Academy’s Villain Professor-Chapter 148 : Chapter 148

Chapter 148 : Lecture Plan
Ho-cheol let out a hollow laugh, finding the situation somewhat absurd.
“It’s good that you’re so straightforward.”
Honestly, he hadn’t thought he could persuade the assistant with just that.
The best negotiating card he could actually present was none other than the expungement of her related criminal record.
To prevent dark heroes from gaining more popularity than real heroes, the government and the Association would desperately obstruct them from receiving a hero rank by attaching all sorts of regulations and restrictions, even if they converted.
That's why those who were once labeled as dark heroes would try to be active as heroes again, only to quickly hit the wall of reality and disappear.
But that was only for dark heroes without connections.
In any case, her crimes had only been committed against villains, and moreover, the assistant's public identity was as a member of Clington.
With Ho-cheol's connections, that level of information manipulation was entirely possible.
But to think she would bite the bait before he even said that.
It seemed she was truly immersed in the role of ‘me, a cool dark hero who punishes bad corporations.’
They said that there were only a handful of sane ones among dark heroes, but this one seemed to be a particularly severe case.
Of course, right now, it was the insane ones who could join in Ho-cheol's crazy deeds, so he was more than happy.
In fact, even Ho-cheol hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
Even if the process was a bit twisted, if the intention was good, then rehabilitation or remorse could be skipped.
As long as the price for the crime itself was paid, a certain degree of consideration could be given.
That was the correct line of good that Ho-cheol had learned.
He had seen countless times that if you drew that line too strictly and firmly, you would eventually end up strangling yourself with your own line.
This level of flexibility was the best.
Of course, if this person were to get caught in the middle of it, Ho-cheol would also be in quite a bit of trouble, so he would have to tell a few related parties in advance.
But first…….
“Wait a moment.”
He took out his phone and dialed a saved number.
After a short ring, a voice came from the other side of the phone.
“Yeah. Did you catch 'em?”
“Yeah.”
Wolf Fang hinted, his tone full of anticipation.
“Can’t I just meet ‘em secretly before they’re taken away? I wanna punch ‘em once.”
Judging by the fact that he wanted to hit them first without even asking about their identity, it seemed he was resentful of not being able to catch them while they were running away and getting hit a few times in return.
Ho-cheol chuckled and tapped the armrest of the sofa with his fingertips.
“Just in time. I'll send them to you soon.”
“Yeah? Really?”
At the unexpected answer, Wolf Fang asked back with a dumbfounded sound.
“You two need to dig into a corporation.”
He explained about the assistant.
Digging into Black Oskopf's background was, of course, not a job she could do alone.
Her Trait was amazing, but she'd probably be caught within an hour and end up as a test subject.
For a job like this, the support of Wolf Fang, who was rich in practical experience, was essential.
Most importantly, the depth of his connections and information was different from hers, a simple dark hero.
“Uh, ah. That is.”
Despite Ho-cheol's command, Wolf Fang hesitated.
“……Honestly, I feel like I'm going to die from overwork just catching escaped convicts. If you give me this kind of work too, it's honestly quite a problem.”
He confessed his honest feelings.
No matter how much Ho-cheol was the absolute superior, and no matter how much fear of him was ingrained in his bones, he could still be a little more assertive when talking on the phone, not face-to-face.
Of course, Ho-cheol had fully expected such a reaction.
And he had also prepared the right answer to awaken that idiot's senses.
“Well, if I could, I wouldn’t want to drag other people into this. But you’re not an outsider.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The villain Jeong Ho-cheol of the past had been betrayed.
A betrayal against Jeong Ho-cheol was a betrayal against the organization, and furthermore, a betrayal against all its members.
Naturally, the same went for Wolf Fang, who was a member.
“You remember the doctor guy, right? The one who walked around with a microscope in his eye.”
“You mean the Doctor? Yes.”
Since he was the only medical personnel in the organization, Ho-cheol had called him a doctor, but most of the members called him the Doctor.
It was because he was not only in charge of medical care, but also most of the science-related information and research within the organization.
Ho-cheol said calmly.
“He was a traitor.”
“……I don't understand at all.”
Ho-cheol explained the whole story.
The sound of Wolf Fang's breathing on the other side of the phone gradually became rougher.
At the end, it sounded similar to the cry of a beast.
“Are you still going to try and get out of it, saying it’s not your business?”
“I have to find him and kill him.”
Wolf Fang's voice, which had been full of complaints until just a moment ago, was already gone.
The one holding the phone was the villain Wolf Fang.
