As time passed, it became March 2nd. Finally, the entrance ceremony took place.
The classroom assigned to Sang-ho was situated in the far-western corner of the third floor in the main building. Since the entrance was to the south, it appeared as the far-left corner when viewed from the entrance.
As he walked towards the classroom, he steadied his heart.
It was his first meeting with his initial set of students.
To be honest, he felt a bit nervous. Technically, they weren’t his very first students, but it was his first encounter with them as their teacher.
‘I hope to have students with not just talent but also good character,’ he thought.
His objective wasn’t to create the world’s most formidable human weapons but to instruct students on how to avoid harm in real-life situations. Having talent would be a plus, but he wouldn’t give up on them if they didn’t possess it.
Whoever arrived, he would push them to confront their limits. It wasn’t without reason that he had advised them to apply only if they were prepared.
Creak.
Sang-ho opened the classroom door and entered.
A green chalkboard. A wooden teacher’s desk. In the empty classroom, there were only three student desks.
One of them already had a student seated.
She had abundant black hair, coarsely braided and hanging over her shoulders. Next to her desk, a bag dangled with an oriental sword attached to it by a string. Her pale face displayed emotionless eyes, now fixed directly on Sang-ho.
Sang-ho quickly recognized the girl. Among the students who had submitted applications, there was only one who had brought a sword.
He walked toward the desk near the window where she was sitting.
“So, you must be Se-hee.”
“Yes.”
The girl nodded.
“Hello.”
It was Cheon Se-hee, the child that Kyung-han had attempted to recruit.
Despite trying not to, Sang-ho felt a subtle sense of pressure. The pressure of building rapport with the students. His mouth was dry, yet he tried hard to find something to say. He wasn’t accustomed to conversing with young people.
His gaze shifted to Se-hee’s sword.
“May I touch that for a moment?”
“Yes.”
Sang-ho picked up her sword and drew it from its scabbard.
A regular sword. A practice sword used by students. But what Sang-ho wanted to examine wasn’t how good the sword was.
As he pretended to inspect the sword, he felt the texture of the handle. It was rough.
It had clearly seen extensive use, causing the leather to fray.
‘She’s not a lazy child.’
As Sang-ho sheathed the sword, Se-hee’s eyes sparkled as she looked at his sword.
“May I touch yours as well?”
“Of course, here—”
“Soooooorry!”
Just as he was about to grant permission, the classroom door swung open. Both Sang-ho and Se-hee were startled and turned their attention toward the door.
A female student looked disappointed as she licked her lips.
“Oh, I thought you were doing something naughty.”
A black tail swayed behind her.
Swoosh
A tail protruding from beneath her significantly shortened skirt.
She had curly hair reaching her shoulders, and dark red horns protruded between them.
And ruby-like glowing red eyes.
Even the mischievous smile on her lips. She looked like a devil.
“Can I sit here?”
Although she asked with her mouth, she didn’t wait for an answer and took the middle seat.
Sang-ho stared at the smiling girl and her tail that swung behind her, the tip shaped like a heart.
Tae-hwa.
A demon-hybrid specialized in spells and magic.
“Sit wherever you like.”
A hybrid was someone whose body had fused with an otherworldly entity during the cosmic event. Most of them went into shock from the fusion, but very few survived and gained unique abilities.
What she had fused with was a demon from another world.
‘If you’re unlucky, you could lose yourself, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like this girl had.’
Tae-hwa stared intently at Sang-ho.
“Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“How did you injure your eye and leg?”
Sang-ho thought the question was a bit too direct and gave a wry smile.
“Fighting a monster.”
“Did you receive insurance compensation?”
“I received some.”
However, what Tae-hwa was referring to was the recently implemented Hunter insurance, whereas what Sang-ho received was meager military insurance. Given that society and the economy had crumbled in the aftermath of the inter-dimensional war, and there were countless injured, the payout couldn’t have been much.
Unaware of this, Tae-hwa’s eyes sparkled.
“So, Teacher, you’re rich?”
