Underground Plaza, Cube.

As Rachel and Chae Nayun met at the hall of the third floor, Kim Hajin was walking through the sixth floor.

“Is there an artifact around here...?” Kim Hajin shouted as he pretended to look for an artifact.

[There is an administrative center in the B-3 Zone on the lowest floor. The item will be left there. The administrative center will be empty from 11:00 to noon, so take it during that time.]

That was the message that Tomer received and that Hajin saw when he hacked into her smartwatch.

As he walked into the bathroom of the sixth floor, Hajin checked the time, and it was 10:45, which means that it would soon be the time to retrieve the artifact.

“Artifact~ are you here~?” Hajin said as he looked through the bathroom. “...Eh? What is this?”

As he opened one of the toilet stalls, a holographic NPC was carrying a box in his arms.

“There really was one here?” Hajin muttered as he tilted his head.

What the NPC was carrying was actually an artifact.

Hajin reached to grab the artifact, making the NPC pale in fear, as he stood up and rushed out of the bathroom.

{That looked surprisingly real...} Hajin thought as he held the artifact. He put it in his pocket and entered the stall.

Looking down through the floor of the stall, right below him, there was another bathroom stall, this one from the seventh floor. And in there, Tomer was waiting for the time to retrieve the artifact to come.

“Hmm...” Hajin thought as he looked at her.

In order to retrieve the artifact that would be for her, he had to put her out of the game, the question is, how?

After he thought for a little bit, Hajin turned to look at the Stigma present on his arm. Right now it had two lines forming a cross.

{Perhaps...} He thought. {Become a magical smoke that will put Tomer to sleep.}

At his command, one and a half streaks of the Stigma were used, and a grey smoke rose from his upper arm, staying still right in front of him.

“Hm?” Hajin tilted his head and tried to order the smoke around. “Wow...”

The smoke moved just as he ordered it to, surprising him.

“With this...” He said as he focused on the vent, sending the smoke through it right towards the seventh-floor stall.

Quickly, the smoke reached Tomer, and danced in front of her nose.

With a frown, Tomer tried to wave the smoke away, but to no avail, as it actually went into her nose.

Even as she tried her hardest to stay awake, muttering ‘I can’t fall asleep’, she still couldn’t help it.

Soon, she was snoring inside the bathroom stall, leaving the coast clear for Hajin to steal the artifact.

Just as the clock timed 11:00 AM, Hajin went down to the seventh floor and went to the B-3 zone.

As the message said, the administrative room was completely empty, except for the large monitors that were all around the place. Over one of the large desks sat a black box.

Hajin went to the desk and took the box, opening it to find an item inside. A special-looking awl.

[Awl of Weakening]

[An awl that weakens the pricked target]

[High-rank Enchant. Poison attribute]

[Enchanted with the High ranked magic effect ‘Weakening’]

“Woah.” Hajin looked with his eyes wide open at the item. “What’s this?”

Thanks to its High ranked enchantment, even if the awl wasn’t an artifact, it would still be very costly.

Letting out a dry cough, Hajin put the awl inside his pocket.

“From now on, this is mine...” He muttered as he turned to the monitors and hacked into the CCTV to erase the footage.

He then went out of the room.

***

“So?” 

Back at the third floor’s hall. Cristopher sat cross-legged on the railing of the balcony, looking down at the group from Team White with a smirk.

“Are we going to play?” He said.

But before anyone could answer, one of the magicians finished muttering his chants, and a barrage of ice spears went flying towards Cristopher.

“Antsy, are we?” Cristopher smirked as he jumped down to the hall’s floor.

The ice spears destroyed the railing and nailed themselves on the stairs, but none of them touched Cristopher.

“Now, now, why don’t we take things calmly?” He said as he spread his arms and walked towards Rachel.

“We must attack him together…” Kim Suho muttered as he glanced at Shin Jonghak.

“Shit…!” The latter just grounded his teeth. “Fine! Let’s go. But I’ll give the last hit!”

