CH 27

{ Chapter 27 – Inspection of belongings }

The reason why I started checking their belongings was simple. Because personal belongings provide the best way to understand the characteristics of students.

Of course, if they were ordinary students, it would be of little use. However, the students here were all aspiring heroes and students of the world’s most prestigious hero academy, making them the elite of the elite.

It was expected that they would have personal weapons or auxiliary items. By examining them, I could easily identify students' tendencies and abilities.

‘Anyway, I have to work hard.’

Originally, I had no intention of staying at the academy as Oh Ji-seok. But I would do my best for the time I was here.

Because, even with the exception of Ariel, it aligned with my goal of exterminating all monsters.

Paradise had said that the academy was one of the few institutions that didn't fall into the hands of monsters. 

In fact, among the academy professors who had skills on par with most top-ranked heroes, there were very few people who were monsters.

Even those who were monsters were taken care of after the Dominating Hands swept the academy once. 

In other words, it was perfect as the second outpost for monster annihilation.

“Did you take everything out?”

Then, let's figure out who would defend the outpost soon.

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“What is this?”

“This is a leg support boost. To support my concept of ‘elasticity’…”

A few tens of minutes had passed since the inspection of temporary professor Oh Ji-seok had begun.

‘As expected, he’s a good person…’

Sitting in the back seat, Ariel, who had been quietly watching him, was lost in thought.

‘To understand each student with this great care and thoroughness...’

At first glance, it was an unknown item inspection.

However, Ariel and the other students soon understood why he was doing that.

“The material and condition are great. I guess you’re usually meticulous.”

“Oh, that’s too much praise!”

“By the way, seeing as the rechargeable booster function is built-in, it seems that you need a separate power source to move in the air. Is that correct?”

As the combat practice class was to be held in the next lecture, all the students were in possession of weapons and auxiliary items.

Oh Ji-seok looked carefully at the items the students had taken out, and was writing down their peculiarities in a notebook in his hand.

“Oh, there’s no way to use the elasticity in the air…”

“Have you ever thought about how to give elasticity to the air itself?”

And some helpful advice popped up from time to time.

“Well, I didn’t think of that. I never tried it in the first place and I didn’t think it would work…”

“It may be a matter of perception. If you can give elasticity to what you touch, you can definitely give elasticity to the air. Give it a try.”

Thanks to that, by the time he went around halfway, the way the student looked at Oh Ji-seok was somewhat different.

From an irresponsible person who left them alone, to a person with a heart to teach them.

“What is this?”

“This is… the allowance I got from my grandfather.”

Oh Ji-seok approached right in front of Ariel and asked a girl sitting beside her.

“Why are you carrying such a huge amount of money?”

“…yes?”

The girl sitting right next to Ariel responded and asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

“Is this a lot of money?”

Ariel’s expression, who glanced aside at the strange conversation, soon became tinged with astonishment.

‘…Ah, crazy. How many zeros are there?’

A check with multiple zeros on it was placed on that girl’s desk.

It was enough money to buy 10,000 cups of cup noodles.

“Do you have any weapons or auxiliary equipment?”

“Yes, I have.”

“What?”

“It is still being specially manufactured at the factory. Some patented technologies that have not been commercialized will be included…”

At the scale of the ensuing conversation, Ariel, who had her mouth wide open, began to break out in a cold sweat.

‘Are all the students of the International Hero Academy at this level?’

She thought about it for a while, but when she saw the startling eyes around her looking at the student next to her, fortunately, it didn’t seem like the case.

But that was not comforting.

Except for the girl next to her, the only student in the class who had no weapons or auxiliary equipment was still she herself.

So all she could put on her desk was her textbook and her only expensive smartphone.

“Next…”

Thanks to that, Ariel kept her head bowed until Oh Ji-seok came up to her.

“Ugh.”

When he stopped in front of the seat and looked down at her without saying anything, Ariel lowered her gaze even further.

“……..”

And the stillness started.

“That’s great.”

“Yes?”

At Oh Ji-seok's sudden words, Ariel quietly swallowed her dry saliva in the silence, and then she slightly lifted her head.

“It’s really nice to have a mentor to look up to.”

With her smartphone in hand, Oh Ji-seok taped Justia’s sticker on the back and whispered.

“Do you like Justia?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I like her a lot too.”

The eyes of Oh Ji-seok who said that look sad for some reason.

“Student Ariel.”

