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    The four immediately moved to the location Shim Dokyung had told them about. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far from where they were.

    The place they arrived at was indeed a very ordinary corridor.

    On both sides of the corridor, which stretched straight ahead, there were rooms one by one, and there was nothing unusual. If you didn’t know anything, it would just look like a regular corridor you’d pass by. Ahn Youngah looked around the place and asked.

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    “Did you really see it here?”

    “Yeah. I saw it from a distance, so I’m not sure, but… I think it came out from around here.”

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    Shim Dokyung pointed broadly to the wall. However, it just looked like a plain white-painted wall, making it hard to find anything strange.

    Lee Donghun let out a short sigh.

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    “At least the direction is limited to one side. Should we divide up and search? If we fumble around the wall, we might find something strange…”

    While moving to this place, they also informed Shim Dokyung of the real purpose of the current party. Shim Dokyung nodded with a delighted face, happy that his information had been helpful. And now, he moved with the expectation that he might find it faster than the others since he had seen the suspicious figures.

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    -Click.

    Hae Gijun opened the wall.

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    It was literally the situation. Gijun, who had been silently watching from behind, seemed to move, touched the wall for a moment, listened quietly, and then grabbed something and opened it.

    Only after it was fully opened did it gradually take the shape of a ‘door,’ and everyone realized what he had done and looked astonished.

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    Hae Gijun found the door in an instant.

    “Wow, amazing. How did you find it so quickly?”

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    “The wall here looked strange. It was slightly misaligned.”

    At his nonchalant response, the others’ jaws dropped again. They hadn’t noticed anything strange at all. While Lee Donghun rubbed his eyes, Ahn Youngah marveled softly.

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    “Hae Gijun is hiding his strength.”

    “Seriously, Ahn Youngah, you always talk nonsense…”

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    “Great, Gijun.”

    At Shim Dokyung’s awkward compliment, Gijun just nodded back. It was a space they found thanks to him.

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    The reason Gijun found the door was exactly as he explained. His eyes had become more sensitive after the recent battle, and he immediately saw the strange part.

    When they checked for signs of life earlier, there was no sound from inside. And as soon as he realized there was a door, the shape became clearer to Gijun’s eyes, and he moved closer to the door, confirming that no one was inside.

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    So, it was easy to open the door, but he judged that the room was not important because it was so easy to enter. If it were a room with important items or clues, it wouldn’t have been this easy to get in.

    And as Gijun expected, Baek Sunwoo, looking at the artifact attached to the inside of the door, said.

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    “It’s a concealment artifact that blends into the surroundings. It doesn’t seem to have been activated for long…”

    “If it hasn’t been long… is this a hastily hidden space?”

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    “It seems so.”

    In response to Lee Donghun’s question, Gijun replied and moved inside.

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    The room was quite spacious, but the interior was a mess. All the drawers were open, the items on the shelves were spilled, and the table was cluttered. It looked like someone had hurriedly packed up and left.

    “Even the, the light is off.”

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    “What? I thought the hidden place would have light.”

    Shim Dokyung expressed his anxiety as he fiddled with the switch. The room without windows was darker than the corridor, making him more frightened.

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    In the pitch-darkness, Gijun quietly rolled his eyes and spoke.

    “This place seems to be the main building’s control room. There are several monitors that look like CCTV up ahead.”

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    He briefly informed them of the location and rummaged around a bit more, then pulled something out from the messy pile and handed it to Baek Sunwoo. With a click, the light turned on.

    “Oh, a flashlight!”

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    While everyone was cheering, Gijun rummaged through the dark area a few more times and found another one, which he handed to Ahn Youngah. Ahn Youngah held the flashlight tightly, looking as if she had received a lifeline.

    Everyone looked around the now brighter space with relieved faces.

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    Indeed, as Gijun had said, there were CCTV monitors up ahead. However, the screens were off, as if all connections had been cut, and even fiddling with the control panel didn’t turn them back on.

    “Why is this control room in such a state?”

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    “Who knows…”

    Gijun walked slowly, inspecting the area carefully again. Ahn Youngah kindly redirected the flashlight towards where he was walking. Although it wasn’t necessary, Gijun fell into deep thought instead of pointing it out.

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    Did they see the main building’s control room in the previous rounds?

    His memory was hazy, but he had seen a door around this area. Although there was no sign saying “control room,” it was the same with the annex. Therefore, he could infer that the reason for hiding a previously unhidden space this time was due to the changes in the annex.

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    “They might have hidden it because they realized the situation in the annex.”

    “What? Do you think they know we did it…?”

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    “Impossible to say. We erased the CCTV records, but if that person woke up, they could have mentioned it. It’s also possible that the CCTV is being stored through a route we don’t know about, or there could be another camera.”

    Ahn Youngah briefly explained what had happened in the annex control room to the puzzled Shim Dokyung. In no time, Shim Dokyung’s face turned pale as he trembled and asked,

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    “So, so, are they coming to get us?”

