“‘You say you can see the future?’
‘Yes.’
Abilities related to precognition were as rare as elental types. Of course, her conduct was frivolous and her stamina weak—high maintenance, to be sure—but she was a fairly reliable comrade.
“We’re matching up as a team for the first ti, after all.”
This was a mont when teamwork mattered more than ever. Cooperating with soone you’d never trained with before carried significant risk.
“Rather than gambling on an uncertain future, wouldn’t it be better to prepare more safely?”
Fortunately, my words proved persuasive, and one by one the team nodded in agreent.
“Well, that’s not wrong.”
“No need to take needless risks.”
The gloomy mood began to lift. Seizing the mont, Roy decided to lighten the atmosphere further.
“All right, now that misunderstandings are cleared, why don’t we go around with quick self-introductions? It’ll help us figure out everyone’s abilities.”
Thus began the I Am Ground self-introductions. As team leader, Roy spoke first.
“I am Iroi. I’m 18 years old and elent-type fire attribute.”
Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Elent-type?”
“But why...?”
It seed they wanted to ask why I’d been killing blood fiends with a rock instead of using my skill.
“My skill control is clumsy, and I was afraid I’d cause an accident.”
My nonchalant answer subtly changed their expressions. Fire was the trickiest attribute—its power could harm allies if uncontrolled. Just as they were about to accept my explanation, Yeonwoo piped up obliviously.
“Huh? But at your school, you also... oppa!”
Sensing a breach of etiquette, Roy quickly clamped his hand over Yeonwoo’s mouth. Yeonwoo was the only one who knew I didn’t ‘not’ use skills but simply ‘couldn’t’—the infamous outcast at Seogak High. Yet he tried to blurt it out.
“Haha! Next person? Clockwise, then?”
Roy forced a laugh and passed the turn. Yeonwoo struggled for a mont, gave a reproachful look, then nodded and fell silent when Roy shot him a warning glare:
‘Maknae, take a hint?’
Released, Yeonwoo looked pitiful, and the turn moved on past Taeeon to the next person. The information we gathered was roughly:
Seohyunwoo: Manipulation type (Shadow)
Gyebokji: ntal type (Illusion)
Anna: Enhancent type (Super strength)
Dongaeyil: Enhancent type (Super speed)
Dongyoe: Special type (Puppetry)
Dongyosam: Curse type (Binding)
Plus the elent-types: Iroi, Taeeon, Yeonwoo—and ntal-type Gwakhyeol. We’d picked standout participants in the rankings, and our synergy was surprisingly good. Luck, perhaps?
Quietly pleased at the birth of our dream team, Taeeon leaned in.
“But shouldn’t we pick the Queen first? Then we can plan strategy.”
“I was just about to say that.”
In this survival ga, strategy was as crucial as abilities. Who beca Queen would decide our mission’s success.
“Normally, you’d entrust sothing important to the team’s strongest mber, right?”
“If that’s the case, there’s no one but .”
Yeonwoo slapped his knee and boasted. So glanced at him in disbelief—three A-ranks here, yet a B-rank was making all the noise. Roy ignored him. Why?
“Then I’ll take it.”
I was truly the one best suited. Faced with B and F ranks, the team fell silent. Taeeon again stepped in to ease the tension.
“All right, now that that’s settled, shall we open applications? Anyone who wants to be Queen...?”
No sooner had he finished than Yeonwoo and Roy shot up their hands.
“Could you lower your hand a bit? What if the other team sees...?”
“What? I just raised mine because you did, hyung.”
“What are you talking about? You raised yours before .”
“Is that so? Then first-co, first-served.”
“Is there order in first-co, first-served?”
Just as they were about to bicker again, Anna and Gyebokji raised their hands, too. Thus began the Queen election, in alphabetical order. First, candidate one: Gyebokji.
“Hello, I’m a ntal-type awakener specializing in illusions, and I can escape any situation.”
“Escape? Didn’t expect that—”
“Exactly.”
Roy mocked the first candidate; Yeonwoo eagerly chid in. Taeeon warned him.
“Defaming another candidate is against election law. One more slip—”
“I’m sorry.”
“Whasorry.”
Next, candidate two: Park Yeonwoo.
“I’m elent-type light attribute. When I shoot, it’s always a bullseye—no worries.”
“But you can only shoot one shot, right?”
“Tsk.”
Roy’s question drew a groan from Taeeon.
