CHAPTER 60
"Alliance?" OID76 repeated.
The young boy, who had been attentively watching Hirang and the other two, stepped forward, leading the four members behind him. At the rear was their king, adorned with a crown bearing a cursive number six in black ink. Despite not being the leader, an unfortunate defeat in a casual game of rock-paper-scissors had pushed him to the role of the unwilling representative of the group.
"Yes," he started, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
For some unknown reason, extreme dread filled him from Hirang's gaze alone. It was as though, despite restriction from his role, he would break the rules and attack if he made one wrong move.
Feeling vulnerable with all the attention on him, he swallowed the lump in his throat and braced himself. "We know that your group is strong, and we're willing to give up the first place to you. Just let us be in the second spot."
The blue-eyed boy clenched his fist, a small celebratory act for speaking without stuttering.
OID76 fell silent at the unexpected proposal. An offer was the least of his expectations, so he gave Hirang a glance, only to find the child looking at the group with dead serious eyes.
Though none of the group members officially held the role of leader, there was an unspoken agreement that the role belonged to Hirayon. However, with Hirayon currently missing, ODE152 would be the first in the defense group if positions were based on strength alone. That's why OID76 dared not answer on Hirang's behalf. He chose to wait. Even when OSZ61 gave him a questioning look, unsure of what to do, he merely shook his head and stood confidently, akin to a proper knight by a king's side.
Seeing such a confident stance, OSZ61 dropped all her worries and mirrored the boy's posture. She fixed her gaze on Group 6 in the distance and attempted the scariest and most domineering expression she could muster. However, as a child, her plump cheeks betrayed the intended fierceness, and she looked rather cute, with her brows meeting in the middle of her forehead.
Focusing their attention on the distant group and staying alert, OID76 and OSZ61 awaited Hirang's response. Numerous thoughts and speculations filled their minds, but all were shattered when they heard a sinister laugh from behind.
Taken aback by the unexpected laughter, OID76 looked at Hirang and saw a cold smile plastered on his pale face. His head was slightly tilted to the left, and his eyes flashed with cruel amusement OID76 couldn't comprehend.
"What's so amusing to him?" OID76 whispered, but OSZ61 only shook her head. She was too scared to look back or attempt to understand what was going on in Hirang's mind.
Clicking his tongue, Hirang rested his arms on his knees, letting them hang comfortably. He then gazed at the group in the distance with his usual dead-cold eyes, now emanating a more domineering aura.
"If you ever wanted to trick us with that offer, you should've hidden that killing intent."
Startled by Hirang's remark, the little boy unconsciously clenched both of his hands. "W-what killing intent? We genuinely want to help you secure the other groups' crowns. In exchange, we only ask you to let us go and secure the second place."
'Let them go? He's speaking as if we've already captured and defeated them. Aren't we in a more disadvantageous position?' OSZ61 pondered. Suddenly, they were cast as the villains when Group 6 was the one spying on them. Moreover, they had no intention of seizing Group 6's crown. They're in no position to attack first with their offense team on the hunt.
"Bullshit. Have you seen that face?" Hirang expressed, lazily pointing at the kid at the very back of the group.
Following his finger, the children all looked at the crowned girl, the leader of Group 6, who widened her eyes with the sudden attention.
"W-what?" she asked and raised a brow. Although she appeared ordinary and harmless outside, those with quick wits could discern the sharp stare and the clenched fist. She might have concealed her emotions well from her teammates, but such acts meant nothing to Hirang, who was familiar with the element of darkness. He was accustomed to detecting killing intent, allowing him to identify it effortlessly.
Receiving no answer, the little girl shook her head and spoke. "You're mistaken. We are only here to propose an alliance-"
"Drop the act. We don't need anyone's help to win this game," Hirang cut her off and stood up, giving the little girl an indifferent look.
Earlier, Hirang found amusement in the group's attempt to scam them, but things grew boring for him as the little girl's blatant lie became apparent.
The crowned girl looked at the other members of the group for help. She didn't know what to say anymore, shocked that Hirang had immediately seen through her deception.
Witnessing their plan crumbling, the blonde girl with bobbed hair hastily spoke. "Come on. You should consider it. You're the king, and we can also protect you. I detected two groups around the area, and they're both heading in this direction."
