Chapter 6: A Nameless Supporting Role’s Tutorial (5) |
3. Unknown Supernova (1)
100 years ago the known world changed drastically due to the Clash of different worlds.
In the world falling into chaos, it was players’ existence which let mankind fight back against Enemies and restore normal life.
About 20% of the worldwide population was born as a Player with supernatural abilities.
Out of that, 15% maintain their supernatural abilities after they turn 17 years old.
The reserve players within this 15% could become full-fledged players with acknowledgement of the Player’s Association.
And as a rule, the players who turned 17 are permitted to use a miracle manifesting superpower, the Gwangrim.
‘Baek Ho-gun is using a Gwangrim now.’
In Baek Ho-gun’s case, the Gwangrim manifested as a weapon summoning.
‘Even thinking about this now, he was a broken OP character.’
Baek Ho-gun was so severely stronger compared to the other characters for a reason.
Even if he received a debuff from Heavenly God, he was a figure who appeared in this world’s founding myth of the Korean Republic – The Gaecheon Myth.
And he was one of the mythical Jin people, Baekho (White tiger) of the Ho tribe. [2]
⟨Reading Baek Ho-gun’s character data.⟩
[Name] Baek Ho-gun
[Titles] Member of the Mythical Ho tribe, Baekho (White Tiger) of the Gaecheon Myth, The prisoner of the divine realm
[Blessing] None
[Gwangrim] Thunder Clouds Breaker’s White Fang Summoning
[State] Wrath of Heavenly God – skills and Gwangrim are partly sealed, all statistics and skill levels are greatly reduced
[Overall statistics] Lv. 55
[Skills]
Swordsmanship Lv. 10
Beoksa [3] Lv. 10
Leap Lv.10
Brilliant Gaze [4] Lv. 10
Roar Lv. 10
[Description]
Baekho who appeared in the Gaecheon Myth.
At the time of founding a country, he received a power to ‘go anywhere’ from the Heavenly God, but he lost his True Name[5] after playing around and aroused Heavenly God’s wrath.
The Heavenly God sealed most of Baekho’s abilities to punish his arrogance and ordered him to reflect over his sin in the divine realm.
After that…
I was reading a description in the opened status window, when my breath suddenly stopped.
I forced myself to gulp air and raised my head towards the Baek Ho-gun. Our eyes met.
‘No way, do you know I’m using the Exclusive menu skill?’
I completely calmly turned my eyes away.
But Baek Ho-gun’s lingering gaze seemed to turn into thousands of needles poking my whole body.
He didn’t even activate Brilliant Gaze.
⟨Ung tribe’s interference ended. The communication is restored.⟩
The system announcement sounded and with a ‘pat!’ sound, all lights in the room turned on.
I raised one hand to suppress the stinging in my eyes due to them adapting to light and looked around. The scene of the disaster was completely laid out before me.
‘It’s a mess…’
The traces of destruction were seen everywhere around the exam’s ground.
The demonic beast who collapsed and didn’t move.
The dying supervisor and Son Mingi.
Yu Sang-hun who sustained serious injuries.
Me and Jang Namuk, who didn’t have any injuries, but we were in a ragged state.
Before I knew it, Beak Ho-gun withdrew his gaze from me and was slowly looking around.
— Piiiiing!
The alarm sound, different from the system sound heard from my menu, rang out.
It was the sound I also often heard in the game.
‘Player’s Association Dedicated Satelite… It’s an ‘Enemy approaches’ alarm of the ‘Player SAT-K’ satellite responsible for Korea.’
Originally, if an Enemy approaches at a certain distance, the satellite AI will ring the alarm and initiate the evacuation.
Because the communication was completely cut off before, the alarm rang too late.
‘It was just one step behind, huh?’
I looked at the smartphone’s screen, which was an outdated technology by this world’s standards, and swept the warning with a finger.
This world’s Korea and the one I was before, were in similar time periods, but the otherworlds and superpowers were a starting point of a huge technological development.
‘Everyone is using wearable devices.’
Baek Ho-gun, Yu Sang-hun and Jang Namuk, who each wore devices on various parts of their bodies, had hologram screens before their eyes.
At the screen, Player SAT-K subjugation’s announcement appeared one after another in real time.
— Wanted Enemy, Rinoseron no. 13 had been subjugated.
— Player SAT-K successfully accessed regional devices’ records.
— Player SAT-K is analyzing the context of the subjugation process.
Ring.
Having read hologram’s announcements, the White Fang of the Thunder Cloud Breaker vanished from Baek Ho-gun’s hand.
