EX rank supporting role’s replay in a prestigious school - Chapter 863 - Soul

In the dark, Nabiryeong had been waiting beside That Person ever since the Four Perils dispersed to carry out the operation.

She nodded as she listened to his words with a fake smile when the realization came in.

‘He’s doubting me. This is some kind of test.’

To That Person, favor and suspicion are two sides of the same coin.

The more he valued and treasured a competent person, the more he doubted them.

Nabiryeong never failed him, which was a reason in itself to cause suspicion.

No matter what plan she played a hand in, things would go perfectly according to her will.

That’s why That Person didn’t give Nabiryeong any information prior to this operation and kept her by his side, preventing her from doing anything else.

‘His doubts will increase if the operation today is completed safely. If not, there will be more calls for me for important matters.’

There was only one thing Nabiryeong could do at this point.

Waiting.

Without showing any impatience.

He seemed to be leaving Nabiryeong alone, but he was constantly observing her.

Nabiryeong was careful to even take a deep breath out of nowhere.

Then, Nabiryeong saw him using Jin.

‘He’s using a communication Jin. Is he receiving a report?’

There wasn’t any voice.

That person received information through his skin.

It seemed like the report was coming from Hondon.

‘But he won’t rely solely on Hondon’s report. Hondon hasn’t been in this world for a long time and hasn’t been able to fully adapt. There’s no way he would be the only one transmitting information.’

As Nabiryeong had thought, That Person was receiving another report.

With a release of energy waves, the Jin rearranged itself into different letters.

Nabiryeong was lost in thought, trying to guess how many people might have been involved in this plan.

‘It’s certain that Docheol isn’t alone.’

That Person probably never intended to use just Docheol from the start, though that’s how he made it appear.

It seemed as if he had set several traps to ensnare Nabiryeong.

‘This must be a pretty important case. I really want to ruin this, but there’s no way for me to intervene. But even if I don’t do anything, it’s clear…’

Nabiryeong happily waited for news as she recalled those she had seen in the Dragon Palace.

After what felt like a long wait, That Person said,

“Get ready to welcome the Four Perils, Nabiryeong.”

Before Nabiryeong could respond, he added,

“They brought something.”

The Four Perils had another task other than the assassination.

Nabiryeong understood it immediately, but she feigned ignorance and followed his order without a word.

“Understood.”

Nabiryeong bowed deeply with an invisible smile.

Hearing his orders, he knew that the plan had failed.

Nabiryeong went to meet the Four Perils and ordered her minions to bring the items that That Person wanted.

The Four Perils were not in a good condition.

Docheol looked humiliated, relieved, and anxious all at the same time.

Dowul seemed to feel the same, though less intensely.

Only the smiling Gungi and the unreadable Hondon seemed fine.

“Give your report.”

That Person raised his slender fingers and pointed at Gungi. 

Docheol was the one given this mission, but he wasn’t even spared a glance.

To avoid the same mistake as last time, Gungi reported the important information first.

“Regarding Sung Gukeon, it’s clear that he’s in collusion with the Tiger Clan. He was accompanied by Hwangho. There were other royal lineages with Sung Gukeon other than the Tiger Clan.”

Gungi seemed to have received a different mission.

He continued his report.

“I think Sung Gukeon is also connected with the Horse Clan and the Fomorian Demons.”

“Why do you think so?”

“When they were escaping, Heukma and a human were collecting the body of Sung Hyungwoo, Sung Gukeon’s grandfather.”

The other three were convinced by Gungi’s words.

There was no particular reason for Heukma to join in that mess and take a risk for a human corpse.

Unless Heukma and Sung Gukeon had been connected even before this incident and had planned to recover the body.

There’s another plausible connection between the two.

“The Horse Clan led by Heukma is based in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do. That is Sung Gukeon’s hometown. He visits regularly.”

Heukma rarely left her home base, but if Sung Gukeon had contacted her whenever he returned to his hometown, they would’ve been able to develop a close relationship.

Next, Gungi reported on the Fomorians.

“Someone was tracking the traces of the transfer that occurred in Eungwang High. I checked and it was the Fomorian Demons. I managed to restore some of the erased footage from a nearby recording device, and I saw them talking to the fake Sung Gukeon that remained in Eungwang High.”

A connection with both Heukma and the Fomorian Demons would raise much doubt, but no one pointed it out.

The Horse Clan led by Heukma was suffering from the attacks of the Demon Race, which makes it unthinkable that both of them are in good relations with Sung Gukeon.
But the Fomorian Demons are different since they don’t stay in Korea, meaning they don’t have a conflict with Heukma.

Sung Gukeon went on several business trips overseas too, so it’s possible that he made contact with the Fomorian Demons at that time.

Nabiryeong reflected on the information.

