I was startled at his sudden question. 

Had he kept me behind just to ask this? 

Were the gifts and money meant to lower my guard before his interrogation?

Yet Ha Sunwoo’s expression remained warm and gentle.

“You and the others could have been in danger too. What made you suddenly break out of the magic barrier?”

My reason for leaving the barrier was simple: to kill that bug. 

But should I really tell him that? 

As I pondered, I felt a familiar prickling sensation at the nape of my neck.

‘Another skill activation?’

In a situation like this, he was probably using some kind of truth detection skill. 

Lying wasn’t an option. 

That left me with two choices:

1) Stay silent → which would make my favorite character suspicious of me

2) Tell the truth → with unknown consequences

‘Is there really any harm in telling the truth?’

After all, Ha Sunwoo was trustworthy. 

If everyone in this world had to be sorted into allies and enemies, he would undoubtedly be on my side. 

Besides, Ha Sunwoo was discreet—in the original story, he’d kept quiet about the hidden villain until after they were killed.

‘Plus, I need to investigate that strange bug anyway.’

I had to figure out what that suspicious bug really was. 

In the original story, the incident at the awakening test was blamed on a monster outbreak, but the real culprit was the bug. 

I needed to find out where it came from, but since the novel never went into detail about it, how could I investigate? 

In this regard, Ha Sunwoo was the perfect ally—he was essentially a walking security agency. 

I should be asking for his help!

‘Alright, I’ll delegate the bug investigation to Ha Sunwoo as an external project!’

Having made my decision, I deliberately paused for a moment longer.

“I can tell you, but I’m worried you’ll think I’m strange…”

“I won’t. Go ahead.”

“Well, the thing is… there was a bug.”

“A bug… and that’s why you left the barrier?”

Ha Sunwoo looked at me with bewilderment, as if wondering what kind of person would risk their life to kill a mere insect.

“No, it’s not like that. The moment the bug got close to the goblin restraint device, it caused it to malfunction. It might have been coincidence, but I wondered if the bug was using some kind of strange magic…”

Ha Sunwoo’s gaze sharpened.

“Ha ha, it sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? There couldn’t possibly be a bug like that… Just forget I mentioned it!”

I wrapped up with some nervous laughter and studied Ha Sunwoo’s expression. 

His skeptical look faded as he leaned forward thoughtfully.

‘Now, what will he do?’

If he wanted to investigate, he’d start asking follow-up questions. 

If he didn’t want to get involved, he’d probably laugh it off and let me leave. 

I waited calmly for his next words.

“What did the bug look like?”

That follow-up question was all the answer I needed. 

Whether he realized it or not, he’d just accepted my project.

“It was hard to see clearly, but it glowed like a firefly.”

“How big was it?”

“About this big?” I gestured.

“When did you first notice it?”

“Around 30 minutes after the earthquake.”

“Did you see it before entering the test grounds?”

“No.”

“During the journey here or in the waiting room?”

“No. Maybe it was already inside the cave?”

“Think carefully. You might have seen it without consciously registering it.”

A tingling sensation spread across my scalp. 

My eyelids grew heavy, as if being gently pressed shut, and the day’s events began playing in my mind like a film.

‘Is this… a hypnosis skill?’

Amazing! 

My first experience with hypnosis! 

It felt so real. 

Today’s scenes were unfolding with incredible clarity in my mind, like watching a movie.

“In the waiting room, did you notice any students behaving unusually? Anyone with closed eyes or muttering to themselves?”

There had been plenty of people with their eyes closed. 

Ki Hyun-min was rocking back and forth, eyes shut; Gyun Jun-hwi had a serious expression, eyes closed as if plotting an outbreak while mumbling something. 

My teammate No Ji-tae was bouncing his leg with his eyes closed, and Park Ra-hee had her hands clasped in prayer, eyes shut… I counted each one.

“Thirty-two students had their eyes closed, and seven were muttering.”

“Can you describe their appearances?”

I answered Ha Sunwoo’s questions as thoroughly as possible.

Then, I responded to his follow-ups, and the follow-ups to those follow-ups. 

Time seemed to slip away.

“You can open your eyes now.”

When I opened them, the strange sensation on my scalp and the vivid mental images vanished. 

Session over, I supposed. 

It had been fascinating.

“Thank you. That was very helpful.”

“It was nothing.”

“Let’s keep this between us.”

“Of course.”

I felt that familiar tightness around my heart. 

I wondered if he had enough mana left, given how often he used that skill. 

Though being a genius, he probably had plenty to spare.

“If you remember anything else later, let me know.”

[User Ha Sunwoo has sent you a friend request. Accept? Y/N]

Was this… a direct message from a Hunter? 

Not a guild account, but a personal DM from Ha Sunwoo himself?

My eyes widened, and Ha Sunwoo gave me a warm smile.

