016

Episode 4 – Line of Hypocrisy (2)

I often thought about it.

Why did so many 'predictable villains' appear in post-apocalyptic stories. It must be the laziness of the authors to think that crimes such as rape or theft would occur indiscriminately in such a situation. If the real 'destruction' came, wouldn't humans act more rationally than they thought?

"It looks like he won't give it. Hey, go ahead and kill him!"

The answer was now right in front of me. I observed the men coming towards me, as well as the man watching from the rear.

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' expects a fair judgment.]

I once again realized it. The human imagination was cliché, yet real humans were more cliché than the imagination.

Hwiiik!

The trajectory of the iron pipe moved in a funny manner through the air. It wasn't a strike with the intent to kill. In fact, it didn't hurt that much.

"I-If you don't run away then you really will die. Get lost!"

The four men surrounded me. One was trembling but the others looked more relaxed than before. It was probably due to the advantage in numbers.

"What are these brats doing?"

Waaaah! Along with the shout, one man rushed forward. It was clearly a defenseless posture. I moved the thorn.

Puok!

"Aaaaack! My leg! My leg!"

"You bastard!"

"Hit him together!"

The agitated men rushed simultaneously but I wasn't afraid. Their strength level was just above 5. I endured the incoming attacks and silently stabbed the thorn.

Tang! Kaaang!

Puok! Puok!

The men had their thighs successively pierced and fell to their knees with a scream. But I didn't kill them. It was because the scenario clear condition was to 'neutralize' them.

[The constellations of the absolute good system nod at your judgment.]

[A few constellations laugh at your humanity.]

[The constellations have sponsored you 100 coins.]

If I became a murderer, I might be able to attract the attention of the constellations for a while. However, it was only a while. Instantly raising the threshold of stimulation wasn't good in the long run.

[There are three minutes to the end of the scenario.]

Two minutes had passed. Time calculation was important in time attack scenarios.

"W-What the hell is this bastard? Why won't you die?"

At this time, their leader who was watching the situation from the back came forward.

"You are a fairly tough guy. Everyone back off. I will deal with him."

"Cheolsoo hyung-nim! This guy seems to have a pretty strong sponsor!"

"Good. It looks like he has a lot of coins."

Knuckles shining with a black gloss. They weren't ordinary iron knuckles. Did he receive it from his sponsor?

Crunch.

There was the relaxed sound of bones cracking from the knuckled hands.

[The character 'Cheolsoo' has used Threaten.]

[Threaten doesn't work because the overall capabilities gap is too big.]

"Hoh, aren't you quite good? You aren't getting scared at all."

The man's fist moved before he finished talking. The attack was aimed exactly at my jaw. I quickly stepped back. That guy smiled.

"Aren't you quite good? Do you exercise?"

Even if I didn't have a footwork skill, anyone could do this if their agility exceeded level 10. Since I previously invested most of my remaining coins after buying items, the total sum of my body stats now reached 33.

Should I look at this guy?

[The exclusive skill, Character List is activated.]

[Character Information]

Name: Bang Cheolsoo.

Age: 34 years old.

Constellation Sponsor: Monarch of the Small Fries.

Private Attribute: Assault Force Captain (General)

Exclusive skills: Dogfight Lv. 2, Bluff Lv. 2.

Stigmata: [Threaten Lv.1]

Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 6, Strength Lv. 7, Agility Lv. 6, Magic Power Lv. 2.

Overall Evaluation: A common small fry who was lucky to obtain a sponsor. He has a tendency to overstate his abilities compared to his actual combat strength.

Ah…right. Now I remembered.

"Bang Cheolsoo of the Cheoldoo Group."

"What, you know me?"

"Let's see?"

My memory was dim because he disappeared like the wind at the beginning of the work, but I fuzzily recalled there was a character called Bang Cheolsoo.

He was the stupidest guy in the group at Gumho Station.

As far as I knew, these guys should've been killed by Yoo Jonghyuk. Why were they still alive?

"Ohu, perhaps you are of 'that' category? You must've killed people. Isn't that right? Yes, I feel that we are somewhat alike."

[The character 'Bang Cheolsoo' has used Bluff.]

Bluff. It was a skill that anyone who was a thug possessed. It was a good debuff that could weaken the opponent's attack power, but this case was different.

[Fourth Wall has blocked the bluff of the character Bang Cheolsoo.]

[The confidence of the character Bang Cheolsoo is rapidly falling.]

"Are you ignoring me? You really want to die."

Bang Cheolsoo took a threatening Greco-Roman wrestling posture and rushed towards me. But that was only a bluff. It was because he didn't have the 'wrestling' skill.

"Stop beating around the bush and come on."

"Son of a bitch!"

The key skill that Bang Cheolsoo had was Dogfight Lv. 2. His combat power was insignificant unless he got into a melee.

"Die!"

The agility difference was so high that his attacks rarely hit me. I looked at him with a bit of sympathy.

Not all constellations had a desire to raise their incarnations as the 'protagonist' of the scenario.

For example, his constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' was famous for being thrifty with his incarnations. A masochist who enjoyed using idiots as his incarnation, enjoying watching them be crushed by other incarnations.

That was the 'Monarch of the Small Fries.'

[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is delighted.]

[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' has sponsored you 100 coins.]

Despite his incarnation being smashed, he was supporting the enemy. Originally, I was thinking about ending the time attack in one blow but now the story was a bit different.

[There are two minutes to the end of the sub scenario.]

Then I should make the most of the remaining time.

"You rat bastard!"

All of his lines were in the style of the Monarch of the Small Fries. How pitiful.

Peeok!

"Haha! I hit you!"

His attack luckily hit but there was little damage. The spot where I was hit just stung a bit.

"How?"

How? My stamina was Lv. 12. His strength was only Lv. 7. The difference in the overall stats gap created a huge combat power gap.

"Is it my turn now?"

I touched the cheek of the stupefied Bang Cheolsoo before hitting it as hard as I could. A few teeth flew out as Bang Cheolsoo screamed. I didn't hesitate and pierced his arm precisely with the thorn.

"Aaaagh!"

I fixed one of his arms to the wall with the thorn and started the indiscriminate assault. I chose the areas that were the most painful without knocking him out, such as the back, thigh, femur and side.

[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is delighted.]

[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' has requested an extension of the sub scenario time.]

[The sub scenario is extended by one minute.]

I also paid attention to the parts where the woman had been injured.

"Cough! Kuheok! Kuheeok!"

Blood and flesh were scattered. Broken teeth fell to the ground and the broken bones twisted abnormally. However, I didn't stop kicking.

"S-Stop! Please! Let Hyung-nim go!"

The men standing to the side exclaimed with panic. I looked over at them once in a while. Then he looked at the half naked woman lying on the ground.

Humans were weak. How could such weak humans do such cruel things? They used the excuse of the world being destroyed. They killed, raped women and stole from others.

Was it because of instincts?

I was suddenly curious as I saw Bang Cheolsoo's eyes stained with fear in front of a stronger violence?

"Why did you do it?"

It was a question out of nowhere. In fact, I didn't expect an answer to this question. But the moment I was about to kick him again, Bang Cheolsoo opened his eyes.

"Fuck…just kill me you son of a bitch."

The moment I saw his eyes, I knew he had answered my question in his own way. A look that didn't show any lingering attachment to life. Yes. It wasn't because of instincts.

Bang Cheolsoo talked in a voice that was subsiding.

"Dog, this dog-like world…"

This guy was a human who had been despairing long before this world was destroyed. Just like me.

[There are 10 seconds left to the end of the sub scenario.]

I didn't delay any further and gave a strong kick to his neck.

