Ex Rank Supporting Role’s Replay in a Prestigious School

“Is this really the gate to the Demon Realm? We’re supposed to go through here?”

Gwak Kyung-gu assumed the entrance to the Demon Realm would be similar to the rifts between other worlds.

He had seen all sorts of gateways while exploring various other worlds and had accumulated many dirty, grueling experiences.

Even after hearing they had to go to the Demon Realm, he only felt as if they were heading to a particularly difficult other world. Likely, the others felt the same way.

But now, standing before the entrance, an indescribable fear and disgust, a raw instinctive repulsion, surged within him.

If they went in here, they would die.

They would come back dead.

No—perhaps not even their corpses would return.

“Everyone, don’t stop! Keep moving forward!”

Joo Suhyuk’s words snapped him back to focus.

And it helped that Andain, who had been standing off to the side for suppressive fire, rejoined them.

Andain’s unusual constitution counteracted the mental haze caused by the energy radiating from the Demon Realm entrance.

Gwak Kyung-gu looked back on his previous thoughts and felt embarrassed.

He hadn’t expected such feelings just from facing a simple gateway.

He had faced a few mental-type powers before, but this was different.

Unlike conventional psychic attacks that penetrate from outside, this one seemed to provoke and stir something deep within the mind, plunging the victim into despair—a horrifying sensation.

“What about the people sent by Jeolheukpoongrim? Haven’t they arrived yet?”

“Looks like they found the Demon God’s altar on the way. They’re destroying it.”

“Let’s buy time until they join us.”

He could hear the conversation between Joo Suhyuk and Andain.

The variables were increasing.

Even the already insane plan to head into the Demon Realm was encountering complications.

Guseulbi, who had been using the oak staff like a blunt weapon while holding back her psychic powers, suddenly turned serious.

“What? We should prioritize this over the Demon God’s altar! That Demon Realm entrance won’t last long. The demonic energy that will seed the Demonification process will be planted in the ground and disappear. The priests of the Demon God maintain the entrance, but without the power of a higher being, it won’t work. Their intervention in the human world has limits!”

The entrance to the Demon Realm would not remain open for long.

Gwak Kyung-gu had two thoughts upon hearing this.

One was relief that such a thing couldn’t exist here for long.

The other was the fear that once someone entered, it wouldn’t be easy to come out.

Without Andain, the demonic energy would undoubtedly shake Gwak Kyung-gu’s mind again.

The mere thought made his chest {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} tighten.

He wasn’t the only one thinking this; several Eun Gwang High students looked pale.

Yet, Joo Suhyuk remained calm.

“I understand your concerns, but there are many elderly residents here who refuse evacuation. If the Demon God’s altar is left alone, enemies will strike civilian areas before our extermination squad can intervene.”

“A resident player here?”

“There are very few naturally born players in this area. Hongcheon has the least, and the proportions elsewhere are strangely off...”

Bang!

A sudden explosion cut off Joo Suhyuk’s words.

Moon Saeron, using her Insight skill to trace the sound’s origin, murmured,

“...Dad?”

This time, Moon Saeron and her father were participating as both players and journalists.

She was both envious and proud of her father for heading into the Demon Realm despite not knowing what might happen to him—a crazy, impressive man.

He was also one of the few true journalists who, despite immense pressure and the fact that public attention was mostly outside Gangwon Province where the Demonification was occurring, persisted in reporting the truth.

Because the situation was so dangerous, few willing journalists could accompany the players, but Moon Saeron’s father possessed enough power to cover the frontlines directly.

‘Someone might be targeting Mr. Moon,’ she thought.

Attempts to block the public’s awareness for governmental or special group interests never ceased.

Journalists speaking the truth had always vanished—some bribed, some threatened through family, some physically eliminated.

Recently, this trend had intensified, accelerating after Seong Guk-eon, who had raised his voice against injustice, disappeared.

Programs featuring debaters like Yangmyeon Geoul and Choi Ji-na were all canceled. Newspapers that ran interviews with Byun Jae-ik regarding the Player Extermination Authorization Act were either shut down or filled with articles criticizing him as if begging for forgiveness.

The school newspaper at Eun Gwang High survived thanks to Geum Chan-sol and Wang Chan-sol’s antics, but Choi Pyeon-deuk’s group left a trace of interference.

‘The reason Mr. Moon survived all this was largely because he was on the frontlines. Other powerful players were nearby. But now, the entire Gangwon Province is a battlefield...’

Moon Saeron, who always encouraged interviewees to appear bright and confident, suddenly lost the sparkle in her eyes.

Her special psychic ability, Heavenly Ear, concentrated heavily, as if trying to locate her father’s presence through the dense spiritual field.

But the attempt failed.

“...I can’t hear Dad anymore.”

