Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Hidden Piece Hunt - 1
***
The first period, group formation time, ended, and the second period was dedicated to group orientation for the project.
The groups weren't randomly assigned but were organized based on the homeroom teachers' judgment.
Objections could be raised to change groups, which is why Han-Na had asked him to be in her group.
Anyway, Baek Mi-Jin didn't object.
No, a bigger problem arose.
'...Yoo Su-ah, why are *you* sitting here?'
At first, he was surprised that Baek Mi-jin hadn't objected.
Then he was startled to see Yoo Su-ah sitting in Healer Kang Dae-sik’s seat, as if he had seen a ghost.
“I’m truly overjoyed to be with you, brother.”
“…How did you…?”
“Ah, I made a mutually agreeable arrangement with Brother Kang Dae-sik.”
“….”
Seriously.
Why would she, who had been on the Choi Do-han express train, switch to his group through a 'mutually agreeable arrangement'?
The composition of Group 4 was so absurd that he couldn't help but laugh.
Two of the main heroines were in his group.
Naturally, he ran straight to Ella.
And sent out an SOS.
-I want to change groups too!
-B-but… according to the regulations, the member with the highest score in the group can’t be transferred…
-What? Then Baek Mi-Jin’s score is higher, right?
-Well… your total magic power measurement from yesterday was 0.1 points higher than Mi-jin’s.
-What?
He had a higher score than Baek Mi-jin? By 0.1 points?
Baek Mi-jin, who was considered a promising close-range dealer?
It felt like a cruel joke of fate.
It was as if fate was taunting him, daring him to escape the harem.
'Damn it, I give up. I give up.'
—*Thud.*
He had no choice but to sit back down in his assigned seat in Group 4.
What kind of ridiculous trickery was this?
He glanced at Group 1, and sure enough, Choi Do-han was staring at his group with a dumbfounded expression.
He seemed particularly shocked by Yoo Su-ah transferring from Group 1 to Group 4, even though Baek Mi-Jin being in his group was understandable.
He wondered if he would be on the receiving end of Do-han's wrath.
'Ugh, seriously. What’s wrong with them?'
He stared back at Yoo Su-ah with an equally shocked expression. She had her hands clasped together, eyes closed, as if praying for good luck with the group project.
Please, pray for *his* good luck instead.
By the way…
'Should I be grateful that Han-Na didn’t object…?'
The current harem progress seemed to be Han-Na, Mi-jin, Su-ah, and then Ella.
Han-Na was the most aggressive, followed by Mi-jin and Su-ah, who were lukewarm. If Han-Na had also thrown a tantrum and demanded to be in his group, it would have been incredibly awkward, and he might have ended up in direct conflict with Choi Do-han.
'Ha… I'm sorry, Choi Do-han. I have absolutely no intention of stealing your harem.'
And he could understand Yoo Su-ah to some extent, since she had said something strange in the infirmary… but why was Baek Mi-jin, who was usually so quiet, staring at him with a smirk?
'She should be at the 'crush' stage with Choi Do-han by now, right?'
Baek Mi-jin came from an extremely poor family and longed to succeed as a hunter.
In other words, she had chosen Choi Do-han as her partner on the path to success.
So, even if they were just at the 'crush' stage, she should have at least tried to object, but strangely, she hadn't.
Moreover, she was looking at him with a favorable gaze.
'…Well, since they’re just at the 'some' stage, it wouldn't be strange for her not to switch groups.'
Well, what could he do?
If this was the fate of a reforming villain, he had no choice but to charge head-on like a bull in a bullring.
“Ha… nice to… meet you all.”
And so, Group 4 was formed: Tanker Seo Yoon-ji, Close-range dealer Baek Mi-jin, Healer Yoo Su-ah, and Ranged dealer Han Tae-jin.
Seo Yoon-ji, with her cheerful personality, broke the ice.
“Shall we choose a group leader first?”
“Sure. No need for self-introductions.”
Baek Mi-jin added, and everyone agreed.
And the silent game of chicken began.
*Tap tap,* they all tapped their fingers on the desk or bit their nails, observing each other.
He also had no desire to be the group leader.
It was a bothersome position with important responsibilities.
There were extra points for it, but he still didn't want it.
And while he knew Baek Mi-jin and Yoo Su-ah well, he didn’t know anything about Seo Yoon-ji.
Based on his experience so far, she didn't seem like the type to cause trouble, also he still hated the idea of being the leader.
“Um… well…”
Seo Yoon-ji spoke up again.
Their bright eyes turned to her.
“How about we decide by voting?”
“Voting?”
“Yes. A simple nomination. At this rate, we won’t be able to choose a leader before the end of the second period.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Some groups had already chosen their leaders and were chatting amicably.
Therefore…
“I agree.”
“Okay, then we’ll nominate on the count of three.”
“Wait.”
Mi-jin raised her hand, interrupting the flow.
“Everyone will accept the results, right? I hate it when people complain about rigging or refuse to accept the outcome.”
Such whining wouldn't suit the straightforward Baek Mi-jin.
Naturally, everyone nodded.
Since they were all practically strangers, except for Su-ah and Mi-jin, there was no way they could have colluded.
Soon, the nominations began on Seo Yoon-ji's count.
And…
“…Me?”
Damn it.
Three votes.
Three out of four votes. He had unexpectedly received all the votes and couldn't help but grimace.