The breath was knocked out of him and Bang Cheolsoo finally fainted.

[You have met the conditions to clear the sub scenario.]

[You have earned 300 coins.]

I hope all of you are happy.

[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is satisfied and has sponsored you 100 coins.]

The other men crawled and approached me one by one.

"H-How cruel…"

They looked at Bang Cheolsoo, who had been turned into a rag, and then up at me with fear. It was like they were dogs waiting to be disposed of at a slaughterhouse.

I picked up the collapsed woman and the convenience store bags. In any case, the world had been destroyed and I had to live a new life.

"Take me to where the group is.

Gumho Station was originally a place that would grow into the region's base after it was organized by Yoo Jonghyuk.

In his first regression, Yoo Jonghyuk broke through the second main scenario with the Gumho Station group, allowing the people of the group to occupy a place in the new era.

But that was the first story. By the third round of regression, Yoo Jonghyuk was different.

The 3rd turn Yoo Jonghyuk was a monster who monopolized everything.

"…Even so, he was someone who would do the basic clean up."

"Huh?"

The man guiding me was surprised.

"I'm just talking to myself. It is a habit."

[The constellation Secretive Plotter likes your monologues.]

"Yes…anyway, this way."

The men of the Cheoldoo Group, who were supporting each other, stopped moving. We descended to the bottom of the dark platform and found a place where there was still light.

I heard the buzzing sound of people as we went down the stairs.

"The Cheoldoo Group! People are hurt!"

Some people rushed over to support Bang Cheolsoo's group. There was more of a system then I thought since people were moving in an orderly fashion.

In the meantime, I saw familiar faces run over.

"Oh my god. Dokja-ssi! Dokja-ssi!"

Fortunately, it looks like nothing happened.

"Yoo Sangah-ssi."

"I'm glad. Really, I'm really glad!"

Yoo Sangah stood in front of me with a happy expression. I was startled and asked for an awkward handshake. There were a lot of scrapes on the back of Yoo Sangah's hand, showing she had suffered quite a hard time in the past four days.

I heard a sound and something became attached to my leg.

"You're alive."

It was Lee Gilyoung. I stroked the boy's head.

"Have you been well?"

Lee Gilyoung nodded. He must be hungry since his cheeks were really thin. I pulled out a chocolate bar from the bag and placed it in Lee Gilyoung's hand.

"I knew you were alive, Dokja-ssi. Hah…"

Finally, I looked at Lee Hyunsung. The muscles of his upper half seemed to have become more solid. Maybe Lee Hyunsung had protected these two.

"I'm really sorry. At that time, I left Dojka-ssi…"

"It was an unavoidable situation."

"Phew, I'm glad that Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi was right."

…Yoo Jonghyuk? Why was that name heard here?

Lee Hyunsung noticed after a moment and said.

"That, Yoo Jonghyuk said that Dokja-ssi was probably alive…"

"…Where is Yoo Jonghyuk now?"

"He isn't here now."

Not here?

"Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi left the station yesterday. So…"

I could determine many things before Lee Hyunsung finished speaking. I see. It was truly like that. He was a person in a rush.

"That reminds me, there is one more person."

"Ah, the department head."

Yoo Sangah didn't finish speaking because a group of men suddenly intruded. But it was a good thing.

"Everybody, out of the way!"

I didn't have to hear the explanation to see what happened straight away. Three or four men armed with a hammer or pipe started to surround me. There was a familiar face among them.

"Y-You…!"

Han Myungoh abandoned me on the Even Bridge and now he looked like he had seen a ghost. Han Myungoh must've joined this group.

"G-Get rid of that guy! He is a very bad person! He shouldn't be here!"

A thief was always the one who felt pins and needles. Han Myungoh started exclaiming wildly.

However, I noticed that the other men looked at each other and didn't easily move. There was something weird. Han Myungoh was placed in the centre yet they didn't listen to him?

"Haha, Han hyung. Everyone should get along so why don't you stop?"

"Ah, t-that…"

"You are a new person."

The men split apart to the sides and a path was formed. A slim man appeared among them. I could tell just by looking in his eyes. This guy had a sponsor.

"Nice to meet you. Can I ask what your name is?"

"Kim Dokja."

"Dokja-ssi. I see. I am Cheon Inho."

Cheon Inho? It felt like a name I should remember. I inserted strength to the hand holding the thorn. It looked like this guy was the leader of the Cheoldoo Group. He lost half of his men to me so he came here to make trouble.

"I heard the story from those you came with. You fought a monster and saved my group members."

…What?

"Everyone, please gather! We have a brave new group member!"

After Cheon Inho's words, people started to turn this way one by one.

It was at this time that I knew. It was impossible for the charisma of Han Myungoh to gather this much power. Cheon Inho was the real leader of this bunch.

"Wah! It is food!"

Hungry eyes fell on the convenience store bags. Then Cheon Inho spoke as if he had been waiting.

"He delivered it exactly to us. He is a rare good person."

The words made all the eyes look at me like I was a savior. The mother holding the child and the elderly man who hurt his leg were looking at me earnestly.

Cheon Inho…I seemed to remember. Yes, there was this guy in the Gumho station group.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is excited.]

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In this ruined world, the real danger wasn't people like Bang Cheolsoo. Humans moving while feeling despair weren't the least bit dangerous to me.

The really dangerous people were those who used the despair of others as a fertilizer for power. Just like this guy.

"Welcome to Gumho Station, Kim Dokja-ssi."

Cheon Inho were laughing deeply while gazing at me. He inwardly laughed while shaking my hand.

Cheon Inho would never know. At this moment, his future had been decided.

017

Episode 4 – Line of Hypocrisy (3)

Despite the interference of Cheon Inho, the constellations didn't ask for a bounty scenario. In other words, it wasn't the best time to deal with him.

For around half a day, I focused on grasping the situation of Gumho Station. It was Lee Hyunsung who mainly gave information.

"Currently, there are 86 people in Gumho Station. Ah, I guess it is 87 people now with Dokja-ssi."

"It is less than I thought."

"Yes. When the scenario broke out, only those near the station and those on the train survived. Everyone didn't say it but perhaps in the first scenario…"

I didn't need to be told the next words. I could see it from the expressions of the people. Those who survived had trampled on someone's life. All the humans here were murderers.

"Currently, Gumho Station is divided into two groups. Strictly speaking, it is one group and the rest."

Lee Hyunsung looked at the people with a dark expression. There were men armed with iron pipes or other instruments. It was clear which was the faction in power.

"Believe in me! The group president is working hard and everyone will soon be rescued."

The youngest son of Hankyung Group, Han Myungoh.

"Hyung-nim is right, everyone. Don't lose hope. We will be able to led."

The one who embraced Han Myungoh and practically led the group was Cheon Inho. They were the 'mainstream group.'

"Mother, I'm bored…can't I play a game on the phone?"

"Hold on for a moment. The rescue team will come soon."

"The government will act. It isn't that easy to collapse a country."

And the people who were protected by the mainstream group and wanted to get on with their lives were the 'marginalized group.'

Their will was too weak to be killers. Even if 100 murderers were gathered together, they would be divided between the weak and the strong. Maybe they were thinking that they weren't murderers. They all believed it was unavoidable.

Lee Hyunsung watched the mainstream group inciting the people and said.

"Food distribution is determined by the mainstream group. Convenience stores and restaurants in the region have already been robbed…the foods that can be eaten right now are almost gone."

"I see."

"It is the reason why some people from the mainstream group were sent above ground for food exploration. Heewon-ssi, who you brought in, went with them"

"Heewon-ssi…?"

"Ah, it is the name of the woman who Dokja-ssi saved."

