A Thesis on Magical Creatures - Chapter 1

Dear Professor, I was certainly the one who applied to be a teaching assistant when I first entered graduate school. But did I perhaps misread the field I was applying for? Somehow, my position seems more like a servant than an assistant. I don’t understand where the biological research has gone, and why there are four inexplicable fantasy novels sitting on my desk.

Of course, it’s admirable that you, a professor who’s like family, want to read novels your late-born son enjoys to get closer to him. But does your son know? That the person who read and summarized these thrilling adventures in your place wasn’t you, but me, who volunteered to be your slave.

“Haah…”

Five hours into reading fantasy novels at the professor’s sudden direction. I started writing an email full of sincerity, then deleted it all. Though there’s a mountain of things I want to say, paradoxically, the email remains blank because I can’t write anything. How did it come to this?

I only came to graduate school because I wanted to do thorough research. I entered this lab after multiple attempts to contact this renowned professor in academia. A professor passionate about academics, students who help each other, and myself growing by absorbing various knowledge in between – it took just a moment for this idealistic triangle that existed only in my imagination to crumble.

As of today, it’s been one year and five months of this miserable life. Even now, when I should be busy with my graduation thesis, I’m still running errands for the professor.

The professor instructed me to organize the events chronologically and describe the characters’ characteristics in detail for easy understanding. Being a fantasy novel, it was easier to read than technical papers full of jargon, but seeing endless sentences decorated with countless flowery expressions was enough to give me text-induced motion sickness.

There was only one reason I could somewhat enjoy reading this novel in my busy situation.

“A Level 2 dangerous magical creature… called ‘Opharus.’ Its body is as big as a street tree, with a beak curved inward, perfect for piercing tough hide… Named Opharus because its eyes resemble opal gems… Poor eyesight but developed hearing… Good.”

Fitting the fantasy setting, the novel was full of unique animals that couldn’t be seen in reality. Like a creature that resembles a carp but has a four-split tongue and thousands of teeth when it opens its mouth, or a bird that can’t fly because its skin is harder than diamond.

The people in the novel called these mysterious creatures ‘magical creatures’ because they could bewitch human minds.

Every magical creature in the novel was used as a tool to highlight the protagonist’s growth. The larger or more dangerous abilities a magical creature had, the higher its danger level was rated, and the protagonist who defeated them showed increasingly heroic aspects. But to me, majoring in biology, the very existence of magical creatures felt incredibly fascinating.

Magical creatures! Animals that bewitch humans! If I were to discover a fantastical species that breathes fire, I think I’d be happy just sitting in one place all day observing it.

Perhaps that’s why, instead of organizing the characters and events I was supposed to, I meticulously noted down every type of magical creature that appeared in the novel. Looking at the finished product, well… it’s practically a ‘Monster Encyclopedia.’

“Oh no, this is bad.”

This Monster Encyclopedia definitely isn’t what the professor wanted. Unless his teenage son is interested in fantastical species like me, their already awkward father-son relationship will only grow more distant.

I roughly ran my fingers through my unruly hair and took a sip of the americano that had become watery from melted ice. My mouth filled with a taste so mild it was barely recognizable as coffee.

The professor, who had left the lab two hours ago, must be taking a warm shower and sleeping comfortably by now. While someone here hasn’t been home for two days thanks to having such a great mentor. I hit the open page of the book with my fist while wearing a bitter smile.

“I want to research under someone good.”

Just once, I want to do some serious research. I want to work toward a common goal with researchers who have both passion and knowledge. Not this life of running errands unrelated to research while surviving on coffee and meal replacement jellies under life-threatening conditions. I want to taste a life where my heart pounds with excitement upon encountering creatures that no one has ever observed before in remote places.

Yes, like in this novel. Of all things, there happened to be a character who was a professor among the supporting cast. If I had read this novel when I was younger, I might have felt vague respect for professors. I remember the name clearly.

A professor in the Department of Magical Creatures at Royal Angelus University and a renowned genius – Diabel Asrein. He boasted brilliant intellect inherited from five generations of noble scholars. Throughout my reading, I couldn’t help but wear a bitter smile as I compared his every word and action with my advising professor.

How wonderful it would be to research magical creatures under someone like that.

“It’s all pointless imagination anyway.”

Ugh. I leaned back in the squeaky chair and stretched my arms wide. Cracking sounds came roughly from my stiff shoulders and arms. Just as I was thinking about taking a nap in the lab, a vibration sound came from the desk. As soon as I saw the name on the screen, I unconsciously straightened up and answered the phone.

“Yes, Professor.”

“Mr. Yoo. I trust the task I assigned is progressing smoothly?”

“Of course. I just need to organize the last volume.”

“Good.”

And here I wondered what it was about. Of course, it was to check if the slave was doing his work properly. Though I wanted to stop hearing that unnecessarily dignified voice trying to sound imposing, the professor seemed to have more to say.

“You must have built up some literary knowledge thanks to me.”