Hirang watched the blonde girl try to convince him. However, the look in her eyes and her hasty appearance clearly told him everything was a lie.
'Even if it were true that other groups were targeting us, they should've quickly left to avoid a clash. Really, amateurs. They wouldn't survive in the slums with that obvious act.'
"Listen here, kids," Hirang started, speaking as if he were older, evidently looking down at the children before him. "I might be the king, but I'm not the leader. Go. Find him. Bother him instead."
Hirang's words confirmed OEM129's thoughts, and immediate worry washed over his system. 'OWS59 was most likely their leader. I think we shouldn't push this further.'
Realizing their situation, he reached for the arm of the blonde girl to talk to her, but his words were interrupted by an abrupt shout.
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Without any signal, the girl with a high ponytail lunged forward with a crazed glint in her eyes. "Fine, you won't believe us, right? Let's just fight!"
Done with the unnecessary talk, the girl left her group members no choice but to attack altogether. They all dropped their doubts and fortified their will—everyone except OEM129, who remained with their group's king.
Being one of the strongest members of their group, he had been entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding their king. Therefore, he remained faithfully by her side, resembling an obedient knight.
"What's wrong?" the quiet girl suddenly asked, startling the already nervous OEM129.
"What do you mean?" he inquired, his amber eyes continuing to scan the surroundings.
"You seem scared," she observed, her tone devoid of emotion.
OEM129 turned to face her. "Who wouldn't be? We should've picked a different group to target."
"We outnumber them."
OEM129 understood her point, yet in their situation, the numbers no longer seemed significant. His intuition was whispering that OWS59 held formidable strength, possibly surpassing even that of OEM152.
"I just have a feeling that the rest of their group might show up," he said, his gaze sweeping through the forest, meticulously examining the trees for any signs of an impending ambush.
"Who? OWS59?"
OEM152 subconsciously nodded, confirming her question.
'Did I mention OWS59 to her?' he thought to himself while preparing to employ his abilities. He couldn't recall divulging to his group who he suspected were the additional members of ODE152's team.
OEM129 was on the verge of inquiring about it when a resounding explosion brought him to a sudden stop. As he directed his gaze toward the origin, astonishment struck him— the majority of the area was now veiled in a cold mist. The thick haze obscured his vision, revealing only elusive silhouettes in motion.
*****
A minute earlier, when the ponytailed girl propelled herself forward, OSZ61 stepped outside the solid ground and promptly manipulated the sand, intending to seize the girl's feet the moment they touched the wet sand.
To her surprise, an unforeseen event unfolded, and the girl defied gravity, floating above the sandy surface. Faced with this unexpected development, OSZ61 infused more of her Aura, pushing the wet sand to ascend. She painstakingly moved both hands upward, grappling with the invisible force tethered to the sand itself. Summoning her determination, she raised her hands completely, causing the sand to surge like a wave before crashing down when she dropped her arms.
Caught off guard by the unexpected control, the girl with the ponytail failed to evade and was engulfed by the heavy, wet sand. Fortunately, she managed to remain upright and emerged from the cascading sand unscathed. However, more than half of her body, including her hands, was now buried beneath the sand, impeding her efforts to break free and resume floating.
Seizing the opportunity, OID76 wasted no time crafting an ice sphere that resembled a stunning light blue ornament. It shimmered under the sunlight, emanating a frigid fog.
Aiming at the submerged girl, he hurled the sphere, only to have it thwarted by yet another orb, resulting in an explosion.
Shifting his attention to the source of the brown orb, OID76 discovered the blonde girl with earth orbs orbiting around her.
"Never underestimate us," she declared, prompting the orbs to swiftly propel themselves toward OID76 and Hirang on his left.
With urgency, OID76 countered the assault by dispatching ice spheres, each collision causing a series of miniature explosions. Before he could launch another attack, he spotted another girl wielding a wooden sword, advancing towards OSZ61, who was still keeping the ponytailed girl buried in the sand.
In a quick and decisive move, OID76 created a significantly larger ice sphere. Without hesitation, he launched it onto the firm ground, unleashing a cool fog that enveloped the area, obstructing everyone's visibility and halting their movements.