Moon Saeron’s Heavenly Ear was unique.

Especially with family, she could distinguish even their breathing.

Now, she could not detect her father’s breath.

If luck favored her, he might be hiding somewhere, holding his breath. If not, he could already be dead.

Before Joo Suhyuk and Andain could offer comforting words, Moon Saeron lifted her head.

“Everyone, sorry! I’ll stay here. I can’t go with you into the Demon Realm!”

She forced a bright expression.

She had just been downcast from the news about her father but had recently been excited about reporting on the new world, so her decision was unexpected.

“Covering the Demon Realm is important, but we need someone to report and document the war happening in Gangwon Province. Without Dad, there’s no one on the frontlines.”

Her voice trembled slightly at “without Dad.”

Gwak Kyung-gu understood.

No one could predict how many would die here.

The Extermination Squad for the Demon Sect, gathered without expectation of reward, would face great loss, as would the remaining civilians defending their homes.

Someone had to record the consequences of the government’s and public’s choices.

There were a few conscientious civilian journalists in Gangwon, but they had to focus on survival first.

“Hey! The Demon Realm gate is closing!”

Guseulbi shouted.

As the gate began to close, she hastily wedged a frame made of collected Demon Realm plants, but it was futile.

Plans were rapidly falling apart.

Reinforcements from Jeolheukpoongrim wouldn’t arrive, and Moon Saeron, a key asset, couldn’t join them.

Joo Suhyuk made a quick decision as leader.

“Saeron, cover the reporting here. If the gate opens again, let Jeolheukpoongrim know to join us. For now, it’s just us...”

[Saeron, I just said that! You go too!]

At that moment, the newspaper badge Moon Saeron wore emitted a beep, followed by familiar voices.

It was the school newspaper team.

After experiencing several communication failures, they had developed primitive short-range radios for close-distance communication.

[Reporting from the group chat. Sorry for the delay, got family permission!]

[I snuck in.]

[I wasn’t going to come, but seeing the reporting tools passed down in the newsroom, I had to...]

One by one, the team’s voices reached her.

Third-year members, filming the volcanic eruption, had all been stranded on a school trip.

They recorded the third-year’s movements, photographed, and wrote articles, including the volcanic eruption. Thanks to them, students from Eun Gwang High accused of provoking the volcano to display psychic power were cleared.

Although Yeom Jun-yeol’s innocence couldn’t be fully proven, the remaining students avoided blame.

“So, I leave the reporting to you guys? Are you sure I can go?”

[Hurry!]

“Got it, I’ll do my best with the reporting!”

Despite poor audio and static, laughter could be heard.

Perhaps it was a final farewell.

Moon Saeron glanced at the silent radio, then in the direction where her father’s sound had disappeared, and whispered,

“Goodbye, Dad...”

Next, it was Gwak Kyung-gu’s turn to jump in.

Hearing Moon Saeron, he realized he had never properly greeted his own father.

On the day everything happened, he had already joined the Extermination Squad at dawn with the Twin Iron Blades.

Unlike Moon Saeron, he left no sentimental words, only one final glance back.

“Wait, you...!”

Gwak Kyung-gu’s eyes widened.

Heo Chae-ah, who had intended to stay behind, suddenly jumped in after them.

The group entered the Demon Realm.

Even if the journey had gone according to plan, it would have been a mess, but now it was deteriorating further.

Those who should have come did not, and those who shouldn’t came.

Fortunately, Heo Chae-ah did her part, though suspicions arose.

She was suspected of being influenced by Choi Pyeon-deuk’s group, which was unavoidable.

‘No matter how painful, we have to watch over it.’

They were heading into the domain ruled by the Demon God of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Human sins were deeply entwined with emotion, and the Demon God’s priests knew exactly how to manipulate them.

They had to contend not only with external attacks but also with suspicion arising from within.

They persuaded one another, cried, suffered, and pushed forward.

Even amidst this grueling replay, they tried to see the positive.

‘Moon Saeron just mentioned a friend. Could it be about Namgung Gyuyun?’

Observing the journey revealed things unnoticed during gameplay.

It was impossible to capture every idle chatter, but they saw Cha Seok-won scolded by Andain while trying to collect samples from decaying, gas-emitting soil, and Maeng Hyo-don retreating due to accumulated minor injuries.

Yet the protagonists continued forward, overcoming trials, gaining small bonds and fortune.

The long yet brief journey into the Demon Realm was nearing its end.

Heo Chae-ah realized the guide had just led them down a path of death.

‘The replay’s end is approaching.’

Even as the end drew near, the real-world Gwak Kyung-gu remained expressionless, eyes closed, asleep.

Within the replay, he also sensed the end of the Demon Realm journey, holding hope as he advanced.

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