The Support Ate it All

For some reason, Lucky Charm radar must have gone off.

Honestly, whether they teabagged or not wouldn’t change anything, so I let it go and switched topics.

“Quest’s done, right?”

“Yeah.”

Seo Ye-in shared the notification.

[Sub-Quest: Stage 11 Austerity] (Completed)

▷Objective: Win an evasion duel against your mirror image

▷Reward: Growth bonus for skills/traits

[‘Destructive Gale’ rank has increased. (C→B)]

Destructive Gale was the only obvious one at a glance, but the other skills and traits had probably gotten rank progress across the board too.

If Featherstep hadn’t climbed to A+ during the evasion duel, it would’ve gone up now.

‘While we’re at it, I should refresh mine too.’

[‘Copy-Skill’ will be used.]

[‘Copy-Trait’ will be used.]

▷Copy-Skill[4/4]

▷Copy-Trait[4/4]

I refreshed Featherstep from B+ to A+.

I slotted Destructive Gale into the empty skill slot,

and Sailboat into the empty trait slot.

With ★Blink★, I didn’t desperately need another movement-assist trait, but filling the slot was better than leaving it blank.

If something better popped up, I could overwrite it then.

I thanked Seo Ye-in.

“You worked hard, so I got a spec upgrade too. I’ll use it well.”

“Wish coupon promise.”

“Of course I banked it.”

“Don’t forget.”

“As if I would.”

After getting the confirmation, Seo Ye-in bobbed their chin, satisfied.

Then they asked another question.

“Austerity cooldown?”

“It’s back up. I was just about to apply it.”

Right then, Dang Gyu-young was walking over, having heard the conversation nearby.

Seo Ye-in said to them,

“I have a favor.”

“What, you want me to yield Austerity?”

“Yes.”

Dang Gyu-young’s brow pinched slightly.

“That’s kind of unfair. I want to do it too.”

“Only while I’m diligent.”

Meaning: once it ends, everything will become annoying again, so they wanted to do as much as possible right now.

Dang Gyu-young crossed their arms and seemed to think for a bit.

“I get it. It’s not a chance you get often.”

“…….”

“Then after it ends, you yield to me, right?”

“Yes.”

We’d been alternating like Seo-Dang-Seo-Dang-Seo-Dang, but for a while it would be Seo-Seo-Seo—then when the effect wore off, Dang-Dang-Dang.

Dang Gyu-young nodded.

“Fine. I’m not losing anything. Let’s be generous.”

“Generous Gyu-gyu.”

“Isn’t that exactly the kind of talent worthy of first place?”

Seo Ye-in paused, then quietly looked away.

“……For now.”

It felt like reluctant agreement for the sake of smooth negotiation, but it still counted as acknowledgement, for now.

Dang Gyu-young grinned at me.

“Do them first.”

“Sounds good.”

[‘Austerity’ will be used.]

[Stage 12 Austerity has been bestowed on the target.]

And after using Challenge Book as well,

[Sub-Quest: Stage 12 Austerity] (In Progress….)

▷Space Fold’s cooldown greatly reduced

▷Objective: Win a throwing duel against your mirror image

▷Deactivated: [Distortion], Ghostless Shadow, [Bullet Time]

Maybe because movement-related skills and traits had been strengthened so much, the training event had changed.

‘Mirror image again.’

No sooner had I thought it than light began projecting in multiple directions at the edge of the training grounds.

A human-shaped hologram formed, gradually shifting into a familiar look.

Not long after, standing there was Depresso-Sloth—the sloth that had vanished with defeat.

As attention focused on it, it spread both arms wide.

“……Rival, rematch.”

“So that’s what you were holding back for.”

So the real identity of that “feeling-feeling” had been wanting to see Depresso-Sloth again.

If Seo Ye-in had ended with teabagging, they would’ve gotten it returned in full during this quest.

Soon, the two Seo Ye-ins stood facing each other at one side of the training grounds like before.

Light projected again, splitting the space in half.

Like a tennis court or badminton court.

Within the divided space, dozens of hologram balls floated up.

Sizes ranged from ping-pong balls to bowling balls, even basketball-sized ones.

Their purpose was obvious at a glance.

‘Hit the other side by throwing them.’

It was dodgeball—just with a lot more balls, and a lot more size variety.

Depresso-Sloth immediately reached out, grabbed a nearby hologram ping-pong ball, and threw it straight across.

“…….”

Even in the sudden situation, Seo Ye-in reacted instantly.

But the moment they tried to step aside, the ball flying in blinked out—

and appeared right in front of them.

Space Fold had been mixed in.

The ping-pong ball smacked Seo Ye-in in the forehead and bounced off with a clear tck!

Depresso-Sloth added calmly,

“I’ll flip it fast.”

Seo Ye-in replied and hurled a volleyball.

They even added Space Fold—

but Depresso-Sloth had already anticipated it and sidestepped.

“The final winner is me.”

The two Seo Ye-ins glared at each other, fighting spirit ignited.

Soon the training grounds became a battlefield of hologram balls flying back and forth nonstop.

