The Lake of Eternity team came fully prepared to cheer on Kwon Lena for her first practice.
They had a perfect plan, starting by using Kwon Jein’s title as an honorary teacher and setting up a very unnatural impromptu concert.
There was a good reason why the Lake of Eternity team members arrived behind schedule.
“Jared, the results of the investigation you requested before are here!”
Just before they departed, the youngest member of the team spoke to Jared.
“Lena’s a part of Class Zero. The same class where the disciple of the Master Craftsman, Mok Wooram, is.”
“Does that student have anything to do with the Oath of the Three Knights?”
Not long ago, the Oath of the Three Knights contacted Jared Lee, urging him to transfer teams.
After Jared Lee rejected their offer at once, he began to research the team’s recent activities.
Upon the news that the Oath of the Three Knights had entered Korea, Jared investigated their purpose by mobilizing all personal connections he has as the team’s sub-master.
“I think they’re looking for the Master Craftsman’s student. It seems that they had failed to recruit the student to their team before.”
“It looks like this Wooram is an excellent student. So did the Knights come to Korea to recruit Wooram?”
“I think it’s possible, but what about it?”
The young executive floated some holograms.
The hologram showed a timeline showing Mok Wooram’s activities in Korea, including the time when he was hospitalized.
“The Oath of the Three Knights tried to prevent Mok Wooram from returning to Korea by bribing Player Association offices in Chengdu and some public security responsible for the area.”
“They tried to prevent him from going home?”
“Yes. I believe Mok Wooram had suffered serious injuries before he was brought back home.”
The young executive pointed out the dates of Mok Wooram’s hospitalization and discharge.
“There’s no definitive evidence as of the moment. We can only speculate at best right now…”
He continued to speak very carefully.
“There are two possible scenarios. Either the Oath of the Three Knights came to Korea to try to recruit Mok Wooram… or they are here to kill him.”
Jared Lee was suspicious of whether he understood correctly, but his face turned pale.
Knowing the three Team Masters of the Oath of the Three Knights, he knows that it is possible.
However, since there’s no concrete evidence yet, they can’t inform Eungwang High, the association, or the government just yet.
Both the Lake of Eternity and the Oath of the Three Knights belong in the world’s top ten professional teams.
If this “speculation” becomes public, it could lead to an all-out war between the two teams.
“Mok Wooram has rarely gone out of Eungwang High since he returned to Korea. He did go to Joo-Oh Island, but no one would dare touch him when he’s with a large group of more than 150 students and teachers aboard the Cheonja.”
The young executive explained before turning silent.
There was nothing that needs further explanation, but the young executive knows that Jared Lee still needs him.
“…If they’re after Wooram, they have a chance today.”
Even if the students are accompanied by teachers in their offense practice in targeting otherworld occurrences, accidents, and even death, can still happen.
The assassination of a player during an attack from the other world.
There are huge variables such as the other world and enemies, but one of the world’s top ten professional teams can surely plan and execute an assassination.
“Jared, what do you mean they’re targeting Wooram?”
Kwon Jein suddenly talked to him.
When the young executive briefly explained the situation to Kwon Jein, her face turned pale as well.
“It’s going to happen today? In the place where Lena’s doing her first practice?”
“We don’t know for sure. It may not happen too. We don’t know yet..”
“Even if it is true, maybe they’d do it on a different day.”
Jared Lee and the young executive just blurted out words out of uneasiness.
They still don’t have any clear evidence.
On top of that, the two teams already have slight friction after Jared Lee switched teams.
It was difficult to deal with this publicly, and they can’t just ask Kwon Jein to come forward herself.
“Do you remember the piece of violin souvenir that Lena gave to me when she returned from Joo-Oh Island?”
“Of course I do! I also had one!”
“Of course. Miss Lena’s delicate and elegant craftsmanship shows that she’s really your family.”
Kwon Jein brought up a rather random thing, but Jared and the young executive replied immediately.
Kwon Jein continued speaking.
“That gift was made by Kwon Lena with the help of Wooram. Wooram is Lena’s friend.”
“Ah…”
“I see…”
“From now on, if there’s anything at all related to Eungwang High, especially Lena, report it to me right away.”
Kwon Jein stared at the two with her blue eyes.
“Tell the waiting team members to prepare weapons.”
Fwa!
Kwon Jein materialized an item card.
It was a blue cape with the team logo of the Lake of Eternity.
“If anything happens, we can deal with it right away. If nothing happens… accompany me either way. I want to perform for Lena and her classmates anyway.”
It took some time for the team members to gather heavily armed.
As a result, they were quite late.
It wasn’t such a big deal, except Kwon Jein was disappointed that she couldn’t perform a march for her nephew.
“Let’s go in too! If the practice gets too dangerous, we can’t just observe here! We have to…”
“No!”
A team member of the Lake of Eternity jumped to stop Jared Lee from jumping into the otherworld collision point.
Jared Lee activated one skill after another.
First was Risk Detection, and next was Otherworld Analysis.
Swiiish…!
Energy wave flowed out of Jared Lee’s hand and was sucked into the gap.
He analyzed the structure with his energy wave.
After a few moments, he shouted with a trembling voice.
“…This other world is a complex one that evolves in structure.”
Beeeeep!
