Chapter 218: Omen
“I promise. I’ll never abandon you again. So please, help me. No, just trust me one more time. If we can work together, it would greatly aid my current uncertain plans. If you can’t trust me, that’s fine. But your girlfriend came to me herself, so you can trust her, right?”
“Y-You mean… me?”
“Yes. Remember the first night when we stood watch together? You told me about her, how she’s always been devoted to you since you were young. Can’t you trust even her?”
“Uh… well…”
Baek Han-gyeol stammered, his voice barely a whisper. Sensing he was almost convinced, a subtle smile flickered across Park Hwan-hee’s face. Just as Baek Han-gyeol’s hand began to move slightly on the ground, I felt a gentle push on my back. Startled, I turned to see An Sol, fists clenched, cheering me on with a spirited “You can do it!”
‘This kid…’
“Ah.”
Though I was pushed forward, I managed to regain my balance within two steps. However, the sound of my footsteps echoed in the quiet surroundings, inevitably drawing their attention.
Both Park Hwan-hee, who had been smiling triumphantly, and Baek Han-gyeol, who was hesitating, turned to me with surprise. I met their gaze with a calm expression.
“This is quite a secluded spot. How did new users find their way here?”
“M-Mercenary Clan Lord, sir.”
“Eek.”
‘Look at this guy.’
Park Hwan-hee was momentarily flustered but quickly regained his composure and stood up. I was slightly impressed by how accurately he addressed my clan name and title. Though I couldn’t discern his detailed plans, it was clear he was already taking some action.
After glaring at Park Hwan-hee for a moment, I slowly spoke.
“That’s correct, but you shouldn’t address me like that given your status. I’m officially a control instructor now.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve just heard so much from the other instructors. Haha. I’ve always wanted to meet you.”
While Park Hwan-hee spoke with ease, Baek Han-gyeol swallowed nervously, looking at me. From the back, I hadn’t noticed, but now I saw his gentle and kind face. However, having already checked his user information, there was no mistaking his gender. For the record, he was still sitting on the ground.
‘With a personality like this, it must have been tough to dodge the rite of passage boss monster… Tsk. Maybe he has a personality that changes when he’s really fired up?’
Seeing Baek Han-gyeol reminded me of An Sol on the first day of the rite of passage. I clicked my tongue inwardly and subtly gathered my magic as I spoke.
“Anyway, you’ll be seeing me often during the upcoming mental training sessions, whether you like it or not. By the way, this is a place even instructors rarely visit. Can I ask why you two were here?”
“Th-that’s…”
“Oh, is it that? It’s okay, you can tell me.”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that. I have a perfectly normal view on dating. Hahaha!”
When I deliberately gave him an out, Park Hwan-hee quickly took it. I chuckled and continued in a slightly sterner tone.
“Good, then. Anyway, it’s fine to walk around near the dorms, but it’s not a good look for new users to be in such a remote place.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. We’ll head back right away. Come on, Han-gyeol, let’s go.”
“I-I…”
Park Hwan-hee responded immediately and looked down at Baek Han-gyeol. But Baek Han-gyeol just mumbled, unsure of what to do. Park Hwan-hee glanced between me and him, then bowed slightly and started walking away. He showed a surprising decisiveness, even though he must have been reluctant to leave with the deal almost sealed.
Once Park Hwan-hee disappeared into the distance, I heard Baek Han-gyeol let out a sigh of relief. He probably didn’t want to take that hand, but the mention of a girlfriend shook him, and he almost went along with it. Seeing that he ultimately didn’t take Park Hwan-hee’s hand, I could make a few guesses.
With the distraction gone, I could finally take a closer look at Baek Han-gyeol.
Awakened Secret Class <God’s Shield>. The awakened secret class wasn’t much different from other secret classes. The main difference lay in how one obtained the class.
Typically, secret classes are acquired through items like equipment, books, or jewels that contain specific settings. This isn’t much different from rare classes. However, awakened secret or rare classes don’t require items. They evolve when certain conditions are met, even without items containing settings.
