Tuesday, late at night in Cube, outside the first dorms of the male cadets.

 

“Ah!” As Hajin made his way outside of the dorms, the person that was waiting for him noticed and started to wave at him. “Kim Hajin! Over here~!” She said.

Hajin sighed as he made his way towards her, while she ran towards him once he stopped nearby. He extended a notebook towards her when she got close to him.

“Ah, is this it?” She asked as she took the book. “The study guide?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Hajin nodded. “So stop texting me.” He said with a sigh. After being bothered for so long, he finally decided to give her a study guide, just that, as he usually just used his Authority to cheat through written exams, he had to hack into Yeonha’s personal database to get her study guide, as she always had a copy of it.

“Ah~ Thank you so much.” Chae Nayun said with a beaming smile. “I’ll pay you back for this for sure.”

“You don’t need to.” Hajin shook his head. “Just study harder.” He said as he looked at her. No matter how hard he looked at her, he couldn’t stop feeling she looked more pitiful each time he met her. {I just can’t help to try and help her from time to time…} He inwardly shook. his head, while he kept looking right into her eyes.

It was something he recently noticed, but he was now able to see her face to face. Unlike before when the guilt of what had to happen consumed him. {I just have to not be found out…} He thought. He killed once. It was a taxing experience. But he was slowly getting over it. No one found out. A perfect crime with nothing to signal him as the culprit. {Once again… I just have to kill him and leave unnoticed…} So he thought.

“Okay! But again, thank you sooo much!” She hit his arm and waved before turning towards the directions of her dorms. “I’ll go study immediately!” She said as she ran off to her dorms while hugging the notebook.

“…” Hajin glanced at his shoulder before looking at her back. “That punch wasn’t necessary…” He muttered with a sigh, before turning around to go towards the forest. There was still some training to do today. {Why is she always hitting me, though?} He thought on his way to the forest.

***

At the same time, inside one of Cube’s forests.

“What the fuck are you doing here if you’re just going to interrupt?” Cristopher asked with a frown.

“She’s overexerting herself.” Yi Yeonghan said with a stern look. “I’ve been looking at her train, and she’s really going overboard. She really needs to take a rest.”

“Mm?” Cristopher raised an eyebrow as he turned toward Olivia, who was panting while resting, laying on a tree. He turned once again towards Yi Yeonghan. “She’s doing it, tho?”

“That’s not what I mean!” He said with a frown.

Cristopher sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. “Hey, wacko. Your father here says that you don’t have permission to come and play.”

“Ha… He’s… Not… My… Father… ha… ha…” Olivia said while panting. “He’s just… a bother… ha…”

“You heard her.” Cristopher shrugged. “Now, leave, you’re bothering our training.”

“This is not training. It’s insanity. You need to let her rest.” He said as he pointed at him, almost touching him with his finger, but was stopped.

“Hey.” Cristopher said as he grabbed his arm, tightening his grip.

“!” Yi Yeonghan clenched his teeth.

“I didn’t allow you to touch me.” Cristopher said with a glare. “Now leave, or shut the fuck up. It’s up to her to decide if she wants to rest or not.” He released Yeonghan’s arm with force.

“It’s not good for her health, or for anyone’s health…” Yeonghan said while rubbing his wrist.

“That’s not for you to decide.” Cristopher said as he turned around and went towards Rachel who was looking at them, waiting for Cristopher for their sparring session.

Yi Yeonghan clicked his tongue and looked toward Olivia, who was glaring at him. He shook his head and went away. After all, he too had to study and train for his midterms. He thought that he had done enough, even when the uneasy feeling didn’t leave his mind.

***

The week of exams was quiet in Cube. Most of the students used their time to study for their exams.

It was already Friday, and the written exams were already finished. There were only the combat exams next week for the midterms to end.

“Hey~” Chae Nayun waved at Hajin as she got closed to him. The last exam was already finished, and they had the weekend free before the upcoming combat exams. “Thanks, I survived because of you.”

“...Really?” Hajin asked with a raised eyebrow. {Did she really pass the exams?} He thought, after all, he doubted a miracle happened.

“Yeah.” She nodded with enthusiasm. “I must have gotten at least five problems I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. That’s a big difference, right?”

“...I guess so.” He nodded doubtfully.

“Anyways.” She said as she looked around. “Are you alone today? Where are the others?”

He shrugged. “They had other stuff to do. I just went ahead by myself.”

“Right.” She nodded. “By the way! Do you want to go there after the combat exam? It’ll be on me.” She said with a smile.

“…Where?” Hajin raised an eyebrow.

