“Gasp! What happened here?!”

Kim Kyung-soo, emerging from his room like a zombie after a long research session, was shocked to see Kim Hyun-woo lying on the floor with his arm severed. I picked up Kim Hyun-woo's arm and placed it next to his severed shoulder. The scene was quite gory.

“He's the son of the SG Corporation president. An S-rank Hunter. Well, not anymore.”

“What? What are you talking about? What happened?”

“This kid had a crush on Kim Yeon-seo. He came here to see her.”

“Huh??”

Kim Kyung-soo’s eyes widened. He looked conflicted as a father.

“What does that have to do with his arm being cut off?”

“He came with his gang. Yeon-seo rejected his confession back at the academy, and I suspect he came here to… well, to assault her.”

“Oh my god!”

Kim Kyung-soo strode towards Kim Hyun-woo, looking ready to kick him like a corpse. I stopped him.

“I understand how you feel, but I stopped them before anything happened. Please calm down.”

“Where’s Yeon-seo now?”

“She went to catch the others.”

“What? She went alone?”

“She has reliable companions. The wolves went with her.”

“Are they strong?”

“No~ That’s why I sent them. Don’t worry too much.”

“Sigh…”

Kim Kyung-soo collapsed onto the sofa, looking deflated.

“I've been neglecting my daughter. Too focused on my research. Even here, it’s the same. I didn’t even know something was happening to Yeon-seo, just absorbed in my work…”

“I’ve been at Alpha Academy for five years. I’ve seen my share of parents. You’re in the top 10 percent. Within Alpha, of course. So don't worry.”

“Professor, your way of comforting people is… unique.”

Kim Kyung-soo finally managed a faint smile. I took out a few mana berries and handed them to him.

“Here, have these.”

“Ah! Thank you!”

Now Kim Kyung-soo also knew the mana berries weren't poisonous. He was well aware that these berries were more special than any other fruit in the world.

After eating the mana berries, Kim Kyung-soo leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed, looking relieved.

“Haa… These are amazing berries. With these, I could work on my research forever without sleeping.”

“You should still sleep. Oh!”

Suddenly, something came to mind, and I took something else out of my inventory. It was the ‘Mana Berry Worm’ I’d picked up from under the body that had turned into tree roots. Kim Kyung-soo, feeling a tickling sensation on his cheek, slightly opened his eyes.

“Oh my! You startled me!”

He was horrified to realize that what I’d put on his cheek was a worm.

“Professor! Don’t play pranks like that!”

“Look closely. This worm is different.”

“Different…?”

Kim Kyung-soo pushed his glasses up and carefully examined the worm in my hand.

“I can’t tell just by looking at it. This isn't my area of expertise.”

“It’s called a Mana Berry Worm. It builds poison resistance, and it’s even good for joints and bone health.”

“What? Mana Berry Worm? Did you get it from the dungeon?”

“It came out from under the roots. Would you like to analyze this one too?”

“Alright!”

Kim Kyung-soo took a small box from his inventory, placed the worm inside, and closed the lid. His gaze turned to Kim Hyun-woo on the floor.

“What are you going to do with him?”

“He’s SG blood. We’ll get a ransom from them and hand him over.”

“Ransom? You mean money?”

“What good is money? There are plenty of other things we can get.”

“Ah…”

“Aren’t they taking too long?”

Kim So-mi said worriedly, looking outside. Night fell quickly in this place surrounded by mountains. Seeing the bright moon in the sky, I started to get a little worried, too.

“I’ll go check on them. Can you make something for them to eat? They’ll be hungry when they get back.”

“Sure, I’ll do that.”

I went outside. Food Fighter, also seemingly worried about Kim Yeon-seo, was standing still, looking into the distance. When I approached, he quickly sensed my intention and offered his back.

“Do you like Yeon-seo more than me?”

“Screech!”

Since the eagle didn’t understand human language, I couldn't tell if it was an affirmation or a denial.

I climbed onto Food Fighter’s back and soared into the sky. Even though the moonlight was bright, this area was covered in mountains and forests. It wasn’t easy to spot Kim Yeon-seo and Kim Yoon-woo. Food Fighter hovered, seemingly trying to sense something. He had exceptional eyesight, so he would be able to see far even in the dark of night.

“Screech!”

“Did you find them?”

Food Fighter flew in one direction. Soon, I could hear it too. The sound of weapons clashing. I also heard the sounds of the wolves.

As we descended, I could see the two sides fighting. There were three enemies. I recognized their faces and their names came to mind. Lee Chul, Lee Tae-woo, and Nam Sung-chil. Each one was a silver-spoon kid with well-off parents. They had one thing in common: they had donated large sums of money to the academy, earning them special attention from other professors, including the former chairman, Park Suk-chul. Such guys formed a clique, centered around the most ill-mannered and privileged, Kim Hyun-woo.

The scene unfolding was quite spectacular. Kim Yeon-seo was an excellent Hunter, but not a fighter. Her class was Healer. So, strictly speaking, it was a 3-on-1 fight. The wolves were observing the situation for now. If Saemo intervened, the fight would be over quickly. However, Kim Yoon-woo was busily engaged with them, so they seemed to be waiting and watching.

“You bastard!”

“You’re betraying us in the end?”

