EX rank supporting role's replay in a prestigious school

Chapter 845

After the replay, when Jeon Mu-young was swallowed into the spatial anomaly with Seong Guk-eon, he was unable to discern where the anomaly connected or who used the power with what intention. However, Jeon Mu-young immediately activated Gwanglim, not to escape with Seong Guk-eon, but to take advantage of the brief opening and retaliate.

The result was that even when Seong Guk-eon's mind was consumed by the ability, Jeon Mu-young remained unharmed.

‘Guk-eon-hyung...!’

Immediately after the teleportation ended, Seong Guk-eon had been by his side, but there was no time to escape, and Jeon Mu-young was overwhelmed. Staring at Seong Guk-eon’s vanished spot, he felt a deep sense of despair but quickly surveyed his surroundings to assess the situation.

‘Is this a garden? It seems likely to be a garden connected to the Jin Tribe, given the clouds and the strange energy in the air. There’s not just one Jin Tribe here either. Guk-eon-hyung, where are you...?’

With Seong Guk-eon missing and in imminent danger, Jeon Mu-young’s thoughts were clouded.

Moreover, he had been continuously using Gwanglim, the “Shadowless Time,” so the energy consumption was significant, and his focus began to falter.

Jeon Mu-young tried to trace the remnants of energy at the spot where Seong Guk-eon had vanished, but aside from the powerful ability that had overwhelmed him, he couldn’t find anything useful.

Then, a voice broke through his focus.

“Where’s the secretary? You brought them with you.”

“They were with us just before the teleportation.”

When Jeon Mu-young turned around, he saw the twins from before, their voices high and unsettling. They appeared young and frail, but there was a palpable force emanating from them. While Jeon Mu-young didn’t have the piercing gaze like Seong Guk-eon to see through the Jin Tribe, he could tell that these were powerful beings.

“Did you lose them? If you lose the secretary, it’s going to be a hassle, you know.”

“I’m sure they were here. Did they hide when we came in?”

“Well then, we’ll have to find them! He said we need to get rid of both of them.”

The twins conversed in an innocent and unguarded tone, but their words were chilling.

Jeon Mu-young held his breath, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“They’re probably somewhere in this garden. No matter how they hide, they won’t last long.”

“We need to strengthen the entrance to make sure they can’t escape. I’ll have to pull more of the Unsa’s power.”

“Isn’t it going to collapse the garden connected to somewhere else? It’s already taking a lot out of us to deal with Seong Guk-eon.”

“That’s true, but if we make sure this garden is secure, it should be fine.”

Jeon Mu-young was caught in a dilemma.

The enemies couldn’t see through the Shadowless Time, and even if they sealed the garden, there was a chance to escape if he used the Gwanglim wisely.

If he could escape and call for help, he might be able to rescue Seong Guk-eon. However, in the time it would take, he wasn’t sure what would happen to Guk-eon.

‘If I join with the Member, I can find a way to resist. If I’m with them, the conditions for their Gwanglim will be fulfilled.’

It was safer to call for reinforcements from outside, but there was no guarantee that he would succeed in escaping.

Jeon Mu-young decided to go the route of joining Seong Guk-eon instead.

Listening to the twins’ conversation, he gathered more information.

‘The Member was attacked by mental abilities? That means the Member is safe. They couldn’t have been mentally subdued.’

The twins were full of arrogance, confident in their tremendous strength.

They had no idea that Jeon Mu-young had been listening so closely to their conversation, assuming they would easily detect anyone nearby.

They didn’t think someone could be this close without them noticing.

‘This garden seems to be controlled through something called the Unsa, the source of power.’

The mention of Unsa rang a bell for Jeon Mu-young.

Unsa appeared in myths as a being who presided over rituals and controlled the weather, close to the divine.

‘Could it really be referring to that Unsa? Or maybe it’s just a figurative expression, or a symbolic name. This garden has many clouds, so maybe they call the source of the power Unsa.’

Jeon Mu-young didn’t believe that the Unsa they were talking about was the real one, but he gathered and processed the information he could.

The twins had talked a lot, and Jeon Mu-young managed to learn some things.

If possible, he would have liked to continue eavesdropping until he could join Seong Guk-eon.

However, his time was running out.

‘There’s not much time left for the Gwanglim. The Member hasn’t shown signs of coming out yet.’

The Shadowless Time was about to end.

Though Gwanglim allowed for perfect concealment, it was only effective for a limited time.

