Chapter 7- Basic Evaluation (4)
“Then I’ll see you later, Student Han Min-ha.”
“Goodbye, Professor.”
Han Min-ha bowed her head.
When I went to the desk, the nurses were playing rock-paper-scissors.
The nurse who ultimately won excitedly handed me a shopping bag.
“Here you go, Professor.”
“Thank you.”
As I received the shopping bag, the nurse giggled and stamped her feet excitedly.
Another nurse smiled with her eyes and spoke.
“Professor. Do you know how to sterilize? If not, should we show you?”
“I know.”
“Still, it would be better if you learned properly from us…”
Just then, the siren above the emergency room exit began spinning with a loud noise.
As the nurses reflexively came around the desk, the emergency room door burst open.
Several medical staff and Maroon berets rushed in pushing a mobile stretcher.
The Maroon berets – a special forces unit that rescues heroes who have either lost strength after fighting villains or became isolated in treacherous terrain after defeat.
Seeing the maroon berets, I stepped aside thinking another hero must have been seriously injured.
Sure enough, on the mobile stretcher lay an unconscious, bloodied man, with a Maroon beret member on top performing CPR with all their might.
This academy’s health center treats not only students and faculty but also injured heroes.
Since they’re all academy graduates, their medical records and biometric data are here, and there’s no better place to treat the fatal trauma that only heroes suffer.
So severely injured heroes are often brought here.
The medical staff pushed the stretcher straight into the operating room inside the emergency room.
Han Min-ha’s eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the long trail of blood on the floor.
A nurse went over to reassure her and drew the curtain to block the blood from view.
After watching that for a moment, I turned and left the emergency room.
When I returned to my office, my phone notification went off.
A notice had been posted in the faculty group chat.
Several red notification marks were visible in the messenger list.
There were messages from Professor Jin Se-young, Administrative Director Choi Ga-yoon, and several other faculty members.
After skimming through them, I entered the faculty group chat.
The notice, posted by the faculty’s head teaching assistant, read:
[Sharing new student basic evaluation results. Please check and report any corrections by 17:00 today]
I downloaded the attached Excel file and opened it, checking Han Min-ha’s grades first.
Since it was in alphabetical order, I had to scroll down quite a bit to reach Han Min-ha.
And the moment I confirmed Han Min-ha’s grades was way down there.
“Ah, this is bad.”
Han Min-ha’s grades were terrible.
My subject was naturally an F, and even the best grades among other subjects were around B.
Most subjects were filled with C’s and D’s.
You would think there would be at least one A grade.
Wasn’t she a hero’s child with bonus points? How could this happen?
Could there be some genetic or biological issue in the inheritance of talent?
No, no. This is not the time to think about such things.
The quest is the problem.
Having to make such a student into an S-class hero, how on earth…
I wondered if there would be penalties for failing the quest, but there was no way to verify.
Even when I met Han Min-ha again, nothing appeared.
At this rate, there’s no advantage to knowing the original story’s ending.
However, what’s certain is that while interacting with Han Min-ha, my coughing has decreased, though I don’t know the exact mechanism.
Whether it’s temporary relief or complete healing is unknown, but it’s fair to attribute it to Han Min-ha.
Quest generation and tuberculosis relief. These are huge changes after months of boring possession.
So I have no choice but to help her somehow.
By the way, what happened to Yu Hee-won?
Very naturally, she ranked first by scoring the highest in all subjects.
Ability that could achieve at least middle rank if sent out as a hero right now.
If I became Yu Hee-won’s advising professor as in the original story, the quest would be easy.
No. Let’s not think that way.
The quest has already designated Han Min-ha.
* * * * *
After the basic evaluation results were announced, the academy was quite chaotic for a while.
Students showed mixed reactions according to their rankings, as it was a crucial evaluation determining their future academy life.
Already, several lowest-ranking students expressed their intention to drop out and left through the main gate with their belongings.
Worried that Han Min-ha might drop out, I visited the administration office.
“The dropout application list?”
Administration head Choi Ga-yoon displayed the list on the monitor while acting generous, saying ‘Well, I shouldn’t show you this, but…’
Fortunately, Han Min-ha’s name wasn’t there.
That’s really fortunate.
“Professor, you smell nice.”
As I was bending over to move the mouse, Choi Ga-yoon, sitting aside, spoke up.
“Don’t I smell like anything?”
“Well…”
“Come on, take a smell.”
Out of courtesy, I slightly inhaled near Choi Ga-yoon’s hair.