Taken aback by the abrupt shift in surroundings, OSZ61 surveyed around, but she could only discern a dense fog. "This is OID76's ability," she realized after a few moments, sensing the coldness that permeated the mist.
Uncertain of her next move, OSZ61 decided to navigate back to the unchanged soil where Hirang and OID76 were. With measured steps, relying on her memory, she turned around and took exactly five paces.
Upon feeling the solid ground beneath her feet, she stopped and extended her hand, attempting to locate the two. Despite moving slowly, trying to sense anyone, her efforts proved futile.
Eager to reunite with her companions, she considered calling out to them but hesitated, concerned that their enemies might detect their location. Instead, she shifted her focus to the damp sand. As the one who transformed it, she could sense the presence of all the children who had attacked them.
With precision, she located three of them in the distance, discerning their Aura within the sand. However, one evaded her detection— the girl who wielded Earth Spheres. But OSZ61 refused to give up. Concentrating further, she searched for any trace of Aura in the sand. Yet, despite multiple attempts, she couldn't pinpoint her location.
Left with no alternative, she concentrated on the three enemies on the wet sand, slowly manipulating it to draw them deeper into the sand. Ensuring they remained trapped, OSZ61 invested most of her Aura into it, persistently burying them despite their resistance.
Meanwhile, OID76 maintained a heightened state of alertness. Initially, he was reluctant to use an ability that compromised his vision of the enemy. However, compelled by their current disadvantageous position, unable to confront all of them simultaneously and wait for OSZ61 to complete her sand manipulation, he decided to employ his ability.
Just as he was about to search for Hirang to protect the crown, a silhouette materialized before him. Gradually, the image of the blonde girl with orbiting Earth Spheres emerged.
With a sharp glare, she spoke, "You seem awfully confident in winning this game."
Studying the girl closely, OID76 immediately noticed that she seemed taller. As his gaze dropped, he observed a hovering mass of soil beneath her feet, providing her with a platform that allowed her to escape their trap.
Lifting his gaze again, OID76 responded, "Why wouldn't I be? Our leader is formidable."
Frowning, the little girl struggled to recall who led Group 1, as their groups were positioned far apart in the arena. "Who's your leader?" she inquired.
"It's OWS59," he replied.
Recognizing the name, her expression turned grim. 'That kid? This makes it even more crucial to end this quickly.'
"It doesn't matter," she stated, concealing her surprise. She then took command of the spheres encircling her, and with a swift motion, she launched them toward OID76, who created a long pole twice his height. Crafted entirely from ice, the pole exuded a chilly fog akin to his spheres.
As the brown Earth Spheres closed in, OID76 adeptly wielded his icy pole, blocking each attack with precision, causing numerous small explosions with every successful block.
Then, OID76 grasped the pole's end with his right hand and moved decisively toward the girl. Just a few steps away from the startled girl, he deftly twisted his wrist, allowing the pole to tap his back and seamlessly transfer to his left hand.
Without giving her a chance to comprehend his move, he advanced and brandished his pole for a clean hit on her left, but a wall made out of soil suddenly emerged, shielding the girl.
Undeterred by the block, he twisted his body, aiming for the girl's unguarded right side. However, the wall moved with a seemingly sentient quality, blocking his pole once again from hitting the girl.
Out of ideas, OID76 leaped back and held the pole like a sword in front of him, getting ready for any upcoming attacks.
Seeing his retreat, the blonde girl began creating another set of orbiting Earth Spheres, but her efforts were abruptly halted by a strong gush of wind akin to a hurricane.
The sudden wind forced everyone to halt, their attention focused on shielding themselves from the fierce gust. In the next moment, the breeze returned to normal, and as they opened their eyes again, all the fog had dissipated. Disoriented by the brief gush of wind, everyone looked around, checking each other's positions until their gazes all settled in one place.
All eyes were fixed on the three young men in the distance, particularly on the one holding a black crown in his hand.
Startled by the sudden appearance of the trio, the forest fell into complete silence as everyone gawked at the new arrivals. No one moved except for the girl, who decided to break the silence with a resounding yell.
"I told you!"
R E H I L I Y A