RE: Player again

382

[Chapter 112]

[If It Doesn't Work, Make It Work (2)]

The final evaluation starts next week.

Despite it being the weekend, students didn't return home but stayed at the academy to train.

Because this final evaluation includes PvP battles and is individual survival, individual abilities are important.

There was a need to engrave practical senses into their bodies as much as possible.

It was also an almost natural progression for competitive psychology to arise among students.

"─Come out now."

"Yes. It's been a while, Master. But you seem quite relaxed? Master, isn't there a final evaluation next week?"

"When have you seen me study?"

"I should know Master's lifestyle. Well, given Master's personality, it seems you won't study at all."

Of course, Eunha was an exception.

Eunha who returned home alone while friends remained at the academy secretly met with Twenty-five.

who sensed his presence appeared from behind a pillar snickering.

An androgynous beauty whose gender couldn't be determined by appearance alone.

When he took off the beret he had pulled down low, long hair flowed down like a flower blooming.

"Why are you wearing a hat?"

"Because I stand out so much. If I don't do this, my information could be exposed to people in the alleyways. Hah, what can I do about the sin of being pretty."

"Hah... I think you need to see this."

"Huh? What?"

Eunha looked at showing off as if he was pathetic.

Then he opened his smartphone screen and showed him one photo.

"Isn't this Master's sister?"

"How is it?"

"She's pretty."

"Yeah, much prettier than you."

"......"

"If being pretty is a sin, my noona would have been in and out of jail many times already."

"Our Master really... Why does it seem like your mental state is getting weirder as time goes on. Oh? But who is this person?"

who made a sour expression.

Then he saw the photo on the next screen and his eyes sparkled.

It was a face he was seeing for the first time.

An oval face like an egg.

The eyes that looked haughty at first glance were reminiscent of a cat that dislikes being touched by human hands.

"...Who said you could swipe?"

"She alone just eats up the screen. People passing by don't even enter the eyes. Her head seems really small too... Who is it?"

"What good is it for you to know?"

"Master. I'm hurt if you do this. I sing one song amazingly well, but if you do this I won't sing the congratulatory song at your wedding."

"Who said I'm getting married?"

"Then you won't do it?"

"......"

He who covered his mouth with his hand and laughed puk looked down at Eunha.

Eunha had a sullen face.

Without expressing affirmation or denial.

"Well... It's my fault for talking to you."

Soon Eunha sighed.

If he talked with , it wouldn't end even if a day passed.

He who clicked his tongue spread his detection net and asked .

"So. Were there any people following?"

"No. There wasn't even one. If there was, would I have acted like I knew you, Master? There's no one skilled enough to escape my detection ability on Lee Ganghyeok's side."

Eunha nodded hearing 's words.

It seemed hadn't forgotten the advice he gave long ago.

To be wary of Lee Ganghyeok while helping him.

In Eunha's opinion, Lee Ganghyeok was the type to switch to the advantageous side whenever an opportunity arose.

The unexpected thing was that there were no signs of that yet.

It's not bad to be cautious.

Carefully like tapping a stone bridge.

Eunha was advancing towards the future with that mindset.

And because of that, there was one more thing to be careful about.

"What about the underground market? The darkness?"

"Hmm... I don't think I can give a definite answer about this. For now, my thought is that there doesn't seem to be anyone trying to grasp Master's movements yet."

The underground market and darkness.

They should be starting to harbor doubts about him now.

Because he bought honey from the 7th rank Corpse Nepenthes designated as a dangerous material last year.

He had to keep in mind the assumption that he might have entered the eyes of the darkness managed by Baek Seojin.

Above all, the item he asked for this time was difficult to hide from their eyes.

Twenty-five would have taken care of it, but you never know.

To be precise, the leaves used to make it belonged to an illegal realm.

Leaves that grow in mana-polluted areas and induce strong hallucinations.

It was an item with plenty of potential for crime depending on usage.

Several other ingredients also had to be obtained illegally.

"Master doesn't know how hard it was to obtain that. And how many names I used to pretend someone else purchased it and hide what I'm making..."

"Anyway, thanks. There really was no tracking or anything right?"

"There were signs of it midway but I cut it off cleanly. Even if tracked, I'll be tracked not Master. And if I'm tracked... Well, I'll have to hide somewhere for a while."

shrugged his shoulders.

Eunha called his name praising him and looked into the liquid contained in the bottle.

The liquid about the height of a finger joint was thick and turbid like oil.

When he tilted the bottle, the liquid tilted very slowly.

"You didn't put anything wrong, right?"

"Master... I'm from a laboratory background. I'm already proficient at making that."

"I know. I'm just saying."

"Oh my? How do you know that, Master?"

In his previous life, would make poison when bored and distribute it to party members.

The poison Eunha was holding in his hand was also something had given him to try in his previous life.

