Chapter 40: The Scheme (3)
Time passed, and the day of the mock battle dawned.
“Depending on the outcome of this mock battle, it will be decided whether you can move forward or not!”
A chilling atmosphere swept through the grounds.
Regardless of whether they had won or lost previously, everyone was wary of each other, maintaining a palpable tension.
Some instructors, upon seeing the condition of the trainees, let out faint sneers.
“Hmph, judging by the look of things, they’ve still got a long way to go.”
“With winners and losers mixed together, there's no way proper cooperation will happen.”
The losing teams would have to put on an extraordinary performance in this Team battle.
The winning teams, on the other hand, had a slight advantage and room to breathe.
This mismatch was the cog in the wheel that created the current icy mood.
“If there's any hope at all…”
“It would be Team One. At least they’re somewhat passable.”
Almost all the instructors considered Team One, which had rallied around Baek Sang-ah, as the most promising top contender.
“Ah, it’s always good to be from a reputable family. You don’t even have to say anything—they just follow orders perfectly. It’s a dream for a captain.”
“Honestly, this Team had the highest chance of becoming a total mess.”
“Who would’ve guessed? That Jin Clan brat actually listened to his team leader without a fuss.”
“In the end, Team One secured solid organization at least.”
Even if high-level tactics were out of reach, at least they wouldn't disobey orders.
Given the current situation, even that would be a major advantage.
“On the flip side, Team Two is hopeless. They picked the wrong captain.”
That statement wasn’t a criticism of the captain himself.
“They made the vanguard the captain. That alone killed whatever slim chance they had.”
“Come on, if it weren’t for that big guy, Team Two would’ve ended up like Team Three.”
“Tsk, that’s true enough.”
To their eyes, Team Three was the worst of them all.
Incredibly, Team Three had failed to appoint a captain until the very end.
So who held the captain’s banner?
They simply stuck a flag in the base camp, and three team leaders stood there weaponless, guarding it.
At that sorry sight, a few instructors covered their faces in disbelief.
“That one's doomed.”
“Two of the team leaders, who are supposed to be the main combat force on the front line, are gone. Don’t even need to watch to know how it’ll go.”
“There’s a slim chance if massive casualties occur during the clash between Team One and Team Two…”
“But with them looking like that, it’s hopeless.”
“Damn it, my money’s on Team Three!”
At one instructor’s lament, the expressions of other instructors varied from pity to schadenfreude.
There were so many variables in this bet that the wagers had been locked in a full month before the actual mock battles even started.
Those instructors who failed to predict the situation and placed their bets accordingly could only put on long faces.
“Alright, enough about money. The Pavilion Master is coming.”
As news of the arrival of the Pavilion Master of the Thousand-Day Pass spread, the instructors immediately straightened their postures.
The Pavilion Master often attended events like these mock battles in person.
The Pavilion Master of the Thousand-Day Pass, Jo Jin-sang, arrived accompanied by the chief instructor and others.
Taking a seat on the high platform, the Pavilion Master raised his hand.
“Very well, let’s begin.”
At that signal, Jang Deuk-soo shouted loudly across the grounds.
“Team One, Team Two! Form ranks in triple column formation!”
Chak! Chak!
In accordance with the order, Team One and Team Two faced each other in formation.
The stares they exchanged were fierce.
‘Who could it be, the sniper?’
Scanning the opposing side, I searched for any trace of an assassin who might be lying in wait.
‘There’s a chance they’re in Team Three…’
Team One and Team Three would have their match last. It would be the most exhausting moment with the highest number of injuries, so the timing was ideal for any scheme.
However—
‘I’ll consider all possibilities in case they flip the script.’
That didn’t mean I could afford to lose focus now.
“Back off fifty paces!”
At the instructor’s command, the two Teams slowly widened the gap between them.
When they reached the designated distance—
The captains of each Team raised their flags and issued the first commands.
“Deploy Rising Current Formation!”
