—Why is Gyeonu so friendly with him? I just don't get it.
—Don't tell me you actually think you're something just because Gyeonu is paying attention to you?
—Don't get cocky. What are you going to do if you end up discarded?
As consciousness fades.
Words that had been nailed into the corners of memory slither out.
They dig up the unhealed wounds of the heart and stir them.
—You and he live in different worlds. Remember that.
—Do you know why the kids are trying to get close to you? It's because you're close to Gyeonu. You're just a stepping stone. So read the room.
—Why would Gyeonu take an interest in someone like you? Ah, is it because of your ears and tail? Isn't that basically no different from raising a pet? Oh my, did that hurt your feelings? Sorry, I'll apologize. But what can you do when it's a fact?
—It's definitely because Gyeonu pities you and is playing with you. Otherwise, why would he pay attention to you?
—You said you two aren't dating, right? Yeah, Gyeonu has an eye for people; would he seriously try to date a pet? And it's such a waste of Gyeonu.
She had tried to brush them off lightly, but the words that couldn't be dismissed turned into daggers, plunging deep into her heart.
It shakes her mind.
Even if she doesn't want to hear them, she cannot refuse them.
'No. Gyeonu isn't like that. He wouldn't.'
They are merely the random ramblings of people who were jealous of her.
Do Gyeonu—her childhood friend—is different from what they think.
She knows.
Even though she clearly knows, there exists a self within her heart that feels uneasy.
'Really?'
'....'
The voice that she had been unable to shake off no matter how hard she tried suddenly cuts off, and the self within speaks.
Yeon Haneul couldn't answer readily.
The self within, having noticed her hesitation, releases a pure question once more.
'Do you really think there's no way that's true?'
'No... he... Gyeonu would never...'
'Liar.'
'....'
'The truth is, you know too. You admit it.'
'No, I...'
'That we aren't good at anything. That we're pathetic, pitiful, worthless beings. There are so many people prettier than us, from better backgrounds, and more capable.'
'....'
'Could Gyeonu accept us? Wouldn't that be a burden on Gyeonu?'
Hee-hee. Hee-hee.
The sound of the inner self sneering echoes and spreads like a reverberation.
Yeon Haneul couldn't answer properly and hung her head.
'Still, there's a way.'
'...A way?'
'We just have to kill everyone except Gyeonu. Then wouldn't we be all that's left? If it comes to that, would there be any need to argue about who's better or worse? There'd only be us and Gyeonu.'
'....'
The self within is the madness and desire slumbering deep within consciousness.
Desire prods at Yeon Haneul as if tempting her.
Before she knew it, voices rose again, incessantly interrogating Yeon Haneul.
—A lowly child who knows not her parents and has no roots.
—Did you think someone like you would fit into our clan? If so, that's a colossal mistake.
—That Do Gyeonu bastard is surely just playing with you out of amusement, too.
I know too. I know, so....
Please, stop now....
* * *
Gang Hanbyeol was also included among the targets of Do Seungu's gang.
He was of the same swordsmanship lineage, and recently he had been gaining fame as the Young Slaughterer, so he was in a position to potentially threaten Do Seungu's standing.
Because of that, the moment the exam started and he was summoned to the Gate, he became a target without knowing why.
Having grasped the situation and rushed here while looking for Do Gyeonu, he had run into them countless times.
In that process, stamina consumption was unavoidable.
'I spoke so confidently to Gyeonu, but this is a bit tough....'
The students surrounding him cleverly employed hit-and-run tactics.
They didn't take unnecessary risks.
They focused solely on draining his strength.
Gang Hanbyeol swallowed a groan as he faced them attacking in turns like a turning wheel.
Meanwhile, Do Seungu was receiving treatment from the students.
With his stamina and mana heavily depleted, if Do Seungu intervened after recovering, he would inevitably struggle.
He couldn't guarantee victory.
'I need to reduce their numbers as much as possible before Do Seungu joins in.'
But it wasn't easy to do as he wished.
Gang Hanbyeol took his eyes off Do Seungu, who had withdrawn from the battlefield and was watching arrogantly as if he were the king of beasts, and scanned the battlefield.
He sought an opportunity within the crisis.
He recalled the teachings of his master, Seo Jeongjin.