I looked at the woman who lay on the subway bench. Under the bright light, her beauty could be seen. Her raised cheeks and gentle features meant she must've often heard she was attractive. Thanks to the monkey's lungs, her colour was much brighter than it was this morning.

"Is Heewon-ssi the only one who didn't come back?"

"No. In fact, a few more people went out this morning but only those from the marginalized group didn't return."

"They didn't come back?"

"Yes."

Lee Hyunsung's expression became sad again. He thought he roughly knew what happened.

I grabbed Lee Hyunsung's shoulder. I knew for sure after actually touching him. He truly was the steel sword. His strength would soon exceed level 10.

"W-Why are you…?"

"Lee Hyunsung-ssi should've received a love call but you didn't accept."

"Ah, that…"

Objectively, Lee Hyunsung's combat power was higher than Bang Cheolsoo. There was no way Cheon Inho wouldn't aim for him.

"I can't explain it but I thought I shouldn't accept. I don't know much about morals or ethics but…"

Lee Hyunsung scratched his head like he was embarrassed.

"I felt that something wasn't right."

Not right… It wasn't an answer but I felt it was true. Indeed, Lee Hyunsung was Lee Hyunsung.

"Don't forget this heart."

That way, I could continue to believe in him.

I heard a cute sound from somewhere and looked back, seeing Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung looking up at me. Their faces were like baby birds waiting for the mother bird, making me laugh.

"That reminds me, it is already evening. Aren't you hungry? Take this one by one."

I handed over the food from the convenience store one by one.

"Ah. Really? Can I?"

"This time is free. But next time, you should pay for it."

"Huh? H-How much…?"

"Don't you all have coins? It is 10 coins for one."

"T-That…"

Confusion filled the faces of Yoo Sangah and Lee Hyunsung. They looked like they hadn't expected my words.

"Of course. I will pay right now. I don't need freebies."

Surprisingly, the one who spoke was the woman who had been lying on the bench. She had regained consciousness.

"I am Jung Heewon. Thank you for your help this morning."

"It is nothing."

I thought it was just a cute mask but I could see that it was a prejudice.

"Yoo Sangah-ssi, Lee Hyunsung-ssi. Everyone, please wake up. It isn't the time to be making this look. This food, he obtained it by risking his life. Do you expect to get it for free?"

There was almost no expression on the face that spoke without hesitation.

"Ah…" Yoo Sangah turned red like she had woken up. "I was too short-sighted, I'm sorry. Of course we should pay…it is right. I don't like freebies either. I hate depending on other people."

"I also agree with Yoo Sangah-ssi. I will pay coins from now on."

I was a little surprised by the unexpected reaction. Indeed, just because it was an apocalypse didn't mean there was only one type of person.

"If you insist…I understand. Does everyone know how to exchange coins?"

"Yes. I learned a few days ago. Touch each other's index finger, um, and…"

"Just state how many coins you want to exchange."

Starting from Jung Heewon, Yoo Sangah and Lee Hyunsung paid 10 coins in exchange for food. It was fortunate that their resistance wasn't bigger than what I thought.

I didn't do this in order to get a few coins. At first, this judgment might seem harsh but people would soon realize this choice was right.

['Lee Gilyoung' has paid you 20 coins.]

"Huh? You gave me more than 10 coins?"

"It is the price for the chocolate bar during the day."

Lee Gilyoung's expression while speaking was quite good. Maybe the fastest to adapt to a new world wasn't an adult but a child. It was easier for children to break common sense.

"Will Dokja-ssi keep staying with us?"

"Ah, that…"

"Dokja-ssi."

It wasn't Lee Hyunsung who called out to me. I looked back and saw Cheon Inho from the mainstream group. Yes, I thought he would be back soon.

"Can I talk with you for a while?"

Bang Cheolsoo was missing some teeth and glaring at me from behind Cheon Inho. He stared at me before turning his head away. A foolish fellow.

"Okay, let's talk."

I nodded and Cheon Inho spoke with a satisfied expression.

"Then can the rest of you vacate this place for a moment? I want to talk to Dokja-ssi alone."

"Ah, that…"

"No, you don't have to go. You can listen."

Cheon Inho's eyes twitched at my words. Lee Hyunsung stopped as he was about to retreat.

"Hmmm, is that so? Well…I don't care."

He acted like they were free to listen. Cheon Inho wiped the bench and sat down. Men from the Cheoldoo Group appeared on both sides of him and handed him a cigarette and lighter. He had seen too many movies.

"You seem to have a nature that dislikes cumbersome things, so I will get to the point."

"Yes."

"Join our group."

It was an expected offer.

"I can offer Dokja-ssi a high position in our group. I want to lead the group together with you."

"Why me?"

"Shouldn't you know why?"

Cheon Inho glanced towards the injured Cheoldoo Group members.

"Dokja-ssi is a hero who saved people from monsters. A hero needs such a place."

It was an interesting way of thinking. He would take advantage of my presence.

"And if I refuse?"

"Refuse? How interesting. I never thought about that." Cheon Inho blew out cigarette smoke towards me. "Dokja-ssi, this isn't a favour. You have a duty to do this. Can't you see the poor people here?"

People were looking this way with scruffy faces. There were crying children and tired elderly people.

"It isn't a big story. I am asking you to work together for survival. Dokja-ssi, don't you have the strength?"

"What exactly do you want?"

"I need someone to be a hitman."

Hitman?

"Until a few days ago, there was someone else doing the job. He procured food alone and hunted in the tunnels. To be exact, we took it one-sidedly."

I didn't need to ask.

This was the story of Yoo Jonghyuk.

"But he suddenly left last night."

"So you need someone to replace him?"

"I think your strength is proven with Cheolsoo-ssi."

Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon's eyes widened. Now they noticed what was going on.

"It isn't bad for Dokja-ssi. You are the hero of the people and will be the leader of the group with us. Everyone will like you and also…"

"I'm sorry but I can't be responsible for anyone. I don't want to join your group."

"Hrmm. Is that so?"

"Above all, the way you run the group doesn't fit me."

I looked at the health members of the Cheoldoo Group and the sickly-looking members of the marginalized group. In particular, Jung Heewon was looking at the Cheon Inho as if he was her mortal enemy.

"Is that so? It is fine. But if you change your mind, come back anytime."

"That will not happen."

"Haha, it remains to be seen."

It didn't take long to find out what Cheon Inho's words meant.

As the members of the Cheoldoo Group retreated, the other group members approached as if they had been waiting. It was the people of the marginalized group. They grabbed me and raised their voices.

"Hey, is the rumour true?"

"Are you really monopolizing the food?"

"Are you going to eat it all when there is enough to share with everyone?"

"We are all staying here! Why are you the only one to have it?"

"Leave the food to Inho-ssi! He will distribute it fairly!"

I knew what was going on. I could see the smiling face of Cheon Inho in the rear of the people. His lips were moving.

'Choose.'

Would I give food and become the hero? Or would I be the villain and monopolize it alone?

If I chose to be the hero, I would fall into Cheon Inho's game. After the food was distributed, I would have to hunt for food with the group members and would someday get stabbed in the back.

On the other hand, I would be isolated in a group in a moment if I monopolized the food alone.

[The eyes of a few constellations are shining.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' has snorted.]

As the people became heated up, Cheon Inho came forward.

"Ahh, everyone. Calm down. There seems to be a misunderstanding. Kim Dokja-ssi isn't such a person."

What was this? A decoy?

"Kim Dokja-ssi decided to work with us. The food he brought today will be left to the mainstream group and will be shared fairly. He also promised to continue to work with us―"

Of course, he believed I would choose him. It was hard to listen anymore.

