This was Do Seungwoo’s rebellion.
For him, this midterm was an opportunity to raise his own value, and also a chance to overturn the power structure among the first-year swordsmanship students.
If he seized excellent grades, it was obvious that his standing among them would grow.
It would not be impossible to reorganize the existing system centered around Do Gyeonwoo.
For someone like him, who was not satisfied with the present, it was worth taking the risk—even if that risk was committing fraud.
The same was true for the students who usually followed Do Seungwoo.
“It’s Noh Hyowon of the Crimson Noh Clan!”
“She’s Do Gyeonwoo’s lackey, isn’t she? Perfect.”
“Take her down right here!”
Do Gyeonwoo of the Divine Sword Do Clan represented the collective will of the first-year swordsmanship students.
Naturally, the students belonging to his faction wielded considerable influence.
Conversely, those who had been pushed to the fringes for various reasons—because they had not been chosen by Do Gyeonwoo, because their families lacked power, because their reputations were poor, or because they had lost in power struggles—had no choice but to harbor dissatisfaction.
Thus, gathered around Do Seungwoo out of necessity and for the sake of an uncertain future, they did not shy away from a gamble that could change the direction of power.
“There’s someone over there too!”
“That guy’s from Do Gyeonwoo’s faction as well!”
“Beat them all down! Make sure to thoroughly disrupt their exam!”
“Don’t worry about retaliation! We have Seungwoo!”
“It’s fine! Once this exam is over, Do Gyeonwoo’s gang won’t be able to say a word!”
Only the students who would become meritorious contributors to the new order knew that Do Seungwoo had leaked the exam information.
The rest had joined the scheme without knowing the detailed circumstances.
However, even if there was a gap in information between them, all of them, driven by the desire to rise in status, exerted themselves to make the scheme succeed.
“I don’t care about anyone else, but don’t let Noh Hyowon get away!”
“There will be a reward later for whoever defeats Noh Hyowon!”
Meanwhile, the objective of the scheme could broadly be divided into two parts.
One was to use the leaked exam information so that Do Seungwoo’s faction would obtain overwhelmingly high scores, enough to make Do Gyeonwoo’s faction lose face.
And the other was to incapacitate Do Gyeonwoo’s faction so they could not properly take the midterm.
To that end, Do Seungwoo’s faction, summoned into the Forest of Bewilderment, was moving in groups and ambushing Do Gyeonwoo’s faction.
“I thought things had been suspicious lately. So you were planning to stage a revolt during the exam?”
The Battle Princess of the Crimson Noh Clan, Noh Hyowon.
She, too, with her red hair tied back, was ambushed by Do Seungwoo’s faction.
Having just saved the first landmark, she looked at those surrounding her and let out a faint laugh.
Through the general situation, she had roughly grasped their intentions.
Immediately after, her eyes sharpened as she gripped her greatsword and took her stance.
“You think you can conquer me with those numbers? Come if you dare. Try conquering me.”
“……”
“But in the end, the ones who’ll be conquered won’t be me. It’ll be you.”
Do Seungwoo’s rebellion was not a crisis for Noh Hyowon, but an opportunity.
If she simply suppressed this situation, no force would remain to resist Do Gyeonwoo’s faction.
In other words, she would be able to firmly consolidate her own… no, Do Gyeonwoo’s power.
“Just thinking about it is thrilling.”
With her eyes shining with ambition for power, Noh Hyowon unconsciously licked her lips.
She was not worried about her own faction, who were surely being attacked even at this very moment.
If they were people she had personally chosen, then they would certainly be able to overcome hardship.
On the other hand, worrying about Do Gyeonwoo was also meaningless.
No, perhaps he had anticipated this long ago and intended to wipe out Do Seungwoo’s forces in one fell swoop.
Thinking that way….
‘Do Gyeonwoo, you truly are a terrifying man. As expected, you are worthy of conquering me.’
Noh Hyowon, arbitrarily guessing at Do Gyeonwoo’s true intentions, shuddered in excitement.
Going even further, she spread the wings of her delusion even wider.
‘Could he be testing me? If I want to continue leading the faction, he wants me to show the ability to subjugate all of them.’
For someone called the Battle Princess of the Crimson Noh Clan to be placed on the chopping block—it was truly laughable.
But the fact that Do Gyeonwoo had expectations of her did not feel unpleasant.
It was satisfying.
Noh Hyowon lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Very well. I’ll prove my worth by conquering you.”
