Support Ex-Rank
There was no trace of reason left in TL Park’s system.
All he has now is raw emotion.
The hatred that he felt for Hong Gyubin.
He didn’t like that Hong Gyubin, a fellow younger than him, was in the same position — no, higher, even — as him.
PR Teams 1 and 2 were ostensibly on the same page, but important tasks were assigned to PR Team 1 first.
On top of that, TL Park knew that Hong Gyubin belonged to the Regulatory Enforcement Department.
It was a position that had never been offered to TL Park.
All this was simply because TL Park was less talented than Hong Gyubin, but he wasn’t convinced.
As TL Park was about to collapse in a sense of defeat, his butterfly-like girlfriend whispered.
— But I know you. You’ll play an important role one day. You are the person that I need.
Whenever he heard her words that he considered gospel, TL Park fell deeper in love and felt an unknown strength rise within him.
Nabiryeong really did intend to use TL Park for an important role, so her words were technically not untrue.
He should have been relieved by her sweet words, but TL Park got nervous.
‘M-more. I need to go higher. TL Hong and Deputy Yoon are in the way. Before she goes back to him, I…!’
Nabiryeong seemed to have lingering feelings for Deputy Yoon.
He couldn’t forget that faint expression she made when she ran into him.
Nabiryeong regretted not being able to make the competent Deputy Yoon her own, and she used this to fuel TL Park’s jealousy.
TL Park’s inherently distorted character, greed, and inferiority complex gradually ruined him.
As TL Park gradually became more obsessed with Nabiryeong, the butterfly became more and more deeply involved in his energy waves.
TL Park’s spirit and energy waves were thus eroded by Nabiryeong’s will.
The encroached energy waves exploded as soon as Nabiryeong signaled, and a flung of mice from Seodol clung just in time.
“Aaaaahhk!”
Crack, rip, scratch…
TL Park’s screams and the sound of teeth gnawing shook the hallway.
TL Park tried to push away the flock of mice, but they were heavily armed.
The flock of rats ruthlessly gnawed at TL Park’s energy waves and his skin.
It’s difficult to bite at a player’s energy waves, but it was easier for the rats because TL Park was emitting energy waves throughout his body.
It doesn’t allow Seodol to make the energy waves as his own, but it’s perfect for overpowering an opponent that’s gone rogue.
Seodol frowned as he glanced at TL Park.
“Huh, an energy wave that distorted his mind and power to the extent that his body is deformed. I’m glad my mouse didn’t cover anything to eat.”
As Seodol said, TL Park was hardly in human form.
Just as a person’s character can be inferred from their expression and the way they carry themselves, a player’s emotions and energy waves can affect their body.
Hong Gyubin looked at TL Park with cold eyes.
“The body can be influenced by energy waves, but this is too extreme. He wasn’t like this until this morning.”
“It’s possible that the transformation was hidden.”
“I can’t deny that…”
Hong Gyubin looked at TL Park who was being eaten by mice.
He was still on a rampage and his energy waves were still being released, but he was being effectively blocked by the mice.
In the meantime, TL Park was staring right back at Hong Gyubin with murderous intent.
Energy waves being attacked would surely cause immeasurable pain to the body, but TL Park seemed to be more dominated by his hatred than pain.
Watching this, Seodol felt like it was ridiculous.
“He’ll be back to his senses soon, but is that all he can think of with his sanity?”
TL Park’s emotions were more hostile toward Hong Gyubin than the crisis or the pain that he was feeling.
Hong Gyubin recognized this, but he just looked at TL Park emotionlessly.
He’s met countless people like TL Park, and he hasn’t given much attention or emotion to them unless they interfere with his life.
TL Park was just a big hitter that Hong Gyubin had to deal with, nothing more and nothing less.
Seeing this in Hong Gyubin’s face made TL Park even more enraged.
“You, only if you weren’t here! Ahhhh!”
But even if Hong Gyubin weren’t there, TL Park’s position wouldn’t have changed much.
He would still be the leader of the PR Team, but he wouldn’t be able to enter the regulatory department.
TL Park couldn’t admit this to himself and decided to dump all his emotions on Hong Gyubin.
He rushed to Hong Gyubin, screaming as the rats clung to his body.
Hong Gyubin just watched as if he had no intention of stopping or avoiding TL Park’s rush.
That just further fueled TL Park’s anger.
When he was just one step away…
Hit!
A fist flew in TL Park’s face.
But the impact was as if he had been beaten by a blunt instrument.
TL Park fainted, the last thing registering in his eyes being Im Jihwa’s fist.
Im Jihwa took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands as if she was displeased that she had to touch TL Park’s face with her bare hands.
“Are you alright?”
“My rib cracked and I fainted for a while, but it didn’t hurt as much as my dongsaeng hitting me. I’m good.”
Hong Gyubin recalled her dongsaeng.
Im Yeonhwa.
He knows that they’re quite close, but from what he’s heard just now, they seem to have frequent physical fights.
