Chapter 8: Companion

Ep 3. Companion

The next day.

When I returned to the dorm, the kids in my class swarmed over.

I instinctively raised my guard, but one of them looked at me hesitantly and carefully held out their palm.

“…Thanks for working hard in training!”

A blue sports drink.

The moment I took it without thinking, the rest of the kids started moving in perfect sync.

“Hey! What are you all doing? Get out here now! What? Shampoo?! Shut it and get out! Iran-nim is back!!”

As someone rolled up their sleeves and entered the shower room, a group of girls came tumbling out.

One girl, her head covered in a thick layer of bubbles, bowed when she saw me.

“P-Please, use the shower…”

I tried to say something, but closed my mouth.

…I’m drenched in sweat. Let’s wash up first.

As I stepped forward, the students parted like the Red Sea.

“……”

The same thing continued even after my shower.

“Here, I snuck you a protein shake. Yureon drinks this too!” “D-Do you like ramen? I brought every kind they had, eat as much as you want!” “Hey, you idiot! You think Iran would like cheap instant food like that?!”

Snacks piled up neatly under my bed.

“You don’t have to move! Just tell us what you want, and we’ll bring your tray!” “I’ll do the dishes for you…”

I didn’t have to lift a finger for the boring chores anymore.

By the time cleaning was over, there wasn’t a single speck of dust around my bed.

The more someone had bullied me directly, the harder they worked now.

Survival of the fittest, huh…

My eyes drifted toward one corner.

A girl crouched like a discarded dog.

There was a time when everyone in this class watched her every move.

But now, no one even spared her a glance.

Suddenly feeling a little sorry, I approached her.

“Are you okay?”

“Woof, woof!”

“……”

Every time she opened her mouth, I caught a glimpse of her ruined teeth.

…I may have gone too far.

Feeling a bit guilty, I reached out and patted her head.

The moment my hand touched her, the class president began trembling like a leaf.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Then she suddenly started spinning in circles.

“……”

I silently pulled my hand away.

As I turned back, the others—who had been secretly watching—were stifling laughter.

Just yesterday, they’d all been so close.

When night came, some of the more outgoing girls began to gather around my bed.

“Iran, how did you get so strong?”

“So you were hiding your rank the whole time. We had no idea… I’m sorry.”

As I observed them closely, a realization struck me.

Usually, victims carry resentment toward their bullies. Even if time passes and things seem patched up, that discomfort doesn’t really go away.

I was no different.

The way they flipped their attitudes so blatantly—it felt off. Unsettling.

But these girls didn’t even seem to consider that I might be thinking that way.

At first, I thought they were just clueless.

But that wasn’t it.

From their perspective, this was all perfectly natural.

If you ostracize someone innocent, it’s bullying. But if you ostracize a criminal, it’s justice. And weakness, in itself, is a crime.

Until now, I had basically been cosplaying as a criminal.

Getting hit, getting picked on—I had just accepted it. In their eyes, at least.

In that moment, I felt like I finally understood what kind of creatures villains really were.

“Wow! So your real rank is like, five thousandth?”

“Only if we go by what my master said. On paper, I’m still unranked.”

“Who cares about the paperwork! But Iran, can you maybe stop using honorifics? You’re being too polite, it’s making me uncomfortable.”

I thought about it for a moment, then agreed.

“Got it.”

“Way better! We’re counting on you from now on, boss~?”

This was definitely the same girl who gave me a soboro bun when I was struggling with motion sickness.

Back then, her mocking tone basically said, Eat this and choke on it. Now, it had turned into a sweet smile.

In the corner, the former class president lay on her back, belly up.

A few girls walked by and patted her stomach with expressions of smug superiority.

And just like that, I blended into the world of villains.

Time flew, and two more weeks passed.

“You’re now ranked somewhere in the mid-4000s. That’s undeniably impressive for just one month. But don’t get cocky. Talented ones usually reach this level quickly. The real difference starts showing from here.”

That was something I’d heard from Yureon once.

She told me she had climbed to the 4000s without much trouble, so I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.

She didn’t say exactly how long it took her, though.

“Do you understand how the Joint Ranking Battle works?”

“It’s a survival match in the forest, right? You have to endure until the other participants either die or forfeit.”

Over a thousand participants from Dorms 1 through 7. Even to make it into the lowest tier among the eight squads, you have to rank at least in the top 500.

My goal is Nova Squad. Their cut-off rank? Top 20.

“Given your talent, you’ll easily reach the 3000s within five months. That level should be enough to make the top 20 in the Joint Battle.”

“……”

“That is, if we’re only talking individual skill.”

But real combat rarely happens one-on-one. Teams will form. Alliances will be made.

“Are the kids in your class any use?”

“……Not sure.”

When I asked around, I found out Class 8’s average rank is somewhere in the 8000–9000 range.

Other classes average around the 7000s.

That’s a gap of 1000–2000 ranks.

No wonder Yureon treats them like trash.

“Then make them useful.”

“Sorry, what?”

Make them useful?

“Tactical leadership is an essential trait for any top-tier villain. Surely you don’t believe Gwangmyeong operates alone?”

“……”

“Even Gwangmyeong is tough to handle by himself, but he always has Sword Emperor and Ellicia at his side. Let’s say you can handle Gwangmyeong. What about the other two?”

