Chapter 28

2 The Ten Evils. The exact roster and rankings varied depending on Junghyeok’s loop, but they were the ten people who acted as the main villains of TWSA. And Pildu Gong, the Armed Lord of Chungmuro, was one of them. So anyone who read TWSA until the end (in other words, just me) should know about this character. [Green Zone 56/70] As expected, the size of his “room” was on a different level. This whole area was his “Green Zone.” Should I try a straitlaced approach first? I nudged Gilyeong behind me and spoke up. “Why are you taking coins from people? Chungmuro Station is a public facility.” “Ha-ha. It was, until eight days ago. But not anymore.” For most ordinary people, five hundred coins wasn’t a small amount. Charging that much just for stepping on their land… What a bunch of thieves. “Fine, I’ll give you the coins. But I’ll pay in person.” “What?” “You’re not Pildu Gong, are you?” This guy had been blustering like he was the man himself, but I knew he was just a grunt in the Landlord Coalition. Where are you, Pildu Gong? I quickly scanned the area. Not him. Not that guy, either… Let’s see, where would I be if I were Pildu Gong? “Ha-ha, what a clown. Look, you think I’m joking—” “Mr. Gong, are you there? I’m here to pay the fine.” I ignored him and kept walking. [You have trespassed on private property.] Though the turrets immediately swiveled to aim at me, I didn’t stop. In truth, there was no guarantee I’d survive if they were to open fire. But in this situation, it was crucial that I put on a gutsy facade. That way, Pildu Gong wouldn’t look down on me. “That’s far enough. If you come any closer, I’ll kill you.” At last, Pildu Gong made himself known. From the direction of his voice, I saw a bench stacked with all kinds of necessities. And sitting on it was a middle-aged man, who looked up from his newspaper to lock eyes with me. He was just as the novel described. A rounded belly and a half-balding head. This man was Pildu Gong, the head of the Landlord Coalition. “Never seen you around here, but you’ve got guts.” “It’s bad enough that I have to pay. I shouldn’t have to feel all guilty, should I?” [Character Pildu Gong is intrigued by you.] Sheesh, I’m just so popular with the bad guys. First, Namwoon Kim, and now, Pildu Gong. “Smooth talker, aren’t you? But don’t get too cocky.” He spoke with an easygoing smile, like an old man next door. But I knew he was anything but. [Exclusive skill “Character Profile” has been activated!] <Character Profile> Name: Pildu Gong Age: 48 Sponsoring Constellation: Defense Master Exclusive Attribute: Landlord (Rare), Real Estate Tycoon (Rare) Exclusive Skills: [Private Property Lv.3], [Patience Lv.1], [Calculate Profit Lv.2], [Leadership Lv.2], [Incite Lv.1], [Weapon Proficiency Lv.1] Stigma: [Militarized Zone Lv.3] Total Stats: [Stamina Lv.9], [Strength Lv.11], [Agility Lv.10], [Magic Power Lv.19] Summary: He is the head of the Landlord Coalition in Chungmuro. The combination of his skill “Private Property” and his stigma “Militarized Zone” grants him unmatched prowess at fighting a large number of opponents. It is not recommended to make an enemy of him. *A “Starter Pack” is currently in effect. *A “Growth Pack” is currently in effect. Armed Lord Pildu Gong. Reading his character profile, it hit me just how extraordinary this man was. He already had two attributes, and his magic power was level 19. So this is what it takes to earn a spot in the Ten Evils. “So what do you want? You’re clearly not here just to pay the fine.” And on top of that, he was sharp. For a brief moment, I debated in my head. Should I negotiate with him? Or take him down right now? If I’d gone all out from the get-go, I might’ve been able to defeat him. But his stigma, “Militarized Zone,” was not something to be taken lightly. If I chose direct confrontation, I’d have to risk getting seriously hurt by those turrets. What should I do? Increasing my stats wasn’t an option because I had to spend my coins elsewhere. “I’m saying this for your own good. You’d better not do anything stupid.” He looked behind me with a smile. Heavily armed members of the Landlord Coalition were already surrounding Hyeonseong and my other team members. I