Chapter 4
When I approached Lee Eunho and tapped his shoulder, he jumped in fright and turned around.
“……Ji Seokhyeon? That was dangerous! You almost got electrocuted!”
A rather high-pitched tone of voice.
However, it was a warning mixed with consideration.
The Lee Eunho I had described would not have shown such a dramatic reaction.
I fell into thought for a moment.
Lee Eunho needed to be chasing the real intruder right now.
So how on earth was I supposed to persuade him?
Was I to say that the plot would proceed as planned if he went and performed his heroic deed?
An absurd notion.
He was not a character in a novel, but a being who was clearly living in this world.
Pushing him without any basis had a high probability of backfiring.
Moreover, as the episodes progressed, they would drift further away from the original work and become uncontrollable.
Therefore, my goal was to create a future that I could at least somewhat gauge, rather than a completely unknown development.
That would be the easiest way for me to survive in this goddamn world.
“Even if we’re classmates……”
Lee Eunho released an electric shock towards a golem aiming for my back.
CRACKLE─.
The golem instantly crumbled into mud.
“This is troublesome. Do you even know that this situation is an evaluation?”
So kind, it was hard to get used to.
I quickly scanned the area and asked.
“One of the instructor seats was empty during the entrance ceremony. Did you know?”
Lee Eunho replied indifferently.
“What are you trying to say?”
“All of the school’s instructors were supposed to attend today’s entrance ceremony.”
“They were probably acting as the sniper for the evaluation, or they were away to cast the summoning spell.”
He was just being wary of me.
I did not expect him to be so uncooperative.
“The one who went off as the sniper was the shooting instructor Oh Hyeokmin, the one who used the summoning magic was the magic instructor Kim Seulhee, it’s unlikely they would have left a seat empty for two people who were preparing for the evaluation. Furthermore, the principal is absent for personal reasons.”
“What if they just put out one extra chair?”
“No, the instructors sat with the empty seat between them. That means they sat according to a predetermined rank or order. Besides, among the instructors listed as participants in the entrance ceremony, that person was the only one who didn’t show up.”
“……That person?”
He began to show interest.
“The medical instructor Park Oseok. With all the students and instructors of the school gathered at the training ground, there’s no way he would be alone in the infirmary.”
“What about the possibility that he was on standby separately with an ambulance, in case of injuries during the evaluation?”
“I told you, if that were the case, they wouldn’t have set out a seat. In the end, it means he was absent without notifying the other instructors. And the vice principal was shot; no matter how planned the situation is, does it make sense for him not to show his face?”
“That’s true, but……. So what are you trying to say?”
“I’m just saying, doesn’t it smell suspicious? It could be my mistake, but……. If you were harboring ill intentions, wouldn’t a situation like this be very ideal?”
The number of golems was decreasing.
A few drones that had been recording me and Lee Eunho also began to move away towards other students.
Lee Eunho muttered as if organizing his thoughts.
“The other school grounds are defenseless, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an intruder……. This, I can’t just ignore it.”
“Right, that’s what I’m saying.”
Lee Eunho narrowed his brow.
“Any expected locations?”
“There are. Places where instructors usually prevent easy access. ……Let’s get moving first, shall we?”
“Wait a minute, we should inform the other instructors first.”
“Like they’d believe us. You think I came to you first for no reason? You’re number one in practical skills. If it’s a medical instructor who can only use light attribute magic, it should be manageable. Besides……”
It was too late.
Even if we ran to the Hall of Heroes right now, it would be a close call.
Sorry for doing this on our first meeting, but I had no choice but to use Lee Eunho’s sense of justice.
“Besides, we don’t know what that person is after.”
“What?”
“We also have to consider the possibility of a one-sided terrorist attack.”
“By that you mean……”
“The deadline, it could be a race against time. If they used magic engineering, the explosion could be large enough to affect the area outside the school.”
“……The location, where did you say it was?”
He bought it.
“Two places. The library and the Hall of Heroes, which is used as a records exhibition hall. I’ll go to the closer library.”
“Alright, if that person is there, wait for a bit.”
Lee Eunho moved a certain distance away from me.
Then, with electricity wrapping around his legs in a ready-to-run stance…….
“I’ll be there in a…….”
Without even finishing his sentence, he disappeared from my sight at an incredible speed.
