Yeomyeong and Seti raised their mana instead of answering.

As if she already knew who the opponent was, Seti pulled out a small steel hammer hidden in her bag.

The atmosphere was tense, ready to explode into a fight at any moment.

Ava gave a bitter smile and spoke.

"You don’t have to be so on edge like that."

Her tone was like someone trying to soothe a startled child. Wiping the blood flowing from her forehead, she added, "I hope there are no misunderstandings here. Truly, I only want to talk…"

Before Ava could finish her sentence, Yeomyeong interrupted.

"That’s enough wordplay. If none of you want a hole in your head, stop now."

Yeomyeong's gaze wasn’t on Ava but beyond her, toward something in the shadows.

Perhaps he had grown accustomed to the invisible cloak over time. His senses precisely detected the three operatives hiding behind her.

"...."

Ava’s face lost its composure for the first time.

The stillness of her hidden allies, meant to back her up, was palpable.

"You speak of murder so lightly, especially here in the Academy."

"For a terrorist, your tongue is quite long."

"..."

"A spy from the Secret Society that attacked the Academy. Killing you here wouldn’t bring punishment—it’d bring a reward. Am I wrong?"

So, he knows that much?

Ava’s expression betrayed surprise for a moment, only to return to its neutral mask after seeing Seti wearing a similar look.

"If you would just give me a moment—just a few minutes—I’d like to prove our goodwill."

"…Goodwill?"

Yeomyeong’s cold gaze grew sharper as Ava hurriedly gestured behind her.

One of the hidden operatives stepped forward, tossing a stack of documents. As if guided by magic, the papers floated unerringly through the air and landed neatly at Yeomyeong's feet.

"…What’s this?"

Without even glancing at the documents, Yeomyeong asked. Ava explained, her tone almost apologetic.

"Information on the Incheon Killer. Everything Interpol tracked over the past six months, plus the files suppressed by Korean police, is in there."

"...."

The Incheon Killer. Or, rather, the Player.

Hearing that name, Yeomyeong clicked his tongue internally.

"…You’ve been digging into my past."

"I hope you don’t take offense. As you probably know, there isn’t an information broker on this planet who wouldn’t dig into your background. We’re just… doing our job."

"..."

"The Blue Rat. That woman hid her tracks so well we almost gave up. But we got lucky—Incheon’s black market is our domain."

Ava’s tone hovered between a threat and an explanation.

Yeomyeong squinted at her, his sharp gaze dissecting her forced calm to find the desperation hidden beneath.

"Still, don’t misunderstand. We have no intention of blackmailing you with your past."

"…Then what?"

"As I said, it’s a gesture of goodwill. The documents, and the fact that we haven’t sold your information—they’re all proof of the Society’s desire to cooperate with you."

Finishing her statement, Ava offered a sly smile, as though she held the upper hand.

"So, are you willing to talk now? If you agree, I’d like to move to a more suitable location."

Seti realized how complicated the situation was becoming. She picked up the documents from the ground and glanced at Yeomyeong.

Her blue eyes silently asked, What do we do now?

Yeomyeong clenched and unclenched his fists before speaking to Ava.

"Ava."

"Yes, have you made your decision? If you prefer, we can talk here…."

"Your nephew runs a pizza joint in Chicago, doesn’t he?"

"..."

Ava’s face momentarily betrayed surprise before quickly regaining composure—so fast it might have gone unnoticed by anyone less observant.

"I’ve never had Chicago pizza before. Do you think they serve it at funerals?"

"What nonsense are you—"

Before she could finish, Yeomyeong launched himself forward.

The mana from Paryang-gyeol that had been coursing through his body surged into his calves, propelling him forward in an instant.

His target wasn’t Ava but her operatives hidden behind her.

Reacting on instinct, they tried to raise their weapons, but Yeomyeong’s fist reached the first one before they could act.

Thud!

His punch drove into the ribs of the operative hiding in the bushes, sending a sensation of cracking bones up his arm.

"Ugh!"

As the first operative clutched his side and crumpled to the ground, Yeomyeong had already aimed a kick at the second one.