Soon, Noh Hyowon swung her greatsword in a great arc.
A fierce wind rose, and within it, undying embers flared.
Whoosh!
The crimson embers riding the wind rapidly swelled in force and surged upward.
It was also a signal flare Noh Hyowon sent to Do Gyeonwoo’s faction, telling them to prepare for danger.
* * *
The Rabbit of the Divine Sword Do Clan, Do Gyeonwoo.
There was no way the students belonging to Do Seungwoo’s faction did not know his reputation.
The rumor that he had easily defeated Do Seungwoo, his record of entering the Academy as the second-ranked student, the skill he had shown before at the Prestigious Swordsmanship Families Association, and the outstanding merit he had achieved during the Thornvine Spire raid—
To them, he was not an opponent they could do anything about.
Even so, the reason they charged at him despite factoring in the difference in skill was entirely because they trusted in their numbers.
“Don’t be scared! No matter how strong Do Gyeonwoo is, he’s still only one person! He can never beat us in numbers!”
“Don’t recklessly go in too deep! Just keep him in check and wear him down!”
Every student who followed Do Seungwoo knew full well that he hated Do Gyeonwoo.
So if they defeated Do Gyeonwoo, they would later be able to seize a high position in the newly formed system under Do Seungwoo.
Having finished their calculations in their heads, the students grinned as if they held the advantage.
Spreading out in all directions and taking up a formation that pressured Do Gyeonwoo, they could not conceal their ambitions.
“Maintain your distance from each other!”
It was fine. There was no need to be afraid.
There would be some damage, but it would be manageable.
No matter how outstanding Do Gyeonwoo’s skill was, there was no way he could face an encirclement of ten people alone.
The students were confident in their numerical superiority.
Crackle!
“…Huh?”
Their confidence soon became arrogance, and it bestowed upon them a blue punishment.
By the time they realized it, it was already too late.
The moment they stepped into Do Gyeonwoo’s domain and tried to swing their swords, Do Gyeonwoo stepped forward faster than them and swung his own.
It was a strike their eyes could not follow.
Blue lightning sparked along the trajectory drawn by the dark-blue blade.
“……”
“That’s one animal, first.”
Azure Thunder.
The symbol that proved one was a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan.
The students who felt that Azure Thunder before their eyes—no, directly grazing their skin—instinctively stiffened.
The expressions that had been so certain of victory moments ago had completely vanished.
“B-be careful.”
“You should’ve been careful from the start.”
“……”
Only then did the students, their faces stiff with tension, truly feel the gap between themselves and Do Gyeonwoo.
It would be best to abandon the belief that they could win by overwhelming him with numbers.
Gripped by belated regret, the students were forced to feel a sense of dismay.
At that moment, their vision was suddenly dyed blue.
“Another one.”
A student on the outskirts abruptly crumpled to the ground.
Do Gyeonwoo, who had moved positions before they knew it, had his sword resting on his shoulder.
He spoke as if it were nothing.
“He did get hit in the back of the head, but he won’t die. I hit him with the back of the blade.”
“……”
“But if he’s unlucky and dies… wouldn’t that be his responsibility, not mine? After all, I had no intention of killing him.”
It would be entirely the dead person’s fault. Right?
The students could not say anything in response to Do Gyeonwoo’s words.
They merely pointed their swords at him while stepping backward.
It was an expression of their fear of him.
Reading the students’ state of mind, Do Gyeonwoo chuckled lightly.
“Let’s see. How many animals are left now?”
“W-wait!”
“If you don’t want to end up like them, cry. Begging is fine too. No, bark. You’re dogs, after all.”
“…Woof. Woof woof. G-Gyeonwoo, we’re sorry. It looks like we got a little carried away, and we sincerely apologize. Should we even smash our heads into the ground? No, instead of this, how about joining hands with us? We’ll tell you the locations of the landmarks nearby—”
“That’s strange. Since when can dogs speak human language?”
“……”
“And a deal can only be made when both sides are equal. Am I equal to you?”
“N-no…. That’s not it….”
The information the students had?
He could just defeat them and forcibly obtain it anyway.
Do Gyeonwoo had no intention of negotiating with those who had rebelled against him.
“First, take your beating.”
Blue currents wriggled and surged upward.
Do Gyeonwoo’s face, wreathed in Azure Thunder, shone eerily.
After that, the students lost consciousness.
* * *
“You were getting cocky.”
