The explosion was loud, but the screams were faint, suggesting the incident was some distance away.
“What… what just happened?”
Ko Yeon-ju, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly regained her composure, her expression noticeably more serious than before.
“Soo-hyun, something’s exploded.”
“Let’s go check it out. Ah, Hyun-woo, please wait here for a moment.”
Hyun-woo nodded in understanding, and Yeon-ju and I swiftly headed out the door.
“Can you tell where the sound came from?”
“I’m tracking it now… It’s not too far.”
Yeon-ju picked up her pace, and I matched her speed as we hurried down the corridor. Within about two minutes, we reached the scene. It wasn’t hard to find; we simply followed the growing crowd gathered on the first floor of the second annex, the instructors’ quarters.
“What’s going on here?”
“Chief Instructor! There’s been an incident!”
Someone recognized Yeon-ju and shouted in a panic.
As Yeon-ju pushed her way through the crowd, I quickly scanned the area. Nothing seemed out of place, except for the shocked faces of the users gathered around.
In the world of Hall Plain, death isn’t uncommon. People can die from disputes, during explorations, or in wars. However, the peculiarity here was that this was the ‘User Academy,’ a place where deaths of users or trainees were not supposed to happen, making the situation quite unexpected.
As we made our way through the crowd, the scene became clear. The first thing that caught my eye was a grotesque, charred corpse, surrounded by three users in a heated argument.
“You bastard! What did you do?”
“I didn’t kill him! I swear I didn’t!”
“Shut up! You were the one messing with Seong-hoon!”
“I’m innocent! I warned you repeatedly!”
“Don’t lie! Then why is she…?”
A woman, her face streaked with tears, was shaking a man’s collar, while he protested his innocence. Another woman, partially obscured, seemed to be trying to intervene.
Then, a commanding voice cut through the chaos.
“Enough!”
The voice, filled with magical power, reverberated through the first floor, causing those nearby to wince. It was, of course, Ko Yeon-ju. She surveyed the scene with a calm expression before addressing the three entangled users.
“You three, separate.”
The woman holding the man’s collar turned her tear-streaked face towards Yeon-ju, her eyes still brimming with emotion. Her face twisted with anguish.
“Chief Instructor! But…!”
“I said separate. Didn’t you hear me?”
Yeon-ju’s voice, though still expressionless, was laced with irritation. The woman flinched, sensing the change in tone, and reluctantly released her grip on the man’s collar. They stepped back from each other, though the woman continued to glare at him as if she could kill him with her eyes.
Yeon-ju sighed softly and turned to me.
“Soo-hyun, we need to assess the situation.”
“Yeon-ju is the Chief Instructor here. I’m just a guest. The authority is entirely hers.”
This meant I didn’t need to seek her permission for every little thing. Yeon-ju nodded and approached the scene with a composed demeanor.
As she bent over the corpse, I activated my third eye, hoping to offer some assistance. I focused on the three users, who were still breathing heavily.
『User Gong Chan-ho.』
『User Seong Ha-yan.』
『User Kim Min-hee.』
‘Huh?’
The names seemed familiar. I craned my neck to get a better look at Seong Ha-yan, who had been obscured by the man.
Wait a minute. What?
“Gong Chan-ho?”
“Y-yes?”
The man, who had been rubbing his neck absentmindedly, turned to look at me.
In that moment, I felt my heart stop.
Thick eyebrows reminiscent of a caterpillar, eyes filled with melancholy, yet not vacant. His sharp features and the scar on his cheek gave him a fierce, combative look.
Our eyes met, and a flurry of messages appeared in the air. I felt my jaw tremble as I stared at the space before me.
Name: Gong Chan-ho (3rd Year)
Class: Normal Lancer, Master
Nation: Barbara
Clan: -
True Name • Nationality: Owner of the Surama Spear • South Korea
Sex: Male (34)
Height • Weight: 191.3cm • 94.7kg
Disposition: Safe • Belief
[Strength 101(+6)] [Endurance 85] [Agility 87] [Stamina 91(+2)] [Magic 78] [Luck 72]
[Strength 96(+2)] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 92(+2)] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(Remaining Stat Points: 0)
[Strength 101(+6)] [Endurance 85] [Agility 87] [Stamina 91(+2)] [Magic 78] [Luck 72]
’…Gong Chan-ho!’
The name, the true name, the stats—all were revealed.
Yes, the user information window was announcing the arrival of Gong Chan-ho, a user with a strength stat of 101.
‘This can’t be…’
I stared blankly at Gong Chan-ho, who was looking at me with equal bewilderment. For a long moment, I was lost in thought.
With the fall of the Golden Lion, the current User Academy hosts instructors and trainees from various clans. If an issue arises, the ‘instructor’ is responsible.
However, responsibility in this context doesn’t mean taking the blame for everything. The responsibility for the incident itself lies with the perpetrator and the victim, while the instructor’s role is to uncover and report the truth.
In this sense, Ko Yeon-ju was unlucky. As the ‘Chief Instructor,’ she was obligated to uncover and report the truth of the current incident.
“Sigh…”
Thirty minutes had passed since we arrived at the scene. Yeon-ju, having finally grasped the situation, let out a weary sigh.
I glanced at Gong Chan-ho and Seong Ha-yan, who was comforting him, before turning to Yeon-ju.
“What do you think?”
