Ha-Yeon's PoV:

I rested my head on the desk, eyes half-closed, letting the teacher's droning voice fade into background noise. Peaceful. For about five seconds.

"Ha-Yeon! That is disrespectful. Sit up straight and show some respect!"

Miss Yan-Shi's sharp voice cut through the room like a whip.

I straightened up slowly, forcing my expression neutral.

"I apologize, Miss Yan-Shi, for my disrespectful attitude," I said, voice flat and polite.

'Bitch. Half the class is literally asleep or scrolling on their phones, but you zero in on me every time...'I thought

Whispers rippled around me like poison gas.

"Ew, what a loser..."

.

"What a fool."

.

"Haha..."

I ignored them, twirling my pen between my fingers—click, click, click—like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

My grades were top-tier, but apparently that just made me an easier target.

Then a soft voice broke through from the seat next to me.

"Ignore them, Ha-Yeon... They're just jealous you're smart!"

Chung-hee leaned over, giving me that bright, encouraging smile she always had.

I glanced at her.

She was one of the few who didn't join the whispers. Actually talked to me like a human.

"Um, fine, Chung-hee. I don't mind," I replied, polite but distant. Truth was, I did mind. A little. But caring too much was exhausting.

The bell would ring soon. Another day survived. Or so I thought.

The bell was about to ring—freedom so close I could taste it.

Then the ground shook. Hard.

Not like a normal tremor; it felt wrong, violent, like the whole building was being rattled by something massive.

"What the heck is going on?!" Juk-yii shouted, jumping to his feet, furious.

"Students, stay calm! It must be an earthquake—" Miss Yan-Shi started, voice steady at first.

She never finished.

Something appeared above us—floating, grotesque, grinning.

A Arbiter

"WHAT THE FVCK ARE YOU?!" Jun-Yung exploded, pointing up with wide eyes.

"'Teehee~'" it giggled, high-pitched and mocking.

A translucent blue window materialized in front of everyone's eyes.

[Scene 1]

[Main Scenario – Find the Valuable Item]

[Difficulty: Medium]

[Time Limit: 10 minutes]

[Reward: 500 Stellar Coins]

[Punishment: Death]

"What the fvck— just what the hell are you?!" Kun-hae demanded, voice cracking a little but still holding that brave edge.

The thing tilted its head, fluffy fur shifting, claws tapping together like it was amused.

"'How stupid... You've all been living such comfortable little lives. How about we spice things up a bit?'" it said, voice dripping with fake sweetness while its smile stretched too wide.

Chaos erupted—screams, chairs scraping, people scrambling back.

But I just stared.

'Wait...a... Arbiter?.. '

My heart slammed against my ribs. The supervisor from the novel.

The one who announced scenarios, judged performance, and laughed while people died.

This wasn't a dream.

The novel I'd read alone for Years... was real.

And I was the only one who knew the rules.

A new window shimmered into existence, larger than the scenario one, glowing with an eerie silver light.

[The Eidolons have entered the Entertainment]

Arbiter's fluffy form spun in mid-air, claws clapping together like an excited kid.

"'Ohhh~ Seems like my lovely Eidolons have entered my Channel!'" it squealed, voice pitching higher with glee. Its too-wide smile stretched even further, eyes glinting.

"'Welcome, welcome~! Grab your snacks, the show's just getting started!'"

'Tch... Eidolons. Disgusting parasites who watch people die for fun. But at least some of them are... nice?' I thought, grimacing inwardly.

'If "nice" means throwing coins at the interesting ones before they inevitably screw us over.'

I forced my breathing steady and scanned the classroom.

Chaos was spreading fast.

"Punishable by DEATH?! Are you crazy?!" Ji-Hoon roared, slamming his fist on his desk so hard the wood cracked.

"This must be a test... It has to be! Haha... I'm gonna go insane..." Cha-Lee muttered to herself, rocking slightly in her seat. Her laugh was hollow, eyes wide and unfocused. I heard every word even over the rising screams.

Chung-hee gripped the edge of her desk, knuckles white, glancing at me like she was hoping I'd have answers.

The timer on the main scenario window ticked down.

[Time Remaining: 9:47]

Supper floated lazily above us, tail swishing.

"'Tick-tock, little humans~ The Valuable Item is somewhere in this cozy little room. Find it, or... well... you know~'"

It giggled again—that high, grating "Teehee~" that made my skin crawl.

I stayed quiet. Observing. Thinking.

In the novel, the first scenario's item was always hidden in plain sight.

Something overlooked. Something valuable only if you knew its worth.

My eyes flicked to

the teacher's desk...

the clock on the wall...

the scattered notebooks...

'Come on, brain. You read every chapter. Remember.'

I was still thinking—hard—trying to piece together the exact spot from the novel.

The Valuable Item had to be here somewhere…

Then Miss Yan-Shi’s voice rang out again, sharp but shaking this time.

“You—You! Enough of this!” She marched forward, arms outlike she could shield the whole class.

“This isn’t a game! My students are scared—”

Arbiter’s fluffy body jerked with laughter.

“‘Ha… Ahahahahaha! YOU STUPID OLD WOMAN!’”

It snapped its claws.

The sound was clean. Too clean.

Miss Yan-Shi’s arms fell away at the shoulders—like they were never attached.

Blood sprayed in thick, hot arcs, splattering desks, the floor, my uniform sleeve.

The copper smell slammed into me instantly. Her body swayed, eyes huge with shock, mouth opening in a silent gasp.

She collapsed forward onto the tiles with a wet thud.

Blood pooled fast under her, dark and spreading.

