I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

[Seoul – Restricted Zones 1~3]

A park with a checkpoint in plain sight.

A man, leaning back in his chair and browsing the web without a care in the world, his neck adorned with a government employee ID.

“Hmm, yawn.”

The man let out a long yawn and slumped in his chair, basking in the warm sunlight on a cloudless day. The breeze on his cheeks was still a bit chilly, but the combination of the sun and the breeze made him feel even sleepier.

-I hope we don’t strike out today…

-Fuck, how can the reservations be full until May?

-We might as well move to the countryside, man.

Three shabby-looking Awakened Ones had just passed through the checkpoint and entered the restricted zone.

‘Tsk, tsk. As always, the incompetent ones complain the most.’

The man thought that people should live within their means; it made life less tiring.

Take those three who just walked by, for example.

If they moved to the zones starting from level 4, there were plenty of stages without reservations. But since they lacked the skill and the guts to take on the risk, they were loitering in this beginner-friendly zone, created for students to gain experience.

Looking for unregistered, newly formed stages—what a futile effort.

It was a pathetic sight.

The lower-tier zones were jointly managed by the government and the large guilds, and most of the stages were distributed to specialized schools and academies for practical training. In other words, aside from lazy government employees like him, there were also Awakened Ones dispatched from large guilds.

Awakened Ones with detection-type abilities were on the lookout for new stages day and night, so there was no way these amateurs, who were far inferior in skill, could find any new stages by poking around here and there.

“Might as well be a laborer.”

Recently, there had been talks about building convenience facilities within stable stages and even testing out holiday resorts in scenic spots.

If he had applied for a job there, he wouldn’t be wasting his time and could have fattened his bank account instead.

After briefly watching the three men walk away, the man turned back to his chair. He had planned to continue reading the novel he started yesterday and kill time until lunch.

“……?”

Just as he was about to tap the ‘Continue Reading’ button, the checkpoint suddenly became noisy.

As most of the Awakened Ones who used this checkpoint were students, powerful individuals were on standby to handle any emergencies. So, whatever was happening couldn’t be too serious. Still, the commotion drew his gaze naturally.

A moment later.

The checkpoint gate opened, and a couple walked into the restricted zone.

The man blinked in surprise at the sight before him.

“Damn.”

A man of staggering height, easily over 2 meters, and a blonde woman standing next to him.

The woman had a modest appearance, but her figure was… well-endowed.

They wore similar glasses and coats, and it seemed like the woman had chosen her outfit to match the man’s. They made a good-looking couple.

‘……Huh?’

The man stood up from his chair, putting away his phone as the towering couple approached him.

“Are you from Arena Academy?”

The man with the government employee ID asked, and Baek Woo-jin and Claire, walking side by side, nodded.

“That’s right.”

The man with the ID didn’t bother with any further checks and stepped aside. Any necessary procedures would have already been completed at the checkpoint, so it was unnecessary.

Baek Woo-jin entered the stage, which emitted a faint light from its broken surface, and Claire followed close behind.

The man pulled his chair closer and took out his phone again.

**

【A loud roar shook the entire cave, followed by a powerful impact.】

【Screams of students reverberated throughout the cave.】

【Blue rocks fell on the students who had lost their balance and collapsed.】

【The only exit was blocked by the collapsed ceiling.】

【Amidst the chaotic screams, the stage collapsed.】

A cave bathed in blue light.

A stage with an unpleasant humidity, like a rainy summer night.

The moment these sensations entered his eyes and skin, memories of that place naturally surfaced in his mind.

“Excuse me.”

Light radiated from Claire as she approached, dispelling the unpleasant humidity.

-Rumble.

A rock not far away rumbled and groaned.

A moss turtle, a monster that made its home among the rocks.

At first glance, it seemed like the blue light was emanating from the rocks that made up the cave, but in reality, the walls and ceiling were covered in blue-light-emitting moss.

It only appeared smooth and rock-like because it was saturated with moisture.

-Rumble.

The moss turtle, sluggishly escaping the holy power, stopped in its tracks and plopped down on the floor.

“Unless it attacks first, just leave it alone. I don’t want to bother with it.”

“……Yes.”

The moss turtle was a rare non-aggressive monster.