"Stop."

I worried about it for a short moment. What would Yoo Jonghyuk do? Ah, that's it. The answer was that he wasn't here right now.

But I wasn't Yoo Jonghyuk.

"Of course I will give out food." I saw Cheon Inho's lips curve upwards. But people should listen to the end. "However, it isn't for free."

Unlike Yoo Jonghyuk, I wouldn't throw everything away to move forward. But I wouldn't be responsible for everyone. Food was given but it wouldn't be for free.

People were puzzled as if they didn't understand the words.

"W-Wait a minute! It isn't free?"

"I'll tell you. I don't intend to monopolize the food. But I won't give food to Cheon Inho's group. I'm not UNICEF and I don't trust them."

I smiled at Cheon Inho.

"I will make a deal with you. I will sell you the food for a fair price."

"S-Sell?"

"What…?"

"Uh, how much…money?"

In the distance, I could see Cheon Inho's face stiffening. I laugh as I faced him.

"No, I only accept coins."

After a while, only the people in the marginalized group with a relationship with me returned.

"That…D-Dokja-ssi. Is this a good choice?"

"Sheesh, is there anything free in life? Dokja-ssi, you said it well. I feel refreshed."

Jung Heewon dismissed Lee Hyunsung's concern. After I made the 'trade' declaration, many citizens turned away from me. Maybe they were disappointed.

"I agree with Heewon-ssi. The people here are too tame to the mainstream group."

"That's right. The sons of bitches…Gumho Station is currently in their palms. People are treated as cattle and are sometimes taken to a slaughterhouse. Just like myself this morning."

Jung Heewon's body trembled.

In fact, it wasn't me but the mainstream group monopolizing the food. They monopolized the food on the pretext of 'fair distribution' and feed it to the tamed people.

Humans were the weakest when they believed someone protected them. Once authority was established in a one-sided relationship, people started to depend on them.

"I agree. That's why I believe that Dokja-ssi's declaration today was very meaningful. People need to have the will to do something on their own. However…"

Lee Hyunsung looked towards the food.

"Not even one was sold. 50 coins for one, isn't this price too expensive? Why don't you make it 10 coins like you did with us…?"

It wasn't unreasonable to think so. People only paid attention to the mainstream group and showed no signs of looking this way. People still needed time.

I responded calmly.

"Let's wait a little longer."

Then night came.

The sound of huge monsters was heard intermittently from the ground and people often had nightmares. Lee Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah fell asleep first while Jung Heewon was dozing off.

"Dokja-ssi should sleep as well. I will stand vigil."

"Nope. It is okay. Lee Hyunsung-ssi can sleep first."

"But you will be tired."

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"I have work to do."

"Work to do?"

I pointed behind Lee Hyunsung. Surprisingly, there were the shadows of people. It wasn't just one.

"That…are you still trading the food?"

Finally, the people started to move.

018

Episode 4 – Line of Hypocrisy (4)

The next morning, I was almost out of supplies. Jung Heewon stared at the convenience store bags as if she couldn't believe it.

"Oh my god, it is sold out?"

"Yes."

"Ha, really funny. Everyone was just watching and now…"

"Nope, it isn't just the marginalized group."

The guests who came in the middle of the night weren't just members of the marginalized group.

"Kim Dokja-ssi, you are making the worst choice."

Among them was Cheon Inho.

"You will regret it."

More than half the food I had was taken by the mainstream group. Of course, they paid the exact amount.

Jung Heewon was in a rage after hearing the story.

"Wait a minute. Then the mainstream group will just monopolize the food again?"

"Something like that."

"No, what is this? Weren't you going to weaken the power of the mainstream group by promoting transactions among the people?"

It was unexpected insight. I responded with a bit of admiration.

"That's correct. That was the intent. I wanted people to move voluntarily."

"Then why did you sell food to the mainstream group? The situation won't change!"

"It has changed. I have obtained coins."

"Huh?"

It was 1,450 coins. It was a huge income for one night.

"No…what is Dokja-ssi thinking? Sangah-ssi, can we really trust this man?"

Yoo Sangah flinched as attention suddenly turned to her but then she smiled brightly.

"I believe in him."

It was burdensome.

"Dokja-ssi, did you leave enough food for yourself?"

"Nope, I sold it."

Jung Heewon's mouth fell open as if she was dumbfounded. At that time, someone poked my cheek. I turned my head and found a biscuit.

"Huh? You want me to eat it?"

Nod nod. The head moved cutely. I smiled, took the biscuit and put it in Lee Gilyoung's mouth.

"I'm okay. You eat it. Ah, I should tell you something… everyone, do you still have the food you ate yesterday?"

"Yes, I have it."

"I have a bit left."

"Why? Do you want to buy it back? I will sell it." Jung Heewon waved the biscuit in a playful manner.

"No, you should eat it now."

"Huh?"

"Eat it all before today. You should do it." I repeatedly stressed. "Or you will regret it."

"Why…no, wait a minute. Sangah-ssi, what are you doing now? Why are you listening to him?"

"There is a reason why Dokja-ssi would say this."

Yoo Sangah smiled sweetly and opened a bag of biscuits. Lee Hyunsung was confused but ate the food. Meanwhile, Lee Gilyoung had eaten it the moment I spoke. He was a good listener.

"Ah well…I will leave one back."

"I won't stop you."

I shrugged at Jung Heewon's words. It was up to her to regret it.

At lunch time, there was a major announcement from the mainstream group. Cheon Inho stood on a platform surrounded by people and said.

"We will limit the food ration from today. The allocation is three biscuits per person. And―"

People became irritated before the speech was over.

"What? Three biscuits? How can we live on that?"

"That's right! Don't the scouts get more food? Do you think we don't know?"

Despite being cursed at, Cheon Inho just laughed calmly.

"Your words are good. Yes. The scouts receive more rations. If you want food, please apply to be a scout."

"Very few people have come back after applying to be a scout! The Cheoldoo Group members are the ones who always come back!"

"Do you want us to die now?"

Cheon Inho was nonchalant despite the violence reactions of the citizens.

"Those people were just unlucky. You know that it is terribly dangerous outside. Why don't you obtain food yourself if you are dissatisfied?"

"T-That…"

The people closed their mouths dumbly. If they went out now, they would die. Everyone knew this.

Cheon Inho wasn't finished.

"Ah, there is a way to get food without being a scout."

"What is it?"

"A deal. We will be happy to exchange food for anything we determine to be of value. Every person can give something different. Isn't that right?"

Cheon Inho's cold gaze caused the people to tremble. It was mostly the people who came to me yesterday and bought food.

[The character 'Cheon Inho' has activated the 'Incite Lv. 2' skill.

"Originally, I wasn't going to do this. But yesterday, Kim Dokja-ssi told me something nice. That's right everyone. Is there anything free in the world? If you want food, you have to prove your worth. This is the way it is. Haha, thank you for telling me something good. Kim Dokja-ssi."

…Look at this?

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on me. Their eyes were mostly filled with resentment.

"Because of that bastard…"

People wanted to be stupid and Cheon Inho had the 'Incite' skill. It was a skill that most good group leaders would have. But this way, the hostility would turn towards me again…

I looked at the back of Cheon Inho. It was a cute level. At least compared to the people at Chungmuro and Seoul Station.

The people gathered in front of the podium were already trying to bargain.

"I-I will buy it with coins. How much do you want?"

"200 coins."

"Huh? But I don't have that many coins."

"Then go away."

200 coins for one piece of food. Even the dokkaebi was likely to pass out.

One of the Cheoldoo Group selling food saw my look and trembled. He had a bandage around his thigh and seemed to be one of the guys I beat up yesterday.

