…Kim Hajin POV…
[A change in the setting has been detected.]
[Character Sven has been contacted by the Demon Lilith instead of Asmodeus.]
This isn't good. This isn't good at all.
[A change in the setting has been detected.]
[Character Minori Nii has established a connection with the Evil Society: Morals have decreased significantly.]
[A change in the setting has been detected.]
[Character Minori Nii has caught the attention of Lilith but has not been offered a deal.]
I'd forgotten…
[A change in the setting has been detected.]
[Character Minori Nii has become less stable due to Liliths influence.]
I'd forgotten just how early Minori becomes active. Even though his betrayal is much later down the line. I'd forgotten how much he became a menace for the main cast…
Those were Kim Hajins thoughts as he heard the sound of his laptop pinging with notifications only he could hear.
His eyes fixed onto someone else's, deep inside the shadow of the dungeon.
Despite the fact he had fired his gun to distract the Golem from Chae Nayun, despite the fact that the golem could break its petrification at any moment.
He couldn't move his gaze away. Away from those cold, tired eyes… the eyes of someone he had no right to be in this world, Minori Nii.
Sh*t
"Chae Nayun, put the guy down. Focus on the golem." His voice was chilling and airy, apathetic in the worst way possible.
"Uhm yeah." Chae Nayun put Sven down.
It appears she thought it was a little abnormal as well
Snapping out of his thoughts, Kim Hajin broke into a cold sweat. At the same time, the golem's body trembles, its stone skin reigniting after its petrification.
It would soon move again.
Hajin felt a hand on his shoulder pull him into the backline.
The rest of the team arrived.
"Battle position!" Chae Nayun shouted.
Immediately afterwards, a spear flew and pierced the Magma Golem's neck, for some reason the attackers eyes were red from tears.
"Buy time for me!"
Chase Nayun shouted as she pulled on her arrowless bowstring. Soon, her magic power condensed on her bow. She seemed to be making a special magic power arrow. It was likely what she learned from her previous defeat to the museum's Djinn. As expected, Chase Nayun wasn't lazy when it came to self reflection and training.
As for the others, they did their best to distract the Golem… as for the person Hajin was careful of…
Kim Hajin turned to glance at Minori, who was simply standing and observing, looking as though he was ready to support.
If I had to guess, I'd say he's observing whether he can get something out of this… that's just the type of person he is. The type to roll with punches and come out swinging.
Just as Hajin thought this Minori turned his eyes towards him, causing him to raise his gun and look busy.
If Minori began being weary of Kim Hajin this early in the story, it would almost certainly lead to a bad ending.
Chase Nayun's magic power created a fierce current, which rushed towards the bow and formed an arrow. In truth, it was too big to be called an arrow. It was a pillar. An attack of this level was impossible without exceptional mental power and application of magic power.
"...isn't that a little too much mana?" a dry chuckle escaped Minori's mouth and he relaxed his nerves and stepped back.
His figure was slouched slightly, his eyes going back to their ever so blank state.
Before the arrow could finish forming, the Magma Golem let out a loud roar and threw liquid flame towards Chae Nayun.
The teammates who were holding out were flung back by its arm.
Before it could reach its target however, the gushing lava was deflected to the side by a single sword strike-
-from Sven.
"Sorry, I was la-" As he was about to heroically say something, he was promptly kicked to the side by Minori as a pillar of light swished past his falling figure.
The pillar of light pierced the Golem's heart as it staggered and wobbled in place. Even so, it did not die.
"Haa… Haa…"
As soon as she shot the arrow, Chae Nayun collapsed to the ground. She knew she would need at least 15 seconds until she could move.
The Magma continued to stream, albeit at a slower pace.
"It's a bit rude to kick someone to the side. But I'll graciously allow it this time." Sven kicked off the ground and slashed the monster's head off without waiting for it to recover from the deflection.
After that, silence descended onto the battlefield.
Hajin directed his gaze to the seemingly relaxed Minori only to be caught watching once again.
"Thanks for the assist gunner." He spoke lazily, as if he didn't quite mean it.
"Right… no problem." Hajin answered passively and shifted uncomfortably, no matter how chill he was acting now, it was still uncomfortable to sit next to someone as dangerous as him (in the future). Especially when you know it's your fault for making him that way.
…Minori Nii POV…
After making myself unsuspectable I looked at Sven through [Starlight Seer].
Once the stars squirmed into my vision I saw his body sprouting with purple spiny vines. A small bug growing at his lower abdomen.
The motif of sprouting vines and blooming flowers seems to be the mark of lilith. Does it represent her spreading her nectar? Though unlike Noona, Sven seems to be rotting the more the flowers grow…
Gross.
I turned my head away and looked at the rest of the world. The whole burning field had become more or less transparent but still opaque. Most likely an effect of mana.
Meanwhile Chae Nayun, who was breathing heavily, appeared to be lacking quite a lot.
Blinking the shadows out of my eyes, I walked over to Chae Nayun and pulled out a blue bottle.
"Mana recovery potion. I bought it at the field. Pay me back sometime." I explained empathetically but it came out flat and disinterested.
Chae Nayun widened her eyes and took the bottle quietly, even I was slightly surprised with my own voice.
Did pushing that guy into lava actually do something to me? It makes sense since it's my first murder but… it feels lackluster?
"Hey." I turned after handing Chae Nayun the bottle.
The person who called out was none other than the spearmen I didn't know the name of.
"My brother died in front of you. Don't you have something to say?" I looked him dead in the eye, his expression said it all. He was angry and distressed due to the loss of his brother.
"...No. He was too far away from me. I couldn't have done anything." I spoke flatly and tiredly.
"...kgh." The brother let out a strange choke before turning and walking away. He raised his arm and covered his face with his elbow as he walked away.
A small frown crossed my face.
…I didn't like that one bit.
Feeling as though I'd regret it if I thought for much longer, I turned to look at the star of today, Kim Hajin.
An anomaly I've been keeping track of ever since his abnormal choice of gun. Although he doesn't have many showings apart from his intelligence, he can definitely stand his ground.
"Sure took your sweet time, bastard." Chae Nayun, who had just taken the mana recovery potion, was waiting for it to kick in as she spoke at Kim Hajin.
…
Sitting on a rock tiredly while staring down at my watch I saw a message from 'Noona'.
[Noona: Good job in there. We have the footage and it's done being tampered with. A few of us got caught but it's totally worth it! We even saw your dedication to the cause, I'll make sure to put in a good word with the higher ups if you ever decide to willingly join us.]
I stared at the message.
Right… technically I'm still just a tool right now. I'm not even a part of this. I won't be a part of the Evil Society until I willingly become a Djinn… wait, am I even getting anything out of this? Shouldn't I just report them to the authorities?
Then again, I've already killed someone and I doubt the Hero Association looks kindly upon that… I might have better prospects if I sell my soul to someone… Whatever, I'll decide later, when my mind is clear. For all I know I never completely avoided 'Yoo Ah-Ra's' charm and simply offset it.
[Me: Am I getting paid?]
[Noona: Nope ;)]
…Why am I even working for her?
As if reading my mind I received another reply.
[Noona: Don't forget I have a recording of you agreeing to be a mole for us! We even have you pushing someone into lava. (Which was so hot btw)]
Creep.
I frowned at the comment in brackets and shut my watch off before it could damage my eyes further.
"Hey, Sven." I called out.
He perked up and looked over at me with a tired but satisfied expression.
"How are you feeling?" I asked flatly.
"Pretty good, my body feels lighter." He did a small hop to showcase it.
"That's good, you were pretty messed up by the poison. You even had a seizure." I tried to smile but it didn't quite come out.
"Sorry to worry you, but I'm fine now."
As I chatted with Sven to gauge how sane he was I noticed how his eyes kept drifting to Chae Nayun as though he'd rather be talking with her.
He seems pretty alright for now… though the vines keep eating away at his magic circuit and flower buds grow from his heat and head… other than that it seems the only difference is an amplification of emotions- no desires.
Then I looked to the spearman who had lost his brother. So I walked over to make sure the impact was there.
"Hey man, sorry about your brother."
"Don't talk to me." His voice was flat but roiled with anger.
"The Magma Golem was real, we couldn't have done anything about it really… I wonder why the instructors didn't come sooner."
He raised his head.
"I mean, if they were here they could've prevented it. And if they were monitoring the situation like they were supposed to… well your brother would still be alive, right?"
"..."
"But I'm sure they had a great reason to throw us to the wolves like this, right?"
His clenched fist shook as a red liquid dripped to the floor.
"..."
The look in his eye would have made me happier if it weren't for the sinking feeling in my stomach.
I don't think I enjoy instigating as much as just doing it myself.
Soon after I completed my task I looked towards the direction of footsteps. Seeing another team had just made it through, headed by Yoo Yeonha.
She was covered in dust as if she had crawled through a crack in the wall.
—Emergency alert. All cadets are to leave the dungeon Immediately. Once again, All cadets are to leave the dungeon immediately.
A sound rang out from the ceiling. The mock dungeon trial had officially come to an end.
Sighing with relief I moved towards the way I came from.
"I wonder if we'll be graded properly." I murmured.