Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
[1]
‘No matter how I look, he looks like an ordinary person. He doesn’t look like the head of the Eungwang School’s representative freak group.’
3rd year class 0 president who was visible between dim moonlight and artificial lightning.
It was the face of an extra, which would be immediately forgotten if one didn’t pay close attention.
If it was not for the shocking first meeting and the title of the 3rd year class 0’s president, it would be difficult for me to remember.
If there were any particular points, it was that he was wearing school uniform at this hour.
‘Looking at the nametag, his name… Woo Gihwan[2], no way, he is Woo Gihwan?’
In the game, the 3rd year class 0 wasn’t directly involved in the story.
However, the name ‘Woo Gihwan’ did appear.
[In any case, the 1st and 2nd place is ‘ToWonu&WooGihwan’.]
Those words circulated among Eungwang School’s current 3rd years during every exam period.
‘The last 3 years 2nd place is Eungwang School’s representative madman bastard!’
Though there were cases like Seong Gukeon, who belonged to class 0 throughout his entire 3 years, and still got 1st place, even when he was Student Council president.
First of all, because he was my senior, I decided to greet him.
“Hello.”
“Hi. You’re 1st year class 0’s vice president, right? What are you doing at this hour?”
That’s strange.
‘That reaction is too normal and ordinary, you know!’
There was no madness or freakiness which was felt in the ‘Homeroom teacher is too strong’ epilogue.
How could the cause of Student Council president To Wonu and Wings Council president Seong Siwan’s headache, which went around trying to feel the Energy of Universe, be so normal?
“Because I belong to the Newspaper Club. I’m investigating ghost stories.”
“Okay? You’re working a lot, even this late. I enjoy reading the school newspaper. You wrote about wildfire prevention and the smoking campaign during the previous Bang Yunseop incident, right? You’re working hard.”
“… Thank you.”
It was a reaction worthy to enter the top ranks of saneness among the people I meet in this world.
The feeling of incongruity gradually intensified.
“That said, the information gathering is all good, but…”
“Yes?”
The eyes of Woo Gihwan, whose sentence blurred at the end, suddenly shot daggers at me as he spoke:
“The reason you came at this hour to Heavenly Wings Mountain is to gather information about the Energy of Universe, right? You can’t hinder us. Our 3rd year class 0 have to negotiate with the Energy of Universe. Get out!”
As expected, that guy went crazy.
But it was because Mun Saeron or other Newspaper Club members hovered around the 3rd year class 0, while gathering the information about the Energy of Universe.
“I came here to cover the ghost story.”
As I spoke, I opened the hologram materials I prepared beforehand in case I run into someone.
[On the moonless nights, all hiking trails on the Heavenly Wings Mountain lead to the Ghost Gates.]
Screenshot of the general bulletin posts related to this topic.
Guide map of key hiking trails of the Heavenly Wings Mountain.
Information about Ghost Gates recorded in the Player exclusive data resource book and ‘Player Community’.
Half of dummy article written by me.
Woo Gihwon meticulously examined the hologram I unfolded.
“Ghost stories again? Well, it’s still summer, so it’s not strange to investigate them now…”
Woo Gihwon stopped doubting me and spoke like an owner of Heavenly Wings Mountain.
“Good. You’re permitted to enter the Heavenly Wings Mountain. As a class 0 junior!”
Isn’t the Heavenly Wings Mountain Ho tribe’s?
I guess even though they were robbed by the Ho tribe after banding together to make a stronghold the previous time, their momentum still didn’t die.
“It will be difficult to trick you with just a floating garden which is slowly using its efficiency, right? I’ll feed the Newspaper Club something likely.”
Woo Gihwon was gradually speaking in a manner of lunatic.
I was somewhat ashamed I almost treated that madman like a sane person a moment ago.
“I’ll tell you about Heavenly Wings Mountain secret stories. Follow me!”
You don’t have to tell me about them.
But it was difficult to refuse.
‘It would be awkward if I refuse the words of a senior who said he will give the information to the hardworking Newspaper Club member who even entered Heavenly Wings Mountain in the dead of the night to gather materials, right?… ‘
Like this half-forced Heavenly Wings Mountain ghost story tour started.
I tried to think of what kind of excuse to make and leave in the middle, but…
‘It’s more useful than expected.’
As a hiker obsessed with the Energy of Universe, Woo Gihwan was the Heavenly Wings Mountain expert.
He easily went around introducing me to Heavenly Wings Mountain.
The places in Heavenly Wings Mountain like hidden side roads, shortcuts, mineral springs, buildings, pavilions, bridges…
The information that wasn’t even on the Eungwang School’s homepage or in Newspaper Club’s materials, poured out.
“There, if you follow the next Heavenly Mountain black ore valley, a small gorge will appear. In the opposite direction, the gorge leads to the sky bridge…”
And every time we moved to another location, Woo Gihwon talked about ghost stories.
