"Anyone willing to secure food, come forward! Sitting around won't keep you alive!"
The station was a bit more lively today than it was yesterday. Inho was gathering people to scour the markets above ground for more food. We had run out last night, so the major group took it upon themselves to get the food themselves.
This was actually the second time they'd gone out alone that morning. The first time, they'd left with a few people from the minor group—but when they came back, those people weren't with them anymore.
I should point out that the people from the minor group were sticking unusually close to us—well, to me, specifically. It looked like my intervention yesterday had all but shattered Inho's hold over his so-called "cattle." And it showed. This time, hardly any of them responded to his calls, even when he used his skill.
That was the part that puzzled me the most. It wasn't outright mind control, but it still significantly amplified people's emotions, making them cling to every word he said. It took a lot to snap them out of it in the novel.
Maybe my act of kindness that day had more of an impact on their psyche than I thought.
A full stomach and a bit of advice can do a lot more than one might expect. Food really is the simplest way to steady a person.
"Are you seriously just going to stand there and watch?"
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Heewon had been pacing around me for the last few minutes, barely holding herself back.
"I know you can do something about them. You are tougher than you look."
Her voice wasn't loud, but there was heat behind every word. I exhaled slowly, eyes open but slightly drooping.
"Give it a little time," I said. "Their grip on the station is already slipping."
"That's not the point." Her impatience was palpable.
"It kind of is."
She finally stopped moving and stared directly at me.
"The more they push right now, the worse it gets for them. People are already starting to doubt their bullshit." I nodded slightly toward a few people from the minor group close to Inho. "Look."
Her gaze shifted from me to the people from the minor group. A man hesitantly stepped forward, eyes flickering toward the major group before quietly stepping back again. Another refused outright. A third didn't even look up. Damn, Inho, you gonna take that disrespect? You're losing your aura.
Heewon frowned. "…Huh?"
"Yesterday, they were in control," I explained slowly. "Today, they're forcing it." She still didn't buy it.
"And we're just letting them do what they want?" I'm sorry, we? I'm legit the only one doing anything about this, woman.
"For now." I was mostly waiting for a catalyst (Dokja) to stir things up, making it easier and more beneficial to get rid of the weeds. I wanted those coins, and most important of all, I wanted to see if I could get rolls for bounty scenarios. (Was there even a bounty for killing them in the novel? Curse my past self for not reading this peak novel fully.)
I could tell she didn't like that answer, though; maybe I sounded too cryptic. Shit, do I sound like Dokja?
"That's stupid." Eh? Oh right, she's a bit of a knucklehead too, huh...
"Running in now would be worse." I lifted my finger and wagged it around, acting like a teacher correcting his student. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, not amused by my gesture. "Yeah? How?"
I finally opened my eyes and gazed at her. Then, after a pause, "They want people like you going up there."
That caused her to stiffen. I continued anyway.
"Strong enough to survive. Angry enough to act. Do you realize that guy's whole shtick is making people act on their emotions? You are literally doing exactly what he wants."
[The Constellations nod at your wise words.]
[Constellations have sponsored 200 coins.]
I closed my eyes again, leaning further into the wall behind me. This spot was oddly comfortable.
"Let's say you go. You help them get food, and somehow come back alive. Exhausted… and nothing changes. They still control who eats what down here, one way or another."
Her expression darkened, my words finally making some sense to her. "…So what, we just wait until they kill someone else? Do something even worse?" Was she really this impatient in the novel? Yeah, maybe she was. How endearing. I'll indulge her this time.
"They will probably try."
Her head snapped up. Fists clenched, nails digging into her palms. I could see her face, feel her anger and... helplessness.
"...! That's exactly why we should—"
"—move at the right time." I interrupted her with a serene smile. I was going to do this later, but I guess it doesn't matter.
I pushed myself off the wall, stretched slightly before opening my eyes fully.
"If you jump in every time you're angry, you're just reacting. Not thinking. And most certainly not succeeding in whatever it is you're planning."
She looked like she wanted to argue. Before deciding against it. Instead...
"…You're really calm about this." You should have seen me back in the train cabin.
"I'm not." I was anything but calm; it was just taking a while for reality to finally set in. And when it did... my mental state would only be sustained by my attribute.
I looked toward Inho, watching him grow frustrated when no one from the minor group gave a shit about his grand plan to save them from starvation.
"I just know how this plays out."
She didn't catch the actual meaning behind that statement, just assumed I was being a smartass.
Instead, she clicked her tongue and looked away.
"I still don't like this." Don't go tsundere on me, I beg you.
"Didn't ask you to." I stepped forward. Let's see what I can do about this station. With Joonghyuk gone, I can move more freely. "Just watch." I moved toward the minor group.
"Huh?—hey! Where are you going?" She stumbled behind me.
I didn't look back. I adjusted my sleeves slightly.
"Hmm? Can't you tell? I'm doing something about it." A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Better than hearing you whine about it all day."
"…wait up!"
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
People noticed my slow approach toward them immediately. I had changed into some nice clothes. I had... "borrowed" them from a store days ago. It's safe to say I was dripped out.
Conversations dipped, eyes followed, bodies shifted slightly to make space without realizing it. I had garnered a lot of respect from these guys—giving them food, coins, and advice. Then yesterday, I had flat-out sent that idiot Cheolsoo flying. I held back on that hit too, significantly.
Behind me, Heewon slowed down.
"…You're not going after them?" she asked hesitantly. It seemed she STILL hadn't figured out what I was intending to do. You have your hands full, Dokja. I can see why you don't tell these people your idiotic plans before you commit seppuku.
"No." That was all I said. Ahead, a few people from the minor group straightened as I approached. Others avoided eye contact, like they'd been caught doing something wrong just by standing there. Guys... I'm decades younger than some of you. Look at my small face—I look like a damn kid.
I stopped a few steps in front of them. Looked around once. Then—
"You guys notice something?" I asked with a slight raise of my eyebrow, looking innocent. Or—well, I would have been if my voice wasn't so monotone.
A few people blinked. One man frowned. "W-what?"
I tilted my head slightly toward the major group—or more specifically, Inho. "They went out earlier this morning." Now I had his attention too. Good. "They took some of you with them."
Now people were looking at each other uneasily. As if they were trying to count how many of them were here compared to yesterday. No. They were well aware.
"They came back." I paused. "Only they came back."
-Silence-
Some swallowed audibly.
One took a step back, like distance alone could stop the truth from reaching them.
"…That's—"
"No, it's not," I didn't let up, my tone ever so slightly colder this time. "It's not 'maybe.' It's not 'we don't know.' And neither is it 'They were stronger, so they came back.' Why on Earth are none of them injured or even slightly affected by the poison gas? Why are they stronger than when they left?" I let my gaze sweep across the entire station. "We all saw it, right? Or was that just me?"
That did it. The doubt that had been sitting quietly in their heads finally had a voice. Behind me, Heewon's eyes widened slightly.
"…Damn."
She hadn't expected me to be so open about it.
A few more people from the minor group shifted closer to me—subconsciously, instinctively.
Hmm, nope. Can't be having that either.
"They're asking for volunteers again," I continued with an amused exhale. "I wonder what they did to get them so excited to try going into poisonous gas again."
