Baek Hangyeol and Kim Hanbyeol
The course of events can change, but the source remains constant. Divergent paths eventually return to their origin, merging into a single, grand flow. I don’t blindly believe this, but looking back, I realize I was too complacent when the future first started to veer off course.
Now, I’m faced with a situation where time is running out, and I can’t afford to just sit back and watch. This is an undeniable fact. I’ve waited long enough; it’s time to start moving with the flow. However, I must leave room to step back if necessary.
As we entered the 13th week, the conflict between the clans had escalated beyond mere disagreement. After the Eastern Clan took action, the Southern Clan quickly supported their stance. But it didn’t stop at mere support.
They joined forces with the Eastern Clan to continuously criticize the excesses of the Golden Lion Clan, secretly contacting remaining members through those who had already left. As soon as new members defected, they would denounce the Golden Lion in the governing city, swaying public opinion.
Although the Golden Lion Clan publicly denied the corruption allegations against Shin Taeseung, they surprisingly took a lukewarm stance on the defectors. Their response was limited to playing the victim and highlighting their plight. Most of the defectors were lower-ranking members, suggesting that the clan was simply letting those who wanted to leave, leave.
Instead, the Golden Lion focused on blaming the Southeastern Clan for the initial murder of the matriarch, while gradually reclaiming the leadership they had lost. The User Academy was at the center of this, with Southeastern Clan instructors increasingly being suspended. Consequently, the vacancies were quickly filled by members of the Northwestern Clan.
Watching them attack each other without any defense felt like witnessing a mud-slinging brawl. I began to understand why Go Yeonju wanted to leave Barbara. Seeing them care more about their own interests than mourning the matriarch’s death was enough to make anyone lose affection.
Interestingly, the tide began to turn in favor of the Southeastern Clan due to a single incident. A female user who had defected from the Golden Lion exposed a sexual bribery scandal. This woman, Seo Ji-yoon, was someone I knew.
To elaborate, she was one of the five who received offers from the Golden Lion after graduating from the academy with me. Seo Ji-yoon revealed that she was coerced into a sexual relationship by a scout and continued to be harassed through underhanded means.
The scandal quickly became a hot topic. Even in the open-minded Hall Plain, such acts were unacceptable unless consensual. The Golden Lion, known for its strict discipline, was now facing a scandal from within, shocking the general users.
The Golden Lion couldn’t remain silent and issued an official statement, claiming that Seo Ji-yoon and the scout had a consensual relationship and that she was using the situation as an excuse to leave. However, public opinion, which had favored the Golden Lion, began to shift due to Seo Ji-yoon’s tearful plea.
Following this, the number of defectors from the Golden Lion, though mostly lower-ranking members, began to increase. Starting with 17, the number soon exceeded 40, nearly a tenth of the remaining Golden Lion members.
Some may have left due to the failed Iron Mountain expedition, the absence of the clan lord, and the matriarch’s murder, but the fact that over half of the defectors were women indicated deep-rooted issues within the clan.
While the outside world was changing rapidly, the User Academy remained quiet—or at least pretended to be. As time passed, the Northwestern Clan members, having completed internal audits, were cleared of charges and returned to the academy. However, the Southeastern Clan members who refused audits continued to face suspensions and penalties.
Initially, the Southeastern Clan seemed to endure the suspensions well, but eventually, Kim Deok-pil’s temper flared, leading to an incident. He protested against the Golden Lion’s oppressive attitude, questioning why they had to undergo internal audits. The Reverse Clan, though not a city-representing clan, was included in the audits due to their vocal criticism of the Golden Lion.
Despite his protests, Kim Deok-pil couldn’t avoid suspension and, with harsh words, led the entire Reverse Clan out of the academy.
The Golden Lion didn’t stop them at the warp gate, instead seizing the opportunity to criticize the Reverse Clan, claiming they had something to hide or were unqualified as instructors.
Despite these events, the Golden Lion continued issuing suspensions, leaving only three Southeastern Clan instructors remaining. Even they were rumored to be facing suspension soon, and their teaching roles were gradually diminishing.
Amidst the urgency, I felt the need to secure Baek Hangyeol as a priority. Although I had discussed his potential membership in the Mercenary Guild, the situation with Park Hwanhee and Cha Yuna was still unresolved. Given his susceptibility to influence, he might have been swayed by his girlfriend’s words in my absence.
Honestly, I had been thinking about it, but the surrounding chaos had prevented me from paying attention as I used to. Fortunately, I had a chance to meet him during a scheduled training session, so I decided to talk to him after class.
However, despite attending the magic talent training, Baek Hangyeol was nowhere to be found. I couldn’t understand what was happening. After the class, I approached a new user who was laughing with friends and asked about Baek Hangyeol’s whereabouts, receiving an unexpected response.
“Oh, you mean that loser?”
“Loser?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty famous. He waits outside the women’s dorms all the time, but his girlfriend won’t see him, so he’s become a total wreck. What a sight.”