“Ugh….”
No one ever considers that they might fail; everyone only dreams of success.
Then they meet the cruel wall of reality, become frustrated, and that is the way of the world.
The students rolling at my feet and groaning were no different.
They must have had something they were relying on, in their own minds, but unfortunately for them, it did not work on me.
‘Everyone has a plausible plan until they get hit.’
Did they really think I would try to fight alone while knowing it was reckless?
I had assessed their skills in advance, concluded that it was more than doable, and then entered the fight.
It was possible because I had a status window.
And yet the students collapsed on the ground had failed to properly measure the gap between themselves and their opponent, blindly charging in while relying only on numbers. It was pathetic beyond belief.
I looked down at the ones who had suffered fractures somewhere and could no longer properly take the midterm, then clicked my tongue.
Then I removed the necklaces and Gate Watches they carried.
‘If I initialize the data on the necklaces, there’s a risk that the information sent to the Gate Watches might disappear too, so I should check the watches first.’
I operated the students’ Gate Watches and brought up the map screen.
On the map, the landmark locations transmitted to them were marked.
I recorded that information into my own Gate Watch.
Then I neatly overlapped my necklace with theirs.
“Is this how you do it?”
Just like when I had registered the metal plate in the groove of the landmark moments ago.
After the set amount of time passed, the necklaces flashed brightly.
The information they had collected was separately saved in my necklace, and their necklaces were initialized.
“Here. I’ll give these back. I used them well. Take them.”
“……”
I had no further use for their Gate Watches or necklaces.
I tossed them onto the stomachs of the ones who still could not get up from the ground.
Their faces, as if the pain had not yet faded, rapidly darkened.
Even so, they could not bring themselves to say anything and lowered their eyes.
A few clenched their fists and trembled, as if resentful.
‘That’s why you shouldn’t have gone against me from the start. Wouldn’t it have been nice if you’d just quietly guided me?’
I did not pity the ones who were certain to receive low grades on the exam.
If they had won instead, I would have been the one lying flat on the ground, suppressing my rage.
In the end, it was self-inflicted.
I spoke to one of the students from a prestigious swordsmanship family.
“Hey.”
“…What.”
“You said earlier that you knew where the nearest landmark from here was, right?”
“…You saw our Gate Watches, didn’t you? What was written there was everything.”
“Your Gate Watches said the closest one was seven kilometers away, though? Is that what you call close?”
“Yeah, that’s the clos—”
“Don’t lie.”
“……”
“Spit out where it is.”
There was no way I, who knew about Do Seungwoo’s movements, would be fooled.
Kneeling on one knee on the ground, I stared directly into the male student’s eyes.
After a brief staring contest, he tucked his tail between his legs.
“If you go two kilometers in the three o’clock direction from here, you’ll find it.”
“Two kilometers…. That’s reasonably close. You’re not lying, are you?”
“I swear on my parents, it’s true.”
“Still, I can’t trust you completely, so I’ll take your student ID. If you happen to have deceived me, then after the exam ends, I can take separate measures.”
“What?”
“I’ll return your student ID after the exam.”
I rummaged through the male student’s clothes and took out his wallet.
The wallet was quite thick.
Out of curiosity, I counted the cash inside and took his student ID.
“You carry a lot of money around. Next time, make sure to carry only a little. If it hadn’t been me, they might’ve even taken your money….”
“Sorry, my memory got a little mixed up. It wasn’t three o’clock, it was nine o’clock.”
“…”
This is why I take their student IDs.
Looking down at the embarrassed male student, I scattered the money from his wallet.
I flung the card far away.
“Then good luck on the exam.”
“Krgh!”
Whether the male student wailed while frantically picking up the fallen money or not,
I paid him no mind and turned, heading for the nearest gate.
[A landmark has been detected.]
[Transmitting the location of the 3rd landmark.]
In that way,
while occasionally running into Do Seungwoo’s gang, I was able to register the landmarks smoothly.
[A landmark has been detected.]
[Transmitting the location of the… 11th landmark.]
Before I knew it, I had found half the landmarks and gathered the loot dropped by monsters as well.
I checked the map on my Gate Watch and sank into thought.
‘This one, or that one… The marked landmarks are all pretty far away…’
The distance between landmarks was also something I had to take into consideration.
It wasn’t efficient to get one, then go get another.
It would be nice if a newly transmitted landmark happened to be located somewhere in between, but I couldn’t gamble on that.