Disgusting pieces of shit. They hadn't raped anyone yet, but the nauseous aura of distinct arousal and excitement told me it wasn't going to be long before they tried something. If I hadn't stopped Heewon, it might have been her.
Actually, the only reason they hadn't done anything horrible to a woman yet was because no woman went with them this morning. They all stuck close to me; only some males from the minor group were missing. How do I know? Apparently, photographic memory. I swear, I wasn't THIS much of a nerd in any of my lives.
That earned a few bitter looks toward the major group. Across the station, Inho had gone quiet. I didn't bother looking at him.
"If you still want to go," I went on, "no one's stopping you."
"..."
"Just make sure you come back." That line hit harder than anything else I'd said. They have a choice now. Well, they did before, but now they finally saw it.
[Many Constellations applaud your speech.]
[Constellations have sponsored 300 coins.]
[The Constellation 'One-Eyed King' grins approvingly at your crowd control.]
[The Constellation 'One-Eyed King' has sponsored you 300 coins.]
No one moved. Not a single person stepped forward this time.
Heewon let out a low whistle under her breath. Impressed, are you?
Next to her, Sangah-ssi looked... unsure, her eyes moving between the crowd and me. Hyunsung-ssi didn't say anything, but his expression shifted toward self-doubt and slight anger toward himself.
I glanced across the station toward Inho. He looked absolutely livid. But what was he going to do about it? Nothing. Not yet.
A few people from the major group stirred, clearly uncomfortable. One of them looked toward Inho like they were waiting for him to say something—anything. He didn't.
Good boy.
He must think this was all I was going to do. Poor thing... Should I kill him or let Heewon do it? Decisions, decisions...
I turned back to the minor group like that moment hadn't happened at all.
"If you're going to survive," I said, my expression a little warmer now, "stick together."
They looked at each other hesitantly, then back at me expectantly. Right…
"And don't rely on me."
That caught them off guard. A few blinked. Confused. A few looked lost. I had just told them to stick together. Guys, you aren't part of the gang.
"I helped yesterday," I continued after looking at a kid giving me puppy dog eyes. "I might help again."
"Or I might not." Don't get your hopes up. Grown-ass men.
"If you wait around for someone else to fix things for you…"
I let the sentence hang. No need to finish it. They understood. Even the ones who didn't want to.
"…So what are we supposed to do?" someone asked quietly. A mother.
I glanced at her, my expression softening further.
"Think." Mark. Think.
"Watch who benefits. Watch who doesn't. You all murdered someone to clear the first scenario. You did it because you wanted to live. If you want to survive, step out of your comfort zone. Again and again."
I eyeballed the major group—just for a second—then glanced back toward the minor group.
"Then decide where you stand."
Silence followed. People were thinking now. Honestly, I didn't blame them for doing what they did. They weren't main characters—fuckin hell, they were barely background characters. They didn't have a Fourth Wall. No Gacha, no sponsor. No insight into the future. They were just... human.
But... my expression hardened. So is Gilyoung, a literal kid. If he could keep it together, then they had to as well. No excuses.
I finally turned around and came face-to-face with Heewon. Her arms crossed, a grin tugging at her lips despite herself.
"…You're insane."
"Hah? ( O▽O )" You're the one grinning like a maniac.
She looked past me, toward Inho.
"He looks pissed."
I didn't bother turning. "Puh. He can cry about it for all I care."
"I knew I was going to like you." Don't like me yet, there's more to come.
Gilyoung, standing quietly near Hyunsung-ssi, looked up at me with wide eyes. Were those stars in his eyes? How was I seeing those?
Sangah-ssi, on the other hand, still looked uneasy. "…Won't this make things worse?" she asked softly.
I glanced at her.
"We'll see. Together."
I went back to leaning against my precious wall, hands in my pockets and eyes closed. Just like that, Geumho Station was basically in the palm of my hand.
「✦ Sometime Later ✦」
As I waited for the arrival of our beloved squid, my mind wandered to something that had been bothering me since yesterday.
_
___
______
[You are the first incarnation of this scenario to break through Magic Power level 20.]
[1000 coins have been acquired as a reward.]
______
___
_
Yeah, there was no way someone as paranoid as Joonghyuk would miss the fact that he got second place in ONE stat category. This shit never happened in the novel. Did it?
This might be a pain in my ass later. It is what it is...
Anyway. It's about time he showed up.
"I-It's the Cheoldoo group!"
The station entrance erupted into noise. Footsteps—staggered, uneven—echoed down the stairs first. Then came the bodies. The Cheoldoo group stumbled in, bruised and bloodied. Some were barely conscious. One of them collapsed outright the moment his foot hit the platform. The rest didn't look much better.
Silence fell over the station.
The minor group—those who had refused to go earlier—stayed clustered together. Close to me. Not out of blind trust, but because, right now, I was the only one who hadn't lied to them.
Someone else walked in after them. Slow steps. Completely out of place compared to the wreckage in front of him.
Kim Dokja.
…
. . .Huh?
"Dokja-ssi!" Sangah-ssi ran toward him first.
Hyunsung-ssi followed right behind her, relief written all over his face. Gilyoung slipped past the others, his small hands clutching at Dokja's sleeve the moment he got close.
"Have you been well?" he said, stroking the little kid's hair. Then, as if realizing something, he gave the kid a chocolate bar.
"Thank goodness…!" Sangah-ssi's voice wavered.
Hyunsung-ssi exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for days. "Dokja-ssi… sorry for—"
I filtered out their reunion and stared at Dokja from afar, with Heewon next to me.
"…Thank goodness Ethan-ssi was right," Hyunsung-ssi said it without thinking.
Dokja looked confused for a second before his gaze landed on me when Hyunsung-ssi looked over.
꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧ 3rd Person View ✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂
From where he stood, Ethan didn't move. And something in Dokja's expression shifted—just slightly.
So that's him. The foreigner from the bridge.
Bihyung's words surfaced in his mind.
[''You're not the only incarnation on my channel who doesn't have a sponsor. In fact, the other guy is significantly stronger than you. So what makes you any special?'']
Dokja's eyes narrowed just a fraction. He might as well try, but he had a feeling it wouldn't work.
[Character List is being activated.]
[The information of this person can't be read in 'Character List'.]
[This person isn't registered in 'Character List'.]
…Yeah. That confirmed it. This person was probably the same as him. That was the only explanation that made sense. This person might not be someone who knew as much as him, but someone who knew enough.
Dokja's grip on the thorn tightened slightly.
Ethan, on the other hand, was contemplating something completely different.
I can see his face... clearly. No blur. No distortion. No indication of the Fourth Wall's gatekeeping. Just— a normal face, tired eyes, messy hair.
...
Actually, nah, why the fuck is this guy horrendously gorgeous? I can see why people call the Fourth Wall a gatekeeper.
Speaking of the Wall. The Fourth Wall wasn't blocking his gaze. Did that mean he was like Deadpool? Could he break the fourth wall? Like some sort of meta-aware entity?
Dokja broke eye contact first, only slightly nodding. Drawing attention now would be stupid. He would get information from Ethan later.
Ethan understood the slight nod. Of course he did. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Dokja understood all the same. Almost as if they had just had a conversation through eye contact alone.
