The Occupation Point Battle
Yoo Heeyeon turned away from the fallen Lee Hyunseung with a satisfied smile. "Since we've taken care of him, it's time to head for the occupation points. Let's end this pointless Class Annihilation Match. We have time to spare, so we'll move at a leisurely pace."
She had only taken a few steps when an uneasy feeling prickled at the back of her mind—vague, unpleasant, and impossible to pin down. What is this?
Lee Hyunseung had definitely been transported out of the stage. He was out. Yet something crucial was missing.
The elimination message.
In the annihilation match, whenever a participant was eliminated, a broadcast announcement rang out across the map. It served as a vital tool, letting the remaining players quickly gauge their opponents' dwindling forces. But when Lee Hyunseung had died moments ago, she could have sworn no such voice had sounded.
Yoo Heeyeon turned to the followers trailing behind her, her expression clouded with doubt. "Did any of you hear the elimination message just now? I don't think I caught it at all."
No one could say for certain. After all, making a bold claim only to be proven wrong later might invite Yoo Heeyeon's wrath. Most of them settled on the same silent assumption.
He must have been eliminated.
It was the only logical conclusion. The cave was a completely sealed space; escaping it would require a teleportation of at least five hundred meters. A gunner like Lee Hyunseung using long-range teleportation magic was absurd. He wasn't even carrying his primary weapon.
Yet no one voiced that certainty aloud. Because none of them had heard the broadcast. The guiding voice that should have announced an elimination had never come.
Logically, he was gone. He had taken fatal damage. Five seconds later, his body had disintegrated. Every piece of circumstantial evidence pointed to elimination—even if the official message was missing.
Still, no one dared speak first.
Yoo Heeyeon muttered under her breath, her face grave. "Why didn't the announcement play?"
From the edge of the group, Cho Eunbi spoke up hesitantly. "I... I heard the broadcast."
In an instant, every eye snapped toward her.
Yoo Heeyeon fixed her with a piercing stare. "You're certain? I didn't hear a single sound."
"I was at the very back, so maybe it only reached me..." Cho Eunbi's voice trembled slightly. "The voice transmits from the central area outside the cave. It probably didn't carry to those deeper inside."
Silence fell like a heavy curtain. Yoo Heeyeon simply stared at her without blinking. A thin film of cold sweat broke out across Cho Eunbi's skin—too faint for the others to notice.
After what felt like an eternity, Yoo Heeyeon exhaled. "Hmm... I suppose that's possible. The doubt's been cleared up, then. Let's move."
Cho Eunbi swallowed hard.
It had been a lie. She had heard nothing.
Yet she had spoken anyway. Because in that final moment—when Lee Hyunseung had been stabbed and writhing in agony—she had seen it clearly. The way he had pressed the muzzle of his gun against his own chest.
She remembered the previous incident. During his escape, he had eaten a magic stone and suffered paralysis. He had aimed at his own chest, fired, and rapidly recovered his stamina, status debuffs, and wounds.
If the magazine he loaded this time carried the same recovery effect, there was no way he would have given up.
I don't know how he did it...
She had no idea how a gunner could teleport. But if Lee Hyunseung hadn't surrendered, it meant he hadn't been eliminated and forcibly removed from the stage. He had chosen to teleport on his own.
He must want to keep it hidden...
The fact that he had deliberately allowed himself to be attacked to conceal his escape told her there was a reason. So Cho Eunbi had decided to help him.
What if I get caught?
If Lee Hyunseung truly hadn't been eliminated, Yoo Heeyeon's fury would turn on the girl who had so confidently claimed she heard the announcement.
Her arms began to shake. It was terrifying. Yoo Heeyeon, backed by the full authority of the Artemis Guild—her cold eyes, her cutting words. But even so, Cho Eunbi had taken that step.
Yes... Even if this is all I can do... Even like this...
She hadn't been able to help him openly before. When he had been falsely accused and suspended, she had only watched from the sidelines. She had been too afraid. Too timid. Too weak to do anything meaningful.
This time, she had found a sliver of courage.
Maybe he really had been eliminated. In that case, her lie would mean nothing. But if he hadn't—if he was still fighting—then the ripple effect of her small act of defiance might be enormous.
It didn't matter which. Cho Eunbi followed after Yoo Heeyeon, silently praying for the boy she had once called a friend.
