A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 5

“What I desire?”

“Exactly. For instance… the location of Cheonrian, which disappeared thirty years ago.”

An Se-ri’s footsteps halted. Okay, I had her hooked.

“How… how do you know about Cheonrian?”

Cheonrian is the most powerful artifact owned by the Geumok Guild.

It played a crucial role in elevating the Geumok Guild to one of the top three guilds in Korea, boasting extraordinary capabilities. Its existence was kept under strict secrecy, known only to a few key executives.

However, now its whereabouts were unknown, and only stories were passed down.

The Chulrian was an incredibly important item to Anseri.

Normal Anseri was considered one of the weaker playable characters, but Chulrian Anseri confidently reigned as one of Florian’s overpowered characters.

Even outside the game, if Anseri were to bring back the guild’s treasure, her standing in the succession battle would be significantly strengthened.

There was no way Anseri could ignore this bait.

“Answer me. Where did you hear about the Chulrian?”

“Does it matter?”

“Can you really trust information from an unknown source?”

“Well, then that’s the end of it. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

Whether Anseri believed me or not was irrelevant.

By leaking the information that I knew about the Chulrian, I had transformed in Anseri’s eyes from a ‘professor she found unsettling and wanted to avoid’ to a ‘professor she found unsettling but couldn’t ignore.’

There was no way Anseri would let someone with knowledge of the guild’s secrets slip away.

“……”

Anseri, unable to make a decision, fidgeted restlessly.

The mask she had been wearing was completely shattered.

Anseri was one of the most politically adept characters among the playable ones, skilled in intrigue and manipulation.

However, in the early stages, she had a tendency to hesitate, often failing to make decisions at crucial moments.

Pushing her unilaterally like this gave me a strange thrill. Should I give her just a little more of a nudge?

As I gathered the borrowed books and prepared to leave the reading room, Anseri flinched. Yet, it was still characteristic of her to be indecisive.

Just before stepping out of the reading room, I finally heard a voice calling from behind.

“Wait, just a moment.”

Now, she was speaking.

Please, say you want to attend Cha Eun-woo’s class.

Throw that lofty pride to the ground and ask to be taught a thing or two!

But Anseri’s response shattered my expectations.

“Let’s have a competition. Prove that you have the qualifications to teach me as a professor.”

Hah, look at this? Still clinging to her pride? Let’s see who wins.

I pretended to ignore her and walk away, but it was futile.

Calmly, as if she had never been flustered, Anseri spoke.

“Stop pretending you’re in a position of superiority. You have a reason to keep me close, don’t you?”

This time, I had no choice but to stop. As Anseri pointed out, having many playable characters on my side was indeed important.

“Father used to say, the more important the information, the more decisive the moment to reveal it.”

“That’s a good point. So?”

“I thought about why you revealed the information about the clairvoyance. It struck me that this moment is a critical juncture for you.”

Before I knew it, An Se-ri had found her rhythm. I regretted not pushing harder.

“The reason this is a critical juncture for you is that you’ve orchestrated this situation. So your goal is obvious: keeping me close, right?”

That was a perfect answer.

To have such crisis management skills before even starting school—I wanted to applaud her.

“You’re overly self-aware. Is there any reason I should keep you by my side?”

“I wouldn’t know that.”

“Of course you wouldn’t. It’s just your delusion.”

I made one last desperate attempt to leave, but An Se-ri didn’t budge.

With a relaxed expression, she seemed to be watching me, as if daring me to try.

Honestly, I underestimated her.

I thought of her as just a rookie and treated her casually, but she had pushed me this far.

In the end, I had no choice but to raise the white flag.

“…Tell me what kind of game you want to play.”

“Excellent choice.”

With overwhelming information on both sides, we had exchanged blows.

It was practically my defeat.

An Se-ri smiled slyly.

It was a smile that came from genuine emotion, not just a mask.

* * *

The third strategic simulation room, set up for academy classes.

Now, it was also the stage for the duel between An Se-ri and me.

“If I win, you’ll tell me about the clairvoyance, and if you win, I’ll take your class. Do we have a deal?”

“Sure.”

An Se-ri, ranked fourth in the entrance exam, was a strong playable character from the start.

