Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
38. Youth training camp (7)
Before embarking on the youth training camp.
Hwang Myeong-ho’s main mansion.
“Seem like you have an idea, eh? Say it. Is it related to ‘what you know’?”
After I fell in thought while looking at the map and the youth training camp schedule announcement, and then raised my head, the gazes of tigers, similar to Hwang Jiho, poured towards me.
As they didn’t make the slightest movement after Jeok-ho’s report ended and just stared at the screen, I guess they were worried.
“There is a variable I want to eliminate first.”
“Variable?”
“A person who handed the youth training camp’s information to ‘that guy’.”
The mood of Hwang Jiho, who heard those words, seemed to be very uncomfortable.
“I would move like this if I was ‘that guy’. To figure out the movements of the students who would be made into sacrifices and teachers, who could become a disturbance, and to catch the timing of the raid, I would probably figure out the youth training schedule and the locations of the allocated lodgings.”
I looked towards Jeok-ho, as I spoke:
“To speak precisely, I would want to confirm the information about the training camp of class 0, class 1 and class 2, to aim at the class 1’s homeroom teacher Kim Sinrok-nim.”
The 1st year youth training camp was divided into five camps.
The locations and dates were all different.
If one place ends up targeted, the other youth training camps will be canceled, or their schedule will be changed, or they will be extremely on guard, so I would target only one place.
And as the target was revealed to be Kim Sinrok, then it was evident that the Dark Mastermind was aiming at class 0, class 1 and class 2’s training camp.
“A rough date of when the training camp is held is published on the school homepage, but the detailed schedule didn’t come out. They wouldn’t be able to know when we eat or when is the roll-call. The lodging locations and their allocation would also be like this, right? The students will receive the time plan when they arrive. In other words…”
Hwang Jiho opened the school staff list on the hologram, as he spoke.
“… Homeroom teachers, vice homeroom teachers and the people who approve it, head of school affairs, vice-principal and principal. Is there a traitor among those people?”
I, who glanced through all the names and faces, shook my head.
“Not among Those People.”
The people who come up on the hologram.
Because the class 0, class 1, class 2 homeroom teachers and vice homeroom teachers, and the school officials mentioned by Hwang Jiho, all died in the game.
“I think that the person who handed the information is outside the school, not inside.”
“Outside the sch….? Ah.”
Hwang Jiho nodded his head as if he had gotten this realization late.
As Choe Pyeondeuk’s gang was causing a mess at Eungwang School for a long time, it seemed he thought that the traitor was inside the school.
“Is there a person who knows the information about the youth training camp even among those outside?”
“Yes.”
As I replied to Jeok-ho’s question, I enlarged the hologram, which I opened before, and unfolded it above the table.
“The youth training camp’s instructors.”
“In that case, those guys…!”
“It will come out if You investigate, but those people profited from the bribes of corrupted teachers for a long period of time. As those teachers had a connection with ‘that guy’, if they just crossed that one bridge, they would get acquainted, correct? The instructors suffered a loss of income, so they will hand over as much information as possible if they were just offered money. The only unknown thing is whether they’re involved in teacher Kim Sinrok-nim’s assassination and selecting student sacrifices.”
I had a headache, as I wouldn’t know how much money they received, and how much they were involved in the plan.
I turned to look at Hwang Jiho, as I spoke:
“It’s difficult to know how those people will move. They may mix among the students, teachers and residents to catch them as hostages when they let go of their guard. And it would be difficult to put hands on them, as there is a chance that ‘that guy’ will change their plans. When an incident breaks out, please beat down all instructors first.”
“That’s a simple matter, eh? There is only one Player among the instructors allocated there.”
Hwang Jiho spoke confidently.
“Afterwards?”
“After, please head to the female student’s lodgings. The class 1 will be safe, but the class 2 won’t be. There is a possibility that the Superpower Poison will be spread, but…”
“That won’t be a problem.”
Hwang Jiho put a pill wrapped in Korean paper on the table.
“Because I received an experimental version of the Superpower Poison’s antidote from the Nok tribe.”
Was Hwang Jiho preparing something like this behind the scenes…?!
I guess he truly was working hard.
“Can humans use it? Is large-scale manufacturing possible?”