— Subjugation major contributor: Jo ▉▉ (unregistered, release of public information is restricted)
Player SAT-K started with retrieving the wanted Enemy’s corpse, and Rinoseron turned into light particles.
Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun who had stupefied expressions after Beak Ho-gun entrance, looked at Player SAT-K’s announcement and cheered loudly.
“Jo Uisin, congratulations!”
“Congrats. Buy us a meal when you get a bounty. An expansive one.”
It became noisy outside.
The Players affiliated with Eungwang Highschool arrived here after Baek Ho-gun.
While Eungwang School’s teacher talked to us, Baek Ho-gun had already completely disappeared.
***
Even though me and Jang Namuk didn’t have any injuries, we were transported to the hospital and examined.
Yu Sang-hun, who was injured, received a separate treatment, then changed into a hospital gown and had to pull an IV stand with him wherever he went.
“I want to just use a recovery item.”
“We’re not official players yet, so Player Insurance doesn’t apply. You’re gonna get hit by a medical bill bomb.”
“Ah… Right. I should get hurt next year.”
“There will be side-effects if you use recovers too much. Let’s bear with it a little.”
“Jang Namuk really nags a lot!”
While I was receiving treatment, Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun stood at the side, giggling and joking around.
Children really get along quickly.
The hospital we were in now was a medical center founded by the Hwang Myeong Foundation, which runs the Eungwang School.
‘It’s more like a temple than a hospital.’
Was it because the Hwang Myeong Foundation was wealthy or did the hospital have more income than expenditure?
Outstanding medical facilities, arranged landscape and faces of the medical team which looked well and healthy, met the eye.
The employee welfare standard also seemed good.
‘Looks like they earn a lot.’
In the PMH in-game world, after the appearance of recovery items and skills, it was believed the medical world will be shaken.
However, recovers and skills had little effect on the non-players.
The players possessing recovery skills were also extremely rare and the recovery items were traded at outrageously high prices.
‘If you think only about item prices, Jang Namuk’s luck was the best.’
Jang Namuk pulled out ‘Oat’s flower recovery extract’.
It was a low grade item which only had an effect of healing scratches and nothing else, but without Player Insurance, it would cost about 300 thousand won per bottle.
‘Thanks to the setting, Players have a high income and they can even obtain items in the otherworld, so there was nothing they couldn’t use. Even so, they have no choice but to use a hospital.’
Since the research, which stated that frequent, long-term usage of recovery items decreased players’ abilities, the players also started to regularly visit hospitals.
Unless you were hunting or your life was at stake, it became natural to consult a Player Specialist before using a recovery item.
As a result, the medical community, which was expected to decline with the appearance of items and skills, was booming thanks to injured players.
“Next, student Jang Namuk.”
After my examination ended, it was Jang Namuk’s turn to draw blood.
While I replied roughly to the doctor’s questions, Jang Namuk was different and answered every question sincerely.
“Do you want to go home quickly? Me too.”
Seeing I replied half-heartedly, Yu Sang-hun spoke.
“Yeah. I want to end it quickly and go home.”
I said something like that, but there wasn’t a home I wanted to go to specifically.
Right now I couldn’t accurately guess the background of this world middle school student Jo Uisin.
If I speak for too long, I may be asked about something which I couldn’t even check in the menu window of my character data.
“Jo Uisin? Come with me for a second.”
The name of the person who spoke was Jegal Jaegeol.
It was Eungwang School’s teacher who was communicating with everyone through wearable devices all this time.
While he appeared shocked by the situation at the exam’s ground, Jegal Jaegeol also immediately handled the situation like a text-book veteran teacher and led us to the hospital.
‘Nobody is here.’
There was no one in the hallway before the hospital’s examination room.
Only far away was the pat-pat sound of quiet footsteps and the occasional chirping of birds through the window was heard.
“I called the homeroom teacher who was designated as a guardian earlier and he said he is in the middle of the business trip and is unable to come. There didn’t seem to be any feelings of responsibility, though. By chance, is there someone else I should call?”
Currently, I am in my 3rd year of middle school.
It was fall during my 3rd year of middle school, when my parents and younger siblings got into an incident.
Now it’s December in my 3rd year of middle school, when I took the high school admission test.
In the past, it was a time when my limited inheritance process just ended and I was moving from room to room with only a little inheritance left.
The same was also written in my character details in the menu.
“No, there is no one.”
There were distant relatives on the maternal side. However, I didn’t know if they existed in this world and I also didn’t want to call them.
