434

 [Chapter 125]

[A Chance Arising from Misfortune (4)]

During the <End of Century Destruction>.

A hellish scene unfolded in Daegu Metropolitan City.

In a city surrounded by mountains on all sides, a large-scale mana imbalance occurred, so it was obvious that monsters would occupy it.

Moreover, a phenomenon occurred where people transformed into monsters after being infected by monsters.

People were desperate to escape the city and find a way to survive, but surrounding cities blocked the roads leading to Daegu due to concerns about the spread of infection.

So a hellish scene was inevitable.

And the aftermath of destruction still remained in many places.

"...Are those kids really academy students?"

"They say they're promising talents."

"No, even if they're promising talents, isn't that too much?"

"...I know."

The Banwoldan Clan, known as the old-timers of Daegu Metropolitan City.

They who came out to assist students completing missions around Daegu Metropolitan City at the request of the high academy couldn't hide their sour expressions.

"Well... Are all kids these days like that? When I was young, it was no small struggle to kill even one monster..."

"Those kids are unusual. I heard from another clan earlier, the kids they're in charge of are normal."

"Geez..."

It was not easy for clans based in local areas rather than Seoul to exert influence on the academy.

Thus, most clans based in local areas would either recommend clan entry to students from the region, or subtly work on students when requested to cooperate by the academy like today.

And Banwoldan Clan players asked to form connections with the academy's promising talents as a condition for cooperating.

"...Will those kids show interest in our clan?"

"We won't know unless we try... Though in my opinion it looks like a lost cause..."

However, by now.

The executive players of Banwoldan Clan were deeply regretting.

Even if they were the academy's promising talents, there was no way their skills would be as good as active players.

They would lack experience, and their combat styles wouldn't have been internalized yet.

That shallow thinking and recklessly asking to form parties with the promising talents the academy boasted about was the cause.

"This doesn't make sense..."

"...I know."

The Banwoldan Clan players were now almost at a loss.

There was nothing for them to assist with.

Not only was the students' speed in finding mana imbalances extraordinary, but their resolution of imbalances was impeccable too.

Moreover, even when monsters suddenly appeared, they didn't show signs of panic and immediately subjugated them.

"Was it No Eun-ha... That kid is putting veteran players to shame."

"Hey... look at how that kid moves. There's no break in his movements. How can a student be like that?"

Was it No Eun-ha?

The Banwoldan Clan players soon watched him swinging his sword at monsters coming down from Waryong Mountain.

It was almost like he was possessed.

He disappears in the blink of an eye, then suddenly pops out somewhere else.

Unless you closely watch his movements, he keeps disappearing before your eyes.

A mysterious footwork technique.

Not just a common technique that simply increases movement speed.

Moreover, what about his swordsmanship?

"Wow... there's no waste. How can he swing his sword so fluidly? Even our clan lord can't do that technique..."

"I know... How much training did he do to be able to do that? Wow, did you see that just now? Killing a monster by lifting a sword that fell to the ground with just mana control..."

Monsters appeared from Waryong Mountain.

In a situation where students patrolling other areas joined after hearing the news, No Eun-ha showed the eccentric feat of killing several monsters alone.

Not only that, he controlled a sword dropped by a student during combat to pierce a monster rushing at that student.

Players watching from afar doubted their eyes.

His skill in freely controlling the sword was extraordinarily unusual.

It was a level that couldn't be achieved with just training.

In the end, it was a product of experience, so they couldn't help but be even more flustered.

"...The academy must really put them through the wringer. It's incomparable to my time..."

"They should go easy on the kids... Making them fight like that, someone will die someday."

The players clicked their tongues while inwardly shuddering.

It was terrifying to think of people like No Eun-ha coming out into the world in an industry where meritocracy prevails.

Not only would they feel self-deprecating about their own skills, but they might be overwhelmed by the momentum of these young newcomers.

Their pride would inevitably be hurt.

And that would be the case not just for themselves, but for those kids too.

"Did they say those kids are 31st grade?"

"They say No Eun-ha is 031st grade."

"Even we feel this way... those same grade kids are really unfortunate. Won't they have to be compared to a kid like that for life?"

"I know. Look at how conscious the kids are. How many people wouldn't be intimidated seeing a performance like that? Aren't those kids amazing instead?"

The players who were conversing among themselves soon found the students who formed a party with No Eun-ha.

Though they couldn't compare to No Eun-ha, they were students showing quite decent skills.

Bang─!

On the rooftop of an uninhabited building.

The sniper was sniping monsters in sync with No Eun-ha's movements.