    “Seeing that they only hid the control room like this, I don’t think they’ll come directly…”

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    Everyone was worried about the group, but Gijun was concerned about something else.

    “Baek Sunwoo, you said this space hasn’t been hidden for long?”

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    “Yeah. The artifact still has a lot of mana, so I’m pretty sure.”

    “Then what could be the sudden reason for hiding it? If they just didn’t want to show the CCTV, they could have just turned off the screens.”

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    “Simply put, they might have hoped we would waste time searching for it.”

    Baek Sunwoo said while examining the corners with a flashlight.

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    “If they knew we entered the annex control room, it wouldn’t be hard to guess that we’d look for the control room in the main building too. So, they hid the door to waste our time…”

    “…”

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    “And maybe there were things they needed to hide here.”

    The calm analysis sounded quite plausible, especially with the mess inside supporting his claim.

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    Just in case, Gijun suggested they search the space, and everyone agreed and moved. The flashlight made them feel a bit more at ease, but they still glanced nervously at the door, fearing ‘they’ might burst in and catch them at any moment.

    Particularly, Shim Dokyung was trembling all over, not just his hands, and Ahn Youngah patted his shoulder, saying she would protect him. When Lee Donghun asked how, she brightly replied, “While you’re tanking, I’ll run away!”

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    Baek Sunwoo glanced at them and then asked Hae Gijun.

    “Aren’t you scared? Those people might really be chasing us.”

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    “It’s a predetermined future from the moment we start the search, isn’t it?”

    “But if we do meet…”

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    Baek Sunwoo trailed off, then smiled beautifully. With the flashlight’s light shining obliquely, making his smile glitter, he lightly said, half-jokingly,

    “I’ll protect you. I promise.”

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    “Don’t make promises.”

    “…What?”

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    The immediate rebuttal made Baek Sunwoo pause. It was a somewhat sharp rejection. Gijun squinted one eye at him.

    “Don’t take on unnecessary responsibility. Just think about getting yourself out alive.”

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    “There’s no point in getting out alive alone.”

    However, it seemed Baek Sunwoo didn’t want to back down this time. He met Gijun’s eyes squarely, his voice firm with determination.

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    “Since I suggested coming here, it’s my responsibility.”

    Hae Gijun looked at him quietly. Baek Sunwoo felt a strange wall as his eyes sank into an endlessly calm depth. There were emotions hidden deep beyond that he couldn’t read.

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    Gijun silently traced his memories. He felt a rising irritation about who was supposed to protect whom, but more than that, he tried to recall when he had heard those words. He remembered hearing it around the time they boarded the bus at the rest stop and felt a peculiar sense of futility. To Gijun, it was an event from so long ago that he barely remembered it.

    Even without Baek Sunwoo, they would have had to take that bus and come to this training center. Gijun realized through countless repetitions that this place was a very intricate prison. So, that incident was meaningless, and he should even be thankful that Baek Sunwoo wasn’t trying to save all the students by bringing up those words from back then.

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    Gijun, after some thought, nodded instead of breaking Baek Sunwoo’s stubbornness.

    “Do as you please.”

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    Just as Baek Sunwoo’s face brightened, Gijun added his next words.

    “But no suddenly running ahead in dangerous situations, no doing things without discussing them, no stepping out of my sight. Any behavior like that is unacceptable.”

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    “…Then I won’t be able to keep the promise, will I?”

    “That’s the point.”

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    “…”

    “Just stay by my side.”

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    For a moment, Baek Sunwoo wore a confused expression. Not knowing how to react, Gijun chuckled softly and turned his head.

    While Baek Sunwoo’s intentions were admirable, Gijun wanted to accept just those intentions. He never wanted to see them put into action. It was frustrating to think why Baek Sunwoo always tried to keep the words he said when so many people just spoke without acting.

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    Was there no way to make Baek Sunwoo a bit more delinquent? Gijun thought whimsically as he rummaged through the shelves.

    After a prolonged search, they unexpectedly found some useful items. Since the space had previously been used as a normal control room, they found practical things.

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    Sturdy ropes, signal flares, a hand axe, a Swiss army knife, and a small megaphone.

    The ropes were given to Baek Sunwoo, the hand axe to Lee Donghun, the signal flares to Ahn Youngah, and the megaphone to Shim Dokyung. When they had fought monsters previously, Baek Sunwoo had thrown the ropes well, and Lee Donghun’s agility made the hand axe suitable for close combat. Of course, Lee Donghun looked pale at this analysis.

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    Gijun checked the blade of the Swiss army knife and also grabbed the support beam from the collapsed shelf. It seemed strong enough and long enough to maintain distance if they encountered monsters.

    Even though it was an unexpected success, Gijun still felt a sense of regret.

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    “There are no suspicious items at all…”

    “They must have taken everything. We searched for a long time, but nothing came out.”

