CHAPTER 109

“What’s going on?”

Jae-Hyeok wasn’t the type to show any instability in front of others. He quickly dismissed his negative memories and emotions and smiled gently.

The dormitory supervisor, Lee Gi-Bok, looked around cautiously. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

With school starting soon, the dormitory hallway was crowded with students

“Okay.” After checking the time and nodding, Jae-Hyeok followed Lee Gi-Bok to the superintendent’s office.

When they arrived, Jae-Hyeok looked curiously.

The room was filled with popular anime merchandise. Both along the shelves and on the walls, cute figurines and posters were everywhere. It was hard to match them with Lee Gi-Bok, who was an uncle in his thirties.

Jae-Hyeok said, “So you’re an otaku.”

“Are you seriously saying that out loud?

“Since you’re showing it openly, I can talk about it openly. Had you tried to conceal it, I wouldn’t have said it.”

“Haha, that’s true. I’m proud of my hobby.”

“I see you like pretty furry ones. Is that why you grew a beard? Do you feel good every time you look in the mirror?”

“Would you feel good seeing a rough, middle-aged man’s face? It’s just that my beard grows faster. I shaved as soon as I woke up this morning, but it already looks like this.”

“I’m envious.”

Jae-Hyeok might have strong convictions, but he was still a sixteen-year-old boy. He had a side that envied the signs of adulthood.

“Surprisingly, you’re still a kid.” The tension eased in Lee Gi-Bok as he laughed.

At the beginning of the semester, he’d had a small conflict with Jae-Hyeok while Jae-Hyeok was looking for Baek Do-Jin’s room. Nevertheless, Jae-Hyeok showed no wariness and followed him to the superintendent’s office despite being unaware of any potential traps he could’ve set.

He thought, Baek Do-Jin must’ve talked a lot of trash about me to him.

There was no shortage of people who weren’t on good terms with Baek Do-Jin.

However, Baek Do-Jin especially hated Lee Gi-Bok.

As for why, Lee Gi-Bok had only recently come to understand.

He was a middle-aged man who’d entered the school late and had A-class potential. In other words, he was in a position to set an example for the rest of the young students. But he didn’t. Instead, he’d tried to take advantage of the students' youth and inexperience to sway them into joining his future faction.

His behaviour had been manipulative and opportunistic.

The more Lee Gi-Bok thought about it, the more lowly he felt.

I didn’t even realize it was something to be embarrassed about.

He’d believed that being scouted by him, who would become an A-class player, was a blessing to those students, something they should be grateful for.

That all changed after he’d met Jae-Hyeok.

My potential is only A-class. What’s there to make a fuss about?”

Lee Gi-Bok glanced at Jae-Hyeok’s eyes. They were still as black as an abyss—even now, he couldn’t fathom their depth.

Lee Gi-Bok was once again struck by how pathetic he truly was. Sigh. he took a deep breath and started to explain.

“You’re aware that the significance of Class A is even more special among the seniors, right?”

Class A was supposed to be a gathering of the top elite, but in the freshman year, it wasn’t viewed as anything too special because many freshmen only qualified because they had raised their level beforehand, using tricks like power leveling. In other words, Class A in the freshman year was perceived as a class of privileged people.

That was not the case in the second year.

Only those who had achieved top-level results in the first year were admitted into Class A in the second year, meaning Class A students were viewed in a completely different light in the second year compared to the first. As for those freshmen who’d gotten into Class A with their family’s support, most of them failed to return to Class A after the first year.

“There is someone called Gu Suk-Jeong in the prestigious Second Year Class A. He has one of the five major guilds, Guardian, as his backer.”

Lee Gi-Bok was about to light a cigarette, but he remembered Jae-Hyeok’s age and scratched his head instead. “He came to visit me this morning and asked me what room you and Baek Do-Jin are in. It felt off, so I investigated and found that a junior with bandages all over his body visited his room early in the morning.”

There was a reason he had the position of superintendent. Lee Gi-Bok had some idea of what went on in the dormitory building.

“The identity of that junior is the son of the sub-master of the Guardian Guild. Do you understand what this means?”

“Yes.”

Jae-Hyeok nodded.

I knew Jeong Ru-Han wouldn’t back down so easily.

He was garbage trying to control another person’s life. It was obvious he had no shame or conscience.

Jae-Hyeok had expected that Jeong Ru-Han would fail to reflect on his actions and instead go on a rampage while attempting to take back Park Hae-Rin and get revenge.