‘The Fomorians recently returned to Korea. The reason is unknown, but since it’s common for royal lineages to come to Korea, not many people questioned it.’

Gungi seemed to think that Sung Gukeon had called the Fomorian Demons, but Nabiryeong thought differently.

It was unlikely that Sung Gukeon knew about the assassination plan so long ago, but even her thoughts were as good as anyone’s guess, just with a bit more basis.

‘Sung Gukeon didn’t like the royal lineages. It doesn’t seem like an act at all. It would’ve been hard for him to easily change his mind. And to think that he entrusted a life-threatening matter to a royal lineage? What could have happened? Sung Gukeon’s information-gathering power is concerning.’

Nabiryeong wondered how Sung Gukeon had figured out the assassination attempt and Sung Hyungwoo’s location.

It would make sense If he had a connection with those two tribes, but Nabiryeong was not convinced.

‘If such an upright and righteous person had access to that kind of information, he wouldn’t have sit quietly with all the other events that have been happening.’

The Four Perils thought differently.

They knew that politicians always feign ignorance unless something is directly against their interests.

“The congressman saw through the assassination plot, prepared a fake, and brought in three powerful royal lineages to protect him. And it seems like he’s connected to the Joo-Oh Group Descendant.”

They believed that the center of this incident was Sung Gukeon, not the Tiger Clan.

The main reason for this is Heukma’s act of collecting Sung Hyungwoo. 

If it were the Tiger Clan’s call, they wouldn’t pay much attention to Sung Hyungwoo when they knew that Unsa was in the same place.

Given the nature of the Tiger Clan, they are compassionate enough to protect people that they know, like Maeng Hyodon, from dying.

But they wouldn’t go that far for the sake of a dead person.

“That is all.”

Gungi’s report ended.

Everything that he relayed was factual, but they were far from the truth.

This wrong guess was thanks to Jo Euishin’s hand.

He wanted to make them realize that if they touched Sung Gukeon again, they would have to deal with the Tiger Clan, the Horse Clan, and the Fomorian Demons all at the same time.

It would make him a difficult target for the Black Screen.

‘Those are Gungi’s thoughts. I wonder what That Person thinks.’

Nabiryeong recalled the dark and horrific star that works with the Tiger Clan.

She vaguely guessed that the man behind all this was not Sung Gukeon but a certain crow-masked individual.

Next, That Person pointed at Docheol.

“Report.”

“That congressman is connected to a powerful superior being! When I took out his eyes…”

Docheol spoke hastily as if he had been waiting for his turn.

He was desperate to make excuses for his failures, trying to point it at something else other than his incompetence.

His report was factual, but it was full of exaggeration.

Docheol acted as if all his plans would fall apart if he didn’t kill Sung Gukeon right away.

‘Is it really Sung Gukeon that he encountered…?’

The more she listened to Docheol, the more Nabiryeong thought about the crow mask.

It would’ve been easy for him to imitate Sung Gukeon and fool Docheol.

Docheol’s rambling finally ended.

“T-that’s all.”

Docheol felt like his throat was on fire.

The man he was giving the report to was silent.

Not only did he fail to assassinate Sung Gukeon, but he also lost Unsa.

Most of the power extracted from Unsa was used for their final escape and counterattack, and the entire garden collapsed.

Anyone would expect That Person to tie up Docheol and throw him in a dungeon, but not a single word of blame was uttered.

“Bring it forward, Nabiryeong.”

“Understood.”

They couldn’t understand why Nabiryeong was suddenly called after the report.

A flock of butterflies appeared, placed an object on the ground, and then disappeared.

It was the furnace that Unsa had been in.

“When Pungbaek, Unsa, and Usa are all together, they can exert their power freely, but it becomes difficult without Unsa. That is why this furnace is created.”

Unsa had a purpose different from Pungbaek and Usa.

However, killing Unsa would greatly damage the symbolism of the three.

Keeping him alive would be just as dangerous if he were free.

This furnace was a tool to utilize Unsa’s power and maintain the symbolism of the three.

“I will carve a Jin to connect this furnace and the three remaining perils.”

Docheol was shocked when he realized what was happening.

That Person wants to replace him for Unsa.

The fire in the furnace and Unsa’s screams came to mind.

Docheol wanted to beg for his life and ask the other perils to show him mercy.

“Heub!”

But his mouth wouldn’t open.

It seemed like a punishment for making him listen to his rambling report.

Docheol looked at the other perils as he struggled.

The sight immediately sent him to despair.

The other three were delighted.

They were enjoying That Person’s malice and Docheol’s despair.

Hwik!

Flames flared up as soon as Docheol’s body was thrown to the furnace and connected to it.

Instead of Docheol’s screams, only the sound of something burning could be heard.

Just as when Unsa was inside it.