“Use this to contact me if anything comes up, even something minor.”

“Understood.”

“There’s a car waiting outside to take you home.”

“Yes!”

I jumped up from my seat. I’d gotten paid, received an item, and now had my favorite character’s personal contact information! 

Now I could finally call it a day!

#

After the students left, a staff member in a black suit opened the investigation room door.

“Deputy Guild Master, your next appointment is…”

“Ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir.”

The staff member bowed respectfully and closed the door. 

Alone now, Ha Sunwoo crossed his legs and reviewed the information he’d just gathered.

‘None of this adds up.’

Even with a high-ranking escort, six lives had been lost to mere F-rank goblins. 

According to the field investigation team, the corpses of the monsters that had attacked the victims showed no abnormalities, and all safety mechanisms were functioning properly. 

They’d requested additional testing, but the results wouldn’t be ready for another three days. 

In the meantime, he had obtained a crucial testimony.

‘A summoned creature in the form of a firefly….’

If Yeon Sora’s account was accurate, the intruder in the test site was some type of summoned creature. 

Most summoned creatures took animal forms and relied on physical attacks. 

He’d never heard of a bug-like creature that could use magic… but the world was constantly evolving. 

It was entirely possible that such a creature existed without his knowledge. 

At the very least, the witness wasn’t lying.

‘I’ll need to recover the insect’s remains.’

With those, he could uncover the truth. 

He might even be able to trace whoever summoned it. 

He had other concerns to address as well.

‘Do we have a traitor in our midst?’

Ha Sunwoo had received intelligence suggesting something would happen during this awakening test. 

Despite implementing preventive measures, someone had managed to circumvent them and cause an incident. 

There could be someone within the guild working with their enemy. 

This needed to be verified too. 

Though it meant more work, at least he had somewhere to start. 

Without a witness, they’d have nothing to go on.

‘We got lucky.’

As he organized his thoughts, Ha Sunwoo found himself thinking about the last student he’d interviewed—Yeon Sora. 

A student who had awakened with a rare, highly destructive fire ability. 

Not only had she gained an area-wide targeting skill upon awakening, but she’d also been the one to notice the summoned creature by chance…

‘Could all of this be mere coincidence?’

A faint smile crossed his lips. 

No, this wasn’t coincidence—it was… talent. 

Yeon Sora must possess an unusually heightened sensitivity to mana, which allowed her to instinctively detect the familiar’s magic. 

Such sensitivity was rare but not unheard of. 

Either way, her potential was undeniable. 

She seemed aware of it too, judging by her somewhat prideful demeanor.

“…”

Ha Sunwoo paused, recalling her reaction. 

When he first used his skill, she’d looked at her teammates with widened eyes. 

The timing of that startled gaze… it had caught his attention. 

It was almost as if she had detected his skill activation. 

Could she sense when a mage used their powers?

“Ha, that’s impossible.”

He let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. 

Detecting his skill? 

That was out of the question. 

There had never been a documented case of such ability.

#

“Am I really supposed to ride in this?”

“Yes, Deputy Guild Master Ha Sunwoo specifically arranged this vehicle for Team 2 members.”

“Whoa!”

The vehicle provided by the Phoenix Guild was twice the length of a regular car—a limousine. 

I eagerly climbed into the luxurious interior.

“Amazing! There’s a fridge in here!”

“And popcorn! Should we watch a movie during the ride?”

My teammates buzzed with excitement over the limousine. 

I wanted to join in their enthusiasm but…

“I’m going to rest for a bit. Wake me when we arrive.”

“Sure, Sora, get some rest.”

I curled up in the most secluded corner and closed my eyes. 

Now wasn’t the time to enjoy a fancy limousine ride. 

I’d just realized something crucial.

‘The culprit is one of us!’

Ha Sunwoo suspected the bug had been brought in by someone who entered the cave—either a student or hunter. 

I didn’t know his exact reasoning, but if the genius thought so, it must be true. 

If his deduction was correct, that meant the culprit was someone I’d met today.

‘Who could it be?’

Assuming it wasn’t a suicide mission, the culprit must be one of the survivors mentioned in the novel. 

I concentrated hard, trying to recall the early chapters of <Doomed Academy.>

Nine people survived the awakening test in the novel: the seven present during the outbreak (Gyun Jun-hwi, his four teammates, a high-ranking hunter, and Ki Hyun-min) and two who had been outside the site (Yeom Juwan and one other). 

But I could narrow it down further, thanks to Gyun Jun-hwi’s inner monologue:

“If things continue like this, only three of us will survive. We’re doomed.”

Without Gyun Jun-hwi’s intervention, there would have been only three survivors. 

His teammates would have all died, which left only Ki Hyun-min, Yeom Juwan, and one other…

So the answer was clear. 

That last survivor, the mysterious “plus one.”

That had to be the culprit.