Episode 5: Unit (2)
It was a moment that could have been in the future, or perhaps in the past.
The war showed no signs of ending.
Jung Haein and Yu Hana were trapped in the ever-tightening encirclement of enemies.
To say they were surrounded would be an understatement.
The moment an unknown chill brushed past her back, Yu Hana instinctively turned her head.
Swish!
A sharp blade sliced through her field of vision.
‘This is the end…’
Yu Hana cursed herself for letting her guard down, even for an instant.
However, the target of the blade was not her.
Thud!
Jung Haein, who had been cutting down enemies in front, was struck with a deep wound in his chest. His body slid back and collapsed against the wall.
“No!!”
Yu Hana’s desperate scream tore through the air.
Even as he fell, Jung Haein never let his guard down for a second.
While mowing down the enemies swarming from the front, he had been keeping an eye on his comrades standing behind him.
“This… never gets easier…”
Jung Haein coughed out his words as if spitting blood. Clutching the gaping wound in his chest, he forced his fading voice to speak.
“Please, please, please…”
Yu Hana’s trembling hands tried to stop the blood gushing out.
But the blood seeped through her fingers relentlessly.
“Hana…”
He raised his head.
“I’ve thought about it a lot… Maybe I was wrong all along.”
“No, don’t say that… Please.”
—Aagh!
—Aaaahhh!
The cries of fallen comrades echoed from behind them. The enemies surged forward, and the defensive line crumbled rapidly.
With Jung Haein’s fall, the tide of battle turned decisively against them.
He wasn’t just the one leading the charge.
He was the one managing the entire battlefield, detecting threats, and holding the team together.
Without him, the battlefield plunged into chaos.
Everyone had been hiding behind the shield that was him.
Yu Hana closed her eyes.
“I’ll… follow you.”
She carefully kissed his forehead and stood up.
Someone had to take the place of the shield that had disappeared.
But Jung Haein shook his head.
“You’re not dying. Never.”
His voice was weak but resolute.
Yu Hana couldn’t understand the meaning of his words at the time.
And this memory-
Was just one of the countless moments of his death she had witnessed.
***
On the day of the entrance ceremony.
Yu Hana was sitting quietly in a corner of the auditorium. Amidst the bustling crowd of students, her gaze was fixed on one person.
‘There he is.’
With his neat attire and delicate features, Haein sat without trying to stand out. But his expression wasn’t good. His face showed deep contemplation.
‘He’s overthinking things again.’
Looking at his deeply contemplative face, Yu Hana smiled faintly.
This time, she had resolved not to leave him alone, not to let him struggle on his own.
It was then.
Cheon Yeoul approached Jung Haein.
Wearing a natural smile, she spoke to him as if they had known each other for a long time.
‘…That whore.’
Yu Hana unconsciously clenched her fists.
As if he didn’t have enough to deal with, these so-called “saints” were always the problem.
They always approached, pretending to be benevolent, as if they could solve everything.
Yu Hana took a quiet breath. She decided to observe for now.
But her patience snapped during the weapon selection session.
Cheon Yeoul’s irritating behavior continued even there.
Jung Haein stood before a spear.
He seemed hesitant, but the way he lingered there suggested he was on the verge of making a decision.
‘Take it!’
Yu Hana silently cheered for him in her heart.
Once again, she hoped he would choose the spear.
Because he had never been wrong.
The only ones who had been wrong were the rest of them.
But Cheon Yeoul interfered with his choice, even going as far as pressuring him physically.
Yu Hana could understand it to a degree, but this was crossing the line.
So, Yu Hana acted.
After a brief but intense confrontation with Cheon Yeoul, the latter quietly backed off.
“I’ll handle it myself.”
That was all Jung Haein said as he stuck to his choice. He probably would have done the same even if she hadn’t intervened.
Watching his resolute decision, Yu Hana felt a strange excitement rise from deep within her, her heart pounding wildly.
His stance as he gripped the spear, the aura he exuded, his unwavering gaze, and his firm tone—it was all exactly the same.
‘He hasn’t changed…’
He had never changed.
***
It wasn’t me who decided to overturn everything—it was Yu Hana.
“Hey? Give me an answer.”
Yu Hana, who had boldly crossed the line, looked at me with a mischievous expression.
I wanted to flick her forehead for that cheeky look, but instinct screamed at me not to.
