Chapter 6
“Is… this a dream?”
The students couldn’t believe what was happening in the middle of the cafeteria.
It was surreal.
Two boys covered in food were going on a rampage and throwing utensils. A large variety of food flew in different directions. If it hadn’t been for the teacher who arrived at the cafeteria and hastily intervened, many students would’ve been forced to eat cup noodles for lunch that day.
“Ten demerit points each!” the teacher yelled.
“Uh?”
“......”
Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin were both frustrated.
***
“......”
Jae-Hyeok’s soul had half left his body.
From the assorted pile on his plate, Jae-Hyeok shoveled bread into his mouth with a frown. Twenty demerit points after half a day of going to school…
Wasn’t that too much? Jae-Hyeok hadn’t expected school to be so dangerous. He, Kang Jae-Hyeok, the great Yaksha’s successor and only remaining bloodline heir, was in danger of being expelled due to demerit points?
Kim Jin-Myeong and Park Geo Seo…
Remembering the two teachers who penalized him, Jae-Hyeok tore off another piece of bread with his teeth.
They don’t look weak but...
Jae-Hyeok thought about the tactics he’d used to come out on top against the intruder a few days ago. If he started with a surprise attack, he was confident that he would win.
I just need to catch and beat them until they beg for mercy. Then, won’t they naturally agree to remove the demerit points?
Before today, Jae-Hyeok had never been to school. As far as he was concerned, the only differences between a student and a teacher were age and strength.
Respect?
That was something that had to be nurtured and earned. There was no way Jae-Hyeok would develop respect for his teachers on the first day of school.
First, I’ll figure out their movements and kidnap them in a deserted place...
“There’s a way to get rid of the demerit points.”
Jae-Hyeok was making serious plans when he heard a voice and came to his senses.
Between spoonfuls of porridge, the little boy across from him spoke with a serious expression. “Kill the teacher who gave them to you and erase the record.”
“......”
“I’ll do the killing. But my weapon is a bit loud. I’ll need you to keep watch nearby.”
Baek Do-Jin’s voice was still rough with anger. It was like watching a growling beast.
Kind of like a chihuahua… No, like a chihuahua wearing a lion’s mane…, Jae-Hyeok thought
Baek Do-Jin senses were keen. When he saw the look in Jae-Hyeok’s eyes, he exuded killing intent. “What are you thinking about? Maybe I should kill you too.”
Jae-Hyeok wasn’t intimidated. Ignoring the threat, he shrugged and commented on Do-Jin's plan, “Killing is easy to talk about but hard to do for a newbie like you.”
Jae-Hyeok had expected the other person to lose his temper again, but Baek Do-Jin replied calmly, “...You’re wrong, I fully understand the weight of death.”
Jae-Hyeok studied the boy’s expression for a moment. Whatever his story is, it’s probably not ordinary… He replied, “Brat, if you know that, then why are you talking about killing someone over demerit points?”
Baek Do-Jin thumped the table with his small fist. “Then what should I do? I’ve already accumulated forty-five demerit points. There’s no way I’ll escape expulsion at this rate.”
“Wow.” Jae-Hyeok was impressed. “Just how hopeless are you? It’s only been ten days since the entrance ceremony, yet you already have forty-five demerit points?”
“What? No. I’m in my second year. Who would get forty-five demerit points after just ten days here?”
“Oh.” Jae-Hyeok’s interest faded. He had nearly half that amount of demerit points within his first half day at school. It turned out they were in completely different leagues. “Wait, you’re a second-year student? You?”
“......”
And like that, another fight broke out.
“Kyaack!”
Hit hit!
Fortunately for everyone else, both Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin realized that they were stuck in the same boat. Instead of fists and plates, this time they exchanged blows using slices of bread. They even kept the commotion small, starting and stopping as needed, to prevent the teachers from noticing.
Eventually, Jae-Hyeok emerged the victor. He smiled triumphantly. “Didn’t you see my plate? You need to plan and prepare before warring against an enemy with deep reserves.”
“Dammit,” Do-Jin cursed as he wiped at the faint flour marks on his clothes.
After their second battle, the air around the two boys had relaxed. Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin’s tones had lost their edge.
Jae-Hyeok told him, “As the winner, let me impart some advice to you. Don’t think about killing people so easily. If you’re caught, and it wasn’t self defense, your only outcome will be prison.”
