Chapter 1: Chapter 0: Prologue, Reading & Eating.
Notes:
God, I haven't written fanfiction in years-literally over a decade. Regardless, this was still something I wanted to write out.
ORV has me in a chokehold at this point and won't let me go, so I've decided to write what's been stewing in my head for the past few months.
This is absolutely gonna be a slow build and written a lot like the ORV novel (I also have like 5 different tabs open to check canon info to get every screen and bit of text right.)
Still, thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoy.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Putting my phone down, I closed my eyes; the words I had reached once again burned into them.
[This story is for just that one reader.]
“Fuck. That was good!”
It was such a poetic end to a novel that had sucked me in deeply, yet those were the only words that came out. Honestly, I never expected to get so invested in this particular story. Works of fiction come and go as quickly as the tides, yet this one managed to pull me under the currents, drowning me in its wonder.
[Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint]
Author: Sing Shong
551 Chapters.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is a web novel and a webtoon, the latter being akin to addictive junk food to me. Webtoons were something to binge and then toss after I finished it, though each left their fond aftertaste. On my first read, ORV was nothing more than just that. I ate it and then threw it. I honestly don’t even remember when I first read it, though it had to have been sometime last year.
Then, for some reason, I picked it up again. I just remembered going, ‘Oh yeah, this was a pretty good series! Wonder where it’s at now?’.
[None of you will ever understand…]
[...What it feels like for someone to give it their all…]
[...Only to finally end up at the starting line.]
That bite of dialogue caused me to savor its taste and crave more. Something finally clicked when I saw those words, the star went out, and Dokja was almost there. I needed more and had to know what came next; how was THAT just the starting line?! My thinking was rather like the Constellations from the story, a want to consume a story, using it as an escape; I was practically screaming for the show to go on. Ironic, isn’t it? After all, we readers were written as Constellations (for the webtoon, at least). It felt pretty cool, [Eyes Waiting for Tuesday Night]...
I’m rambling, though. Now, where was I again?
Ah yes.
I wanted more; I wanted to keep reading more and more. I even splurged on coins just to read another chapter. It’s not like it’s expensive; the episodes were only seven coins a piece. But then I caught up, and there was nothing else to read, no more chapters… Well, of the webtoon , I could still read the web novel. It had been a while since I read a novel, or well, any kind of book that didn’t have pictures. I’m a picture kind of person; it’s how I read, it’s how I write, it’s just how I work. But my appetite was ravenous; I had to taste what was coming.
To put it simply, it was delicious. Honestly, the author knew what they were doing, having a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter, captivating them, leaving them on the edge of their seats just needing to know more. I found myself sucked into it, and then a few weeks later, I was left in a daze. You know, you get that kind of daze leaving a movie theater realizing that, no, you’re not in the apocalypse, you’re not fighting god, you’re still just you but now filled with popcorn and maybe a soda.
And, well, that was just the start of my spiral that led to everything that’d happen later.
Notes:
I don't know how often I'll be updating, I'm just gonna see how things flow from here on.
Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Well, I Guess This is One Way to Start a Story.
Summary:
Sitting on a park bench after a long freak out, I take a moment to think about everything going on. Where the fuck was I?
Chapter Text
I’ve always had this bad habit whenever I would meet someone new. For some reason, I’d just completely forget to introduce myself. It’s not like I had an embarrassing or hard-to-pronounce name; I’d simply forget.
“Watch where you’re going.”
That gruff voice was my only warning before I would greet the floor beneath my feet. A body far larger than mine, having bumped into me, sending me tumbling. I don’t know what shocked me more, the pain of hitting the ground or the man's audacity. After watching the man's form disappear into the crowd, I took a moment to assess my situation. The last thing I remembered was coming home after a long day of work on Friday, calling my friends to catch up, and sleeping. An average Friday for me. So, why was it that when I woke up, I wasn’t greeted by a dimly lit room decorated with art supplies, old laundry, and books?
Opening my eyes for the first time, I dreamed of an empty subway devoid of life.
The next time my eyes opened, I was greeted by plush green grass, stepped on by dozens of feet as fireworks lit up the sky. I had initially thought of it as nothing more than the next part of my dream. That quickly changed after getting knocked to the ground. The old ‘oh shit, I feel pain, this isn’t a dream’ bit, if you will. A regular person would have started to panic, the fear and anxiety of not knowing how you’ve found yourself in such a strange situation in a place you don’t know. And that’s precisely what I did.
Sitting on a park bench after a long freak out, I take a moment to think about everything going on. Where the fuck was I? Looking around, I noticed a few key features about the park I was at. The fields of flowers, the walking paths I remembered traversing with my coworkers before during one of those goofy yet mandatory work events. I knew this place, but why in the everloving hell was I here?! I lived nowhere near this place!
“What the fuck…”
I take off my glasses momentarily, rubbing my hand down my face. The second thing I needed to address. I was much better after a good cry and could think clearly again. My hands started roaming my body to see if I had anything on me.
- My Phone
- My Charger
- My Power Bank
- One of my less-used notebooks
- Several miscellaneous pens
While I was missing my wallet, which freaked me out, this was, thankfully, what I usually had on me at all times. I probably had my wallet at one point but got pickpocketed before realizing my situation. Well, that’s a lot of phone calls I’ll have to make once I’m home. But I had my phone so that everything would be fine. Clicking on the power button, I checked the time…
*Mobile ✆ ♫ 4G ❘❙❚ 100%⍂
[1:55 am]
[Sat, January 6]
19℃
[Call] [Message] [Camera] [Images] [Internet]
Initially, my lack of apps was what scared the shit out of me; my homepage was littered with them. Only then did I realize the time and date. That had to be a mistake. Shaking my head, I quickly flipped through my phone to get to my contacts so I could call someone to pick me up.
My contacts were empty.
Maybe this wasn’t my phone, a fucked up prank for whoever put me in this situation. Thankfully, due to my own nagging family, I had at least memorized a few phone numbers and was quick to try and call. After all, I knew whoever was on the other end would pick up if I called so late, mainly because I hated making calls.
“The number you have dialed has not been recognized.”
I never thought the dial tone could be so loud. I called every number I knew; I tried redownloading apps to log into accounts that weren’t there. When it all failed, I just…It felt like I had no existence in the world. I sat on that bench for what felt like hours, listening to the white noise of other people's chatter, watching the fireworks pop. Looking back at my phone again, I watch the time change to 2:00 am as the world was bathed in a blue light from yet another firework.
Chapter 3: Chapter 2: I’m glad I like to reread.
Summary:
If it had been longer since I reread the first few chapters of ORV, it would have taken me at least a few more minutes to put two and two together. Thankfully, I had and still have a bizarre obsession when it came to the first few chapters of the series. So I knew what would happen…to Kim Dokja on the train in Seoul, not me, who was across the goddamn globe from him. This would honestly have to be one of the cruelest jokes the world could play on a person.
Chapter Text
The blue light continued to blanket the park as my eyes stayed down. I didn’t want to look up. I didn’t want to open the box just to see a dead cat.
“Is this part of the show?”
“What the hell is that thing?”
If it had been longer since I reread the first few chapters of ORV, it would have taken me at least a few more minutes to put two and two together. Thankfully, I had and still have a bizarre obsession when it came to the first few chapters of the series. So I knew what would happen…to Kim Dokja on the train in Seoul, not me, who was across the goddamn globe from him. This would honestly have to be one of the cruelest jokes the world could play on a person.
“I’m putting this on my Tiktok.”
“What is it?”
“You guys are seeing that, too, right? I didn’t have that much to drink.”
This was a plus; everyone assumed it was part of the show. The real problem would come the moment the Dokkaebi made their announcement.
[Ah, h-hello! Can you all understand me? Some of the language patches are malfunctioning, and it’s best if you can hear me loud and clear.]
A stutter. Either this would be another bonus of a new and inexperienced Dokkaebi, or they could be someone like Biryu who put on an act. In the distance, I could hear the excited whoops and hollers of people far past their alcohol limits. This first scenario may be survivable.
“Holy shit it’s talking, dude this has got to be some good CGI shit.”
“Yeah! You go little flying rat dog!”
Or not.
The Dokkaebi didn’t seem pleased with the comparison, clearing their throat to gain everyone’s attention.
[Well, a-at least you all are listening.]
[Ahem...]
The Dokkaebi paused for a moment, thinking of their following words carefully. I could feel my arms shaking. Acting like a coward, I shut my eyes to what was coming…
[L-let’s start this from the top, shall we?]
[The last chapter in your life has ended, and a new chapter is starting. From the moment you were born, you lived a free life whether you knew it or not. But nothing can last forever, right?]
I refrained from praying then; I’d rather not attract any Constellations right now. At least no one died. I listened to the people's awe, thinking this was nothing more than just part of the show.
[Since you’re all so excited, I g-guess I’ll give you just a little more. You'll have to pay in a world that’s no longer free, but how, you ask? Well, let me show you.]
[#PIO-1437 channel is open.]
[Constellations have entered.]
I could feel the blue light seeping through my closed eyes; I knew what this would be.
At least…I thought I did.
But what greeted my eyes was far different than what I expected.
[Exclusive Skill, Cognition Filter Lv. 1 has been activated!]
That was weird enough, but I couldn’t understand what I saw next.
[M■■n ■ce■ar■■ #■ - ■■o■s■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■r■]
Ca■e■■ry: ■■in
Dif■■■u■ty: ■■■
C■■ar Co■ditions: P■■■ o■e e■■■■■ ■o ■■■ ■■■■■.
