"What happened?"
It was Yoo Seowoo, of all people. If anyone had reason not to be shocked by seeing everyone dying off, it would be a lie.
Ignoring the question, Haewoon, who had laid Seowoo down, slumped into his seat. He didn't exude the same liveliness as before while wiping sweat, seeming drained from bringing along someone larger than himself.
Sihyun, rolling his gaze, looked at Seowoo. Seowoo, who seemed like he could wake up any moment and smile, now resembled a sleeping prince in a forest, showing no signs of movement. It was almost like seeing the dead students in the spider's space.
The only difference was that he was breathing slightly. Watching his chest rise and fall silently, Sihyun belatedly responded.
"When we went to find him, he was already injured. Surrounded by a dangerous Irregular, probably the work of Class C."
"Class C?"
"Yeah. They proposed something to us, and when we declined, they kept bothering us. It got annoying, so Seowoo said he'd try to calm them down and followed C to where they called him, but when we got there..."
"...He got into trouble."
"Yeah."
Sihyun, with a thoughtful expression, looked down at Seowoo. Seowoo, who was, on closer inspection, smart and sharp, wouldn't have fallen for something so obvious.
It felt like something was being overlooked.
"Let's focus on treating him first and then talk."
"Yeah."
Given the situation, pushing doubts aside and requesting a buff, a golden aura enveloped Sihyun. Although he had seen Hamin receive it, experiencing it firsthand was a first.
Feeling mana rising rapidly, Sihyun lowered himself to check Seowoo's injuries. The bleeding was extensive, and the wounds were significant. If there were several injuries, the amount of mana required to heal would be substantial. His forehead wrinkled. It seemed like a complete restoration of mana was being generously offered.
But since healing couldn't be ignored, Sihyun sighed and reached out, using his mana to touch and mend the injuries. As if light emanated from his fingertips, the bleeding stopped, and the wounds closed. Even the sound of bones readjusting suggested some fractures.
How on earth was he alive?
Even if one asked to get hurt, it seemed difficult to get hurt to this extent and still make it here.
Upon finishing the cleanse, Seowoo's breathing eased. Sihyun, who had silently incurred a debt to Seowoo, got up from his place. Haewoon sighed in relief. It was a virtual reality world anyway, so Kang Haewoon, even if his friend died, seemed not to be bothered, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"Phew, I almost got scolded by Hamin."
...No, maybe that's not it.
"So, what's this about C proposing?"
What do you mean by 'we'? Who were you with?
In his hurry, unable to ask what he hadn’t asked before, Haewoon shrugged his shoulders. His faint smile hinted at a sense of boredom and weariness.
"The bottom 8 in this assessment will be expelled. That's why they want to use some tricks. They said if 96 people all get the same score, no one will be expelled. Did this school look that dumb? No matter how you look at it, who could have such a childish thought?"
Even his usually cheerful voice seemed somewhat strained. 96 people all getting the same score. Sihyun, who had witnessed the dead students in the spider's space, couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. This time, he agreed with Kang Haewoon's thoughts.
It's just nonsensical talk. Surely, they didn't really think, 'Let's all live together,' and the intended purpose was to restrain Class A like Seowoo. It was evident they were pulling in Irregulars to launch a joint attack.
"It's not just Kang Donghyuk being lazy. So what are we?"
"Haru hyung and Hamin."
"Together?"
"Yeah. They're still in battle. Since Seowoo's condition is severe, Hamin is taking Seowoo to a safe place—"
"Where?"
"Where?"
Given Seowoo's current state, Haewoon couldn't assure safety just by saying it was Haru and Hamin. That's what Sihyun thought as he spoke, and Haewoon scowled, seeming like he was throwing a tantrum.
"Are you going?"
"So what?"
"Even if you go, how much better do you think it'll get? Sihyun doesn't have much mana left."
Kang Haewoon's observation was accurate. Even before, he had barely half his mana remaining, and healing Seowoo had depleted even more. The healer skill was consuming more mana than average.
Unable to counter, Sihyun felt a pat on his shoulder from Haewoon.