“Well… it’s hard to call it murder. It seems more like a death due to negligence.”
The incident was as follows: In recognition of his achievements in the recent war, Gong Chan-ho was allowed to join the User Academy as an instructor. Today, he had called in trainee Seong Ha-yan for a meeting.
After the meeting, as they were leaving, they encountered two instructors with whom Gong Chan-ho had become acquainted: the deceased Kang Seong-hoon and the victim Kim Min-hee.
That’s when the problem arose.
Kang Seong-hoon had always been curious about the weapon Gong Chan-ho carried. Normally, it appeared as a long, dark rod, but it transformed dramatically when infused with magic, piquing his interest.
Despite Kang Seong-hoon’s repeated requests to see it, Gong Chan-ho had always refused, warning that it could be dangerous for anyone else to handle.
However, as Gong Chan-ho was escorting Seong Ha-yan, Kang Seong-hoon saw her holding the weapon, the ‘Surama Spear,’ and exclaiming, “Wow, this is really heavy.”
Seeing this, Kang Seong-hoon assumed Gong Chan-ho had lied to him.
Ignoring Gong Chan-ho’s protests, Kang Seong-hoon forcibly grabbed the ‘Surama Spear,’ triggering a massive backlash that resulted in his body exploding.
“I agree with you.”
Having overheard some of the conversation, I concurred with Yeon-ju’s assessment. However, the victim, Kim Min-hee, was not convinced and immediately raised her voice.
“Chief Instructor! That’s not true! Are you believing that guy?”
“I didn’t say the truth has been revealed. I said it’s likely.”
Yeon-ju’s diplomatic response left Kim Min-hee momentarily speechless. Yeon-ju pressed her fingers to her forehead and continued in a low voice.
“It’s still unclear. Kim Min-hee, was it? Which clan are you from?”
“Y-yes! I’m from the Gathering of Giants.”
“The Gathering of Giants? Alright, come with me to record the details and contact your clan. And if you wish to use the Truth Stone… you know what I mean, right?”
Yeon-ju had already expressed her opinion. If things continued as they were, the incident would likely be ruled as ‘death due to negligence.’ If Kim Min-hee wanted more certainty, she would need to bring in the ‘Truth Stone.’
The woman hesitated for a moment but then reluctantly nodded. It seemed she either didn’t have the “Crystal of Truth” or lacked the means to obtain it.
But that wasn’t my concern. Go Yeon-ju, already surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, ordered them to disperse.
“There’s nothing more to see here, so everyone, please return to your places. Instructors, preserve the scene as best as you can and wait for further instructions. And…”
Turning to Gong Chan-ho and Seong Ha-yan, Go Yeon-ju appeared to be pondering something. At that moment, I quickly signaled her with a glance.
Did she catch my signal? She tilted her head slightly but then approached me and whispered discreetly.
“Soo-hyun. What is it?”
“I’d like to help.”
“What? There’s no need…”
“I have something I want to investigate. Just give me a moment alone with them.”
Go Yeon-ju studied me for a moment before nodding. She then looked at the two who were standing awkwardly and said, “You two. Once User Kim Min-hee and the witness finish their statements, it’ll be your turn. I’ll be right back, so stay with this person for now.”
“What if they try to run away?” Kim Min-hee’s concern was valid, but Go Yeon-ju replied calmly, “They can’t speak with you around. And don’t worry about them running. This person will keep a close watch.”
“Who exactly is this person?”
“My clan lord.”
”…What?”
“The Mercenary Lord.”
As soon as Go Yeon-ju revealed my identity, a few gasps could be heard from the crowd. It seemed my reputation had spread somewhat since the war.
I walked slowly toward Gong Chan-ho and Seong Ha-yan, meeting Kim Min-hee’s curious gaze as I spoke softly, “I’ll keep a close eye on them, so you don’t need to worry.”
”…Alright. But mark my words, this isn’t over.”
Kim Min-hee still seemed dissatisfied but reluctantly nodded, casting a resentful glance at Gong Chan-ho, who flinched under her gaze. It appeared she had a special connection with the deceased, Kang Seong-hoon.
“Alright, everyone, disperse.”
With Go Yeon-ju’s command, the crowd began to scatter. I approached the man whose face was still tense and spoke to him.
“User Gong Chan-ho. Could we have a word?”
“Uh… yes… alright.”
Gong Chan-ho scratched his head and nodded timidly. I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion. This demeanor was a far cry from the “Invincible” Gong Chan-ho I remembered.
‘Why are you here now… and how have you already met Seong Ha-yan? Could they have met already?’
When I first saw her, I thought Seong Ha-yan was a possibility. But with Gong Chan-ho’s unexpected appearance, my mind was suddenly a whirl of questions.
With so many things to unravel, I decided to move to a quieter place.
As I turned toward the entrance, I focused my third eye on the Suramachang.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
It’s been a while since I updated at midnight. Haha. Today, I’ll address a few questions in the afterword.
Sol) User + User = User.
User + Resident = User (50%) or Resident (50%).
Resident + Resident = Resident.
Sol) I’ll post the settings at the start of Part 2. It will reflect their state “two years later,” not “now.” The two-year-later user information is still in the early planning stages, so it might need some adjustments.
Sol) I’ve noticed this issue recently as well. Perhaps the focus on Kim Soo-hyun is too strong. I’ll do my best to address this and bring more balance to the characters.
Thank you. (__)