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    It was fortunate they found some self-defense items, but they didn’t find the real clue they were searching for. He didn’t have high expectations from the moment they found the room so easily…

    Gijun couldn’t immediately leave the space and lingered. They had already spent a lot of time here, it was about time to go back, and he knew everyone looked tired, but he felt reluctant to leave just like that.

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    For him, it was the first time trying this approach, and seeing ‘their’ reaction suggested this direction was correct. So, he had a lingering feeling that they might have missed something.

    “Are you going to search again?”

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    “Yeah. Just in case…”

    Ahn Youngah peeked over and came closer. With the rod she had acquired, Ahn Youngah seemed more confident as she swung it around, helping in the search. Near the bookshelf, papers were scattered all over, most of them containing quarterly safety reports and similar contents.

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    “Oh, safety reports in a completely unsafe situation.”

    Crouching down, Ahn Youngah rummaged through the papers, and eventually, as if fed up, she flicked the papers aside. At that moment, something caught her eye.

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    “Wait, there’s something under the bookshelf…?”

    A paper was sticking out slightly from under the bookshelf. When Ahn Youngah had pushed the papers earlier, it seemed she had accidentally pulled out a paper hidden under the bookshelf. Afraid it might slide back in, she gently pulled it out with her fingertips and checked it.

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    Thinking it would be another safety report, Ahn Youngah’s eyes widened as she looked at the paper.

    “What is this…?”

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    “A blueprint?”

    Immediately, Gijun took interest and moved closer. There was a drawing of a long cylindrical machine, with a thick line extending from below the machine. It seemed to be connected to something next to it, but that part was not shown in the drawing.

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    As he stared at the capsule-like machine, Gijun asked,

    “Baek Sunwoo, do you have any idea what this is? Have you seen it at H.N?”

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    “Well… it looks like a storage device of some sort.”

    “Could it be a machine that summons monsters?”

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    Ahn Youngah speculated, but Baek Sunwoo shook his head. His long index finger traced the center of the cylinder.

    “It looks too empty inside to perform the complex functions needed to summon monsters. It seems quite big, but it still looks too small to fit a monster inside. If I had to compare it, it looks more like a concentration device…”

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    “A concentration device? What’s that?”

    “There’s a device that refines and concentrates energy. Espers can draw mana directly into it, or it can extract energy from objects that have crossed over from other dimensions.”

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    Baek Sunwoo gestured with his hands, saying it was originally about the size of a forearm. But the machine drawn on the current blueprint looked much larger.

    Even after Baek Sunwoo explained the knowledge he had learned at H.N in detail, they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Even when everyone gathered to look at the machine blueprint, it was difficult to come up with a definitive answer. All they could assume was that since this blueprint was found under the bookshelf, it might have been dropped while they were packing up.

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    As the situation became more confusing, frustration gradually built up. Just as Gijun was gripping the blueprint tightly and pondering…

    “…Ahhh… Aaah…!”

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    “…R-Run…!”

    They heard faint screams from outside. For a moment, everyone inside the space froze and stared at the door. It seemed that there was a commotion in the hallway.

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    As Gijun slowly turned his gaze toward the door, they heard a loud shout.

    “A fireball is chasing us!”

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    Upon hearing that, Gijun tightly shut his eyes, as if he were tired. Without seeing it, he could clearly imagine the chaos. It was the same commotion that had happened around this time in the previous round. Despite the warning he had given them before parting…

    ‘Don’t open the storage next to the restroom at the west gate. Even if something jumps out, don’t scream.’

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    In the end, they opened that door.

    “It looks like there’s trouble outside.”

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    “What does it mean a fireball is chasing them? Should we go help…?”

    “H-How?”

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    Shim Dokyung expressed his anxiety. Lee Donghun and Ahn Youngah exchanged panicked looks and then looked at Hae Gijun. He seemed like a leader, but there was also an odd certainty that he might know a solution.

    In every problematic situation so far, Hae Gijun had always found a way.

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    “…”

    With three pairs of eyes on him, Gijun remained silent. He was so baffled by their actions, which went against his warning, that he had a headache. He even considered not going to help…

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    His eyes slowly turned to Baek Sunwoo.

    “Gijun. It seems like the others are in danger…”

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    As expected, Baek Sunwoo was glancing anxiously outside again. Whether it was because he had a kind nature, or the responsibility ingrained in him as a high-ranking esper from H.N, or if it was tied to a particular memory.

    At least this time, he hadn’t rushed out immediately. Gijun sighed deeply and irritably stuffed the blueprint into his pocket.

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    He then walked briskly and placed a firm hand on Shim Dokyung’s frail shoulder.

    “Let’s go, Shim Dokyung.”

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    “Huh, what…?”

    “There’s something you need to do.”

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    Shim Dokyung’s face turned pale instantly, but Gijun mercilessly led him outside.

    He had just the right card for this situation.

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    * * *

    The hallway was noisy.

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    The children’s screams, the sounds of them bumping into each other and rolling on the floor, filled the space noisily. Some seemed to be using their abilities while running away, but it was evident from the sounds that it wasn’t very effective.

