Chapter 19
The major variables that arose from my transmigration into this novel.
A protagonist who did not regress.
Remake Coins that shake up cause and effect.
And characters who were sketched but whose settings were not colored in.
The original work was narrated centered around Lee Eunho.
My role was to brilliantly unravel the narrative of his exploits and crises.
But this world was different.
The narratives of nearly four billion people around the world were intertwined.
This meant that the extras from the original work, whose coloring I had not finished, might not be the extras I knew.
For example, like An Hwigom, who was pointing a sword at me right now.
“What is the reason for this?”
“There’s no need to add a reason. I’m just interested in you.”
Interest…….
I was sorry, but I could not grasp it at all.
An instructor with 50 years of service, a grumpy old extra, suddenly pointing a sword at a cadet.
It was the same from the perspective of a mere investigation cadet, not the original author.
However, I could guess the reason why he had withdrawn his killing intent after I dodged once, even though he said he was genuinely trying to kill me.
“Was it a…… test?”
To gauge my skill as an awakener.
It was absurd to test someone with their life on the line, but that was the only way I could surmise.
“Tsk.”
An Hwigom clicked his tongue and said.
“Talent is like an unsprouted seed, so it’s difficult to distinguish easily. However, a guy who has rolled around in this world for decades develops a sense of judgment based on his own standards.”
Literally interpreted, it meant that he had seen through my talent.
But my talent was insignificant compared to Gong Minwu’s.
Not just Gong Minwu, but compared to other main characters or major characters, it was at a humble level.
As a matter of fact, it was the worst talent among the 71st class cadets.
In such a situation, it was unlikely that he had kept me behind to single out and praise my talent.
He must have thought I was hiding something.
“By that, you mean…… I have talent?”
“Hmph, it seems your hearing has gone bad. Your talent is the worst among the cadets I have watched over. Therefore, I just wanted to confirm how deep the bottom of that incompetence is.”
A harsh tone and an eccentric personality.
As soon as An Hwigom finished speaking, the sunset began to shine over my shoulder.
An Hwigom narrowed his eyes as if he had been waiting for it.
Soon, he made a puzzled expression and quickly sheathed his sword.
Followed by a nasal sound…….
“Hmm.”
It sounded as if a question he had been harboring had been resolved.
His action did not imply any other meaning.
He had simply suspected me of being a Demonic Being.
Leaving me in the training ground was to stall for time until sunset, and showing his killing intent was to observe my reaction.
“…….”
But one question arose.
No matter how much I searched my memory, there was no room for him to suspect me of being a Demonic Being.
No one on campus knew that I had the dark attribute, and only Yun Jeongseop and Lee Eunho knew about the Demonic Eye.
Furthermore, it was impossible that the Stealth I occasionally used on campus had been discovered.
Stealth was not like in some games where the body became transparent; it was simply an awareness-dampening ability, and it was captured just fine on camera.
There should have been no reason for my non-awakened act to be exposed in the martial arts class either…….
For what reason on earth did he suspect me of being a Demonic Being?
It was difficult to assert anything in a situation where I did not have a proper grasp of the character An Hwigom.
To be blunt, I did not even know what kind of ability he had other than using a sword, nor did I know who he was friends with.
I feigned a composed expression.
What was needed now was not to be flustered.
An Hwigom also did not let on and continued to speak.
“You, come out here from dawn tomorrow.”
“……Pardon?”
“Tsk, if you can’t understand like this……. We will start training from tomorrow. I will fix your lowly abilities from one to ten.”
Words in a sudden context.
“No, I mean, why on earth……”
“Why, you ask……? If I leave your skills as they are, you will surely become a disgrace to the Hero Preparatory School! Besides, I should have told you.”
He looked me up and down for a moment and then, in a blunt tone, continued.
“……that I’m interested in you.”
***
Late evening, the vice principal’s office in the main building.
Park Cheolyeong and An Hwigom sat facing each other, sipping tea.
“Perhaps because April is approaching, I can feel the full energy of spring.”
“Your words are as old-fashioned as ever.”
“Spring is a season when life stirs, a season that fits well with the cadets who strive to make their talents bloom, don’t you think?”
“Tsk, there are lives that fade in spring too. Sometimes, crossing a frozen river is more beneficial than taking a boat.”
“……Hmm, I see.”
Park Cheolyeong picked up his teacup.
But without drinking, he opened his mouth again.
“How is that child?”
“Who are you referring to?”
“I mean Cadet Ji Seokhyeon.”
“Ah, that one, I’ve been watching him for a few days at your request, but……”
An Hwigom trailed off and took a sip of his tea first.
