RE: Player again

354

[Chapter 106] [The Lesser Evil Over the Worst (2)]

The 2nd year 2nd semester final evaluation for middle school academy was announced.

Unlike previous years, the final evaluation starting a week after finishing final exams was planned quite specifically.

The location for the comprehensive ability evaluation was Deokjeokgundo, Incheon Metropolitan City.

Students had to organize parties of six and arrive at the destination taught by instructors by the set date.

As expected of the academy.

They don't back down in things like this...

Students were inwardly surprised when first informed about the contents of the final evaluation.

Because the academy received public criticism when students lost their lives in last semester's final evaluation.

They thought the academy would not demand high difficulty content at least for the 2nd semester final evaluation, even to protect themselves.

But the academy emphasized through the notice that student deaths were solely individual responsibility, and that the academy was an educational institution to train players, and decided to push ahead with the final evaluation.

Of course, Eunha had similar thoughts.

It's not the first time students have died.

Just that too many died last semester.

Students dying at the academy wasn't such a rare occurrence.

Death incidents were inevitable at an educational institution training players to kill monsters.

So the academy even taught students that death was solely their own responsibility.

For this final evaluation too, students had to write wills in advance.

Students who initially wrote wills lightly began writing wills seriously as they advanced grades.

Because they realized education became more dangerous as grades went up.

Anyway, party creation...

The academy cafeteria was quiet, perhaps because it was the weekend after final exams ended.

Eunha sitting by the window was lost in thought with his chin propped up.

All 2nd year middle school academy students had to email their homeroom teacher about the party they joined by next Wednesday.

Parties basically left to students' autonomy had to be exactly 6 people, and students who couldn't join parties or parties that couldn't fill the set number had to form parties with randomly assigned students by the computer system.

In other words, to get good grades, they had to properly organize parties by next Wednesday.

I was hoping for something like this...

I did well to ask noona Seoyoung.

Because he knew the academy's methods.

Therefore, Eunha had heard about the final evaluation through Shin Seoyoung.

Thanks to that, he could spend leisurely time while students were frantically trying to form parties.

He even tipped off his friends in advance to not accept invitations from others just in case.

The problem was how to compose the 6-person party.

Even that was somewhat pictured in his head.

"You came early from the morning."

"You came?"

The reason he was in the cafeteria from early morning was because of an appointment made the night before.

Eunha turned his head at the voice from behind.

Mok Minho wearing a hoodie and sweatpants was standing there with a blunt face.

"Don't keep standing, sit there."

"We could have talked via chat, did you have to call me out like this?"

"I should hear your thoughts in person too."

"You're not hearing my thoughts, but trying to persuade me."

Mok Minho who sat opposite raised the corners of his mouth.

He crossed his legs in a crooked posture with both hands in his hoodie pocket.

"That or that..."

Eunha shrugged his shoulders.

Eunha who now knew Mok Minho wasn't being sarcastic calmly continued speaking.

"Let's eat first. I'll buy."

"The most expensive thing here."

"You really have no shame."

"Someone who taught me said to eat the most expensive thing when freeloading."

Mok Minho snorting.

Eunha frowned.

He taught unnecessary things.

He didn't think Mok Minho would learn even this.

He wasn't sure whether to like his changes or not.

"You're not going to order the most expensive coffee every time you freeload from me then run away, right?"

"...Fine, eat whatever you want."

He decided to give in for now.

Friends would be shocked if they knew.

Eunha sighed.

Mok Minho chuckled.

☆

When he heard about the 6-person party composition final evaluation from Shin Seoyoung.

Eunha then recalled the party that would suit him best in his head.

Because the party members he had in mind could no longer be counted on ten fingers, he had to organize the most ideal and efficient party within the set number.

So he planned to divide parties into two, with himself managing the virtually ideal and efficient party, and someone else managing the other party.

"So that's me?"

"I thought it would be better for someone skilled in combat and with some situational judgment ability to be the leader."

Therefore, Eunha met Mok Minho. To entrust him with the other party.

