Classroom buzzed with tension.
Every first-year leader — except for Ha Seung-won of Class 1-A and Park Hyun-woo of Class 1-H — was present, standing in front of Eun-ak. They were still trying to process what had happened.
Just yesterday, Eun-ak was just another student. Now, he stood at the top, having defeated them one by one. The shock of it lingered in the room like a heavy fog.
But no one could deny the truth.
They lost.
They had to accept it.
Eun-ak stood at the front of the room, his expression calm but serious. His gaze scanned each of the leaders standing before him. Some looked down, embarrassed by their defeat. Others had their arms crossed, still bitter but unwilling to speak up.
Eun-ak took a deep breath.
"I'll be announcing the new rankings of the first-year leaders," he said. His voice echoed through the quiet room. "Under me, the new number two will be... Yejun from Class 1-E."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Eyes widened. Mouths dropped open.
Yejun?
Of all people?
Yejun had been considered one of the weaker leaders — fast and skilled but not nearly as strong as the others. To put him at number two... it made no sense.
Lee Jun-ho from Class 1-C took a step forward, frowning. "Wait... Yejun?" he asked. "Are you serious?"
Eun-ak glanced at him, his expression cold. "Is there a problem?"
Jun-ho hesitated. "No... but..." He trailed off. No one wanted to challenge Eun-ak now. After all, he was the strongest.
The others exchanged glances.
Why Yejun?
Is there something we're missing?
But no one dared to ask out loud.
Eun-ak continued. "At number three... Lee Jun-ho, Class 1-C."
Jun-ho nodded. He didn't complain. Being ranked third was still high, even if he wasn't fully satisfied.
"At number four... Seo Do-hyun, Class 1-G."
Do-hyun smiled faintly. He accepted it without question.
"And at number five... the twins, Dong and Bong, from Class 1-D."
The twins exchanged glances. They were known for their teamwork — always fighting together. They grinned at each other before turning back to Eun-ak.
"Guess we're in the top five now," Bong said.
"Yeah, not bad," Dong added.
Eun-ak paused, letting his words sink in.
Then he continued. "Finally, for strategy... the head minds and planners of our group will be Ji-ho and Lee Jun-ho."
The room fell silent again.
Ji-ho's eyes widened. "M-me?" he stammered.
Eun-ak nodded with a smile. "You helped me from the beginning. I trust your judgment."
Ji-ho's face turned red with embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I... I'll do my best."
As soon as Eun-ak finished speaking, a familiar window appeared in front of him.
[Side Quest: Form the Team and Ranking]
Reward: 1 Gold Card
A golden card materialized in his hand. Eun-ak's eyes lit up. It was his second Gold Card — powerful and valuable. He clenched it in his hand, feeling a rush of satisfaction.
But just as he was about to celebrate, another notification popped up.
[Main Quest: Defeat Ha-jun]
Time Remaining — 17 Hours
Additional — You can take help from team members to complete the quest.
Eun-ak's smile faded.
The excitement of victory drained from his face as reality hit him again. The most important fight was still ahead.
Ha-jun.
No matter how many victories he had achieved, if he failed this one... it would all be for nothing.
He sighed deeply, then turned to his team. "We need to focus on Ha-jun now."
The mood in the room shifted. The leaders stood straighter, knowing this was a serious matter.
"Ha-jun?" Seo Do-hyun asked. "Isn't he from Bangul High School? Why are we fighting him?"
"It's... complicated," Eun-ak said. He wasn't about to explain the Quest System. "But this fight is important. I need your help to message him. Tell him to meet me at the ground near H-Mall — where the underground fights take place."
Dong raised an eyebrow. "You're really planning to fight him in an underground match? That's dangerous."
"I know," Eun-ak said. "That's why I'm asking for your help. If he brings backup, I need you there."
They nodded.
After organizing who would send the message and how they would handle the situation, Eun-ak shifted the conversation.
"I also want to know about the other strong opponents in the school. Not just the first years — everyone."
Ji-ho and Lee Jun-ho exchanged glances.
"There are four strong fighters left," Ji-ho said. "Upperclassmen. They're way stronger than us."
Eun-ak nodded. "Who's the weakest of them?"
Ji-ho hesitated. "...If you want to defeat the weakest one, you'll need to be as strong as Him."
Eun-ak frowned. "Him?"
Jun-ho nodded. "Yeah. We're not saying his name... but you'll know when you meet him. Trust me. If you're not ready, he'll crush you."
Eun-ak's expression darkened. He could tell from the tone of their voices that this wasn't a joke. This mysterious person — whoever he was — was on a whole different level.
But right now, that wasn't the priority.
First, he had to defeat Ha-jun.
He stood up, glancing at the clock on the wall.
17 hours left.
With his team now by his side, the real battle was about to begin.