The device was set to silent mode, so it only vibrated and shone as it notified me of the incoming call.
The clever Olmu looked this way upon sensing the vibration, but he turned his head and flapped its tail once in the arms of White Tiger.
That action was quite shocking for me.
While I was in a daze from Olmu’s sudden mini tantrum, the device kept ringing.
“Is it an urgent call? Who is it from?”
“It’s Jang Namwook.”
Hwang Jiho still hasn’t been smiling like usual but his mood seemed to get better after seeing me get ignored by Olmu.
This old man smirked.
“Is he the cadet from the Player Military Academy who is scheduled to visit my mansion today? I will welcome it if he says that he can’t make it today. If the schedule is postponed, we can go back to the main building and rest for the day. Pick up the call.”
If the schedule today is canceled, I’ll go back to my dorm and rest.
Do I have any reason to stay here when Olmu’s doing his best to ignore me?
If we go to the main building and the descendants find out what happened today, they’d be very worried.
I decided to pick up the phone for now.
“Hello.”
[Euishin, can you talk right now? Ah, I read the results of your attack on the otherworld today. Congrats on being the biggest contributor.]
“Yeah, thanks.”
Seeing that he took his time to congratulate me first, it doesn’t seem to be an emergency.
It was only after a brief conversation, including a short mention of Yoo Sanghoon’s safety, did Jang Namwook got to the main point.
[In preparation for next week’s exchange match, our team’s representatives visited the training center, the gym, and the baseball stadium.]
Next week is when the first exchange match between Eungwang High and the Player Military Academy will be held.
I thought students from both schools wouldn’t pay that much attention to it since it was a normal sports event, unlike the Korea-China-Japan player exchange match, but the students were unexpectedly looking forward to it.
Instead of choosing students from existing sports clubs, Eungwang High recruited additional players through open tryouts.
The competition in the tryouts was very fierce.
Since then, the selected students from Eungwang High increased their dedicated practice time by building an athlete’s village on campus.
They also created matching uniforms to increase team spirit.
The other students who weren’t participating in the event even suggested to the student council to create a cheering squad for the athletes.
As a result, although it is still temporary, the student council vice president was appointed as the first leader, and the cheering squad for Eungwang High was formed.
‘Eungwang High had few exchanges with other schools, so a cheering squad wasn’t really necessary.’
Anyway, as much as Eungwang High students were invested in this exchange match, the cadets in the Player Military Academy are doing their best too.
Because of the hype around the event, Captain Jang Namwook has been extremely busy since the weeks before the match.
[But there’s something I’m worried about at the facility…]
“What is it?”
[The other kids were there so I couldn’t really check it but…]
Jang Namwook didn’t seem very sure.
After a few moments, Jang Namwook spoke again.
[I think I sensed some of the “seeds” that I sensed on Sihoo at the facility that we rented.]
As soon as I heard that, I felt like I saw someone invisible on the chessboard in my head, making an unusual move.
This isn’t the time when Do Sihoo was set to die in the game.
However, this sports exchange match wasn’t in the game too, and yet Do Sihoo is set to participate in it.
‘The Black Screen tries to isolate Eungwang High. They wouldn’t be happy to hear of an exchange match with another school.’
But then again, there are normal people who just want to get rid of Do Sihoo.
If I were the Black Screen in this situation, what would I do?
What can I do with Do Sihoo?
Every scenario I make up in my head reminds me of Jang Namwook’s desperate face after we found the seeds of curse on Do Sihoo.
* * *
Player Military Academy, a national military education institution that trains officers and noncommissioned officers.
Unlike in maritime affairs, or diplomatic affairs, where someone needs to be a high school graduate in order to study them, the Player Military Academy has its own high school.
They consider players at the age of 17 who already have their abilities awakened.
The Player Military Academy was divided into the high school and general departments, but both will graduate with the same degree.
Although the two’s activities generally don’t overlap, they use some common facilities.
Some of those facilities were the Player Military Academy’s Service Support Group and the hospital.
“We’ve completed cadet Do Sihoo’s blood test. The sleep test will be over in half an hour.”
“Will he be going through additional checkups?”
The hospital doctor and nurse looked over Do SIhoo who was sleeping in a capsule.
A ground electrode that detects energy waves was attached to his body.
Do Sihoo has recently been tested several times for sleep disorders caused by energy wave.
However, no matter how many times the test was conducted, the results always come back as “normal”.
The military doctor in charge of the freshmen had a subtle face as he reviewed the chart.
‘Countless cadets have testified. I don’t think he’s faking it. And the new captain is sincere in his leadership and care for the other cadets…’
Looking at the chart alone, there was no problem at all with Do Sihoo’s energy wave.
The results of the tests actually indicate that Do Sihoo was in a “very good condition”.
“Isn’t he one of the selected starting players for the sports exchange match? Based on the results, it seems to be a simple stress management problem.”
The nurse turned the military doctor’s attention and suggested they get a cup of coffee.
The results of the sleep test won’t come out any faster if they loiter around him anyway.
After a short consideration, the military doctor left with the nurse.
When the sleep test room became empty…
Beep. Beep.
The door of the sleep test room opened again.
Namgung Gyuyeon came in, wearing a doctor’s gown on top of a scrub suit.
