Once a skill that launches an attack on the mind is activated, it becomes difficult to resist.

The skill could influence one’s cognitive ability and senses, and it is impossible to counterattack it with physical force.

Powers associated with control, manipulation, and destruction of the mind are usually above SSR-rank.

Undeniably, the power used by the former head of the association is a rare and highly effective advantage.

However, mental attack skills are not absolute.

If they fail to attack an opponent’s mind, the situation could be completely reversed.

Just like right now.

‘…Where is it?’

My energy waves gradually swallowed the fantasy shown by the AI.

The blood-stained classroom, the empty uniforms, and the bodies of my classmates were being devoured by my black energy waves.

Soon enough, my energy waves reached the teacher’s table.

Behind it was the center of this space.

“Found it.”

[…]

The black energy waves tightly grasped the former head.

When my counterattack began, I seemed to have held my breath as I aimed for the AI’s vital point, but there was no way that I’d miss.

Before the former head could even struggle, my almighty energy waves had already tied him up.

The former head of the association, half-devoured by the darkness, stared at me with his eyes wide open.

[How did that happen?]

Knowing that resisting was futile, the former head stopped moving.

He didn’t understand why the terrible fantasy that he cooked up was swallowed by the darkness.

[Your past wasn’t a light thing. I thought my grandson, who grew up in a harmonious family, would have a stronger spirit…]

I’m sure he didn’t expect this, but he was smiling.

Rather than being flustered or surprised, he looked happy.

Perhaps he thought that it would be impossible to find a player who could withstand a strong mental attack.

[You hate stalemates? What do you mean?]

The darkness had already consumed the space when he asked me.

In the dark, I had to think about the meaning of that word.

‘He read my memories, but he didn’t read my feelings? Well, I already won so I don’t really have to answer…’

There must be a reason why he’s asking in this kind of situation.

It’s only fitting for the careful and calculative man that he is.

I don’t know how much he knows about chess, but I answered on the premise that he knew what a stalemate is.

“No matter how favorable a situation is, if you don’t read the movement of all the chess pieces, the flow of the game, and the opponent’s intentions in the endgame, you can still end up in a stalemate.”

[…]

“All the theory that you know in the opening becomes useless if you don’t take into consideration the variables in the middle and endgame.”

I remembered the time when I first learned the rules of chess.

My first match ended in a stalemate.

There were no further legal moves, and there was neither victory nor defeat on the board.

I hated that the fierce fight had reached a vain ending.

So I became Stalemateless.

“I don’t want to see a victory-less end just because I can’t move a piece anymore.”

[I see…]

He looked satisfied.

Although he was an AI, he should’ve understood what I said.

In order to avoid stalemate, one must grasp all the variables of all the chess pieces on the board.

Every single clue is important.

No matter how dangerous it is to get that information.

So I had no intention of giving up even in the face of a threatening and frightening sight that he inserted in my head.

[There’s no point in continuing this battle. I am completely defeated, Jo Euishin.]

Crack!

With his declaration of defeat, the space beyond the darkness began to crack.

The collapsing space sent the widespread darkness back into me.

Knowing that the space was no longer threatening, I stopped releasing energy waves.

The enormous waves that held the former head also disappeared.

We returned to the boss’s room, standing face to face.

[You’ve exceeded my expectations. I was waiting for a hoobae like you to come here. I apologize for testing you.]

I heard the sincerity in his apology, but he doesn’t seem to regret it.

Because my energy waves had completely disappeared, his face became visible again.

He was smiling in a very similar way to how Sung Gukeon smiled when he was first elected to the National Assembly.

“It’s alright. I would’ve prepared this kind of test too if I were in your position.”

Considering the type of information he possesses, this much is expected.

No matter how powerful a weapon was, it’s futile if its wielder does not know how to handle it.

Someone unworthy would only get hurt, and in the worst-case scenario, be completely obliterated.

He had to give it to someone who can use it.

But I wished Sung Siwan didn’t have to go through a hard time because he went first.

[Thank you for your understanding.]

If he’s really thankful, I wish he can say some words of encouragement to Sung Gukeon.

The AI of his grandfather said some bitter things, and I’m sure he doesn’t feel good about leaving things up to his hoobae.

Tap.

When he tapped his finger, a loading bar behind him appeared.

He seemed to be preparing to extract the information that he had.

During the loading process, he began to talk about the past.

