Chae Nayun pokes a straw on the cup of milkshake and hands it over to Hajin. “So, any developments?”
“None,” He grabs the offered milkshake and takes a sip. “What are you doing here anyway?”
Kim Hajin’s feet dangle on the edge of the rooftop. He uses his eyes on this high vantage point to take advantage of his Thousand-Miles Eyes.
“Well, will you believe me if I say that I like the air here on the rooftop?”
“Obviously no.”
Nayun pokes another straw into her share of milkshake and takes a sip. “Ugh… bitter…”
“?” “It tastes fine to me.” Hajin realizes Nayun is close to him, so he leans forward and takes a sip on her straw. “Tastes the same.” He stoically looks at Nayun and returns to playing eagle on his perch.
“What the hell is that?” Nayun utters, which Hajin ignores.
“So what are you doing here?” Hajin reiterates.
The team is divided individually for each remember to cover ground except Jonghak and Suho. The two rivals are put in a two-man cell to function. The rationale behind this is because of the possibility that Jonghak is most likely to accidentally confront Chameleon Troupe and when he does, he will need a backup.
Chameleon Troupe is an organization where strength rules. For someone to be recruited, a fight is unavoidable. Kim Hajin and Hyon Hyung know that considering what they know about Chameleon Troupe, a fight is a likelihood.
In TRH, Hajin remembers how Jonghak gets into a fight with Chameleon Troupe.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on the east side?” Hajin asks Nayun. Rachel is covering the south side, while Hyon the north side, and Jonghak and Suho the west side. Hajin is at the center using his Thousand Miles Eyes. Nayun being at the center with Hajin doesn’t make sense. “We need someone on the east side so that there is someone to respond when a Chameleon Troupe member is identified. If you feel useless Nayun, then don’t. Please return to your post.”
“The Boss of Chameleon Troupe is strong.” She explains.
“Yeah. Me too. Adding you to the fray if I do happen to confront her might just spook her. We need her to be in a conversational mood.” He counters.
“Fine,” Nayun finally gives up, but not before she leaves a word of warning. “My gut feeling is telling me something wrong will happen. If Grandpa will come as Hyon suggests, I fear that he might get involved with what we are doing, and if that happens… I don’t know… Maybe we can leave with simply a slap on the wrist.”
Nayun is optimistic, which isn’t really far off from how it might play out if Chae Joochul does get involved. She can imagine her grandpa letting them go if she begs hard enough, but by that time, there will definitely be strings attached.
Some time ago, Hyon informed them of the rumor. The news of Chae Joochul possibly appearing doesn’t change their mission objectives. That elicits the team to become more alert, however.
The working theory currently is that Chae Joochul wants to draw a big Djinn Activity hiding from the high profile Combat Exams. At first, it might seem implausible for Djinns to come here as they are too busy trying to survive. But the fact is Djinns are irrational. Perhaps, there really is someone insane enough to capitalize on the Combat Exams to send a message.
On the rooftop, only Hajin is left. He commits himself to the job and focuses on scanning people. The Boss is using an item that hides her presence something like Hyon’s [Always Here]. Hajin is unaware of this. He only learns this through Hyon’s accounts.
Thus, Hajin has prepared various tools that the other members can use to see past the veil of psychological invisibility. Hajin doesn’t need any tools as his eyes are enough.
Then, their eyes connect. Brunette woman, with distinguished beauty like no other. “No wonder I fell in love with her from the past timeline…” Hjain wryly smiles at the thought. Currently, he has not developed any romantic feelings for her yet, not that he is planning to.
The current Hajin is too different from the past Hajin. “Yi Byul,” He unconsciously thinks of her name. It is a name that Hajin doesn’t know. He is proud of writing about the Chameleon Troupe and how detailed he is in writing them, but there are still gaps that he is yet to fill— plot holes he cannot imagine to be even there.
The former Seat of Black did not appear in TRH. The name ‘Yi Byul’ did not exist in TRH. The background story of Yi Byul did not exist in TRH. It is because all of them are unnecessary. It is different for TNE however.
