The Poison Demon Sect—one of the five upper sub-sects that upheld the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Ja-myeong was the sole direct disciple that the sect's shadowy and secretive master had ever acknowledged. The world at large regarded him as the de facto next-in-line heir of the Poison Demon Sect.
'So why is someone like Ja-myeong here?'
Baek-il's eyes fixed on Ja-myeong, thick with suspicion. The man was smiling, but his eyes were not. It was impossible to read what lurked behind them.
"What? Something to say?"
Ja-myeong's languid drawl sent a momentary chill down Baek-il's spine. There was a sharpness hiding beneath the laziness.
"N-no! Not at all, Lord Ja-myeong!"
He hastily bowed his head, scrambling to organize his thoughts.
'Has Brother Un-baek allied with the Poison Demon Sect?'
Ja-myeong's presence was clearly unexpected. But now was the time for pragmatism over personal feelings.
'Fine—this is actually better.'
The Poison Demon Sect was a troublesome rival, certainly. But the second-stage trial was a cooperative exercise. There was no reason to compete right now.
And considering the other cadets on the opposing side—beyond just Ha Jin—going it alone made no strategic sense.
'We should join hands through the second-stage trial and check the more promising threats first. The fight between Demon Lord factions can wait until after.'
It was then that Ja-myeong, as though he'd spotted an amusing toy, sauntered up to Baek-il. Without warning, he yanked the cloth from Baek-il's head.
What lay beneath was a pitiful, burn-mottled bald scalp.
"Pfft! What happened to this one? Quite the masterpiece!"
Ja-myeong burst into open, mocking laughter at the sight of Baek-il's head. The derision made Baek-il's body tremble with humiliation. His fists clenched tight.
Watching this, Un-baek's expression darkened.
"Ja-myeong."
A low, cold voice cut through Ja-myeong's laughter.
"Why?"
"Don't torment my man."
A clear warning. Defeated or not, Baek-il was his. And he would not tolerate another person humiliating what was his.
"Tch. You're no fun."
Ja-myeong grumbled at Un-baek's warning and appeared to step back. But then, without warning, he thrust his hand toward Baek-il.
"Here, take this."
"Wh......?"
The mischievous grin on his face made Baek-il hesitate. Was this supposed to be a handshake?
Unable to refuse, Baek-il cautiously grasped Ja-myeong's hand.
And in that instant—
"GYAAAAAAAH!!"
A pain like ten thousand needles piercing at once shot from his fingertips through his entire body.
Baek-il screamed and tried to wrench his hand free, but Ja-myeong's grip held him fast, refusing to let go.
He collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony, shrieking all the while.
After savoring Baek-il's screams for a good while, Ja-myeong finally lost interest and released the man's hand. He looked down at the convulsing Baek-il and murmured softly.
"Don't look at me like that again. Next time those eyes of yours turn on me that way, I'll gouge them out first."
Leaving behind his chilling warning, Ja-myeong strolled away as though nothing had happened.
Only after Ja-myeong had gone did Un-baek approach Baek-il, his face hard. He gripped the shoulder of the man who couldn't stop shaking from the pain and pulled him up.
"Go to the infirmary and get treated again. Without poison resistance, that wound will linger."
His voice carried a tangle of emotions—guilt at failing to protect his subordinate and fury toward Ja-myeong. Un-baek began helping Baek-il walk.
Meanwhile, Ja-myeong, having left Un-baek's quarters, was ambling toward the Thousand Days Hall. Every trace of his earlier cruelty had vanished, replaced once more by his inscrutable, languid smile.
As he turned into a secluded alley, a figure materialized soundlessly from the shadows and dropped to one knee before him. One of Ja-myeong's operatives.
"Well? Did you follow up on what we discussed?"
"Yes, Young Master. Ha Jin—Ghost Hand's disciple—has formed a team with So-yeon and Yun Geom. Word among the cadets is that their group is the frontrunner to win."
At the report, Ja-myeong's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. Interesting chess pieces were setting up an even more entertaining board than he'd expected.
'Yun Geom and So-yeon. The Sword Demon Sect and the Blade Demon Sect, teaming up.'
Ja-myeong's eyes narrowed to slits. An unexpected pairing, but it didn't trouble him. Hadn't he himself just allied with the Fist Demon Sect?
'Both of them were threats I'd have had to check eventually. If anything, this works out nicely.'
Having them clustered together rather than scattered was far more convenient for someone who wanted to toy with them. Schemes began flooding Ja-myeong's mind.
'Hmm, maybe I'll play with them a little.'
He resumed walking and tossed an order over his shoulder to the operative behind him.
"Keep watching them. Report every movement, no matter how minor."
"As you command."
With that single acknowledgment, the operative melted back into the shadows as silently as he had appeared. As though no one had ever been there at all.
'After all, seeing is believing.'
Merely hearing about things was dull. Getting personally involved—now that was another matter entirely.
Ja-myeong wore a pleasant smile as he began his leisurely walk toward the Thousand Days Hall.
***
Having wrapped up the sparring platform incident, Ha Jin was walking with Do Gyeong toward the training yard where their teammates had gathered. Clearing his head after the earlier chaos, Ha Jin asked the man beside him.
