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Don’t be intimidated by the grades humans have set; in the end, fights come down to situation judgment and action.

If you can spot an opportunity to exploit a weakness.

If you can lure them into carelessness and strike their vulnerable spot.

If you can set a trap and drag them into the battlefield you want.

Even if they’re a higher grade, if their head gets smashed, they lose just the same.

Even if they’re a lower grade, if you smash their head, you win just the same.

In the end, grades aren’t everything, so don’t be discouraged if your grade is low. Pour your heart and soul into training!

The students were left stunned by Jeong Gyeoul’s teaching, which roughly boiled down to “just smash their head.”

“Sure, if it’s a slight difference, grades can matter since they’re like an absolute evaluation. A difference of one or two circuits can make a difference. But… what about a fight between a C-Class and an S-Class?”

“You guys are really dumb… The one who smashes the other’s head first wins, right?”

“What are you talking about! How can a C-Class with 100 circuits smash the head of an S-Class with 300 circuits!”

“…?”

This time, Jeong Gyeoul looked flustered.

“…Why can’t they smash it?”

“…?”

A situation where neither could understand the other.

“Wait, Gyeoul. This doesn’t seem right.”

“…?”

Lee Chae-rin stepped forward as if to mediate.

“So… smashing heads, or rather, splitting heads, is something your sister taught you, right?”

“Yeah, back when I was whining about being too weak, she gave me that golden advice to fix my mentality.”

“Don’t you think that advice was just for you?”

“Just for me?”

Lee Chae-song offered a new perspective. Both the students and Jeong Gyeoul listened intently.

“It seems like she was telling you to surpass the difference in magic power and split their head with skill… but that’s something only possible if you have the skill, right?”

“Skill? You don’t need some incredible skill, just smash their head when you see the chance. Oh, maybe I gave a bad example. S-Class is practically an incomprehensible realm. Let’s change it to a C-Class smashing an A-Class’s head.”

Jeong Gyeoul seemed to think S-Class was too much and downgraded it to A-Class.

“Gyeoul… I thought you were a hard worker, seeing you train every day, but you’re actually a talent monster.”

“…?”

The students nodded in understanding after hearing Lee Chae-rin’s words.

‘Am I… a talent monster?’

Thinking about it, she couldn’t really argue if someone called her that now.

Thanks to the Satan Church’s experiments, she could handle all three categories and had opened and transcended 365 magic circuits, so it was fair to call that talent.

“But it’s really possible! Ugh, this is frustrating. Any A-Class, come at me.”

The atmosphere clearly suggested that anyone who stepped forward would get beaten up. No one volunteered.

“I’ll go.”

Lee Chae-rin stood up, unable to stand it any longer.

“Sis, aren’t you B-Class? We need an A-Class for the example.”

“I’ve got a little over 190 circuits, I’ll be A-Class soon.”

“Then it’s fine. I’ll limit myself to 50 circuits and spar with you.”

“…50? Even if you’re strong, isn’t that a bit too much?”

In fights between Awakened Ones, magic power accounts for almost everything. Yet Jeong Gyeoul, with only D-Class magic power, declared a spar with Lee Chae-rin, who was close to A-Class.

“I need to do at least this much for you to believe what I said.”

“…If you say so. Let’s do it.”

“Okay, come at me.”

She even limited her magic circuits to 50 and let Lee Chae-rin take the first move.

Feeling it was worth a try, Lee Chae-rin charged at Jeong Gyeoul, gathering her magic power.

“Here I come!”

“Your path is too simple. It might work against someone weaker, but against someone of the same level or stronger, you’re already losing the moment you charge in like that.”

Jeong Gyeoul easily dodged Lee Chae-rin’s attack with light footwork, giving feedback in the process.

“Is this really the time to be giving feedback? You can do that after the spar.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine. I can afford to.”

“…”

Jeong Gyeoul, unknowingly provoking Lee Chae-rin with her careless words, continued to give feedback without realizing Lee Chae-rin’s growing frustration.

“Even a kindergarten kid could tell you’re aiming for the side.”

“Hey, you need to balance your feints. If you overdo it, it won’t work. If I had hit your chin just now, it would’ve been a K.O.”

“My grandma could run faster than that. Your strength is speed, but if you’re this slow, you might as well switch to power.”

Crunch—

“…Thanks for the advice.”

“Yeah, just try a little harder.”

What seemed like a mistake was actually intentional.

Jeong Gyeoul was provoking Lee Chae-rin.

‘According to my sister, the more anger you provoke in a student towards their instructor, the more it fuels their training.’

Even someone who would normally stop after 9 tries might push themselves to 11 out of anger.

‘But if you go too far, you might get stabbed on a dark street, so you have to keep it moderate.’

The sound of teeth grinding suggested it was about the right time.

“Should I start attacking now?”

“…Come at me.”

“Okay!”

