NOVPUBMy destination was in front of the old simulator at the end of the secret passage.
As I entered the secret passage and walked ahead, Cheon Dong-ha spoke up.
“Looks familiar. You must have come here many times.”
“Yes, I know what’s ahead as well.”
“You also know that only humans can pass this point, right? Do the noble families know about it?”
“I haven’t told the noble families.”
Most of the information I had gotten from the former head of the Korean branch had been shared with the noble families, but the process through which I gained that information and the secret passage itself were not revealed.
Since I had shared so much information so far, the tigers had never verified the source of any of it.
I used their trust as an excuse to be careful with my words.
‘If they knew the source of the information, I’d have to explain it. I want to think this through carefully.’
Ahead of us was an attack method devised by Hwang Bo-yun.
It involved attacking the soul of a being with Jinmyeong (True Name), putting them into a sleep-like state.
When exposed to high intellect, the subconscious of the Jin tribe and descendants would shake, and the True Name would react slightly, allowing one to scan the subject and detect the presence of their True Name in their heart.
In fact, the power itself wasn’t that impressive.
Compared to drawing on mental energy, the damage it dealt was minimal, making it somewhat inefficient.
‘The shadowy figure definitely doesn’t know about this. If they did, they would have used this power in confrontations with the noble or dragon tribes in past incidents.’
If the shadowy figure had used this power, my plans would have been severely shaken.
But up to this point, the shadowy figure had never used an attack based on True Names.
“I see. Mental energy, huh...”
I briefly explained to Cheon Dong-ha about the principle behind the power and why I hadn’t shared it with the noble families. His expression became more complicated.
Deciding to take a Jin tribe member as my sibling made it hard not to share this information.
But the creator of the secret passage likely had a reason for keeping this secret from the Jin tribe, so I wasn’t sure whether I should disclose it.
To relieve Cheon Dong-ha of his worries, I said:
“Please keep it a secret from the noble families.”
“Hmm?”
“If this attack method is revealed later and the noble families question it, tell them it was kept a secret at my request.”
“You want me to make up an excuse for you?”
“It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth. I’m actually asking you to do this.”
Cheon Dong-ha gave me a stern look upon hearing my words.
It was the same face he wore whenever he had to deal with Class 0 or Majin Seung.
“Eui-shin, if it comes out that I’ve kept the secret about this passage, I’ll take responsibility. I won’t mention your name.”
“But...”
“I understand why my little sibling is worried about you.”
Cheon Dong-ha spoke firmly and made sure not to bring up the topic again.
While we were walking, I had explained the old simulator in front of the secret passage, but we didn’t mention the responsibility issue again.
“This is a dead end, but where can I meet the person you wanted to introduce?”
“They’re in the boss area of the old simulator.”
“I’ve used this place a few times to solve puzzles while training, but I’ve never found anything in the boss room... You must have figured out the conditions.”
If even Cheon Dong-ha couldn’t find it, the former head of the Korean branch must have hidden the clues thoroughly.
Without the I-mugi's Rise item, there was almost nothing to gain here.
If you enter the boss room without the item, you’d only hear the noisy voice of the branch head.
—A superior student... when the conditions to keep the secret are met... they will be led to a hidden stage...
But if you enter with the item, you’ll meet the old head of the Korean branch AI in almost perfect form.
After successfully entering once, the registration would happen automatically, and later, Seong Si-wan even entered without the item and battled the old Korean branch head.
‘So, if we go together now, Cheon Dong-ha will be able to meet him too.’
I said to Cheon Dong-ha, who looked deep in thought.
“Let’s go to the boss room first.”
It was just the two of us in the party, but there was no issue breaking through to the boss room.
An SSR-level descending tower simulation was no easy feat, but the old simulator had its limitations on the gimmicks it could create, and both Cheon Dong-ha and I had cleared this simulation multiple times already.
As an old player of Flimago, I had a good understanding of Cheon Dong-ha’s abilities.
By supporting him exactly at the right moments according to his attacks and timing, the strategy was completed quickly.
“I don’t think we’ve ever done a party like this! This is amazing.”
As we got closer to the boss room, Cheon Dong-ha said that and praised us.
I was honored to be able to tackle it with Cheon Dong-ha.
Finally, we reached the boundary of the lowest floor, at the door leading to the boss area.
Whooooosh...
[Only humans can pass through this door.]
When I placed my hand on the door, the text appeared with a mechanical sound.
As the door started opening, Cheon Dong-ha spoke.
“You’re really human, Eui-shin.”
“Huh?”
“After watching your actions, I thought maybe, but now I’m sure. Just by passing through this passage, it’s clear that you’re human.”
If I weren’t human, wouldn’t other higher beings or Jin tribe members have said something by now?
Finally, the door opened, and light emerged.
Upon seeing the figure beyond the light, Cheon Dong-ha activated his abilities and scanned the figure’s existence.
“It looks like Seong Guk-eon, the congressman, but it’s different. It’s an AI based on his bloodline.”
At first, Seong Si-wan and ‘that guy’ had mistaken it for Seong Guk-eon, but with his keen eyesight, Cheon Dong-ha immediately recognized the old Korean branch head.