■■m■ Lim■: ■
Co■pens■■■on: ■■■■r■in■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■■
F■■■ur■: P■■■onal A■■■ib■■e ■■■■■■■
Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Main Scenario 1 is easy.
Summary:
I could see them opening their mouth to speak, and I knew what would happen. Intestines would fly, brains would explode, and their anguished cries would echo for miles. I hated few things in the world more than people's eyes being on me.
[You have achieved the ‘First Kill’ achievement!]
Chapter Text
The sounds of others’ voices were drowned out in my mind as I focused on the screen before me. That was not the first scenario of ORV. The first scenario was ‘Proof of Value.’ So, why the hell did I have this in front of me? I reached out to touch the screen, only for it to fizzle out the moment I got close, almost like it was a mirage that never existed.
However, what was there in its place was a sight I was far more familiar with. At least slightly more familiar.
[M■in Sc■n■■io #1 - Proof of Value]
Category: Main
Dif■iculty: F
Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living creatures.
Time L■mit: 30 minutes
Co■pens■tion: 300 Coins
F■■lure: Death
This was something I at least knew how to work with, kind of-a simple scenario with an easy loophole to the clear condition. Even if some things were slightly glitchy on the screen, I knew this scenario by heart. Thinking a bit more about my situation, at least as of right now, I was glad I was here in a park filled with all kinds of bugs and critters where I’d be safe. I wouldn’t have to fight over bugs with people who were needed in this world.
I turned away from the screen, only to realize what that strange skill from before did.
My brain has always worked weirdly when it comes to remembering things. In a test with apples, you’re told to think of an apple, and everyone’s visualization is different. Some pictured a realistic apple, and others couldn’t picture an apple at all. Then some people’s apples were stylized, almost like a drawing.
That was my brain.
What was now in front of me was no longer the realistic world I knew; now, this world reflected how my mind thought of it. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was thankful for this. At least now, my weak heart and mind might be able to bear the world's weight. However, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“Main scenario, what’s that mean?”
“Kill? This is just a game, right?”
“Man, I don’t wanna do this. Hey, pass me another beer.”
I knew I had to act fast before things inevitably got worse. Quickly moving past the various people, oblivious to the danger they were in, I scanned the ground, looking for my target.
Finding an ant nest in a park like this was no problem. No, the real problem was the people around me just meandering about. Not a single person took this seriously, which would get them killed. For as much as I liked Kim Dokja, I wasn’t him. Panic started to seep into my skin as I thought about the people around me falling one by one after failing the scenario. Or even worse, piss off the Dokkaebi.
My eyes went to the sky as I searched for them; a futile effort, I thought. But surprisingly, they were still there watching, though their annoyance was evident. A streamer wants an entertaining show; the people here were anything but that.
I could see them opening their mouth to speak, and I knew what would happen. Intestines would fly, brains would explode, and their anguished cries would echo for miles. I hated few things in the world more than eyes being on me.
[You have achieved the ‘First Kill’ achievement!]
[100 coins have been earned as additional compensation.]
But people hurting when I could have done something was one of them.
“Wowie, what’s this? I got 100 coins for stepping on an ant! Oh, this has to be some awesome game for the festival!!”
I cringed inwardly at myself for the ridiculous display as I yelled in the highest voice possible, waving my arms around and practically doing a little show and dance. Sure, I’d be considered stupid, but maybe people would listen that way. After all, who the fuck would trust someone screaming about how they’d die if they didn’t kill something. Somebody would call you a drunk fool if you did that.
“What the hell is that kid doing?”
“Are they drunk or something?”
Or maybe they’d call me a fool either way. If I were in their shoes, I’d do the same. I could feel the judgment in their eyes as they stared at my still-posed form. Maybe I should do it again or something else to get their attention; I just had to do something I couldn’t just stand by and let all these people die.
[You have killed a living thing.]
[100 coins have been earned as compensation.]
[You have killed a living thing.]
[100 coins have been earned as additional compensation.]
[You have killed a living thing.]
[100 coins have been earned as additional compensation.]
I heard a stomp beside me as I turned to see a high school boy stomping on the ants as well. His expression brightened as he saw the windows pop up one after another.
“Woah! I got 300 coins!”
“So it is a game?”
“This has to be for some prize; guys, come on!”
A few more boys around the same age all joined in as they started to step on the ant pile. Part of me wondered why they were all out so late at night, but then again, it wasn’t a school night. At least others had joined in at this point. I could see screens popping up one by one as others followed my lead. While this may not be as entertaining, we were at least following the rules of the stream, so there would be no need for any intervention.
Though as I turned to catch a glimpse of the Dokkaebi’s expression, a message popped up in the corner of my eye.
[Compensation settlement is delayed due to an unexpected error. Please wait.]
Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Watching a stream.
Summary:
What was this? My thoughts had only been a passing joke…were they a reality? I typed in a channel I had long since memorized. I knew what would happen when I looked; I had seen this scene a dozen times before.
[#BI-7623 • Live On]
Chapter Text
[Compensation settlement is delayed due to an unexpected error. Please wait.]
I had to stand there momentarily just to grasp what I was reading. What the fuck did I do? How did I break the system already? I had done nothing but follow the scenario! I tapped the window once, twice, three times, yet nothing changed. Would I still be able to get the coins needed for the channel payment, or would I die here? I smashed my foot against some of the straggler ants running off to the side just to see if there had been a mistake.
[You have killed a living thing.]
[100 coins have been earned as additional compensation.]
[Compensation settlement is delayed due to an unexpected error. Please wait.]
[You have killed a living thing.]
[100 coins have been earned as additional compensation.]
[Compensation settlement is delayed due to an unexpected error. Please wait.]
…
I had to cover my ears as the messages bombarded me. That, coupled with the crowd now forming around the ants, caused me to break off from the group running to a nearby tree to catch my breath. Something had to be wrong; maybe it was like Dokja and the fourth wall-after all, I was someone from outside the story.
I tried to remember the passage from the top of my head where Dokja tried to open his attribute window. How did it go again? I just had to think really hard, right? Just think ‘Attribute Window,’ right? Come on, ‘Attribute Window,’ show me what’s up.
[System error.]
[Entity does not exist.]
I stared at this screen for a long time, wholly pulled away from the commotion behind me.
“What do you mean I don’t exist?! Look, see, right here!”
I waved my hand in front of the screen, going so far as to try and tap against it as you would with a slow phone. My hands reached out to grab the screen, shaking it back and forth in a panic. How could I not exist? I was right here, participating in the scenario! Is that why the payment wasn’t working? Because there was nowhere for the coins to go because I wasn’t seen as an entity. Come on; I was a person; I should be an incarnation! Hell, readers of the webtoon were written as constellations for fun. I had to be something! Was it not enough that I was here all alone? Did this world hate me so much that it rejected my whole being?
I looked at my phone to check the time; as long as the 30 minutes hadn’t passed, I could still do something about this. Instead of my normal black screen, blue greeted my confused eyes.
[Logging into Star Stream]
[Please select your channel]
“What?”
[Your existence has become muddied.]
[Your existence is undefined.]
What was this? My thoughts had only been a passing joke…were they a reality? I typed in a channel I had long since memorized. I knew what would happen when I looked; I had seen this scene a dozen times before.
[#BI-7623 • Live On]
A familiar sight was playing out before my eyes on my small phone, just as I thought. Honestly, I didn’t even need the sound on. I knew this chapter by heart and knew all the lines they said.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
I saw him. A businessman with a blurry face was standing on the train, holding up a cage full of grasshoppers, having just given one to the small brown-haired boy.
“Everybody, stop. You can’t live if you kill the grandmother.”
I was entranced watching the scene firsthand. It was Dokja. My protagonist. The guy I rooted for. He was right there, so close yet so far. I looked down at the message bar, already starting to type a message, before I heard a voice behind my shoulder.
[What do you think you’re doing?]
Chapter 6: Chapter 5: Undefined.
Summary:
I was like a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar. A look of guilt and fear washed over my features as I trembled in front of the Dokkaebi. Perhaps this would be when I died; I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. Everyone talks a big game about surviving in a fictional world, but in the end, we’re just normal people.
Chapter Text
I had to suppress a scream as I heard the Dokkaebi right over my shoulder. Their little beady eyes bore into mine, and I quickly had to look away.
“I-I uh-well I…um…”
I was like a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar. A look of guilt and fear washed over my features as I trembled in front of the Dokkaebi. Perhaps this would be when I died; I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. Everyone talks a big game about surviving in a fictional world, but in the end, we’re just normal people.
[What are you doing j-juts sitting over here looking at a black screen. Go b-back and join the others.]
Oh.
So it was like that. Perhaps whatever grace saved Dokja whenever he was reading saved me as I watched; well, since the Dokkaebi was already here and not in a hostile mood, maybe I could figure out what was wrong with me. I grabbed my index finger tight, a self-soothing method, and breathed before speaking.
“Um…w-well, you see, I keep getting this uh… I dunno! Ya see I was trying to go along with your game but it gave me a bunch of errors. It even said I didn’t exist, which is kinda like super silly because I’m right here!”
I once again inwardly cringed as I changed my way of speaking mid-sentence, but it was the best choice. The stupider I act, the less people will think of me, and the less they’ll see me as a threat. I held my breath as I watched the Dokkaebi’s face scrunch up in thought. Either this worked, or it’d be the end of my story.