“Han Jung Gak.” Chae Nayun said. “It’s a really famous restaurant on Ganghwa Island. You’ve heard of it, right? It’s just as famous as the restaurant you took me to in Paris. Kim Suho and-”

“I’m not going.” Hajin interrupted her. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested in eating in that restaurant, as it was a Korean restaurant that we marked as one of the best in his setting.

“What? Why?” She asked incredulously.

“I don’t have time. You can go with Kim Suho.” He said shortly, making Chae Nayun stare at him with wide eyes.

“...What? Are you jealous?” She said after a short pause, making Kim Hajin frown.

“Are you crazy?” He snapped at her with a glare.

“Uh, fine… if you don’t want to come, don’t.” She said as she shook her head. “I just wanted to pay you back for treating me in Paris…” She said as she averted her eyes slightly.

“I’m not going.” He said shortly as he turned to leave.

“Ah, wait!” She reached out with her arm, but he was already walking away. “Just the two of us can’t go even if I wanted to! My dad will get mad if he finds out~!” So she said, but Hajin simply ignored her.

***

While Hajin and Chae Nayun were discussing, Cristopher was leaning on a tree inside one of Cube’s forests.

[...

70. ???/???/???/???

71. ???/???/???/???

72. Count Seere/???/???/???

73. ???/???/???/???

…]

He was currently looking at his Devildex while, on a lake nearby, Rachel and Olivia tried to stand over the water.

“I think I got it this time…” Rachel said, while taking a step forward.

“Mm?” Cristopher looked up to see both Olivia and Rachel trying to walk on water, taking a step at a time, while also trying to stabilize themselves with each step they took. “You two are doing great. It seems that the magic power control you’ve been going through has helped you a lot.”

“T-Thanks, master.” Rachel nodded

“...Still, this is harder than what it looks like…” Olivia muttered. She’s been working a lot with training her magic power control, even more than Rachel, as her use of her Gift required a great deal of control, at least to use it at a master grade according to Cristopher. But even then, she was still having trouble stabilizing herself on the surface of the lake. Using the exact amount of magic power to stay afloat without affecting the water was one thing, but trying to move while keeping her balance over a liquid was another thing altogether.

“It’s just a matter of time.” Cristopher said with a shrug. “As soon as you get the gist of it, it’s just practice and more practice until you can do it with your eyes closed, you know? Like letting your body remember faster than your mind.” He said as he pointed at his head.

“Easier said than done…” Olivia muttered, but she must still admit it. He has really weird techniques under his arsenal, she sometimes really wants to just ask where the hell did he gets all these ideas.

Cristopher just chuckled as he picked a stone that was close by. Without saying much, he threw the stone towards the lake, right in the middle of Olivia and Rachel, with enough strength to cause ripples to appear and disturb their footing.

“W-Wait...!” Olivia shouted, trying her utmost to stay afloat.

“M-Master…!” Rachel was also fighting to keep her balance.

Ultimately, both of them failed and fell into the lake’s water, causing Cristopher to laugh.

“Why did you do that!? You asshole!” Olivia shouted once she resurfaced. “You made us lost our balance!”

“Master… you idiot…” Rachel muttered as she pouted and slightly glared at him.

“Pfft… Relax. It’s all part of the training.” Cristopher chuckled with a shrug. “Water can be quite unpredictable, you know? Better get accustomed to changes on the surface. Also, it will help you learn to adapt more to it.”

“Asshole!” Olivia shouted, while Rachel just sighed. Both slowly tried to stand on the surface once again, while unsteadily rising on the water. It was a condition Cristopher gave them. If they fell, they had to raise up without coming to the shore.

He just chuckled at them.

***

The weekend went by in a moment. Soon it was already the combat exam week.

“Ha…” Hajin was just getting out of his first duel which finished not long ago. He was thinking about meeting with Cristopher and talking about the upcoming event, but the guy just waved his hand saying that he had his match coming up after Hajin’s, so it wasn’t possible. “There are only two more duels, so cheer up, Kim Hajin!” he tried to cheer himself up.

He really did well in his previous matches, so he wasn’t that disappointed or worried of his rank falling down. {Not that I really need to keep though…} He thought with a shrug. {At least I could give Tomer the offer to lend her money… if she finds out the truth, the chances of her coming to the good guys’ sides will increase dramatically.}

Earlier today, after their first win, he managed to hear Tomer speaking on the phone regarding her need of money, and he took the chance to offer her the money she needed. He also thought about giving her the information for free, but it would truly be suspicious, so he decided to lend her the money, it would be good for him too, after all.

“Hey! Kim Hajin!” Just as he was delving into his thoughts, a shout came from behind, and just as he turned around, Chae Nayun reached his side with a broad smile. “Kim Suho wanted me to tell you that he really liked your match.” She said with a smile.

