Chapter 349

Friday the 13th is originally more famous in the West than in the East. And not in a good way.

Religiously, it’s the day Jesus was crucified, but strangely, over time, its meaning has grown more fearful.

The killer, Jason, known for his hockey mask and machete, has his day on Friday the 13th.

I wondered if this world had a similar symbol for Friday the 13th, but unfortunately, it doesn’t. So it’s a day known only to me.

‘But that’s okay, right?’

After all, the core idea is still ‘Tag.’ It might not be terrifying in the morning, but at night, it’s pure horror.

I wanted to wear a hockey mask, but getting one turned out to be a bit of a hassle. Sports gear is still pretty rare around here.

So, I made one myself. I found a smooth white mask and poked holes in it myself.

Just attaching some stretchy string to it was enough. My dexterity was good enough to whip it up quickly.

“What’s with that ridiculous mask?”

“Want one too?”

“No thanks. It looks suffocating.”

I managed to make it during lunch. The quality may have dropped due to the time constraints, but it’s not uncomfortable.

For the record, I plan to use it not during the day but from the moment the sun completely sets in the evening. Horror games tend to kick off at night.

Until then, I’ll wander around to get familiar with the area. The professors said they’d give us maps, but it’s easier to see things with your own eyes.

“Take this with you before you go.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s a device that allows you to track the students’ locations in real time. It’ll be great to share with the map.”

Before we left, Dis handed us a device that looked like a compass. Quite literally, it tells you the locations of the students.

Currently, the students are wearing bracelets on their arms. The moment someone removes that bracelet, they’re out.

And this device has a tracking function for those bracelets. Pretty convenient, right?

“If we have this, it seems way too easy, doesn’t it? Don’t you think?”

“··· ···”

“Sivar?”

Next to me, Kara asked with a puzzled tone, but I was staring at the device blankly.

Something… something funny seems to be popping into my head. I asked Dis a question.

“Professor, quick question.”

“What is it?”

“This. Can the students use it too?”

“If you get incapacitated, you’ll naturally obtain it. But it will only tell you the locations of the students, not the map.”

I nodded at Dis’s explanation. Glad to know about that.

Knowing my own location could add to the fun. After all, it’d be pretty scary knowing you’re about to be caught.

After that, we finished our preparations and headed to the practice area. The theme of the practice area is a forest.

However, even though it’s a forest, it’s not all tangled up; there are paths laid out. There are buildings scattered throughout.

You can rest in the buildings or acquire various useful items, but it’s up to personal discretion.

“The students have already gone inside, right?”

“They’re probably scattered around by now.”

“That won’t be easy.”

Kara clicked her tongue while looking at the map. The practice area isn’t that big, but there are a lot of students.

Moreover, students could incapacitate the assistants, which makes it far from easy. Especially when they team up.

Most concerningly, Reina will be the biggest headache. Even if she can’t beat Kara, she can certainly give her a run for her money.

“It’s best if we can take them out one by one.”

“Agreed. Do you have a good plan?”

“Um······”

Instead of answering, Kara looked at me. She seemed to be asking me for a plan.

I gazed at her face, suddenly lost in thought. The practice is scheduled to start at 1 PM.

But I prefer to wait until the sun completely sets. That would be my ideal time.

“Let’s get familiar with the geography first. That’s better.”

“True. It’ll be tough to gauge just by looking at the map. We can catch them while we’re at it.”

“That sounds good. So, for the teams······”

“I’ll go alone.”

At my declaration of going solo, both Kara and Karas nodded. They knew this was for the best.

Besides, Karas specializes in manipulation and trickery—or rather, prediction. He’s relatively weaker in direct combat.

He’s someone who thinks better than he fights. So, it’s best for Kara to handle the direct fights.

“Oh, right. Professor Dis.”

“Speak.”

“If someone among us gets incapacitated, is there any way to call for help?”

“There is none. You handle it on your own.”

“Hmm. Got it.”

It seems there are penalties as well for all the conveniences given to the assistants. Nevertheless, the merits are certainly significant.

Eventually, after finishing all our preparations, we entered the practice area. For reference, only practice weapons are allowed.

As for me, I could take anything, but I chose the easiest weapon to handle: an axe.

The axe was close in size to a logging axe, fitting perfectly in my grip.

“I’ll see you later. We’re off.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, and Sivar.”

“Huh?”

Just before I was about to leave, Kara called out to me. I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Kara stared at me for a moment before shaking her head.

“No. Saying this would be pointless.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t do anything weird.”

Kara, knowing me too well, shot a piercing remark. Then she smirked and asked.

“Are you planning to do something weird?”

“Yep.”

