It was a certain point in time, perhaps in the future, or possibly in the past.
The war showed no signs of ending.
Jung Hae-in and Yoo Hana were trapped in the endless encirclement of the enemy.
It was insufficient to say that all sides were enemies.
At the moment an unknowable chill passed behind them, Yoo Hana instinctively turned her head.
-Whoosh!
A sharp blade streaked across her vision.
‘This is the end…’
Yoo Hana cursed herself for letting her guard down for even a moment.
But the blade didn’t strike her.
-Plop!
Deep into the chest of Jung Hae-in, who had been cutting down enemies in the front, a wound was gouged. His body slid and fell against the wall.
“No!!”
Yoo Hana’s scream ripped through the air.
Even until he collapsed, Jung Hae-in did not let go of his vigilance over his surroundings for even a moment.
While sweeping away the enemies rushing in from the front, he kept watching over his comrades stationed at the rear.
“This is something I can never get used to, no matter when…”
Jung Hae-in coughed out blood at the end of his words.
Clutching the hole in his chest, he tried to choke out a voice that wouldn’t come.
“Please… please… please…”
Yoo Hana tried to stop the blood flowing out with her trembling hands.
But the blood continued to seep through her fingertips.
“Yoo Hana…”
He raised his head.
“Even though I’ve thought about it a lot, I may have been wrong.”
“No, don’t say that… please.”
-Ah!
-Aaaaaaaaa!
The cries of the heroes falling at the rear rang out. The enemies flooding in, the defenses crumbling bit by bit.
With Jung Hae-in’s fall, the situation rapidly deteriorated.
He wasn’t someone who was only entrusted with the task of breaking through the front.
He was the linchpin that controlled every situation, sensed danger, and supported the entire team.
As soon as he was lost, the battlefield plunged into chaos.
Everyone had been hiding behind his shield.
Yoo Hana closed her eyes.
“I will… follow too.”
She carefully kissed his forehead and stood up. Someone needed to replace the shield that had disappeared.
However, Jung Hae-in shook his head.
“You’re not going to die. Never.”
His voice was weak but resolute.
At that moment, Yoo Hana couldn’t understand his words.
And this memory—
Was merely a tiny part out of the countless memories of his deaths.
The very first one.
Turning back to the day of the enrollment ceremony.
Yoo Hana quietly sat in the corner of the auditorium for the ceremony. Among the murmuring students, her gaze was fixed on one person.
‘There he is.’
Neatly dressed with delicate features, Jung Hae-in quietly sat without showing any intention to stand out.
Yet his expression wasn’t good. He was deep in thought.
‘Still worrying all by yourself again.’
Looking at his thoughtful face, Yoo Hana smiled faintly.
This time, she resolved not to leave him alone and not to let him struggle alone.
Then, Cheon Yeoul approached beside Jung Hae-in.
With a natural smile, she casually struck up a conversation with him as if they’d known each other for a long time.
‘…That woman.’
Yoo Hana’s fingers unconsciously tensed.
With everything being as hectic as it was already, the problem was women with the title of Saint like her, always pretending to be compassionate and offering help like they could do something.
Yoo Hana quietly took a deep breath, deciding to observe for now.
However, that feeling erupted during the weapon selection.
Cheon Yeoul’s bothersome behavior carried on even during the selection of equipment.
Jung Hae-in was standing in front of the spear.
He seemed to be hesitating in his selection, but his pause in front of the spear gave the impression of a decision about to be made.
‘Hurry up!’
Yoo Hae silently urged his choice in her heart.
Once again, she hoped he would choose the spear.
Because you were never wrong.
The ones who were wrong were us.
However, Cheon Yeoul blocked his choice—even forcing him into another selection.
Though it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible, this crossed the line.
And so Yoo Hana moved.
After a brief exchange with Cheon Yeoul, she quietly stepped back.
“I’ll handle it myself.”
Leaving those words behind, Jung Hae-in clung to his choice. Chances are, it would’ve been the same even if I hadn’t interfered.
Watching his resolution, Yoo Hana felt a strange excitement rise deep within her, and her heart pounded wildly.
The posture of holding the spear, the aura, the unwavering gaze, and the resolute tone—all were perfectly identical.
‘That’s right…’
He had never changed at all.
