<There you are, asshole!>


    At one of our numerous five-star dining halls, Kim Min-jae had been enjoying his first on-campus breakfast before I came along and spoiled it.


    I sat my fat-ass across from him.


    Min-jae gripped his chopsticks like tiny knives. <How did you find me?>


    <...I asked people?> I thumbed behind me. About half the occupied tables pretended they weren’t watching us. <Besides, this isn’t, like, a private place. We''re in public, and we have [Channels].>


    He scoffed and ate faster. Great, not only was he subtly telling me to fuck-off but he was also trying to leave sooner. <You need to stop reaching out—>


    I slammed a hand on the table to make a point. <Why’d ya block me?>


    <Because you were going to beg for an alliance even after I explicitly told you I’m not interested. I need to focus on playing their game and not babysit a mentally-deranged American.>


    <’Mentally-deranged,’ you really wanna go there?> I whispered low. <I might be a bit loopy but you’re the crazy dude who told ‘em to kill themselves. The entire school knows you’re a psycho.>


    <That makes things easier.> Fantastic. This sick bastard prolly got off on having a psychotic reputation. <As I said, I don’t care whether you live or die. In fact, I prefer the latter since you’re so damned annoying.>


    I weakly clutched a hand over my heart. <Don’t wound a poor girl''s heart like that. Can we just, I dunno, talk? Like normal people? We both wanna succeed, so let’s talk ‘bout the test. Yeah, let’s talk ‘bout it.>


    Min-jae opened his mouth to answer, but too bad for him, I wasn’t planning on giving him the floor.


    I traced my finger on the table like we had a physical copy of the document. <From what I understood, we got five chances, one for each Gold. We can either risk going to the hospital or put our ethics on the line; knowing you, you don’t got any. The last Appeal, Trade, seems like a get-outta-jail-free card.>


    <It’s a bold attempt to enslave you to a contract,> Min-jae said. <They think you’re generally incompetent and weak-minded. They’re right.> (<Fuck off.>) <Once you run out of Appeals, you’re either forced to place in Gray or take a contract with one of the Golds.>


    <Why the hell would I do that?>


    <Because you’re an easy mark, Zhang. They might as well attempt a painless capture. It won’t hurt them.> Min-jae finished his last bite of food, but surprisingly, he didn’t immediately leave. That was progress.


    <Whatever.> I sat sideways, arm on the table. <Let’s worry ‘bout the other two Appeals. Here’s what I’m thinkin’: there’s nothing in the rules ‘bout working together to complete a Task—>


    <I already said we’re not allies, but your plan is flawed from the get-go. The Golds will account for our hypothetical teamwork when making a Task. If I use that Appeal, it’d be better to work alone.>


    <How ‘bout we strategize a way to incap these guys—?>


    <I don’t need a strategy.>


    I threw my arm up. <You’re not gonna give me anything here? What ‘bout my awesome talents, which by the way got me a recommendation from Hwarang—>


    Min-jae wordlessly answered with a chilling stare. His patience had run thin, and he viewed me like I was a kindergartner. As a nuisance. There wasn’t a single part of him that felt amused by my company; to him, Baekyong and his mission for destruction were his only purpose in life. Things like joy and friendship and general happiness… They meant nothing.


    My heart was beating inside my throat, instincts telling me to back off. For now.


    <Let me make myself clear, Zhang. You need me more than I need you—in fact, I don’t need you at all. To me, you’re worse than useless; you’re a burden. So if you continue to irritate me, I’ll use you as a message for the Golds and return you to Hwarang.>


    Min-jae stood and snatched his tray and utensils up. <This is my first and last warning. Remember that.>


    And he left, leaving me scared-to-death.


    Again.


    ***


    <There you are!>


    <I won,> Tae Jun-hyeok said with a beautiful and perfect smile. God, he was a breath of fresh air after talking to fucking Kim Min-jae. <I told you Zhang will seek us out first.>


    <I wasn’t betting anything,> Lee Yoon-ho replied, head buried in his book.


    I’d found the Taeyang boys in the library on the third level, huddled in a secluded corner. Fortunately, the librarian had pointed me in the right direction. Although Eun Chang-min didn’t specify in the document, I was pretty sure Appeals had to be made in-person.


    Jun-hyeok sat on the edge of the library-table, waiting for me to say the right words.


    I inhaled and let him have it: <Can I have your ID?>


    He didn’t expect that. <No?>


    <Lee Yoon-ho, can I have your ID?>


    He didn’t answer.


    Damn, these guys were good at negotiations.


