Light gradually began to seep into Seol-hwi’s vision. Each passing moment saw Seol-Hwi’s tension spiking; he absolutely could not afford to mess up the simulation’s instructions.
He spun to the right and raised his sword to shoulder height as soon as the system unfroze time. The Supreme Pavilion Lord saw Seol-Hwi moving, but ignored it and kept speeding towards him; he refused to let Seol-Hwi’s actions get to his head.
Here it comes!
Seol-Hwi felt something hit his sword, and his heart took off like a rocket. He immediately proceeded with the simulation’s next instructions.
Ugh! Sama Gwi’s fire energy penetrated the hand with which he was holding the sword, but Seol-Hwi didn’t lose his grip. He knew that any deviation from the simulation would change everything. Instead, he began to channel the White Light Demonic Body so that its chill would cool his body.
He felt, rather than knew, the timing to move his sword. Ten breaths, ten beats, then move.
Did I… succeed?
Seol-Hwi turned around again and felt the Supreme Pavilion Lord using the Full Flame Martial Arts, but didn’t change his course—or rather, Sama Gwi’s grip on his neck prevented that.
“You rotten bastard!” The Pavilion Lord furiously clenched his fist. He sent a burst of flame energy onto Seol-Hwi’s face, burning away his mask. “You…” He was shocked to find Seol-Hwi behind the half-ruined mask. He couldn’t help it—he never would have thought the man he was looking for was right there.
Seol-Hwi met his gaze steadily. “Why… do you look surprised?” He reached up and gripped Sama Gwi’s hand. He had some choice words to say to the man. “Mmmm… but what can we do? The truth is, your vassal is dying there, and you’re just watching.” Seol-Hwi groaned. “The truth, it seems, is that I wasn’t the one who abandoned his people… it was… you?”
“You fucker!” The Supreme Pavilion Lord pushed more fire energy onto Seol-Hwi, spreading the scorching heat from his face onto his entire body.
It didn’t matter, though.
[Status Summary]
Seol-Hwi [Vice-Captain of the Hidden Truth Corps]
…
…
Coins: 6 [Six Lives]
He had six lives now, up from two. That meant the simulation had succeeded.
“Ack!” Seol-Hwi’s eyes snapped open. “Ahhh…” He’d never had pain carry over when time was turned back, but he still felt the terrible heat coursing through his body.
Right before he died in the hands of the Supreme Pavilion Lord, he thought of one thing.
“Just once… I need to see him tremble in disgrace.”
He recalled Jeok Seong’s conviction in the face of the Supreme Pavilion Lord’s coercion. Seol-Hwi felt that if he didn’t want to lose favorability, he had to do the same.
<Five chances left.>
<Year 95, Chapter 4-5. Filling the members’ favorability.>
“How do I do that? With 20 million combat power…” It was a difficult number to wrap his head around, even after training for his entire life. He might get the chance after crossing the river of death a few more times, but the gap seemed insurmountable.
“It’s not the time,” he decided. “I can’t give up on life so easily.”
He was a little confused now that he was back in the past, though. Heuk Bi was dead, which was one-half of his revenge done, and he saw the Supreme Pavilion Lord lose his cool, which mollified Seol-Hwi’s anger somewhat. So what now? Save Jeok Seong?
First, I need to get Jeok Seong. Seol-Hwi thought back to the conversation they’d had, and then the conversation Jeok Seong had with the Supreme Pavilion Lord. What if Jeok Seong was somewhere else when Sama Gwi arrived? They’d avoid the situation, and his favorability with Jeok Seong would rise.
The problem was that Seol-Hwi wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully if he didn’t resolve the situation.
Wait, my sword?! The Sword of Reverence, a treasured blade that increases his destructive power. He was using it during the fight, and—
“Where is it?!” Seol-Hwi looked around, but couldn’t find it next to his bed. He’d lost it during the fight. “Ah, I didn’t put it in the Toolbox.” He felt disappointed that he’d lost the Earth Demon’s gift. It wasn’t easy to find a weapon that could raise his stats.
Wait… Maybe it’s where I lost it? It suddenly occurred to him that if the sword hadn’t come back with him, it ought to remain where it was. I’m going to see Jeok Seong anyway, so let’s check it out.