Behind Ethan, Heewon crossed her arms. She glanced between the two before snorting.
"…Why do I feel like you two are going to give me many headaches in the future?"
Ethan didn't bother answering, but his smirk widened.
꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧ Ethan's POV: ✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂
"Y-you...!" Han Myungoh's voice reached us before Dokja could introduce himself to Heewon and me. He was backed up by a few people from the major group, with pipes in their hands. Inho was behind all of them. I could see him trying to hide his smirk, his gaze on the bags in Dokja's hands. Was he seriously going to try something?
"Come now, Han Hyung, we should all be getting along. Right, Ethan-ssi?" Hmm...
Seeing me be silent, he gained some confidence and continued yammering.
"You are a new person. Nice to meet you." He went up to Dokja to shake his hand. "May I know your name?"
"Kim Dokja."
"Dokja-ssi. I see. I am Cheon Inho." Dokja looked like he was trying to remember something. His grip on his precious thorn tightened.
"I heard what happened from those you came with. You fought a monster and saved my group members." Seriously? The guy has a bloody thorn, and your men have literal HOLES in their thighs. I don't think it should take a genius to figure out what happened. Even Dokja looked befuddled.
"Everyone! Please gather. It seems our new group member has brought food for us. He is a rare good person, like Ethan-ssi." People's eyes were already on the bags filled with food Dokja had brought with him, and Inho decided to finally get his get-back with me. He chuckled while shaking Dokja's hand, his squinty eyes becoming more crescent, as if he'd finally won a round of a battle he thought we were fighting.
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is excited.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is looking at your expression closely.]
Oh, you poor bastard... You actually think you stand a chance.
"Welcome to Geumho Station, Kim Dok—"
"Hey, Cheon Inho." My hand landed on his shoulder from behind, causing him to jolt.
"...Yes? Ethan-s—" He looked at me warily; he hadn't seen me move at all.
"Why don't you and your group fuck off before I smash in that squinty-eyed face of yours?" I said with a smile on my face, my voice completely non-threatening. It would have looked like a normal scene if it weren't for the creaking of bones under my palm.
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is staring at you in a dumbly.]
[The Constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is laughing at your crude remarks.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is shocked by your words.]
[The Constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' likes your boldness.]
[Constellations have sponsored 400 coins.]
Ah, chats back.
Dokja was looking at me with wide eyes, mouth slightly open. He had probably realized my stats were higher than his, at least the Agility stat.
"Pftt—cough, cough..." Heewon could barely hold back from laughing her ass off at the expression Inho was making. He could only give a pained smile while backing off with his group, massaging his shoulder. Though the vein popping on his forehead told a different story.
The major group backed off in a hurry after taking a look at Inho rubbing his shoulder in pain. And those from the minor group who were eyeing the food items in Dokja's hands also averted their gaze.
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
"...And that's the gist of it." I finished explaining the situation at Geumho Station to Dokja. We had been talking for nearly half a day. I went over all the necessary information he needed to know, leaving out the finer details.
"..." Dokja stared at me like I'd grown a second head. Completely dumbfounded.
I'd just explained that to get food for myself and a few of the survivors, I'd gone above ground without any items, too.
We still hadn't talked about TWSA. I could tell he was itching for some information, even though he already knew that I was an obvious anomaly. He was probably just excited to meet someone else who had read at least some of the novel—maybe he wanted to gossip? Or maybe he was being cautious. Possibly both.
It was hard to read him, even with Haki. The Fourth Wall was passively blocking a good portion of my probing. Maybe I couldn't fully break through it yet. Did I need to pull a Deadpool or something from the Gacha?
"...I see you've decided to stick with the minor group too, Lee Hyunsung-ssi."
"Ah, well... I don't know much about morals or ethics, but… it just didn't feel right. And after Ethan-ssi openly opposed them, I felt even more inclined to stay with the minor group." His expression looked downcast when he began speaking, before hardening with resolve in the latter half.
Dokja smiled slightly. "Don't forget this heart." He said it while lightly hitting Hyunsung's chest.
-Grrrhh-
Dokja's head turned toward the duo behind him, their faces looking up at him with slight expectancy. Like innocent little ducks waiting for food. Gilyoung and Sangah-ssi looked better than they would have in the novel due to my actions; the same could be said about a large number of the people in the station.
"Haha. That reminds me, it is already evening. Aren't you hungry? Take this one by one." He dug into the convenience store bags and started handing things out. Heewon-ssi got something. I got something. All of us did, even though we hadn't formally introduced ourselves yet. I figured it was his way of saying thanks for stepping in with Inho, making him back off.
Speaking of the devil. I could see him look over when Dokja handed us the food. His expression was thoughtful. He was definitely planning something.
"Ah. Really? Can I?" Sangah-ssi looked hesitant, but grateful nonetheless.
"This time is free. But next time, you should pay for it."
"Huh? H-how much…?" Looks like she hadn't expected that.
"Don't you all have coins? It is 10 coins for one."
"T-that…"
Hyunsung-ssi and Sangah-ssi looked a bit confused and surprised. I had just given them my portion of the food for free; maybe I had spoiled them a bit...
"Of course. I will pay right now. I don't need freebies. You should learn a thing or two from this guy, Ethan." Heewon said with a gratified expression. Seriously...?
"How rude. (＾▽＾)"
"Tsk. I am Jung Heewon. I wanted to personally thank you for beating the hell out of those good-for-nothing losers from the major group." She introduced herself and went in to shake his hand.
"It was nothing."
"Yoo Sangah-ssi, Lee Hyunsung-ssi. Everyone, please wake up. This isn't the right time to have these expressions. This food, he obtained it by risking his life. Do you expect to get it for free? Not everyone is like this idiot over here." She said it expressionlessly.
Okay, ouch. Expect fewer gifts from me in the future, Heewon-ssi. (¬`_´¬)
"…Anyway. Sorry for the late introduction. My name is Ethan Callas, and I'm a foreigner, as you can see. You can just call me by my first name." I introduced myself to Kim Dokja and shook his hand for the first time. Hmm. Pretty strong—I'd say his strength stat is about 10.
"…My name is Kim Dokja." His expression looked thoughtful. Likely because he had estimated my stats to be quite high.
"I was too shortsighted, I'm sorry. Of course, we should pay… it is right. I don't like freebies either. I hate depending on other people." Sangah-ssi and Hyunsung-ssi finally snapped out of their stupor; Sangah-ssi's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"I also agree with Yoo Sangah-ssi. I will pay coins from now on."
"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, and, um…"
"Just state how many coins you want to exchange."
We all gave our share of coins to him one by one, starting with Heewon.
At Gilyoung's turn—
"Huh? You gave me more than 10 coins?"
"It's for the chocolate bar during the day." He replied good-naturedly. Good kid.
"Will Dokja-ssi keep staying with us?"
"Ah, that…"
Before he could respond to Hyunsung-ssi, he was interrupted.
"Ethan-ssi."
By Cheon Inho.
"Can I talk with Dokja-ssi for a while?" He looked at me with slight wariness, as if expecting me to disagree. I don't know why he even came if he knew I would disagree; maybe a last-ditch effort?
