"If this had been something like the TC Research Institute, related to a private company, I would have moved quickly, just like before.

But unlike that time, when it involved a defense research institute in a military zone, I had to be cautious."

Of course, if the Ho-jok and the Eternal Lake pushed forward with force and the Player Association provided support, we could still achieve our goal even if a confrontation arose.

However, if they did that, they would go head-to-head with the national power, and they could easily lose the public’s trust.

A strong justification was needed.

And the information that could serve as justification was in the hands of the Three Knights' Oath.

“The Knight of Water Shadows is said to have drawn the Myo Tribe to the Rose Farm, while the Knight of Earthshaking nearly ruined an important business opportunity by prioritizing personal gain under the pretense of neutrality, which upset the Ho-jok. The Knight of Yellow Roses, however, didn’t hide it and used it to take control of the team.”

The Knight of Water Shadows, who was in cahoots with the Myo Tribe, had completely lost their standing, and it seemed they were aware of it, as they hadn't contacted the team.

The Knight of Earthshaking, whose condition worsened due to the plague, could no longer engage in external activities, and internal opinions in the team weren’t favorable either, so they had lost their influence.

In reality, the only remaining team master was the Knight of Yellow Roses.

“They claimed to have shared the responsibilities and duties of the team equally among the three of them, but it seems the information wasn’t. Apparently, they didn’t know about this matter beforehand and needed time to investigate.”

“Did they deliberately delay it?”

“I pointed that out too. Then, they quickly revealed the more damaging information they had.”

“What kind of information?”

Hwang Ji-ho, who had been answering without hesitation, suddenly stopped speaking.

It wasn’t because they were hiding something or forgetting, but rather because the topic seemed too unpleasant to speak about right away.

Cheong-ho answered instead.

“The fake body numbers and traits of my fake flesh that the Knight of Water Shadows created. They all look just like me, but there’s something different about them.”

It seems that there wasn’t just one fake body of Cheong-ho created by the Knight of Water Shadows.

Cheong-ho calmly explained about his fake body.

To perfectly replicate a trueblood like Cheong-ho, enormous resources and power were required, and the Grand Cross had agreed to create it.

Due to the Knight of Water Shadows' magical structure, the fake body must have the letters "WR" somewhere, and the Knight of Yellow Roses had accurately remembered the location.

The position of the letters varied slightly depending on the replicated body.

“According to Jared Lee, the Knight of Yellow Roses had always volunteered to be the leader of operations and had thrown everything into decorating the Rose Farm, so they seemed slow to react to internal team matters.”

Jared Lee, who had been part of the alliance with the Three Knights, likely knew the enemy well.

The credibility of Cheong-ho’s statement could be supported by the fact that, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) on the day of the assassination attempt on Mok Woo-ram in the theme park, it was the Knight of Yellow Roses who came personally to capture Jared Lee.

Even though the Knight of Water Shadows had a much better position in the theme park by the lake, it made sense that the Knight of Yellow Roses came from the beginning, reflecting their nature.

In the end, they were defeated by Seodol that day, which led to the Knight of Water Shadows offering assistance, along with contracting the plague.

At that time, Jared Lee had almost been kidnapped, and now I worried about how he might be feeling about the current situation.

“How did Jared Lee react to the Ho-jok making deals with the Three Knights’ Oath?”

“He may seem that way, but he’s the team sub-master. And since he’s also blood-related, he knows what’s wise to do. Also...”

Hwang Ji-ho spoke calmly.

“The Three Knights’ Oath is nearly destroyed by the plague, and the two senior knights secured by Eternal Lake will never return to the team. The Knight of Water Shadows, who is responsible for Jared Lee's cloning and brainwashing, cannot be forgiven. But right now, he’s considered a target for assassination within the Three Knights’ Oath.”

The Three Knights' Oath still aimed at the eradication of the Myo Tribe.

Since Jared Lee’s cloning had been a part of their tactics, if they paid the price for their actions and chose another method, there was a possibility that they wouldn’t work together.

But without receiving a proper apology, and with the mastermind, the Knight of Water Shadows, gone, Jared Lee's feelings wouldn’t be good.

Still, right now, the one Jared Lee was most concerned about was Yi Yeoreum.

“I’ve understood the same thing as Jared. Don’t worry.”

Seeing as how Cheong-ho, who had been cloned and whose body had been used in the transaction, spoke so calmly, there was nothing more to add.

Later, the tigers explained what actions to take based on the information obtained, along with plans regarding how to deal with the Three Knights' Oath in the future.

Currently, the only one who was free from the plague was the Knight of Yellow Roses, and she was the only one among the knights the Ho-jok would be willing to make a deal with.

Given the situation, the power and standing of the Knight of Yellow Roses seemed to have strengthened.

“If the Knight of Yellow Roses completely frees herself from the plague, she could create a new serum using her own blood. Whether it can generate antibodies on the level of Seodol is questionable, but in any case, once healed, she will become a new source of power. So, we should consider her as the only remaining team master.”

Hwang Ji-ho and Cheong-ho seemed satisfied with the situation.

