Lately, the atmosphere in First Year Class A had been tense; few students trusted each other, and criticism and verbal abuse were thrown around easily.
The students' relationships had begun to sour after the Leech King raid. Since that day, three groups had formed. They were the students led by Chae Da-Hee, who had resisted to the end; the students who had abandoned them and fled; and Shinra Kyeong and Loren, who hadn’t lifted a finger to help.
The students who’d fought to the end doubted or resented Shinra Kyeong and Loren, while the students who ran away were ashamed of themselves or hated the student who awakened the Leech King.
“Are you okay, Seung-Jun?”
Lee Seung-Jun, the boy who woke the Leech King from his slumber, was isolated by the security forces and by his class.
Because of his mistake, many children had been forced to make cowardly choices or risk their lives fighting. The children who had abandoned Chae Da-Hee’s group were burdened with guilt and especially hated Lee Seung-Jun for it.
Lee Seung-Jun turned away from Chae Da-Hee’s hand and raised himself up.
There was a deep bruise on his neck, which was visible through his collar. He seemed to be suffering from physical and verbal violence.
“These so-called players!”
Da-Hee was about to chase after the group that had surrounded Seung-Jun just now, only to be stopped by Seung-Jun.
“Please! Please stop, Chae Da-Hee!”
“They feel guilty and ashamed for having abandoned you during the raid, which is why they resent and bully me! Don’t you know? The more you shame them, the more I’ll suffer.”
“Wow, what crazy words.”
Lim Yoo-Jin frowned and grabbed Seung-Jun by the collar.
“Do you blame Da-Hee? ‘If Da-Hee had run away like those bastards, they wouldn’t have felt guilty and I wouldn’t have been bullied.’ Is that what you think?”
“Yes! Did I get it wrong?”
“Yes, you’re wrong. If Da-Hee had escaped, our homeroom teacher might’ve died. Then wouldn’t those bastards, and even I, lose our minds?”
“My hammer would’ve flattened your head like tonkatsu.”
Was this something a fifteen-year-old girl should say? It wasn’t just Lee Seung-Jun but also Da-Hee who looked at Yoo-Jin with a dismayed expression.
However, Yoo-Jin wasn’t finished. “Based on your attitude of shifting responsibility to Da-Hee, I can see why they don’t like you. Reflect on yourself; do you really think the reason you’re being bullied is simply the Leech King incident?”
"Don't make me laugh! No one has the right to bully me. Blaming the victim is the type of thinking that only a thug like you would have! It’s your fault!”
“T-that’s right. Your words were too much.” Da-Hee nodded beside Seung-Jun.
Yoo-Jin laughed at Seung-Jun’s sorry sight and couldn’t help thinking of Kang Jae-Hyeok.
The Kang family... the traitorous family that most Koreans hated.
Kang Jae-Hyeok’s reputation had been the worst at first. But what about now? Class B was united around Kang Jae-Hyeok. That was the result created by Kang Jae-Hyeok himself. Knowing him, it was possible he would feel even more disappointed in Lee Seung-Jun.
Why should I care what happens to Seung-Jun?
Yoo-Jin thought this, shrugged, and let go of Lee Seung-Jun’s collar.
“Yes, you take care of your own business. Let’s go, Da-Hee.”
Standing alone in the empty classroom, Lee Seung-Jun couldn’t suppress his anger. “Shit!”
If he wanted, he could easily repay their violence with his own. After all, his abilities were high enough. But using his power recklessly would leave him more isolated in class, and his reason for entering Lion’s Castle was to form connections for after graduation, so he needed a more peaceful way to restore his honor...
He was immersed in thought when a sullen voice entered his ears and sent shivers down his spine.
“Do you know?” the person asked.
Ha Kyeong-Su, son of Ha Jeong-Ak, the spear master, had belonged to the upper-middle caste in Class A, which had many aristocrats.
Yes, ‘had’ belonged, but no longer.
Seung-Jun wondered, He has been quiet since that incident with Kang Jae-Hyeok, so why did he suddenly approach me now?
“What do you want?” Seung-Jun asked, glancing around.
Ha Kyeong-Su explained, “Chae Da-Hee and Lim Yoo-Jin are close friends with Kang Jae-Hyeok.”
Until Kang Jae-Hyeok, there had never been a case where a Class A student was defeated by a Class B student in the freshman year.
In other words, Ha Kyeong-Su’s defeat at Kang Jae-Hyeok’s hands in the first duel evaluation was a first in the school’s history
It was an incomprehensible, deeply humiliating result. Ha Kyeong-Su concluded that there were two reasons for his ridiculous loss.
The first reason was the National Treasure, White Night.
Seol Su-Ah had given the Fairy’s Tears to Kang Jae-Hyeok after the Leech King’s death. She claimed it was repayment for protecting the country's future pillars, but the reward was too great. The Fairy’s Tears was a high-grade elixir—a precious treasure that even S-class players and National Treasures found hard to obtain. Most likely, Seol Su-Ah had a personal relationship with Kang Jae-Hyeok; she must’ve been taking extra care of Kang Jae-Hyeok, who had already grown up drinking elixirs like daily supplements in the Kang family. That explained why Kang Jae-Hyeok’s stats were high compared to his level.
