At this gathering, there were some who, like Jeokho and Ungnyeo, had never spoken even once with Gwak Gyeonggu or Heo Chae-ah, but many were well acquainted.

Hwang Ji-ho and Cheongho had no private exchanges but at least knew each other's names.

Gwak Gyeonggu, the student council president, and Heo Chae-ah, the general club president, had crossed paths at least once during school life.

Teachers Kim Sinrok and Yong Jegun, and especially their classmate Cheon Dongha, were involved even more deeply.

“Gyeonggu and Chae-ah didn’t graduate in that game, huh.”

Cheon Dongha thought coldly to separate replay and reality, but having experienced it firsthand, his heart was surely not at ease.

It must have been painful even to imagine, yet Cheon Dongha spoke calmly.

He recalled how he apologized tremblingly to Majin Seung, who would die with him in the replay.

But there was also a side that was simply thrilled despite the horrors experienced in the replay.

“Are you going to write a replay on those two as well? You will, right? Should I call them right now?”

“Gwak Gyeonggu is currently acting as the deputy master at the dojo instead of Cheolhyeol Ssanggeom, and Heo Chae-ah is preparing to study abroad. Just because you want to call them doesn’t mean they can make time.”

“Ji-ho, you know well, huh? You’re not even their homeroom teacher, yet you looked into each third-year student because you worry?”

“......”

Kim Sinrok knew their current situation well, proving himself a teacher truly followed by students.

He tried not to show it, but it inevitably showed in his conversations and actions, so the kids ended up liking and respecting him.

There was a reason Andain trusted and followed him so much.

Yet Kim Sinrok still mistakenly believed he was hiding his true feelings well, and so got picked on and teased by playful dragon race Yong Jegun.

When another beast clan member admired how warmly Kim Sinrok cared for his students as an excellent successor, Yong Jegun became even more excited and said,

“If Ji-ho becomes the school’s promotional ambassador, everyone would be delighted. There’s a teacher who thinks of you like that, right?”

Among teachers, Kim Sinrok was almost certain to be selected as the school promotional ambassador.

Although Eun Gwang High had many strong candidates, Kim Sinrok had a thick fanbase, plus the butler café gained attention, and with Andain’s charisma pushing it, it was strange if he wasn’t chosen.

Still, Kim Sinrok was resisting uselessly.

“There’s no way I’d become the school promotional ambassador. Eun Gwang High has many good teachers......”

“Like me? Then should I be the promotional ambassador?”

That was a bit much.

Considering his striking looks, recognition, popularity, and strength, Yong Jegun was not lacking as Eun Gwang High’s promotional ambassador, but still, it felt a little off.

Hwang Ji-ho, tilting his teacup, immediately got serious.

“Cut it out. There’s no way we’d make you the promotional ambassador over our successor.”

“That’s right, Ji-ho. Though I like the name Kim Sinrok I gave you, it’d be better to promote under the name your parents gave you, Ji-ho, right?”

“......”

The tigers looked at Kim Sinrok with eyes full of expectation.

Especially Jeokho did not hide his swelling hopes and openly called out, ‘Son...!’

Ungnyeo likely felt the same, but she half-covered her face with a fan to hide her expression.

Since her father showed it so openly, she probably didn’t want to burden her son.

‘Anyway, the masterminds and the beast clans know Kim Sinrok is working at Eun Gwang High as a teacher. So openly showing it wouldn’t cause danger. Concealing his identity is solely Kim Sinrok’s choice.’

In other words, no one was urging him to pretend to be human.

He was hiding because he wanted to hide, so that’s why those words came out.

And looking at Yong Jegun strutting about and Yeom Jun-yeol respected as student council president, it seemed Eun Gwang High people had almost no prejudice against Jin clan, descendants, or humans.

Most did not discriminate but considered whether someone like Yong Jegun or Class 0 was acting crazily or not, and kept their distance accordingly.

‘Knowing he carries beast clan blood and has taught students for a long time at school would only increase his popularity.’

Beast clans were quite popular in the Korean Peninsula, so descendants would be welcomed.

Though mixed with Ung clan blood, the secret about Ung clan was not widely known.

Even the legendary creature from the foundation myth was only recently uncovered to be tied to the Black Tiger.

“I... I...”

Kim Sinrok hesitated.

That revealing his identity would cause no major problem and whether he wanted to do so were separate issues.

Born with Ung clan blood, having deceived students for a long time — many reasons kept Kim Sinrok from taking a step forward.

No one would push him into a forced decision at such a place.

I decided to change the subject for Kim Sinrok.

“Let’s talk about seniors. Though you might get some information from the replay, trying with those two will probably only get you information like from a school trip.”

“I see you’re confident, Uishin. So you must have solid grounds.”

Andain accepted my words.

Seeing Kim Sinrok looking troubled, he probably intended to quickly take the topic away.

Looking into his eyes felt like discovering a warm-colored snowflake blossoming on thin ice.

I felt the heart of a teacher caring for his student, a warm breeze blowing inside my chest.

“What Jo Yi-shin just thought was...”

“Yi-shin’s trying to speak. Listen quietly.”

