The face of Yong Jegun, who always smiled every day no matter what, was devoid of expression now.

It seemed like Yong Jegun would smile even when unconscious or asleep.

But the person lying in front of them wasn’t smiling like someone had made a smiling version of Yong Jegun’s expression. Instead, he was lying quietly with his eyes closed and a deathly pallor on his face.

Hyangrok, grumbling, "I’m not a doctor, I’m an herbalist!" checked Yong Jegun’s pulse.

"Did you use a recovery item?"

"No."

"Why?"

Hwang Ji-ho answered Hyangrok’s question.

"Yong Jegun scratched his skin right after he was attacked by the wicked darkness, but some of it might still remain in his body. If the recovery item mixes with that power, we don’t know what could happen. I purified the wicked darkness first, just to be safe."

"Good job. When someone’s this injured, using multiple potions or items could make it harder to treat them later. If you use multiple remedies, you have to consider their interactions, and adjusting the dosage becomes complex."

"Then why did you mix so many herbs to make the elixir taste bad?"

"Because! Huang Ho is a regular, and he’s a member of the true tribe in the divine realm, so I made it as unappetizing as possible for him."

The two didn’t bother lowering their voices, but their conversation sounded like it was coming from far away.

Instead, it felt as if Hyangrok’s fingers were right in front of Kim Yuri, checking Yong Jegun’s pulse, removing the wool to inspect the wound, and quickly applying an ointment to close the wound.

The Blue Dragon, standing silently nearby, must have felt the same way.

After treating the two others, Hyangrok finished and spoke.

"I’m done! I didn’t come here to play doctor! I’ve picked herbs that won’t resist the power of the Dragon Tribe, so you should get treated by the Dragon King's priestess now."

"If you’d come a little earlier, their injuries wouldn’t be this severe. What were you doing?"

Hwang Ji-ho replied, but Hyangrok answered back.

"I was collecting rare plants and herbs as a favor to a shaman I saved before I joined you. Normally, all kinds of people gather in the mountains."

Were there more climbers on Hallasan?

The hiking course had been strictly checked and controlled, so anyone climbing off the path, especially someone who met Hyangrok, couldn’t have been ordinary.

However, if Hyangrok hadn’t met the shaman soon enough, that person would have been seriously injured.

The consequences of my negligence and carelessness hit me painfully.

Unlike Yong Jegun or the injured members of the Red Lion team, I hadn’t been pierced by the feathers of the wind, but I felt as though I had taken a fatal wound, bleeding out.

‘Yong Jegun used up a lot of energy on Christmas Eve but didn’t lose consciousness. But now, he can’t even wake up.’

On Christmas Eve, Yong Jegun had granted a wish in exchange for Hwang Ji-ho adjusting his contract with the school staff, wishing to protect Eungwang High from the wicked snow that fell that day.

The scale of the wish was mostly to block the snow, but at that time, Yong Jegun was in peak condition, whereas today, after battling the wind spirit and suffering heavy injuries, he used Gwangrim.

Why had Yong Jegun been injured to the point of not even being able to open his eyes? Was there no other choice but this? The accident kept repeating itself, and the answers weren’t coming.

Still, no matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t express this here.

It must be harder for their families, and I wasn’t in a position to speak.

"They’ll be fine. And the injuries aren’t your fault. Yong Jegun took the Dragon Palace and made a wish, and the Red Lion team just lost in a fight they thought they could win."

"Right, I told you that the wind spirit could hide its power. It’s their fault they lost."

Hwang Ji-ho and Cheong Ho spoke, but it was my suggestion that led to this.

"Hwang Ho, Cheong Ho... I’m not saying you're wrong, but aren’t you being a little too blunt?"

"Should I just leave it and let the noble’s benefactor think it's all my fault?"

While Hwang Ji-ho and Cheong Ho were talking, suddenly a shadow loomed over me.

Only then did I realize that I had been bowing my head.

Looking up at the source of the shadow, I saw Yeom Bang-yeol standing, facing the sunlight.

He was wearing a crow mask, but as soon as he saw that I was in Yeom Junyeol’s appearance, his expression softened.

"We fought to protect our families, and we simply lost. Thanks to your wish, we returned without losing anyone. Thank you."

It wasn’t just words to comfort a child with the face of a son.

There was no pretense, and the sincerity behind the words was clear.

But seeing Yong Jegun still lying with his eyes closed, I couldn’t accept the words fully.

"In this grand conspiracy, after protecting both the students and the citizens, you still aren’t satisfied? Hmph, heroes and great figures should have that kind of ambition and spirit."

At that moment, a voice from the sky interrupted, making me lift my head.

Far off in the distance, Jecheon Daeseong was riding Geundun, seemingly finishing up with the sea matter and sending out clones to scout the situation.

"I’ll take the injured. There are some great figures from the true tribe gathered here, but none can move as fast as my Geundun. Should I take them to the Dragon Palace?"

"Please. It looks like I’ll owe a debt to the original tribe."

"Your descendants are regulars at my luncheon meetings, so this level of courtesy is nothing."

Three injured people climbed onto Jecheon Daeseong’s Geundun.