raised my hands and smiled. “Please relax. There’s only one reason a tenant would visit a landlord, right?” “Need a room, then?” “Yes. Please let my group into your Green Zone.” This was a necessary thing. To clear the third main scenario, we had to stay in Pildu Gong’s Green Zone. However, his response was as I expected. “The answer is no. I don’t accept outsiders. But I’ll consider it if you pay five hundred coins per person each day.” Five hundred coins each day? He spoke like he was selling some overpriced coin item. This guy’s worse than a goblin. “That’s a bit too much. But I can give you information.” “About what?” “About Junghyeok Yu.” Junghyeok Yu. At the mere mention of that name, the landlords’ faces suddenly changed. “Junghyeok Yu? That’s the crazy bastard who went on a rampage a few days ago…” “You…! How the hell do you know him? Answer me!” “Mr. Gong! He seems suspicious!” I knew it. Looks like I hit a nerve. I figured Junghyeok would be in a bitter conflict with the Landlord Coalition by now. But something wasn’t right. According to TWSA, he was supposed to be in an all-out war against them in the third loop. So where was he? Pildu Gong was eyeing me suspiciously. “What’s your relationship with Junghyeok Yu?” “We’re companions who went through hell separately.” “…‘Separately’? Not together?” “The point is that we’re very close.” “How can I believe that?” “If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. But you have nothing to lose anyway, right?” I answered like it wasn’t a big deal. Pildu Gong wouldn’t be able to refuse my offer. After all, Junghyeok was the only force that could threaten his hegemony in Chungmuro. [Character Pildu Gong has activated the skill “Calculate Profit” Lv.2.] “What do you mean, nothing to lose?” “……?” “How do I know you’re not a liar? Don’t underestimate your elders, kid. From my experience, bastards like you always run off without paying rent.” It was hurtful how specific that accusation was. But I couldn’t let him push me around here. “If you don’t believe me, then that’s too bad. It’s your loss.” My response seemed to throw Pildu Gong into uncertainty. I wheeled around without hesitation. It was crucial that I didn’t appear to have any second thoughts. That way, he’d be the one to have second thoughts. “Wait.” Bingo. “You haven’t paid the fine. Where do you think you’re going?” Oh, it was a second thought about something else. Greedy bastard. I turned around with an awkward smile. “How much was it again? One hundred coins?” “No, it’s one thousand coins. For you and the brat.” My brow twitched in annoyance. Do you think one thousand coins is pocket change…? “That’s a bit too much.” Even a goblin couldn’t take that much money from me. There was no way I’d cough up one thousand coins to Pildu Gong. He smiled. “Then you don’t make the cut to be my tenant. Die.” I instinctively pushed away the men surrounding me and ran toward my companions. There was the sound of an explosion, and then Hyeonseong was covering me with a shield. How reliable. “…Dokja.” However, Hyeonseong, whose strength and stamina were level 14, sounded nervous. Seeing his muscular arms trembling from the impact, I realized Hyeonseong may be strong, but with his second stigma yet to awaken, he couldn’t hold out against a full barrage from those turrets. Even worse, Huiwon was still unconscious. If we fought in this state, we’d end up losing someone. “Mr. Gong, why don’t you wait a little bit?” I had no intention of rushing into a fight and taking a loss. “What now?” “I wouldn’t fight me now if I were you.” “Why not?” I’ll let someone else take the loss. “Because you’ll die if you do.” Pildu Gong’s face darkened. After all, he must have noticed it, too—the presence that was coming up through the escalator. “You see, my best friend is here.” Never thought I’d be so happy to see that damn Regressor jerk. “Master, that’s him over there. He was lying about being your friend,” Jihye Lee was egging him on in a high-pitched voice as she pointed at me. Our main character walked dramatically toward us like he was in a movie all by himself. The way he was glaring at me was really something else. [Character Junghyeok Yu is greatly