Chapter 689: Gift (8)

At the freshmen gym.

After the conversation with the Black Forest, we left the area first.

I thought our talk was brief, but seeing the increased number of spectators outside, it must’ve been quite a while.

“The VP is here. You came on time.”

“Where have you been? That crazyhead just laughs when I ask him.”

“Hahahaha!”

Hwang Jiho stayed with the other kids.

It was odd even though I know that the old man used his alter ego.

Perhaps because I was with Hwang Myeongho the whole time, it was awkward to hear those words from Maeng Hyodon.

‘Which one is his main body this time?’

Hwang Jiho seems to be his main body these days, but I don’t know.

His 20s and 30s alter egos are working as hard as his main body in dealing with the recent incident too.

Song Daesok, who was checking if I was wearing the headband given by Min Geurin, asked.

“I saw you going into the gym. Did you see the attention-seekers?”

There’s not just one attention-seeker there, so I’m not sure who he’s referring to.

Anyway, I gave a pre-prepared excuse.

“I gave the swordsman his headband.”

“Oh, so that’s why you asked for one more. I should’ve handed it to him…”

“It’s a relief that you didn’t meet that weird guy in person.”

“You’re a bit weird yourself, Daesok.”

“Huh?”

Song Daesok looked shocked.

Maybe he’ll learn soon enough that he’ll get hurt if he says anything strange in front of her.

That said, it’s true that the swordsman is a weird guy.

After the conversation, he refused to put on the headband.

He only accepted it after a strange logic that “building friendships with classmates is also the wisdom of martial artists.”

‘But he said he can’t wear it since it’s not black.’

This is all because of the first martial arts novel that Blademaster Heukrim read.

The protagonist always loved black uniforms, and the Blademaster of the Black Forest embodied that.

The people who respected him also followed suit.

Because of that, I was favored by the Blademaster just because of the color of my energy waves.

“You’re here.”

I heard a heavy voice and turned my head to find Professor Ham Geunhyung, his rough face shaded.

Is he tired because of yesterday?

No, he looked more worried than tired.

“I thought you were off to somewhere again.”

Again

.

I felt sorry for Professor Ham Geunhyung.

Before the start of the First Christmas Scenario, I asked Professor Ham for a favor to counter Apis’ incarnation.

His overseas business trip was suddenly cancelled and I told him to deal with a royal lineage while waiting at Mt. Cheonik.

I’m sure the whole situation was dumbfounding, but Professor Ham believed in me.

‘But the school went crazy, and I disappeared. And then, black snow with my energy waves suddenly fell…’

Professor Ham may have noticed something with Maeng Hyodon who went looking for me.

Maeng Hyodon isn’t the type who can keep secrets, and he must’ve shown a lot of concern for me because he was grateful for what I did at the beginning of the semester.

Professor Ham, who cares naturally for his students, must’ve been worried too.

‘I’m gonna have to explain it to Professor Ham Geunhyung one day.’

He has helped me a lot without questioning anything.

Even if I didn’t explain the situation, he would trust me and listen to my request.

However, I felt bad for keeping him worried without any explanation.

“Let’s watch the match together, Professor! Miro and Hani bought some popcorn.”

“We had this with the kids at the nursery, and they all say it’s good. Let’s eat it together.”

“Hahaha! It just so happens that it goes well with the Vin Chaud that I prepared.”

Dokgo Miro offered popcorn coated with strawberry and mint caramel, and Hwang Jiho held a tumbler with vin chaud and thinly sliced oranges floating.

The colors of the snacks fit the Christmas atmosphere.

Professor Ham took a bite of the snacks and praised them, but he refused the class’ request for him to sit down.

“I have to go. I’ll be the assistant referee.”

“Ah…”

The kids lamented.

For this match, the advisor to the student association, the so-called Class Zero Reader, will be the referee.

‘He says he’s the assistant referee, but it looks like Professor Ham Geunhyung will be playing the role of a security guard.’

Being a member of the Black Forest, the swordsman will surely show his strength.

He’s against our class’ attention-seekers, Goo Seulbi and Ong Gildong, who have a history of breaking into the teachers’ office and stealing the attendance book.

Both parties were dangerous.

Professor Ham Geunhyung doesn’t know, but the two played a role at the Fomorian demons’ auction.

It’s unsure if the match would end safely even with the safety personnel around.

When Professor Ham Geunhyung left the audience, the student association’s adviser arrived.

He looked emaciated as if he was having a hard time dealing with this.

‘It must be hard working as a referee of an unidentified school competition on this busy day.’

However, the Class Zero Reader is known for his strong professional spirit.

No matter how busy he is, he’s always active in any agenda related to Class Zero.

He’s the one who sends kids to Class Zero himself, and he seemed to be adamant in ensuring that they don’t have problems in their school lives.

‘They say that he can’t take a Class Zero class as an advisory since he doesn’t have as much force as the other teachers, but I think he’s talented enough.’

It’s perhaps because of teachers like him that Eungwang High doesn’t fall easily.

Since he’s had a hard time so far, I wanted to ask Hwang Jiho to let him rest, but I still have some favors to ask of him.

“The players will take position. First, on the blue — no, black corner. B-black Darkness Swordman…”

The introduction was a mess.

The blue corner is usually the challenger and the red is the champion.

But it was the swordsman who took the blue corner.

The red corner is usually introduced second, so perhaps the two chose it to get more attention.

The swordsman, not liking blue, changed the color to black.

I don’t know where to start.

However, even after hearing the introduction, the Black Darkness Swordsman proudly appeared on the field.

Shwik!

The swordsman, with his whole body covered with black clothes and a gat, appeared like the wind.

His fast movement made the hem of his clothes flutter.

When the team logo depicting the sword and a forest was seen on his robe, exclamations flowed out of the audience.

“It’s the logo of Black Forest! But he’s in our class. Can a student join a professional team?”

“Players at 17 years old can join professional player teams, but it’s unusual because the process is difficult.”

Kim Yuri answered Saeum of April’s question.

As Kim Yuri said, the guidelines for minors joining player teams are quite difficult due to the association’s regulations.

It’s cumbersome, such as requiring the consent of a legal guardian and having to designate a guardian within the team to pass the association’s review.

That is why although Ji Myungsoo passed Hydrangea Scent’s open recruitment, he’s not yet an official member.

The Black Forest went through that troublesome process to take in the swordsman as their team member.

Not just an ordinary team, but one of the best in the world.

Then, Mok Wooram said.

“Didn’t the Lake of Eternity offer Lena to join?”

Perhaps it’s more common than one thinks for the four major professional player teams to scout young players.

No, perhaps it’s unique to the two.

Thinking that far, I was reminded that even Mok Wooram was scouted.

‘Wait, come to think of it, wasn’t Mok Wooram scouted by the Oath of the Three Knights?’

But that team is up to something suspicious and Mok Wooram rejected them.

All I know is there are a lot of extraordinary people in our class.

“Ahaha, that’s right but… until I can stand alone as a player, I’m going to refuse…”

Kwon Lena smiled awkwardly.

While I was pleased by my playable character’s humility, the swordsman reached the center of the field.

He seemed to have looked at me through his gat.

Immediately after the conversation with me, he had a complicated look on his face.

He looks refreshed now.

Perhaps he’s reached a conclusion.

‘I’ve done everything I can do, so I have no choice but to wait.;

The swordsman looked away from me and pressed his gat with one hand.

“Disarming enemies with black snow. It’s wonderful. I shall learn a lesson.”

When the swordsman’s words were over, the martial artist of the Black Forest applauded.

The audience was thrilled by the applause and the tone of the swordsman.

His clothes and tone were completely dark, it can’t help but garner attention.

I felt sorry for those who followed.

“On the red — no, aurora corner. When did this script change… Luis Perenna, with a title we can’t reveal yet, and Goo Seulbi the Great Duidress.”

The adviser’s fatigue from being caught up in the fiasco between the martial artist and the attention-seekers was shown in the strong introduction.

At the end of the introduction, a loud echo rang throughout the field.

Duung!

Hani felt the vibration and moved her head in search of the sound.

Then, Dokgo Miro explained, pointing to the amplifiers placed in one corner of the field.

“It’s from a portable amplifier. It looks better than the ones used in concert halls.”

Then, with the sound of the drum came a shout.

“Haaaaaa!”

Goo Seulbi stood in the center of the field.

She seemed to have jumped there while we were looking at the amplifier.

She was dressed in an aurora-colored Santa costume, the sparkling color visible through the black snowflakes.

I couldn’t figure out what the hell she was trying to express.

Shwik!

Goo Seulbi’s hands were green, and I figured out what she was trying to do.

‘She’s going to use her light skill!’

Her light skill is Grace of Green Hands.

It’s a light skill that can make plants grow from where she touched, a skill fitting for a druidess.

It was similar to Ma Jinseung’s light skill, but unlike his, Goo Seulbi’s light skill needed a medium such as seeds.

However, if she prepared seeds in advance, the versatility and efficiency of her light skill was much better.

Fwaaaat!

Goo Seulbi slammed her oak cane to the floor.

Then, at the end of the cane, a green light spread to the field’s boundary and trees began to grow.

When the fir tree grew to the size of a human, Ong Gildong appeared.

“I will finish this!”

Fwaaaa!

When Ong Gildong beckoned splendidly, decorations were spread over the fir tree.

The aurora-obsessed duo covered the tree with aurora-colored decorations.

It was from his light skill, Magician’s Silk Hat.

Woaaaah!

Cheers poured in from the audience when they saw the magically completed tree.

As the attention swept over the tree and the duo, the attention-seekers waved with satisfaction.

It was wonderful, but it was ridiculous.

‘It’s all up to those two.’

My next moves are dependent on what competition these two designed.

I believe in my playable characters, but I was worried to see them wasting their light skills.

After the opening show, the adviser’s tired voice rang out.

“…Let us begin.”