Since Terror Imprint had already been placed on them, there was no chance they would reveal the truth about what had happened.
The problem was that, unlike Seon Woo Baek, the others couldn’t overco their fear of Yeon Woo Jin.
Every ti they saw him, they were paralyzed with terror.
In the end, it beca impossible for them to continue attending the academy.
Even Seon Woo Baek hadn’t truly overco it.
He had simply gotten used to it after being forced to spend every day with the source of his fear.
“They’re weak. Call them all to Baek Yaksa after this.”
“Huh? Who?”
“The ones who didn’t show up today.”
“...Do we really have to?”
“Or would you rather spend the night training with ?”
“N-No! Of course we have to call them! I was just about to say that! We must call them!”
Seon Woo Baek’s imdiate reaction made Yeon Woo Jin grin.
The problem was that the rest of the class overheard everything.
Seon Woo Baek, who never backed down from anyone, was obediently following Yeon Woo Jin’s orders—telling him to summon the missing students.
Even if soone was clueless, it wasn’t hard to put the pieces together.
Wasn’t the real strongest lower-class student Yeon Woo Jin?
If that was the case, then it made sense why Seon Woo Baek stayed close to Jang Un.
After all, Jang Un was Yeon Woo Jin’s only true friend.
The students who stopped attending the academy had likely suffered at Yeon Woo Jin’s hands.
That’s why they were too scared to return.
But there was one thing they didn’t understand.
Even though Seon Woo Baek had been declared Lower Class First, Yeon Woo Jin hadn’t said a word about it.
Seon Woo Baek had taken the title without hesitation, as if it were only natural.
The students were confused.
If Yeon Woo Jin was stronger, why had he let it happen?
Were the two of them just toying with the class?
With no certainty, no one dared to speak about it.
What if they were wrong?
That would an provoking Seon Woo Baek, and no one wanted to deal with the consequences.
In the end, the class chose to ignore it.
It wasn’t their world anyway.
Most of them, like Jang Un, were from the lower ranks of the Martial God Sect or the children of those affiliated with it.
They had long since accepted their place.
The academy only served to remind them of their limits.
****
“Yang-woo... what’s happening to you?”
Gok Tae-gi, the Lord of Seungyang Sect, spoke with deep concern as he looked at his trembling son, who was hiding under his blanket.
“What are you so afraid of? Just tell ! If sothing is scaring you, I’ll erase it from this world!”
At those words, the blanket shook even harder.
“F-Father... it’s nothing. P-Please... just let transfer to another academy...”
“...Haaah.”
Seeing his son’s state, Gok Tae-gi was certain that the cause of this nightmare was soone at Baegyeong High School.
But who?
Yang-woo refused to say anything, and that was frustrating.
He couldn’t just storm into the academy and find the culprit himself—if a parent caused trouble, the Martial God Sect would intervene.
So, he tried asking Yang-woo’s friends.
Only to find that they were in the exact sa condition.
Their parents were just as frustrated as he was.
Would they have to transfer them all?
Just as Gok Tae-gi was weighing his options, a servant cautiously approached.
“My lord, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes. Seon Woo Baek of the Jincheon Sect has co to see his friend.”
“Ohh! Seon Woo Baek? The second son of the Jincheon Sect Lord? The one who recently beca Lower Class First?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“...Bring him in imdiately.”
“Yes, my lord.”
This could be an opportunity.
Perhaps he could finally learn what had happened.
Monts later, a confident voice echoed through the hall.
“It’s an honor to et you! I, Seon Woo Baek, second son of Jincheon Sect, greet the Lord of Seungyang Sect!”
“Hahaha! Welco! You’re very much expected!”
“I am but a humble junior! Please feel at ease!”
“Haha! Then I shall!”
“Thank you.”
Seeing Seon Woo Baek’s tall, confident stance and hearing his clear, unwavering voice, Gok Tae-gi couldn’t help but feel admiration—and a hint of envy.
The scars on his body spoke of relentless training.
