New Normal II

"How is school, Rachel?" I ask her.

It is Monday today, and already past 7 o'clock in the evening. We can do this orientation as long as I like, and not bother with curfew with the AI System on my command. I'd like to finish up early though. I am tired. Catering to Hajin's paranoia and machine gun of questions has been taxing. I am not regretful of bringing Evandel to this side though.

"But you were there… Hyung-ssi?" Rachel answers with confusion on her face.

Of course, I am there. I really cannot sully my good attendance. "No, Rachel, I am just asking this to drive the point of the matter to Jonghak. You see, Mr. Shin Jonghak. You have been absent for a day, and if it continues for let's say another 48 hours, you will be deemed missing causing your clan a panic. I don't really care though."

"Are you… threatening me?" Jonghak squints his eyes further, threatening to close them entirely.

"Absolutely not! You are now part of us whether you like it or not. Unlike Rachel, however, you do not have our trust yet… That means until I give the green light, then you will be staying 'missing' to the world." I try explaining it to him as a matter of fact.

It sinks into Jonghak as to what his actual position is. "You called me a maggot, aren't you? Then you are a worm," he tells me with his petty attitude. I recall calling him 'maggot' seconds ago, while he understands his situation, he doesn't understand mine.

"I am the person who is going to orient you, so pay some respects, dude…" I am miffed, but this guy really just pisses me off. He is lucky I have a work ethic. I am not really one to bother with hierarchy, but there is just a piece of me that wants to let loose.

"You? Do you think of yourself as superior to me?" He asks sarcastically while laughing.

That hurts my ego. But then again, I am a very patient man. It is right for him to look down on me, as a couple of weeks ago, he personally sent me fleeing in fear for my dear life. Yes, I am ambushed, but that doesn't change the fact I choose to flee with my tail between my legs.

I am honestly scared to death that day considering the injuries I sustained from the ambush.

But since gaining Cube, my strength is beginning to rise into an exponential curve allowing me to use my Gift on applications I never thought possible with my past Intelligence Stat and lack thereof Cube AI's assistance.

"I guess… I cannot really start this orientation without beating the shit out of you…" I snidely remark, too aware of Jonghak's hideous inferiority complex.

Shin Jonghak finds it unexpected to see none other than Hyon Hyung. He is alarmed to learn that a day has actually passed for him though. He remembers waking up a few minutes ago, thinking that it has only been hours since then.

"Hyon Hyung…" There is a reason why he remembers the dual-wielding dagger rogue's name. It is because of what has happened in the Mock Dungeon that he is almost certain Hyon Hyung has been the villain all along. "How is Yeonha?"

In the cylindrical training area, metal covers all sides, and Hyon Hyung and Shin Jonghak face each other. Rachel stands far away on an elevated terrace where she can watch over them.

Hyon Hyung shortly replies to Jonghak's question. "Yeonha is fine. We saved her. But she is far from complete safety yet. We will need your power to completely save her. Don't ask me why and how, because I won't tell."

This is the one part Jonghak hates about this organization, their secrecy bordering on paranoia. That is how he sees it. "Then… What about… Jin… Sechan?" He adds inquiringly, barely mouthing off the person's name as Yeonha's butler leaves too little impression for him.

"He died miserably. Poor guy. Got played by a Djinn so badly that he became a Djinn himself, unaware! That is how it went according to Yeonha. Cannot blame him though. We are, after all, mortals in the end and vulnerable to these things." Hyon Hyung answers, sympathy showing in his eyes.

Jonghak doesn't feel an iota of pity or regret for Jin Sechan. "It is better he died. Someone useless like that is better off dead." He believes this utterly, as a crazed Djinn is nothing but a burden and liability.

"Easy for you to say…" Hyon Hyung comments, with meaning in his eyes.

Many thoughts are running through Jonghak's head. How is Yeonha right now? Is she being held captive the same way he is? How does Jonghak gain this organization's trust?

It is clear now that Kim Hajin and Hyon Hyung must share connections if Jonghak factors in what the Hero Association has suffered in trying to use Hyung as a scapegoat. Jonghak removes the disturbing thoughts from his head to psyche himself up for battle.

There is one thing he believes he is superior to anyone else, and that is his fighting sense. To gain this organization's trust, he knows of one certain way to do it without putting himself under— that is to take it for himself.

Inside, he might be anxious, but if he grinds at it time and time again, he should be able to reach it, a realm where he can stand next to Nayun. "Only Nayun is above me." He tells himself this repeatedly like a mantra. Kim Suho is just another stepping stone for him.

Jonghak's like and love have warped into a bundle of possessiveness that suffers a unique case of the self-inferiority complex. While he and the others don't know it, his actions carry him forward with certainty.