    As Gijun walked down the hallway, he asked Ahn Youngah,

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    “What time is it now?”

    “Uh, it’s 9:18.”

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    Ahn Youngah quickly checked her phone for the time, though she seemed puzzled by the question. Next to her, Lee Donghun was surprised at how late it was already. Then, for a moment, Lee Donghun’s gaze shifted out the window.

    “Huh, the moonlight is coming out.”

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    The sky was dark, filled with clouds that obscured even the moon, but for a brief moment, the moon emerged from between the clouds, casting a soft light. Everyone felt relieved in the suddenly brightened corridor, except for Gijun, whose expression remained unchanged.

    He looked down to check the direction of the shadows on the floor, confirming the direction of the moonlight, and then checked the time on Ahn Youngah’s phone screen again. After that, he quickened his pace, urging everyone to move.

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    The noise coming from the other side was so loud that there was no confusion about the direction.

    They finally reached the railing on the second floor that overlooked the first-floor hall. And there, the scene below quickly filled everyone’s faces with confusion and astonishment.

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    “D-Don’t come! Don’t chase us!”

    “Get lost!”

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    Literal fireballs were bouncing along, chasing the students. The number of fireballs, each about the size of a human head, was well over ten, and some even merged to grow larger. A student found a fire extinguisher and sprayed it at them, but it seemed ineffective.

    Among the red flames, there was an odd mix of dark energy that seemed to undulate as if it were opening its mouth wide. Eerie laughter echoed intermittently among the fireballs, like a hallucination.

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    Their confusion and fear were palpable. Even though the flames were far away, it felt like the heat was singeing their skin, raising goosebumps. Ahn Youngah murmured with a horrified expression,

    “What are those things?”

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    “Are they will-o’-the-wisps…? Baek Sunwoo, do you know what kind of monster that is?”

    Baek Sunwoo squinted slightly at Lee Donghun’s question. As H.N is the top organization dealing with dimensional incidents, its members were thoroughly educated about monsters. Reflecting on what he knew, Baek Sunwoo soon shook his head.

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    “No. There are monsters that attack by spewing multiple fireballs, but I’ve never seen fireballs that act like they have their own consciousness. But there are far more things we don’t know about otherworldly monsters than those that have been studied…”

    Lee Donghun sighed, disappointed. He hoped they might figure out a weakness. While the fox monster was somewhat predictable, the scenario of being chased by fireballs was unimaginable, leaving them clueless about how to respond.

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    At that moment, Ahn Youngah shouted,

    “Oh, there are teachers there too!”

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    The students running around below were the student council members they had parted with a few hours earlier. It seemed more students had joined, doubling their number, and there were also two teachers among them.

    Upon hearing this, Lee Donghun and Shim Dokyung felt a surge of relief. Although the teachers also seemed preoccupied with escaping the fireballs, there was hope they might help once the chaos was over.

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    However, contrary to their expectations, the expressions of Hae Gijun and Baek Sunwoo quickly hardened. Park Inhoo was there. They had expected he would join them at some point, but…

    Gijun sighed inwardly and turned his head.

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    “Shim Dokyung, do you think you can disorient all those monsters with the megaphone?”

    “I-I don’t know if I can get all of them. I haven’t checked how powerful the megaphone is…”

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    “Just roughly estimate?”

    “Maybe more than half of the monsters? But it might affect everyone down there too…”

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    Ahn Youngah was startled by his hesitant reply.

    “That’s right. If we disorient everyone, and the monsters recover before the students, wouldn’t that be bad? Should we shout for them to cover their ears first?”

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    “Even if the teachers recover first, it seems dangerous…”

    In front of their hesitation, Gijun spoke firmly.

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    “We’ll disorient everyone. If they panic, those things will get stronger.”

    They each checked below again, surprised by the information. Indeed, as Hae Gijun had said, the fireballs grew larger as the fleeing students screamed in panic. The fireballs’ movements seemed to be mocking them.

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    “So, we’ll stop all actions with disorientation, and then I’ll move.”

    “What? Only you?”

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    “Yes. I’ll draw their attention and lead them away. If we panic, the response will get bigger.”

    The conversation continued monotonously. Literally, it meant that since they might be noisy in front of the fireballs, he would move alone. Hae Gijun’s words, which seemed to come from a first-place winner in a calmness competition, were believable, but also quite startling.

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    Hae Gijun’s plan to run towards the fireballs sounded extremely reckless. The subsequent plans were equally surprising.

    “When I lead the monsters away, Baek Sunwoo, you come down and quiet the kids. You can use your obedience ability if needed. Ahn Youngah, go down and help. Lee Donghun, stay by Shim Dokyung and protect him just in case.”

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    “I’ll help lure them too.”

    “No. If you move with me, I’ll get anxious.”

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    Gijun firmly rejected Baek Sunwoo’s offer without a second thought. The straightforward meaning was that he could only move if Baek Sunwoo was safe, but it struck Baek Sunwoo differently.

