The unwelcome guest Yong Jegun was acting so shamelessly because he held that information.

No, even if he had nothing to boast of, I bet Yong Jegun would have boldly messed around in the leisure world anyway.

‘As of now, among the 12 zodiac Jin clans, the one we know least about is the Gye clan. I need to understand what the Gye clan looks like from Yong Jegun’s perspective.’

Right now, I wasn’t looking for information based on recognition or popularity, but intelligence useful for the upcoming conflicts.

Judging by their behavior at Plumago and their involvement in dark schemes in this world, the Gye clan’s whereabouts were the most mysterious.

Here’s what I had gathered so far about the 12 zodiac Jin clans:

First, the Seo clan.

Led by Seodol, the wise rat in the Creation Song, the Seo clan can’t quite be called allies but have solidified cooperation with us.

As long as Seodol has the protection he gave to Kwon Je-in and Hong Gyu-bin, he won’t side with the dark forces.

‘The problem is that Seodol has grown bored of finding a way to break the "Eye" power. That needs to be solved before the demon world scenario begins.’

Second, the Woo clan.

When the Horse King ruled, they acted as the “long tail” aiding the dark forces.

After the Christmas incident, the clan disbanded and internal affairs came to light, revealing not all were involved with the darkness.

Following civil wars and purges, the resentful Gugall Anna rose as leader.

Though weakened, the Woo clan would not side again with the dark forces as long as Gugall Anna led.

Third, the Ho clan.

The Ho clan is deeply intertwined with me. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Though the clan aligned with the five colors has returned to its place, it remains the dark forces’ main target ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) with unresolved problems.

‘My greatest concern is Yeong-in’s presence. The Ho clan should have attempted contact at least once, but there’s been no movement.’

Fourth, the To clan.

The To clan works with the Ho clan and possess the troublesome Wolgung Map, owned by their leader Okto-yeon, the rabbit who cannot die.

Thus, the dark forces target other To clans to cause mental breakdowns, but the Ho clan’s intervention has prevented this.

Okto-yeon still enjoys rice cakes and sometimes sends device messages to complain or cooperate with the Association’s satellite management team using the Wolgung Map.

‘Lately, they brag about a secret project. If it’s secret, why make such a fuss?’

Fifth, the Dragon clan.

Among the 12 zodiac, the Dragon clan is the second most targeted and harmed by the dark forces after the Ho clan.

They suffered major crises during the broadcast station raid, the Imugi’s descent at the Dragon Palace, the First Christmas, and the Jeju field trip incident.

It’s certain they are allies with no chance of betrayal.

Considering the To clan is the most reliable ally but limited in strength, the Dragon clan is a solid partner.

‘The Sa clan is a delicate ally but currently trustworthy.’

Sixth, the Sa clan.

The Sa clan’s leader isn’t deeply tied to the human world or the Ho clan.

However, I confirmed they have no intention to cooperate with the dark forces.

The Sa clan leader’s blessing was given to Bang Yun-seop.

If Bang Yun-seop had become a servant as Invidius’s priest intended during Christmas, the students’ bodies and minds would have been destroyed as the dark forces planned.

Moreover, the priest cherished by the higher being served by the Sa clan’s leader is Yoo Sang-hee.

‘As long as Bang Yun-seop and Yoo Sang-hee remain, the Sa clan won’t easily side with the dark forces.’

Meanwhile, like the To clan, some require help from the Ho clan.

Seventh, the Ma clan (horse clan).

They came to Korea aiming for territory but were targeted for extermination due to a name overlap with a Jin clan.

I suspected it was deception and verified with some incidents: they are indeed victims seriously confronting us.

Their leaders, Heukma and Hwang Ji-ho, have allied.

Eighth, the Yang clan.

Aside from dream-related senses and barrier formation, possibly the weakest.

Had the Ho clan been late during the school trip, the Yang clan would have been wiped out.

They endangered themselves trying to save Eungwang High students, so they likely have no dark force ties.

‘Remaining are the Won, Gye, Gyeon, and Don clans, all but Gye cooperate with the Ho clan.’

Ninth, the Won clan.

Their leader, Jecheon Daeseong, is allied with the Horse King and Jeokangnyeop, so they’re the most suspicious by association.

However, they acted heroically rescuing his brother Muji and subduing Jeokangnyeop, saving Eungwang High from the cold.

They declared they would hand Ginkgoju to Hwang Ji-ho if they betrayed us, making them trustworthy.

Tenth, the Gyeon clan.

They have a secret alliance with the Ho clan and, according to Hwang Ji-ho, are “closer than sworn brothers.”

Evidence is the Ho clan’s genius warrior who looks like a puppy, sharing spiritual power closely.

‘And lastly, the Don clan is well managed by its current leader.’

Eleventh, the Don clan.

They sided with the dark forces centered on Jeokangnyeop but were purged after the First Christmas incident.

