The venom of the nocturnal hornet is instantaneous.
From the moment it infiltrates the body, it causes interference in the mana circuits and disrupts the five senses. The symptoms slowly spread throughout the entire body, leading to a painful death. The more mana one has within their body, the more indescribable the agony.
“Ugh….”
“It seems the effect is working well.”
It could only act fatally upon Yeon Haneul.
She pressed her hand against the wound on her side, slashed by Do Seungu’s sword, to staunch the bleeding, biting her lip at the throbbing pain. Her composure crumbled in a situation where she couldn’t move her body as she wished.
‘…I can’t use magic.’
The wounded area burned as if branded by fire. It felt like her insides were charring. Having vaguely sensed that she’d been poisoned, Yeon Haneul urgently tried to cast a 2nd tier detoxification spell. But not only did her mana circuits resist, the students wouldn’t stay still either.
At that moment, having read the flow, they surged at her.
“Did you think we’d just let you be!”
“Don’t just stand there, get in, hurry!”
“Press the attack!”
“Kuk….”
Her body was heavy, refusing to move as she willed. Simply manifesting the mana within her body made it throb and ache. In such a situation, there was no way she could face the swarming students.
Before she knew it, Yeon Haneul was no longer the one wielding Mountain Echo, but was being battered around; clenching her teeth, she cast a spell. A 2nd tier darkness elemental magic that spread deep darkness around, degrading her opponents’ vision and senses. Yeon Haneul barely held onto her consciousness against the stinging sensation and immediately shifted her stance. The best choice available in her current state was to flee. Taking advantage of the gap she’d barely managed to create, she left the place with all her might.
“…She got away.”
Before long, the curtain of darkness lifted. Having realized Yeon Haneul’s absence, Do Seungu muttered indifferently.
‘There’s no need to regret it.’
By injecting poison into Yeon Haneul, he had achieved his intended goal. It couldn’t be cured by just any spell. The venom of the nocturnal hornet was something even the Gwangmyeong Holy House, the nation’s foremost house of white magic, couldn’t be confident of curing. Creating an antidote was also difficult. The ingredients were so rare that they couldn’t be obtained in this Gate. In the end, the possibility of Yeon Haneul detoxifying herself was impossibly low. It was as good as her death being preordained.
If there was any way to save her life at all.
‘I have the antidote.’
Only by using the antidote that Do Seungu possessed. Of course, he had no intention of handing it over. He held no particular grudge against Yeon Haneul, but her death would plunge Do Gyeonu into despair. Furthermore.
‘If that bastard knows I have the antidote, he’ll lose his mind.’
Taking Yeon Haneul and the antidote as hostages, he might be able to induce Do Gyeonu to accept a duel with him. For that purpose alone, he couldn’t let the escaped girl go just like this. Even if she died, she needed to die dramatically before his eyes to rile up Do Gyeonu.
Do Seungu gave an order to the Kim triplets.
“Go and capture her. Prioritize taking her alive, but if she resists too fiercely, you may kill her. I take responsibility.”
A person poisoned by the nocturnal hornet’s venom has their mana control ability degraded and ends up releasing mana from within their body. By now, Yeon Haneul must be leaking mana against her will, too. There was no way the monsters inhabiting the Forest of Bewitchment wouldn’t catch that scent of mana. Even if she hid her body diligently, he would be able to find her through the monsters’ movements. Do Seungu conveyed his deduction.
“So that means we can do as we please, right?”
“You won’t go back on your word later, right!?”
“Seungu, you’re the best! The best!”
The Kim triplets answered with expectant voices, seeking confirmation. Drunk on the madness that the group brought, greed glistened on their faces. Do Seungu was no different. He, who had begun to wield a sword that existed to carry out justice for his own base desires, no longer hesitated. The identity of being a group also diluted his sense of guilt.
“Do as you see fit.”
The students, including the Kim triplets, grinned from ear to ear. Cackling as they felt euphoria, they immediately set out to pursue Yeon Haneul.