[That shouldn’t be the case. Now, let’s see what the issue is. T-Then you can get right back into being your silly little incarnation self.]
I was honestly a bit shocked that playing dumb worked. It may have been because I kicked off the scenario, so it started smoothly. Regardless, I was thankful for the small mercy. If I acted amicably and participated according to the scenarios, perhaps the Dokkaebi would at least be amicable to me in return. I’d have to keep that in mind.
[The Dokkaebi ‘Alexander’ has used ‘System Interference’ on you.]
Yes, that System Interference skill. I remember in the story how Bihyung had tried to use it on Dokja twice and was shocked both times. I had hoped it wouldn’t happen to this guy as well.
Although…Alexander was an interesting name, not just because I had grown used to the Korean names in the novel, but because that didn’t match the channel. Each channel was named after the Dokkaebi in charge…so was this not his channel? I kept these thoughts to myself; it could be helpful later.
[You’re not in the system…]
“What?”
[Y-You’re just not in the system. I can fix that, and you’ll be right as rain. Now, tell me your name, human.]
The interaction was going smoothly, like surprisingly smoothly. With a smile, I opened my mouth to say my name.
“A-ah, yes. My name is ■■■■■.”
Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Incarnation.
Summary:
My hands reached to my mouth and throat; no matter how many times I tried to say it, my name wouldn’t come out.
Chapter Text
[A handful of constellations are curious about you.]
[E-excuse me? What did you just say to me?]
Alexander’s expression was already darkening as I waved my hands in fear. What the hell had happened?!
“I’m just saying my name; I’m ■■■■■! My name is ■■■■■! Why can’t I say ■■■■■? Why can’t I say my name?!”
My hands reached to my mouth and throat; no matter how many times I tried to say it, my name wouldn’t come out. Perhaps thanks to the sincerity in my voice, Alexander’s expression was no longer as dark. However, now it was almost as confused as I was.
[Your existence is undefined.]
I stared at the screens before me again, still just as confused as the first time.
[What are you looking at?]
Pausing, I looked away from the screens back to him; perhaps he couldn’t see what I saw. I guess that’d be a plus for me. The less others knew I wasn’t supposed to be here, the better. Taking a breath to compose myself, I smiled at Alexander.
“Uh, just call me…er…”
I had a unique opportunity here; I could decide who I’d be by my hands. Though honestly, after giving it a moment of thought, only one name that would suit me.
“I’m John, John Doe. Nice to meet you.”
Alexander gave a huff before typing away at his little screen. I wouldn’t be able to admit this out loud, especially in this world, but the Dokkaebi are so cute. Seriously, who let them have such an adorable fluffy design? The one in front of me was a tiny adorable little black fluff ball dressed in rags. If I wouldn’t automatically get maimed, I’d be hugging those little guys. If bad, why cute?
[T-there, it should be done. Now, go b-be a good little incarnation and play around with the others, won’t you?]
I nodded, giving Alexander a salute in thanks. If this guy was going to be in charge for now, it’d be better to get along with him.
“Thanks, pal! I’ll get right to it!!”
Giving him a wave, I strolled over to the others, still kicking the ants. I could still see several people not participating in the scenario, but at least most of them were. I opened my attribute window, curious how it would look instead of Dokja’s ‘Character Summary.’
[Attribute Window]
Name: John Doe
Age: C■rr■ntly as■■ss■ng
Sponsor: None
Exclusive attributes: C■rren■■■ asse■sing
Exclusive skills: Curr■ntly as■■ssing
Stigma: None
Overall stats: ■urre■■ly ass■■sin■
Okay, this was decent at least. I was now in the system and a part of the stream. Now to check everything else.
Coins Possessed: 2150 C
Not bad, I wasn’t Kim Dokja rich yet, but I at least had my coins now. Speaking of Kim Dokja, however. I pulled my phone out once more as I squished a few more ants under my foot. It was already 2:15 am, so it’d be about the time that he and Kim Namwoon would be fighting.
“Chungil High School, 2nd year, Kim Namwoon. I have one question for you.”
Oh yeah, I remembered that part. I watched as Dokja squished the bug in his hands, and Namwoon charged. To be fair, it looked a bit silly watching it from this perspective. The stream lacked the same camera angles the webtoon had and instead was at a fixed perspective. Either way, there were more important things to do now. Crushing another set of ants I checked my coins once more.
Coins Possessed: 4650 C
[2,700 coins have been invested into physique.]
[Physique Lv. 1 -> Physique Lv. 10]
[Your physique level has increased dramatically!]
[The durability of your body has greatly increased.]
Good. I knew this was overkill for what I was about to do, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I plunged my hands into the ant hill, gathering two handfuls of ants before starting to run around the park as fast as I could. I knew I couldn’t save everyone…but I had to try.
10 minutes…
“Hey come try the game with everyone. Here, I even brought you an ant!”
4 minutes…
“Come on, please play the game. Here I even brought it to you so it’d be easier!”
5 minutes…
“Please play the game with us!”
1 minute…
“Please…”
30 seconds…
“Please…I don’t want you to die…”
5 seconds…
I crushed the remaining ants in my hands, closed my eyes, and covered my ears. I knew it’d all be filtered but even still…
Even still, people died…
[The given time has run out.]
And then the screams started.
Chapter 8: Chapter 7: Choose Your Sponsor.
Summary:
Would this work? If it did, I know I’d be trouble, but still… Imagine the possibilities.
Chapter Text
[Paid settlement will now begin.]
My dirt and bug-coated hands pressed against my ears as I tried to drown out the screams. The terror of the scenario was slowly seeping into me. I may have read it a dozen times, but reading and living were different. You don’t hear the anguished cries ripping into your ears, smell the iron as it soaks into your skin, feel the bodies around you start to chill or taste the bile climbing its way up your throat.
I no longer had the luxury of being behind a screen.
[Paid settlement will begin.]
In and out. Breathe into the nose and out through the mouth.
“It’s not my fault…”
[You have killed 152 living things.]
“It’s not my fault…”
[You have killed non-resistant living things, so the number of coins you have acquired is reduced by half.]
“It’s not my fault…”
[7,600 coins have been acquired!]
“It’s…”
[The number of coins used for the stats level up is automatically subtracted.]
“I could have saved them…”
[You have a total of 4,900 coins.]
[The ‘Mass Murderer’ achievement has been gained through excessive killing.]
I could have saved others, spent coins on my speed to make it to more people, or forced them to squish the bugs. I knew, so why didn’t I do better? While my eyes were closed, I heard people start to run around, either to or away from the bodies.
“Honey?!”
“What the hell is going on?!”
“Someone help-my wife! She’s-!”
The blue light greets me as I open my eyes. Once a source of comfort, but would soon become a trauma.
[Main Scenario #1 - Proof of Value has ended.]
[300 coins have been acquired as a basic clearance reward.]
[100 coins have been reduced for the channel usage fee.]
[Additional compensation settlement will begin.]
I reach my hand out to touch the screen. It’s surprisingly cold. I had always thought it’d feel warm. Perhaps my expectations of this world were far from what the reality of this world was. Regardless, I couldn’t keep crying here. I was only one down with ninety-nine more to go.
[A handful of constellations coo at you.]
[A handful of constellations mock you.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 300 coins.]
I wipe my tears away on my shirt as I stand. Yes, I could understand their feelings; if I saw a poor character crying their eyes out, I don’t know which of the two types I would have been.
[W-Well well well, now look at this.]
Alexander was back once more, no doubt to show off the ones who were left. That’s right. The next part of this story would be the [Sponsor Selection]; a time for incarnations to choose their masters and become slaves to the story. Now I had to decide, would I, too, fall into the trap of selecting a Constellation, or would I follow the same route as the protagonist?
But wait…Could I also…
[#PIO-1437 • Live On]
[A new Constellation has entered the channel!]
I could hear Alexander continue to speak, but I didn’t need to pay attention at the moment. Instead, my attention was on myself. Literally. I could see myself on my phone screen, looking down at my phone. I was an incarnation yet a constellation.
[Your existence has become muddied.]
[Your existence is undefined.]
[Now, meet the lovely beings who will w-who shall nurture you through your trials.]
Would this work? If it did, I know I’d be trouble, but still… Imagine the possibilities.
[Sponsor Selection]
[A new Constellation is participating in the ‘Sponsor Selection’!]
-Please select your sponsor
-Your chosen sponsor will be your strong supporter.
- Girl Who Fell in a Hole
- Open-Minded Traveler
- Eyes Waiting for Tuesday night
Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Choices and Self-Reflection.
Summary:
People reading stories for the characters are divided into several groups. I knew them well from my own time reading ORV. Some doted, poked and teased, wished to do everything in their power to put a character through hell, shitposters, and so many more. I just needed to appeal to the right group. After all, I had no intention of making anyone Dokkaebi King, so I didn’t need to care too much about channel growth or who looked at me, And I knew just what eyes I wanted.
Chapter Text
The fact that there were three choices, to begin with, was astounding. I wasn’t surprised to see myself there; the other two were surprising. Was my little show that entertaining? There was a problem; I was still not Kim Dokja, who had limitless knowledge of TWSA; I was me. And I had absolutely no goddamn idea who the fuck these guys were.
First, there was ‘Girl Who Fell in a Hole.’ Although it was a strange name, only one person or ‘story’ came to mind. To think she was a constellation in this world and that she’d look at me. As someone who enjoyed her book, I was rather flattered, yet at the same time, I was nervous.
