Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

After hearing my hypothesis, the tigers attempted to verify it by reflecting on the previous battle.
They explained the movement of their Ineungpa and bodies before and after the jin was set. ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) The more they reflected on it, the clearer the difference became, and it was even more apparent than I had observed.

Before the tigers started thinking, "Well, maybe we can fight on if we get used to it," I added:
"The villain's jin might get stronger. We’ll need a helper who is less affected by it."
If the villain prepared a jin powerful enough to affect even the tigers of the second group, the Hojo Family’s power would be greatly diminished.

Hwang Jiho and Cheongho, who seemed to have been trying to handle it on their own, despite the disruption of their intellect, exchanged awkward glances.
Eun Ho smiled, as if seeing right through them, and spoke:
"Yi-shin hyung is right. We need to expand reliable alliances and strengthen our cooperation."

Eun Ho's words were on point.
We needed those who would not be affected by the disrupted intellect, those who were reliable, combat-capable, and willing to fight the Hojo Family.
Surprisingly, the first ones that came to mind were the students and staff of Eungwang High, including those from my class.

I never thought I’d be considering students who were cautious not to get involved in the main scenario.
Maybe it was because I had seen how much our team had grown during the exchange battle.
‘It's not just the students. There are also other jin factions and professional players.’

Even while thinking this, the faces of the students who had said they wanted to fight alongside me kept appearing.
The white tiger, who usually liked to interrupt my thoughts, was silent at that moment.
Hwang Jiho continued explaining the Hojo Family’s alliance, but the white tiger didn’t attempt to disrupt my thoughts once.

I only snapped out of my thoughts after Eun Ho changed the subject.
"Well then, shall we discuss the jin?"
At the mention of "jin," the tigers' spirits visibly changed.

They seemed more intense, almost bloodthirsty, unlike when we had been talking about the intellect.
As the powerful jin that had once plunged the Hojo Family into a great crisis, dealing with the corrupt darkness, it was natural for them to be cautious.
"Why is Yi-shin so calm about this? The jin was trying to take him."
"Cheongho, get used to it."

Cheongho and Hwang Jiho were chatting, but Eun Ho said what needed to be said.
"The jin shows no mercy to the righteous. Even so, it treated Yi-shin hyung like a friend. As if it were dealing with a villain."
"Are you saying the jin treats Yi-shin like a villain?"

"It treated him worse than a villain. The jin prioritized speaking to Yi-shin hyung over trying to destroy Ungnyeo. The only reason for such treatment is one."
Why did the jin obsess over me?
At the time, I couldn’t fully grasp it, but after some time, I arrived at the answer.

I voiced my thoughts aloud.
"The jin must have recognized the nightmare I carry."
The nightmare Insomnium, which could be considered the embodiment of malice.

Even the most prestigious jin factions trembled at the mere mention of it, so it was no surprise that the villain would be interested in such a force of evil.
It was only natural that the jin would take an interest in the nightmare, but the real question was how it had recognized it inside me.
"The jin isn’t likely to be sensitive to dreams, even as a leader of both factions. It must have sensed the malice the nightmare carries."

"That’s why it made such a fuss to remove Yong Je-gun’s spatial manipulation."
"Exactly. Jo Yi-shin and the jin weren’t asleep at the same time, but since the opponent detected the nightmare, we needed a plan."
This was very troublesome.

The issue wasn’t whether the nightmare inside me could feel it, but whether the players could feel its presence, whether or not they wrote its trajectory.
It would be nearly impossible to deceive the jin when facing it, especially while in the form of a high school student, Jo Yi-shin.
‘But I can’t just get rid of the nightmare or banish it right now.’

If there was a way to do so, I would have already eliminated it in my dream world.
Having been involved with various jin factions, the fact that my dream self allowed the nightmare to linger meant there was no solution. We had to come up with another plan.
‘If I can’t get rid of it or banish it, I need to hide it.’

