Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
48. First practice (3)
The Eternal Lake team was fully ready ahead of Kwon Lena’s first practice.
Under Kwon Jane’s status as an honorary teacher, they would enter the field and very naturally start a performance, their plan was perfect.
As such, there was a reason why the Eternal Lake’s team members arrived later than planned.
“Jared. The results of the investigation You requested before came out!”
Just before departure, the youngest member among the Eternal Lake’s executives called Jared.
“The Master Craftsman’s disciple, student Mok Uram belongs to the 1st year class 0, to which Lena-yang belongs to.”
“That student has a connection to ‘Pledge of Three Knights’?”
Some time ago, the Pledge of Three Knights’ side contacted Jared Lee and offered him to change teams.
After Jared Lee refused the offer at once, he checked their movements.
At the news that the elites of the Pledge of Three Knights entered Korea, Jared Lee mobilized his authority as the team sub-master and personal connections to find their goal.
“It seems they keep searching for Master Craftsman’s disciple. There is an eyewitness testimony that they offered student Mok Uram to join the team, but failed.”
“Uram-gun is an outstanding student, huh? Then the reason the Knights came to Korea is to negotiate[1] with Uram-gun?”
“There is a possibility of that, but what about this?”
The young executive opened a few holograms.
In the hologram, the date of Mok Uram entering the country and his hospitalization was expressed on the timeline.
“The Pledge of Three Knights bribed the Player Association China branch’s Chengdu office and the police in charge of that area, to hinder student Mok Uram’s return to home.”
“Hinder his return to home?”
“Yes. And just after student Mok Uram returned, he was assumed to have suffered major injuries.”
The young executive pointed at the dates of Mok Uram’s hospitalization and discharge as he spoke.
“There is no clear evidence. From now on, I’m speaking based on my guess…”
He very carefully continued his words.
“The goal of coming to Korea of the elites of Pledge of Three Knights is to either negotiate with student Mok Uram again or kill him. It’s one of the two.”
Jared Lee doubted if he understood Korean properly, and then his complexion turned pale.
Because he judged that if those Knights were the three team masters, who led the ‘Pledge of Three Knights’, they would naturally do something like that.
But in a situation without any evidence, he couldn’t hastily inform Eungwang School, Association or the Korean government about it.
Both the Eternal Lake and Pledge of Three Knights were great teams, considered as one of the world top 10 Pro Player teams.
If that little ‘guess’ spread to the public, there was a chance it would lead to an all-out war between the two Pro Player teams.
“After student Mok Uram returned home, he almost never leave Eungwang School. He went to the Ju-Oh Island, but as he moved with a massive, over 150, group of people of students teachers and staff and the cruiser ‘Son of Heaven’, they wouldn’t dare to aim at him.”
The young executive spoke up to there and shut his mouth.
There was no additional explanation, but Jared Lee somehow figured out what the executive kept to himself.
“… If they’re aiming at Uram-gun, they would attack today, eh?”
Even if accompanied by a teacher, the injured people would appear during the otherworld conquest attack team practice and if it overlapped with an incident, they would be dead.
Player’s assassination during an otherworld conquest.
There were big variables like an otherworld and Enemies, but if it was the elites of the world’s top 10’s Pro Player team, they would have enough ability to plan an assassination and carry it out.
“Jared, what do you mean aiming at Uram?”
Kwon Jane suddenly spoke up behind him.
After the young executive briefly explained it to Kwon Jane, her face turned white.
“This may happen today? On Lena’s first practice?”
“There is no clear evidence. It may not be. We weren’t able to figure it out for certain yet…”
“Even if we say it’s a fact, they may not aim today, but some other day…”
Jared Lee’s and the young executive’s words trailed off.
There was still no clear evidence.
In addition, a light friction between the two teams continued triggered by Jared Lee, who belonged to the Pledge of Three Knights, moving to the Eternal Lake.
It was a difficult matter to speculate on and too vague to request Kwon Jane to step out.
“Do you remember the violin piece Lena gifted as a souvenir after coming back from Ju-Oh Island?”
“Naturally I remember that! I also got my share!”
“Of course. Lena-yang has a delicate and graceful sense worthy of Kwon Jane-nim’s flesh and blood.”