perturbed.] [Exclusive skill “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint” Lv.2 has been activated.] I felt dizzy all of a sudden and started hearing Junghyeok’s thoughts. [Already? How?] I beamed an innocent smile and waved at him. “Hi, Junghyeok.” [……] “How have you been, man? You look great!” [……] Jihye Lee and Pildu Gong looked back and forth between Junghyeok and me, as if they couldn’t believe the two of us could possibly be friends. The tension in the air was palpable. “These people don’t believe we’re allies. Can you tell them?” I knew Junghyeok better than anyone. He was a lunatic who killed people as if it were nothing. But he always kept his word… [A small number of constellations eagerly await incarnation Junghyeok Yu’s response.] [Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire is watching to see if incarnation Junghyeok Yu will keep his promise.] …Especially when the constellations’ eyes were on him. [……] He stared at me quietly, then slowly opened his mouth. But I was faster. “Oh, and let us use the restroom, too!” Finally, Junghyeok pulled out his sword. Soon after, we were back down on the Line 3 platform after safely using the restrooms—all thanks to my Regressor buddy. I gave him a bright smile. “Good to see you, jerk.” “…You’ve stayed alive, I see.” Long story short, Junghyeok didn’t actually call me his ally. Instead, he responded by wordlessly pointing his sword at Pildu Gong, who didn’t want trouble and begrudgingly let us go. “Were you hoping I’d die?” “I didn’t care either way.” Ally my ass. I got even more pissed off looking at his smug face. I wanted nothing more than to sock him in that chiseled jaw of his, but I couldn’t. [Exclusive skill “Character Profile” has been activated!] [There is too much information about this character. Switching to a summarized view.] Show the full version. [Displaying the full version of character Junghyeok Yu’s profile.] <Character Profile> Name: Junghyeok Yu Age: 28 Sponsoring Constellation: ??? Exclusive Attributes: The Regressor <Third Loop> (Mythical), Pro Gamer (Rare) Exclusive Skills: [The Eye of the Sage Lv.8], [Close Combat Lv.8], [Advanced Weapon Proficiency Lv.5], [Protective Aura Lv.5], [Mental Barrier Lv.8], [Crowd Control Lv.5], [Reasoning Lv.5], [Lie Detection Lv.4]…… Stigma: [Regression Lv.3] Total Stats: [Stamina Lv.24], [Strength Lv.24], [Agility Lv.25], [Magic Power Lv.23] Summary: (The summary of this character is too long and cannot be loaded.) I didn’t think much of it while reading the novel, but seeing him in person, he really was on a whole other level. The third main scenario had just begun, but the total of his stamina, strength, and agility was over seventy. Not to mention his skill levels were… Damn main character perks. “Got something to say?” He might be even stronger than he was at this point in the novel. That meant he’d been taking more risks… This is only his third loop. What could he be up to? I felt uneasy. I would have to look into it soon… “I asked if you have something to say.” “No, I was just looking at your ugly mug.” […As I thought, he’s got a backbone.] Backbone, my ass. Who even says that? Someone’s watched too many movies. [Still, his attitude is annoying. Should I just kill him?] “Kidding. I was kidding,” I said hurriedly, putting on a disarming smile. Junghyeok turned his head as if he weren’t interested. [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is disappointed in you.] I had no intention of going after Junghyeok at this point anyway. In order to clear the numerous scenarios that lay ahead, I absolutely needed Junghyeok. Even if I didn’t actually ally with him, I was fully planning on using him every chance I got. …It’s the truth, so why does it sound like I’m making excuses? “Looks like you’ve formed a team.” Junghyeok looked at me and then the people behind me without any emotion on his face. [Character Junghyeok Yu is a bit disappointed in you.] …What? Why? I got my answer soon enough. [Character Junghyeok Yu has activated “The Eye of the Sage” Lv.8.] [I even left him Hyeonseong Lee, but he’s hardly grown.] I had no rebuttal to that because it was true. Hyeonseong would be much stronger now if he’d been with Junghyeok. But c’mon… I’m just an ordinary reader who found out about the future by chance. [I expected better.] It was more painful to hear someone’s thoughts than it would have been to hear them said out loud. Junghyeok continued to scan the rest of my companions—until he froze. His eyes were wide with disbelief. [……What is that?] He was looking at someone other than Hyeonseong, but unfortunately, the three of them were all next to each other, so I couldn’t tell who had caught his eye. [That’s…! But how?!] Who’s he looking at? I was dying to know, but I stopped myself from asking because that might have given away what kind of skill I had. Junghyeok didn’t know that I could read his thoughts. Judging by where his eyes are pointed…is he reading Huiwon’s info…? At that moment, Huiwon woke up, and their eyes met. “Whatcha looking at? Got a problem?” [……] Nice job, Huiwon. Let him know. [I should kill—] “Hey, Junghyeok!” I quickly interrupted. “I have a question.” He turned to face me. His eyes seem to be saying, “Let’s hear it.” “Why aren’t you doing anything about Pildu Gong?” “You should know the answer if you’re really a Prophet.” “Even Prophets don’t know everything.” To be precise, I couldn’t remember everything. [Character Junghyeok Yu has activated “Lie Detection.”] [“Lie Detection” has confirmed your words to be true.] This guy and his trust issues. “…I see. Your ‘Future Sight’ must still be low level.” Think what you want. “I haven’t killed Pildu Gong because I need him alive,” Junghyeok continued. “For the next scenario, right?” He didn’t answer, as if he wanted to gauge how much information I had. “I’m also aware we’ll need Pildu Gong for what’s coming, but only him. The same can’t be said for the rest of his gang.” [……] “Aren’t you the type to get rid of anyone you don’t need? Why are you letting them be?” […How tiresome.] What? “I have much to do.” He stared at me for a bit and continued. “You wouldn’t understand.” “Wait! This isn’t an issue you can just gloss over. If you don’t do something, most people here will—” Junghyeok’s eyes were cold as ice. “I don’t care.” I wasn’t really a humanist. I also didn’t believe that everyone was worth saving. So the reason I was so worked up was because I was annoyed by Junghyeok. “Can I hit you just once?” “Do you think you can?” A message appeared as I was raising a fist in anger. [Character Junghyeok Yu has activated “Protective Aura” Lv.5] I put down my fist. That’s cheating. “Are you done?” “……” “Let’s go.” Jihye Lee flinched at his call, then scurried to catch up with him. She glanced back at me as though she’d been surprised by my words. [Constellation Bald Leader of the Peasants’ Army is touched by your sense of justice.] [You have received 100 coins as a donation.] Of course, that was a total misunderstanding. [One hour and thirty minutes remaining until the third scenario is activated.] There was not much time left, and I had too many thoughts. [Constellation Bald Leader of the Peasants’ Army is infuriated by the people’s suffering.] [Constellation Bald Leader of the Peasants’ Army calls for a civil uprising.] The Great Monk Samyeong was talking loudly in my head, but I couldn’t come up with a good idea. The third scenario would go on for exactly one week. It looked like Junghyeok was planning to sneak off and do his own thing during that time. Of course, I couldn’t let him have his way. I had to stop him somehow, but… [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is curious about what you are thinking.] “Junghyeok Yu, that son of a bitch.” [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is satisfied.] [You have received 100 coins as a donation.] In truth, the most urgent problem in front of me wasn’t Junghyeok Yu but Pildu Gong. We needed his help to clear the third scenario smoothly. But if we couldn’t get him to cooperate… I looked up to find Huiwon with a big smile on her face. “You were scared, weren’t you?” “…Huh?” “I mean, when you were talking to that Junghyeok Yu guy.” I brought up the issue of Pildu Gong right away because Huiwon had been unconscious the whole time. I definitely wasn’t trying to change the subject. She responded instantly. “Who the hell do they think they are? How could they take over public facilities and charge people rent?” “Those people are upstairs.” “I’m gonna go kick their asses.” Fuming with rage, Huiwon pulled out the ground rat bone sword. That reminded me it was time I upgraded their weapons. One more task in the already long list of things to do. “You can’t.” “We can beat them if we work together. Like we did at Geumho Station, right?” Huiwon looked confident. It was understandable, considering she had an ace up her sleeve in her new skill, “Time of Judgment.” Someone as quick and adaptable as Huiwon had surely realized how powerful her attributes and skills were. “What’re we waiting for?! Let’s go and punish them now!” And “Time of Judgment” granted enormous power when facing evildoers. [Character Huiwon Jeong has activated “Time of Judgment”!] [Constellations of the absolute good alignment remain silent at Huiwon Jeong’s request.] [The skill has been canceled.] Huiwon was flustered. “Huh? What…? Is it broken?” She tried to activate her skill again and again, but to no avail. “Why won’t my skill activate? Those bastards are clearly evil.” I smiled bitterly at her question. “From our perspective, maybe.” “…What’s that supposed to mean?” “I’m saying constellations might have different standards for good and evil than us humans.” “Ah…” “Sometimes, justice is nothing more than a majority decision.” And the constellations were the “majority” who held all the power to decide. Humans no longer had the right to determine what was just or not. We were little more than puppets of constellations. “What kind of bull—?” I looked at the others. They didn’t say anything, but they were probably thinking the same thing as Huiwon. Hyeonseong was wordlessly cleaning the iron shield, which had been damaged by Pildu Gong’s mana bullets. Sangah and Gilyeong were sitting on the floor side by side, staring at a cockroach. I fully understood their despair. Their experience of driving out the thugs in Geumho Station had made them feel empowered. But just three stations over, they were faced with a monstrous opponent that made the Cheoldu Gang look like a joke. Is it time to throw them some breadcrumbs and string them along? “But we’re not out of options.” “Huh?” “It won’t be easy, but we can beat Pildu Gong.” They all looked at me at once. “Is there really a way?” Hyeonseong asked. “What is it?” I lowered my voice while scanning our surroundings. “We need to get him out of his ‘Militarized Zone.’” “What’s ‘Militarized Zone’?” “It’s his stigma that is highly optimized for defense.” “Militarized Zone” was an incredible ability that allowed the user to put up automatic turrets in the area. This stigma was what made it so hard to fight against Pildu Gong. However, even “Militarized Zone” was nothing compared to its evolved form: “Militarized Fortress.” Once Pildu Gong had that, we’d have to mount a full-on castle siege. However, that didn’t mean he was invincible. He had a crucial weakness. “His ‘Militarized Zone’ deactivates the moment he steps out of the designated area. Those automatic turrets will be rendered useless. You see, defensive abilities like that tend to come with major limitations.” Hyeonseong and Huiwon sounded impressed. “Oh…so that’s his weakness.” “Did you figure that out after seeing him only once? Is your attribute ‘Know-It-All’?” It looked like my companions were starting to get used to me just knowing things. Sangah asked me a question this time. “But how can we make him move out of his spot?” “We should think about it from now on.” “Ah, I hate thinking,” Huiwon complained. Then everyone was quiet for a while. It was Hyeonseong Lee who offered up an idea first. “What about ambushing Pildu Gong when he goes to the restroom…?” “I guess you didn’t see the stuff beside his bench.” He never stepped out of his “Militarized Zone.” His bench was stocked with everything he could ever need. A sleeping bag, blankets, food, water containers for drinking and washing, and even a chamber pot. Of course, it was the tenants’ job to empty out the chamber pot each day. “That’s crazy. What is he, a hermit? Does he have treasure buried there or something? Why did he glue himself to that spot?” “Because it’s the biggest room in Chungmuro.” “‘Room’?” I realized that Huiwon didn’t know about the room thing. But there was no need to explain. [One hour remaining until the third scenario is activated.] Because she would find out about it soon enough. “We should start looking for a room first.” My companions all got up at the same time, which startled the people around us. “S-stay away…!” The man we’d seen earlier holding a knife and guarding a one-man room on the Line 3 platform was especially wary of us. However, it was another group of men who attacked him before we even got close. “Get out, bastard!” They ganged up on the knife man mercilessly. When he was pushed out of the Green Zone, its label was changed. He was no longer its owner. [Green Zone 1/1—> Green Zone 0/1] The men then turned on each other in a bloody brawl for the recently vacated room. Someone was stabbed in the leg, and another had his nose broken. Huiwon frowned. “Shouldn’t we stop them?” “Even if we do, the result will be the same. Some people will die.” “No one has to, though, right?” “That’s impossible in this scenario.” As soon as I finished that sentence, Bihyeong appeared out of thin air. Now, now. Shall we start the third day of the main scenario? Ooh, I see some new faces today. The more the merrier, right? Ha-ha-ha! He glanced at our group as he spoke. There was a total of three goblins in charge of Chungmuro. Seeing as how Bihyeong was out here explaining things, he must’ve drawn the short stick and been charged with taking care of small tasks. This was to be expected, since his channel was the smallest of the three. Soon, the third scenario appeared in front of our eyes. <Main Scenario #3 - Green Zone (Third Day)> Category: Main Difficulty: C Mission: Occupy a Green Zone in the station to survive a monster onslaught that begins at midnight. This scenario lasts for seven days. Duration: 8 hours Reward: 1,000 coins Penalty for Failure:— Hyeonseong’s eyes went wide. “Th-this is…!” The goal is simple. Occupy a Green Zone before others. Of course, you can take someone else’s spot by force. Better hurry, though! ’Cause you’ll die a horrible death if you’re not inside a Green Zone by midnight. Ha-ha! Well, good luck! My companions looked stunned. All the while, sounds of violent conflict continued to break out around us. There were screams of pain and flesh being torn. “Die! Just die already!” “N-nothing personal, man! I just want to live…!” My companions probably realized then that they were no longer bystanders in the brutal struggle happening in front of us. “Do we have to fight each other like that, too…?” Sangah asked in a shaky voice. “Not necessarily. We just need to find a room that’ll hold us all.” Green Zones came in different sizes. From one-person rooms to a big space that could hold seventy people, like Pildu Gong’s territory. “That is, if such a room still remains, of course.” Huiwon’s lips twitched. “Dokja, you have a real talent for making people uneasy… Anyway, let’s go now. There may be vacant rooms.” “It’ll be faster if we split up. Hyeonseong and Sangah can go together. Huiwon, you take Gilyeong.” “What about you, Dokja?” “I’ll go by myself.” No one asked if I’d be okay. It seemed everyone trusted me quite a lot. As we headed off to different parts of the station, Gilyeong spoke up. “Dokja, uh…what will happen if we can’t find a room?” “If we haven’t found anything twenty minutes before the scenario starts, let’s meet back here.” “Okay. Let’s move!” My companions split up like a well-coordinated team. Huiwon and Gilyeong went to level B2 while Sangah and Hyeonseong went to level B3. I turned on my phone after watching my group on their way. As soon as I opened TWSA, one sentence came up. There were no rooms left in Chungmuro. A clear and dry statement. I was certain my companions wouldn’t be able to find a room. That would leave them with one option: to kill other people to seize their room. But could Hyeonseong or Huiwon do that? Not everyone here was an “evildoer.” There were people who extorted others like Pildu Gong, but most people only bared their teeth in self-defense. Would Sangah or Gilyeong be able to face them and bare their own fangs? I’d have my answer soon.