I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 42

When the midterm season began, the most crowded place was invariably the library… or rather, the snack bar in front of it.

There were students who had stepped out for a moment to fill their growling stomachs after studying hard, but most were the martial arts students who had come to the library following the ability users, only to give up halfway and stuff snacks into their mouths.

“Ugh.”

And there sat Dokgo-ran, half lost in thought among them.

Pami-yu, who had been studying all night in the library, spotted her and approached with a smirk.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m doomed…”

She lay there, rare as a wet seaweed, all sprawled out.

Of course, her mouth was smeared with whipped cream, remnants of the several cream cakes she had devoured without wiping her face.

Creeeak-.

Pami-yu, suppressing the urge to ask, “Has there ever been a time when you didn’t fail the exam?” sat down across from her.

“Seriously, aren’t the instructors insane? Why are the questions so hard?!”

“Well, maybe it’s a problem with your intelligence?”

Ah, couldn’t hold back.

But fortunately, it seemed Dokgo-ran either didn’t hear or was so used to such remarks that it didn’t faze her; she didn’t flip the table.

Just then, as Pami-yu was about to tell her that was enough evolution for one day—

Thud.

Pami-yu suddenly looked up to meet Dokgo-ran’s fierce, crimson gaze fixed on her.

“…Why, why?”

For a moment, she thought of pulling her hand away, fearing she might be flipped over, but the rare seriousness on Dokgo-ran’s face made her hesitate.

“Help me.”

“What with?”

Yet, a flicker of anticipation stirred within her.

What crazy thing would she say next?

“Let’s raid the instructor’s office…!”

“Shut up. Please.”

Should it be said that she was predictable?

Pami-yu simply cut off Dokgo-ran’s nonsensical words and stood up, ordering a cup of black tea from the snack bar café.

At least it was fortunate that, under normal circumstances, Dokgo-ran would have caused a ruckus, demanding they stage a coup together, but surprisingly, she accepted it without protest.

Well, no matter how disoriented I was, could it be that the talk of storming the Instructor’s Office was serious?

“Enough. I was the fool for expecting anything. Even if it’s just me…”

“……”

No, thinking back now, I might have been out of my mind.

Pamiyu accepted the black tea offered by the tall android and approached Dokgoran, who was still plotting the terror of the Instructor’s Office.

‘It tastes good.’

I always felt this way, but the black tea from the café in front of the library wasn’t half bad.

It had a decent depth of flavor and a generous amount brewed.

Sipping her somewhat satisfying tea, she turned her ear to the chatter of the cadets around Dokgoran instead.

“The theory is a bust, so that’s that, but what about the practical? The martial arts division is all about sparring, right?”

“Well, what can we do? We’re relying on the healing division again this time.”

“True, it’s tough. They always look like they’ve been through a ringer after class.”

“For us, it’s just a few broken bones, but they say those guys really scrape by on psionic energy. So…”

There was a peculiar mindset in the martial arts division that classified broken bodies and internal bleeding as mere minor injuries.

“Hey, have you heard the rumor?”

“What rumor?”

“They say if you pick number three this time, you’ll hit the jackpot.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, it’s all based on history and reason…”

There were cadets who mixed in all sorts of nonsense with the simple idea of just picking a number and going to sleep.

The common thread? Most of them were lamenting their failed exams.

At least that was a small consolation.

Of course, it was a remark directed at Dokgoran, not Pamiyu.

“Phew.”

Finally finishing her tea, Pamiyu rose from her seat, and at the sight of her, Dokgoran blinked in surprise.

“Where are you going?”

“To study.”

“Huh? You only have the combat practical left, right?”

At that question, Pamiyu swallowed a surge of irritation and injustice, forcing a smile as she replied.

“…It’s because of you that I have one more lecture to attend.”

“Ah?”

Only then did Dokgoran realize he had forgotten the most important thing, his face paling in shock.

“Tomorrow. The exam with Instructor Jin Crow.”