Im Jihwa’s endurance was different because she grew up fighting against her strong sibling.
Still, Hong Gyubin was worried about the injured Im Jihwa.
“Please leave this to me.”
“No, it’s okay. My subordinates asked me to hit him at least once. I’m going to beat him every time he regains consciousness.”
Im Jihwa was determined to deal with TL Park.
She spoke again as she fixed her cracked ribs with energy waves.
“Seal him up while he’s fainted, please. It’s going to be annoying to do it while he’s awake.”
TL Park violated more than five of the association’s rules.
His disposition will be decided once a disciplinary committee is convened, but his energy waves and abilities will have to be sealed in the meantime.
Since it takes time for a sealing technique to work against a strong opponent, Hong Gyubin decided to follow Im Jihwa’s suggestion.
He took out the sealing item and engraved a black seal on TL Park’s arm which still had bite marks.
“In accordance with the regulations of the association, I am sealing your light skill, skill, and ability to actualize cards.”
While watching the process, Seodol looked bored as he collected his mice.
His interest seems to have quickly cooled down.
Seodol glanced in the direction of Eungwang High from time to time.
He seemed to want to go right now, but he remained in consideration of another attack being launched on the association.
Hong Gyubin was also worried about Jegal and the school, but he decided to trust Jo Euishin.
He could be relieved that Jo Euishin, who strategized things to the most minute details, can guarantee the safety of Jegal.
But there was still something on his mind.
‘Professor Jegal will be safe, but…’
Hong Gyubin didn’t hear in detail how Jo Euishin would act.
He heard about the powers that would be present in Eungwang High, but there seemed to be little consideration that Jo Euishin gave for his own safety.
The young student always gave him more work, but he had no choice but to worry since he was still his benefactor.
‘…Will Euishin be okay?’
***
Mt. Cheonik, in front of the Cheondansu.
I was lost in thought as my hand rested on the trunk of the sacred tree.
I predicted how my plan would work and what the ending would be.
Some were easy to predict, but others were much more difficult because of countless variables.
One of them was the situation in the association.
‘The association has changed a lot compared to PMH. There are a lot of people who have been purged, and there are a lot who survived. Most of all, what the association couldn’t do in PMH has become possible.’
Changes in the satellite system because of the Hwanmong Gate being settled.
Song Daesok and Ok Toyeon’s Moon Palace.
Hong Gyubin.
There were many more changes other than them.
In PMH’s First Christmas scenario, Eungwang High’s isolation was made possible because of the association’s confusion.
If the association is running fine, support will inevitably arrive on time.
I predicted that the Black Screen would come after the association.
‘And it seemed like someone had already used their hands there.’
This is true considering that Hong Gyubin had difficulties in investigating the broadcasting station case.
Hong Gyubin is involved in internal politics, but I didn’t think that was the sole reason.
If I were the Black Screen, I would attack Hong Gyubin in a way that’s not obvious since I know that he can interfere with my plans.
‘Other than that, there were no other problems within the association.’
That’s why I placed all the measures around protecting Hong Gyubin.
Ok Toyeon and Song Daesok can respond even if there’s a problem with the satellite.
Hong Gyubin had to wait while armed with his trusted subordinates.
And I deployed Seodol who gave him his order.
‘It was a bit tricky to convince Seodol, but the results are good so it’s okay.’
Seodol strongly appealed, saying that he wanted to come to Eungwang High, but he gave up his stubbornness.
I thought I had to be prepared to negotiate with him, but he did something unexpected.
It was so strange that I had to ask Seodol.
— I thought you’d agree under the condition that I’d model for you.
— No, there’s no need for that, sir.
His response was oddly concerning.
More so knowing that he spoke casually throughout our talk but ended with speaking with honorifics.
I felt suffocated, but there was something more important than Seodol.
I asked the unresponsive Cheondansu as if talking to myself.
“If you’re going to trigger Destiny, then why don’t you do it now?”
But no response came back.
Cheondansu is the closest place to the transcendent universe.
I thought that if there was a problem with the strategy that I devised, the Destiny skill would be activated in front of the Cheondansu.
I thought about the uncontrollable Destiny skill and made a move considering the possibility of it being activated, but I seem to be mistaken.
‘Does this mean I have to deal with things on my own?’
I couldn’t understand the will of the universe or destiny, so I decided to make a move on my own.
I looked at the sky covered by Yong Jegun’s power.
What I had to deal with was the clouds above that sky.
“Let’s stop this snow now.”
<Light skill Player Identity activated.>
The character I chose was the one who was killed by that cloud.
Yoon Yeorang, the shaman candidate of the Dragon King.
<Using character’s light skill Summoning Ritual Instruments.>
I held the Fate of the Unknown card in the other hand.
To summon the teeth that can break through clouds and cut lightning.
<Using character’s light skill Summoning Cloud Breaking and Thunder Slashing White Fang.>
Support Ex-Rank
