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At the Lake of Eternity team building.
The weather was cold enough for cold waves to float on the Han River, but the water did not freeze.
This is thanks to the Lake of Eternity using an ability to prevent the surface of the water from freezing.
Kwon Jein was giving lessons to Kwon Lena by the window with the best view of the calm winter river.
It was a heartwarming sight, but the hearts of the team members watching were going crazy.
Because of Kwon Len’as violin.
No one criticized her for choosing her friends over her violin, and they didn’t express sadness in front of her, but they couldn’t help but feel sorry.
“She’s using a violin provided by Eungwang High today as well…”
“It’s not a bad violin, but Lena’s energy waves can’t mix into her performance.”
“It’s a normal violin, not an energy violin.”
“Has she gotten a new one yet?”
“I offered a new deal, but no one was willing to sell. Besides, Lena said she won’t take Jein’s violin so…”
After the death of the only violin craftsman, no new energy violins were produced again, and no posthumous works left by him were traded.
No one tried to make a new energy violin.
Two things were needed to make one: an artisan’s skill and a player’s knowledge.
In other words, an outstanding player must learn the skills of an artisan, but few outstanding players would bother to do that.
Of course, the Lake of Eternity is aware of Mok Wooram, a candidate for the new craftsman, but things weren’t looking good.
“Wasn’t Mok Wooram the student of the master craftsman? Why don’t we ask him to produce one?”
“I heard that Eungwang High gave him a workshop, but I never heard of him releasing a piece.”
“Should we wait for Wooram’s growth…”
Jared stepped up to deal with the endlessly depressing atmosphere.
“Tomorrow is Lena’s birthday. We have to work with the kids from Class 1-0 to prepare a birthday party. You guys haven’t forgotten, right?”
“No way.”
“Of course! I spoke to Lena’s class president in person, and she was very nice, meticulous, and took good care of her friends…”
The atmosphere was brightened at the mention of Kwon Lena’s birthday.
The youngest of the members was talking about birthday plans.
“We have to clean inside the building. There are some things that aren’t good for children’s education.”
The words made the executives’ eyes turn sharp.
The team has a great impression of being an elegant art player team led by the Blue Violinist Kwon Jein, but it was one of the professional teams making a remarkable contribution on the front lines.
They have to deal with enemies, but sometimes, players who are just as bad.
Some of them include Jared’s relatives who abused Kwon Lena, Lee Lena’s biological parents, and the Oath of the Three Knights who tried to assassinate a high school student.
They were now confined to the team building.
“We should clean them up so that the kids won’t see them.”
Jared Lee said in an ireful voice.
Unfortunately, all of them in custody were related to Jared Lee, but he felt no compassion or sympathy for them at all.
“Mr. Yong’s friend used an interesting tool to torture the self-proclaimed knights. They must be wandering in nightmares now.”
“They’re still in a nightmare? Then it would be easier to put them in a deeper place.”
When Yong Jegun’s friend, Kim Shinrok, visited to torture the captivated knights, he smiled lightly and used the dust of nightmare, saying that it was his first time using it on humans.
The senior knights, who didn’t answer any questions, burst like bubbles before the nightmare.
Kim Shinrok extracted information little by little, adding and subtracting the right amount of dust so they wouldn’t go crazy.
As a result, they found out about the achievement of the Knight of the Water Shadow.
It seemed that they would soon vomit even more facts that they’d been hiding.
“Is there a possibility that the senior knights will come after the children to rescue the others?”
“It’s close to zero.”
Jared answered the team doctor’s question.
“The plague is spreading, starting with withered roses.”
***
Our class gathered ahead of Kwon Lena’s birthday.
Birthday parties aren’t always a thing with our class because of school schedules or family events, but this time was special.
Kwon Lena sacrificed her energy violin and many of the kids still feel guilty.
In order to break this atmosphere, Kim Yuri proposed to prepare a birthday party for Kwon Lena.
The main point was to prepare a party for the class to see each other during vacation.
‘I prepared a gift for Kwon Lena, but I didn’t think we’d get together and have a party like this. Kim Yuri’s really good at taking care of her classmates.’
She planned the birthday party in advance together with the Lake of Eternity.
If it weren’t for our talented class president, I think our class would be scattered like sand.
I can’t say it openly because it might put pressure on Kim Yuri, but I hope she remains as the class president in the next semesters.
So, under Kim Yuri’s leadership, our class gathered together to prepare a birthday party.
“I wanted to buy a cake from MITRON but… I don’t know if we have the time.”
“I don’t think we can make an order.”
“Oh, isn’t it a holiday today? They’re not gonna be closed until tomorrow, are they?”
While the kids were talking about what birthday cake to get, MITRON was suddenly mentioned.
I was just thinking of an excuse to go see Ryu Jang and Sidelentium, and the perfect one fell on my lap.
“I’ll ask the patissier myself.”
“Do you know him, VP?”
“Oh, sometimes he asks me and Hani how Euishin is doing! Euishin has a lot of connections.”
