Chapter 68.1

Chapter 68 – Ruler 24. The Leader Pursues to the End (5)

It’s been days.

I’ve searched everywhere for Oh Baek-seo, but she remains elusive.

I even went to find Han Seo-jin, but she is still unconscious.

The fact that the penalty has lasted this long makes it seem like she has no intention of returning even after it ended. In the end, I had to find Baek-seo myself.

While walking, my legs gave out.

I leaned against the building’s wall to support myself. For some reason, I couldn’t muster any strength.

I looked down at my legs.

After punching my leg hard, it managed to move.

I need to find Baek-seo.

As I tried to move my leg again, the only thought in my mind was finding her.

“Leader!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out.

Turning towards the voice, I saw the Disciplinary Committee officers.

Am I seeing things?

There’s no way they could have found me.

…No.

They were real.

The Disciplinary Committee officers had found me.

“You guys…?”

“What happened to you?!”

Ha Yesong shouted in a worried voice. Behind her, Park Minhyuk looked at me anxiously.

“Have you been eating?”

Yoo Doha approached and asked.

Only then did I realize I had forgotten to eat or sleep for days.

Suddenly, my mind cleared.

From being born into this world.

To meeting Kim Dalbi during a time when I thought I might go insane.

To searching desperately for her after losing her.

I must have been running around frantically, thinking it might repeat itself.

Minhyuk grabbed my arm.

“Leader, let’s get you cleaned up. Eat something. And… tell us what’s going on.”

He spoke with a serious tone.

I looked at the officers quietly.

For any other matter, I wouldn’t mind, but I didn’t want to drag them into this.

Even if I planned to use the Disciplinary Committee to deal with the Head Principal and the villains, this matter was too closely related to the Head Principal.

The risk was on a different level.

I couldn’t suggest entering the inferno with me just to find Baek-seo.

There was no time to organize my thoughts.

My mind was full of finding Baek-seo.

“Is this about finding the Vice-Leader?”

Doha’s question caught my attention.

It seemed they had already guessed it.

“…Yes.”

I nodded.

Doha closed her eyes briefly and brushed her bangs back elegantly.

“So something did happen. Then I can get mad.”

“What?”

Wham!

“Ugh!”

Doha shoved Minhyuk aside and approached me.

“Hey, Ahn Woo-jin. Look at me.”

Suddenly, a cross-vein appeared on Doha’s forehead.

She glared at me with a murderous look.

“Do we look like pushovers? Something obviously happened to the Vice-Leader, and you didn’t even hint it to us?”

“Doha, the Leader’s condition…”

“This bastard’s lost his mind.”

Doha grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards her.

As if demanding I look her straight in the eyes.

“Listen up…! As the Disciplinary Committee Leader, act like one. It’s obvious the Vice-Leader is caught in something dangerous, and if you try to handle everything alone, why are we even here? Huh?!”

“Hey, Doha! Calm down, calm…!”

As Doha’s emotions started to escalate, Minhyuk tried to calm her down.

But Doha ignored him.

“Leader, we’re here to help you. We’d jump into a minefield if you ordered us to. To me, you’re that kind of person…! And so are these guys. They feel the same!”

“Still, a minefield is a bit…”

“Shut up, Ha Yesong.”

For a moment, my mind spun rapidly.

“…Ha.”

All three officers came into view at once.

Unlike when I was searching for Kim Dalbi, I had people I could rely on now.

I wanted them to help me, and I also thought I might not be able to find Baek-seo alone.

Would it be wise to push them away while wishing for their safety?

Was I the only one who valued Baek-seo, acting foolish and selfish?

“Sorry.”

After regaining my composure, a contradictory thought occurred to me.

If I was worried the Head Principal might harm them, I just had to protect them.

After all, I had continuously practiced the magic cultivation method since childhood and was rapidly growing stronger.

And to be honest with myself.

“…Help me. Please.”

I was powerless alone.

I desperately needed help.

At my words, Yesong and Minhyuk nodded as if they were waiting for it.

“Hmph, you idiot.”

Doha snorted and stepped away from me.

***

During the break, Ahsung High School was quiet.

Night had already fallen.

After showering and changing into spare uniforms, the Disciplinary Committee officers gathered in the office.

Baek-seo was the only one missing.

“Leader, here’s my precious pizza bread! And I have apple juice too! I’m only giving you this because you’re in such a bad state!”

“Thanks.”

“Well, I’ll settle this debt with a special cheese crust steak shrimp pizza later?”

“…Doesn’t that seem too costly?”

“Hoho, you’re still not eating, Leader? Think about supply and demand. Right now, calorie intake is crucial, the supply source is far, and it’s not business hours…”

Crack.

I bought several pieces of bread and triangular kimbap through spatial jump.

“That’s cheating! That’s not fair!”

“From where?”

“Where did you buy it!?”

“A 24-hour convenience store.”

“And my pizza!?”

“What pizza.”

Watching Yesong tremble, I took a bite of the bread.

I ate the bread and triangular kimbap continuously. I needed to fill my empty stomach and regain my strength quickly.

Even so, I didn’t eat voraciously. The dignity I had cultivated as the Disciplinary Committee Leader was ingrained in my body.

Minhyuk, who admired my dignified dining manner, looked puzzled and said, “Huh?”

“Doesn’t it seem like you’ve recovered? The hospital said it would take about two weeks, and you left suddenly, stopping your treatment midway?”

“I just have a fast recovery. It probably happened because my Tier increased.”

“That’s amazing… As expected of the Leader…”

My recovery rate was at a high level befitting a 6th Tier.

I estimated that I had already recovered about 80%.

Even I was surprised.

“But, Leader. Couldn’t you at least change your clothes? Walking around in patient clothes looking like that, anyone would think you escaped from a mental hospital.”

“Did you take a picture earlier?”

“Hey, Minhyuk. How could I not capture such a rare moment?”

Ha Yesong must have been taking my picture even in that situation.

Swoosh!

“Hey, Doha!?”

Doha suddenly snatched Yesong’s smartphone and deleted the photo from the gallery.

“It’s deleted, Leader.”

“Well done.”

Yesong cried out, “Waaah!” in distress.

A little later.

I had filled my stomach to some extent.

“Finished eating?”

“Yes. But why were you eating?”

“I wanted to help because there seemed to be a lot of food…?”