Knowing the time limit, Jeon Mu-young moved away, ensuring he stayed out of their sight.

‘If I completely suppress my presence and stay out of sight, I might not be detected.’

Fortunately, the garden was dark and full of clouds, providing plenty of places to hide.

Jeon Mu-young optimistically moved farther away.

‘If only I had used Shadowless Time to escape the enemy’s gaze instead of Seong Guk-eon-hyung, he might have found a way to survive.’

Jeon Mu-young watched as his regrets repeated, seeing the images of the moment just before leaping from the air sedan and being swallowed by the spatial anomaly.

“Mu-young, get down!”

Jeon Mu-young’s body was nearing its limit.

Limping, unable to make a different choice, Jeon Mu-young reached out to Seong Guk-eon, not even realizing what he was doing.

Hiss...

Then, Seong Guk-eon, who had been within Jeon Mu-young’s reach, vanished.

In the illusion, Jeon Mu-young used Shadowless Time on Seong Guk-eon, not himself.

Seeing Seong Guk-eon vanish, Jeon Mu-young smiled brightly.

At that moment, Jeon Mu-young’s mind was shaken as he broke the rule of regret and made a different choice.

At the same time, his physical body met death.

That was the end of the replay Jeon Mu-young experienced.

Upon returning to reality, Jo Yi-shin spoke to Jeon Mu-young.

“Mu-young, I have an exercise I’d like you to practice.”

“Hah, are you giving me homework, Yi-shin?”

“Yes,” Jo Yi-shin replied seriously.

Jeon Mu-young laughed at Yi-shin’s serious tone but soon understood the gravity of the situation.

“You must have realized something about Gwanglim in the last moments of the replay. It’s difficult, but I need you to practice using it on someone else.”

Jeon Mu-young had always thought of Gwanglim as a power for perfect concealment. He had never tried using it on others, always keeping it solely for his own protection. But now, after surviving the intense experience, he had discovered a new potential of his ability.

"Just before death, some players undergo enlightenment and unlock new abilities," Jeon Mu-young thought. "This is likely my case too."

Jeon Mu-young, though he hadn’t previously experimented with using Gwanglim on others, decided to give it his all. He knew that, if successful, it could keep Seong Guk-eon safe.

While Jeon Mu-young had tried learning magic in the past, it seemed that the new potential of his Gwanglim was far more useful.

He completed his task and came to the present.

Jeon Mu-young was able to use Shadowless Time to protect someone and then face a mental attack from the enemy.

"How severe was this compared to my training with the old simulator?" he reflected. "I wonder if Yi-shin is doing alright."

Without preparation, it would have taken much longer.

Jeon Mu-young shuddered at the chilling sensation that the past and regret had given him.

Looking up at the garden he had seen in the replay, he sank into thought.

“Looks like a battle has begun somewhere. They’ll likely be distracted now. Even if they attack us, it’s not an issue. I’ll join up with Yi-shin...”

Then, at the edge of his sight, a familiar silhouette appeared.

“...Is that Guk-eon-hyung? No, that’s Yi-shin!”

Jeon Mu-young quickly ran toward Yi-shin.

Yi-shin staggered and pressed his left eye, blood flowing from beneath his hand.

Before Jeon Mu-young could worry, Yi-shin blocked him from getting too close.

"...Mu-young, the enemy is still near."

Yi-shin, imitating Seong Guk-eon’s tone, stopped Jeon Mu-young from getting too close.

Yi-shin, seemingly still using Seong Guk-eon’s appearance, had been trying to stay hidden.

"Could they still not have been detected? But the eyes...!" Jeon Mu-young thought, noticing that Yi-shin’s eyes were under threat from the enemy.

The enemy might target Yi-shin’s eyes, as Seong Guk-eon, the true possessor of those eyes, was from a higher existence, making his eyes a prime target.

Though Mu-young had many thoughts running through his mind, he decided to align with Yi-shin.

“If you’re injured, please step back. I’ll handle the rest.”

"I’m fine. There’s something I still need to find," Yi-shin replied firmly.

Jeon Mu-young realized that he couldn’t stop Yi-shin, so he decided to let him go and take care of things on his own.

Just as Shadowless Time was nearing its end, something shifted in the atmosphere.

"I’ve brought someone to assist with the task," Jeon Mu-young spoke confidently.

With the Shadowless Time deactivated, the person he had brought along appeared—Hwang Ho.

Hwang Ho’s gaze locked onto Yi-shin’s left eye.