Bang Cheolsoo, behind him, looked between Dokja and me with obvious fear in his eyes. The same could be said about every member of their group.
I simply leaned back slightly, arms loosely crossed, eyes half-lidded.
"..."
A faint smile touched my lips.
Go on.
"Okay. Let's talk." Dokja answered after realizing I wasn't going to say anything.
Some of the folk from the minor group around us looked over to listen as well.
"…Privately?" Inho looked at me with uncertainty after wiping away some sweat on his forehead.
"…"
Seeing me not budge, he begrudgingly began speaking anyway.
"I will get straight to the point. Join our group. I can offer Dokja-ssi a high position in our group. I want to lead it together with you."
Dokja looked at me for a second before asking,
"Why me?"
"Shouldn't you know why?" Inho glanced toward the injured Cheoldoo Group members. "Dokja-ssi is a hero who saved people from monsters. A hero needs such a place." Again with that excuse.
"And if I refuse?"
This time, Inho looked troubled. He thought about what to say carefully before uttering even more bullshit.
"Dokja-ssi, this isn't a favor. This has become your duty. Can't you see the poor people here?" His hand gestured toward the women, children, and elderly people from the minor group who were staring at us. "I am not asking for anything big, just to work with us for our survival. Don't you have the strength, Dokja-ssi?"
"What exactly do you want from me?"
"I want you to be the one to procure food for us. Until a few days ago, we had someone do that for us. He would hunt in the tunnels and scout for food above ground. We would take it one-sidedly, but yesterday, he left the station. We want you, and perhaps Ethan-ssi, to replace him."
Dokja looked like he understood something, his eyes flickering toward me like he wanted to ask something.
Next to me, someone grabbed my sleeve softly. It was Heewon.
"Are you sure this is fine?" She was looking at Inho like she wanted to shred him to pieces.
"I trust Dokja-ssi's judgment," I whispered back.
She merely nodded and continued glaring at him.
"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…"
Dokja interrupted, "I'm sorry, but I can't be responsible for anyone. I don't want to join your group."
"…Is that so?" Inho's expression cringed.
"Above all, the way you run the group doesn't fit me."
"It's fine. However, if you change your mind, come back anytime."
"That will not happen."
"…"
He left without saying anything. Because he knew he had nothing to say. If he had said anything even remotely threatening, I would have flung him across the station.
After he left, a few people from the minor group looked like they wanted to do something. They hesitated, and in the end, only a few children slipped from their mothers' grasp and ran up to me.
"Hyung! Can we trade something for the food your friend brought? We have money and some household items…"
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is looking at you expectantly.]
My expression warmed up. I turned to face Dokja.
"How many coins for each item, Dokja-ssi?"
The kids looked confused by the word "coins," while Dokja looked at me with slight appreciation.
"50 coins. For each item."
The mothers had come up to us by now, positioning themselves in front of their children. Their expressions were one of shock—not just by the currency itself, but by the amount. They had just enough for one or two items each, having probably saved up their coins since I told them to yesterday. Even so, the number was still high.
"D-Dokja-ssi, isn't that a bit too expensive…?" Hyunsung voiced his concern, but before Dokja could answer—
"I'll buy all of it." I uncrossed my arms and brought my index finger close to him. He looked momentarily surprised, but touched my finger anyway.
[You have paid 'Kim Dokja' 1,450 coins.]
"Please share all the food items properly. Children and women first. Then the elderly, then the rest." I gave the bags to the mother in the front, smiled slightly, and shooed them off.
[The Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', is greatly pleased with your sense of justice.]
[The Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', scoffs at your kindness.]
[The Constellation, 'Secretive Plotter', is quietly observing your actions.]
[The Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', bursts into laughter.]
[Several constellations of the Absolute Good System express approval of your actions.]
[Several constellations are stunned by your humanity.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 1000 coins.]
Oh? I hadn't expected a return THAT quick. My decision had been pretty impulsive, especially for someone who needs coins to roll spins. But... I couldn't help myself.
Dokja's eyes flickered briefly with surprise before dissolving into interest. Gilyoung, next to him, merely nodded to himself about something.
"That was… very kind of you, Ethan-ssi."
"Phew. That was a good outcome at least."
Sangah-ssi's expression warmed seeing the kids leave excitedly toward the rest of the minor group. And Hyunsung-ssi visibly relaxed. Even though he trusted Dokja, the high price was obviously bothering him.
Only one person looked slightly displeased by my action.
Heewon-ssi, next to me, frowned first.
"You're being too lenient…" she murmured loud enough for me to hear. Looking down, she looked thoughtful for a second or two before meeting my gaze. As she looked into my eyes, her displeasure shifted to something more complex before she clicked her tongue and looked away.
"At least you did it properly. How many coins do you even have?''
No… it can't be… SHE'S BECOMING A TSUNDERE FOR SURE! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
"…Stop looking at me like that." ╬
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
"So… are you trying to cosplay as that bastard?"
A bit more time had passed since the whole ordeal. Dokja and I were now sitting by ourselves on the station seats. Sangah-ssi and Heewon were sitting on the floor, chatting about something. Gilyoung was currently sitting next to Dokja, but he was slowly drifting to sleep. Hyunsung-ssi was standing guard once again. His spirit was commendable, I must say. I could never let up on my 9-hour sleep schedule. 'Sleep is for the weak'? Well, I am the weak one, then. Fuck off.
Seeing everyone doing their own thing, and with the Constellations also not paying as much attention, Dokja had finally decided to start the conversation he had been itching to start. Though he was a bit vague with it, as a precaution perhaps.
What he said did catch me off guard, though. I looked down at my clothes.
"Huh? Oh. Hell no. As if I'd cosplay as that psychopath. I just found these to be comfy, and they fit perfectly, too." I looked like Joonghyuk ever so slightly. Only the clothes, though.
He exhaled in amusement before getting a little more serious. "How did you survive the first scenario?"
Very direct about that, huh.
"I can't say if I was lucky or unlucky. I couldn't find any bugs or something to kill to clear it. The only reason I survived was because of my unexpected exclusive skill." I didn't beat around the bush either.
"…" He fell silent for a bit, both of us staring forward. He understood what it meant that I was unlucky to find no bugs. I had killed people. In my mind, there was no other option. That's what he thought.
Gilyoung was fully asleep now.
"…Do you 'know' about it then?" he finally asked the million-dollar question. The question we both knew the answer to.
But just because a reader knew how the story went didn't mean he wasn't going to continue reading the story anyway.
"That novel? Yeah, I'm assuming you know too, then. I didn't know for sure before; I hadn't really read that much. I only came to Korea a year ago, and the novel was already almost 3000 chapters. I barely remember a few main plot points, nothing in depth. It was enough, though."
"How did you find out I also read it?"
"I overheard your conversation with Yoo Joonghyuk on the bridge. Pretty ballsy of you, I must say."
Dokja didn't respond immediately. He looked like he was thinking about something embarrassing.
"…You heard that?"
"Yeah." I stretched my legs out a bit. "I have an exclusive skill that basically gives me a sixth sense. Kind of. I could hear even past the scenario barrier."
"…I see."
-Silence-
"How much do you know?"
Straight to the point again.
"Not enough to be useful." I shrugged. "I only know the basics of what the scenarios and Constellations are. I never really got to the whole regression part."
