Afterward, I handed stun grenades to Meiling and Lumina, putting them in charge of watching over the spectators.

“If anyone dares lift their head, throw it immediately. They’re scum who deserve to die anyway—no need to feel guilty.”

I deliberately raised my voice.

“Don’t worry! The moment one of them moves, I’ll toss it. When else will I get to roast this many people at once?” Meiling replied, her voice gleeful.

The spectators, their foreheads pressed to the floor, flinched. I could hear sharp intakes of breath all around.

At times like this, Meiling’s psychotic streak came in handy.

I stepped into the corridor.

Valhall’s Hunters lay unconscious, bound with pitch-black cords. Bao, who had already drunk the antidote, was knocked out alongside them, soaked in sleep potion.

The cords were made of a demonic material called Blackwater Root, an item level 60 restraint.

They were designed precisely for restraining awakened individuals who couldn’t be held by ordinary means.

“So now it’s just the owner left?” Rachel asked, hands on her hips.

“The owner has a bodyguard,” Seo Yui said, spear and shield—gifts from me—gripped in her hands.

“His name is Reheb. He’s the strongest of Valhall’s Hunters. Last I heard, his level was 58.”

“Ooh, pretty high.” Rachel’s voice was casual, almost amused. She had every reason to be confident.

Rachel and Sally, Iris’s bodyguards, were both level 68.

That was why the two of them alone had been able to subdue four of Valhall’s Hunters.

“So what now? To make sure we get them, should Rainbow keep watch while Magical Princess comes with us?”

Rainbow was Iris. Magical Princess, Sally.

“There’s no need,” I said.

“No need? What do you mean?” Iris asked, frowning behind her mask.

“You’ll see. Masked Fighter, lead us to the owner’s room.”

“…Alright. This way.”

Seo Yui guided us—me, Rachel, and Iris—down a short corridor past the bar to a locked iron door.

Rachel raised her leg.

“Hyah!”

Crash!!

One kick turned the iron door into scrap.

“Huh?”

“What the…?”

“…”

Rachel, Iris, and Seo Yui all froze.

The sight inside justified it.

The man presumed to be the owner, Lei Xin, sat slumped in a chair, limbs bent at grotesque angles as though every bone was broken. Unconscious.

His bodyguard leaned against the wall, also unconscious, his limbs likewise broken.

My gaze shifted.

Across the room, opposite the door we entered, was another door—wide open.

“Who… who could have done this?” Iris asked tensely.

“There are hardly any signs of a fight,” Rachel muttered, staring at the downed bodyguard. “It looks completely one-sided.”

I walked over to Lei Xin’s desk. On top, right in plain sight, sat a small message card.

I pocketed the card.

“Explain, fox.” Iris’s voice was sharp, her masked gaze narrowing on me.

“Rainbow and Magical Princess covered the main entrance. Masked Fighter secured the Sanctuary. I locked down the spectators. But to fully seal Valhall, we didn’t have enough manpower. Of course the owner would have built an escape route in his office. So, I called in someone to handle it.”

The truth was, I had known about this secret passage from the game.

The person I contacted would have used it to infiltrate, and clearly struck before we even launched the operation.

“Then why didn’t you tell us beforehand?” Iris’s tone was icy.

“That was their condition. Don’t worry—the only thing they wanted was a copy of the CCTV recordings. All the credit goes to you and Crystal.”

“…”

I could practically see the distrust deepening on her hidden face.

She had already found it suspicious that I supplied all the potions and gear. Now this would push her doubt even higher.

“Let’s gather the CCTV files and documents ourselves. No such thing as too much evidence,” I said.

“…Yes. You’re right,” Rachel agreed.

She stepped past the unconscious bodyguard, hauled Lei Xin’s chair aside, and swept the computer and documents into her pack.

Brrr.

A vibration sounded from somewhere.

“They must be here. I’ll take the call.” Iris stepped out.

‘Crystal’s Hunters have arrived.’

They would secure the suspects and protect the children.

Police could be bribed to release people early. Better to use Crystal’s Hunters first, then hand everything to the press.

‘Crystal will handle the cleanup. That makes this quest a perfect clear.’

In the original game, the owner and his bodyguard escaped.

Later, Lei Xin reported the protagonist to the Forward Group, gaining their aid. Eventually, he returned with Forward Hunters to ambush the protagonist and Seo Yui.

A sequel event—difficult, unrewarding, and only meant to foreshadow the Gwangcheon scenario.

But I already knew everything about that scenario.

Meaning, there was no need to let it play out.

By shifting credit to Crystal and enlisting another ally to block Lei Xin’s escape, I had erased the event entirely.

And if I built ties with the one who had dealt with him, it would surely pay off later.

We had only exchanged notes—I still hadn’t seen their face.

Four days later, Wednesday evening.

The breaking news hit.

[…A ring has been arrested for kidnapping awakened orphans and trafficking them into an illegal arena, forcing them into deadly battles. Known as Valhall, the arena was frequented by high-ranking elites across society, a revelation that has caused nationwide uproar.]

I watched the report on my tablet.

The footage showed Valhall’s Hunters, cuffed and flanked by guards, being marched away.

[…Evidence was also found tying the arena to an executive of the Forward Group, sparking further controversy. Forward has denied corporate involvement, claiming it was a rogue executive acting alone. Nonetheless, public calls to boycott Forward’s products are mounting…]

‘Typical scapegoating…’ I sneered inwardly.