Right after Jared Lee’s analysis, an association alarm was received by a nearby device.
It detected the fluctuation in the otherworld occurences’ difficulty.
The difficulty in which Class One and Two practiced was R-level.
The occurrence was now at SR or higher.
“It’s currently at SR-level. As the number of attackers increases, it evolves into a more complex, more difficult occurrence!”
“What? S-so, the other kids who are in there right now…”
The prominent professional players managed to remain calm, but Kwon Yuri did not.
She was shocked and shaken by the news that there was something wrong going on with her classmates’ first practice.
As a freshman, the terms “complex”, “projection”, and “structure”, were unfamiliar to her, but Kim Yuri was sure that it cannot be good.
An otherworld that changes structure according to the players who infiltrate it, and an evolution type that increases in difficulty level.
In other words, it’s a type that was difficult to deal with from the outside.
“The difficulty level could go higher if we go in.”
“But there’s a limit to its complexity projection structure! If we go in and join them…”
“There might be a chance. Even if it’s an evolutionary type, it can only grow up to SSR-rank at best.”
Kim Yuri looked directly at Ham Geunhyung.
Ham Geunhyung tried to speak with a chaotic expression.
“There will be no problem if the difficulty level goes up immediately once we go in, and if Yong Jegun is consistently guiding everyone. However, this otherworld is a “labyrinth-type.”
Kim Yuri recalled what she learned in class about these labyrinth-type otherworlds.
For labyrinth-type otherworlds, players might end up in different locations even though they went in through the same entrance.
‘There could be other kids who are separated from the group…!’
Kim Yuri recalled those who entered.
She wasn’t worried for the two non-humans – Yong Jegun and Hwang Jiho.
Maeng Hyodon and Hani were strong too.
However, there were Saum and Kwon Lena, who already have a difficult time dealing with R-rank enemies.
They could barely survive against SR-rank enemies, but they might die if they face SSR-rank ones.
The situation continued to overwhelm Kim Yuri.
“Including this location, a total of four otherworld occurrences are in this area. Classes One and Two are practicing somewhere else, and there is another one three kilometers from here. I’ve asked for backup, but they might arrive late.”
“I’ll deploy our team members. There’s a possibility that the same situation is happening in those other locations.”
Ham Geunhyung and Kwon Jein worked together to direct the personnel, and the members of the Lake of Eternity rushed to their posts as they wore their blue capes.
Kim Yuri was looking at the collision point with anxious eyes.
With her continued nervousness, the superior beings connected to her energy wave began to whisper to her.
They secretly encouraged her to let loose of her light skill, recalling that there were nearby lakes and rivers.
“Kim Yuri!”
With Ham Geunhyung’s forceful shout, the superior beings halted their whispers for a moment.
Kim Yuri snapped to her senses.
As soon as she came to her senses, her Risk Detection skill was activated.
Enemies started to spawn from the gap in space.
Groooowl…!
The players who anticipated the spawning of enemies loaded their weapons.
Kim Yuri decided that she wasn’t in the right condition to fight, so she stepped back in order not to get in anyone’s way.
When she moved far enough from the gap, Kwon Jein spoke to her.
“Are you worried about your classmates?”
“…Eh?”
“I’m scared too. That something went wrong with Lena.”
Kwon Jein raised her blue violin to her neck.
“But I know that there’s a dragon, a tiger, and the Nameless Supernova in there.”
* * *
In this world, targeting high-difficulty enemies and otherworlds leads to a player’s rapid growth.
Just like when my level quickly increased from the tutorial level.
Then shouldn’t we be able to easily and comfortably raise our level if people of royal lineage and strong players are members of our party?
As anyone would know, one of this world’s greatest taboos is freeloading, otherwise known as “Jjeol.”
A player participating in an attack against the other world should contribute as much as he can.
It doesn’t matter if there are strong players in his party; he has to be able to do his part on his own.
That’s exactly my situation now.
‘I’m left alone.’
This labyrinth-type of other world causes people who enter it to be separated from each other.
I could’ve died right as I entered the otherworld if I were a simple freeloader.
All my classmates can deal with R-rank enemies.
If ever an SR-rank enemy appears, they can still deal with it as long as they remain calm.
However, this world was a lot more difficult than what we were informed about during the briefing.
Most of my classmates are still beginners.
‘What could’ve happened to the other kids?’
I activated the map through my exclusive menu, but I could only see the area directly around me.
The mini-map function seemed to be unable to show information on this other world.
I decided to use a different method.
‘I have the Fate of the Unknown card now. The time limit for my light skill would be longer than before.’
<Using light skill Player Identity.>
<Using character’s light skill, Eye Embracing Heaven and Earth.>
When I used Cheon Dongha’s light skill, I felt a surge of information flow directly to my brain.
The ‘Eye Embracing Heaven and Earth’ shone all over the floor.
There’s a space beyond the labyrinth that leads to the next floor.
Yong Jegun was speaking with Maeng Hyodon, Hani, and Min Geurin with his ecstatic face.
Hwang Jiho was with the panicked Song Daesok and Mok Wooram.
Those kids are the safest.
The problem is…
‘The weakest two aren’t with them!’
Saeum of April and Kwon Lena were trying to communicate with the outside world.
These two were isolated.