“Crazy, protagonist’s privilege……”
I scanned my surroundings once.
The training ground was still not in order.
“Fortunately, it seems I wasn’t too late.”
I turned my back to the nearby library and started running towards the Hall of Heroes.
With Lee Eunho’s abilities, there should be no problem, but I still had to see for myself.
The item Park Oseok stole was not something that could be easily overlooked.
“If things go wrong by any chance……”
I would have to use coins.
***
Things went wrong.
By the time I reached the Hall of Heroes, the guards had already been neutralized.
It was Obscure Light, one of the light attribute abilities that Park Oseok used.
A status effect that temporarily blinded the target.
Normally, Park Oseok was supposed to confront the guards and Lee Eunho outside the building right after stealing the item.
“Right, I expected this much.”
Without even checking the other floors, I turned and walked towards the nearby Outdoor Firing Range 2.
Because I could hear the sounds of a battle breaking out from the direction of the firing range.
Like a newly enlisted trainee, I awkwardly clambered over various obstacles and arrived near where Lee Eunho and Park Oseok were fighting.
“This too…… is just as I feared……”
Lee Eunho was a promising prospect, evaluated as having skills comparable to active hunters and the highest potential.
On the other hand, Park Oseok was a light-attribute specialist with poor combat abilities, a so-called healer.
No matter how elite an instructor at Hero Prep he was, it was a difficult task to face Lee Eunho, who was called a genius of the century.
“……”
It was a difficult task, but…….
Lee Eunho was currently being unilaterally beaten by Park Oseok.
“I can’t control this power! I didn’t know it would be this much……!”
A build that was excessively muscular for a healer.
And movements so agile they belied that build.
Park Oseok was overwhelming all of Lee Eunho’s movements not with abilities, but with simple physical prowess.
“Kuhuhut! I don’t know how you knew and came after me, but you’ll regret that decision today!”
Park Oseok currently had a ‘Shard of the Mirror of Greed’ embedded in his own body.
The item he stole from the Hall of Heroes.
The Mirror of Greed was known as one of the Witch’s seven cursed tools, and it had the effect of materializing the user's desires.
The desire of Park Oseok, materialized through the shard, was the desire to ‘become stronger’ of a promising combat hunter who had unwillingly become a healer under the pressure of his talent.
In the original work, Park Oseok also used the shard.
However, before the shard could completely take over the mana in his body, he was defeated by Lee Eunho.
In other words…….
“……It seems we’ve missed the window to deal with Park Oseok.”
The Lee Eunho of the original work might have come up with another move, but it was difficult to expect anything from the current Lee Eunho.
PSHOO─.
As expected, while Lee Eunho was struggling and stalling for time, a gunshot was heard from afar.
An anti-materiel rifle.
In other words, a heavy sniper rifle had grazed the forearm of the fast-moving Park Oseok.
“……Damn it! I’ve dragged this on for too long!”
The sniper who displayed such skillful marksmanship was Cha Yeri.
In the original work, she would only have watched Lee Eunho's exploits from her scope in front of the Hall of Heroes and become interested, but because the situation had been delayed, Cha Yeri had joined the battle.
“Did you think I would let you get away……!”
Lee Eunho, conscious of the sniper support, soared into the air with all his might.
Then, estimating the distance to Park Oseok, he clenched a massive amount of electricity in one hand.
CRACK-CRACKLE!
Lightning Strike.
No, the scale was a bit smaller than what I had described multiple times.
“That’s probably……”
He was clearly aiming for a status effect paralysis by releasing electricity in all directions.
It was a judgment that was clearly conscious of coordinating with the sniper.
I hurriedly moved my position.
RUMBLE!
A bolt of light soon struck the ground.
Fortunately, the lightning did not reach where I was, but Lee Eunho’s gambit did not have much effect either.
After all, Park Oseok was a high-level healer serving as an instructor at Hero Prep.
There was no way he would not have been prepared for an attack that openly aimed for a status effect.
Not only that, but because a light comparable to a lightning strike was generated, Cha Yeri would have taken her eye off the scope.
“No experience, no experience.”
Well, his flaws as a hunter would disappear after graduating from Hero Prep.
Anyway, I had a fire at my feet.
My position had been completely exposed by that last attack.
