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19. Eternal Lake's team master's performance in Korea (3)

Eungwang School Research Zone, Gwangrim Research Building no. 4, Silver Shadow's basement, facilities on the unmarked floor.

Recently Kim Sinrok came to this place everyday after finishing classes to interrogate the Ung tribe members.

'It would be good if there was a harvest today.'

At first Jeok-ho, then Hwang-ho's henchman interrogated the Ung tribe members, but there was no gain.

At last, with Jeok-ho's recommendation and Hwang-ho's permission, Kim Sinrok took over the Ung tribe.

Swish—.

After passing through a few doors with security procedures, he arrived in front of the secret room where the captured Ung tribe members were imprisoned.

The door was protected by two Ho tribe members dispatched from the Hwang Myeong group.

Kim Sinrok greeted them with a smile that Jo Uisin expressed as 'not looking even a bit human'.

"Hello."

There was no reply.

The two Ho tribe members just conveyed with their eyes that it was okay to enter.

It could hardly be seen as an attitude of the Jin people towards their descendant.

Kim Sinrok understood his circumstances well as he held the blood of not just the Ung tribe, but the blood of Ungnyeo of Grief, who had made Jeok-ho into what he is now.

As he didn't expect a friendly response, Kim Sinrok entered inside without disappointment.

'Hwangho-nim said he wasn't expecting anything, but… I want to come out with certain results. There are also many things I want to find out.'

Jin people's descendants are tied by their blood and roots.

Usually, any Jin tribe cherished their descendants, and the descendants sincerely followed their Jin tribe, so this constraint didn't have significant meaning.

But there were exceptions and those exceptions disappeared quickly.

'Because if the relationship between a descendant and a Jin tribe twists, it usually ends with the descendant's death.'

Descendants can't resist the Jin people to whom they are connected by blood, so they die in the instant to the Jin tribe who turned their backs on them.

It was a well known fact that descendants couldn't make an attack motion against Jin people, but the exact scope wasn't known.

'It's an opportunity. I can check how much descendants can resist against Jin people. There are many test subjects. Though one of them had to be given up as he was a Ho tribe member's sworn enemy.'

That Ho tribe member sought Hwang-ho personally and kneeled down, asking: 'Let me take this opportunity to exact revenge'.

Hwang-ho gladly accepted it and handed over that Ung.

They were probably carrying out revenge play in the area under Hwang Myeong Group's watch.

'I will utilize five remaining test subjects to maximum. I have to learn for certain how much I can fight against the Ung tribe.'

The Ho tribe's chief shaman made five barriers to confine the Ung tribe members.

In addition, to increase torture effects, the chief shaman planted curses and enchantments inside Ung tribe members' bodies.

For each Ung tribe member inside those barriers it would also feel like the time is passing extremely slowly.

'They have been locked inside for one or two months, but it would actually feel like dozens of years passed.'

On the barrier boundary the golden rope[1] which received the tribe head's, Hwang-ho's, inspection was emitting dim golden light.

'It's disgusting that those inside and the root of my existence are connected.'

One Trainer category Ung was picked up on the day when the trash was tied to the Red Rack.

Remaining three were the Ung tribe members who dared to aim for Eun-ho's descendants.

Their roots were connected, but every one of them intruded into the divine realm and tried to kill him or Eun-ho's descendants.

There was no reason to avoid torture.

Swoosh—.

As Kim Sinrok walked towards the golden shining ropes spreaded out in layers, they turned transparent with the sound of cutting wind.

After he entered the barrier, he saw five doors.

Kim Sinrok opened the door on the far left.

First room.

The armless Trainer Ung was lying down with his head on an ugly rag doll.

Kim Sinrok snatched the rag doll and thrust it before the Ung's unfocused eyes.

"Do you cherish this child? Then should I dispose of it?"

"Uuu…Aaa…"

"Don't like it? Talk if you don't like it. About 'Them'."

The Trainer Ung only opened and closed his mouth.

After internally counting down 10 seconds, Kim Sinrok cut off the rag doll's neck with pinking shears.

Puk—.

The scissor blades were relatively blunt so ripping off rather than cutting off seemed to be better expression.

He threw the rag doll's clump in front of the Trainer Ung.

"Uaaaa!"

The Trainer Ung, who because of his degeneration and enhancements on him, mistook the rag doll for his beloved Enemy, let out a sorrowful scream.

He was an Ung who dumped the Enemies he made to kill people and Ho tribe, treating them like disposables, but it seemed even he had an Enemy which he treated like his child.

"You better talk about Them if you wish to protect your child."

Kim Sinrok stomped on the rag doll tatters, making its shape unrecognizable and left the room.