“What’s it to you? I don’t have much.”
Sang-ho shook his head disapprovingly. ‘Kids these days are fearless,’ he muttered to himself.
The classroom door opened once more. Sang-ho, Se-hee, and Tae-hwa all turned their heads toward it. Sang-ho quickly recognized that the girl standing there was the last student he had seen on the application forms.
The female student, momentarily taken aback by their stares, flashed a smile.
“Hello.”
Her hair, cascading down to her waist, had an ash-colored hue, matching her eyes. Even her eyelashes lacked pigmentation, sharing the same color.
Her name was Na-bit. With only one seat left, Na-bit settled at a desk near the hallway. Sang-ho wore a concerned expression when he noticed the hexagonal cross around her neck, a symbol of her religious affiliation.
‘What can I teach a student who relies on faith?’
Na-bit’s Hunter type was faith-based, employing sacred power to protect and heal people. It wasn’t geared towards combat and was seldom used in actual battles. Sang-ho wondered if a combat-focused class would have any relevance for her.
Nonetheless, she had come to learn, so all he had to do was proceed with the planned curriculum. If she found it unsuitable, she could always switch classes.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s introduce ourselves and get to know each other.”
“Is it just the three of us?”
Tae-hwa asked, widening her eyes.
“Yes, just the three.”
Sang-ho approached the blackboard and picked up the chalk.
Kang, Sang, Ho.
He wrote his name, Kang Sang-ho, in clear characters. He recalled how older teachers used to introduce themselves this way when he was a child. Some even used Chinese characters.
“My name is Kang Sang-ho.”
“Please jot down your phone number!”
“…Phone number?”
Pausing, chalk in hand, Sang-ho pondered.
‘Kids these days ask for their teachers’ numbers? That never happened in my time…’
It was only a 6-year difference, but he felt a generation gap.
No harm in open communication. He wrote his phone number beneath his name.
Se-hee and Tae-hwa took out their smartphones, and Na-bit retrieved a notebook.
“Don’t you have a phone, Na-bit?”
“No.”
Na-bit always spoke with a smile, as if it were a habit.
“My parents don’t approve.”
Certain deeply religious individuals oppose technology, or it could be parents who fear their daughters gaining exposure to the world. Regardless, Sang-ho didn’t approve.
“Alright, we can discuss that later. Put away your phones if you’ve saved the number.”
Se-hee and Tae-hwa stowed their phones. Sang-ho decided it was time to address the main issue.
“So, I’m a B-class Martial Arts Hunter. As you can see, my weapon is a sword. You saw it at the entrance ceremony, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what I said?”
Se-hee responded softly.
“You mentioned being prepared to take hits.”
He made eye contact with the other two, excluding Se-hee, who had responded.
“Do you both understand as well?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
After confirming their responses, Sang-ho started speaking.
“I won’t make any exceptions, not because you’re women or because you’re young. The same applies to monsters. No monster in the world will spare you just because you’re high school girls.”
Se-hee nodded slightly.
“If you want to switch classes, you can do so at any time. But not during class. Once the education begins, I’ll proceed as planned until it ends. Does anyone want to switch classes before today’s lesson starts?”
Tae-hwa wore a serious expression.
“Wow! You’re teaching on the first day?”
“Of course. Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon. So, is anyone thinking about leaving now?”
No one responded. Sang-ho grinned inwardly but didn’t show it on the outside.
“Good.”
“When does the lesson start?”
“Right now.”
He pointed his index finger at their desks.
“Retrieve what’s underneath there.”
Under the desks were drawers meant for holding textbooks and similar items. Se-hee, Tae-hwa, and Na-bit reached under their desks.
Na-bit flinched upon realizing what she had grabbed.
“What is this…”
Each of them placed a handgun on their desks.
Se-hee’s already pale face grew even paler, while Tae-hwa chuckled.
“Is this fake?”
“The gun is real, and the bullets are real. There’s only one bullet loaded. Don’t reload.”
Sang-ho stood up straight and looked at them.
“Shoot me with it.”
