Chapter 89 – Fake and Real (1)

Two archers shot from the balcony while four warriors charged forward. Rachel also attacked as the core of this ambush. She entrusted Yi Jiyoon and Yoo Yeonha to the other three warriors and dealt with Chae Nayun herself. Rachel felt confident since Chae Nayun had only recently switched to the sword.

“Dammit.”

Chae Nayun clenched her teeth as they exchanged blows. She could feel the difference in skill and experience. Rachel swung twice every time she swung once. Furthermore, she couldn’t parry similar attacks that Rachel easily parried. Chae Nayun and Rachel fought one-on-one since everyone else focused on Yi Jiyoon and Yoo Yeonha.

Clang! Clang! Chae Nayun felt like every clash tore apart her hands. As expected, Rachel’s thin rapier carried immense strength. Chae Nayun could only block.

“Dammit!”

However, Chae Nayun didn’t want to lose. Not against Rachel at the very least. Her magic power erupted from her unyielding desire to win. It formed a giant sword that soared into the air.

“…!”

Rachel flinched at the giant sword’s imposing appearance. Chae Nayun swung with all her strength. However, her large movement left an opening. Rachel simply dodged to the side as Chae Nayun’s sword hit the ground. However, something unexpected happened. KOONG! The floor collapsed and Rachel suddenly fell through. Thud. She landed on the fourth floor and stared at the hole above her. Did the floor collapse that easily?

“Where did you go?”

Chae Nayun roared from above. Rachel quickly stood up since her teammates couldn’t handle Yoo Yeonha and Chae Nayun without her.

However, someone else appeared in front of her. Kim Suho wore a white uniform and held up his sword. He had defeated Shin Jonghak on the fifth floor and climbed to the fourth floor. Rachel bit her lips. Kim Suho charged the moment he confirmed she belonged to Team Black. Rachel’s rapier clashed with his sword. Power on a completely different level pressed down on her.

***

I stopped in front of the sixth floor bathroom.

“Is there an artifact around here?”

I pretended to look for artifacts to trick the administrators as I double-checked Tomer’s message.

[The item will be left at an administrative center in the B-3 zone on the lowest floor. The administrative center will be empty from 11:00 to noon, so take it then.]

The lowest floor meant floor 7, and the B-3 zone referred to room 3 of sector B.

“Artifact, are you here?”

I checked the time as I entered the bathroom. I still had about 15 minutes since it was 10:45 A.M.

“Eh? What’s this?”

I found a holographic man in a toilet stall with something in his arms. The NPC flinched as he saw me. I also raised my gun in surprise.

“I actually found an artifact here?”

I grabbed the artifact from NPC who ran away and placed it in my pocket. Then I looked just below me where Tomer waited in the seventh floor bathroom.

“Hmm.”

I had to eliminate Tomer if I wanted the item, but how? I looked around and found a vent connecting this bathroom to the seventh floor bathroom.

“Perhaps?”

I could use stigma’s magic power in more ways than imagined.

Become a magical smoke that can put Tomer asleep.

I instantly consumed 1.5 streaks of stigma as a grey smoke rose from my upper arm. Surprisingly, it moved according to my will.

“With this…”

I sent the smoke through the vent and observed with the thousand-mile eyes as it danced in front of Tomer’s nose. She frowned and tried to wave it away, but inevitably inhaled it. Tomer coughed and soon her eyes drooped. She yawned and checked her watch. I can’t fall asleep. She mumbled and tried to stand, but fell asleep on the toilet.

“Whew.”

Now I could safely head to the administrative center. I arrived on the seventh floor at 11 A.M. and headed to the B-3 zone. A decorative flower bed hid the secret pathway to the administrative center.

“No one’s here.”

It contained about twenty monitors like a security room. I approached the large desk in the center with a black box on top.

[Awl of Weakening] [High rank – Enchant] [Poison attribute] An awl that weakens the pricked target. Enchanted with the high-rank magic, weakening.

The black box contained a special awl.

“Wow, what’s this?”

Its high rank enchantment surprised me and could easily fetch 1.5 billion won.

“Cough.”

I looked around the room.

“From now on this is mine.”

I slipped the awl into my pocket and left after deleting the CCTV footage by hacking into the server. Then I went back up to the sixth floor.

“Hm?”

I found Rachel not too far away.

“What happened to her?”

She looked exhausted with a tattered uniform as I ran up to her.

“Rachel.” I called her.

“…!”

She jumped from the slightest noise. Her shoulders trembled as she turned towards me.

