Someone's Malice
The day of the semester's final practical evaluation had arrived. The academy students buzzed with anticipation for the upcoming winter break, but the air hung heavy with tension over this most heavily weighted assessment.
Those who had entered short-term secluded training emerged right on schedule, scrambling to form teams with familiar partners. Of course, once groups were mostly set, people turned to handling other tasks.
And the most pressing issue bearing down on Jin Sowoon was...
"You pulled off something utterly insane at the Four Black Alliances, Big Bro."
"Ahem... It was just what any Tae-eul Gate disciple should do. Anyway, you've grown a ton in that short time, Junior Sister."
"Junior Sister... Junior Sister... I told you not to call me that!"
...surviving the wrath of Saryeon, who had just emerged from her seclusion.
"W-wait! That wasn't bad enough to crank your inner energy up like this!"
"Just die quietly!"
"You're telling someone who barely made it back alive to die?!"
"No need for words!"
And so, the day of the strategy and tactics evaluation dawned.
"Saryeon... why the long face?"
Namgung Seonhwa, who had grown close to Hong Saryeon during their joint seclusion, looked at her with concern.
"Couldn't land a single hit."
"Huh?"
Namgung Seonhwa tilted her head. Saryeon let out a deep sigh.
"On Big Bro. I went at him full throttle, but... not a single hit landed. Was the seclusion training flawed or something?"
Namgung Seonhwa's brow furrowed. In that brief seclusion period, Hong Saryeon had thrown herself into training with terrifying intensity. Some days, she even forgot to eat or sleep. It was a level of focus Namgung Seonhwa had never witnessed before. Her efforts had paid off handsomely—her skills had surged dramatically in no time.
Even accounting for the skill gaps among academy students, it was hard to fathom that Jin Sowoon hadn't taken a single blow.
"You went all out, right?"
"Yes. Completely full power."
Saryeon looked on the verge of exploding with frustration. Jin Sowoon had been swamped with representative duties, shuttling back and forth to the Myriad Communications Division for help, and even heading to the Four Black Alliances recently. He shouldn't have had time for training... yet somehow, his skills had improved? It didn't add up.
Then.
"Why overthink it? He's always been beyond common sense. Hup-cha."
Seong Moran stretched as she spoke.
"Try understanding every little thing, and you'll just end up more confused."
"What happened?"
At Namgung Seonhwa's question, Seong Moran made a incredulous face.
"Get this—Jin Gongja knew every weakness in the Destruction Sword Technique. Even pointed out ways to fix them."
"..."
"Our sect elders went to great lengths to keep that stuff hidden, but he knew it inside out."
Come to think of it, even her grandfather, the Creator Divine Sword, had devised the Crimson Palace Cloud Shadow Sword Technique after chatting with Jin Sowoon. The more Namgung Seonhwa tried to make sense of it, as Seong Moran said, the deeper into a maze she fell.
"What were you all talking about?"
Just then, the subject himself—Jin Sowoon—appeared with his senior brothers.
Seong Moran grumbled.
"Oh, just how the more you know someone, the less you understand 'em."
Jin Sowoon's brow creased with worry.
"...That sounds pretty dangerous. Am I a con artist or something?"
"...Yeah, kinda."
Jin Sowoon didn't press further at Seong Moran's evasive reply. Saryeon's glare was scary, after all.
"Ahem, anyway—looking forward to working with you all."
"The pleasure's ours."
"With so many Tae-eul Gate disciples, you sure you're okay with this?"
"If anything, I'm the one begging. We're barely scraping by on the Mu evaluation. Seonhwa probably joined for the same reason, right?"
"Yes. If anything, I'm the one who should be asking. I need a high score this practical to beat my brother."
Jin Sowoon nodded at their words.
"I'll do my best."
He then scanned his group. Geum Pyo, Eunho, Dongryong, Saryeon, Seong Moran, Namgung Seonhwa, Moyong Jaehwa, Eunseollan. And... Yaryul Geuk?
Wait. Yaryul Geuk?
Jin Sowoon tilted his head and asked.
"What're you doing here?"
"I-I didn't want to join!"
Yaryul Geuk's face flushed beet red, veins bulging in his neck as he yelled.
Eunho sighed and explained.
"No one else to squad with, so I brought him. We need ten people."
Jin Sowoon clicked his tongue, as if he could see it all without looking.
"Ugh, if only you'd toned down that attitude sooner."
"I-I did!"
"Enough. Let's start."
Jin Sowoon shut the scrappy little wildcat up and surveyed the evaluation grounds. Ilgak and Jang Ujae had each formed their own squads with their people. Instructors and masters moved through the students, checking rosters before handing out flags in colors matching the formations.
Recipients hid their banners using every trick in the book to conceal their squads.
"Never envied Joint Strike experts more than now."
"Everything's got pros and cons."
In strategy and tactics evaluations, inflicting serious injury on opponents docked points. This naturally made weapon users hesitate. The organizers' intent: fight based purely on strategy and tactics.
"Ilgak the monk formed up with Shaolin folks? He went all in."
Seong Moran pouted. Jin Sowoon slowly shook his head.
