...

The reason he had lied and used his magic to hide what had really happened was simply to avoid the minor headaches caused by the flood of questions and explanations that would surely plague him for a good few hours.

"...And that's what happened."

Sitting under the shade of a tree, everyone listened attentively to Theo's words as he narrated "everything" that had happened to them—an edited and slightly different version of the truth.

"What... So that guy who was going to be on my team was a djinn?"

Nayun, beside him, was astonished, unable to believe what she had heard. Her green eyes were wide, and a slight pallor came over her face at the thought that she could have teamed up with a Djinn.

"Yes, he was. And one as strong as the one you killed in the museum."

Theo confirmed, his voice neutral, as if commenting on something trivial. He was leaning against the tree trunk, arms crossed, observing the group's reactions.

"Wow... I never imagined there could be Djinns infiltrated among us at Cube."

Suho, who had joined them moments ago, murmured. He scratched his forehead, a deep wrinkle of concern marking his usually relaxed features.

"That means there could be more among us."

"...So, they used an artifact to make us pass out."

Rachel pondered, sitting elegantly with the impeccable posture of a princess. Small rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves illuminated the blonde strands of her hair, creating a soft halo around her. Her tone was contemplative.

"A wide-spectrum energy pulse device. It must be some high-quality artifact."

"Yes, that's scary."

Hazuki agreed, visibly shuddering beside Nayun. She wrapped her arms around herself as if feeling a chill.

"Imagine what would have happened to us if Theo-kun had also been affected."

Her gaze landed on Theo.

"Uh... But it's strange."

Yoo Yeonha intervened, her face a picture of concentration. She frowned, her fingers tapping lightly on her knee.

"What would they gain by doing this? If they had succeeded and killed us in the process, wouldn't that be the same as putting themselves at risk? The scrutiny would be immense."

Her analytical mind was already working on the possible variables, trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle that made no logical sense, not in the human mind.

"...You're forgetting something."

Kim Hajin spoke, his voice calm but laden with a dark seriousness.

He knew that Sven only became a Djinn because of his inferiority complex, but the other two, whom Theo mentioned, could only mean that...

All eyes turned to him.

"We're talking about people who sold their souls to demons. Trying to find rationality in their goals is difficult when most just want to cause destruction and chaos. Their logic is not ours."

Yeonha nodded, but frustration was still written on her face.

"I understand that. But still... Think. All of us here... we are the future, the backbone. Some are heirs of great clans, children of powerful figures."

Her gaze swept across the group, including Nayun and Rachel.

"If an attack like this had succeeded, the repercussions would be catastrophic. There would be a witch hunt like never seen before. They would be forced into hiding, their infrastructure could be dismantled bit by bit. The risk far outweighs the reward. It's not strategic. Unless..."

She paused, her mind racing towards a more sinister conclusion.

Theo watched Yeonha in silence, a faint glint of interest in his eyes. She was about to enter her queen-of-misunderstandings mode.

'I never imagined this side of her was so cute.'

When he read the novel and witnessed the countless misunderstandings, Theo sometimes found himself tempted to punch the author who had written it, but being on this side, he realized that maybe it wasn't all bad.

"Unless..."

"Everyone, the instructor is calling everyone back."

Just as Yeonha was about to finalize her misunderstanding, the class president, Yi Yeonghan, arrived at the instructor's command.

"Oh, let's go."

Without much delay, most of them stood up and began to walk back to the center of the clearing.

When they arrived, all the cadets were silent, ready to listen.

"Earlier today, we suffered an attack from some Djinns."

The impact was immediate; most of the cadets began to murmur among themselves.

"Silence! Everything has been properly dealt with..."

The instructor stared at Theo for a few seconds, and with a slight nod as if to say he already knew everything, he continued:

"...You don't need to worry, they were all eliminated without any losses... However, with the risk of potential new attacks, we are canceling today's class. That is all. Dismissed."

Just as Theo expected, with the "djinn attack" and the possible sabotage of the artificial Dungeon, Cube had opted to cancel today's practical class.

'This way, there's no risk of anyone dying.'

Theo thought.

Even knowing that, in the original story, no one had died inside that dungeon, the fate of the weak was volatile. Who could guarantee that this time wouldn't be different?

"HUH?!"

While some cadets sighed in relief, happy not to have to enter that dark and scary place, Chae Nayun's reaction was the complete opposite. She, who had been looking forward to this day, found herself frozen in place. Her mouth opened in a cry of pure disbelief and frustration, unable to believe that the class she had been so eagerly awaiting had been canceled.

Theo, who was near Nayun, leaned in and made her a proposal.

"Since we'll have the whole afternoon free today, how about we go somewhere? Me, you, Yeonha, and Cappie. We've never gone out together."

As if the class was no longer important, she turned to Theo, who had made her a more than tempting invitation, her green eyes shining in anticipation.

"Of course... Where to?"

"I don't know... The movies, a walk through the water park, or a visit to the most famous restaurant in the country. Let's check with them."

"Ehehe! I'll take you to the best restaurant, be prepared..."

With a bright smile on her lips, Nayun went to look for Yeonha, leaving a curious Theo behind...

"Wait for me..."

...