Then the problem becomes how to hide it.
Since there was no tiger like the jin who could immediately sense the nightmare within me, this issue would be difficult for the Hojo Family to handle directly.
It’s impossible to research a way to hide something that can’t be sensed.

That’s when I would need help from someone who had sensed the nightmare.
Two people came to mind.
The leaders of both factions and Inseon-o.

"I spoke to Seolbi and Lewis, and Inseon-o was still focused on the territory of the two factions. I can arrange a meeting to hear what he has to say."
"I’ve prepared to meet with the leaders of the two factions. Hyeonmu has agreed to help. Once we set a date, we can meet."
It seemed like the Hojo Family wasn’t completely letting go of the nightmare issue.

It seemed like they had done some work while I had been unconscious, but I felt bad because the Hojo Family had shifted responsibility for an issue that didn’t really concern them onto their shoulders.
But Cheongho kept calling Lewis by his name, even when Ongil-dong wasn’t around.
Cheongho was truly a good classmate.

He was even worried about my situation.
‘We’ll be able to contact the leaders of both factions and Inseon-o. Since neither of them seems to be particularly welcoming of the Hojo Family, it might be better to meet with them at the same time.’
But isn’t Inseon-o busy by now?

Cheongho and Hwang Jiho seemed to be well aware of the current situation and immediately continued.
"The PlayerZ World Championship is underway, but it shouldn’t take too long. Inseon-o only participated in the team event, and he earned a seed, so there aren’t many games left."
"It will be hard to bring Inseon-o out during the competition. Plus, he’s under heavy media and gamer attention, and the expectations from the students are high. We should wait."

Now that I think about it, I heard that Yoo Sang-hoon also earned a seed.
Cheongho showed me the tournament bracket that the class shared, and considering their skills, it seemed that they would meet in the finals unless something unexpected happened.
If I didn’t go to watch, both Yoo Sang-hoon and the students in my class would probably be disappointed, so I decided to go.

‘The villain will likely act in secret to carry out the remaining scenarios this year. There’s still time.’
I thought to myself, almost as an excuse.
Considering the current situation, it would be difficult to talk directly with the leaders of both factions and Inseon-o.

I must have looked a little anxious because Eun Ho spoke up.
"There are many things that need a solution, but rushing won’t solve anything."
"The weather is also like this, so it’s difficult to act right now. The jin and the True Five Dragons probably faced some restrictions due to the storm."

It was the kind of weather where going out would make you seem insane.
Certainly, going out today was insane, but some of the crazier students from Eungwang High were probably still out and about.
If I checked the comprehensive bulletin board at Eungwang High, there would likely be a few posts about crazy people spotted in the storm.

We moved on to the next topic.
"I want to announce the existence of Heukho. I don’t want Heukho to be forgotten any longer. While it’s difficult to hold a press conference in this weather, we can send an official letter in the name of the leader."
At Hwang Jiho’s words, the tigers nodded enthusiastically.

Apparently, traces of Heukho, which had been erased from the ancient artifacts held by the Hojo Family, had now been found.
Although the changes in the ruins and artifacts were being monitored in real-time, they hadn’t been made public yet. However, there was no doubt that there was evidence of Heukho’s existence.
‘Even though Heukho had a smaller presence compared to other Hojo Family members, he still played a big role. Even if the self-defense gun wasn’t left behind, these tigers would still honor Heukho’s contributions from the first war.’

Baek Ho-gun’s story about cutting through the corrupt darkness would now also mention Heukho.
As the messenger who persuaded the Hwang Palace’s Hanga to leave a crack in the external darkness, Heukho had made his mark.
Once Hwang Jiho sent out the official letter, it was clear that it would create a huge ripple not only in the academic world but also among the players who had a great interest in the jin factions.