    I pulled out my wallet and took out a crisp, US dollar bill. Mister George Washington himself. <I’ll give you a dollar. You’ll have to split it somehow.>


    Jun-hyeok nodded. <I’ll take it.>


    <Really?!>


    <No!>


    Way to crush my hopes and dreams, you heartless bastard.


    <Dammit, all. Uh, Lee Yoon-ho! This dollar-bill can act as a bookmark!>


    Yoon-ho briefly looked up from the pages. <...Is this a genuine Appeal?>


    Alright, I should stop fucking around now. I returned George to my wallet. <Nah, I’m not makin’ an Appeal yet. I wanted to hang out and talk.>


    Ironically of the four factions, Taeyang was the most approachable. Their position was completely uncontested, so they had no reason to recruit a random transfer. Also helped that Jun-hyeok acted as the main negotiator. With him, I felt like a normal conversation was more plausible compared to Mister Introvert behind him. Plus, building rapport now would greatly benefit my mission.


    Jun-hyeok made a welcoming gesture, genuinely interested in what I had to say. <About what? Kim Min-jae? I’ve been telling Yoon-ho that we should make preparations soon. He’s gonna Duel us for sure.>


    <Definitely, but I don’t wanna talk ‘bout him. He’s a total douchebag like my brother.> I leaned against a nearby pillar. <I’ve been kinda curious ‘bout the Academy’s history, actually. Because I’m half-Chinese, researching the Jianghu became something of a hobby for me.>


    Jun-hyeok crossed his legs. <Are you gonna tell us you’re a secret heiress of a sect?>


    <I''m actually Shui Yuan''s cousin, but I heard Celestial Empress gave the school quite a surprise a few years ago.>


    Her name elicited a loud breath from the Taeyang prince. He shut his book. <Why are you curious?>


    I raised my hands. <Hey, I heard the matchup was legendary. I mean, who wouldn’t wanna know more? It’s Taeyang versus the Demonic Cult! The Sun and Moon clashing together! This is almost as good as your father fighting Cheonma herself.>


    My enthusiasm wasn’t effective; actually, I think I achieved the opposite effect. Yoon-ho looked twice as though drained from my energy. <I guess you see it as a game.>


    I tilted my head a little bit sideways. <I…? No? Yes? What’s the right answer? I mean, Lee Na-yoon is your sister. What d’you think about it—?>


    <It doesn’t matter what I think.> Yoon-ho was slow to stand. <Whether or not I disapprove of her actions, my opinion doesn’t mean much. Feel free to think what you want.>


    Jun-hyeok got off the table. <Zhang was just curious. Don’t be upset—>


    <I’m not upset. I just don’t want to talk about this.> Yoon-ho tucked his book underneath his armpit. <We’ll reconvene later, Jun-hyeok, or if Kim Min-jae seeks me out. Whichever comes first.>


    Jun-hyeok tried reaching for Yoon-ho but he pulled away, refusing to stay a second longer, and left the scene. The idol lowered his hand and sighed, more disappointed than a mother with her son.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Just like that, I was no different from my brother. Instead of pissing off Silverhonor and Celestial Empress, it was Kim Min-jae and Lee Yoon-ho. Fuck, I might be worse than Alex. He at least had a full conversation. I only said a few sentences to Yoon-ho and he already hated me. Operation Sundown was a total failure from the get-go. Joking aside, I doubt my question soured his opinion of me.


    Yoon-ho was anti-social, and those people usually disliked everybody regardless of who they were.


    Once the heir was out of sight, I released a breath I’d been holding. <...So I guess the rumors are true. He’s the black sheep of the family.>


    <Not really ‘rumors’ but an open secret. He was born to a different mother than his siblings. You can imagine the family drama,> Jun-hyeok said, which I already knew.


    <Yeah, but why are you guys here? In Baekyong, I mean.>


    <Family tradition, and someone has to watch him. Besides, I’m…> Strangely, Jun-hyeok inappropriately smiled for a heavy topic like this. <I’m interested in what Yoon-ho does. He has always been indecisive and boring, so I thought Baekyong could be a blessing in disguise. It’d breathe life into him. Actual breathing life! But our first semester disappointed me… Becoming Golds was hardly a challenge.>


    I asked, <You guys were that good?>


    <Everybody rolled over like dogs, Zhang! We elected him as our banker and cemented his position for the next two-and-a-half years. So he’s gonna do the same thing everyday: read books, ace his tests, and place high on our exams.>


    Initially in our pre-operation intelligence gathering, we didn’t have much information on Lee Yoon-ho’s personality other than: weird, black sheep, and introverted. Jun-hyeok’s description seemed to track. Yoon-ho didn’t really…fight me when I brought up Leo. He kinda just rolled with whatever assumptions I had.


