Chapter 650: Black snow (3)

Around the building of the Players’ Association: Korea.

Nabiryeong was seen leisurely exiting.

Contrary to her relaxed feelings, anyone who would see her face would surely feel sympathy for her.

In the end, she seemed to be running away with panic from the association.

It wasn’t strange considering the emergency at hand and TL Park’s explosion within the building.

Finding the exit too quickly would be strange considering that she’s a guest, but if questioned, she was planning to say that she received the floor plan from TL Park.

‘He didn’t give it to me, but let’s just say I got it from him. How bothersome.’

There was a reason why Nabiryeong took the trouble and left the association early.

Now that she’s completed that person’s mission, it was time for her to do her personal mission.

When she went out of the building, the otherworld that spawned there was already cleared.

There seemed to be difficulties in communication as the signal was yet to be restored, but it was unlikely that casualties would occur from the otherworld or enemies.

Nabiryeong looked at the relieved players who shared information with unimpressed eyes.

She was thinking of something else.

‘I’m worried about the situation at Eungwang High. It’s a pity that Kwon Jein didn’t go to the bamboo forest.’

The gates around Eungwang High were the most dangerous places right now.

Energy poison and freezing cold, the Pig Clan and their army, against veteran players.

Each of them was in danger of losing their lives if they let their guards down for even a bit.

Jo Euishin prepared a number of measures to prepare this, but the worry wasn’t taken away from Nabiryeong who cared for Kwon Jein in her own way.

She predicted that the Tiger Clan would’ve thoroughly prepared for the situation at the bamboo forest, and she also knew that Kim Yuri, the incarnation of Lady Magnolia, was there.

That’s why Nabiryeong tried to lure Kwon Jein to the bamboo forest.

‘Having Kwon Jein in the bamboo forest would secure her safety, and if I was lucky, I’d get to know the secrets of the Tiger Clan, and I’d be closer to Magnolia. I wonder who stopped Kwon Jein. …Huh?’

At that moment, Nabiryeong felt a glimpse of a butterfly scatter in her head.

Her butterfly was flapping its wings in the distance, signaling to her master.

When she found the butterfly, Nabiryeong stopped and opened her eyes wide.

What she saw was the Dragon King’s shamans who were entrusted with a special Jin.

‘They were just moving the clouds. What happened?’

Nabiryeong continued to transfer her consciousness to the butterfly.

Because she was far from it, the view was blurred and her senses were faint, but she understood the situation to some extent.

What she saw was the shamans covered in black snow.

They forgot their dignity as they screamed and scrambled to shake off the black snow.

‘Someone broke the cloud and forced them to run away.’

Nabiryeong observed the black snow glued to the clothes of the shamans.

Even with no clues, just seeing the black color reminded Nabiryeong of the crow mask.

She thought it could be a tiger, but given the color of the energy wave, it didn’t seem like so.

‘I would’ve had to intervene with the shamans if things went wrong, but looks like there’s no need for that.’

If the plan went according to plan, Eungwang High would’ve been destroyed and the Tiger Clan’s foundation would have been shaken.

That situation had to be prevented.

Since Pungbaek and Usa moved directly, it was impossible for Nabiryeong to step forward and block the snow herself.

But there was room to intervene on the shamans’ side.

She sent a butterfly to the shamans, and since the shamans had to be wary of the Dragon Clan and the Red Lion, even if there was a small disturbance, they would disperse right away.

‘The shamans wanted the remains of the Cintamani. They wouldn’t care about what happens to Eungwang High once they got that, so there was room for me to intervene.’

If the crow mask, the Tiger Clan, and the Eungwang High students couldn’t do anything about the snow, Nabiryeong was prepared to move.

The Dragon King’s shamans didn’t obey the person that Nabiryeong served, they just wanted something of their own.

It was obvious that they’d prioritize their own will, regardless of whether the clouds would scatter or not, after they acquired the remains of the Cintamani.

‘If that person’s plans had gone as he wanted, I would’ve had no choice but to step up.’

Nabiryeong unwittingly thought of a scenario.

What if Kim Shinrok died during last year’s exam?

If Yong Jegun wished for the resuscitation of his close friend and he was weakened?

If the Dragon King’s shamans got Cintamani’s remains from the clouds?

If so, Nabiryeong would’ve intervened.

The shamans who got what they wanted would be off guard, and after she scatters the clouds, they wouldn’t risk casting it again so cleanup wouldn’t be too difficult.

However, Yong Jegun was safe now and the shamans were instead covered by black snow.

‘I don’t need to deal with the clouds either.’

The case with the shamans was resolved, but there was another thing.

Someone who is very troublesome and wants to kill on the part of the Tiger Clan.

The man strongly influenced by Nabiryeong, the traitor of the 12-point alliance.

The head of the Cow Clan.

‘I wonder what happened to him? I’d better take care of it because something annoying will happen if it completes its mission, but I’ll have to step up.’

Nabiryeong decided to break off from the butterfly looking over the shamans and switch to another one.

The mystical creature who fell in love with Nabiryeong was fearlessly wearing the items she made and performing his mission within the Tiger Clan’s territory.

Nabiryeong was prepared to throw a curve ball to lower his self-esteem yet give him what he wanted.

And then, at the right time, kill him to achieve her purpose.

When Nabiryeong tried to look at what the head of the Cow Clan was doing, someone ran behind her.

‘Did I stop for too long? They seem to be running from the association… but are they trying to catch me as a witness?’

Someone who came running quickly reached for Nabiryeong’s shoulder.

She could’ve avoided that touch, but she did not.

A normal human wouldn’t have been able to avoid it, and Nabiryeong was careful not to get caught.

As soon as someone’s hand toucher her shoulder, Nabiryeong recognized who it was.

‘I didn’t expect you to follow me.’

Nabiryeong held back her laugh and turned her head, putting on a facade of embarrassment and fear.

It was the subordinate of PR Team 1’s Team Leader.

Deputy Manager Yoon.

* * *

Deep in Mt. Cheonik, around the peak.

People of royal lineage who hid their appearance were secretly moving.

He was the mastermind who’s been disrupting Eungwang High’s boundary over a long period of time.

Today, he’s succeeded in completely changing its nature.

He was the head of the Cow Clan who betrayed the 12-point alliance.

He came to Eungwang High with his men, but he was now moving alone.

It was for two reasons.

First, he didn’t want to share the credit.

Second, to use his men as bait for him to escape.

Although he spoke confidently in front of Nabiryeong, he left open the possibility of all plans failing and so he secured his way out.

‘The Tiger Clan is never easy. And Hwangho’s negligence in recent years has decreased too.’

The Cow Clan’s head was on high guard against the Tiger Clan.

So, in order not to get his long tail caught, he thoroughly saved himself using the Pig Clan.

As a result, he left little to no traces of himself.

There were a few things that bothered him though.

One of them was that his shadow was seen by a teacher at Eungwang High.

‘I didn’t show myself. If Jogangryeob hadn’t shown off, he wouldn’t have seen my shadow.’

During the entrance examination last year, he sent in a bear to kill Kim Shinrok and a group of students.

In order to do so, the boundary of the 12-point alliance had to be manipulated secretly, and in the process, the teacher Choi Pyeondeuk cooperated.

Jogangryeob would’ve gotten involved if he messed with Choi Pyeondeuk, so he couldn’t kill him carelessly.

As a result, Choi Pyeondeuk saw his shadow the moment he manipulated the boundary.

Although he hid his silhouette that day, Choi Pyeondeuk saw something.

Regardless, he was found out to be decadent and fired, but the head of the Cow Clan still felt uncomfortable.

‘The Tiger Clan didn’t think of linking the decadent teacher with the boundary.’

There was another thing that bothered him.

It was Kim Shinrok who didn’t die that day.

The bear almost missed Kim Shinrok and the head of the Cow Clan had to attack Kim Shinrok himself.

He had a very short conversation with Kim Shinrok, something so short and insignificant that the head of the Cow Clan couldn’t even remember it.

He didn’t seem to have said anything that could be a clue to his identity, but it was concerning that the descendant survived after they talked.

Still, there was something that reassured the head of the Cow Clan.

‘No, if the Tiger Clan knew who I was, they would’ve invaded our territory and declared war long ago.’

The head of the Cow Clan thought about the mythical Tiger Clan.

Neither Hwangho nor Baekho would stay still if they knew the identity of the traitor.

Considering their personalities, it wouldn’t be strange if they dedicated their lives to eradicating every single cow clan there was.

It was ridiculous that they stayed still all this time.

Although Hwangho was negligent, he held the 12-point alliance talks and declared something like this;

— [Tiger-nim] “Of course, I won’t stay still as long as I don’t find them. As soon as the traitor is revealed, they will be expelled and condemned according to the covenant of the alliance.”

Neither the Cow Clan nor the Pig Clan were safe.

The Pig Clan were stupid to fail their mission, but they were not attacked by the Tiger Clan.

‘If the Tiger Clan noticed, they would’ve escaped. The ceremony would’ve been completed in various places by now.’

The Cow thought so as he recalled the people who were moving throughout Eungwang High.

At the end of the rituals, any royal lineage will be able to draw and use earth power from their territory even without Hwangho’s permission.

‘No matter how much the earth refuses, that level of interruption will leave it no choice.’

The head of the Cow Clan thought so, not having any idea what was going on inside Eungwang High.

But that wasn’t the only source of his confidence.

‘And this came into my hands. What should I be afraid of if I have earth power and this!’

The head of the Cow Clan touched the object in his arms.

It was the ring made by Nabiryeong herself.

The head of the Cow Clan smiled at the ring without realizing it.

Fwaaaa…

Immediately after the cow let his guard down, golden particles began to rise around him.

He recognized the owner of the energy wave and gasped without realizing it.

Over the golden particles stood someone in an Eungwang High uniform, his eyes quaint.

“You dare be relaxed in the territory of the Tiger Clan? How foolish.”