Go Hyeon-woo looked around the room and began to speak.
“I remember when we had just enrolled. Everyone used to mock Kim-hyung. But now, so many people recognize his true worth. It really feels like a different world.”
“……”
“I understand why Jung-hyung made the decision he did. There were definitely parts I agreed with.”
“It still sounds like an excuse. Either way, it’s something we should apologize to Kim Ho and his group for.”
“At least it doesn’t seem like you hold any grudge against him.”
“Quite the opposite. I have a lot of respect for him.”
The two of them exchanged smiles.
Go Hyeon-woo continued.
“I acknowledge that there’s a need for cooperation on a group level. I just worry it might go too far in the wrong direction.”
“I’ll explain everything shortly. Just listen first and then tell me what you think.”
“Alright, I’ll do that.”
Next, Jung Jin-myung turned to Hong Yeon-hwa.
“What about you?”
“Do our opinions even matter? It’s not like anything’s going to change.”
“Sorry, but you’re right.”
Jung Jin-myung gave a bitter smile.
They couldn’t exactly disband the meeting just because a few people were opposed.
The moment they gathered here, the die had already been cast.
Even so, he asked for their input to ease tensions and possibly win over Kim Ho’s group, if only a little.
Each of them was incredibly skilled, so getting their cooperation was vital.
Hong Yeon-hwa crossed her arms, clearly displeased.
“I don’t know about the rest, but I’m going to talk to him.”
At that, Cha Hyeon-joo scoffed and jumped into the conversation.
“Running off to tattle? Here comes the loyal watchdog.”
“If I’m the watchdog, then what does that make you? Even a dog has more shame than you.”
You’re acting all high and mighty, but honestly, you’re worse than a dog.
Realizing what that meant, Cha Hyeon-joo’s eyes flared with anger.
“You think sticking around Kim Ho means you’re actually that good?”
“I can beat you even without him.”
Hong Yeon-hwa shot back, staring her down.
Cha Hyeon-joo gritted her teeth and was about to snap again, but Jung Jin-myung raised his hand to stop her.
“That’s enough. We were never planning to keep this a secret anyway. And even if we tried, it’s not something that could be hidden.”
Being grouped together for finals was only temporary.
The students were already connected through friendships, parties, and clubs.
Expecting all of them to keep this a secret was nearly impossible, so they hadn’t even bothered trying.
Jung Jin-myung looked at Hong Yeon-hwa.
“You can tell Kim Ho. Just… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put it in the worst possible terms.”
“I won’t make stuff up.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Watching the conversation unfold, Mo Yong-jun asked,
“Seems like we’ve cleared the air. Can I hear the plan now? How exactly are we working together?”
“It’s simple. A non-aggression pact.”
Groups A and C would not attack each other or steal item cards or crystals.
When facing powerful enemies like Draconic Soldiers or top-ranked students from Group B, they would cooperate if possible…though not necessarily every time.
Jung Jin-myung added,
“I want to add one more safeguard. Group B’s probably going to reach out with a proposal too, right?”
“They probably will.”
“No matter what it is, we prioritize the non-aggression pact we just agreed on. The rest is up to you…reject it or negotiate as you see fit. Sound good?”
Mo Yong-jun exchanged looks with his team for a moment.
Once he saw everyone was on board, he gave a soft smile.
“It’s a reasonable request. We’ll accept.”
The two of them shook hands.
***
Go Hyeon-woo, Han So-mi, and Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly came to see me.
Then they explained that Groups A and C had formed a non-aggression pact.
“Well, I guess it was bound to happen.”
For most first-years, this was a pretty big deal. But I had more or less seen it coming.
My abilities were already beyond what you’d expect from a typical first-year, and I was still rapidly improving.
For those aware of that fact, it was only natural to start feeling pressured. So, this kind of interference was inevitable.
Maybe if I’d kept a lower profile, I could’ve delayed it a bit. But lately, I’d been showing off everything I had while clearing Challenge Quests.
Still, the rewards I got out of it were more than worth it. No regrets.
Go Hyeon-woo spoke.
“Jung-hyung apologized multiple times. Seems like he still wants to maintain a good relationship if possible.”
“I don’t hold it against him.”
It was a perfectly reasonable decision for someone in a leadership role.
If he’d prioritized personal feelings over group benefit, that would’ve been disappointing and a sign of a small mind.
Hong Yeon-hwa asked cautiously,
“So… what are you going to do now?”
“That’s not really my problem to worry about.”
It was Song Cheon-hye, the leader, who’d be the one dealing with that headache.
Personally, this works out for me.
▷ Objective 1: Defeat competitors (-/20)
I had planned to move cautiously, avoiding unnecessary clashes with other groups, since stirring things up too much could damage inter-group relations.
But now? There’s no need to hold back.
Groups A and C had formed a non-aggression pact, leaving us as the sole target.
No one was going to say anything if I went all-out and caused some chaos.
“In fact, I should be asking you guys. What are you going to do?”
At that, Go Hyeon-woo and Han So-mi exchanged glances before responding one by one.
“I may have come to terms with it, but I don’t exactly like it. Still, it’s the final exam. We should do our part and give it our best, don’t you think?”
“Couldn’t agree more!”
Hong Yeon-hwa sighed with a disgruntled look.
“Same here… I’m not thrilled, but slacking off wouldn’t be right. Not to my teammates… and not to myself, either.”
“You’ve all got the right mindset.”
I nodded slowly.
Then, I threw the next line out, almost as an afterthought.