Caught off guard, the second operative’s reaction was a step too slow. They managed to raise a dagger but couldn’t stop Yeomyeong’s strike from connecting with their jaw.

Smack! The second operative’s head snapped to the side, their eyes rolling back.

As for the third operative, Yeomyeong didn’t even need to intervene.

Seti’s hammer struck their head squarely, rendering them unconscious instantly.

"What… what is this…?"

Ava’s lips quivered, unable to keep up with the reality unfolding before her eyes.

From her perspective, it had all happened in the blink of an eye—her hidden allies collapsing like dominoes.

Meanwhile, Yeomyeong calmly picked up a dagger from one of the downed operatives and turned his gaze toward Ava.

"Ava."

"..."

"Now I feel like talking. What about you?"

She didn’t answer. Or rather, she couldn’t.

Seti had already approached and grabbed Ava’s neck in a firm grip.

"Kh… kkh…"

The pressure on her carotid artery clouded her consciousness.

Just before passing out, the last thing Ava saw was Yeomyeong’s golden eyes approaching, holding the dagger.

 

The Secret Society.

A massive intelligence organization that, together with the Blue Rat, controlled the underworld’s flow of information.

Unlike the Blue Rat, which had one foot in legitimate territory, the Secret Society operated entirely in the shadows—or so the common knowledge in the underworld suggested.

But through the “Author’s Note,” the truth Yeomyeong had come to know was far more complex.

The Secret Society wasn’t a single organization.

It was a loose conglomeration of individuals, groups, and ideologies gathered under one banner.

From cultists known as the Doomsday Sect to separatists seeking the Empire’s independence, petty criminals from back alleys, and beastfolk advocating for equal rights—there was no common ground between them.

The sole unifying cause binding them together was anti-Earth sentiment.

For decades, the hatred, envy, and resentment Earth had accumulated became the driving force behind the Secret Society.

But in recent years, their unity had begun to wane noticeably.

The reasons were countless, but at their core was one undeniable truth: division among their ranks.

The grievances of an old man whose homeland was poisoned by mercury mining could never align with the bitterness of a knight whose order had been dissolved and left him jobless.

The resolve of a noble who valued dollars over lineage and moved to Earth couldn’t match the anger of a youth who had lost their father to U.S. soldiers.

The fury of a "no-mage" who joined to keep magic off television bore no resemblance to the grief of a woman who became a spy after losing her younger sister.

From a Korean perspective, their internal conflict was reminiscent of the disputes among independence activists during the Japanese occupation.

The armed struggle faction advocating for liberation through force clashed with the self-reliance advocates who sought to elevate the nation’s capabilities.

Adding to the chaos were the pro-Earth factions, who, after experiencing Earth’s advanced civilization, proposed establishing a modern democratic society across the dimensional gates.

In short, the situation was… complicated.

 

"Then why did they attack the Academy?"

Seti’s voice broke the flow of Yeomyeong’s explanation. Leaning against a tree, Yeomyeong turned his head slightly.

Seti, seated with her legs crossed on a fallen tree stump, watched him with keen interest. Beside her, Ava and three other Secret Society operatives lay bound and stacked like cargo.

"Isn’t it normal to ask where and how I got this information first?" Yeomyeong replied, contemplating how to explain the origin of Baonic’s notes.

Seti raised an elegant eyebrow and responded with a slight twitch of her lips.

"Sure, but honestly, I don’t think you’d lie to me about something like this. And if it were truly important, you would’ve told me upfront. Am I wrong?"

Seti rested her elbow on her knee, propping her chin in a graceful pose, and added, "If it’s hard to reveal your source, you don’t have to. A little mystery between us wouldn’t hurt."

"..."

"Oh, right. I have no secrets from you, Yeomyeong. Should I make one now?"

Her eyes gleamed with playful pressure. Yeomyeong cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted back to the original topic.

"...The recent Academy terrorist attack was carried out unilaterally by the Society’s internal militant faction."

