Just as the sun had set and the reddish glow had almost disappeared from the sky.
A dozen or so students had gathered at the midpoint between Team A and Team C.
The atmosphere was somewhat subdued, but it was a meeting arranged for the sake of discussion.
So Mo Yong-jun spoke first.
“It looks like the damage was pretty significant.”
“Well, as you can see.”
Jung Jin-myeong replied casually, gesturing over his shoulder with his eyes.
Several people who had shown their faces the previous evening were nowhere to be seen today.
It didn’t seem like they had been intentionally left out; rather, they likely couldn’t attend for other reasons.
For example, they might have been rendered incapacitated and expelled from the dungeon.
Jung Jin-myeong let out a bitter smile as he thought of Go Hyeon-woo and Han So-mi.
“The empty spots those two left are pretty big.”
“We also had quite a hard time because of the gap in our forces. Transfer… I never expected something like that to exist.”
“I told you. He keeps bringing in ridiculous things from who knows where.”
When the pillar of light shot up from the middle of the volcano, they had wondered what it was, but it turned out to be a hidden piece.
Mo Yong-jun said,
“We figured out how to obtain it, but I’m not sure whether it’s worth the trouble.”
“From our perspective, it’s useless.”
Through testimonies from Baek Jun-seok and others who had temporarily formed a party with Hong Yeon-hwa, they had already learned about the hidden piece.
If they wanted to, they could dispatch a few team members and secure one or two cards.
But even then, bringing someone over from Team B was practically impossible.
[Transfer]
▷Changes the user’s team affiliation to another team.
The person who wants to move must use it personally.
In other words, they would have to hand it over while trusting the other party completely.
If it were Kim Ho’s group, they would either refuse outright or simply pocket it without using it.
The only one who might be possible was Bukgong Han-seol, but judging from the current situation, she had no particular reason to move.
For that reason, from the perspective of Teams A and C, the card was practically useless. Was it really worth sacrificing precious crystals and exhausting their members for it?
They did not know that, with a certain probability, not only [Transfer] but also [Freeze] could appear. Even if they had known, their decision likely would not have changed.
Before long, the two of them glanced toward Team B’s stronghold.
“It seems they planned the whole board with even that in mind from the start.”
“Probably. Setting aside the hidden piece, there’s definitely a lot to learn here.”
For some reason, Jung Jin-myeong looked rather pleased.
Watching him, Mo Yong-jun let out a quiet exclamation inwardly.
This guy’s got quite the composure.
For two straight days, they had been beaten down one-sidedly by Kim Ho and Team B. Anyone would normally feel resentful.
Yet he still wore a smile, even going so far as to acknowledge his opponent.
The president of the White Magic Club, Jung Chong-myeong, had been no ordinary figure either.
It made him think that the younger brother truly lived up to the older one.
Of course, Jung Jin-myeong was not someone with a soft personality who simply smiled all the time.
His expression soon turned serious as he continued the conversation.
“Now then, shall we talk about tomorrow?”
“Go ahead.”
“At this rate, we’ll end up taking second and third place side by side. Most likely we’ll be the ones in third.”
“……”
“I’d like to hear what you think.”
Mo Yong-jun gave a faint smile.
“So you thought I might be satisfied with second place. I won’t deny that I do value stability.”
“But?”
Mo Yong-jun’s smile deepened slightly.
“But isn’t it a bit too early to settle? I’d like to push things as far as possible. If we could reclaim first place, that would be even better.”
“That’s good to hear. It seems our understanding still aligns….for now.”
Jung Jin-myeong smiled back, but Mo Yong-jun did not miss it.
For a brief moment, a chilling glint passed through his eyes.
If he had given a vague answer, their non-aggression pact might have shattered right then and there.
And in that case, the arrows of Team C would almost certainly have turned toward Team A.
Mo Yong-jun silently repeated his own words in his mind.
It’s still too early.
“If we close the gap or overturn it, it should be possible. But how exactly are you planning to do it?”
“The same thing Kim Ho did yesterday.”
Charging into Team B’s territory to disrupt their charging and seize their crystals.
“If we’ve got nearly twice the numbers, it should be worth a try, don’t you think?”
“Indeed. Even considering those who transferred through [Transfer], our chances seem fairly decent. But is that really all?”
He was asking whether there was another motive behind it.
Jung Jin-myeong grinned.
“You’re sharp. I was just about to bring that up.”
Then he took out a bundle of cards.
“If we fight, we’ll naturally end up using some of these along the way.”
“Since we’re at a numerical disadvantage, the consumption will likely be significant.”
“Right. And after that—”
The card Jung Jin-myeong produced next was [Concealment].
“—we finish it with this.”
“I see. I understand the picture you’re trying to draw.”
“You’re not going to change your mind now, are you?”
“Of course not. Let’s give it a try.”
***
That’s probably what those two are thinking.
There was no way the two of them would have already given up.
They would attempt a comeback somehow.
But there weren’t many possible methods, so predicting it wasn’t difficult either.
When I pointed this out, worry quickly spread across Song Cheon-hye’s face.
“…One problem after another.”
“Getting first place was never going to be easy. The ones below will keep trying to drag you down.”
“But you brought it up because there’s a solution, right?”
“Of course there is.”
I explained what our schedule for tomorrow would be and how Team B should move.
Song Cheon-hye looked somewhat doubtful, but in the end she nodded.