Second room.

The Ung tied to the black rack was muttering.

Kim Sinrok brought his ear to the Ung's mouth, then shook his head.

"Killing you? That's impossible. As your descendant there is no way for me to kill you. And I have no intention of simply killing you all who tried to kill those children."

If it goes like this, it seems he will soon request his own death as the price for the information.

"Give me the information if you want to die."

Kim Sinrok left him behind in the room, leaving those words.

Of course, even if he gives him information, he had no intention of killing a valuable test subject.

Third room.

The skinny Ung who was crawling on the bare floor saw Kim Sinrok and gasped in fright.

Kim Sinrok, who looked around, said as if condemning a child:

"I said not to eat pencil leads no matter how hungry you are."

As expected, all the pencil leads boxes he left behind here were empty.

He was clearly forcibly obstructing this Ung from energy source to draw him towards death through starvation.

However, he couldn't feel unique to descendants' restraints.

'It's only said that I can't attack them. Driving them towards premature death indirectly is possible. I drew this prideful Ung into the corner so much he is stealing and eating graphite to survive. This experiment is a success.'

Kim Sinrok threw him one lump of rice with a gloomy smile.

The Ung hurriedly swallowed the food with a touched face.

Fourth room.

The dust left in the mortal world by the higher being, Nightmare Insomnium, was obtained and planted with difficulty on the Ung here.

As if he just woke up from the dream, the terrified Ung's face was dripping with tears.

Gasping for breath, the Ung discovered Kim Sinrok and tried to hug him.

Slap–!

"Next time you try to touch me as you please, I'll make you swallow thumb tacks."

Kim Sinrok didn't hide his disgust and avoided him.

The Ung burst into sobs, hugged his own body and trembled.

Though the dust he was planted with was merely remains, the nightmare seemed powerful.

"What did you see in your nightmare? Depending on your answer, I'll let you sleep without dreams."

The Ung immediately opened his mouth and started to recite what he saw, but all the information he heard was useless.

After the Ung finished, Kim Sinrok turned his back to him to leave the room.

"Next time, dream of something a bit more useful."

The Ung will face the nightmare again today.

Last, fifth room.

The room inside was filled with bewitching hallucination incense made by the deer's family, the Nok tribe[2].

Kim Sinrok put the detoxification pill into his mouth and entered inside.

Despite the fact he was chewing on the pill, his mind became dim for a while.

"Incense… turn it off…please…"

Was it because when Kim Sinrok entered the air cleared a little?

The Ung's mind returned for a moment.

Kim Sinrok didn't reply and increased the intensity of the flame under the hallucination incense.

"Ah, aack…"

In tenser incense, the Ung couldn't keep his head steady and faltered.

With the incense effects, the Ung started to wander between the past and the present.

'… Looking at him, it seems that this Ung is close to his limits. It's about time for him to say something.'

Kim Sinrok was born with a talent and instinct for torture and interrogation.

His instincts were telling him that this guy is going to spill important information soon.

"Minor… Creature…"

"Minor Creature?"

"On the subject of Minor Creature… dare to be cherished by Them…?"

Minor Creature, Them.

It was two words he didn't hear from any of the Ung before.

Kim Sinrok was sure, at last he brought results.

***

Morning, the 1st year class 0's classroom.

The moment I entered, I smelled something sweet.

"If only we knew about it, we could do it together."

"We're lucky that the menus don't overlap!"

There was a gathering around the central desks in the classroom.

Lee Lena and Kim Yuri each were taking out S-shaped butter chocolate cakes and cinnamon roll scones on the desk.

"Uisin, hi."

"Hi! Today, both me and Lena brought snacks. Let's eat them together when teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim comes for an day-start meeting!"

To repay for help with ticketing the previous day, Lee Lena asked for understanding from dormitory cafeteria staff where she was working part time and baked cakes herself.

Kim Yuri seemed to have made scones for me and Maeng Hyodon, who had a hard time due to the Children's Day incident.

Soon other children also arrived in the classroom, and we talked about the Children's day incident.

"Wow, that day you went to join the otherworld conquest straight away at teacher Yong Jegeon-nim's words?"

"Ah… I think I would be extremely hesitant if it was me."

"So you can utilize the Flight skill in such a way! I want to see how the members of the Yong tribe use the Flight skill." [3]

We waited for Ham Geun-hyeong to come while talking about the incident that day.

With Maeng Hyodon occasionally adding a few words and others asking questions, the conversation continued.

On the side, Hwang Jiho sat with his mouth shut, his eyes stealing glances in my direction and sparkling as if he wanted to tell me something.