“Yeah, he gave me cookies as a bonus a few times when he asked me how our class was doing.”
The MITRON regulars, Saeum of April and Hani, each said a word.
Hwang Jiho looked at me with suspicious eyes, but I ignored him and sent Ryu Jang a message.
I’ve shown a lot of things to the crow devil with my mask, so maybe he’ll bake me a cake.
Ryu Jang sent a positive response.
[Ryu Jang] Will one cake be enough?
[Ryu Jang] I’ll be waiting for you.
Fortunately, the opportunity to talk with Ryu Jang came immediately.
The kids were pleased to hear that I got a good response from the patissier.
“I was going to make it myself, but I thought it would be better to leave it to an expert because the Lake of Eternity will be with us. It’s a relief!”
“Why don’t we all go together after we’re done with our parts?”
“I can go alone.”
Hwang Jiho, who was in charge of decorations with Dokgo Miro and Hani, said useless things.
But in the end, I managed to go alone.
Although our class number increased, all hands needed to be on deck because of the short preparation period.
‘If I finish talking to Ryu Jang early, should I go help Mok Wooram? He didn’t look very good.’
In a hurry, I headed to MITRON in front of the school’s west gate.
Today was a temporary holiday, but as Ryu Jang said, the door was open.
“I’ve been waiting. Welcome Student Jo Euishin. Happy New Year.”
The stands were empty as if the store had just been cleaned, and I smelled the faint disinfectant instead of the usual sugary scent.
Was it because of the continuous prosperity that he took this chance to clean the store?
It must be his day off today, and I felt sorry for making him work.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I wanted to wish you a happy new year as well, Student Jo Euishin.”
Ryu Jang locked the front door and led me inside.
After passing through the long corridor, we encountered the Devil King wearing a crow mask.
I thought he would be looking forward to a New Year’s greeting so I greeted him right away.
I saw him smile through the gap of his mask.
— Happy New Year to you too. It feels good to be greeted by a polite child from the start of the year.
Sidelentium spoke without making a sound.
Like the king of silence that he is, our conversations will remain the same.
But to say that I’m polite… I speak comfortably because Sidelentium told me to, but I didn’t expect him to call me polite.
— Thank you for keeping your promise. I got a good view thanks to you. If they knew what I saw, all the demons would envy me.
In exchange for having Ryu Jang stop Kwon Jein from making unexpected moves, I had to wear a crow mask when I was acting alone.
The crow mask with Sidelentium’s seal was connected to him, so he knows what I did while I was wearing that mask.
I think those eye-crazy demons would lose their minds if they knew.
— I heard you’ve been staying in the tigers’ home lately.
How did he know that?
It’s not a big secret though.
‘Sidelentium has a connection with Ungnyeo so I should be wary.’
Ungnyeo made a replica of the silver coin, and Sidelentium knew about the existence of the Wealth and Weight of Life.
If they knew that Sidelentium had a connection with Ungnyeo, the Tiger Clan wouldn’t sit still and the spot of MITRON in front of the school would be in danger.
— We better finish before the Tiger Clan comes. My research on the Weight and Wealth of Life has progressed.
“What did you find?”
— Remember what effect it has?
I used it myself so, of course, I remember.
The card erases human possibilities in exchange for the value of the item card and the wealth of its user.
If wealth is insufficient, one’s life expectancy will shorten.
Sidelentium spoke again when I briefly told him what I knew.
— Then you remember that the item was a failure, right? Do you know why?
Of course.
The Eight Real Bears joined forces to eliminate the existence of Cheonshin and Shinin.
In exchange for a sacrifice, they attempted to erase their existence, but they failed and went crazy or fell into a deep sleep.
Ungnyeo itemized the power and fruit of the Eight Real Bears’ research.
“Unlike the Eight Real Bears’ intentions, the failure of an item cannot erase Cheonshin and Shinin. All it can erase is human possibilities.”
Cheonshin is a god, and Shinin is a half.
In other words, the item can’t touch Cheonshin and Shinin.
That’s why it’s called a failure.
— We hypothesized why the item can only affect humans. Isn’t the function of the depreciation made by the Eight Real Bears broken while trying to extinguish X? It’s impossible to put a presence that is not bound to life like a descendant or a superior being in this.
It was a plausible hypothesis, but there were a lot of things that bothered me.
Why is Sidelentium suddenly talking about this?
“What clues did you get from your research?”
— The balance of that power is about to be restored. The Weight and Wealth of Life will be able to erase things other than human possibilities.
I realized what Sidelentium was trying to say.
If the missing X existed, the Eight Real Bears would’ve paid the price for erasing it.
However, the price that they paid supposedly returned.
— I think the Eight Real Bears’ failure is regaining its true appearance. If so, the Eight Real Bears will also find their way to sanity and wake up from a deep sleep. And…
He still didn’t make a sound, but it was as if Sidelentium’s words rang heavily.
— The missing X will return too.
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