Chapter 13 (1/2)

Since the corpses turned into ash, the gym was cleaner than he thought. Not only did the Recovery stat decreased the time it took to use Karma again but it was excellent for wounds as well. Most wounds would slowly close up. The seriously wounded would die of shock and turn into ash. As expected, didn’t leave a single trace.

If not for the blood stained clothes, he would have thought that everything was a dream.

The sudden peace actually made people nervous.

The one who took the lead was Jung Minji. Although the rule about absolutely following a king’s orders disappeared, no one could question Jung Minji’s leaders.h.i.+p skills. Out of the 483 people, Jung Minji had gathered 258. Due to the actions of the ethics teacher Park Solam, who was her subject, there were an especially large number of teachers in her group.

Jung Minji stood in front of the teachers and brought order.

[You cannot leave the school until nightfall.]

First, she checked that this included the surrounding school field as well. Then she divided everyone into teams and let everyone use the washrooms to wash themselves off. Afterwards, she raided the cafeteria and the snack store and ordered the distribution of food. The Slave King Song Simin followed Jung Minji’s commands as well. Choi Hyuk didn’t line up for food but took it directly, however, he didn’t take more than the distributed amount.

But the Heckler King Kim Hyunbaek was worried his leaders.h.i.+p would be stolen.

“You don’t know when things will happen and you want to mix together like this?”

“Then?”

“There’s no need to do everything yourself. Just fairly divide the goods and let each group decide how to distribute it.”

Jung Minji glared at Kim Hyunbaek before giving him provisions and supplies. Kim Hyunbaek smiled. He thought that Jung Minji was definitely a pushover. Even if she was like a ghost in the battlefield, she couldn’t be heartless in situations like these.

‘If it was me, I would have never divided it. Tsk, tsk. What’s the point in having power? When you don’t even know how to use it.’

Kim Hyunbaek secretly looked down on Jung Minji. Because of her, he was able to obtain several things. First, he understood Jung Minji’s personality and he could show off his ability to his group. Since his orders weren’t absolute, creating a public image was important. Unlike Jung Minji who distributed supplies sparingly, Kim Hyunbaek let his subjects eat as much as they wanted that day.

After was.h.i.+ng, changing clothes in the locker and eating, it was break time. As there was nothing to do, people suddenly felt everything was new. Everything happened in only a day.

“I can’t believe it… We killed people?”

They were all normal teachers and students this morning but now there wasn’t anyone here who hadn’t murdered before. It was scary. The shock came after everything had happened. They didn’t know during that time but the mushy feeling when a sword sliced into someone, the warmth they felt when blood splattered on their sleeves and the last breath of their victims were now coming back to them.

The thing they couldn’t handle.

“Don’t tell me, it’ll be like this tomorrow?”

“…f.u.c.k. It might even be tonight.”

If they had something to do, it might not have been so overwhelming. But since they weren’t allowed to leave the school until night, their anxiety couldn’t help but rise.

When they were endlessly beaten, it was natural they would become desperate. The real moment their hearts felt like they were being sc.r.a.ped was when it was peaceful.  Sobs sounded out around them. There were some looking for their dead friends and some who entered an empty cla.s.sroom and wept.

It was night.

The student who waited at the school entrance let out a shout.

“The wall is gone! We can go out!”

People swarmed towards the entrance once they heard the shout. However, at that moment, a separate message was given to the kings.

[All troops are to standby until tomorrow morning.]

Choi Hyuk mumbled.

“f.u.c.k… just what are they planning now?”

The message to standby wasn’t given to everyone but only to the kings.

“Everyone stop!!!”

A female voice resonated out from the school. It was Jung Minji. She ran as fast as she could and blocked the entrance with Chu Youngjin. Luckily, no one had left yet. It could be because the streetlights were all off. It would be scary to walk by yourself in a dark night. Too many people had already died.

“A message was sent only to the kings. ‘Standby until morning, those that leave will perish.

