3 About ten minutes after Bihyeong disappeared, there were casualties on the Line 3 platform in Chungmuro. There was only one room left in the area. No one here was particularly strong, so the weak faced off against each other, ready to kill for their own survival. “Die! I said, die!” [Thirty minutes remaining until the third scenario is activated.] I was quietly reading TWSA as my surroundings plunged into chaos. Today’s scenario would probably go as I expected. I had no choice but to remember every single word in the book in order to survive. What the hell are you doing? Bihyeong’s voice was followed by messages from the constellations. [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is puzzled by your actions.] I instantly turned off my phone. I realized that I had never thought about it before, but why didn’t constellations have any reaction to me reading TWSA? In the original story, there was even a scene where they found out that Junghyeok was a Regressor and made a big fuss about how unfair it was. So they should’ve long since spoken up about my possession of this game-changing text file. Why are you just staring at a blank screen? You’re driving my viewers crazy! …A “blank screen”? I turned on my phone again. The screen was clearly showing TWSA. You mean this? Yeah! You think this is the time to be brainstorming? Get off your lazy ass, or you’ll die! Ugh, why did I make a contract with this idiot…? I suddenly had goosebumps. Goblins couldn’t read this text. Those beings with administrative access couldn’t read it, which meant constellations couldn’t, either. The author who sent me this text file…just what manner of being are they? “Gah!” The last scream rang out. Finally, the owner of the room on Line 3 was decided. [Green Zone 1/1] “…Please don’t come any closer.” Its occupant was awkwardly pointing his knife at me. Surprisingly, the winner was the boy who had guided us earlier. I still didn’t even know his name. “Relax. I’m not here to take your spot.” I emphatically stepped away to reassure him. Then I heard a voice from behind. “Really? You seem awfully relaxed. Guess you’re okay with dying.” Based on the rude attitude, I could tell who it was even without looking. “You’re quite laid-back yourself.” “Oh, no one’s gonna try to take my room. Unless they have a death wish,” Jihye replied as she waved the long sword in her hand. She wasn’t bluffing. The only people here who could match Jihye Lee were Junghyeok Yu and the members of the Landlord Coalition. She stared at me for a bit, then continued. “I hope you stay alive, though. It was impressive how you stood up to Master.” “Don’t worry. I won’t die. Besides, finding a room isn’t the only way to stay alive.” What I said was true. Not finding a room didn’t mean we had to die. There was a person in this station who had proven this was possible. Only three days ago, at that. Jihye Lee’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, do you know what you’re saying right now?” “Yeah.” “Are you strong? As strong as Master?” Junghyeok appeared from behind her as soon as she said this. “Go back to your room.” “Oh, Master. Yes, sir!” Jihye obediently went away. I was about to leave as well when Junghyeok asked me, “Are you planning to fight the monsters?” I shrugged. “You’ll die. And so will your group.” “We’ll see about that.” As he left, Junghyeok looked back at me, his eyes full of feelings I couldn’t discern. I didn’t activate “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.” Not every emotion needed to be spoken. [Twenty minutes remaining until the third scenario is activated.] I heard people coming down from the transfer point. Hyeonseong, Gilyeong, and Sangah… Judging by their dark expressions, the result was what I expected. “We…couldn’t find a room,” Sangah said gloomily. “That’s okay. But where’s Huiwon?” “She said she’d try to negotiate with the people on level B2, but—” As if on cue, Huiwon came running, shouting with anger. “Two thousand coins for one night! Are you kidding me? I should just slice ’em up right now!” She was fuming with frustration. “Get this! Do you know what they told us upstairs?” “They hiked up the rent, didn’t they?” “Oh, you knew?” That was predictable because tenants would die if they couldn’t find a room in twenty minutes. Naturally, the landlords would raise the rent since they held all the cards. “What about you, Dokja? Any luck?” “Nope. I couldn’t find one, either.” “Oh…” I looked at their faces one by one. Finally, it was time to make a decision. “That leaves us two options.” Everyone’s eyes glinted at my words. But my explanation would dash their hopes. “The first one is easy, and all of us will survive.” Huiwon narrowed her eyes. “I get the feeling we’ll end up going with the other choice… So what’s number two?” “The second option is very difficult. There’s a good chance we won’t all