NOVPUBDo-ul stared in shock as he realized the presence of Hwang Ji-ho.
Hwang Ji-ho's voice echoed from close by, but this was merely the effect of his energy power, and the physical distance between them was still considerable.
Do-ul clicked his tongue in disbelief at Hwang Ji-ho's arrogance.
Instead of hiding and ambushing, Hwang Ji-ho had boldly revealed himself, something Do-ul thought was very much in line with Hwang Ji-ho's character.
But Maeng Hyo-don's thoughts were different.
'Isn't he doing this intentionally to divert their attention toward him?'
Maeng Hyo-don had already suspected Hwang Ji-ho's true identity from the events of Christmas Eve, understanding a bit about his true nature.
Despite Hwang Ji-ho appearing to be in his twenties, Maeng Hyo-don immediately recognized him as the same classmate, the "crazy one."
Maeng Hyo-don believed there was a reason for Hwang Ji-ho's grand entrance instead of a stealthy ambush.
Hwang Ji-ho was likely making his presence known in order to quickly capture the attention of both Do-ul and Chaos.
After realizing this, Maeng Hyo-don also figured out who had sent Hwang Ji-ho.
'The vice president sent him!'
Both Do-ul and Chaos, still unaware of Maeng Hyo-don’s thoughts, charged toward the two teachers.
However, their movements were swiftly halted by Ham Geun-hyeong, who had already anticipated what they were about to do.
Whoosh!
Numerous arrows shot through the air, blocking Do-ul and Chaos’s path.
The light of Ham Geun-hyeong’s summoned Golden Bow was blinding, and the arrows emanating from it seemed to rain down like beams of light.
Chaos was forced to stop, and Do-ul’s hair couldn’t move a muscle under the overwhelming force.
Do-ul glared at the light arrows, preparing to summon his own energy in response.
His hair began to swell, prepared to cover the entire space in reaction to his power.
“How long do you think you can keep using that power, human?” Do-ul shouted from behind the rain of arrows.
Instead of Ham Geun-hyeong, another voice responded.
“No need to use it for long. Just long enough for me to leave.”
BAM!
A dazzling golden light pierced Do-ul’s vision, and he had to swiftly retreat.
Small barriers, shaped like blades, moved rapidly around him.
Though Do-ul avoided them, his hair, unable to keep up with his movements, was sliced by the barriers.
The severed strands of hair fell through the gaps in the barriers.
“Do you think you can easily take them hostage? You’re foolish for not handling things properly.”
By the time the golden rain of arrows ceased, both Do-ul and Chaos found themselves trapped.
Hwang Ji-ho stood confidently before them.
Chaos trembled, feeling the weight of the situation, while Do-ul was also visibly shaken by Hwang Ji-ho’s oppressive presence.
But rather than responding to Do-ul’s provocation, Hwang Ji-ho calmly spoke.
“You have no idea what you’re up against.”
Do-ul’s frustration mounted, but instead of taking direct action, he kept retreating, weaving his hair back, preparing for a counterattack.
"You’ve had the gall to move on your own. Do you have no trusted subordinates?" Do-ul provoked.
“Do I seem that way? I’m just less lazy than your master,” Hwang Ji-ho replied coolly.
Do-ul’s attempts to provoke him by recalling Hwang Ji-ho’s past laziness only seemed to fuel his anger, but Hwang Ji-ho didn't take the bait.
He waited for a moment when Do-ul would falter, but no weakness appeared.
Instead of faltering, Hwang Ji-ho turned the tables by speaking words that shook Do-ul’s composure.
“The one without features is Chaos, and the one with long hair is Do-ul.”
The moment Hwang Ji-ho correctly identified them, a cold shiver ran through Do-ul’s body.
Revealing one's identity during battle was fatal for the Beast Tribe.
Exposing weaknesses in the middle of a fight could be disastrous.
While some Beast Tribe members like Jecheon Daeseong were known for their strength and took such risks, most would avoid doing so.