Secondly, ‘Open-Minded Traveler.’ I had no idea who it could have been; no stories of travelers managed to come to mind at the name. Just the thought of not knowing who they were made me uneasy.
And then there was me, an anomaly. I had no knowledge of what if any, stigmas, skills, coins, or anything I could give. Yet, at the same time, I could keep myself pure. I wouldn’t be dyed in another person's colors but my own.
[There are five minutes left to complete the Sponsor Selection.]
However, there was one last option, at least for now.
[There are four minutes left to complete the Sponsor Selection.]
If I chose not to select a sponsor right now, I could keep some eyes on me, grow my coins and influence. At the same time, I wasn’t Dokja; I wasn’t the main character of this story. There was nothing to protect me if things went south.
[There are three minutes left to complete the Sponsor Selection.]
Did I have to be a main character, though?
[There are two minutes left to complete the Sponsor Selection.]
Stories need all kinds of characters, not just the protagonist, so why don’t I choose who I want to be? I already chose my name; why not choose who went along with that name?
[There is one minute left to complete the Sponsor Selection.]
Tapping the screen with a smile, I look up to the stream. I knew just who I should be.
[Sponsor Selection has ended.]
People reading stories for the characters are divided into several groups. I knew them well from my own time reading ORV. Some doted, poked and teased, wished to do everything in their power to put a character through hell, shitposters, and so many more. I just needed to appeal to the right group. After all, I had no intention of making anyone Dokkaebi King, so I didn’t need to care too much about channel growth or who looked at me, And I knew just what eyes I wanted.
[You haven’t selected a sponsor.]
“Thank you all so much for your offers, but I don’t know anyone very well just yet, though I’d like to! I’ll keep doing my best, so please take care of me!”
I was going to be my absolute guilty pleasure of a favorite character type, the RPG maker horror protagonist! A cheerful and can-do attitude to get through scenarios, yet stupid and easy to push around—someone to dote on, poke, and tease—a perfect balance to stay funny yet out of the main spotlight. I would embody the feeling of those stupid hamsters on Twitter that people loved to get coins.
[Some constellations are interested in your choice.]
[100 coins have been sponsored.]
And my plan was working. Hopefully, it'll work out in the short term.
[A-Ah, it seems that some of you were a bit too shy this time, hm? Well, that’s alright; these beings adore you even still.]
Even with how unfortunate he was dressed, Alexander had quite the flouncy way of speaking. He was trying his best to be a good streamer. I commend him for that.
[Now, you all be good and behave yourselves while I get your next scenario ready. Be b-back soon.]
Like a flash of lightning, he was gone, and everyone was left in shock and awe. As interesting as it would have been to see him leave, time was no longer a luxury I or anyone else had. Since this wasn’t Bihyung, I didn’t know what this new sub-scenario would be, so the best course of action would be to check on myself. By now, my attribute window would be finished assessing, right?
I had to check regardless…
[Attribute Window]
Name: John Doe
Age: 24
Sponsor: None
Attributes: ■■
Personal skill: Screen Lv. ■, Cognition Filter Lv. ■, Avatar Lv. 1, Stage Building Lv. ■
Stigma: None
Overall stats: Physique Lv. 10, Strength Lv. 3, Agility Lv. 5, Magic Power Lv. 7
Chapter 10: Chapter 9: Screens and Shops
Chapter Text
Uh…okay? I’m not 24; I’m ■■- ah. God, this is annoying. Would everything I say get censored or what?
Anyway, from the looks of it, I had some interesting skills. Avatar was one from ORV, and I already knew what Cognition Filter did. The other skills, however, were a complete mystery. It would only be a matter of time until the first sub-scenario, so I only have time to test one of these skills. I might as well do them in order.
[Exclusive Skill, Screen Lv. 1 has been activated!]
[Exclusive Skill, Screen Lv. 2 has been activated!]
Okay, what just happened? I remembered that Dokja’s Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint skill had three levels to it, was this something similar? Though nothing seemed to change. Maybe this was actually a trash skill- or perhaps it had something to do with the stream screen? Looking down to check my phone, I was greeted by the bright blue of a window. Except this wasn’t a scenario or attribute window- it was a keyboard.
What the hell could I do with this, and which of the two levels caused it? My eyes darted around the park, trying to make sense of my skill, only to notice the bright blue surrounding those around me.
I could see their attribute windows, but not only that I could see them looking at their coins, their tutorials, hell I even saw some of the messages they were receiving. Looking from the keyboard to their screens, I could only think, ‘There’s no way…’
My eyes landed on a man a few meters away, specifically the asshole who had knocked me down earlier. I wasn’t surprised to see that he lived. Currently, the man was looking at his attribute window.
[Attribute Window]
Name: Angus Galvan
Age: 37
Sponsor: Creature of Forethought
Attributes: Coach (Common)
Personal skill: Dogfight Lv. 3, Patience Lv. 1
Stigma: None
Overall stats: Physique Lv. 7, Strength Lv. 8, Agility Lv. 6, Magic Power Lv. 1
My fingers moved before I realized what I was doing.
[Attribute Window]
Name: Fart
I may be ■■, but I am not above stupid shit like this.
[Such good l-little ones you are.]
It looks like it was that time. Smiling, I gave a wave to the Dokkaebi. He just looked at me like I was weird before continuing.
[Wasn’t that first, ahem, ‘game’ fun? Well, you all are about to have a lot more fun, I’ll even give you a 30-second head start.]
That sounds bad.
[1,350 coins have been invested into Agility.]
[Physique Lv. 5 -> Physique Lv. 10]
This sounded like a scenario that needed speed, and I couldn’t afford to chance anything, so I stood still, looking confused. If I randomly ran before I knew the scenario, I could quickly die, and I had to keep up my ditzy facade. The other people around me were like chickens without heads as they ran around in every direction they could.
[So eager, well l-let’s get to it~]
[Sub Scenario - Cat and Mouse]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: D
Clear Conditions: Find a way underground to safety without being caught.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Compensation: 200 Coins
Failure: Death
That was all I needed. Giving Alexander a wave goodbye, I took off toward the subway station. I knew it wasn’t too far; after all, it’d usually take that subway to get here.
“To the subway!”
I yelled as loud as I could while running, just hoping the other people around me would get the right idea. A rumbling noise echoed behind me as I ran. I didn’t look back, not even when I heard the first blood-curdling scream…
I’m sorry…
It had already been about 5 minutes since I started running toward the subway entrance, yet I still wasn’t out of breath. Even with monsters on my tail, I had never felt this free in my whole life. There was still about 5 more minutes until I would reach the subway, though, wasn’t there something that came with the second main scenario?
Oh right! The poison fog would be here soon. Dokja used those weird monkey lung things to counter it, right? I still had over 3000 coins so it’d be a good idea to at least get one or two for the time being. How’d it go again?
[Welcome to the coin shop, the ‘Dokkaebi Bag’]
Right as I was about to touch the search bar, my eyes were flooded with indirect messages one after the other.
[Several Constellations are shouting in protest at incarnation ‘John Doe’]
[Several Constellations are laughing hysterically at the situation.]
[Several Constellations are wary of you.]
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole’s eyes are twinkling in delight at the absurdity.]
[500 coins have been sponsored.]
I…have done something very wrong I think. But what did I even do? All I did was open the shop-
[W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HOW DID YOU EVEN DO THAT?!?!]
I OPENED THE SHOP, THAT’S WHAT I DID! I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT!!! SHIT!!!
I was like a deer in headlights as I looked at Alexander, the pure shock and confusion on my face only seemed to confuse the Dokkaebi even more.
“I-I uh-what?”
I didn’t even know how I did that, how did Dokja access the shop?
[DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU’VE D-DONE?!]
“N-No!! Sorry?”
My voice cracked as I spoke, feet glued to the ground, and wide eyes staring right into Alexanders. My whole act shattered in an instant, I couldn’t even think to act ditzy when I was this in shock. How the hell could I fix this?
“I-I don’t know! It just popped up- Can…can I not use it? Is this not allowed?”
Deny, deny, deny. I did nothing wrong; this was a flub, an accident.
[You really don’t know?]
“I really don’t!”
I really didn’t.
Alexander looked at me for a long while sizing me up and down. It left like an eternity under his gaze as the blood in my veins turned to ice. However, death never came, instead, all that came was a sigh.
[Why d-did I get such a weird incarnation w-when I just started…]
His words were a low whisper, but I thanked his inexperience.
[This is the Dokkaebi shop, it’s q-quite the handy tool to help out incarnations.]
Alexander was no longer speaking to me; rather he addressed his audience. For such a new Dokkaebi, the size of the channel was massive, I couldn’t even count all the stars. How the hell was this guy so popular? Still, it looks like he was trying to play this all off. Maybe I could…
“Woah, a tool to help incarnations! How does it work?”
There was a beat before he spoke.
[W-well I’ll tell you little one. Let’s say a Constellation has decided to sponsor you- but oh no! You seem to be a bit of an airhead and a troublemaker.]
Rude. But not wrong, I’ll give him that. At least the bit was working.
[Constellations and sponsored incarnations can buy skills, items, attributes, growth packages- y-you name it, to make little incarnations like you better! Isn’t that wonderful?]
“Wowie! That’s so nice of the Constellations! But what about incarnations without sponsors? Can we still use the shop?”
[Ah-]
He looked stumped for a moment, just like Bihyung was with Dokja. I watched as he pulled out a manual to read, though I already knew the answer. It was cute watching him; seriously, who made these guys so adorable?