Everyone’s expressions hardened.
Tae-hwa picked up the handgun, felt its weight, and then set it down, evidently realizing it was real.
Unfazed, Sang-ho continued.
“Disengage the safety and simply pull the trigger.”
“I, I am…”
“I, I am…”
Na-bit spoke with a stifled voice, her eyes tightly shut.
“Because of my religion… holding a weapon, or shooting someone…”
“You can’t do it?”
“I can’t do it…”
“Then Na-bit, cover your ears and lie down on the desk.”
After confirming that Na-bit had reclined, he turned to the other two.
“You two don’t have any reason not to shoot, do you?”
Se-hee placed her hand on the handgun and asked.
“This is part of the lesson, right?”
“That’s correct.”
She picked up the gun and aimed it at him.
“I trust you.”
Tae-hwa watched Se-hee, chuckled, then picked up her own gun.
“I’m not so sure…”
But neither of them could actually pull the trigger. Se-hee swallowed dryly and asked Sang-ho.
“When should we shoot?”
“Whenever you want to.”
Sang-ho shrugged his shoulders.
“Shoot when you think you can hit me. When you think I’m most off guard. That’s how attacks work…”
BANG
Before he could finish speaking, Se-hee and Tae-hwa fired their guns.
It was definitely an unexpected surprise attack. Sang-ho admitted to himself that he was off guard at that moment.
They attacked at the right time.
But he was unharmed.
Thunk
Two bullets fell from his outstretched hand.
“Well done.”
Sang-ho walked to Na-bit’s desk without showing any signs of surprise, picked up the gun, and fired the last shot into his palm.
Bang
The sound of the gun echoed through the classroom, making Na-bit tremble. Se-hee and Tae-hwa also looked stunned.
He tossed the caught bullets on the ground and spoke calmly.
“You might think monsters are just orcs or goblins or something. But those types can be killed with modern weaponry. The real enemies that a hunter must fight are those against whom guns are useless. So you need to become strong enough not to fear guns.”
That wasn’t the only reason he let them shoot.
“And… from now on, the classes will be in the format where you attack me. To do that, I needed to make you trust me. So, is it still lacking?”
These kids would have to throw fireballs and wield swords against him in the future. In fact, that was the biggest reason.
“Ah…”
The kids blankly stared at the three bullets rolling on the floor. They seemed quite surprised.
In reality, most of the teachers at Ye-hyeon High School could block bullets. Magic and faith allowed even C-class hunters to create basic shields, and shamanism could block bullets with spirits or make them malfunction with curses. Even martial artists from A-class onward could take some impact with bullet-proof gear. Bruises were a given.
But none of the teachers could catch bullets with just their reflexes. Maybe the principal, Haelan, at best.
Sang-ho knocked on the desk to snap them out of it.
“Alright, alright. Na-bit, wake up. The first lesson is over…”
Suddenly, Se-hee looked toward the hallway. Sang-ho also noticed the noise outside and stopped talking.
“What’s going on? We heard a gunshot.”
“Isn’t this Teacher Kang’s classroom?”
“Sang-ho, open the door!”
He hurriedly stashed the pistols into Tae-hwa’s desk drawer and limped over to open the door.
Teachers who had gathered outside rushed toward him.
“Teacher Kang, we heard a really loud noise. What happened?”
“I was demonstrating some martial arts.”
“Wasn’t that a gunshot?”
“You’re mistaken.”
Sang-ho definitively closed the door.
Given the antics he had already pulled during the orientation, the teachers seemed convinced and retreated.
“It seems Teacher Kang likes to scare the kids.”
“He’s young but already earning a reputation for being eccentric…”
Sang-ho looked back at the kids once he felt that the crowd outside had dispersed.
Anyway, the first lesson ended successfully. Without anyone switching classes.
In other words, he became their teacher, and they became his students.
“Thank you all for not running away.”
He brought a chair and sat in front of them.
“Now, let’s hear your introductions.”
Cliche Novel 
This is great. Also thanks for the chapter.
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