Chapter 38: Meeting of Old and New Disciples (2)

On the path to the gate, the students of Helmunt Academy’s Basic Practical Magic Class were on their way. Among them, Kim Si-yeon spoke up.

“We almost had a big accident last time, and now they’re telling us to enter the dungeon again? I don’t understand what they’re thinking, especially when something serious could actually happen.”

Yoon Seul-gi responded.

“I feel the same way… I don’t understand why Instructor Yang Han-gil keeps pushing us so hard… It’s not like we did anything wrong….”

Unaware of the pact between Yang Han-gil and Choi Juwon, the students naturally questioned Yang Han-gil’s obsessive behavior.

The fundamental question was this: Why was Yang Han-gil so desperately fixated on the growth of his disciples?

But in the end, they couldn’t find an answer.

Lee Haru spoke to Baek Hyunseo, who was standing off in a corner.

“Hyunseo, are you okay?”

Baek Hyunseo’s face was pale, and he was trembling all over.

During a previous dungeon exploration, he had fallen into a panic and was not only attacked by goblins but also other monsters.

Of course, it’s hard to imagine that even in a C-grade dungeon, dozens of wizards, even if they were beginners, would get injured.

In reality, they had cleared the dungeon with no major injuries. However, just because they cleared it without harm didn’t mean they were free from trauma.

Explorations carried out without any guardians meant that it wouldn’t be surprising if someone died at any moment.

This was independent of their magic skills. Even highly skilled wizards often met untimely deaths while exploring dungeons.

A place where you could die with one mistake, even if you succeeded a hundred times.

That’s what a dungeon within the gate was. So far, they had only conducted safe explorations under Choi Juwon’s protection.

He led the way, and if a crisis arose, he quickly protected them.

The threat to their survival.

Fundamentally, they had never felt their lives were in danger despite entering several dungeons in the past. But now, it was different.

Baek Hyunseo trembled and spoke.

“I-I don’t want to go in… I’m scared….”

Kim Si-yeon comforted him.

“But we have to go in… If we don’t, who knows what that bastard Yang Han-gil will do. If we handle it well like last time, we should be able to return without any major issues. I’m scared too, but… we have no other choice.”

Yoon Seul-gi quietly added.

“At least this time, there are other guilds nearby, so it might be a little better… If we end up in a dangerous situation, they might help us.”

“Right. Last time, it was just us, but this time, we have other guilds with us. We don’t know who they are yet, but just having another group with us makes me feel a bit more secure.”

As they continued toward the gate, Choi Juwon spoke to his students.

“We’ll arrive at the gate soon. The dungeon level measured at the gate is C-grade. Obviously, I think it won’t even serve as a warm-up for you. But just in case, don’t let your guard down.”

Park Hye-yeon asked Choi Juwon.

“Will we get stronger if we enter the dungeon?”

“You’re stating the obvious. The monsters in dungeons, to varying degrees, all contain magic energy. The higher the level of the creatures using this magic energy, the stronger they become. Fighting strong opponents not only improves basic combat abilities but also helps you react quickly in unexpected situations.”

“Most importantly, dungeons feature various terrains. If you only use magic in a city with densely packed buildings, then using it in swamps, deserts, or forests can significantly enhance your versatility.”

“Did dungeons help you grow too?”

“Of course, when I was first gaining strength, I benefited a lot from dungeons. Nowadays, I can clear A-grade dungeons solo, but back then, I almost died countless times even in D-grade dungeons.”

“I can’t believe it. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever seen. You might even be stronger than the man I must take revenge on. Are you saying that’s not just talent but also hard work?”

“To be honest, I can’t say I didn’t have any talent. Some people might try the same methods and techniques I did, but even after decades, they might not reach my level.”

Pointing to Park Hye-yeon, Choi Juwon said,

“But at the very least, you possess greater talent than I do. If you have enough time, it’s not impossible for you to grow just like me.”

Park Hye-yeon nodded with a determined expression.

Kang Eun-byeol quietly approached me and whispered.

“Um… Instructor Mask, I know it’s a bit late to ask, but why are the students training so hard?”

Kang Eun-byeol had a puzzled look on her face. It was understandable. She had made no effort to attend my lectures.

