"Hmm."
Juyeon stood atop the transport ship, watching as the supply drops rained down over the now rain-free island.
From this high vantage point, he silently observed the island below.
It's getting humid down there.
The rain wasn’t sothing he had planned for, but it was within expectations.
From a training perspective, it was actually a good thing.
"…"
Juyeon took an energy bar from his pocket and bit into it.
His jaw moved chanically as he continued monitoring the situation.
After dropping off Class 1 yesterday, he had spent the entire day stationed on the deck of the transport ship.
It was only natural for him as an academy instructor.
Besides, he wasn’t the only one working hard.
Every instructor responsible for first-year students would remain on duty without rest until the test was over.
At least with backup, things aren’t too suffocating.
The Paradise Knights were patrolling the skies with their superb aerial maneuvering.
He could also sense instructors moving through the island’s interior, keeping watch.
"…"
The island appeared peaceful, with no signs of trouble.
Even so, Juyeon couldn’t take his eyes off it for even a second.
There was sothing… vague yet persistent—
An unsettling feeling that had no clear source.
A bad on.
It was purely instinct.
Every ti he had felt this, sothing had happened—big or small.
And without knowing exactly what it was, he couldn’t preemptively stop it.
If he halted the test over an unconfird hunch, that itself could beco the trigger for an incident.
All he could do was remain on high alert.
…Hopefully, it's nothing.
For once, he wished his instincts were wrong.
Swallowing the last bite of his energy bar, he silently continued his watch.
***
What kind of treats lay inside?
In Abyss City, supply drops like these never appeared, making Rohan all the more curious.
Like an excited child, he was eager to find out.
Rustle! Crackle!
Pushing through the undergrowth, Rohan and Ichinose ca to a halt as they took in the sight before them.
"Huh?"
"…This has to be a coincidence, right? That’s quite the picture."
Hidden among the foliage, they peered down at the swarm of Iron Turtles.
Judging by the sheer number, this had to be their nesting ground.
"They’re sleeping, right?"
"They should be. I read that they retract into their shells when they sleep."
The area was filled with sharp, blade-like Iron Turtle shells stacked together.
And at the very center—
A single, massive Iron Turtle had a supply crate perched right on top of its shell, releasing a thick red smoke.
How the hell had it landed in such a position?
The coincidence was unbelievable.
"Hmm… Instead of fighting, should we just sneak in and take it?"
"That’s not a bad idea. They’re tough but slow-moving monsters."
As Rohan and Ichinose exchanged strategies—
Two male students erged confidently from the opposite side of the clearing.
Rohan and Ichinose imdiately stopped talking and observed them from their hidden position.
— "Iron Turtles? Ugh, these things aren’t even fun to hit."
— "…"
— "What are you waiting for? Go get it."
— "M-!?"
A clear hierarchy was at play.
Judging by their faces, they weren’t from Class 1.
They might have crossed paths in Orion Academy before, but Rohan had no recollection of them.
One thing was certain—they weren’t playable characters, nor did they appear in any storyline events.
"Hmm, never seen them before."
"…One of them is from Samhwa Nation."
Ichinose let out a long sigh, as if just recognizing him was exhausting.
The re sight of him seed to drain her energy.
"A friend of yours?"
"I wouldn’t call it that. I saw him a few tis while attending events with my father, that’s all."
Yet her expression clearly showed discomfort.
Rohan chose not to point it out and instead lowered his voice.
"Then you probably don’t know much about him?"
"I can tell you a little. His na is Ok Myungjin. He’s the grandson of General Iron Hawk from Samhwa Nation. He wields a spear, as you can see. The Iron Hawk Spear Technique doesn’t focus on thrusts—it uses rotational force, making it more like a staff than a typical spear."
A concise and useful description.
Since he was related by blood, there was a high chance he had received direct training in that technique.
"General Iron Hawk… That’s a lower rank than Grand Marshal, right?"
"Correct."
"Damn, our instructor really is top-tier."
"Instructor Juyeon’s reputation places him among the top five figures in Samhwa’s military, even including governnt officials."
Even as Ichinose explained, her admiration for Juyeon was clear.
In Samhwa Nation, becoming a general at Juyeon’s age would have already made him a legend.
But he hadn’t stopped there—he had broken past that ceiling and achieved the title of Grand Marshal.
It was obvious that with ti, he would beco an even greater force in the world.
Juyeon wasn’t just Samhwa’s pride—his existence was practically a national treasure.
"Anyway, this Ok-whatever guy isn’t soone we can split supplies with, right?"
"No need to consider it."
After confirming Ichinose’s stance, Rohan casually adjusted his equipnt, preparing to step out.
— "Hurry up. If you don’t want to die."
— "W-wait a second!"
— "Bring it back, and I’ll consider sharing so with you."
They even resorted to kicking their own teammate toward the monsters.
Ichinose nearly stepped forward, but Rohan held her back and rose to his feet first.
"Hey, you two."
"—!"