“Hey, that’s a question, not defamation.”
Yeonwoo’s face flushed—he knew he’d been mocked. Next, candidate three.
“I’m Anna. Honestly, I wasn’t that interested, but since everyone seed keen, I applied. Is that okay?”
“Your sincerity—”
“Iroi.”
“No, it’s so honest I feel the sincerity...”
She’d silenced them. Roy puckered his lips and shot Taeeon a glare.
“I’m physical-enhancent type. I can handle most guys with my fists. If you assign , I’ll do great.”
Despite her pretty looks, Anna was a boisterous tomboy. Her supporters cheered loudest, making Roy uneasy. He jumped in.
“Candidate four, Iroi! As you know, I’m F-rank. But have you considered this might be a smokescreen?”
“No, not once.”
Roy glared at Yeonwoo’s interference, then continued.
“I’ve never showcased a skill during filming.”
“That’s exactly why I’m perfect for Queen. ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Who’d expect an F-rank to be Queen? We’ll catch them off guard!”
I really believe I can do it! I want it so badly! Please pick ! Roy needed the cara ti—being Queen was idol center. As he clasped his hands with longing, a status window appeared.
【Casting skill ‘GodsLighting’.】
“Huh? I didn’t an to go this far...”
Startled, Roy flinched and rolled his eyes, catching the team’s gaze.
“Catching them off guard... sounds like a good plan.”
“Who’d expect an F-rank to be Queen?”
“And just look at that face—made for Queen, right?”
“Queen Iroi!”
Those who’d ignored now took my side. Thus, the F-rank leader beca Queen Iroi.
✧
While the participants held their second survival eting, dorm assignnts were completed. Thanks to many eliminations, the dorms were now comfortable—three-person rooms instead of six. Through Junseo’s consideration, Roy ended up sharing with Yeonwoo and Taeeon.
“Can I wash up first?”
“Oya~”
“O... what?”
Unlike their smooth banter, Taeeon only blinked.
“Hyung Taeeon, can I wash up first?”
“Huh? Sure. But didn’t Yeonwoo just say sothing?”
“? What?”
“He just said ‘oi’...?”
Sigh, that country bumpkin from Seoul. Roy shook his head and fled to the bathroom. Sure enough, he heard scolding about how he got into a Korean university despite not understanding simple speech. Locking the door, Roy crouched in a corner. He’d asked to wash up first because he needed a mont alone.
“Show the skills I can use.”
When I spoke to the status window in my mind, a translucent UI appeared. The skills I could use were five:
GodsLighting, Juhwaipma, 24-Hour Kiln, FireNado, and FallingFlas. Despite so ominous nas, I examined them one by one.
【Juhwaipma (走火入魔): Demon’s Fla. Twists the target’s mind with fire until they speak the truth.】
“...”
Burning one’s heart? But the word ‘truth’ troubled .
‘Seems like a confessional torture skill.’
Weren’t I supposed to be a fire-attribute awakener?
‘If I complain about the descriptions, everything becos fire attribute?’
It felt strange—earth could cause earthquakes, light could form arrows of light...
‘Why do I only get skills like this...?’
Pressing my forehead, I moved on.
【24-Hour Kiln: Extre Heat Hell. Area skill. Spreads a massive field of flas that incinerates everything around.】
Finally, a proper skill! Yet the la na stuck in my throat.
‘Shouldn’t 24-Hour Kiln and Extre Heat Hell swap nas?’
Annoying. If I had to speak these nas, I’d have quit long ago.
【FireNado: Fire Vortex. Spins at high speed, continuously inflicting burn and combustion damage on enemies.】
‘That’s more like it~’
I applauded in admiration. This felt S-rank. And the last skill was instantly appealing.
【FallingFlas (落火): Fla Rain. Area skill. Flas fall like petals, dealing continuous fla damage over a wide area but not harming humans.】
If only the next window hadn’t popped up.
【So skills cannot be used due to insufficient proficiency:
24-Hour Kiln (locked)
FireNado (locked)
FallingFlas (locked)】
Insufficient proficiency? Locked?
‘What is this nonsense?’
I’d unlocked these by finding all the mbers—why were they locked again? I felt enraged.
“....”
After a brief, disheartened stare, another window appeared.
【Do you want to unlock skill locks? Train diligently to increase proficiency!】
Who is this rude jerk...! This thing was infuriating.
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