Good. I held back last time in hopes this would happen.

Based on the shattered condition of Jeong Ru-Han’s body, a third party might have believed that Jae-Hyeok had attacked with murderous intent. But they were mistaken.

If Jae-Hyeok hadn’t held back, Jeong Ru-han would’ve been crippled at the very least. However, Jae-Hyeok had been careful not to instill fear in Jaong Ru-Han’s heart just yet.

Sometimes, the more a person is allowed to struggle, the worse their frustration.

Besides, Park Hae-Rin also needs to face him.

Being an aristocrat didn’t mean being a nanny.

He could support the waist of someone trying to stand on their own and push the backs of those who wanted to move forward, but he couldn’t take full responsibility for everything in their lives.

***

“Kang Jae-Hyeok, Baek Do-Jin, Chae Da-Hee, and Park Hae-Rin... ”

Gu Suk-Jeong looked at the documents containing information about Kang Jae-Hyeok’s team members and whistled.

“It’s a team whose future is worth looking forward to. Baek Do-Jin and Park Hae-Rin are flawed idiots, but Kang Jae-Hyeok and Chae Da-Hee’s results are almost on par with the best records in history for the first year.

“Chae Da-Hee’s performance is particularly spectacular. Kang Jae-Hyeok has an exaggerated evaluation because of his role in the Leech King’s raid, but Chae Da-Hee has always stood out even in Class A. The position of the runner-up freshman isn’t a title that anyone can get. Moreover, she can practically be considered another top freshman in her own right.”

Chae Da-Hee’s entrance examination score was superior to the previous top freshmen's scores. If it weren’t for the Shinras’ successor entering school the same year as her, she would have taken the title of top freshman.

“Too bad. Being in second must’ve been quite the blow to her, right? It might be better to focus on her to create an opening.”

“You saw it right away.” Gu Suk-Jeong nodded and called a friend to share the details. Before hanging up, he promised, “And if you manage this matter well, all of you will be dispatched to Guardian next year. Earning credits and becoming a member of one of the five major guilds after graduation will all be your rewards.”

A deep smile spread across Gu Suk-Jeong’s face after he put away his phone. “Now, let’s go catch the weakness of that idiot Jeong Ru-Han.”

***

At this point, was it really bad luck?

The dish she ate every day had been sold out in front of her nose, even though the oyster and mackerel sandwiches usually had leftovers...

The training ground she used every night had been full, leaving no space for her to train...

Then, out of frustration, she had gone to the shooting range, only to find every path under construction...

It was absurd.

“I think there’s danger.” Hae-Rin, who was accompanying Da-Hee, finally became suspicious of the situation. “It feels like we’re being led into a trap.”

Da-Hee laughed. “That’s ridiculous. Dozens or even hundreds of people put in so much effort just to cause trouble for the two of us?”

Da-Hee wanted to laugh it off, but her expression suddenly became serious when she saw that Hae-Rin’s usually blank eyes had a cold, sharp gleam to them. She looked like a leopard, not a cat.

Da-Hee could be in danger due to me. Hae-Rin knew Jeong Ru-Han’s tenacious personality. It wouldn’t be strange if he targeted her again using the shadow warriors.

Hae-Rin and Da-Hee turned down a spooky alley they didn’t normally take. Just then, a terrible stench stung their noses.

It was the stench of monsters, coming from the nearby restricted area.

"Let's go back," Hae-Rin urged. The streetlight was broken, and the dark path ahead only made her more nervous.

“Where are you going?”

Suddenly, someone appeared behind them.

The girl had an eyepatch over one eye and her hair in twin ponytails. Her short uniform jacket was adorned with silver studs and skull jewelry, giving off a strong impression.

“S-school bully?!”

“I didn’t think Park Hae-Rin would be here too. It worked out well.”

The girl with twin ponytails stuck out her tongue before tossing out a skull ring.

A dark green fog quickly filled Da-Hee and Hae-Rin’s view.

It was poisonous fog.

Da-Hee and Hae-Rin were students with excellent grades. They immediately took out gas masks from their inventory, put them on, and scattered.

Bang!

An explosion occurred at the place where they had just been standing.

The girl with twin ponytails frowned. They have good judgment and quick actions.

Still, they were just freshmen. She grinned slyly as she released mana through the bottoms of her feet and leapt onto the roof of a nearby building.

