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Inside Eungwang High, on the road leading from Cheonik Mountain to the bamboo forest.
The landmark is the rare bamboo mixed in the regular trees.
It was cold, my mouth would freeze if I inhaled incorrectly.
There was someone else other than me and the people of Jiikhoe.
The first thing that came to mind was the Black Screen.
‘Are they here already? If things were going according to my plan, they should still be attacking the bamboo forest. And there’s no way they can track us this fast.’
Right after I felt the presence, I felt my mind mix up.
At this time, there was no one that I could think of that should appear here.
The measures I put up on the west gate brushed past my mind.
‘The Tiger Clan wouldn’t have disobeyed Hwang Jiho’s order not to come here. It’s unlikely that the Lake of Eternity is here either. I’m worried.’
Among those placed at each of the four gates to Eungwang High, the most unstable was the Lake of Eternity.
The Han River Cycling Team led by the veteran Song Manseok, along with Hong Gyubin and Tak Geosan are reliably stable.
I’m worried about the Dragon Clan side since they’re dealing with Jogangryeob, but I have trust in Jecheondaesung.
The Red Lion team seemed to have no problem either.
As for the Lake of Eternity…
They’re not a weak team, nor do they lack leadership and teamwork.
But I have seen the anxiety factor in with my own eyes.
The Blue Violinist, Kwon Jein.
I’d be thrown tomatoes by her fans if they knew, but my judgment is based on experience.
‘I’ve seen Kwon Jein get shaken twice.’
The first was when she encountered Nabiryeong after attacking the underwater otherworld of Seokcheon Lake.
Nabiryeong said she pulled a trick when Kwon Jein was dealing with the Great Manchester Otherworld to increase her chances of survival.
— [Even if you survive, you may not be able to play the violin again. Players like you — violinists
like you – don’t come out easily. The people who died then were superior, but they can be easily replaced.]
— You…!
— [There’s still no violinist who’s outdone you, and the Lake of Eternity is running well now without a problem, right?]
— My mother, brother, friends… there’s no one who can replace them!
Shortly after Nabiryeong and Kwon Jein had such an exchange, the latter showed signs of going rogue.
No matter how much the team members talked to her, the blue energy wave emerging from her body couldn’t calm down.
If Hwang Jiho hadn’t been there to forcibly suppress Kwon Jein’s energy waves, it would’ve certainly caused a flood.
The other time was during the youth retreat when she faced the sea wall and Nabiryeong appeared again.
‘Tak Geosan said he found a butterfly-shaped creature. Kwon Jein lost her concentration soon after that. That’s probably Nabiryeong’s trick.’
From the video that Moon Saeron took, there was a part of Kwon Jein’s performance that was quite shaky.
Perhaps Nabiryeong said something to her during that time, taking her concentration away from her performance.
If Kwon Lena hadn’t been there to improvise and help Kwon Jein play, the damage would’ve increased.
This time, unlike then, Jared Lee and the Lake of Eternity members are accompanying her, but it is questionable whether they could stand up strongly if Kwon Jein began to be stubborn.
Considering the two events, Kwon Jein’s source of anxiety is Nabiryeong’s tricks.
And Nabiryeong will move as a subordinate to the Black Screen this Christmas.
She intends to interfere with the Black Screen’s plan, but it is obvious that she’d still do her mission to keep their trust.
‘Nabiryeong intervened in both cases, and she will again this time.’
It was more difficult to read Nabiyreong’s movements than the Black Screen.
Her purpose was more unclear than the latter’s.
It’s certain that she is trying to interfere with the Black Screen’s plan, but I had no idea how much she’s willing to sacrifice for this.
Nabiryeong will try to save Kwon Jein, but that was it.
She doesn’t care about her mental pain or other people she cares about.
So I decided to take that into consideration, with the plan ended up placing Kwon Jein in the preface.
— You placed the Lake of Eternity on the west gate even though you judged that Kwon Jein is the most unstable element, Jo Euishin. I’m talking about the possibility of the bamboo forest being targeted.
At the pre-Christmas operations meeting, Hwang Jiho questioned such deployment.
His question was reasonable as it’s a stretch to place an anxious factor in a dangerous position.
However, the story changes if another variable helps.
— I’m going to place another person. He can handle Kwon Jein sunbaenim even if she’s shaken.
— Only a few people can do that. It would be inefficient to use such a powerful person only to stop Kwon Jein.
