Episode 18. Professor Im Sol and Secret Rendezvous

『Sexual contact with a heroine has been confirmed. Rewards from the Heroine Conquest System will be granted!』

『Equipment Status Window Open!』

What is this? I tried to understand the sentences that appeared before my eyes, but it came out of nowhere.

So the Heroine Conquest System had a reward system, why didn’t it tell me?

What an unfriendly game.

“What’s this ‘Equipment Status Window’ thing?”

I looked around the room to see if there was anything that could be considered equipment.

Just then, there was a security bar on the window.

Looking at the security bar attached to the window, I repeated, ‘Equipment Status Window’.

────[ Security Bar ]────

▶ Grade: Low

▶ A stone made by adding a slight mana formula to a magic stone.

▶ An alarm rings if someone whose physical information is not registered approaches.

────────────

“Oh, wow, this is good?”

It seems to be an ability that shows the equipment’s capabilities in real-time.

I could only see this in games, but I thought it was obviously impossible now that it was reality, so I felt unexpectedly happy.

To suddenly gain such a great ability just from doing the 69 position once, training or whatever, isn’t just going around having sex with heroines the best way to get stronger?

Anyway, now that I know this exists, I need to be more proactive from now on.

To survive in this harsh world, I have to suck up all the honey I can.

*

Monday morning. Today was especially busy.

In the morning, I slipped back into the dormitory, washed up, and put on my cadet uniform before leaving. Fortunately, it seems like nobody caught me.

“Good morning~!”

As I was walking out of the men’s dormitory, Kim Young-han approached me and spoke.

“You look tired? Is it perhaps after-effects from Friday’s incident?”

“Uh, it’s nothing really.”

For a blonde punk to worry about me, I couldn’t exactly say I was tired from sucking and being sucked by Lumi, so I just brushed it off vaguely.

While we exchanged pointless small talk, we arrived at the first-year academic building.

As soon as Kim Young-han entered the classroom, he went off to greet other cadets, and I looked around to see if Lumi had made it to school okay.

“Lumi, what’s wrong? You seem out of it today.”

“Yeah. Huh? No, it’s nothing? Hehe.”

“Your face is a little flushed, too. Are you feeling sick? Or is it ‘that day’?”

“Yeah… Shh.”

Seeing her talking with Lucy, she seemed fine. Her face was red, maybe from feeling unwell, but she didn’t seem to have any problems.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lumi]

• [ Affection: 65 ]

• [ Lust: 57 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 45 ]

“What the,”

Her Affection and Lust went up ridiculously high. I could understand the Affection, but why did Lust go up?

If she doesn’t remember making out with me, shouldn’t her Lust not have increased? Or maybe the body just remembers. Something like that, perhaps.

It’s not a big problem. Since higher is better, it doesn’t matter.

Creak-

“Hello, everyone~”

A female professor wearing a bright pink blouse and a miniskirt entered, opening the classroom door.

“Wow, Kang Hyorin is here as the theory professor?”

“Who’s Kang Hyorin?”

“You don’t know Doctor Kang Hyorin?”

Honestly, I don’t know Kang Hyorin well either.

Doctor Kang Hyorin, the theory professor. Well, I know she’s quite famous in the fields of dungeon and monster research, and hunter studies, but she’s not that significant a figure.

“I heard the first-year students this year are incredibly talented; your eyes alone look terrifying~.”

Kang Hyorin, sounding excited, continued speaking as she handed out printouts to the cadets.

“Since this is the first class of Modern Hunter Studies, I’ve prepared a simple test to gauge your level. It will be reflected in your evaluation, so please do your best~.”

The test paper was divided into a question booklet and an answer sheet, and the answers were inscribed onto the answer sheet using mana.

‘So this is how it works.’

Since I’d never actually written answers in a game, I had no way of knowing.

Unlike the frivolous professor, the difficulty of the questions was very high. Actually, rather than high difficulty, it was damn hard.

It felt like the questions were pulled directly from the small “[Refer to this]” sections in the corner of reference books.

[1. What monster, first discovered in Tokyo on January 16, 2032, is characterized by its humanoid form and four horns protruding from its head?]

‘Fumitake Oni’

Of course, the difficulty of the questions was irrelevant to me. Using my special skill [Memory Augmentation] to its fullest, I had already finished reading through all the textbooks, reference books, and related papers for Modern Hunter Studies once.

Since I only needed to read them, not understand them, it didn’t take that long.

After finishing the answers, I casually surveyed the atmosphere around me.

The top student, Alice, was breezing through the questions, but the other students all had grim expressions. Since they were giving problems like this for a ‘level check’ and reflecting it in the evaluation, they must be sweating bullets.