Their eyes remain in contact. Hajin can see her face clear as day thanks to his enhanced optics, but it’s not the same for Yi Byul. Hajin backs off being careful not to let himself known. “I found her, I will be leaving now. Yeonha, please send drones here. I will be returning to the classroom to build an alibi.”
If he can, Hajin prefers shadowing Yi Byul to running now, but he cannot. Using his [Parkour Art], Hajin makes a beeline for the Veritas Classroom. As he is under Chameleon Troupe’s radar already, he must make sure to not let his real identity be found out. The plan before is for him as the Goblin of Greed to meet with Chameleon Troup and strike a deal with them.
However, Droon, a member of Chameleon Troupe has struck a drone on him which limits Hajin’s movements. Hajin returns to the Veritas classroom with about a quarter of the students who are arguing about who to put in which competitions. There are at least two days until the competition proper.
Hajin silently sits at the far end and opens a laptop. He starts idly surfing the internet with random stuff. Just beside him, he sees a buzzing fly. He reads ‘Droon’s Gift’ through his [Observation and Reading] Gift.
***
Clack, clack.
Her boots solidly hit the ground with her each step. A woman stops in an artificial forest. After confirming that no one is watching her, she quietly murmurs.
“Someone saw me.”
The forest is empty without even a shadow of a person. However, a strange voice rings out from the ground. “Really? Maybe you are mistaken.” It is Droon’s voice, the Seat of Violet.
“No, he looked at me. We stared. And then he vanished.” Yi Byul expounds on the development of the staring contest.
“Pfft… Maybe he fell in love at first sight, and then got shy.” Droon teases her.
“Do you want to die?”
“Check again. Maybe the necklace isn’t working.” Droon speedily returns to scanning the area with his own Gift-born drones, double and triple checking on any abnormalities.
A full-body mirror shoots up from the ground. Yi Byul looks at herself in the mirror. Around her neck is the Siren’s Necklace, an item with the ability to prevent people from recognizing her.
“The necklace is working fine.” She concludes.
“Really? So someone saw through the necklace? He must have a good perception. I’ll keep an eye out. Do you remember his face?” Droon works in a flurry, realizing the sudden increase of drones in the vicinity. They don’t seem looking for Yi Byul though.
Yi Byul shortly replies. “...Stop joking around. You saw him too. I did not get a good look at his face. He is too far.” She frowns at the thought of someone so strong lurking in the shadows. She doesn’t like it.
“I am already looking at it. Wait just a bit. Be careful though. There are a lot of High-Rank Heroes around. If there is a Master Rank, I don’t know, but be careful.” Droon from the other side of the intercom wears his game face while he repeatedly warns Yi Byul.
Tadak, tadak. The sound of a keyboard rings out.
Yi Byul closes her eyes and waits for the report.
***
I am licking ice cream on a cone this time. I love cookies and cream the best! Imagine the hurt I have to go through after learning that Yi Byul is located, and now, I have to run in her direction pronto.
I sure am being careful not to damage my ice cream cone while running in zigzags. “Hyon Hyung! Get your priorities straight!” Goodbye, my unfinished ice cream cone. I won’t be able to enjoy you for a time longer. I stuff the entire thing in my mouth. I don’t have the heart to throw it. It costs fucking freaking money!
I run with haste to an area according to Yeonha from the intercom that has rare foot traffic. An enclosure from the alleys just beside restaurants where most garbage bins congregate— yep, definitely a secluded place.
I summon [Witch King] on my head and have it spit my items from its , one of my favorite Ability Options that makes my life so much easier. I gear up as fast as I can. I have a nice looking wizardry robe of some sort, a hardy chainmail on the inside, brown leathery trousers, a pair of spider silk gloves, a pair of snake hide boots, and a nifty full face mask with a question mark on its face.
All I need is a red flowing lightsaber and I will be calling myself a Sith. Heh~!
