Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

The crow’s feather, which had blocked the strike in front of Wungnyeo, scattered in silver.

The black feather, which had been imbued with power, shattered into pieces resembling silver coins.
If the power of Sidelentium was involved, blocking the attack by sacrificing a single coin wouldn't have been difficult, but Wungnyeo felt puzzled.
It was because, apart from receiving permission to replicate the silver coin of Sidelentium, there had been no other connection with it in the past.

‘Why did that Crow Demon King get involved? More than that, how did he know… Ah!’
A sudden realization crossed Wungnyeo’s mind.
She remembered Jeokbyeokgoedo, whom she had met during the Hwanmong Auction and had made a deal with, was later suspected to have acted while wearing the Crow Mask.

Furthermore, the Crow Demon King had shown great interest in the scales that Wungnyeo managed.
Wungnyeo deduced that perhaps Jeokbyeokgoedo had made a deal with the Crow Demon King.
She hadn’t even considered that Sidelentium might have intervened out of simple goodwill.

Boom!
Wungnyeo’s train of thought was abruptly cut short.
Immediately after the coin was shattered into almost powder, a shockwave was sent as a figure appeared, splitting the door that led to the exit.

It was the Bear of Hatred.
Behind the Bear of Hatred, the Bear of Seongno and the Bear of Daeyok stood.
"That was a perfect ambush, yet you blocked it. Truly, as expected from one who was called the genius of the Wung Tribe."

"Those two bears don't seem to be using Ineungpa! Wungnyeo must have used some mysterious device."
It seemed they mistakenly believed that Wungnyeo had a method of defense.
However, the silver coin had been destroyed, and Sidelentium was unlikely to intervene any further.

Of course, Wungnyeo had no intention of informing them of this, so she kept quiet while the Bear of Gu changed the course of the conversation.
"To think you came here after sleeping and going mad."
"Wungnyeo’s traps were quite bothersome, and the Ineungpa power the Bear of Joy released was considerable."
Wungnyeo’s escape route had been complicated to shake off pursuing enemies, and it seemed they had already reached the exit, outpacing the two bears.

While the two were conversing, Wungnyeo attempted to ambush them or find a way to flee.
But there were no openings against the Bear of Hatred, who was standing with his back to the storm.
Even after delivering a heavy strike, the Bear of Hatred was overflowing with power and kept all his attention focused on Wungnyeo while talking to the Bear of Gu.

The Bear of Hatred, reacting to his own emotions, did not hide the blazing Ineungpa and spoke.
"It was a mistake to let the Bear of Joy run rampant. His Ineungpa did no harm to us and instead protected us from Wungnyeo’s trap."
"Even with that said, since we don’t see the Bear of Temptation, it seems he didn’t protect everything."

"It must have been unpleasant for the Bear of Joy to feel the bugs that madman and his minion were stirring up."
It seemed the Bear of Hatred wasn’t lying, as Wungnyeo could no longer feel the Bear of Temptation's usual disgusting aura nearby.
Although they criticized the mistake of attacking the Bear of Joy, it seemed they were satisfied to have dealt with the troublesome insects.

‘Then, the third Ineungpa... Without those annoying, revolting insects, this would be a fight worth having.’
Though most of the devices Wungnyeo had created exploded in the lab, it was still better than being completely powerless.
She had to shake them off quickly before the Bear of Temptation joined them.

The Bear of Gu likely had the same thought.
‘They look like they’re taking it easy, but they’re gathering strength. If I stall, that blow will come again. No, they must think I have a way to defend myself, so they’ll probably strike even harder.’
The Bear of Hatred was wielding a massive sword.

Wungnyeo knew that weapon very well.
Some of the Wung Tribe, who were obsessed with increasing their power to match the Hojo, had focused on raising the Wung Tribe warriors, aiming to obtain weapons comparable to the White Tiger's weapon wielded by Baek Ho.
But even after training the swordsmen, none of them had come anywhere near the White Tiger, and mockingly, the Wung Tribe had even earned the nickname “imitators.”

‘But the weapon side had some harvest at least. It’s still in their hands.’
When Wungnyeo had avoided cooperating on weapon production under the pretext of needing to fight on the front lines, they had resorted to external hands.
As a result, when the vile darkness covered the Korean Peninsula, they obtained the powerful weapon they had long desired.