    <So what d’you think ‘bout us?> I asked the pretty idol. <The transfers?>


    Jun-hyeok shrugged. <Chungmu wants transfers to shake up the hierarchy. Kim Min-jae sounds like he’s gonna do that, so maybe he’ll give Yoon-ho the push he needs. You, on the other hand… I dunno. Do you mind if I give you my first impressions?>


    I flashed him with a finger-gun. <Hit me.>


    <You’re quirky, shamelessly American, unserious, and overall a clown.> (<Why thank you.>) <So I think you’re the most dangerous one here.>


    I blinked a few times to get his words through my clown-head. "Funny."


    Jun-hyeok extended his smile, and for some reason, that smile reminded me of someone. I couldn''t figure out whose. "I''m not joking."


    I still laughed like he was the best comedian I''d ever heard, and since we were talking in English now, I bit: "Wanna explain, then?"


    "Sure. Yoon-ho doesn''t have an opinion of you. Eun Chang-min refuses to recruit you because he sees you as a dumb American slut. Ban Won-sik doesn’t think you’re a threat, and Tak Hwa-yeon wants to break you. But I like being different from my friends, so I’m gonna say you’re more of a wild card than Kim Min-jae."


    "I''m not as unpredictable as that suicidal asshole. You''re crazy—"


    "You''re crazier." Jun-hyeok chuckled saying that. "Call it a hunch. That’s what they say in America, right? A hunch?"


    Either he had really good instincts or he knew something about me that he shouldn''t. With my experience, of course I was dangerous and a total maniac, but what was the point of comparison? Was I really that strange compared to these prodigies, lab-babies, scions, and whoever else? Let''s get a few things straight: Min-jae threatened to not just kill but destroy the legacy of five families, Hwa-yeon was a total freak, and I had no idea what Yoon-ho was capable of.


    The same could be said for the idol.


    I patted his shoulder and turned away. "Don''t set yourself for disappointment, Jun-hyeok. You should pay more attention to Kim Min-jae. He''s the guy you wanna keep your eye on, not me. It''s like what you said: I''m a clown."


    <No,> he went back to Korean. <I’ll watch both of you. You might just make this semester interesting.> He licked his lips. <Very, very interesting. Use my autograph for good luck, Zhang, ‘cause you’re not gonna need it.>


    ***


    After the intriguing conversation with Jun-hyeok, he actually gave me worthwhile intel. Appealing to Chang-min was a crapshoot, but everyone else… Yeah, no idea where to start.


    So I did something smart: I hid in my room for the rest of the day, doing jack-shit other than research and eating snacks. Sure, I could find the other Golds and see where their heads were at, but I had five days. Being impatient was only gonna ruin everything. Plus, Kim Min-jae seemed like a no-bullshit get-things-done type of guy. Heeding his warning, it was better to sit back and let him make the first move.


    By the time I went to bed, day one concluded without any action.


    Naturally, everything fucking happened when I was sleeping.


    When I woke up the next morning, the [Channel] had a thousand freaking messages as backlog ‘cause Min-jae decided to party all night.


    [Eun Chang-min]


    <UPDATE: Kim Min-jae has lost his DUEL with Lee Yoon-ho due to a RULE violation!>


    <UPDATE: Kim Min-jae has lost his DUEL with Tae Jun-hyeok due to a RULE violation!>


    [Kim Hyun-wook]


    <Get fucked.>


    [Gong Kwang-hoon]


    ?????


    [Hong Seung-ho]


    <its what he deserves for being an arrogant retard lmaoooooo>


    [Jin Mi-ran]


    <He came at the king and missed>


    <What a surprise lol>


    [Kwon Hyuk]


    <Damn kim minjae might fail the test before zhang does>


    I can’t believe I’m agreeing with the comments.


    I almost [DMed] Min-jae but didn’t because: one, he blocked me; two, he probably would kill me for even breathing in the same space as him, digital or otherwise.


    Doubt Jun-hyeok would hand out gossip for free. Dammit all. This meant I gotta go outside and socialize and annoy everyone who wasn’t named “Kim Min-jae” for information ‘bout last night. Woe is me, I actually gotta do my job as a spy.


    After going through my morning routine and picking out the cutest clothes to die in, I opened the door—


    Someone vandalized my door and threw their trash on my front-steps—no, this wasn’t just fucking trash, it was a carefully crafted concoction of filth. They’d created a brownish-black puddle that stank like actual shit. Wrappers, cans, and other things swam around in the biohazard. On my door, they’d splashed it with the same potion, wrote obscenities like “AMERICAN WHORE” in bright marker, and made a mess of everything.


