EX rank supporting role’s replay in a prestigious school - Chapter 17

Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse

A player’s physical body and mind excel as compared to a normal human being. 

Their ability to assess a crisis is faster as well. 

My head started to react immediately as soon as I saw the person falling from the rooftop of the dormitory. 

My room was on the 17th floor. 

The person was falling from the 20th floor, the rooftop. 

Taking into consideration the height of the building, the person would be falling approximately 10 to 15 meters above me. 

I don’t know the weight of the falling person, so unable to calculate their exact velocity. 

But to fall from that height…

For a normal person, the impact would result in a fatality. 

The question was, whether I would be able to prevent the fall with my current strength and skill level. 

There was a high possibility of me sustaining a serious injury or losing grip over the falling person. 

 

‘I have to use my light skill.’

 

But there were CCTVs installed on the external walls of the dormitories. 

It would be problematic to reveal my light skill and to change my outer appearance when and wherever I wanted. 

 

‘I’ll use a light skill that doesn’t need to change my appearance then.’. 

 

In the worst-case scenario, I might fail and expose my Player Identity skill but I couldn’t simply watch someone die right in front of my eyes.

 

‘Baekho-gun….’

 

The first character that came to mind was my most used playable character and the person I had met just a few hours ago.

He was of the Tiger Clan, a person strong enough to handle great swords so I was confident his strength would be sufficient. 

The usage time for Baekho-gun’s final form is too short to use.

However, if I use his average form with the Heavenly God’s debuff, I could use him.

 

‘I’ll use Baekho-gun’s strength, transfer it to my body. That way, his strength will be stored in my body instead of his appearance taking over mine…!’

 

I wasn’t sure if this would work but I had to try. 

It was a first attempt but I had to succeed. 

I put my entire focus on manifesting the Player Identity skill without changing my image.

 

Fwahhh- 

 

Just as Baekho-gun’s character card turned into light and enveloped me, I spread out my arms to the falling person. 

I felt the weight in my hands, but with the strength of Baekho-gun within me, I was able to securely hold out the weight of the person. 

And I was still in the form of my 17 years old Jo Eushin self. 

 

‘I did it. My appearance didn’t change!’

 

Before my hand slipped, I titled my body inward and landed safely on my balcony. 

 

“Ah….ahhhhhh!”

“Someone fell! A person, a person fell!”

 

It seemed like there were several people who had seen the person falling from their window. 

There were screams heard from the floors above, along with the sound of several people talking.

I looked down at the person who was in my arms. 

It was a playable character. 

A character I had spoken to just a while ago. 

 

<Viewing character information on Lee Lena.>

[Name] Lee Lena

[Title] Eungwang high freshman

[Order] Goddess Hārītī ‘I will watch over you until you open your eyes’

[Light Skill] (Inactive)

[Status] Poor mind and body —  Overall ability and skill level declined slightly. Oath of Silence 2. fainted.

[Overall ability] Lv.8

[Skill]

Trap Escape Lv.3

Enemy Detection Lv.2

Whipping Technique Lv.1

[Explanation]

(Failed to load information.)

 

The person who had fallen was Lee Lena who I had met during the dream auction. 

The child who had shared her words of advice to get me, in the appearance of Yeom Junyeol, out of that place. 

 

‘Lee Lena…’

 

I deactivated my Player Identity skill and soon the cards lost their light and returned to me one by one. 

The card that had flown out the window the moment my Destiny skill activated…

It was Lee Lena’s character card that was the last to disappear. 

 

***

 

In the event of the incident in the dormitory, the first place that was notified was Jiikhoe, the autonomous organization of students overseeing the dormitory.

Eungwang High does not have a housemaster for the dorms.

The school’s residential area management team is in charge of managing the facilities, but conflict mediation, house rules, and reward systems are established by the Jiikhoe.

In the past, Eungwang High had housemasters in the dormitories.

However, the selection had been untransparent and dictated by the board to work in their favor, resulting in some problems. 

The school’s previous housemasters, who weren’t even qualified players, were only put in position because of their connections.

In simple words, they were incompetent.

And they had a strong inferiority complex against the players studying in the nation’s most prestigious high school. 