“Haha… Yes. Thank you.”

Literary knowledge my foot. It’s not like I had a week free of assignments or brilliantly passed my graduation thesis defense. Unread papers are still piled in the corner of my desk, and the first draft of my thesis that hasn’t received initial confirmation is safely stored in a folder. Throwing what amounts to an assignment-like novel at me when I couldn’t possibly enjoy it, and then saying ‘thanks to me’ – it made me dizzy.

While quietly grinding my teeth and trying to laugh it off, the professor thoughtlessly dropped another bomb.

“Since you’ve done this task well, I should do my part too.”

“Pardon?”

“You brought me your thesis draft before, didn’t you?”

The professor brought up the thesis first, which was unusual. Happily, I quickly responded “Yes!” and the professor clicked his tongue.

“I’m at the café after having dinner with Professor Kim, and since it looks like our talk will take a while… Bring your thesis draft to the usual café, and I’ll look it over.”

“Right now?”

“Why? Is that not possible?”

“Ah, no. I’ll print it out and come right away.”

“Well then, good luck.”

Click. Even at his age, he hasn’t fixed his habit of hanging up after saying only what he needs to say. While it’s his job to review theses, his attitude of acting like he’s doing me a favor by making time in his busy schedule didn’t sit well with me at all. But what could I say in that situation? I should just bow my head and ask him to please review my thesis, my precious creation, thoroughly.

I printed out the thesis that had almost grown moldy and neatly inserted it into a clear file.

“It should be fine since I worked hard on it.”

I left the lab, holding the thesis close to my chest with joy. Even walking down the steep hill wasn’t difficult with the thought that I could finally present my thesis draft.

When I reached the main gate, I could see the professor’s regular café across the street. I immediately spotted my advising professor sitting by the second-floor window with Professor Kim, who was from the same university.

Surely he hasn’t changed his mind already. Anxiously tapping my feet while waiting for the traffic light to change, I stepped forward as soon as I saw the green light.

That’s when it happened.

“…Huh?”

Screech-! With a sharp noise piercing my ears, my body floated up. The last things I saw before losing consciousness were a water bottle rolling on the road and my thesis papers scattering in the air like flower petals.

***

As my hazy consciousness gradually returned, I first heard voices. Well, at least I haven’t crossed the River of Death since I can still hear conversations clearly. It’s fortunate I can die after getting my thesis draft checked. While my senses were slowly returning, my stiff body wouldn’t move as I wanted, causing me to let out a small groan.

“Hey!!”

Someone roughly grabbed my hair and pulled it up. Even with my head forcibly raised, it was difficult to open my eyes.

“…Professor?”

Surely they wouldn’t grab the hair of someone who’s been in an accident. As I blinked hazily, a chilly wind brushed against my skin. Moreover, an earthy smell that you’d only find in the mountains lingered at the tip of my nose. Feeling that something was definitely off, I shivered and opened my eyes wide. Then an unexpected scene unfolded before me.

“…What is this…?”

I was definitely crossing the crosswalk in front of the school. But when I came to my senses, the environment had completely changed. The dense trees had never been touched by human hands and spread their branches in all directions, and unfamiliar wildflowers twisted their stems trying to catch any sunlight filtering through the leaves. I could vividly hear what must be a waterfall in the distance, occasionally accompanied by the sounds of unknown insects.

Am I dreaming right now? My mind was racing faster than ever, struggling to grasp the situation. But a voice that didn’t allow even a moment’s respite pierced my eardrums sharply.

“This is your last chance, so you’d better look carefully!”

“What?”

The hand gripping my hair forcibly turned my neck to the side.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know! Didn’t you say you knew what that magical creature was?”

Before I could turn to see who the hand belonged to, a strange silhouette passed between the thick tree trunks. Thud. Thud. A massive creature was moving, creating vibrations that could be felt even from far away. Shortly after, as it revealed itself in the field, it raised its head while making a bizarre cry. Though it was a creature I had never seen before in my life, I was strangely familiar with it.

With a size as large as a tree, a beak curved at the end perfect for tearing meat. Glossy feathers covering its entire body and sharp claws that could easily cut through a pillar. This animal – no, this magical creature with eyes like gems that sparkled in thousands of colors under the sunlight was…

“…Opharus…”

It was the Level 2 dangerous magical creature, ‘Opharus,’ that appeared in the novel.

—

T/N: I am aware that there’s an english translation on the cover itself, but I chose to go with “A Thesis on Magical Creatures” because the term “논문” specifically means “thesis” or “dissertation” in this academic context. The story revolves around a graduate student doing research, so “thesis” fits the academic theme better than “treatise”.

While “The Treatise on the Creature” isn’t wrong per se, it loses some of the academic and magical nuances that are important to the story’s premise. The word “treatise” feels more formal and old-fashioned, while “thesis” better reflects the contemporary graduate school setting of the story.

I guess that’s it, and I hope you enjoy this story^^