Though a tough phase came in the middle, once she obtained the clairvoyance, she could soar again.

Of course, being strong was relative to the level of the students.

No matter how strong she was, she was still just a child at the adult level.

Clatter!

The simulator in the center of the exhibition hall began to operate.

As the noise from the machine echoed, countless thoughts crossed my mind.

Ahn Se-ri is not a fool.

Being a professor is not a hill that students who have just entered the academy can dare to lean on. No matter how hard she struggles, she must know she cannot win.

“Professor, you’re looking down on me, aren’t you?”

“Well, who knows.”

Of course, on this side, I’m just an empty shell with the title of professor.

Of course, Ahn Se-ri doesn’t know that.

“I’ll make you regret it.”

Yet, the fact that she has chosen to challenge me means she must have the confidence that she can win against a professor.

─Setting complete. User Ahn Se-ri, Cha Eun-woo confirmed.

Just then, the mechanical voice from the simulator announced that preparations were complete. Ahn Se-ri and I moved to opposite sides to begin our operations.

“It’s implemented in more detail than being in the game.”

Boss raid simulation.

Florian Rhapsody is a trash game where your character is deleted upon death.

Still, perhaps out of a last shred of conscience, we could have a mock battle just before starting the boss fight.

It wasn’t a full-fledged boss battle; it was a simplified system where AI would operate once the player formed a party, but it was still a great help.

The competition was about who could defeat the boss first.

Ahn Se-ri had worked tirelessly to become the successor of the Golden Jade.

Forming a party is one of the most essential virtues as a guild leader. Moreover, Ahn Se-ri was naturally gifted as a commander, so she would have confidence even against most professors.

─Time limit: 30 minutes. Please deploy all troops within this time.

Sorry, but I was just as confident.

The simulator is inextricably linked to boss raids. I had run the simulator countless times.

Countless combinations sprang to mind. A well-balanced hybrid combination, a powerful mage combination, a combination made up solely of melee warriors, and so on.

Alright, let’s go with this.

After considering the boss monster and the characters I could use, I was able to reach the optimal conclusion.

I slowly transferred the configuration I had in my mind to the simulator. As I pressed the completion button, the mechanical voice echoed from the simulator.

─Time limit has expired.

I burned it white-hot. A masterpiece crafted from my year of gaming addiction. No matter how capable Ahn Se-ri is, she won’t be able to handle this.

* * *

“Acting all smart, and look where it got you. To bite down on such an obvious bait, you must be a complete fool.”

The presence of a strategy simulation room held significant weight in evaluating a guild.

A human life is singular. It’s only natural for anyone to want to tackle a boss more safely.

However, due to the high costs, there weren’t many guilds equipped with a simulation room. Most paid rental fees to borrow from larger guilds.

Florian was an academy that received decent support, but still, it couldn’t afford to install a simulation room.

So, as a makeshift solution, they brought in a downgraded version of a simulation room at a low price. The types of boss monsters that appeared in Florian’s simulation room were only four. The variety of party members available was also limited.

Considering the purpose was to educate the students, it was a very reasonable choice.

Anseri exploited that blind spot.

In preparation for a potential simulation class that might occur someday, she had once created a top-score lineage with the help of experts. Remembering that experience, she proposed a challenge on the spot.

No matter how great a professor was, there was no way they could create a stronger party within 30 minutes.

Then again, how could a professor who just started this year possibly know that? Anseri scoffed at Cha Eun-woo’s ignorance.

─Please deploy all forces within the time limit of 30 minutes.

As Anseri deftly manipulated the machine with familiar gestures, it was over in an instant.

After using only 3 minutes of the 30-minute limit, she pressed the submit button.

─Party has been entered.

What a foolish professor, sitting in a corner reading books.

The world is about results.

“I’ll make good use of my foresight. What good is knowing a lot if you lack the wisdom to handle it?”

She was curious about Cha Eun-woo’s intention to have her attend his class, but soon lost interest.

After all, he was an inconsequential person. His purpose was bound to be equally trivial.

─Time limit has ended.

The time was up.

Anseri and Cha Eun-woo headed to the simulator in the center.

“Are you confident? I am.”

Anseri casually threw out a provocation, but Cha Eun-woo responded with silence.

That attitude was rather amusing.