    Cool.


    No one else in my section would interfere with the exam—other than rivaling faction leaders—but normally, anyone interested would try to befriend me. That left the Golds, and four out of the five were automatically eliminated. That’s because those four were guys. Men don’t pull stunts like this. They’d rather settle things in the ring. Really, something like this might cross Chang-min’s radar but he didn’t care about me enough to order this.


    That left Tak Hwa-yeon, the only girl.


    She was the likely culprit. She gave me those kinda vibes.


    “Dammit all…” I pulled my phone out. “Guess I gotta call cleaning services—”


    [You received a new notification]


    Someone [DMed] me. Someone new and unexpected.


    [Ban Won-sik]


    <Zhang let’s meet up>


    <I got a task for you>


    [Dorothea Zhang]


    <i just opened my door how did you know i was awake>


    <you spying on me?>


    [Ban Won-sik]


    <no i just got out of bed fucking idiot>


    <meet me outside cloud hall>


    [Dorothea Zhang]


    <fine>


    ***


    <There you are!>


    Won-sik waited at the bottom of the steps to Cloud Hall (on the school website, the mages owned this one). <What?> he said, short and rude.


    I shrugged ‘cause I got nothing else to do with my arms. <I started all my important conversations like that yesterday. Might as well continue the chain.>


    <Idiot.> Won-sik huffed, kicked the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking like he didn’t wanna be here or talk to me. Then again, he had a resting ass for a face so I could be wrong. <You heard about Kim Min-jae, right?>


    <Our whole section did. What Rule did he break?>


    <Dunno, not my problem.>


    <Okay, ‘cause I’m gonna tell you a problem I have: someone trashed my door! Like, they brewed this nasty potion of shit and trashwater! Who the hell does that to a girl like me? Like c’mon, seriously, at least wait until the week is over.>


    Won-sik listened to my complaining like Alex: completely unamused, annoyed, and half-ready to shout at me to shut up. <That’s Baekyong, Zhang. Get used to it.>


    I narrowed my beautiful dark eyes. <So you did it?>


    <Hell no, y’think I would do something like that? I’d incap you instead.> See? What did I tell you? <Whatever, let’s talk ‘bout business. Normally, you’d use your Appeal first then I explain the Task. We’ll do it backwards.>


    <Are you gonna make me incap the bitch who painted my door?>


    <No, you’re gonna incap another bitch: Kim Min-jae.>


    <I’m gonna incap—hold on, what. You want me to incap Kim Min-jae. Like, the Demon of Baekyong, Kim Min-jae—?> (<Who gave him that title?>) <I did, ‘cause he’s gonna earn it soon. He’s itching to unleash his full power by revealing his hidden eye or some shit, and I’m supposed to put that guy in a hospital-bed.>


    Won-sik nodded, dead serious about this. <Gimme a picture of him bruised up and I’ll consider it done.>


    I exclaimed, <’Oh, good luck, Zhang! I wish you well!’>


    <What else were you expecting, huh? The ball’s in your court, Zhang. Once you accept, you got twenty-four hours to get it done, and I’ll make it worse if you Veto.>


    <You’re gonna use me as a fuckin’ test-dummy.>


    <Stop acting like a fuckin’ bitch and gimme your answer already.>


    Well, he put me in a tough spot. I had no information on Min-jae’s combat ability, but because Chungmu had given him a recommendation, this guy must be pretty damn strong. Hell, his natural presence was stronger than most Slayers. Specialty-wise, he was certainly a close combat fighter of sorts. Bad news for me, because that was my area of expertise too. If we fight, it’d be a brutal match.


    For me. It’d be brutal for me.


    But hey, this was a clear road.


    Passing the Gold Rush was, honestly, not much of a concern. I could easily rise out of Gray given enough elbow grease. Really, I was looking to develop opportunities for more of that delicious intel. Kim Min-jae was one of my most pressing person-of-interest at the moment, and the Task would break his case open a little.


    It’d mean I would be his enemy, but let’s face it, he wasn’t planning on making friends.


    I’d also develop some rapport with Ban Won-sik and build my reputation a little too…


    And hey, who said I had to fight Min-jae? I could accept the Task and sit on my ass, letting time expire.


    I sighed and held my hand out. <Alright. Ban Won-sik, I want the Task.>


    Won-sik huffed from surprise and shook my hand. <Don’t die.>