"Did I ever say thank you for yesterday?"

I suddenly turned my head and saw Jung Heewon standing nearby.

"I think I heard it."

"Still, I want to thank you again."

I wanted to say something but Jung Heewon's eyes were fixed on the injured Cheoldoo member.

"The one with the injured leg, he was the one who tried to rape me yesterday."

"…I see."

"Don't touch him because I will kill him myself. Understood?"

Her killing intent was impressive. Was she chosen by a sponsor or was it a late blooming attribute?

[The exclusive skill, Character List is activated.]

I was a little worried about using this skill. This woman would've died if I hadn't saved her. Would she be registered as a character?

[Character Information]

Name: Jung Heewon

Age: 27 years old.

Constellation Sponsor: None (Three constellations are currently showing interest in this person).

Private Attribute: Crouching Figure (General)

Exclusive skills: Demon Slayer Lv. 1, Kendo Lv. 1.

Stigmata: None

Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 4, Strength Lv. 4, Agility Lv. 7, Magic Power Lv. 4.

Overall Evaluation: She was a 'crouching figure' with enormous potential. The attribute information wasn't verified yet because the attribute hadn't blossomed.

Fortunately, her information appeared. It was different from Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung and Han Myungoh. Was she originally not abandoned? By the way, it was a very interesting exclusive attribute.

'Crouching figure.'

It didn't seem big based on the name, but it was one of the few 'super evolutionary' attributes in Ways of Destruction. 'Crouching Figure' was a general rated attribute, but it could reach a rare or legendary rating depending on the occasion.

One of the 100 strongest people in Ways of Survival, the Crazy Butcher evolved from 'Crouching Figure.'

Jung Heewon I thought she was just a passing person but I might have to consider taking her as a colleague.

It would take a while to grow her 'Demon Slaying' skill but this woman could become a powerful hitman if she was raised well.

"By the way, Dokja-ssi is very calm."

Calm… It might seem like that.

"I am familiar with situations like this in the novel."

"Huh? Does that make sense… Wait a minute. Where are you going?"

I didn't answer and descended from the platform. Jung Heewon wanted to come with me and I reached out a hand to stop her.

"It's okay."

Jung Heewon landed lightly below the platform.

I walked along the railway tracks and watched the tunnel road to Yaksu Station. It was filled with thick darkness and the inside wasn't visible, but it smelt terrible. It was a bloody smell.

"You aren't going inside are you?"

Jung Heewon asked.

"Everyone who went that way has died. The thugs or anyone else. Everyone who goes inside will unconditionally die."

Her words were wrong. Not everyone died. At least one person had already gone down this road and moved onto the next station.

We climbed onto the platform again. We had been gone for quite a time but the line of people to trade food was still long.

Some people who protested against the mainstream group were beaten up and other paid unusual prices for the food.

Shortly afterwards, Jung Heewon saw a few young women from the marginalized group sneak into the back of a tarp and she became furious.

"Ah, really annoying. Did you see that?"

"I saw it."

Cheon Inho had said it. 'Anything' could be exchanged for food. But the girls who just entered weren't carrying anything.

Jung Heewon sprang to her feet.

"I can't just watch this."

"What will you do?"

"Stop it. I have to tell them not to do it, no matter the circumstances!"

"Then those women will starve."

"Are you just going to watch?"

"Yes, I think you should just watch this time."

"What do you mean by that?"

I silently received Jung Heewon's contemptuous gaze.

"Jung Heewon-ssi, stopping those women won't solve the current problem. Even if you stop them now, something similar will occur late at night."

"…Then I will stop them again. I will stop it and stop it."

"Then what about their food? Among those who just entered the tarp, there is a mother with a child. If that child starves to death, will Jung Heewon-ssi be responsible for the child's death?"

Jung Heewon's eyes shook. She bowed her head as if to hide her expression.

"…Then what can I do? The alternative…"

I looked up at Jung Heewon.

With this, Jung Heewon wouldn't do anything unexpected. She was a 'Crouching Figure' with 'Demon Slaying.' Depending on how she acted, Jung Heewon might evolve into an indiscriminate murderer.

"Jung Heewon-ssi, the key to this problem is food. Isn't that right?"

"…That's right."

"Then we need to remove the cause of the problem."

"Huh…?"

I looked at my watch instead of answering. It was time.

Kwajijijik!

Yes, he showed up. The air split apart and a familiar figure was revealed. Screams came from everywhere. The nightmare of humanity that opened up this tragedy.

[H-How are you all doing? Haven't you been free for a while?]

The dokkaebi.

"A-Aaaagh!"

The people panicked at the appearance of the dokkaebi. It was never a good thing when this guy showed up. Even Jung Heewon, who was full of energy, flinched momentarily.

By the way, it wasn't Bihyung. Originally, Bihyung was the dokkaebi responsible for all nearby channels. But this guy was different. Unlike the pure white fur of Bihyung, this dokkaebi had black fur.

[M-My friend who was originally in charge of this channel is undergoing disciplinary action… S-So, I am responsible for this scenario.]

The dokkaebi's timid tone was very memorable.

[T-Then everyone. D-Don't you look very peaceful? T-That Bihyung, he pretended to be pretentious only to set this level of scenario difficulty…]

"W-What are you saying? Tell us what you want!"

[H-Hik. Don't be angry. Everyone. A-Anyway, I came for you guys…]

"For us?"

"T-Then give us food!"

[F-Food? Aha…if you want food…]

After his words ended, the dokkaebi moved his hand.

[A scenario penalty has been added.]

[From now on, food stockpiling is limited.]

[All existing stockpiled food has disappeared.]

"U-Uhh! What?"

The people with emergency food screamed. Whether it was from the mainstream group or marginalized group, everything that was called 'food' floated in the air.

[He, hehe. Then everyone. You can't. Y-You have to think about how to break the scenario.]

Susuk.

The canned food, biscuits, calorie bars, etc. The emergency food gathered by the people were destroyed with one gesture from the dokkaebi. The people's expressions became grim when they saw the food disappearing.

[Y-You want to eat? In any case, Earth trash…]

His tone suddenly changed. I seemed to remember his name. According to the original setting, there was one dokkaebi like this. His tone was timid but he was crueler than any dokkaebi.

In the distance, Cheon Inho was watching me with confused eyes.

[Everyone, let's have fun from now on. Hehe…]

It was followed by system messages.

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[A scenario penalty has been added.]

[The 'survival cost' clause has been added.]

[From now on, 100 coins will be deducted every night for the 'survival cost'. If you can't pay the 'survival cost', you will die.]

[The 'survival cost' penalty will be maintained until the second main scenario is cleared.]

I laughed as I read the rising messages. Yes, now it was like Ways of Survival.

019

Episode 5 – Shadow Keeper (1)

[T-Then I will let everyone take care of it! Yihihihit!]

The dokkaebi said these words and disappeared.

A food penalty and survival penalty. I already knew about the former penalty. However, the latter wasn't in the original Ways of Survival. Maybe my contract with Bihyung caused this development.

Jung Heewon confirmed that the biscuit in her pocket had disappeared and asked in a soft voice.

"Dokja-ssi, did you perhaps know something like this would hap―"

"I did expect it. I thought about what the dokkaebis would do first to harass humans."

"…Aren't you really good at making predictions?"

I called Lee Hyunsung and the others over. The situation was created and now it was time to move.

"Give back our food!"

"How, how did this happen?"

The people of the marginalized group were crying. Cheon Inho and the mainstream group were also devastated by the sudden food shortage. My eyes met Cheon Inho's, who bit his lip.

[Perhaps…were you aware of it? No, that is impossible.]