Kwon Jane abruptly brought out the story, but Jared Lee and the young executive responded straight away.
Kwon Jane continued to speak calmly.
“Lena said that gift was made with Uram’s help. Uram is Lena’s class friend.”
“Ah…”
“It was like that, eh…?” [2]
“In the future, if there is a situation related to Eungwang School, especially if it’s even a little bit related to Lena, report it straight away. Especially Uram. Don’t forget that Uram is the sole disciple that Person left.”
Kwon Jane quietly looked at the two people, who shut their mouths, with blue eyes and then spoke.
“Tell team members on the stand-by to arm themselves and assemble.”
Pat!
Kwon Jane materialized an item card.
The materialized item was a blue cape with the Eternal Lake team mark.
“If something happens, we can personally solve it. If nothing happens… please play along with me. I want to give Lena and her class friends a performance.”
It took time for the Eternal Lake team members to arm themselves and assemble.
As a result of it, they ended up being late.
Besides Kwon Jane being dejected by the fact that she couldn’t perform a march song for her niece, there was nothing particular.
Until Jared Lee confirmed the change of the otherworld’s difficulty.
“We have to enter! If You think it’s dangerous for us as practice observers to join, then instead…”
“You can’t!”
One of the Eternal Lake team members was about to run into the Otherworld crack, but Jared Lee blocked them.
Jared Lee continued to activate the ‘Danger Detection’ skill following it with the ‘Otherworld Analysis’ skill.
Kiiiig…!
Superpower wave flowed from Jared Lee’s palm and was sucked into the otherworld crack.
Jared Lee, who analyzed the otherworld structure through the process of superpower wave dispersion, shouted with a trembling voice.
“… This is an evolution type otherworld with a merging reflection structure.”
Piiiiiiing!
Matching Jared Lee’s analysis, the Association’s warning alarm was received by the devices around.
It was informing about the detected change in otherworld difficulty.
It indicated that the R rank difficulty otherworlds, which the 1st year class 0, class 1 and class 2’s students were currently practicing changed to ‘assumed to be at least SR rank’.
‘At least SR rank’ meant that it could be higher than that.
“It currently remains on the SR rank. However, if the number of attack team members increases, it will become more complex and evolve into an otherworld of higher difficulty!”
“Yes? Th-Then the kids, who are currently conquering it…”
The renowned Pro Players kept their composure, but Kim Yuri couldn’t do that.
At the words that an abnormality formed in the otherworld the class children entered for the first practice, she suffered great shock and was shaken.
As a 1st year highschooler, she had yet to learn in-depth about the ‘merging reflection structure’ and ‘evolution type’ modifiers added to the otherworld, but she knew the rough meaning of it.
The type of otherworld, which changed its structure depending on the Players infiltrating it was ‘Reflection’ type, and the one which changed its difficulty was ‘Evolving type’.
In other words, it was a type of otherworld which was difficult to carelessly interfere from the outside.
“If we enter, the difficulty may increase even more.”
“Even so, there is a limit to the merging reflection structures, You know! If we enter and join…”
“Yeah. If it is us, it wouldn’t be difficult to break. Even if it’s Evolving type, at best it will raise to the SRR— rank from the R rank.”
Instead of Jared Lee, Kim Yuri looked at her homeroom teacher Ham Geun-hyeong.
Ham Geun-hyeong looked at the otherworld crack with a tumultuous face and opened his mouth.
“There wouldn’t be a problem if we joined straight away and the difficulty rises, or the children were just with teacher Yong Jegeon-nim. However, this is a ‘Maze type’ otherworld.”
At the words ‘Maze type’, Kim Yuri recalled the lesson she learned about the conquest method of the Maze type otherworlds.
In the case of Maze types, they are forcibly divided based on a gimmick, or they split into several entrances.
‘The children may be isolated…!’
Kim Yuri recalled the people who entered as an attack team.
There was no worry about the two beings who ‘weren’t human’.
The Game category Yong, Yong Jegeon and Hwang Jiho, who was presumed to be a Jin, those two wouldn’t have any problems.
And Maeng Hyodon and Han Yi were also strong.
However, there were also children like Sawol Seeum and Kwon Lena, who struggled to eradicate even R rank Enemies.