‘How did he immediately figure us out?’ Do-ul thought in disbelief. ‘Beast Tribe members with long hair are common, and those with bland faces like Chaos aren't rare either. Did he guess because we’re together? But even so...’
The Beast Tribe was numerous in this world.
The Four Fiends, having mostly kept to their master’s orders, rarely made appearances in the mortal world after the dimensional clash.
There were almost no clues to their true identities.
Even now, during Hwang Ji-ho’s conversation, no words hinted at their true nature.
Judging their identity based on appearance alone was nearly impossible.
The only reason Hwang Ji-ho had figured them out was due to the relentless pursuit of Jo Ui-sin and the clues left by Do-cheol, but Do-ul and Chaos were unaware of this.
“Curious about how I saw through you? Now, what you should be concerned about isn’t that.”
Do-ul paused, thinking carefully.
He was about to retort but hesitated, not wanting to share unnecessary information.
Hwang Ji-ho continued.
“You really want to know why I haven’t killed you immediately and am indulging in this pointless conversation?”
Hwang Ji-ho was buying time.
His overwhelming presence had distracted Do-ul, but now that he had spoken, Do-ul’s mind sharpened.
Do-ul quickly reflected on Hwang Ji-ho’s actions.
‘Aside from when he first appeared and after the rain of arrows from the Heavenly Palace stopped, he hasn’t used much power. Is there a reason he hasn’t used his full strength?’
It was widely known that Hwang Ji-ho could control his clones.
Though Hwang Ji-ho was an extremely powerful figure in the mortal realm, even he had limits.
Unless he was outside, where he could fully use his intellect to manage his clones, it was impossible to maintain full power within the garden.
Do-ul finally came to a conclusion.
‘Could it be that he’s engaging in battle elsewhere, which is why he’s been holding back? Hwang Ji-ho isn’t at his full strength!’
Though Hwang Ji-ho had displayed power when he first arrived, the truth was different.
Hwang Ji-ho was managing the strength of his clones.
Do-ul realized that he had missed an opportunity.
Had he and Chaos used all their power to engage Hwang Ji-ho from the start, they might have been able to wipe out his clones.
BAM!
The golden light that had faded before flared again.
Barriers sprang up in the air, quickly reshaping into more complex traps.
“I told you there was no chance of victory for you,” Hwang Ji-ho stated.
The clones, who had been facing the Floor Masters, vanished after fulfilling their purpose.
Do-cheol, still trying to figure out Hwang Ji-ho’s intentions, had failed to offer any substantial resistance.
Now, with Hwang Ji-ho’s restraint lifted, the game had changed.
Do-ul abandoned any thoughts of holding hostages or resisting, focusing entirely on retreat.
He knew the garden's layout well and had already prepared an escape route.
‘The Master didn’t order me to confront Hwang Ji-ho. I must retreat.’ 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
In a flash, Do-ul moved toward his escape route, confident that he could use his hair to secure a path while Chaos prepared to launch an attack.
Just as he was about to execute his plan, something unexpected happened.
“You thought you could escape so easily. You showed me your escape route for a reason.”
Hwang Ji-ho had blocked the escape route exactly as it was about to open.
Hwang Ji-ho, thinking of those beside his clone, smiled faintly.
Jo Ui-sin had used the energy of Cheon Dong-ha to guide Hwang Ji-ho here.
Using Cheon Dong-ha’s Gwanglim, the Eye of Geon-gon, and his derived skill, Vision Sharing, Jo Ui-sin had revealed the escape path to Hwang Ji-ho.
This allowed him to prepare an intricate barrier from that point onward.
“Knowing the terrain and the direction your enemies will move makes setting a trap easy,” Hwang Ji-ho said, as small barriers he had scattered around quickly reassembled into a near-impenetrable web.
The barriers were more like traps now, trapping Do-ul and Chaos within.
