The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 45

Swish, swish.

Professor Grint wrote the scores on the blackboard without hesitation.

The students buzzed with anticipation, craning their necks to see.

“What’s going on?”

“What’s the score?”

First up was Team 1, which included Lee Han and Solia.

89 points.

“Wow!”

“Are you serious? 89 points?”

Considering Professor Grint’s reputation for being a harsh grader, this was quite a generous score.

Of course, the recipients themselves looked slightly dissatisfied.

Lee Han stared at the blackboard, a trace of regret lingering in his gaze.

Next was Team 2.

From this point on, the scores plummeted.

It was as if Lee Han and Solia had been given a much higher evaluation than the others.

“Oh…”

Team 2 received 40 points, Team 3 got 25 points, and Team 4 scored 55 points.

Signs of disappointment echoed throughout the room.

That left just one team.

Professor Grint boldly wrote the final score on the blackboard.

“Team 5?”

“Weren’t they the ones talking nonsense about hidden items or something?”

“With those team members, it would be hard to mess up more…”

“No wonder the professor left without saying a word… Huh?”

When Professor Grint finally stepped aside from the blackboard, the lecture hall erupted in commotion.

The number stood out clearly on the board.

100 points.

Won’s eyes widened as he jumped up from his seat.

“No way!”

“This can’t be real.”

“Why them?”

It was a score that Professor Grint had never given before.

And now, they have achieved it.

* * *

The uproar was enormous. The fire ignited by Professor Grint’s announcement wasn’t dying down anytime soon.

Some students tried to analyze the unbelievable situation, some simply vented their frustration, and a few grasped the core issue.

“It really was a hidden item.”

“Do you think that makes sense? Why would something like that appear in a B-rank dungeon?”

“They must have just gotten lucky. It’s possible, right?”

It was frustrating that not a single person believed it was due to skill.

Han Siha chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

Even though he had hinted at it to his own team members, they wouldn’t believe him so easily.

Adela, with a triumphant expression, scanned the faces of those who had underestimated her, while Won buried his face in his knees, savoring their success.

“Damn it, those lucky jerks.”

“First place, huh? I’m overwhelmed with emotion.”

At that moment, Lee Han, who had been staring at them from afar, suddenly approached with determined strides.

‘No way.’

It was the first time he had lost first place. He should have been quite upset, but there was no trace of such emotions on his face.

If anything, there was a hint of interest, perhaps even anticipation and excitement.

Lee Han spoke with a challenging tone.

“Han Siha.”

‘Why me again?’

Han Siha blinked and stared back at Lee Han.

Was he trying to get information about the hidden item?

Or did Han Siha have some sort of weakness?

As he pondered this with a serious expression, an unexpected question hit him.

“Do you know how to shoot a bow?”

* * *

Ardel Academy’s private training ground.

Although he had brought Basilus here before, this was the first time Han Siha had faced such an awkward meeting.

Han Siha glanced at Lee Han with a nervous look.

He had to think about why he had been dragged to the training ground out of nowhere.

First, ‘Did I stand out too much?’

It seemed most likely that Lee Han wanted to assess his skills.

But that reason alone didn’t seem sufficient.

As he was mulling it over, Lee Han handed him a bow with a smile.

“You seem to be pretty good at this?”

“Uh, thanks.”

There was no sign of any hidden agenda in his eyes, just a relaxed smile.

Han Siha couldn’t read his intentions at all. Despite Lee Han’s seemingly good-natured personality, Han Siha couldn’t help but feel cautious around him.

On top of that, being the protagonist of the academy, Lee Han had an almost celebrity-like presence, making Han Siha feel as though he was in the presence of someone extraordinary.

Han Siha swallowed hard and followed Lee Han’s lead, picking up the bow.

“I saw you at the last competition. You even made your own bow with magic, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“If you infuse mana into a regular bow, it’s more powerful. You can avoid wasting mana unnecessarily.”

Maintaining the bow’s form with mana consumes energy, so using a physical weapon allows for more efficient attacks.

Having reviewed the last battle, Lee Han offered this advice, thinking that Han Siha might not be aware of it.

Han Siha’s eyes widened in surprise as he nodded.

“That’s true. I didn’t realize that.”

He had been so focused on learning basic magic that he hadn’t really understood the combat techniques.

Lee Han nodded with an understanding smile, though internally, his thoughts were racing.

‘Did he really not know?’

Judging by Han Siha’s expression, it seemed true, but it was hard to believe.

How could someone who hadn’t even mastered efficient combat techniques manage to defeat monsters so effectively?

Lee Han had never seen Han Siha in battle before, so this was the part that intrigued him the most.

That’s why he had brought him here.

He wanted to see how Han Siha had managed to obtain a hidden item in a B-rank dungeon. Everyone else had dismissed it as luck, but Lee Han didn’t believe that.

“Let’s get started.”

“I’m ready.”

“I’ll go first.”

Lee Han raised his bow and took aim at the target.

The moving target resembled a monster’s head, shaking erratically up and down.

Even for Lee Han, the considerable distance made it difficult to hit.

However, he calmly aimed for the center of the forehead as usual.

He channeled a controlled amount of mana to the tip of the arrow, maintaining the flow of mana through his body while generating enough destructive power.

After making all the necessary calculations, Lee Han released the bowstring.

Whoosh!

“Wow.”

The arrow struck the exact center of the dummy’s forehead.