The evil darkness, which also blocked the sky connected to the gods, was drawn by Daeyok’s greed, sharpened by Seongno’s anger, and finished off with the Bear of Hatred’s burning hatred—this sword was that weapon.
"When the sky opened, didn’t they say the evil darkness and that sword disappeared? Why is it in your hands?"
"Can’t you tell from the blade?"

The blade of the massive sword the Bear of Hatred was wielding was darker than the evil darkness that had covered the sky thousands of years ago.
Not only that, but the marks of Daeyok, Seongno, and Hatred could be clearly felt, their power strongly imprinted on the weapon.
Wungnyeo, who had realized the significance of this, clicked her tongue.

"So, you sealed away the evil darkness inside your unconscious mind or body. Why would you do such a reckless thing?"
"There are things that can only be obtained by being reckless. Bear of Gu, isn’t it similar to when you accepted the death of the Black Tiger to stop it?"
"Aside from the recklessness, it’s not similar at all."

The Bear of Gu, who still cared for them, could not hide his lament.
The Bear of Hatred wielding the sword made from the evil darkness, and the Bear of Seongno and Bear of Daeyok, who stood next to him, were all affected by the darkness.
Still, they had no intention of stopping.

"Wungnyeo is beyond persuasion, but you’re different. You should rethink your stance."
Despite the darkened skies, the Bear of Hatred’s surroundings were particularly dark.
The Bear of Hatred seemed ready to strike at any moment with the massive sword.

As Wungnyeo watched, she knew the time for conversation was over.
Bang!
Before the Bear of Hatred could swing his massive sword, Wungnyeo twirled her fan and countered.

Having anticipated the conversation’s catastrophic end, Wungnyeo was already prepared to respond.
With a flick of her red cloak, she spun around, summoning a fierce wind that shot toward the Bear of Hatred using the power of a typhoon.
Although Wungnyeo’s combat abilities weren’t strong, the power of the typhoon, strong enough to uproot trees and destroy buildings, amplified her attack significantly.

"Wungnyeo is handling that much power!"
"Step back! Don’t waste your energy!"
The Bear of Seongno and Bear of Daeyok, who had been charging power into the sword, hesitated.

The Bear of Hatred seemed intent on swinging the sword despite the lesser power of the wind, but someone moved first.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
The Bear of Gu, using the wind summoned by Wungnyeo as cover, quickly closed the distance.

Swish!
The Bear of Gu’s outstretched hand skimmed past the Bear of Hatred, sending a flash of Ineungpa.
Although the Bear of Gu was fast, the Bear of Hatred was struggling to control the heavy sword amidst the strong winds, and was too slow to dodge or block in time.

Wungnyeo, folding her fan while preparing for the next attack, smiled slightly.
Though the Bear of Gu’s power was most effective when striking the head, it still worked to some extent on other parts of the body.
"Bear of Gu, you seem to think I need to think too."

But something felt off.
Even though the Ineungpa had landed, the Bear of Hatred didn’t budge.
The Bear of Gu stared at the spot his hand had brushed against, disbelief on his face.

When the Ineungpa activated, the Bear of Hatred seemed to have noticed something wrong with the thoughts it contained.
"Hatred, could it be you…?"
"I’ve been thinking and hating even while I was mad. I’m not like the Bear of Joy, who was thoughtless."

Boom!
The Bear of Hatred swung the massive sword, aiming at the Bear of Gu.
Wungnyeo hurriedly closed her fan and swung it again, but it was impossible to absorb all the shockwaves from the evil darkness.

Crash!
A dull thud sounded as the Bear of Gu was thrown to the ground.
He tried to rise, but his twisted leg couldn’t find balance.

The Bear of Gu seemed confused, unable to accept that his powers didn’t affect the Bear of Hatred.
"You knew the doubts I harbored, and yet…"
"I don’t intend to kill you. But after Wungnyeo dies, I’ll ask you again."

The Bear of Hatred turned his gaze from the fallen Bear of Gu and, taking the opportunity to search for Wungnyeo, found that she was nowhere near.
Wungnyeo, seeing the Bear of Gu fall, wasn’t foolish enough to stand around waiting.
‘If the Bear of Gu’s power doesn’t work, there’s no chance of winning. I won’t die, so I have to run!’

