

She might as well have just called me into the bathroom and asked me to pat her!

No, wait, maybe not.

“…This is really awkward.”

“Here. A handshake. …Don’t be shy, give it a firm squeeze.”

Seridwen held out her hand.

I grasped it tightly.

“…Haaahng♡”

“Please don’t make weird noises, Professor…”

It would’ve been a disaster if she hadn’t worn sunglasses.

A picture of Seridwen’s melting expression in front of me might have been taken and circulated.

So she missed me.

Dale from the gun shop did say Seridwen was coming to see me. But it seems I wasn’t mentally prepared to see her.

I squeezed her hand firmly and said.

“It’s an honor to be looked upon so favorably, Master Seridwen.”

“…U-uh, yes…♡ Do your best♡”

Squeeze, squeeze♡

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze♡

After a suspiciously long handshake, Seridwen left without a second glance at any of the other students.

…

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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