“They said it’s under testing, as there are side-effects. It’s difficult to use if you’re not a Jin.”
“What kind of side-effects?”
“Instead of being corroded by poison, the internal organs are damaged. If one doesn’t have regeneration capabilities of the Jin people’s caliber, even if they aren’t poisoned by the Superpower Poison, they may collapse because of multiple organs’ failure.”
From this explanation, it sounded like a poisonous medicine, not an antidote.
But if you overdose antidote, that too will turn into poison.
“How about you? Will you be able to fight even after eating it?”
“What does this one look like to you? This much won’t be any problem.”
This was the conversation we had a few days ago.
Hwang Jiho spoke like this, but perhaps there was some kind of problem, he moved towards the class 2’s lodgings later than planned.
Looking at the map right now, there was a dot moving towards the class 2’s lodgings like lightning, so it seemed that Hwang Jiho joined them late.
‘Are Song Daeseok and class 2 kids safe….?’
I was anxious, but I couldn’t show it with Sawol Seeum using all his strength to unfold his Gwangrim in front of me.
Sawol Seeum stopped using ‘The King Said’ as if he succeeded in conveying the voice to everyone.
Among the particles of the scattered warm superpower wave, he walked up to me.
“… Evacuation complete!”
“Well done.”
“Yes…! Thank You!”
Sawol Seeum, who was smiling faintly, as if there was something to be thankful for, made an extremely tired face.
As I stretched my arm to support staggering Sawol Seeum, he said weakly:
“My apologies… Because I lost strength in my body…”
“It’s okay. Rest.”
It couldn’t be helped as he activated his Gwangrim for the first time.
I put Sawol Seeum, who closed his eyes, on my back and flew into the sky.
⟨Using Gwangrim ‘Player’s Trajectory’.⟩
The character I was using was the currently sleeping Sawol Seeum.
Using his Flight Art, I headed towards the next destination.
‘Let’s say calm. There are still things left to do!’
Even though I tried to soothe my mind like this, my head was full of worries about the next destination and Kim Yuri’s first time activating Gwangrim.
***
Kwaaaa!
The superpower wave’s storm blew with Kim Yuri in the center.
Higher beings whispered into Kim Yuri’s ears without stopping.
[I’m passing on the words of Queen of Heaven[1]. Unfold Your Gwangrim. Your body is being hurt.]
[We had no thoughts of damaging ‘you’. Even if that power runs wild and swallows the land, we will just protect you with our authority.]
[The ‘Noble Green Lady’ is concerned about You.]
[Hng, I’m not particularly worried, but I won’t abandon the person connected to me when they’re swept by my power.]
Because of the voices of gods coming from a faraway place, Kim Yuri grew even more frightened.
They whispered they would always and constantly protect ‘Kim Yuri’.
It meant that if she unfolded her Gwangrim, Kim Yuri would be safe, but it was unknown what would happen to the others.
Perhaps the people close to Kim Yuri would be rescued as a show of goodwill.
However, what about people whom she knew, but wasn’t close with?
What about people she wasn’t even acquainted with?
What would happen to them?
It may be like the scene of Seogu Elementary School, disappearing without a trace.
“What is going- Yuri’s superpower wave- uuck…!”
“Hey, you stay back!”
Kwon Lena and Maeng Hyodon were approaching Kim Yuri.
Maeng Hyodon endured the superpower pressure overwhelming Kim Yuri and walked step by step, but Kwon Lena couldn’t endure it and collapsed.
The mind of Kim Yuri, who saw this scene through her blurry vision and throes of pain, was shaken.
Kwajink, kwadinkdink!
The sound of the condescending high-density superpower wave rang out.
The superpower wave, which was just merely released, had a clear shape.
It was a sign that Gwangrim was about to activate.
‘Can’t, can’t…!’
As Kim Yuri desperately controlled the superpower wave, the superpower wave’s condensation stopped.
But like before, she couldn’t escape the agony that tormented her body.
At that moment.
“Class president!”
Maeng Hyodon pushed through the storm of blade-like superpower, and at some point walked up all the way to the front of Kim Yuri.
Maeng Hyodon, who grabbed Kim Yuri’s shoulder, spoke:
“Vice president told me to say it if something happens. Recall the words that the vice president told you before!”
Kim Yuri opened her eyes wide.