She quickly scanned the narrow alley filled with thick, poisonous fog and instantly identified the locations of Da-Hee and Hae-Rin.

I was originally aiming for Chae Da-Hee.

She hadn’t expected to catch Hae-Rin, too, since Hae-Rin had been tailing Kang Jae-Hyeok lately. This was an opportunity to monopolize both rewards. Her eye flashed with excitement as she removed her skull earring.

It was a more powerful bomb than the ring she’d thrown earlier.

“Don’t die.”

The girl smirked and threw the earring.

“Don’t underestimate me.”

With an intense stare, Da-Hee shot toward the earring and thrust her rapier like lightning, accurately catching the falling earring before flicking her sword and sending it flying toward the sky.

“What?!”

The girl with twin ponytails was surprised by the unexpected counterattack and slow to respond.

Bang!

The skull earring exploded near her.

“Cheeky brat!”

The girl's eyes widened in fury after her uniform was scorched in several places. She wore sharp finger covers and jumped off the rooftop.

Clang!Claaaang!

Her ten sharp fingers and Da-Hee’s rapier rapidly clashed.

The girl’s expression became more and more vicious. She might be the runner-up freshman, but how can a junior be like this? How was she managing to block her relentless attacks?

Level, stats, skills, and experience—the girl with twin ponytails should have an overwhelming advantage in all aspects. So why?

“Is it all about talent in the end?”

The enraged girl employed a trick she usually saved for real combat.

Every time Da-Hee’s rapier blocked her fingers, she detonated the tips of her nail armor.

“Ugh!”

Da-Hee was affected by an explosion every time they exchanged blows and quickly became ragged. She was covered with soot as if she had just stepped out of a fiery pit.

Hae-Rin did her best to assist. She used the shield technique passed down to the successor of the Guardian Guild to slow down the attacks of the girl with twin ponytails while absorbing the explosion in Da-Hee’s place.

“Bah! I wonder how long you can endure like that.”

The girl with twin ponytails snorted. It was too reckless to block a bomb with a shield. The impact transmitted through the shield was bound to accumulate in the human body.

Sure enough, Hae-Rin’s movements quickly slowed down.

“I can endure it, so run.”

Nevertheless, Hae-Rin didn’t back down. Da-Hee was in this crisis because of her, so she was ready to protect Da-Hee at all costs.

“No. I’m fighting with you.”

Da-Hee’s attitude was no different. She dreamed of becoming an aristocrat like the Yaksha. She couldn’t leave her comrade to run away alone.

In the end, the girl with twin ponytails stared in confusion at the two of them standing side by side.

“You don’t know how scary seniors can be. From my perspective, it’s good that I won’t have to play the annoying game of tag.”

She snapped her fingers, and new girls appeared at the entrance of the alley. It was her team, the Skull team.

A total of four second-year students surrounded Da-Hee and Hae-Rin.

“Ah...” Da-Hee gulped nervously.

Their backs were against the wall.

We can’t win like this. Hae-Rin’s judgment was the same.

I don’t want to go back to Jeong Ru-Han.... Father, I’m sorry.

Thump!

She squeezed her eyes shut and set down her shield.

“What? Are you giving up so easily?”

The girl with twin ponytails clicked her tongue in disappointment. She thought Hae-Rin had given up after seeing Hae-Rin throw away her shield.

However, reality was different.

Hae-Rin had decided to unseal her Initial Skill, a power she’d sealed after seeing her father’s disappointment...

That Skill could get Da-Hee out of this crisis. Hae-Rin prepared to activate it, but she couldn’t help trembling. What would happen when news of her relying on her initial skill instead of the shield—the symbol of the Guardian Guild—reached her father’s ears? Her father was still bedridden; would his condition worsen? Jeong Ru-Han had often whispered, saying it would.

Hae-Rin trembled but couldn’t move. Her limbs felt bound in thick chains.

Da-Hee wrapped an arm around her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything painful.”

They were at their wits’ end, and Da-Hee didn’t know of Hae-Rin’s past, but it didn’t matter. Seeing her pain, Da-Hee comforted her gently as a true aristocrat should.

“The two of you are going crazy together.” The girl with twin ponytails noticed the sudden firmness in Da-Hee’s eyes, which had just been wavering, and her irritation surged.

She activated her Skill and created blue orbs of mana above her hands.

Bang bang bang bang bang!!

Suddenly, gunshots rang out from all directions.

“Huh?”