“I’m on the same team.”

“Ah, whew.”

Rachel sighed in relief. I approached with a smile.

“Did something happen? You don’t look well.”

“I tried to ambush the enemy, but failed,” Rachel briefly replied.

“Oh.”

“Then I met Kim Suho and lost,” Rachel continued speaking in a weak voice.

“Oh.”

She sullenly dropped her head.

“I barely escaped from Kim Suho, but Chae Nayun and Yoo Yeonha found me afterward. Some magicians also attacked me after I escaped from them.”

Rachel recounted what happened with downcast eyes. Then she suddenly asked, “How many cadets did you eliminate?”

“None.”

Cadets earned points based on the number of artifacts acquired and how many cadets they eliminated. Both of us would rank near the bottom at this rate. I would be fine since I found an artifact and didn’t mind scoring near the bottom. However, Rachel wanted first place and it would be difficult if she didn’t score well on this artifact scramble.

She stared at the floor with devastated eyes. Then kicked a poor rock across the room. I rummaged through my pocket.

“We still have time. It’s not over yet.”

Rachel slowly raised her head as I took out the artifact from my pocket.

“Here. You can have this.”

Rachel's eyes immediately widened.

“Please take it upstairs since you’re faster than me.”

“No, this is yours—”

“Just take it.” I cut her off since I felt like helping her out.

“Do you see the emergency staircase on the right?”

I examined it with my thousand-mile eyes. A few cadets blocked the way, but they belonged to our team.

“It should be fairly empty.”

I smiled and told her where to go.

“Over there!”

Someone shouted as Chae Nayun and Yoo Yeonha arrived with other members from Team White. Six of them instantly surrounded us like in a movie.

“Kim Hajin.”

Chae Nayun pointed her sword at me. Then she discovered the artifact in Rachel’s hands.

“Ah, she’s holding an artifact! Who did you steal that from?”

“Quick, run away. I’ll delay them as long as possible.”

Rachel hesitated, then murmured as I urged her.

“Yes, thank you.”

She ran as an archer shot at her. Hmph. As if I’d let that happen. I predicted the arrow’s trajectory and struck it down with a bullet. The archer stared at me in shock.

“Junyoung and I will chase after Rachel.”

Two cadets from Team White wanted to ignore me. However…

“No.”

Yoo Yeonha stopped them.

“Stay on your toes. He’s a tough opponent.”

She tightened the grip on her whip. I looked around the room to determine if I could run away with parkour.

“What, you want to fight six of us alone? Are you crazy?” Chae Nayun asked. I shrugged without answering. For now, I would just buy time.

“Why should we be afraid of just one guy with a gun! I’m going in!”

A warrior with an axe suddenly charged. I fired several times to delay him as Yoo Yeonha’s whip and an arrow flew towards me.

I activated bullet time. Immediately, my sense of time slowed. I could clearly see and predict the whip and arrow’s trajectory. I fired at the arrow and dodged the whip. However, something unexpected happened. My bullet changed the arrow’s course and turned it into the warrior’s chest. His HP must’ve been low since it eliminated him on the spot.

“Ah, fuck! Watch where you’re shoot—”

The axe-wielding warrior turned blind and muffled before he could finish. Uuuup, uuuup! He pitifully struggled, but the arrow that struck his chest counted as a critical blow. It happened purely by luck.

“He changed the arrow’s trajectory.”

Yoo Yeonha thought I had intended it.

***

Rachel safely joined the other members of Team Black.

“Rachel stole an artifact!”

The six members cheered, but Rachel felt complicated because of Kim Hajin.

“…”

She stared at the artifact in her hand. Kim Hajin had given it to her with a smile, and she could still feel his warmth.

“Haa,” she sighed.

I shouldn’t have accepted it.

She wasn’t deaf. She heard the rumors going around, but told herself it was only gossip. However, she had to admit after today that Kim Hajin’s feelings felt real. She should’ve noticed since he always stayed near her after they became teammates.

The rumor that Kim Hajin would confess came to mind. However, she shook off such thoughts. She couldn’t have feelings for someone else. She had long given that up for her country, her parents, and the Royal Court guild.

Perhaps she was just making excuses. She recalled that her parents once told her true love meant throwing everything away to be with that person. However, Rachel had never felt such emotions. She didn’t want to give up her goals.

“Ah, right!”

She became frantic since she left Kim Hajin with six people.

“Let’s go! We need to save someone!”

“Eh? Where are we going?”

“Follow me!”

Rachel ran to the sixth floor with the other members of Team Black.