She was eager to see what expression he would wear when the results came out.

He would regret mentioning An Se-hyun in front of her.

─I will now activate Simulation 1.

The hologram appeared first from Anseri’s party in the simulator.

Two tanks stood guard at the front, while three dealers spread out in a wide formation. What was astonishing here was that the dealers consisted of one mage and two warriors.

The boss, the Golden Staff Lich, was of the undead attribute.

It was common knowledge not to use physical dealers against undead monsters.

They inherently possessed a high resistance to physical attacks, and some entities even had complete immunity to physical damage.

Moreover, the Golden Staff Lich had a skill that dealt continuous damage to any opponent that entered a certain range. Because of this, it was impossible to deploy warriors for an extended period.

Yet, deploying two warriors would be considered madness by anyone.

“You’re doing something interesting.”

Cha Eun-woo left a brief comment.

Anseri scoffed inwardly. Someone like you could never understand my intentions. Even the guild’s experts couldn’t believe it until they saw the results firsthand.

─Boss, the Golden Staff Lich has 75% health remaining.

While the warriors fidgeted from a distance inside the simulator, the mage attacked alone, fighting in solitude.

Naturally, the progress was significantly slower than if multiple dealers had been employed.

“Are you still confident?”

Perhaps mistaking the situation for a victory, Cha Eun-woo taunted.

Indeed, this professor knew nothing.

What kind of picture Anseri was painting.

“Professor, I have a question. What is the most important thing to be cautious of when tackling the Golden Staff Lich?”

“That would be… the barrier that appears when phase two begins.”

“Right?”

The Golden Staff Lich had one defining characteristic.

When its health dropped below half, it would deploy a barrier around itself. A barrier with an incredibly strong magical resistance.

How quickly the barrier could be dispelled was almost synonymous with the speed of the strategy.

─Boss, the Golden Staff Lich has half health remaining. Phase 2 is now beginning.

Finally, it was time for this party to show its true worth. Anseri smiled brightly.

“From now on, it’s showtime.”

As soon as the barrier appeared, the two warriors at the back rushed forward.

The barrier was weak against physical attacks, contrary to the Lich. Close-range attacks were far more effective than ranged ones. As the two warriors attacked, the barrier began to crack.

Boom!

Before long, the barrier shattered, leaving only the mage’s one-sided assault.

A single magic dealer might seem to lack firepower at first glance, but there was no problem in whittling down the lich’s low health.

─Boss, the Golden Staff Lich has been defeated. Time: 3 minutes 51 seconds. A new record.

“Yes!”

Anseri clenched her tiny fist in triumph.

The previous record was 4 minutes 35 seconds. She had shattered it by a whopping 44 seconds. Moreover, the party had taken almost no damage.

If this had been an exam, she was certain she would have scored full marks, plus extra credit.

Anseri was confident in her victory.

“Is there really any reason for us to waste time on each other?”

Now, despair. Now, frustration.

Deny reality. Throw a fit about not being able to accept it. It will only make your defeat more miserable.

What expression will the arrogant you wear when faced with humiliation?

The eyes of Cha Eun-woo, whom Anseri faced, were—

“Ugh…!”

So disturbingly calm.

What is this? He must know he can’t win, so how can he wear such a face? Has he lost his mind?

─I will activate Simulation 2.

While Anseri’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts, the simulator operated indifferently.

Realizing that she was the only one excited in this moment, Anseri’s expression hardened. Even as the simulator continued to run.

Let’s see what kind of party can afford to be so relaxed. It’s probably nothing special anyway.

“Uh? What is… this supposed to be?”

Anseri’s party was also uniquely composed, but Cha Eun-woo’s was far more peculiar.

With a tank at the front, the five party members lined up in a row. And the four behind were all mages.

Cha Eun-woo’s party charged straight at the boss.

─Ally tank 1 is in a dangerous state.

In Anseri’s party, the tank was alone, absorbing the boss’s attacks that had previously been shared between two tanks. Naturally, he was quickly falling apart.

However, with four mages in the mix, the firepower was overwhelming.

The lich’s health was rapidly depleted, turning it into a mere rag in no time.

─Boss, the Golden Staff Lich has half of its health remaining. Phase 2 will now begin.