Jeong Gyeoul, stepping lightly as if out for a stroll, suddenly moved at an incredible speed, slipping into Lee Chae-rin’s blind spot.

“Wha, what!”

Lee Chae-rin panicked as Jeong Gyeoul suddenly disappeared from her sight, but she could still sense that Jeong Gyeoul had crouched down.

But…

Thwack—

A Demon King’s flick, powered by exactly 50 circuits, landed on Lee Chae-rin’s forehead.

Lee Chae-rin, hit by the flick, felt her brain shake and collapsed on the spot.

“My win. If that had been a fist instead of a flick, your head would’ve been smashed.”

“…Calling it a head in front of me. But more importantly, that wasn’t the movement of a D-Class.”

“I closed all but 50 circuits, so I was technically D-Class. Just that my body is very well-trained.”

Lee Chae-rin couldn’t understand.

She had been diligent in her physical training too.

If it wasn’t the difference in magic power, she had believed she could hold her own against Jeong Gyeoul, but she was completely defeated.

“You shouldn’t have panicked earlier. You should’ve blocked below or above.”

“…Below makes sense, but why above?”

“Because they can fake going low and then hit you with magic or psychic powers from above.”

“…Usually, magic or psychic users don’t fight up close.”

“That’s why you only grew as much as a typical Physical Category user. I won because I’m not a typical D-Class.”

“…”

Jeong Gyeoul’s casual remarks struck a chord.

‘Typical…’

Typical is like this, original is like this, women are like this, B-Class is like this.

As an Awakened One who had to train her body and magic power beyond limits at every moment, it was too complacent.

She realized she had framed her mind with grades and had been too fixated on that framework.

“I think I get what you’re saying.”

“Feeling it?”

“Yeah, thanks. Instructor Gyeoul.”

Jeong Gyeoul looked around and saw some students nodding in understanding like Lee Chae-rin, while others still looked confused.

At least half seemed to understand the lesson and applauded Jeong Gyeoul.

“Thank you, Instructor Gyeoul!”

“That was a great lesson!”

“I’ll definitely attend if you open a class!”

“Hey, don’t be rude to the instructor!”

The students, now addressing her as Instructor Gyeoul instead of Student Gyeoul, spoke politely.

‘Something feels…’

A tickling sensation rose from within, a mix of pride and excitement.

“It’s nothing! I’ve got dozens, hundreds more of these. Come find me anytime if you have questions. Hehe. Hehehe.”

Seeing Jeong Gyeoul grinning, the students thought, whether she’s Instructor Gyeoul or Student Gyeoul, she’s still Jeong Gyeoul, and laughed along.

It didn’t seem so bad to be a working instructor.

***

Cancel.

I strongly retract that thought.

Being a working instructor is a sin, the worst.

“…The punishment seems especially harsh on me.”

“Are you indirectly thanking me for stopping the lawsuit?”

“I was acting in self-defense, okay?”

“Releasing killing intent and turning someone half-crippled isn’t considered self-defense.”

“Come on, they were really trying to kill me!”

“Who in their right mind would attack you? Even if we ignore your strength, you have Jeong Ha-yul behind you, me, the Clock Tower, no, exaggerating a bit, even England behind you.”

So… I don’t know why that crazy guy did it either.

“You should ask him!”

“Anyway, you’ll be handling the Physical Category classes for a while.”

“What! It’s just a one-day injury with potions! That’s an exaggeration! A hundred percent! You’re faking it!”

“If you were a normal person, it would’ve been a 60-week injury.”

That part stung a bit.

A 60-week injury is practically a death sentence.

It didn’t seem that bad though…

“…I’m not a normal person.”

“That’s why it’s only 4 weeks.”

Hmm, thinking about it, 4 weeks does make sense.

“And you’re making a 14-year-old, first-day instructor baby handle Physical Category classes!”

“…Baby? Is that how kids talk these days? Language is really regressing. Anyway, I heard you wrapped up the class perfectly after sending the instructor away.”

“…Well, the kids were really enthusiastic.”

“Calling them kids already? You’re a natural instructor. Just start working tomorrow.”

And so, she ended up teaching basic Physical Category classes starting the next day.

Since she couldn’t avoid teaching, she had to negotiate.

Avoid the worst-case scenario of handling all grades!

“First-year is fine, but second and third years are too much.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m still a baby instructor!”

“…”

She decided to be bold and shameless.

Baby me, baby instructor.

Handling all grades is still too hard for me. Baby.

“Instead, I’ll only take half the instructor’s salary.”

“Deal.”

“…?”

The master accepted so readily that it made her uneasy.

“Don’t tell me… you were planning to assign me only first-years from the start?”

“No comment, I’m busy. Master’s busy.”

“…”

Wow, I got played.

A big catch.

Baby me, dumb Jeong Gyeoul.

I voluntarily cut my salary.

Hahaha.

 

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