At his words, Kim Suho nodded and both rushed towards Cristopher who was calmly walking towards Rachel. The other warrior also followed them with a pale face.

“Support us from the back!” Kim Suho shouted at Yoo Yeonha and the magicians.

“That’s a no, then?” Cristopher smirked as he tilted his head. “Oh well, I guess I can play a little bit.”

With a shrug, he turned to Rachel.

“I suppose you can take care of that musclebrain over there?” He said as he nodded towards Chae Nayun.

“Yes!” Rachel answered with a bright face.

“Who’s the musclebrain!?” And Chae Nayun asked in fury. “Don’t think you’ve already won, Princess!”

After a quick exchange of glares, Chae Nayun rushed against Rachel, but the latter responded by sending more fire slashes that stopped Chae Nayun for a moment, before Rachel used Quick-Step to reach Chae Nayun in an instant, starting a battle of swords.

“Nice use of Quick-Step, Rachel.” Cristopher said with a whistle before he raised his arm to create a barrier that stopped two fireballs and a debuffing arrow. “Oh come on, can’t you just let me watch the show?”

He said with mockery as he turned to look at the incoming spear, tilting his body to evade it, and grabbing its shaft to stop Shin Jonghak from sweeping it in a horizontal slash.

“You keep being as predictable as ever.” Cristopher said as he moved the spear.

“Wah!” Shin Jonghak let out a surprised voice as his spear moved against his will to intercept the sword of Kim Suho.

“Let’s see what you two can do together.” Cristopher said with a smirk as he pushed Suho’s sword with Jonghak’s spear, before kicking both of them and pushing them back a few meters.

“We can’t win this...” Yoo Yeonha muttered as she took a step back. “We… We must regroup, we have to look for more members of Team White...”

“But where!?” Yi Jiyoon, who was trying her best to shoot debuffing arrows asked, her pale face and trembling eyes worsened as Cristopher kept evading or stopping her arrows as if they were moving at the speed of a snail. “If we leave those two by themselves and they lose, we’re all lost too!”

“W-We must have faith that they can hold on!” Yoo Yeonha said as she looked at how Cristopher parried the other warrior’s sword with his hand before he grabbed him by the hem of the uniform and launched him towards the balcony as if simply waving a bug away.

“I-I don’t think that’s possible! We better help them now and hope that Chae Nayun can win against Rachel so she can join the fight!” One of the magicians shouted worriedly.

“Just keep him occupied and don’t let him take any advantage! I’ll look for more team members!” Yoo Yeonha said as she turned to run towards the stairs in the hope to find more team members.

“Yo! Where are you going!?”

She heard Cristopher shout behind her in a playful tone, but she didn’t turn to look at him, she just ran, hoping that Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak could stop him for enough time so she could run up the stairs.

And just as she was a few meters away something passed by her both sides.

“What…?” She looked horrified as a single line of flame rushed through the floor past her left and a lightning whip rushed past her right. Both reached the stairs in an instant and became a fearful wall of flames and lightning that covered the stairs, without a way up or down.

She paled at the sight of a firewall that rose all the way to the ceiling, and the lightning bars that felt like the bars of a prison cell, but infinitely more dangerous.

“No one leaves until the game is over.”

Cristopher’s voice came from behind her while she stood there in fright. Turning around, she couldn’t be more afraid of him, as she saw how he was standing there parrying all of Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak's combined attacks with his scabbard. While looking at her with a smirk.

“We… are... lost...” She said as cold sweat ran down her back and face. “Haha… Hahaha...”

She could only laugh despairingly, before grabbing her whip and rushing to help Chae Nayun.

{We must disqualify Rachel at least!} She thought as she rushed towards Rachel.

But before she could reach the attacking range of her whip, she had to stop, as something came flying towards her.

“W-What!?-” She froze, trying to catch the flying Shin Jonghak. “Wait!”

