20: Decisions

"Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens."

— Carl Jung

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"Uhh."

Chae Nayun let out a long sigh as she collapsed onto the ground, once again taken down by Oreki.

"Yeah, I think that's enough for today." Oreki said, wiping the sweat from his forehead after thirty minutes of intense training with her.

Initially, he had only planned for her to use the sword a few times, but Nayun insisted on continuing, repeatedly asking to spar more.

A small smile of triumph appeared on Oreki's lips. "Funny, you got pretty excited for someone who didn't want to touch a sword."

"Tsh, shut up." She muttered, slightly exhausted. She wasn't used to moving for so long while swinging a sword, which led to a greater expenditure of energy.

Lying on the ground, Nayun stretched her body with a heavy sigh, trying to relax.

Oreki took advantage of the moment to catch his breath. Defending, dodging, attacking, and simultaneously analyzing Nayun's technique had worn him out both physically and mentally.

"When he shows up, you're going to pass out," Blood's cold voice echoed in his mind.

"I know, but it'll be worth it." Oreki replied mentally, watching Nayun lie on the ground, before deciding to call out the hidden spectators.

"Don't forget to let me take over for a while."

CLAP

The sound of clapping echoed through the room, causing Chae Nayun to jump, clearly startled. "Hey! Why did you do that?!"

"Sorry." Oreki showed a small, fake smile. "Just calling out our spectators. Spying on others is rude, you know?"

A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed until the door to the training room opened fully.

Two familiar faces appeared on the other side.

"Sorry, Oreki." Kim Suho, tall with blue hair, was the first to speak, genuinely apologetic. "We heard some cadets talking about you two being here, so we came to check it out."

Kim Suho calmly entered the spacious training room. Right behind him, with a confident and silent posture, followed Shin Jonghak.

"Why are you guys here?" Nayun asked, still confused.

"Suho just explained it." Oreki said, almost as if calling her an idiot.

Annoyed, Chae Nayun didn't waste any time and quickly swept Oreki's legs, knocking him onto his back.

"Why did you do that?" He asked, laughing, clearly amused by the situation.

"A little payback for knocking me down." She replied, standing up with a victorious smile.

While the two exchanged playful banter, Kim Suho watched with an amused smile, while Shin Jonghak frowned, visibly uncomfortable with their interaction.

"Alright, that's enough." Jonghak grumbled, grabbing Oreki by the arm and pushing him roughly toward Kim Suho. "Suho wants to talk to you, half-assed sniper."

Oreki let out a laugh and, straightening up, walked away with Kim Suho, leaving Jonghak and Nayun alone.

With a satisfied smile, Jonghak turned to Chae Nayun. "So, Nayun, what made you want to use a sword out of nowhere?"

Oreki and Suho walked away to give the two some privacy. After a few steps, Oreki broke the silence.

"So? This is about the cadet's disappearance, right?"

Kim Suho raised an eyebrow, surprised by his precise deduction. "You've got good perception. I wanted to hear your thoughts on what might have happened."

Oreki pretended to think for a moment before answering. "The most likely scenario is abduction. Maybe an instructor, but more likely a cadet who turned into a Djinn."

He preferred to keep his full answers to himself, avoiding interfering with his own plan, waiting for the situation to unfold until the search party was formed.

Kim Suho nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense... but why would they do it?"

"Who knows. Too many variables to deduce anything for sure." Oreki shrugged, swinging his arms indifferently.

Oreki and Kim Suho continued walking through the training space, moving away from the voices of Nayun and Jonghak, who were arguing in the background. The atmosphere between the two was lighter, but there was a certain tension in the air. Suho glanced sideways at Oreki, reflecting on the last fight he had witnessed between him and Nayun.

"Have you thought about what I said before, about us training together?" Suho asked, his voice carrying a slight hint of expectation.

Oreki paused for a second, pondering. "Why don't we do it right now?" He smiled, already anticipating what was to come.

"Didn't you just finish training with Nayun?" Suho asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Oreki responded, his tone carefree. "But... just training wouldn't be that interesting. How about we make a bet?"

Suho was intrigued. "A bet, huh? What do you suggest?"

Oreki smiled, holding the two training daggers he carried. "If I win, I get to ask you a personal question."

