Villain Professor of Heroes

“Sss… haa…”

While eating the spicy grilled intestines, I kept inhaling and extending my tongue, wiping away sweat.

“Are you alright, Professor?”

Professor Jin placed a hand on my shoulder, asking worriedly.

“Yes…”

“You don’t seem alright…”

The spicy grilled intestines… how to put it.

Should I say they were ridiculously spicy?

So extremely spicy that I could barely eat a few bites and had to keep gulping down Colpis.

“This… is really… intense.”

“What should I do? If I had known you couldn’t handle this level of spice, I would’ve suggested another place…”

Professor Jin, who had colored around her mouth red, looked flustered as I shook my head with a forced smile.

“Not at all. I’m fine. Please continue. I’ll just have rice with side dishes.”

Professor Hyun Ju had been quietly eating grilled intestines, lettuce wraps, and soju steadily from the start.

Occasionally making jokes, but originally not a very talkative person, she seemed even quieter while eating.

Both Professor Jin and Hyun Ju, specializing in physical combat subjects, ate impressive amounts.

And their alcohol tolerance too.

The two of them had already emptied over ten bottles of soju.

Completely different from me, who just sat there maintaining defensive barriers while practicing mental arts.

“So, how’s Yu Hye-won doing?”

After finishing her soju in one shot, Professor Hyun Ju asked.

“What do you think?”

“Hmm. I don’t know about other things, but she was probably very uncomfortable being paired with Professor Han Min-ha.”

“Well, she didn’t seem too happy, that’s for sure.”

“Of course. With already half-developed talent and a father who’s an S-Ranked Hero from Sikrito.”

“Sikrito? What’s that?”

“Whaaat? Professor, you don’t know what Sikrito is?”

Jin Se-yeong, who was about to dip the grilled intestines in sauce, opened her eyes wide.

“Maybe I could not know.”

Professor Hyun Ju explained what this “Sikrito” was to me.

Sikrito was a secret organization operated by the Organization, carrying out various missions and operations.

The Organization never officially acknowledged the existence of this group, but those who knew were aware through rumors.

Nobody except for the heroes affiliated with this group knew what they were actually up to – a rather shady bunch.

Like the old South Korean missile command – vaguely known to exist, but never officially acknowledged.

“But how do you know the Chairman of the Advisory Board was from there if it’s a secret organization?”

“That’s just speculation. We know the general outline. In fact… it’s common knowledge among top-tier heroes.”

Ah, I see.

Professor Hyun was originally a C-Rank Hero in the original story.

Not due to lack of ability, but because he specialized in defense techniques and didn’t make standout performances or gain much attention.

In contrast, the two professors in front of me were both current top-tier heroes.

Considering Academy professors are all at least B-Rank and above, it’s quite strange that I’m a professor.

Is it due to protagonist buffs?

If not, it might simply be the author’s mistake in setting.

Forgetting one’s novel setting is common among beginners.

Anyway, if that’s the case, the lies I told the kids somehow turned out not to be lies.

But there’s one problem.

If Yu Hye-won happens to tell her father what I said later, it could get complicated.

“Dad, our academic advisor used to be in a secret organization.”

“I’m from that secret organization, but I’ve never seen someone like that.”

Such a situation.

That’s something to deal with when it happens.

I can’t worry about something that hasn’t happened yet – it’s useless.

“Is Min-ha doing okay?”

“Min-ha? We should steadily guide her from now.”

“Probably won’t be easy. In all my years teaching, I’ve never seen a student like her.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Seems like she doesn’t know how to use her body at all.”

Professor Hyun Ju mentioned she’s currently teaching the kids basic martial arts.

Most kids have never even thrown a punch in their lives, so she’s starting from the very basics.

“Min-ha loses her balance and falls when she tries to kick.”

“Ah… is that so?”

“When hitting the punching bag, she even sprained her wrist.”

“Yes…”

“I paired her with the least experienced sparring partner, and she got a bloody nose from a direct glove hit to the face.”

“Umm… I think I get the picture without hearing more.”

Though I just started mentoring her, hearing this from other professors makes me feel quite embarrassed.

Professor Jin slightly curled her lips and said,

“What’s the problem, I wonder? Is her body type an issue?”

By body type, she’s probably referring to that impressive bust size.