'Seems like the content is important as he isn't talking about it through a device message.'

Even so, I'm busy this afternoon, so I have no time to visit Hwang Myeong-ho's mansion.

I avoided Hwang Jiho's gaze and concentrated on chatting with the kids in class.

Soon Ham Geun-hyeong came to class for day-start meeting and we all savored the handmade snacks prepared by the two people.

Han Yi, who loved sweets, enjoyed bite after bite with a very happy face and even Maeng Hyodon, who still felt awkward around girls, didn't hold back his praises.

***

Lunch time.

Before going to class, I was sitting on the bench on the 1st year's promenade and reading articles.

The Children's Day incident was still a hot topic.

'There are many comments under the Red Lion and Yeom Junyeol's articles, but… To Wonu is also formidable.'

The comments praising Iron Lock easily reached four digits.

It wasn't as much as Yeom Junyeol, but it seemed that there were many fans.

Even To Wonu in the game sounded like a Student Council president who was ripped out of a hot-blooded teen manhwa.

In addition to being the prestigious highschool's ranking's permanent 1st place and amazing Player, he was hardworking and had the backing of the TC group.

He even has the ability to restrict 2nd year class 0's GeunChan&WangChan duo to a certain degree so what is natural is only natural.

'… Why does he turn so corrupt in front of Yu Sang-hui?'

When I was worrying even though I knew worrying was useless…

"Student Uisin."

Someone who completely hid his presence spoke up to me.

It was a silvery voice filled with graciousness.

'It's teacher Gong Cheonghwon-nim.'

Han Yi's respected teacher[4] and the teacher in charge of the Introduction to Enemy Studies, Gong Cheonghwon.

Worthy of Taehokwon's master.

It seemed that hiding his presence was as natural for him as breathing.

But I hoped he wouldn't do that at school.

"I was worried when you didn't show up for the previous class."

"… My apologies."

"Student Uisin always diligently attends classes, so there had to be a situation. Please inform me next time, I'll send you class materials."

Gong Cheonghwon was smiling softly while giving me a device code.

Was it because I committed a sin and because of the horrible exam scope I tasted during exam period?

That smiling face felt a bit scary.

"You worked hard during the Children's Day incident."

"… Thank you."

When awkwardly exchanging pleasantries.

The class bell prepared by Wind Music club and Orchestra club rang.

'It's a piece from the Peer Gynt Suite.'

'In the Hall of the Mountain King' composed by Henrik Ibsen, who was also called the Chopin of Norway.

It's music that flows when Peer Gynt is seduced by the green-clad woman to enter her father's, the troll king's, castle and then the scene of his escape after he sees the monster's festival.

"Then shall we go to the class together?"

I guess Gong Cheonghwon came to catch me in case I tried to skip classes again.

I felt like sitting on needles, but the content of Gong Cheonghwon's class was informative as before.

[5]

***

After classes.

In the Newspaper club I once again accepted Mun Saeron's interview request and ended my club activities with it.

Judging from the questions' content and what she said, she seemed to also interview Maeng Hyodon.

'Maeng Hyodon still can't talk with the girls in the class, I doubt he will be able to have a conversation with Mun Saeron.'

But it will be alright if it's Mun Saeron I know.

'Let's get through with it.'

Off-limit zone.

The old school's classroom I had come to before.

Perched on the teacher's desk, I was waiting for Yeom Junyeol.

Soon the door opened and…

"Apologies for making you wait… master-nim!"

For a second Yeom Junyeol was about to call me Red Wall Thief, but stopped himself.

Anyhow, he didn't call me that, so he passed as a student.

*~*~*

[1] golden rope – 인줄 (human rope??) in raws, it's other name would be translated as golden rope. It's a straw rope hung on the entrance to protect the place from evil. It also has a meaning of preventing people from leaving or entering.

[2] Nok tribe – Nok for deer.

[3] "So you can utilize the Flight skill in such a way! I want to see how the members of the Yong tribe use the Flight skill." – this sentence was spoken by Sawol Seeum. It's obvious in Korean as he still uses a polite tone.

[4] respected teacher – the teacher one is grateful to.

[5] Conversation between Jo Uisin and Gong Cheonghwon – Fun note. Gong Cheonghwon uses a polite tone when speaking with Jo Uisin. That's nothing weird. Some teachers use a polite tone towards students (Im Yeonhwa and No Yeong-mi if I remember correctly for example) and some don't (like Ham Geun-hyeong and Kim Sinrok when he acts as a teacher). It's nothing important, but I just thought you may find this fun in some far away future.

Translator's note: For those who know spoilers, we have five Ung here, tortured in different ways. Is that just me who sees some scary parallels?