"Blowing up the Academy and sending armed soldiers—all because of a single faction? The Society really is a mess," Seti remarked, her lips curling into a faint, forgiving smile that seemed to grant him permission to change the subject.

"...For the extremists, it was a gamble worth taking. Burn the Academy to shake the existing system, seize internal power, and while at it, kill the Saintess."

"The Saintess? Why her? Because she’s a half-Earthling?"

"Who knows? Maybe it was just the lunacy of those cultists."

"Hmm…"

"But the fact that they nearly killed the Saintess has become a problem. The Society is now in chaos because of it."

At least, that was how the "Author’s Note" described it.

However, considering how Yeomyeong had already altered the future, it was entirely possible that the Society’s internal dynamics had shifted as well.

Ava’s direct approach to him was proof enough of that.

I’d prefer it if they stayed out of my way… but it might be too late for that, Yeomyeong thought, as one of the bound operatives groaned and regained consciousness.

"…You seem to know a lot about us."

Unlike the other operatives, who had been knocked out cold by Yeomyeong’s attacks, Ava, who had only been strangled, was the first to wake up.

"You even know about my nephew… It’s like you’re one of our executives. Did the Blue Rat tell you?"

She made no effort to hide the fact that she’d overheard his earlier explanation. Yeomyeong deliberately didn’t respond, letting the silence stretch.

"…If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. No, it’s better this way—saves time."

As Seti and Yeomyeong turned their attention to her, Ava spoke haltingly, "I’ll correct one detail about our internal situation. The infighting within our organization… is over."

"…Over?"

"Yes. The extremists have split off entirely."

The extremists, splitting off? This was far from what Baonic’s notes had detailed.

According to the original story, the extremists were supposed to triumph, turning the Secret Society into a full-blown terrorist organization, with a handful of moderates surviving to cooperate with the "protagonist."

Yeomyeong furrowed his brow and asked, "So why are the extremists looking for me?"

"To correct another misunderstanding… I’m not one of them. While I did assist in the attack, I’ve left that life behind."

Ava’s tired, wrinkled eyes flicked between Yeomyeong and Seti before she sighed and added, "…My nephew married an Earthling."

"..."

"He fell for some loafer who frequented his pizza joint. After all his mother went through… and he ends up with an Earthling…"

Her lament struck a strange chord in Yeomyeong. Abandoning revenge for the sake of family?

Was that all it took to target innocent students? Or was it something deeper, something that could shake even that resolve…?

Before his thoughts could spiral further, Yeomyeong shook his head to dispel them.

"…Enough. Let’s get to this ‘conversation’ you wanted."

"Yes, conversation. I suppose we should talk… though I never imagined it’d come to this."

Ava struggled to sit up against her restraints, facing Yeomyeong.

In her brown eyes, Yeomyeong’s golden gaze was reflected.

"You’re aware, aren’t you? The mastermind behind the last attack came from the cult."

"…The Leather Priest."

Yeomyeong’s reply made Ava nod.

"If you know his name, then you must know his abilities. During the attack, he suddenly disappeared. We can’t even track him now."

"…So?"

"The extremists have issued him… additional orders."

"Additional orders? With special instructors now on site, what could he possibly do alone?"

Seti also seemed intrigued, her gaze fixed on Ava as the older woman hesitated, her expression growing serious.

"…He plans to open a dimensional gate."

"What?"

"We don’t know the exact method. All we intercepted was the command document."

Yeomyeong and Seti exchanged glances. A dimensional gate? Here, at the Academy?

What could they possibly achieve by opening a gate? Even the Academy already had small training gates for advanced students.

No, that wasn’t the problem—was such a thing even possible?

"Can he really do that? What is he, some mythical archmage who can open gates on his own?"

"…A sacrifice."

"A sacrifice?"

"It’s some kind of coded term. We don’t know much yet, only that the command said, ‘Offer the blood of the Black Lamb to open the gate.’"

Ava was about to explain that this was why she had come to negotiate, but she stopped.

The atmosphere had suddenly turned icy.

Black Lamb.

At those words, both Yeomyeong and Seti’s expressions hardened.