NOVPUB"Seems like I got it right."
Without saying anything, and without showing it on the surface, Yong Je-geon jumped to a conclusion on his own.
My delayed response had been a mistake.
If I had expected Yong Je-geon’s appearance or had thought about Jun-yeol’s Replay beforehand, I would have been more prepared, but I had been caught off guard by the surprise attack from the Dragon of the Leisure Realm.
It didn’t seem like he had come out of nowhere just for fun.
“Our Jun-yeol struggled all weekend, but he couldn’t use that Hong-ryonghwa at all. He didn’t even need to call the dragon to feel dragon-like, but I don’t think it would help in combat. Honestly, practicing the psychic link would probably be better.”
“Jun-yeol sunbaenim practiced all weekend?”
“Yeah, he practiced so hard that even Hwang-ryong was worried about him.”
It seemed that my disciple, Jun-yeol, had been quietly putting in the effort behind the scenes.
I already knew Jun-yeol was a hard worker, but hearing it like this stirred feelings of both gratitude and guilt.
I had taken such a great senior as a disciple, yet as a master, I had not been able to offer much support lately.
Instead of teaching, I’d been worrying Jun-yeol with my injuries and relying on the dragon tribe.
“Seems like you feel pretty guilty. Instead of just saying sorry, how about doing something for your disciple’s growth?”
“...What do you mean?”
“Replay.”
Feigning ignorance, Yong Je-geon bluntly said it.
Did he really want to have Jun-yeol, the heir he cherished, use the Replay after experiencing it himself?
I knew he had shown interest when Seong Guk-eon and Jeong Mu-young had used the Replay, but those two were adults and hadn’t been on bad terms with Yong Je-geon just recently.
‘I didn’t want to have anyone else use the Replay unless absolutely necessary...’
Unless there was a critical situation or someone’s life was at stake, I didn’t want to use the Replay.
But I understood that Jun-yeol needed to grow.
He was already stronger than others his age, surrounded by powerful figures who cared for him, yet safety was never guaranteed.
I had realized this when I saw Jun-yeol’s duel with Kim Shin-rok.
If Jun-yeol faced an assassin of Kim Shin-rok’s level one-on-one, it would be an obvious defeat, and he wouldn’t even have time to buy himself a chance for help.
‘That’s why I taught him things the Dragon Tribe doesn’t—how to swallow psychic abilities and erase his presence. I’d wanted him to master Hong-ryonghwa eventually.’
Moreover, Hong-ryonghwa was a power gained through a berserk state.
If Jun-yeol ever went berserk in the future, the consequences would be disastrous if he didn’t know how to control Hong-ryonghwa.
If he practiced using the Replay, like Jeong Mu-young, he could solve all of that.
Still, I was reluctant to let him use it.
“...Jun-yeol sunbaenim will have a much longer nightmare than you.”
“Yeah, I know Jun-yeol will live longer than me. He didn’t die in the dream I saw.”
“Then, why are you suggesting Replay for Jun-yeol sunbaenim?”
“Yeah, I don’t like Jun-yeol just because he’s my heir. I love the fact that Jun-yeol tries harder to grow rather than just being loved.”
That’s true.
There’s no end to discussing Jun-yeol’s good qualities, and one of them is his relentless effort and his upright character.
Jun-yeol will be tormented by the things he saw in Replay, but I believe he’ll overcome it and grow from it.
“Think carefully. I’m all for it.”
I knew Yong Je-geon wasn’t going to oppose it.
But would the Dragon Tribe or the Red Lion stand by quietly?
If the Dragon Tribe acted like they usually did, they’d likely launch a full-on attack on my Yeonggwang High dormitory, regardless of the Ho clan.
I didn’t voice these thoughts, but Yong Je-geon seemed to read my mind.
“If it’s a nightmare you’re showing, the Dragon Tribe or Yeon Bang-yeol’s team would gladly accept it. And Jun-yeol would be overjoyed. After all, a master recognizes him enough to show him such a nightmare.”
Even though Yong Je-geon exaggerated, I thought Jun-yeol would likely say that too, considering his kind and sincere nature.
Still, I couldn’t make a decision so easily.
How could I push Jun-yeol, who had been so worried about my injuries, into such a nightmare?
Paaaah!
Before I could think any further, Yong Je-geon removed the barrier.
I was going to have to think carefully now, but Yong Je-geon looked satisfied, having said everything he wanted to say.
Without waiting for my response, Yong Je-geon suggested walking to school together.
“Shall we go to school together? Jun-yeol, the Class 0 kids, and Shin-rok will be proud of us.”
I didn’t understand why that would be something to boast about.
I knew Yong Je-geon liked to show off his commutes with Jun-yeol, but it only made sense because it was Jun-yeol.
Why would he show off to people like Kim Shin-rok?
“Oh, I’ll brag to Hwang-ryong too.”
Yong Je-geon activated his device and seemed to have actually sent a message.
Attached to the message was a photo of us standing on our way to school.
Soon, messages arrived like, “Eui-shin, what’s going on? How did you end up with Yong-ssam...”, “Jo Eui-shin, instead of wasting time with Yong Je-geon, come to the mansion and have breakfast,” “Deputy, have you been caught by your weakness?”, “Eui-shin, how about the three of us going to school together next time?”, “I’ll ask Hwang-ho if there’s a teaching position available.”
It was clear that everyone was too idle, not caring about Yong Je-geon’s pranks in the morning.
And when we arrived at school, I really bumped into someone who was clearly bored.
“I’m adjusting my condition for the day after tomorrow.”
Yoo Sang-hoon was adjusting his schedule and biological rhythm to match the opening of PlayerZ.
Since PlayerZ focuses on players, the system will reset at midnight, Korean Standard Time (GMT +09:00).