Knowing full well why Forward’s money had been funneled into Valhall, I couldn’t help but scoff.

[The exposure of the arena’s crimes was made possible thanks largely to the Crystal Group. Hunters from Crystal uncovered Valhall’s operations, rescued the awakened children, and secured the culprits. Leading the mission was Ahn Iris, daughter of Crystal’s president, Ahn Hyung-gi.]

The screen shifted to Iris’s interview.

[…I happened upon information regarding Valhall. When I realized what was happening, I felt I couldn’t stand by. My body simply moved on its own.]

Irritated by her smug face, I switched to another channel.

But there too, the Valhall incident dominated the news.

[Crystal has announced that the rescued children will be sheltered in their facilities. In addition, Mayor Chun Ji-won of Seoul will personally award Miss Ahn Iris for her courageous actions…]

At that moment, my smartwatch buzzed. Eleanor was calling.

I set the tablet aside and tapped my earpiece.

“Hello.”

[It’s me, Eleanor.]

“Yeah. What’s up?”

[I just wanted to ask if you’re really okay with this.]

“With what?”

[With hiding the fact that you were the true driving force behind this. The others too. If you received a mayor’s commendation, it would help you not only at the Academy but even after graduation.]

“It’s fine. That was the condition from the start—credit goes to you sisters and Crystal. Don’t forget, we’re still students of Forward’s Gwangcheon Academy. And we’ve got Meiling with us. No matter how much she’s cut ties, if people think the daughter of Forward’s Magitech president staged something that damages the company’s image, the blowback would be unavoidable.”

What Meiling wanted was to stay clear of Kai—not exact revenge.

[…You’re right. I didn’t think it through. Guess I was too caught up in how unfair it seemed. You really do see the bigger picture.]

‘Of course, that isn’t the only reason.’

The real reason I kept myself hidden was to avoid Forward’s retaliation.

I had already derailed the follow-up quest by pulling in someone else who wasn’t part of it. If I accepted an award and my name became known, all of that effort would be wasted.

And it wasn’t just Forward I’d be making enemies of.

Unlike the game, reality meant all those high-ranking elites who were arrested would hold a grudge too.

How could a parentless nobody like Nam Yein possibly withstand that?

Crystal and Iris were more than enough targets to draw the heat.

“And what about you?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

[Hm?]

“I didn’t see your name mentioned. Only Iris’s.”

[Ah… it’s a little funny to say this after what we just discussed, but… I also asked for my involvement to be kept secret.]

“Why?”

[Because the only time I want my name out there is through my equipment. That’s my rule. Not as Crystal’s president’s daughter, not as some brave citizen—only as an item craftsman.]

Just as I expected. And perfectly in character for Eleanor.

“Stylish. I might fall for you.”

[Hhhaahp!?]

“…Eleanor?”

A strange sound came through the earpiece.

[N-Nothing! Forget it!]

“…Really?”

What was that? Did a bug just fly into her mouth mid-sentence?

“But Iris actually agreed to that? I would’ve thought she’d insist you take a reward too.”

[…When it comes to stubbornness, my sister can’t beat me.]

I understood immediately.

One “I hate you, sis” and Iris would fold.

We chatted idly a bit longer before hanging up.

‘Cleanup’s done. From tomorrow, I can finally get back to the main quest.’

I turned off the tablet and lights, then lay back on my bed.

The next day at lunch.

Our squad gathered on the stairs leading down to the outdoor training grounds, carrying food from the cafeteria.

“Fwaaahm.”

A long yawn echoed.

“Tired from all the questioning?” I asked.

Seo Yui sat next to me, eyes half-closed.

“Yeah. Even now, if I shut my eyes, I hear the prosecutors and police still grilling me.”

“Would’ve been easier if they just watched the CCTV.” Meiling muttered, a bread bag dangling from her hand.

“They were probably just looking for excuses to shield the higher-ups.”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

At my words, Meiling snorted and bit into her bread.

“It was tricky, keeping our stories straight about you guys not being there,” Seo Yui said.

She had spent the past few days with Iris, not even showing up at school.

Crystal insisted that the identities of the rescued children remain strictly confidential.

That was why the news only showed silhouettes.

“Come to think of it, where will you be staying now, Senior?” Lumina asked.

“I’ll be moving into Gwangcheon’s dormitory. Iris said she could transfer me to Crystal Academy if I wanted, but that would mean betraying you.”

“Wait… you mean—”

Lumina’s eyes widened.

“Thanks to you, I’ve finally escaped Valhall and found freedom. Especially you, Nam Yein.” Seo Yui turned to me.

“I can never thank you enough. If you hadn’t come, I’d still be fighting there until I was discarded.”

I met her gaze.

Her half-lidded eyes now glimmered with sincerity.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life repaying this debt. Truly, thank you.”

“What about us, then?!” Meiling demanded, glaring at her.

“Of course, I owe you all as well.”

Her expression softened back to its usual lethargy.

So that slack-faced look was Seo Yui’s real maskless self.

“Somehow, that doesn’t inspire confidence…” Meiling grumbled.

“Uh, um, so—” Lumina fidgeted, unable to speak, so I asked instead:

“Then, should we take that to mean you’ll be joining our squad?”

Seo Yui looked at me and smiled faintly.

“Yes. Please take care of me.”

The smile was small, but unmistakably genuine.

(End of Chapter)

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