“MISS YAN-SHI!” Hilyung shouted, lunging forward without thinking.

He dropped to his knees beside her, hands hovering like he didn’t know where to start.

“Miss— Miss Yan-Shi, hold on—!”

Arbiter tilted its head, grinning wider.

“‘Teehee~ Brave little puppy. But too late~’"

A thin spark of energy crackled from its claw—just a warning shot.

It grazed Hilyung’s shoulder, burning a black line across his shirt.

He yelped, jerked back, clutching the spot. Smoke curled up, the smell of singed fabric mixing with blood.

He wasn’t dead—just hurt, breathing hard, eyes wide with terror.

Miss Yan-Shi didn’t move again.

She was gone.

The classroom went silent for one horrible second.

Then the screams started—Cha-Lee sliding down the wall, Ji-Hoon cursing under his breath, Chung-hee covering her mouth with both hands.

I stared at the body. At the red pen that had rolled out of her pocket, now half-submerged in the blood pool.

That’s it.

The Valuable Item.

But all I could think was:

'Ha… Miss…'

Guilt twisted sharp in my chest. She’d scolded me this morning like I was nothing.

But she’d still tried to protect us. Stepped up when no one else would.

And I just watched. Knowing what was coming.

Doing nothing.

[The Eidolon ‘The Azure Fire’ has acknowledged the brave teacher. She only wanted to protect her students.]

A quiet window appeared.

[Eidolon ‘The Azure Fire’ has donated 500 Stellar Coins to the channel in her memory.]

Arbiter clapped its claws slowly.

“‘Aww, sentimental~ But tears won’t find the item, will they? Tick-tock, babies. 4:32 left~’”

Hilyung crawled back a little, still clutching his burned shoulder, tears streaking his face.

“She… she’s really…”

The timer kept ticking.

[Time Remaining: 4:15]

I forced my legs to move

Stepped toward the pen—through the edge of the blood pool.

My shoe left a red print.

I had to grab it. Before the timer hit zero.

Before someone else died because I hesitated again.

...ANNOUNCEMENT ...

Hi everyone!

I won’t be posting much right now because it’s finals week and school is still ongoing. I’ll still try to update when I can though!

During school days, I’ll post 1–2 chapters per week. When summer break starts, I’ll try to post 3–4 chapters every week.

If I ever get sick or very busy, there might be times when I can’t post.

Thank you for reading and supporting the story!

AND one more thing! I think I need to change the MC'S name because some people might imagine Ha-Yeon a s a girl- His a guy BTW!

New name:Ryung Won Ha

Bye-bye! :D

We took rest… for about ten minutes.

I looked around, guilty.

Some of our classmates were dead. Only eight out of thirty-five survived.

The empty desks felt louder than any scream.

"Ha-Yeon… What are we gonna do now…?" Chung-hee asked me, voice small but steady.

Before I could answer, a soft chime rang — private, only in my head.

[Ding]

A

blue window appeared in my vision alone.

[Time for the selection of Eidolons]

[Five Eidolons have voted for the same person]

The names glowed one by one:

[The Azure Fire]

[The Jade Heart]

[The Iron Grip]

[The King of Above]

[Vile Serpent]

[You may choose who you want to be your Eidolon]

[Yes / No]

I didn’t even hesitate.

I tapped No.

The window vanished instantly.

No one else saw a thing.

I stood up, forcing that fake smile I always used at school. Calm.

In control.

Like nothing was wrong.

"Chung-hee… What Eidolon did you choose?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

She brightened a little. "I chose… Healer of All! She sounds like she could heal anybody!"

I just nodded.

"What about you all?"

I looked at the others still nearby.

"Hilyung, Yung-Kung, and Juk-yii?"

Hilyung straightened up, a quiet pride in his voice.

“…I chose ‘The Great Commander.’”

Yung-Kung shifted, voice a little shaky.

“Mi-mines… ‘The Black Dark.’”

Juk-yii grinned, cracking his knuckles.

“Mine’s ‘The Eternal Red Flame.’”

I pondered for a bit, analyzing it first.

"It all fits your personalities," I said quietly.

"Like how Juk-yii chose the Eternal Red Flame — just like how fierce you are."

"Yung-Kung chose The Black Dark, because he’s dark himself."

"And Hilyung… chose The Great Commander because of how you see justice."

They all looked a little surprised I’d read them so easily.

Chung-hee smiled softly, like she was proud of me for noticing.

But inside, the thoughts were louder:

Four people still here.

Chung-hee, Hilyung, Ji-Hoon, Kun-hae.

They won’t leave.

I wanted to be a lone wolf.

I still do.

Across the room, the other three — Juk-yii, Yung-Kung, and Cha-lee — exchanged looks. Juk-yii jerked his chin toward the door.

“We’re… gonna go our own way,” he said.

“No offense. Just feels better.”

Yung-Kung nodded once.

Cha-lee didn’t say anything, just followed them.

They walked off.

Splitting.

Just like that.

I felt nothing.

'Good.'

Fewer people. Less weight.

But Chung-hee’s worried eyes stayed on me. Hilyung shifted closer.

Ji-Hoon crossed his arms. Kun-hae stayed quiet but steady at my side.

Four.

Still four.

Another private chime — invisible to everyone.

[Private transfer: +1,200 Stellar Coins from an anonymous Eidolon.]

[Private transfer: +900 Stellar Coins from an anonymous Eidolon.]

[Private transfer: +700 Stellar Coins from an anonymous Eidolon.]

...

'Are they trying to guilt-trip me?Not a chance. ' I thought

'But money is money. bring em Eidolons, I probably need it later anyway. '