[A-Ah, well, would you look at that? Looks like even someone like you can use the shop too.]
“Really! Oh wow, thank you so much! I’m really grateful for everything you’ve taught me today; thank you for being so helpful!”
[A good incarnation is a well-informed one; I’d explain the same thing to anyone else. Everyone should know about the shop.]
This was actually going really good!
[We’ll be right back after these few messages.]
ABORT! ABORT!
The cheery look in his eye disappeared when he looked back at me. I was in trouble.
[So you really don’t know how you did it, huh?]
“I swear to god I really don’t.”
Alexander shook his head with a sigh as he ran his small hand down his face.
[Are there any other issues I should know about you? Y-You’re really making this difficult; no one prepared me for this kind of thing…]
I raised both my hands and shook my head sincerely.
“Nothing that I have any idea about sir, I promise to do my best to stay out of trouble.”
[Please see to it t-that you do.]
Part of me wanted to ask if I could still use the store, though I felt that I’d be kicking the hornet's nest. Still, it seems the look on my face conveyed my thoughts.
[Fine. Y-You can use it since it’s allowed. Just d-don’t be stupid.]
“Yes sir!”
I saluted the unfortunate, tired-looking Dokkaebi as he shook his head. With one last sigh, he disappeared, and I was left all alone.
“Oh my god…”
Dokja asked Bihyung to open up the shop…I’m a fucking idiot. The shop usually could only be opened by a Dokkaebi or a Constellation…which I was. I really need to do better about this.
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole is excited about what’s to come.]
[100 coins have been sponsored.]
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads believes you to be insane.]
[Constellation Open-Minded Traveler is glad to see you are alright.]
[100 coins have been sponsored.]
A roar in the distance snapped me out of my stupor. The coins were good but I had things to do.
Off to the subway.
Chapter 11: Chapter 10: A Bad Start
Summary:
The very first station, and all the mistakes we made along the way.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Things weren’t all that good, but they could be way worse. Thankfully, by the time the poison fog had fully started to roll in, I had already made my way down to the subway system. The same couldn’t be said for everyone who had run with me.
The station was as expected: people cowering, arguing, or scheming. It reminded me of…what was that station’s name again? With Cheon Inho?
Cheoldoo?
Yeah, that’s the one. It was apparent just by looking around that even this station would be divided into the strong and the weak. That’s just how this world was going to work from now on.
Moving away from the groups of people, I hid behind a nearby banister as I pulled my phone out. If my guess was correct, right now would be…that part.
“...Coins?”
“You have to take coins in exchange for me failing the scenario.”
“Hmm, not your life?”
One of my favorite early parts was the Swindler era. Score!!! I could see that familiar puff of white floating around Dokja as the two conversed, one losing his composure as the other took control of the whole situation. Getting to see and hear this myself, albeit through a phone screen, was exhilarating. My hands gripped tight around my phone, eagerly hanging on to each and every word between the two.
So tight that one of my fingers slipped.
[Constellation Eyes Waiting for Tuesday Night EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]
[100 coins have been consumed.]
[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband is annoyed at the other constellation's outburst.]
[Constellation Demon-like Judge of Fire is confused at the other constellation’s outburst]
[Constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon sneers at the other constellation, interrupting the moment.]
My face was on fire in embarrassment. My fingers flew as I typed out another message into the chat.
[Constellation Eyes Waiting for Tuesday Night’s fingers slipped due to excitement and apologizes.]
[100 coins have been sponsored.]
[100 coins have been consumed.]
I’d need to be very careful about handling my phone; that was 300 coins down the drain in an instant. Damn, these rich constellations can send messages left and right. Just how much did they have in the bank?
At least the conversation was back on track. It quickly switched to an advertisement, and a smile spread across my lips, knowing I was the only one watching who knew just what was happening behind that screen.
As the ad rolled, my eyes bounced between my phone and the others at the station, watching as they conversed. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for the ad to end.
I knew he’d be fine, but I couldn’t help myself and sponsored Dokja another 100 coins without a message, this time before I finally turned my phone off. I’d need to find some power banks to keep it charged sooner or later.
Back to the matter at hand. During the time I spent watching the stream, everyone fell into their own places. A rather strong-looking group of men took up a leadership position, directing others around the station and whatnot. Some followed their directions while others packed up to go—power struggles.
As for myself, it’d be best to stay here until things got bad. I was no hero or main character, so if I wanted to survive, I’d need to make some friends. Or at least find allies. Maybe I’d end up with a whole squad just like Kim Dokja!
“Well, I wish you the best of luck out there. Stay safe, okay?”
I smiled at the man I had been talking to.
“Hey, don’t you worry. I’ll be just fine, and you also take care of yourself.”
A large yet gentle hand pats my shoulder. Ben was his name. If I had to give a comparison, he’d be like a Canadian version of Lee Hyunsung. Built like a powerhouse, yet acted like a golden retriever, even had blond hair to match one.
Over the past four days, I had grown close to him and, in turn, learned about his life before the world's end. He was a star hockey player at his college just a bit further uptown and lived around the area. His whole family lived pretty close to the station where we were currently. They were his entire world; even if it was safe here, he had to go out to find them. I couldn’t blame the guy for that.
I watched his large back grow smaller and smaller as he forged his path away from here.
[Constellation Open-Minded Traveler pities the loss of another friend.]
Things had been going great in the allies department, and at this point, I was ready to scream.
I hadn’t made a single friend or ally I could lean on for support in the time I’d been down here. And I was really at my limit. I’m not bright, I’m twinky, and I’m not going to get far on my own, but it looks like I’m shit out of luck.
Thankfully, due to Alexander’s consideration towards me, I could use the Dokkaebi shop. We weren’t friends nor partners in crime, but our little on-the-spot ad seemed to have at least made him not as wary of me. Without that, I would have been screwed by now.
I’d bought a few of those Ellain Monkey's Lungs after putting on a show with the fog. At this point, I’m pretty sure I could be used in a Dokkaebi infomercial with how I was acting. Still, my acting had earned me a few coins, and the lungs made it so I could go out and fetch some food for the rest of the station. Honestly, it was a fool's effort. There were more people here than I could take care of as one person alone.
But I still had to try. My heart couldn’t bear the weight of letting them suffer.
[A handful of constellations smile at your good deeds.]
[500 coins have been sponsored.]
Sure, I could have up and left and absolve myself of seeing those in need and helping, but there were several reasons not to. The most important being timing.
I had to match my steps with Dokja’s, or else I could make a misstep, costing me everything. It was just better to wait. After all, my knowledge was limited to just his run and not 1863 regressions of the story. Hell, I was in a whole different country, so there was even more that I didn’t know.
Coins Possessed: 2150 C
I wasn’t rolling in it for sure, but this was a pretty good amount I had saved up. I’d already invested here and there into my stats, alongside what I had to spend to go up top. All I really needed to focus on was the rat den, and that mana brazer I’d be set for a while.
[M-My, you all are just lazing about? Oh n-no, this won’t do.]
Ah. That was a few days ahead of schedule, but then again, this was a different Dokkaebi altogether. Still, I had plenty saved up, I just hoped he wouldn’t give out the same penalty as Biryu, or else I’d have to push things up on the schedule.
I slid my phone out of my pocket as he turned to talk to the rest of the group. It’d be good to check how Dokja was doing- though, the sudden yell of a man pulled me away from my thoughts.
“You damned rat beast!”
It was one of the burly men who had taken charge a few days ago. He was a bit of an annoying guy, but he wasn’t bad nor cruel. Just a really manly man kinda dude.
[Dear m-me, what vulgar language. I must apologize, I really have left you alone for too long. You’ve all already started to spiral, becoming lazy and lethargic. Oh, t-this simply won’t do.]
I sighed, watching how he waved his hand; either we’d lose food or get a survival cost.
[A scenario penalty has been added.]
[From now on, food stockpiling is limited.]
[All existing stockpiled food has disappeared.]
Damn. It sucked, but hey, at least we didn’t have the survival cost as well to worry about. Well, it was about time to get to work then. Standing up, I readied myself to become a fool once again, to put on a show and dance about eating monsters-but a shout stopped me.
“We won’t stand for this tyranny any longer!”
More and more people started to shout out. It had just been one, but one quickly turned into two, then four, and then a whole chorus of cries echoed out through the subway. A melody of anger poured out from their lips.
“My sister died because of you!”
“This is all your fault!”
“We’re done playing your games, demon!”
I had to cover my ears, not just from the shouts but also from the messages of constellations pouring in. Some egged on their incarnations, while others mocked or tried to warn them to stop.
I tried to tune it all out. They had every right to be mad, but there weren’t enough screams, blood, or tears that could turn back time for them. Nothing would change and the world would keep spinning. After all, tragedy makes the story.
And then, the first stone was cast. Literally.
At that moment, I recalled the first few chapters. How those on the train scorned and mocked Bihyung…and their fates. I watched Alexander wince as the rock made contact, and my heart sank.
[A handful of constellations gasp at the scene unfolding.]
My feet moved faster than my brain did, my arms outstretched as I ran towards the man. My thin arms wrapped around his, trying to stop him from throwing yet another stone at the Dokkaebi.
But it was too late.
Others joined in the chaos; anything they could get their hands on flew like birds toward the small Dokkaebi.
“What are you all doing?! Stop-”
My words were cut off. A stone that had been meant for Alexander instead was gifted to my skull. At first, it didn’t hurt, I didn’t feel anything. After all, I had invested a lot of coins in my physique.