Wungnyeo began to flee.
She chose an escape route heading toward the Hojo's sacred territory.
It wasn’t because she believed the Hojo would come to her rescue.

Wungnyeo wanted to die as close as possible to the Black Tiger or White Tiger if death was inevitable.
‘Someone’s here.’
Just as she couldn’t gain speed due to the headwind, someone blocked her path.

The moment she sensed the presence, a small glimmer of hope rose in her heart.
Maybe the one who knew everything would come to help her.
The figure who had blocked Wungnyeo’s path wasn’t from the Wung Tribe.

But neither was it from the Hojo.
"Hello. Could you please stop moving?"
The newcomer spoke in the soft tone that Wungnyeo liked.

This figure didn’t feel as repulsive as the Bear of Temptation, but Wungnyeo’s instincts warned her not to approach.
The one standing before her now was more dangerous than the Bear of Hatred chasing her.
Ignoring the words of this being would certainly mean death.

Wungnyeo, keeping her calm, asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Gunggi, one of the Four Evil Beasts. I was sent here after hearing that the slumbering Jinwoong Palseon is about to wake."
Gunggi unfurled his wings, which remained dry even amidst the storm, and glinted his fangs as he spoke.

Wungnyeo immediately realized who the "he" was, the one Gunggi had referred to.
If the strongest of the Four Evil Beasts had sent him, then it was clear that he was someone aiming to harm the Hojo.
Moreover, Gunggi had already stained his hands with blood.

Whether he had brutally torn apart something alive or not, there was blood on his hands, as well as on his wings, with a few black feathers of a crow.
"Ah, is this hand bothering you? I found a crow on the way here. They say ‘night words are heard by rats and day words are heard by birds.’"
As Gunggi finished his words, the three bears chasing Wungnyeo had arrived.

Wungnyeo quickly created a pile during her movement, hiding her presence, but Gunggi’s wings spread and announced his presence, leading to her being found.
As the three bears arrived, Gunggi ignored Wungnyeo and spoke.
"Hello. I won’t disturb you. Will you continue?"

"Who are you?"
The Bear of Hatred asked, and Gunggi gave a brief self-introduction before pulling something from his chest.
It was a contract bearing the seal of the Bear of Agony.

Proof that he had once schemed with the Bear of Agony.
Wungnyeo had already anticipated this, but it was clear that Gunggi wasn’t her ally.
"We are not your enemies. If you had been awake, we could have formed a good partnership."

"It seems you don’t intend to interfere."
After speaking politely, Gunggi stated his intentions.
"He wishes for Wungnyeo’s death. The moment Black Tiger’s memories are recalled, he ordered for her immediate death."

Why, then, did Gunggi not attack Wungnyeo immediately?
In response to this question, Gunggi smiled with a malicious grin.
"To see ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ one of our kind kill another—it’s an opportunity I can’t miss. Well then, I’ll just watch. If you miss again, I’ll step in."

The Bear of Hatred gave Gunggi a contemptuous look but soon turned away.
No matter how tainted the malice around them, the Bear of Hatred’s primary target was still Wungnyeo.
With a nod of agreement from the Bear of Seongno and Bear of Daeyok, the Bear of Hatred declared.

"I’ll think about how to deal with him later. Wungnyeo, you come first."
Gunggi was behind, and the evil darkness sword was blocking the front.
Faced with immense malice and hatred, Wungnyeo’s mind grew cold.

If their bloodlust was destined to turn toward the Hojo or Jeho, then there was only one thing Wungnyeo had to do here.
"You’re the first, huh? Gunggi, you want me dead, but you never said you wanted him to live."
With the resolve of mutual destruction, Wungnyeo spoke in a sweet voice.

Behind her, Gunggi neither confirmed nor denied her statement, only grinning.
Then, Wungnyeo swung her fan, and the Bear of Hatred swung the evil darkness sword.
Wungnyeo rushed forward, intent on killing the Bear of Hatred.

Boom!
The evil darkness came down to cleave Wungnyeo in two.
Even if her body were split in half, Wungnyeo aimed her fan toward the opponent’s neck.

But the sharp line drawn by the fan didn’t even touch the Bear of Hatred, and the evil darkness didn’t cut Wungnyeo.
A red mist now stood between Wungnyeo and the Bear of Hatred.