“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”

The three of them, unable to overcome Kim Yoon-woo alone, were blustering. Kim Yoon-woo was using a greatsword. He could be considered a tanker, but he was more talented as a dealer. He wielded the sword, larger than most people, against the three of them.

Nam Sung-chil, who had been keeping his distance, flicked his arm, launching hidden weapons.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They were all blocked by Kim Yoon-woo's greatsword and fell to the ground. Lee Tae-woo thrust awkwardly with a spear. His movements were full of openings, and with such skills, he had no chance of hitting Kim Yoon-woo.

“Haa-”

As if resolved, Kim Yoon-woo took a deep breath. His greatsword spun heavily above his head. Mana coated it like a shield, preventing the opponents from approaching recklessly.

Boom!!

The greatsword crashed down. The attack wasn't aimed at the dealers, Lee Tae-woo or Nam Sung-chil. The mana extending from the tip of the sword headed towards Lee Chul, who was hiding behind a thick tree.

Crack!

The tree split in two, and Lee Chul, who was behind it, screamed.

“Aaaargh!”

Long, deep wounds appeared on his face and stomach. With the buffer down, Lee Tae-woo and Nam Sung-chil faltered. Seizing the opportunity, two wolves lunged, biting their arms and legs.

“Aaargh!”

“Help!”

“It’s over.”

I chuckled, thinking I had worried for nothing. The moment I set the wolves on them, the outcome of this fight was predetermined. There’s no way they wouldn’t find traces of humans in what was practically their home turf.

I stopped watching and patted Food Fighter’s neck.

“Let's go back.”

“Why did you come back alone? Where are the kids?”

Kim So-mi asked from the kitchen, where she was preparing food. I picked up a sandwich she’d made and answered.

“They’ll be here soon.”

I took a bite of the sandwich Kim So-mi had made. It was filled with the rich flavor of mana berries. What a luxurious sandwich! I couldn't even guess how much a sandwich with this many mana berries would sell for on the market.

“Aren’t you worried, though? It’s getting late.”

As Kim So-mi said that, we heard noises from outside. Sandwich in hand, I went out. Kim So-mi stopped what she was doing and followed me.

Kim Yeon-seo and Kim Yoon-woo were helping Lee Chul, Lee Tae-woo, and Nam Sung-chil, whom they had brought on the backs of the wolves, get down.

“Professor!”

Kim Yeon-seo’s expression was bright.

“Good work.”

“It was nothing~ Yoon-woo did everything~”

Kim Yoon-woo, after laying the three unconscious men on the ground, bowed his head.

“I caught them.”

“Well done.”

“This doesn’t make up for what I did. I’ll contact my father and leave the academy. If there’s any criminal punishment I should receive, I’ll accept it.”

“Stop it, kid.”

At my rebuke, Kim Yoon-woo raised his head.

“Being too kind is also a flaw. I told you, the only thing you need is venom. Someone as kind as you needs it, even if you have to force it.”

“Venom…”

I watched Kim Yoon-woo wielding the greatsword. Even in a weakened state, he displayed considerable skill. It meant that not only was he talented, but he had also been training diligently, remembering the lessons I'd taught him.

“Good job~ Are you hungry? I made some food, so come in and eat.”

Kim So-mi took care of the two like a younger sibling.

“Really? Yoon-woo, let’s go!”

“…”

Kim Yoon-woo looked at Kim So-mi with curious eyes. Then he followed Kim Yeon-seo inside.

“What are you going to do with these guys? Will you get a ransom like with Kim Hyun-woo?”

“Of course.”

“Something other than money?”

“Money works too.”

“Things are going to get noisy.”

“Well, they should have raised their kids properly.”

“Whose kids are they, you ask?”

I told Kim So-mi about the parents of Lee Chul, Lee Tae-woo, and Nam Sung-chil as I remembered them.

“Oh my god, I know those people! Like father, like son! They need to learn a lesson.”

“Right?”

This wasn’t something that could be resolved by handing them over to the police. It wouldn’t matter where they were handed over. These were guys who needed personal retribution, not the power of the law.

“Where should we put them?”

“Hmm…”

“Eek!”

Lee Chul trembled as he opened his eyes. All he could see was darkness, but his eyes soon adjusted, and the scene came into focus.

The atmosphere of this place, surrounded by dark walls, was incredibly ominous. He noticed his friends beside him and woke them up.

“Hey! Wake up! Get up!”

After being roused, Lee Tae-woo and Nam Sung-chil opened their eyes.

“Ugh…”

“Where are we?”

“How would I know? Where did they take us?”

Lee Tae-woo looked around carefully and said,

“We’re inside a dungeon.”

“A dungeon? Then there could be monsters!”

“No, it’s an abandoned dungeon.”

“An abandoned dungeon… Ah! I see!”

The three of them got up.

“But which way do we go?”

“I think it’s that way. Light’s coming from there.”

“Damn it, isn’t this too much? Leaving us here?”

“That bastard Kim Yoon-woo, betraying us.”

“Maybe he’s hooking up with Kim Yeon-seo? The atmosphere between them was strange.”

“Where’s Hyun-woo? Is he… dead?”

“He’s S-rank, so I doubt it… We can get revenge on those guys once we find Hyun-woo.”

The three of them talked as they headed towards what they thought was the exit. They confirmed the light and ran towards it, thinking they were finally safe, when—

“Grrrr…”

“Woof! Woof!”

The three froze upon seeing the wolves guarding the entrance.