If they faced SR rank Enemies, they would endure but if the difficulty rises to SSR, those two maight die.
The stiffened Kim Yuri was left alone, and the situation continued to progress.
“Besides this place, four otherworlds occurred within 3km radius and the class 1 and 2’s students are in the middle of practice. I’m currently requesting reinforcements, but they may be late.”
“I’ll arrange our team members. Because there is a chance there is a similar situation there too.”
Ham Geun-hyeong and Kwon Jane cooperate to arrange the manpower, and the Eternal Lake’s team members disappeared heading to their destination with blue capes fluttering.
Kim Yuri stared at the otherworld crack with anxious eyes.
Reacting to the superpower wave of the anxious Kim Yuri, the higher being started to whisper something ceaselessly into her ears.
They reminded her of the existence of lakes and a river around and delicately recommended to set free the Gwangrim.
“Kim Yuri!”
After Ham Geun-hyeong roared with a tumultuous face, even the higher beings shut their mouths in an instant.
Kim Yuri suddenly came back to her senses.
After she came back to her senses, the ‘Danger Detection’ skill activated straight away.
An Enemy formed between the otherworld crack.
Kuuuuu…!
The Players, who were on stand-by, pointed their weapons at the materialized Enemy.
Kim Yuri judged that it wasn’t a situation she should fight and stepped back to not interrupt them.
When she was distancing herself from the otherworld crack, Kwon Jane spoke up.
“Are you worried about the class children?”
“… Yes?”
“I also fear if something happens to Lena.”
Kwon Jane raised the blue violin to her neck as she spoke.
“However, inside there is the dragon, the tiger and the Unknown Supernova.”
* * *
In this world, it’s easy to grow by bringing down powerful Enemies, and conquering high-difficulty otherworlds.
Like while conquering ‘Tutorial of unnamed supporting character’, I quickly raised my weapon proficiency.
If so, if one were to join the party with a powerful Player or a Jin and conquer a high-difficulty otherworld, wouldn’t they be able to easily and comfortably raise their level and proficiency?
Some would think like this, but one of this world’s enormous taboos was an action of free riding, colloquially called ‘piggy riding’.
It was desirable that the Player participate in the conquest of otherworld at the difficulty where they would be able to do at least one person’s share.
There would be no problems with a powerful Player accompanying, but even if they were left alone, they would be able to at least do their share.
It was because of this very situation.
‘I was left alone.’
The otherworld conquest method was said to be established to a certain degree, but incidents always happened.
In particular, there were sometimes such cases when one was left alone in the Maze type otherworld.
It was a position where one would be cut off from the attack team, who was piggy riding on the high-level Player and might die because they were left alone.
But this otherworld right now changed from the one we were briefed about, and most of the class children were noobs who experienced the otherworld for the first time.
‘How are the other children doing?’
I tried to use ‘Open map of the surrounding area’ through the Exclusive Menu, but I didn’t see anything besides my immediate surroundings.
It seemed that the minimap function couldn’t show me the information I didn’t reach with my own steps even in an otherworld.
So I decided to use a different method.
‘There is the Unknown Fate, so the Gwangrim limited time is more generous than before.’
⟨Using Gwangrim ‘Player’s Trajectory’.⟩
⟨Using target character’s Gwangrim ‘Eyes embracing Heaven and Earth’.⟩
After using Cheon Dong-ha’s Gwangrim, I felt as if thousands or millions of cameras were directly connected not to my eyes but to my brain and were pouring pictures and information into me.
The ‘Eyes embracing Heaven and Earth’ reflected the floor.
The space continued to the next floor beyond the maze.
Yong Jegeon talking with Maeng Hyodon, Han Yi and Min Geurin, with an ecstatic expression.
Hwang Jiho, who looked at Mok Uram and Song Daeseok, who were falling into panic.
They will probably be fine.
However, there was a problem.
‘The two weakest were separated!’
Sawol Seeum and Kwon Lena, who was attempting to communicate with the outside.
Those two were isolated.
*~*~*
[1] negotiate — it literally refers to casting somebody.
[2] “It was like that, eh…?” — this young executive sentence. They’re using a formal tone the entire time.
Translator’s note: It’s interesting how ‘reflection’ appears again. Before there was a reflection type Enemy in the Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
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