"You're really going to the countryside?"

My friend, lawyer, and financial advisor, Kim Cheolmin, said.

He used to be a B-rank hunter, but he grew with my advice and became an A-rank. However, his specialty was using his head, not combat. He barely made it to A-rank, and he didn't have the qualities to grow further. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have become an A-rank. He knew it well, so he promised to be my lawyer and financial advisor until he died as a way of repaying me. I gave him the honor of becoming my friend.

"Yeah, I bought land there to do that."

"Do you really have to? You didn't do anything wrong. With time..."

"Really?"

I raised one corner of my lips and looked at Kim Cheolmin.

"I'm sorry..."

Kim Cheolmin knew. He knew that I wouldn't be able to regain my honor in this country.

It's not like it's false. Alpha Academy, where I belonged, is the best academy in South Korea. Not just in Korea. It was building a reputation as the best academy in the world. It was all thanks to me. I produced eight S-rank hunters, including students currently enrolled, which is something that's difficult to do even for one. My teaching skills improved as well, and I raised more and more students to a higher-level year after year.

There was a reason the Chairman, along with some parents and students, drove me out. All the fame and spotlight were focused on me.

The Chairman was a natural attention seeker, a lump of inferiority complex who wanted recognition beyond his capabilities. He was a side branch of a large corporation, he got pushed down the succession ladder and became the Chairman of a small academy, and luckily, I, who wanted to test my newly awakened ability at the time, went for an interview at his academy. Since I was a newbie with a low price tag, he probably just wanted to fill a position and fire me soon.

But it was a different story.

Among the low-quality professors he had gathered with high salaries, I was the only one doing my job.

I demanded what was rightfully mine. I renewed my salary every year, and in the end, I demanded the highest salary in the world. I also included other perks in the contract, and I didn't think any of these were unreasonable demands. I could get that kind of treatment anywhere.

Thanks to me, the academy, which gained fame, could hire more and better professors every year. Top talents from across the country, even overseas, flocked to the academy.

That's why they decided. They decided to drive me out rather than keep me around, someone they couldn't handle, and take the spotlight I had for themselves.

He made a plan and started tarnishing my image. It was a very vicious way.

He stole the underwear of female students, took secretly filmed videos, and framed me for discriminating against rich and handsome sons by making them jealous. He spread rumors of embezzlement, abuse of power, and all sorts of other things, making them sound like the truth and using them in his media play.

People don't know much about me. I refused all interview requests that came pouring in. I wasn't interested in being the center of attention in the first place, and I was already living comfortably enough.

At first, I didn't even know that malicious articles were being published. The way students looked at me started changing, and even the number of students attending my classes started decreasing. In the end, not a single student took my class, and the so-called professors who envied me started avoiding me and whispering about me.

'Ah, this is stressful!'

My head throbbed as I thought about what happened in the last few months. Even a country would get stressed out if they were treated like that.

The more I found out, the more ridiculous it became. I found out that some parents and students were involved. I didn't find out everything, but they wouldn't have joined forces to drive me out for no reason. It means there was something exchanged, but finding out the details would only make me feel worse.

'Those bastards think I'm a joke.'

They probably thought nothing of burying me. They probably wouldn't even imagine what consequences it would have for them.

• Recovering experience from designated targets.
• All experience will be recovered over 100 days.
• Experience can be used to enhance skills or specific abilities.

"Why are you making such a scary face?"

Kim Cheolmin flinched and asked, seeing me frowning to myself.

"No, it's nothing, just... I'm going back to farming."

"Farming? You want to farm?"

"That's what I said."

"Yeah, taking a break for a while isn't bad. Why don't you take a break and go abroad? There are still many academies who want you. If you're okay with it, going underground is fine too. Returning to the limelight will be difficult, but that side definitely makes more money. With your skills, no one will dare to touch you."

Kim Cheolmin said seriously. He clearly had already looked into a few things. He would suggest a destination right away depending on my choice.

"You know my personality, right?"

"Your personality?"

Kim Cheolmin blinked and looked shocked.

"You wouldn't! You're not going to take revenge, are you? On the Chairman? On those who made you like this?"

"You know everything, right?"

"Every, everything... what?"

"You probably know more than me."

"Hyunho. Please calm down. It's not something you can handle. To be blunt, do you have anything else you can do besides teaching? No one would help you. You're going to make the whole of South Korea your enemy?"

He grabbed my arm with a desperate expression.

"Who said that? You said I have nothing else I can do besides teaching."

"What are you talking about now?"

"Just wait and see. I didn't say I was quitting. I'm going to make an academy in the countryside."

"An academy? Who would want to learn from you right now?"

"I don't need students. I can teach myself."

"What?"

I got up.

"Let's go."

"Let's go? Where?"

"I don't have a car, you have to take me."

"Sigh..."

Kim Cheolmin got up reluctantly following me.

"You must be thinking a lot. It's hard to get everything sorted. Just relax in a place with no people for a while. Reality will come into view. You can do more than you think. You can make a lot more money than when you were at Alpha. I'll do everything I can to help you."

"Thanks. But you have something else to help me with. Give me a list of those who made me like this, and why they did it."

"Ah, I fell asleep..."

I woke up at the destination, wiping the drool from my mouth.

"You must be tired. I can't even imagine how much stress you've been under."

"Don't imagine. It's something you wouldn't have to experience."