    Lee Donghun shot a peculiar look at the hesitant Baek Sunwoo.

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    ‘Such strange overprotection…’

    Maybe Hae Gijun drew strength from thinking he was protecting the strongest Baek Sunwoo? Since it was unclear if Hae Gijun’s ability was just about seeing well at night, his psychology remained a mystery.

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    “But how do you plan to catch them after luring them? Do you have a method?”

    “I have something in mind. I’ll explain later.”

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    The screams from below grew louder. The fireballs were merging and aggressively attacking the students, even blocking their escape routes and subtly herding them to the center.

    There was no time left.

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    “Ahn Youngah, what time is it now?”

    “Huh? It’s 9:27…”

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    Ahn Youngah fumbled with her phone to check the time again at the unexpected question. As Hae Gijun quietly repeated the current time, Lee Donghun, puzzled, took off his wristwatch and handed it over.

    “I have a wristwatch. Want it?”

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    “What? You should have given it earlier.”

    Lee Donghun chuckled as Hae Gijun quickly took the wristwatch and put it on. Though it had been hidden under his sleeve, it must have been visible at times while moving. How uninterested could he be?

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    Regardless, Gijun checked the time again with the wristwatch and soon told Shim Dokyung to start.

    Shim Dokyung looked extremely nervous. His hands holding the megaphone were trembling, and his legs wobbled as if they might collapse as he approached the railing. But soon, as he brought the megaphone to his mouth and started to make sounds, a determined resolve appeared in his eyes.

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    Lee Donghun felt a sudden worry. Ahn Youngah, with an anxious look, was about to ask if they really shouldn’t warn those below, but Shim Dokyung’s shout came first.

    “Ahhhhh-!”

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    The gradually rising voice seemed slow at first but quickly soared to the top. Even with their ears covered, a dizzying pain struck their heads. It felt like their brains were shattering into pieces, like glass breaking at a high pitch.

    Shim Dokyung’s ability, disorientation, had begun.

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    The situation on the second floor, with their ears covered, was like this; it was even more severe on the first floor. The sudden high-pitched sound spreading through the space made everyone scream and collapse. They covered their ears, curled up, and trembled.

    The monsters’ movements also stopped. Their grotesquely distorted forms looked as if the flames were forcibly held and torn apart.

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    Into that bizarre situation, Hae Gijun ran.

    Having already put on earplugs and descended the stairs, Gijun was the only one making noise when everyone else fell silent under the disorientation. The monsters, waking from the disorientation first, immediately chased the source of the noise, Hae Gijun.

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    -Eeheehee, keeheehee.

    Their laughter echoed eerily, like nails scratching a metal plate.

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    The students gradually regained their senses. As students from Shinhe High, closer to ordinary people, Shim Dokyung’s ability lasted longer on them. They each rose with confused expressions.

    “What, what’s going on?”

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    “Who on earth…?”

    “Everyone, stay still.”

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    At that moment, Baek Sunwoo stepped forward. Since everyone in the school knew Baek Sunwoo, they flinched and hesitated, trying to step back. It was a reaction that showed they were openly scared of him. Ahn Youngah, who was beside him, frowned for a moment but then sighed and tried to calm the others.

    Meanwhile, Gijun kept running. The monsters were now right behind him, almost grabbing his ankles.

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    “He’s going to get caught at this rate…”

    Lee Donghun, watching from above, expressed his concern. Although Hae Gijun was running without looking back, he must have felt the heat, yet his face showed no confusion or fear. It seemed unusual, and Lee Donghun thought the scariest moment might be when Gijun finally showed panic.

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    -Eeheeheehee.

    The monsters’ laughter persistently followed Gijun. But realizing there was no reaction from him, they started to group and grow larger. They even formed a curtain-like structure to block his way, creating a fiery maze.

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    To the distant students, it seemed like he was engulfed in flames, causing them to gasp. Gijun chuckled briefly within the flames.

    “They’re trying all sorts of things.”

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    The sight of dark energy flickering through the red flames was extremely grotesque. It felt like an illusion or hallucination, potentially inducing disorientation itself. It seemed intent on trapping the target in the maze forever.

    However, Gijun saw it clearly. He had no doubt that he wouldn’t lose his way. His eyes, unaffected by darkness, guided him even through chaos.

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    Suddenly, a buzzing pain hit his head.

    Gijun cursed under his breath and clutched his forehead due to the sudden headache. His eyes felt like they were going to explode, so he took a deep breath and irritably took off his glasses. The clearer vision was exhausting for him, but he resigned himself and kept running.

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    He maintained his composure, breaking through the chaotic fiery maze and adjusting to the constantly changing path. Left, left, right, straight… Gijun checked his wristwatch periodically and adjusted his pace. He neither ran continuously nor moved too slowly. The fireballs, enjoying their new toy, became even more erratic.

    As Gijun approached the central stairs, the monsters’ behavior turned aggressive. They suddenly grew larger, like a tidal wave, and tried to engulf him. Although he seemed covered by flames for a moment, he narrowly escaped.