It wasn’t me who chose to change things; it was Yoo Hana.
“Huh? Respond.”
After making a cool decision, Yoo Hana looked at me with a sly smile.
Even though her expression was carefree, an inexplicable instinct loudly warned me not to hit her in the back of the head.
‘Even if it doesn’t matter…’
I really had no intention of hiding it.
After all, the old man didn’t even give me a chance to hide.
I thought someone among the students would find out.
Well, for someone like Yoo Hana with a prestigious background and excellent information network, it wasn’t really strange for her to figure out who I am.
Thus, the repeated encounters during the weapon selection and morning runs become somewhat understandable.
She is the daughter of the Yoo family.
Building connections with promising students here was naturally important for her.
As for the case with Cheon Yeoul… though I don’t quite understand yet, it seems to be somewhat similar to Yoo Hana’s.
“Really… really you’re that ‘Mokguie’?”
Yoon Sanghyuk’s voice still trembled. He still couldn’t accept the reality.
Mokguie.
A nickname that came about due to his disappearance after handling the wave.
He was once very famous, but now it has somewhat diminished.
In reality, I never suddenly disappeared. I just waited sitting there for the association to come.
And when I opened my eyes, I had become Mokguie.
A product of the hero commercialization and the perfect image-making of the Hero Association.
The Association advised me to enroll in Gaon, which I accepted. It was what I wanted anyway.
Of course, the enrollment was kept strictly confidential.
And naturally, my rank was…
[Undeterminable]
“Haha, how do you even measure this?”
I remember the face of the examiner sweating profusely while explaining.
The entrance test was over, and the reason given was that I had overwhelmingly surpassed the average level of the students.
“What? Even if you do this, can you just accept me? We don’t even know your origin or the academy you previously attended?”
“Then, ask the school head to stop any random student on the way and ask them to block a 5-grade wave.”
“…”
The principal’s face, silent like someone who has eaten honey.
Anyway, before the official school examination, my rank does not exist.
“I am.”
I calmly answered. There was no need to hide more as the rumors had already spread.
Even trying to deny them wouldn’t change anything.
Yoon Sanghyuk kept staring at me, unable to continue speaking.
I casually shifted my gaze to Yoo Hana.
“And the team…”
Yoo Hana was still looking at me, waiting for the next words from my mouth.
“Let’s all go together. Somehow, I feel it has to be this way.”
When I said that, Yoo Hana looked at me and smiled.
“Okay, sounds good.”
She surprisingly accepted it without resistance.
It seems team composition didn’t really matter to her.
“Daehyun, what do you think?”
“I am… okay with it.”
Kim Daehyun answered with a bewildered expression.
Now, just two are left.
The two who are reading my mind. And… what was his name again?
“What’s your name?”
The boy standing beside Yoon Sanghyuk answered hesitantly.
“M… Lee Sangbong. Rank 189.”
“Alright, Sangbong, Sanghyuk, are you in?”
I naturally placed my hands on their shoulders.
Then I smiled slightly and added,
“You can go on your own if you don’t want to.”
“I’ll do it…”
Both answered with a pained expression.
But it’ll be good for you too.
Because this training ground itself is a test.
The instructor didn’t randomly divide the students.
The ratio is one top-tier, two upper-mid tiers, and two lower tiers.
It’s an intended distribution.
Students who enter as top-tier in the world’s best academy are brimming with self-confidence. They have a tendency to ignore or be domineering towards the lower tiers, naturally causing conflicts or splits within the team.
“But pride isn’t limited to just the upper tier.”
Students labeled as lower tier were also elites before coming here, cherished talents wherever they were.
The sudden drop in rank and the label of “lower tier” inflicts immense disgrace upon them.
Inevitably, the team is often torn apart by the domineering attitude of the top tiers and the resistance from the lower ones.
And that intense clash of pride is what the instructor wants.
And as if revealing that intent, the lush bushes in front of us have several branching paths to enter.
“Your unit formation appears to be complete. The real training begins now.”
“Break through the forest ahead with your formed unit.”
A sharp voice echoed.
As the broadcast ended, the magical fence blocking the lush bushes was lifted.
“Finally seeing the light, huh?”
It’s about time things start flowing the way I know them.
I looked around at the team members.
“Let’s go.”