At Rohan’s voice, the two male students snapped their heads around.
Their faces were tense with caution—
But as soon as Ichinose stepped out from behind Rohan, the spear-wielding student’s expression brightened.
"Ichinose-nim! What a pleasure to et you here!"
"Ah, um…"
"Hahaha! To think we’d et like this, drawn to the sa supply crate—surely, this is fate!"
"…"
Ichinose subtly took a step back.
Even from the side, Rohan could tell how uncomfortable she was.
Sothing about the guy felt off—like an unnatural mix of things that should never be combined.
So, he cut straight to the point.
"Enough chit-chat. We’re not sharing the supplies, so go find your own. If you’re starving, just take your sticker off."
"Hm?"
Ok Myungjin’s gaze shifted to Rohan, standing next to Ichinose.
He scanned him up and down quickly before speaking.
"And who might you be?"
"Rohan."
A polite question deserved a polite answer.
"Rohan… Rohan…?"
Ok Myungjin muttered the na several tis, then exchanged a few whispered words with his companion.
After getting his answer, a grin spread across his face.
"To think you’ve tead up with Ichinose-nim… what a lucky guy."
"This guy’s whole attitude just flipped. That’s hilarious."
"Silence. I have no intention of conversing with you."
Ok Myungjin planted his spear into the ground, fixing his gaze solely on Ichinose.
"Ichinose-nim. Why not team up with instead?"
"You an the four of us should move together?"
"No. Not us. Just ."
Ok Myungjin’s partner kept his head down, saying nothing.
Ichinose’s brow twitched in irritation.
"What do you an? Are you saying you’d abandon your partner?"
"That makes sound heartless. I rely seek efficiency. I am offering you a trade."
"…?"
Ichinose turned her eyes to Rohan, silently asking if he understood what this guy was talking about.
Rohan just shrugged. No clue.
"On the last day, we et here again and swap partners. No one will notice. With over a hundred students on this island, the instructors won’t be keeping track of who’s paired with whom at every mont."
"What are you even—"
His tone was so casual, so confident, that Ichinose montarily lost her words.
Rohan, on the other hand, couldn’t help but chuckle.
Is this guy serious?
Saying this right in front of the person involved—what kind of manners was that?
But the problem was… guys like this weren’t even rare.
If anything, Rohan felt nostalgic rather than angry.
— Keghhh!
— Grrr…
The noise of their conversation had started waking up the Iron Turtles below.
But the real standoff wasn’t between humans and monsters—
It was between the students.
"So? What do you think, Ichinose-nim?"
"I refuse."
"As expected, you remain kind even to the unfortunate. I am once again moved by your beautiful heart."
"What the—!"
Just as Ichinose was about to snap, Rohan’s fingers found the handle of his standard-issue dagger—
And flung it.
Clang!
Ok Myungjin deflected it with his spear, his gaze snapping back to Rohan.
The throw wasn’t enhanced with mana. It wasn’t even threatening.
But the ssage was clear.
"What do you think you’re doing, Southern brat?"
"Oh, you didn’t know? That’s how we say hello in the South."
The smug grin on Ok Myungjin’s face only widened.
Clearly, the intel his partner had given him about Rohan had been correct.
"You wish to settle this by force? How arrogant, thinking you can rely on Ichinose-nim."
"You should’ve gotten a better partner, like I did."
Rohan casually rested his hand on his longsword.
Ichinose tried to step forward, but he held up a hand to stop her—then took a step forward himself.
"So, you’re planning to take on alone? Fine. I won’t give up the supply crate, but for Ichinose-nim’s sake, I won’t kill you."
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, pal."
Even as Rohan moved into position, sothing felt off.
Why was this guy so excited?
Was he really that eager for a fight?
As he—shing!—drew his sword, a thought flashed through his mind.
Wait a second…
His eyes flicked to Ok Myungjin.
Rather than focusing on him, the guy kept glancing toward Ichinose.
Her awkward posture, her shifting gaze—everything about the atmosphere clicked into place like puzzle pieces.
And then—
"Ah!"
It wasn’t just déjà vu.
He had seen this exact scenario before.
Not just once.
He had experienced it.
He had witnessed it happen to others.
He had no proof, but the probability was high.
And so—
He spoke.
"You bastard… don’t tell ?"
"What? Don’t tell you’re scared now?"
Ok Myungjin sneered, pointing the tip of his spear at Rohan.
He looked completely confident, convinced of his own victory.
But Rohan wasn’t looking at him with fear.
He was looking at him with… pity.
"You confessed and got rejected, didn’t you?"
"…"
He didn’t even need to say who the confession had been for.
It was obvious.
At Rohan’s words, Ichinose flinched, her whole body reacting instinctively.
Ok Myungjin, anwhile, stood frozen, mouth slightly open.
A brief silence.
Then—
His face twisted in fury.
With a snarl, he leaped forward, spear raised.
"I’LL KILL YOU!!!"
And just like that—
Another man lost his damn mind.
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