Meanwhile, White Tiger tried to say nonsense but was stopped by Cheongho.

Saying that, Cheongho offered a honey-coated dried persimmon to make him eat and shut up.

White Tiger didn’t touch it, but Black Tiger, after looking around, picked one and ate it, then offered some to Kim Sinrok too.

“In the demon world scenario, many perish. Most of those gathered in the ‘Demon Cult Extermination Squad’ to prevent demonization die. Jeolheukpoongrim at the front lines is wiped out, and Gwak Gyeonggu’s father, Cheolhyeol Ssanggeom, also dies then.”

Most of the prepared snacks were sweet, but what I said was not.

Cheon Dongha, who hardly relaxed even when Yong Jegun mentioned the promotional ambassador lightly, spoke.

“Did Gyeonggu die fighting with Master Gwak? What about Chae-ah?”

“No, they died elsewhere.”

“Is it related to the Otherworld conquest? It seems many Otherworlds appear nationwide, drawn by demonization. Also, that was after the Player Special Act was revised. Since Jun-yeol was legally killed, surely many players left the Korean Peninsula, causing manpower shortage.”

Cheon Dongha watched the replay, but what he was talking about was the situation after his death, as if he had seen it.

He knew exactly what would happen if Yeom Jun-yeol died and risked his and Majin Seung’s lives to stop it.

But he failed, so even without speaking, he must have imagined what happened afterward.

In fact, most of his guesses were correct.

“Yes, many players left the peninsula then. Seeing the Red Lion and Dragon races treated as rebels, some Jin clan also left. Player armies had to be mobilized for Otherworld conquest. But the two seniors did not die during the Otherworld conquest.”

I recalled the time when I played Plmago then.

When angry posts by Yeom Jun-yeol’s fans stopped appearing on cafes, the demon world scenario was updated.

In that scenario, I did not engage in the Otherworld conquest.

From the user perspective, one could learn about the Korean Peninsula’s situation through background explanation, but the protagonist party directly headed to the demon world.

“The two seniors met their end in the demon world. They opened the path to prevent demonization.”

Joo Suhyuk and Andain’s party decided to fight to stop demonization.

When the government simply declared they would hand over Gangwon Province to demons, those who cared declared the situation, and Eun Gwang High was no exception.

Though Gwak Gyeonggu’s term as student president had ended, he gathered people under his name.

Among them were Joo Suhyuk and Andain’s group.

‘The Butterfly Spirit gave a clue. To stop demonization, they had to go to the demon world.’

Since the gate to the demon world was about to close, they headed there without any preparation.

They had no prior information on the demon world, nor a guide.

“Jo Yi-shin, you said you made a deal with the Demon King to get a guide, right? Did they have a guide in the game?”

“At first, no.”

“So they secured a guide midway.”

It was as Hwang Ji-ho guessed.

After hardship, they secured a guide but failed to protect the guide from the evil permeating the demon world.

The guide soaked in evil led them down the path of death.

“The first to realize that the guide was tricked by the mastermind and headed the wrong way was senior Heo Chae-ah.”

“Is that related to Chae-ah’s Gwangrim?”

“Yes.”

Cheon Dongha seemed to know what Heo Chae-ah’s Gwangrim was.

Maybe that’s why his expression wasn’t bright.

Chae-ah’s Gwangrim was useful in the demon world scenario, but it had great risks.

“Senior Heo Chae-ah’s Gwangrim, the ‘Thread Leading to the Exit,’ has the power to find the way. That’s why, when she was in the library club, she expanded freely and never once got lost in the labyrinthine library and stacks.”

Heo Chae-ah was born with a supporter-specialized ability.

Her Gwangrim was like that too.

So she was considered an essential supporter for labyrinthine Otherworlds.

However, the problem was that finding the way in a space beyond normal cognition ate away at her mind.

Cheon Dongha said coldly.

“I helped Chae-ah test her limits. Because my eyes can see everything inside designated spaces and connect with hers. For places like Eun Gwang High or SSR-level Otherworlds, it’s easy, but the demon world is difficult.”

Heo Chae-ah perceived space with transcendent power through Gwangrim, the ‘Thread Leading to the Exit,’ and implemented the thread that connected paths.

But if her perception crossed her limits, her body and mind would collapse.

To give a metaphor: molding clay into thread shape requires one to squeeze it once by hand, but the clay is so heavy and hot that the hand breaks and burns.

Heo Chae-ah desperately hid her breaking down while guiding the way in the ever-changing demon world.

They were relieved when the guide appeared, but realizing something was wrong midway, she exerted her last strength to hand over the final thread to the protagonist party.

I explained that briefly, then said,

“Senior Gwak Gyeonggu bought time so they could follow that thread. Without his healing ability, they wouldn’t have gained any time.”

Since Gwak Gyeonggu’s ability was well-known, most knew about it.

Because everyone could guess how he blocked enemies and gained time to escape, they held their tongues.

When the silence lingered, Hwang Ji-ho asked,

“What was I doing then?”

It was natural for students to be curious what they were doing when others risked their lives heading to the demon world.

But I had no answer.

At that time, except for the playable character Baekho, the beast clan did not intervene in the scenario.