Kwon Lena felt her tension ease and a sense of weakness as Mok Woo-ram appeared.

Until just now, she had felt as if she had been thrown into a dangerous world completely unrelated to her everyday life, but when she saw Mok Woo-ram's face, a sense of reality returned.

Mok Woo-ram, who usually wore a relaxed expression, looked at Kwon Lena with eyes filled with strength and determination.

A mix of confusion, joy, and relief filled Kwon Lena as she met his gaze.

Moon Sae-ron, who had been alternating between the open ceiling inspection hatch and Mok Woo-ram, broke the silence. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"How did you get here? Didn't you just say you were at the stadium?"

"I was. I followed Lena."

Moon Sae-ron recalled how they had gotten here from the stadium.

They weren’t directly led to the Ministry of Defense research center.

They had switched cars halfway, and the driver had kept checking the rearview mirror and backup camera frequently.

He must have been wary, just in case someone from Eun-gwang High or the Eternal Lake team was tracking them.

Despite such caution, Mok Woo-ram had succeeded in following them.

"You didn’t drive, and I know you don’t have the money for a taxi. I know you can’t manage money well."

"Yes, so I ran here. I knew the possible destination, so it wasn’t difficult."

"With that kind of physical ability and powers, why not use it for the exam, instead of doing this... Well, anyway, how did you infiltrate the Ministry of Defense research center? How did you get past the darkness?"

The questions Moon Sae-ron asked weren’t easy, but Mok Woo-ram answered them very simply.

"I found a gap and got in."

"If there were any recording devices or sensors, I was cautious."

"I don’t think they noticed, so I kept following."

"The elevator stopped, which looked dangerous, but I saw it as an opportunity and joined."

Mok Woo-ram recited these actions, which seemed simple but were things that most players couldn’t do as a matter of course.

If the Ministry of Defense research center’s security chief heard this, they might collapse in anger and disbelief.

Mok Woo-ram then spoke about the mysterious darkness.

"I also touched that darkness. I had a lot of thoughts, but since I only focused on Lena, I’m not sure."

"Oh, so you’re the type who’s not affected by mental-type abilities. I envy you."

From the state of the researcher who had been consumed by the darkness, it seemed that the unknown darkness was a mental-type ability.

Just as some players are vulnerable to mental attacks despite their physical training, there are those who are resistant to such abilities.

Mok Woo-ram, with his simple and flower-like thought process, judged that even mundane activities were boring.

When the conversation quieted, Kwon Lena asked.

"...Why did you come all the way here?"

Moon Sae-ron had asked how Mok Woo-ram got here, but didn’t ask why.

There was no need to ask why.

It was well-known in the school that Mok Woo-ram had been doing all sorts of eccentric things for Kwon Lena, treating her as his muse.

But before heading to a more dangerous place, Kwon Lena wanted to hear the answer.

"Because I’m worried about Lena. And..."

At the word "worried," Kwon Lena tightly clenched the fists she had gathered in front of her chest.

Seeing this, a complicated expression replaced Mok Woo-ram’s usually simple face.

Moon Sae-ron muttered an "Oh," in surprise at Mok Woo-ram's gaze, which was unlike him.

Mok Woo-ram continued.

"If something happens, I can’t let Lena be alone. Especially if she's called to the Ministry of Defense research center. It’s difficult to call for support from there."

Someone must have known that Kwon Lena would be called here and warned Mok Woo-ram.

As the Ministry of Defense research center was located within a military academy, it would be extremely difficult for members of the association or the Eternal Lake team to infiltrate if necessary.

The only ones they could trust for help were the Eun-gwang High students, but most of those close to Kwon Lena were at the Hwangmyeong Arena today.

It seemed someone had anticipated this situation and sent Mok Woo-ram into action.

"Who’s that?"

"The vice-captain."

Jo Yi-shin.

At the mention of that name, both Kwon Lena and Moon Sae-ron brightened.

If Jo Yi-shin was the one orchestrating all of this, Kwon Lena could rest easy.

Kwon Lena wanted to continue searching for her sister, and Moon Sae-ron was determined to get an exclusive scoop.

Seeing the two eager to move forward, Mok Woo-ram carefully asked.

"If you go outside like this, I’ll guide you."

"I’m sorry, but I can’t leave without my sister. You go ahead first..."

"I can’t leave Lena behind!"

Mok Woo-ram, with a slightly drooping shoulder, spoke to Kwon Lena, who was apologizing.

He seemed to feel a sense of frustration.

It wasn’t because of Kwon Lena’s attitude, but because Jo Yi-shin had made him feel relieved with just a name, while he couldn’t do the same.

Kwon Lena didn’t notice, as she was too embarrassed, but Moon Sae-ron silently nodded, understanding the situation.

"As the vice-captain said, I’ve heard that Lena would never back down in a situation like this. I’ll accompany you."

The place they were currently at was the stopped elevator, but with the three Eun-gwang students together, escaping wasn’t impossible.

Though Kwon Lena wasn’t a combat asset, Mok Woo-ram could handle more than enough.

Before heading out, Mok Woo-ram nervously handed over an item card.

"Lena, please accept this."

Underground Laboratory.

A fierce battle raged in the darkness.

The constant sound of alarms and machinery, caused by the malfunctioning intelligence control device, made the ears ring, and teachers exchanged words.

