Forewarning
“Incoming! Second wave attack! Take cover!”
A voice rang out, but I had no time to heed the warning. As I struggled to lift my head, I saw the sky filled with incoming attack spells. Flashes of yellow, roaring flames, and the sharp sound of slicing wind—all carrying a deadly intent. The sight of these spells, tearing through the air towards us, left me feeling dazed.
I tried to push myself up from the ground, but the blood flowing like a stream made me slip and fall repeatedly. Despite the chaos, I fought to get back on my feet.
Even amidst the pain that made my whole body scream, something felt off.
“We struck first, didn’t we?”
Suddenly, Yu Hyun-ah’s image popped into my mind. Her slightly wavy, light brown hair, her gentle smile, and the white Valkyrie coat that flaunted her curvaceous figure. She appeared among the enemy ranks, the “Holy Queen” Yu Hyun-ah.
We had scoffed at her offer to surrender and launched a preemptive strike. But she merely sighed at our attack and slowly raised her hand.
In that moment, a massive, hazy barrier enveloped their forces. It not only blocked our spells but reflected them back at us with precision. I had never seen or heard of such a large-scale defensive magic being deployed so quickly.
“Kim Soo-hyun! Get up! Get up!”
Another shout jolted me back to my senses. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand.
Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!
A series of powerful impacts shook my entire body, and suddenly, I felt myself floating in the air. It was like sliding backward on a slide, until I crashed hard onto the ground.
Before I could spit out the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth, I closed my eyes.
An Sol’s voice was calm, but there was an urgency she couldn’t quite hide. I took a deep breath to steady myself. I trusted Sol, and she trusted me. Instead of questioning her further, I realized I needed to act quickly, just as she suggested.
But there was one thing I needed to clarify first.
“Okay, I understand. But can we choose both options? Like, go to one first and then the other?”
“That’s why I apologized. It’s too late to choose both now. You need to pick one quickly, or we’ll miss both opportunities. That’s the feeling I get.”
I couldn’t fully accept An Sol’s words, but I nodded, acknowledging there was no time to waste. I looked in the directions she indicated—forward and left. Without hesitation, I made my choice.
“Let’s go left.”
“Yes. Just keep going this way.”
An Sol sighed deeply, as if relieved to have done her part, and moved closer to me. I took her hand and quickened my pace. To be safe, I began to gradually heighten my magic detection.
The path was unfamiliar, like an Easter egg in a game. But there was no time to dwell on such feelings.
Just as we were about to exit the narrow path, I sensed something at the edge of my detection. Heavy boxes and a slightly worn container appeared ahead, and I instinctively stopped, focusing on the presence I felt.
As I expanded my detection, I gathered more detailed information.
“Two. There are two of them.”
Two users were nearby. If we continued, we’d expose ourselves to them, but taking a detour would cost us time. Fortunately, I spotted a narrow passage to the right, just wide enough for one person. I quickly squeezed into the gap.
”…….”
”……!”
As I moved quietly, I began to hear voices. I proceeded cautiously until I reached a spot out of their line of sight.
Peeking out to get a minimal view, I enhanced my hearing and sight with magic. And then…
“Why do you keep bothering me? I told you I’m not interested.”
“You might not be, but I am.”
“Ha! Do you think I’ve forgotten what you did to me during the initiation?”
“You…”
“Isn’t that Park Hwan-hee? What’s he doing here?”
In the open space ahead, two users stood. One of them was someone I knew well. In front of Park Hwan-hee was a smaller user, standing timidly. With a small stature and slight build, they could easily be mistaken for a woman.
I listened intently to their conversation.
“Baek Han-gyeol. No, Han-gyeol. I’m really sorry about what happened. But please, calm down and hear me out.”
“Cut the crap! If you keep this up…”
”…If I keep this up?”
“I’ll expose your true nature to everyone. I’ll tell them about what you did to me and my sister.”
“What?”
Baek Han-gyeol shouted in desperation, and Park Hwan-hee let out a strange laugh. He stepped closer to Baek Han-gyeol, who tried to back away but was caught by Park Hwan-hee’s hand on his shoulder.
“Go ahead.”
“What?”
“Go ahead. Do you think I’ll flinch? Don’t you remember there were others there besides us?”
“That, that…”
Baek Han-gyeol stammered. Park Hwan-hee glared at him sharply, then softened his expression with a sigh, releasing his grip.
“You stubborn fool. Yes, I’m sorry. Really sorry. But back then, I had no choice. If I hadn’t done that to you two, what do you think would have happened to the others?”
“So you’re asking me to just understand and move on? Without considering how we barely survived and felt betrayed?”
“Yes, you’d be angry. I’d be angry too. I get it. But put aside personal feelings for a moment. Look at reality. We’re in a completely different world now, not Earth or the present.”
“Enough. I’ve heard that speech too many times. Why are you dragging me and Yuna into your crazy plan?”
