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In the blind of darkness.
A shining butterfly suddenly began to spray flakes.
Below the very faint light source was Nabiryeong wearing a mesh cape with a pattern of a butterfly’s wing.
While Nabiryeong gently held out her hand, the butterfly fluttered and flew into her as if it were waiting.
When it was in range, Nabiryeong clenched her fist and crushed the butterfly.
Fwiiish!
The remains of the broken butterfly were scattered into a powder of light.
Nabiryeong can share her senses with her minions, but there is a limit.
So Nabiryeong absorbs and reads the memories and vivid senses of her minions.
Absorbing the spirit of the minion butterfly, Nabiryeong rose up.
Kwon Jein’s appearance came to mind as if she was seeing her in person.
The violinist’s open lips, trembling eyes, and white skin when she discovered the butterfly.
Nevertheless, her performance did not waver.
‘Her performance would’ve been shaken if she was alone.’
Kwon Jein wasn’t the only one there.
She had Jared Lee, her teammates, and close aides.
As long as they perform together, it would be difficult to shake Kwon Jein’s performance with just Nabiryeong’s minion butterfly.
Nabiryeong felt a little disappointed.
She cherishes Kwon Jein’s performance, but she also wants to hear a broken sound.
She already heard a lot of her perfect performances.
‘But she definitely sensed my minion. The message was delivered to Jein.’
Nabiryeong called Kwon Jein’s attention to the bamboo forest.
She didn’t hear what would be happening there, but it was usual that the person that Nabiryeong serves doesn’t reveal much information.
Everyone gets a mission, an individual transaction.
So Nabiryeong approached that person’s subordinates, trading things to get information.
She sent butterflies, faked against those who were sloppy, and filled those who were lacking with sweet poison.
That was how Nabiryeong learned about the bamboo forest this time.
‘That man’s very easy. If the boss was like him, things would’ve been easier.’
Nabiryeong recalled what the man said before they parted ways to carry out their missions.
The man didn’t talk about details, but he leaked clues without restraint.
— Don’t worry. Once I touch the boundary of that lazy Tiger and find that object, my mission will be over. It’s not that dangerous. I’ll be right back by your side.
Contrary to his appearance, the man was good at dealing with boundaries.
During Eungwang High’s entrance exam last year, Jogangryeob was supposed to control the boundary and invade the school since he was already in charge of cutting off the earth power there.
But Jogangryeob complained that it was too complicated, so the man was put in charge of it instead.
When she heard about it, Nabiryeong immediately checked his movements.
He said that work will be done on the west gate first.
‘It’s the Bear and Dmon Race who will deal with the students and faculty inside. Outside, the Pig Clan and the army will be dealing with the Dragon Clan and the other players that will flock around the school. So what would that man and his men be working for?’
Nabiryeong found something that they could be aiming for.
The things related to the boundary were limited, so it wasn’t difficult to find the answer.
Nabiryeong guessed that the next move was related to the bamboo forest.
The forest, managed by Jukho, was connected to Cheonik Mountain and on the border of the school.
‘That person wants to get rid of the Tiger Clan’s chief sorcerer. But as long as the chief sorcerer is in the bamboo forest, it’s difficult to get rid of him.’
However, since the forest is connected to Eungwan High’s boundary, the forest will be affected once the boundary is broken.
The Tiger Clan should be busy dealing with the situation in the school and would likely neglect the bamboo forest.
If the Tiger Clan had been aware and prepared for this case in advance, it was obvious that they’d dispatch most of their forces within the school to minimize damage to students.
And since it was impossible to enter through the boundary, it was impossible to send support to the forest.
‘They can solve the problem of the boundary within, but as long as they can’t go outside, the chief sorcerer would have to face the risk of assassination alone. No, maybe he’s not alone?’
For a moment, Nabiryeong remembered Kim Yuri, the incarnation of Lady Magnolia, whom she had given an order.
Kim Yuri seems to be trained by Jukho in the wake of the youth retreat incident, so perhaps she’s with him today.
But Kim Yuri’s true power can only be exerted well where there is water.
Jukho’s bamboo forest absorbs water and suppresses Kim Yuri’s power.
It’s a choice to prevent her from exploding, but it doesn’t help in situations where there is a big risk.
Nabiryeong thought so, but strangely, she wasn’t confident that the man would complete his mission.
‘Won’t the crow mask be doing something else?’
Nabiryeong recalled a player wearing a crow mask who was with Hwangho and Kwon Jein.