Hwang Jiho was right.
All kinds of tricks are being pulled by the Black Screen, so it’s crucial to place our resources properly.
But I got a pretty good card not too long ago.
— I don’t think they’ll fight together, but there’s someone near the west gate who would want to help. If Kwon Jein sunbaenim is placed there, it will be easy to ask him for help.
The man was MITRON’s patissier, Ryu Jang.
Sidelentium the Crow Demon knew that something would happen at Christmas based on what he could hear from my crow mask.
It seems that Sidelentium will stand on the sidelines even though he knows all of this.
However, whatever the whim is, Sidelentium said he would help through Ryu Jang.
I listened carefully and it sounded like a deal rather than charity.
— I’ll help you. You can think of it as a kind of goodwill. But I have conditions.
Sidelentium suddenly called and said so.
If there’s a condition, then it can’t really be called goodwill, can’t it?
Still, all kinds of Demon God priests will run wild in the school, and the fact that Sidelentium, one of the Demon Race, reaches out to our side must be the result of a big decision.
The Demon Race wouldn’t have stayed still if they knew that Sidelentium was intervening in any way.
‘It’s hard to expect much help.’
I already asked Sidelentium to tour me to the Demon World in preparation for a scenario that would occur in the second grade.
If his involvement in this incident is discovered, his position would be compromised in the Demon Race, and my guide to the Demon World is lost.
There’s a long way to find a guide again, but it’s still better to establish a safe deal.
— Wear a crow mask inside the school when you’re acting alone. What do you think?
Sidelentium must be very curious about what’s going to happen inside the school.
I was looking for deployment to help Kwon Jein, so I agreed.
As a result, Sidelentium’s agent, Ryu Jang, stepped up.
Ryu Jang can hold Kwon Jein by the ankle, and if he moves between the Lake of Eternity, Sidelentium’s involvement will not easily be discovered.
That anxiety factor would’ve been reserved.
But now…
There’s someone here.
While I was struggling to figure out their identity…
Rustle.
A note flew toward the Jiikhoe members.
The note was folded in the shape of an airplane.
Someone blew wind with energy waves to fly it this way.
‘…I don’t think it’s an enemy.’
Perhaps thinking the same thing, Sung Siwan reached out to the note with a relaxed face.
Sung Siwan’s hands which wore protection equipment for martial arts opened the note.
His face hardened after silently checking the contents.
[Run. There are people of royal lineage beyond.]
The person who sent the note knows that our party detected the presence,
I’ve got a feel of who it is.
‘He met the Long Tail’s subordinates?’
The note seems to be referring to the bamboo forest.
The Jiikhoe members were nervous about the royal lineage.
Beware of the royal lineage at the source of the chill.
“…Is the royal lineage aiming for our school?”
Sung Siwan spoke softly with a complex expression on his face.
He seemed to be thinking about the secret association in our school.
Sung Gukeon and the former association head were known for being wary of royal lineage.
They said that a certain clan would aim for Korea, and they would start with Eungwang High.
While the tense air didn’t go away, the warm air suddenly began to flow.
It wasn’t simply warm air creeping in.
Light was coming down from the sky, and the warmth covered the boundary and erased the frost.
‘The frost stopped spreading. Someone outside is doing something!’
Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off the three beams that descended from the sky.
Then, something was detected in the bamboo forest.
A warning message that made my skin numb.
<Warning, enemy approaching.>
The warning message signaled an enemy’s approach, but it didn’t seem to be just an enemy.
This energy surely belongs to a royal lineage.
There was more than just one.
Those who were in the bamboo forest must’ve come this way when they felt that the boundary changed.
“Run away! Come on!”
I hurriedly signaled, but it seemed too late.
As if the royal lineage noticed us, they launched a fierce energy wave at us.
Some of the Jiikhoe members couldn’t react properly.
At that moment, an explosion came up.
Kwaaang! Boom!
Dust and debris flew everywhere.
Amid the explosion, we heard someone shouting.
“Aish… I told you to run away!”
“Ha, I was going to use that to trap the homeroom teacher…”
We looked at the source of the sound and saw familiar faces looking down at us from a tall tree.
Their faces were familiar, but their bodies were not.
They grew muscle mass again in such a short time, their muscles prominent against their thick winter clothes.
‘So it’s those bastards who sent the message!’
Troublemakers wandering around Cheonik Mountain.
The seniors of Class 3-0.
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