He wished Gok Yang-woo could have just a fraction of that determination.
‘The Lord of Jincheon Sect is truly fortunate...’
With a sigh, Gok Tae-gi asked what had been weighing on his mind.
“If you don’t mind asking... may I ask you sothing?”
“Of course!”
“Has... sothing happened to my Yang-woo at the academy?”
“I ca to ask the sa thing. He was doing well, then suddenly stopped coming.”
“...I see.”
Not the answer he was hoping for.
But Seon Woo Baek didn’t seem to be lying.
“...Alright. Go ahead and see him. He’s inside.”
“Thank you.”
“...Just so you know, Yang-woo has been terrified of sothing unknown and won’t co out from under his blanket. Please... try to understand.”
Seon Woo Baek understood all too well.
Because he had been through the exact sa thing.
The room was pitch dark, with a trembling blanket in the corner.
“...It’s , Seon Woo Baek. Can you co out?”
At the sound of his voice, the shaking stopped.
Fwsh—
The blanket was thrown aside, revealing Gok Yang-woo’s pale face, a mix of relief and despair.
“W-Woo Baek!”
Flop—
He clung to Seon Woo Baek, still trembling.
Seon Woo Baek sighed and patted his back.
Gok Yang-woo frantically looked around, then whispered.
“A-Are you okay?”
“I’m still scared.”
“T-Then how can you just walk around like this?”
“I got used to it.”
“...Got used to it? Y-You can get used to this?! No... N-Never... I can’t... I just— Aaaah—!”
Clearly, he had just rembered Yeon Woo Jin.
His entire body shook violently.
Seon Woo Baek sighed.
This was going to be unpleasant.
But what choice did he have?
If he didn’t do this, he’d be the one to suffer.
“Yang-woo.”
“...Y-Yeah?”
“You’re coming with .”
Yang-woo froze.
He stared at Seon Woo Baek, his face full of horror.
“C-Co with you? W-Who... Who’s asking?”
“Woo Jin.”
“......!!”
“If you don’t co, he said he’ll co get you himself. And if he has to co here...”
Seon Woo Baek’s eyes darkened.
“...You know what happens, right?”
Gok Yang-woo’s head bobbed up and down frantically.
“L-Let’s go! Right now! W-What are we waiting for?!”
He nearly ran out the door, but—
“Stop.”
“Huh?”
“If you go out looking like this, your father will suspect sothing.”
“...Oh.”
“He’ll think soone is forcing you. You don’t want that.”
“...What do I do?”
“Act normal.”
“...Got it.”
“Now, first—put your clothes on properly.”
“A-Alright.”
Yang-woo hurriedly fixed his outfit.
“...Take a deep breath.”
“Huuup—”
“Act natural. Like it’s nothing, got it?”
“Yeah.”
As Seon Woo Baek and Gok Yang-woo stepped out of the room, they tried their best to look normal.
But Gok Tae-gi, Yang-woo’s father, sensed sothing was off.
“Father, I’m going to take a walk with my friend for a bit.”
“Go ahead.”
The mont the two left, Gok Tae-gi discreetly followed them.
He needed to know who had turned his son into this trembling ss.
****
‘Baek Yaksa?’
They claid to be going for a walk, yet they were heading toward the ruins of Baek Yaksa, an abandoned temple ever since the Martial God Sect took control of the area.
There was nothing there worth seeing—no landscapes, no peaceful atmosphere.
They weren’t going for a simple walk.
‘So, the bastard who did this to my son is waiting for him there.’
His instincts told him he was right.
But he couldn’t just rush in blindly.
What if the culprit belonged to a stronger faction?
It was smarter to observe first—or to let his son transfer to another academy, just as he had requested.
If he acted recklessly, his entire family could suffer.
Even if it hurt to see his son like this, power dictated the world.
Carefully, Gok Tae-gi hid himself and waited.
When they arrived at Baek Yaksa, he saw a group of students—his son’s forr friends.
They, too, had locked themselves away in fear, just like Yang-woo.
And then there was Seon Woo Baek, who stood among them yet remained silent.
If even Seon Woo Baek didn’t dare to speak...
Then whoever was behind this belonged to an unbelievably powerful family.
‘Could it be the Upper-Class First?’
That was a possibility.
But it was unlikely.
What reason would the Upper-Class First have to tornt these students?
Besides, he had a good reputation—not soone who inspired fear.
As he was lost in thought, a voice broke the silence.
“You’re all here?”
Gok Tae-gi focused all his attention on the speaker.
A boy he didn’t recognize.
Pale skin, delicate features, and wearing scholar’s robes—he didn’t look intimidating at all.
But the students’ reactions said otherwise.
They flinched, keeping their heads down, too scared to even look at him.
That confird it.
This boy was the cause.
But who the hell was he?
What family did he belong to?
There was no ntion of him in any of Gok Tae-gi’s intelligence reports.
“You applied for a transfer?”
“T-That’s...”
“Starting tomorrow, you’re coming back to the academy.”
“...O-Okay.”
“No skipping.”
“...O-Okay.”
“No transferring.”
Their faces fell in despair.
“After class, co here. Got it?”
“...Got it.”
Not a single one of them dared to resist.
Listening to their conversation, it beca clear—this wasn’t an upperclassman.
They were all the sa age.
Yet, they couldn’t even lift their heads in front of him.
That ant he had overpowered them completely.
“In the academy, Woo Baek is the Lower-Class First. So don’t make it obvious by looking at funny. Got it?”
“...Got it.”
“I’m still just the librarian’s grandson. Understood?”
“...Got it.”
The librarian’s grandson?
What. The. Hell?
So lowborn nobody had oppressed his son like this?!
Gok Tae-gi’s blood boiled.
He wanted to rush out and strike the bastard down.
Just as he was about to explode with rage—
His body froze.
This feeling...
He knew it all too well.
The presence of soone far stronger than himself.
Slowly, he turned his head.
Three unfamiliar n were standing there, staring at him coldly.
They were powerful.
He didn’t even need to fight them to know.
And then, stepping between them, a man he recognized appeared.
As soon as Gok Tae-gi moved to bow—
“Shh. Quietly follow us.”
A voice rang in his ear.
“U-Understood.”
****
An Unwanted Audience
“Lord of Seungyang Sect, Gok Tae-gi, greets the Lord of Heavenly Martial Hall!”
“We’ve t before, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ haven’t we?”
“Y-Yes, we have! It is my greatest honor that you rember , Lord Cheon Ho-seong!”
His flattery made Cheon Ho-seong chuckle.
“These two, as well.”
Gok Tae-gi turned, his breath catching.
“This is Black Death God, Jeokseong.”
“H-Black Death God?!”
The legendary assassin—right before his eyes.
Gok Tae-gi quickly bowed.
“And this is Hell’s Shadow Emperor, Ma Ryang.”
“W-Wait... Y-You an the Lord of Hell’s Shadow Hall?!”
“That’s right.”
Insane.
Even Cheon Ho-seong, who was terrifying in his own right, had to be cautious around them.
He had just t the worst people possible.
The most powerful assassin.
The ruler of Hell’s Shadow Hall.
And the Lord of Heavenly Martial Hall.
What the hell were they doing here?
“W-Why... Why have the three of you sought out?”
“To stop you before you made a grave mistake.”
“...What?”
“You were about to rush in, weren’t you?”
“...Yes.”
“And you were going to attack soone, weren’t you?”
“...Yes.”
“...You almost died.”
“...What? By who?”
“By us.”
At once, three waves of killing intent crashed down on him.
An unimaginable amount of pressure crushed his body.
“Ghkk...!”
Pain spread through his chest.
“W-What... W-What did I do to deserve this?”
It was unfair.
He didn’t do anything yet!
“Who was your target?”
“I... I was aiming for the librarian’s grandson! Not anyone important!”
“That’s exactly why we stepped in.”
“...What?”
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