‘It’d be nice if there were one nearby…’
Since I had been storing monster loot, there wasn’t much space left in my pocket either.
If I wanted to move comfortably, I needed to deal with the contents.
I finished thinking it over.
‘Can’t be helped. Let’s go to the temporary shop.’
As it happened, the temporary shop was not too far from here.
I immediately left my spot.
Before long, a tent set up in the middle of the forest came into view.
In front of the entrance stood a sign that read, “Temporary Shop.”
“Welcome, Gyeonwoo. Is your exam going well?”
“So you’re the shopkeeper, Instructor.”
Yu Noeul sat beneath the tent on a folding chair, a long table spread out before her.
She waved and greeted me.
Behind her were stacked boxes that likely contained the goods sold in the shop.
“What did you come for? Items? Information? As long as you pay the points, I’ll kindly help you within the limits permitted by the exam. Just say whatever you need. You can have a meal, or take a bath. Or…”
Yu Noeul trailed off with a mischievous smile.
Then she swept her fallen hair back and winked.
“Your instructor’s se-cret private life?”
Emphasizing certain syllables, Yu Noeul tilted her head slightly.
Knowing full well that she was trying to enjoy my reaction, I snorted and replied.
“Nope. First, I’m hungry, so I want to eat something. Just give me your candy, Instructor. That’s free, right?”
“You shouldn’t take your instructor’s goodwill for granted, Gyeonwoo. Don’t treat your instructor like a freebie!”
“Yes, free candy, please.”
* * *
At that time, Do Seungwoo was collecting landmarks without obstruction.
It was thanks to the exam information he had obtained by bribing an instructor, which allowed him to plot an efficient route from his current position.
Meanwhile, the Gim triplets and the faction students joined him one by one.
As they had planned before the midterm began, they had gathered by finding out his location through the temporary shop.
As his forces gradually increased like that, the competitors in the area prudently kept their distance.
The monster subjugation accelerated.
“Seungwoo! We finished off all the monsters!”
“You go register the landmark!”
“We’ll stand guard in case there are any monsters left nearby!”
By now, the number of landmarks Do Seungwoo had stored was approaching thirty.
It would not be an exaggeration to say he was leading among the students taking the year’s practical exam.
Gim Ilsik, Gim Isik, and Gim Samsik made a fuss as they praised him.
But he was not swept up in it.
“We move to the next one.”
“Okay! We’ll guide you!”
For Do Seungwoo, who knew the location of every landmark, this was only natural.
Rather, it would have been strange for him not to take first place.
That was why he felt no curiosity toward the problems, no initiative to solve them, nor any sense of achievement.
The emotions eating away at him as he committed fraud and strayed from the righteous path were a trace of guilt and sin, a desire for recognition and power, and furthermore, an inferiority complex and hatred toward Do Gyeonwoo.
So the moment he showed emotion would be after he collected every landmark.
‘Two left, then.’
The year’s practical exam ended by collecting the thirty landmarks hidden in the field and exiting the gate.
But for Do Seungwoo, the exam would practically begin from that point onward.
Starting then, he intended to wage war against Do Gyeonwoo in earnest.
‘This time, I will absolutely… bring you down.’
Do Seungwoo could hardly wait for that moment.
To do that, he had to obtain the remaining landmarks.
It was then that he woke from his thoughts at the sound coming from up ahead.
“There’s someone at ten o’clock!”
“…It’s the disciple of the Seven-Colored Witch, Bunny!”
“It’s Yeon Haneul!”
The Gim triplets delivered the news.
Bunny, Yeon Haneul.
Hearing the name of the girl who was extremely close to Do Gyeonwoo, Do Seungwoo looked ahead.
White and blue hair and rabbit ears stood out in the forest where the greenery fluttered.
Taking in the sight of her figure, he immediately gave orders to the students.
“Wait. Stop.”
The students obeyed at once.
Do Seungwoo suppressed his presence along with them and observed Yeon Haneul up ahead.
From the looks of it, there did not seem to be anyone accompanying her.
‘Come to think of it, Do Gyeonwoo got angry because of that demihuman before.’
Do Seungwoo recalled the incident at the Noble Swordsmanship Families Association.
As someone who regarded demihumans as inferior beings, he could not understand Do Gyeonwoo, who seemed to cherish Yeon Haneul.
However, the face Do Gyeonwoo had made when he revealed such intense emotion because of her had left a very strong impression.