Meanwhile, the screen chokers around their necks were not functioning properly for voice recording. It was because Do Seungu had bribed the instructors beforehand and broken them. Because of that, the instructors couldn’t hear their voices.
* * *
Yeon Haneul ran frantically. She had no leisure to think clearly. As time passed, her symptoms worsened, and barely holding onto her consciousness was the best she could do. She couldn’t even muster the will to activate her Gift of Division and shake off the pursuit. She lacked the confidence to control it perfectly.
‘I can’t stop. They’ll definitely come after me.’
Judging by the fact that detoxification magic didn’t work, it was clearly a special poison. Not knowing the true nature of the poison, she couldn’t help but feel fear. Above all, it hurt. Biting her lip and enduring the pain was also slowly reaching its limit. It felt like she wasn’t running across the ground but walking barefoot on a path of thorns. She felt like she would lose consciousness at any moment.
To make matters worse.
Rustle!
Grrrr!
Screeeech!
The mana flowing out against her will was drawing monsters in. Even in a poisoned state, Yeon Haneul, with her rabbit ears sensitive to hearing, picked up the monsters’ sounds and heightened her vigilance even further. She tried to hurriedly leave the spot before the monsters attacked.
‘I need to find a place where I can hide. There, while resting, a way to detoxify…’
Could she really find a place worth hiding in this situation? Even as a skeptical thought flashed by, Yeon Haneul didn’t stop running. She couldn’t give up and collapse like this. She would only cause trouble for Do Gyeonu. She absolutely hated that possibility no matter what. She would rather choose an ending where she died without even leaving a corpse. She endured through sheer willpower.
It was then that she discovered a cave located far away in an inconspicuous spot.
‘If I can get inside there…’
There might be a chance. Yeon Haneul ran with all her life. She was able to feel some relief upon entering the cave. As her tension loosened, strength drained from her body. She staggered. She collapsed heavily into the darkness.
‘Not yet…’
Her body wouldn’t listen. Her eyes closed, her consciousness grew hazy. She couldn’t resist.
“Gyeonu, hey….”
Yeon Haneul lost consciousness. And so, the lethal poison gnawed away at her.
* * *
Thinking about it now, it was strange that the instructors hadn’t noticed the signs. Even the student No Hyowon had vaguely foreseen Do Seungu’s scheme; there was no way those proctoring the exam wouldn’t have noticed. Even if they hadn’t, they couldn’t have escaped the Director’s eyes.
The Witch of Stars, So Hyeyul.
She, who schemed behind the scenes and held many secrets, one of the characters responsible for two bad endings, must have known. Yet the fact that no measures were taken meant that it was being deliberately tolerated. Yu Noeul explained the circumstances behind it.
“To shift to an uninteresting political talk, there are those among the board members who are jealous of the Director.”
“So those people are eyeing the Director’s position. And it just so happens that the instructors who are in their line of command have committed corruption.”
“Yes, I’m glad you catch on quickly. So the Director is trying to use this incident as a pretext to instill discipline in the board.”
“So you, the Witch, Instructor Suhoguk, and the other instructors are on the Director’s side?”
“Hmm… should I say temporarily so? I don’t know what you might think, but there are many people like Instructor Yena and Instructor Hoguk who don’t get involved in politics and purely wish to teach students. So many cooperated out of resentment toward those who stir the waters, so to speak.”
“Which side are you on, Instructor?”
“Me? I suppose I’m on that side for now. It was a bit intriguing, too. There’s probably a storm of blood raging outside the Gate by now.”
In the game, the focus was only on Do Seungu’s foul play, and the instructors’ circumstances were never highlighted. I never imagined a political battle would be taking place behind the scenes of the story. As someone who had been a veteran in their previous life, it felt nothing but fresh. But I couldn’t simply sit back and bask in the emotion. I decided to ask the reason for the visit.
“So what is this deal you’re proposing?”
“The thing is, to catch concrete physical evidence, we had to let the exam proceed like this. But then it looks like we’re condoning grade manipulation, right? The fairness of the exam drops, too. So…”
“You want me to lower Do Seungu’s gang’s scores so the manipulation won’t work.”