“What if… there was a way to change things?”
“……!”
Exclamation marks practically popped up over all three of their heads.
Hong Yeon-hwa was the first to respond.
“If there’s a way… then I’d want to change things…”
“I feel the same.”
“Same here! Absolutely!”
Go Hyeon-woo and Han So-mi answered right after her.
Seeing they were all on the same page, I began to explain the method.
“Alright then. Starting from the moment we enter…”
***
News of the non-aggression pact between Groups A and C spread through the entire first-year class in less than a day.
And, just as expected, Song Cheon-hye sank into deep distress.
“How did it end up like this…?”
Pressing her forehead like she had a migraine, she paced the room rapidly.
I, on the other hand, spoke in a calm casual tone.
“It’s probably not as big a deal as you think.”
“Shouldn’t we be more worried? It’s two-on-one from the very start.”
“It’s a non-aggression pact. Not a ‘let’s gang up and crush them’ pact.”
In other words, A and C weren’t going to go out of their way to hunt down Group B or storm our base together. Nothing that extreme would happen.
“Still, we are at a disadvantage.”
“Yeah, it’s a disadvantage, but not something we can’t manage.”
Only then did Song Cheon-hye seem to regain her composure and start calmly weighing the situation.
It looked like she had calculated that things were still workable, and her expression brightened a bit.
At that point, I gave her a serious piece of advice.
“This is when you need to stay steady. If you start wavering, the rest of the team will follow.”
“…Got it. I’ll talk to everyone.”
“Good. Hang in there.”
As I turned to leave, Song Cheon-hye raised her eyebrows.
“Where are you going?”
“Snack bar.”
“Let me come with. I’ve been craving something sweet.”
“I’m good, I’m just grabbing coffee and heading somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else where?”
“I’ve got a meeting.”
That stopped Song Cheon-hye in her tracks.
“……”
“Not coming?”
“…Later, then. Something just came up.”
She seemed a little sulky, but I couldn’t exactly cancel the meeting now. So I left Song Cheon-hye and went on my way.
After picking up a coffee from the snack bar, I found a quiet, secluded spot to sit.
I didn’t have to wait long before the person I was meeting arrived and sat across from me.
“I heard the leader of Group B is Song Cheon-hye. But you’re the one who came?”
“She’s not great with politics.”
“I’ve noticed. She does seem to have a very upright character.”
Mo Yong-jun smiled gently and continued while looking me in the eye.
“Before we get into it, let me be clear. I intend to honor the promise I made with Jung Jin-myung. Meaning, I plan to prioritize the non-aggression pact.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to leave yourself a little flexibility?”
“That’s exactly why I accepted your invitation.”
I took a sip of my coffee and got to the point.
“I’m not asking you to break it right away. I’ve got nothing to offer you that’s better than that non-aggression pact. At least for now.”
From the perspective of Groups A and C, just maintaining the pact already put pressure on Group B. And if they used that pressure well, they could easily aim for first and second place.
In other words, if I wanted them to break the pact, I’d have to offer something even more valuable.
Mo Yong-jun gave a subtle smile.
“‘For now’, huh. So I can take that to mean you’ll have something to offer later?”
“That’s why I called you here.”
“I’m listening.”
“As you know, value changes depending on the situation.”
Something precious today might become worthless tomorrow and something trivial might suddenly become critical.
Mo Yong-jun seemed to catch the underlying meaning in my words, and a glint appeared in his eyes.
“Should I take that to mean the non-aggression pact itself could become meaningless?”
“More than meaningless. It might actually turn into a shackle.”
“Maybe I’m just not imaginative enough, but I can’t picture that scenario clearly. Mind explaining?”
“Let’s say one of your teams ends up locked into third place.”
What if either Group A or C fell so far behind that there was no hope of catching up?
Then the other would be left fighting Group B for first and second place.
“So, from the perspective of the team stuck in third, would they really bother cooperating? All it does is benefit someone else.”
“There wouldn’t be much incentive, that’s for sure.”
“But they wouldn’t just sit on their hands either. They’d look for a more practical solution.”
“……”
Mo Yong-jun fell silent, lost in thought.
He seemed to be imagining a scenario where the group he led ended up in third place.
Soon, his expression hardened as if he had reached a conclusion.
“…We’d break the non-aggression pact first.”
“Because that would give you better odds.”
Group B would already be on constant alert, since everyone was technically their enemy from the start.
But between A and C, the existence of the pact would inevitably make them less guarded.
If the third-place team exploited that gap, they might be able to avoid finishing last.
“If things unfold the way you’re suggesting, it would be smarter for us to strike first…before they start getting ideas.”
“If it unfolds that way. Like I said, I don’t have anything concrete to show you yet.”
“But you intend to.”
“Of course.”
Several ways to dismantle Group C’s base flickered through my mind.
Seeing the faintly wicked smile tug at my lips, Mo Yong-jun let out a dry chuckle.
“Seems Jung Jin-myung may have made a bigger miscalculation than he realized. Making an enemy out of someone like you.”
“He must’ve been prepared for at least this much. He’s not exactly slow, either.”
“Still, you never know. He may have overlooked something.”
“Maybe. Either way, give it some thought.”
“I will. If things start heading in the direction you described, we’ll move when the time is right.”
With that, I’d planted a small seed of discord.
Now it was just a matter of which would happen first. Our group getting crushed under the combined weight of the other two…
…or Jung Jin-myung’s Group C getting stabbed in the back by Mo Yong-jun.
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