Though I expected it to smell like an old broom or dust due to frequent overtime work, surprisingly it had a nice fragrance.
“Chanel Gabrielle…?”
“Oh my, oh my! How did you know?”
Choi Ga-yoon was delighted to find a common topic of conversation about perfume.
However, I don’t have time to discuss trivial perfume matters with the administration head here.
Fortunately, as the phone started ringing, I stepped back from the mouse.
“You must be busy, so I’ll get going.”
“Ah, yes. Sorry, Professor. It’s an urgent call…”
Choi Ga-yoon picked up the receiver with a grimacing expression after checking the caller ID.
“Yes, this is the Administrative Office Manager.”
Choi Ga-yoon’s voice turned cold after her previously friendly demeanor changed.
“What? Why are you calling here to complain about dropouts?”
It seemed to be the Bureau Management that oversees heroes.
They called because future hero candidates were dropping out.
“They’re leaving because their basic evaluation scores are too low. Did the Administrative Department handle the basic evaluation? Call the Faculty Department about that. What? You called us because we’re the cooperation line? What nonsense…”
As Choi Ga-yoon’s speech became harsher, I gave her a quick nod and left the office.
Her angry voice erupted as soon as I closed the door.
“Then you should have lowered the evaluation guidelines from the start!”
Administrative Manager Choi Ga-yoon’s temper is famous at the Academy.
With her efficient work handling, she was rapidly promoted from entry-level to manager.
Impossible tasks become possible when she takes charge.
Staff peeked over partitions like crabs at her sudden outburst.
“Professor, Professor!”
Several female staff called me.
“Why is the Manager like that again?”
“The Bureau Management complained about dropout rates.”
“Ah… This happens every year around now…”
The female staff nodded knowingly.
“But Professor.”
“Yes.”
“You visit often lately… Is there something between you two?”
She laughed behind her hand while her colleague hit her shoulder, saying ‘you’re crazy.’
“No. Nothing. Just confirming things about new students.”
“Ah, I see. That’s good then.”
I greeted the staff and headed to the lecture building.
Classes for new students start today .
* * * * *
The tiered lecture hall lets me see rising rows of desks from the podium.
I greeted the seated new students.
“Hello everyone, I’m Professor Gyo Su-hyeon of Basic Defense Studies.”
Yu Hee-won sat in the front row, eyes bright and Han Min-ha crouched in the back corner, emanating gloom.
She seemed more dejected after basic evaluation results.
“Right?”
“Really…”
Students whispered, heads together.
I waited quietly for their focus to return.
Soon, they stopped murmuring and looked at me.
“Let me explain what Basic Defense Studies is.”
Students took out notebooks and pens.
But I had no plans to recite history or write on the board.
“That’s unnecessary. Just watch.”
Students whispered as an assistant brought in a machine gun.
The assistant, in a bulletproof vest and helmet, stood at the podium’s edge.
“Basic Defense Studies teaches defense techniques.”
At my signal, he fired the gun at me.
Students flinched at the thunderous shots.
Only Yu Hee-won watched calmly as bullets flew.
My basic physical barrier blocked all bullets when triggered.
For safety, bullets stuck in the lowered-strength barrier instead of ricocheting.
“Finished, Professor.”
The assistant reported after emptying the magazine.
Dozens of bullets clattered down when I removed the barrier.
“No applause needed.”
I told the freshman who were about to raise their hands to applaud.
“By graduation, you’ll block these with bare bodies.”
I explained defense technique types and development.
Finally, I discussed mental barriers.
“Masters can use the ultimate mental barrier technique. It defends the mind but is very difficult. In extreme situations, a calm mind–”
Yu Hee-won interrupted without raising her hand:
“Is mental barrier really an ultimate technique?”
I turned with a faint smile.
“Why do you think that?”
“All this study just for ‘mental fortitude’? Seniors should be immune to most things.”
“Natural psychopaths or sociopaths might be.”
Yu Hee-won smiled but couldn’t hide her trembling lips.
“No graduate has achieved the mental barrier yet. But mastering it will help greatly. That’s all for today.”
As students left, I pushed through to reach Han Min-ha, stuck between others.
I needed to return her handkerchief and console her about her evaluation.
“Student Han Min-ha.”
She flinched at my voice.
“Professor…?”
“Let’s talk about your evaluation results.”
At that moment, Yu Hee-won suddenly pushed Han Min-ha away roughly and stood in front of me.
“Professor. Let’s have a consultation.”