Because he had that memory, Eunha asked him to make poison.

"It's called a drug that brings you to death's doorstep. I don't know how Master knew, but if used wrongly you could die instantly."

"I know."

Eunha replied calmly.

He was well aware that this black liquid could put a person in a temporary state of suspended animation with a very small amount.

That it looks like they're in a very comfortable sleep on the outside.

And that the drug components turn into mana immediately upon drinking and scatter into the atmosphere, so it can't be detected by ordinary tests.

"What on earth are you trying to use this for?"

"What good is it for you to know?"

"Because I'm curious."

He who put the small bottle in his pocket threw a gaze at .

showed boldness by shrugging his shoulders even after receiving Eunha's gaze.

Eunha stared at him.

"...I'm going to drink it. Satisfied?"

"Huh? What did you just say?"

would annoy people until they speak.

In the end, Eunha spat out an answer to divert his interest.

Sure enough, he was startled and followed behind Eunha trotting along.

"No, why is Master drinking that? What on earth are you thinking?"

Eunha didn't say anymore.

He just started infusing mana into the cloak on his shoulder.

Soon the cloak wrapped around Eunha's body and melted transparently.

"I'm going now. Thanks."

"...He just says what he wants and leaves..."

Noh Eunha who disappeared before he knew it.

left alone clicked his tongue and kicked a pebble on the ground.

Then he muttered while putting his long hair into his hat.

"Is he trying to film Romeo and Juliet or something. Ah, I don't know either."

How could I know what's in our Master's mind.

resolved to just forget about it comfortably.

☆

It's not only 3rd year middle school academy that starts the final evaluation next week.

Although the contents of the final evaluation differ for each, all students take the final evaluation at the same time.

Of course, 2nd year high school academy is the same.

And Eunha knew what kind of final evaluation 2nd years would take since he experienced the final evaluation at high school academy.

I was able to prepare in time because I got a tip from Seoyoung noona in advance.

So when Eunha became a 3rd year middle school academy student, he sought out Shin Seoyoung first.

Because he knew what kind of final evaluation it was.

The key was finding out when the final evaluation was.

Thanks to that, he was able to prepare in advance for this plan.

I already told Haesoo hyung... All that's left is telling Yoo Dojun.

First, he requested Byeok Haesoo to create an artifact containing a Gift.

Second, he handed over an artifact imbued with protective magic.

Third, he provided information about future events to Min Junsik of Alice Group.

Fourth, he obtained poison through .

And fifth─

"─I really envy your free-spirited personality. I want to play without training like you too..."

"You're just thinking about joining your kids anyway right? But why do you need training?"

"Friend, you can't skip the process of meeting them. Sigh... Nevermind. What chicken do you want to eat? I ordered various kinds because I don't know what you like."

"...Hey, how are we supposed to eat all this between the two of us?"

"A rumor spread throughout the school. They say Sihyeong called you an old fogy to your face? If you can't eat it, you have to make it so you can eat. Right?"

Sunday evening.

Eunha visited Yoo Dojun's room.

Yoo Dojun who was waiting after setting up chicken welcomed him warmly.

According to Yoo Dojun, you need to soothe your stomach with chicken before serious talk.

Even so, chicken of various kinds was laid out on the long table.

It was an amount that couldn't be eaten alone.

In the end, Eunha decided to call friends later and share it all together.

"Have a drink."

"Okay."

"Ah, I really crave alcohol thinking about the final evaluation starting tomorrow. It'll definitely be hot, and we won't be able to wash properly there... Should we just have one beer?"

"...No. I got scolded by noona for drinking at last summer's gathering."

"Then I'll drink alone. Eunha... What's this hand?"

"You just drink cider too."

"Hey, I don't drink cider. Sprite tastes better!"

Eunha didn't want to let Yoo Dojun drink alcohol alone.

Eunha who received a strict alcohol ban from Euna made him sit down as he was trying to reach his hand under the bed.

Yoo Dojun quacked like a duck.

Eunha poured cider into paper cups regardless.

"Hah... It's really good I didn't eat dinner."

"You didn't eat dinner either?"

"Friend, you said to meet at this time. I was waiting without eating dinner because of that."

"When did I say to eat dinner?"

"Wow... Really... I carried all this chicken up from the lounge saying I'd eat with you? Isn't this too much?"

"You should have ordered your kids. Yam. Hmm, the chicken tastes even better hearing you worked hard."

"Ah... My blood, sweat and tears. To think I entrusted my life to this kid..."

Although he had already eaten dinner.

Eunha toasted with Yoo Dojun and put chopsticks into the chicken box.

He tasted both seasoned and soy sauce chicken.

Eunha who got a tingling nose eating green onion chicken frowned hard then asked about Yeongwon Group's situation.