But then I felt warm liquid running down my face, and numbness started to spread through my whole body.
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole gasps in shock at the brutality.]
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads is concerned about the condition of your head.]
[Constellation Open-Minded Traveler cries for your pain.]
Ah.
The concrete pillar was cold against my back as I slumped down to the ground. A constant ringing in my skull muffled the cries and angered screams of those around me. As my vision swam and began to fade, I barely made out what the Dokkaebi said…
[Y-You awful children! T-trash like you isn’t even worth a speaking role!]
Darkness greeted me as I returned to the world and slowly started to regain my senses. My head was still throbbing, and my ears were still ringing. The smell of copper hit my nose as my eyes finally adjusted to the scene before me.
Oh.
I was alone now in a sea of still-warm corpses.
[A handful of constellations mock the foolish incarnations.]
[A handful of constellations bet the others can’t tell which pieces belong to their incarnations.]
Looking up and away from the piles that littered the floor, I saw Alexander looking over the mess he’d made. Judging by the fact he was still here, I must not have been out that long. Our eyes locked for just a moment, though I couldn’t make out his expression. Would I be joining the sea as well?
He turned away to face the rest of the subway.
[I really did l-leave you all for far too long…such terrible terrible children.]
[A scenario penalty has been added.]
[The ‘survival cost’ clause has been added.]
[The ‘survival cost’ penalty will be maintained until the second main scenario is cleared.]
Damnit…everything had gone so wrong. Slowly turning my head with a bit of a struggle, I saw the remaining people from the station cowering, realizing just how bad their situation was. There was only about half the station left at this point, and the numbers would start to go down soon enough.
Letting out a laugh far too cute for the situation, Alexander snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of blinding light.
[Good luck, dear children. M-May the story bless you.]
As soon as he was gone…the screams started once again.
Notes:
HEYYYYYYYY...so I know it's been almost a year, things kinda got a bit busy. Running death games, making video games, and irl work. A lot to do but I finally got some free time to post. I've had, like, a good 6 or so chapters lying around collecting dust in one of my notebooks, so I figured I might as well start posting them!
Anyway, thank you all for your kind comments and love for the work. Apologies for keeping you all waiting, and I hope you enjoy what I have coming soon.
Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Like a Rat
Summary:
Down we go, to our first enemies.
Ground rats.
Chapter Text
A sigh escaped my lips as I wrapped the bandage around my head one last time before tucking it into place. It wasn’t pretty nor perfect, but it’d have to do. Sure, I could have opened the Dokkaebi bag and got myself an Ellain Forest Essence to take care of my injuries immediately- but I wasn’t Kim Dokja rolling in coins. Especially now, with both penalties active, I’d need to save every coin I could. My meager savings were chewed up after only a day of the penalties. Not to mention how hungry everyone was getting.
“E-Excuse me?”
My tired voice cracked as I spoke. It didn’t help that the group I was trying to talk to was somewhat intimidating. Their gazes left blisters on my skin as I fidgeted. This small group of men were the remaining leaders of the station, along with a few new recruits. About seven in total and each of them seemed far more fit than myself.
“What do you want?”
While several people at the station had been thankful for my help gathering food, after my outburst trying to stop people from attacking and the food gone, a lot of that ‘goodwill’ had shriveled up and died. The man speaking to me now seemed to be the group's leader. A large man, sturdy, his hair starting to gray from both time and stress. I could feel myself shrinking under his gaze as he sized me up.
“I-I want to join the hunt for food!”
“Says the one who tried to defend that demon!”
It was hard to keep my face from souring from the outburst. This time, it was a younger man, leaner than the first. His spiked hair really complimented his sharp personality. He looked ready to bite my head off, given the chance.
“Hey, wasn’t that the kid who helped bring back food before?”
“What does that even matter, no one’s got food now.”
“They also tried to stop-”
The sharp voice of the old man broke the newly forming conversations, not a single other man dared to speak over him.
“Quiet. Let’s hear ‘em out. If they can help then they’ll help. No sense in denying another set of hands.
Despite his gruff exterior, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and didn’t let the mass hysteria get to him. Listening to how he spoke made me feel a bit homesick…
I miss my dad.
“I won’t slow you all down! I already have some tools I can use to fight; I picked them up when I was looking for food before.”
I tried putting on a proud facade as I stood up straight. The other men just looked at me, not saying a word, just waiting for their leader to speak. It felt like an eternity waiting for his answer.
“Fine. Be ready in ten minutes or we’re leaving without you.”
“T-Thank you, sir!”
Giving the man a salute, I returned to the little spot I’d claimed as my own in the station to ensure I had everything ready.
- My Phone
- Charger
- Power Bank
- Notebook
- Pens
- Kitchen knife
- Rope
- Hammer
- Knife sharpener
- Gloves
Knowing I wouldn’t be able to find actual good weapons, I had settled on taking what I’d need to debone the rats and use them as weapons. It’d be as good a start as any. Getting everything ready, I checked my phone, and thankfully, we left at about the same time as Dokja’s group. Time zones had worked out in my favor, so I’d at least be able to see the process from him rather than going at it randomly.
And with that, I was off.
Blue light filled my eyes as we walked down the labyrinth of subway tunnels. I had to check and see how everyone was doing stat-wise, or else we could accidentally put someone in a bad spot depending on how we did our formations. Our group seemed relatively strong overall, with everyone having somewhat decent stats. Especially Caleb, the old man. It was only half a surprise to see his strength and stamina were already level ten, especially with his massive body. If we were careful, with stats like these, the ground rats wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The real challenge would be finding their den using our weakest link.
Which…unfortunately was me.
Great.
I really didn’t like the idea of getting caught; not only would it make me look like an incompetent fool, but I doubt they’d save me. Then I’d really be done for. It’d be fine; I’d just go out with another group later, and as long as I eventually got my hands on a mana brazer, I’d be fine. A sudden hiss brought me out of my thoughts as I readied my hammer. Pouring a good chunk of coins into my strength, I took a deep breath and swung.
I wasn’t sure what was worse: the splash of blood that coated my face, the sound of its skull cracking with a sickening crunch, or just the smell of it all. Thankfully, that one blow was enough to kill the one before me instantly. The two men in front each took out the rats that had charged at us. Things had been going pretty well for us, and we only encountered a small pack of them. I was rather surprised. But, the further we’d go, the harder it would get. It’d be the best time to make quick work of those corpses.
“A-Ah, just a moment. I-I have an idea!”
Most of the men in the group turned to look at me with contempt, and I wasn’t exactly surprised about that. I couldn’t really blame them, though; they already looked so tired and worn down by the past few days at the station. Hopefully, this would give them a bit of hope.
“You see these guys here? Well, taking another look at them, they kinda remind me of hogs, ya see?”
“The hell does that mean? What kind of fucked up hogs you look at?”
[A handful of constellations are curious about what you mean.]
“Well, these guys seem pretty sturdy, and look at your weapons! Some of them look ready to break on the next monster we find. I think we could use these things to make some new weapons!”
“Oh really? And how are we gonna do that? Magic a gun from its ass?”
I really didn’t like that guy.
[Constellation Death Lord’s Priest laughs along with Incarnation Jack.]
Or that guy. I cursed being able to see other's interactions with Constellations, but it wasn’t the time to focus on that. Whatever. At least I knew what I was doing. With a forced smile, I continued my little speech.
“A gun out of its ass? Why that’s just silly! I’m talking about its bones, we can turn them into swords and spears!”
Keeping up that same sickly sweet smile, I crouched next to one of the carcasses, pulled out my knife and gloves (and my phone), and began to slice alongside Dokja. It took a lot not to vomit while slicing through the layers of flesh and meat, but it had to be done if we wanted to live.
“Where’d you learn to do that? Didn’t take you for the type to know how to skin a beast.”
The old man spoke up as I worked, a curious tone in his voice as I started pulling out bone after bone.
“Oh, this? That’s nothing, I read a lot of books, that’s all.”
I laughed inwardly at myself as I quoted Dokja rather terribly, I must say. Perhaps if I’d been traveling with him, the two of us would have gotten a laugh out of that.
But I was alone here.
By the time I had finished with a spear for myself, the old man spoke up, his voice right next to me. I didn’t even notice he had gotten so close, squatting down at my side as he watched me work. His hand held out palm up, facing me.
“Hand me the knife, I’ll make my own. Same goes for the rest of you lot, so you best pay attention. We work for our keep here.”
It was like clockwork; the other men circled him, their eyes glued to him, and they obeyed his every command. It wasn’t like he was using a skill or a cheap trick; this man just had a natural talent for commanding a room. Part of me started to wonder about him. Maybe he had kids at home, a bunch of rowdy boys always getting into trouble. I could see it.
The rest of the men—well, almost all of the men —took turns making their weapons from the few rats we managed to kill. Jack and another seemed to lag behind, and their prideful looks told me everything I needed to know. It was their choice; I wasn’t going to force them to do anything.
After everything was said and done, I packed up the tools I had used and put them into my bag. Even if we had better weapons now, anything could happen. Taking a breath, I stood up to get ready to go when I felt a large, warm hand patting my shoulder. It was there for just a moment and gone the next as the old man once again took the lead, taking us further down the subway.
I really missed home.
Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Mousetrap
Summary:
A disgusting part of me was glad to see them weaker than me, knowing that it wouldn’t be me who’d be the ground rats target. I hated myself for even thinking like that.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The smell of iron clung to the air as our group ventured into the depths. I could already feel exhaustion creeping down my arms and legs as I followed behind the others. While most of the group seemed relatively okay, a few looked even worse than I felt. Though, I knew exactly why.
[Attribute Window]
Name: Greyson Johnson
Physique Lv. 7 Strength Lv. 15
[Attribute Window]
Name: Clark Reynolds
Physique Lv. 9 Strength Lv. 18
[Attribute Window]
Name: Jett Wellington
Physique Lv. 8 Strength Lv. 16
Christ. Their screens showed these dudes only focused on their strength, not their physique. It seems they had it in their heads that they just needed strength to survive these scenarios.
A disgusting part of me was glad to see them weaker than me, knowing that it wouldn’t be me who’d be the ground rats target. I hated myself for even thinking like that…
“Positions, men!”
The low grumble of Caleb’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and back to the road ahead. My hands tightened around the spear as I readied myself. Thankfully, there weren’t too many ground rats in this pack; there were only four this time. Caleb took the lead, charging at the rat in front as Jack charged at the one on the right.
Steadying myself, I watched as the rat on the left charged at me. My hands swung down to pierce the rat’s belly-
Only for the rat to have changed targets at the very last second, almost as if purposefully baiting me to attack so I’d have no time to move.
A scream rang out to my left. Whipping around, I realized the rat’s true target.
Jett.
Everything all happened so fast; my body was still in motion from my failed attack as I watched the rat bite his arm clean off. A second cry pulled my attention away before I could even take a step forward to help Jett. The fourth rat I had forgotten about was currently clawing at Clark.
Those two didn’t stand a chance.
A large hand gripped my shoulder as I felt my body pulled away from the gory scene.
“Fall back! Don’t break formation!”
Watching helplessly as the two men were dragged off, I was disgustingly thankful that it wasn’t me. Our group managed to build some distance between us and the rats, but a hand roughly smacked the back of my head before I could get too comfortable.
“You fucking idiot! This is your fault; you couldn’t even kill one, and now Clark is dead!”
I raised my arms to shield my face as he readied his fist again.
“H-Hey- I-I’m sorry I-”
“Oh you’re about to be sorry in a minute!”
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads claps at the violence against heads.]
With furious steps, Jack pinned me against the tunnel wall, aiming to beat me within an inch of my life, though he was stopped just as quickly as he started by a loud bark.
“Stand down, or you’ll go back alone, you hear me!”
Caleb gave the both of us a furious look, and I couldn’t help but shrink under his gaze. The rest of the men gathered behind him like obedient dogs waiting to see what their master did next.
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads whines about the amount of heads still attached to bodies.]
[Constellation Death Lord’s Priest grumbles, wishing to see carnage between incarnations.]
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole pouts at the fighting.]
“Hey, you really expecting the weak guy to take care of everyone?”
“They could have killed it before it killed Clark!”
“Why didn’t Clark just kill it himself then?”
Blame was being thrown left and right, and at this rate, we’d be killing each other before the rats could come back for round two. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I raised my hand to speak.
“I uh-”
The moment a single sound left my mouth, everyone’s eyes were on me. While they may not have been constellations, the weight of their gazes was crushing. Anxiety dripped down my neck as I tried not to let my voice crack.
“He’s not dead…at least I don’t think so.”
“The fuck do you mean he’s not dead? Are you high?”
“H-He’s not dead yet, b-but he will be if we don’t find him soon enough.”
[A handful of constellations are curious to your reasoning.]
“Clark and Jett got dragged away; they’re getting slaughtered right-”
I refused to back down. The more he spoke, the harder it’d be to pull things back.
“He was dragged away. If they wanted to kill him, he’d be a corpse in front of us, not taken away, still screaming. Same for the other guy. Those things are like really weird animals, right? Maybe they brought them home as food for later. Maybe…”
The men looked at each other with suspicious looks full of contempt. I didn’t really sound all that confident because it’d look suspicious if I knew exactly how the ground rats acted, but it looks like that backfired really badly.
At least, that’s what I thought before a shorter man with frosted tips spoke up.
“Like a momma cheetah holdin’ down food for ‘er cubs to kill. Bringin back live food for the young. Kids got a point.”
Relief washed over me as the man crossed his arms and let out a sigh.
“Trackin’ em down to their nest shouldn’t be too hard since they were just here. But, if we’re doin’ that we’d be walkin' into a mess of em to get those two. It’d be safer just to-”
He didn’t even have the time to finish as Jack stomped forward, grabbing the other man by the shoulder.
“Fuck that, we’re going to get them. I ain’t leaving him behind, got it?”
Jack was dead set on getting Clark back and didn’t seem like he’d be taking no for an answer. My mouth opened again as I nodded.
“No man left behind…besides, with how everything else has been, there’s got to be something useful in their nest.”
The men exchanged glances, all weighing their options before nodding. Some were fine with rescuing those who had been taken, but I saw the glint in their eyes at the thought of some good items. Either way, it was a win.
With a sigh and a shrug of his shoulders, the man with the frosted tips took a breath before getting on his hands and knees sniffing the ground.
[Skill, Track Tracking Lv. 1 has been activated!]
It was a bizarre sight, seeing this grown man on all fours sniffing the blood-soaked ground. Some of these skills were so weird, but hey, as long as they worked, that was important. I had to smack myself to snap out of my stupor. Watching these skills, which I had only ever read about, come to life in front of my eyes was far too mesmerizing, and I almost forgot that this was a real person in front of me.
What kind of life did this guy have to not only know about cheetah’s hunting tendencies but also have a skill like that? Who was he before the scenarios? Who were any of these people before this all happened?
I swallowed my thoughts as I pulled out a flashlight from my bag and handed it to the man with frosted tips.
I wanted to know his story and everyone else's stories, too.
When we get back to the station, I’ll ask.
Notes:
Man, I gotta start speeding up with these chapters. I have a ridiculous amount of art for this but it's all spoilers.
Gotta actually get to those characters before I show them.
Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Den of Fools
Summary:
The men around me shouted one after another, a tsunami of voices that I quickly found myself drowning in. My body became ice, frozen to the floor as some men fell to their knees, fled the scene, or readied their weapons in mania. Flight, fright, and freeze all on display.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It wasn’t long until we found ourselves in a sizable cave beneath the subway, but in this situation, every second counted if we wanted to rescue the men alive.
Peering into the damp smelling cave I could see the two bound to the walls by dark roots. Thankfully, they both seemed to be alive for now, but from the bite marks littering their arms and legs it was clear they needed help as fast as possible. Getting them out of here wouldn’t be easy. After all, the dark keeper had yet to emerge so the rest of the party had no idea how bad this could get.
Speaking of bad, I noticed out of the corner of my eye one of the men starting to stand. His eyes fixated on an object in the center of the room. Of course. Frankly, with a group as big as ours, it wasn’t a surprise the tantalizing chest in the center of the room would easily lure someone in.
Immediately I stuck out my arm before him and shook my head. If we tried to go for it now, we could say goodbye to our allies.
“Don’t. That has to be a trap.”
My eyes pleaded with the man to stand down, and thankfully, another voice chimed in to help.
“We came here for our men, if you want treasures come back on your own time.”
With careful steps, Caleb led us over to our allies. Every movement had to be precise, every breath calculated. If not, we’d have a fight we couldn’t win on our hands. Greyson, a relatively lean redhead, pulled out a switchblade and cut away at the vines. At least, he started to do so before quickly yanking his hand back as his blade began to dissolve. That’s right, these vines were corrosive as shit—something about their demonic power caused it.
Thankfully, the other men supported us with their weapons and helped cut the men free with their rat-made weapons. Caleb gave a gruff nod as we helped Jett and Clark to their feet.
“Good work men, we’ll head back to base to drop them off and resupply. The faster we are about it the better.”
With a sigh of relief, I turned my head toward the exit ready to head back for a break. Though the moment I did, my blood ran cold. In the center of the room was that same idiot who had been eyeing the chest, his hands on the lid ready to open it.
“Here, let’s just get this so we don’t have to come ba-”
His sentence abruptly ended with the sound of flesh tearing from bone and liquid splashing against stone. We watched in horror as his head hit the ground a full five seconds before his body.
[The ‘Dark Keeper’ has emitted ‘Fear’.]
The men around me shouted one after another, a tsunami of voices that I quickly found myself drowning in. My body became ice, frozen to the floor as some men fell to their knees, fled the scene, or readied their weapons in mania. Flight, fright, and freeze all on display.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
Whose voice was that again? Where would we even fall to? My mind was spinning endlessly as fear overwhelmed my senses.
A rough hand pulled my body to the side, just as a tentacle came barreling down toward me. I felt a stinging pain in my cheek from a rough strike before being shaken about by the man in front of me.
“Get yourself together, boy!”
Caleb’s large hands squeezed my shoulders roughly, causing me to take in a gasp of air that my lungs desperately needed. I snapped back to my senses as my eyes focused on him. Right. We had to calm down and fight or else we’d all die here. Breaking away from his grasp with a nod, I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted with all my might.
“G-Go for the tentacles! Watch its attack patterns and go when it pauses! I-It’ll also mess up your weapons so don’t attack carelessly!”
[A handful of constellations are curious about your planning skills.]
[A handful of constellations are pleased with how you take initiative.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 100 coins.]