''Not far at all then...''
Gilyoung shifted a little in his sleep. Dokja steadied him without looking.
"…And Yoo Joonghyuk? What exactly do you think of him outside the novel?"
I exhaled quietly.
"Pain in the ass. Strong as hell, arrogant, handsome. Real mental case. Not someone I'd want to deal with on a bad day."
"…You speak as if you know him personally." Although he said that, he couldn't hide the smile bleeding onto his face.
"I know of him," I corrected. "Big difference."
"…Is it?" He looked a bit intrigued.
"Yeah." I looked forward again. "Knowing the idea of someone and actually dealing with them are two very different things. You know what they say—don't meet your heroes." That was something I completely believed in after meeting Dokja. Or, for that matter, everyone in this world. Reading about them was one thing; meeting them was another. Why were Sangah-ssi and Heewon so damn pretty? Was Han Sooyoung also going to be a bombshell, too?
Dokja went quiet at that, our conversation melting into a stretched silence before I spoke again.
"How much do YOU know about the novel? From what I heard… a lot would be an understatement."
-Silence-
Dokja was quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed on some middle distance. Gilyoung's breathing had settled into the slow, steady rhythm of deep sleep against his side.
"...I read until the end," he said finally. "All 3,149 chapters."
I let out a low whistle. "Jesus. That's... a lot of reading."
"It was." A ghost of something—nostalgia, maybe—crossed his face. "I had time." Which was blown away by something darker.
There was another bout of silence. This one was comfortable. Before Dokja's eyes slightly widened, as if remembering something, his head whipped toward me, and he started whispering in a hurry.
"Wait! You ran into Joonghyuk, right? Did he notice you? Did he look at your attribute window with Sage's Eye?"
He was worrying about that, huh.
"Nah, don't worry, he completely overlooked me. Probably thought I was another person you saved in your cabin, like Sangah-ssi and Gilyoung. Thanks for that, by the way. I blended right in."
He sighed in relief and relaxed back into his seat. Now that we were talking about it, though…
"Should I ask to be his companion as well? Will he throw me off a bridge, too? Also, what round is he on right now? It's not the first one, I know that much."
Dokja's expression flickered—something between amusement and exhaustion.
"He's on his third round," he said quietly. "And yeah. He will definitely throw you off a bridge. That psychopath."
We both shared a laugh as night approached the station.
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
"So you're telling me," Dokja said slowly, "that you have a skill that just... gives you random things. Be it items that AREN'T in the Dokkaebi bag, mind you, or even whole skills. Randomly. Based on luck."
"That's the gist of it, yeah."
"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I GET SOMETHING AS BUSTED AS THAT?!?"
"Sucks to be you, I guess."
"That's simply unfair…"
Gilyoung had been moved over to Sangah-ssi, and both were fast asleep. Heewon was also nodding off. Hyunsung-ssi was standing watch. And we were both still chatting on the station seats. I told him about my exclusive skill (partially), and he had also told me a little bit about his skill, [Bookmark]. He didn't mention the [Fourth Wall] or [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint]. But I couldn't really complain since I myself was hiding much of what the [Chaos Gacha] was.
I watched Dokja's face cycle through about five emotions in three seconds. Jealousy. Resignation. More jealousy. Something that might have been...suspicion. And finally—settling on a kind of exhausted acceptance that I was starting to recognize as his default state.
"Hey, your skill isn't half bad either, you know," I teased, just to watch him twitch.
"That's—" He stopped, pressing his palm against his forehead. "You understand that most people get one skill. Maybe two if they're lucky. You have a skill that can generate infinite skills and items. On top of whatever else you might get from attributes or scenario rewards."
"I mean, infinite is a strong word."
"How many pulls have you had? What skills have you already gotten?"
"Not telling~."
"You're annoying… and your skill is ridiculous."
"Yeahhhh, maybe. To be honest, I think it's the best skill for one reason alone."
"What's that?"
"It has a chance of giving me everyday items from the modern age. In other words—good food. Dokja-ssi. GOOD FOOD."
Dokja stared at me.
Then his expression shifted into something I'd never seen on his face before—complete bafflement.
"...Good food?"
"Good food," I confirmed. "It gave me shrimp fried rice made by the 'Best Chef in the Universe' yesterday."
"…Shrimp fried rice? Best in the Universe???" Now he looked even more confused.
"It was practically shining."
Dokja's mouth opened. Closed. He looked genuinely flabbergasted.
"Do you know," he said slowly, "how long it's been since I've eaten something that wasn't instant noodles or a snack?"
"From the look on your face… years?"
"…"
"I gave it to Gilyoung. Kid almost cried."
"I would have cried."
"You look like you're about to cry right now."
"I'm feeling a bit emotional."
I grinned. "Food conquers all, Dokja-ssi. No matter the world."
Dokja looked at me with something that might have been respect. Or exasperation. It was hard to tell.
"If you pull food tomorrow," he said valiantly, "I will personally protect you from Yoo Joonghyuk."
"What if he throws me off a building someday?"
"I will jump off to catch you."
"That's—"
"For the food, Ethan-ssi. I would do many things."
I laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet station. Some people looked over, but we didn't mind. Mf, you would jump off the building regardless. That being said...
"Deal," I said. "If I pull food tomorrow, you get the first bite."
Dokja nodded solemnly. "Then I hope your luck is better than it's ever been."
"Me too, Dokja-ssi. Me too."
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧ 3rd Person View ✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂
Dokja watched Ethan's breathing even out, the tension finally leaving his shoulders as sleep took him. The station was quiet now—the soft sounds of people sleeping, Hyunsung's distant footsteps, the hum of fluorescent lights that never quite turned off.
He turned the conversation over in his head. A gacha. Items that shouldn't exist. Things the Star Stream potentially had no record of.
Where did they come from?
That was the question he kept circling back to. The system was supposed to be absolute. The scenarios, the items, the skills—all of it followed rules. Rules he'd spent ten years learning. Rules Ethan's skill apparently didn't care about.
[The Fourth Wall], [Bookmark], and now this…
Ethan's skill was something else entirely. Something that reached outside the system's boundaries. Something that created new skills entirely. It was ridiculous.
Dokja's eyes drifted to the man's sleeping face. Younger than him, by a lot. Jet black messy hair, borrowed clothes, the kind of face that would blend into any crowd. Nothing about him screamed, "Powerful."
What are you?
The question sat heavy in his chest. Not hostile—he didn't think Ethan was dangerous. At least, not intentionally. But TWSA had taught him that the most dangerous things in this world were often the ones that didn't exist on any page. The ones the constellations hadn't planned for. Existences like Outer Gods… But he wouldn't have to worry about those just yet.
Like the Fourth Wall. Like whatever Ethan had, too.
His thoughts drifted to Yoo Joonghyuk. His existence had already altered Joonghyuk's future; even his actions in the third round were diverging. And now another variable had to be taken into account, Ethan. He had somehow escaped the Sunfish's notice for now, but if Joonghyuk ever found out about the gacha—
Dokja's jaw tightened. Yoo Joonghyuk would either use him or kill him. There was no third option with that bastard. Unless Ethan somehow grew stronger than even the protagonist. Which was basically impossible.