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Well, that was disappointing.” Cristopher said as he shook his head before he turned to look at Suho. “So? Is this all you got? Man, I’m feeling betrayed. Kim Hajin had such high hopes for you.”

“What…?” Kim Suho asked in surprise as his sword met with Cristopher’s scabbard.

“Yeah, he told me that you were quite strong.” Cristopher said as he let out a sigh. “Oh well, I guess it’s not his fault.”

Frowning, Kim Suho once again swung his sword with as much speed as he could, trying to find any possible opening. But Cristopher just kept defending and parrying as a smirk slowly formed on his face.

In an instant, he rose his Magic Power and tried to accelerate his sword, trying to force an opening. But Cristopher just swung his scabbard to parry Suho’s sword away

“AHHHHH!” Shin Jonghak shouted as he thrust with his spear in a charging attack, taking the chance of the wide movement that Cristopher made to parry Suho’s sword.

“Nice try.” Cristopher said with a smirk as he looked back at him, before disappearing and appearing behind Kim Suho and kicking the latter to send him towards Shin Jonghak.

“Wah-!” Kim Suho was surprised and tried to use his sword to stop Shin Jonghak’s spear, while the latter clenched his teeth and tried to stop the charge.

“Why the fuck are you guys fighting against yourselves?” Cristopher said with a chuckle as he waved his hand back and created another barrier that stopped the new incoming magic and debuffing arrows while stomping to break the earth spears that were rising from the ground.

Meanwhile, Rachel was fighting against Chae Nayun. Her flame-covered sword chipped at Chae Nayun’s magic-power-covered sword while the high temperatures were affecting Chae Nayun’s stamina.

“Just how did you become this strong!?” Chae Nayun shouted as she defended herself against Rachel’s rapier.

Instead of answering her, Rachel just moved Nayun's sword away from the way, and instead of simply using her sword again, she covered her fist in flames and punched Nayun’s stomach.

“Gah...!” Chae Nayun gasped as she took a couple of steps back while holding her stomach.

Not losing any time, Rachel rushed towards her and thrust her rapier, which Nayun barely evaded by ducking out of the way only to receive a flames-covered kick from Rachel that sent her flying away.

“!” Yoo Yeonha looked at this and started sweating. Things just keep going out of control for her team.

At the same time, Cristopher kept defending against Shin Jonghak and Kim Suho with a smirk on his face.

“Come on, that’s all you two can do combined?” He asked as he stopped the spear and the sword with his scabbard.

“Fuck!” Shin Jonghak’s rage kept increasing while his magic power also rose, becoming visible to the naked eye.

Suho, on the other hand, had a stern face. Both of them trying to push Cristopher’s scabbard.

“You guys are not fun at all.” Cristopher said as he shook his head and pushed them off. “So, just stay there for a little bit.”

“What-Gah…!” Kim Suho asked, only to be interrupted by a punch that sent him flying back towards the wall.

Jonghak saw with his eyes wide open as Kim Suho went flying back in an instant, moments before a hand grabbed his face and threw him towards the balcony with enough force to bury him in the rubble.

After shaking his head at both, and letting out a sigh, he turned towards the magicians and the support, who stood behind the remaining warrior.

“This is getting boring. Let’s finish you guys first.” With a shrug, he started to walk towards them.

“H-Hiiii!” One of the magicians shrieked. “I surrender!” Right before he surrendered.

The warrior didn’t surrender, but he wasn’t in great condition either. The hand holding his sword and his legs were trembling as he pointed the sword towards Cristopher.

The remaining magician and Yi Jiyoon both had pale faces, but it couldn’t be told if this was because of the constant use of magic power or fear.

Yoo Yeonha, who was looking at this, quickly turned towards Rachel who got closer to her thanks to her following Chae Nayun after kicking her a few meters back. Yeonha quickly unleashed an attack with her magic-power-filled whip, trying to surprise Rachel, only to find her attack interrupted by a flying sword that pinned her whip on the ground.