It made sense, as for the transaction, the Knight of Yellow Roses had risked her life to guard Cheong-ho's coffin.

If the Knight of Yellow Roses had joined the enemy or remained neutral, Hwang Ji-ho might have survived, but Cheong-ho’s body would have been shattered for sure.

From the tigers’ perspective, even if a massive player team from the human world turned out to be trash, they would prefer to see someone who kept at least the minimum integrity standing at the top.

After sharing the information, they asked.

“Then what’s next?”

“We arranged for Choi Pyun-deuk to meet Jared Lee as per his request. It was our first meeting, but it seemed like they had a lot to talk about.”

The Ho-jok had been focusing on keeping Choi Pyun-deuk alive.

Choi Pyun-deuk had never attempted self-harm, making him easy to manage.

It seemed like he was enduring the terrible pain, possibly with the thought that the age of darkness might be coming.

Among the former priestesses of the Dragon King God, who had been imprisoned in the Black Dragon Palace, many were pleading for death, but Choi Pyun-deuk seemed to be different.

That level of perseverance was likely why he could shamelessly live through all the events he had caused in Plmago.

After Hwang Ji-ho finished speaking, an uncomfortable tension lingered in the air.

The silence was broken by the White Tiger, who had been silent, with no useful information or actions to take.

“Jo Yi-shin, there’s not much time left until the third chess match at Hwangmyeong Arena.”

“I know.”

As the representative, I was probably more aware than the White Tiger, who had missed the previous two matches.

Moreover, on the final day, there would be many things to do, so I was already thinking deeply. I didn’t need anyone to tell me.

Hwang Ji-ho and Cheong-ho seemed to have similar thoughts, looking at the White Tiger with annoyed faces.

“If you want to act personally during the match, I can help.”

“How will you help?”

The White Tiger confidently spoke, obviously planning to say something arrogant.

“The final match is held at Hwangmyeong Arena in the Silver Mine District. I can take your place.”

“What do you mean?”

“The chess match.”

As expected, the White Tiger spoke arrogantly, but the suggestion itself was tempting.

I was sure Yi Yeoreum would be summoned to the Ministry of Defense Research Institute today, but I couldn’t know what time.

So, unless Yi Yeoreum was called in the late afternoon, I wouldn’t be able to join the match since there were two games scheduled today.

Instead of leaving the dangerous task to Je-gal Jae-geol and Lim Yeon-hwa, I could share the burden as well.

Plus, if I were there, I could use Gwanglim to respond more flexibly and place a new piece in the capital.

The White Tiger must have known exactly what I was thinking, so why did he say such a thing?

I’m sure he knew exactly how I would respond from the start.

“I...”

Before I could answer, the White Tiger was already smiling.

Yi Yeoreum was called upon as soon as they arrived at work.

Yesterday, they didn’t get to talk much with Jared Lee.

Jared Lee had let Yi Yeoreum leave early, worried about Yi Yeoreum, who had to report early.

He likely let them go early, considering Yi Yeoreum’s precarious position, but inside, Yi Yeoreum felt lonely and regretful.

—Next time, we must definitely talk again!

Jared Lee didn’t hide his regrets and gave Yi Yeoreum a proper farewell.

Though their conversation was mostly relayed, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about it.

The revelation that a world-renowned player was blood-related was a big deal, and using this fact, it was possible that Yi Yeoreum could blackmail Jared Lee based on their past actions.

But Jared Lee had approached knowing everything.

‘I’m sure he knows both what I did and what’s happening to me now. So maybe he’ll help me?’

Yi Yeoreum thought their family might help them.

Although they couldn’t be sure, just the idea of having someone to protect them besides Gwon Lena gave them strength.

For the first time, Yi Yeoreum felt that there might be someone who could protect them. This gave them the strength to face whatever was ahead.

Yi Yeoreum hardened their resolve and headed to the designated place.

“This employee, today you have an off-site duty. Go out and handle it well.”

The ordinary tone of the superior made Yi Yeoreum feel a little disappointed.

It was surprising that their superior's attitude hadn’t changed despite knowing Yi Yeoreum was blood-related to Jared Lee.

The attitude had been the same as when they had been instructed to go to the Ministry of Defense Research Institute a few days ago.

As the superior showed no reaction, Yi Yeoreum felt even more uneasy.

Suppressing their anxiety, Yi Yeoreum made their way to the underground parking where the company car was parked.

They had planned to head to the usual box truck, but the waiting driver called out to them.

“This way. Please get in.”

The car that was pointed out was an ordinary sedan.

Yi Yeoreum was puzzled but got in without hesitation since they recognized the driver’s face.

More strange things happened.

Yi Yeoreum had to switch cars halfway, and the new car was also a sedan of similar design.

But there was something odd.

The letters on the license plate were unfamiliar.

After thinking for a moment, Yi Yeoreum realized the source of the discomfort.

The letter they had seen on the plate was ‘국.’

In South Korea, license plates with such letters, including a final consonant, were only used for military or official vehicles.

Yi Yeoreum finally understood what was going on.

They were now riding in a military vehicle bound for a military facility, under the Ministry of Defense.