"Results won't hinge on whether you hold a weapon or—"
"Don't like it."
"Pardon?"
Seong Moran glared and shouted.
"Someone who's only gotten Gap evaluations can't understand a Mu evaluator's feelings!"
She grabbed Geum Pyo, who was checking gear, and shook him.
"Geum Pyo, say something! Your big bro's being so heartless."
Geum Pyo blinked blankly for a moment, then spoke with steely resolve.
"We'll definitely get a good score. Don't worry."
Seong Moran subtly stepped back.
"...What's with him all of a sudden."
Soon, under the masters' watchful eyes, students began swallowing their Junja Pills one by one. Made by the Sichuan Tang Clan, passed down for the Murim Alliance's Divine Medicine Pavilion. The effects lasted precisely twelve hours, rendering inner energy unusable for the day.
"Ugh... always feels weird swallowing these."
Seong Moran grimaced. Eunho asked.
"You've taken them before?"
"Yeah, back at the sect. They make us train on them sometimes. Junja Pill's the most basic poison that cripples martial artists."
Eunho, who had never trained under its effects, looked troubled. Jin Sowoon, having just swallowed his, spoke up.
"Just think back to our Tae-eul Gate training. Stick to those sensations, and you'll adapt quick."
Seong Moran asked, surprised.
"You've trained with inner energy sealed?"
Jin Sowoon shrugged nonchalantly.
"Tae-eul Gate couldn't afford Junja Pills."
"Haa... Just how far ahead does this guy plan everything."
As Seong Moran muttered, Buk Wonpyeong took the podium.
Today's strategy and tactics evaluation will be the final one of the year. Students, give it your all to end on a high note!
Begin!
With Buk Wonpyeong's words, a signal flare shot up and burst. Students moved out according to their flag colors.
About an hour's march from the academy stood three nameless peaks. But the locals of Muhwan had started calling them Red Mountain, Blue Mountain, and White Mountain. The names, born from academy students, had spread through generations of evaluations until they stuck with the townsfolk.
"Waaaaah!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Squads dove into intra-faction rivalries within their Blue, White, or Red Armies. Flag losers obeyed the victors, sometimes merging into companies by agreement.
"Still lots of spectators, huh."
I nodded at Seong Moran's observation as she scanned around.
"Scouting for easy marks first."
Losing a flag wasn't the end. How many you snagged before defeat heavily influenced scores. Not just Baekdo Association, Jeongdo Association, or the Twelve Peaks— even unaffiliated students hunted weaker squads desperately.
We, closest to the Red Army center, advanced slowly inward. Red Army infighting hadn't heated up yet.
Then, a squad blocked our path.
"Representative."
It was Jang Ujae and his crew.
"Dropping out already?"
Jang Ujae grinned at my question.
"Strategically joining a sure winner's a solid tactic—bonus points."
"Handing over the flag, then?"
"Gotta at least try, right?"
Now that's my kinda guy.
I nodded and drew my Black Dragon Sword.
"Looks like your squad's got some fire."
Jang Ujae drew his too. Red Army's first ranking battle began.
Starting with Jang Ujae, Red Army squads challenged us one after another. We racked up victories, our numbers swelling each time. Some Red squads even proposed strategic mergers.
No company-sized forces had hit us yet, but endless challengers kept us fighting.
"Urk!"
"Song Muyeol—academy student, eliminated!"
"Gang Chaesuk—academy student, eliminated!"
Casualties mounted from exhaustion or severe wounds. Moving without inner energy was tough for lifelong cultivators. Some overexerted and collapsed; others inflicted heavy damage and got DQ'd.
Fortunately, no dropouts from our squad yet.
Just as I thought things were smooth sailing...
"This feels off."
Seong Moran glanced around.
"Why's no one pushing aggressively?"
"..."
"..."
Eunho and Moyong Jaehwa climbed nearby rocks and trees to scout. I eyed the Blue and White Armies' positions.
Some had merged flags into companies, but all were holding back, watching.
As Seong Moran said, no aggressive moves. With a time limit, you'd expect frenzy, but everyone seemed... purposeful, restrained.
What the hell? Smells fishy.
As if on cue, Eunho called from a boulder.
"Big Bro, Blue Army's moving."
Jaehwa followed.
"Bro, White Army too. But..."
His face twisted scanning White Mountain.
"No one's fighting."
"Huh?"
"...Heading straight for Red Mountain."
Unexpected.
"What's their game?"
Blue and White forces mobilized simultaneously. Instead of clashing, they marched orderly toward Red Mountain.
"They're almost at Red."
"What the fuck are they doing?!"
Geum Pyo gripped his shield, reporting lowly.
"...Red Army's not drawing swords either."
"These bastards... what're they—"
Then.
Shwaaak—
Red Army troops on the mountain parted like the sea. Blue and White advanced unhindered up Red Mountain.
"Bro... they're coming for us, right?"
"..."
Moyong Jaehwa looked incredulous. But no one answered.
No need.
"Fuck... goddamn it..."
Blue and White squads marched straight for our position without hesitation.