Why would they choose him as the leader?
Wouldn’t Seo Yoon-ji, who was already leading the group discussion, be more suitable?
But unfortunately, his was the only finger pointing at Seo Yoon-ji.
The group members, seemingly not expecting a unanimous vote, looked stunned.
His expression was probably the most bewildered of all.
“Congrat…ulations? Tae-jin.”
“Looking forward to working with you~ Group Leader.”
“Hoho, as expected of someone blessed by the Lord. Shall we hear our leader’s inspiring words?”
Yoo Su-ah rubbed salt in the wound.
But what could he do?
It wasn't something to get angry about, and he also hated complaining about the results, like Baek Mi-jin had said.
Since he had been chosen, he had to fulfill his responsibilities, even if he couldn't give it his all.
“I’m looking forward to working with you all. This is my first time, so I might be a bit clumsy, but please help me out. I’ll do my best so we can get the highest score on the group evaluation.”
The group members stared at him with surprised expressions.
He self-consciously touched his face, wondering if he had something on it.
“…Wh-why?”
Baek Mi-jin gave him a small, slow clap.
“I… I didn’t know you were so articulate.”
Her platinum eyes, a color considered the pinnacle of the diverse eye colors that appeared after the gate incident, sparkled.
…Wasn’t Baek Mi-jin supposed to dislike Han Tae-jin?
It couldn't be helped.
Tae-jin and Mi-jin were polar opposites.
Unlike Tae-jin, who was always apathetic and unmotivated, Mi-jin was a passionate and righteous character.
Was she intrigued by his sudden display of enthusiasm, as if a miracle had occurred?
“Yeah, it seems like we chose a good leader.”
“Brother, I’ll gladly assist you.”
The other group members also offered words of praise, and so, Group 4 concluded the second period in a relatively bright atmosphere.
But…
Giving him a unanimous vote for leader and then praising him for being articulate… what was that about?
'Han Tae-jin, your image was truly rock bottom.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The fifth period began.
Soon, the monster 'Behemoth' would appear.
The inevitable monster attack, or rather, outbreak incident, that was a staple of academy stories, was about to begin.
However, what was unusual was that it was orchestrated by a seventh-year alchemy graduate student.
Perhaps the original author had been a graduate student.
Anyway, consumed by the power of darkness, he was planning to unleash Behemoth and destroy the academy…
'It’s so peaceful.'
The drowsy afternoon sunlight settled quietly, undisturbed by even a hint of wind.
It felt like the calm before the storm.
The reason he had chosen the fifth period was because most of the academy professors were attending a faculty meeting, and the first and second-year students were in the auditorium and gymnasium.
It was a terrorist incident that, fortunately, wouldn't result in any deaths, but there would be many injuries.
Compared to the upcoming Illusion attack, it was a small-scale event, but it was an important one for Choi Do-han, as he would acquire a powerful hidden piece.
'He’ll get an S-rank weapon here.'
An S-rank weapon, no less.
He wanted that hidden piece for himself, but he didn't want to alter the original storyline.
If he stole the protagonist's weapon, it would make it more difficult for him to stand against Illusion.
And that could lead to a national crisis, so he absolutely refused.
'There hasn’t been any friction between us yet.'
If Choi Do-han showed any signs of displeasure about the shifting harem, it would be a different story.
He wouldn't just stand by and be wronged for something he didn't want.
But Do-han hadn’t shown any such signs since the groups were assigned.
Anyway…
Although he was disappointed about missing out on the S-rank weapon, he would concede it to the protagonist and be content with acquiring the skill book.
'What kind of skill book will it be?'
Since it was a high-difficulty hidden piece, it must be a powerful skill.
Perhaps even comparable to an S-rank weapon.
As he was anticipating the event in the drowsy afternoon…
—*Rumble!*
A thunderous roar erupted.
The source was, of course, the training grounds.
The first main event, the Behemoth outbreak, had begun.
“Wh-what is that?!”
Both the professors giving lectures and the students listening rushed to the windows.
The giant monster Behemoth.
A boss-level monster of the octopus family, it was notoriously difficult to defeat due to its ten eyes and 22 tentacle-like legs.
It was an A1-rank monster, the highest rank among A-ranks, with a massive body the size of a three-story building, smooth yet tough skin that deflected most attacks, and incredible evasive abilities.
“Kyaa! It’s heading towards the auditorium!”
“What? Aren’t the first-years having a lecture there?!”
“Professor! It’s dangerous!”
The D-rank hunters guarding the academy gate rushed towards Behemoth, but their ordinary skills couldn't even scratch its smooth, tough skin.
—*Growl…*
Behemoth slowly approached the auditorium.
The entrance was blocked, trapping the first-year students inside.
“Everyone stay put! I’ll go get help!”
The professor in charge of the fifth period theory lecture told the students to stay put and hurried towards the faculty meeting room in the main building, but…
'As if the protagonist would blindly follow those instructions.'
As in the original storyline, Choi Do-han jumped out the window and headed towards the training grounds, followed by the promising heroines.
'It’s time for me to move.'
[Using Invisibility Cloak.]
[Entering invisible state for 5 minutes.]
[Movement speed increased by 20% as an additional effect.]
Taking advantage of the chaos, I used the Invisibility Cloak and headed somewhere.
It was hidden piece hunting time.