*****

Seo Ye-in fought themself—mirror image—while we kept repeating sparring on our side, and several days passed.

That morning, early, Ahn Jeongmi came to our room.

“We will be absent for the day.”

With incidents presumed to be Blood Cult work happening more and more often, they planned to go around the city to track the enemy’s movements.

Then Ahn Jeongmi repeated the same warning they’d already given Seo Ye-in countless times.

“Miss, you must remain within the Dang family until we return. You must not go out.”

“I’ll be training.”

Seo Ye-in nodded readily.

Those were conditions they had already accepted.

If there was ever a reason to go out, they had to move together with Hyeseong Group employees—so when those employees weren’t here, it was right not to move at all.

‘Not like they planned to go out anyway.’

Lately their entire interest had been: How do I win the throwing duel?

Only after getting the confirmation did Ahn Jeongmi’s face loosen a bit, worry easing.

They bowed politely to me as well.

“Kim Ho, Dang Gyu-young, please take good care of Miss.”

“You don’t need to worry. Travel safely.”

The Twin Heroes of the Dang Family were also suddenly called away.

We were about to start sparring when Dang Eunbi appeared at the training grounds and said,

“The clan head is calling you. He says to come for a moment.”

The Dang twins exchanged looks.

“How unfortunate, at a time like this.”

“But we cannot ignore the clan head’s order.”

“Let us go quickly and return.”

For Dang Gyu-young, that meant the sparring partners that had been so plentiful were suddenly gone.

“Do we rest today?”

“Let’s do it with me, at least.”

“Sure.”

But that worry turned out to be pointless.

Not long after we started sparring, unfamiliar faces appeared at the training grounds.

A man and woman wearing green martial uniforms.

They looked around Dang Gyu-young’s age, maybe one or two years older, and younger than the twins.

When they came close enough, the man spoke first.

“Do you recognize us?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been away for too long.”

“That’s understandable. If I say Dang Junyeop, do you remember?”

The woman tossed her name out in a chilly tone.

“Dang Huiyeon.”

“Long time no see.”

Only then, as if pulling them from memory, Dang Gyu-young greeted them.

Dang Junyeop bobbed his chin and continued.

“Right. It’s been a while. You’ve been back in the main house for some time now, yet only now do we meet face to face.”

But despite words that sounded like reunion, their expressions stayed cold the whole time.

If anything, there was a faint hostility in their eyes.

Dang Gyu-young seemed to notice too and asked more directly.

“Do you have business with me?”

“I heard you recently graduated from Dragonslayer Academy. Your companions attend there as well, yes?”

“That’s right.”

One corner of Dang Junyeop’s mouth curled up.

“At one time, we were also urged to enroll. We refused without a second thought. The essence of a warrior is in the main house—why would there be any reason to get distracted elsewhere?”

As he said, not everyone our age enrolled at Dragonslayer Academy.

Some didn’t even meet the standard. And many, like these two, chose to train within their own organization instead.

But the nuance in “get distracted” made it clear: it was a criticism of Dang Gyu-young for leaving the family.

Then Dang Huiyeon spoke.

“Still, there are special cases like Ilbi and Hanbi, so it’s too early to decide. I was curious, though—what side you’d be on.”

“So you want to spar.”

“Good. I’m glad you understand.”

Looks like the Elder Council had made a move again.

They either seized the opening while the twins and Ahn Jeongmi’s group were away—

or made a situation where they had no choice but to be away.

Almost certainly the latter.

‘It was going to happen sooner or later.’

Just like their tricks with poison.

And our choice was direct confrontation.

Like I proved by openly drinking poison and showing it didn’t work, we could just beat these two down and send them back.

So Dang Gyu-young slowly nodded.

“I’ll do it. A spar.”

“Good thinking.”

Maybe because it was going their way, the smile at Dang Junyeop’s lips deepened.

He flicked his eyes over me and Seo Ye-in, then said,

“I heard those two are quite a bit younger than us. If you want, I’ll allow you to attack together.”

“I was about to say something similar.”

“As expected, you admit it. So the fame of Dragonslayer Academy only goes that far.”

“No. That’s not what I mean.”

“……?”

Dang Gyu-young grinned and continued.

“I’ll take both of you at once.”

“……!”

Dang Junyeop and Dang Huiyeon’s faces hardened.

“……Are you serious?”

“Would I joke in a situation like this?”

“……Hah.”

Dang Junyeop let out a small scoff, then stared straight at Dang Gyu-young.

“You said that because you have confidence. You did have considerable knowledge of poison at one time.”

“…….”

“But did you think we wouldn’t account for that? The Dang family has continued to advance even after you left. Even you cannot prepare for every poison.”

Dang Huiyeon backed him up.

“We prepared something special—nerve poison. It won’t be lethal, °• N 𝑜 v l i g h t •° but… you’ll end up looking pathetic in front of your lover.”

But Dang Gyu-young, apparently only hearing what they wanted to hear, elbowed me twice and whispered,

“Hey, did you hear that? Lover.”