Which meant Dokja had to decide. Now. Before they ran into him sooner or later.
Companion or Friend?
Ethan was useful. Not only for combat. The gacha could produce anything. A healing item at the right moment. A skill that turned the tide of a battle. Even modern food, which in a world of grocery store snacks and monster meat was its own kind of currency.
More than that, though, Ethan understood. Knew. He understood the whole purpose of selling the food instead of just giving it. Sure, he backtracked and gave the food away for free anyway, but he did it in a way that made people understand. The world had changed.
Not only that, he had managed to single-handedly take over more than half of the station. Cheon Inho's influence was practically non-existent. He could potentially trust him.
If I keep him close, Yoo Joonghyuk will notice. If Yoo Joonghyuk notices, he'll ask questions. If he asks questions—
Dokja watched Ethan softly breathing next to him, something almost protective stirring in his chest.
The smart play was to keep Ethan with him like he would Gilyoung, and pray that Yoo Joonghyuk does not pay attention to him at all. If he does, misinform him about what this 'Gacha' does.
But would Ethan himself allow that? He didn't seem like that kind of person to Dokja. He seemed like. Like himself. To some degree.
And now he was sleeping, trusting Dokja enough to sleep right next to him despite JUST meeting him.
He didn't know how Ethan's skill functioned. He didn't know if the things it created were blessings or traps. He didn't know if trusting him would, in the future, save them or doom them all.
But as the station plunged into the dark silence of the night, Dokja found himself hoping for some Shrimp Fried Rice.
Or, well, just a good item he could snag from Ethan if he ever got something good.
In the end, Dokja was still a stingy bastard.
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
꧁⎝𓆩༺✧ Ethan's POV ✧༻𓆪⎠꧂
"Why? D- you ---- -- buy it back? - --- sell it."
"No, you ------ eat it now."
"Huh?"
"Eat it all by today. You should do it now. Or you will regret it."
I could hear snippets of conversation ahead of me as my thought process gained some coherence.
What time was it…?
Oh, right. Phones dead...
I stretched carefully in my seat, not wanting to draw attention yet, and watched the scene play out. Dokja was telling them to eat. Not save, not ration—eat. Which meant he knew something they didn't. Basically, the norm. My new norm…
Also… Gacha, purchase 5 Luck level 2 rolls.
[Purchasing 5 Uncommon Tier rolls]
[Rolls available]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
◆ Uncommon ◆ (7 remaining)
◆ Elite ◆ (2 remaining)
◆ Rare ◆ (1 remaining)
◆ Legendary ◆ (1 remaining)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[To make the interface easier to understand, luck values have been changed to roll tiers]
[ Trash Tier {0}, Common Tier {1}, Uncommon Tier {2}, Rare Tier {3}, Elite Tier {4}, Epic Tier {5}, Legendary Tier {6}, Mythical Tier {7}, Divine Tier {8}, Transcendent Tier {9+}, Boundless Tier {10+} ]
It's a weird change, but it makes it easier to understand.
I focused back on the group I will be a part of for probably the rest of my time in this world.
Heewon was complaining, predictably. Sangah-ssi was already eating, trusting Dokja without question. Hyunsung-ssi looked confused but followed suit. And Gilyoung—
''Slow down there, kiddo, food should be savored,'' I said with a chuckle after seeing him wolfing down biscuits like his life depended on it.
Gilyoung looked at me in slight surprise before nodding cutely. I finally got up and went over to them, patting the kid on the head.
''Morning, Ethan-ssi.'' Hyunsung-ssi greeted me first.
''Morning.''
''Good morning, Ethan-ssi. Did you sleep well today, too?''
''Yeah, I slept just fine, thanks for asking, Sangah-ssi.'' Though I did lose some sleep because Dokja woke me up in the middle of the night...
Finally, Heewon went up to me looking like she had been wronged.
"You're awake. Finally. Dokja-ssi's being weird. Telling us to eat all our food at once."
I yawned. "Then you should probably eat it all."
She blinked. "You too?"
"You should most certainly eat all the rations you have saved now. You'll know why later."
Dokja's eyes flicked toward me, something unreadable in them. I just raised an eyebrow back.
Heewon groaned. "You two are impossible." She obediently ate her last biscuit despite the complaints.
…
''Just leave us alone!''
Our heads turned toward the source of the shout. A guy from the major group, with a weird posture, was getting yelled at by a mother from the minor group.
''Hey. What's that about.'' I asked no one in particular.
Heewon answered me with a seethe, ''Those freaks from the 'major' group have been trying to harass members from the minor group ever since you went to sleep. I've been telling them off, but they keep trying something with the female members.'' I see…
Heewon's expression suddenly brightened, ''HEY! Leave them alone, you bastard!'' She suddenly shouted angrily towards the major group member, who turned to look at her in annoyance. He was about to open his mouth and retort, but his words got stuck in his throat when he noticed me standing next to Heewon.
He then hurriedly looked down and walked away, grumbling something.
"Hah. Cowards." She really hated them.
''Wait a minute. Where are you going.'' Dokja was heading toward the platform that connected Yaksu and Oksu. Heewon followed after him, glancing at me as she left.
I didn't follow them. Instead, I walked toward the minor group. I needed to tell them something before 'that' happened.
A few members of the minor group noticed me approaching almost immediately.
"…E-Ethan-ssi?"
They know my name? Must have been Heewon.
"What is it?"
"Did something happen?"
I stood in front of the mother who was just being harassed. Her child was peeking at me from behind her.
''Everyone. Eat all your saved rations. If you have something left to eat. Eat it all now.'' I said without a change in my expression.
The woman clutched her child a little tighter. "…Is it about them again?" She glanced nervously toward the major group.
"…Eat all our rations? Right now?"
"…But if we run out later—"
I quickly thought of a sound excuse. I didn't really want to use the 'I read about it somewhere' excuse like Dokja.
''Those idiots from the major group keep harassing you for a reason. They either want your food or something weirder. I suggest eating it all now to make sure they don't get it. I can think of a way of getting food a different way later.''
…
"Ah… I guess that makes sense…"
Another man nodded slowly. "If they try to take it by force, it's better we use it ourselves…"
"…Yeah."
"…Okay. We'll do it."
A younger voice piped up, uncertain. "All of it?"
I nodded and raised both my hands playfully. ''All of it. And avoid spending coins on things too.''
"Got it."
"Alright. Let's eat."
"Pass it around."
"Make sure everyone gets something."
"…You too, take this."
"Eat now, before they come again…"
The group moved with quiet urgency, unwrapping what little they had, sharing it out more carefully this time—but without hesitation.
From a distance, a few members of the major group watched, confused, irritated.
"What are they doing now?"
"…Are they eating everything!?"
"Idiots."
"No—wait…"
I could hear their whispers die down as their gazes shifted to me.
"…That guy again…"
"…Tch."
But none of them dared to step forward. And I watched as everyone ate their food. Dokja and Heewon were still talking near the railway tunnel. The rest of the gang was also finishing up their food.
And as I stood there, in the middle of it all. I felt… Empty.