Please... I hope you achieve what you want. I hope my small lie helped even a little.
She prayed for his victory.
While the A-class students were busy hunting Lee Hyunseung, a separate clash was unfolding at Occupation Point 2.
After dispatching forty-two pursuers after him, the remaining eighteen A-class members had split into teams of three and raced toward each of the six occupation points. The trio assigned to Point 2 was led by Kang Junhyung, a shaggy-haired swordsman.
"Jeong Eunseo..."
When Kang Junhyung arrived at the point, he froze in shock. Jeong Eunseo was already standing atop the capture zone, arms crossed.
How did she get here so fast?
It was true their departure had been delayed by Yoo Heeyeon's personal vendetta. But the delay hadn't been that long. Kang Junhyung was an Epic-grade swordsman. Jeong Saeron was an Epic-grade mage, and Nam Inwoo an Epic-grade thief. All three possessed superior physical abilities. So how had a group of F-class students beaten them here?
Roughly twenty of them stood behind Jeong Eunseo.
They didn't disperse their forces. They gathered everyone in one place.
The same scene was probably playing out at the other points. Kang Junhyung couldn't help but feel stunned by the boldness of the F-class strategy.
If they split their numbers, they could only hold three points at most. Are they really planning to abandon the rest?
Victory in the occupation battle required one of three conditions:
1. Occupy every single point.
2. Eliminate every opponent.
3. Hold more points than the enemy when time expires.
In Kang Junhyung's estimation, the only realistic path for F-class was the first option—rushing to capture every point before A-class could respond. Any other approach seemed suicidal.
Of course, it was practically impossible. A-class would never stand by idly while F-class planted their flags.
What are they thinking?
It looked as though F-class had chosen three points and surrendered the rest. In that scenario, their odds of winning were nonexistent. They lacked both the numerical advantage to wipe out A-class and the territorial dominance to win on points.
Even if the match ended now, three points wouldn't be enough.
Is this a trap?
The thought refused to leave him. Were they trying to lure A-class into an ambush to whittle down their numbers? The idea seemed ridiculous, yet Kang Junhyung hesitated to approach.
From atop the point, Jeong Eunseo's voice rang out, sharp and mocking. "Before the match began, you all spoke as if F-class was beneath your notice. So why are you standing there hesitating, too scared to even come closer?"
As she provoked them, her hand made a subtle gesture behind her back. One of the F-class students immediately pressed the capture button.
Occupation Point 2 has been captured by F-class.
The moment the announcement echoed, Nam Inwoo—the hot-blooded thief beside Kang Junhyung—exploded.
"Kang Junhyung! What the hell is wrong with you? They're F-class, for fuck's sake! Why are you freezing up? Don't tell me you're actually scared of these losers?"
He glared at their leader. Kang Junhyung, however, remained calm.
"Settle down, Nam Inwoo. Look at their numbers. They never planned to win through occupation points. That leaves only one other path to victory—they're coming for us. There could be a trap. The points can be retaken anyway, so we should observe carefully before engaging."
Nam Inwoo sneered. "Bullshit. You always act so refined and composed, but you're just a coward. What, twenty bugs gathered together and suddenly you're afraid? If you're too scared to move, I'll handle it myself."
He drew a pair of crescent daggers and began trudging toward the occupation point.
"I'll slaughter every last one of these insects. Make sure you tell Yoo Heeyeon exactly how I crushed them. I expect proper compensation for doing all the work, yeah?"
Jeong Saeron sighed and shook her head. "Just let him go, Junhyung. There's no way he'd lose to F-class brats. I'll support him from the rear even if Jeong Eunseo tries something."
But Kang Junhyung ignored her, shouting after the advancing thief. "Estimating enemy strength and charging blindly is the height of stupidity! This is an order—stop! Yoo Heeyeon gave me command authority. We need to assess the situa—"
"Shut your mouth and stay back. I'll take care of everything."
The instant Nam Inwoo broke into a sprint, Jeong Eunseo's voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Everyone, prepare!"
The students behind her thrust their hands forward. Streams of mana flowed from them into Jeong Eunseo as she began to chant.
Lightning Storm
Black storm clouds gathered overhead with a deafening rumble.
As the spell took shape, Jeong Eunseo remembered Lee Hyunseung's words.
She raised her staff toward the roiling sky, eyes burning with determination.
I will protect this place. No matter what.