EX rank supporting role's replay in a prestigious school

Chapter 906

The materials that Eunho had presented contained a detailed chronology of events related to the Gaegyeon Myth, organized in a timeline. Compared to the concise timelines found in history textbooks, which are typically just a few pages long, this one was quite lengthy and detailed.

Eunho had been compiling this timeline with great care and attention to detail, likely to uncover something important.

‘So, the timeline Hwang Ji-ho mentioned earlier was the one Eunho had been working on. I thought it would still be incomplete.’

Eunho, having been awake for less than a year and balancing school life with numerous incident-related strategy meetings, was very busy. I had expected the timeline to be a much longer work, spanning thousands of years, so I was surprised that it was progressing faster than I thought.

It wasn’t finished yet, but the timeline was pulled out now, probably due to his analysis concerning Shin-in and Cheongho.

‘It looks like Eunho also included events from after his slumber in the timeline. Did he refer to other tigers’ words or examine some additional materials?’

Seeing Huaho in the main building reminded me of the massive library on the 5th floor of the Tiger Mansion. Since there was so much material, Hwang Ji-ho had likely called upon numerous versions of himself to review the records.

Thinking about how young Hwang Yuhyo had been overworked made my heart ache.

"I reviewed the events after I fell asleep with the help of Hwangho," Eunho explained.

"Last year, I reviewed all the records related to the deaths of Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa. Since they had happened recently, it wasn’t difficult to help."

The records he had gone through back then were now proving useful.

I was relieved that Hwang Yuhyo’s hard work hadn’t been in vain.

Thanks to Eunho and the other clones who meticulously examined the ancient records, the timeline now contained detailed records of major natural disasters across the Korean Peninsula spanning many centuries.

When the weather gods—Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa—disappeared, and the shaman of the Ho tribe lost her position, it seemed that the tribe had done its best to fill the void, though their efforts weren’t enough.

After the departure of the deities, communication with the celestial gods became almost impossible, and the only thing left was to record the events as they unfolded.

"The Gaegyeon Myth is missing many records. The technology of the time wasn’t as advanced as it is now, resources were scarce, and the frequent wars made it hard to leave behind records. The gaps in the timeline will have to be filled by memory," Hwang Ji-ho remarked, gazing down at the sparse sections of the timeline.

Memory, after all, tends to distort over time.

Moreover, the tigers, as the Ho tribe, had a deeply ingrained belief system and strong values developed over thousands of years.

Because these memories were recounted by the tigers, who had this steadfast worldview, there was a possibility that gaps existed.

‘Eunho has experienced different lives and, through Plmago, has seen the Gaegyeon Myth from an outside perspective, so he should be more objective. Maybe he’s sensing something?’

Eunho’s deep reflection on the Gaegyeon Myth, pouring his time and energy into recalling it, was likely due to this reason.

The Gaegyeon Myth has gaps, and within those gaps, there must be great secrets hidden.

Eunho turned to me and spoke.

"This time, I’d like you to focus on the parts involving Shin-in and Cheongho."

It seemed that, out of everyone, Eunho, the only non-ho tribe member, was hoping I would uncover something.

I wasn’t entirely sure I could find anything, but I hoped I could live up to his expectations.

As I unfurled the timeline hologram, I was caught by Eunho's words.

‘He just said “this time,” so Eunho doesn’t think the Gaegyeon Myth has only one gap, huh.’

For now, the gap I needed to focus on was related to Shin-in and Cheongho.

I set my mind to the information I knew about Shin-in and Cheongho and began examining the timeline.

The first place I checked was the moment they were first introduced.

[The Summoning of the Celestial Duel]

[Shin-in, Pungbaek, Usa, Unsa Descend]

This was something I had heard from an old tale Hwang Ji-ho once shared.

The duel became the occasion where the scattered tigers gathered together again. Hwang Ji-ho, having been defeated by both Eunho and Cheongho, went through much suffering.

The final match came down to Baekho and Eunho, and Eunho forfeited, leaving Baekho’s victory.