A perfect headshot. The moving target posed no challenge at all.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the first arrow—every shot after that hit the dummy’s forehead in succession.

Han Siha watched in awe, his tongue clicking in admiration.

‘The protagonist is definitely the protagonist.’

There was an aura when Lee Han shot the bow, a level of skill that seemed unreachable.

It was a physical ability that seemed impossible to achieve without the protagonist’s buff.

Han Siha chuckled and said, “Just so you know, I’m not confident in that.”

As long as he hit the target somewhere, it should be fine.

Taking a deep breath, Han Siha aimed at the target. Following Lee Han’s advice, he infused more power into the bow, and unlike before, he felt more relaxed.

‘Maybe I can push it a bit more?’

As the magical arrow, infused with all the power he could muster, cut through the air—

“Hm?”

Lee Han couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Huh… what?”

Unlike Lee Han, who had consistently landed arrows right in the center of the forehead, Han Siha’s arrows were all over the place.

Most of them didn’t even hit the head, instead landing in the body. A few did hit the face, though.

Based on that alone, it would be easy to say his skill was terrible.

But then, seeing the outcome, no one could say that.

“…He blew his head off?”

Who in the world decapitates a dummy with an arrow?

Lee Han blinked in disbelief at the gruesome results.

Han Siha must have poured so much power into the shot that it blew the head off without a trace. It was a sight that would shock anyone, but Han Siha didn’t seem fazed.

“Hah, my accuracy is still lacking. You were hitting the center earlier with ease. Why can’t I do that?”

“…”

“Let me try one more time.”

Lee Han’s headshots had left quite an impression on him.

Muttering in disappointment, Han Siha readied his stance again.

By now, after destroying five targets, Han Siha aimed at the next one.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Who on earth would attack so leisurely and inefficiently?

As he watched the heads pop off one by one, Lee Han mumbled absentmindedly, “What on earth is he…?”

* * *

When Lee Han called me over, I thought he might be challenging me to a duel, but thankfully, I managed to get out of it without any conflict.

I had been so tense every time he spoke that once I left the training ground, my body felt drained as the tension finally released.

Just then, Won, who had been waiting for me with his hands in his pockets, came running over.

“Hey, let’s go eat. They’re serving turkey stew today!”

Crash, bang.

He waved hurriedly at Lee Han and dragged me out by the neck. Once Lee Han was out of sight, Won lowered his voice.

“So?”

“Did he say anything? You didn’t have a fight, right?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“You’re sure he didn’t threaten you?”

“Definitely not.”

Won sighed in relief, clutching his chest as if he’d been genuinely worried.

“Phew, that’s a relief. Lee Han really didn’t like you, you know.”

Unlike Solia, who didn’t hold much of a grudge against others, Lee Han had a knack for sensing people with bad vibes.

From his perspective, it made sense that he didn’t like me, a first-year student with a shady aura.

But still…

It was a bit funny that Won was the one telling me this.

You probably didn’t like me either at first.

I couldn’t bring myself to say it, so I answered with something else instead.

“Well, it didn’t seem like that this time. He gave me some useful tips. He’s good.”

I cleared my throat and looked away.

Learning how to manage mana as efficiently as Lee Han was something I felt I needed to know.

I wasn’t sure if he genuinely wanted to help me, but either way, it was helpful.

Plus, it was a chance to experience Lee Han’s skills firsthand.

I had heard plenty about the protagonist’s reputation, but it seemed like he was growing faster than expected.

He shouldn’t have been at that level as a second-year student.

If he could demonstrate that level of power and accuracy in real combat, it made sense that he could wipe out monsters in one go.

Even if a war broke out later, there wouldn’t be a more reliable ally than him.

An ally…

Originally, I had planned to let him take that role while I stayed in the background.

But now I knew that wouldn’t be possible.

I had to catch up.

I realized this in the Phantom Forest Dungeon—or rather, I remembered it.

The weak and incompetent are not welcomed anywhere.

I didn’t have to be on par with the protagonist, but I needed to be strong enough to protect myself.

The wars to come would be far more brutal and challenging than anything we faced now.

I needed to research more on mana, train Basilus a bit faster, and let’s see, what else do I have to do…

There’s probably a ton of stuff to do.

As I was lost in thought—

“…An unsettling wind is blowing.”

Ah, jeez, you scared me!

I jumped back in surprise at the sudden voice.

Won, who was standing next to me, reacted the same way.

Whoosh.

Like a ghost, a figure approached without making a sound—it was Usher.

The genius first-year who had been a guide for me in the Phantom Forest and had been of undeniable help.

Usher Barton.

But why was he saying such creepy things in broad daylight?

With a wary expression, I asked him, “What wind?”

Usher reached out into the empty air and shuddered.

His voice, dry but resonant, echoed out.

“A damp, sticky, unpleasant wind.”

Watching him silently, Won grumbled in a low voice.

“You’re killing my appetite.”

“It’s a sound you can hear, something you can see with your eyes, and something you can feel on your skin.”

“Why are you being so scary?”

“I’m scared too.”

This was seriously unsettling.

If it were anyone else, I’d think they were a crazy drug addict, but since it was this genius…

It was hard to just brush it off.

I nodded, listening to Usher’s words.

“I came to find you just in case.”

“If something happens, I’ll come right away.”

“Okay.”

Usher clasped his hands together and bowed his head.

“Let’s hope nothing happens.”

Unfortunately, that unease would soon become a reality.