Do-Jin was silent for a moment. “Bad guys deserve to die.”
“Right.” Jae-Hyeok nodded. “Still, just because they gave us demerit points doesn’t mean that they are bad people, right? After all, we broke the rules.”
“But I’ve never seen a case where a teacher dished out ten demerit points at once. It’s unreasonable. It’s malicious,” Do-Jin grumbled.
Jae-Hyeok was confused. “Wait… I thought the minimum was ten points?”
“No, normally they only give one to three demerit points.”
“Should… I kill him?”
“......?”
Jae-Hyeok trembled with anger.
He wasn’t mad at his most recent addition of points. That was understandable—He and the boy had knocked over several buffet tables, and if their fight hadn’t been stopped early, there was a good chance that hundreds of students would’ve gone hungry thanks to them. Unlike the kid in front of him, Jae-Hyeok was mature and reasonable. He understood that getting ten demerit points for what they did was fair.
But… the ten demerit points that Kim Jin-Myeong had slapped him with were entirely different. What had he done that was so bad? All he did was warn other students not to cross the line and insult his father. How did that warrant an entire ten demerit points? Was the teacher using him to set an example for the rest of the class?
“Okay…For now... let’s do things moderately with Park Geo-Seo. We will peacefully persuade him to remove the demerit points,” Jae-Hyeok eventually said.
“What if persuasion doesn’t work?
“At that time, well… ”
“I understand. It’s reasonable.” Do-Ji nodded behind steepled fingers.
The two of them were seriously making plans when someone interrupted them.
“W-what do you mean reasonable! No! How could y-you!”
It was a female student sitting at the same table as Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin.
She was unlucky.
She’d arrived late to the cafeteria, so she was forced to sit at the only table with free seats left, which was Jae-Hyeok and Do-jin’s table.
The whole time, she couldn’t help listening in on the two strange boys. She’d been so absorbed in their antics that her spoon wandered around her lips and never entered her mouth. But now that their conversation had reached this point, she just had to say something.
She stuttered, “Y-you said you’re going to threaten and possibly kill a teacher! Is this the attitude of a student!?”
Baek Do-Jin looked at the girl, who had gotten sauce on her mouth, in pity. “Are you a bit slow?”
Unexpectedly, Jae-Hyeok defended her. “You shouldn’t talk carelessly to a sick person.”
“Good point… So, what do we do with her?”
Jae-Hyeok thought about it. “Well, the intruder I met a few days ago told me that you're not supposed to let witnesses live.”
“H-hiiik!” She, Chae Da-Hee, wasn’t someone who pursued wealth and honor. She’d awakened with the pure, noble determination to protect others.
In the past, there had been a gate where the quest failed to be cleared. She’d watched firsthand as monsters escaped the gate, destroyed the city, and slaughtered the people. She’d also watched the players arrive, swooping in to destroy the monsters and save lives. Players were heroes to her.
And she’d entered Lion’s Castle to be someone's hero, too.
One day, she would save countless people… So no matter what, she couldn’t let herself fall to some random villains.
“P-please spare me! I want to live!” Chae Da-Hee immediately pleaded. Tears were rapidly welling up in her eyes.
As Chae Da-Hee began kicking up a fuss, other nearby students started looking their way. Nervous, Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin immediately went into damage control. Jae-Hyeok, especially, was quick to start talking nonsense.
“Shh—No, what... Can’t I even make a joke?”
“Y-yeah, it was a joke.”
After some cajoling, Chae Da-Hee slowly calmed down.
She took out a handkerchief and dabbed her tears, but when part of the cloth came away with sauce, her face went flush. She glared at Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin as if her current state was their fault.
The two boys looked at each other in confusion.
“What are you looking at? Hmph.” Fueled by anger, Chae Da-Hee spoke loudly, “Anyway, with your behavior, are you even students of Lion’s Castle? And you… Don’t you feel ashamed on behalf of Duke Kang Dae-Guk, who dedicated himself to protecting this place? You should’ve learned from him that players exist to protect people! You should use the time you spend thinking about how to hurt people on studying history—mmph!”
Do-Jin blocked her mouth with his hand. “Shut it! Thanks to you, our plan—”
Jae-Hyeok intervened. “Let her go. She’s going to hurt herself.”
“......?”