If I could read his thoughts then that's what he would be thinking.

[You have accurately read the thoughts of character 'Cheon Inho.']

[Your understanding of the character 'Cheon Inho' has increased.]

…My understanding rose from this sort of thing?

I looked at other people's expressions and tried to guess what they were thinking. But the previous messages didn't pop up.

Meanwhile, Cheon Inho quickly gathered the people together in order to organize the chaos.

"Everyone, gather together. I will give you an emergency notice."

The contents of the notice were simple:The situation had become worse so more 'scouts' from the marginalized group was needed. They had to hurry. Now there was no food underground.

"We won't distribute food to people who don't participate as scouts."

Despite the hardline declaration, there was no backlash from the citizens. No, they couldn't. It was an inevitable result in this situation. The people noticed it and volunteered to be scouts one by one.

Despite the disappearance of the food, hope remained on Cheon Inho's face. As the situation became worse, more control was passed onto the mainstream group.

Lee Hyunsung became anxious when he saw this and opened his mouth.

"Dokja-ssi, what now?"

"Of course, we have to go and get food."

The expressions of the party members became tense at these words. Obtain food. This meant only one thing.

"Then we have to be scouts? There is still food remaining aboveground."

"Nope, we won't go aboveground. If we go there, we will unconditionally die."

I looked at a gas mask on the floor. This tattered gas mask couldn't stop the poisonous fog.

"But we need to obtain food aboveground…"

"Lee Hyunsung-ssi. The world has changed. Then the food needs to change."

I looked at the tunnel to Yaksu Station.

"Wait a minute. Dokja-ssi…don't tell me?"

"That's right."

In this world, humans were no longer the top predators. Even if we weren't predators, we didn't necessarily have to be prey.

"We will hunt monsters."

After a while, several people from the marginalized group, including myself, were standing in front of the tunnel towards Yaksu Station.

"I see. You are going to enter the railway track?"

I thought Cheon Inho would challenge us when we refused to join the scouting group, but he seemed relieved that I was out of the group. He might think I was a threat to his own power.

"Well, looking at it in the long run, a team dedicated to attacking the scenario is required. Come back safely."

He was a funny guy. He spoke like he was the captain. But the time for him to be finished wasn't far off.

[Your understanding of the character 'Cheon Inho' has increased.]

[Your understanding of the character 'Cheon Inho' has reached a certain level.]

I see…I got it now. There were two major cases of character 'understanding' rising.

One was when I got the liking or trust of the character. The second was when I accurately guessed what the character was thinking. Maybe now was the latter case.

[The character 'Cheon Inho' is suspicious of you.]

According to the accumulated understanding value, a vague idea of the person's emotions could be obtained.

"Oh, can one of my group members join? I'd like to get some information on the attack."

Indeed, Cheon Inho wouldn't let us go so easily. I stared at the man behind him. It was the person who would go with us and an unlucky fellow.

"I-I have to go with them?"

"Eh, why else are you here, Han hyung? Didn't you want to reconcile with Dokja-ssi last night?"

"T-That…"

Cheon Inho's party member who joined us was Department Head Han Myungoh.

"D-Dokja-ssi." If you don't mind, I will go…"

"I understand. Let's go together."

Han Myungoh was surprised when I responded readily. He thought I would refuse. Lee Hyunsung had a worried face but I had an idea.

In any case, the survivors party of five people from Carriage 3807, consisting of me, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung, Yoo Sangah and Han Myungoh was reformed.

"Can I come as well?"

"…Is it okay even if your body isn't fully healed?"

"This much is fine."

There was one more. Including Jung Heewon, there was a total of six people in the party. It was a lot for a small number.

Grrr…

Of course, the number of people wasn't much in front of the upcoming crisis.

[A new sub scenario has arrived!]

[Second Scenario – Food Acquisition]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: E

Clear Conditions: Directly hunt the monsters that can be used as food and cook them.

Time Limit: None

Compensation: 500 coins

Failure: ?

As soon as they stepped foot in the tunnel, a sub scenario flew in.

Food acquisition. It was a sub scenario we had to go through before entering the second main scenario.

[A few constellations are anticipating your performance.]

The darkness of the tunnel became apparent before we even moved 10 steps. I lit up the tunnel with a flashlight but the outline of the surrounding area wasn't visible at all.

It was proof of a curtain that was blocking the light. The real thing would be beyond this curtain.

"Dokja-ssi, wait a minute. It is really dangerous from here on."

Jung Heewon, who walked beside me, stopped first.

"Are we really going this way? No matter how I look, it seems like suicide. There is also Gilyoung."

"In fact, I was concerned from the beginning. It isn't too late so how about we leave Gilyoung behind? And if possible, the women…"

"Lee Hyunsung-ssi, I'm not as good as you but I know how to fight. I took some kendo lessons."

"But…"

An unnecessary controversy was about to heat up the atmosphere so I interrupted.

"Lee Hyunsung-ssi. I told you before. The world has changed. It is biased that a woman is physically weak. Right now, everyone can become stronger by raising their stats. But Jung Heewon-ssi, there is also a problem with your words."

"…What is it?"

"Just as a woman isn't weak, a child also isn't weak. Gilyoung, show them."

Lee Gilyoung came forward. He looked around for a while before sitting on the tunnel floor and reaching out his hand. Jung Heewon's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, what is that?"

"S-Shit! Cockroaches!"

Han Myungoh cried out with fear.

The cockroach that appeared in the distance was connected to Lee Gilyoung's fingertips with a faint solid line. The cockroach listened to Lee Gilyoung's words like a well-behaved dog and disappeared into the darkness.

"My attribute is Insect Collector."

Insect Collector. Lee Gilyoung possessed the rare ability to communicate simply with insects through his 'Diverse Communication' skill.

"This is nothing in front of us. It is safe for 100 steps forward."

Lee Gilyoung showed an overwhelming scouting power and the other people made a stunned expression. Lee Gilyoung spoke to them with a bold expression.

"Thank you for your concern. But I didn't follow all of you for you to take care of me."

"Ah, yes."

Jung Heewon nodded with a sour expression. Lee Gilyoung came to my side and I stroked his hair.

Lee Gilyoung's attribute hadn't been seen in the original Ways of Survival. It wasn't a wrong choice to save Lee Gilyoung in the beginning. We passed a clear barrier and entered the full-fledged darkness.

[You have entered a dangerous area.]

"Y-Yoo Sangah-ssi. It is dangerous to hold my hand while walking."

"…Aren't you more afraid than I am?"

"N-No!"

The air inside the curtain was sticky from the humidity.

"Reduce the light."

Yoo Sangah immediate covered the flashlight. Since this model didn't have a light control function, she had to adjust the light with her hand.

"Ouch. Don't shine it downwards."

Jung Heewon felt nauseous when she checked the ground. There were torn bodies. The bodies of those who tried to move through here were arranged at their feet.

Yoo Sangah closed her eyes tightly, Han Myungoh shook and even the bold Lee Hyunsung started sweating.

Lee Gilyoung was surprisingly calm, with not the slightest bit of fear on his face. I felt a bit worried. This guy, did he think it was all a game?

"There is something that isn't human."

As Lee Gilyoung said, it wasn't only the bodies of humans on the ground. There was something the size of a fully-grown wolf. The bodies of the mole-like creatures were scattered all over the place.

The 9th grade underground species, the ground rat. It was a name reminiscent of bug on Earth, but a name was just a name. They were underground piranhas. The ground rats were persistent hunters who burrowed through the ground in groups and aimed at their prey.

However, the ground rats collapsed like they had received a bombardment. Jung Heewon sighed.