“Kim Suho did?”

“Yeah, he went straight to his own match though.” She shrugged. “I think it will start soon. I also liked your match, you were moving like a cat around the field! By the way, how did you do that?”

“What? Moving like a cat?” Hajin tilted his head.

“No, not that. The curved bullet, how did you do that trick?” She said as she pushed his shoulder.

“Oh…” Hajin nodded with a shrug. “My gift.” He answered shortly.

“...What a boring explanation.” She said with a sigh before stretching and letting out a big yawn, interlocking her fingers together behind her neck. “Ah~ I want to fight too. My matches don’t start until the afternoon…” She said. Hajin also had his second duel at 3 PM, so he had some time to spare, so he decided to grab something to eat. Olivia and Rachel said that they wanted to look at Cristopher’s match.

“I see…” He answered shortly. {What team would be the unlucky one to fight against his?} Hajin thought for a moment as he remembered Cristopher’s fight, trying to ignore Chae Nayun who was still walking beside him. Differently from the previous midterms, the teams met at the Arena, so no one knew which team they will end up fighting until they were facing each other.

Just as he pretended to keep going, he had to stop. Shin Jonghak and Yoo Yeonha were standing in front of them. The former was giving him a look of disdain with his almost emotionless eyes.

{He… somehow doesn’t look that scary anymore. Even when I know there’s still a big difference between us.} Hajin thought as he looked back at him.

“…” Shin Jonghak looked between Hajin and Chae Nayun who was standing beside him.

“What do you want?” Chae Nayun asked with a frown as she received his gaze.

“...Haha.” Instead of bickering back as he does with everyone else, he just softly laughed at her antics through his teeth. It was something he really liked about her, which in turn confused Yeonha a lot, she couldn’t understand why he liked that tomboyish side of Chae Nayun. Jonghak sauntered towards them, and as if switching places, Hajin walked forwards, passing by him, receiving a side glance with the same disdain as before, but he ignored it this time.

“Are you leaving?” As Hajin walked beside Yeonha, she asked, her gaze still fixed on Shin Jonghak.

“Yeah. What about you?” He asked, looking forward. “Are you going to your match?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s at 11 AM.”

“...I see.” He said and started walking, only to stop. “Oh, right. Hey.” He looked at her over his shoulder.

“...Yes?” Yeonha turned to look at him this time.

“Bullets.” He said shortly. “5.56mm”

“…” Yeonha looked at him for a moment. “You want me to get you some?”

“Yeah.” He nodded and turned towards her. “But a lot of them.”

“It’s possible… but what do you need assault rifle bullets for?”

“I think I’ll need them in the future.” He said with a shrug.

“Hmm... hold on.” She said as she turned her smartwatch on. “How many?”

“About…” He tapped his chin with his finger. “six hundred?”

“Six… what?” She asked, her hand stopping in the middle of writing.

“Six hundred.” He repeated.

“…You know that high-ranked 5.56mm bullets are at least 200.000 won per bullet, right?” She asked incredulously.

He nodded. “So in total, it will be 120 million. Is it too much?” He asked with a disappointed look.

“…” She stared at him dazedly for a moment before snorting and putting on a queen’s smile. “Pft. I can do something like that with my eyes closed, so don’t try to scratch my pride needlessly. So, do you also need the weapon to go with it?” She asked as she took notes on her smartwatch.

“No.” He shook his head with a smile. “The bullets are all I need. I’m leaving now.” He said as he turned around.

“Yes.” She nodded, but then rushed to grab his arm, stopping him. “Ah, wait!” Hajin turned to look at her questioningly. “It’s about that ginseng.” She said as she released his arm.

“What about it?” He tilted his head, remembering the ginseng that he got from his visit to the dungeon with Suho.

“We’ll be able to make medicine with it in two weeks. So I was wondering…” She said, dragging her words.

“Are you asking me if I have more?” Hajin raised an eyebrow as he asked.

“...Yes.” She nodded. “It’s looking like it’ll take a long time for us to look for proper traders.”

Hajin rubbed his chin as he pondered over it. “I can’t say for sure that I’ll be able to, but if I do, I’ll trade it for your company’s shares. How about it?” He asked her.

“That’s fine.” She smiled.

While both of them talked, they happened to hear Shin Jonghak’s conversation with Chae Nayun.

“Chae Nayun, why are you staying close to him?”

“What? What does it have to do with you?”

“...You didn’t forget about what happened before, right? You were the one who said he was weird and told me to squash him.”

“Eh? Ah… no, I misunderstood him at the time…”

Hajin stared at them as they spoke.

