CHAPTER 58

Hirayon's brow slightly raised amid the ongoing tension between the two. He hadn't had the chance to review the recordings due to the events happening to him, but he was well aware that Hirang had done something to the guy.

'It would be better for OID76 and OFF134 to stay with Hirang, but it would be difficult with them in this state.'

"Then, OID76, can you freeze sand?" Hirayon asked, another plan forming in his mind.

OID76 responded, "Only if it's wet."

Hirayon turned to OSZ61, inquiring, "Can you still control the sand even when wet?"

The little girl momentarily looked down as if contemplating before fixing her gaze back on Hirayon. "It'll be difficult, but I'll do it," she declared with evident resolve in her voice, sounding confident and assured about her ability.

Nodding, Hirayon's mind swiftly formulated a plan, which he then shared with the group. What he had in mind was ODE152 remaining with OID76 and OSZ61 while the rest would launch an attack on the other group.

Expressing concern, OAR48 spoke, "Will we be strong enough to take their crown?" He was worried that even though Hirayon was formidable, they might still be at a disadvantage in a five versus three fight.

"We can do it stealthily," Hirayon answered confidently. Although still doubtful, OAR48 could somehow sense that they could pull it off with Hirayon leading the charge. He even exhibited the qualities of a capable leader, akin to an experienced commander leading a large army.

'He's a natural leader,' OAR48 mused as Hirayon spoke, heightening his already favorable impression of the child. Yet, it wasn't just him. Despite Hirayon's apparent aloofness, the other members of the group found him charismatic—a figure who instilled a sense of assurance in them. It motivated them to do their best, to prove to Hirayon that they could be trusted allies he could rely on.

Interestingly, Hirayon wasn't attempting to assume a leadership role, nor did he desire to be one. His focus was solely on finding a way to win, and he shared his thoughts without realizing the intense gazes directed at him by the other children. Unaware of their scrutiny, Hirayon continued to convey his ideas, eventually setting their plan in motion.

With ODE152, OID76, and OSZ61 strategically positioned in the center of a relatively flat area, Hirayon instructed the little girl to transform their surroundings into sand.

OSZ61 crouched, tightly closing her eyes, and bravely touched the dirty, insect-filled ground. From her small, delicate hands, the dark soil dried up as if its moisture were being drained. Within seconds, cracks appeared on the dry land, and it crumbled into fine, light brown sand. And in just a minute, the defensive sand circle extended to a 5-meter radius, enclosing the small area that remained unchanged.

"Will this be enough?" OSZ61 asked while wiping the sweat on her forehead with her arm. Despite acting like it was an easy task, she struggled to transform soil into sand over a wide area. If only she were more adept in that specific ability, it'd be a breeze, yet her ability required more training, which still drained a significant amount of Aura.

"I think that'll be enough."

Hirayon extended his left hand, and a powerful jet of water gushed out from his palm, rapidly saturating the dry sand. They were utterly wet in ten seconds, surprising onlookers with such a simple yet powerful showcase of ability.

"If you're attacked, control the wet sand to block them. But if the children decided to walk through this to get to the crown, you can quickly pull them deeper into the sand and leave the rest for OID76 to freeze."

Looking somewhat concerned at the effectiveness of the trap, OSZ61 asked. "What if they notice the sand?"

Hirayon's gaze shifted to Hirang before returning to the girl. "You've got ODE152. He may not be able to use his abilities, but he's great at distracting people with his words," Hirayon explained, intending to exploit Hirang's unpleasant attitude to lure the children in and divert their attention to the ill-mannered child.

"Is that a compliment?" Hirang asked coldly, a slightly raised brow accompanying the question.

Without bothering to look at him, Hirayon replied, "It is."

Hirang clicked his tongue, pondering Hirayon's words. Although it painted him in a negative light, he couldn't deny there was some truth to it, so he didn't take it too personally.

After some more strategic planning, Hirayon's group left on their mission to attack and seize the crown of another group. Left alone, OID76 awkwardly glanced at the little girl. "You should've clarified that you can't fully control wet sand."

Several seconds passed, and OSZ61 remained silent, determined to ignore OID76 as she still harbored resentment from his actions earlier.

Hirang, however, overheard OID76's remark and directed accusing eyes at the little girl. "Why did you say you could when you couldn't? Do you understand our situation?" Hirang fumed, his voice carrying a contained anger. He had believed the group was well-divided based on the players' capabilities, only to discover that their defense was weak.

Avoiding eye contact with Hirang due to fear, she responded to prove herself. "I can do it," the little girl retorted in a small, sassy voice, almost sounding like she was also trying to convince herself.

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"That sounds really convincing," Hirang said sarcastically, clicking his tongue, causing OSZ61 to bow her head in shame.

Observing the disheartened girl, OID76 spoke. "She can still control them, just not entirely," he reasoned, attempting to defend the little girl.

Instead of responding, Hirang gave the two a deadly glare and averted his gaze. He wanted to berate them for underestimating the game, but he was in no position to complain as he wasn't allowed to attack or do anything. Basically, he was a king who would just sit on the throne and let the knights do all the fighting.

'Stupid game,' he thought and released a deep breath.

The entire situation frustrated him, but he was determined to maintain control over his emotions. His dark element was intricately linked to his feelings, and any lack of composure on his part could unleash its power, not only allowing it to run wild but also threatening to consume him. Unable to release stress through the use of abilities, he focused on shutting everything out, spreading calm energy within.

As Hirang worked to soothe his thoughts, OID76 stepped closer to the girl, his voice just loud enough for her to hear his whisper.

"I'm sorry."