“How honest; it’s kind of cute. Do as you please, but don’t traumatize the kids unnecessarily.”

“··· ···”

I might not be able to answer that. After all, I could traumatize them to the point of hammering it into them.

Seeing me fall silent, Kara raised an eyebrow, as if asking, “What’s with you?”

“What’s your answer?”

“··· ···”

“Should I tell the Dean?”

“I’ll try my best.”

That was the only thing I could say.

‘But I can’t give up.’

How could I pass up on this fun?

*****

Tag is a very simple game, but its difficulty tends to rise and fall with the rules and location.

Currently, the theme of the exercises that the freshmen are undergoing is also Tag, but it’s no walk in the park.

The strength of the chaser is one thing, but the unity among the students is pretty poor. There’s a chance they might fight among themselves and self-destruct.

To prevent that, it would be best to stick with familiar faces from the start, but the professors prohibited that. They made the students scatter from the get-go.

“You idiot! There’s nothing good about fighting amongst ourselves!”

“But if I eliminate you, my ranking will go up!”

“Fine! I’ll make sure you drop out!”

And just as the professors feared, many students ended up self-destructing while fighting each other.

Especially on the Eastern side, this phenomenon occurred quite often, causing professors to cover their faces with their hands.

The rifts were deeper than expected. If the East had collided with the West as well, it would have led to much bigger damage.

Ultimately, without any intervention from the assistants, the Eastern students scattered, while surprisingly, the Western students managed to stick together quite well.

Ironically, the center of that group was the reckless siblings, Leo and Diana, whose many character flaws didn’t stop them from being the focal point.

“Is there anyone wandering alone?”

“Not at the moment. Even Reina is part of this.”

Reina was also in the group. However, she was somewhat on the periphery and not really fitting in.

With Leo and Diana’s debauchery, there was no way to approach them.

It was only because they recognized each other and were from the same Western side that they even hung out together. They didn’t really like each other that much.

“Hmm. Looks like everyone who should gather has gathered. The assistants might find it tough.”

“Yeah. What’s the situation with the assistants?”

“Kara and Karas are handling things, but······”

Dis surveyed the entire area. However, Sivar was nowhere to be seen.

“Where the heck is he and what is he doing?”

******

Time passed, and darkness settled as the sun went down.

As the light faded, an impenetrable darkness enveloped the area.

Typically, when in the forest, it’s best to remain still when the sun goes down.

That way, you won’t lose your way, and you can maintain your sense of direction. That’s basic common sense.

-Pat pat!

There was a hut set up in the forest. Outside that hut, a camping scene was unfolding.

Groups gathered around a roaring campfire, huddling together.

“It’s nice being able to start a fire. It feels like we’re on a trip.”

“Do you like traveling, Lord Leo?”

“It’s stuffy being stuck in the palace, you know? So I go out to clear my head every now and then.”

“Oh my, how wonderful.”

“Call me next time too.”

Among them, the reckless prince, Leo, displayed his lavish lifestyle, flanked by female students.

While his behavior sully his reputation, Leo is still a prince. No matter how much he might get judged, it won’t change his rank.

What’s more, despite having entertained countless women, the Emperor simply overlooked it. He doesn’t even seem to care.

“Princess, is there anything uncomfortable?”

“I walked too much today, so my feet and shoulders are a bit sore.”

“I’ll give you a massage.”

“I’ll join in too······”

Being Diana didn’t change anything. The siblings displayed their debauchery as a duo.

And from this scene, there was someone keeping a distance—Princess Reina of Frozen.

Reina was at the hut, making something while puffing out her cheeks in concentration.

‘If I fit this like this······ done!’

Satisfied, she smiled at the completed item. What she made was a ‘trap.’

It was knowledge she gained from her family while in Frozen, and with her dexterity, the quality was quite high.

‘Since it’s a bear trap, even Sivar should be caught off guard for a bit, right?’

Her reason for making the trap was exceedingly simple. It was to deal with Sivar.

One could scorn her for thinking of catching a person with a bear trap, but that’s completely misplaced.

If a bear were to plead for its life, it would probably do so, but Sivar is much worse.

“Hahaha! So I·····!”

“Yes, over there. There. Ahh, that feels good.”

“··· ···”

Having finished her trap, Reina looked at the reckless siblings and their entourage.

It seemed like a pretty unpleasant scene for her, her face crinkling in disapproval.

She had only joined this group because roaming alone could be dangerous. Especially at night.

‘Do they really wanna do that?’

She understands what those seeking attention want. But from Reina’s perspective, it was a situation to shake her head at.

Especially with Leo, but she was even more disappointed in Diana. She thought she had some elegance and grace that she couldn’t find in herself.