As Baek Han-gyeol accused Park Hwan-hee of having a crazy plan, Park Hwan-hee’s softened expression hardened again. He began to press Baek Han-gyeol with a sharp voice.
“Crazy? Why do you think that?”
“Well, we’re safe here, aren’t we? Why not just follow along instead of…”
“Idiot. In three months, this safety will end. There’ll be no place to sleep, no food. We’ll have to fend for ourselves. What do you think will happen to users who don’t get offers from clans?”
“Hmph. That doesn’t concern you, does it? Why do you care?”
“Why doesn’t it concern me? Am I supposed to abandon the comrades I’ve been with since the initiation?”
“It’s funny hearing you talk about comrades. And didn’t you make deals with those people? Do you even have the right to say that? And, and…”
Park Hwan-hee’s face twisted with anger at Baek Han-gyeol’s words. Seeing his sincerity, Baek Han-gyeol trailed off. Park Hwan-hee took a deep breath, then spoke again.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m sorry. Truly sorry. But the plan I told you about is the best option we have. We have no foundation here. Even if it’s a deal, it can lead to the best outcome for everyone. Why can’t you understand that?”
“I don’t know about that. Fine, let’s say your intentions are good. Then just do it with those who want to. Why drag me and Yuna into it? Please, just leave us alone. I promise to keep quiet. Just… please.”
Baek Han-gyeol seemed to pour all his strength into his plea, collapsing as he finished. Park Hwan-hee reached out to him, but Baek Han-gyeol didn’t take his hand. Watching him, Park Hwan-hee bit his lip and stepped back.
It was then. In that fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of a cold glint in Park Hwan-hee’s eyes.
Silence hung in the air, and he slowly began to speak.
“I need your power. Your power can have a tremendous impact in this Hall Plain world.”
“What? How do you… No, what are you talking about? Power?”
“Don’t play dumb. Yuna already told me everything. With your power, you passed through a place we couldn’t break through, just on the fifth day.”
“What, what did you say? My sister?! No way. That can’t be true. There’s no way… Did you guys do something to her?!”
“What did you say?”
It wasn’t just Han-gyeol Baek who was shocked by Hwan-hee Park’s words. I, too, felt my mind go blank for a moment. As the tension between the two continued, I quickly regained my composure and activated my third eye.
Name: Han-gyeol Baek (Year 0)
Class: Arousal Secret Aegis Beginner
Nation: -
Clan: -
True Name · Nationality: Talent of a Thousand · South Korea
Sex: Male (18)
Height · Weight: 173.7cm · 58.8kg
Alignment: Lawful · Good
[Strength 38] [Endurance 54] [Agility 36] [Stamina 48] [Magic 62] [Luck 74]
<Achievements (0)>
<Unique Abilities (1/1)>
<Special Abilities (1/1)>
<Potential Abilities (3/3)>
“Unbelievable, an Arousal Secret Class? And why is the Aegis showing up now?”
The Arousal Secret Class. A class that had only appeared twice in the first round. I almost shouted in surprise but managed to swallow my scream. The joy of finally finding it and the shock at the overpowered player status hit me all at once, but I kept my wits about me. There had to be a reason An-sol brought me here. So, I decided to set aside my swirling emotions and focus on the situation at hand. Calming my racing heart, I continued to listen to their conversation.
“Just so you know, we didn’t lay a finger on your girlfriend. In fact, she came to me on her own.”
“Don’t lie. My sister would never do that. Why would she go to someone like you…?”
“Han-gyeol, it’s me. Don’t talk like that. And that’s something you should ask her yourself. Why would I lie about something that would be so easily found out?”
“You’re no brother of mine. You abandoned us and ran away…”
Han-gyeol Baek fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words. Hwan-hee Park watched him for a moment before crouching down to meet his eyes.
“Han-gyeol.”
”…”
“I don’t know why you’re so determined to hide yourself. But think about how desperate your girlfriend must have been to come to me. She’s going through the same things, thinking the same thoughts, probably hating me just as much. Why do you think she shared that information with me?”
“There’s no way… My sister wouldn’t have told you that…”
“She did it for you. Think about it. You’ve seen and heard everything yourself. Do you really think you can trust these people? They fight among themselves openly. They might pretend to care about us now, but after graduation, they won’t give us a second thought, except for a few.”
“But…”
“Yes, I made a deal, just like I told you. But it was necessary. We’re still powerless. I believe my way is better than being torn apart by their whims. And your strength will be crucial in helping us establish ourselves.”
Not us, just you, I thought bitterly, trying to calm my frustration. Though I could only see his back, Han-gyeol Baek’s initial resistance seemed to be crumbling. His twitching hands were a clear sign that Hwan-hee’s words were getting to him.
Sensing Han-gyeol’s wavering, Hwan-hee put on a genuinely earnest expression. I knew it was all an act, but to anyone else, it would seem like he was pouring his heart into it.
Then, he gently extended his hand to the seated player.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I’ll post the next chapter soon.