Yoo Sang-hoon had adjusted his sleep, meals, and snacks accordingly, preparing like a heavy user for a big game launch.
If he was aiming for a first clear of a new raid, it made sense to prepare like that.
In Plamago, there had been no competition, so he didn’t need to go this far.
But now that Yoo Sang-hoon was starting with the game’s beginners, he wouldn’t even make the first clear, yet he was so full of passion.
“Yeah, Do Shi-hoo will join too.”
“Do Shi-hoo?”
I understood adjusting for condition, but hearing Do Shi-hoo’s name was unexpected.
Yoo Sang-hoon spoke casually, as if he had no reservations about him.
“I recommended a class for him yesterday and helped with the skill tree. It’ll be easier to form a party with four people.”
Due to the incident related to Jang Nam-uk, Yoo Sang-hoon hadn’t been fond of Do Shi-hoo, but he seemed to have changed for the game.
Even if their relationship was a bit awkward, it seemed like playing together would change things.
Though, I didn’t know because no one around me was playing Plamago.
“He’ll pick according to what you and Jang Nam-uk choose. Pick what you want.”
It seemed that Yoo Sang-hoon had some favor for Do Shi-hoo, though not as much as for Jang Nam-uk or me.
Still, he declared that he wouldn’t give up the tank position, determined to wield the shield.
Listening to him rant about party setups and job balances during every break, the day quickly passed.
‘Today, I was planning to visit Unsa and Eunho after school, but that seems difficult.’
There were a few things in Unsa’s messages that I still hadn’t decoded and wanted to check, but that would have to wait.
The Korea-China-Japan Player Exchange main tournament was about to start.
After a fierce preliminary round last week, not everyone from the selected group was guaranteed to participate in the finals.
‘Some had no choice because of their schedules.’
The selection process will be completed before the final exams, but during the summer vacation, the students will have to participate in the training camp.
As a result, some students who didn’t fit the schedule or just wanted to show their skills to the scouts withdrew.
Even without those students, there were still many participants left, so the finals were expected to be intense, according to the newspaper club.
‘The article about the Old School Building is done, so I’ll have to help with the finals coverage. I’m participating in the finals too...’
During the newspaper club session, I checked the Old School Building data and finished the article.
While the other club members headed out to cover the finals, it was difficult to send reporters to all locations due to the large number of participants.
Since I had free time, I decided to go to the gym or stadium where the finals were being held, choosing the place not covered by the newspaper club.
“Jo Eui-shin, let’s go.”
Hwang Ji-ho, who had been sorting the Old School Building materials next to me, suddenly spoke up.
He didn’t mean to suggest going to the mansion, did he?
“Hahaha! I didn’t mean the mansion. Of course, if you’re coming, you’re welcome.”
“I blocked the surrounding noise to help Eui-shin hyung concentrate. I guess you didn’t hear that, sorry.”
I’d noticed I was unusually focused when writing the article, and it seemed like Eunho had been considerate.
As I thanked my thoughtful junior, Hwang Ji-ho urged me.
“Jo Eui-shin, hurry up, you’ll regret missing this match.”
“What’s going on?”
Hwang Ji-ho wasn’t the type to urge like that without a reason.
How important could this match be?
“Today, Ju Su-hyeok and Yeom Jun-yeol’s match is scheduled.”
“Let’s go quickly.”
A great match was set to take place.
Without a second word, we quickly left the newspaper room.
The match between the title hero and my disciple and senior—this was something I couldn’t miss.
Ju Su-hyeok, the bright-winged Narae.
Yeom Jun-yeol, the Little Red Dragon.
Both with aliases, they were exempted from the preliminary round and automatically entered the finals.
The finals were held with random teams in a league format, which resulted in top contenders facing each other.
Ju Su-hyeok and Yeom Jun-yeol, both undefeated in the league, were facing off today.
‘There’s no need to fight Jun-yeol hyung, but everyone’s expecting it, so I guess it’s better to fight. It’ll be good practice for the duel.’
Ju Su-hyeok didn’t even use Gwangrim in the league and still won.
The same went for Yeom Jun-yeol.
It wasn’t that they were underestimating the opponent or holding back.
It was a strategic decision.
‘We’re competing in the finals, but we’re one team. Ultimately, we’ll face China and Japan. It wouldn’t be wise to reveal all our cards.’
As Yeonggwang High’s selection competition gained attention, scouts from the opposing countries for the exchange also sent people.
There were not only students from Yeonggwang High at the scene but also reporters, scouts, and enemy spies.
Yeom Jun-yeol, aware of this, glanced toward the audience before the duel began.
Where his gaze lingered, unfamiliar faces could be seen.
‘Jun-yeol hyung is aware of the opponents. It’s better to finish this match without Gwangrim.’
At that moment, Yeom Jun-yeol’s gaze suddenly stopped.
It was Jo Eui-shin, who seemed to have just finished his club activities.
Ju Su-hyeok also noticed Jo Eui-shin.
In that instant, Ju Su-hyeok tightened his grip on the Dubeon Narae item card, and red energy flashed in Yeom Jun-yeol’s eyes.
‘If Eui-shin is watching, I need to change my plan.’
Ju Su-hyeok decided to fight with all his heart.
Enemy eyes? Spies?
Above all, earning Jo Eui-shin’s recognition was more important.
It seemed like Yeom Jun-yeol thought the same.
Just before the duel began, they exchanged words as if they had agreed.
“Su-hyeok, please give it your all.”
“I’ll ask the same of you.”
The atmosphere at the stadium, which had been light-hearted for the friendly match, was now filled with tension as a real battle was about to begin.
The air between the two shifted, and the flow of psychic energy seemed to change.
The teacher who had volunteered to be the referee, famous for his ability to discern, looked at them nervously and shouted.
“...Start!”