Chae Nayun pokes a straw on the cup of milkshake and hands it over to Hajin. “So, any developments?”
“None,” He grabs the offered milkshake and takes a sip. “What are you doing here anyway?”
Kim Hajin’s feet dangle on the edge of the rooftop. He uses his eyes on this high vantage point to take advantage of his Thousand-Miles Eyes.
“Well, will you believe me if I say that I like the air here on the rooftop?”
“Obviously no.”
Nayun pokes another straw into her share of milkshake and takes a sip. “Ugh… bitter…”
“?” “It tastes fine to me.” Hajin realizes Nayun is close to him, so he leans forward and takes a sip on her straw. “Tastes the same.” He stoically looks at Nayun and returns to playing eagle on his perch.
“What the hell is that?” Nayun utters, which Hajin ignores.
“So what are you doing here?” Hajin reiterates.
The team is divided individually for each remember to cover ground except Jonghak and Suho. The two rivals are put in a two-man cell to function. The rationale behind this is because of the possibility that Jonghak is most likely to accidentally confront Chameleon Troupe and when he does, he will need a backup.
Chameleon Troupe is an organization where strength rules. For someone to be recruited, a fight is unavoidable. Kim Hajin and Hyon Hyung know that considering what they know about Chameleon Troupe, a fight is a likelihood.
In TRH, Hajin remembers how Jonghak gets into a fight with Chameleon Troupe.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on the east side?” Hajin asks Nayun. Rachel is covering the south side, while Hyon the north side, and Jonghak and Suho the west side. Hajin is at the center using his Thousand Miles Eyes. Nayun being at the center with Hajin doesn’t make sense. “We need someone on the east side so that there is someone to respond when a Chameleon Troupe member is identified. If you feel useless Nayun, then don’t. Please return to your post.”
“The Boss of Chameleon Troupe is strong.” She explains.
“Yeah. Me too. Adding you to the fray if I do happen to confront her might just spook her. We need her to be in a conversational mood.” He counters.
“Fine,” Nayun finally gives up, but not before she leaves a word of warning. “My gut feeling is telling me something wrong will happen. If Grandpa will come as Hyon suggests, I fear that he might get involved with what we are doing, and if that happens… I don’t know… Maybe we can leave with simply a slap on the wrist.”
Nayun is optimistic, which isn’t really far off from how it might play out if Chae Joochul does get involved. She can imagine her grandpa letting them go if she begs hard enough, but by that time, there will definitely be strings attached.
Some time ago, Hyon informed them of the rumor. The news of Chae Joochul possibly appearing doesn’t change their mission objectives. That elicits the team to become more alert, however.
The working theory currently is that Chae Joochul wants to draw a big Djinn Activity hiding from the high profile Combat Exams. At first, it might seem implausible for Djinns to come here as they are too busy trying to survive. But the fact is Djinns are irrational. Perhaps, there really is someone insane enough to capitalize on the Combat Exams to send a message.
On the rooftop, only Hajin is left. He commits himself to the job and focuses on scanning people. The Boss is using an item that hides her presence something like Hyon’s [Always Here]. Hajin is unaware of this. He only learns this through Hyon’s accounts.
Thus, Hajin has prepared various tools that the other members can use to see past the veil of psychological invisibility. Hajin doesn’t need any tools as his eyes are enough.
Then, their eyes connect. Brunette woman, with distinguished beauty like no other. “No wonder I fell in love with her from the past timeline…” Hjain wryly smiles at the thought. Currently, he has not developed any romantic feelings for her yet, not that he is planning to.
The current Hajin is too different from the past Hajin. “Yi Byul,” He unconsciously thinks of her name. It is a name that Hajin doesn’t know. He is proud of writing about the Chameleon Troupe and how detailed he is in writing them, but there are still gaps that he is yet to fill— plot holes he cannot imagine to be even there.
The former Seat of Black did not appear in TRH. The name ‘Yi Byul’ did not exist in TRH. The background story of Yi Byul did not exist in TRH. It is because all of them are unnecessary. It is different for TNE however.
