Academy’s Villain Professor-Chapter 134 : Chapter 134

Chapter 134. Practical Exam
Anyway, I passed the written exam, which was the biggest hurdle.
That was definitely good news.
However.
“It’s good, but.”
Ho-cheol looked at So-hee with a somewhat surprised expression.
“You got the information pretty fast?”
It had only been 5 minutes since he had accessed the site and confirmed his failure.
Meaning, in those 5 minutes, a massive crackdown on cheating, the disqualification of the relevant examinees, and the process of re-ranking the failed students' scores to pass them had all taken place.
And So-hee knew about it.
Considering her position and influence within the Association, this was not a normal situation.
“Huhu.”
With her hands on her hips, her nose was high in the air.
“My network has grown quite a bit these days. Even executives from external departments have started contacting me first.”
What was originally a surveillance mission for Ho-cheol, assigned as a semi-demotion, had instead paved a silk road for her career.
Information about Ho-cheol was originally classified, but due to his recent public activities, everyone within the Association had come to know of his existence, albeit hush-hush.
Furthermore, most matters related to him involved the highest-ranking executives of the Association, no, even directors from various countries would move directly.
Naturally, So-hee, his surveillance officer, had taken on the role of his external representative.
Of course, if So-hee were to hear such a thing, she would freak out and vehemently deny it, but within the Association, she was already Ho-cheol's de facto representative.
Her position, no, in the entire Hero Association, there was no one, past or present, who met with director-level officials from various countries as frequently as she did.
A person's standing is often similar to the people they meet rather than their own abilities, so her standing within the Association had also grown to a level that couldn't even be compared to her original position.
Moreover, these days, Clington Hero Academy, or more precisely, the dean, would sometimes use So-hee as a channel when consulting with the Association, which increased her actual say and influence, to the point where even most executives could no longer treat her carelessly.
The result.
“But having a wide network isn't always a good thing.”
“That’s how it is.”
Not only were agents from other ‘departments’, whose names and faces she didn't know, contacting her amicably just because they were from the same batch, but all sorts of requests were also pouring in.
Naturally, these were not for Ho-cheol, but for the high-ranking executives of the Association she ed to weekly, or for the dean of Clington.
Of course, So-hee was tactfully filtering out anything that looked like a bribe that would surely cause trouble if she accepted it.
She had realized while being with Ho-cheol.
There were still far more areas in this society that she shouldn't carelessly touch.
No matter how strong Ho-cheol was and how much he protected her, she couldn't make an enemy of the entire society, could she?
“This information also came in that way!”
“Right. Well……. If it’s you, you’ll handle it well enough.”
With other students, he would have definitely added some advice, but for So-hee, he didn't feel the need.
She wasn't that immature.
She added a word as if it had just occurred to her.
“Oh, and I heard the exam format is changing completely. The Association is going all out to ensure fairness.”
For the government, it was a way to ensure much greater fairness than managing with regular civil servants and a few external heroes, and for the Association, it was a way to expand their territory, so it was a win-win for both sides.
Assuming, of course, that the Association's transparency and fairness were guaranteed.
“That’s not exactly good news.”
Ho-cheol’s eyebrows drew together.
The original practical exam was very simple and easy for Ho-cheol.
How well can you handle your trait?
It was about that much, to the point where someone who made a mistake because they weren't in good condition that day would fail.
A change for no reason was not good for him.
“Any more details?”
“Check the homepage. It should be up by now.”
As she said, he moved the mouse around again and checked the relevant notice.
Ho-cheol clicked his tongue as he read through the newly changed practical exam system.
“They're combining it with the interview?”
As if to boast about their large scale, the Association had completely changed the practical exam, which was originally conducted with five or six examinees and one exam proctor.
“Accompanied by one hero. The Trait will be tested under the hero’s guidance and supervision. Measurement and check items include the 4 articles of Trait proficiency, among others……”
Ho-cheol muttered with a displeased expression.
“Are these bastards confusing this with the hero exam?”
The original practical exam was simply about Trait proficiency.
To be precise, the focus was on confirming proficiency in control.