Just then, a student casting magic behind the students' formation caught his eye.
'That's it.'
Having made his decision, Gang Hanbyeol put thought into action.
He ran toward the place where people were most densely gathered.
The magic cast by the student he had kept an eye on behind him exploded.
He gauged the approximate distance by the heat and immediately leaped from the ground, slicing through the surging flames.
Fwoosh!
Splitting fire with a sword is meaningless.
The scattering embers are still embers in the end.
However, Lucid, which possessed the property of reacting to mana, was different from ordinary swords.
Gang Hanbyeol's demonic sword could counter magic and nullify it.
Of course, it didn't apply to all magic.
However, he instinctively knew what he could cut and what he could not.
Because his Gift, Resonance Hands, was resonating.
Furthermore, the magic imbued in the demonic sword had the effect of absorbing the remnants of magic that was cut.
Having absorbed a portion of the mana that formed the flames, Gang Hanbyeol curled up the corners of his mouth.
Thanks to that, he could replenish his insufficient mana.
The demonic sword Lucid took on a silver hue.
The moment he landed on the ground, he immediately sent a slash at the densely packed students.
Moonlight
A slash shaped like a crescent moon tore through the enemy lines.
Gang Hanbyeol broke through the heavily damaged students and escaped the encirclement.
The students chased him.
The encirclement tried to form again.
But the moment he saw signs of it, he concentrated his attacks on the weak points and destroyed them.
He broke through the seams of the formation like that.
The battlefield fell into chaos.
Ook-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki!
Ee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!
"G-Guardian! Hurry up and block... kuk!"
"That bastard lured monsters in!"
"I learned from my master to use anything that can be used."
"Restore the formation quickly!"
It was an excellent situation for the monsters that had been keeping the students in check.
They dug into the gaps in the formation, accelerating the chaos.
Gang Hanbyeol, Do Seungu's gang, and the monsters.
A three-way battle unfolded.
Right then, Bak Sagun and Yong Haerang, who had tracked Do Seungu's location, arrived.
"Great. Hanbyeol, you were here too."
"Oh, Gang Hanbyeol! Did you come to steal the antidote Do Seungu has too?"
"No. If it's the antidote, Gyeonu took it just a while ago."
The three were glad to see each other but didn't let their guard down.
They entered the rapidly developing battlefield, felling enemies and exchanging information.
"Then did Do Gyeonu go to feed Yeon Haneul the antidote?"
"Yeah. I'm holding them back so they can't chase Gyeonu."
"You must have had a hard time fighting alone. We'll help you out from here. Hanbyeol, we'll take care of them and the monsters, so you...."
"Got it. I'll take care of Do Seungu. That's fine by me."
He had wanted to face Do Seungu for a while now anyway.
Having obtained a chance to fight one-on-one with someone from the Divine Sword Do family, Gang Hanbyeol's eyes lit up.
He gave a glance to the guy rising from his seat.
He met eyes with the guy whose arm had been injured by Do Gyeonu.
"You shouldn't feel too relieved that Do Gyeonu took the antidote."
"What do you mean?"
"Well."
Do Seungu spread his mouth in a sneer.
"The antidote isn't just one."
"...."
"To eliminate the poison eating away at that child, two kinds of antidotes must be taken. One is with Do Gyeonu now, as you said, and the other is...."
The poison of the Dark Night Hornet, mentioned in passing even in the game as mere setting, that only those who specialize in poison would know in detail.
Naturally, the fact that two types of antidotes were needed to neutralize that poison was knowledge known only to those who would know.
It hadn't even been mentioned in the game.
Gang Hanbyeol, Yong Haerang, and Bak Sagun, who hadn't known that fact, couldn't help but be shaken.
Do Seungu, watching them, curled up the corners of his mouth, immersed in ecstasy.
He pulled a potion bottle from his pocket.
"I have it right here."
"...."
"By now, that Do Gyeonu bastard is probably running there full of hope. But what to do about this? It won't be effective if he only feeds her that one."
"You son of a...."
"It's your misunderstanding that you tied my feet. Rather, you're the ones tied to me."
Do Seungu snickered.
He put the potion bottle back into his pocket and pointed his sword.
"I've wanted to cross swords with you, not just Do Gyeonu. This is good. I'll prove how excellent our clan's swordsmanship is."