That’s about all I knew about awakened secret classes. I couldn’t know more because, in the first round, awakened secret classes only appeared twice. Moreover, even the awakened users only mentioned the difference in acquisition methods, not the detailed process.
After roughly organizing my thoughts on awakened classes, I sighed and looked down at the user before me.
‘I must recruit Baek Han-gyeol.’
Given that he possessed a rare support class rather than a typical combat class, his value was immense. In other words, recruiting him was essential.
Of course, there were some unclear aspects. The biggest was that <God’s Shield> had appeared now. I remembered it appearing a few years later in the first round. And back then, the user who inherited <God’s Shield> was definitely female.
‘Sigh. I don’t know.’
Many thoughts swirled in my head about what was going on, but I decided to set them aside for now. The future had already twisted more than once, and there were more pressing matters at hand.
I had experienced firsthand how powerful <God’s Shield> could be in group battles. Whether it was the first round or not, discovering it meant recruiting it was beneficial.
Suddenly, I felt a gaze from below, blinking up at me. I softened my stern expression from dealing with Park Hwan-hee and adopted a much gentler demeanor. Then, in a kind voice, I helped Baek Han-gyeol to his feet.
“Why are you still sitting there? Are you hurt? Not feeling well?”
“W-What? Oh, no! I’m s-s-sorry!”
He flinched in surprise as I pulled him up, shrinking back. I patted his shoulder reassuringly. Baek Han-gyeol watched me cautiously, forcing an awkward smile, then spoke in a careful voice.
“Are you really the Mercenary Clan Lord?”
“Yes. But how did you know?”
“Y-Yes! I’ve heard a lot from the instructors. They said you’re a zero-year user like us, but you’ve already achieved so much… Especially with a secret class…”
He emphasized the words “secret class” with particular interest. Guessing his thoughts, I smiled softly and chuckled. I nodded lightly, acknowledging his words.
“Haha. It’s not that impressive, but thanks for saying so. If you work hard, you can achieve as much as I have.”
“Really?”
“Of course. It might be confusing now, but I’ve heard all the new recruits are working hard. Anyway, I just got here, so I’m not sure… Were you being bullied or anything?”
“What? Oh, no! Absolutely not. We just had a little argument…”
“Well, that’s good to hear. Anyway, I understand. I’ll be participating in the mental training sessions, so you’ll see me often. If there’s anything you can’t say now, feel free to tell me later. I’m both a control instructor and involved in education and daily life. You can signal me during training or visit my dorm. I’m on the first floor.”
“Oh, yes, yes! Thank you.”
Baek Han-gyeol nodded repeatedly, as if it were a great honor. In his eyes, I saw a hint of camaraderie. I thought it wasn’t a bad thing. Instead of rushing, it might be better to approach slowly, suggesting similarities (though we weren’t really similar at all).
I encouraged Baek Han-gyeol like a friendly older brother. Fortunately, it seemed to work to some extent, as he managed to shake off some of his initial awkwardness and even genuinely smiled once or twice.
“It looks like it’s almost dinner time. Head back early, and remember, training resumes tomorrow.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you. I’ll head back now…!”
I offered to walk him back to the dorm, but he insisted on going alone, so I had to let him go. Watching him hurry off to the left, disappearing down a narrow path, I let out a deep sigh.
It felt like some of the mysteries surrounding the user academy were finally unraveling.
“Great job, brother.”
“Not at all. You worked harder.”
“Hehe. Did I do well?”
“Yes, yes. Our lucky charm is the best.”
Thanks to Ansol’s timely intervention, I was able to thwart Park Hwanhee’s sinister plans. It also allowed me to untangle some of the frustrating issues that had shown no progress until now.
Park Hwanhee’s scheme, the new users’ complicity, some kind of deal, and Baek Hangyeol of <God’s Shield>. With so much information gathered today, I needed time to calmly sort it all out. There were also a few things to add to my future plans. The sudden increase in tasks made me hum a cheerful tune.
“Hehe. Seeing you in such a good mood makes me happy too, brother.”
