Chapter 411: 6. 101 (3/4)
Chapter 411: 6. 101 (3/4)
The sound of the explosion was loud, but the scream was relatively faint. This meant we were some distance away from the scene.
“Wh-what was that…!”
My daze was brief. Ko Yeonju quickly turned to me, her expression noticeably more grim than before.
“Soohyun. I think something exploded.”
“Let’s go check it out. Ah. User Park Hyunwoo, please wait here for a moment.”
Park Hyunwoo nodded in understanding. Ko Yeonju and I then quickly stepped out the door.
“Can you pinpoint where it came from?”
“I’m tracking it now… It’s not too far.”
Ko Yeonju’s pace began to quicken. I sped up to match her stride, and we passed through the hallway in an instant.
After about two minutes of fast walking, it wasn’t difficult to find the scene. We had focused on walking without exchanging a single word, and upon reaching the first floor of the second annex—the instructors' quarters—we found a crowd of people.
“What’s going on?”
“H-Head Instructor-nim! Something terrible has happened!” someone shouted frantically, recognizing Ko Yeonju.
I followed Ko Yeonju as she pushed through the crowd, quickly scanning our surroundings. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Only the shocked faces of the Users gathered around caught my eye.
Truthfully, in a world like the Hall Plain, death wasn’t such a big deal. People could die from a simple squabble, during an expedition, or in the middle of a war.
However.
What if there was something special about this world, this situation?
It was the fact that this was the ‘User Academy.’ Since Users or trainees weren't supposed to die here, the current situation was certainly unexpected.
Soon, we made our way through the crowd and could see the scene clearly.
The first thing that caught my eye was a grotesque corpse, not just burned black but burst open in several places. Around the body, three Users were caught in a heated confrontation.
“You son of a bitch! What the hell did you do?!”
“I-I didn’t kill him! I’m telling you, it wasn’t me!”
“Shut up! You! You were the one who messed with Seonghun!”
“I’m being framed! What do you mean, messed with him? I warned you repeatedly from the start!”
“Don’t lie! Then, then why is that woman…!”
A woman with tear-streaked cheeks was shaking a man by the collar, while the man, at a loss, pleaded his innocence. Hidden behind them was another woman, who seemed to be trying to break them up.
Just then.
“Everyone, stop!”
A booming voice, filled with magic power, shook the first floor. The sound wave was so powerful that nearby Users winced.
It was, of course, Ko Yeonju. She scanned the area with a blank expression before speaking quietly to the tangled group of Users.
“You three, separate.”
The woman holding the man’s collar seemed to recognize Ko Yeonju and turned her head with a tremble. Tear tracks were clear on her cheeks, and her eyes were still brimming with tears. As if filled with immense grief, the woman's face was contorted in anguish.
“H-Head Instructor-nim! But…!”
“I said, separate. Didn’t you hear me?”
Her patience apparently worn thin, Ko Yeonju’s voice changed completely. Her expression remained blank, but her tone was laced with irritation.
The woman must have sensed it, as she flinched for a moment. Then, she reluctantly began to release her grip on the man’s collar.
The two of them took a few steps back in opposite directions, but the woman continued to glare at the man as if she wanted to kill him.
“Hah.”
Ko Yeonju let out a short sigh and turned to me.
“Soohyun. I think I need to assess the situation for a moment.”
“You are the Head Instructor here, Ko Yeonju. I am merely a guest. The authority is entirely yours.”
It was my way of telling her she didn't need to ask for my permission every time. Ko Yeonju nodded and calmly approached the scene.
As she bent down in front of the corpse, I activated the Third Eye. I didn't have any other motive; I just thought I could offer some help.
I first looked at the three people who were breathing heavily.
『User Gong Chanho.』
『User Sung Hayan.』
『User Kim Minhee.』
Huh?
A name that seemed familiar. As questions welled up, I craned my neck to the side and saw Sung Hayan, who had been hidden behind the man…
No, wait. What did it say?
“Gong Chanho?”
“Y-Yes?”
When I called his name, the man, who had been blankly rubbing his neck, turned to look at me.
In that instant, I felt my heart stop.
Beneath thick eyebrows reminiscent of a caterpillar were eyes filled with melancholy. But his face wasn't vacant. His distinct features and the scar etched on his cheek gave him a sharp, belligerent impression.
Our eyes met, and a series of messages scrolled up in the air. I felt my jaw tremble as I stared into the empty space.
Player Status
1. Name: Gong Chanho (Year 3 User)
2. Class: Spearman (Normal, Spearman, Master)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Master of the Asura Demon Spear (壽拏魔槍) · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Male (34)
7. Height · Weight: 191.3cm · 94.7kg
8. Alignment: Safe · Belief
[Strength 101(+6)] [Durability 85] [Agility 87] [Stamina 91(+2)] [Magic Power 78] [Luck 72]
Stat Comparison
1. Kim Soohyun: 564 / 600~
[Strength 96(+2)] [Durability 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 92(+2)] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
2. Gong Chanho: 514 / 600~
(Remaining stat points: 0)
[Strength 101(+6)] [Durability 85] [Agility 87] [Stamina 91(+2)] [Magic Power 78] [Luck 72]
…Gong Chanho!
His name, his True Name, his stats—they all told the same story.
Yes. The Player Status window I was looking at announced the appearance of Gong Chanho, the User with 101 Strength.
This is… impossible…
I could only stare blankly at Gong Chanho, who was looking back at me vacantly. I stared for a long, long time.
*
With the fall of the Golden Lion, the current User Academy was now home to ‘instructors’ and ‘trainees’ from various clans. That meant if a problem arose, an ‘instructor’ had to take responsibility.