His eye for following No Eun-ha's movements was amazing.

Just then, the sniper beside him flatly denied.

"He's not following with his eyes. Do you think you can confirm rapidly moving objects through a scope?"

"Then what did he just show?"

"He's probably grasping the general movements and making subjective inferences. But how difficult that is too..."

Though not properly refined, it was amazing skill considering his age.

It's in the realm of talent.

The sniper wanted to talk with the male student on the building rooftop as soon as the battle ended.

"Wow, the parkour is art!"

"Is it because she's an Ein? Her movements give a raw feeling, not properly refined... But still amazing."

Just then, the players turned their gaze to a student freely traversing all sorts of terrain without hesitation while battling monsters.

She was an Ein without a tail.

So they belatedly realized she was an Ein.

She sent telepathy.

[I'll handle that one over there!]

Only then did they understand her combat style of unhesitatingly jumping from high-rise buildings to land on nearby terrain.

Yet her parkour was superior to that of Eins born in slums with complex terrain.

Above all, she even showed movements utilizing flexibility.

"That kid over there is pretty good too."

"Really? I feel like crying. She's really trying hard among kids like that."

Finally, a female student steadily facing one monster while holding daggers in both hands.

She displays an orthodox combat style, but executes it flawlessly.

She seemed to have perfectly mastered the combat style for facing monsters.

But unfortunately, her presence wasn't very big compared to No Eun-ha or other party members.

Nevertheless, she was swinging her sword while doing her part.

"The kid is really admirable. If it were me, I would have felt self-deprecating..."

"I know."

Ordinary talent cannot defeat genius.

That's the kind of world and industry it is.

Yet her efforts not to fall behind them were just touching.

"Well done!! Yes! That's how you do it!"

"When swinging your sword, just focus on your opponent! You can afford to look around after getting more used to it!"

The players belonging to clans based in Daegu Metropolitan City, mostly composed of ordinary talents, all cheered for her with one heart.

"...What are those uncles saying?"

Though it didn't seem to resonate with her.

Kim Min-ji burst into a faint smile then focused on fighting the monster again.

☆

They had to struggle last night too.

The fortunate point was that friends were now able to match each other to some extent.

Thanks to that, Eun-ha was able to focus on subjugating monsters with their support.

"I thought we could rest today but what is this..."

They completed the mission while surprising the players of clans active in Daegu Metropolitan City.

Eun-ha and friends were able to spend a comfortable day at YH Hotel near City Hall.

"Ugh, what is this. There's no point in waking up in the morning and showering cleanly! I'm completely dirty..."

"Don't try to wipe it on my clothes while saying that."

"No Eun-ha! Aren't you supposed to accept even someone like me if I say that? I'm hurt!"

"I'm more hurt."

The fourth day since starting the comprehensive evaluation.

Today's schedule only involved departing for Busan Port by bus early in the morning.

So Eun-ha was thinking of finishing his sleep on the bus.

But a problem occurred just before arriving in Busan.

Not only did a group of monsters occupying the highway block the road, but they turned the ground into a mud pit.

"Hah... I suddenly crave soju. I just want to go home. No Eun-ha won't deal with me either."

"...You must like alcohol."

"Why are you like this! I'm someone who can't live without dew? You really don't have any interest in me?"

"That dew was that dew..."

As expected, he has no luck.

Just then Eun-ha lamented his luck while exerting force with other students to pull out the bus stuck in the mud pit.

As a result, the students' bodies were covered in mud.

Ariel who was throwing a tantrum at Eun-ha now was also covered in mud here and there.

Her reddish pink hair was stained dully.

Still, it's fortunate we arrived on time.

We almost had to take a ship coming 4 days later.

Eun-ha who had to endure Ariel's whining every day since starting the comprehensive evaluation decided to ignore her.

Dealing with her made him feel like his energy was draining.

He was curious how On Tae-yang handled Ariel in his previous life.

On the other hand, though covered in mud, he was relieved to arrive at the dock before the ship's departure.

Given the academy's nature, it was obvious they would give missions until the next ship's departure if they missed this one.

"Anyway I wish we could get on the ship and wash quickly..."

"Now that I look, you have sense? Good, good. I like having my hair touched. Don't hold back, come on in."

"You really make people tired, don't you?"

Eun-ha looked up at the ship carrying huge containers while ruffling Ariel's hair.

It was a ship supported by Sirius Shipping, the ship the students would ride.

Looking up at it made him realize they really had to depart for Japan.

"Kids, boarding procedures are done so hurry and get on the ship!"

By now, Shin Seo-young who went to meet Sirius Group officials had returned.