At those words, she started to recall the words that the vice class president Jo Uisin told her.
— It’s fine.
— It’s not a problem even if your superpower runs wild. This means that it’s okay to use Gwangrim as you wish.
— It’ll be FINE. Do you think teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim or our class children are so easy?
Kim Yuri recalled the faces of the people who were worried about her strange behavior these days.
Her parents-nim, who even while hospitalized, couldn’t sleep properly because of worry about Kim Yuri.
Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim, who knew about the disappearance of the Gwangrim Sealing and was considerate of her.
Min Geurin, who made a Sealing painting with a felt pen.
Children who gave Kim Yuri a bigger portion of snacks.
Maeng Hyodon and Kwon Lena, who even in the midst of such danger, were approaching her.
— It’s okay, so stop worrying about the surroundings. There are many people who would find it harder if you got hurt, than if your Gwangrim running wild.
Jo Uisin spoke like this while smiling suspiciously.
It looked very suspicious both subjectively and objectively, but somehow it was reassuring.
Just after she recalled that face, Kim Yuri let go of her Gwangrim.
Paaaaaat!
The instant Maeng Hyodon supported the body of Kim Yuri, who had collapsed, the superpower wave, which gushed out of her, changed shape to magnolia’s petals.
Thousands or millions of white superpower wave petals swirled towards the sea.
The Enemies, who just reached the land and were about to march towards the private houses, stopped their steps for a split second before that dreamy scene.
When the superpower wave magnolia petals submerged into the sea water.
Kruuuuuu…
A roar as if the Heavens and Earth[2] were shaken, and then the wild wind blew.
The expressions of Maeng Hyodon and Kwon Lena distorted when they looked at the side of the wind.
“For the world…”
Kwon Lena mumbled with a face full of fear.
At the end of their gazes, the sea was moving.
It couldn’t be even described as a mere wave or tide.
The shape of the sea changed to swallow the island.
It was like an enormous wall, or a giant from a myth, in whom the blood of godly kin flowed.
Kiiiiiii….!
Keuuuu!
The hundreds of Enemies were very simply drowned like sinking foam by that changed sea.
The Enemies, who couldn’t reach the ground yet, started to run towards the beach to save their lives, but of course, the sea moved to swallow the beach, and the island itself.
“This- perhaps- Yuri’s Gwangrim…? That- somehow- that looks like the Gwangrim from Seogu Elementary School’s incident materials.”
At Kwon Lena’s words, Maeng Hyodon, who lost his soul, regained his senses.
Maeng Hyodon also knew about the Seogu Elementary School incident, as it was included in the exam range.
After recalling that tsunami that swallowed people and buildings, he was struck with terror.
“Let’s go! Let’s flee to the highest location!”
“… Ok!”
When Maeng Hyodon held the fainted Kim Yuri in his arms and was about to run.
“There is someone over there!”
Kwon Lena shouted as if screaming.
Just as she said, someone was visible standing on the coast, which was previously empty.
That someone, who observed the scene of Enemies struggling and pouncing, and the enormous tsunami, calmly took out and materialized an item card.
Kwon Lena, who saw the shape of that item, was astonished.
“That, no way…”
In that someone’s hands were a violin and bow.
After the violinist’s bow touched the string, a majestic note and superpower wave took off into the sky and spread widely.
Seeing that appearance, and hearing that music, Kwon Lena shouted with certainty.
“Senior Kwon Jane-nim!”
The Blue Violinist who makes the water surface sing, Kwon Jane, confronted the sea and the great army of Enemies.
*~*~*
[1] Queen of Heaven — 천후 (Cheon-hu) 天后 Mazu. The higher being who passes those words uses a formal tone. Similarly, the one mentioning ‘Noble Green Lady’ does the same.
[2] Heavens and Earth — 천지 (Cheon-ji) literally means Heavens and Earth, but depending on the context it could be the whole world or the whole universe. Generally, I think that either Heavens and Earth or Universe should be the best translations for this.
Translator’s note: Okay. Now I’m really paranoid. Why is PMH and poisonous medicine mentioned in chapter 7?
Also, if the reason Dark Mastermind is aiming class 0, 1, 2’s training camp is Kim Sinrok, then what was the reason in PMH?
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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