But lo and behold. Once the lid was off, she realized it wasn’t grace at all but lasciviousness. A very venomous kind, one a viper would surely possess.

‘Should I call that a thorny rose?’

Not entirely sure. Reina pulled her focus back from them and immersed herself in trap-making.

After all, they didn’t care about her anyway. They were just making a ruckus to grab attention.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Yuna from the Dolche family.”

“Yuna······ what a pretty name. Mind following me for a bit?”

“Oh my, I’m honored.”

Just then, it seemed Leo had taken a liking to a girl, grinning like a cat that caught a canary. His expression was transparent to the point of being ridiculously predictable.

Yet the girl merely gazed at him with a satisfied smile, looking at another girl. It was a look that proclaimed her victory.

Naturally, the girl who wasn’t ‘chosen’ had her face slightly distorted. Though she tried to mask it, cracks showed.

“Hang tight. I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay! I’ll be quick!”

With that, the two headed into the depths of the forest, far from the warmth of the campfire.

The other girls watched them with a mix of envy and jealousy.

‘Wow. Those crazy kids! At this hour? In this situation? Are they out of their minds?’

Except for Reina. She was agape, her face one of utter shock.

She seemed to be experiencing cultural shock in its truest sense.

Being someone who gets the nuances, she picked up on what those two were likely up to and that was the problem.

No matter how much desire one has, to conduct themselves during practice, in a time when danger lurks, was simply unimaginable.

As she gazed at the two who had disappeared with disbelief, she turned her head toward Diana.

Diana, who was getting a massage from the boys, didn’t seem to care much about it. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying the moment.

‘The Matra Empire really is a lost cause.’

Reina shook her head in disbelief. The only glimmer of hope was the Crown Prince.

‘I should have never come to the Academy······’

Reina paused her thoughts briefly, because one person popped into her mind.

The only person she could communicate with amid such a tough situation. He’s someone not from Frozen yet completely understood her language.

‘······If only I had come a year earlier.’

Reina, who entered the Academy late for the comfort of being at home, regretted it even more.

In a situation where she had no one to resonate with, Sivar was her only solace. With him around, her gloom almost dissipated entirely.

But he’s an assistant while she’s a freshman. She wishes she could take the same classes and share the same practices and exams, but that’s simply impossible.

‘Where could he possibly be at this time?’

Just when Reina was pondering that.

-Aaaah!!!

-Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!

The piercing screams of men and women echoed throughout the forest. The people in the hut stopped all their actions simultaneously.

At the same time, they all looked in the direction from which the screams came. It was a sound echoing throughout the forest, yet the direction was crystal clear.

“W-what was that… sound…?”

“··· ···”

“I’m asking what that sound was! Why are there screams…!”

“I-I don’t know well…”

As a male student replied in a voice laced with fear, pressured by Diana’s urgency.

-Whoosh!

From the pitch-black forest came a rope flying out of nowhere.

-Swhoosh!

It accurately bound the feet of the student who was massaging Diana’s shoulder.

This wasn’t just any rope; it had a stone attached to its end, making it perfect for using centrifugal force.

-Whoosh!

“Aah! Ahh!!”

The student, whose feet were bound, fell and was dragged into the forest. No matter how hard he struggled to survive, it was all in vain.

There was no way to respond. In the blink of an eye, he was pulled into the darkness of the forest, like prey being devoured by a beast.

-Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!

“··· ···”

“··· ···”

Only the echoes of dying screams reverberated through the forest. The students could barely utter a word.

Reina, however, cautiously gripped her weapon. If the need arose, she would be ready to fight.

“D-run…!”

Though proclaiming herself a princess, Diana gave a quick command.

-Whoosh!

Just like before, an ominous noose shot through the dark forest, aimed perfectly at Diana.

If this continued, Diana would be dragged away like the last student. But everyone was frozen, making it hard for them to act.

-Clang!

“A-Ahh?”

“Run! Quick!”

Only Reina could think clearly. She kicked the ground before Diana could get ensnared and grabbed the incoming noose with one hand.

To clarify, she didn’t get ensnared; instead, she cleanly caught the noose as it came flying in.

-Snip!

And then she proceeded to cut the noose rope, ensuring it wouldn’t be used again. Reina hurriedly shouted.

“Run!”

“Y-yes!”

“Over there, my trap! Use it however you can!”

She kindly directed them to use the trap she had made herself. Despite the chaos, Diana commanded the male student to gather the trap.

With that, the campfire lighting up the hut was left only with Reina. She was slowly backing away while watching the darkness descend upon the forest.

‘This is getting a bit serious, isn’t it? Is this what you enjoy?’

Making a sharp evaluation towards someone unseen.

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