In the first place, not everyone who gets this license becomes a hero; they probably just plan to use it to make a living in society.
For the average examinee, the difficulty was enough to make them pull their hair out.
“It is a little strange, but it’s much better in terms of safety. Maybe that’s what they’re aiming for?”
“Is that so? Still, it’s good that they’re combining it with the interview.”
Originally, he would have had to go far away to take the exam two more times, but now it was reduced to one.
That much was a positive for Ho-cheol.
“It says you can choose the supervising hero in advance. The list is……”
Ho-cheol scrolled down, checking the list of heroes.
Some names were already grayed out and could not be selected.
Perhaps some of them were quite famous heroes.
That’s why someone had already chosen them.
Of course, he wasn’t sure.
He didn’t even know if they were famous in the first place.
In the first place.
“I don’t know any of them. They’re all B-rank.”
Heroes of this era.
To him, who didn't even acknowledge S-rank heroes, considering them substandard compared to the past, an A-rank, no, a B-rank hero.
It would be more bizarre if he knew their names.
Honestly, it wouldn't make much difference if he just closed his eyes and picked anyone.
Then, he found one name that was the only one that caught his eye and stopped scrolling.
I’ve seen this name somewhere.
Who was it?
After thinking for a moment, Ho-cheol reached for the wallet next to the keyboard.
From inside, he took out a business card that was crumpled from being put in the pocket and ran through the washing machine, barely maintaining its shape.
“Ah, it’s her.”
The hero who had acted together with him as an external hero representative when he went to investigate Ji-an's base.
“Do you know who it is?”
“Yeah. I know one of them.”
A B-rank hero, hero name ‘Casey’.
Even Ho-cheol was honestly impressed when he saw her acting without any embarrassment in green tights.
Was she shameless?
Or did she have no sense of shame?
As Ho-cheol was recalling that time, Ji-an, who had been resting her chin on the armrest of the chair, straightened her back.
“A woman’s name……”
A murky light appeared in the pupils of Ji-an, who was gripping the armrests of the chair with both hands.
“You even keep her business card so preciously in your wallet……. What’s the relationship between you two? Huh? Huhhuhhuhhuhhuh?”
Unfortunately, Ho-cheol, who was looking back and forth between the business card and the monitor, did not see Ji-an's current state.
He answered casually.
“She’s the person the Association called when we raided your base last time. One of her group members started a fight with me, so she gave me her business card to apologize.”
“Ah.”
“But why?”
“It’s nothing!”
When he belatedly turned his head and met her eyes, she was back to her usual self.
She smiled brightly.
If that’s the reason!
Of course he should have it!
He held the corner of the business card between his thumb and middle finger and blew on it lightly.
The business card spun—whirrrr—.
“Well, since they’re all about the same anyway, it’ll be more comfortable to go with someone I know.”
Above all, it would be nice to skip the time for annoying greetings and self-introductions.
Besides, for a B-rank, she was quite skilled.
Without much thought, Ho-cheol chose that name.
On the day of the practical exam.
He gave his name at the entrance of the public gymnasium and received a name tag.
Inside the gymnasium, large partitions were set up with quite a wide spacing.
Through a glimpse inside, unique individuals who looked like heroes were each waiting for their assigned examinees.
As expected of something run by the Association, the scale was considerable.
Besides, there was no need to spend money.
If they just recognized this as an internal achievement for the Association, there would probably be a line of guys who would want to do it even if they had to pay.
“D-44 is……”
Holding the rather ominous exam ticket, Ho-cheol looked for his assigned number.
A partition blocked on three sides, and a white curtain at the entrance.
He opened the curtain and entered.
A familiar face was sitting on a small round chair.
The green hero, Casey, with her hands neatly placed on her thighs, also widened her eyes when she saw Ho-cheol.
“Uh, ah? Uh? Uhuh!”
“Don’t make a fuss.”
He plopped down on the chair opposite her.
On the table between them, there was a small box, and inside it were objects like a small sphere, a regular tetrahedron, and a regular cube.
The models, smaller than a fist, seemed to be the devices used in this exam at a glance.
Casey, who had barely come to her senses, asked as if she had belatedly understood the situation.