We discussed the content of the official letter with the tigers, and after changing topics several times, the meeting quickly passed.
Just as I felt the fatigue in my left eye, the white tiger stared at me blatantly, and Eun Ho spoke.
"Yi-shin hyung, you should rest for now. Once the storm passes, it would be a good idea to visit the Dragon Palace to get your left eye checked."

"I will accompany you to the Dragon Palace."
I agreed that I needed to go to the Dragon Palace, but considering Hwang Jiho’s condition, I was hesitant.
I could go there on my own, but why was Hwang Jiho, despite his condition, trying to add more work for himself?

If I met Hyangnok, I’d make sure to explain how much Hwang Jiho had overexerted himself and ask him to make a potent elixir.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Eun Ho didn’t oppose Hwang Jiho accompanying me.

"Yes, it would be good if Cheongho and Heukho accompany us as well. It’s not a bad thing to increase the number of friendly jin factions recognizing us. Also, having more Hojo Family members with us would make it harder for anyone to do anything reckless."
"Reckless behavior by the Dragon Tribe?"
"Cheongho, didn’t you see what Yong Je-gun did? The Azure Dragon is similar."

"Come to think of it, I once engraved the phrase 'Yi-shin, the benefactor of the Dragon Tribe' when we went on a picnic. Senior Jun-yeol... Even the descendants of the Dragon Tribe were kind to Yi-shin. Is this how all the Dragon Tribe is?"
In the end, it was decided that Cheongho and Heukho would accompany us.
While Cheongho actively expressed his willingness to visit, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to bring Heukho, who would have likely been tired and struggling to find his presence.

And the next day.
I was still at the tiger mansion.
With many important matters ahead, I would be staying at the tiger mansion until the storm passed.

I felt a bit guilty about taking the guest room as my own for a while, but I had decided to cooperate with the tigers' tasks.
‘Hwang Jiho sent the official letter yesterday. I should check if the rumors have spread yet.’
Still feeling some fatigue, I blinked heavily and checked the device.

I searched for the keyword "Heukho" first and found that several posts had already been made.
It wasn’t a highly attended post in the historical academic boards, but since it was related to the Hojo Family, there were a few comments.
[Title: Do you know if there's a Heukho among the Hojo Family from the Creation Myth?]

[They gathered all the trainees in the middle of the night to have a video call with the professor. It'll probably be on the news soon.]
It seemed like a graduate student in the history department had written the post.
Though the post was clearly true based on its timing, no one believed it.

[Who would believe that lol]
[Here we go again; no proof, no truth]
[Are you a graduate student in history? I understand, you're probably just writing these nonsense posts to get attention...]

[Don’t talk nonsense about the Hojo Family, you really don’t know who you’re messing with]
While most didn’t believe it, someone had heard about Heukho’s existence.
Since Hwang Jiho was eager to reveal Heukho quickly, he hadn’t imposed any embargo, and the rumors were slowly spreading.

[Not the author, but this is real. I heard it from a relative working at the National Heritage Agency. They’ve confirmed it and will announce it soon.]
[↑Since the typhoon has almost passed, is this related to the announcement that the National Museum will extend its closure period?]
[↑Yes, they’re checking the ancient artifacts they had stored, including the Creation Myth artifacts!]

[There are a lot of liars these days, I can’t be sure.]
[Hope it’s a lie, though lol I’m studying Korean History for an elective, and now I have to review the Creation Myth again lol]
[↑Believe it or not, it’s up to you, but don’t buy new reference books for now. The revised editions and errata will come out soon.]

Just one day later, the news had spread this far, and it seemed like everyone would soon know about Heukho’s existence.
Next, I decided to check the player community.
At that moment, I felt like I heard a voice in my head.

―Yi-shin, you better avoid checking the player community for a while, especially the domestic side...
But my hands had already opened the player community.
As soon as I saw the first page, I felt as if my body and mind had separated.

Strangely, my mind was hazy, but somehow the sleepiness and fatigue vanished as if they had evaporated.
The boards were filled with my alias, Ju Su-hyeok, and Ahn Da-in.