Chun Yeowun smiled after finding the attacker. As for Ha Ilming, he didn’t feel so good. He was the only individual leader who wasn’t a prince of the six clans or a member of a high-ranking clan. When he heard the information about the four groups fighting against each other, he came up with an idea to easily pass the test.
‘If I get rid of the leaders, then it will be a piece of cake.’
All groups were given the same formation training, so naturally, they were equal in power. Therefore, Ha Ilming began ambushing the leaders each night. He attacked two of the princes and the princess. After exchanging a few attacks with Chun Wonryou, he thought he could easily injure her. However, there was one thing he didn’t know. Chun Wonryou’s musical wave energy which could spread through allowed her to hear what was going on.
After the first failure, he went after Chun Mukeum. After ambushing with enough preparation, he was able to injure Mukeum. He tried to take him out completely, but an intruder made him fall back. However, he thought injuring Mukeum’s leg was enough. He then tried to attack the next leader, but he couldn’t as the damage from the previous attack didn’t allow him to do it.
‘I thought I got away.’
He thought he had dodged the attack from the intruder, but he actually didn’t wasn’t. The attack cracked his ribs so he had to stay on the roof at midnight to heal himself, and it was then that it happened.
‘What bastard did such a thing!’
He didn’t think that someone would attack the entire group at night. He figured it was weird when his entire group wouldn’t wake up and he realized that they had all been put to sleep with blood points, which was bone-chilling. When he woke up everyone, he then realized half of his group couldn’t walk because of their thighs, feet, and muscles..
‘Why the leg? OH!’
Ha Ilming then realized that it was payback for what he did.
‘How dare...’
It was likely that the culprit was in the 8th group. And when he saw Chun Yeowun coming up on stage, he became confused.
‘Him...? The rumored seventh prince? It can’t be him...’
How could a man with no internal energy just three weeks ago do such a thing? There had to be someone hiding within the 8th group who was more powerful like himself. Ha Ilming’s goal was clear.
‘I will find the culprit and destroy his leg!’
And the result of the lottery was decided.
[Fifth versus eighth. Sixth versus seventh.]
Members of the 7th group sighed in relief. They had to change leaders because of last night’s incident and they wanted to avoid the fifth group that had Chun Wonryou as the leader.
“We’re lucky.”
“The 6th group is worse than us.”
“Maybe we will go up!”
Ha Ilming wanted to fight the 8th group to get his revenge, but this result only made him angrier.
‘Just wait...’
And for the 8th group, they weren’t all that thrilled. They were up against a group that had taken no losses at all.
‘Hmph. All that was for nothing then,’ Chun Yeowun thought. This was very unlucky. He decided to never go gambling and looked at Chun Wonryou.
‘Lust Clan.’
Chun Wonryou was the sixth in rank to the throne. Mukeum was in the same group so there was no other way, but Yeowun had to defeat her right at the start. Although she was not the strongest of the heirs, the problem was that she was known for her leadership capabilities.
‘It doesn’t matter. I have to defeat all of them sooner or later,’ Yeowun assured himself. And with every battle decided, Hameng shouted with the beginning of the test.
“First set of groups, come to the middle of the training ground!”
“Mado!’
For the first battle, the 1st and 3rp group got onto the training ground and looked at each other. Unlike the 3rd group who was tense, the 1st group seemed like they were certain of their victory.
‘Chun Muyeon.’
Yeowun knew the name also. He was first in line for the throne, and he was known for being the closest heir. Without considering the fact that he was from the Wise Clan, or the most powerful clan among the six clans, he was known for his power, wisdom, and character. As both groups got ready, Hameng shouted, “The group that overpowers other wins. Begin!”
“Mado!”
And then the test began. Both groups charged toward each other.
‘Huh?’
It was the first formation battle, but both groups didn’t change their formation and charged with their shields up. At this rate, they were just going to clash against each other to push the other out. It was understandable for the 3rd group since their leader had changed, but it was too simple for a man like Chun Muyeon to have come up with such a plan.
“Whoaaaa!”
Right before they collided with each other, Chun Muyun hollered, “From the right, THIRD FORMATION!”
The right flank of the formation sped up and the form changed. Hameng was astonished.
“Oh? Diagonal strike here?”
The 1st group charged diagonally and the 3rd group couldn’t even react to them as it was too fast. When they collided, the left side of the third group was pushed back and soon enough, the last row at the far right began falling too.
“Ugh! Don’t push!”
“Waaaaah!”
Soon, they all got pushed back.
“Get up! You have to get up!”
The new 3rd group leader shouted, but they couldn’t get up. At that time, first group leader Chun Muyeon thrust his sword into the third group leader’s shoulder.
“ARGH!”
Muyeon spoke to him with a cold voice.
“You lost. Surrender.”
“Nnngh...!”
It was too late. There was no going back as the entire formation had crumbled.
“...I surrender.”
And that was it. The understanding and the quick decision by Chun Muyeon had brought victory to the first group. Hameng stood up and shouted, “Congratulations on the victory! I announce the 1st group’s passing of the second test!”
Students mumbled and looked at the first group with envy. Yeowun, however, was thinking about something deeply. Soon, the second pair came up.
“Begin!”
It was the battle between the 2nd and 4th group. Both groups watched what happened prior, so they didn’t charge in recklessly. After a few formation changes, the winner was decided as expected.
“Congratulations to the fourth group for their victory!”
“The 2nd group did their best even though their leader changed, but they still lost.”
‘As expected. They are the same.’
While everyone was focused on the results, Yeowun was glad that he had guessed right. The losers had to leave the training ground with grim faces and the winners shouted with joy.
Hameng shouted, “Next pair, come up!”
It was the fifth versus eighth. Yeowun looked at his anxious group members.
‘They are discouraged. This isn’t good.’
Yeowun then took a deep breath and turned to them.
“Are you afraid?”
“?”
“Me too. I know all of you are concerned that our leader has changed. But if we don’t win here, we will be expelled from the academy. I do not want that. I want to climb higher.”
Everyone turned to Yeowun. Yeowun was talking to them with the same perspective of being a student.
“But I am also angry. I do not want to lose to someone who attacked our leader so that we would fail!”
Sometimes, anger was the best medicine for nervousness. And at Yeowun’s words, his group members started becoming angry.
“If you share my thoughts, we cannot fail here! I won’t say anymore. Let’s win this!”
Chun Yeowun’s choice wasn’t wrong. At his words, the students began to grow eager for battle. They now had forgotten their fears and concerns.
“Let’s win!”
The 8th group went up to the stage and Hameng wondered, ‘Can he rally the group too?’
It was unexpected. He didn’t think much of Yeowun as a replacement and he didn’t believe Yeowun had what it took to do such a thing. However, it didn’t mean that he was going to win either.
‘Let’s see if he’s a cat or tiger cub.’
Hameng then gave the start signal.
“Whoever overpowers other group wins. BEGIN!”
“Mado!!”