“You didn’t have this license.”
“It’s a long story.”
“Ah. You said you were a former villain.”
She had thought it was just someone with the same name.
To think the real one would come.
Although she didn't show it much on the outside, she was actually very surprised.
She scratched the corner of the file with her fingernail, looking a little troubled.
What she had to assess in this exam was the proficiency of the examinee's Trait, including all items such as power, stability of high and low points, fine control, and control in unexpected situations.
The problem was, she was one of the living witnesses who had seen the battle between Ho-cheol and Eclipse up close.
Casey briefly turned her gaze to the devices gathered next to her.
After seeing that with her own two eyes, she was supposed to use this cube or pyramid to test this person's Trait?
The situation was beyond ridiculous, it was pathetic.
In the end, after thinking for a moment, she picked up a pen and quickly checked something off.
“I'll just wrap up the practical exam right away. You pass everything.”
“Oh. This easily?”
Ho-cheol was slightly impressed.
It would be a lie to say he hadn't considered such a benefit at all.
Still, he had thought the probability of actually skipping the exam was quite low, but for Ho-cheol, it was a kindness he had no reason to refuse.
“Can I go then?”
“Ah, just a moment.”
She quickly stopped Ho-cheol, who was about to get up.
“I can pass you on everything else right away, but there’s an item that has to be passed by a machine. I can’t do anything about this.”
Ho-cheol let out a small sigh.
Of course.
He had gone through so much trouble during the written exam, so he thought he was finally going to get a free pass, but it turned out this one had to be thoroughly cooked too.
He sat down again.
“Let’s do it then.”
When Casey sent a signal somewhere with her walkie-talkie, a man in a white coat came in from outside, pulling a complex-looking mechanical device.
He skillfully attached electrodes to various parts of Ho-cheol's body.
Cheeks and forehead, back and neck, back of the hand and shoulder.
Even the crown of his head.
There were over a dozen electrodes leading to the mechanical device.
Ho-cheol belatedly asked.
“But what is this?”
“A stress level measurement.”
Using a Trait in society was not much different from using dangerous tools, such as blades, gunpowder, or heavy machinery.
No, depending on the Trait, it carried even greater risks.
But in modern society, there was strangely no perception that stressing such an awakened person was a very dangerous thing.
Even if the awakened person endured the stress, Traits were greatly affected by mental state.
Cases where control was lost during detailed work, leading to fatal accidents, were quite frequent.
“I understand the purpose.”
Ho-cheol clenched and unclenched his fists.
Stress.
Both when he was a villain and now, he naturally didn't have the luxury of worrying about something like stress.
He just came to take an exam, and they were measuring this too. In a way, wasn't it a gain?
“Then I will begin the operation. It might sting a little, but it’s not dangerous, so you don’t have to be surprised.”
As if he had finished his preparations, the man gave a formulaic instruction and pressed the start button on the device.
A moment passed.
Ho-cheol discreetly turned his head and looked at the gauge.
On all five gauges, the tips of the needles were just barely twitching from 0.
He nodded in satisfaction.
“As expected.”
It wasn't like his sensitive days; now he had nothing to be stressed about.
The calm reading on the gauge was proof of Ho-cheol's inner peace.
However, the expressions on Casey's and the man's faces were not good.
“Th-that’s not it.”
Even the man, who had been maintaining a professional attitude, stuttered in his confusion.
“It’s already done a full circle.”
“Huh?”
In the moment Ho-cheol wasn't looking, no.
To be precise, the moment the measurement began, the needle on the stress level gauge had shot up to a level where it could not physically go any higher.
“It only stopped here because this is the device’s tolerance limit; the actual value seems to be even higher than this.”
“How serious is this value?”
The passing line was already far surpassed, but Casey asked the man just in case.
“So, to put this level into one word.”
The man placed his hand on the device.
“It's at a level requiring immediate hospitalization, typically in the realm of mental illness.”
Ho-cheol, who had suddenly become a mental patient, asked the most important question.
“So, does this mean I fail?”
This is really too unfair.
At the same time, the needle on the gauge trembled even more violently.