The old Korean branch head, with a strong and striking face, was staring at us, and he still resembled Seong Guk-eon.
The old Korean branch head spoke as he looked at Cheon Dong-ha and me.
[It seems more juniors have arrived here. Welcome.]
Cheon Dong-ha looked at the old Korean branch head with a tense expression.
The student council and student leadership had likely been searching for answers to the secret organization’s puzzles for a long time.
Now that they had suddenly found an answer, it was no wonder they were nervous.
“So, there were other juniors before me?”
[Yes. You are the fourth.]
“So, Eui-shin wasn’t the only one...”
Cheon Dong-ha looked at the old Korean branch head, lost in thought.
I had come here to share information, but the atmosphere felt difficult to interrupt, so I decided to observe for now.
It seemed that the old Korean branch head was waiting, curious to hear what Cheon Dong-ha would say, given his insight.
“I couldn’t find the answer on my own. This might be related to the fate of the Korean Peninsula... If I get the answer, is it alright?”
[Why do you think there is an issue with the fate of the Korean Peninsula under the school building?]
When considering the information shared by the old Korean branch head, it wouldn’t be strange to say that the fate of the Korean Peninsula was involved.
With things like the location of high-rarity frozen alternate worlds, which are undetectable by the PlayerSAT-K, and the existence of the I-mugi, who was devouring the Dragon Palace, there would have been many things that would have been difficult to address without that information.
But how did Cheon Dong-ha come to understand all this just by meeting the old Korean branch head?
It seemed odd to think that such information could be hidden in the secret organization, which had long been treated as a mere ghost story in Eungwang High.
“The secret organization has maintained its line, but with the years passing, its original purpose has been forgotten. But I can somewhat guess its importance.”
[Why?]
“It’s because the secret organization was founded shortly after the dark era ended. If such a facility was secretly built under Eungwang High, there must be a significant reason behind it.”
Cheon Dong-ha logically conveyed his thoughts, based on the little information he had.
Looking directly at the old Korean branch head, Cheon Dong-ha continued.
“Among those who passed away around that time, there is a relative of Congressman Seong Guk-eon. That person was the head of the Player Association’s Korean branch. If you are the person I think you are, you must be here to deliver something important.”
With just that small clue, Cheon Dong-ha had neatly concluded his thoughts and spoken up.
As expected, Cheon Dong-ha didn’t disappoint.
The old Korean branch head seemed to nod in approval.
[Impressive.]
It would have been perfect if it had ended there, but the old Korean branch head added something unnecessary.
[The three people who’ve found me so far all took my test one-on-one. Would you like to try it too?]
I didn’t want Cheon Dong-ha to face that trial!
I didn’t bring him here to make him go through that pain.
Before I could say anything, Cheon Dong-ha nodded firmly and answered.
“Of course. The most important secrets should only be given to those who can handle them.”
Thinking about the old Korean branch head’s abilities made my stomach churn.
Why didn’t I think of this!
Given their personalities, it was no surprise that Cheon Dong-ha would agree to take the test.
‘No, still, experiencing high-level mental attack abilities isn’t bad either. Considering what’s to come...’
The ability to invade one’s mind and show the past, regrets, the future, and fears made me extremely worried about Cheon Dong-ha.
Even Seong Si-wan, who was mentally very strong, struggled with overcoming that power.
But in the end, he couldn’t hold out.
A little while after they disappeared for the trial.
A pale-faced Cheon Dong-ha appeared.
“Are you okay, Cheon Dong-ha-seonbae?”
“...I’m fine.”
Cheon Dong-ha wobbled, and when I tried to support him, he gently declined.
He took a deep breath and stood up alone.
Seeing that, the old Korean branch head spoke.
[You are better than my grandson, but still weak. The more you know, the more you fear.]
“...Is it okay if I try again later?”
[Sure. I’ve saved your bio-information, so the door will open even if you come alone.]
“Thank you.”
Cheon Dong-ha seemed determined to try again until he passed.
It hurt my heart, but I knew well that once Cheon Dong-ha had made up his mind, nothing could stop him, so I refrained from saying anything.
“Eui-shin, you passed the test, right?”
“Yes.”
“How many tries did it take...”
Before I could say anything, the old Korean branch head interrupted.
[Eui-shin passed my test in one go.]
“One go...!”
Cheon Dong-ha’s eyes widened in shock.
I glanced at the old Korean branch head, but it seemed he wasn’t paying attention at all.
I thought, ‘Is this just an AI thing?’
“Not only are you strong in abilities, but your mind is solid too. I will also work harder.”
In the end, I couldn’t properly share the information today.
All I shared was that there was an AI with terrifying mental abilities lurking underground.
I was worried about Cheon Dong-ha, who had been affected by the mental attack, but until we parted ways, Cheon Dong-ha didn’t show any weakness in front of me.
“You’ve become someone who can worry about your junior. I’m not a good older brother to rely on, am I?”
Cheon Dong-ha said playfully, as if trying to reassure me, but that made me worry even more.
And with that, the last holiday ended, and the entrance ceremony arrived.