Lee Seoran, Kim Dohyeon, and Ellicia teaming up…

Even Mad Light, the strongest ability user in history, couldn’t survive against that trio.

No matter how strong I get, handling them solo would be impossible.

“This is a great opportunity to train your command skills. I’ll lend you a training facility. Mold Class 8 however you like.”

“……”

“You don’t need to raise each of their ranks. As long as they can buy you some time when you’re getting attacked, that’s enough.”

“…Alright.”

I’d just been handed an absurd assignment.

As I was about to leave, I heard Durek mutter behind me.

“Of course, the best option is to recruit comrades who are already at your level. But even that’s not so easy—not even for me.”

Yureon’s face came to mind for a moment.

But I quickly shook my head.

She’d been acting cold lately.

It’d be reassuring to have her by my side… but that was just wishful thinking now.

I walked out of the training grounds.

The way back was a lonely one.

“These are our sponsorship terms.”

A man with a thick mustache handed me a document with a smug expression.

I read it over.

1. Baekho Talent Agency (Party A) will enter into an exclusive contract with Iran (Party B) for the next 15 years.

2. If Baekho Talent Agency (A) is destroyed by another faction, Iran (B) will destroy said faction in retaliation.

3. While Iran (B) is in East Dorm 7, if Baekho Talent Agency (A) is attacked, Iran (B) will mobilize her full combat power to defend them.

4. Baekho Talent Agency (A) will cover all of Iran’s (B) living expenses while she resides in East Dorm 7.

5. Baekho Talent Agency (A) will provide Iran (B) with one Familiar (Grade C+).

The rest didn’t matter.

That last line was the real prize.

A Familiar.

A mutated monster that serves humans.

Cleaners, whose daily job is hunting monsters, often capture these Familiars.

Pretending to be a dentist and trying to get a sponsor—all of that was ultimately for this.

And a C+ grade…

Considering that D-grade Familiars are standard, this one should be decently useful.

Still, there was a catch—one that made me hesitate.

You can only sign a Familiar contract once in your entire life.

That made this a bit of a letdown.

“Yureon got an A+-grade Familiar, didn’t she?”

“Ah, yes. I heard as much. But that girl is a genius destined for a double rank in the future. Compared to that, I can only say we did the best we could for you.”

“…Fair enough.”

Right.

The public probably ranks me somewhere in the 5000s or 6000s at best.

“Honestly, we were being generous. Considering your age, you’re certainly gifted, but the highest-ranking villain contracted with our agency is currently 2,261st. We’re not exactly desperate, you see. Other agencies will likely feel the same.”

“I see. Thanks for the honest explanation.”

I handed back the unsigned contract.

The man clicked his tongue in disappointment.

And with that, I left the agency building.

Yeah—when it comes to sponsors, it’s best not to rush.

Even if an A-grade is out of reach, I should at least aim for a B-grade Familiar if I want to stand a chance against Seoran.

Now, how should I bring up the group training idea?

I was mulling that over as I made my way back to the dorms.

“Meow~”

I stopped in my tracks.

A cat’s meow.

Nothing unusual—there are stray cats all over Telon.

But something about the sound felt… off.

Curious, I looked up without thinking.

“Hm?”

Our eyes met—jet-black, round pupils staring straight at me.

Those soft, round eyes…

She was lounging comfortably on top of the wall like it was her own place.

“……”

“……”

I rubbed my eyes and looked up again.

Shiny black hair flowed down to her shoulders.

A slender neckline led to a faintly visible collarbone.

A loose black uniform draped over her, bandages peeking through the fabric wrapped tightly around her chest.

Then, she opened her small, pouty lips.

“Meow.”

I stared at the girl in disbelief.

“……?”

She tilted her head, then gracefully leapt down.

Without a sound, she landed in front of me and casually brushed the dust off her uniform.

Her obsidian eyes turned back toward me.

“Is there a problem?”

“Yoo Hyesun, you psycho b*tch!”

The moment Crown burst through the door, Yureon let out a deep sigh.

“Can you ever enter a room quietly…?”

She glanced over at him—and her eyes widened.

His pale face had giant, bold letters scrawled across it.

THE CAT CAME BY… LOL

“Pfft, khhhk—”

“Don’t laugh.”

“Wh-what even happened—hahah!”

“F*ck…”

Crown ran a hand violently through his hair and dropped onto the couch.

Then, like a man possessed, he kicked the table.

“That btch! That fcking lunatic!”

Bang! Bang!

“Ahahaha! Kyaahahaha!”

“Stop laughing already!”

Yureon finally calmed down enough to wipe her tears.

“What happened to your face?”

“That f*cking Hyesun scribbled it while I was sleeping. And it’s a damn permanent marker—I can’t even wash it off!”

“Heheh. I haven’t laughed like that in ages. Guess that makes you the class clown?”

“I’m not a clown—I’m the Joker.”

Crown suddenly turned serious.

“…Can we please do something about that bipolar freak already?”

“Not my problem. But I’ve had it too. I can’t live like this anymore. Screw the unwritten rules—I’m taking her down, whatever it takes.”

“Oh?”

Yureon gave him a cryptic smile.

Her eyes turned glacial as Crown made his declaration.

“Rally all the sponsors. It’s time to butcher that damn cat.”