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Just before the general public entered the school.

Executives from the autonomous organizations were positioned in the main gate, back gate, and east and west gates.

Those who entered with a temporary permit not officially registered in the list of Eungwang High had to use one of the four entrances.

Even with a temporary permit, it was impossible to enter and exit Eungwang High other than those four points.

“Merry Christmas Eve! What, why’s the student association the only one here? Where are the student council kids?”

Former student association vice president Ji Myungsoo looked around and said so.

Perhaps because of the clock tower, Eungwang HIgh’s special infrastructure, the main gate had the longest line among the four entrances.

“I heard the student council is preparing for an event today.”

Kwak Gyungu, the current vice president who was checking the queue, replied.

“An event? Those guys are doing something like that?”

“They came up with it while you were at the Hydrangea Scent team building, Myungsoo hyung.”

“I didn’t check the minutes of the meeting that day. Sorry ‘bout that.”

“It’s alright. I’m sure you’re busy, but thank you for coming to help.”

Ji Myungsoo retired from the student association, so he had nothing to apologize about.

On top of that, he’s busy arranging things for his entry to the Hydrangea Scent.

Still, he took his time to help with the work of the autonomous student organizations because he cared about his juniors.

“Won’t there be a shortage of people? I think it’ll take too long to check the permits.”

“It’s alright. Wonwoo hyung said he’d help us.”

“Wonwoo did? Oh, he’s over there.”

Just in time, they saw Do Wonwoo walking toward the main gate.

At the dawn of the TC Research Institute incident, Do Wonwoo’s ugliness, which was his most human aspect, disappeared and he became a different person.

He was ugly but happy back then, but he doesn’t seem happy now at all.

‘I wish he stayed happy at least though… Did he greet Sanghee with a merry Christmas? I bet he didn’t.’

Ji Myungsoo clicked his tongue internally.

If they graduate like this, the relationship between Do Wonwoo and Yoo Sanghee was really going to be cut off forever.

If it ends like this, the two will remain acquaintances from the same alma mater.

Somehow, he felt relieved at the thought that he would no longer see the sheepish Do Wonwoo.

Then, Do Wonwoo shouted sharply.

“Move away from the boundary!”

The student association executives flew themselves into the school at Do Wonwoo’s instructions.

Players are used to following warnings in a snap even if they don’t completely know the situation yet.

Kung! Gong! Kwang! Fiiiiii, kwang!

The sound of something hitting the boundary is followed by a discharge caused by an energy wave.

It was the boundary rejecting something’s entry.

The sparks and smoke from the boundary that refused to break made it hard to see outside, but the nearby executives could clearly see.

They were what they thought to be visitors until a few seconds ago.

It would’ve been hard to recognize without the fabric of clothes that were distorted on their bodies.

Dozens or hundreds of individuals hit their bodies on the boundary without care.

The crash and discharge continued to reverberate.

“Are those… enemies? Why isn’t the alarm going off?”

“There’s no alarm that warned of an otherworld nearby. It could be the doing of a royal lineage.”

“Right, there was a similar incident last time. Everyone, actualize your weapons!”

The frozen executives regained their cool thanks to Ji Myungsoo and Kwak Gyungu.

All of them embodied their weapons one by one and prepared to fight.

“It’s safe inside the school, but the problem is outside. It looks like the enemies are all fixated on the boundary, but we need to evacuate people just in case. I’ll go.”

Ji Myungsoo’s light skill, Floating Presents, can help evacuate people by showing a reminder.

When Ji Myungsoo tried to go out of Eungwang High…

“Don’t go.”

Do Wonwoo, who was using his device, said so after turning off his hologram.

“Device communication is out right now. The player satellite isn’t ringing an alarm. And the boundary’s condition is weird.”

As Do Wonwoo said, Eungwang High’s boundary was behaving strangely.

The boundary became increasingly opaque as the unidentified enemies continued trying to rush in.

At some point, the outside became invisible and the sparks began to subside.

It seems as if the boundary of Eungwang High has changed into something else.

‘What the hell is going on…!’

At some point, the surroundings became silent.

Snow began to fall on the quiet Eungwang High campus.

***

Class 1-0 classroom.

I could see the snow falling outside the window.

‘It’s time.’

Visitors would pass through the boundary once visitors' passes are authenticated.

The Black Screen aimed for that moment.

The Black Screen planted enemies among the visitors.

Of course, enemies mindlessly rushing into the boundary won’t break it.

The Black Screen’s goal was to create a gap by putting a load on the boundary.

Taking advantage of that, the traitor of the 12-point alliance would’ve manipulated the boundary.

‘The long tail must be in Eungwang High by now.’

Even if they overload the boundary and aim for the gap, it’s difficult to deteriorate it to much extent.

The Black Screen and the Long Tail sought this opportunity for a long time.

Last year’s attack during the entrance exam could’ve been a bootleg for this day.