Seol-Hwi went to bed half-anxious and half-excited. It felt like his day had been too short.
A sign popped up in the morning, like it had been waiting for him.
<Please set a schedule for month 3 of year 97. (19/36)>
There was no need to think about it.
▶ Command Unit Dorms
He chose the same option as before. The blinding light shone for a second, and then he was back in front of the birch tree again.
“When did you arrive?”
“Well, just now,” Seol-Hwi replied, exactly as he had before. However, the way he looked at Jeok Seong was different; he’d seen such loyalty in the face of death from one of his subordinates.
“Amazing. I didn’t even feel your steps.”
However, Jeok Seong departed from Seol-Hwi’s memory.
“Don’t get me wrong… Isn’t this your sword, captain?”
Seol-Hwi blinked at the proffered sword in shock. The Sword of Reverence! His sword was here, just as he’d hoped.
“It might be hard to believe, but it was sitting around here.”
Seol-Hwi’s prediction wasn’t far off; the sword lay right where he’d abandoned it. That should hold true for anything else he had owned before dying.
“I was here to find it.”
“Ah, yes…” Jeok Seong looked doubtful, but Seol-Hwi didn’t mind it. He wouldn’t be able to understand even if Seol-Hwi explained, so Seol-Hwi just took the sword.
Should I put it in the Toolbox now? He mulled over it for a while, but ended up putting it on his waist. He wasn’t here to find the Supreme Pavilion Lord anymore.
If I lose it in a fight, all I have to do is come find it again.
“If it isn’t too rude, I want to ask you something,” Jeok Seong ventured. Besides the incident with the sword, it seemed everything was going the same way.
<You have persuaded Jeok Seong. His favorability will increase until the end.>
[Favorability has risen to “Trusting.”]
[Except under special circumstances, favorability will not decrease.]
[You can now issue missions to Jeok Seong.]
So far, everything was the same. The next part had changed, however.
<There is nothing more to learn from Jeok Seong.>
Everything he knew had already been explained, it seemed.
What happened next was important; the decisions Seol-Hwi made would affect all of their futures.
“Jeok Seong,” Seol-Hwi called out.
“…Yes, captain?”
“We need to head back to the classroom now.”
“Why? Do we have something else to learn?”
“It isn’t for any reason. Don’t ask any questions, just go there for today.”
“…Yes.” Although he looked confused, Jeok Seong didn’t object; it seemed he would no longer disobey Seol-Hwi’s orders.
Seol-Hwi quickly hid himself once Jeok Seong was gone. A little time passed, and then he spotted an old man standing by the birch tree. Despite the distance, Seol-Hwi could see that it was the Supreme Pavilion Lord.
Idiots.
They stood around for a while before Seol-Hwi got another prompt.
[Where would you like to go?]
▶ Fourth Disciple’s House
▷ Black Tortoise Garden
Seol-Hwi had to think about it for a bit, now that he had Jeok Seong’s favorability maxed. The Fourth Disciple’s house seemed like the safest option, but…
<You have selected “Black Tortoise Garden.”>
[A day and a half passes.]
A pure white light covered the flow of time.
The first thing that graced his eyes was the moonlit darkness. He slowly looked down and saw something moving quickly.
“Yong Jin.” Seol-Hwi could tell by the long hair. He wasn’t certain, but it looked like Yong Jin was being chased by someone. Seol-Hwi’s subordinate was agile and quick, but he was under a lot of pressure despite his best efforts.
Seol-Hwi realized who his pursuer was.
Heuk Bi?! He couldn’t see her face, but between the daggers she held, the sword on her waist, and her feminine physique, he was convinced nonetheless.
Why? Why Yong Jin? Why suddenly attack him?
Seol-Hwi’s eyes went to where Yong Jin was running, and he stiffened. No! Outside the walls of the Hidden Truth’s grounds was the Supreme Pavilion Lord.
<Will you intervene?>
▶ Help
▷ Keep Watching
Seol-Hwi didn’t wait this time. This was a chance to raise Yong Jin’s favorability—and he wasn’t about to miss the chance to make his enemy eat shit again.