“What…?” She looked up to see Cristopher smirking at her.

“Leave those two alone. Isn’t it enough to gang up against this poor me? You also have to gang up on my poor disciple?” He said with a mock hurt face.

“...” At his words, Yoo Yeonha’s mouth stayed wide open in surprise.

“Well, where was I?” Cristopher said after dropping the now empty scabbard on the floor. “Oh, right.”

He nodded as he started walking again towards the three members of Team White.

“AHHHH!” Only to be interrupted by a shouting Kim Suho, who rushed towards him in an instant with his sword held high.

“You again?” Cristopher looked at Kim Suho while letting out a sigh. “What’s the hurry for? Just wait for your turn.”

Right before Suho’s sword could reach him, Cristopher raised his hand towards Kim Suho.

“Agesta.” Cristopher said as a blast of fire that looked similar to a fireball, but more threatening and compacted, flew from his hand and impacted Kim Suho before the latter could even react.

“ARGH!”

Kim Suho was sent away at great speed until he reached the walls and dug into it by the sheer force of the impact.

The force of the impact made the entire hall tremble, and even Shin Jonghak, who was running closely behind Kim Suho, couldn’t help but be surprised at that attack.

“Gr...” Grounding his teeth, Shin Jonghak gripped the spear harder and ran towards Cristopher, who sighed at the reckless behavior of the two aspiring heroes.

“You guys should know how this is going to end...” Cristopher said as he shook his head, before grabbing Jonghak’s spear, kicking him, taking his spear, and then connecting a fast combo of hits with the spear’s butt.

Shin Jonghak couldn’t respond to the quick attacks and was rapidly sent back flying to the balcony with a kick.

“That should do.” Cristopher said as he dropped Jonghak’s spear on the ground and turned to look at the magician, supporter, and warrior.

““I surrender!”” Both the warrior and the magician shouted at the same time, as blinding magic came to them, before being teleported away.

“...” Cristopher looked at the place where they were moments ago, before sighing and turning to Yi Jiyoon.

“...”

“...”

Both of them stared at each other, one with a questioning look, and the other with a pale face and a trembling body.

“P-P-P-Please… D-D-Don’t h-hit me…!” Yi Jiyoon said as she took a step back.

Cristopher tilted his head as he lifted an eyebrow.

“I-I-I-I he-he-helped you o-once…!” She said. “D-D-Don’t y-you re-remember...?”

“Mm?” Frowning, Cristopher looked at her more closely, until a memory suddenly came to his mind. “Right! I remember you!”

“!” Hearing him, Yi Jiyoon’s eyes opened wide and started to shine.

“You were the one that stopped my plan to escape that bothersome class last semester!” He said with a deep frown, while Yi Jiyoon’s eyes lost their light.

“I… I just wanted to help...” She said with a tiny, monotonous voice.

“*Snort* As if! You just wanted to frustrate my plans!” Cristopher said as he pointed at her. “Now it’s time for my revenge!”

“Ha, haha, hahaha...” A despairing laugh left Yi Jiyoon’s mouth as she looked back at him. “I surrender...?”

At her words, she was blinded and teleported away.

“You bitch! Where are you escaping to!?” He shouted at the space that was previously occupied by Yi Jiyoon before he raised his arm to his left.

“Agesta.” With a quick incantation, another threatening and compacted fireball rapidly flew towards Yoo Yeonha, who was trying to pull her whip free.

“Mommy...!?” At the sudden attack, Yoo Yeonha shouted in surprise before she, too, was blindfolded and teleported away with magic.

“Ha...” Cristopher sighed. “There goes my chance to take revenge...”

As he lamented, both Suho and Jonghak stood, both of them looking at Cristopher. Kim Suho bit his lip in frustration, while Shin Jonghak only grounded his teeth in rage.

“Damn it...”

Meanwhile, Chae Nayun and Rachel’s fight was reaching an end, with Chae Nayun barely standing while using her sword as a cane.