"…Who the hell did this?"

Obviously, there was only one human who could turn the ground rats into this. Yoo Jonghyuk. He proceeded to the next station through this path alone.

But I couldn't help wondering. Originally, it was supposed to be tonight or tomorrow when the third turn Yoo Jonghyuk moved to the next station.

Why was he so hasty? Did he become impatient? What was the reason?

"Dokja-ssi, can we use this for food?"

"The scenario said that we have to 'hunt' it ourselves so maybe it isn't possible."

"…Well, it is kind of uncomfortable. What about cooking? Do you want to bake it on a fire?"

It could be baked. The problem was that it must be a special fire.

"Heewon-ssi, you said you were good at kendo?"

"Uh, it is a bit much to say I am good…but what are you doing now?"

I stabbed the body of the ground rat and started to cut it with a knife. I didn't know when I read it in the novel but it didn't go as well as I thought.

After somehow getting rid of the tough skin, I managed to remove the spine bones. This was the first time so I left many scratches, but it was useable.

"Why are you taking that?"

"You need a weapon for kendo."

The stone hog's thorn wasn't enough but the spine of the ground rat consisted of a single bone, making it a pretty good weapon at the beginning of the scenario.

After cutting the cartilage leading to the leg and shaping it, the bone actually took the shape of a knife. I gave it to Jung Heewon.

"Thank you. Suddenly I feel like I'm back to the Paleolithic age."

"You need to grind it a bit more for it to be useful. There are rocks around so skillfully grind the blade.

"Huhu, understood. Captain."

Jung Heewon started to grind the blade with a slightly excited voice. I looked up and saw Lee Hyunsung watching the scene with a bit of envy.

"Do you want one?"

"Eh, you will make me one?"

"All of you come closer. It is better if you learn how to do it. Let's make it together."

In fact, this was also my first time trying it. I wouldn't have been able to do it if the details hadn't been included in Ways of Survival.

Why wasn't Ways of Survival popular? It was simple. The author wrote too much of the setting.

"…Dokja-ssi, you are a beginner but you are good at it."

We sat down and made weapons together. This time it was a spear, not a sword. They didn't have the Kendo skill so I decided it was more stable to make a long spear.

Lee Hyunsung's spear was made with the spine of the largest ground rat while Yoo Sangah and Han Myungoh's weapons were made with the spine of average sized ground rats. Finally, Lee Gilyoung's weapon was made with the head bone of a young ground rat.

[You have succeeded in acquiring weapons by yourself.]

[A very small number of constellations are interested in the primitive nature of humanity.]

[The constellations have sponsored you 100 coins.]

Everyone received these messages.

"We receive coins even for this type of thing."

"I don't want you to die. You have your own coins?"

"Yes, we do."

"Whenever possible, leave enough coins for the survival cost and invest the rest in your strength, stamina and agility. Otherwise, you won't survive."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind."

We finished the preparations and started to move forward again. The 100 steps that Lee Gilyoung mentioned was right in front of us now.

[The sub scenario – Food Acquisition has begun!]

The ground rats crawled out from the ground. I quickly counted the numbers. One, two, three…there were exactly 13. It was more than I thought.

Grrr…

The group of land rats drew a line and started threatening us. The moment we crossed the line, the fight would begin.

"There is no plan. We are beginners. It might sound cruel but honestly, I don't expect you to survive."

"T-That…"

"Still, all of you survive. Please."

Han Myungoh was the only upset one in the party. Everyone else was nervous but looked determined. In particular, Jung Heewon's eyes were very impressive.

"Okay, let's try it. Everybody, please live!"

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Just as Yoo Jonghyuk tested me, I also had expectations for them. No matter how good a mentor, a person who wasn't determined couldn't survive in this world.

In the end, it was up to a person to save themselves. Everyone should use this opportunity to realize it clearly.

"Then let's go."

I also knew who I must take among these people.

As we took one more step, the ground rats moved. The battle began.

020

Episode 5 – Shadow Keeper (2)

The party fought well. It was actually a little bit surprising. In particular, Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon who stepped forward with me were very influential.

The battle composition naturally became the three of us in front with the other three in the rear. Less than a minute after the battle began, a few ground rats were stuck on the ground with their necks pierced.

Lee Hyunsung overpowered another ground rat, wiped the sweat on his forehead and said.

"…I think I can live."

Once they raised their overall stats, the human race wasn't that weak.

Even so, Lee Hyunsung's mentality was very special in this world. A normal human couldn't be so nonchalant when encountering monsters.

There was a reason why he got the name of Steel Sword in the future. However, the more amazing person was Jung Heewon.

"The pattern is simpler than I thought?"

Maybe it was due to the Kendo skill but every time her sword stretched out, the ground rat was cut somewhere on their legs or tail.

"Hap!"

It was a case where Jung Heewon invested most of her coins into strength. Her endurance declined due to it but the power of one blow was better than I thought.

Hwiik!

Her sword moved in a terrifying manner through the air.

"Damn, I lost one! Please!"

Her voice trembled as she spoke. Her only weakness was that her stamina was low so her endurance fell.

Grrr!

The ground rats who moved between the party members were moderately smart. After succeeding in scattering the ranks, they ran towards the opponent who seemed the weakest using a hunter's instincts.

"Leave it to me."

However, the ground rats didn't know that they had picked the wrong opponent.

Peeok!

A blunt instrument thrown by Lee Gilyoung's hands struck the head of a ground rat. The impact was lacking because he was a child but it was enough. The others could help him finish it.

Puok!

Yoo Sangah's spear pierced the body of the ground rat. The ground rat twisted several times. Yoo Sangah made a confused expression but she didn't remove her hand from the spear.

The ground rat lost its energy and fell down.

I honestly thought it would be difficult for Yoo Sangah to adapt but I was really surprised. Usually, it was normal to panic like Han Myungoh standing over here.

"U-Uhhhh…"

As the people were struggling, one person was hiding in the rear. He couldn't even hide properly and was bleeding near the shins.

I pierced the last ground rat with the thorn and the surroundings became quiet.

I shook the blood off the thorn and looked at everyone. Everyone suffered from minor abrasions except for Han Myungoh, but there were no major injuries.

It was a great first victory.

Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung relaxed and sat down, while Lee Hyunsung stabbed his spear into the ground and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. Jung Heewon lamented as she countered the number of ground rats in the vicinity.

"…Dokja-ssi, how many did you take care of?"

"Four of them."

"Che, I killed two."

"I got three."

My pride was somehow hurt when I heard Lee Hyunsung's proud declaration. There was only one difference despite my stats. I used a skill and looked at Lee Hyunsung's attributes window.

[Character Information]

Name: Lee Hyunsung

Age: 28 years old.

Constellation Sponsor: Master of Steel.

Private Attribute: Soldier who Turned a Blind Eye to Injustice (General)

Exclusive Skills: Bayonet Skills Lv. 2, Camouflage Lv. 1, Patience Lv. 1, Sense of Justice Lv. 1, Weapons Training Lv. 2.

Stigma: Great Mountain Push Lv. 1

Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 12, Strength Lv. 9, Agility Lv. 9, Magic Power Lv. 6.

Overall Evaluation: The moment of the attribute evolution is gradually approaching. The person's trust in you is considerable. The sponsor behind him is wary towards you.

* 'Starter Pack' is currently applied.

Hah, the starter pack. This was why he was strong. The Master of Steel seemed to quite like Lee Hyunsung.

The Starter Pack was a coin package that could be used when the average overall stats of the incarnation was less than level 10.

It was a good item that allowed you to learn Weapons Training, a useful skill in the beginning, while raising the level of the overall stats by one.