She didn’t have to compete with tens of thousands of others and was simply placed here because she was the Hunter Association Chairman’s daughter.

Most importantly, Kang Eun-byeol has no one to take revenge on.

Therefore, I didn’t even bother to give her an SSS-level buff, nor did I perform Circle Break for her. In other words, Kang Eun-byeol is genuinely taking a “regular” class from me.

However, others are different. When I chose four disciples, I intentionally filtered out those with clear motivations.

Out of over 30,000 people, I first eliminated those with abilities and then selected only those with desperate motivations.

In the end, excluding Kang Eun-byeol, four people remained. My disciples are the four most desperate individuals among over 30,000 magicians, all desiring “revenge.”

They want to get stronger as quickly as possible. They want to find the one who caused them pain and tear their throat out. I understand their feelings. I felt the same way.

‘Baek Joo-seok…’

Baek Joo-seok may be imprisoned, but he is not an individual. He is entangled with numerous high-ranking officials who have received kickbacks, various guilds, and even the Tower Lord who is in cahoots with them.

Even though he is currently in prison, who knows what he might plan before the intranet is forcibly opened? Even if it is opened, he could find a way to evade punishment.

Thus, I needed greater power to take down those bastards completely. This time, it was not brute force that was required, but influence.

I looked at my motivated disciples.

‘If I, with sufficient power, feel this much resentment and pain, they must feel even more.’

It was a moment of understanding the saying “sympathy for the suffering.”

“Um… Teacher?”

‘Oh, right, I should respond.’

I snapped back to reality and spoke to Kang Eun-byeol.

“They all have their reasons for needing to get stronger quickly. You don’t need to worry; just move at your own pace.”

“Is it really necessary to get stronger quickly? Power isn’t everything in this world…”

“You’re right. But not everyone thinks the same way.”

I thought inwardly that it was absurd. The daughter of the Hunter Association president.

To a girl who can wield some of that power, “force” probably doesn’t carry much significance. This is inevitable; she has held more power than brute strength since birth.

‘If there’s someone she dislikes, she just has to give an order.’

I understood. She exists in a completely different world. But one day, Kang Eun-byeol will come to understand the feelings of her fellow disciples.

The miserable feeling of having her own dignity trampled upon and the frustration of being powerless to stop it.

-Whoosh

A cold wind blew as we arrived at the location of the C-grade gate. I spoke to my disciples.

“Everyone, wait here. It seems that the person who needs to enter with you hasn’t arrived yet.”

The group that reserved the gate first—I didn’t know who they were. I could check the reservation status, but the details of who made it were unavailable.

‘Still, I guess I got lucky.’

Typically, the person who makes the reservation can use the gate. Other methods, like transferring dungeon entry tickets or the state allocating gates to the academy, exist, but generally, many people utilize this “reservation” system.

Naturally, if you reserve first, the gate grants authority to various groups, such as “hunters,” “guilds,” or “academies,” to challenge it.

However, sometimes, due to anomalies, gates form two separate dungeons.

These gates have double the size of a normal dungeon. The state mandates that in cases of gates caused by anomalies, at least two groups must be allowed entry.

The phenomenon of dungeon division has not been clearly defined, and it could potentially lead to significant issues, so a minimal safety mechanism has been established.

‘Thanks to that, I can enter the dungeon without delay.’

Among my disciples, some had likely been active in dungeons before.

However, now, they were in a situation where their stats had significantly increased due to my buffs and Circle Breaking.

The way they utilized magic now would be quite different from before.

This difference could be likened to the difference in operation between a bicycle and a motorcycle.

The dungeon is a place where they can freely unleash and train their magic. It was the most desperately needed space for my current disciples.

‘Finally, they’re coming.’

As I was thinking this, I spotted a group walking toward us from a distance.

‘Are they magicians?’

At first glance, I sensed the aura of flowing mana, suggesting they were indeed magicians.

‘How strange. They feel familiar…’

The figures drew closer. Soon, I saw Yang Han-gil at the front.

Behind him were familiar faces: Baek Hyun-seo, Lee Ha-ru, Yoon Seul-ki, and Kim Seo-yeon—students from the practical magic class at Helmunt Academy. They were my former disciples.

‘Why are those bastards here?…’

To be continued…