make it out alive.” “Let’s go with the first choice then.” “What about you guys?” Hyeonseong was the first to respond. “If it means everyone can survive, we should go with the first choice.” Gilyeong nodded. Only Sangah hesitated. “Can I ask what it is?” I nodded and went up the stairs to the transfer point for Line 4. “Our first option is that.” They all turned to where I pointed. There were five people looking at us warily, holding up their weapons with trembling hands. [Green Zone 5/5] “They’re occupying a room for exactly five people. Their stats aren’t very high. It probably won’t even take all of us to—” “Hang on! Dokja, are you suggesting we should…?!” “Yes. We kill them and take their room.” My companions shuddered at my calm response. Huiwon had a look of betrayal on her face. “That’s your genius idea? You think we haven’t already thought of that?” “If that’s what you want, I can do it.” Gilyeong was the first to step up. “I’m not afraid. I’ll do it.” “Gilyeong, no!” Sangah grabbed the boy’s shoulder. I looked at her and continued, putting on a nonchalant tone on purpose. “Those people probably killed others for that room, too. And to be frank, we won’t survive the future scenarios unless we get used to that kind of thing.” “Dokja.” Huiwon cut me off. “I killed a man in Geumho Station. I did it because I wanted to, and I don’t regret it. But…” “……” “…Just because I’ve become a murderer, it doesn’t mean I enjoy killing people. I don’t want to become a monster.” “……” “…Dokja, I’d like to hear about the second option.” I closed my eyes for a moment after hearing Hyeonseong’s request. “Very well. I understand how you all feel.” Yes, I’ve heard enough. “Let’s go with the second option.” Everyone’s face lit up at these words. I had planned to use the second option from the beginning. I could kill others in order to survive. But I wouldn’t get the attention of the constellations by taking the easy route from the jump. However, the second option would require a great deal of determination, not only on my part but also on everyone else’s. So it had been necessary to find out how everyone felt and what they thought. Huiwon let out an empty laugh. “I knew it. Why did you test us if you were gonna go with number two anyway?” “I wasn’t testing you. Whatever your choice was, I would’ve respected it.” As I said that, I patted Gilyeong on the head as he looked at me with concern. Sangah sighed and then spoke up. “You’re so mean, Dokja.” “I’m sorry that I’m not nice.” “So what’s the second option?” “The second option doesn’t require us to kill anyone, but it’s a very difficult task.” My companions’ faces hardened at my grave tone. “If you choose the second option, you must follow my directions no matter what. Even if it makes no sense, please trust me. If just one person doubts my plan…” “……” “…we’ll all die.” Someone swallowed hard. Everyone nodded almost at the same time. Hyeonseong spoke for the whole group. “We trust you, Dokja. I mean, we’ve come this far because of you.” [Five minutes remaining until the third scenario is activated.] “Then follow me.” I led my companions to the train track of Line 3. I passed the broken safety screen doors and stood before the entrance of the tunnel to Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station. Within the dark tunnel was a “Red Zone” glowing with a crimson light. “The monsters will likely appear from there and rampage through Line 3, then go up floor by floor.” “…So you want us to fight them here?” Hyeonseong asked nervously. “No, we can’t fight them. We’ll all die.” Fighting against hordes of those fearsome monsters and surviving until daybreak without the safety of a Green Zone was something only Junghyeok could pull off. This time, it was Huiwon who offered a guess. “Then should we run toward Dongguk University Station?” “That won’t work either. While the scenario is active, you’ll be killed the moment you step outside of Chungmuro.” “Then what…?” “For this operation, we have to split up. Hyeonseong, Sangah, and Huiwon, once the monsters appear, start running straight toward them.” “What…?” “Do you understand? Run straight toward them. Right before you crash into them, check the left wall. Then you’ll understand what I’m talking about. Got it?” My companions didn’t seem to get it, but there was no time to explain everything. “Just trust me. If you don’t, we all die. Don’t forget to check the left wall.” “Okay, Dokja.” Sangah was the first to reply. It looked like she had an idea of what my plan was. “And make sure you start running after the monsters appear.” I picked up a pebble and threw it toward the tunnel. It bounced off something, sending sparks into the air. Hyeonseong and Huiwon nodded in understanding now, too. “What about you, Dokja?” “I’ll find another way with Gilyeong.” This option wouldn’t work if my companions didn’t trust me