“Yes, that’s right. I wanted to ask you, Gyeonu, on behalf of the instructors.”
Indeed, So Hyeyul and the instructors, who were trying to purge with as little noise as possible, couldn’t leave the exam neglected forever. They would want to resolve this as quietly as possible to return the exam to normal. I could understand their feelings. What I was curious about was why they had picked me to ask.
“Why me?”
“Because you’re a person of the Divine Sword Do Family. Since someone from the same clan committed this act, I judged that you would actively help for the sake of the clan’s honor. Isn’t that so?”
Yu Noeul tilted her head with a bright smile. It was a reasoning I could agree with to some extent, so I nodded easily. Indeed, if one were from a prestigious house, they would have accepted her proposal to protect the clan’s honor. But I wasn’t.
“What do I get out of doing that?”
Even if I took pride in my clan, I didn’t equate myself with the clan. The clan was the clan, and I was me. Even if the clan’s honor was damaged by this incident, it wouldn’t hurt me. Since I knew the game’s story from the start, I could see the future. Even if I didn’t step forward unnecessarily.
‘Hanbyeol will take care of it.’
So all I had to do was watch and wait. Unless there was some separate benefit. Then, Yu Noeul answered.
“Leaving the clan’s honor aside, it wouldn’t be bad from your position either. You can weed out and suppress those who joined Seungu, can’t you?”
“That would have happened from the start even without you telling me. The kids under me are probably already working on it.”
“Ah. Come to think of it, you already knew? Then I can’t say there’s any benefit in that. Even if I tell you Seungu’s real-time location…”
“Isn’t that something you should obviously tell me?”
“Yes, that’s right. Hmm… this is tricky. What else could there be…”
Yu Noeul tapped her lips with her finger as if lost in thought. Soon, as if something had just come to mind, she spoke with a bright smile.
“Then how about this? Actually, to stop Seungu’s group from advancing, we’ve prepared a way to acquire additional points. If you deal with us, I’ll tell you some of the information.”
“Is that okay?”
“The fairness might drop a bit, but isn’t choosing the lesser evil better than the worst? It’s something I’ll have to discuss with the instructors, but they’ll most likely allow it.”
Being able to get bonus points wasn’t a bad proposal for me. Having no reason to refuse, I decided to accept the deal.
“Fine. Tell me that bastard Do Seungu’s location.”
“Great! Thank you, Gyeonu. I’ll treat you to a meal later as your instructor.”
The game’s flow would change somewhat, but it was within acceptable limits. However, what bothered me was that Gang Hanbyeol would defeat Do Seungu and take the Brooch of Tempest….
‘Well, I can think about that later.’
For now, I should go harass Do Seungu. Having received his location from Yu Noeul, I rose from my seat.
* * *
“It should be somewhere around here… Ah! There it is. I’ll go register the marker first, so keep an eye out in case there are any threats nearby.”
“Mm. Sure.”
If asked to pick someone she didn’t like among her friends, after Yeon Haneul, it was Cha Eunsol. Min Arin had been conscious of her as a rival ever since Cha Eunsol had beaten her in the practical entrance exam. Cooperating with such a girl made her feel quite strange. On the other hand, she was fit to burst.
‘She’s way too unmotivated….’
Having inserted her necklace into the groove of the marker, Min Arin glanced sideways at Cha Eunsol. With an unreadable expression, she was eating a hot dog purchased from a field shop. No, perhaps saying she had no thoughts was the correct expression. How else would she have tried to blow all her points on snacks?
It was as if the exam wasn’t even on her mind.
Min Arin, who had broken into a cold sweat trying to stop her just moments ago, shuddered at the memory that suddenly came to her.
‘I lost to a girl like that….’
“Nom.”
They had both received the same grade of 1 in the exam on Mist Mountain, but it was an undeniable fact that she had fallen behind Cha Eunsol.
She had lost to her once.
And yet, seeing her like this, she couldn’t help but feel a pointless sense of self-reproach.
“All right, now it’s your turn. Register it.”
“Okay. Nom.”
“…”
Just how many hot dogs did she have to eat before she was full?
