Chapter 60

Chapter 60

As it turned out, the kids were able to tackle the dungeon very easily without me, as I believed.

They had already done it before, and their instructor was Ji-hyun, who declared that she would kill them all if they didn't get first place.

It was a desperate situation because their lives were on the line but the results were so overwhelming that the other classes couldn't keep up.

"......You were the first class in my entire life to use your bodies to block other kids from dungeons. What were you thinking?"

All of the kids in our class lowered their heads in silence at the words of Instructor Park Yoon-ho. It was as if they had conscience and realized they had done the wrong thing.

Maybe they were swept up in the atmosphere.

"The......class ranking match includes an attitude score. It's going to be hard to avoid demerit points because of this behavior."

In a way, it was understandable. After all, Seoul Hero Academy is a place to train heroes, not hunters.

The other kids didn't say anything, but merely agreed in silence.

"Classes, please return to where you were standing before departure. The results will be announced as soon as they are available."

At that moment, Young-jae, who had heard him, raised his hand.

"Instructor. Unlike the other classes, my class doesn't seem to have an instructor......."

"Oh, you mean Instructor Ji-hyun."

His expression, which had regained its calm, crumpled again.

"Miss Ji-hyun......was dragged away after she went on a rampage while watching you guys, shouting 'Good job, my boys!' and 'That's my students!'

"Ah."

"......just to get you back to your places."

I thought it was a little too Ji-hyun.

After a while, all the classes returned to their original positions, and a giant screen appeared in the air.

[I will now announce the scoring results of this 'class ranking battle']

The screen began to change, and the score of Class A began to appear.

[Class A: -p]

Park Yoon-ho's voice was heard next.

[Considering the fact that they acted faster than anyone else, didn't hesitate to deal with the monsters, and were the first to deal with the boss, they earned 364 points, the same number as last year's first-place finisher]

[Class A: 364p]

The students are overjoyed, as if their first place finish has been confirmed. However a voice pierces through the cheers.

[But!]

The children's faces tighten as they realize that there is another change.

[300 points will be deducted for preventing the other class from entering the boss's room]

At the same time, the score on the screen drops in real time.

[Class A: 64p]

The score drops to the floor in an instant and the children collapse to the ground with exasperated faces.

[But]

The grading isn't over yet.

[Class A student Eugene Han's score for killing nine hidden mob golden goblins and a golden hobgoblin is.......]

The score increases at once.

[Over 500 points from last year's first place class]

[Class A: 872p]

Everyone stares at me with wide eyes at the overwhelming score difference.

[Congratulations, first place goes to Class A. I never thought I'd be announcing first place at the beginning.]

I hear applause from the teachers as all eyes focus on me.

I feel overwhelmed and look down, but someone pulls me into a hug from behind.

"Boss! I was counting on you!"

The other children around us were also looking at me with bright expressions as if they felt the same way as Jin-woo.

......This is unexpectedly overwhelming.

[Since they won first place in the class ranking contest, the entire class will be provided with elixirs for injuries, and Cadet Eugene Han, who ranked first out of the top ten students, will be awarded a mentee right to choose one hero from the Korean Heroes Association to be his mentor]

Yeah, that "mentorship" is exactly what I wanted.

The [Bloodline: Corleone] was newly awakened during the last battle with Kwon Soo-hyeop, the head of the Ranger Club and I was convinced that I would need the help of others to strengthen this ability in other ways.

[The next ranking is.......]

Instructor Park continued to recite the rankings but when all the classes had been announced, he didn't stop.

[Next up are the 10 people who showed great performance in this dungeon, and as a reward, they will be given a mentee ticket to receive lessons from a mentor of their choice]

At the same time, names flashed on the screen.

[This concludes the Class Ranking Match. Students who have been granted "mentorship" will receive a detailed explanation from their instructors. There is no further schedule, so please return to your classes. That's it.]

As expected, all of the members of Familia succeeded in receiving the Mentor Ticket.

Of course, it would've been stranger if they couldn't perform well in a goblin dungeon like this, even though they had been visiting the basement dungeon as if it was their home.

That's how the class ranking competition ended.

When we returned to the classroom with a bunch of excited kids from Class A, we were greeted by Ji-hyun, who was sitting on top of the class table with a huge smile on her face.

"What's up?"

Young-jae takes a step back, surprised to see Ji-hyun so different from his usual self.

"......Instructor. They said you weren't in the gym, but you were here?"

"I don't know if you guys realize my efforts~ Do you know how much the other instructors jumped up and down when they saw you physically blocking the entry to the boss room? They were screaming at me to bring those bastards back, and when I made a scene to stop them they kicked me out."

Ji-hyun giggles as she recalls the situation.

"In the future, just do what you did today. When other assholes are talking about morals, you're looking for efficiency. Take what you can get, because that's the world, and that's the fastest way to get stronger."

With a proud smirk on her face, Ji-hyun slides down from the table and glances over at us.

"There's no class afterward. You can all leave, except for those who got the 'mentor ticket' this time. Thank you for your hard work."

The kids who were told they could go home earlier than usual leave with smiles on their faces, leaving only me, Jinwoo, Young-jae, Se-ah, and Choi Kang-hyun in the class.

With that, Ji-hyun began to give advice.

"Since you're dealing with different types of magic, I'd recommend Lottie from Jamsil Magic Tower. She may have a crazy personality, but her abilities are real. She's a combat mage who fought on the front lines, so she'll be a great help to you."

Next up was Choi Kang-hyun.

"Your ability to manipulate water will help you get along with the uncle who made it to the top of Busan. He has a lot of money, so if he likes you, he can give you a lot of gifts. Next, Jin-woo."

Ji-hyun looks at Jin-woo.

"Learn your bloodline abilities from your father and dagger skills from Han Yeo-eun, the guild leader of the Artemis Guild. She's good enough to put a dagger in my back, so you should be able to learn something from her. And Se-ah can learn from me......no complaints, right? I'm the best spatial mage in Asia."

Se-ah nodded hastily and so I was the only one left.

"You're the biggest problem. I don't even know who to put you with."

Knowing my identity, Ji-hyun was understandably worried.

My father, the head of the Corleone family and the Emperor of the Underworld, was waiting for me at home, and the one who was still in charge of the successor class was Parnello Ramici, the Hound of Corleone, so it shouldn't be that easy to think of a hero worthy of me.

"Or do you have someone in mind?"

Ji-hyun asks, knowing that's what I would do.

She's a good judge of character.

"Yes. I do."

"Really? Who is it?"

After hearing my answer, the eyes of the other kids, including Ji-hyun, turn to me. It's not anyone else, but the person I'm going to be mentored by and learn from.

It was no wonder that the other kids were so interested in who it would be.

"Kwak Chun-sik. I'm going to learn from him."

"......?"

Ji-hyun looks puzzled at my answer, and the others shake their heads in confusion.

"Kwak Chun-sik? Uncle Chun-sik? The Aura Master Kwak Chun-sik, who was once called the greatest hero of Korea?"

Ji-hyun nods at the question, and laughter erupts from her.

"Hey, don't you know that old man? He's old, he got into trouble, and he's stuck in Gangwon Province. But you're really going to make him your mentor?"

"Isn't he an honorary director of the Korean Hero Association?"

"That's because it's an honorary position, so they just put his name on the list! Do you think that old man, with all his old age, is in a position to take on a disciple?"

Kwak Chun-sik was Korea's most famous hero of the past and the most powerful hero in Korean history.

His ability to use aura to strengthen his body or create objects was known as "innate power," and he was even called an "aura master" in other countries.

However, ten years ago, he abruptly stopped being a hero because he was getting too old, and now, after retiring, he lives in a place called Hero Silver Town in Gangwon Province for killing a villain who tried to kidnap his granddaughter.

"If I go, he'll take me in."

"No way. It's rumored that he doesn't even recognize his own children. Why would you want to apply for a mentor from that old man when there are heroes like Chun-sam and others?"

As a bloodline ability, Kwak's "innate ability" was passed down to his children.

Kwak Chun-sik's son, Kwak Chun-sam, is still an active hero and serves on the board of directors of the Korean Heroes Association, so it's safe to say he's strong enough.

I'd probably put him in the top two in Korea but...

"There's nothing for me to learn from him."

"Ha, so you're really going to learn from Kwak Chun-sik?"

I nodded, and Ji-hyun sighed in frustration.

"I'll write a letter of recommendation for you......but if he rejects you, you know I can't do anything about it, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Well.....Yes. Just make sure you get the letters of agreement from your mentors by this week, and if it's going to take a while, just let them know that you're going to miss the Academy. Letters of recommendation can be sent to......and I'll have them all written by tomorrow."

When Ji-hyun has finished, she turns away.

"End of story. I have to go write a letter of recommendation, so you guys should go home."

With that, she waved her hand and disappeared, and Jin-woo, who was next to me, was the first to speak.

"Boss, are you really going to train with that old man? I heard he's in the news now, beating up other retired heroes in Silver Town."

......He's really worried.

"I don't know about anyone else, but when you say that, I have to wonder. There must be something to it."

Young-jae also seemed to question my desire to have Kwak Chun-sik as a mentor.

"Don't worry too much, I have my own ideas. The people recommended by Miss Ji-hyun are all people who will be of great help to you, so you should accept them."

In fact, Ji-hyun, who had been a hero for a long time, was also a very helpful teacher in terms of connections.

"If Eugene said so, I wouldn't worry about it......."

Se-ah nods in agreement.

"Let's just say we'll continue our club activities while we learn from our mentors, but prioritize our mentor activities, and we'll all be fine."