His reaction was even more intense than Ho-cheol's.
Wolf Fang had also been active on the front lines, so he was twice as sensitive about traitors as Ho-cheol.
“Don’t kill him. I’m going to make him pay the price in full while he’s alive.”
“Is the corporation the boss mentioned related to that Doctor bastard?”
“Yes.”
Now he wouldn't say he wouldn't do it.
“Then I'm hangin…”
It seemed like the call was about to end, but Wolf Fang, suddenly recalling a question, hastily called out to Ho-cheol.
“And can I ask you one more thing?”
“What.”
He was doing the hard work for him, so one question was fine.
Wolf Fang asked, as if he genuinely couldn't understand.
“She's a dark hero, and I can understand that she robs villains of their money. But I'm working on a contract for the Hero Association right now, so why did she beat me up?”
At Wolf Fang's voice, dripping with resentment, Ho-cheol turned his head and looked at the assistant.
She mumbled her lips, muttering so softly that even Ho-cheol could barely hear her.
Of course, Ho-cheol heard it and relayed it verbatim without changing a single word.
“She said your face was so menacing she thought you were another villain trying to run off with the money bag.”
For a moment, the dumbfounded Wolf Fang was about to curse.
“You son of a b…!”
“I'm hanging up.”
Before he could, Ho-cheol hung up the phone.
Click—.
“Eh?”
The assistant, genuinely flustered, stomped her feet.
“I was being honest because I thought you would filter it to some extent before telling him. If you just say it like that!”
From the conversation, it seemed she would be working with that person in the future, so what was she going to do if their relationship got off to a bad start like this!
Ho-cheol instead blamed the assistant.
“You should have chosen your words more carefully.”
Of course, even though he said that, Wolf Fang wasn't the type to hold a grudge for long, and surprisingly, he was the type to like it when someone answered honestly, saying they were being honest.
Ho-cheol let out a groan and stood up.
“Now, go back.”
Ho-cheol sank into the backrest of his chair.
Honestly, there were times when he missed his villain days, and it was precisely at times like this when he could entrust all his work to others and just sit in his chair and receive s.
Now that he could experience a little of that past, should he say it felt comfortable?
And since Wolf Fang was on the competent side, he didn't have to worry about things going too wrong.
And since they weren't particularly close, even if things went wrong and they got hurt, he could just offer his simple condolences and that would be the end of it.
In fact, that was the key.
He turned his gaze and looked at the calendar on the desk.
The vacation was already coming to an end.
After taking the certification exam in two days, that would be the end of it.
After that, he would have to prepare for the start of the semester.
The results of the exams he had taken so far were 3 passes and 1 fail.
It was arrogant of him to try and pass all four exams, when even students who prepared for several months could only manage to get one or two.
Most importantly, due to the series of recent incidents, it was a situation where he couldn't fully concentrate on just the certification and license exams.
Ho-cheol was lost in thought, a pen wedged between his lips and nose.
In fact, he had half-given up on the exam in two days.
It was less important than the other licenses and certifications, and how many more urgent things had come up than a mere exam.
He grabbed a pen and wrote down the things that had happened so far, the things that would happen in the future, and the things he had to do in a notebook.
As he filled a page, he let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd.
What was all that meddling for?
More than half of the things he had to solve in the future were all things that had arisen because he couldn't control his excessive meddling, interference, and temper.
Of course, he was sharing the parts that required a certain level of professional manpower or technology with the people around him, but in the end, the beginning and the end were always his share.
This is...
But he couldn't do it.
“Haa. The problem is this.”
He tapped the bottom of the notebook with his pen.
Not meddling, but things he had to continue doing as long as he had the business card of a professor at Clington.
‘Lectures’.
When the vacation ended, his personal time would be overwhelmingly reduced.
And unlike the first semester, where he only had one lecture, the second semester would definitely not be so easy.
During the first semester, there had been petitions to increase Ho-cheol's lectures, and the reason the dean had made him take the license and certification exams was because they were essential conditions for lectures.
On top of that, there was the Augmentation Department head's physical enhancement project.
Just with this, he was destined to have a couple more lectures.
He turned on the computer and grabbed the mouse.
The lecture syllabi should be up by now.
He rested his chin on his hand and scrolled down the mouse wheel.
And how much time had passed?
The chin resting on the back of his hand slipped and he hit his chin on the desk with a thud—.
But he didn't even have the time to feel the pain.
The bewilderment Ho-cheol felt was even greater.
“Heo.”
He exclaimed softly.