“I—I really messed up…”

Dokgoran sank down, recalling the sharp sting of the penalty points.

*

“Phew.”

Miel Anber took a deep breath before stepping into the classroom.

It wasn’t too late, so a fair number of cadets were already seated inside, but Miel quickened her pace slightly, as was her habit, and sat right next to Baek Hui-young.

“Hui-young, I’m here.”

“…….”

“Hui-young?”

“……Oh? You’re here?”

She had sensed it before, but for some reason, it felt like Baek Hui-young had been zoning out more often lately.

Yet, setting that aside, Miel lowered her voice a touch and smiled softly.

“If my score turns out well thanks to the wrong answer notes you sent, I’ll treat you at the snack bar, heh.”

Perhaps it was the way her lips moved that made her look quite adorable.

Baek Hui-young’s hazy gray eyes regained focus, and he chuckled softly, nodding in agreement.

“Why do we even have theory…?”

“To filter out cadets like you.”

“……Follow me to the training hall after this.”

Thus followed the bickering between Dokgoran and Pamiu.

“Miss, that fellow with the name like ‘Chans’ or ‘Jans’ had a disrespectful gaze. Should we deal with it?”

“It’s fine. How many disrespectful gazes are there, really? If it gets worse, we can handle it then.”

A chilling conversation unfolded between Hino Kanae and her escort cadets.

“……Hmm.”

As Beatus quietly entered, reading a small notebook, the classroom soon filled with the presence of Instructor Jin Crow and Assistant Instructor Ginatio.

Tap, tap—.

Finally, Jin Crow ascended the podium, lightly tapping it as he surveyed the cadets.

Since the cadets were already seated a space apart, he opened his mouth without delay.

“The examination lasts for two hours, with the chief instructor overseeing from the front and the assistant monitoring from the back. Should any misconduct be detected…”

With a swift motion, he loosened his tightly knotted black tie just a fraction, then brushed aside his slightly disheveled hair as he spoke.

“I shall leave it to your imagination.”

Jin Crow merely quoted the words of an instructor from his military days, struggling to find a more fitting phrase, yet the cadets felt a palpable dread in the air.

Moreover, rumors had recently spread that he had, with a smile, severed the head of the second-degree fugitive, Liberto, and even played soccer with it, which only heightened their fear.

Of course, Jin Crow paid no mind and continued, “And, the first cadet to submit their paper may refer to the practical group posted outside the classroom and gather at the central training hall by 4 PM.”

At the mention of the practical group, the cadets could only tilt their heads in confusion, but with Ginatios, the assistant instructor, already distributing the exam papers, there was no time left for further contemplation.

[11:59]

With their papers turned face down, everyone waited for time to pass.

Finally, as the clock hanging above the podium struck twelve, the cadets flipped their papers over, each eager to examine the contents.

“Read the following passage and respond to the prompt.

[Question 1]

[Passage]

The Creature was the first species observed on the colonized planet Area 121. At the time of its discovery, it was identified as a similar species to the extinct alien race known as Triton, which had perished in the year 22 of the Cosmic Era. However, ongoing research has led to the consensus that it is a more advanced, distinct entity.

The Creature opened the first Void Rift and…

In that moment, silence enveloped the cadets.

Eyes darted around, and soon, the same thought flickered through their minds.

‘W-what is this?’

‘Did we learn about this?’

‘No, we did learn, but… this is too difficult!’

So much so that even Beatus, Pamiu, and Kana, who were considered among the top ranks, stared at Jin Crow, who stood at the podium, bewildered.

Jin Crow remained silent, observing them without uttering a word.

‘H-how do I solve this?’

Meanwhile, at the back of the room, the martial arts cadet, Walker Bitrant, bit his lip at the dizzying problem laid before him.

But he could not afford to give up.

With his low practical combat scores, he had no choice but to secure high marks in theory to avoid failing.

The exam paper had a subtle treatment that only the examinee could see, but for a superhuman, it was hardly a significant issue.