He flexes his spear, confidence rising from within. "I will put you in your place."

***

"Oooh… scary~!" I teasingly raise my training daggers [Under Cube] is providing into a cross as if I am exorcising a vampire. "Can you please let me make my first move?"

Jonghak dashes at me with familiar incredible speed, while stretching his spear forward. He ignores my request to make the first move, treating this fight with serious intent. The speed he is showcasing to me now is a tad faster than when I confronted him in the Mock Dungeon.

He is a genius. That much is true and certain. From what Hajin tells me, Jonghak has developed a new technique to leave afterimages using different principles from mine. I bet he picked that up from me.

I shamelessly activate <Misdirection >, my favorite application of [Always Here] that messes up with others' accuracy and never fails to amaze me. I only need to tilt a little, and dodging Jonghak's attacks cannot be easier.

Moreover, my dodging has become more fluid since my last confrontation with Jonghak, all thanks to my <AI System> reading the trajectories in advance. "Come on, I know you can do better!"

This sends Jonghak into a fit as he swings his spear wide, aiming to strike me like a baseball. I meet his attack in earnest, using <Phantom Touch> which muddles the presence of my attacks. I strike Jonghak in his throat with my knuckles, not even bothering to use the training daggers.

My attack sends Jonghak reeling back, his spear barely missing me as I lazily stand there, letting the spear generate a small breeze on my forehead. "Oh my, barely a miss!" I don't take joy in humiliating my opponents, but it is a part of my fighting style to be annoying, making a quip or two while at it.

"Go, Jonghak, go! You can do it!" I cheer him on, which only serves to annoy him more.

Jonghak attacks me more senselessly but more violently. I dodge them all effortlessly, as an angry opponent is too easy to read for my <AI System>, and my Gift is really nothing to be straightforwardly overcome with brute force.

My Gift is only Grade 6, but the feats I can do go beyond that. I can only attribute it to my rising invariable stat, my intelligence, which contributes so much to my leap in strength.

Raising the invariable stats is a boon I wish to share with others. These invariable stats are too overpowered for us not to exploit them. While my thoughts run on the aspect of the collective rise in strength, Jonghak regains his calm.

He attacks me with more refined strikes, trying to find a gap in my defense. "If I cannot reach you, then I will just strike everywhere." He raves, with magic power wildly circulating from his body to his spear.

I remember the wide trench his spear can cause if such magic power is unleashed. "Cube, can this training ground withstand Jonghak's attack?"

[Affirmative. Only Abilities beyond Grade 2 can leave a scratch on this training ground.]

It is nice to know that. I decide to let Jonghak loose. "Can you please protect Rachel?" I ask Cube.

[Affirmative.]

Shin Jonghak, with all his might, throws his spear of pure wild magic power at me. I wait for it patiently. Barely before it connects, I cast [Not Here] on myself, thus entering invisibility mode. I jump upward, dodging the spear of destructive power.

I have prior experience dealing with it, so I can dodge it more perfectly now.

Jonghak doesn't disappoint, as his spear throw this time seems to be different. Instead of continuing in a straight line, the spear halts its momentum as it hits the solid metal floor. After its tip connects with the metal floor and makes its impact, a powerful surge of magic power explodes from it in a radial direction.

That would have been a killer move if not for the wave being so weak. I feel the magic power washing over me, not even able to dispel my invisibility. I land lightly on the ground, already disabling my [Not Here].

I see Shin Jonghak on one knee, breathing haggardly and taking in the oxygen around him with hunger. He is literally steaming from his body, and I reckon he must be suffering from magic power lag. I sense anger from his gaze, but I am mildly aware it is not directed at me.

The proud Jonghak is angry at himself, and I am sure the cause of this is his inferiority complex.

My understanding of emotions has been on the level of psychic power. I like to think that way, but I need to experiment with <Empathetic Imitation> more.

I am uncertain about the cause of my increased sensitivity to detecting the emotional fluctuations of others. In an extreme case, this particular application of Gift might have mutated into something else entirely from meeting Evandel.

I don't know any motivational words to tell Jonghak, so I can only be frank and honest. "You are not Chae Nayun. Please don't do something like that again. You don't have the [Sea of Magic Power]. And if you tried that stunt in an actual scenario, you might not only put yourself in danger but also the others! Please think these words over, Jonghak. For now, let's delay the orientation."

I show Rachel, who has been watching from the terrace, an apologetic face, and also tell her that we are delaying the orientation. I leave Jonghak by himself on the training grounds. He should be able to return to his resting place with his own strength.

I really don't like Shin Jonghak, but I like his pride, which has been his identity and some kind of dogma in the novel. I send Kim Suho a message, hoping that he talks to Jonghak. The least I can do for Jonghak now is to give him space to talk with others.