Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

One of the rules that emerged after the dimensional clash was the resetting of the time available to use Gwanglim.

The reset time is midnight, based on the time when the first dimensional clash occurred on the Korean Peninsula.

This point, they are likely well aware of.

"Even now, should we use Gwanglim...?"

"No! We can't leave any traces that could reveal our identities. Have you forgotten the order from the higher-ups?"

"They’re thoroughly defending those with true names! Attack first!"

Even though the tide of battle was turning, the opinions were still not unified.

The mastermind had likely issued orders in advance to account for all possible outcomes, but they hadn’t anticipated the Knight appearing right in the heart of the enemy lines.

One of the traits of the mastermind is that they don’t directly show up on the chessboard but instead, they control the game through pieces, cutting off communication while placing their moves to avoid direct contact with them.

This made it difficult to identify the mastermind's true nature, but it was also a weakness.

The mastermind's strategies are malicious and intricate, making them difficult to counter, but once broken, it's like playing chess in a situation where the opponent is absent.

Meanwhile, Baek Ho-gun took care of the enemies one by one.

‘That tiger sure fights well.’

After establishing his dominance, Baek Ho-gun cut down the enemies, frozen in fear before the tiger’s might.

His movements, cutting just enough to avoid death but leaving no room for mistakes, were nothing short of artistry.

Amid the hesitation over whether or not to use Gwanglim, those who tried to activate it to save themselves were quickly pierced by Baek A.

The Hojo family’s top martial expert immediately assessed the enemy’s skills and decisively removed those who could still fight with a single strike. Those who had methods of attacking without standing were cut down with the tongue or severed arms.

Baek Ho-gun’s words that he had "reached a new level" might hold a different meaning.

It was a blatant lie that he used Clone Technique, but it might be true that he had grown stronger.

While fighting like that, if that tiger were to read my mind, he'd arrogantly declare, "I was always strong," no doubt.

"It wasn’t necessary for both of them to come. I was always strong," said the white tiger with an arrogant tone.

It seemed he had been reading my mind this whole time.

I had to move and make a move based on the situation, so I just hoped that Baek Ho-gun kept fighting well.

I wasn’t sure if this thought was communicated properly, but Baek Ho-gun shut his mouth and raised the corners of his lips.

Seeing him smile, the enemies must have felt belittled and rushed in, only to have their bodies sliced in several places.

‘The white tiger’s comment about it not being necessary for both of them to come was probably a ploy to avoid causing suspicion if I didn’t fight right away. The arrogant Baek Ho-gun prepared Clone Technique, but it makes sense that he only fought with one after realizing the enemy was weaker than expected.’

The Hojo martial expert, who possessed brute force and cunning, had no trouble dealing with the enemies who relied only on the mastermind’s plans.

And then, just after midnight, Gwanglim was reset.

The time available to use Gwanglim was refreshed.

I had more time to use Gwanglim now, but so did the enemies.

Someone would have used Gwanglim while I prepared a trap for Huang Jiho, and that person had probably regained their strength.

‘The mastermind likely targeted this time frame to have enough time to use Gwanglim. Also, it doesn’t seem like Huang Jiho used Gwanglim during the battle. The enemies and the environment are not well-suited for it. In that case, if something happens, both the white tiger and I need to handle it.’

And though the mastermind didn’t anticipate Baek Ho-gun’s sudden appearance, they would have prepared for failure.

Since I came to this world, most of the mastermind’s plans had gone awry.

There was no way the mastermind, who had failed so many times, hadn’t prepared for contingencies.

As soon as midnight passed, an anomaly occurred.

"It can't be helped."

Someone with slit pupils muttered while watching the people fall one by one.

He raised his hand.

On the back of his hand, a detailed form of a jin was engraved, and from the jin, a sticky and heavy aura emanated, revealing the presence of a practitioner.

The surroundings, filled with something other than intellect, resonated with this aura and made a loud "buzz."

It was surprising that, with such power, he had let others be sliced up without doing anything.

"Wasn't it said that when there’s a crisis of losing Qing-Ho’s body, I should use this?"

The pillars scattered throughout the underground hall trembled slightly.

To be exact, it wasn’t the pillars shaking but the ground around them, filling the space beyond the stone walls.

While earthquakes are not frequent in the Korean Peninsula, they do happen, so it was not unanticipated. However, a strong shockwave that shook the underground hall created by the Oath of the Three Knights was something unexpected.

Several of us sensed the anomaly, but there was no one capable of responding.

The tank holding Qing-Ho’s coffin was surrounded by traps that couldn’t be easily deactivated, and most of them were meant for tiger hunting, preventing Huang Jiho from exerting his power.

Whether the traps were specially placed to counter Gong Cheong-Hwan’s command or whether the sound didn’t reach beyond the water, the Yellow Rose Knight’s abilities were of no help.

‘Moreover, Qing-Ho has risen, but he still can’t leave. Since Qing-Ho can’t move properly, Huang Jiho and Gong Cheong-Hwan can’t recklessly destroy the tank either.’

However, I could no longer leave the tank unattended.

The power used by the one with slit pupils was now affecting not only the ground but also the water in the tank.

The bubbles started to form, and Qing-Ho, half out of the tank, struggled painfully, his body distorting as the bubbles touched his skin.