"...."
Do Seungu urges a duel.
Facing his sneering, Gang Hanbyeol composed his thoughts.
In the end, the point was simple.
Taking a stance, he spoke nonchalantly.
"Anyway, it means I just have to take you down. Stop wasting time and come at me."
* * *
Nam Yuri, who had shamed Do Seungu's gang and uncovered their plot, proposed two courses of action.
One was to find the poisoned Yeon Haneul and protect her.
The other was to steal the antidote that Do Seungu possessed.
Accordingly, she divided her forces in two, sending Bak Sagun and Yong Haerang to where Do Seungu was.
Pinpointing his location wasn't difficult.
—It's stupid to pay half our points to track locations in real-time. So pick one person from them who won't be a burden and take them to the temporary shop.
—You're going to use their points. That's quite a clever method.
—Right, Sagun and Ogun. You understand what I'm saying? Smart. But to use this method, you need at least 200Gg points as a prerequisite. So since you never know, take other people's necklaces too.
—Got it, I'll do that.
Nam Yuri was thorough and meticulous.
Putting one fast student in front, she seized the necklaces of other students, then she herself left with Go Eunbi to find Yeon Haneul.
After finding out Yeon Haneul's location, she discarded the student who had become useless.
After all, all she needed was the Gate Watch.
She mercilessly eliminated the student begging for mercy to avoid disqualification from the exam, and took the Gate Watch.
To her, existences that didn't pique her interest were nothing but worthless.
They were merely pebbles scattered around... no, nothing more than walking lumps of water.
There was no need to consider their circumstances.
It was only natural.
Having turned her back so emotionlessly, she was cutting through the forest.
'The monsters have started rampaging in earnest.'
In the forest where deep night lurked, the cries of monsters could be heard.
Occasionally, red eye lights flickered past.
Sensing the presences of those following at a certain distance, Nam Yuri prepared for the imminent battle.
"Eunbi-kkabi, don't stray from me."
"Got it! I'll stick to you like glue!"
Immediately after, monsters launched an attack under the cover of night.
Without panicking, Nam Yuri swung her scythe at the charging creatures.
Occasionally, Go Eunbi also shot arrows to drop them.
They fought numerous battles, not resting for a moment, and advanced through the darkness.
It was then that Go Eunbi opened her mouth.
"Wouldn't it have been better to let Gyeonu know too? It seems like it might be too much with just us...."
"Is there a need?"
Go Eunbi, whose face clearly showed exhaustion from the frequent monster attacks.
Nam Yuri glanced sideways at her following behind, subtly slowed her pace, and expressed a question.
Then she added.
"It's a rebellion deliberately started by students belonging to the swordsmanship faction. Eunbi-kkabi, do you think Gyeonu-Gyeonu, who is the representative, really doesn't know the situation?"
"That's...."
"He probably noticed the abnormality before us? Assuming that, how do you think Gyeonu-Gyeonu would act?"
"...."
"Isn't it obvious? He'll steal the antidote and go to save Haneul-Haneul. But there's no need to waste time going to inform Gyeonu-Gyeonu for no reason, right? We'll naturally meet him when we go to find Haneul-Haneul anyway."
"...You're right. You might be right."
It was a reasonable argument.
It was entirely in character for the Do Gyeonwoo she knew to act that way.
After hearing Nam Yuri’s explanation, Go Eunbi obediently nodded.
Meanwhile, Nam Yuri let out a giggle.
“That’s why I’m going to Haneul-Haneul. Gyeonwoo-Gyeonwoo’s side is bound to be more fun. Sending those two earlier was just insurance, in case anything happened. And…”
It was not a decision made purely out of curiosity.
There was a certain justification behind it as well.
Nam Yuri narrowed her eyes as she gazed into the darkness where she could not see even an inch ahead.
“Who knows? Maybe they’ll need me.”
As a member of the Yeonseong Nam Family, Nam Yuri was well versed in pharmacology.
Naturally, she was also thoroughly familiar with the toxicology derived from it.
In other words, she knew to some extent how to deal with the venom of the Dark Night Hornet.
* * *
At that time.
Min Arin was locked in a fierce battle against the swarming monsters.
“Seriously, what is going on…?”
Fwoosh!
They simply would not decrease.