Park Cheolyeong had already narrowed his eyes and was listening intently to his words.
“I think you might have been mistaken. His attribute was attribute-less, just like in his admission information.”
“…….”
Park Cheolyeong subtly furrowed his brow.
His gaze turned to An Hwigom’s sword, which was leaning against the desk.
‘Intent-Manifestation Sword……. The sword that reveals the attribute of its target.’
To be precise, it was an item whose blade color changed according to the attribute of the mana it touched.
Park Cheolyeong had watched the incident between An Hwigom and Cadet Ji Seokhyeon in the 3rd Outdoor Training Ground via a drone.
That was why he had arranged this meeting with him.
To get the answer to his earlier request, ‘to find out the attribute.’
It would have been an unnecessary meeting if he could have distinguished the color of the Intent-Manifestation Sword with the drone, but the sword had not changed from its original black color.
The black sword, Intent-Manifestation Sword.
The fact that its blade did not change even after coming into contact with Ji Seokhyeon could be narrowed down to two possibilities.
Either he was attribute-less with no distinct attribute, or he had the dark attribute.
“Attribute-less, you say……”
“He’s a dunce. But, I’m curious why you asked me about a talent that is obvious just by looking.”
“There’s no particular reason. I was just curious because he’s a very cautious cadet.”
“You mean you don’t want to talk about it. I understand.”
“…….”
Park Cheolyeong put on a fake smile.
There was nothing to be gained from getting on An Hwigom’s bad side.
‘You old fox…….’
Not only in the Hero Preparatory School, but a mere martial arts instructor whom even Park Cheolyeong, who held considerable political influence in the world of awakeners, could not treat lightly.
In the past, he was one of the members of the secret society Manyeong, which traded information and carried out contract killings in the so-called underworld.
This organization, named Ten Thousand Shadows, was a criminal group located at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Special Affairs Division, and it had left significant traces in the 80-year history of the awakener era.
Of course, the Hero Preparatory School had also requested information from Manyeong many times, and had also requested blood on their swords.
Martial Arts Instructor An Hwigom had been in charge of managing Manyeong and the ‘clients’ of the 4th Scholastic District for the past several decades.
He had never been the leader of Manyeong, but as one of the original members, hundreds had died by his Intent-Manifestation Sword.
A-Rank hunters, key figures from the Bureau, guild executives, and other leaders of the awakener world, as well as even young children who were the future…….
‘It’s been a long time since he washed his hands of it and retired, but…….’
When he was a little younger, he was a renowned master who had even taken on guild masters, and the influence he wielded within Manyeong was still strong and powerful.
“By the way, you seem to have taken a liking to that child.”
“Well, I’m just a little interested.”
“When you say interest……?”
“Awakeners have an intangible value that cannot be measured. I just caught a glimpse of that value in him.”
“Value……”
Park Cheolyeong searched his memory.
The meaning of value as referred to by the members of Manyeong he knew…….
‘A mindset that understands the purpose and has no hesitation in action. In other words, a natural Killing Intent that does not lead to mental breakdown due to being consumed by the will to kill…….’
Simply put, it meant not suffering from guilt in killing.
In some respects, it was the same as how Demonic Beings viewed other species as ‘prey.’
Park Cheolyeong had also felt it while talking with Ji Seokhyeon.
‘He thought, spoke, and acted as if he were a solitary individual…….’
When he talked with him, it always felt like his own inner self was being laid bare.
‘Is he really a non-awakened?’
Putting other things aside, why was he always involved in incidents?
Was it simply an unlucky fate…….
“This is good tea.”
“……It’s an item from beyond the rift. I can give it to you if you wish.”
“That’s alright, there’s nothing more uncomfortable than receiving payment from you.”
“It’s just a gesture of goodwill.”
“I accepted this matter out of my own interest as well. As I’ve said repeatedly, don’t involve me in your business with the principal. There’s nothing more useless than a power struggle in the name of honor.”
“…….”
An Hwigom placed his empty teacup down and stood up from his seat.
“Are you leaving already?”
“As you said, I’ve caught the scent of spring. There’s someone I want to make bloom before it’s too late.”
“I’ll arrange another meeting next time, with better tea leaves.”
“We’ll talk about that then.”
An Hwigom picked up his sword and walked towards the door.
Then suddenly, he looked back at Park Cheolyeong.
“Ah! I heard it’s earlier than planned.”
“……What is?”
“Principal Kim Shinwoo, the person you fear. The exploration in the labyrinth is said to be ending earlier. Wasn’t he supposed to return in the summer? Then that means he’s returning several months early.”