Jung Minji lied outright. There was nothing about ‘peris.h.i.+ng’. It only said to standby. However, Choi Hyuk couldn’t help but be amazed at her quick thinking. They wouldn’t be well off if they refused the message anyways.

People were agitated.

“Why did only the kings receive it?”

They were suspicious. No, they didn’t want to believe it. The person who came out afterwards was the Slave King Song Simin.

“I got it too. It’s true.”

A heavy silence came over the noisy people. If another king came out and confirmed it, it would be almost certain. The person who messed it up was the Heckler King Kim Hyunbaek.

“I got it as well. But peris.h.i.+ng is a lie. It just said to ‘standby’.”

Everyone became noisy once again. Jung Minji gave a death stare to Kim Hyunbaek. He only shrugged his shoulders.

“There really wasn’t anything about peris.h.i.+ng?”

Those with foolish expectations asked. Jung Minji said strictly.

“No. It definitely said perish. Kim Hyunbaek, why are you lying?”

Kim Hyunbaek showed a speechless expression at Jung Minji’s question before raising his voice.

“What? Why would I lie?”

Kim Hyunbaek felt dejected. Because it wasn’t a lie. Because his reaction really showed that, some even thought, ‘It looks like he’s right?’

“I got it too. It said perish.”

As soon as three of the four kings said they would perish, the mood that felt like they would jump out at any moment died down. When Jung Minji said, “Let’s go in,” everyone started to make their way back. However, it wasn’t like there weren’t any more doubts.

“Ha! It’s easy to make someone a fool! I get it! I do! I’m sorry!”

It might have been partly because of the loudly shouting Kim Hyunbaek who made his way back to the cla.s.sroom.

As the night deepened, Jung Minji came to Choi Hyuk,

“Can we gather for a second?”

The Jung Minji reflected in his eyes still continued to be colorless. No good or bad intentions.

“What is it?”

“I want to discuss just what kind of f.u.c.ked up situation we’re in.”

For Choi Hyuk who wanted to know the mastermind behind this, it wasn’t a bad offer. He went to a cla.s.sroom. The core members of Jung Minji’s group were already gathered. Even Song Simin and Kim Hyunbaek brought the core members of their groups.

Jung Minji spoke first.

“Two things caught my attention. First, the words written in the Ring of Rebirth. Kill. Only then will you kill.”

Some people nodded at Jung Minji’s words while others showed expressions that they didn’t understand.

“Why is it not ‘will you live’ but ‘will you kill’?

Jung Minji didn’t stop there.

“One more thing. Today’s message. All ‘troops’ are to standby. They called us troops.”

Choi Hyuk nodded his head. He had even seen the message on the window. The words that pa.s.sed by like an illusion were ‘get angry’.

“They… I don’t know if they are G.o.ds or devils. Anyways, I think they are trying to make us into an army.”

She had already come to a conclusion.

“The Ring of Rebirth was for individuals. And they tested one’s talent for killing. They made us fight in groups and pick leaders in the Throne Game. Then what would be next? Just what would we fight against as an army?”

It was silent. Tomorrow… yes, just what would happen tomorrow?

Just then, Kim Hyunbaek’s voice sounded out. It seemed like he was drunk as he had a slight slur when he talked. The ones who searched the night duty room and found alcohol after hearing they had to wait until morning were Kim Hyunbaek’s group.

“Ah~ you really are a headache. I was wondering why you gathered us here at night. We will find out tomorrow morning so why are you in a panic already.”

Kim Hyunbaek swayed as he got up from his seat. Jung Minji asked.

“Kim Hyunbaek. You’re drunk?”

“f.u.c.k. Kim Hyunbaek… Am I your friend? Even if I don’t expect to hear ‘senior’, this is a bit too much.”

He was already drunk. And the events today were so alien they already felt remote. Kim Hyunbaek started to show his real personality.