Nam Daeun was lying down, seemingly having given up on solving it, while Lucy and Lumi were groaning and staring intently at the first question.

‘How many should I get wrong?’

I did consider intentionally getting a few wrong, but I decided to just do my best. I need that scholarship, anyway.

After the test, Kang Hyorin, who had been enjoying the students’ suffering, received an urgent phone call and postponed the afternoon classes due to unforeseen circumstances.

What should I do with this sudden free time? After thinking about it, I decided to head to the training room.

I needed to check [Awakening]. I was supposed to do it over the weekend, but unlike planned, I ended up sleeping with Lumi, so I couldn’t carry it out.

I arrived at the training building.

The 3rd-floor Mana Training Room. Instead of the private room I went to last time, I entered the training room.

In the training room, you can undergo realistic training with various curriculums.

[Please select a training]

“Start with Magic Evasion Maneuver Training, Level 1.”

Evasion Maneuver Training is more suited for melee-type Awakeners than mages. However, what I want to experiment with is my evasion maneuver ability using [Awakening].

[100%]

My remaining health percentage is displayed on the ceiling hologram. If I fail to evade a magic attack and get hit directly, the health points above will decrease. When the health reaches 0, the training ends.

[Magic Evasion Maneuver Training, Level 1. Commencing]

Colorful magic spells surged towards me from the front.

‘Awakening.’

Zzzing-

The moment I activated [Awakening], my vision expanded. I could see the ‘path’ of the magic spells flying towards me.

“This is doable?”

Level 1 was easier than the sparring match I had with Lucy. The incoming spells were simple elemental magic, and although the speed was a bit fast, their paths were straight.

[Level 2. Commencing.]

*

[Congratulations! Level 5 in 72 seconds. It’s a personal best! Please enter the name you wish to leave on the rankings]

“Ah, shit. I’m gonna die.”

Levels 1 and 2 were manageable. Level 2 just threw spells that were faster than Level 1.

However, starting from Level 3, status-effect spells like binding, charm, and paralysis began to mix in. Level 4 doubled the number of spells. Level 5 increased the quantity, speed, and variety of spells. Eventually, my health points hit 0 in just 72 seconds.

“What’s this ranking?”

So many systems that didn’t appear in the game, why are there so many?

[HYL]

I normally entered Lee Hoyeon’s initials and registered.

[You will now be recorded on the rankings under the name HYL!]

[You have ranked 22nd in Evasion Maneuver Training. Keep striving for a higher rank!]

“Show me the Evasion Maneuver rankings.”

---

Evasion Maneuver Training RANK 1. Vice President

2. Seo Do-il

：

：

：

22. HYL

’22nd place? Not bad.’

This is 22nd place on my first try. I can always improve my rank later with repeated training.

It only occurred to me after leaving my initials, but I worried about what if I accidentally got 1st place and drew unnecessary attention. It was a relief.

“Ah, but I feel a bit unsatisfied.”

The applications of [Awakening] beyond evasion maneuvers feel limitless.

However, no groundbreaking methods come to mind.

Is there anywhere I can get information…?

“Huh?”

Come to think of it, I know an expert in this field, so I don’t need to struggle alone.

I can just ask Professor Im Sol. She might give me some hints.

Although she’s not entirely trustworthy from my personal experience meeting her, she is an expert in the field of magic, for now.

I ended the training and left the facility.

I sweated a lot because of the Evasion Maneuver Training. First, I took a shower, changed into a spare cadet uniform, and headed towards Im Sol’s lab.

Most magic professors at Victoria Academy have their own private laboratories.

The building where magic professors gather is the Magisterium. The entire 2nd floor of that massive building is Professor Im Sol’s laboratory.

Passing the first-year academic building from the dormitory, after about a 20-minute walk, the Magisterium came into view.

As I was about to enter a building I’d only seen in games for real, I felt unexpectedly nervous.

I’ve never even visited a professor in real life, let alone here.

The Magisterium has a total of 17 floors. True to Victoria Academy’s style, it has a massive and luxurious exterior.

Over 50 magic-related professors conduct research in this building.

The first floor has a lobby.

So, over 50 professors share 16 floors, yet Professor Im Sol occupies an entire floor by herself.

It was a setting that revealed Professor Im Sol’s standing in the magic community.

Upon entering the Magisterium, I saw large convenience stores, cafes, bakeries, and other amenities, with the lobby in the center and elevators lined up on both sides.

I approached the receptionist guarding the lobby.

“Hello. I have business with Professor Im Sol on the 2nd floor.”