If the power grew stronger, Qing-Ho’s body might melt away.

Seeing this, Huang Jiho shouted.

"This tank is beyond the reach of Gong Cheong-Hwan’s command, and my power cannot affect it. What have you done?!"

"The management of the tank is the responsibility of the Water Shadow Knight. They said they’d fill it with water that the Hojo family can’t handle!"

"Did you use the water from the Hoamsu?"

Huang Jiho’s voice came out with a sigh.

Hoamsu is a lake with a legend about a tiger that drowned while trying to cross it.

It made no sense that a tiger would drown in a small lake, but the monk from Samhwa Temple in the legend had reached profound enlightenment and was well known, giving the legend a certain degree of credibility.

Adding Hoamsu’s water and some tricks would make it difficult for Qing-Ho to escape by his own power.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

‘They can manipulate water from a distance too. If the Water Shadow Knight handles Hoamsu’s water, we’ll have to be prepared for future encounters.’

But no matter who was dealing with the water that kills tigers, one thing remained unchanged.

No matter what was prepared, it wouldn't work on the white tiger.

I confirmed the manipulation in the tank and saw that the remaining time for Gwanglim was enough, so I no longer had to wait.

I took my eyes off the practitioner with slit pupils and focused on the tank.

〈The character’s Gwanglim, ‘Paunchamrae (Breaking Clouds and Slashing Thunder)’ summons Baek A.〉

I raised Baek A and aimed at the tank. The sword trembled slightly, as though it were crying.

It seemed that Baek A too sensed the strange power hidden in the tank.

Capturing a Hojo family myth and stopping a divine command with water couldn’t be ordinary.

〈Skill ‘Life and Death’s Eyeball’ has been activated.〉

The eye that separates life from death pierced the tank.

The dark water began to swallow the vitality leaking from Qing-Ho’s body.

As the bubbles moved, the light shifted, and the water reacted. I focused on engraving the sword’s energy as I strengthened my grip.

"The real Baek Ho-gun has drawn his sword again! Block him!"

"Hurry, strike Qing-Ho before he swings his sword...!"

Most of the people shouting at me couldn’t even finish their sentences.

Though I didn’t see it, it seemed like they were being pierced in the neck or mouth by Baek Ho-gun’s sword from behind.

As I prepared to swing the sword at Qing-Ho, it felt odd that the white tiger was helping.

Before swinging, I decided to activate another skill.

〈The character’s skill, ‘Biksa (Exorcism),’ has been used.〉

"I will turn this place into a tiger’s grave!"

With a great boom, the sword swung, and the tank exploded.

The water from the tank splashed everywhere, and the Yellow Rose Knight hurriedly blocked it with a chunk of Gwanglim shaped like rose petals.

The nearest Huang Jiho and Gong Cheong-Hwan were spared from the Hoamsu’s water, but they were still unable to move.

It wasn’t just the tank that was destroyed.

The tank exploded, and due to the water pressure, it was crumpled beyond recognition.

It was unimaginable what fate had befallen the person inside the tank.

"My strike was faster! No body left to bury? How foolish of them to take it easy!"

"It’s not too late," replied Baek Ho-gun to the practitioner with slit pupils.

The practitioner seemed to think Baek Ho-gun was bluffing.

However, the practitioner realized that not only Huang Jiho, who should have collapsed, but also Qing-Ho, who had cared for him, was standing, staring at him without wavering.

By the time the practitioner realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Hiss!

As a sound similar to wind brushing behind the practitioner’s knees was heard, their balance completely collapsed.

The practitioner struggled for a moment but quickly regained his balance and retreated hastily.

Before he could do so, someone pinned his hand with a jin engraved hand and slammed it into the floor around the wrist.

It wasn’t a fancy technique, but when the practitioner regained his senses, he realized he couldn’t move.

In a desperate attempt to cycle Gwanglim through his hand, his energy and powers were blocked by the hold on his hand.

"Could it be...?!"

The practitioner realized it was one of Tae Ho-gun’s high-level techniques, and then he figured out who had subdued him.

The short hair still dripping with water caused droplets to fall onto the practitioner’s back.

The practitioner’s back was wet not only from the purified Hoamsu water but also from sweat.

"Qing-Ho!"

Huang Jiho, seeing his ally still standing, joyfully called out.

As soon as the sword was swung, Qing-Ho, having escaped, prepared to counterattack.

The practitioner with slit pupils, having the means to shake this place, was in a difficult state to strike.

Among the tigers here, the only one not being guarded by the practitioner was Qing-Ho.

Qing-Ho, knowing this, seized the opportunity when the power burst, moving with the precision of a mythical Hojo family tiger, and swiftly overpowered the practitioner.

It couldn’t have been easy for a body that had been dormant for thousands of years, but this was the movement of a true Hojo family legend.

Meanwhile, Qing-Ho didn’t raise his head even when he heard Huang Jiho’s voice.

Though he seemed to be wary of the enemy, it was particularly noticeable that Qing-Ho couldn’t take his eyes off the jin engraved on his right hand.

"Who engraved this jin?"

Qing-Ho asked in a low, sharp voice.

He spoke as if ready to kill the practitioner if he didn’t answer, pressing his fingertips over his heart.

"Where did you get the power of the immortal?"