Dokgo Miro sensed that something was wrong.
Strange things began to happen, starting from her device suddenly not getting a signal, down to main MC Choi Jina coming personally to get her.
‘It’s usually Yeom Junyeol sunbaenim who comes to pick me up… Did the filming go longer than expected?’
When they reached the studio, Dokgo Miro observed that it was very chaotic.
Yeo Raehun was seated and busy enforcing a boundary, and all the other staff members looked very anxious.
And some of her classmates are missing.
Even her childhood friend, whose presence she was looking forward to, wasn’t there.
‘Where’s Hani?’
The remaining kids looked uneasy too.
She wondered what in the world was going on, but Choi Jina and the other staff members were dead silent.
When Dokgo Miro finally asked them, they only replied that they’d explain everything after the pre-recording is over.
‘There must be something going on that will affect the stage and the performances. Perhaps a fight…? No, an otherworld?’
Having a background in fighting, Dokgo Miro knew well what the tense atmosphere in the studio meant.
Dokgo Miro stood on stage, nervously checking the microphone and her surroundings.
‘What’s the difference between those who aren’t here and those who are here?’
Seeing that all the teachers were away, she initially thought that those who are experienced with otherworlds are gone, but she changed her mind.
Because the Class Zero seniors were still in the studio.
‘There’s no way sophomores are left behind but the freshmen are sent to fight.’
Dokgo MIro waved to the Eungwang High students.
Her classmates waved back happily, and the seniors looked bright as well.
“Good luck, Miro!”
“Fighting!”
“Win it, Dokgo Miro!”
Following the words of encouragement from the Eungwang High students, applause began to fill the studio.
Dokgo Miro has yet to get a grasp of the whole situation, but she could guess what was going on in their minds.
‘They’re being considerate by not telling me stressful things before I perform on stage.’
Dokgo Miro checked the staff’s signal and stood on the stage.
The camera director pointed the camera at Dokgo Miro which made her stumble a little, but she held on well.
‘The others who aren’t here are cheering me on too. I need a camera to film my stage and show them how I did!’
Dokgo Miro stared straight at the camera lens and waited for the song to begin.
Facing the myriad of cameras, Dokgo Miro put on a smile.
* * *
Underground parking lot.
An enemy was running wild between the cracked concrete and the wrecked cars.
The speed of enemies pouring out from the otherworld entrance was unusual.
“Enemies are coming in fast…!”
A drop of sweat flowed from Saeum of April’s forehead.
He was neutralizing enemies with his wind skill as he looked around for help, but Min Geurin and Hani both had their hands full.
Min Geurin kicked an enemy’s head before wincing as if the impact had penetrated the player’s shoes that she was wearing.
“Ugh…!”
The shoes that Min Geurin was wearing were not for combat.
Regular footwear isn’t suitable for players in combat since they can’t absorb shock and generate power very well.
Hani seems to be going through the same situation.
It’s several times harder to fight enemies using bare hands without proper protective gear.
“Hyodon is good at fighting bare-handed.”
Among the Class Zero freshmen who were there, Maeng Hyodon was the one who knocked down the most enemies.
He moved even more flexibly than in their last practice, and his combat posture seem to be improved thanks to Tak Geosan’s training.
“It’s hard to maintain energy waves on my fists without protection…! How in the world are you doing that?”
Hit!
Instead of answering Hani’s question, Maeng Hyodon continued knocking down enemies on his own.
Min Geurin gave the final blow by kicking enemies in the head, producing a loud boom.
Hani looked very impressed at Maeng Hyodon’s exquisitely-placed energy wave which easily beat the enemies.
He rolled up the sleeves of his uniform.
“I’m just more used to fighting with bare hands.”
“You’re used to it?”
“Yeah… Hey! Saeum, get back!”
“It’s dangerous!”
Grrrr…!
The enemy, which broke free from Saeum of April’s wind skill, rushed in.
Just before its claws reached Saeum of April, Hani and Maeng Hyodon jumped high and hit the enemy, knocking it out together.
“T-thank you…!”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes! The enemies are too strong! Will Jiho be okay?”
The number of otherworlds spawned currently is four.
As Jo Euishin said earlier, the first three were here, but there was another one that spawned while they were on the way down.
They had to distribute manpower to deal with them all.
Jegal was at least within sight of the professional player team/security team, but Hwangho was not seen anywhere.
As soon as they arrived underground, Hwangho wiped out the first enemy, proving his skill to Jegal.
— No need to worry about this body. Make sure the four of you move together in case something happens.
When the fourth otherworld spawned, Hwangho’s face hardened and he left for somewhere else.
Even though they knew how strong Hwangho was, the kids couldn’t help but worry.”