It was difficult to recognize her as she was wearing a uniform, not her daily clothes, and she wasn’t carrying around a shovel.
“…”
Namgung Gyuyeon took a look at Do Sihoo who was lying down on the capsule.
She sat in front of the monitor and began operating the inspection machine.
The energy wave analyzer printed the results of the analysis, and Namgung Gyuyeon took out the files and put them in her arms.
Tok. Tak.
The printing was yet to be completed when she heard footsteps outside.
‘I don’t know if the thing I’m looking for has come out already. What should I do? It’s going to be difficult to sneak in twice.’
After a short moment of hesitation, Namgung Gyuyeon gave up on trying to go outside.
Instead, she waited for the printing to finish and immediately hid behind the curtains.
The door opened at almost exactly the same time as she managed to hide her body.
Immediately after the door opened, an alarm went off, indicating that the test on the sleep capsule has been completed.
“Cadet Do Sihoo, are you awake?”
“Ah… Yes.”
The doctor and the nurse returned right as the sleep test was over.
They asked Do Sihoo a few questions.
Do Sihoo gave a bright greeting as the nurse took off all the electrodes from his body.
“Alright. Say hello to your father for me.”
“Thank you! Ah, I have a question about the navy curriculum.”
Namgung Gyuyeon’s eyes widened after hearing their exchange.
‘The nurse knows Sihoo’s dad?’
Do Sihoo’s father, the King of Ships, had several interactions with the navy as he held his operations.
Seeing how they were speaking, it seems that both the military doctor and nurse know the King of Ships.
‘Did those two serve in the navy? How are they all connected?’
Namgung Gyuyeon was deep in thought as she hid behind the curtains.
Even after everyone went out and the examination room turned quiet, she remained there, still thinking.
* * *
After the call with Jang Namwook.
I thought of some ways that the Black Screen could be getting involved, but I can only confirm things if I check them myself.
I tried to excuse myself, but the tigers interrupted me.
“I can allow you to meet the cadet later in the afternoon inside my mansion. However, I cannot let you go out now.”
“The treatment is over though. And I already took the medicine.”
“Did you not hear what Hyangrok said? He told you to refrain from using any skill for several hours. What are you even going to do outside without using your skills?”
I don’t intend on fighting anyone.
I’m going to use my brains, not my abilities.
But I can’t just say it like that.
Unexpected accidents have been commonplace in this world.
If I go outside and get caught up in a situation where I’d need to use my abilities, I will use them.
‘But wouldn’t it be alright if I am extremely careful? If anything, I could use an item to avoid confrontation with anyone.’
My thoughts were interrupted just as I was about to look over my inventory.
Whimper…
Olmu, who had been ignoring me for a while now, looked at me and cried.
I was about to refute Hwang Jiho just now, but I forgot them all the moment I saw Olmu.
“I sent my subordinates to the designated place. There’s not going to be a problem for a day or so. Stay in the mansion for now, I will let you go tomorrow.”
After Hwang Jiho, White Tiger also spoke.
“They’re all over Eungwang District. I will accompany you tomorrow.”
First Olmu, and now White Tiger.
My stubbornness has been overridden.
“Alright. Let me know if the dispatched subordinates have anything to report.”
“I will.”
When I sat down, Hwang Jiho had some food served.
These cruel tigers didn’t even offer me water after making me drink the medicine from hell.
In the meantime, I felt like living again as I ate a pear drizzled with honey.
When I emptied my glass a little faster than usual, Hwang Jiho smirked.
“Jo Euishin, wasn’t this the first time you encountered an attack from the otherworld as an attacker? You are more reckless than I thought, and your stubbornness is quite un-useful.”
“It’s not my first time.”
I have been hunting down these otherworlds over the screen for almost ten years.
And, there’s also been a time when I did in this world.
“I participated in an attack once, with permission from Chairman Lee.”
The incident in the underwater labyrinth of Seokcheon Lake where Butterfly Spirit left a message to Kwon Jein.
I wasn’t on the records, but I participated in it.
“…Right. That did happen. But you have barely participated in that one. And yet you entered the boss room alone.”
Hwang Jiho still seems to be trying to deduce things about me.
As I was sipping some soup that was served earlier while barely listening to what Hwang Jiho was saying, the door to the annex opened.
“I’m back. I came here because I heard you were in the annex.”
“We’re back—Ah. Hello.”
The Red Tiger and Kim Shinrok appeared.
Kim Shinrok appeared behind the Red Tiger and also tried to say that he was back, but he closed his mouth and changed his words in the middle.
The quick-witted tigers, who are like uncles to Kim Shinrok, took notice and they all looked pleased.
“Welcome back. Did you transport the bear well? There wasn’t any problem, is it?”
“Yes. There was no issue involving the bear.”
“Involving the bear? Well then is there a problem involving something else?”
Kim Shinrok spoke with a sunken face.
“That bear was at ease until yesterday. He gave me a clue just before he lost his mind.”
“Speak.”
Kim Shinrok seemed to be hesitant about how he should bring it up.
He took one glance at Red Tiger before continuing to speak.
“…The Bear People who are trapped in the Tiger Clan’s garden seem to know something.”
