"Gasps!"

Lee Seung-hee opened her eyes. She had no idea where she was. A cold wind blew. All she could see was a clear sky and a lone, hanging moon.

Startled, she sat up.

"Ahh..."

An inexpressible emptiness washed over her. She clutched her stomach with both arms, but it wasn't hunger.

‘Something’s wrong.’

Something was fundamentally wrong.

‘Could this be…?’

She had been anxious ever since her condition worsened. Her mana control wasn't working as it should. The most noticeable change with her rank increase had been her mana control. The amount of mana increased, and her ability to control it improved as well. She’d been worried that her rank might decrease.

‘I didn't think that would happen.’

What had comforted her was the result of her own research. Globally, there had never been a case of an S-rank hunter's abilities dropping to A-rank or lower. S-rank was another level entirely. It represented surpassing a certain limit as a hunter; dropping below it was impossible.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't understand why she was crying. Was it because she instinctively sensed a rank decrease?

No,

That didn't feel quite right. A single face flooded her mind.

"Professor..."

She muttered forlornly, but no one heard her. She got up alone, beginning to walk aimlessly.

‘Why couldn’t I have been more gentle?’

Had she confronted him like she was there to fight, implying she wouldn't let him off the hook unless he took responsibility for what happened at the academy? In reality, the position of Alpha Academy chairman meant nothing to her. She could cut ties with DH if Professor Han Hyun-ho wanted her to.

After walking for about 30 minutes, she suddenly clenched her fist.

‘I can’t end it like this!’

Suddenly, she remembered something the middle-aged man with Han Hyun-ho had said. He had wanted Alpha Academy to release his daughter.

‘Kim Yeon-seo, was it.’

She thought that using her might provide another opportunity to see Han Hyun-ho.

. . .

‘I’ve accumulated quite a bit of experience.’

Today's experience points had been recovered, plus Lee Seung-hee’s, giving me enough experience points for two S-rank classes.

‘Okay!’

Watching the three wolves playing together, I made up my mind.

“Semo! Come here!”

At my call, Semo came running, barking loudly, "Woof! Woof!" He looked up at me with his button eyes, awaiting orders.

“I’m going to make you even stronger.”

“Woof! Woof!”

I placed my hand on Semo's head. Sensing something, he perked up his triangular ears.

As Semo's size increased, my hand naturally slipped from his head.

“Woof! Woof!” “Wal! Wal! Wal!”

The two wolves behind barked, watching the spectacle. While they had frolicked like friends with Semo, a rank higher, they now humbly lowered themselves, as if facing something on a different level.

• Awakened Beast ‘Semo’ has reached S-rank.

“Ooh~”

I was amazed despite having initiated the rank up. His majesty was different from when he was A-rank. It wasn't just his size; his facial features and the sheen of his fur had refined. Only his characteristic triangular ears remained, preventing the cute image from completely disappearing.

“Heh, heh,”

He seemed happy, gazing at his body. Then, he suddenly lifted his front paws and hugged me.

His saliva covered my face.

“Alright, alright, boy!”

Semo turned and ran into the field.

The two wolves could only watch him, unable to follow.

He climbed a high hill, tilted his head back, and howled.

“Aauuuwoo~~~!!”

His powerful bellow under the vast moon was a magnificent sight.

Click, click,

Suddenly, the sound of a camera made me turn my head. Kim So-mi was taking pictures of Semo with her phone.

“What the hell did you do?”

“He became S-rank. Isn't he cool?”

“Seriously, what can’t you do?”

“There's still a lot. But it will decrease gradually.”

“Aauuuwoo~~~!!” “Aauuuung~~~!!”

Responses echoed from the forest, signifying many more wolf Awakened Beasts yet to appear.

“You two, come here!”

I called the two wolves who were enviously watching Semo.

“Woof! Woof!” “Wal! Wal!”

The two came running excitedly, wagging their tails.

I placed both my hands on their heads.

“Are you going to level these guys to S-rank too?”

“No, even I can’t do everything in one night.”

I didn't have enough experience points right now. I had enough for only one of them to reach S-rank, but leaving the other behind felt unfair. And I still believed Semo should remain the pack leader. I leveled both of them to A-rank equally.

The two, noticeably larger, gazed at each other in wonder.

“Woof! Woof!” “Wal! Wal! Wal!”

Like Semo, they happily licked my face.

. . .

“We have a student named Kim Yeon-seo? Tell her to come to the chairman’s office.”

[Excuse me, Chairman, the deans and professors are wondering when the inauguration ceremony will be.]

“The inauguration ceremony is not important at all. Just call the student first.”

[Yes, ma’am.]

Lee Seung-hee, wearing a hood despite the weather, gnawed at her fingernails.