Suho crossed his arms, pondering for a moment. "And if I win?"

"I'll tell you something useful. Several things, actually." Oreki leaned slightly forward, teasing with his suggestion.

"That seems a little unbalanced," Suho commented, with a slight smile, intrigued by the offer and curious to see where Oreki was going with this.

Oreki chuckled, almost as if he was enjoying the situation. "What a delicate way of saying you're going to win either way."

"That's not it." Suho shook his head, an amused smile on his face. "I'm just saying you'll ask me one question, while you're promising to tell me multiple things."

"It's all good," Oreki responded, adjusting the daggers in his hands. "I just want to clear up some doubts or maybe ask you to teach me something. Is that better?"

"Yeah, now it seems fair." Suho finally agreed, walking over to the weapons rack and grabbing a training sword.

The energy between the two shifted immediately as they prepared for the confrontation. Suho with his sword, standing firm and analyzing Oreki. Oreki, on the other hand, held his daggers, his body relaxed but ready to strike.

From a distance, Chae Nayun watched, frowning. "Oreki, are you crazy? You're going to die!" Her voice laced with clear amusement.

"I should be punished if I don't record this." Shin Jonghak activated the recording device, his arrogant smile fixed on his face as the spectacle unfolded.

The two fighters took their positions, eyes locked on each other. The silence was palpable. The moment of anticipation before the storm.

Oreki took a deep breath. "25%. I'll try to make this last a minute. In thirty seconds, you take control," he whispered to Blood.

"Tsk, as if I have any other choice," Blood replied, eager.

Suho was the first to move, vanishing from Oreki's sight in a blur of pure speed. He slashed through the air with his sword, the blade heading straight for Oreki with crushing force. The diagonal strike tore through the space between them in a flash.

Oreki barely had time to react. His dagger rose to block, but the impact was unexpected. The shock reverberated through his arms, Suho's strength making the dagger fly out of his hand as if it were a discarded toy.

"What the—?" Oreki gritted his teeth, his mind racing. In a fluid motion, he ducked, narrowly escaping the second attack. Taking advantage of the opening, he leaped into the air, aiming a knee at Suho's chin.

Suho, however, moved with grace. He sidestepped the blow, almost casually. But what he didn't expect was Oreki's hand grabbing his head mid-recoil.

Bam!

The kick to Suho's chest was direct but weak. Even so, Oreki used the impact to propel himself backward, creating some distance. In mid-air, he hurled his remaining dagger at Suho.

Clang!

Suho's sword intercepted the dagger effortlessly, the metal echoing in the air. "Predictable," he commented, with a slight hint of disappointment.

Upon landing, Oreki formed a finger gun with his hand, a blue mana glow beginning to concentrate at the tip. "Reigan!" The mana shot was fired at an impressive speed, aimed straight for Suho's solar plexus.

Suho hadn't expected this attack. Surprised, he sliced through the mana beam with his sword, the gift imbued in the blade dispersing the energy. But the residual light from the impact momentarily blinded his vision.

This was Oreki's moment.

He charged in with everything he had, his legs propelling him like a predator going in for the kill. His body, reinforced with mana, was stronger thanks to his breath technique and continuous use of his CC. The punch he threw at Suho's face was meant to be devastating, powerful enough to injure most cadets.

But Suho, even with his vision impaired, sensed the danger. He leaned to the side, dodging by mere millimeters. In response, he countered with a powerful kick to Oreki's abdomen.

Thud!

The kick sank into Oreki's body, sending him flying backward violently. The impact was brutal, but mid-flight, Oreki adjusted his posture, landing on the ground in a perfect roll, as if nothing had happened.

"That hurt," he muttered, a sadistic smile curving his lips as he wiped the spit from his mouth. With a gesture of his hand, his daggers flew back to him, pulled by a force invisible to the others.

The three watching from the booth were intrigued and confused by what had just happened. They couldn't sense any mana being used to retrieve the daggers.

They also noticed a difference in Oreki's demeanor. He seemed more aggressive and hungry for battle.

Suho's eyes narrowed, noticing the shift in Oreki's stance.

