Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

The moment Huang Ho saw Gong Cheong-hwon, he couldn't feel the sense of reality, even though there was no mistaking his voice and appearance.

It was only after the arrow, possessed by a divine command, lost its strength and fell to the ground that Huang Ho finally came to his senses.
‘Why am I here?’
When those who had shared the mythical era slowly began to leave his side, Huang Ho waited for a long time.

It wasn’t just passive waiting; he made sure to create a place in the Korean Peninsula where they could return at any time, accumulated wealth, adapted to human society, and kept watch over other tribes.
But even though countless tribes roamed this land due to the dimensional collision, Huang Ho’s old friends rarely returned to his side.
No one came to join him or scolded him when he played tricks.

Whether he mischievously looked for amusements or carelessly let everything flow, no one ever stopped him.
There were times when Huang Ho foolishly thought that if he acted negligently, his old friends would show up and scold him, but nothing ever happened.
However, even when he was alone, Huang Ho was certain about one thing.

If a great crisis ever befell this land, his old friends would appear, and a new person would appear to fight alongside him.
‘The new one sensed the Hojo family’s danger first. Could it be that this is that moment!’
If Huang Ho were to fall now, there would be no one to replace him.

Eun Ho might temporarily rise to the position of leader, but without a clone, it would be impossible to perform all the duties Huang Ho had handled, and it was doubtful that the Hojo members or those in cooperation with him would accept it.
In other words, Huang Ho’s crisis was the Hojo family’s crisis, and even if Gong Cheong-hwon did not realize that he was the new person, it would not be strange for him to sense the danger and come running.
Though Huang Ho was glad and reassured that Gong Cheong-hwon had come, a thought that suddenly emerged pricked Huang Ho’s heart like a thorn.

‘In the game where Jo Yi-shin and Eun Ho played, I disappeared without a trace, and I heard that Gong Cheong-hwon met his death.’
If the shadowy figure had known Gong Cheong-hwon’s true identity from the start, he would have been eliminated before entering Eungwang High.
However, Gong Cheong-hwon was tormented by Cheonpyeon-deuk but was not immediately driven to death.

Jo Yi-shin predicted this.
― The impact of the incident with Teacher Jegal Jaegul, who was eliminated in the first year, was quite large. The senior students from class 0 rampaged, and since the student council knew it was a memorial, they passively imposed sanctions. It would have been hard to kill a respected teacher right away due to the difficulty in controlling students.
― But if they had known that the new person was reincarnated, they would have eliminated him, even if it meant going too far. The shadowy figure didn’t know Gong Cheong-hwon’s identity at that time, did he? Even if he didn’t know, if he found a reason to kill him, he would have attempted murder.
Due to the spell Gong Cheong-hwon wielded, the demons wanted to eliminate him as soon as possible, and the corrupt teachers were desperate to remove anyone who was a nuisance. Despite this, the shadowy figure carefully built his plan.

But eventually, Gong Cheong-hwon was killed in the second year.
The shadowy figure must have found a reason to kill Gong Cheong-hwon at that time.
Huang Ho clearly remembered the timeline that Jo Yi-shin and Eun Ho had told him.

Soon after Huang Ho disappeared, Gong Cheong-hwon was murdered.
If Gong Cheong-hwon had come here of his own will, there would be only one reason.
‘Could it be that even back then, Gong Cheong-hwon acted to save me?’

When the shadowy figure put Huang Ho in danger at the Plamago, Gong Cheong-hwon would have acted the same way as now.
Though there were more restrictions on his actions in the game, it would have taken time, but in the end, he might have caught the clue and tried to save Huang Ho.
And the shadowy figure must have paid attention to anyone who tried to save Huang Ho among those who weren’t part of the Hojo family.

Once that attention was drawn, it wouldn’t have been difficult to associate the voice, which seemed to carry light, with the new person.
‘Then the traps prepared by that person are not just tiger traps.’
The shadowy figure, well aware of the Hojo family’s situation and their power, surely knew about the strength the new person possessed.

If the shadowy figure had also sought to identify and eliminate the new person in the same way at Plamago, then now the shadowy figure must have obtained the grounds to identify Gong Cheong-hwon as the new person.
When Huang Ho became convinced that even the new person was in danger, Gong Cheong-hwon neutralized all of the formidable opponents with his spell.
“These are ancient items restored using a high-level restoration skill. It seems you've been preparing for a tiger hunt for a long time.”

Gong Cheong-hwon softly spoke as he looked at the otherworldly power contained within the cracked arrowhead.
In the Three Knights’ Oath and the Chinese training ground, players skilled in restoration were being trained.
They might have collected all the remnants destroyed by the Hojo family and restored them over a long period.

Those who had played with Qing-ho’s belt were naturally drawn to handling weapons meant for tiger hunting.
Even after Huang Ho was torn by the weapon, he hadn’t thought of using restoration magic, as there was no time to think about it.
‘The ones wearing the robes are resisting the spell to some extent. They are not demons. It’s impossible for Gong Cheong-hwon to subdue everyone with his power alone.’

When Gong Cheong-hwon appeared, Huang Ho had hoped that if all their enemies were demons, he would wipe them all out in an instant, but the situation wasn’t that simple.
Nevertheless, if Gong Cheong-hwon fought alongside him, Huang Ho’s chances of survival would increase.
However, Huang Ho didn’t want to leave him here now.

‘As long as I'm still fighting, there will be time. I must send Gong Cheong-hwon out!’
If Huang Ho politely asked the new person to retreat, it would almost confirm his identity.
Though Huang Ho tried to think of a way to save Gong Cheong-hwon, nothing came to mind easily.

