Even the Crystal of Truth cannot escape the Third Eye. After briefly scanning the internal structure of the artifact, I gave a slight nod. Now that I had analyzed how the judgment process worked, I could think of a way to navigate this predicament. Without hesitation, I placed my hand on the Crystal of Truth.
Everyone in my party gasped in shock at my action. Especially Yun-Jung, whose face contorted as if she were about to cry. She bit her lip hard, trying to hold back her emotions. After glancing at Yun-Jung and the others, I spoke in a calm voice.
"Yun-Jung, I understand now how you've always felt about me."
"…Oppa."
"Don't cry, Yun-Jung."
At my warm voice, Yun-Jung nodded slightly and wiped her eyes with her hand.
"If you all trust me, then I will trust you too. It's true that I kept things from you, but I had my reasons. And in the end… I was planning to tell you everything soon anyway."
I deliberately emphasized 'tell you all'. At that moment, I caught a fleeting glimpse of relief flashing across their faces. After reassuring them, I turned my gaze back and continued speaking.
"Jung Ha-Yeong. If this is truly the best option, then I will infuse my mana without hesitation."
"…Alright."
"However, I also have my own circumstances."
I paused for a moment, fixing her with a cold, unwavering gaze. Jung Ha-Yeong met my eyes with composure, but her pupils trembled ever so slightly. Both she and I understood what was happening. We both knew the meaning behind her bringing out this artifact—and why I had accepted it.
A brief silence hung in the air before I finally spoke again, my voice cold.
"Even while accepting these circumstances, I placed my hand on this crystal in front of everyone. I understand your concerns, Jung Ha-Yeong. But personally, I never thought you would go this far. That's why I hope you also understand what I'm feeling right now—what this means for me."
"…I will keep that in mind."
"And I have one condition as well."
"Are you asking for the right to refuse questions?"
At her question, I shook my head from side to side.
"I placed my hand on the Crystal of Truth not to satisfy my own curiosity, but to resolve the doubts my companions have carried all this time. Therefore, I ask that you refrain from probing too deeply or asking questions driven purely by personal curiosity."
I was laying the groundwork. She was sharp enough to understand exactly what I meant. To put it bluntly, if either of us didn't want to go through with this, we could simply ignore it. But the truth was, I had an interest in her, which was why I allowed her to corner me like this. And she had an interest in me as well. We both knew it. That's why she had brought out the Crystal of Truth in the first place. All of this was only possible because I had chosen to close my eyes to certain things.
But by adding that condition, I was drawing a line. Based on everything I had shown so far, it was clear that I was superior to her in ability. In blunt terms, my message was: Don't push your luck any further.
She understood my warning immediately and responded.
"You mean to keep this within the boundaries of what is necessary. I will be mindful of that."
After confirming her slight nod, I infused my mana into the crystal.
Wuuuung…
As I infused my mana into the Crystal of Truth, it began to emit a faint bluish glow and vibrate slightly. Soon, the soft blue light rose into the air and slowly seeped into my body. At the same time, I saw a small, pale flame flicker to life within the crystal sphere.
If I spoke the truth, the crystal would remain unchanged. However, if even a hint of falsehood was mixed into my words, the flame would darken in proportion to the deception. Swallowing hard, I braced myself—this was where it truly began.
Breaking the Crystal of Truth's mechanism wasn't easy. It functioned with an inherent ability to determine truthfulness, but the terrifying part was that not only did my words have to be entirely honest, but I also had to believe in them wholeheartedly as I spoke. That meant I had to carefully phrase my answers while ensuring they remained truthful. Ironically, this requirement worked to my advantage.
Jung Ha-Yeong shook her head slightly, as if dispelling her hesitation. After confirming that the crystal had fully activated, she parted her lips and spoke.
"State your name."
"Kim Su-Hyeon."
"Are you really a zeroth year player?"
"Yes."
"Kim Su-Hyeon, are you the same type of player as us?"
"Yes, I am."
A rapid exchange of questions and answers—yet this was nothing more than a warm-up, a prelude to the real interrogation. These first few questions were merely a setup for what was to come.