Mok Minho who was eating the most expensive menu in the cafeteria frowned and asked back.

It would have been good if On Taeyang were here... But that kid hasn't entered the academy yet, so it can't be helped.

Eunha hid his inner thoughts and told Minho what he thought.

He thought the leader who becomes the center of the party should have both combat ability and immediate situational judgment.

In that sense, the only person around with those two qualities evenly was Mok Minho.

"I'm grateful you see me that way, but I have no intention of listening to you. I'm thinking of forming a party with Eunwoo, the kids who hang out with me, and Gain."

"I was planning to put Eunwoo in your party anyway. Choi Gain is an exception... but I was thinking of filling with just anyone, so it's fine."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"I heard?"

"And you still say that?"

Mok Minho soon put down his utensils and made an incredulous expression.

With a face asking if he heard what he said.

Eunha retorted with a blank face. Actually, he made him the party leader because he expected he wouldn't listen to him and would form the party as he pleased.

Then he just had to put the party members he had in mind into the party he was trying to compose.

So I had Eunwoo in mind for your party from the start.

I didn't know Choi Gain would be included, but this can't be helped.

Nevertheless, there were still three spots left in Mok Minho's party.

Coincidentally, there were exactly three people Eunha was trying to put in his party.

Of course, Mok Minho seemed to want to fill the party with people who follow him.

Eunha suddenly opened his mouth.

"You want to get good grades in this final evaluation too, right? Right?"

"......"

In last semester's final evaluation.

Mok Minho ended up losing quite a number of those who followed him.

And they were those called promising rookies in the academy to some extent.

On the other hand, those remaining were honestly just a ragtag bunch.

If it were the original future, he wouldn't have tried to form a party with them.

It must have been an inevitable choice for the current Mok Minho.

"You said you want to become strong. Then listen to what I say."

"...So who are you thinking of sending?"

Mok Minho finally accepting reality coldly and lowering his tail.

Eunha smiled inwardly.

Then he continued speaking.

"I'll send Seona as telepath and hunter, Hayang as navigator and caster, and Minji as ranger and hunter."

Eunha was thinking of making a balanced party in all aspects centered on Mok Minho as dealer.

On the other hand, he was thinking of organizing an attack squad just to advance for his own party.

"─No."

However, Minho expressed denial after hearing about the party composition.

"It's a bit awkward to say this, but Choi Gain is out of the question for combat power. In the end, it'll be 5 people leading the party, but there's no one skilled in combat. Moreover, Eunwoo is a supporter."

"Hmm..."

Mok Minho said coldly.

His words had a point.

Eunha was initially only thinking of filling the party with just anyone, and didn't think it would be Choi Gain who wouldn't help the party.

In the end, only Minho, Minji, and Seona could step up to the front line if combat occurred during the final evaluation.

Then Mok Minho might have to handle the front line alone.

Seona will have to move in the middle as a telepath, and it's hard to expect Minji to have firepower to back up Mok Minho...

If Hayang helps...

Eunha shook his head inwardly.

Hayang who would be in charge of navigator and caster couldn't step up to the front line.

The moment she steps up to the front line, the party would pursue a combat style of only advancing without rear protection.

It was no different from a throwaway hand.

"...I'll give you Parang hyung instead of Seona. Is that okay?"

"Jin Parang?"

In the end, Eunha decided to put Jin Parang in Mok Minho's party as a second-best option.

Then he immediately frowned.

Even after almost 2 years passing, he still didn't like Jin Parang much.

"You're telling me to carry Jin Parang? Do you think that's possible?"

"...Think of it as learning how to manage party members who don't follow instructions well on this occasion."

Eunha persuaded Mok Minho who expressed fierce refusal.

However, he just frowned as if unable to accept.

Actually, even Eunha would have done the same.

"Send Choi Eunhyeok instead of Jin Parang. I think it would be better to leave Seona in the party as is."

"That's not bad either, but then who will you send from your side in exchange for sending Eunhyeok? Don't tell me Choi Gain? I decline."