"Is the real one using powers in here as well?"

"Yes, I think so."

As the energy from the uncontrolled intelligence and the shadow knight’s powers mixed, the enemies continued to multiply.

If the teachers hadn’t disabled many of the clone enemies earlier, it would have been hard to move.

Because of that, the shadow knight, who had initially exchanged blows directly, was now using powers behind the wall of clones.

The clone enemies, created by the shadow knight, were now stronger, receiving buffs.

Even the physical abilities of the cloned enemies increased.

‘If my concentration slips even a little, the darkness will start to invade my mind. It’s getting harder to fight.’

Other teachers, including Je-gal Jae-geol, had solid mental strength, but as the confusion continued, their concentration was bound to waver, leaving gaps for the darkness to exploit.

If one of them were to break, the operation would fail.

The negative thoughts began to take root, and that was a bad sign.

It could be proof that the darkness had already begun to cloud their minds somewhere.

“But if it's mixed in here, that means the real Summer is moving freely too!”

But the moment the cheerful voice followed, Je-gal Jae-geol snapped back to attention.

Though the voice was distorted, it conveyed a strong sense of mental clarity and heart.

Gong Cheong-hwon, undisturbed, responded confidently.

“The moment we identify the real one, those knight’s tricks won’t matter anymore. We’ll win.”

In the darkness, a flash of blue light appeared, and the area around Gong Cheong-hwon began to glow in a circular pattern.

Using a technique derived from Taehogwon’s basic tiger-step, he applied a wide-area attack with energy packed into the tips of his feet, lighting up the darkness and knocking multiple clone enemies, marked with the WR emblem, away.

With a bit of room to breathe, Gong Cheong-hwon amplified his voice by placing a finger to his neck, activating the invocation.

[Summer, if you’re listening, could you answer?]

Gong Cheong-hwon’s voice reached Lee Yeoreum.

In the darkness, where Lee Yeoreum had almost lost her senses and was suffering, that voice reached her too.

As she was about to respond to the kind and gentle voice, it happened.

“You’re all Lee Yeoreum too. Right? I want an answer, so tell me.”

Aaaaaaa!

As the shadow knight urged the clones, they all screamed and rushed at Gong Cheong-hwon.

Realizing that none of them were the real Lee Yeoreum, Gong Cheong-hwon didn’t hesitate and used Taehogwon’s technique, speaking through his invocation once again.

[Lee Yeoreum, there’s only one of you. Answer.]

But due to an interference from the shadow knight, his voice came through even fainter than before.

That kind call sounded louder and more torturous than any noise.

The shadow knight had extracted all the filth and pain hidden within Lee Yeoreum, and such brightness and beauty only served to provoke that suffering.

Lee Yeoreum couldn’t answer Gong Cheong-hwon and instead buried her consciousness ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) deeper into the darkness.

“The number of cloned enemies is increasing. If this pace of replication continues, Lee Yeoreum won’t be able to withstand it!”

“And the facility’s situation isn’t good either. The darkness may have already leaked out.”

As teachers who were also experts in abilities, they could roughly estimate the effect that the intelligence and ability-infused energy would have on the human body.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, Lee Yeoreum was gifted, and so her body and mind didn’t collapse immediately.

However, considering how long it had been since she had lost her abilities, it was unlikely she could last much longer.

The teachers were now at a crossroads.

“The steps of the Crow Mask are terribly sluggish. That’s why it’s getting caught like this now.”

The shadow knight, who had decided on the teachers’ reluctance to act, spoke with a hint of sympathy.

Even as he received a mocking pity, Gong Cheong-hwon remained composed and thought to himself.

‘The knights don’t care about the damage as long as they achieve their goal. I need to hurry. If it’s impossible to calm Lee Yeoreum, I’ll have no choice but to subdue her another way.’

The shadow knight wasn’t at the rose farm, but the result of his choices was clear.

That knight didn’t care whether the rose farm was destroyed or the remaining knights suffered from the plague.

Gong Cheong-hwon was well aware of the knight’s tactics.

If he thought rationally, guiding Im Yeon-hwa to use maximum power to obliterate everything and control the situation would have been the best choice.

But Gong Cheong-hwon didn’t recommend it.

There was something he trusted in the plans made by the person behind it.

‘This is the move that child made. Behind that kind move, there must be another arrangement.’

Jo Yi-shin knew that Lee Yeoreum was going to be in danger, but he didn’t protect her immediately nor step in directly.

Maybe it was because he trusted the three teachers, but it was clear that he hadn’t expected this situation, where the timing of their infiltration would cause such a disaster.

In particular, Jo Yi-shin had heard everything about the things Jared Lee went through when he was allied with the three knights.

Knowing that Lee Yeoreum might go through something similar, Jo Yi-shin, along with Jared Lee, must have agreed to this move, implying that there was something they firmly believed in.

And Jo Yi-shin’s plan continued.

The trust Gong Cheong-hwon, Je-gal Jae-geol, and Im Yeon-hwa had for Jo Yi-shin manifested in a form they hadn’t anticipated.

‘...A violin performance?’

Numerous clones that shared Lee Yeoreum’s appearance surrounded them.

Beyond them, a thin melody from the darkness could be heard.