“...Just ignore him.” Yoo Yeonha said, pulling his attention back to her. Her eyes studied his expression. “Jonghak doesn’t know much about you.”

“…” Hajin gave one last glance at Jonghak and Nayun. “I don’t really mind.” He then turned away and left. As he was walking away a text message came to his smartwatch.

[Cristopher: Sorry beforehand. And also, you can thank me later.] Hajin stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. {What is he talking about…!?} He thought for a moment, only to come up with a single possible answer.

“Yeah, he went straight to his own match.” Chae Nayun’s words played at the back of his head. “No way…” He muttered, before turning around and running back towards the part of Cube where the different coliseums were.

***

At the same time. In one of the arenas used for the team combats.

[Team Suho will be on offense. Team Cristopher will be on defense.]

As the announcement sounded on the two waiting sections of the horizontal-shaped arena, Cristopher was leaning against the far-end wall of the west side, writing a message. As he send it, the entire area started to change. Different from the last midterms where the arena used for combat was like a coliseum, this one had a long rectangular shape, with two clearly separated sections at both ends of the rectangle, one red and one blue, while in the middle of both a neutral white circular section separated both sides.

As if it wasn’t enough for the exam, as soon as the judge made his announcement, the arena started to shift, and obstacles of all kinds started to raise throughout the arena. Stones, trees, bushes, and even what seemed to be deteriorating buildings started to show up.

“Um…” As Cristopher looked at the changes all around him, a girl came close to him. “...Cristopher-ssi?” She called him with hesitation.

“Yeah.” He simply said, glancing at the girl. The girl was actually part of his team. Her name was Ro Min-Seo and she acted as the support of their team.

“W-What… will be the plan?” She asked as she fidgeted with her fingers. On her back, a tower shield even bigger than the relatively small girl, swayed as she fidgeted.

{Gifts are really a curious thing.} Cristopher thought as he looked at the probably 1.49 centimeters-tall girl carrying a shield that was probably 20 or 30 centimeters taller than her. “Plan?” He muttered as he rubbed his chin. He thought that it was probably because of the swaying shield that she preferred to braid her long black hair instead of just leaving it free. After a moment he just shrugged. “I’ll take care of Suho, you guys would probably be able to make a better plan to take down the others.”

“Um…” This time the sharpshooter of the team spoke. Ironically he was Park Min-Ho, who originally had quite a feud with Cristopher during their first term. “Why not we use Cristopher and Suho’s fight as a distraction?”

“How so?” Jake Sullivan, a common swordsman asked.

“Well… It will certainly be interesting to see it, right?” Park Min-Ho said as he gave a side-glance to Cristopher before continuing. “I’m sure the other team would also be eager to watch the fight.”

“Well… I guess so...?” Min-Seo said as she scratched her cheek.

“Maybe we could use the moment where the fight starts to get the other team by surprise.” Park Min-Ho said.

“Really?” Cristopher asked with his mouth open wide. “That’s your plan, dude? Ha…” He shook his head.

“I mean… I didn’t pay attention to the other team, so I’m not sure about their capabilities, a surprise attack would be the best-” Park Min-Ho tried to explain, but was rudely interrupted.

[DUEL BEGIN!] By the judge announcing the start of the fight.

“Come on.” Cristopher said as he stood up, walking towards the center of the arena without any care in the world, the others following behind, everyone ready to fight. “Min-Seo. You cover Park Min-Ho and Jeanne. Min-Ho. Use your quick shots to keep the others at bay from the team. Don’t focus on accuracy, keeping them distracted with raining arrows will be more than enough. Jeanne. You’re quite good with ice magic, right?”

“Yes…” Jeanne, the magician of the team answered.

“Perfect. Pick a target. Focus on it.” Cristopher said shortly. “Use anything to slow it down and bring it down if possible. Your main focus will still be on slowing it down, immobilizing it if possible.” He stopped almost reaching the end of the red zone, which is the defense part of the arena, and where most of the buildings are located. To be more precise, they were at the end of the area with the deteriorating buildings, and where the forest started. He looked around. “I would normally say that you should separate into different areas, but as the defending team, we have an advantage. So everyone can still keep together, well, mostly.” He shrugged.

“Wouldn’t that make us a bigger target?” Jeanne asked. “If their magician has some kind of artillery-like magic, it would be difficult for us to respond.”

“Yeah.” Cristopher nodded before stretching with a yawn. “But we have the midget.” He then pointed at Ro Min-Seo.

“...I’m not a midget… I just haven’t reached my peak growth…” She muttered with a dejected look.

“Right. So, the still-growing midget will take care of the defense. Her defense is really good.” Cristopher said.

“…” Ro Min-Seo sighed before raising her hand. “I’m not sure I can hold off all their attacks if they’re too strong or if they focus fire me...”

“Be confident, midget. You surely can.” Cristopher said with a smile. “Believe in me, who believes in you.”

“…” Everyone just gave him a blank stare.

“Fine, fine.” Cristopher sighed as he walked toward her. “Put up your shield, they’re getting close.”

“Say that first!” Park Min-Ho said as he looked around trying to find the enemy.

“Relax, I said they’re getting close, not that they were already here.” Cristopher rolled his eyes as he stood in front of Ro Min-Seo. “Raise your shield.” She did so, and he put his hand over the shield. “Zore’Akenov.” Cristopher muttered and a thin, red membrane appeared on Ro Min-Seo’s tower shield.

“Huh?” She was surprised at the change on her shield. She felt it suddenly get warmer. “What was that?”

“An extra layer of protection.” Cristopher shrugged. “Now you will be more relaxed, right?”

“Y-Yeah…” She nodded.

“I still believe it would have been okay for you to do your job. But I would prefer it if you kept your calm, so hopefully, that’ll do it.” He said as he turned around.

“...I forgot he was also a good magician…” Park Min-Ho muttered.

“Anyways.” Cristopher turned to Jake. “Jake, you’re quick on your feet. Your job will be taking down any target that Jeanne picked.”

“Huh?” Jake titled his head.

“You heard me.” He then pointed at Park Min-Ho. “Yankee here will keep the enemy team at bay, while Jeanne will focus on a single target to slow it down and weaken it as much as she can. Then you will go in for the kill. ALWAYS focus on Jeanne’s target.”

“But will I not be affected by her magic too?” Jake tilted his head.

“Ha… Trust in your teammate’s control over her magic.” Cristopher rolled his eyes.

“...Um… Actually, all the spells that I know that can do the job are areas of effect… I’m not confident of not affecting him…” Jeanne said meekly.

“For fuck’s sake, and I thought I was underestimating you idiots. But turns out you underestimate yourselves without me having to say anything..” Cristopher said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Come here.” He signaled to Jake, who smiled wryly as he walked toward him. Cristopher then put his hand over Jake’s armor. “Arot. Aregi.” He said, and a fiery aura covered Jake, while his light armor turned slightly red and warmer just like Min-Seo’s shield.

Jeanne looked at this and unconsciously asked. “Can you teach me that magic?”

“Mm? No.” Cristopher shook his head. “It’s not something I can teach you, it’s because of my Gift that I’m able to do it.” He said with a shrug.

“Oh… Right.” Jeanne nodded, while in her head she just didn’t understand. She was pretty sure that it was really weird for a Gift to give someone a unique branch of magic, and if that was the case, it made no sense for Cristopher to become a Hero instead of a Magician.

“Alright. Everyone ready. Also, Park Min-Ho, make sure to focus on those others than Jeanne’s target.” Cristopher said as he turned to look towards the other side of the arena and started walking right until he was just outside the torn buildings’ area with the entrance to the forest in front of him. As he stood there with his scabbard, someone else came walking out of the forest with a stern look on his face.

“Yo, Hero.” Cristopher smirked as he stared at Suho’s eyes. “Ready for our second round?”

“…I’m just a cadet.” Suho shook his head as he looked at him. He finally let out a sigh as he unsheathed his sword. “And I’m as ready as I can be.”

“Excellent! That’s the spirit!” Cristopher chuckled.

“You’re really laid back about all of this.” Suho said.

Cristopher shrugged at his comment. “I usually am.”

“…” Suho nodded at his comment.

“Also…” Cristopher suddenly said as he unsheathed his sword, his face not showing the same relaxed expression he always had. It was more serious this time. “You should probably give it your all.”

“...What do you mean?” Suho asked.

“I’m not stupid.” Cristopher said in a voice that only both of them could hear. “I’ll give you another chance. To show me that Hajin is right about you.” He dropped the scabbard and pointed his sword toward Suho.

“Hajin…?” Suho frowned.

“Yeah.” Cristopher shrugged as he rested the sword on his shoulder. “I think I told you this before, but he has a really high opinion about you… and even when his eyes are really good, he’s too trusting sometimes. So I need to make sure that his eyes are not wrong.”

“…” Suho only stared at him with a frown as he readied his sword.

“So, what do you say?” Cristopher said as he lowered his stance, sword still resting on his shoulder. “Shall we dance?” A taunting grin showed on his face.

***

“Ha… This idiot…” Meanwhile, in the audience' stands, Hajin looked with an awkward face as he heard the two people in the arena.