“Hmph, it’s over.”

But really, that was all there was to it.

In front of the barrier thick with magical resistance, the four wizards were utterly useless. They could knock on it for a hundred days, but before that, the tank was on the verge of death.

It had become a situation where not even a time attack could be guaranteed, let alone a boss clear.

“Are you an idiot? Knowing we need to be cautious of the barrier, why would you bring four mages? What were you thinking when you set up this formation?”

“Seri-kun, let me give you a brief lecture. What advantages does lining up the party in a single file have?”

Cha Eun-woo’s expression was perfectly calm. It was infuriating.

“A tank can protect many damage dealers, right? Just like in your professor’s party.”

“And?”

“Um… it’s advantageous for a charge composition?”

“Correct.”

Cha Eun-woo smiled as if he had received the answer he had been hoping for.

I don’t understand the professor’s intentions.

Charge? What does that even mean? Why charge here…?

“Uh?”

Right, Cha Eun-woo’s party had advanced. Using the tank as a shield, they moved toward the boss.

An Se-ri reviewed the simulation in shock.

Cha Eun-woo’s party had somehow approached right in front of the boss.

“What the…?”

Are they planning to attack from inside without breaking the barrier?

There was no way such a childish tactic would work.

They might deal some damage, but the golden staff lich dealt damage to enemies within its range. Were they really going to push the wizards into a situation where even the warriors couldn’t last long?

─Ally wizard 1 is in a dangerous state.

─Ally wizard 2 is…

As expected, the wizards’ health was plummeting.

Even though they were just holograms, as a commander, I couldn’t bear to watch the heroes being trampled by monsters.

“Stop it! There’s no way you can win against me like that. Before you catch the lich, the heroes will…”

“Look closely. Let’s see how it goes.”

An Se-ri doubted her own eyes.

When the wizards were on the brink of death, she thought it was over. But the lich was in the same situation. As the four wizards desperately unleashed their attacks, its health was dwindling.

“Shall I borrow your expression? It’s showtime.”

Could this even be called a strategy anymore?

It felt like two beasts were entangled, tearing at each other.

─Our mage 3 has died.

One mage, who had been particularly low on health, was dead. The boss’s remaining health was only 15%.

─Our mage 2 has died.

─Our mage 4 has died.

Before long, two mages fell simultaneously. The boss’s remaining health was at 7%. It was a low number, but it seemed slightly too much for the remaining mage to handle alone.

─Our mage 1 has died.

Finally, all the mages were dead. At that moment, the boss’s health was just 2%.

“Just beat it to death.”

The remaining tank was fighting valiantly, striking the boss with his shield. At a very slow pace, he chipped away at the remaining health.

─Boss, Golden Staff Lich defeated. Time: 2 minutes 01 seconds. New record.

Half of the Anseri record. It was an absurd speed.

This was the result of clearing without breaking the Golden Staff Lich’s barrier.

Such a result was unacceptable. Anseri shouted in frustration.

“Are you out of your mind? What kind of strategy is this?”

“What are you dissatisfied with?”

“Four have died, and one is severely injured! By any guild’s standards, this is a failure. Do you understand?”

It was utterly incomprehensible.

Cha Eun-woo must have known this would happen from the very beginning.

“Do you think boss hunting is some kind of computer game? Lives are at stake here!”

How could such a thought even occur?

It was a strategy that took party members into danger, treating their deaths as a given. No commander in the world would devise a strategy like this.

“Wasn’t the condition for victory to clear the dungeon quickly? It seems the rules have changed without my knowledge.”

“Ugh…”

It was an irrefutable argument.

Anseri fell silent.

“Keep your promise. I suppose there’s no need to check if you registered for the class? Our next meeting will be on lecture day.”

Anseri stood there, quietly watching Cha Eun-woo’s back.

What an annoyingly unlucky-looking nape.

Chapter 4. Course Opening

The confrontation with Anseri ended in my overwhelming victory.

Isn’t it embarrassing for a professor to defeat a student? Not at all. In fact, I was pleased to think that I had proven my skills against Anseri.

2 minutes and 1 second.

It was, in fact, a somewhat disappointing record.

By my calculations, I could have cleared it within 1 minute and 30 seconds, but the wizards had perished too early.