At this point, Shin-in, descending from the heavens, gifted a weapon to the greatest warrior of the Ho tribe, replacing the celestial gods.

‘Baekho turned down the weapon twice, but accepted it the third time. And that weapon would reveal itself when the time came.’

Baekho wielded the weapon, Baekya (White Fang), created by Eunho, and he swung it until the final moment.

In Plmago, this weapon never truly showed its full power.

Even if it had, it wouldn’t have changed the ending of Plmago.

As a result of the war with the Wung tribe, the Ho tribe emerged victorious.

The Wung tribe caused occasional incidents but could never gather enough strength to start another war.

‘Kim Shinrok later grew up thinking he was a descendant of the Ho tribe.’

After realizing his true lineage, Kim Shinrok found his father, and after using the divine treasures, he sought out Jeokho, who was bound by the red form.

As a result, Jeokho faced even greater punishment.

Also, around this time, Kim Shinrok probably met Yong Je-geon and became friends.

‘And then time passed, Eunho fell into a deep sleep, and Hwang Ji-ho became the official leader.’

The disappearance of Shin-in and Cheongho occurred after Hwang Ji-ho became the official leader.

The tigers stared at the timeline without saying a word.

None of them voiced their thoughts, suggesting that the records here were all as they remembered.

‘There are a few things bothering me, but the key right now is what happened when Shin-in and Cheongho disappeared.’

The timeline also contained brief records of the search and investigation into the disappearances of Shin-in and Cheongho.

These records weren’t summarized because they were unimportant but because they had yielded no results at all.

If we think about it in terms of the Ho tribe’s approach to Shin-in and Cheongho, the answers would be difficult to find.

I stared at the timeline and sank into thought.

‘There’s nothing particularly notable after Shin-in and Cheongho’s disappearance. The major events only happen after a long passage of time... and the Wung tribe’s raids were regular occurrences before and after that...’

I recalled everything the tigers had told me about the Gaegyeon Myth.

And then a phrase suddenly came to mind.

It was something Eunho had said in the story Hwang Ji-ho had shared.

---"It’s impossible for everyone on this land to live without lack, just with the power of the Celestial God. One day, we must cultivate the strength to live here without relying on divine power. But, we’ll need more time for that."

In the past, the land of the Korean Peninsula was barren, and because technology had not yet advanced, it was hard to sustain the land without the blessings of the Celestial Gods.

In such times, after several large wars, the land grew even drier, and the Celestial Gods, having exerted their powerful abilities, consumed much of their energy.

Considering this, it seemed the Korean Peninsula might have been on the brink of a non-war crisis.

‘Shin-in, who understood the Celestial Gods’ power and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, was probably aware of this. Yet, despite that, he chose to become human and left the Ho tribe’s side.’

I then recalled the words of Unsa.

---"Shin-in deeply cherished both the Ho tribe and humanity. He wouldn’t prioritize wishes over responsibilities."

Thinking about Shin-in’s responsibility gave me a lead.

I returned to the timeline.

This time, I wasn’t focused on the sequence of events or the individuals listed.

“Eui-shin, it seems like you’ve figured something out.”

I wasn’t entirely certain yet.

But once I thought of one possibility, it became hard to imagine any other explanation.

While the tigers waited for me to speak, I hesitated for a while.

Finally, I spoke cautiously.

“Shin-in may have become human to protect humanity.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I pointed to a section of the timeline.

“If Shin-in became human, the Celestial Gods would never be able to forsake humanity.”

The timeline revealed subtle changes in the frequency of natural disasters around the time Shin-in and Cheongho disappeared.

The frequency of prayers and harvest festivals had also shifted.

It seemed that, before their disappearance, the land of the Korean Peninsula, which had been losing strength, started to regain it.

It seemed that after the long wars, the Celestial Gods had exhausted too much of their power, and Shin-in had intervened, blending into humanity to stop the Celestial Gods from abandoning the land.