The housemasters enjoyed using their power and authority to feel superior and cause pain to the Eungwang High students. 

 

‘There were even a few incidents mentioned in the game.’

 

‘Entire senior year students receive mass detention a day before their final exams.’

‘Rape case in Jiik hall’s practical room’

‘Student punished publicly in Jiik hall student cafeteria’

And so forth. 

After a series of accusations and charges, the housemasters were brought to court but managed to avoid jail imprisonment and being sacked. 

They got away with merely a fine. 

The housemasters and the board members of the school had colluded to embezzle the school’s dormitory fees, maintenance fees, and other various fees that exceeded millions. 

The housemasters, backed by the board, harassed the students even more shamelessly. 

 

‘Then the issue was only resolved 15 years ago when a certain student representative was elected.’

 

15 years ago, there was a riot led by the student representative to kick out the housemasters because of their misconduct and acts of corruption. 

They started the petition and movement to have them resign, fired, or forcibly retired.

Students that were on sabbatical, hospitalized, or even on overseas exchange sent their signatures via mail to support the movement. 

The petition movement garnered extensive support and managed to obtain the entire student population’s signature, a landmark in the school’s history, but even so, the board of directors acted brazenly. 

They said that ‘Students who merely attended the school for three years before graduation and moving on had no right to interfere with the school’s management.’ and that ‘All students should be taught a lesson to know how to respect elders and adopt some manners.’

 

‘That’s why things escalated.’

 

As the entire student population’s petition movement failed, the teaching staff also stepped in to support it. 

The students and staff of Eungwang high refused to take part in lessons and held a silent protest in front of the school’s main central building. 

The student council recorded the process and evidence of their case in a video. 

They then published the video on various sites after adding 38 different language subtitles.

They actively participated in interviews with the press to reveal the situation publicly.

The first-ever scandalous situation from Korea’s most prestigious player-specialized high school was at the center of attention both domestically and abroad. 

Eventually, Chairman Hwang, who had been absent from his seat for a long time, returned and took the side of the students, instantly resolving the situation. 

As a result, the embezzlement and negligence was exposed publicly and the five board of directors were dismissed and the entire group of housemasters became jobless. 

After which, their other crimes were exposed and they served a prison sentence. 

Through this process, the self-run student facility committee Jiikhoe was formed.

The Jiikhoe joined the student association, student council, and general club as one of the biggest organizations in Eungwang High.

 

And the person who flew to my balcony on a manually operated air board was the head of the Jiikhoe, Sung Siwan, a third-year student at Eungwang high. 

 

‘Someone must have alerted the Jiikhoe.’

 

Based on the CCTVs on the external wall, they would have figured out which room this was. 

And in the case of emergencies, the head of the student organizations are issued a manual airboard and its license, hence Sung Siwan had been able to fly over here. 

Even so, to reach this place in 2 minutes… 

He was way too fast. 

 

“I came after seeing the CCTV. Are you okay?”

 

Sung Siwan must have rushed here. 

Maybe he had just gotten out of the shower as his hair was dripping with water and his shirt was on the wrong way. 

His hair which had been blown by the cold night air of March, was slightly frosted. 

 

“I’m fine, but the kid that fell has fainted.”

“Ok….can I come in?”

“Sure.”

 

Sung Siwan left his airboard and shoes on the balcony and came into the room where Lee Lena was lying on the couch. 

Meanwhile, there was a commotion starting to form outside. 

The freshman dorm consisted of 20 floors. 

The 1st to the 10th floors were for females, while from the 11th to the 20th floors were for males.

Right now where we were, was the 17th floor. 

It will be too obvious that something was wrong if Lee Lena stayed here. 

 

“It doesn’t seem like she’s injured. She won’t need a recovery item.”

 

Sung Siwan sighed in relief and put the recovery item card back into his pocket. 

 

“Eushin-ah, I’m sorry but… can we say that it was a prank done by Class Zero?”

“What?”

“Both you and Lena are from Class Zero. To say that it was me who pulled a prank, it doesn’t make any sense, but if it causes any trouble I’ll be answerable for it. You’re the one who saved Lena but… I’m so sorry to ask this of you.

 

Sung Siwan bowed his head to me. 