After asking three questions, Jung Ha-Yeong carefully observed the crystal sphere. The flame inside remained unchanged, its color undisturbed.
She gave a small nod, then, in a calm voice, resumed her questioning.
"Player Kim Su-Hyeon, you are hiding something from us. First, I want to know why."
"After entering the Hall Plain, I decided it was best to conceal my strength for a while."
"Why?"
"I didn't want to attract attention. If a new player like me were to suddenly reveal his power, there would undoubtedly be those who viewed me with suspicion or hostility."
"Is that the only reason?"
"I also wanted to grow stronger first. Getting tangled up in unnecessary trouble from the start wasn't something I wanted."
Jung Ha-Yeong nodded slightly, seeming to understand my reasoning.
Kim Han-Byeol, for instance, had obtained a Secret Class under certain circumstances, yet the clan had kept it confidential for her protection. While our situations weren't identical, I had hidden my strength for a similar reason.
Back then, I was genuinely wary of drawing unnecessary attention in the early stages—concerned that it would lead to interference in my future plans.
"Alright. Then, can you tell us what exactly you've been hiding?"
"…I can. However, what I'm about to reveal is part of my personal player information."
I paused for a moment, steadying my breath before continuing.
"In exchange for disclosing this information, Players Jung Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong will have to pay a corresponding price. Of course, the others, including the kids and Vivienne, are exempt from this."
"Fine, I accept—provided that your information is proven to be true and valuable enough."
"I second that."
Jung Ha-Yeong nodded without hesitation, and after hearing their firm agreement, I finally felt at ease. It was unlikely, but if either of them were to break their promise…
I steadied myself, then, in a dry voice, revealed one of my secrets.
"Very well, I'll tell you. First, I possess a Secret Class."
"Ah…!"
A gasp escaped from them, breaking the tense silence.
Secret Class.
The weight of those words was undeniable. The moment I spoke them, the reaction was immediate—everyone's eyes widened in shock, and even Jung Ha-Yeong's throat visibly moved as she swallowed. I had assumed she might have suspected something, but it seemed the revelation still caught her off guard.
Ignoring the murmurs spreading through the group, I simply waited for the next question.
"C-Could you possibly tell us… what kind of class it is?"
"It is a combat-oriented class. And if you ask another question out of mere personal curiosity, I will remove my hand from the Crystal of Truth."
At my firm warning, Jung Ha-Yeong's expression stiffened momentarily before she let out a dry chuckle. Yet, the murmuring around us didn't subside so easily.
I briefly wished for a cigarette to take the edge off, but since I didn't have one, I could only wait in silence.
After some time, when the commotion finally settled, Jung Ha-Yeong quickly checked the crystal sphere. Seeing that the color had not changed in the slightest, she exhaled a quiet sigh.
"So far, everything you've said has been the truth. And if you really have a Secret Class, then your previous answers all make sense. I can accept that… however."
Now fully composed again, Jung Ha-Yeong's gaze sharpened as she continued.
"Even so, you are only a zeroth-year player. A zeroth-year player managing to defeat a high-ranking demon? That should be impossible. I'd like an explanation for this."
"Give me a moment."
Just as I was about to respond, Vivienne raised her hand. She glanced around with a blank expression before pointing at me and speaking.
"There's something important we need to clarify about that."
"Then hurry up and say it." Jung Ha-Yeong urged.
Vivienne turned to me before continuing.
"When we explored the third floor earlier, Shin Sang-Yong and I discovered something interesting. We found traces of a powerful anti-demon magic barrier—one strong enough that it was still active even now."
Jung Ha-Yeong frowned. "I didn't see anything like that. In fact, I didn't even sense any traces of a barrier when I was there."
Vivienne and Shin Sang-Yong answered her, though with a slight delay between their responses.
"That's possible," Vivienne explained. "The barrier only activated whenever the demon tried to escape the laboratory. When the ceiling was blown open by its final spell, the barrier triggered at that exact moment."
"I was there as well. And I agree with my master's assessment."