‘That demihuman is Do Gyeonwoo’s reverse scale.’
Do Seungwoo’s face twisted hideously.
His hand slid down along his waist, heading toward the pocket where he kept the vial.
‘If something were to happen to that demihuman…’
Do Gyeonwoo, what kind of face will you show me?
How much will you suffer, and how deeply will you despair?
Joy flashed in Do Seungwoo’s eyes.
At last, seized by that emotion, he…
“From now on, we hunt Bunny.”
…made an irreversible choice.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss
(155) [Illustration]
The locations where Bak Sagun and Yong Haerang were summoned were not far apart.
Thanks to that, the two were able to meet relatively early after the exam began.
Afterward, they set out together to search for landmarks.
In the process, Bak Sagun was able to glimpse a side of Yong Haerang he had not known in everyday life.
Yong Haerang, he was…
“Haerang! Not that way, this way! You’re going the wrong way right now!”
…an utterly hopeless directionally challenged person.
Yong Haerang kept confusing the path, and at some point would veer off in a strange direction.
Because of that, if one absentmindedly followed him, it was easy to end up lost again and again.
Bak Sagun, who had nearly fallen into a similar situation, hurriedly called out to Yong Haerang, who had gone ahead.
“Oh, is that so? I went because you said we just had to keep going this way. I suppose that wasn’t it?”
“That’s… because the terrain of the forest is as complicated as a maze. There aren’t any cleared paths, and they’re winding, plus there are cases where obstacles block the way, so our direction keeps shifting little by little.”
“Hmm, is that so. They called it the Bewildering Forest, didn’t they? I can see why the instructors chose this place as the exam site. One wrong move and you’d be bound to get lost. Bak Sagun, if I hadn’t met you, I would’ve had a hard time. Thanks.”
“Friends are supposed to help each other out. Then shall we keep going? It’s this way.”
“Got it! Just trust me and follow!”
“…”
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that Yong Haerang was aware of the fact that he was bad with directions.
It was better than him not realizing it, causing conflict, and giving others grief.
Relieved by his obedient acceptance, Bak Sagun pointed out the correct direction.
Then Yong Haerang declared he would take the lead and shot forward like an arrow.
‘I don’t think that can be fixed.’
He looked just like a puppy that couldn’t control its hot blood and ran around recklessly.
Adjusting his glasses, Bak Sagun smiled bitterly.
He hurried after Yong Haerang, checking his Gate Watch from time to time.
At last, they were able to arrive near the landmark.
“Wait. There’s someone there.”
It was then that Yong Haerang signaled for a stop and landed on top of a tree.
Standing beside him, Bak Sagun narrowed his eyes and looked at the place where the landmark was located.
Students who seemed to have arrived first were crossing blades.
‘Judging by the fact that they’re all using swords, they seem to be from a swordsmanship line…’
It was a fight between a large group that seemed to have formed an alliance and a small group.
But the majority, drunk on their numerical advantage, seemed to be pressing down on the minority, looking down on them, and mocking them.
It did not seem like conduct meant simply to rob them of their necklaces.
They were clearly enjoying tormenting the minority regardless of the exam.
It was not a pleasant sight.
Bak Sagun’s brows furrowed on their own.
The emotions Yong Haerang felt were even stronger.
“To show no respect for one’s opponent—what wretches.”
As a member of the chivalrous Yong family, it was a scene he could not simply pass by.
Yong Haerang, who revered martial valor and carried out justice, revealed his anger.
He immediately leaped down from the tree and charged at the students in an instant.
Bak Sagun joined the fight right after him.
“Wh-what the hell!?”
Whether the students were startled by Yong Haerang suddenly entering the battle or not,
he lowered his stance, twisted his waist, wrapped one fist with his other hand, and muttered.
“Clench your molars.”
* * *
She was being pursued.
At first, she dismissed it as her imagination, but as time passed, the number of presences spying on her increased.
Considering that they did not reveal themselves despite knowing she had noticed, they did not seem to be approaching with good intentions.
From their gazes, she occasionally felt a murderous energy.
They were definitely enemies.
After storing the landmark information in her necklace, Yeon Haneul reached that conclusion and secretly spread out her detection net.
‘There seem to be at least ten of them.’
She had left them alone because they were far away, but before she knew it, the number of enemies had grown too large to ignore.
Moreover, they had now surrounded her from all sides and were gradually closing the distance.
“…”
The enemies had begun moving with her as their target.