Of course, it was by no means a positive meaning.
“Are they trying to kill me with overwork?”
The packed lecture syllabi.
He wasn't supposed to choose from among them, but to do all of them?
Originally, preparing for the next semester's lectures before the vacation even started was the most basic of basics.
But when Ho-cheol had asked the dean or Se-ah about it, they had said not to worry, that they would take care of everything, as if asking what he would know.
He had actually believed them.
No, in fact, even if he wasn't stupid, he had no choice but to believe them.
Because he had no knowledge of their system at all.
Of course, they had always shown an attitude of teasing him, but that was in private cases.
He had thought they wouldn't go so far as to mess with such an important matter.
And the result was the six additional lectures in front of him.
Come to think of it, there's no way.
Ho-cheol checked the list of lecture syllabi again.
Advanced Application of Augmentation Traits II
This was a continuation of the first semester's lecture, so of course he had to continue it.
Introduction to Countermeasures against Modern and Contemporary Villain Traits
This was something he had discussed with the dean in advance, so there was nothing to be surprised about.
Special Lecture on Physical Training
This lecture was also just a special lecture held once a month, which the head of the Augmentation Department had mentioned.
The problem was the three below.
Advanced Application of Urban Combat
Introduction to Practical Weapon Selection
The Definition and Ethics of Villains
Could he use the expression ‘a blessing in disguise’ now?
The two lectures above were not lectures that Ho-cheol would be solely in charge of.
He was not the one leading them, but in the role of a sub-professor.
It seemed they were trying to enrich the volume of the lectures, which were heavily focused on pure theory, by inserting Ho-cheol into existing lectures to add practicality and advice that could only be experienced on the field.
Of course, the intention itself was not bad at all.
It was definitely a plus for the students.
No, it was definitely a gain for the professor who was originally conducting the lectures as well.
Except for Ho-cheol.
He could really die from overwork or stress.
At the more realistic fear of death, Ho-cheol bent his fingers and rubbed his forehead.
Why did he believe them when they said they would take care of everything?
It had been a busy time with Ji-an's case and other things, so he hadn't even had the time to pay attention.
“Hmm.”
I have to cancel the lectures right now.
Ho-cheol's reason was shouting.
But he just held his phone in his hand and fiddled with it.
These lectures had probably already been announced.
Those who knew would already be preparing to take these lectures.
In the end, it would just result in turning away the students who wanted to learn.
Their expectations…….
Somehow, it was hard for Ho-cheol to betray those expectations.
He finally put his phone back down.
Since he wasn't the main professor, he wouldn't be in charge of exams or assignments either.
Surely he wouldn't actually die from overwork.
“But that one……”
The problem was the last lecture.
The Definition and Ethics of Villains
This was the real key.
He wasn't a sub, but a lecture he had to lead from beginning to end, and looking at the topic, it was heavily focused on theory without much practicality.
And it was a first-year lecture.
In the first place, practical lectures using Traits were impossible for first-year students.
Because they got their Trait license at the end of the second semester of their first year.
“Are they crazy?”
Such words came out instinctively.
This one had to be canceled, no matter what.
In the first place, the ones who had expectations for his lectures were the second-year students who had heard the rumors.
What kind of criticism was he asking for, giving a lecture to first-year students.
Having made up his mind, Ho-cheol grabbed his phone again.
No, he was about to.
Before he could, a knock came from outside the front door.
“Uh, come in.”
Normally, Ji-an would have burst in as soon as his permission was granted, but today was a little different.
She opened the door more cautiously than usual, stuck only her head in, and glanced at Ho-cheol.
“Is it okay to come in?”
“Yeah.”
Ho-cheol's brows narrowed in confusion at her strange attitude and atmosphere.
What's with her all of a sudden?
Still, having lived with her for over a month, it was the first time he had seen this kind of behavior, so he was a little worried.
She approached with small steps and stood in front of Ho-cheol.
With her hands clasped in front of her, fidgeting with her fingers, Ji-an's lips parted.
“I, I. I mean, you know.”
Even after opening her mouth, it was hard to get the words out, and she licked her dry lips with her tongue for a long time.
“Th-that Omok game. You said you’d grant me a wish since I won back then.”
Ho-cheol didn't rush her and just waited silently until she brought out her true feelings.
After a few more minutes, Ji-an squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
“I want to enroll in the academy too!”
“Huh.”
For a moment, Ho-cheol couldn't understand the short sentence and asked back.
“What did you say?”
Right now, lectures and whatever else, that wasn't the problem.