“Professor Im Sol always emphasizes that entry is strictly forbidden except for those on the list. Did you perhaps make an appointment?”

“No. That’s not the case…”

I wanted to make an appointment, but after offering to help with her research, I never got her contact information, so I had no way to reach her. This is all because I fell for her beauty.

I was so dazed returning to the dormitory, I even forgot to get her number.

“Wasn’t there any instruction that if someone named ‘Lee Hoyeon’ came, I should let them in?”

“There were no specific instructions. Only the Dean and the Chairman are registered on the list.”

“Still, you must have a way to contact the professor, right? Could you please contact Professor Im Sol and let her know that a cadet named ‘Lee Hoyeon’ is here?”

“Well, the professor instructed us not to contact her even if strange people show up…”

“No, I’m not a strange person. I’ll take full responsibility, so please contact her saying Lee Hoyeon is here.”

This is a truly frustrating situation. Why is that professor living so reclusively? Does she have a stalker? Stalkers happen to Moon Surin, though.

“Tsk tsk, does he really think he can just meet the professor so arbitrarily?”

“He’ll only learn his lesson if he gets expelled too.”

While I was arguing with the receptionist, I heard mocking voices openly sneering.

I shot a glare in that direction, and saw a group of about a dozen guys sitting on a bench in front of the convenience store, each holding a bag of snacks. A large guy in the center was holding what looked like cake boxes in both hands. He seemed to be the leader of the group.

The sight was absurd and funny, so I asked the receptionist.

“What are those people doing?”

“They’re students belonging to the Magic Research Club.”

“The Magic Research Club? Okay, but why are they all standing around in the Magisterium holding snacks? Are they having a snack party?”

“Well, actually… Professor Im Sol buys a lot of chocolate cakes and chocolate snacks from the Magisterium’s convenience store and cafe about once a week.”

“…Chocolate cakes and chocolate snacks?”

“Yes. But sometime ago, these students found out and started waiting like this. When the professor comes out to buy chocolate, they offer the snacks they prepared and ask her to review their club’s research results from last week.”

“…”

“Then Professor Im Sol briefly glances at them, gives a word or two of feedback, takes the snacks, and leaves.”

I heard a lot of things, but my brain couldn’t keep up.

Stop revealing weird plot points.

“No, how do they know when the professor will come out to wait?”

“From what I know, they take shifts guarding the place in 4 rotations, 6 hours each.”

What is this? Is the Magic Research Club actually the ‘[Slackers Assemble Club]’? What kind of bullshit is it for academy cadets to be guarding the Magisterium in 4 shifts?

Professor Im Sol has a trait where she finds walking to class bothersome and uses teleportation magic, but I never imagined it would be used like this.

“Then what about the expulsion?”

“Last year, around this time, first-year students came every day for a month just to see Professor Im Sol in person. Even though she warned that anyone who kept coming would be expelled, one student who persisted was expelled.”

“…She sounds like a scary person.”

“Still, should I put in an emergency contact?”

“Yes. I’ll take responsibility, so please do.”

The receptionist nervously proceeded, putting in the emergency contact.

Phew, finally, I got through. Surely she won’t ask ‘Who are you?’ and kick me out after all this? I’m getting anxious for no reason.

“Hey, you. What do you think you’re doing?”

The large guy who seemed to be the leader of the group earlier spoke to me.

“What is it?”

I didn’t expect a productive conversation with these slackers, but seeing the brooch on his chest, I addressed him respectfully as a senior.

“It’s always the riff-raff who don’t know their place.”

The large man looked down at me with an intimidating expression. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared at all.

“You’re a freshman. Judging by your unfamiliar face, you’re not from a famous family, are you trying to get close to Professor Im Sol somehow?”

“…”

“Ah, then you probably don’t know my name either. I’m Kim Hyun-do, the head of the Magic Research Club. You haven’t heard of the Magic Research Club, have you? It’s no exaggeration to say it’s the most famous club at Victoria Academy.”

The man named Kim Hyun-do turned around, showing off the robe with ‘Magic Research Club’ emblazoned on the back.

His confident expression was the highlight.

‘Not just a slacker, but a complete idiot.’

Now I was curious just how far this absurdity would go.

“So, what I’m saying is, don’t bother Professor Im Sol. Professor Im Sol is our club’s supervising professor. What if you interfere with her reviewing our research results because of you…”

Ring ring-

Just then, a woman wearing a robe got off the elevator.

Kim Hyun-do saw the robed woman, and shrieked in surprise.

That blue robe was definitely the same one Professor Im Sol wore last time.

Professor Im Sol stepped out of the elevator and was approaching this way.