Yeon Haneul swallowed, pretending to be as calm as possible.
Her grip quietly tightened on Mountain Echo, which Do Gyeonwoo had given her not long ago.
‘Why me? For what purpose?’
If it was to eliminate a competitor, she could understand it to some extent.
It was embarrassing to say as if she were bragging, but she was the top-scoring entrant, after all.
It would not be strange for students trying to get good grades on the exam to target her.
In fact, Yeon Haneul had often been attacked by such students.
However, the situation she was in now was difficult to explain with that alone.
‘The fact that they’ve been watching me since earlier, and the fact that a group this large is moving as if under command… It’s too organized.’
For a group hastily assembled after meeting in the exam site, it was too systematic.
It made no sense unless they had conspired beforehand.
That said, without knowing about the exam, it did not seem likely that they would have plotted merely to interfere with her exam.
It would be a waste of time with no benefit.
If asked whether she had done something that would earn her such a collective grudge, she could only shake her head.
At least, Yeon Haneul believed there was no way that was the case.
That was why she could not understand the situation of being targeted by students whose identities she did not know.
She was tense.
‘Should I use my Gift?’
Since she could not carelessly kill opponents who were not monsters, she had to deal with them by subduing them.
Realistically, however, it would be difficult for Yeon Haneul to face the enemies alone.
There was no proper method other than using her Gift to split herself into as many bodies as there were enemies.
‘…No. Let’s put that on hold for now.’
Even so, Yeon Haneul hesitated to make the decision.
Although she had succeeded in controlling her Gift during the Thornvine Spire raid, she still could not help feeling reluctant.
Unless the situation was urgent enough that she had to borrow the power of her Gift, she did not want to activate it if possible.
Around then, the enemies who had been hiding their presence revealed themselves.
Rustle! Tap! Tatak! Swoooosh!
‘…Three. And four.’
The students who had leapt down from the trees came charging in from both sides, parting the underbrush.
Standing in place, Yeon Haneul narrowed her eyes and looked around, reacting swiftly.
The instant she saw a flash of light within the bushes, she fired a bullet of wind toward it.
First-tier wind elemental magic.
Compared to Black Launcher, a dark elemental spell of the same tier with similar effects, this magic, with its greater freedom, was better suited to dynamic combat.
Even when used without her feet planted on the ground, the recoil was not severe.
Its killing power was also on the lower side.
In that way, Yeon Haneul rapid-fired magic, cutting off any opening for long-range attacks.
At the same time, she swung Sanullim and drove back the approaching students.
But the enemies did not end with them.
Rustle, rustle! Tap!
‘…There are more again.’
While she was dealing with the enemies already there, new ones appeared one after another.
Because they attacked in sequence, striking and withdrawing like a spinning pinwheel, Yeon Haneul could not avoid struggling.
Especially troublesome were the triplets, who did not overextend themselves and instead tried to wear down her strength.
‘Their teamwork is annoying.’
Triplets who looked exactly alike, like U Geumdong, U Eundong, and U Dongdong.
Unlike them, who had a mischievous side that made them hard to hate outright, these bastards’ slippery nature stood out.
Their sinister gazes were unpleasant as well.
Meanwhile, the students were exchanging signals with them through their eyes.
Judging by the way things were going, it seemed those bastards were directing the students.
‘Then if I just take them down, the situation should get a lot easier….’
The problem was that the triplets’ coordination was solid, and they knew when to retreat and protect themselves.
Restricted in her use of magic because the students were constantly keeping her in check, Yeon Haneul bit her lip.
It was just then.
Rumble!
“…!”
A blue light surged up at the edge of her vision.
Turning her head, Yeon Haneul was shocked to see the light close the distance in an instant.
There was no way she would fail to recognize the identity of that light, which was violently scattering sparks.
‘Why is Azure Thunder….’
Offensive Form Five, Lion’s Onslaught.
It was unmistakably the swordsmanship of the Divine Sword Do family.
Reflexively, Yeon Haneul raised Sanullim and received the sword falling toward her head.
Unable to withstand the impact, her feet left the ground.
Sent flying backward, she performed a breakfall and widened the distance.
Then she turned her gaze toward the one who had attacked her.
“You are….”
“Is this the first time we’ve faced each other like this?”
Amid the scattering blue lightning, a male student stood there.
Having heard about him through Do Gyeonu before, Yeon Haneul immediately recalled his name.
Do Gyeonu’s cousin, Do Seungwoo.