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    Finally reaching the midway landing of the stairs leading to the third floor, Gijun suddenly turned. The fireballs laughed gleefully, opening their large mouths.

    -Swish! Hae Gijun pulled aside the curtains of a huge window. The black curtains had blended with the darkness of the space, making the area look like a wall. But Gijun found and pulled them aside, and in that moment…

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    Moonlight poured in.

    Suddenly, the previously dark space was filled with bright, white light. The moon, emerging from the clouds, cast its cold, clear light, and Hae Gijun stood calmly under the streaming moonlight. For a moment, it seemed like his eyes reflected the blue glow of the moonlight.

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    Before the flapping curtains had even settled…

    “Eeeek!”

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    The fireballs screamed. As they were hit by the moonlight, their momentum dwindled, and their bodies began to distort. They seemed to be forcibly torn apart, squashed, and crushed. They tried to retreat, chased by the moonlight.

    Unholy light from another world could not exist before the inherent light of this world.

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    Everyone stared blankly at the scene. The fireballs’ reaction was shocking, and Hae Gijun, standing under the moonlight, looked incredibly unfamiliar. It felt like he was a guardian of the space, driving away the fire.

    The moonlight spilling through the drawn curtains was vast. The fireballs frantically fled, and Gijun’s eyes shifted sideways.

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    He saw Park Inhoo not far away. Judging the distance, Gijun quickly threw something in that direction. It was an old lip balm he had found in the control room. The cylindrical plastic lip balm flew towards Park Inhoo and rolled across the floor with a clear sound.

    Some of the retreating fireballs chased after the noise. Park Inhoo, who was near the stairs, was so startled by the unexpected situation that he rolled down the stairs, causing further confusion among the distant students.

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    However, this chaos was short-lived. The fireballs, losing their strength under the moonlight, shrank and eventually disappeared. The flames that had engulfed Park Inhoo also vanished into thin air.

    It was a ridiculously simple solution, but since no one had thought of it, they were left in shock.

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    “…”

    Silence, filled with astonishment and admiration, ensued.

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    The stillness, which seemed like it would continue forever, ended when Baek Sunwoo approached Hae Gijun. Baek Sunwoo examined Gijun’s body with a face full of worry.

    “Are you hurt anywhere? The flames were intense…”

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    “I’m fine.”

    Gijun replied calmly. Although the flames created a maze, it was more annoying than difficult. In the end, it seemed like he was completely engulfed in flames, but his arms were unscathed, indicating he had dodged them successfully. He had run close to the fire, but there were no burns.

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    While checking his body discreetly so as not to worry Baek Sunwoo, Ahn Youngah, Lee Donghun, and Shim Dokyung approached. They had all seen Hae Gijun in action from their positions and each expressed their astonishment.

    “Are you really okay, Hae Gijun?”

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    “That was incredible, Gijun.”

    “How did you know they would disappear in the moonlight?”

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    Lee Donghun, in particular, was both amazed and curious, prompting Gijun to glance sideways as he answered.

    “My sister told me.”

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    “Even though you’re a trainee, Baek Sunwoo from H.N didn’t know about the monster…”

    “…She told me a folktale, and I happened to remember it.”

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    There’s a folktale about a fire goblin called ‘Yu Yeob Hwa’. Yu Yeob Hwa (遊獵火) refers to fire used in hunting games, and it is said to gather in a crowd to scare people. It enjoys making loud noises and laughter to instill fear in its targets.

    In the text ‘Yongjae Chonghwa’, it is recorded that when a man shouted loudly, the fire goblins disappeared. However, this doesn’t mean that sound is their weakness. They simply enjoy scaring people and have never been recorded to cause direct harm.

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    Hae Gijun’s explanation was brief. He thought of the tale when he saw the fireballs and acted on the belief that he wouldn’t get hurt.

    “I’ve heard that there are monsters similar to folktales, but…”

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    Ahn Youngah sighed. Even if she knew such folktales, she wouldn’t have acted so decisively without certainty. She still couldn’t understand how Hae Gijun moved without hesitation.

    Despite this explanation, Lee Donghun’s questions persisted.

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    “Even so, how did you know moonlight would be the key? Is there a theory that goblins are weak to moonlight?”

    “Well, they don’t appear when it’s bright…”

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    Shim Dokyung’s tentative response made Lee Donghun sigh. It was a plausible hypothesis. How Gijun managed to lead them to the window exactly when the moonlight broke through the clouds remained a mystery…

    Baek Sunwoo, listening, gazed outside with a peculiar look. By then, the moonlight had once again been obscured by clouds.

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    Regardless, the lack of further questions allowed Gijun to breathe a quiet sigh of relief. His knowledge of the monster’s weakness was entirely coincidental.

    He had often been chased by this monster on the first night, and while it didn’t directly harm him, it left people completely exhausted. If they were worn out, they couldn’t defend themselves properly when facing beast-type monsters later.