"So are we jumping straight into Demon Path Eight Extremes Formation training today?"
"No, not right away."
Do Gyeong shook his head.
"First, we'll have a few days to get a feel for each other's abilities and tendencies. Then there'll be a preliminary mid-term evaluation after that."
Ha Jin followed Do Gyeong toward one side of the training yard. Many cadets were already clustered in groups, sorting out their teams. But one spot drew every eye.
At the far end of the yard, occupying the widest space, stood six figures. So-yeon, expression as blunt as ever. Yun Geom, arms folded, leaning against a pillar. And four other cadets standing somewhat awkwardly around them.
These were, presumably, the teammates with whom he'd be practicing the Demon Path Eight Extremes Formation for the next month. Ha Jin approached their gathering and spoke.
"Sorry I'm late."
"You made it."
At Ha Jin's casual greeting, So-yeon turned her head to look at him. A plain, simple acknowledgment.
But Yun Geom's reaction was different. He looked Ha Jin up and down with his arms still folded. Then, as though he were the superior in the room, he gave the barest nod of his chin.
For a greeting, it was profoundly dismissive.
'What's this one's problem?'
Ha Jin's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Discord from the very first meeting.
Just then, a cadet standing beside Yun Geom stepped forward. Speaking as though he were Yun Geom's official spokesperson, he addressed the group.
"Now that everyone's here, we should pick a team leader. Don't you think?"
He shot a pointed glance at Yun Geom, as though the answer were self-evident.
"The three of us have already agreed to nominate Cadet Yun Geom as team leader. What about you?"
The tone was coercive—a notification dressed up as a question. The subtext was clear: "You wouldn't dare object, would you?"
Ha Jin, meanwhile, doubted his ears for a moment.
'Team leader?'
The instant that word registered, horrific memories surged through Ha Jin's mind like a PTSD flashback. Group projects from his university days back in the modern world.
The one who never did the research. The one who vanished the night before the presentation. The freeloader who put his name on the cover and contributed nothing. And at the center of that hell, shouldering every last ounce of responsibility and suffering—the team leader.
Ha Jin made a solemn vow in his heart.
'Team leader—that is something a human being must never become. Especially not in a place full of lunatics like this.'
So the fact that someone else was volunteering for the role was music to his ears—rain after drought. He answered the glaring cadet with an expression of pure, guileless agreement.
"I'm in favor."
If someone else wanted to handle the headaches, he could only be grateful.
The cadet who had posed the question was momentarily thrown off. He'd expected at least some posturing—a clash of egos—but the matter had resolved so anticlimactically that he was the one left feeling awkward.
He discreetly sent a Voice Transmission to Yun Geom.
[This guy agreed way too easily. I was worried since he's Ghost Hand's disciple...... Something feels off.]
[He's just a man who chose the Thousand Days Hall. No ambition to speak of—a nobody.]
Yun Geom didn't even consider Ha Jin someone worth competing against on the same stage. He gave a satisfied nod toward the team, as though claiming the leader's seat were the most natural thing in the world.
With the leadership settled so painlessly, Ha Jin spoke up again.
"So now that we have a leader, do we jump right into formation training?"
"No rush. Let's take a break and wet our throats first. Someone go fetch water."
Less a suggestion to rest together than a blatant order for someone to run an errand. Yun Geom had donned the team leader mantle and immediately begun acting the part of a superior.
And the moment Yun Geom's words left his mouth, the cadet who had been glued to his side stepped forward as though on cue. He puffed out his chest and spoke with the swagger of someone who fancied himself the leader's right hand.
"You heard him. From now on, this team follows Team Leader Yun Geom's orders."
He looked Ha Jin up and down with a gaze that said "know your place." A textbook case of riding the tiger's coattails—borrowing Yun Geom's authority to lord over others.
He didn't stop there, adding with a magnanimous air, as though granting a favor.
"Since it's the first day, I'll go this time. But from tomorrow on, Four Hundred, you handle it. Got it?"
The intent was transparent: use Ha Jin—the lowest-numbered cadet—as the team's errand boy.
'What is this guy's deal?'
Ha Jin stood in stunned silence. Before he could formulate a response, Do Gyeong sidled up beside him and whispered.
"Ha Jin, can you spare a moment? There's something important I need to discuss."
Ha Jin nodded, and Do Gyeong led him to a pillar at the edge of the training yard, out of the others' line of sight.
Do Gyeong checked that no one was within earshot, then carefully reached into his robes. He produced a tiny wooden case.
His eyes glinted with a complex light. Now, with this single small box, he had to bring the enormous variable named Ha Jin under his control. Do Gyeong opened the case with resolve.
Inside, nestled carefully, was a modest jade hairpin bearing the patina of age. He was certain that the moment Ha Jin laid eyes on this hairpin, the man's composure would crack.
"I'll give this to you. In return, how about a deal between us?"
Do Gyeong flashed a triumphant smile and watched for Ha Jin's reaction. But Ha Jin's response veered completely from his expectations.
Ha Jin stared at the hairpin in the case for a moment, then asked in a thoroughly disinterested voice.
"What is this?"
"......?"
At that single question, the smile froze on Do Gyeong's face.