Chapter 485: Dirt (6)

Year One Class Zero classroom.

It was close to the end of afternoon classes, but Jo Euishin still wasn’t showing up.

“Euishin must be resting today.”

“He didn’t attend afternoon class too?”

“Yeah, Professor Gong Cheonghwon was disappointed.”

At the words of Hani, who takes the same afternoon class as Jo Euishin, the worries of the Class Zero students deepened.

Jo Euishin sometimes doesn’t go to school.

However, it was strange for him to be absent when the CSAT and the picnic events were just around the corner.

Hwangho, in the appearance of Hwang Jiho, finally spoke when the children’s unrest grew.

“He seems to be in his dorm room. He must be very tired, we should let him rest.”

It wasn’t strange for Jo Euishin to be in his dormitory room.

Considering that the always-busy Jo Euishin finally took a day off, it was something to be pleased about.

However, some of the students questioned Hwangho’s words.

“How do you know that?”

“I’m a dorm student but I didn’t know.”

Maeng Hyodon and Saeum of April’s words intensified the feeling of incompatibility among the class.

Dokgo Miro, who was talking to Hani, looked at Hwangho with suspicious eyes.

Among the students in Class Zero, Dokgo Miro was most wary of Hwangho.

“...I’m sure he asked through the device messenger.”

“Euishin doesn’t usually reply to Jiho though?”

Min Geurin’s factual rebuttal immediately broke down Song Daesok’s suggestion.

It was Kim Yuri who finally settled the situation.

“Guys! About the date of the picnic, Professor Ham Geunhyung and Yong-ssaem said this Saturday is okay.”

“Oh, so it’s after the CSAT...”

At Kwon Lena’s words, the other students lamented too.

They were always worried about the weather for their autumn picnic.

One of the boundaries between autumn and winter in Korea was something called “the cold wave of the CSAT”

No matter how mild the weather in November was, it becomes cold on the day of the CSAT.

Even this year, the weather forecasts say that it would rapidly get cold starting on the day of the CSAT.

“It won’t be an autumn picnic then. It’s a winter boot camp.”

“I hope we can get in touch with the two of them by Saturday.”

“I don’t see those guys ever since the attendance records were stolen though.”

The students checked the weather forecast to see the expected temperature for the coming Saturday.

Hwangho, who laughed and mingled with the other kids from time to time, looked up and out at the window.

“...!”

Hani, who was sitting near the window, followed his gaze.

Hani looked outside to see if the attention-seekers were there, but there was nothing.

“What, what’s wrong?”

“Jo Euishin went out of his dorm. I think he’s headed to the central area.”

Hwangho was looking at the dormitory building.

Hani internally questioned how he knew that but decided not to ask knowing that Hwangho would obviously laugh at her.

Unlike the wise Hani, the other students couldn’t resist questioning Hwangho.

“Like I said, how do you know that?”

“Jiho is the chairman’s relative. Isn’t this abuse of power to spy on Euishin?”

“Hahahaha!”

Hwangho appeared to be laughing thoughtlessly, but he was flustered.

A faint energy wave began to appear, telling me that she was wary of me.

She seems to know now where I got the rare book.

“Then I should check the source of the attached data. Depending on the answer, we can hand it over to the association.”

I intended to reveal the source to her right from the start.

The question was to what extent I should reveal.

‘I’ll cover up Sung Gukeon and Sung Siwan for now. I’ll leave out Imoogi’s Exorcism as well.’

Considering Hwangbo Yoon’s actions in PMH and the data from the former head, she must be an ally.

‘...If all the data I saw were true, then there’s no reason to doubt Principal Hwangbo Yoon.’

The data hidden in the electronic data-generated pile of rare books was the former head’s “lifetime” itself.

From the moment he awakened as a player to the moment he broke his contract that cost him his life.

All the records remained.

There was little that the former head could do in the face of the trend of the times and the enormous power against him.

He left the data for someone other than himself, recording everything he saw, heard, felt, and inferred.

It also included records of Hwangbo Yoon, a colleague trusted by the former head of the association.

Considering that the secret passage was still in place, it doesn’t seem like Principal Hwangbo Yoon has switched sides, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

‘I’ll say what’s necessary first.’

I decided not to mention the two people and the painting just in case.

Of course, I don’t care enough about Gye Idam to cover for him.

I’ll talk about how that Gye Bastard opened the Student Council hall, and maybe he’d get penalized for it.

“This data was obtained while investigating some ghost stories of Eungwang High.”

I revealed the journey.

The rumors and stories actually existed, and it turns out the secret association actually existed too.

I talked about the otherworld simulator hidden and the confrontation with the AI of the former head.

That’s how I got the data.

Principal Hwangbo Yoon listened, and then she asked something.

“...So why are you showing me this?”

“That person’s AI advised me to.”

“Advised?”

“When I asked about how the secret passage works, he told me to ask ‘Yoon’.”

The sharp atmosphere from Principal Hwangbo Yoon was subdued.

“...He was the only one who called me that.”

Even in the data, the former head of the association referred to the principal as “Yoon”

“He’s a fool. I would’ve helped if he hadn’t baited me with a rare book.”

According to the records, it took the former head a long time to persuade Principal Hwangbo Yoon.

His plan was to bait the principal, who was a teacher back then, using rare books.

The principal dissuaded the former head, saying how dangerous it was to build a secret passage inside Eungwang High.

She was baited again with another rare book... and she eventually gave in but pretended not to know anything about the process.

“Did you help make the secret passage, Principal Hwangbo?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask how it works exactly?”

If the principal refuses to speak, I can bait her too with this compilation of rare books.

However, she answered unexpectedly quickly.

“...That man’s AI recognized you, so I guess I can tell you.”

Principal Hwangbo Yoon seemed to greatly trust the former head of the association.

She spoke softly, a tone of a teacher reading a textbook.

“It’s simple. If someone with a true name attacks, they are immediately put to sleep.”