"Maybe because the semester is already halfway over, power sorting has more or less settled. Now there are no kids openly defying me here. Some kids even sided with me."

"Seems like there were some results after struggling so much at the start of the semester."

"Friend, I really had a hard time. Actually, this is thanks to Myeongwang Clan rather than my efforts."

Yoo Dojun gulped down cider then poured new Sprite.

He who put chizzling in his mouth brought up the story about Myeongwang Clan.

That Myeongwang Clan stably won the clan battle scheduled for the first half of this year.

Thanks to that, the momentum to drive out Myeongwang Clan was somewhat curbed.

Yoo Dojun said he was able to recruit or pull down opposition forces stirring up the academy using that.

"Anyway... Player Do Wanjun is really an amazing person. I heard he won against the Suwon allied forces with minimal power in Yeongtong-gu."

"Why, did he plant a spy inside?"

"Wow, what? How did you know that? It should be information only people who know in the industry would know..."

"I just felt like that would be the case."

"Do you perhaps have something with that person?"

"Absolutely not."

"Really? Then you must be smart. I made one good friend. Here, I should give a rice cake to my smart friend!"

"Why are you giving me rice cake gangjeong when there's so much chicken?"

The two munched on chicken.

Although they conversed as if it was nothing, the conversation exchanged between the two couldn't be said to be nothing.

Narrowly about the player industry.

Broadly even about business groups.

Content that was by no means light was exchanged back and forth like that.

But the main point hadn't come out yet.

"So what's the matter?"

When time had ripened at some point.

Dojun casually blurted out while pouring cider for Eunha.

Eunha blankly looked at him whose gaze was on him but chopsticks were towards the chicken.

Soon he opened his mouth.

"You remember what I said recently right?"

"Which one? That Dangun will be shaken soon?"

"Yeah."

"I remember. I don't know if Dangun will really be shaken as you think. Well, it might be the case seeing how you brought down Dangun Construction."

"So have you drawn up a scenario?"

Eunha who stopped moving his chopsticks.

On the other hand, Yoo Dojun was still calmly eating chicken.

He who chewed chicken several times and swallowed spoke while picking up new chicken.

"I did draw one up. From A to Z. You know what I mean right? It means there are too many variables. You only provided vague situations to begin with, so there's a high chance it won't flow according to the scenario. That possibility is extremely high."

"That's... unavoidable."

"Well, I don't mind since I can get a piece of the pie... Have you told this story to anyone else? How many scenario participants are there?"

"You and Alice."

"Alice will definitely move?"

"...Probably."

"Seems they think it's unrealistic too. But they're saying they'll try believing your words."

Yoo Dojun fell into thought with chopsticks clamped in his mouth.

Eunha quietly drank cider.

He probably won't be able to eat and drink properly for several days starting tomorrow.

As Yoo Dojun said, he needed to eat and drink a lot even now.

"Me and Alice... It's a bit tough with just two. It would be good if others joined in..."

"Everyone will gather on their own once things happen anyway."

"Have you tried telling Sirius?"

"...No."

Yoo Dojun suddenly bringing up Sirius.

Eunha shook his head.

As Yoo Dojun said, it would be good to increase people who would participate in shaking Dangun Group to make the uncertain situation more certain.

But Eunha gave up on trying to tell Sirius Group.

Han Seoyeon is dangerous.

We don't know about Han Seohyun

He couldn't provide information through the channel of Han Seoyeon.

If he made a mistake, he could draw suspicious glances from Sirius Group.

As a result, Eunha could only tell Alice Group and Yoo Dojun.

"Well, it can't be helped. As you said Eunha, once we start shaking things up, others won't just sit still. The problem is that they might try to protect Dangun..."

"That probably won't happen. They'll be busy fighting among themselves, right?"

"How can you be so sure?"

"My intuition says so."

"Sigh... that intuition of yours... Alright."

Yoo Dojun let out a long sigh.

He seemed to have a lot he wanted to ask Eunha, but he deliberately didn't try to pry.

So Eunha conversed with Dojun as usual.

I resolved then... and finally now I'm able to achieve it.

After that, they spent time in really trivial conversation.

Eunha sometimes laughed at his words, while on the other hand he tried to envision future situations in as much detail as possible.

Nevertheless, the future was vague.

Nevertheless, what needed to be done was clear.

Now─

─Kill Hong Jinwoo.

The goal he had resolved since that guy tried to harm Seona.

Perhaps a wish he had harbored even before that.

He was now able to achieve the goal he had resolved for a long time.

"I'll go now."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"...Yeah."

A lot of time had passed.

Eunha left Yoo Dojun's room.

Outside the door, Yoo Dojun waved his hand promising tomorrow.

Eunha looked back at him once and─

"─See you tomorrow."

Soon answered the same.

And the next day when the final evaluation started.

Eunha suddenly came down with a fever.