“…Okay. Please call me if anything happens.”
To be sorry after asking with such difficulty!
He seemed even nicer than he seemed in the game.
Jegal Jaegeol handed me a business card with an apologetic face.
‘Aquamarine Poet Jegal Jaegeol’
The business card Jagel Jaegeol handed me had a player alias and a contact information printed.
Jegal Jaegeol was also one of the playable characters who appeared in the game.
All teachers employed at the Eungwang School were players with teaching qualifications, and among those story-related, most were playable characters.
But Jegal Jaegeol almost didn’t appear in the story and exited the stage early.
“Yes. Thank you.”
I received the business card with both hands and grasped it tightly.
The paper creating the card was heavy like lead.
“Teacher Jegal Jaegeol-nim!”
The corridor turned noisy.
A man dressed in a cashmere coat waved his big hand as he walked down this direction.
“Ah, no. How did he come in?”
Jegal Jaegeol plainly frowned.
Wow, was there any character who could make Jegal Jaegeol put on such an expression?
“Hello, teacher Jegal-nim. I’m the leader of the 1st media team in the Media and PR department of the Player’s Association Korean Branch, Hong Gyubin.”
What, team leader?
Why does the Player’s Association team leader come all the way here to say hello?
I think I saw his face in the game, but I didn’t have a clear memory.
Perhaps he was an extra with nothing but one or two lines.
“I know that. Outsiders are prohibited from entering here right now, so…”
“Where do I look like an outsider? I also came to meet Teacher Jegal-nim who I hadn’t seen in a long time.”
“Yes, then see you next time. Please go in peace.”
“Haha, well, the media are currently paying attention to this matter. Shouldn’t me and teacher Jegal-nim cooperate well?”
“I’ll give you contact information to the Hwang Myeong Foundation PR team.”
“Thank you, but I already know it.”
Hong Gyubin who was all smiles, and Jang Jaegeol who was completely expressionless.
I was left to myself while the two continued their bickering battle.
‘Can I return to the examination room?’
Just when I had such a thought.
Hong Gyubin who discovered me late, bend his body towards Jegal Jeageol and said:
“Teacher Jegal-nim, is this student perhaps Jo Uisin? Nice to meet you! I saw a recording left in Player SAT-K. It was truly amazing!”
Jegal Jaegeol made a face as if he heard something ridiculous and didn’t even answer.
Hong Gyubin continued to talk to me without care, as if he didn’t expect an answer.
“Can you tell me an account to deposit the bounty? It goes after taking out taxes, but it probably will be around 200 million! If you perhaps don’t have an account, create it until next week and contact me with this.”
Before I even replied to anything, he forcibly handed me a business card.
The paper scrap which covered the Jegal Jaegeol card was infinitely light.
“Your ability and courage are amazing, but I especially liked your response to that unexpected situation. Even if your plan becomes controversial later, I’ll take your side. Ah, come to think of it, the reaction to the Enemy was truly fast. Is it some kind of skill you have? We can provide you mentorship based on your future career path and organize a program to raise your skill level, if you disclose player information details.”
Disclose information details?
Those were sweet words like sticky sugar with a word of poison mixed in.
Agreeing to disclosing the information was no different as to telling the association all my weaknesses and secrets.
Even with all the support I could receive, I wanted to say no.
Jegal Jaegeol at the side must’ve also noticed it, as his face twisted.
‘What to do? How can I refuse without losing favor with the Association and Hong Gyubin?’
Though he stayed quiet this entire time, Jegal Jaegeol will probably stop it. Should I entrust it to him?
My worries didn’t last.
“Get out of the way!”
I heard a sharp voice in the distance, and something moved with a swoosh.
Sensing and reacting to the sound, Jeagal Jaegeol grabbed me and stepped back.
Indeed, it was a movement worthy of the Eungwang School’s Head Teacher.
Being the Association’s team leader, Hong Gyubin also lightly avoided colliding with something flying.
Bang!
Someone crossed the corridor in an instant and smashed the door open.
Through the gap of the opened door, I saw Jang Namuk who had just finished his examination and was holding a gauze pad to the arm from which blood was drawn.
Yu Sang-hun pulled the IV drip to his side, towards the laboratory table when he saw the open door and abruptly froze.
“Student, wait. Currently, during an examination, excluding parties involved, entry is prohibited!”
The nurse’s warning at the door was ignored, and the female high-school student wearing the Eungwang School’s uniform slowly walked towards Yu Sang-hun.