“Let’s take care of everything here first and then let’s get that crazyhead.”
“Okay…!”
And so they kept fighting for a few more minutes.
After things calm down for a bit, Jegal came to the Class Zero students.
“Is anyone hurt? Sorry to have you guys do this… I don’t see one person.”
“Oh, Jiho went to the fourth otherworld!”
“…No matter how strong someone is, one shouldn’t act alone in an extreme situation. Which way did he go?”
“Behind the pillar over there!”
Jegal looked in the direction where Hwangho disappeared.
“I’ll go over there. There’s help coming in a little while so until then…”
“Professor, behind you…!”
At that moment, Hani seemed to have sensed something.
* * *
The sight of Professor Ham Geunhyung was quickly buried in the light.
The broken window reflected the light brightly, making it difficult to keep my eyes open.
Ham Geunhyung kept shooting the arrows nonstop, producing a consistently bright light.
Fwaaa! Hwik!
Cadmus jumped around to dodge the sea of arrows, used his spear to parry them, and used his lion’s leather shield against the light.
However, it’s impossible for a target within the Legendary Archer’s range to avoid all attacks.
The arrows shot by Professor Ham Geunhyung increased rapidly and the number of scars left on Cadmus’ skin increased as well.
Soon, some arrows penetrated deep into Cadmus’ skin.
‘…But he’s still moving!’
Cadmus continued to move actively even after being hit directly by the powerful archer.
If one of his spears weren’t destroyed by me in advance, he would’ve thrown it already to Ham Geunhyung,
Fwaaa! Fwaba! Faaaa!
And then, a jade color mixed with the bright light of the arrows.
Yong Jegun’s spatial skill produced a wall that trapped Cadmus, preventing him to escape.
“Leave that dragon to me and Professor Ham Geunhyung. Heal yourself first.”
Yong Jegun looked at me and spoke in a strict tone.
His wide-open jade eyes reflected my mess.
I returned to my own body, and Yong Jegun’s clothes which were soaked in my blood were a little bit too big on me.
‘If I don’t recover now, I’ll be a burden.’
With Professor Ham Geunhyung’s arrival, the tide has come to our side.
Now I won’t have to move any further.
Judging so, I decided to leave it up to my homeroom teachers.
I chose Kwak Gyungu’s card.
<Using character’s light skill, 100 Seconds of Grace.>
Fwaa…
As soon as the light skill was activated, a soft warmth began to circulate through my body.
The sensation of my wounds being treated, blood coming back to my body, and cracked bones being put back together was unfamiliar, but I felt my mind become clearer.
Since it’s a big skill, the time limit expired quickly, but it was worth using.
By the time regeneration was completed, I felt a small squeeze in my shoulder.
“This is Gyungu’s power. I would’ve thought Gyungu was in front of me if I weren’t looking properly.”
Yong Jegun, who had been supporting my body after I was stabbed, sensed it right away.
The jade-colored spaces continued to spawn which made me come back to the reality that we were still in battle, but Yong Jegun’s skills made it seem like we weren’t.
His spatial skill made it seem like I’m watching Cadmus struggle against Professor Ham Geunhyung.
“I sensed this before. Back during the Kimopolea incident.”
I remember it too.
That day, I used Oh Hyeji and Kwak Gyungu’s light skill, and Yong Jegun detected it.
“Is this the same thing as before?”
Right after Yong Jegun’s question, the healing process was already completed, and released my body.
It only heals the body so the hole and the blood stains remained on the clothes.
It’s quite similar to what happened during that incident too.
“I guess I’m right, seeing that you’re not denying it.”
Clash! Fwaa! Crash!
There was a sudden roar.
Cadmus’ broken spear was caught in a space generated by Yong Jegun.
It was aimed right at him.
‘…He went for Yong Jegun until the end!’
I don’t know what he was thinking, but it’s clear that Cadmus put his priority on completing a mission over getting out of here alive.
If he wanted to survive, he should’ve aimed for Professor Ham Geunhyung.
Drop.
An arrow pierce Cadmus and he collapsed over the sea of arrows.
The Arrow of God succeeded in hunting the dragon.
The scene was reminiscent of Apollo killing the python.
As if being cautious, Yong Jegun surrounded Cadmus with a space before speaking.
“I don’t have the right to say anything to you because I’m indebted to you with my life. Considering his personality, professor Ham Geunhyung would try to understand and respect why you acted like you did. However…”
Yong Jegun halted his words.
After taking his hand off my shoulder, he spoke again.
“I don’t know about your student.”
Before his words could sink in, Yong Jegun’s gaze left Cadmus.
I looked in the same direction as Yong Jegun.
At the end of his gaze, there was my student, Yeom Junyeol, standing with a pale face.