“Deploy Anti-Penetration Formation!”
Team One set up an Anti-Penetration Formation, stacking layers of defense.
Team Two, from the start, clearly aimed to break through using the Rising Current Formation formation.
“Oh?”
The Pavilion Master, observing the scene, showed a glint of interest in his eyes.
“Their intent is blatantly clear.”
Beside him, the masked chief instructor, Lee Gyubo, responded.
“It’s a clash between Team One, relying on stable coordination and defense, and Team Two, aiming to end it quickly in a short-term battle.”
“The captain of Team Two is using his head. He must’ve realized early on that fighting normally would leave them no chance.”
Lee Gyubo frowned slightly as he examined the battlefield.
“Team One’s left flank seems a bit unsettled.”
From their vantage point, the left side referred to Team Four.
The Pavilion Master also noticed and nodded.
“Yes. It seems like there's a lack of control—or maybe someone’s acting on their own to gain merit?”
“Team Four lost to Team Two in the last mock battle. And with their current defense-oriented strategy, they might be dissatisfied.”
“Hohoho! I’m curious to see how this turns out.”
Despite having advantages, their weaknesses were equally evident.
While watching the battlefield, the Pavilion Master spoke again.
“Come to think of it, what’s the update on the investigation?”
“We’ve almost caught the tail. We’re sure it’s among the new trainees.”
“You’re certain it’s not someone from within our main sect families but an outside force?”
“Without a doubt. The trace left behind isn’t something a sect member would’ve done.”
“I hope we catch them soon. I’d like to know what their purpose is in coming all the way out here to the Thousand-Day Pass.”
“The Vice Head of Security is personally on their trail, so it won’t be long.”
But the hopes of the Pavilion Master and the chief instructor would not be fulfilled.
Because, right in front of their eyes—
The very “tail” they had been pursuing would soon cause an incident.
* * *
‘So, San Dojeon wants to settle this right from the start!’
At the sight of the enemy deploying Ascending Tide Formation right from the start, Baek Sang-ah bit her lower lip lightly.
Contrary to his rugged, mountain-bandit-like appearance, San Dojeon had sharp tactical instincts, not just martial arts prowess.
The first stage of his tactical insight was to assess the power difference between allies and enemies.
Having quickly figured out the outcome, San Dojeon had chosen to go for a swift, decisive battle.
‘We could win if we block them, but it won’t be easy.’
She couldn’t use Surging Current Formation like before.
Their strength lay in solid organization, but Surging Current Formation was a formation that inherently disrupted such coordination.
It was practically self-sabotage.
"Charge!"
"Uwooooo!"
Members of Team Two charged toward the center of Team One with ghost-like ferocity.
And at the center of Team One—
Were the Samsa members, brought over specially from Team Four, holding the vanguard.
"Take down all those bastards!"
"Let’s show our Lord what we can do!"
Though the challenge to join the Main Flow still remained, Samsa's morale had been soaring ever since aligning with Jin Yeomyung.
This deployment had also been their voluntary offer to prove their usefulness to him.
Thus, Samsa and the first outer layer of the Blue-Rank Formation formation clashed directly with Team Two’s vanguard.
‘Not bad.’
No matter how fierce the assault, it was difficult to break through if they held their position.
Especially since shields were allowed in this mock battle.
Samsa, holding shields as big as their own torsos, were desperately bracing against the enemies’ charge.
However, Ascending Tide Formation was a formation where all members concentrated their power into one point to break through.
Even Samsa couldn't hold on indefinitely.
"Team Four, Team Five, focus on the center! We can’t lose the power struggle!"
At Baek Sang-ah’s shout, Team Five’s leader obediently led his team to reinforce the central struggle.
However—
"Team Four! What’s the team leader doing?!"
Team Four’s leader, Ju Guk-seon, was inexplicably hesitating and not following the orders!
While Team Four showed no particular movement—
San Dojeon seized that gap immediately.