Could she even get full?
Turning away from the signpost, Min Arin clicked her tongue at Cha Eunsol’s appetite.
‘Of all people, why did I have to run into her….’
Min Arin lamented her situation.
She consoled herself that it was better than moving around alone with Yeon Haneul, but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
If she was going to team up with someone anyway, instead of Cha Eunsol….
‘Gyeonu would have been nice.’
Naturally, Min Arin’s expression softened.
Deep down, she had been hoping for a fated encounter with Do Gyeonu.
‘Should I go back to the temporary shop now and find out where he is?’
Some book had said that bonds were made through effort.
They didn’t form if you just sat still.
So a so-called natural encounter was only possible when interest in the other person and effort were already assumed.
In the truest sense, there was no such thing as a natural encounter.
Bonds had to be seized.
If you couldn’t meet someone, you had to go meet them.
Min Arin was tempted by the thought that suddenly came to her.
‘No, I mean… it’s not like I have any romantic feelings for Gyeonu or anything…. It’s just that, out of everyone, I get along with him the best, so I’d be looking for him….’
If it had been before, she wouldn’t even have considered it for the sake of her exam results.
Her imagination, which no one else could look into, spiraled into uncontrollable fantasies.
A fantasy where she found out Do Gyeonu’s location, went to him, and said, “What? It was you?” while pretending it was purely by chance, then accompanied him.
A fantasy where they overcame all sorts of hardships and grew into a relationship of deep trust.
And then….
“Heehee….”
Min Arin grinned foolishly, heedless of how hot her face felt.
That was when she felt a gaze.
“Ah….”
“Nom nom.”
Cha Eunsol, who had stored the signpost’s information in her necklace, was staring at her intently.
Her expressionless, observing gaze pricked at Min Arin’s shame.
Snapping back to her senses, she hurriedly composed herself.
“L-Let’s go to the next signpost! The location information was sent to your watch, right? What does it say?”
“It says it’s about 6 km away in the twelve o’clock direction from here.”
“Mine says 10 km…. Good. Then let’s go to the one you mentioned.”
“Okay, nom.”
Cha Eunsol answered as she slipped the empty hot dog skewer into her pocket.
After that, the two of them ran through the forest in search of the signpost.
Then, in the middle of it, they sensed something strange.
‘What is it?’
From one direction, an unusual aura of mana was drifting toward them.
It was extremely dense.
So dense they could feel it even without consciously trying.
Grrrrr!
The monsters that reacted to that aura were moving as a group.
Min Arin spread out her detection net and counted them, unable to hide her surprise.
‘What on earth is happening over there?’
An ominous feeling swept over her.
As a member of the arcane Min family, she couldn’t ignore it and focus on the exam.
Min Arin was about to tell Cha Eunsol, who was following behind her, to stop searching and change direction.
But at that moment.
Whoooosh!
Before Min Arin could even get the words out.
All of a sudden, Cha Eunsol stirred up a gust of wind and flew toward the place where the aura was coming from.
“Hey! Wait for me!”
Min Arin could only be puzzled by Cha Eunsol’s sudden action.
That question was only answered after she chased after her.
“What? Why is she here? No, what’s wrong with her!?”
“…Looks like she was poisoned.”
At the source of the dense mana aura, Yeon Haneul lay collapsed.
Finding her in the darkness of the cave, Min Arin couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Meanwhile, Cha Eunsol knelt on the ground and began healing Yeon Haneul.
“She’s having trouble breathing! Take her clothes off first!”
This was no time to flounder.
At a glance, Yeon Haneul’s condition was serious.
Min Arin belatedly came to her senses and rushed to her side.
So that she could breathe more easily, she unbuttoned her blazer jacket and loosened her ribbon.
Then she slipped her hand under her clothes and undid the hook of her bra.
It was just as they had learned in class.
“Haa, haaah, hngh, ah, mmm…. Gyeonu, aaah…. Ngh….”
Yeon Haneul’s chest rose and fell.
She exhaled heated breaths, twisting her body and letting out moans.
Her back arched like a bow.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss