Chapter 2: Coins and Coincidences
[A sub scenario is in progress to supplement the interlude.]
[Sub Scenario – Survival Activities]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: C+
Clear Conditions: Survive for 10 days in the ruined city. You should eat three meals a day and get at least six hours of sleep a day. Don't forget to pay 500 coins per day before going to sleep every night. There will be a clear penalty if you violate any of these three rules.
Duration: 10 days
Compensation: None
Failure: Death
* This is a scenario where a 'coin event' is applied.
* All monsters in the scenario have a certain probability of dropping coins.
Klein looked at the blue scenario screen, and wondered how much 500 coins meant. This seems rather expensive…
In any case, to follow the rules of this dream, it looks like I have to hunt monsters to survive. This shouldn't be difficult. In the fifth scenario, or is it the fourth scenario?, the monsters are still very weak.
Klein left a note, with instructions to pray to his honorific name for assistance, just in case Kim Dokja did come back. He got dressed, wearing his top hat and bringing a solid cane for good measure. He also left a large bowl of food for the cat by his apartment door.
Then, with some reluctance, Klein left the small apartment building that had accompanied him for years within the hazy dream, and entered the large desolate streets of Seoul.
He quickly came across a series of tall complexes and business buildings. This area had been a hub for young professionals and growing industries. Before the apocalypse began, this meant the area also had many delicious spots for a quick lunch. Barbecue, tteokbokki, dumpling stew…
Now, however, all the restaurants were closed, and the businesses and buildings looked defunct and overrun.
For example, the large sign for the closest tall building, 'Mino Soft', had already almost entirely fallen off.
A game company? Was this always here? Klein briefly wondered. After walking closer, he then looked at the base of the building. There was a nasty stench in the air. The entire area was covered in blood, groaning people haphazardly without arms and legs, corpses, and cages with more corpses and bloody, half-naked people. The sight was very alarming.
In the past, when he had wandered the dream, he had learned to ignore it in order to focus on retaining his own humanity, as if the scenes were part of a disturbing video game meant to shake him, but now, while he was coherent, he suddenly understood that this was oddly real.
He felt emotional.
Is this really how the First Era ended?
Of course, this was only a theory. He didn't know what happened after Zhou Mingrui disappeared, but he had assumed his Earth had had many more years before the First Era ended. He couldn't be sure the dream was related to it.
He carefully checked for Kim Dokja's presence, since this had happened nearby the apartment, but was relieved that his 'cousin' wasn't amidst this mess.
He then classified the injured into two groups.
This should be a 'coin farm'. The injured outside the cages seem to have been subject to retaliation for their evil deeds, perhaps from a passing wanderer. The injured inside the cages were their victims. The victims will also die if they don't receive 500 coins each day.
Klein hesitated. This was a big burden. Even if he rescued them now, they would die without any more assistance.
I can't take on the troubles of the world…
Klein first passed a hand over his face, until his face appeared grotesque and filled with mushroom-like pores. Then he reached into the air, grabbing the master key from the Historic Void, then slowly opened each cage. Afterwards, he grabbed Life's Cane with his left hand, and then touched each of the victims inside of the unlocked cages with its tip. Their injuries instantly healed.
The key and Life's Cane then disappeared back into the Void.
"What the…"
"Thank you, thank you! The rest just left us here…"
"Help… Aaah! What the hell are you?"
At least they now have a chance, Klein thought.
[The Demon-Like Judge of Fire sees your kind actions and applauds!]
[Constellations that like violence sneer at your ugly face.]
[Secretive Plotter wonders where you came from.]
[Secretive Plotter recommends you explain your circumstances aloud so that the constellations can more easily understand.]
[A constellation that likes to switch genders says that something interesting is happening over here.]
[100 coins have been awarded.]
Klein paused, perplexed, then resumed his search for monsters.
.
"So? Where did you appear when we all were scattered?" asked Han Sooyoung to Kim Dokja, as they walked over the ruined ground of Seoul. They had just fought together against the coin farm, resolved some of Kim Dokja's trauma caused by a bully via a refreshing beatdown, and then run into the injured Yoo Jungyuk, who Kim Dokja was now carrying against his back.
Kim Dokja paused, then said perfunctorily, "I worked at Mino Soft."
"That game company? Right. That was why you were listening to that bastard talk on and on."
[Some constellations are curious about your lie.]
[Some constellations wonder about your visit to your cousin.]
[You have been sponsored 50 coins.]
The constellations are cheap today. Only 50 coins.
Kim Dokja ignored them and kept walking.
They walked for a long time, trying to find the meteorites that the Ten Evils had taken control of. Han Sooyoung's plagiarized novel, which Kim Dokja had forcefully requisitioned by taking Han Sooyoung's smartphone, called them 'Sealing Stones'. The Korean incarnations currently thought they were a valuable and magical resource for growing stronger, but soon the meteorites would crack open and reveal the Disasters of the 5th Scenario.
Despite this urgency, however, both Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung found themselves pausing in their journey, feeling off.
Birds flocked overhead. A large raven cawed, causing both Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung to squint at the sky.
"Hey, Dokja. There's someone."
"Hmm?"
Kim Dokja followed where Han Sooyoung was pointing, and saw a black spec in the distance.
The figure in the distance grew larger, wearing a top hat and cane.
Kim Dokja squinted.
It was Klein!
Why is he here? Wasn't he going to hide in the apartment?
[Your exclusive skill, the 'Fourth Wall' is shaking!]
Is it because Klein isn't part of the novel? Kim Dokja felt unsettled. It had been more difficult to keep his cool face while talking to him, like he had returned to the time he was that child that had cried to Klein about his bullies at school.
The memory was distant, but the slightly older Klein had consoled him, and told him that not everyone would remember him for his mother.
[Your exclusive skill, the 'Fourth Wall' bares its teeth!]
Then there was also the strong memory of the delicious stew Klein had made.
[The Demon-like Judge of Fire claps her hands in excitement!]
[Secretive Plotter is curious about your cousin.]
[Constellations that like family are happy with this development.]
"It's okay," Kim Dokja told Han Sooyoung. "Let's wait."
When Klein Moretti finally reached the three, his cousin smiled, and greeted,
"Hi, Kim Dokja. It's nice to meet you here."
.
Klein stared thoughtfully at his 'cousin'.
Klein now had over 2000 coins, as well as a small marionette monster army he had transformed into large birds overhead. This would be enough for at least four days. He had just decided to return home, when he had happened to take a wrong turn and gotten lost. Of course, it was impossible for a seer to become lost, but he had recently used the master key.
In the end, he had run into Kim Dokja again.
This seems too coincidental. Is there some sort of Convergence that guided me here? No, Beyonders and characteristics do not exist in this version of the dream, so this should not be the case. Then, is it Adam, or another spectator? Or is this a quirk of the dream?
Kim Dokja coughed.
"Klein. You decided to leave the apartment?"
Klein nodded.
The petite black-haired woman looked between Kim Dokja and Klein. "Hey, Dokja, who is this?"
"Ah, this is my cousin."
"Your cousin? But he's not Korean."
[Secretive Plotter says he was also wondering this.]
[A constellation that likes to change genders chuckles knowingly.]
… I'm also wondering this, Klein admitted to himself.
"Yes, my grandmother moved to Britain, and married a foreigner. Klein moved back to Korea some years ago," Kim Dokja explained.
[A constellation that likes to change genders is embarrassed and disappointed at how normal this answer is.]
[A constellation that likes to change genders says that incarnation Klein Moretti is underutilizing his potential.]
[A constellation that likes to change genders says that incarnation Klein Moretti should also try changing genders, like her.]
… What!?
[A constellation that likes to change genders offers to be your sponsor.]
"Oh, so he's your cousin once removed."
"Yes."
Klein decided to ignore the 'constellation' that was continuously pestering him, likely due to him accidentally revealing his Faceless ability.
In any case, I feel very awake now, but I am still present in this dream. My anchors must be almost fully stabilized. Is it already time?
How do I wake up?
Curious, Klein did a minor divination, dropping his very normal cane and using it as a dowsing rod.
The cane pointed directly at Kim Dokja.
Hmm, interesting.
Kim Dokja, the man on his back, and the petite woman all looked at him strangely.
"Huh? Hey, Kim Dokja's cousin, why did you drop that cane?" the woman said.
Klein looked at Kim Dokja.