Dead which wanders on the sky bridge between white stone gorge and black stone gorge.
Five wells which appear on the ridge leading to the Heavenly Wings Mountain White Clouds Peak.
Will-o-wisp which hover above the boulders with fallen leaves.
Ghost, which is visible only around the star reading boulder or when it snows.
Barking of the guide dog leading dead to the underworld which is heard on the side of the hill where cold wind blows.
‘Among those, if it’s barking… Are you talking about Snare perhaps?’
However there is no way that our cute and clever Snare’s barking would turn into a ghost story.
An underworld’s guide dog you say? There is no way.
It’s probably the barking of some other dog or auditory hallucination, right?
“Ah, thinking about it, the sound of that hell dog’s barking wasn’t heard since this year.”
“It must be there was nothing like underworld’s guide dog from the beginning. As you know there is a lot of nonsense mixed in with the ghost stories.”
“I also heard it a few times.”
“It had to be an auditory hallucination. You heard that wrongly.”
“… Why is this ghost story so thoroughly rejected? Well, let’s move to the next ghost story.”
Woo Gihwon tilted his head, but anyhow no is no.
Like this, our Heavenly Mountain’s famous spooky location hunt ended at dawn.
“If you just don’t covet the Energy of Universe, you can contact me anytime.”
After finishing exchanging device codes with Woo Gihwon, who was making the sound of a lost mind until the last moment.
I headed to my dormitory room.
‘Meeting with Woo Gihwon was out of my expectations, but today’s ghost story tour will make the Heavenly Wings Mountain’s exploration much easier.’
I still wasn’t able to identify the ghost gates, but I checked Heavenly Wings Mountain’s hidden ghost stories, side roads, structures, etc.
The holographic map was full of memos filled while listening to Woo Gihwon’s stories.
‘Are some of those Heavenly Wings Mountain ghost stories factual?’
I recalled Hwang Jiho who was smiling meaningfully when the ghost stories came out.
‘If it’s that guy, he would know something.’
As I thought about that bastard who was our class’ first freak and guardian of the divine realm, I also recalled the Nok tribe’s elixir, which was torturing me for the past week by association.
‘Thinking about it, it seems my night vision today got better.’
It seemed that I was able to see well even in places without lighting when wandering around the Heavenly Wings Mountain.
‘Let’s test it.’
I stared at the side of the Heavenly Wings Mountain visible beyond the dormitory window.
‘Ho tribe’s eyes’ performance gets better the darker it is.’
If we talk in game terminology, Baek Ho-gun’s search range increased the darker the map was.
When I stared at the distant place for a few seconds.
I had a feeling of a superpower wave pouring into my eyes together with my vision rapidly changing.
‘Uh…!’
In the darkness, when the sun had yet not risen.
Pine tree planted in the Heavenly Wings Mountain range.
Pinecones of that pine tree.
Pine needles around pinecones.
I saw everything perfectly.
There was quite some distance between us, but I saw all those things, which there should be no way for me to see with this amount of light and distance.
‘These are the eyes of the Ho tribe, huh!’
After I blinked a few times, momentary pain flickered in my eyeball as if it was burning.
It was not enough that I couldn’t endure it, but as I closed my eyes, because of the moment of pain my vision was sealed.
‘It’s dangerous to have your vision sealed in the middle of a battle.’
I had a feeling that my body still couldn’t follow the improved performance of my eyes.
I may have to practice a bit more.
Then I suddenly recalled an important fact.
‘Ho tribe’s eyes have special skill.’
Supposing I truly obtained the Ho tribe’s eyes, I would have one more skill.
The pain in my eyeballs still remained, but I was able to endure it in a good mood thinking about the chess pieces I could use increasing by one.
I felt the fruits of surviving that hellish taste.
***
Late hour.
In the house made to look like a cafe.
Kim Yuri, who returned to the house without anyone, after studying at the school library until late night.
She had a dark expression.
‘It feels like I’m using Dain…’
There was about a month left until final exams.
It wasn’t strange to start studying for exams.
However, it was because she hated to be alone, that she studied together with An Dain until late hour.
‘… I have to check the notice from the Association.’
Kim Yuri checked the notice, which she couldn’t bear to open at school.
[Player safety management and planning office, teenage Player support team]
After checking the sender, she checked the content with trembling hands.
[Reconfirming: Gwangrim Sealing Art is impossible to prolong]
The moment she read the first, her vision turned pitch black.
Summarizing the following content, it was impossible to seal Kim Yuri’s Gwangrim with the standards of the currently existing Sealing Art.
A few days ago she received a notice about the impossibility of extending the Sealing Art.
The notice now was the result of her immediately requesting superpower wave re-examination.
‘It can’t be…’
When she first received the notice about the impossibility of prolonging Gwangrim Sealing Art, Kim Yuri couldn’t forget the expression of despair her father made.