After staring blankly at those eyes, she came to her senses when she heard Oh Ji-seok’s voice again.

“Become a great hero who surpasses Justia.”

Oh Ji-seok, whispering in a low voice, smiled at her and handed her the smartphone.

“This…”

On the back of the smartphone, she discovered that today’s meal ticket was fluttering around, and her eyes were wide open.

“Today’s menu is Tteokbokki.”

“……..”

As Oh Ji-seok said, today’s menu was Tteokbokki, Ariel recalled that it was one of her and Justia 's favorite food.

“…Professor.”

Ariel muttered in a trembling voice, looking at Oh Ji-seok’s back as he turned forward again.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

But because the voice was too low, there was no reply.

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“Hey, Professor!”

As I turned and reached the front again, I suddenly heard a soft voice.

“I have a question!”

Lumia, who had taken out all her belongings, was waving her hand with a friendly smile.

‘Is she hiding something?’

At first glance, nothing was wrong, but for some reason, I felt uneasy.

“What is it?”

“I want to know about you, Professor.”

I thought about just ignoring her, but I decided to listen quietly because I was curious about her plan.

“The professors at the academy are all guaranteed to have their skills and experience. And they are well-known enough to be recognized just by looking at their faces.”

“Okay.”

“But, I honestly don’t know what kind of person Professor Oh Ji-seok is.”

'Haha... So, would she like to have my introduction or something?'

“I think there are many students other than me who want to know about you. Even if you are a temporary professor.”

Glancing at the students in the back, it was an atmosphere that generally agreed with Lumia’s words.

After all, they wouldn’t want to be educated by a novice with no guaranteed skills or experience.

Some of them were looking at me with suspicious eyes.

‘There are a lot of good kids.’

I didn’t like that atmosphere.

Because the person in front of them right now was Trauma, an A-class villain in disguise.

Those who read and be wary of such an atmosphere were those with talent.

However, I did not intend to maintain a hostile atmosphere.

To get them to follow my education, I would have to subdue the baseline first.

“I belonged to a place where my career and identity could not be disclosed.”

As I stared at the students and opened my mouth in a quiet voice, startled movements began to appear here and there.

“If I tell you this, you can probably guess.”

Heroes who hide their identities had become a thing of the past.

However, even in such an era, there were still cases in which identity couldn't be revealed.

That was if you were a member of the Secret Service.

“So please forgive me.”

The Secret Intelligence Service was an extra-legal organization whose exact scale, personnel, and duties were all shrouded in mystery.

That was why impersonation was surprisingly convenient.

Of course, it was not possible for anyone to become one, so if someone recklessly pretended to be one, they would see an unfamiliar ceiling the next day.

In the first place, it was a place where only a handful of talented people could dare to enter.

It was not for nothing that the heroes were given the right to immediate decisions.

“Of course, I don’t mean to ask you to trust me with words alone.”

In the classroom that became quiet in an instant, I smiled slightly and started talking.

“Because I can’t reveal my identity, it doesn't means I can’t reveal my skills.”

I quietly turned my gaze to Lumia.

“Student Lumia, would you like to come forward?”

“Yes?”

Senior entrant to the International Hero Academy.

Second perfect score on the entrance test after Justia.

Lumia was in the spotlight as the best prospect this year.

“Would you like to have a quick match with me now?”

If she was my opponent, proof of my skills would be enough.

“You mean here?”

Hearing those words, Lumia’s eyes widened.

She probably didn’t expect that she would hear such an offer.

“Because we don’t have time to go to the dungeon.”

“Ummm…”

“You can use abilities, or you can use weapons you want.”

Lumia, who was staring at me with a slight tilt of her head, quietly raised the corner of her mouth.

“Okay.”

Then, she slowly got up from her seat.

“I’ll try it.”

It was understandable why she was putting on a confident expression.

Perhaps, it was thanks to that unknown ability of her which had never allowed even a single attack to touch her before.

‘It’s a good opportunity.’

It was a good opportunity for me to get to know her abilities.

“Then…”

But before that, I had to do what I had to do.

– Ugh…

“…ah?”

With that thought in mind, I approached her quietly and naturally put my hand inside her clothes.

“Professor…?”

At that, Lumia caught my arm in bewilderment.

“I must have told you to take out all your belongings.”

Looking at her like that, whispering in a cold voice, the student’s attention was focused at once.

“What are you hiding in your stomach, student Lumia?”

Judging by the paleness of her complexion, I thought it was a big deal.