[Before the great hero Iron Arm opened a new era, players on the Korean Peninsula were powerless in the face of otherworlds and enemies. So I signed a contract with the Demon Race back in the Dark Ages. I don’t know if you’re already aware.]

I knew of it through PMH.

He went through my memories, but it seems like he wasn’t able to see everything.

[Alright, where should I start…]

He began to talk about the contract.

His explanation caught my attention.

The Demon Race had imposed restrictions on him from leaving records, so how did he leave this AI here?

I asked, and he answered with a smile.

[I’m bound by the contract only while I’m alive. No matter how many demons come after me, they cannot stop my soul from entering the cycle of reincarnation.]

So that means the contract ended after he died.

Did he leave the information on this AI only after he died?

No, come think of it…

“Don’t tell me you…”

[Correct.]

He looked at me with a subdued face.

Given that he has an eerily similar face to Sung Gukeon, it didn’t make me feel good.

[Sooner or later, those demons were going to kill me. I can’t face my end without being prepared. It’s not easy to put information into an AI after death.]

He wasn’t assassinated.

He chose to end himself to put an end to the contract.

He must’ve had a lot of enemies other than the Demon Race at that time, so the demons didn’t doubt that he was assassinated.

His dedication to expressing his power after death and his willingness to carry out his plan were nothing less than amazing.

[Even though I prepared so hard, it wasn’t easy. About 20% of the information that was scheduled to be uploaded is empty because it was done after my death.]

The loading bar above him stopped at about 80%.

It’s already a miracle that he was able to transfer information even though his body had already expired.

The same goes for the great hero Song Manseok, but it seems that players who existed in the Dark Ages are capable of things beyond common sense.

[I’m sure you can use this to extract other information. I’m looking forward to it.]

Before he ended the conversation, I asked something that caught my mind.

“I have a question.”

[Go ahead.]

“I heard that royal lineage and descendants can’t access this place. How did you do that?”

It was the most worrisome part of this whole endeavor.

The rule to joining the secret association is that one must be human.

I heard of a descendant who tried to ignore that rule and failed to enter this place.

[I think it’s best to ask Yoon that question.]

…Yoon?

Who is that?

It didn’t come to me right away, but considering his age, I found the answer soon.

The principal of Eungwang High. Hwangbo Yoon.

She was the same age as Painter Hong Kyungbok, and now it seems that she has a connection with the former head of the association.

“Hwangbo Yoon, the principal?”

[She became the principal of the school? Haha! Such a masterpiece. Yoon is the principal of a school run by a royal lineage!]

…Did he not expect that she’d be the principal.

According to him, he built a network completely independent to ward off unwanted people.

After laughing for quite a while, he handed out a data chip.

[Show this to her and Yoon will answer you.]

When I accepted the data chip, a message popped up in the air informing us that the simulation was over.

A clear bell rang long, signaling the end of the simulation, and the boss room began to collapse.

The former head also gradually disappeared from sight.

[I wish you luck, Stalemateless.]

With that last word, he completely disappeared.

I blinked once and we were back in the room full of otherworld ores.

“Euishin-ah!”

I heard Sung Siwan’s urgent voice.

He rushed and examined me.

“Are you okay? Such a long time passed and you…”

He’s worried about my safety, but I’m sure his condition is worse.

Instead of worrying about himself, he was more worried about me.

“I safely cleared the simulation. I haven’t checked the clue that I received yet, so I hope we can talk about it some other time.”

Sung Siwan’s condition was still not good, so I thought it was best to call it a day and rest first.

Gye Idam also actively expressed that Sung Siwan should rest first, and so we parted ways.

‘I won’t get a single breath today.’

I should return to the dorm and wash up first.

I’ll check the data, and if time permits, I should go to the bamboo forest.

While I organized my thoughts, I unknowingly arrived at the student council’s lobby.

Beyond the windows, I saw the sun setting steadily.

‘…It’s already this late.’

It’s already the season when the sun sets early, but I’m sure we stayed longer than planned.

I stepped out of the Student Council Hall, ready to go back to my dorm when…

‘Huh?’

I felt a gaze on me.

I checked who it was, and I found someone completely unexpected.

For a moment, I thought I was still imagining things.

“…”

In front of the Student Council Hall… was Baekho-gun.

He looked at me and spoke.

“I’m here to pick you up, Jo Euishin.”