Yeah, carrying something that heavy could be difficult.

But Basic Defense has nothing to do with body type.

Han Min-ha simply isn’t using Aura at all.

When I mentioned this, Professor Hyun Ju nodded in agreement.

“Could be. If one can’t awaken to Aura usage, it’s useless.”

“But Aura requires voluntary control. Min-ha hasn’t crossed that threshold yet.”

“The basics of Aura control is feeling the flow of one’s own Aura. Don’t you meditate during Basic Defense?”

“We do. We’ve even created a bubble shield strong enough to block rubber bullets.”

“Rubber bullets… honestly, that’s nothing. A natural Aura cocoon around the body provides some protection.”

“Yes… that’s true.”

Han Min-ha… what was the author thinking putting someone like her as the protagonist…

“Professor, you’re not coughing lately, are you feeling better?”

“Right. At the welcome ceremony, I thought I might die.”

“Much improved. It seems that way.”

“Correct. I’m not quite sure why it happened.”

“Maybe it was an unknown illness, and it just spontaneously recovered? Without any reason.”

“Let’s hope so.”

I’ve had every test done, and my lungs appear perfectly fine.

But I still cough, and even slight exertion makes me short of breath.

I thought it might be a nervous system issue, but they say that’s unlikely.

If that’s the case, perhaps it spontaneously recovered, as Professor Jin suggested.

But the cough stopping at the exact moment a Quest appeared is bothersome.

Could failing the Quest result in accumulated coughs exploding and causing death?

Dying…

What does that mean for someone possessed in a possession world?

In all the web novels I’ve read, I’ve never seen a possessed character die.

Because possessors are protagonists.

So am I truly the protagonist of this remake?

A colorless protagonist and a sweet potato protagonist.

Another failed project, author.

*

The next venue was a coin karaoke booth.

Though it wasn’t quite appropriate for three professors from the world’s top hero academy to visit, the other two didn’t seem to care at all except for me.

I wanted to return to the dormitory due to fatigue, but there was no convenient transportation, so I reluctantly followed them into the cramped booth.

Professor Jin, who had always been energetic, fully expressed that trait even in the karaoke booth.

Sitting beside me, putting her arm around my shoulder and swaying while singing, I was squished against the wall.

Her muscular body being heavier than fat, Professor Jin’s compact frame was remarkably weighty.

Without my defensive barriers holding me up, I might have toppled over.

Professor Hyun Ju, who was usually quiet, didn’t refuse to participate in such occasions, so I awkwardly clapped along with the rhythm.

Well done, professors.

After about two hours of enthusiastic singing, the professors decided it was time to return.

Looking at my wristwatch, it was almost nine o’clock.

At nine, the main gate closes.

Though professors can enter and exit as they please, the procedure is more complicated, so it’s better to enter before then.

“We could fly there quickly.”

Professor Jin, with a whiff of alcohol, clicked her tongue regretfully.

“Why don’t we give it a try? I wonder how fast we’d arrive.”

“Should we? Then we’ll pack our bags tomorrow morning and head straight to the Organization’s disciplinary committee.”

“Fly there for the hearing too.”

Professors Hyun Ju and Jin thought this was quite amusing and laughed heartily.

They both appeared to be in great spirits as alcohol had warmed their cheeks.

Heroes cannot fly freely except during authorized missions; the shockwaves are too strong and could cause civilian damage.

If Professor Jin were to fly at full speed from here to the academy, all nearby building windows would likely shatter.

“Let’s go, Professors. I’ll drive.”

I took the wheel, as I hadn’t been drinking.

The two professors sat in the back seat, continuing to loudly sing until we reached the academy.

It was some strange song, with lyrics about upholding justice and common sense – completely detached from reality.

*

After finishing my shower, my body felt as heavy as if soaked in water.

Looking in the mirror, I noticed my dark circles seemed darker than they were that morning.

I’ve been completely drained.

A person like me, who’s rather introverted, naturally gets exhausted being around such outgoing people.

“Urghh…”

As I laid on my bed, an involuntary groan escaped my lips.

Checking my cell phone for any messages, I noticed the group chat name for my guidance students had changed.

I couldn’t help but laugh dryly at the new name.

[Golden Viper* and Gray Mold]

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