Chaos’s hair collided violently with the barriers, but it was impossible to break through all the layers of the barrier.
“Grrr...!”
Do-ul furiously moved his hair, but the barriers repaired themselves faster than they could be destroyed.
Hwang Ji-ho extended his hand to control the barriers, then turned his gaze toward Maeng Hyo-don and Ham Geun-hyeong, who were waiting, poised to strike at any moment.
“Now, you’re both captured. Are you injured?” he asked Maeng Hyo-don.
Maeng Hyo-don didn’t respond immediately.
He had recognized Hwang Ji-ho as the same crazy classmate from his past, but now he appeared to be in his twenties, and moments ago, he had demonstrated immense power.
It would have been confusing to address him as a classmate, but Maeng Hyo-don didn’t have the luxury to think too deeply.
He simply asked, “Um, I’m fine... Is it okay if I speak informally?”
“Mm, no problem. Just feel comfortable,” Hwang Ji-ho answered, sounding like his teenage self again.
Had Jo Ui-sin been in a better state, Hwang Ji-ho might have smiled lightly in response, but he seemed pleased by Maeng Hyo-don’s demeanor.
Despite knowing his identity, Maeng Hyo-don still treated him like a classmate, and Hwang Ji-ho found that respect endearing.
After observing all this, Ham Geun-hyeong showed a complicated expression, while Maeng Hyo-don appeared satisfied.
However, the peaceful atmosphere didn’t last long.
Rumbling...
Chaos, who had been subdued compared to Do-ul, suddenly trembled, and the entire garden began to shake.
Hwang Ji-ho’s expression darkened.
An anomaly had occurred at the place where Jo Ui-sin and Jeon Mu-young were present.
Using Cheon Dong-ha’s power, Jo Ui-sin had inspected the garden and saw something that made his right eye throb in pain—but it was worth the trouble.
‘Maeng Hyo-don has successfully awakened his derived skill.’
Jo Ui-sin had known this was coming.
The fact that Maeng Hyo-don awakened a derived skill in his senior year of high school was the result of countless real-world battles.
Without a suitable mentor, Maeng Hyo-don had learned through experience.
Jo Ui-sin knew that Maeng Hyo-don’s awakening of his derived skill had come with struggles and injuries, just like before.
‘Here, though, he’s had a good mentor, but there was still something lacking—something only battle experience can teach.’
Maeng Hyo-don’s derived skills allowed him to surpass his natural abilities.
The trick was that if he rationalized and stopped before fully utilizing his power, he wouldn’t be able to use it.
It was best to follow Maeng Hyo-don’s instincts and let his body move in battle.
Ideally, he could awaken his derived skill in a safe environment, but that wasn’t an option.
‘Maeng Hyo-don’s potential... I believed in it, as well as Ham Geun-hyeong’s strength, but it was risky.’
Had Do-cheol truly kidnapped Seong Guk-eon, things could have gotten much worse.
If Seong Guk-eon had been kidnapped, Jo Ui-sin would have traced the energy traces to organize a pursuit team and enter the garden immediately.
The plan was for Jo Ui-sin, along with the pursuit team, to clean up the garden, with contingency plans in place.
In the worst-case scenario, if Kim Shin-rok, disguised as Jeon Mu-young, activated the energy link, they could neutralize the garden.
‘But that plan is slower than Hwang Ji-ho moving with clones. Ham Geun-hyeong or Maeng Hyo-don might be injured.’
Seeing that three of the Four Fiends had been mobilized sent a chill down Jo Ui-sin’s spine.
He was relieved to glance at Hwang Ji-ho, even though he couldn’t immediately check the current situation due to the difficulty of continuing Cheon Dong-ha’s ability.
Hwang Ji-ho nodded, signaling that the situation was under control.
Just then, Do-cheol’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the brazier.
The brazier was now pulsating with ominous energy.
Fwhoosh!
The energy within the brazier flared as the power of Seungsa surged violently.