Yu Sang-hun gripped IV drip and looked at the female student with a somewhat embarrassed face.
The two spent a few seconds glaring at each other without words.
Yu Sang-hun tore his lips open first.
“Why did you come here?”
The female student clenched her fists and pounced on Yu Sang-hun.
“What are you doing?!”
Startled, Jang Namuk tried to stop her.
However, before that, the female student crumbled and fell before Yu Sang-hun, while bursting into tears.
“Yu Sang-hun, you crazy fool!”
Jang Namuk wanted to push her away, but halted.
Yu Sang-hun tried to tap her on the shoulder as if to soothe her, but she smacked his hand away and continued crying.
“I know, I know. Don’t cry.”
“Who is crying! Ugh… That fool got hurt and… hic…”
“Ok, ok, cry.”
“Shut up!”
“Ah, so what!”
Yu Sang-hun closed his mouth, giving up on soothing.
He made such a big noise, but rather than being angry, he looked embarrassed because he didn’t know what attitude to take.
Jang Namuk asked with a confused face.
“Who is it?”
“My mother’s daughter, Yu Sanghui-ssi.”
“What?”
“Uh…My older sister.”
The female student’s identity was Yu Sang-hun’s older sister, Yu Sang-hui [6].
Yu Sang-hun, who seemed to hate to explain more, avoided Jang Namuk’s gaze.
Jang Namuk was making a face as if asking ‘Was that a conversation between a brother and sister?’
Wailing Yu Sang-hui was left alone, and the awkward silence continued.
It was enough to close the mouth of Hong Gyubin, who just before fluently poured out honey words, because of embarrassment.
Thanks to that, the need to think of an excuse disappeared.
Soon, apart from Yu Sang-hui, the parents of Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun arrived at the hospital.
With guardians’ appearance, there wasn’t a suitable mood to continue my and Hong Gyubin’s conversation, so it naturally came to an end.
***
Next day.
The Hwang Myeong Foundation, who managed the Eungwang Highschool, put an apology letter on the main webpage of the school.
The last line stated they held moral responsibility for this situation, therefore they will bear all medical expenses for the injuries sustained by examinees at the school grounds and will not spare any support.
‘According to the exam agreement we received, the school is not responsible for the injuries, so it would be impossible to hold them legally accountable.’
In the first place, if Jin people made up their minds, fending off their raid was almost impossible.
However, out of about 300 Eungwang School’s exam’s grounds, only one was breached.
And it was for merely 15 minutes.
It rather served as an opportunity to show how outstanding the Eungwang School’s security was.
Even so, the criticism which the school faced wasn’t small.
Fortunately, half of the media’s attention was directed towards middle school survivors.
The fact that middle schoolers, who couldn’t even use Gwangrim, caught a R+ rank wanted Enemy with only exam’s provided items and by showing off their wits, was naturally talked about in Korea, but it even became a hot topic in the international media.
And the person most talked about was Son Mingi.
[Little hero, Son Mingi: ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t fight together with my friends until the end…’]
Articles with similar headlines showed up everywhere on portal sites.
Son Mingi became a star overnight.
‘You really made the worst move possible.’
I thought as I took a screenshot of the article.
Son Mingi took one more step towards the ruin, just like that.
***
[1] Spiritual power – I’m using spiritual power here, but more correct would be ‘mental power’ or ‘willpower’. It may be that I’ll be using them interchangeably in the future, or finally decide and use only one of them.
[2] Ho tribe – From Chinese hanja meaning ‘tiger’.
[3] Beoksa – A ritual to drive away and destroy the evil.
[4] Brilliant eyes – So in raws name of this skill can have two possible meanings. One: Very sharp eyes, meaning someone is good at discerning the details and clues etc. Two: The anime light red eyes…You know, when someone really wants to murder you and their eyes start to glow? It doesn’t need to be red. Also, it’s a natural phenomenon among nocturnal animals that they ‘glow’ in the dark, but anime light eyes explain it much better to me.
[5] True Name – also can be translated as a Jin Name, as Jin translates as ‘true’ from Chinese.
[6] Yu Sang-hui – It’s a bit messy, but unless there are honorifics attached like ‘ssi’ I’ll put ‘-’ in their names, so it’s easier to differentiate.
Translator’s note: We first met Jegal Jaegeol at the hospital that looks like a temple and there is chirping of birds mentioned…Oh, Yu Sang-hui is also here…. Author, besides all other foreshadowings, really? Those things aren’t even much of a secret….
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