“…….”
***
Tuesday, 1 AM.
I sleepily headed to the 3rd Training Ground.
When he told me to come out at dawn, I naturally thought it would be early in the morning, but An Hwigom’s dawn was right after midnight.
“Hoo……. If this was the case, he should have just said at night.”
As soon as I arrived, An Hwigom threw me a set of clothes that looked like a training uniform.
“Put it on. Take off all other items.”
I changed clothes without hesitation, but then I realized that the training uniform had no item information.
Simply put, it was normal clothing without any inherent mana.
Seeing that he was excluding items, I had a rough idea of what his training would be like.
He had forbidden the use of mana in his martial arts class as well.
But…….
“Can’t I just wear the suspenders?”
This suspender, the Suspenders of the Brilliant Manager, was something I could not compromise on.
“I believe I said no items in my training?”
“I’ll gladly accept any training. Just the suspenders……”
“You did say any training, didn’t you?”
“……Yes, well.”
Did I make a slip of the tongue?
I had a very uneasy feeling.
“Lastly, hang this wherever you’re comfortable.”
He then held out a bell.
I hung it on the suspender strap.
“You must never lose the bell.”
“……Why?”
“It’s more precious than your life.”
Well, was it made of gold or something?
It looked a little different from the ones used in class.
“Then let’s begin immediately. For the next 10 minutes, you will run and hide with all your might. If you’re caught……”
An Hwigom silently drew the black sword from its sheath.
“I will cut your flesh with a pain that won’t kill you……!”
“…….”
What was this context?
Was I supposed to just run away with a bell on?
And he would swing his sword if I was caught…….
I had come out just to experience what kind of scheme it was, thinking it was training, but this was a bit of an outrageous line to cross.
To be blunt, if he had done this to a successor of a prominent guild instead of me, he would not have seen a good end, no matter how much he was an instructor at the Hero Preparatory School.
“This is a bit problematic, doing this so suddenly. You said it was training.”
“What’s so problematic?”
“It doesn’t seem like a proper training.”
An Hwigom snorted and asked.
“Hmph, what do you think is the reason for training?”
“That’s…… to become stronger. To survive from monsters.”
“Yes, you know it well. This training is a survival training that suits your pathetic talent.”
“……Pardon?”
“If you don’t like my way……. prove it yourself, that this training is unnecessary.”
I did not know what kind of scheme he was up to, but one thing was certain.
He was an old man who would not listen to reason.
In the end, I had no choice but to prove that it was a pointless training, just as he said.
With 600 seconds to run away, there was no reason I could not hide properly.
An Hwigom began to count down 600 seconds with a stubborn face.
I kicked off the ground and ran without delay.
“Let’s think as positively as possible.”
In the end, he was clearly investing his time for my potential.
From the perspective of a mere awakener who had received no training whatsoever, it was also ridiculous to refuse the personal instruction of a Hero Preparatory School instructor with over 50 years of service.
“Surely he won’t continue with just this kind of training.”
I soon entered a park and hid myself on a cherry tree that was in full bloom.
“……Almost 600 seconds.”
I held my breath, which was getting heavier, and was watching the entrance to the park from the top of the tree, when…….
In an instant, an ominous feeling washed over me, and a familiar killing intent arrived nearby.
“……!”
As expected, the cherry tree was cut by something and began to lean rapidly.
I fell with the collapsing tree and tumbled onto the dirt ground.
“Whoa……!”
“……Tsk, is this the best place you could hide!”
It was An Hwigom.
Without any presence, precursor, or trace, the moment 600 seconds were up, he had cut down the tree I was on.
He swung his sword without hesitation and shallowly cut my thigh.
For a moment, not even a scream came out.
The pain of being cut by the sword was also transmitted a beat later.
“Oh-ho, so you’re a rewarding one to cut!”
“…….”
It was surely the effect of my durability stat.
Because of that, there was no bleeding.
An Hwigom shouted without giving me a moment to catch my breath.
“What are you doing! Hurry up and run! Don’t you have to prove that this training is unnecessary?”
At this point, I realized that something was wrong.
Why on earth did I have to go along with this cruel game?
What was the reason for getting involved with a character unrelated to the episode?
But my rebellious spirit quickly subsided.
Because he was an old man who would surely chase me all the way to the dormitory and swing his sword.
“This training! How long do you plan to do it?”
“Hmm? Didn’t I tell you. Of course……”
An Hwigom viciously tore the corners of his mouth.
“Until sunrise.”
“…….”