"Just stay here. Haru hyung and Hamin will take care of it, even if it takes time."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Don't you trust Haru hyung?"
"If you wait thinking that way, isn't there a chance he'll end up in that state?"
Sihyun's gaze shifted to Seowoo. If Haewoon and Hamin had been with Seowoo from the start, it wouldn't have escalated to this point.
I probably thought they'd handle it well and waited, and then something happened.
As he pondered this, staring at Haewoon, who rarely seemed concerned, he ruffled his hair hesitantly. Sihyun voiced the rational doubt he had been harboring all along.
"Did you see Class C when you went?"
"Class C?"
"When you guys left, they said Yoo Seowoo was already in that state. But it seems like C-class never even saw it. What if, instead of C-class, it was Irregular who attacked Seowoo, causing that state? At that time, do you think Hamin and Haru hyung would be safe?"
He turned the subtle suspicion that had been bothering him into a hypothesis. Even if it was an 'if', it was plausible enough for Haewoon to ponder. Eventually, his sharp mind led Kang Sihyun to raise his hand.
"Got it, got it! It won't hurt to go! Alright, let's go. Go!"
"....?"
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're going too?"
"What? Didn't you plan to go together?"
The golden irises widened. Sihyun, who had been trying to persuade even himself with a pleading look, nodded his head. Frankly, he hadn't expected Haewoon to tag along.
"I have an important reason to go with you. You're terrible with directions."
"...."
"So I have to guide you. Who else will?"
Already, this was the second time his argument was countered. In just one month since entering school, he had gotten lost on campus so many times that it left him speechless. So, giving up on any objections, Haewoon, with a somewhat vacant expression, placed his hand on Sihyun's waist.
"See, it's necessary, right?" he seemed to ask. Since arguing against it would be troublesome, Gwonwoo, who had been sitting with a dazed expression, stood up as well. Then,
"Oh, you sit."
He was seated again.
As soon as Gwonwoo stood up, he looked at Sihyun. Sihyun, who seemed nonchalant yet subtly disheartened, subtly avoided his gaze and gestured toward Seowoo.
"What are you planning to do, being less competent than me? Besides, if you come along, who will guard her?"
"...True."
"Yeah."
"Fine, let's go then. Even though I don't feel like it, think of it as the prince saving the princess, huh!"
Then who's the princess?
As Haewoon, who had previously been reluctant, now displayed enthusiasm, Sihyun, whose hand was on his shoulder, separated it and lightly struck Gwonwoo.
An invisible barrier enveloped Gwonwoo and Seowoo widely. Sihyun, after dispelling the barrier with a wave of his hand, followed Haewoon, urging him to hurry.
"How much mana do you have left?"
"Uh, on a scale of 1 to 10, around 6?"
"That's a lot."
"Unless it's a widespread buff, it doesn't consume much mana. But it's a bit tricky with widespread buffs. What about you, Sihyun?"
"...Around 3."
Even that figure was due to Haewoon's increased mana recovery buff. For a healer, his mana efficiency compared to his skills was not just bad but alarmingly so. This level of incompetence in a healer class was a bad omen.
Unable to estimate the exact figures, Haewoon, with a gaping mouth, hesitated upon hearing the response.
"You're going with those numbers?"
"Why not? There's a way."
"The two of us together don't even make up 100!"
A support without mana is worthless, Sihyun! Got it? Maybe we're worse than peanuts right now. Going to fight a lion as a hamster? Huh?
Despite saying they'd go, when it came down to it and they had no mana, Haewoon seemed hesitant. Sihyun, feigning ignorance of Haewoon's lament, a complaint disguised as a monologue, turned away. In that moment, as if attempting a suicide mission, Haewoon mumbled something akin to a curse. Just then, a white hand swiftly grabbed Haewoon.
His wrist was caught by Sihyun.
"I said we're going."
At those words thrown at him, Haewoon's eyebrows dropped. Rather than comforting Sihyun, he simply pulled Haewoon subtly towards where they needed to go.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