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    So he always chose to run away quickly. Once, a student had tripped on the stairs and partially pulled aside the curtain. The fireball chasing them disappeared in the moonlight, and Gijun noted the time.

    Since then, he repeatedly checked and remembered when the moonlight would fall. If he had missed this window, the next one wouldn’t have come for another 30 minutes. This was his first time executing the plan, and he was relieved it worked smoothly.

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    However, Gijun had little time to feel relieved before other students approached. They all looked exhausted from being chased by the fireballs for so long.

    “Thanks for the help, Hae Gijun.”

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    Student council president Nam Hyeongwook led the group in thanking him. Several students expressed their gratitude. Some members of the student council regretted not thinking of drawing the curtains themselves if they had stayed calm, but Gijun didn’t pay much attention to those words.

    Gijun’s gaze was not on Nam Hyeongwook but behind him. Park Inhoo, not injured by the fireball but hurt from the fall, was being treated by another teacher. Gijun sarcastically checked the headcount before asking,

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    “Where’s Kim Joowan?”

    “Oh? Now that you mention it, our class president…”

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    Ahn Youngah looked around in surprise. No matter how much they looked, they couldn’t find Class 2’s president, Kim Joowan. He had been with the group until a few hours ago. Gijun wanted to ask him why he had ignored his warning and to discuss the key to Room 304, which he had.

    However, since Kim Joowan was nowhere to be seen, a hypothesis naturally came to mind. As Gijun’s eyes quietly darkened, Nam Hyeongwook hastily explained the situation.

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    “We got separated while running away in a hurry.”

    “Yeah, when the fireballs suddenly appeared, everyone just ran in a panic…”

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    The vice president hastily explained as well. However, there was a hint of awkwardness in his voice.

    Gijun’s gaze quietly swept around. The other students were glancing at the president and vice president, looking uneasy. It was as if they were hiding the truth. From this, Gijun could easily predict what had likely happened, especially knowing the monster’s behavior.

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    When the storage room door opened and the fireballs burst out, the crowd in the hallway likely split into two groups. But the ten or so fireballs didn’t move separately; they chased the smaller group first to corner and scare them.

    So, the fireballs must have first attacked where the class president fell, and only after he fainted did they chase the student council. In other words, the student council saw the fireballs attacking a few students and chose to run in the opposite direction instead of helping them.

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    Given that the student council leads many students, it might have been a rational decision to protect the majority rather than a few. While this is a logical choice…

    Gijun’s obvious gaze made Nam Hyeongwook clear his throat.

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    “Anyway, we met the teachers a little while ago, and those bastards had locked them up in the storage room.”

    “The teachers scattered to look for the students and then met up with us, so we’re moving together now… but even the teachers don’t fully understand the situation…”

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    The vice president’s glances at the teachers were filled with anxiety. They had hoped finding the teachers would solve everything, but it hadn’t, leaving them feeling lost and frustrated. Shim Dokyung trembled as he voiced his worry.

    “If the teachers don’t know, what do we do…?”

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    “We found all the exit doors closed so far, but we’re planning to keep searching. How about moving together now? It seems too dangerous to be separate.”

    “At least with the teachers, we’d feel more secure…”

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    With Nam Hyeongwook’s suggestion, other students added their voices and alternated glances between Gijun and Baek Sunwoo. Noticing Shim Dokyung’s ability, they warmly greeted him too.

    However, Gijun naturally shook his head.

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    “No.”

    “What? You saw what just happened. We might have been chased by monsters this time, but next time it could be you.”

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    Despite having encountered the monster, Gijun didn’t bring it up. At his lukewarm response, Nam Hyeongwook gave a frustrated look before whispering,

    “Hey. It could be more dangerous to stay separated. There’s even talk that Class 2’s teacher might be behind this…”

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    “What? Our teacher?”

    Ahn Youngah exclaimed in shock, and the vice president nodded.

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    “Right before we arrived at the training center, Class 2’s teacher left suddenly. They said he had to leave at the last rest stop because of an emergency. Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

    The student council’s theory caused a brief commotion. Ahn Youngah, especially shocked, muttered, “Our teacher would never…” with teary eyes.

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    Gijun silently scoffed. Talking more here wouldn’t lead to anything good.

    “We’ll manage on our own, so let’s move separately.”

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    “…What? Are you serious?”

    “Yeah. My opinion that more people would attract monsters hasn’t changed.”

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    Nam Hyeongwook’s eyebrow shot up at his firm attitude. He frowned, seemingly displeased that his repeated offers had been rejected, and then let out a dry laugh.

    “Oh. So you’re just putting the risk on us and moving comfortably yourselves?”

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    “It’s not me shifting the risk; it’s your choice.”

    “Do you think we want to run into monsters? We’re suggesting moving together to find and protect scattered students.”

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    “So, if we run into danger, you’ll use us like you did Kim Joo-wan?”