And the one who had once tormented Do Gyeonu and humiliated him.
“It looks like you know who I am, so I suppose there’s no need for a separate introduction.”
“….”
For Yeon Haneul, who knew about his relationship with her childhood friend, he was someone she could never welcome.
Just seeing Do Seungwoo’s face made her feel displeased.
Naturally, irritation seeped into her voice.
“What do you want with me? It doesn’t seem like you’re simply planning to take my necklace.”
“It’s not that I have no interest in your necklace… but I do have other business.”
Grinning, Do Seungwoo pointed his sword at her.
Yeon Haneul, not lowering her guard so she could fight at any moment, glared at him with force in her eyes.
“The fact that you’re especially close to that bastard.”
“….”
“There couldn’t be any business more important than that, could there? That alone is reason enough for me to target you.”
“…I see. So that’s what this is.”
With only the information given to her, Yeon Haneul immediately grasped Do Seungwoo’s intent.
Though she did not know his exact scheme, he intended to disgrace her and use that to get at Do Gyeonu.
If so, she could not let things go his way.
She refused to become a shackle on him.
‘I didn’t like him anyway. When I heard about it from Gyeonu, I wanted to teach him a lesson myself.’
Yeon Haneul did not hide her fighting spirit.
There was no way the students arrayed around her failed to sense the change.
Feeling danger, they shouted and rushed at her all at once.
Just before they stepped into her domain—
Holding Sanullim, Yeon Haneul spun once and used the rotational force to strike the ground.
The mana dwelling in the iron hammer exploded, spreading impact outward from the point of contact like ripples.
The students standing within the range felt their bodies vibrate.
Some could not move at all.
‘So that means you all….’
Whoosh! Thud!
“Guh!”
Crack!
‘…are Gyeonu’s enemies.’
Her white and blue hair streaming behind her.
Yeon Haneul mercilessly struck the students with Sanullim.
She did not care whether they were injured or lost consciousness and collapsed.
Having punched a hole through the encirclement in an instant, she promptly headed toward Do Seungwoo.
She brought the iron hammer down.
“You can die.”
“Kugh…!”
Yeon Haneul’s eyes flashed red.
Finding it too risky to block the attack falling straight from the front, Do Seungwoo hastily widened the distance.
The iron hammer gouged out the spot where he had been, forming a crater.
Fragments that flew up even scratched his cheek.
But her attack was not over.
Unlike a moment ago, violently—
While retrieving Sanullim, Yeon Haneul aimed with her finger to keep him from approaching.
She fired bullets of wind in succession, disorienting him.
“Don’t get cocky.”
“You’re really dead, kyaaaagh…!”
“…!”
In the middle of it, Do Seungwoo’s faction launched a surprise attack.
But Yeon Haneul immediately swung her iron hammer, sealing off their approach.
Then, using magic to close the distance, she placed Do Seungwoo within her range.
Sanullim emitted a blue light.
It was her decisive move.
The blow, accelerated even further, fell from above his head with enough force to crush Do Seungwoo flat.
But her attack did not work.
“…What an utterly ignorant attack.”
Do Seungwoo had used the power of an artifact to cloak his body in solid wind.
At the unexpected situation, Yeon Haneul flinched.
The triplets did not miss that moment.
They aimed for her back.
────!!
Her rabbit ears pricked up.
Hearing the sound of something cutting through the air, Yeon Haneul nimbly dodged.
The tide of battle, which she had held for a brief moment, passed over to Do Seungwoo.
She had no choice but to respond defensively.
“A lowly demi-human who doesn’t even know her parents and has no roots.”
Do Seungwoo provoked Yeon Haneul, who had lost her momentum.
He spat out words that would grate on her nerves.
Those words became a dagger and lodged in her chest.
“Do you think someone like you suits our family? If you thought so, you were gravely mistaken.”
“….”
“I’m sure that bastard Do Gyeonu is only playing with you out of curiosity too.”
“…Don’t decide that on your own.”
Even knowing it was a provocation, Yeon Haneul could not compose her emotions.
Her agitation soon led to an opening.
She ended up allowing an attack.
Spurt!
“…Huh?”
Beast King Style Offensive Form Two, Lion’s Claw Mark.
The blade that slowed healing grazed Yeon Haneul’s side.
Fresh blood splattered from there.
Yeon Haneul’s eyes widened.
And then….
“Goodbye.”