"Sorry—" Suho began to speak, but Blood didn't allow it. In a blur of speed, he rushed at Suho, his daggers cutting through the air in erratic but intense patterns.

But Suho was unbeatable. Every attack was blocked with precision, every attempt to destabilize him thwarted by his experience and control. Suho counterattacked with precise strikes, fluid like water, each one stronger and faster than the last. He wasn't just defending—he was showing the overwhelming difference between them.

After nearly two minutes of frantic combat, Oreki began to falter. His lungs burned, his body felt heavy. Blood, too, felt the physical exhaustion, his aggression becoming more desperate.

As skilled as Oreki and Blood were, they could feel the difference. Suho was better than them in every way. Speed, strength, endurance, experience.

Absolutely everything.

It was at this moment that Suho saw an opening. In a masterful strike, he disarmed Oreki with precision, the daggers falling to the ground with a cold metallic sound.

Oreki, panting, raised his hands in defeat, a tired smile on his face.

"You fought well," Suho said, clearly showing no sign of even slight difficulty in his breathing or fatigue. Oreki's defeat had been visible long before it ended.

Oreki smiled, even though exhausted. "Looks like you won... I was hoping to at least make you sweat."

"Hahahah."

"Hehehe."

Two sincere laughs echoed in the room. Jonghak was replaying and showing Chae Nayun the moment Oreki got kicked by Suho.

Oreki's face was completely distorted as he spat out saliva, his eyes wide in an almost inhuman way.

Suho and Oreki glanced at them curiously, not knowing why they were laughing so much.

"So," Suho began. "What are you going to tell me?" Even though it wasn't much like his personality to rush others, he was quite curious about what his friend might share.

Oreki looked deeply into his eyes, then glanced sideways at the two people still laughing. "I can't tell you here. Sorry."

"Is it that important?"

"Yes. Just know that what I'm going to say will sound completely strange, and you might think I'm lying... or going crazy."

Suho sighed in disappointment but held back his curiosity until the moment Oreki could speak. "I'll trust you."

Oreki gave a small grateful smile. "Thanks."

He looked again at the duo, who were starting to calm down from laughing. "It's strange to see you hanging out with Shin Jonghak like this."

"I think it's a little strange too, but it seems like we've gotten a bit closer."

"...That sounded weird."

Jonghak looked at Oreki with a mischievous smile. "It's my turn to beat you."

Kim Suho tried to prevent Jonghak from 'training' with Oreki, already knowing full well how Jonghak's fighting style was. "Let him rest a bit, Jonghak. He must be tired from fighting so much. Right, Oreki?"

"Come at me." Oreki, who switched with Blood right at the end of the sentence, didn't even think about refusing and was already running towards Jonghak, prepared for his fiftieth training match.

---

[This is a message for all cadets. Has anyone seen Seungyeon from World class? I haven't been able to contact her since yesterday.]

At five in the morning, this message arrived on all cadets' smartwatches.

As the message arrived, our protagonist was just a few pages away from finishing another book from the collection he had picked up at the library. "The time is coming..." he murmured. "The preparations have been made. All that's left is today's dungeon test and the meeting." He thought, feeling a strange excitement stirring in his heart.

"I'd be happier if your Stockholm syndrome wasn't being used," Blood said, amused and eager to mock Oreki's emotions.

Oreki closed the book, his face twisted in a look of disgust. "This syndrome is an insult to my existence! I would only want to be kidnapped if it were by a beautiful woman, but it seems that's asking too much." He gave a bitter laugh, knowing that reality will never be as he wants it to be.

"Like who?"

"...That's not the point. Right? Stay in the corner of my mind and be quiet."

"If you keep using your Corporeality to suppress excitement for so long, at some point you're going to lose control, kid."

"It doesn't matter, I'm not feeling anything at the moment. Besides, I need energy to keep up with the others. So, there's nothing better than using the sexual energy of a teenager in full bloom to maximize the training." Oreki said confidently and without flaws in his reasoning. "The results are showing. Do you really think I could reach this level in such a short time?"

"Sure, I had a little setback when I got distracted by Lilith, but..."

"Enough! You're talking too much, be quiet! I get it already!" Blood shouted, causing a slight headache for Oreki. "Get back to reading."