Considering the fact that most incarnations were being exploited for nothing, Lee Hyunsung was lucky to receive the Starter Pack.

"Dokja-ssi, your complexion doesn't look good…"

"Ah, no. I was just thinking for a moment."

Now I was a little bit envious…well, I had the money to buy it. I didn't buy it. My average stats exceeded level 10 so buying it would only damage me.

Damn, I opened the Dokkaebi Bag a bit early.

"Let's gather up the ground rats. We need to prepare today's food."

"Ummm…by the way, how will we cook it? We can't eat it like this."

"We can't eat it now but there will be a way."

I guessed I answered too calmly. There was silence among my party members. Lee Hyunsung was the first one to open his mouth.

"Excuse me, I would like to ask you one thing."

"Yes?"

"Dokja-ssi, perhaps…do you know something about this situation?"

Whoops, I made a mistake.

"That…"

Suddenly, I remembered the regressors in the novel I read, followed by Yoo Jonghyuk's words.

It was like this. The feeling of a regressor. Usually, these types of things happened to a regressor.

Some replies came to mind. I could shamelessly say that it was a hunch or I could lie like Yoo Jonghyuk.

[The constellation Secretive Plotter is anticipating your choice.]

[A few constellations are anticipating your answer.]

But from a reader's point of view, the best answer was…

"A-Aaaack!"

It was to create a situation where I didn't need to say anything.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' nods at your choice.]

"There is still one left!"

Jung Heewon shouted and Lee Hyunsung ran. However, the action of the hidden ground rats was faster than anyone else. It was much bigger than the other creatures.

"S-Save me…!"

It dragged Han Myungoh into a tunnel by one of his legs. The nearest Yoo Sangah swung her spear but the situation got worse because Han Myungoh held onto her.

"Grab this!"

Lee Hyunsung stretched out the handle of his spear but it only hit the ground. The ground rat and the two people had already disappeared into the ground.

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' resents this frustrating person.]

Jung Heewon burst out.

"Ah…I knew I was going to get cancer because of that uncle."

"…I'm sorry. I was too late."

Lee Hyunsung spoke in a sad voice. I tapped his shoulder to show it was okay.

"No one could've done anything."

"Should we chase after them?"

I looked at the hole where they had disappeared. It wasn't an ordinary hole. There was a touch of energy around it. The darkness gave off a gloomy feeling.

I retreated to the back and turned on my smartphone. There was only 5% battery remaining. At dawn, I exchanged one battery charge for food with a person from the marginalized group.

[Your reading speed has increased due to the effect of the exclusive attribute.]

Shortly afterwards, I was able to find the desired passage.

「 …The 'Edge of Darkness' is the habitat of the ground rats and is a type of subspace emitted from the 'Dark Root.' The ground rats that breath in black ether instead of oxygen don't grow naturally unless they are near the 'Edge of Darkness'… 」

It was a fact that I knew roughly but it was meaningful to review it. That's right. This was the entrance to the Edge of Darkness. I read about it and put the smartphone in my pocket.

"Dokja-ssi?"

Lee Hyunsung was looking at me with a frustrated expression. I nodded.

"We will enter."

"Ah, then…"

"But it very dangerous to enter with a lot of people. Lee Hyunsung-ssi and Jung Heewon-ssi will wait here at the boundary. If something happens, I will give you a signal."

The startled Jung Heewon asked.

"Surely…you don't intend to go with only Gilyoung?"

"Gilyoung's ability will be helpful in pursuing them."

The moment she tried to strongly resist, I raised a hand and called to Lee Hyunsung.

"Lee Hyunsung-ssi. Jung Heewon-ssi isn't in a good condition so please take care of her."

Lee Hyunsung seemed to realize something.

"I understand."

"Wait a minute. I am fine!"

"Jung Heewon, confidence is good but don't be reckless."

"…"

Jung Heewon's breathing was uneven. She wasn't completely healed from the poisonous fog.

I left the two people and entered the hole with Lee Gilyoung. It was obviously a hole that was dug down in a vertical slope. But as soon as we entered, we could stand as if gravity was in effect.

It was due to the magic power emitted by the Edge of Darkness.

"This way."

The darkness was so deep that I couldn't see anything, so I could only move forward with Lee Gilyoung. Black ether had the property of absorbing light, making a flashlight meaningless. If Lee Gilyoung's ability Diverse Communication wasn't available, I might have to use coins again.

"Excuse me Hyung."

Lee Gilyoung called out to me.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

"…What?"

"When that uncle grabbed Noona and Ahjussi, you let it go."

I had a moment of hesitation. In the darkness, Lee Gilyoung's fingertips were strange. Before I could ask how he knew, Lee Gilyoung spoke.

"At that time, I was looking at Hyung's face."

He was watching me even in those short moments. A very scary kid. It was no good hiding from a person who was so quick.

"Yes, that's right."

The answer was terrible and a message bomb was set off in my head. Indeed, this was a spectacle for the constellations.

[The constellations of absolute good frown at your cruelty.]

[The constellation Secretive Plotter is pressing you with shining eyes.]

"Why did you do that?"

"Because of the habit of the ground rats."

I decided to answer honestly.

"The ground rats have a habit of keeping their catches in the same place as their treasure. It isn't just food. Many things that seem rare are gathered. For example, an item. However, the paths are so complicated that it can't be found unless I follow their path directly."

Lee Gilyoung was silent for a moment. I continued speaking.

"I expected them to take Han Myungoh. I didn't expect him to grab onto Yoo Sangah."

"Then your purpose isn't to save Noona or Ahjussi, it is the items?"

"Yes. Are you disappointed?"

"Nope."

Lee Gilyoung's small hand gripped my finger tightly.

"Hyung shouldn't lie."

"…"

"If Hyung was such a person, you wouldn't have saved me on the subway. I believe in you."

Lee Gilyoung didn't act like a child but he was still a child. Lee Gilyoung didn't know. To be mature and to be an adult were completely different things.

[Some constellations are touched to tears.]

[200 coins have been sponsored.]

In this world, there were mean adults who would take advantage of such maturity. The hole was longer than I thought and we had to go downwards for quite a long time.

"Hyung."

"Yes."

"Hyung, are you a god?"

"…What?"

"Or the main character?"

Children sometimes asked sharp questions. It was because they lived in a world where stories and reality weren't clearly distinguished. Lee Gilyoung didn't know exactly what his question meant.

"I'm not a main character. Rather, I always envy the main character."

"But you still know something about this world?"

I thought for a moment before replying.

"That's right."

"Then I'll ask you one thing."

"I will answer it if I can."

"Once we clear all these scenarios…can we make a wish?"

"Wish?"

I was a bit confused.

"Usually there is a reward at the end of these stories. At the end of this story, is there something like that?"

In the darkness, Lee Gilyoung's breathing was trembling. Lee Gilyoung's expression when he saw his dead mother suddenly came to mind.

Those who adapted to this world suffered from it in different ways. Some were crazy, some were fanatics and some had irrational optimism.

"Yes, there is."

I was grateful that this place was dark. It was because Lee Gilyoung couldn't see my face right now.

"We are almost there Hyung."

The surrounding black ether was shrinking rapidly. It was evidence that Dark Root was nearby. I tensed up and gripped the thorn.

[A few constellations are holding their breaths.]

I heard the sound of the ground rats somewhere in the ground. As the sound got closer, the sense of space expanded rapidly. I saw a light in the darkness, as if someone had lit a fire.

Then I saw a tattered box beyond that light. The moment I was convinced that I had come to the right place, messages rang in my ears.

[The sub scenario has been updated.]

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[You have entered the 'Ground Rat's Treasure Trove.']