completely. After all, who in their right mind would agree to run right into a swarm of monsters? The rest was up to them. [The third main scenario has been activated.] The barrier blocking the tunnel toward Euljiro 3(sam)-ga faded away. “Run!” The three, who had been crouched in preparation, began to sprint at my signal. Krrr…! Monsters began appearing in the red zone. Most of them were level-9 subterranean species ground rats. I spotted some level-8 subterranean species grolls in the mix as well. They were bear-like monsters with black manes. The sharp horn on each of their heads made them especially dangerous. A groll could be dealt with one-on-one, but it was a problem when there were a number of them. The word “pack” wasn’t enough to describe the mass of claws, fangs, and horns rushing at us. It was more like a wave, and we would die the moment it reached us. As Hyeonseong was about to clash with the groll at the front of the group, I yelled: “Now!” Sangah spotted the wall first—and the green tile with the faint light. “Oh!” It only took her a moment fully understand. [Someone has activated a hidden feature of Chungmuro Station.] [Hidden space - “Refuge of the Brave” has been activated.] When Sangah’s hand touched the wall, it lit up brightly, and the feature was activated. [Green Zone 1/3] Huiwon quickly moved to Sangah’s side and stuck to the wall. [Green Zone 2/3] But Hyeonseong missed his opportunity. A number of ground rats were already latching onto his shield. “Hyeonseong! Grab this!” Sangah used her skill “Lashing Thread.” The two women pulled up Hyeonseong to help him reach the wall. [Green Zone 3/3] They did it. Grrrrr! The monsters glared at the three people angrily but couldn’t attack them since they were in a Green Zone. “Dokja!” Sangah called my name, but I didn’t have time to look back. I was already running with Gilyeong on my back. …There are several hidden Green Zones in the third scenario. They appear on certain walls, but only after the scenario has started. Green Zones hidden on walls… Who’d have known? But if you think about it, perceiving them as “rooms” is a very human-specific approach. In TWSA, Junghyeok Yu succeeded in finding a few hidden Green Zones as he went through his many regressions. Refuge of the Brave was one of them. There were only two hidden Green Zones on the Line 3 platform. Crunch. A few ground rats came after me and bit my thigh. There wasn’t much damage because my stamina level was high, but if this kept up, I’d die by a thousand cuts. On my back, Gilyeong used his weapon to fend off some rats. But there were too many of them. Plus, the grolls were the fastest among these monsters. From ten meters away, the boy who had guided us earlier was looking at me in terror. [Green Zone 1/1] Like a coward, I was briefly tempted to take the easy way. Ha-ha-ha-ha! What a show. Now, same as yesterday, it’s time for a penalty! System messages followed the goblin’s loud voice as it echoed through the air. [The scenario penalty has been applied!] [A number of Green Zones have been deactivated.] “N-no…! G-gaaah!” Screams were reverberating throughout Chungmuro Station. The closest came from the boy from before. “Aaack!” The moment his Green Zone disappeared, his small body was ripped apart and swallowed up by ground rats. As this gruesome feeding frenzy bought us some time, I ran toward the aisle with Gilyeong on my back. But the monsters coming through the broken safety screen doors blocked the passage. I put Gilyeong down behind me and pulled out Unbreakable Faith. Shhhk! The blade made of “White Star Weapon Aura” sliced through monsters quickly. But their numbers didn’t decrease. I couldn’t believe Junghyeok survived this wave of monsters even for one night. He was a monster himself. Even if I invested all my coins into stats, I doubted I could do it. At that moment, Gilyeong spoke. “Dokja.” “Don’t talk to me now. I’m busy.” “It’s okay if you leave me and go.” “What?” “To be honest, I don’t understand. Why are you even helping us? You’d have a much higher chance of surviving on your own.” How could this little boy say such a thing so calmly while facing death? Perhaps his heart was already dead. “Yeah, you’re right.” Another swing of my sword, and another headless body of a ground rat fell to the floor. “I could do everything alone, survive alone, and make a cozy living for myself. That certainly would be easier, but…” Why did I do this? If anyone were to ask me that, I wouldn’t be able to explain clearly. But I could say this for certain: “…I once read a novel that flopped because the main character did just that.” “Huh?” I’m reminded of this every time—I’m not cut out to be the leading man. I’ll never be a hero or a savior. However… Gilyeong was trembling. I put him on my back again. “Hold on tight.” …Gilyeong Lee will not die. Not today.
Chapter 29
13 min read