Do-Jin looked over at Jae-Hyeok, stunned. Why was Jae-Hyeok’s voice so gentle all of a sudden?
He thought he’d figured out Jae-Hyeok’s personality within twenty minutes of meeting him, but there was this unexpected side to him.
“Did you eat something bad?” Do-Jin wondered.
“Well, I ate porridge thanks to a certain someone.”
Do-Jin grumbled but removed his hand.
The atmosphere calmed down a lot thanks to Jae-Hyeok’s change in attitude, but Chae Da-Hee was persistent.
“D-don’t hurt people carelessly.”
“Don’t worry,” Jae-Hyeok said reassuringly.
“ So you… aren’t going to do it, then?”
Jae-Hyeok’s tone was gentle. “Relax, relax. Our only goal is just to get rid of our demerit points.”
That’s not a clear answer!
Aside from his sweet expression and tone, it still seemed that Jae-Hyeok was planning something terrible.
Da-Hee was awed by Jae-Hyeok’s level of shamelessness, not that she dared to say it. She tried to reason with the villain, “D-demerit points can be erased with the grades you get for doing well on tests or in training.”
“Wait, really? That’s great news. I guess I don’t have to worry after all.” Jae-hyeok was happy.
Do-Jin’s expression turned sour. “Tsk. If it was as easy as you think, would I have accumulated forty-five?”
That surprised Jae-Hyeok. “Hm. You’re right. Someone as good as you should have high grades in training.”
“I’m strong, but I’m not versatile,” Do-Jin replied. “In every field, there are people better than me.”
“Wow.” Jae-Hyeok looked Do-Jin up and down. “If you’re going to be confident, then stay confident. What’s with this humble attitude all of the sudden?” Do-Jin looked away in annoyance. “In any case, I’m in a situation where my feet are on fire, unlike you, the runner-up freshman!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll put out that fire.” Jae-Hyeok laughed. “I’ll help you gain better control of your body, so you should join the team I’m going to make.”
According to the class guide, team classes and competitions were always held in Lion’s Castle. In some cases, they even gave elixirs as rewards for winning a competition.
From Jae-Hyeok’s perspective, it was a priority to find people he could use.
“You want me on your team?”
A freshman was going to teach a second-year?
It would’ve been normal for Do-Jin to feel bad since he was one of the second-year elites. However, he’d just experienced Jae-Hyeok’s skills firsthand. There was no reason to refuse.
The corners of Do-Jin’s lips squirmed, and he coughed. “Well, If you want me on your team that badly, I guess it can’t be helped. Heh. Hmm.”
Jae-Hyeok stared at Do-Jin, who was trying to suppress his happy laughter.
“By the way,” Jae-Hyeok began. “Earlier, why did you mistake me for the runner-up freshman and not the first in the year?”
“Ah, well, the heir of the Shinra family was admitted this year.”
“Shinra? I see... If the opponent is that silver-haired monster, then they will surely be several levels higher than me.”
The Shinra were of the famous ducal families that had produced National Treasures for generations. Even the Kang family looked shabby in front of the Shinra family.
Even Jae-Hyeok had to admit that since he had yet to awaken, he had no right to compete with the heir of the Shinra family.
It might be a different story once I awaken and level up… After all, in the past, his father had also been a better player than the current head of the Shinra family.
“But why would the Shinra family’s successor enter Lion’s Castle? Wouldn’t it have been much faster for the Shinra heir to attack gates with their family’s vassals?” Jae-hyeok wondered.
Of course, Lion’s Castle also had its own advantages. Since the gate was so large and contained such a vast number of environments, players were able to gain diverse experiences and knowledge about lands and ecosystems that they might encounter elsewhere.
Still, the Shinra family’s heir was in a position to power level inside other gates using the effort and protection of their family's vassals.
Do-Jin replied, “Maybe the successor is trying to build connections and develop leadership skills?”
“But why build connections here? Hmm... ”
It was a plausible guess, but Jae-Hyeok still felt the reason might be something else.
“Um, excuse me… ”
Just as the atmosphere was becoming serious, Chae Da-Hee raised her hand. “Actually, I’m the runner-up freshman.”
“......?”
“......?”
Both Jae-Hyeok and Do-Jin responded together, “You?”
This girl?? She was the runner-up freshman?
Da-Hee saw the look exchanged between the two boys and puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
Comments
Top