I was surprised that Siwan bowed his head to a freshman without hesitation, and that he knew my name. 

 

‘Could he have possibly memorized the names of all the students in the dormitories?”

 

But what was more shocking was that he said that Lee Lena was in Class Zero.

Because in the game she was not in Class Zero. 

 

‘For now, it wouldn’t be bad to pass it off as a prank.’

 

To be involved in a suicide attempt. 

To be involved in a prank. 

It was obviously better to be associated with the latter. 

Until we could hear the details from Lee Lena herself, it was best to leave this incident undisclosed. 

As I nodded my head, Sung Siwan looked apologetic and relieved at the same time. 

Then he headed over to the balcony and shouted loudly. 

 

“Go back to your dormitories, it was just a prank by the Class Zero students.”

 

The commotion stopped momentarily before the gossip started. 

 

“Hey, the Jiikhoe hyung is here. He says go back in!”

“Class Zero, what a classic. Seriously? On the first day of school?”

“Class Zero take it easy, man. Today is the first day of school!”

“Were they training their skills?”

“Maybe they were prepping for April fools. I thought someone was falling for real.”

“Yeah, they’re just like what I heard in the orientation. Amazing.”

 

The many open windows of the freshman building started to close and soon it was quiet again.

I was speechless by how fast the situation was resolved. 

 

“We briefed them during the freshman orientation on the past incidents and how it was handled….4 out of the 5 examples were caused by the previous Class Zero student.”

 

The past Class Zero students were too much. 

Just what had these students done before? 

No, as I recalled the game and the Class Zero students’ doings, I could totally relate to why they reacted that way.

They changed the entire contents of the school’s water tank with coffee milk. 

They built a large ice castle in the fountain on the school’s premises.

They planted numerous explosives in a building identified to be demolished. 

And so on. 

I was suddenly interested to know what the five chosen examples were.

Maybe I should have gone for the freshman orientation. 

While I was going through this train of thought, Sung Siwan was on a call using his wearable device. 

 

“Professor Ham Geunhyung, This is Siwan. Oh….you heard it from the dormitory staff as well? It’s true but she was saved halfway, and there are no casualties….Yes, from Class Zero…sorry? Yes both of them are from Class Zero. Lee Lean and Jo Eushin. Yes. We will be there soon.”

 

Siwan must have contacted the homeroom teacher of Class Zero. 

I could only hear Siwan’s side of the conversation but I could roughly guess what Ham Geunhyung was saying. 

 

“Seems like we’re going to have to go and see professor Ham. Let’s leave through the balcony. If I use the expansion mode on the airbord,  it can change to fit 4 passengers.”

 

Siwan was modifying the airboard he had left on the balcony. 

Meanwhile, I put the blanket he had passed me over Lee Lena. 

 

‘….She’s lost a lot of weight.’

 

Lena looked much thinner as compared to the last time I had seen her at the Hwanmong Auction. 

Her small and pale face was pitiful to look at. 

I covered Lena up tightly so that she couldn’t be seen and so that she could stay warm from the cold night wind. 

 

“We’re setting off.”

 

Sung Siwan turned on the engine once he checked that Lee Lena and I were boarded. 

Siwan drove the airboard extremely slowly in consideration for Lena. 

 

“Do things like this happen often?”

“Huh?”

“You just seem very used to it.”

 

Sung Siwan looked shocked when he first reached my room. 

But he had with him a recovery item and a blanket. 

He contacted the homeroom teacher immediately and we were on the way to meet him. 

His level of readiness and movement made him appear as someone familiar with this kind of scenario. 

 

“…There are suicide cases in elite high schools or colleges every year. Especially in our school where there are only players. Because before this we were the top 15% of people who were treated specially.”

Sung Siwan avoided answering me with a direct response. 

 

“But when you put all the players together, they are no longer special anymore. So there are a few cases where the students are not able to accept that.”

 

Sung Siwan stopped talking momentarily and glanced at Lee Lena who was in my arms. 

 

“But I’m sure Lena who just started her first day of school has a different reason.”

 

While listening to Sung Siwan, the airboard arrived at the staff dormitory building. 

As we were walking to the teachers’ lounge to meet Ham Geunhyung…

Lee Lena regained consciousness.