Shin Sang-Yong, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
"That high-ranking demon was indeed powerful, but it admitted itself that it was an incomplete summoning. Furthermore, when you consider the barrier's suppression, it wouldn't be accurate to classify it as a fully manifested high-ranking demon."
As they defended me, Jung Ha-Yeong tilted her head with an unreadable expression. Meanwhile, I was doing my best to suppress the grin that was threatening to spread across my face.
The situation was unexpectedly working in my favor. My companions were backing me up, and while I hadn't felt pressured in the first place, things were now so advantageous that it would be strange if I did feel cornered.
This was my moment.
With that in mind, I calmly raised my left hand. Slowly, I began drawing out the power of Hwajung.
A clear, pure flame ignited in my palm—the same flame I had wielded against Belphegor. As it flickered to life, everyone's eyes locked onto my hand.
"That flame…!"
I let them observe it for a moment before I spoke.
"You may have caught a glimpse of this power earlier on the third floor. But let me clarify—this is not simply an ability related to ordinary flames. It is a power completely separate from my Secret Class."
I paused before adding, my voice firm:
"And I want to make this clear in advance: this power was not obtained through any dishonest or corrupt means. The angels themselves are aware of it—I acquired it through entirely legitimate procedures."
That was the truth. The angels couldn't question the legitimacy of a TANAY-grade ability.
And if even they couldn't challenge it, then there was no way a mere artifact like the Crystal of Truth would be able to call my privilege a lie.
And from now on was the crucial moment.
Jung Ha-Yeong still seemed too preoccupied with the situation in front of her to think deeply about it, but once she determined that what I had just said was true, there was a glaring contradiction in everything I had done up until now. If she brought up her sister's case while my hand was placed on the Crystal Of Truth, I would have no choice but to fully acknowledge my fault.
That meant there were two things I had to do from this moment on.
The duration of the Crystal Of Truth was not infinite. In fact, it wasn't even that long. Because of that, I needed a stepping stone to justify what had happened in the Alchemist's Dungeon. I recalled how, back in the Forest Of Midnight, I had staged a mana reversal reaction in front of the others. And they believed that I had forced my way into the dungeon in that state.
However, that was ultimately just an act—a lie. I needed to stall for as long as possible until Jung Ha-Yeong's time ran out. That meant I had to dangle bait tempting enough to keep her occupied. And the bait I chose was Hwajung.
"Can the power of that fire serve as a justification for Player Kim Su-Hyeon's strength, which surpasses his current level?"
"Of course, secret classes are strong enough on their own, but I hold this power in even higher regard. It's more than just ordinary fire—it contains immense destructive potential. As you saw today, it even burned away demonic magic, to the point that even I cannot easily measure its full power."
I saw Jung Ha-Yeong glance at the crystal ball. Perhaps she had already judged my words to be true, because she immediately asked her next question.
"I see. I'm curious about how you obtained such a powerful force… But since you say you gained it through a legitimate process, it's not my place to question it. Alright. But you did mention that the angels are aware of it, correct?"
"Yes."
"Even considering the secret class, the other powers that Player Kim Su-Hyeon possesses are far too overwhelming. Of course, there may be exceptions beyond my expectations, but as far as I know, angels generally treat players equally."
That's not true.
"Then did the angels have nothing to say about you using that power? Or are they completely uninvolved?"
Watching Jung Ha-Yeong take the bait I had laid out, I smirked internally.
"There is a connection. However…"
I deliberately trailed off. Up until now, I had been speaking without hesitation, so the sudden pause immediately sparked curiosity on Jung Ha-Yeong's face. Seeing her reaction, I felt a sense of relief—at least for now.
She was certainly intelligent and quick-witted. The way she probed from different angles to extract the answers she wanted was admirable. Unfortunately for her, I was the one she was up against.
This was inevitable from the start, but regardless, she had unknowingly fallen into my pace.
At the end of the day, she was still just a second-year player. There was an insurmountable gap between someone like her and someone like me, who had survived in the underbelly of Hall Plain for ten years.
Bit by bit, our exchange of questions and answers was shifting in the direction I desired.
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