‘It’s painful that I have to suffer through this even though I know it.’

But we couldn’t make the First Christmas scenario go away.

We’ll miss the long tail if we changed the variables too much, and it will be difficult to predict the Black Screen.

‘It’s my turn now.’

Wiing.

The automatic door of the classroom opened and Min Geurin came in.

She looked flustered as she pointed at her device.

“My device is strange. The call was cut off midway.”

“What? Do you want to borrow mine?

However, Saeum of April’s device was also dead.

The communication had just been cut off.

That means the Demon Race’s Eye is blocked.

From now, the only ones who have eyes on what’s happening in Eungwang High are those inside.

“The signal must be bad… Wow, it’s snowing outside!”

“Heol, you’re right.”

“Maybe the communication signal is bad because of the snow. I want to build a snowman.”

Saeum of April, Maeng Hyodon, and Min Geurin were about to go outside with excited faces.

Even though it’s strange that the communication signal was cut off, the kids don’t seem to sense a crisis yet.

Students who don’t sense the bad energy in the snow would be in big trouble.

I called the kids up.

“You can’t get hit by the snow. Don’t go out until the snow stops.”

“What? Would the snow stop soon?”

The other kids stopped in their tracks as they listened to me in bewilderment.

They put my words first before their excitement of the snow.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

***

The top floor of the freshmen building, at the faculty office.

Kim Shinrok lamented when he saw the snow falling from outside the window.

‘…It started to snow.’

Kim Shinrok felt miserable when he saw the snowflakes.

After reading Jeokho and Yong Jegun’s replay reports several times, he knew well what the snow was.

Numerous people in Eungwang High died because of it.

That snow contains the power of Pungbaek and Usa, and the clouds sprinkling the snow are the five-colored clouds of the Dragon King’s shamans.

He couldn’t guess what the tigers or Yong Jegun would think when he saw the snow.

“It’s snowing. I should get going.”

Yong Jegun, who had been smiling at the nervous Kim Shinrok, got up.

He was drinking tea just now, showing no signs of nervousness.

Seeing Yong Jegun’s brazen attitude, Kim Shinrok suddenly felt choked up.

‘If everything goes according to plan today, that Dragon will…’

Kim Shinrok couldn’t think beyond that.

For this Christmas to end safely, Yong Jegun had to play his role properly.

Strangely enough, it was difficult to cheer him on.

As if reading Kim Shinrok’s mind, Yong Jegun left his teacup.

“I should take a look from the skies. You should wait here inside, Shinrok.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Then do you want to go with me?”

“…”

Kim Shinrok couldn’t say yes.

That snow was no ordinary thing.

He has to delicately control his energy waves to protect his body and prepare to fight the enemies who were aiming at them.

For Kim Shinrok, he has to release his reversal technique.

“The bad energy in that snow is a little strong, so you’ll have to open up your powers to cover yourself with energy waves.”

Yong Jegun stated the obvious.

He meant that if he wanted to follow Kim Shinrok now, he has to show his true appearance.

Kim Shinrok hesitated but finally released his reversal technique.

His features changed as his hair and eyes became red like silk.

Seeing Kim Shinrok’s true self, Yong Jegun laughed ecstatically.

“Alright, then let’s go!”

Hwiii!

Yong Jegun opened the teacher’s office window and jumped out.

Kim Shinrok also followed with a leap skill, but he didn’t feel the wind in his face.

A cyan space was protecting Kim Shinrok from the snowstorm.

‘Why did he tell me to show my true self if he’s going to cover me with a subspace anyway?’

He knew that Yong Jegun would only get more excited if he protested, so Kim Shinrok decided to shut his mouth.

Soon, the two landed in the backyard used mostly by teachers.

It was a little far from the classrooms, and there was no one there.

“Alright. Step back, Shinrok-ah.”

Yong Jegun looked up at the sky and opened his palm.

Swaaa…!

A strong energy wave spread through the snowstorm and Yong Jegun’s hair turned cyan.

His eyes opened wide and had the same color as his hair.

At the same time, a jade-colored energy wave gathered in his hands and materialized into a sphere.

Yong Jegun’s light skill, Summoning Cintamani was invoked, and the Cintamani materialized.

“Following Hwangho’s contact, I will make his wish come true.”

The Cintamani shone even more in response to the word ‘wish’

As the light became stronger, Yong Jegun gradually became closer to the shape of a dragon.

His pupils opened vertically, and scales began to appear on his face.

And the green divinity in his eyes.

Kim Shinrok was at a loss for words at the sight of his friend approaching a god’s appearance.

“Protect Eungwang High from the snow that falls today.”

Fwaaaa!

As soon as Yong Jegun finished speaking, a huge cyan space covered the entire Eungwang High.

Enveloped by the space embodied by the Cintamani, Snow no longer reached Eungwang High.

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