The station felt smaller than it had a moment ago. Or maybe it was just me, shrinking inward while everyone else went about their business around me. The sound of chewing, of wrappers crinkling, of low murmurs between people in the station—it all seemed to come from somewhere far away. Like I was watching through a window, pressed up against cold glass, unable to feel the warmth of the room beyond. If it were even warm to begin with.
I looked down at my hands. They were mine. They looked like mine. But when I flexed my fingers, the movement felt delayed somehow. Weird. Like I was in a dream. The grey light from the station entrance painted everything in shades of nothing—not quite day, not quite night, just the kind of liminal space where reality felt… Like the backrooms. Where I could almost believe that if I closed my eyes tight enough, I'd open them to my apartment. To my bed. To a world where subways were just subways and people didn't eat their last meals before walking to their deaths.
Home. The word surfaced without permission, and I didn't know what it meant anymore. Home wasn't here. Home wasn't Korea, not really—I'd only been here a year, if that was even real. Home was somewhere else, some other life, some other version of me who hadn't killed anyone, who hadn't stood in a station with strangers pretending they weren't strangers. I missed that person. I missed not knowing what fighting for my life was like. I missed that life, despite not knowing for sure if it was even real.
A child giggled at something—a small, bright sound that cut through the fog around my ears for just a second before the emptiness swallowed it again. I watched Gilyoung crumble a biscuit into his mouth, watched Sangah-ssi brush crumbs from her skirt, watched Hyunsung-ssi fold his wrapper into a neat square before tucking it into his pocket. All of them are so solid. So present. And me, standing here like a ghost who'd forgotten what being alive even felt like. Like, none of this was real. Like I wasn't real. Just a collection of borrowed clothes and borrowed time. With a gacha skill that gave me items and skills, and the hollow certainty that I was never going home again.
If home was even a thing to begin with…
-Bzzzttt-Crackle-
The sound of something splitting the air echoed in the station, and a black creature could be seen floating at the source of the sound. A Dokkaebi.
The people around the station panicked, many of them screaming, while others flinched at its appearance.
[''H-How are you all doing? Haven't you been lazing around for a while?'']
I finally shook off the daze and fixed my gaze on the fluffy menace. It looked harmless enough at first glance—nervous, skittish, almost pitiful. But the waves of vile aura rolling off it made my stomach turn. Just looking at it was nauseating.
Disgusting…
[''M-My friend who was originally in charge of this channel is undergoing disciplinary action… S-So, I am responsible for this scenario.'']
"W-What are you talking about? Just tell us what you want!"
[''H-Hik. Don't be angry, everyone. A-Anyway, I came here for you guys…'']
"For us?"
"T-Then give us food!"
[''F-Food? Aha… if you want food…'']
[A scenario penalty has been added.]
[From now on, food stockpiling is limited.]
[All existing stockpiled food has disappeared.]
"Huh!? What?"
People from the mainstream group screamed out in shock, as all items known as 'food' floated up and vanished into thin air
[''He-hehe. Then, everyone: you can't eat. Y-You have to think about how to complete the scenario, after all.'']
Watching the food disappear, the expressions of the major group darkened, while Inho looked like someone had smacked him upside the head.
As the floating speck of dirt kept talking, I began walking over to Dokja, who was in deep thought.
[''Y-You want to eat? In any case, Earth trash… let's have fun from now on. Hehe…'']
And then a final prompt was heard.
[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.]
Dokja laughed next to me while reading the extra penalty.
[''T-Then, I will leave the rest to everyone! Heeheehee—!'']
And with a flourish, it was gone.
Heewon stared blankly at the devastated members of the major group, and the relief struck members of the minor group, before opening her mouth.
"Dokja-ssi, Ethan-ssi, did both of you perhaps know something like this would hap―''
''I did expect it. I simply thought about what the first thing the Dokkaebis would do to harass humans.''
Dokja answered her before she could finish her question.
''…Aren't you really good at making predictions? What about you?"
She looked as if she didn't fully believe that explanation, then looked at me as if waiting for my answer, too.
''Don't ask me. I just went along with what Dokja-ssi said because it made sense at the time. I honestly feel like Inho is the type of guy to steal your food when you're sleeping.''
If I hadn't known about this happening in the novel, I could honestly see someone like Inho pulling that move on me eventually. So it wasn't without reason that I believed that.
"Pftt… Yeah, right." Heewon snorted, glancing between the two of us. "You're both weirdly in sync every time you talk. It's almost scary."
Dokja and I looked at each other before shrugging. He then called over the others, planning to move finally.
Meanwhile, with Cheon Shitzo.
''Everyone! Please listen to me. We have no choice but to send scouts above ground to gather food. It is the only way we can survive. In return, those who choose to be scouts will be the only ones to get the food.''
Inho went on and on, trying his best to get people from the minor group to become scouts. But to no avail. Everyone simply ignored him and looked over to me.
They were becoming too reliant on me…
Hyunsung-ssi looked at the scene anxiously and turned to us, "Ethan-ssi, Dokja-ssi, what now?"
He glanced at me, and I glanced at him. Then, we both looked back at Hyunsung-ssi and spoke in unison.
"Of course, we go and get food."
Hyunsung-ssi blinked at us, mouth opening slightly like he'd expected a more complicated answer. Before his, and everyone else's expressions tensed.
"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." Dokja looked at a gas mask on the floor. The tattered gas mask couldn't stop the poisonous fog. I could have gone and got the food myself, but this development was necessary for their growth. Maybe even mine.
Hyunsung-ssi muttered, "But… Our only source of food is above ground…?"
"Lee Hyunsung-ssi. The world has changed.''
Dokja looked at me, as if asking me to finish his sentence. I obliged.
''And, respectively, our normal way of getting food also needs to change.''
I looked at the tunnel to Yaksu Station. Dokja nodded and looked at it too.
"Wait a minute. You both…don't tell me?"
"That's right," I muttered.
"We will hunt monsters."
Silence fell over the group. Heewon's eyes widened in excitement and suspense. Hyunsung-ssi's posture shifted—still anxious, but with something else now. Something closer to readiness. Gilyoung looked between Dokja and me with wide eyes, but he didn't look scared. He looked like he trusted us. And Sangah-ssi looked the same.
They were all looking at us like we knew what we were doing. Like we had answers. Like we weren't just two readers who'd stumbled into a story and were making it up as we went along. At least that's what I felt like.
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
''…and try not to die.''
Those were my parting words to the minor group. I wanted to tell them that I wouldn't be here to protect them if anything were to happen, and that they would have to protect each other—rely on each other—to survive. I couldn't always be here to shield them; eventually, we would part.
I don't want to leave them…
This had been bothering me for a while now, too. I wasn't this thoughtful about other people—strangers, even. I wasn't this kind. And certainly not this generous. My excuse was that I didn't want to see the lifeless corpses of children. But…
It's obviously because of my attribute…
It was rated [Rare] for a reason. It was seriously affecting my mentality. This could be a problem…
I mulled over my thoughts while making my way to the others, who were already getting ready to enter the tunnels.
''You finally done?''
I looked over at Heewon, who had also decided to join us on our hunting trip.
''Yeah… Is this guy also going with us?'' Han Myungoh visibly flinched when I pointed at him.
''Yes. Cheon Inho sent him over to 'report' on our journey when we come back.'' Dokja answered while making eye contact with me, trying to convey something. I merely nodded in understanding. I knew why he was here.