The deadly poison that had seeped into the wound began to spread through her body.
Do Seungwoo pulled up the corners of his mouth.
* * *
While Yu Noeul converted the spoils I had gathered into Gg points—
I ate the candy she had given me and looked over the temporary shop’s menu.
The menu was extremely varied.
At the same time, I was thirsty and hungry.
It had been several hours since lunch, so it was only natural that I was hungry.
‘This won’t do. I need to eat something.’
The point conversion was not finished yet, but I must have gathered plenty.
Not only had I collected spoils from monsters, I had also stolen the information stored in other students’ necklaces, so there was no need to worry.
I spoke to Yu Noeul, who was measuring the value of a magic stone with a scale-shaped artifact.
“I’ll buy water, yukgaejang, and a Jeongseong lunchbox. Please deduct the points when you settle it.”
“That’s a total of 55 Gg points! The items are in that food box over there, so take them out yourself.”
“Ah, right. What about water for boiling the ramen?”
“There’s an electric kettle nearby, see? The usage fee is 5 Gg. And there’s a microwave next to it too. If you heat the lunchbox in the microwave for about one minute, it should be nice and tasty.”
“…Do you charge a usage fee for that too?”
“Yep, 5 Gg.”
“….”
Truly, there was not a single corner where points were not required.
If there was any relief, it was that she did not charge for occupying a seat.
Having no choice, I paid the additional points and sat down.
With a Jeongseong lunchbox and cup ramen, there was no way my stomach wouldn’t feel full.
Slurp!
‘Fried udon is good too, but when it comes to something that goes well with rice, it’s definitely yukgaejang.’
Around then, Yu Noeul, apparently finished with the conversion, sat across from me.
She held out my necklace and some kimchi.
“After deducting 65 Gg, you have 328 Gg. You gathered a lot of points in a short time, didn’t you?”
“There were a lot of kids who crawled up to me without fear. But what’s with the kimchi?”
“It’s a special service.”
“Oh, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
This must be what they called Korean warmth.
I enjoyed my meal with the kimchi.
Yu Noeul rested her chin on her hand with a pleased smile and watched me.
Before long, she asked.
“Is there anything else you want to buy?”
“There is. The location of a signpost. Where’s the closest one from here?”
Having drunk even the broth down to the bottom, I brought up the reason I had originally come to the temporary shop.
I hesitated inwardly as well.
Because the menu board said that, with points, one could also find out the location of a specific person.
‘If I followed my heart, I’d want to find out where Haneul is right now… but I shouldn’t do that.’
I smiled bitterly.
As someone who had plenty of points and did not obsess over my grades, my desire to find Yeon Haneul came first.
But if she found out about this, it was obvious she would get angry.
‘How could you waste points like that? I don’t want you to take a loss because of me. I don’t want to cause you trouble.’
Yeon Haneul’s reaction played out in my head.
Surely she would be happy, but she would also feel sorry toward me.
Not wanting to burden her, I had no choice but to restrain my desire, regretful as it was.
The points had already been deducted too.
“The signpost located the shortest distance from here is in the three o’clock direction, within 1.2 kilometers. I’ll send the exact coordinates to your Gate Watch.”
“Yes, thank you. By the way, for some items, you pay points in percentages. Isn’t that too much?”
“Finding the location or grades of a specific person counts as personal information. Wouldn’t its value naturally be that heavy?”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
The exam was still in full swing.
Having finished my business, I was about to get up from my seat to look for the signpost.
That was when Yu Noeul brought up a topic.
“Come to think of it, Gyeonu, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“According to the information coming in, Seungwoo’s faction is attacking your faction…. Not only that, but it seems they’re not leaving anyone they come across alone.”
“….”
“And they say the people currently at the top of the rankings are all from Seungwoo’s faction.”
“Is it okay for you to just tell me that information?”
“Normally, no. But the circumstances are a little special. Still, seeing that you’re not surprised, I guess you already knew? I was wondering where I should start, so this is a relief.”
Yu Noeul crossed her legs the other way.
Then, as if conveying something she could not say aloud, she leaned over the table and whispered into my ear.
“Won’t you cooperate with us?”
“…Us?”
“Yes, us. Me and the other instructors.”
“….”
The instructors were proposing cooperation.
It seemed I would need to hear the details.
“I’ll listen for now. I’ll decide after that.”
“You really have a personality that refuses to take a loss. All right, don’t worry. It won’t be a loss for you.”
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss