“What the heck is this?”
“What…?”
The three mbers of the disciplinary committee tried to untangle the threads binding them, but it wasn’t as easy as they thought.
Even when they drew up their mana, the threads tightened even more instead of breaking.
I watched them struggle for a mont, then I made an exaggeratedly surprised face as if I had just rembered sothing.
“Ah! Senior-nim, that thing!”
“Huh? Aaah, that thing! I almost forgot about it!”
Though she didn’t know what “that thing” was, Dang Gyu-young quickly caught on and played along.
She grabbed my hand in a hurry and we bid farewell to Kwak Seung-jae and the others.
“Hey, we need to go now. We’ll visit the disciplinary committee office next ti! Good luck!”
“Hey—”
Before Kwak Seung-jae could say anything, we quickly dashed off to the next building.
After running for a while, I checked behind us and couldn’t sense any sign of the disciplinary committee.
It seed they still couldn’t break free from the fishing line.
“It’s worth the price, isn’t it?”
After stopping briefly to catch our breath, Dang Gyu-young spoke to soone in the distance.
Soon, a shrewd-looking graduate erged from the darkness.
“Thank you for your help.”
Sothing thin and shining near him was drawn into his hand. It was probably the fishing line he had just used.
I knew it was a graduate.
The three mbers of the disciplinary committee had been subdued without much resistance and hadn’t managed to cut the fishing line even by the ti we left.
I could say he was even more powerful because two of them were third-years.
Dang Gyu-young asked,
“But how did you know to co here?”
“I was just passing by when Da-bin told .”
The shrewd-looking graduate answered nonchalantly. Dang Gyu-young imdiately connected to the control tower.
Cha Da-bin’s concerned voice ca through.
– Did you get out safely?
“Yeah. The response was great. We got one over on Seung-jae.”
– He’s a person of interest, so we’ve been keeping an eye on him.
Kwak Seung-jae had been a significant person of interest who had greatly contributed to increasing the arrest rate of the black market last year.
From the perspective of the thieves’ club, he was the target that they must pay the most attention to.
Because of this, several mbers of the control tower were focused solely on monitoring Kwak Seung-jae’s movents, and they tracked his next location the mont he summoned the wooden door.
When two third-year students joined, they sensed sothing unusual and requested help from the shrewd-looking graduate.
“How’s the situation?”
– It looks like Exchange C will be exposed soon. A is being searched too.
“That’s fast.”
Originally, the disciplinary committee should have wasted a lot of ti at Exchange B, but a graduate from the disciplinary committee demolished the building in one go.
As a result, they could imdiately deploy personnel to search for the next exchange.
“We can’t just sit back and take it. Let’s diligently interfere, Da-bin.”
– Yes, president.
“From now on, you take command.”
……!
“The disciplinary committee mbers are probably quite alert by now. We can’t just charge in recklessly anymore.”
For example, Dang Gyu-young and I ambushed Kim Jo-han and the senior with the hell axe to help the custor escape.
However, the sa thod wouldn’t work twice or thrice.
Kim Jo-han might not be cautious, but the senior with the hell axe would be even more vigilant. This would make it much harder to ambush them.
If we go in carelessly, we might end up getting caught ourselves.
So we needed to be even more cautious, and it would be better if Cha Da-bin secured the area beforehand.
To avoid having to get Dang Gyu-young’s permission every ti, she handed over command entirely.
– But I’m not sure if I can do it well…
“You’ll have to do it eventually. You’re the president next year. Can I trust you?”
– …I’ll try.
Dang Gyu-young smiled brightly after hearing Chae Da-bin’s determined answer.
Cha Da-bin didn’t disappoint Dang Gyu-young’s expectations.
She made full use of the view provided by the crystal balls of the downtown area and faithfully fulfilled her role as a control tower.
Just as one of the custors was about to get caught in a random inspection, Dang Gyu-young asked,
“Should we go in now?”
– No, it’s a trap. Eight o’clock direction.
“Really? They’ve got so brains.”
When we checked the direction Cha Da-bin indicated, we saw several mbers of the disciplinary committee lying in wait.
They had set up a trap and waited for the thieves to step in.
We decided it was best to give up since we could get caught trying to save a single custor.
After spotting the next custor being chased, Dang Gyu-young asked again.
“What about that one?”
– No issues. You can go in.
“Okay. Kim Ho, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
We used wind magic and shadow butterflies to harass the disciplinary committee.
The disciplinary committee didn’t just take it lying down.
Despite Cha Da-bin’s appropriate guidance, the overwhelming difference in strength between them and the thieves’ club led to more and more thieves being apprehended.
To make matters worse, Cha Da-bin brought surprising news.
– Exchange C has been breached.
Looking at the screen Cha Da-bin shared, we saw the disciplinary committee flooding into the Exchange C building.
They had finally analyzed the barrier and the maze formation.
Dang Gyu-young asked,
“You evacuated everyone in advance, right?”
– Yes, no one was left behind.
“Then there won’t be any major losses. Next is A?”
– Half of them have been directed to A, and the rest have dispersed to start searching D, E, and F.
“It’s okay to give up A, but we must block the others no matter what.”
– Yes, president.
“Not much longer. Hang in there a little more.”
As the night deepened, the bustling downtown area grew quieter and most of the black market deals were wrapped up.
Now we just had to hold out for the remaining ti.
To do that, we needed to more actively interfere with the disciplinary committee’s search.
Dang Gyu-young took the lead.
“Let’s go, Kim Ho.”
Just then, Cha Da-bin’s private communication ca through.
“Yes, senior-nim.”
– Rember what you asked before?
I had previously asked Cha Da-bin for a favor.
I had asked her to let know imdiately if she spotted anyone with a “suspicious appearance” while patrolling the downtown area today.
– …I found them, the suspicious person.
“……!”
– From the direction they’re taking, it looks like they’re headed to the place you ntioned.
anwhile, Dang Gyu-young realized that I had connected to a private communication. She imdiately perked up her ears and narrowed her eyes while looking at .
“…Senior? Which senior?”
“Senior Chae Da-bin.”
“Ah, Da-bin.”
Whatever she thought, Dang Gyu-young’s expression imdiately softened.
However, a new question seed to arise as her eyes narrowed again.
“Wait, do you contact Da-bin privately?”
“……”
Dang Gyu-young’s gaze was probing.
She seed likely to start sulking depending on my answer.
But that wasn’t important right now.
I put on a serious face and started to speak.
“Senior-nim.”
“Mhmm?”
“Do you rember the graffiti from the preliminary field trip?”
“…The cipher.”
Dang Gyu-young’s face also turned serious.
During my preliminary field trip in the downtown area, I had found a cipher among the graffiti on a wall and cleverly altered it.
At that ti, I hadn’t given Dang Gyu-young a detailed explanation but,
– I know it’s dangerous. But I still want to help.
– Not now. I’ll tell you everything when the ti cos.
– Okay, promise.
“Now is that ti.”
“…Tell . I’ll help.”
“I’ll explain on the way. If possible, please call in the shrewd-looking graduate too.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
It wasn’t long after Dang Gyu-young sent the ssage that the shrewd-looking graduate joined us.
He looked at our faces one after the other, and asked with a bewildered face,
“What’s going on? Why’s the atmosphere like this? Did you two fight?”
“He said he’d explain.”
Dang Gyu-young passed the floor to , and I led the way to our destination.
As we jumped from one rooftop to the next, I began to explain.
“The graffiti was indeed a cipher, as you suspected.”
“I figured as much. What did it an?”
“It indicated a ti and place.”
Given that the ti and place were deliberately encoded, we could infer the intentions of those who wrote the cipher.
They wanted to et secretly, away from prying eyes.
It also implied they were suspicious individuals who needed to act covertly.
“But didn’t you alter the cipher slightly?”
“I did.”
I changed the ti and place completely so that the two parties would miss each other.
“And the altered ti is now, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then what about the place?”
“…….”
I moved forward in silence for a while, then suddenly stopped.
Raising my hand slightly to signal, Dang Gyu-young and the shrewd-looking graduate following behind also stopped.
I glanced downward and mouthed the words.
There it is.
A shadowy figure stood idly in the distance.
The person wore a large bamboo hat, which alone was enough to arouse suspicion.
Cha Da-bin had noticed this and sent the ssage.
Bamboo hats were typically used to keep clothes dry in the rain or to shield from the sun, but to wear one in the middle of the night.
It leaned more towards the purpose of hiding one’s identity rather than any practical use.
The shrewd-looking graduate seed to have reached the sa conclusion but still had many questions.
So, what do we need to do?
– Please listen to carefully from now on.
When Dang Gyu-young and the shrewd-looking graduate both nodded their heads, I pointed to the person wearing the bamboo hat.
– I need you to use a restraint technique on that person.
– What? Why?
It was understandable that the shrewd-looking graduate was confused.
He had agreed to help, thinking it was a matter involving the black market, but it turned out to be sothing entirely different.
Moreover, he was now being asked to restrain a stranger.
– What if we capture the wrong person?
– That’s why it’s a restraint technique.
I would have preferred to ask for a deadly technique, but I had no choice but to opt for a restraint technique.
This way, even if that person was innocent, they wouldn’t get hurt.
I added one more thing.
– I will take full responsibility.
– …….
The shrewd-looking graduate gave Dang Gyu-young a look as if to ask her to stop , but Dang Gyu-young was already preparing the restraint technique as I had instructed.
She responded.
– I trust him. I’ll do everything I can.
– …….
The shrewd-looking graduate’s expression turned strange.
He didn’t expect Dang Gyu-young to go this far.
With a silent sigh of resignation, he asked again.
– Alright, let’s say you’re right. What about that person’s skills?
– If my guess is correct… they’re A-rank.
– …….!
– …….!
Their faces grew even more serious.
A-rank was the level reached by only the top-tier graduates. It was an echelon touched by very few elites.
– So, you must use your full strength and your strongest skills. I will request support as soon as the battle begins.
– …We’ve really gotten ourselves into a ss.’
The shrewd-looking graduate grimaced.
He had intended to lend a bit of help to the black market and earn a nice reward, but now he found himself facing an unexpected A-rank opponent.
Despite this, he showed no intention of backing out.
Judging by the situation, if he didn’t help, Dang Gyu-young would face the battle alone and there was a high chance he would end up watching his junior die.
The shrewd-looking graduate put on a glove on each hand.
Shadow butterflies flitted around Dang Gyu-young and gathered around her.
With their spirits heightened, the two prepared their restraint techniques.
At the sa ti, they descended from the rooftop and unleashed their skills.
Ten thin strands of fishing line extended from the shrewd-looking graduate’s ten fingers.
“!!”
The enemy noticed them at that mont, but before he could react, he was already entangled in the fishing lines.
Countless shadow butterflies sward over him and they ford a cocoon of shadows around him.
At the sa ti, I used the remaining disciplinary committee flare.
A bright streak of light cut across the sky.
Shoooooo—Bang!
anwhile, the two were preparing their next attack.
If the enemy was indeed an A-rank like I said, our successful surprise attack would only give us a brief advantage.
Sure enough, the shadow cocoon began to tremble violently,
Crack!
Blood-red energy burst out and tore through the cocoon.
The energy started to take on a distinct form. It resembled a monster with six arms.
Seeing this, the shrewd-looking graduate’s eyes widened.
“Asura Blood Demon Art!”
If the enemy had mastered the Asura Blood Demon Art to the point of manifesting energy, there was only one possible affiliation he could think of.
The Blood Cult.
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