No matter how much she burned them, monsters kept pouring in without end.
When she saw the red eyes flashing in the distance, beyond the darkness, curses rose to her lips on their own.
What made her want to curse even more was the fact that far more monsters than those were lurking in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity.
Min Arin, who had been casting magic without pause to keep them from approaching, clicked her tongue sharply.
‘At this rate, this is going to get bad….’
It was a number she could not handle alone.
It would have been nice if someone came to help, but realistically, that was hard to expect.
Who would come to their aid in a remote forest as the night deepened?
Even if someone did come, they would be frightened off by the monsters scattered everywhere and run away.
‘At least Cha Eunsol is here, but….’
Unfortunately, Cha Eunsol, who could have eased the burden, was focused on treating Yeon Haneul.
She had hoped Cha Eunsol would support her with spirits, but even that seemed difficult.
“Are you sure you can’t? Even one would be fine, so can’t you attach it to me?”
“If it were a lowest-rank spirit, I could. But with their power, they won’t work against those things. To deal with them, I need to borrow the power of at least a lower-rank spirit.”
“Then summon a lower-rank spirit!”
“Sorry, I can’t. Just delaying the effects of the poison by borrowing the power of the water spirits is already taking all my control.”
Cha Eunsol’s attitude was firm.
With a blue, translucent otter, beaver, and leopard beside her, she shook her head.
She was wholly occupied with neutralizing the poison sweeping through Yeon Haneul’s body using water spirits specialized in healing magic.
Even so, Yeon Haneul’s condition was not improving easily.
All she could do was barely keep it from worsening.
“Fine! Then focus on healing! And try eating something while you’re at it!”
“I’d like to eat, but I don’t have the time.”
She might not like her, but a friend was still a friend.
She could not leave the gravely ill Yeon Haneul defenseless.
In the end, she had no choice but to overcome this crisis alone.
‘Even so… damn it.’
The monsters sensing the mana leaking from Yeon Haneul showed no signs of stopping.
Other monsters followed after them, and the rapidly destabilizing atmospheric mana had even begun causing rifts.
And that, in turn, drew in more monsters.
It was truly a vicious cycle.
The battle situation was steadily worsening.
‘I don’t have many potions left either.’
After pouring flames over the area, Min Arin quickly pulled a potion from her pocket.
There was no time to drink it little by little.
Seizing a brief opening, she popped the cap and downed the contents in one gulp.
The thick, bitter, viscous, and cloying medicine slid down her throat, making her grimace.
“Would it kill them to add some flavor to potions? It’s unpleasant every single time I drink one.”
Min Arin grumbled with a displeased expression.
Still, as expected of a potion made by the Mado Min Family, its effects appeared immediately.
Her mana was rapidly replenishing.
Having recovered her strength, she bombarded the monsters breaking through the flames.
‘How long can I hold out…?’
The smell of burning stung her nose.
In a situation like this, it was dangerous if her sense of smell stopped functioning properly.
Min Arin stirred up wind to blow the odor away and looked over the battlefield.
Naturally, the scale of the monster horde still showed no sign of shrinking.
A pessimistic thought suddenly crossed her mind, and her face darkened.
It was at that moment.
“Move…”
“…Yeon Haneul?”
When on earth had she gotten up?
Yeon Haneul was brushing off Cha Eunsol’s attempts to stop her and walking out of the cave.
With one hand against the wall, staggering as she walked, she looked somehow like a different person.
No, it was not an illusion.
‘Her hair color… changed?’
Was it because of the poison?
Beneath the night sky, amid the roaring flames, her blue-and-white hair was gradually turning black.
And it was not only her hair that had changed color.
Her skin was turning bronze as well.
“You, what on earth…”
Yeon Haneul now had vivid black hair and bronze skin before anyone realized it.
Startled by the transformation that made her seem like an entirely different person, Min Arin blinked blankly.
Who on earth are you?
The words did not come out easily.
Meanwhile, Yeon Haneul passed by her and reached a hand toward the battlefield.
Her hand, stretched horizontally above the ground, made a motion as though grasping something and then letting it go.
“Just die. All of you.”
Her mana-laden voice became the trigger.
Darkness spread from her hand and expanded outward, slaughtering the monsters.
In an instant, the ones in the front ranks vanished.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss