episode_0055

Sejin Guild’s camp.

All team members and staff were watching Choi Hyo-min’s personal cam with bated breath.

[Kwaang… ! Kwaaaang… ! ]

After three weeks of hard practice, Choi Hyo-min learned not only double casting but also triple casting, and attacked with all her might to destroy the witch’s castle.

[ Kugugugugugugung… … ! ]

Finally, they succeeded in destroying the witch’s castle.

[ done… ! ]

“Wow!!!!”

“Choi Hyo-min did it!!!”

“won… ! Black Rose defeated Queens!!!!”

Choi Hyo-min’s voice filled with joy and thunderous cheers erupting from those around him.

The staff and team members, who had been devotedly hoping for Black Rose’s victory, embraced each other and shared joy.

“Congratulations… !”

“Captain! Congratulations on returning to first place!”

“I firmly believed that Sejin would take first place again… ! Huh… .”

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

Sejin Guild executives and Lee Hye-ri, who were at the scene, also celebrated the victory with joy. .

‘You did it…’ !’

Of course, I was also happy.

However, because it’s not over until it’s really over, I suppressed my joy as much as possible.

The witch’s castle has collapsed, but there are still witches remaining, and you must prepare for a possible attack by the Queens.

It won’t be too late even when everything is over and we can burst into celebration.

“Hyomin. I think we can join Minju and Inna and wipe out the remaining monsters. And if the Queens appear, avoid fighting as much as possible.”

[ yes! ]

I regained my composure and immediately gave the next order. I immediately changed the communication channel and had a brief discussion with Lim Dae-seop of the command team, going over any possible variables.

however… .

[ Subjugation complete! I’ll be back right away! ]

Contrary to concerns, the Cheonhwa Guild strangely took no action.

‘They don’t even attack? ‘What on earth are you doing?’

The joint punitive zone is the only place where direct damage can be legally inflicted.

This means that it is a unique opportunity to legally break your competitor.

So, of course, the Cheonhwa Guild, which lost its ranking, thought they would rush to stop Black Rose’s dominance… .

Perhaps there was a problem with the command system due to the absence of a professional producer, but there were no interruptions in the process of clearing out the remnants.

[It looks like the Cheonhwa Guild has completely given up on this. ]

After thinking for a moment about Lim Dae-seop’s voice coming out of the headphones, he emphasized the need to be careful right before leaving the gate.

“There may be a guard at the gate entrance. Just in case, it would be better to take a big detour and come back.”

[Would you really go that far? ]

“If it were me, I would do that.”

The world of competition is cruel.

If a competitor suffers even a one-week injury, it all comes back to benefit.

Since the joint subjugation area is a place that contains such risks, there would be no harm in being extra careful.

[ All right. Then, we will return you to Detour No. 3. ]

‘How will it come out… .’

How long would it take for the main unit to return safely, guessing the situation of Cheonhwa Guild?

“Black Rose is back!”

Contrary to concerns, Black Rose returned without any trouble.

“4 PM sharp! Ranking is being updated!!”

Just then, the clock struck the hour, and the real-time team rankings began to be updated.

[ 1st Black Rose (↑) NEW! ]

[ 2nd Queens (↓) NEW! ]

Finally, the queen was taken down from the throne.

*

Soon after the witch’s castle collapses and they realize that they have been defeated.

The members of Queens were silently heading toward the gate entrance without exchanging a single word.

“… … .”

The three naturally thought that additional instructions would be given.

Get points by subduing the remaining monsters, or interfere with Black Rose and scatter ashes.

Because I didn’t want to just hand over first place like this.

but… .

[Uh, what should I do!? ]

[ Those crazy bastards, how can they destroy the entire castle!? Don’t subdue other people!? ]

[First, we made a surprise attack… ! ]

[ No, no surprise attack! Waited at the entrance… ! ]

[After all, it is better to get as many points as possible… . ]

The command center, which had very poor coping skills, showed incompetence by getting confused in unexpected situations.

In the end, Hong Yu-ra, greatly disappointed, announced that she would return, effectively ending the subjugation.

“… … .”

The members of Queens were greatly heartbroken by their first loss after achieving first place.

It felt even more painful because it was not an inevitable defeat due to the difference in power, but a helpless defeat despite having an overwhelming advantage.

‘… we… , I lost… ?’

Among them, the one who was most disappointed was Seol Joo-hee.

She was in the unrivaled lead, but this loss felt particularly bitter.

There was a mark on the bright blue grading paper that was filled with only correct answers.

Because there was a blemish on his unrivaled career that no one could find fault with.

Of course, it wasn’t that I never experienced defeat until I ascended to the throne… .

This was the first time I had to come down from the throne.

‘… It can happen. This much was expected.’

Even as Seol Joo-hee thought about the rankings that would change, she tried not to think anything was wrong.

This is a team that has just changed its system, so it is a natural result.

The difference is only a few tens of thousands of points, so it is a difference that can be easily overturned.

It’s not the members’ fault, it’s the team members’ fault for planning the strategy incorrectly from the beginning.

At least I didn’t do anything wrong.

I desperately tried to rationalize it and calmed the unpleasant pounding of my heart.

“… … .”

Eventually we arrived at the gate entrance.

Haaah!

Haaah!

Seol Joo-hee, who sent Hong Yu-ra and Im A-rin out first, looked up at the huge gate that was shimmering like a haze.

Is it okay to go out of the gate like this?

Will I be able to endure this gloomy and gloomy atmosphere that I have never experienced before?

gulp-

Seol Joo-hee closed her eyes to overcome the faint fear and slowly stepped outside the gate.

And the moment I came out with the feeling of my whole body being sucked in.

“… !”

Surprised by the countless gazes pouring upon him, he took a short breath.

Several cameras flashing indifferently and dozens or hundreds of eyes blinking quietly.

It is said that even though you know the inside of ten roads, you do not know the inside of a person in one road.

Seol Ju-hee couldn’t understand the meaning of their gazes on her.

Is it resentment?

Or is it disappointment?

At least I thought it wouldn’t be a look of comfort.

“Hey! What are you doing if you don’t receive the equipment quickly?”

Someone’s voice shouted.

“Si, please excuse me… !”

The equipment team that was waiting rushed over and began to carefully dismantle Seol Joo-hee’s equipment.

Less… Less…

Seol Joo-hee quietly accepted their touch and took off the sponsored equipment.

He turned his head indifferently and glanced at the gazes that were still focused on him one by one.

and… .

She noticed.

The fact that no one is looking at you.

‘Where are you looking…? ?’

Seol Joo-hee even felt fear at the unfamiliar and lonely feeling.

From the perspective of others, she lived a life so extravagant that it could be described as everyday life.

I became afraid of unfamiliar emotions that I had never felt before.

She thought it was natural for everyone to envy and look up to her.

Because it’s natural to envy people who are better than you, and to be jealous of people who are better than you.

She, who mistakenly thought she had mastered all human emotions, ended up becoming a child in the face of unfamiliar indifference.

Finally, I was able to realize that the indifference was coming from my own defeat.

‘You’re saying this because you only lost once…’ ?’

Seol Joo-hee dropped her fist in a rising sense of humiliation.

When we came out after successfully clearing the gate, everyone congratulated us, clapped our hands, and praised our achievement.

but… .

There is nothing for losers.

It would be better if I lost because of you and blamed it on you.

People were just looking at Seol Joo-hee with indifferent eyes,

Seol Joo-hee had to feel as if her spirit would collapse due to the overwhelming indifference.

But at that moment.

“What’s wrong!?”

Just like Hye-ri Lee, the team leader who was at the scene gathered attention from everyone around him.

“… … ?”

Nookil noticed the gathering gaze, lowered his voice and started chasing an employee like he was catching a rat,

I’ll turn my attention just in time. Seol Joo-hee, who needed it, approached Gook-il and spoke quietly.

“… What is it?”

OK.

“Uh, huh!? Nothing… ! You must be tired, so hurry up and change clothes and rest… !”

He avoided talking to the point where it seemed suspicious, and tried to push the employee who was holding him down to send him away.

“… What are you hiding?”

Seol Joo-hee, who was already feeling uncomfortable, frowned and slowly approached Nook-il.

“Oh, I guess it’s nothing… .”

Nook-il avoids answering as if it’s something embarrassing.

His actions touched the already suppressed feelings of Seol Joo-hee, and

Seol Joo-hee, who thought that even Nook-il was ignoring her, inadvertently exuded cold murder and demanded an answer.

“Tell me right now.”

“Well, what do you want me to say…? . ha ha ha… .”

Seol Joo-hee, who had been staring at everyone in a cold sweat and desperately avoiding answering, shifted her gaze to the employee who was standing awkwardly over his shoulder.

Sigh-

The employee who made eye contact felt his life in danger for a moment as life was strangling around his neck, and he shouted urgently, ignoring Nookil’s instructions.

“I heard that there is a producer over there!”

“… Producer?”

“You, you! Speaking of that… !”

Seol Joo-hee, who seems to not understand right away, gives up his life, and Gok-il, who is shocked and reprimands the employee.

“That… , what do you mean?”

Seol Ju-hee, who sensed something unusual, once again asked the employee for a detailed explanation.

“Do, producer Do Ji-hyuk personally conducted Black Rose… !”

“… What?”

I finally realized the truth.