However, responsibility in such a situation didn't mean responsibility for everything. The responsibility for the incident itself was ultimately a matter for the perpetrator and the victim to resolve; the instructor was only there to uncover the truth and announce the findings.
In that sense, Ko Yeonju was unlucky. Her title was ‘Head Instructor,’ which meant she was obligated to uncover the truth of this incident and announce her findings.
“Hooo…”
Thirty minutes had passed since we arrived at the scene. Having finally grasped the situation, Ko Yeonju let out a breath, her face showing her frustration.
I had been watching Gong Chanho and Sung Hayan, who was comforting him, before I finally turned my head.
“What’s the situation?”
“Well… it’s a bit ambiguous to call it murder. It’ll likely be ruled a death due to negligence.”
This was what had happened. To summarize briefly, omitting the finer details…
Gong Chanho had been recognized for his contributions in retaking Mule during the war and was allowed to enter the User Academy as an instructor. Today, he had called in a trainee, Sung Hayan, for a meeting.
After the meeting, as they were leaving, they ran into two instructors he had befriended at the academy. Those two were the deceased, Kang Seonghun, and the aggrieved party, Kim Minhee.
That was when the problem occurred.
Kang Seonghun had always been curious about the weapon Gong Chanho carried. Normally, it was just a long, dark-red rod, but it transformed dramatically the moment magic power was infused into it, which had made him deeply curious.
Kang Seonghun had asked to see it several times, but Gong Chanho had repeatedly refused, saying that anyone other than its master could get hurt by touching it.
However, while Gong Chanho was escorting Sung Hayan, Kang Seonghun found her holding his weapon, the ‘Asura Demon Spear,’ and saying, “Wow, this is really heavy.”
So, the moment he saw Sung Hayan, he assumed Gong Chanho had been lying.
He then forcefully touched the ‘Asura Demon Spear’ on the spot, despite Gong Chanho’s attempts to stop him. As a result, a massive rebound effect occurred, causing his entire body to explode, killing him.
“I think so, too.”
Having overheard most of the story, I agreed with Ko Yeonju’s assessment. The woman, however, did not, her eyes flashing as she immediately raised her voice.
“Head Instructor-nim! That’s not what happened! Are you actually believing what that bastard is saying?”
“I didn’t say the truth has been revealed. I said that’s the most likely possibility.”
The woman’s mouth opened and closed at the euphemistic reply. Ko Yeonju pressed her forehead once or twice and continued in a low voice.
“It’s still unclear. Kim Minhee, was it? What’s your clan?”
“Y-Yes! The Gathering of Giants.”
“The Gathering of Giants? Anyway, come with me now to file a report, and contact your clan immediately. And if you have any intention of using a Crystal of Truth… you understand what I’m saying, right?”
Ko Yeonju had already stated her opinion. She was saying that it would likely be ruled a ‘death due to negligence’ as things stood, so if she wanted to be more certain, she should bring a ‘Crystal of Truth.’
The woman hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly. It seemed she either didn't have a ‘Crystal of Truth’ or lacked the means to acquire one.
But that wasn't Ko Yeonju's concern. She ordered the crowd of onlookers, which had gathered like a cloud, to disperse.
“There’s nothing more to see, so everyone, return to your posts. Instructors, preserve the scene as best you can and wait for further instructions. And…”
Ko Yeonju then turned to Gong Chanho and Sung Hayan, a hint of deliberation on her face. In that instant, I quickly shot her a look.
Did she get my signal? Ko Yeonju tilted her head but soon approached and whispered to me discreetly.
“Soohyun. What is it?”
“I’ll help you.”
“What? There’s no need…”
“It’s because there’s something I want to look into. I just need you to arrange a moment for me.”
Ko Yeonju stared at me for a moment, then nodded. She looked at the two of them, who were standing there hesitantly, and said.
“You two. It’s your turn after User Kim Minhee and the witness give their statements. I’ll be right there when they’re done, so wait here with this gentleman for a moment.”
“Why? What if they run away?!”
Kim Minhee’s point was perfectly valid, but Ko Yeonju replied calmly.
“He can’t speak freely with you here. And don’t worry about them running away. This gentleman will be keeping a close eye on them.”
“Who the hell is he, anyway?”
“My Clan Lord-nim.”
“…What?”
“The Mercenary Lord-nim.”
The moment Ko Yeonju revealed my identity, faint gasps rippled through the crowd. It seemed my reputation had spread to some extent after the war.
I slowly walked toward Gong Chanho and Sung Hayan. Facing Kim Minhee, who was giving me a renewed look of scrutiny, I spoke quietly.
“I will watch them closely, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“…Fine. But you… just you wait. This isn’t over.”
Kim Minhee still looked dissatisfied, but she eventually nodded reluctantly. Even so, she shot a hateful glare at Gong Chanho, making him flinch. It seemed she had a special relationship with the deceased, Kang Seonghun.
“Alright, everyone disperse.”
At Ko Yeonju’s command, the onlookers began to scatter. I approached the pair and spoke to the man whose face was still tense.
“User Gong Chanho. May I have a word with you?”
“Ah… Y-Yes… I understand.”
Gong Chanho scratched his head and nodded timidly. Seeing him, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion. Because this man was a far cry from the ‘Peerless Under Heaven’ Gong Chanho I remembered.
Why are you here now…? And how have you already met Sung Hayan? Have they already gotten together?
When I first saw Sung Hayan, I had put her on the back burner. But the unexpected appearance of Gong Chanho had thrown my thoughts into chaos.
In any case, I had more than a few questions, so I decided to move to a more secluded place first.
As I turned to walk toward the entrance, I simultaneously focused the Third Eye on the Asura Demon Spear.