She shouted in a friendly tone while hovering in the air riding the wind.

Additionally, she was covered in mud too.

It was Eun-ha's doing.

He felt resentful that she just watched without doing anything while students pushed the bus from behind, so he did it out of spite.

Seo-young noona is saying something.

Let's just ignore her.

Eun-ha didn't budge when Shin Seo-young immediately changed her face upon making eye contact with him.

She wasn't someone who would say anything just because he played such a prank.

So Eun-ha boldly received Shin Seo-young's sharp gaze while boarding the ship.

Students who boarded the ship first were on deck.

They were students who took the train.

Jung Ha-yang greeted him.

"What's with your appearance? Looks like you had a hard time while I was gone."

"Don't even mention it. This morning on the way here something happened..."

Jung Ha-yang giggling softly seeing Eun-ha covered in mud.

Eun-ha complained as if completely exhausted.

Jung Ha-yang indulgently received Eun-ha's complaints.

She deployed a cleansing magic while waving her hand in the air.

Soon Eun-ha's condition became clean to the point it was visibly different.

It was the same for other friends too.

"How was your group, Ha-yang?"

"Our group? Hmm, there weren't any problems. Riding the train for days was fun in its own way."

"Yeah, must be nice."

"I guess I have good luck. So how about just listening to me from now on?"

"You're still going to Japan with me all the same."

"Tch, but I rode the train."

"Yeah, you're lucky."

Eun-ha burst into laughter.

He chatted casually like that with her whom he met after a long time.

Meanwhile, Kang Si-hyeong who was quietly watching the scene nodded his head.

"─As expected, it was good to take the train."

Mental suffering is one thing.

Looking at friends who boarded the ship, they seem to have suffered much more physically.

So if he's going to suffer, he'd rather choose mental suffering.

Kang Si-hyeong realized.

☆

Academy students are coming to Japan.

Han Seo-hyun heard such news from Han Do-young, chairman of Sirius Group and her father.

"...Is that so?"

But her reaction was indifferent.

Then she shut herself in her room as usual, staying away from people's approach as much as possible.

Because the colors people showed her sometimes made her tired.

「I Miss You」

She traced the words printed on her smartphone case while lying on the bed looking at the ceiling.

It was a case she found by chance at a passing store not long after coming to Tokyo.

She bought it because it happened to fit the specifications of Sirius Device smartphones.

At the time, she had only brought the new model Sirius Device smartphone when studying abroad in Japan.

"..."

The specifications matching.

The words strangely resonating.

It was all coincidence, coincidence.

In fact, she had been unconsciously desperately searching for someone since coming to Japan.

While craving for coincidence.

Han Seo-hyun soon turned her gaze to the bracelet on her wrist holding the smartphone.

It was a plain bracelet with just a blue jewel embedded, without any decorations.

Nevertheless, she always wore the bracelet.

"It's all futile..."

Soon she gave a bitter smile.

It was all futile.

She shouldn't have unnecessary expectations.

Because she knew it wouldn't be realized anyway.

Because she could just become more unhappy.

So she didn't expect anything from a very young age.

What's the point of knowing?

It's useless anyway.

When she heard the news that academy students were coming to Japan.

That was why she reacted indifferently.

Because she didn't want to have unnecessary expectations.

So she didn't send a message asking if he was coming to Japan.

While on the other hand, she was waiting for a message from him.

...Why am I waiting?

When such a thought suddenly occurred to her.

Han Seo-hyun frowned.

She soon decided to erase the wish that unconsciously arose in her mind.

She had no luck anyway.

For her who was under Sirius Group's control, coincidence was a remote thing, and only inevitability existed.

Come to think of it, wasn't meeting him for the first time not a coincidence but an inevitability?

The inevitability that he was the son of her father's subordinate.

So it's impossible for her to meet him here after crossing the distant sea.

That would be a coincidence, not an inevitability.

Such a thing won't happen to me.

I shouldn't expect it.

Yet I expect it.

She tried to shake off her thoughts by calling the attendant waiting outside the room.

[─Yes, young miss.]

"You said father and Ye-jang oppa are coming soon..."

[Yes.]

"I'm thinking of guiding them to Yokohama then. Since Kaguya-nim likes the sea too, it seems suitable as a meeting place..."

[Yes. Then I will prepare a place with a good view.]

"Please do."

[Yes, understood.]

Fulfilling her duty as a direct line.

Han Seo-hyun lay on her side feeling endlessly unlucky.

The case of the smartphone she hung up catches her eye.

Soon she─.

"─I miss you."

He confessed his weaknesses.