"I hope so, but you know, many people know that I'm your friend. I can't back out, no matter what you do."

"You mean you won't betray me? Thanks."

I got out of the car and looked at the scenery.

"Not bad."

"Not bad. No one has lived here for a while, so the air must be fresh. As you said, we built a new house and facilities, and they made sure the internet works well, so it should be nice to live here. I thought you were building a villa and was just thinking about grilling meat here with you, but I never thought you would talk about an academy. I was too naive."

"Want to eat some meat?"

"Forget it. I'm busy. You must have a license, so get yourself a car. You had many people to run errands for you when you were at the academy, but now you have to live on your own."

"Yeah, send me a catalogue."

"Oh my god. What kind of car are you going to get?"

"You know. Something pretty and expensive."

"Okay. I'm leaving."

"See you later."

After sending Kim Cheolmin off, I suddenly realized. I had agreed to get a list of those who made me like this from him. Kim Cheolmin was in a hurry to leave, like he knew I was going to ask.

'Well, I'll find out naturally.'

First, I have to deal with Chairman Park Seokcheol. I still remember the brazen look on his face when he kicked me out, pretending he didn't know anything. I don't think I'll be able to calm down until I punch him a few times. Well, the punches are an option, the more important thing is to sever his lifeline. Whether it's a physical death or a social death.

"Ugh~~ Car!"

I stretched in front of nature. I took a deep breath and realized that the air was really fresh, as Kim Mincheol said. The fatigue that had built up over time felt like it was melting away.

As I climbed the hill, I saw a large building that didn't fit in with the background. It was the building I had asked Kim Mincheol to build a year ago. At the time, I really was going to build a villa here. To be more precise, I was going to stay here during the break and do research. During my 7 years as a professor, I had gained a deep understanding of hunter abilities and became interested in new things. No one else knew, but I realized with my sharp intuition that this land was special. It felt like this place might bring me to a higher level.

Anyway,My work as a professor is over. I have no intention of doing it anymore.

'My own growth.'

I have been helping others grow, but now it was time for me to grow myself. Kim Cheolmin said I had nothing else I could do besides teaching, but that was mostly true until a few days ago, but not anymore. I knew my potential for growth was limitless. If asked which is easier, making someone else S-rank or becoming S-rank myself, the answer is obviously the latter. Teaching someone else means a lot more to worry about. Especially when teaching arrogant, spoiled brats with self-esteem issues who also got lucky with their awakening. I knew my teaching methods were absolutely right. If there was one barrier, it was the experience and enlightenment needed to break through the boundaries beyond my awakened abilities.

Of course, it's impossible if you don't have the talent in the first place.The public calls it Second Awakening, Double Class, etc., but what I'm trying to do is on a whole different level.

'I'm going to be busy for a while.'

Make the whole of South Korea my enemy?It's fine even if I go against the world.I won't let any of the bastards who messed with me go away.

"Whew, I'm finally living a good life."

Park Seokcheol, the Chairman of Alpha Academy, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and put his legs on the desk. Han Hyunho, he was a thorn in my side. It was thanks to him that Alpha Academy grew, but it felt like he was taking all the credit for the growth.

'It was a real pain in the ass.'

I endured, waiting for this day. If I couldn't even make the academy successful, I would have no place in the family. A large corporation family that has been around for four generations. No one can imagine it. People casually call it a silver spoon or a diamond spoon, but when you go inside, it's a survival game. Inferior humans like me, who aren't as good as everyone else, are likely to be pushed down the ladder without even getting a chance.

'Life is all about luck!'

Don't hunters become so successful because they awakened? Awakening is a hundred percent luck. It means that the heavens don't distinguish between the talented and the untalented when it comes to awakening.

I was pushed to the bottom and even thought about suicide, but I came back brilliantly, all thanks to my luck. Even luck is skill, which means I'm talented.

I planned to milk Han Hyunho until the end and throw him away, and since it felt too much of a waste to just kick him out, I set up a few things. It wasn't hard to find a way. I've seen these political plays too much since I was a kid. That's how I got pushed down the succession ladder.

'I'm back from the dead, baby!'

As Alpha Academy's fame grew, I got calls from family members I had cut off. I even had dinner with my uncle, the chairman of DH Corporation, just a few days ago. As Alpha grows, the so-called successful people call first.

At first, I thought that taking over as the Chairman of a dying academy was the end of my life, but looking back, the world today revolves around hunters. It means that money and power revolve around them. Being the Chairman of the best academy in Korea, even the world, means having the best money and power in the world. Successful people contact me as soon as their children awaken.

I don't meet everyone anymore, and I gave them invisible numbers. It means that if you want to get into Alpha Academy, you have to show your sincerity.

If you don't have money, I accept other forms of donations.

"Hahaha!"

I felt like I was born again after throwing away Han Hyunho, who was like a tumor. It felt like I could do anything, and I will.

'Should I go drink?'

He took out his phone and displayed the list of contacts. There are various conditions for entering Alpha Academy, such as your talent, donations, etc., but the ultimate requirement is to get in my good graces as the Chairman. If you don't have money, I accept other forms of donations.

As he was picking a woman to invite to a drinking party, he saw the intercom on the desk ring. He pressed the button leisurely, and a secretary's voice came through.

"Chairman, the Principal wants to see you now.""Now? I'm about to leave.""He says it's urgent. There's been a problem with the students.""What?"