Oreki simply sighed in exhaustion and went to read the fourth book since he had woken up exactly one hour ago.

***

"Today's combat training is a little special."

As Kim Soohyuk said, there were two classes participating in today's combat training. It would be the Judgment of the simulated Dungeon. The entire class was gathered outside a strange cave. The entrance, black like a tunnel, seemed to emanate a sinister energy.

The cave was filled with traps and puppet monsters. Among them, there would be real monsters and lethal traps created by Djinns.

"Today, you will be entering this cave with another class. As a joint training exercise, a team from each class will join together to form a unique team."

Two hundred cadets would be inside this immense artificial dungeon, so one could only imagine its size.

"Now, gather into your usual teams."

Hazuki and Jin Hoseung went to join Yoo Yeonha.

"I'm shaking."

"Me too. Look, I have goosebumps on my arms."

Jin Hoseung and Hazuki moved closer, making noise. Other cadets also found their teams, and 200 cadets quickly formed 50 groups.

At that moment, Oreki, who was a bit further away, watched all the cadets around him closely, especially Sven and another cadet—the partner of Yun Hyuk.

[Jo Yoon-Ah – Is in a worse mood.]

"Finally, you started working. Were you in maintenance?" he thought to himself, complaining to... a message box.

Multiple times when a message about some change in the world could have appeared, it didn't. The proximity of Suho with Jonghak, Lilith and Evelyn, Yun Seung-Ah being close to both, and a few other situations.

"This smells like interference."

"Don't even get me started." Oreki murmured as he walked toward his group, which had even joined with the other class. The groups hadn't changed from the original.

Oreki passed by Suho and said, "Good luck, your group seems quite annoying."

Suho looked at him, confused. "It's not nice to say that without knowing the person."

"Sorry. My bad... but I still think she's annoying." He said while raising his arms in acceptance.

Suho let out a sigh. "How's your arm? You should be resting." He said with a worried voice while looking at Oreki's supposed broken right arm.

"Relax, I'm 100%." He said while moving his arm, which he had worked hard to recover from the fracture that Blood caused during the fight with Jonghak yesterday. "I have excellent recovery abilities."

"Hmm." Suho grumbled quietly and began to touch Oreki's arm. "It really looks like it's healed."

"I hope this doesn't spread to other people." He thought, feeling a slight discomfort at Suho being the second person to touch his body within less than a week. "I said."

They exchanged a few more words, and after that, Oreki said his goodbyes.

"You're late." Yoo Yeonha immediately said.

"Sorry for the few seconds delay." Oreki said without any guilt as he approached his group and looked at the cadets who would participate in the lesson with them.

Jayden, Kim Jingyu, Oh Soojung, and Lee Shaung. They are in this order.

"I think it would be good for us to introduce ourselves again. We are—" Jayden tried to speak, but Oreki cut him off.

"Jayden, Kim Jingyu, Oh Soojung, and Lee Shaung. I know who you are. Nice to meet you." Oreki said with a barely noticeable smile on his lips.

[Jayden – Potential increased from 8 to 8.5. His strength has increased.]

"This guy's luck must be at least 7..."

"I don't think I need to introduce myself."

The false rumors, just like in the original Novel, spread in the same way, with the only exception being that Shin Jonghak didn't get involved. But someone else did.

Yet, despite the rumors being the same, people's reactions were different. They were more intense.

Since he started bothering Yun Hyuk, the rumors began. And, due to his increased charm from making a contract with the demon Lilith, the effects of the rumors spread more, and the cadets began to look at him with more disdain.

Oreki's bad luck was also a significant influence on this.

Not that it mattered much to Oreki himself. Compared to the bullying he had seen, or what they tried to do to him in Brazil and the United States, the 'bullies' at Cube were 'weaker.'

"Yes, there's no need to introduce yourself." Lee Shaung, the tall girl with the shield, said disdainfully as she looked at Oreki.

"I wish I had the story points. I would take such advantage of that," he thought, not even listening to what the girl said, feeling a bit depressed.

Blood shared the same sentiment. "Things would be more fun that way."

Hazuki touched Oreki's shoulder, trying to comfort him, thinking he was sad about what the girl said. They had already talked about those false rumors with each other. Hazuki, being close to Oreki, clearly didn't believe those rumors and wanted to complain, but she did nothing because her friend didn't want to be bothered by it.