– If it doesn’t work, make it work.

Isn’t that a profound saying etched in the hearts of soldiers since time immemorial?

Of course, relying on tools that leave evidence and could easily lead to being caught is the act of a fool.

A glance—

Eyes rolling, searching for a suitable target.

‘Miel Ambert.’

Though I often owe her favors in the martial realm, today I shall seek her aid once more.

This grace, I shall repay in time.

Just then, Instructor Jin Crow’s gaze shifted to the right, and Assistant Instructor Ginatios passed by.

In that moment, Walker subtly twisted his body, lifting his upper half to create a precarious view of her exam paper, then slowly and precisely adjusted his gear to enhance only his vision.

‘The answer is… the modified form of the erosion protrusion…’

As expected, Miel Ambert, always a source of comfort just by being there, had an answer that was as clear-cut as ever.

But perhaps due to his focus on the answer, he failed to notice the dark shadow looming behind him.

Thud—

The heavy touch of leather gloves pressed against Walker’s shoulder, and instinctively sensing danger, he slowly raised his head to identify the shadow’s source.

“Hi, h-hik!”

Walker Bertrand trembled in fear, and Jin Crow, looking down at him with disdain, narrowed his brow and spoke.

“Failing due to cheating. Ten penalty points. Ginatios.”

“Yes, Instructor.”

“Contact the military police and tell them to take this waste away.”

“Ah—.”

In that moment, Walker Bertrand opened his mouth, ready to protest, but soon recalled the rumors circulating about Jin Crow at the academy and could only close it again.

‘Jin Crow tears people apart.’

After he was dragged out, a frozen silence enveloped the classroom, and Jin Crow surveyed the stillness, remarking,

“The pen isn’t moving.”

Scratch, scratch…

And all the cadets could do was bury their heads in their exam papers, solving the problems before them.

*

“Haah…”

“Ugh, this is maddening.”

As the treacherous exam came to an end, and Assistant Instructor Ginatios collected the test papers and answer sheets to leave with Instructor Jin Crow, the classroom erupted with the sound of held breaths being released.

“How was it?”

“Don’t even start. Why is this so damn hard?”

“I’m finished. At least it’s a linked lecture, so maybe that’s a blessing…”

Most faces were grim, yet surprisingly, there were quite a few cadets with rather indifferent expressions.

Then, one cadet suddenly spoke as if a thought had struck him.

“Didn’t they say to gather at the central training hall by four?”

“Right.”

They mentioned something about a practical group outside the classroom.

One by one, the cadets began to rise from their seats and head outside.

“How was it?”

“Eh, it was alright. What about you?”

“Thanks to you, I did well. By the way, Walker? That guy seems a bit pitiful…”

Baek Hwi-young chuckled at Miel Ambert’s words as she gazed at the back door of the classroom where Walker Bertrand had been dragged away.

How was it that he always got caught with such sloppy cheating?

Still, recalling that he eventually matured into a soldier, Baek Hwi-young nodded along with Miel’s words and stood up.

Then Miel, with her small mouth moving, said,

“Are you going to check the practical group?”

“Yeah.”

This exam wasn’t much different from what he remembered.

If that’s the case, then the combat practical would be…

‘It must be the simulation room.’

However, there was a slight oddity since he always viewed it as an individual task.

But soon, as he stepped out of the classroom and saw the practical group posted on the wall, Baek Hwi-young dropped the bag he was holding and couldn’t help but stare at the distant back of Jin Crow, who had already vanished down the hallway.

–

「Combat Practical Group Assignment」

Support cadets are excluded.

[Group 1]

Yoo Seol-ye, Admin Win, Jason Powell, Ryu Cheong, Nikita Freit

[Group 2]

Baek Hwi-young, Hino Kanae, Dokgo Ran, Famiyu Dimezeiar, Beatus.

‘The Rider of the Stars?’

It was a name far too familiar.