However, there was no time.
He had to do something before the shadowy figure’s plan to capture the new person activated.
With his eyes glowing brightly, now completely golden, Huang Ho spoke.

“This is not a fight for a mere teacher. Step back! I am not weak enough to borrow the strength of humans. Jeokho, take this person and return at once!”
Boom!
Huang Ho’s roar, laced with otherworldly power, reverberated through the hall.

The enemies, aware of the roar skill, immediately covered their ears, but Gong Cheong-hwon stood firm, trying to hear what Huang Ho was saying to him with his bare body.
Before Huang Ho’s roar could tear Gong Cheong-hwon’s eardrums, Jeokho hurriedly deployed a red mist.
“Huang Ho, you came to help, and this is what you’re saying? Enough already!”

Red lightning crackled and flickered around Jeokho, who revealed himself.
Huang Ho had expected Jeokho to protect him, and he was relieved that he had arrived in time, even though he was a little flustered.
Without showing any sign of that inner turmoil, Huang Ho spoke coldly and arrogantly.

“I see you heard me clearly. This is an order. Take him out, Jeokho.”
“Are you out of your mind, trying to make me retreat when you’re supposed to be catching a tiger?”
Jeokho refused to comply with Huang Ho’s order.

Jeokho’s insistence on prioritizing the new person’s will over the Hojo family leader’s was logical, but Huang Ho wanted his friend to retreat with Gong Cheong-hwon.
Their conversation didn’t last long.
“If you’re trying to push me away with words like that, it seems like we’re really in danger.”

Gong Cheong-hwon spoke gently, with the same kind and soft voice he had used when addressing Huang Ho in the past, like he had when he had been the teacher to Jeong Ji-ho.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
For a moment, Huang Ho felt as though he had returned to before he became the leader, standing in front of the new person or talking to Gong Cheong-hwon as Jeong Ji-ho.

Huang Ho’s arrogance couldn’t do anything to resist that kindness.
“I won’t let you fight alone. Let’s fight together.”
When he heard Gong Cheong-hwon’s voice, the feeling of the otherworldly power that had just been unleashed seemed to surge back again.

The words ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) "Let’s fight together" also carried the power of the spell.
The memory of fighting together with the voice and song of the new person long ago flashed in Huang Ho and Jeokho’s minds.
But just before Gong Cheong-hwon’s beautiful voice continued, a knife-like voice interrupted.

“Those traits the new person mentioned match perfectly.”
As Huang Ho feared, the situation unfolded as he had expected.
The shadowy figure, who had guessed that the new person would appear, was preparing to eliminate him.

The ones wearing robes, preparing to hunt both the tiger and the new person, laughed mockingly.
“Don’t be fooled by Huang Ho’s arrogance.”
The shadowy figure seemed to have guessed how Huang Ho would act if the new person came to save him.

Huang Ho’s words about Gong Cheong-hwon were meaningless now.
And now, the shadowy figure was preparing to erase the new person’s voice forever.
“The new person’s weakness is ‘sound.’ A song that calms the earth, a prayer that connects to the heavens. I will erase all the sounds in this space!”

Boom!
The figure at the very back of the group flung his robe and released his otherworldly power across the entire hall.
This was not an attack-based otherworldly power, but the activation of a hidden gimmick.

Items hidden behind the cracks in the wall, behind the curtains, and beyond the frame reacted to the otherworldly power, letting out a sharp sound.
In the ensuing noise that filled the hall, the Knight of the Yellow Rose cursed.
“What have you been hiding under my rose garden’s basement!”

“It’s not too late yet, Knight of the Yellow Rose. At least reconsider and think neutrally.”
“Don’t joke with me. I’d rather die from the plague than…”
The Knight of the Yellow Rose’s words were drowned out.

It wasn’t that he stopped speaking.
Even though his mouth kept moving, no sound came out.
“A… …!”

The sound-blocking (遮音) items were deployed throughout the hall, erasing the voices.
The most powerful weapon Gong Cheong-hwon possessed, his voice-spoken command, was wiped away.
“…”

Even after losing his most powerful weapon, Gong Cheong-hwon did not panic. He took the basic stance of Taeho-gwon and prepared for battle.
Jeokho, seemingly ready to assist Gong Cheong-hwon in battle, prepared to deploy the Red Mist.
Huang Ho watched them both enter combat mode, and it felt as if his heart had dropped to the floor.

Though Gong Cheong-hwon’s Taeho-gwon was decent, it wasn’t enough to face the numerous enemies who were preparing to capture both the leader of the Hojo family and the new person.
The Knight of the Yellow Rose was in no condition to be of any help, barely able to guard a coffin.
Looking at Gong Cheong-hwon, Huang Ho felt despair.

“…”
Though no sound could be heard, the shape of the lips clearly conveyed the message.
Gong Cheong-hwon said, “It’s okay. I have a plan.”

At the word “plan,” Huang Ho thought of the hidden benefactor who wasn’t present here.
Having finished speaking, Gong Cheong-hwon, following the basic stance of Taeho-gwon, enveloped his body in otherworldly power tinged with warm light and then retracted it.
And at that moment, Huang Ho sensed a familiar energy.

‘The blessing of Qing-ho…’
The very energy that he had felt when he first faced Gong Cheong-hwon alone in the abandoned factory.
And just after Huang Ho and Jeokho felt the strength of their old friend.

Clink.
The Qing-ho coffin shook slightly.