    The atmosphere suddenly turned hostile, and the students around them were startled. Nam Hyeongwook’s mocking demeanor was quite intimidating, worrying everyone, but Hae Gijun’s expression didn’t change as he stared at him. Instead, Nam Hyeongwook retorted furiously.

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    “We didn’t abandon him on purpose; we have to protect the others too…!”

    But even as he spoke, Gijun’s expression remained indifferent, his eyes conveying that he had predicted every reason Nam Hyeongwook could give. Finally, Nam Hyeongwook’s patience wore thin.

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    “Hey. Don’t you think you’re being selfish?”

    “Selfish?”

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    “Yeah. Baek Sunwoo is the strongest, and you’re keeping him close. While you analyze the situation, saying fewer people attract fewer monsters, all that confidence comes from having Baek Sunwoo handle everything, doesn’t it?”

    “…”

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    Nam Hyeongwook sneered, feeling more confident as Hae Gijun fell silent, seemingly hitting a nerve.

    “Everyone is in danger, and you’re finding a way to live comfortably, huh?”

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    “Hey, Hyeongwook. Calm down. You don’t know this, but actually, Hae Gijun-.”

    “Lee Donghun, stay out of it. You’re hanging around with him, so you don’t have a say either. We all saw how we were chased by the monsters just now. We could have died.”

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    Nam Hyeongwook pushed Lee Donghun aside as he stepped between him and Hae Gijun.

    “Given how serious things are, shouldn’t Baek Sunwoo, being part of H.N, move with all of us? High-class Espers are supposed to prioritize civilians’ safety during monster battles-.”

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    “What do you actually want to do by moving together?”

    “…What?”

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    “Is being protected all you want?”

    Interrupting, Hae Gijun asked in a dry tone, showing no trace of surprise or intimidation despite Nam Hyeongwook’s harsh words. To Gijun, Nam Hyeongwook wasn’t intimidating; he knew exactly what kind of person he was.

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    Gijun looked at him, as if asking him to get to the point. His gaze was piercing, and without his glasses, his eyes had an unusual intensity.

    Nam Hyeongwook was momentarily taken aback, but then cleared his throat and replied.

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    “Of course, we’ll find a way out together. There are monsters outside, too. If those bastards have blocked all escape routes, shouldn’t we consider other options?”

    “…”

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    “Let’s think about why this is happening. In the auditorium, those weirdos suddenly started shouting about finding a student indicated by the prophecy, leading to an awakening, and so on. And among us, in the entire history of Shinhe High, only Baek Sunwoo has awakened.”

    “Wait, are you saying…?”

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    Ahn Youngah looked at him with a horrified expression, as if she’d figured something out but hoped it wasn’t true. Nam Hyeongwook responded as if it was obvious.

    “It could all be happening because of Baek Sunwoo. He has an incredibly high SPI, enough to be scouted directly by H.N. Honestly, the only person at Shinhe High who fits the description of the ‘child indicated by the prophecy’ is Baek Sunwoo.”

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    Lee Donghun urgently called out Nam Hyeongwook’s name to stop him, but the students behind him remained silent. Their reaction made it clear.

    They had already accepted the idea that Baek Sunwoo might be the prophesied one and therefore the cause of this situation. They probably even thought he should take responsibility, likely influenced by the student council.

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    At first, they might not have believed Nam Hyeongwook’s claims, but as the night deepened, the training center became even more terrifying. The monsters they encountered at night were fiercer than those by day, making them desperate to escape.

    “So, it might be better if Baek Sunwoo voluntarily approaches those people…”

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    “Haha. You never change, do you?”

    In the growing tension, Hae Gijun suddenly laughed. He laughed so genuinely, bowing his head, that Lee Donghun and Ahn Youngah looked at him in confusion. Just as they began to think Hae Gijun had truly lost it, he lifted his head slightly and spoke.

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    “If those bastards were targeting Baek Sunwoo, they would have gone after him from the start. If he’s as great as you say, already well-known for being scouted by H.N, why would they complicate things by involving the entire school? Use your brain and think.”

    “…What? The danger to other students could trigger his awakening.”

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    “Awakening. Sure, but Baek Sunwoo has already awakened, so he’s obviously not the target of the current prophecy.”

    “He could awaken again.”

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    “Stop spouting nonsense. There’s never been a case of someone awakening twice. If the probability of an awakening is 0.01%, a second awakening is entirely 0%. And you want to sacrifice him?”

    Nam Hyeongwook’s face turned red with anger. His lips trembled, and he clenched his fists, making the surrounding students flinch and step back.

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    Nam Hyeongwook’s ability was physical enhancement, and if he strengthened his fists, he could shatter a watermelon in an instant. Even if the effect was short-lived, it was highly destructive. Realizing the tense situation, the vice president intervened.

    “Gijun, we didn’t mean sacrifice. What we meant was…”

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    “So you want him to sacrifice himself for you? Honestly, you know there’s no chance of Baek Sunwoo awakening again. Telling him to go to those people is just stalling for time while you find a way to escape, isn’t it?”

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