It was just a large turtle as long as it didn’t attack first, but the poison it spat out was highly corrosive, making it a troublesome opponent.

Of course, it was basically a sunfish, so as long as you stuffed something into the hole where it hid its head, it would die.

-Kkuung.

-Kkuwaang.

The turtles that had been hiding in the corner slowly crawled away, keeping their distance from us.

“It’s just as it was first reported… The environment is intact.”

“I see.”

“……I think it’s fine to leave now.”

“Let’s go a little further.”

“……Yes.”

Claire nodded and followed me deeper into the cave, toward the crystal that served as the core of this stage.

We finally stopped when we reached the end of the cave, where a sky-blue crystal floated.

I released Claire’s hand and approached the crystal, which emanated an unknown energy I couldn’t grasp. I placed my hand on it.

“Professor…?”

“I’m not going to break it, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

“It might take some time, so feel free to sit and wait if you’re uncomfortable.”

“I will if I’m uncomfortable.”

Claire nodded and turned her gaze back to the crystal in my hand.

One possible incident that could occur tomorrow in this stage—the cave’s collapse and the disappearance of the students.

It happened in every instance, but no culprit or beneficiary was ever identified, and it always ended as just an incident.

‘Baek Hana wasn’t the target.’

Whether Baek Hana participated in the joint practical session as a squire or not, this incident would occur.

I had made some assumptions and guesses about it on the other side, so I wanted to confirm what the correct answer was this time.

Of course, the incident might not happen because of my presence, a variable that didn’t exist on the other side.

But personally, I wanted the incident to happen.

It had been a long time since I felt this kind of interest, not since Claire…

‘I wonder if it will work.’

It was something I had done countless times on the other side, but it was my first attempt here.

Failure wouldn’t be a problem, but I wanted to succeed to avoid the hassle.

I infused my will into the magic power accumulated in my heart and pushed it into the crystal, which was glowing with fear.

**

“……Professor.”

I opened my eyes at the faint sound of Claire’s voice.

“We’ve arrived.”

“……I see.”

Claire looked at me with a slightly worried expression and got out of the car. The chilly night air brushed against my cheeks.

First, I had achieved my goal.

Although it had taken quite some time and consumed more than half of the magic power I had accumulated in my heart, I had accomplished what I set out to do.

‘The framework is somewhat in place, but the inside is still lacking.’

Just losing the magic power I had accumulated made my body feel heavy like a lump of lead.

It had been a long time since I’d felt this kind of lethargy.

“I’ll escort you.”

As I was taking a moment to clear my head in the night air, Claire, who had gotten out of the driver’s seat, approached and gently put her arm around my left arm.

“Please do.”

“Yes.”

Claire carefully supported me and matched her pace to my stride.

I didn’t really need her support, but I accepted her offer because I had a request for her.

-Wow…

-Shh, shh!!

-Can we take pictures?

There were still some students wandering around, probably because it wasn’t quite curfew yet.

If the one I was escorting was Baek Hana, I would have erased our presence, but since it was Claire, and we were already known to be a couple, I didn’t bother.

Click.

We passed through the maze and arrived at the mansion. Claire opened the front door and said,

“Then.”

“Thank you.”

As Claire started to leave, I stopped her.

“……?”

“Why don’t you stay for dinner?”

“You should rest…”

“It’s fine. Come in.”

“……Yes.”

Claire followed me into the foyer.

“Let me help you.”

She took my coat and hung it on the rack.

I changed into my slippers and walked down the hallway, which looked no different from this morning.

-Peep-peep.

An ominous chick sound came from the corner where the kitchen was.

I headed toward the kitchen with Claire.

The kitchen was dark, and a faint green light shone from the floor.

Click.

-Peep?

As the darkness lifted, the pure rascal, covered in honey, was revealed. She had broken the honey jar in the pantry and was completely drenched in honey.

“Professor……”

“Take her and wash her.”

“Yes.”

Claire quickly entered the kitchen and carefully wrapped the rascal in her hands, honey and all.

-Peep!!

“No.”

-eep……

The rascal, who had been reaching for the honey on the floor, froze as Claire glared at her.

I gained confidence.

I needed Claire to stay here for a while, for the sake of my body and mind.