n

n

nThanks to the Training skill, Ly’s Potential was increasing little by little. And as Potential increased by

n10, Ly’s stats’ margin of increase with each level-up was getting bigger.

n‘The Basic Training skill is great!’

nAt Kailan community, hidden classes were thought as different and rare, not better than regular

nclasses. That was because users of hidden classes weren’t that stronger than ordinary users.

nBut Ian had always thought that can’t be true. He thought hidden class requires research and unique

nway of playing, but hidden class users raised their characters like everyone else, so their character

nturned up normal.

nAnd Ian was getting to realize that he had been right as he raised his own hidden class character.

n‘All monsters have their own potential. And that potential decides stats’ margin of increase per level-

nup.’

nSo the increase of potential meant that the monster’s rank was getting higher.

nAnd the skill that could raise that Potential was ‘Training’.

nIan opened his skills window right away. And he spent the stat points he had saved earlier on ‘Basic

nTraining’.

nHe had been tempted to spend them on ‘Basic Tactics’ when he couldn’t catch the Bear of Darkness

nbecause his leadership wasn’t enough. Now he thought he had been right not to.

n-You spent all stat points on ‘Basic Training’.

n-‘Basic Training”s skill level is 5 now. It becomes ‘Intermediate Training’.

nIan checked the skill’s window with satisfaction.

nIntermediate Training

nCategory: active skill

nSkill Leve: Lv.0

nProficiency: 0%

nCool Time: 25 minutes

n-Set the designated pet on ‘Training’ mode.

n-Pet on ‘Training’ mode understands commands better than usual and learn from them.

n-Repeated ‘Training’ raises the pet’s ‘potential’.

n-As the skill level of ‘Intermediate Training’ goes up, potential’s margin of increase gets bigger.

nIan felt good. The margin of increase by Training time must have gotten bigger too, although the

ninformation window didn’t say that. And most of all, cool time was reduced10 minutes.

nWith the cool time reduce option of the ‘Necklace of Everlasting Darkness’ he had just obtained, he

nwould be able to use the skill every 20 minutes.

nIan solved a big mystery. He put in his notebook again and smiled.

n‘Now I feel so relieved.’

nBefore going back to hunting, Ian checked Ly’s potential again.

n‘It’s 94 now. It will reach 100 soon.’

nThe growth margin changed every time potential got bigger by 10, so he was excited to see what

nwould happen when it reached 100.

n“Shit, I wasted an hour.”

nIan checked time and grumbled as he lifted his bow. If untiring limitless hunting was a talent, Ian had a

ngreat talent. And soon his level reached 20, too.

n@

nJinsung logged out at lunchtime he had sat and ate some bread and milk.

nClick-. Click-.

nOf course, he had one had on his mouse and was searching for info about Kailan.

n“If I had studied this hard, I would have been become a lawyer or a doctor by now.”

nJinsung mumbled some meaningless things. He clicked on a video as he took another bite of his

nbread. It was the battling video of Dark Sorcerer, one of the new classes that was added after the

nupdate.

nIt was a Lv.18 user, the highest-level user to post on the community so far.

n“Oh, skeletons are cuter than I thought.”

nJinsung finished his milk and stood up. It was time to go back into his capsule.

n“Let’s go back now.”

nBut then, Jinsung’s phone rang.

nBuzz-. Buzz-.

n‘What? There’s no one to call me…..’

nThat was something that happened as rarely as killing a slime and getting Dragon Armor.

nJinsung flinched at the unexpected even then check the number.

n‘I don’t recognize this phone number….. I already have paid back my student loan, and I paid bills last

nweek…. Who the hell is calling?’

nJinsung thought about ignoring it, but it was the first call he got in a long time, so he decided to take it.

n“Hello?”

n-Hello, is this Jinsung?

nIt was a woman’s voice. Jinsung got a little excited.

n“Yes.”

n-It’s Lee Jihyeon, teaching assistant of Korea University’s virtual reality department.

n“Oh, um, hello.”

nHis excitement faded away. Jinsung got tense.

nJinsung had been a very lazy student for whole semester. No professor knew who he was. So he had

nmany reasons to be afraid.

n-Do you know professor Lee Jinuk?

nJinsung knew him. He was the head of the department.

n“Yes, I do.”

n-He wants you to call him.

n“Call….him?”

nJinsung started to feel nervous.

n-Yes.

n“Could you tell me…. The reason why?”

n-I think it’s because of your grades…..

nJinsung’s hands shook.