The people in the group were chatting, mainly Jayden and Jin Hoseung, who talked a lot. Oreki stood to the side, just watching the other groups. His eyes stopped on Sven.

[Sven – An entity is in his body.]

"That's just what I needed. Now what? Am I going to have to kill someone?" he complained in his mind.

Kim Suho's group was still entering the cave, which gave plenty of time to send a message to Nayun.

Oreki caught Nayun's attention with a gesture, using his CC to make the 'message exchange' easier.

— "Don't treat Sven so rudely, Nayun." Oreki suggested, not saying the words out loud, just using gestures.

Nayun looked back at him, not quite understanding. — "Why should I do that?"

She tried to respond with the same subtlety, but her gestures came out awkwardly.

"If it weren't for my gift, I wouldn't have the slightest idea what she's trying to say," Oreki laughed internally, amused by the situation.

— "I'm just saying... You tend to treat people a bit harshly," he continued, his eyes betraying a hint of amusement.

The exchange continued silently, both communicating through gestures and glances.

— "Who do you think you are to tell me that?" Nayun's response was evident in her expression, despite her awkward attempts to disguise it.

— "I guess just a human," Oreki replied, his lips curling into an almost imperceptible smile.

"Seriously, are you going to say that every time?"

From the corner of his eye, Oreki noticed Yoo Yeonha watching their interaction intently. She raised an eyebrow, the scorn evident in her gaze, irritated mainly because she understood the last gesture.

Oreki looked at her. "What's up?"

"Nothing." She said monotonously.

***

"Team 8, enter."

Kim Soohyuk signaled for Yoo Yeonha's team to take their turn.

The eight of them walked through the cave. The formation was impeccable. Three warriors in front: Jin Hoseung, Jayden, and Oh Soojung, who used her fists. The supporters in the center: Yeonha and Lee Shaung, who wielded a shield. The snipers just behind: Oreki and Kim Jingyu. And a single warrior covering the rear: Hazuki.

A formation that bothered Oreki, especially because Jin Hoseung insisted on being in front.

After a silent walk, they reached a dead end. There were eight paths before them, each darker and more uncertain than the last.

"Which path should we take?" Yoo Yeonha asked, turning her gaze to Oreki.

Jayden asked the same question to his sniper.

"I'm not sure..." Jingyu replied hesitantly. The paths offered no obvious clues. "Maybe... the sixth?"

"Let me try something." Oreki stepped forward, his eyes scanning the tunnels before him. He focused on using his Arcanolement and Keen Perception gifts. This way, he was able to identify much of what was happening at the entrances and discover which path each person he had previously decided to observe entered.

Then something strange happened. A light gust of wind arose from nowhere, blowing Oreki's hair and softly resonating in the sixth tunnel.

"Which to choose…" Oreki murmured to himself, ignoring the slight hint of luck around him. He could feel the natural energies flowing strangely. "They've all been modified in some way..."

Jayden, seeing the little event, mocked: "Show's over?"

Oreki, completely ignoring the 'lucky' signal, pointed to the seventh path, despite everything indicating the sixth. "Let's go down the seventh."

Jayden raised an eyebrow, looking at the sixth tunnel. "Are you sure?" he asked, this time with a slightly more intrigued tone.

Yoo Yeonha narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?" she repeated, assessing Oreki's behavior.

"I am," he replied without hesitation, disregarding the possibility that luck could have anything to do with it. "But it's going to be tough. These paths are aligned with the difficulty of what we'll face. But in return, the points gained will be greater."

"Huh? And how do you—" Jayden began to protest but was interrupted by Yoo Yeonha.

"Just do what he says." She shot a firm look at Jayden before glancing back at Oreki. "He's definitely good at guiding."

Oreki, for a brief moment, looked surprised by the compliment, his eyes wandering as if lost in thought. "Yoo Yeonha praising someone... it's the end of the world," he murmured, half-absorbed.

"…Hey, it's not that big of a deal."

Regardless, the team entered the seventh path.

The way was completely silent, with only a faint strange smell carried by the dry, warm wind from the entrance.