Their eyes remain in contact. Hajin can see her face clear as day thanks to his enhanced optics, but it’s not the same for Yi Byul. Hajin backs off being careful not to let himself known. “I found her, I will be leaving now. Yeonha, please send drones here. I will be returning to the classroom to build an alibi.”
If he can, Hajin prefers shadowing Yi Byul to running now, but he cannot. Using his [Parkour Art], Hajin makes a beeline for the Veritas Classroom. As he is under Chameleon Troupe’s radar already, he must make sure to not let his real identity be found out. The plan before is for him as the Goblin of Greed to meet with Chameleon Troup and strike a deal with them.
However, Droon, a member of Chameleon Troupe has struck a drone on him which limits Hajin’s movements. Hajin returns to the Veritas classroom with about a quarter of the students who are arguing about who to put in which competitions. There are at least two days until the competition proper.
Hajin silently sits at the far end and opens a laptop. He starts idly surfing the internet with random stuff. Just beside him, he sees a buzzing fly. He reads ‘Droon’s Gift’ through his [Observation and Reading] Gift.
***
Clack, clack.
Her boots solidly hit the ground with her each step. A woman stops in an artificial forest. After confirming that no one is watching her, she quietly murmurs.
“Someone saw me.”
The forest is empty without even a shadow of a person. However, a strange voice rings out from the ground. “Really? Maybe you are mistaken.” It is Droon’s voice, the Seat of Violet.
“No, he looked at me. We stared. And then he vanished.” Yi Byul expounds on the development of the staring contest.
“Pfft… Maybe he fell in love at first sight, and then got shy.” Droon teases her.
“Do you want to die?”
“Check again. Maybe the necklace isn’t working.” Droon speedily returns to scanning the area with his own Gift-born drones, double and triple checking on any abnormalities.
A full-body mirror shoots up from the ground. Yi Byul looks at herself in the mirror. Around her neck is the Siren’s Necklace, an item with the ability to prevent people from recognizing her.
“The necklace is working fine.” She concludes.
“Really? So someone saw through the necklace? He must have a good perception. I’ll keep an eye out. Do you remember his face?” Droon works in a flurry, realizing the sudden increase of drones in the vicinity. They don’t seem looking for Yi Byul though.
Yi Byul shortly replies. “...Stop joking around. You saw him too. I did not get a good look at his face. He is too far.” She frowns at the thought of someone so strong lurking in the shadows. She doesn’t like it.
“I am already looking at it. Wait just a bit. Be careful though. There are a lot of High-Rank Heroes around. If there is a Master Rank, I don’t know, but be careful.” Droon from the other side of the intercom wears his game face while he repeatedly warns Yi Byul.
Tadak, tadak. The sound of a keyboard rings out.
Yi Byul closes her eyes and waits for the report.
***
I am licking ice cream on a cone this time. I love cookies and cream the best! Imagine the hurt I have to go through after learning that Yi Byul is located, and now, I have to run in her direction pronto.
I sure am being careful not to damage my ice cream cone while running in zigzags. “Hyon Hyung! Get your priorities straight!” Goodbye, my unfinished ice cream cone. I won’t be able to enjoy you for a time longer. I stuff the entire thing in my mouth. I don’t have the heart to throw it. It costs fucking freaking money!
I run with haste to an area according to Yeonha from the intercom that has rare foot traffic. An enclosure from the alleys just beside restaurants where most garbage bins congregate— yep, definitely a secluded place.
I summon [Witch King] on my head and have it spit my items from its , one of my favorite Ability Options that makes my life so much easier. I gear up as fast as I can. I have a nice looking wizardry robe of some sort, a hardy chainmail on the inside, brown leathery trousers, a pair of spider silk gloves, a pair of snake hide boots, and a nifty full face mask with a question mark on its face.
All I need is a red flowing lightsaber and I will be calling myself a Sith. Heh~!