Her father, who was laboriously comforting her, in the end, formed an abnormality in his heart and had to be hospitalized.
He didn’t say anything, but she could guess that he was extremely worried about her and it was too much for his weak heart.
‘What do I do, what should I do!?’
Under Kim Yuri’s long sleeve school uniform shirt and large wristwatch.
The seal of Gwangrim Sealing Art was gradually turning blurry.
She sat alone in the brightly lit living room, unable to get even a wink of sleep and trembling in fear.
***
Next day morning.
1st year class 0’s classroom.
“Yuri, you couldn’t sleep yesterday? You have black circles under the eyes.”
“Your eyes are also a bit bloodshot.”
As I opened the classroom door, I heard the worried voices of Kwon Lena and Han Yi.
“Haha, yesterday I was studying for the final exams until late, so I went to sleep a bit late.”
Kim Yuri replied with a bright tone as usual.
Her face looked tired, but looking only from the side, she looked like nothing but a student tired from studying for exams.
But in my eyes, who knew about the information in the game, it looked different.
‘I guess she received the reconfirmation about the impossibility of prolonging the Gwangrim Sealing Art… She probably wasn’t able to get a wink of sleep.’
The class children, who heard Kim Yuri’s reply, were worried.
“The final exams start in July, correct? There is still a lot of time left, so you can’t force yourself!” [3]
“President… Are you okay?”
“Thank you for worrying…!”
Kim Yuri spoke while smiling, but it seemed like half bluff.
I decided to make the best suggestion I could do at the current moment.
“It’s a bit early, but how about forming the final exam preparation study group? I hoped that this time all class kids can do it together.”
It was just the right timing as the topic of final exams came out.
The children who heard my suggestion each said a word:
“Previous time it was only dormitory students, correct? It was because only dormitory students can enter the Earthly Wings Council Building study room…”
“Yeah. And it was too late for guys who go to school from home. Even so, it would be better if we study together!”
“… If it isn’t too late, I want to do it too.”
The class children’s reaction was positive.
“Then someone’s house in Eungwang District? If not, let’s receive a permit to use class 0’s classroom until late.”
After I said that, Kim Yuri jumped from her seat.
“Hey, that’s it. My house will be empty for some time!”
Done.
As I thought, Kim Yuri spoke up.
‘There was a description that Kim Yuri at that time continued to immerse herself in negative thoughts, as she stayed alone at the house without her family.’
By holding a study group at Kim Yuri’s house, I planned to increase the time she spent together with class children as much as possible.
“Yes? Can I? However, being indebted to you for such a long time is a bit…” [4]
“I was a bit anxious because of my grades, but I would be thankful if Yuri helps… Won’t it hinder you?”
“No. It’s perfectly fine! Rather, I was lonely because my parent-nims aren’t around. It would be great if we could hold a study group at my house!”
Kim Yuri spoke with a bright voice.
Worthy of talented class president, she immediately perked up and started to make plans for the study group.
It seemed that all class children currently attending the school would be joining the final exam study group.
“It looks like some kind of secret scheme.”
“What are you talking about?”
While children were absorbed in making study group plans.
Hwang Jiho spoke with a low voice.
“Malicious comments about Min Geurin, I find the investigation results a bit annoying.”
A bit annoying?
“Someone without fear was trading Eungwang School’s community IDs. Almost all bastards writing malicious comments about Min Geurin are using traded IDs.”
Did they go to such lengths to make malicious comments about Min Geurin?
“It’s not one or two traded IDs. The person in charge of Eungwang School webpage made an utter mess. It operates on the fact that faculty members whose contract period ended and students who were expelled can still use the Eungwang School community.”
“So currently the IDs were sold by someone to people who are no different from outsiders, huh?”
“Yeah. Those IDs were bought by someone who posts malicious comments.”
There were some times when I couldn’t wrap my head around the general bulletin because its atmosphere went that crazy, but I guess that was the reason.
“Thanks to that, the content to investigate is enormous and complex. The circumstances in which the trade was made, the buyer’s identity, the record of malicious comments and public opinion manipulating posts that were made… To begin with, we’re going to suspend all traded IDs to block malicious comments, but catching the culprit will take time.”
The moment Hwang Jiho’s words ended, Yong Jegeon, who seemed to be in an extremely good mood even today, entered and the start of the day meeting started.
While I contemplated what kind of move I should play in the future, the start-of-the-day meeting with the Game category Yong passed.
*~*~*
[1] No title – ‘Ghost stories, paintings and clues (2)’ =-=
[2] Woo Gihwan – U(우) Gihwan according to official revised romanization, but as we are treating one-letter-surname intolerance, it’s Woo.
[3] “The final exams start in July, correct? There is still a lot of time left, so you can’t force yourself!” – Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
[4] “Yes? Can I? However, being indebted to you for such a long time is a bit…” – Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
Translator’s note: More ghost stories~
(Also Yuri… ㅠㅠ)
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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