n‘What? I thought I had avoided academic probation. Was I wrong? Now, I at least attended

nUnderstanding Virtual Reality, so I must have got at least a D.’

nJinsung tried to calm down.

n“Um….ma’am.”

n-Yes?

n“What happens if I don’t call the professor?”

n-Oh, right. He said he would send your report card home if you didn’t call him. You do know that home

ndoesn’t mean your studio, right?

nJinsung’s eyes shook.

nHe couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t handle his father’s rage that would explode once the report

ncard arrived at home.

n‘I can be force to be a farmer at the age of 20.’

nWhat was even scarier was that his father might sell his capsule.

n‘Uh…..’

nJinsung had no other choice.

n“I…should call him.”

n-Haha, good choice. See you next semester, Jinsung.

nShe hung up. Jinsung looked like as if he had received a death sentence.

nHe hadn’t known that the call would give him such great mental damage.

n“Ha….yes, I should call….. Do I have the phone number of professor Lee?”

nHe did. He probably had saved it at freshmen orientation.

n“Hu…..”

nJinsung inhaled deeply and dialed the number.

n-Yes, it’s Lee Jinuk.

n“Hello, professor. It’s Park Jinsung. I was told to call you…..”

nHis voice was raspy, like that of a delivery man of Chinese restaurant with a bunch of orders to take

ncare of on a rainy day.

n-Park Jinsung? Oh, right. The freshman. I had you call me.

n“Yes. May I ask why…?”

n-You ask because you don’t know?

nJinsung was tempted to say ‘yes’, but he held his tongue.

n“Is it because of my grades?”

n-Yes. Has something bad happened to your family? Or did you get dumped by your girlfriend? Why on

nearth miss all those classes? You are getting put under academic probation!

nJinsung flinched again to hear this.

n“Academic…. probation? Didn’t I get…. 2 Fs?”

nStudents of Korea University were put under academic probation when they got more than 3 Fs on a

nsemester. Getting put under academic probation twice meant expel. That was why Jinsung, who didn’t

ncare much about grades, was afraid of academic probation.

n-Yes, you have gotten two Fs so far. So I am about to give you the third F.

nIt was clearly a threat.

nJinsung’s two hand shook.

nHe wanted to say ‘what do you want from me professor’, but he wasn’t that bold.

n“What can I do, professor…..”

n-First let’s hear why you are neglecting your student life.

nNormally, a professor would not call a student for not being a diligent student.

nBut the virtual reality department of Korea University was a new department.

nAnd Lee Jinuk had great pride and passion about his department, so he couldn’t tolerate with

nJinsung’s negligence.

nJinsung thought hard about what to say.

n‘I couldn’t help it, I had to play a game…. Would he tell me I’m crazy if I said this?’

nJinsung tried to sound him out first.

n“Professor, there is a reason why I applied for the virtual reality department.”

nTell me.

n“It’s because I have had great interest in ‘virtual reality’, and have admired its unlimited potentials.”

n-…..So?

n“There are many reasons that this ‘virtual reality’ is getting attention worldwide now, but the biggest

nreason is Kailan.”

n-That’s true.

nJinsung gulped hard.

nHe was getting to his point.

n“So, doesn’t catching a tiger requires getting into the tiger’s cave?”

nLee Jinuk realized what Jinsung was trying to say right away.

n-So you neglected your life as a student to play games….?

n“It wasn’t just to play games, professor. I wanted to study the surprisingly realistic virtual reality world

nof Kailan, so…”

nJinsung’s excuse was crude.

n-So what’s your level?

n“…!”

n-What’s your level? If you have played so hard, you must be on the Korean server’s ranking.

nJinsung felt his body paralyzed, as if he had been hit by a lightning. He almost cried because.

n‘If I hadn’t reset my character…!’

nHe regretted resetting his character for the first time. If he hadn’t done that, he would have confidently

nsaid ‘I am a ranker’.

n“Uh….. Professor….. You see…..”

n-Why can’t you say anything?

nBut Jinsung couldn’t think of a good excuse.

nHe wanted to ask that to himself.

n‘Jinsung, why can’t you say anything….’

nIn the end, he had no choice but the tell the truth that was even more unlikely than any lie.

n“I used to be Lv.93…. But I reset my character a little while ago… So now I’m 20….”

nJinsung’s voice faded into mumble.

nThe professor was of course dumbfounded at this.

n-What? You think that makes sense…

nBut Jinsung had nothing he could say.

n“But that’s the truth, professor….”

n