“Girlfriend? Did something happen between them?”
“Not sure. I’ve seen them argue a few times, but he’s not really noticeable. Honestly, people have already given up on him. I wonder what he’ll do after the academy ends… Tsk tsk.”
”…I see.”
The new user clicked their tongue and left the classroom. It felt like just yesterday that Baek Hangyeol had vowed never to give up, yet now I was hearing he had become a wreck. Instinctively, I sensed that something had happened while I wasn’t paying attention.
At that moment, someone tapped my shoulder.
“Hey, Mercenary Lord. You’re here for support again today. Thank you so much. Haha.”
“Oh, yes.”
I snapped back to reality and turned to see Jang Yunho smiling brightly. Unlike before, his face was beaming with joy. Having lived cautiously, he seemed to be enjoying life now that the Southeastern instructors were suspended and out of sight.
“I’m off for three days after this training. No more sessions scheduled. How about you, Mercenary Lord?”
“I have one more mental training session left.”
“Ah, that’s a shame. We’re having a big gathering with the Northern Clan members tonight. With the 13th week of training ending and the weekend break coming, everyone’s planning to party all night.”
“Regular training might be over, but as far as I know, additional weekend training starts from the 13th week.”
“Oh, right. My mistake. Haha. But it’s fine. The weekend training is handled by the Golden Lion and Western Clan members, so it doesn’t concern us. By the way, do you have time over the weekend? Many colleagues are curious about you, Mercenary Lord. How about joining us for a drink?”
Jang Yunho seemed eager for me to join, but I had no intention of doing so. “I have support duties over the weekend,” I replied, which was true as my schedule was packed on Saturday. Jang Yunho, disappointed, promised to invite me next time.
‘It would be best to check on Baek Hangyeol right after the weekend support.’
The gathering wasn’t important. As Jang Yunho mentioned, the 13th week’s regular training would end today. It seemed wise to check on Baek Hangyeol immediately after the additional weekend training. There must be a reason for his current state, and I hoped it aligned with my thoughts. With a deep sigh, I left the classroom.
All the clans at the User Academy shared one common sentiment: the intensity of the training had significantly decreased compared to before. Of course, they had no one to blame but themselves, yet reviving the competitive spirit now seemed a daunting task. As a result, supplementary training was introduced to replace the special training. The intention was to restore the level of new users, but to me, it seemed like a desperate attempt to maintain the training schedule.
After wrapping up the tightly scheduled control support sessions in the morning and afternoon, I headed straight to the men’s dormitory with the dinner ingredients I had bought earlier. When I arrived, the place was deserted, likely because everyone had gone to eat. I climbed the stairs to the second floor, relying on my memories from when I was a living instructor.
When I reached the door of Baek Han-gyeol’s room, silence greeted me. I wondered if he was out, but when I opened the door and peeked inside, I saw a round sleeping bag curled up in a corner. Instinctively, I knew Baek Han-gyeol was inside.
“Han-gyeol.”
”…”
“Han-gyeol? Han-gyeol!”
”…”
I felt a weight under my hand on the sleeping bag, but no matter how much I shook it, there was no response. Urgently, I pulled back the sleeping bag to find Baek Han-gyeol lying there with his eyes tightly shut.
‘What kind of idiots leave a kid in this state?’
Cursing inwardly, I quickly pulled him out of the sleeping bag. His face was gaunt, as if he hadn’t eaten properly, and the tear stains on his cheeks only fueled my anger. How could they neglect someone who had discovered the “Shield of God”?
I checked his breathing, relieved to find it faint but present. I placed my hand on his heart and slowly infused him with magic. As I nurtured his weakened spirit, I was filled with a sense of confusion. What on earth had happened to him to cause such a shock?
‘Did Cha Yuna really betray him?’
As I continued to stabilize him, Baek Han-gyeol’s eyelids began to flutter. Encouraged, I poured more magic into him, calling his name repeatedly. My swift intervention seemed to work, as he soon struggled to open his eyes.
When he finally did, he looked around in confusion before noticing me. With dry lips, he spoke.
“Hyung…?”
“Yes, Han-gyeol.”
“Hyung…? Hyung…?”
“Yes, yes. It’s me. I’m sorry, I should have been more attentive…”
“Hyung…! Hyuung, hyuuung, uuuuh…”
At first, he called out to me in a hoarse voice. Then, as he blinked a few times and fully recognized me, he began to cry, calling my name desperately. The once bright and adorable boy was gone, replaced by a sorrowful, dry sob that echoed through the room. It was a heart-wrenching sight.
I immediately pulled him into a hug, gently patting his back. Baek Han-gyeol buried his face in my chest, tears streaming down his face without end.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
The beginning of the next chapter contains a scene that some readers may find very unpleasant (an NTR scene). If you prefer to avoid it, please feel free to skip the early part of the next chapter.
I’ll upload the next chapter shortly. Thank you. (__)