The second reason was... “Chae Da-Hee and Lim Yoo-Jin. These poor girls were dazzled by that man’s face and must’ve handed over all my information to Kang Jae-Hyeok.”
The reason why Ha Kyeong-Su normally wore glasses without a prescription was to hide his overly sharp eyes. Now, he couldn’t afford to worry about his appearance, and without his sunglasses, his eyes shone with a mad frenzy. “I will hand over Kang Jae-Hyeok’s information to you. The sword-drawing technique he used during the Leech King raid and the re-examination, as well as the spear technique he used to deal with me—I visualized the techniques over a thousand times and have studied how to counter them. Lee Seung-Jun, although your talent is inferior compared to mine, you are a fighter. You will find what I have to say very useful.”
Seung-Jun sneered, “All of you are the same... ”
Was his talent humble? He entered Lion’s Castle because he had one of the best talents in South Korea. And his exceptional abilities meant he was placed in Class A.
Lee Seung-Jun glared at Ha Kyeong-Su. “I’m different from you and can easily beat Kang Jae-Hyeok. Still, I like it. It doesn’t hurt to be well-prepared. I will accept your words.”
A landslide victory over the man who defeated Ha Kyeong-Su was just what he needed. That would definitely restore his reputation.
Lee Seung-Jun was motivated.
“How does everyone in Class B get along so well?”
At dinner time, Da-Hee happened to meet some of the Class B students at the cafeteria and asked this question.
Cheon Hye-Ji looked at her with displeasure and clicked her tongue.
“Did you lose your discerning eye while ignorantly practicing the sword? What do you mean by ‘get along’? Don’t you see the venom in our eyes?” She waved toward the other Class B students. They could barely move their spoons with trembling hands, but they were muttering vicious curses without end.
“Bastard... damned bastard... ”
“Kang Jae-Hyeok... I hope you fall and break your nose... ”
Cheon Hye-Ji continued, “In the first place, it’s impossible for students to get along with each other. It’s a competition: the better your grades, the more elixirs and Skills you get, allowing you to advance toward becoming a higher-ranked player. What type of fool would waste time playing around with friends?” She snorted and swept back her gorgeous blonde hair. She’d had it cut into a layered bob for practicality and was flaunting her beauty in front of Chae Da-Hee.
Of course, Da-Hee didn’t notice her intentions. She was focused on strength and was indifferent to appearance. “Really? But you look like close friends?” Da-Hee pointedly glanced at Jae-Hyeok’s plate, where the boiled egg that Cheon Hye-Ji had peeled was placed on the edge.
“What are you saying? I gave it to Kang Jae-Hyeok so he would choke on it.”
In fact, Cheon Hye-Ji was expressing her gratitude in her own way. Jae-Hyeok had helped her throughout the snowfield training, so she shared a bit of her protein with that bottomless stomach of his. However, she’d done it without thinking in front of Chae Da-Hee, and she was growing increasingly embarrassed after realizing it.
Just then, Du Bae-Su nodded. “Indeed. It isn’t well-meaning to give a boiled egg to someone who is already eating.”
To him, a boiled egg was a lump of protein with little taste. He wouldn’t be happy to receive something like that at mealtime when he could eat other delicious things.
“T-that’s ridiculous.” Cheon Hye-Ji’s face became even redder. “I mean, um, is that really true?”
What a confusing person. Yoo-Jin looked at Hye-Ji in bewilderment before warning Jae-Hyeok, “By the way, be careful with your opponent for the duel evaluation. Fighters don’t have AOE Skills, but they’re especially strong in one-on-one duels. Not to mention, Lee Seung-Jun is a master of wrestling. He will grab your clothes and slam you into the ground the moment you allow him to approach. Oh, and you can’t allow him to grab your weapon. Once, he seized an orc warrior’s sword and twisted it to pieces.”
Yoo-Jin’s expression was serious. “Also, he’s been emotionally unstable lately. I wouldn’t trust him not to cross the line in your fight.”
“Thanks for the advice.”
Jae-Hyeok finished demolishing his tower of food and smiled as he popped the boiled egg into his mouth.
It was light and savory, but the unseasoned egg reminded him of all the basic ingredients that Butler Hwang threw into a pot and boiled into porridge. He reflexively frowned at the bad memory and fiddled with his phone, which had been quiet for days.
I hope Butler Hwang finds the swordsmith.
The Kang family’s past blacksmith was someone whom his father treated as an elder. There was a good chance he would know about Iyarugt. Jae-Hyeok was desperate for his help to find any clue about Iyarugt’s lost soul.
This is none other than the soul of the Kang family’s heirloom.It’s like an ancestral guardian spirit.It’ll be a great help to have by my side.
Theodore described Iyarugt as a demon sword, but that was just the claim of an evil Death Knight. The heirloom passed down from the founder of his family couldn’t possibly be a demon sword.