Ansol, reverting to her usual self, clung to me with sweet words. Her earlier sharp demeanor had vanished, replaced by her usual innocent self. I gently patted her head as we navigated the narrow path. Though her arm around my waist made walking awkward, I decided to let it slide just for today.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set. The once-crowded rest area was now much quieter, as everyone seemed to be preparing for dinner.
It was about time to send Go Yeonju and Ansol on their way. By now, Go Yeonju should have finished her business and would be waiting at the Easter Egg. Just as I was about to head in that direction, I heard a sudden sound.
Tap! Tap-tap!
A soft sobbing sound came from a narrow path beside us. Startled, I turned my head to see a familiar figure. It was Kim Hanbyeol, who had been missing since this morning. She must have emerged from the right path shortly after I came out from the left.
In that moment, I recalled the path I hadn’t chosen earlier. What if I had taken that path instead…?
She seemed to notice me as she ran out, hesitating and turning her head. Seeing her face, I couldn’t help but frown slightly.
She was covering her mouth with one hand. Her usually cold and proud eyes were filled with sadness, and her cheeks were stained with tears. Moreover, though she tried to hide it, a reddish handprint peeked out from under her hand.
“Ah…!”
“Ah…?”
Kim Hanbyeol and Ansol recognized each other, both letting out surprised exclamations. Hanbyeol’s gaze shifted from Ansol back to me. She bit her lip, then turned and ran off.
“O-oh, brother. Wasn’t that Hanbyeol just now?”
I didn’t answer. I simply patted Ansol’s head a few more times, staring blankly at Hanbyeol’s retreating figure.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Yes, there have been many comments about NTR. In the first round, Suhyeon experienced something similar to NTR. Conversely, he also engaged in actions akin to NTR himself. (Though, the woman involved wasn’t exactly Suhyeon’s girlfriend, which makes it a bit ambiguous.)
In the second round, there will be no NTR. However, this only applies to the women around the protagonist. Other male and female characters might experience NTR. In fact, some have already been depicted. (For example, Won Hyeon in the rite of passage or Jeong Jiyeon in the ruins.)
Hanbyeol wasn’t subjected to it. She just received some harsh treatment and got slapped. ㅜ.ㅠ
PS. Kim Hangyeol → Baek Hangyeol correction completed.
『 Reader Comments (Episode 215) 』
Sensitive: Congratulations on being first! :) It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Sensitive. Haha. I was hoping to see Miwolya’s solo streak, but it’s a bit disappointing. ㅜ.ㅠ Anyway, I hope you enjoy today’s double update.
Lancelot du Lac: You can raise it above 101. :) Are you the same person, or is it another persona?
Opiturob19: Stamina and strength are different from luck. They are directly affected by
Miwolya: Hmm, I wonder if anyone will manage four consecutive wins. Even three in a row seems like a miracle. ㅜ.ㅠ I can’t believe how well you all manage to comment first.
Baekintimothy: 1. The protagonist’s body was loaded from the first round and upgraded from there. 2. Suhyeon’s training was mentioned, starting from the user academy. It wasn’t detailed like the others, but I did touch on it briefly. 3. Since you seem to understand magic, I’ll skip that. In the first round, strength was 86, agility 96. Against Horens, strength was 94, agility 98. There was an 8-point difference in strength and 2 in agility. Even a single point above 90 makes a significant difference. However, the total difference of 10 could be covered by Suhyeon’s efforts and experience from the first round. As mentioned in point 2, training was noted. Considering all three points together might help you understand better. :)
『 Reader Comments (Episode 216) 』
FallenPigeon: Congratulations on being first. Haha. It’s easier than at midnight, right? I wanted to do it myself, but it was too hard, so I gave up. ㅜ.ㅠ Anyway, congratulations again!
aJoun: Of course. Haha. It might not be exactly the same, but I plan to include something similar at the end. Please look forward to it. :)
kingofking: Thank you for the coupon. (__) I posted two episodes at midnight today. Please praise me! :D
Hwiya: Seeing your comment, Hwiya, I jumped up and started writing. Thanks to you, I was able to post two episodes today. Haha!
sereson: P-please calm down. Why are you doing this? ㅜ.ㅠ If you keep this up, I’ll have to scold you. Ahem.
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