At some point, Rachel started mixing both flames and ice-cold attacks, making it really hard for Chae Nayun to keep up. She did have a deep amount of magic power thanks to her Gift, but her stamina was another thing altogether.

“Just how…?” Chae Nayun muttered as she glared at Rachel.

“This is thanks to my master’s teaching.” Rachel simply said, before a huge wave of deep-crimson flames rose from her thin rapier and quickly flew towards Chae Nayun with a swing of her rapier.

“DAMN IT!” A resentful shout traveled through the hall as Chae Nayun was blindfolded and teleported away.

“Ha...” Rachel let out a deep sigh as her shoulders dropped. “I won.”

“That was expected.” She suddenly heard Cristopher.

“Master!” She turned to him and was about to run towards him with a bright face, only to stop the next moment as she saw both Shin Jonghak and Kim Suho standing close.

Only the four of them remained here, and they were staring at each other as if the fight was about to start at any moment.

“Mm? What the hell happened here?” Or that should be the case if it wasn’t for Kim Hajin who reached the third floor through the emergency stairs.

“Oh, hey man. Fancy meeting you here.” Cristopher said with a smirk as Kim Hajin walked towards him and Rachel.

Kim Hajin nodded as he looked at both Jonghak and Suho.

“Mm? Oh, were you fighting those two?” He tilted his head

“Yeah.” Cristopher nodded before he turned to him. “Wanna join in the fun?”

Shin Jonghak just scoffed at his words, but Kim Suho flinched. He knew that Kim Hajin was keeping a power equal to him, or even stronger than his. Or so he thought.

And even if Kim Hajin didn’t participate, he knew there was no way for him to win against Cristopher, unless he used all he got, and even then, he was sure that Cristopher still had a lot of hidden cards.

The blue fire he used to easily burn the Djinn that they all struggled to fight against left a deep impression in his mind.

{What to do…?} He thought for a moment, but soon resigned himself.

Just as he thought, soon enough, Rachel, Cristopher, and Kim Hajin attacked both of them. Cristopher fought against Kim Suho, while Rachel and Kim Hajin teamed up against Shin Jonghak.

Soon, both cadets were eliminated from the Mock Artifact Scramble.

The rest of the competition went on smoothly. Except for Olivia, who happened to also be on Team White, screaming how unjust it was to be the only one of the usual group to be on Team White.

On another note, Mark, who was on Team Black, thanked Heaven and a long array of gods and goddesses from all religions and mythologies for being in Team Black. Park Min-Ho, the guy that used to harass Cristopher back when both of them were in a team with Rachel, also secretly prayed for the luck of being in Team Black.

***

“...Huaaam...” Tomer let out a long yawn as she woke up, staring blankly at the ceiling of the stall she was sitting in.

It was the 7th floor’s bathroom of the Underground Plaza.

“Oh, right, the mission.” She said after a little while. “...Huh?”

As she turned to look at her smartwatch, she fell into a daze.

The smartwatch showed that it was 3:02 PM.

“...” Looking at it with a dazed face, Tomer took out her cadet’s smartwatch, thinking that her own smartwatch was broken.

But what she saw left her frozen in place.

[+Mock Artifact Scramble Results+]

[Final Survivors - Black Team: 47 / White Team: 6]

[Artifact Possession - Black Team: 7 / White Team: 0]

[White Team MVP - Yamamoto Jin, Park Yon-He]

[Black Team MVP - Cristopher, Rachel]

[+Black Team Victory+]

“...What?” Tomer asked in a daze as she looked at the results in her smartwatch.

She slapped her cheeks a few times and looked again, hoping that it was all just a dream. But the smartwatch’s screen remained unchanged.

“No way, no way, no way...” She muttered as she ran out of the bathroom, only to find the pitch-black lobby of the seventh floor.

With classes over, all lights were off.

“Ah...” Tomer dropped to the floor completely devastated.