OSZ61 was taken aback by the unexpected apology. She resisted the urge to look at the boy, choosing to avert her gaze in the opposite direction while OID76 quietly observed her, awaiting a response.

The little boy sighed when he heard no word and silently cleared his throat. "I didn't mean it. I see you as a good friend," he confessed, his eyes fixed on the distance. Though his expression remained firm, his ears turned red.

The little girl slowly turned to face him, raising a brow. Her expression was now serious. "Don't lie."

"I'm not lying."

The little girl stared at OID76, and after giving it some thought, she nodded and crossed her arms. "If you're really sorry, do me a favor next time."

Without hesitation, OID76 replied, "Fine."

A slow, wide smile spread across the little girl's face, almost blinding OID76. As if she wasn't mad at him just minutes ago, they began to talk, reconcile, and finally behave like friends with a natural tendency to bicker due to their opposing personalities. They became so engrossed in their conversation that they overlooked Hirang, who was already giving them a strange look.

Even though the two were whispering, Hirang could hear their conversation clearly, sending shivers down his spine.

'They don't look like friends. They look like students crushing on each other. So annoying,' he thought, attempting to dismiss the two children's voices. He was grateful they were only children because he was pretty sure that if they were teenagers, they'd be publicly displaying their affection—a sight he never wished to witness.

While the three were immersed in their own world, Hirayon's group neared their target, stopping at a distance that allowed Hirayon to spot the king. They hid behind a large tree, all peeking toward their target's direction. They were so focused that they forgot about the insects crawling on the tree.

"Found it," Hirayon whispered as soon as he spotted a golden crown with a number four elegantly carved in cursive. The player wearing it was surrounded by five members in every direction, all vigilantly scanning for any potential attack.

'They're alert,' Hirayon thought, observing the group. No words were exchanged among them, and they seemed entirely focused, as if sensing that Hirayon's group was in the distance, watching them.

Trying to identify them, Hirayon searched his memory but couldn't recognize any of the children.

"Who's their king?" OAR48 asked.

"I don't know him."

"Can you describe what he looked like? We might recognize him," OAR48 suggested.

Hirayon nodded and kept his eyes on the king. "Blonde hair, gray eyes, slightly thin body." His gaze dropped to the child, clutching a rock larger than his hand. "He was also holding a rock..."

Hirayon described the group's king with uncertainty, his words trailing off as he struggled with the task. Fortunately, the detail about the Rock sparked recognition in OAR48, providing a clear image of the individual.

"I think I know him. There's a child I met in the second game, and he was always holding a rock," OAR48 said, recalling the playful smirk on the child's lips. If his assumption was correct, it was indeed an annoying child.

"You've met him before?" Hirayon inquired.

OAR48 nodded. "Yes. I think his element was Rock."

'Rocks, huh, reminding me of FORT685.' Although Hirayon had never witnessed his servant using abilities, FORT685 had shared a few things he could do. However, such knowledge wouldn't be helpful now since the kings were prohibited from using any abilities. Activation would result in an automatic loss.

"What about the other members? Can you describe them?" OAR48 asked.

Hirayon provided details, "There are two boys and three girls. The boys are about your age. Both have black hair, but one has curly hair, and the other has a short, almost bald haircut. From our position, I can see the king's left side, and the two boys are in front of him. Behind, there are three girls, all taller than the boys. From the king's left, there's a girl with long pink hair, another with long wavy blonde hair, and one with short light brown hair."

Hirayon paused briefly before continuing, "I don't have many specifics to describe them, but the curly-haired boy has a bloody red Aura, the almost bald one has light orange, the pink girl has baby pink, the blonde girl has snowy white, and the short-haired girl has muddy brown Aura."

"That's extremely helpful. I think I know two of the girls. The blonde and pink-haired. If they really are who I think they were, then their elements are Snow and Sound." OAR48 then turned to OFF134, asking, "How about you? Do you think you know anyone?"

OFF134 took his time thinking before slowly nodding, "I think the almost bald kid can use fire."

"Like yours?" OAR48 inquired.

"Yeah, I think I've seen him in one of the recordings before," OFF134 answered, crouching briefly before standing again, disturbed by the insects around them. Initially indifferent, their constant presence was starting to scour his nerves. He couldn't even sit and rest, given the insects' presence, not to mention the need to watch out for potentially harmful ones.

"Let's finish this quickly," OFF134 said with furrowed brows.

"Then we need to attack without the pink-haired girl hearing anything," OAR48 said, turning to Hirayon, who had been silent. "Do you have any plans?"

Hirayon lifted his head and stared at the two. "Let's attempt to secure the crown without drawing attention." He turned to OAR48. "Can you create a strong wind from a distance to distract them? It doesn't need to cause damage, just enough to surprise and block them from hearing and seeing anything else."

"Of course! I can do that!" OAR48 enthusiastically answered and quickly readied himself.

Hirayon then addressed OFF134. "How about you? Can you do something similar to what OAR48 can do?"

Slightly shaking his head, the boy answered. "No, my abilities are best used for close combat."

"Then you can probably defend us if they discover our location," Hirayon muttered before finalizing yet another plan.

With no other choice, OFF134 nodded and prepared to use his ability. He then asked, "What about you? What will you do?"

Hirayon's eyes gleamed with excitement at the question, earning a raised brow from the two. For some reason, they thought the child was eager, almost excited about their upcoming attack.

Suddenly, Hirayon slashed his left palm with a sharp fingernail, and blood welled up. They were about to exclaim at his seemingly audacious act when their eyes widened even more as Hirayon's blood moved like threads, weaving continuously into each other until a long, bloody red whip was created.

"The hell?!"

R E H I L I Y A