“…You’ve never led us wrong before. I’ll try it.”
“Good. Get plenty of rest today.”
“I am resting right now.”
Just as she said, we were sitting leisurely around a campfire.
“……”
Seo Ye-in was receiving compensation for all the hardship she had gone through today in the form of a Kim Ho pillow.
She had claimed my lap and was lying there.
Her eyelids slowly drooped halfway closed, then opened again.
Hong Yeon-hwa was sitting off to one side, repeatedly casting sidelong glances and looking envious.
Watching the two of us in turn, Song Cheon-hye seemed to be going through a serious internal conflict.
Part of her thought she should just leave it alone, but at the same time it felt strange, and she was curious.
Before long, as if she couldn’t hold it in any longer, she threw out a question.
“Is it really that comfortable?”
“Very comfortable……”
“I didn’t get it yesterday either. I really don’t understand. Isn’t it just a lap?”
“…….”
At that, Seo Ye-in slowly pushed herself up and pointed at my lap.
“Lie down.”
“…Huh?”
“Lie down.”
“No, why would I lie down there?”
As she said that, Song Cheon-hye looked over at me.
I answered in a casual tone.
“Trying it out for a moment should be fine.”
“Even so, it’s just… a lap.”
“Didn’t you ask because it didn’t seem like that?”
“Well, that’s….”
Song Cheon-hye flinched as if I had hit the mark.
Even so, she kept hesitating. Judging by her values, it seemed she couldn’t easily bring herself to do the Kim Ho pillow test.
Seeing this, Hong Yeon-hwa who had been watching finally frowned and tossed out a remark.
“Just live without knowing.”
“What kind of thing is that to say?”
“It’s someone else’s business anyway. Whether it’s comfortable or not, why are you sticking your nose in?”
She herself had been pushed aside by the gray cat and could only watch the situation.
So hearing a hedgehog complain about being full was enough to twist her mood.
Song Cheon-hye didn’t know what was really going on in her mind, but she still bristled at the aggressive tone and shot back.
“It’s not someone else’s business.”
“How is it not?”
“We’re close enough that I can ask something like this!”
Then she stood up and strode straight toward me, as if her pride had finally overcome her hesitation.
If she backed down now, she would lose.
“I’ll try lying down once.”
“Okay.”
I readily offered my lap, and Song Cheon-hye, after making one last doubtful expression, slowly lay down and rested her head on it.
That position held for a while.
Then Song Cheon-hye muttered as if talking to herself.
“It’s just a lap… it is… buuut……”
The stiffness on her face gradually softened into a relaxed, drowsy expression.
I added a comment.
“You look comfortable.”
“I think… that might be the case……”
At that, Hong Yeon-hwa hurried over and grabbed Song Cheon-hye’s arm.
“Alright, come out now.”
“Why? Already?”
“You tested it, so that’s enough.”
Song Cheon-hye tensed her body and resisted.
“…Ah, not yet?”
“What do you mean not yet?”
“I need to stay a bit longer to know for sure.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
But since their strength seemed fairly even, a rather tense tug-of-war followed.
Watching this, Seo Ye-in grabbed the other arm.
“…Lying down test over.”
“W-Wait a second.”
“That’s my spot.”
Then she joined forces with Hong Yeon-hwa and pulled the unauthorized occupier of the Kim Ho pillow away.
Meanwhile, Han So-mi was watching the romantic chaos with eyes that were half fascinated and half horrified.
With an “oh my, oh my” expression, she quickly whispered into Go Hyeon-woo’s ear.
“A womanizer, a total womanizer.”
“Haha, I have heard that Kim-hyung possesses a certain mysterious charm.”
“So that’s how he seduces them one by one?”
“That can’t be the case. Their hearts must have been moved by another side of Kim-hyung.”
“Is that so?”
Han So-mi nodded as if it made sense.
Then, as if a thought had just occurred to her, she looked at Go Hyeon-woo, glanced down at his knees, and then looked at Go Hyeon-woo again.
“…….”
“…….”
“……You’re pretending not to notice on purpose, aren’t you?”
“That is not the case. I simply thought it might still be a bit too early.”
“Right, I’m just a training dummy for martial arts! Knees are still too early!”
“Miss Han, calm down and hear me out.”
Why does that sharp-witted guy become so dull whenever he’s dealing with Han So-mi?
At this point, it almost seems like he’s doing it on purpose.
We spent the time watching the two sword couple bicker, exchanging questions and answers about Song Cheon-hye and the Kim Ho pillow, and chatting about everyday things.
Before we knew it, the night had grown deep, so I got up and began tidying my spot.
“Let’s head in and get some rest. Everyone must be tired.”
“Um, just a moment.”
Even after speaking up, Song Cheon-hye hesitated for a moment before continuing in a careful tone.
“There’s something I’d like to talk about. Just the two of us.”
“With me? Just the two of us?”
When I asked back, a strange atmosphere passed through the room.
Han So-mi quickly whispered again, “A womanizer, a womanizer!” while Seo Ye-in mouthed the word “player”.
As if sensing the mood, Song Cheon-hye spoke in a firm tone.
“I don’t know what you’re all thinking, but it’s not that.”
“So it isn’t after all. Then what is it?”
“This, you know.”
She clenched her fist to show it, then opened her palm wide as if to do palm reading.
It was practically a code that only the two of us could understand.
Inferno Fist.’
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