‘Not that it really matters.’
I had no intention of hiding anything.
In the first place, that old man didn’t even give me the chance to keep things secret.
I figured someone among the students had already figured it out.
And if someone with a background and access to resources like Yu Hana had discovered it, it wasn’t surprising at all.
Looking back, it made sense that she kept running into me during the weapon selection and morning runs.
She was from the Yu family.
For her, it was only natural to build connections with promising students here.
As for Cheon Yeoul’s involvement… I wasn’t entirely sure yet, but it was probably along similar lines to Yu Hana.
“Wait… are you really that ‘Silent Ghost’?”
Yoon Sang-hyuk’s voice still trembled. He seemed unable to accept the reality even now.
The Silent Ghost.
The alias I’d been given after clearing a Wave and vanishing without a trace.
It had once been famous, though it had faded somewhat now.
In truth, I had never “vanished.”
I had just sat and waited for the association to arrive.
And when I woke up, I’d labeled the Silent Ghost.
A perfect product of hero marketing, crafted by the Hero Association’s image-making machine.
The association recommended that I enroll in Gaon, and I accepted. It was what I had wanted anyway.
Of course, my admission was strictly classified.
And naturally, my rank was:
[Unmeasurable]
‘Haha, how could it possibly be measured?’
I recalled the sweating face of the examiner, struggling to explain.
The entrance test was over in no time. They said I’d far surpassed the average student level, and that was that.
“But still, can we just let someone like this enroll? We don’t even know their background or previous academy.”
“Then why don’t you grab any random student and ask them to stop a Level 5 Wave?”
“….”
I could still picture the speechless expression of the vice-principal.
Anyway, until the official school-hosted exam begins, I technically don’t have a rank.
“Yes, it’s me.”
I answered calmly. There was no need to hide it anymore.
Now that the rumors had spread, denying it wouldn’t change anything.
Yoon Sang-hyuk looked at me in stunned silence.
I casually shifted my gaze to Yu Hana.
“And the team is…”
Yu Hana was still looking at me, as if waiting for my next words.
“Let’s all go together. It just feels like the right thing to do.”
When I said that, Yu Hana stared at me for a moment before smiling.
“Okay, sounds good.”
She agreed surprisingly easily, seemingly unconcerned about the team composition from the start.
“What about you, Dae-hyun?”
“I’m… fine with it.” Kim Dae-hyun replied, still looking a bit bewildered.
Now, only two were left.
Yoon Sang-hyuk, who was nervously glancing at me, and… what was the other guy’s name again?
“What’s your name?”
The male student, who had been lounging casually next to Sang-hyuk, flinched before answering.
“L… Lee Sang-bong. I’m ranked 189th.”
“Alright, Sang-bong, Sang-hyuk. Want to join us?”
I casually placed a hand on each of their shoulders, gave a slight smile, and added:
“If you don’t want to, you can go on your own.”
“…We’ll do it.” the two of them muttered, looking like they were walking to their deaths.
But trust me, this will be good for you too.
This entire training ground is essentially one big test.
The instructors didn’t just randomly divide the students.
The composition was intentional: one top-ranking student, two mid-ranking students, and two low-ranking students per team.
It was deliberate.
Students who enter the world’s top academy as high-rankers are often full of pride. As a result, they tend to ignore the opinions of lower-ranked students or act domineeringly.
This naturally leads to conflict and division within teams.
‘But pride doesn’t belong solely to the top-rankers.’
Even the so-called low-rankers are individuals who were treated like prodigies before coming here.
Being suddenly demoted in rank and labeled as “low-tier” is a huge blow to their pride.
As a result, the domineering attitude of the top-rankers clashes with the resistance of the low-rankers, and the team quickly falls apart.
And this fierce clash of egos?
That’s exactly what the instructors are aiming for.
As if to underscore their intent, the dense forest in front of us had several entry paths branching in multiple directions.
- “The unit formations seem complete. Now, the practical session will officially begin.
“Break through the forest ahead with your assigned unit.”
The sharp voice echoed loudly.
As soon as the announcement ended, the magical barrier blocking the dense forest paths was lifted.
‘Finally, we’re getting somewhere.’
It felt like things were finally moving as I had expected.
I looked around at my team members.
“Let’s go.”
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TLN: Hey guys, I’ve added illustrations to Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 that I totally forget to add.
So, go and check them out now.
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