"Deploy Surging Current Formation!"
"It’s Surging Current Formation! Everyone circle and push through!"
It was the same Surging Current Formation Baek Sang-ah had previously used to plunge the battlefield into chaos.
Now, San Dojeon was turning that same formation against her.
Baek Sang-ah watched as cracks began to spread through their formation, horrified.
"N-No!"
At this rate, it would devolve into a melee!
The victor would remain uncertain until the very end!
And then—the worst possible thing happened.
"W-What the hell are you doing?!"
Team Four, who had been holding the left flank, wasn’t even participating in the chaos. Instead, they were pulling away to the side!
This could only mean one thing.
‘Betrayal!’
Baek Sang-ah’s face turned pale.
Ju Guk-seon, Team Four’s leader who had stayed quiet until now, had ruined everything to spite Baek Sang-ah, even if it meant elimination.
"N-No!"
And through the gap left by Team Four’s retreat, members of Team Two came flooding in like a tidal wave.
"Y-You damned traitors!"
"What the hell are those Team Four bastards doing?!"
"..."
Except for Samsa, the rest of Team Four showed no reaction to their allies’ curses.
They had already been bought out by Ju Guk-seon beforehand and agreed to cooperate with his betrayal.
"Block them! If they break through, we’re finished!"
Team Five’s leader, Jong Hoe, led the remaining members in a desperate attempt to fill the void left by Team Four.
Thus, chaos erupted across the field, teams entangled everywhere, and Baek Sang-ah clenched her fists, realizing that further commands were now useless.
With Team Four gone, if things continued like this, they’d lose!
Her eyes were locked onto the now-chaotic battlefield, unable to look away.
And because of that, her narrowed focus kept her from noticing—
That someone was approaching, hiding a murderous intent, aiming straight for her neck.
***
‘Too easy.’
Dokjeol, Team Leader of Team Six, activated the Vanishing Mark Stealth Technique right after ordering his team into the fray.
Using Vanishing Mark Stealth Technique in broad daylight would normally make him visible from outside, but the important part was to deceive the eyes of those fighting right in front of him.
‘I'm going in.’
Dokjeol had only one goal.
To slice Baek Sang-ah’s neck.
Here, no matter what stealth technique one used, it could all be excused under the name of "strategy"—until the blade actually struck the neck.
‘It’s the worst possible timing for an assassination, but it can’t be helped. I’m a tool, after all.’
Thanks to Team Four’s betrayal, a massive hole had been torn open in the enemy formation.
But he didn’t even need to force his way through that gap.
In their effort to fill it, an even bigger one had opened elsewhere.
‘Die.’
As Dokjeol dashed toward Baek Sang-ah, he pulled out a dagger from within his robes.
It was a hidden weapon laced with Seven Treasures Soul-Chasing Poison, one of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s proudest creations.
"Wait, what’s that?!"
Only then did the Pavilion Master notice something odd and leapt to his feet.
His sharp eyes had caught the poison laced on the hidden blade.
"Too late," Dokjeol sneered.
His body suddenly accelerated.
Though just a trainee in rank, Dokjeol was originally a top-class assassin.
Once he fully deployed his movement technique, not even an instructor could easily catch him.
"...!"
The moment Baek Sang-ah sensed Dokjeol barreling toward her at terrifying speed, she threw her flag aside without hesitation.
She wasn’t dull enough to mistake him for just another trainee.
But even for someone like her, surviving unarmed against a top-class assassin was nearly impossible.
‘S-So fast!’
She tried to run, using her own movement technique to the fullest, but it was futile.
As Dokjeol’s emotionless face drew within striking distance, Baek Sang-ah’s vision turned a blinding white.
‘I-I’m going to die…!’
Just as Dokjeol was about to thrust his poisoned dagger into her neck—
"I knew it."
Thwack!
A foot slammed powerfully into Dokjeol’s side.