There were personal rank measuring devices. They were expensive, not as precise as those in the Hunter Management Office, so few people bought them. But she had purchased one yesterday before measuring her rank. She’d measured her rank this morning and, as feared, it had dropped to A-rank. She repeated the measurement twenty times, but the results were the same.

She tried activating her skills. But none of the skills she'd only been able to use after becoming S-rank worked. Even her A-rank skills were significantly weaker. It was the same level as when she first entered the academy. A hypothesis formed.

‘The professor is taking back what he gave.’

It was a hypothesis that others would laugh at. No theory in the world could explain such a thing. Even in the hunter world, where anything could happen, this was unusual. Many professors and supporters could contribute to someone's growth, but no one could take back what they'd given.

Lee Seung-hee wasn't resentful. What mattered most to her was repairing her relationship with Han Hyun-ho. Longing for the past was pointless. But she wished to restore their connection now, to avoid incurring his displeasure.

‘Someone I can never have…’

She could love him silently. She’d never considered it a problem during her student days. He had a charm that made people happy just by looking at him. Of course, he had a strange side to him; when she tried to take one step closer, he would take two steps back.

As she was lost in thought, there was a knock on the door, and it opened.

A neatly dressed female student, looking bewildered, politely greeted her.

“Hello…”

“You’re Kim Yeon-seo.”

“Yes, who are you…?”

The inauguration hadn’t even happened yet. A student, especially one confined to the dorms due to the mass illness, might not know who she was.

“Oh…? Isn’t that Lee Seung-hee sunbaenim?”

Kim Yeon-seo recognized Lee Seung-hee before she could introduce herself as the new chairman.

Lee Seung-hee smiled wryly and removed her hood.

“Hi.”

“Oh! I’m a fan of yours, sunbaenim! I admire you so much! But what brings you here?”

“Something came up. By the way, how’s your body?”

“I’m still not feeling well… but you look even worse than me, sunbaenim?”

“Haha…”

She had dropped from S-rank to A-rank. It was something she should lament and feel miserable about, but she didn’t. In a way, she felt relieved.

Lee Seung-hee stood up abruptly.

“Come with me.”

“Where?”

“To Han Hyun-ho… No, to your father.”

“Professor Han Hyun-ho? Are we really going to see him?”

Even though she'd said she was going to see her father afterward, Kim Yeon-seo acted as if she hadn't heard, clapping her hands in delight. Proof of how special Professor Han Hyun-ho was to her.

Lee Seung-hee felt a surge of jealousy, a feeling she thought she'd completely overcome.

. . .

“Don’t you think Lee Seung-hee might come for revenge? Honestly, I was a little scared when she got excited in front of me. Her ice attacks are notoriously merciless. You taught her, so you know that.”

“Ah, right. Ice bullets. That was her specialty.”

“Why are you talking about it like it’s someone else’s business? What kind of attack was it that suddenly knocked her out? Was it a mental attack?”

“Lee Seung-hee won’t come for revenge. Didn’t I say so yesterday?”

“How can you be so sure?”

“When have I ever lied?”

Kim So-mi paused, her expression thoughtful.

“I don’t think so. He says a lot of strange things, but he never lied.”

“See?”

As they finished this conversation, barking echoed from outside.

“Woof! Woof!” “Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Wondering what was going on, I went outside. Semo stood tall, staring into the distance. His gaze was fixed on the entrance to the house. Another visitor.

“I thought I could live peacefully here.”

“You’re the one who made it noisy. You went all the way to Seoul to kill the chairman.”

“I have nothing to say.”

Whatever the case, I waited patiently to see who this visitor would be. While I could prepare more actively, it was midday, and the sounds indicated only one car approaching.

‘And Semo’s here.’

Leveling Semo to S-rank had made him incredibly reassuring. He was the ultimate bodyguard.

As expected, a vehicle approached – a Jeep, a practical choice given the terrain. Except for hunters, I'd never seen a visitor arrive in such a utilitarian vehicle. It felt refreshing.

A stylish, high-end Jeep stopped before us.

“Woof! Woof!”

Semo wagged his tail, gazing towards the driver’s seat. His reaction hinted at familiarity.

A moment later, the driver's side door opened, and a woman stepped out. She looked far less tense than yesterday. She removed her hood and greeted me.

“Hello, Professor. I’m here again.”

Her greeting was far more subdued than yesterday.

“I told you! She’d come for revenge!”

Kim So-mi, ready for a fight, unleashed her aura. I stepped in front of her.

“Why are you here today?”

I knew Lee Seung-hee’s rank had dropped. If she had come to fight for revenge, she wouldn't have come alone. This meant there was another reason.

“I’m going to resign as the chairman of Alpha Academy. I think there’s something I have to do first, so I brought her.”

The back door swung open, and a familiar girl stepped out abruptly. She greeted me with her characteristic energetic voice.

“Hello! Professor!”