To Live Again, For the First Time!

"I am your professor for the advanced coding class you were supposed to attend today, but seeing as Master Sungcha is here today, we will be postponing our first class."

"I'm sure I won't have to tell you that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you have been given here today." Professor Salamander's voice hid a hint of envy that most wouldn't be able to tell, but his words exposed his inner thoughts.

Theodore's head rested on his right hand finding the situation intriguing.

'It seems like this really is a fortuitous event then, and on the first day too. I wonder what Master Sungcha is here for.' 

"As many of you have already speculated, Master Sungcha here is indeed one of the honorary teachers present at our university. As for why he is here, I'll let him talk to all of you for himself."

'Isn't this just a tad too creepy, I've been having this feeling a lot, but why does it always seem like these people can read my mind?'

Theodore shook his head.

'I'm just thinking too much.'

'If the professor calls him 'Master' Sungcha, then he must be a big figure, and since even our class was canceled, he clearly isn't here just to sit and chat. It's completely natural for him to tell us why he is here first. What do you even mean by mind-reading, plus there are so many people here, why would they read my mind.'

He had definitely been reading too many fantasy novels these days.

As Theodore's mind started going in circles around these meaningless topics, starting and fueling unconventional conversations with himself, his eyes started going out of focus, which not even the people sitting next to him noticed.

Professor Salamander backed off the stage, sitting down on an empty seat to the side allowing for Master Sungcha to take the podium.

Everyone subconsciously straightened up their backs and perked their ears.

These were all people who called themselves the geniuses of their generation.

But it was also because they could reach this point that they knew the weight of being called a Master by a professor of this university.

No matter how arrogant some of these prodigies maybe, they knew very well that a Master, no matter what area they specialized in, was a true expert. 

An expert with real connections with the people at the top of their society. 

The people who could wave their hands and shake the structure of a city.

No one wanted to miss a word of what Master Sungcha had to say.

A booming voice came out of the man who had just reached the podium, it wasn't necessarily loud, but it was so filled with vitality that even Theodore had to snap out of his daze.

'This presence!'

'He looks to have at least 50 years under his belt.' Theodore thought, looking at the middle-aged man at the center of the stage. He already showed signs of aging, not lacking in white hairs that interlaced with his black locks. 

Yet at the same time, Theodore wasn't able to say for sure that this man was a day over 40, his posture better than most 20-year-olds.

'What is this feeling?'

'His vitality seems to be affecting even me! How is this possible? Is it my imagination?'

Theodore pushed his palm against his heart, feeling it pound against his ribcage as if trying to escape from his chest. He couldn't make heads or tails out of this.

"I've come here to find a disciple, anyone who meets my requirements I will take in as my personal disciple whom I will impart all I know. This number will be limited to two people. However, if no one meets my requirements, I won't be taking in any of you. I don't carry around unnecessary burdens."

Master Sungcha spoke as if he were asking for water. 

No one would have guessed that he was making such a life-changing decision from just his monotonous tone.

He looked like he didn't really care about the outcome. 

No.

That wasn't right.

Rather, he looked like he didn't want to be here. 

'He really skips to the chase, no beating around the bush.' Theodore felt that he was lacking in words to describe his current sentiments.

There was a great difference between Masters who were taking in students and Masters who were taking in disciples. 

As a general rule, there is an insurmountable gap between a professional in a subject or art before they were recognized as a Master of that respective field.

The reason why these Masters were even revered at the international level universities and given a position with a title of honorary teacher, was not at all because they were good at teaching. 

In fact, they may have never dabbled with teaching at all, but they were just on another level when it came to what they specialized in, no matter how inexperienced they were with teaching, they had the qualifications to guide others in some way or form.

There weren't Masters who didn't know how to teach, only those who didn't want to. 

As for taking in students, most of the time, they just needed someone to do the manual labor, but this would be very helpful for the students so they were more than willing to become people who worked and didn't get paid.

AKA slaves.

In fact, many people who were already well within the field were also willing to take such jobs, which is why the top universities quickly made agreements with some of these Masters so that they could promote their school.

This was also good for the Masters because they could get access to good seedlings before they started sprouting.

In the end, it was a win-win.

As for becoming a disciple, that was on a whole new league.

If becoming a student was becoming a maid in the imperial court, albeit a maid who didn't get paid, then becoming a disciple was akin to becoming a prince or a princess.

They would have a chance to become the crowned prince/ princess, also known as a core disciple.

Many of these Masters were researchers, some didn't have children, others didn't want any and even more, had children who didn't have the same aspirations as their parents or even the skills to follow their predecessor's footsteps.

In order to pass down their legacies, they took in disciples.

When you became a Master's disciple, you had the opportunity to inherit everything they had related to their masteries, but even if you weren't the one to inherit it, you would be in no way missing out either.

You would still be able to reach new heights within that field and the connections of a Master were unimaginable to the common folk.

All inaccessible to the students, after all, who would care to remember the maid so clearly.

They would know countless, mayors, presidents, generals, even royalty depending on what they worked on.

"I won't be telling any of you what exactly my requirements are so as to prevent the scale from tipping to any one person's side." 

Though he said that he wasn't voicing his requirement to prevent cheating, it sounded more like he was hoping that no one would meet these 'hidden requirements'. 

Like, 'I won't be telling you because you won't need to know, not like any of you will meet them.'

At that time, one of the students sitting across the classroom raised his hand, indicating that he had a question to which Master Sungcha nodded.

He stuttered a little before getting his words out straight, but no one lost their patience.

"Um... can I-I ask what Mas-mast-ter Sungcha specializes in?" 

This was also a question many others had in their minds.

"That will be for you to find out throughout the test, everyone can give out their guesses next week."

This left even more doubts in the minds of everyone present.

'Next week?'

'Aren't we doing the testing today? Why wait another week?'

Seeing everyone's confused reactions, Master Sungcha smiled for the first time throughout the whole lecture.