Until last year, the situation with the Tiger Clan was a mess, and Nabiryeong predicted that some of the Tiger Clan would die at that person’s will during this Christmas.
However, at some point, Nabiryeong’s expectations changed significantly.
She guessed that the reason was the crow mask that stood with the head of the Tiger Clan.
That crow mask suddenly appeared next to Hwangho and everything changed after that.
It was clear that he was the cause of the changes.
She was reluctantly reminded of the Demon God of Silence, but as long as the crow mask was there, she didn’t think that that person’s plan would work easily.
At least the man who offered to fill her garden with real butterflies seemed to be unsafe.
‘I don’t know if he can come back.’
If the man doesn’t come back alive, that person will have one less asset.
But even if he does come back alive, Nabiryeong will continue to have a source of information.
No matter which way things went, it was advantageous for Nabiryeong.
She pushed aside him from her thoughts and pondered about her mission.
Her mission is to interfere with the association.
People were also planted inside to this end, disrupting player satellite signals and causing device miscommunication failures around the association.
However, the association’s satellite team was currently delivering messages to professional player teams through carrier pigeons.
‘Hoohoohoo, how did they get satellite information? Did the association join hands with the moon rabbits?’
If so, then the blame is on the Bear Clan for failing to annihilate the Rabbit Clan on April Fool’s Day.
However, even if she’d avoid being reprimanded, it would be likely that she’d be excluded from the main mission if she failed this one.
She wasn’t ready enough to destroy that person’s plans yet.
“Then I should follow his will.”
Nabiryeong walked outside the garden with ease.
She took one step at a time and transformed the mesh cape into an item card.
When she stepped out of the garden, Nabiryeong was dressed like an ordinary human.
Nabiryeong headed to the headquarters of the Player’s Association.
***
Knowing the effect of the cold wave, Sung Siwan immediately gave instructions.
“Anyone who can fight, cover your bodies with energy waves and move! The rest of you, evacuate to the Jiikhoe Hall. Strengthen the barricade, stay on standby while keeping the temperature low!”
Even though we’re wearing winter clothes, the chill easily penetrates our bodies.
It wasn’t a normal chill, but a frozen air created by energy waves.
We have to deal with it using our energy waves as well.
Students who had relatively poor combat skills or were inexperienced with energy wave control began to evacuate to the Jiikhoe Hall.
There were less than ten people left outside.
Sung Siwan’s expression was a little blurred by the small number, but it was only for a split second.
“You mentioned a bamboo forest, right Euishin? Was there such a place in Cheonik Mountain…”
“There’s a place that leads to a bamboo forest in the area facing Cheonik Mountain and the school’s boundary. What’s inside is part of the bamboo forest.”
The boundary between forest and mountain cannot be divided by a knife.
The boundary is set, but just looking, it will be difficult to determine whether it was part of the forest of the mountain.
“So the bamboo forest is on the west gate? I’m in my third year but I didn’t know that…”
Sung Siwan looked at the direction I pointed to.
It’s not an easily known fact.
The bamboo forest is directly managed by Jukho, the chief sorcerer of the Tiger Clan, and he uses sorcery to hide the forest.
Even if people recognized it, it would be impossible to get in.
‘It’s going to be really dangerous. Would it really be ok for him to come?’
Sung Siwan’s presence was reliable, but the one next to him wasn’t.
It’s a royal lineage who can do something of this scale, and if my prediction is correct, what’s waiting on the other side of the bamboo forest right now is…
‘The Long Tail.’
That long tail who dabbled in Eungwang High’s entrance exam last year.
The traitor of the 12-point alliance tried to kill Kim Shinrok and the Group 13 students.
Aiming for the bamboo forest means he has to deal with Jukho, and he should be capable enough to do so.
‘Even if the Long Tail isn’t there, I’m sure their men are waiting.’
I gathered my mind, reflecting on the measures that we prepared.
‘It’s alright. We can fight together.’
I decided to believe in myself and the plans that we prepared.
If the source of the chill isn’t eliminated anyway, the Jiikhoe members might freeze to death.
“Let’s get rid of the source of the cold and prevent the school from freezing.”
Sung Siwan kindly comforted the students.
As if the floor was already frozen, with every step we took, Sung Siwan would remind us to be careful.
“…!”
At that moment, Gye Idam raised his hand, making the students stop.
I also sensed a strong presence before he did.
There was someone in the forest.
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