If other instructors were to rush into the firing range, the episode’s development of Lee Eunho defeating Park Oseok would be instantly negated.
“The introduction of the novel would be a major misstep.”
Without any further delay, I used a coin.
[1 Remake Coin will be consumed.]
Time stopped.
As the noise of the battle disappeared, the silence was emphasized.
“There are two abilities I need right now.”
Kinetic vision and an ability to restrict movement.
“A simple status effect won’t work. It has to be surprising, and primal.”
Cha Yeri’s sniping was sharp, but it was hard to believe she could continue to hit Park Oseok at that distance while he was moving at such speed.
Furthermore, the ally in the vanguard was flashing and obstructing her vision.
Therefore, I had to follow the battle situation with my eyes and aim for a status effect at a crucial moment.
I should, but…….
I fell into thought for a moment.
I had used a coin because it was a critical moment, but there was no guarantee that I could manifest the abilities recorded in the setting notes exactly.
“Even if its immediate utility is low, I should invest in something that can be consistently developed.”
An ability to hide my powers moderately and guide the novel’s plot from behind the scenes.
My goal, after all, was to become strong enough to survive in this goddamn world.
Until then, I just had to hold on to the plot.
“……”
I was lost in thought for too long, and another coin was consumed.
[1 Remake Coin will be consumed.]
“How cruel. Is this an additional charge?”
I soon made up my mind and touched the stats.
[Increase Dark Attribute by 90%?]
[Required Remake Coins: 3,123]
First, the Dark attribute.
I used it without hesitation.
[Congratulations! You have used a coin for the first time!]
[The consumed Remake Coins will be refunded.]
“……Ah.”
I was genuinely furious.
Would it kill them to let me know in advance?
“This is really ridiculous.”
I continued to consume coins.
[Earth Attribute increases by 30%.]
[Earth (土) 30%]
[Consumed Remake Coins: 1,380]
External correction values like those from items do not affect ability manifestation.
[Intellect increases by 6.0.]
[Intellect 10.0]
[Consumed Remake Coins: 2,799]
Intellect was unrelated to the brain.
It simply had a qualitative effect on everything involving superpowers.
As I raised my stats, I felt that the increase in coin consumption was accumulating.
It was fortunate that I touched the attribute that used more coins first.
“If I do this, the abilities……”
<Abilities (4)>
[Stow]
[*Night Eye]
Opens a Demonic Eye for a certain period of time.
When opened, it sees through the target’s mana and its movements.
When opened, it sees through visual obstructions such as darkness, fog, and smoke.
When opened, it grants immunity to mental status effects such as confusion, threat, taunt, and charm.
[*Stealth]
Hides the user’s presence for a certain period of time.
Hides presence along with a specific target connected to the user’s shadow.
[*Bind]
For a certain period of time, restricts a specific target connected to the user’s shadow along with the user’s movements.
Applies physical pressure by layering a shadow over the bound target, or restricts the flow of mana.
I quickly scanned the newly generated abilities.
They were both the same as and subtly different from the abilities that existed in my setting notes.
Fortunately, their uses were familiar.
I deactivated the coin usage and, just as when using the inventory, I showed my will to hide my body.
Then, an unfamiliar sensation enveloped my entire body, and Stealth was used.
When I used the Demonic Eye in the same way, Lee Eunho’s and Park Oseok’s movements became much easier to read.
Furthermore, I could clearly see the mana of the shard embedded in Park Oseok’s left arm.
“Seeing it in person, it’s a brutish setting.”
Park Oseok’s abilities would amplify over time.
Soon, he would reach a level where even the instructors would not be able to do anything when they arrived.
A moment later, the two of them rushed towards each other once again.
This would probably be the last chance to land an effective blow.
Judging by the scale of the electricity Lee Eunho was emitting, he seemed to be aware of that himself.
I watched their movements and controlled my breathing.
There was only one chance.
I planned to use Bind before Park Oseok leaped from the ground.
There was a condition that our shadows had to touch, but that was no problem at all.
Furthermore, the fact that I was about 10 meters away from the scene was also meaningless.
After all, Seoul was the city of shadows where more Vitamin D was consumed than coffee.
A city of ash where the sun did not shine for even an hour a day due to the traces of the Great Fissure.
Right here, right now, everyone was connected to my shadow.