Their current leader, Gulinburusti, risked life opposing them that day.

Though not indebted to the Ho clan or held by Ginkgoju, they are still cautious.

If judged only by goodwill, they’re trustworthy.

‘Other Jin clans have appeared in the main scenario or had chances to confirm their true intentions, but the Gye clan is different.’

Lastly, the Gye clan.

They never deeply involved themselves in any incidents so far.

Some traces have been found—namely, granting blessing to Sawol Seyum.

That never happened at Plumago.

‘When Sawol Seyum flew, only translucent feathers were visible—no notable effects.’

She supposedly received blessing through Oh Hye-jeong’s mediation.

The one introduced by Oh Hye-jeong was the sacred white chicken that heralded the founding of the Gyerim dynasty, the current Gye clan leader.

It wasn’t strange that those from Gyerim favored the Sawol clan, the last dynasty’s herald.

The dark forces target the Sawol clan, and since the Gye clan leader blessed Sawol Seyum, they’re likely on our side—but blessing alone isn’t proof.

‘The butterfly spirit blessed Kim Yu-ri but wasn’t an ally. Blessings require mutual consent when given but not necessarily when taken back. They can be revoked at crucial moments, like during the youth retreat.’

So when the snake blessed Bang Yun-seop, I had to check repeatedly.

If the snake hadn’t personally given its scales and asked for help, I’d remain suspicious.

That’s why, before this big scenario, I had to verify the Gye clan’s will.

“Yong Jegun, we won’t chase you away. Stop stalling and speak.”

Hwang Ji-ho was fed up but didn’t revoke the invitation order.

The Gye clan is as closed off as the Yang clan hidden in Jeju.

They planned to come out recently but canceled due to the plague and nightmare spread by Seodol.

In other words, because of Seodol and me, they’re more secluded, so it’s hard for me to act directly.

Thus, we needed someone shameless enough to visit the Gye clan without invitation.

That’s why we sent Yong Jegun.

“I toured every corner of the Gye clan’s territory, bothered and annoyed the locals. Good job, right?”

I felt a bit sorry for the Gye clan.

If they’d allied with the dark forces or planned to, that’d be fine, but if not, I’d feel very sorry.

I had harassed innocent chickens as a leisure world dragon.

Hwang Ji-ho probably thought similarly.

Yong Jegun grinned.

“Two things stood out. One, the Gye clan leader is hiding something.”

“What’s that? Information? An item? A Jin clan like Muji or Gugall Anna?”

“Who knows. There was an area where we absolutely couldn’t set foot. Not even the Shinyeok center.”

“That’s not enough. Even in the Ho clan’s territory, besides the Shinyeok center, there are plenty of places you wouldn’t want to set foot in.”

I could understand that sentiment.

Regardless of my trust in Yong Jegun, Hwang Ji-ho wouldn’t want that leisure world dragon anywhere near the fifth floor of the tiger mansion.

Even if the Shinyeok center isn’t the mansion but Eungwang High.

From my perspective, I’d feel uneasy if someone asked whether Yong Jegun could come into the dormitory bedroom.

“Normally people would dislike or be annoyed, but he was scared.”

That surprised me.

Though I hadn’t met the Gye clan leader personally, I’d seen his speeches during the 12 zodiac meeting.

He wasn’t aggressive in leading talks but responded belligerently to nonsense from other leaders.

Even someone as strong as Jecheon Daeseong never changed that attitude.

‘During the 12 zodiac meeting, he openly pointed out that this wasn’t a place to punish traitors but to report after the fact. He’s not the type to fear what Yong Jegun does.’

The 12 zodiac meeting isn’t face-to-face, but power and skill are conveyed beyond the magic circle.

Yet the Gye clan leader was scared of Yong Jegun—strange.

Of course, Yong Jegun might have exaggerated.

“So, did you confirm that?”

“If we forced entry, we’d have to fight all the Gye clan members there. We poked around and backed off.”

“Useless.”

I quietly agreed with Hwang Ji-ho’s thought.

If a fight broke out between the Dragon and Gye clans, the dark forces would be the only ones happy.

Yong Jegun enjoyed the accusing looks and continued boastfully.

“Second, everyone wants to leave Gyeryongsan. Unlike the Yang clan, they dislike closed-off life.”

Though Yong Jegun seemed that way, he had wide connections, including with the Yang clan.

Having just seen the Yang clan on Jeju Island, I sympathized.

The Yang clan was enjoying island life, but the Gye clan apparently disliked being confined to Gyeryongsan.

“So, I invited them. Conveniently, there was a reason. I enticed the Gye clan leader with curiosity about how the blessed child was doing. He quickly came around.”

“What did you do?”

“Just used my teacher’s authority.”

Yong Jegun’s eyes and mouth curled with delight, acting as if he’d done something incredible.

“I invited the Gye clan to the Eungwang High festival. Meeting them directly will reveal a lot.”