The Red Lion team member, who had been used as bait by Yong Jegun and the Wind Spirit, couldn’t open his eyes even as he was being moved.

It was embarrassing that Jecheon Daeseong had to treat this like an ambulance, but I had no choice but to ask him.

Before leaving, Jecheon Daeseong asked me.

"Are you coming with me? By the way, I just dropped off your friend. It’d be troublesome if you stay on Jeju Island too long."

"That sounds good. Jecheon Daeseong, please take our Dragon Tribe’s benefactor to the Dragon Palace."

"I’m not taking them to the Dragon Palace. My younger sibling Muji wants to meet the benefactor quickly, so I’ll stop by the original tribe’s territory on the way to the mainland."

"Stop talking nonsense. The noble’s benefactor travels with us."

While the three leaders were arguing about the injured, the leader of the Green Tribe moved.

Hyangrok, the leader of the Green Tribe, suddenly ran over and grabbed my wrist with his small hand.

It was a force I could easily shake off if I wanted, but I couldn’t do that, fearing that his small hand might get hurt.

Hyangrok shouted.

"You’re taking him too? No! I don’t want that!"

"Hyangrok, why are you... Forget it, just focus on your herbal research."

"Yeah! I need him for research!"

The conversation turned to "research," and all eyes shifted to Hyangrok and me.

I thought about stopping Hyangrok’s # Nоvеlight # mouth, but it was already too late.

A lively and cheerful voice rang out.

"Do you think people who’ve inhaled a large amount of rampage stimulants and psychic poison are rare? If you’re taking him, take me too!"

The surroundings fell silent.

‘Could it be... the simple experiment they were talking about when encountering the Wind Spirit?’ Cheong Ho sighed, his voice carrying.

As the silence grew, the leader of the Yangguk Tribe, who had been lamenting with the Black Tortoise, cautiously spoke up from the corner.

"Wait, if the one Huang Ho calls the noble’s benefactor, isn’t he also the benefactor of the Yangguk Tribe who set the strategy for us?"

Air Hotel Snow and Air Jeju

On the high floors of the cafe, Ji Myung-soo, who had just completed an unexpected solo mission, sat at a table positioned within the frame of a recording device with Eun Ho.

Eun Ho handed him the coffee he had ordered beforehand.

The contents of the cup had gone lukewarm.

This was understandable, as the coffee had been ordered just to mimic Ji Myung-soo’s presence, so it couldn’t be helped.

"Good job. Please put your armor back on, which you left behind on the chair."

Ji Myung-soo, as he put his armor back on, admired Eun Ho’s calm demeanor.

As soon as Ji Myung-soo donned the armor, a robot equipped with a recording device passed by the table.

The robot didn’t recognize Ji Myung-soo as a new guest.

Before Ji Myung-soo went down to the basement to search for the device that induced abnormal intelligence, Eun Ho suggested.

"I’m going to create a dummy to make an alibi for you, senior. If you have a robe with the Suhwan Team logo, it would be perfect."

Ji Myung-soo was a little surprised but handed over the robe without hesitation.

Creating a fake student dressed in Eungwang High’s uniform to trick the student council was something Class 0 often did, so he wasn’t too surprised.

Eun Ho quickly crafted the makeshift dummy. It wasn’t completely realistic upon closer inspection, but thanks to the robe with Suhwan Team’s logo, it looked convincing.

Considering the robot’s camera angle, anyone would think it was Ji Myung-soo.

"Before I look at the photo, I want to hear your opinion, senior."

Eun Ho casually said, implying it was fine to not look at the photo.

"Is the device you saw similar to the old interdimensional simulator found at Eungwang High on Christmas Eve?"

"That’s right. It resembled the simulator Junyeol, Jinseung, and Chansol found. It wasn’t exactly the same, and since it had different functions, it seems to have been modified or upgraded."

Ji Myung-soo and the student council members had analyzed and confirmed every incident that occurred at the school back then.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t figure out who did it or why, but they had memorized all the information in their heads.

‘Back then, and now, Eungwang High is involved.’

Ji Myung-soo realized that something that had cornered his juniors back then was targeting them again on this school trip.

Someone who had targeted Eungwang High even after he graduated hadn’t given up.

‘Was the person who targeted our school back then related to TC? But back at Christmas, it was Wonwoo, and now it’s Dongha who’s in danger!’

Although Eun Ho was also connected to TC, Ji Myung-soo couldn’t ask why there was something like this under TC’s hotel.

He only realized that TC’s darkness was deeper than he had imagined.

‘As expected. Once the situation calms down, I’ll retrieve the device Ji Myung-soo hid and disassemble it with Lady Ungnyeo.’

Meanwhile, while Ji Myung-soo was deep in thought, Eun Ho calmly reflected on the results of the day.

While Ji Myung-soo was exploring underground, Eun Ho wasn’t just moving to secure an alibi.

Hidden in Eun Ho’s arms was an item card that had just been successfully copied.

The item card had the Suhwan Team’s logo engraved on it.

Eun Ho smiled gently, hiding his true intentions, and thanked his senior.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ji Myung-soo, senior."