"I was thinking of taking responsibility for Choi Gain and Eunwoo. I'll send Minji."

"Minji... Minji won't do."

Eunha rejected Mok Minho's proposal.

Mok Minho was asking with a face wondering why not.

"Minji is a ranger. If you send Minji, it'll be quite troublesome to disarm traps. Since it's a survival on an island, traps will likely be installed all over."

"If it's that, I think Hayang can handle it instead."

"You're not thinking of dumping all the work on Hayang, right?"

"......"

"I'm warning you, you might get wrecked by me if you do that?"

Let's say that's fine for Jin Parang.

But Eunha didn't want someone other than himself to overwork Hayang who showed the most prominent growth rate among his party members.

The party he envisioned was a party where party members were only faithful to their own roles. If someone was faithful to other roles too, it was evidence that someone in charge of that role was negligent in their role.

That wasn't the efficiency he pursued.

Even if there's exploitation, I'll do it.

Above all, he hated situations where existences he considered his own received orders from someone else.

So he changed his expression and pressured Mok Minho.

"...Understood."

"Good if you understand."

Mok Minho cowered.

He who had never received such pressure from Eunha even during hell training answered almost automatically.

Anyway, Eunha withdrew the pressure he momentarily revealed as he backed down.

Only then did Mok Minho let out the long breath he was holding.

"I'll do as you say. I don't like Jin Parang much, but I'll handle it myself. If he doesn't listen, I'll just abandon him."

"Okay then. That hyung doesn't not know what a party is, so he won't not listen to you."

"I really hope so."

"I'll give him a hint at least."

Thus, Mok Minho's party was decided as Jin Parang, Jung Hayang, Cha Eunwoo, Kim Minji, and Choi Gain.

Eunha who was satisfied brought his hand to the meal he stopped eating midway.

Then Mok Minho who was quietly watching him eat spoke up.

"But what about your party?"

"What? I'll do it with the remaining people?"

Eunha retorting while chewing food.

Mok Minho touched his temple and supplemented his words.

"Even if you fill with remaining people, there's only you, Bae Subin, Choi Eunhyeok, and Jin Seona left. Who are you going to fill the remaining two with? Don't tell me Yoo Dojun?"

"There's a spot left anyway, so I was thinking of giving that kid Yoo Dojun a ride this time."

"But there's still one left, right?"

Mok Minho frowned.

He seemed concerned about who Eunha would fill the remaining party member with.

Meanwhile, Eunha tasted the food without saying anything.

I'll be hunter, Eunhyeok will be dealer.

Seona will be telepath in the middle, Subin will be caster in the rear.

If Yoo Dojun just leeches appropriately in the rear...

2 front, 1 middle, 2 rear.

If party member roles were distributed like that, one spot in the middle would be left.

Mok Minho must have seen through it too.

"Are you thinking of putting in a ranger?"

Mok Minho narrowed his eyes.

Eunha answered with silence.

Silence meant affirmation.

"The reason you entrusted Minji to me was here."

"Well, there's no such thing either."

Eunha liked Mok Minho's sharp eye.

The party leader he envisioned needed to have the ability to grasp the flow like Mok Minho.

"But why?"

"What?"

"You could put Minji in your party. Is there a reason to put her in my party?"

But Mok Minho didn't seem to have completely grasped his purpose.

That was understandable.

Who in the world would think of thoroughly exploiting a party in the final evaluation?

Jin Parang hyung is lucky.

Avoiding hell training.

Eunha inwardly giggled.

He expressed condolences to Seona in advance.

"I'm thinking of rolling thoroughly this time, so Minji won't be able to endure."

"Well... I guess so."

Eunha's assertion.

Mok Minho who was receiving his training agreed with a sour expression.

It was obvious that a hell worse than hell would await if Eunha deliberately rolled the party.

"Then who on earth are you trying to put in as ranger?"

"There's only one person."

Soon Mok Minho asked.

Eunha answered while wiping his mouth.

"─Hoshimiya Kaede."

I'll roll you very thoroughly this time.

Noh Eunha smiled devilishly.