''Let us depart, then.''
And with that, we stepped into the tunnel.
[A new sub-scenario has arrived!]
________________________________
[Second Scenario – Food Acquisition]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Directly hunt monsters that can be used as food and cook them.
Time Limit: None
Compensation: 500 coins
Failure: ???
________________________________
Should I show off a little? They have no idea about my 'Ice powers'. Or the others. A little showcase of some of them wouldn't hurt.
.
. . .
. . . . . .
𝕆𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 (𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒 𝕊𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕖)
「✦ Earlier ✦」
꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧ 3rd Person View ✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂
Ethan was asleep. Well, he had been asleep for a while now, but it was still a strange sight for almost everyone in the station.
It wasn't the light, alert kind of sleep one kept in dangerous places—but the heavy, unbothered kind. The kind that said, if something goes wrong, I'll deal with it when I wake up. One arm was thrown over his eyes, his breathing slow and even despite the distant murmurs of the station.
A rare kind of peace. Something everyone in the station envied. Most of them couldn't even sleep without getting nightmares, let alone actually fall asleep due to the noise of monsters thrashing about.
Kim Dokja stared down at him.
Then, slowly, he looked back at his phone.
0%.
"…."
This was bad.
In a world where information was survival, his phone wasn't just a convenience—It was an advantage only he had. Losing it now would mean—
Dokja grimaced.
He had already tried.
The "minor group" had nothing left to trade. Or rather, they had no reason to trade. Food was the only currency that mattered, and Dokja had already spent all of his, while they still had food left.
Which meant…
His gaze drifted back to Ethan.
"…I really don't want to do this."
There was a long pause. But he knew that his options were either asking Ethan… or socializing.
Then Dokja crouched slightly, hesitated, and awkwardly reached out.
"…Hey."
No response.
He frowned, then lightly nudged Ethan's shoulder.
"…Ethan-ssi?"
Ethan's breathing hitched—just slightly—before his brows furrowed under his arm.
"…What?"
The response was flat. Irritated. Half-asleep and entirely unwilling.
Dokja stiffened for a second. That was the first time Ethan had shown actual emotion in his voice.
"I need a phone charger."
-Silence-
Then Ethan shifted, dragging his arm down just enough to squint at Dokja with one eye. There was a solid three seconds where he just stared at him, like he was deciding whether this was worth waking up for.
"…You woke me up," Ethan muttered slowly, "for a charger."
Dokja, entirely serious, nodded.
"…Yes."
''…''
Ethan exhaled through his nose, clearly annoyed, then pushed himself up just enough to sit, rubbing his eyes.
"Can't you trade food for it?"
"I used all my food."
"…Of course you did."
Ethan let his head tilt back slightly, like he was trying to remember something, before dragging himself fully upright. He didn't look around with any urgency—didn't even seem particularly invested in the situation.
He just spoke.
"Anyone got a charger?"
It was casual. Offhand. Almost lazy.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Dokja opened his mouth slightly, likely expecting either silence or rejection—
—and then everything happened at once.
"I have one!"
"Here—take mine!"
"I have a power bank too—!"
"Hyung, this one works, I swear!"
People started moving. Quickly. Urgently.
One person stepped forward. Then two. Then five.
Within seconds, Ethan had a small crowd forming around him—hands outstretched, each holding a charger, cables tangled together, some even offering full power banks like they were presenting something sacred.
Dokja froze.
"…Huh?"
Ethan barely reacted.
Instead, he lazily reached out, grabbed one at random, and gave it a short nod.
"Thanks."
The crowd visibly relaxed.
Not just relief—something deeper. Shoulders dropping, expressions softening, as if they'd just been given a noble prize.
One of them even smiled.
"No problem, hyung."
Dokja's eyes flicked between them. He had expected Ethan's control over the station to be strong. But this…?
"…Ah."
Ethan, meanwhile, had already handed the charger to Dokja, completely uninterested in whatever realization was dawning behind him.
"There. Done," he muttered, already lying back down. "Why exactly do you need a charger? Flashlight? Don't you already have one?"
He knew the answer, but he wanted to see if Dokja would tell him.
Dokja stared at the charger in his hand before answering after a small moment of hesitation.
''The author of TWSA sent me a copy of the novel before the apocalypse started.''
Ethan's eyes widened slightly. Dokja assumed he was shocked by the info, but Ethan just hadn't expected Dokja to tell him this easily.
Did he ever tell anyone about this in the novel originally? He couldn't remember…
It was slightly unexpected.
''Woah, really? Can I see?'' he already knew what the outcome would be, but he wanted to see if the Fourth Wall was the only thing he could see through.
''Ah. Yes, of course. Let me charge it a bit, and you can see.''
––––––––––୨ৎ––––––––––
''Dokja-ssi. This is blank.'' Ethan commented after flipping the phone around to see if anything would happen. It wasn't working, obviously, but he wanted to try anyway.
''…Seriously?'' Dokja looked just as confused. He went over to check if the phone was even on the novel, only to see it very clearly. ''That's… strange.''
''Yeah. Must have something to do with your attribute or maybe an exclusive skill.''
''Yeah… maybe.''
''Aaannyway. Yawn. I'm going back to sleep. See you later.''
Dokja merely hummed in response. Still in deep thought.
.
. . .
. . . . . .
(AN: So. This chap was kinda big huh? 10k+ words. AND you guys got an extra scene. Lucky u. There will be more in other chaps. This was actually made on April 1st, so idk when ur seeing this, or how much more I would have made by the time u see this. I just wanted to talk about a few things.
Was the scene with Dokja okay? I will say this now, being able to perfectly characterize fictional characters 100% correctly, is impossible. I tried making it as close to Dokja as possible. I'm currently struggling to separate his personality from his end of story version, to the version in the start of the novel. He was charismatic yes, but extremely introverted. Btw Dokja trading food for a charger is canon. But since he used up his extra food due to Ethan's existence, he had nothing left to trade.
I will say, the whole 'Shrimp Fried Rice' scene with him might have been a bit off character.
How well done was Dokja's monologue? Did it seem accurate? I will try doing different POVs in the future, when I get the character thoughts down close enough.
My thoughts going into that scene were this: Ethan was someone 'like' Dokja, and readily gave away some info on his skills to Dokja. And, his actions toward the minor group made him seem trustworthy to some degree in Dokja's eyes. So they hit it off very well, as Han Sooyoung[1] did in the original. Except Ethan is a bit closer to Dokja. Maybe his personality, the fact he's way younger than Dokja, and dokja sees him as a kid he has to protect, or maybe cause Ethan's a boy (Homies fr).
I wanna hear your thoughts. I won't CHANGE the scene tho. Maybe if I see a good enough point, I could change it, but it seems pretty detrimental to do it after making more chapters with it in mind. So after u guys catch up to where I am, I can start implementing your thoughts too. This IS an ff, not a novel. Ur thoughts matter too, to some degree 😚.
I have a concern I will address next chap note session. It's about the demon king selection.
Questions should be asked here ->
Onto the next chapter. )
. . . . . .
. . .
.
[1] Happy Birthday to the Best Female Character in ORV. Han Sooyoung.