With shaky steps, I stood in front of the old man, readying my weapon as I kept my eyes on the Dark Keeper. A warm hand patted my shoulder as I felt Caleb stand beside me, his weapon ready.
“Jack! Greyson! Flank the left side, the kid and I will flank the right. Clark, Jett, hold the rear! The rest of you, take the front! Go! Go! Go!”
Charging the Dark Keeper’s right, I let its tentacles rush past me as I swung my spear, causing a deep gash in one of its tentacles. I could already feel the durability of my weapon dropping, but I couldn’t focus on that, I’d have to use it until it broke, maybe even after it did too.
My eyes scanned the room as I danced around the tentacles approaching me. The two we had rescued were fighting hard, though it was clear how slow they were compared to the rest of us. At least they were standing, better that than dead.
Greyson’s scream caused my head to turn, only to watch his body crush like a can under the Keeper’s tentacle. Things weren’t looking good and we were losing numbers by the second. I didn’t have any combat skills I could use, and trying to buy one at the Dokkaebi Shop would be suicide right now. Striking another tentacle, I quickly moved back to gain some distance as I looked at the others fighting.
[Skill Grimdark Awakening LV.1]
The Dark Keeper whailed in pain, though using a demonic attack on a demonic species wouldn’t hurt it nearly as bad. Still it was better than nothing. With our combined attacks we seemed to be wearing it down!
But…hold on. From what I remembered, Dokja got him right before he did some kind of attack, right? The irony of my thoughts wasn’t lost as I watched the Keeper’s mouth open wide towards Jack. Damnit. The guy was an asshole but I couldn’t just let him die.
[Skill Abyssal Lightning LV.1]
Running with all my might, I slammed my body into Jack’s side, causing us both to tumble down barely missing the Keeper’s attack. I could feel the hairs on my arm singe at the heat.
“What the fuck was that- oh.”
Jack’s eyes were on the place he had been standing, solid rock now turned to scorched dust. Turning his head, we met our eyes without a word, but I could tell he was thankful and confused at what I did. Still we couldn’t just stay here. I could feel the fight drawing to a close, though as we stood back up my eyes scanned the rest of the damage.
Charred bodies littered the ground, I couldn’t even tell which body belonged to whom, they were so burnt up. We couldn’t mourn now, not while the Dark Keeper was still up.
Letting out a terrifying scratch, the Keeper’s tentacles thrashed about. Ground rats were squashed, corpses crushed, even the cave walls weren’t safe from its dying rampage.
Neither were we. I heard a rushing from behind us only to see a tentacle speeding our way. Our sore bodies couldn’t move as fast as it and I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut—a warm sensation wrapped around us as we fell back.
It wasn’t as painful as I thought, in fact, in the moment I felt safe.
“You kids…Ya need to keep out of trouble. Understand?”
My mind finally caught up with my body as my eyes snapped open. My arm reached out and clung to the old man’s bloodied back. He kept us safe at the cost of himself.
[A handful of constellations pity the loss of a good fighter.]
I heard Jack’s frantic voice from my left as he tried shaking the old man, though it was useless. Little by little I could feel Caleb’s grip on us going slack.
“Come on old man!! You can’t just- Sir! Sir!!”
Our grips on him tightened, as if we were trying to keep his soul from slipping past our fingers. But it was no use. His heavy body fell to the ground with a thud, leaving the two of us on our knees. The air burned as I tried to take a breath, my head swimming. It felt like the end.
From beside me, Jack growled in pure rage.
“I’ll fucking kill you!”
For once, that wasn’t directed at me.
[Skill Grimdark Awakening LV.2]
[Skill Weapons Proficiency LV.1]
A true climax laid before my eyes, an unwilling fighter, pushed to his limits, rose from the depths of despair to fight. He was like an inferno, blazing through the cave towards the Keeper. Weaving through tentacle after tentacle, he held his spear high. A resounding crunch was heard. Jack’s spear pierced the dark keeper’s skull and the two were enveloped in a flurry of violet flames. The two crashed onto the cave floor with a resounding thud, the violet lights starting to dim as I ran over.
Jack was barely breathing as I got to him, my hands carefully picking him up from the wreckage. If the Dark Keeper didn’t kill him, the curse from the Demon King would. What could I even say to the dying man? Apoloigize? Thank him? Nothing sounded right, nothing could save him from his fate.
“Did I kill it?”
I had to swallow back my tears, as I nodded.
“Yeah, you killed it.”
“Was it cool?”
I couldn’t help but let out a pained laugh—this guy.
“It was damn cool.”
He gave me this stupid proud smile, and just as quick, his eyes closed.
It was over. Everyone who I was with, they were all dead. Jack, Caleb, Jett, Clark, Greyson, men whose names I didn’t know. All of them gone. The extras of the world, written off as fodder and casualties to feed the Star Stream’s stories. People who could have been something great…and now they were nothing.
Taking out my journal, I wrote them all down. Names of those I met, descriptions of those whose names I didn’t know. Proof that they lived.
Notes:
Soooo, I know it's been a bit but thanks to some friends of mine I've gotten back into writing again! Sorry for the wait!
I've got one more chapter to transfer from my journal to text and then it's the wild west out here trying to figure out the plot!
Wish me luck, because I got some ideas brewing up.
Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Lonely Trail
Summary:
Even though I ate with them, I felt so alone. My only connection to anyone was through this tiny, dimly lit screen…
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Click.
Click.
Click.
The click of my pen was the only sound that echoed throughout the now-empty cave.
It didn’t matter how hard my hand cramped or how my body ached, I had to write. There needed to be some record that the people I had met existed, proof that they were more than just extras—casualties of a plot line.
As I finally closed my journal, I let a sigh escape my lips. The only thing left for me was the chest in the cave's center. The damned thing we needed that also caused our groups end. I had to take it at least, or everything that happened would have been for nothing.
[Rusty Iron Hatchet]
[Mana Recovery Earrings]
And the most important item for the scenario-
[Mana Braizer]
[Mana Braizer can only be obtained once per person]
There it is—the big solution to the scenario. A fancy-looking (not a gas) stove for cooking ground rats.
Pulling the Mana Braizer from the box, I slowly dragged one of the ground rat corpses off to the side. Thankfully, my phone still had a bit of battery, though I’d soon have to start using my power banks to keep it going. Wonder if they sell them in the Dokkaebi shop?
Anyway…
[#BI-7623 • Live On]
"…What is that thing?"
"Well, I think I know a bit about its purpose."
Just in time, huh? Even with the time difference I could catch Dokja in the middle of setting up his cooking. It’s a bit funny; this was almost like watching a cooking show. Though, it felt far more lonely.
My knife, or well, what was left of it, cut into the meat with embarrassing sloppiness. But it did the job. Dokja honestly made it seem so easy, but that’s what happens when you’ve memorized the guidebook to the apocalypse. Setting it over the fire, I couldn’t help but jump when the leg cooked in just five seconds.
“Fuck- well that’s efficient.”
Bringing the meat to my face, I took a moment to smell the sweetness from the freshly cooked piece. It honestly smelled terrific, like stupidly good for something that was trying to kill me thirty minutes ago.
I took a bite as I watched the others on the screen eat, Sangah and Gilyoung happily stuffing their faces, Myungoh bashfully asking for food, even Dokja seemed to be enjoying himself.
A sniffle escaped me as I typed on the screen.
[Constellation Eyes Waiting for Tuesday Night enjoys a meal alongside you.]
[100 Coins have been sponsored.]
[200 Coins have been consumed.]
Even though I ate with them, I felt so alone. My only connection to anyone was through this tiny, dimly lit screen…
It didn’t take long to eat, but I had to be quick before things got patched out or confiscated. While Dokja was still enjoying his food, I got to work.
Getting the demon core out was no problem; the issue was my inventory. Currently, the items I had were complete shit, that hatchet wouldn’t be good enough nor would I want a weapon like that. The best course of action for me would be to save it for later.
There were few things I could thank the system for, and one of them would have to be the inventory. Clicking on the screen a few times, I managed to get the box in my inventory, its new home until I could find something good to use.
With all that done, the next issue was returning to the station. I didn’t have the skills to find my way out, nor did I remember the way we came in…like the idiot I am. My eyes drifted back to the bodies littered about the cave. Honestly, I wanted to vomit at the idea of going through their things…but I wouldn’t be able to survive well trying to find my way back with what little I had.
[Skill Avatar Lv.1 has been activated.]
Moving the bodies wasn’t too bad as long as I didn’t pay much attention to the smell of iron and flesh, or when the bodies weren’t fully whole. At least I had the manpower to move them. Even if I was going through their things, I wanted to treat them respectfully. It’s the least they deserve.
[Old Brass Knuckles]
[Bear Mace]
[Dimly Lit Lamp]
There wasn’t much I could scrounge up that hadn’t been broken or used, at least the lamp would help light my way. But finding the way out would be a real challenge. Gilyoung had his bugs, Sangah had her string, but me? I didn’t have any of that; my skills weren’t all that useful in the early stages.
Though…then again. I didn’t have good skills… but I also had something else.
[#PIO-1437 • Live On]
Seeing my back on the screen felt almost voyeuristic in a way. While I couldn’t exactly see him around me, I saw Alexander’s face as clear as day on the stream.
[P-poor thing, they fought so hard and lived, but at the c-cost of everything. Maybe their reward w-will cheer them up!]
[A 7th grade demon has been hunted!]
[You have earned 6,000 coins.]
[Contribution: Jack Savage, Caleb Nielsen, John Doe]
[Final Blow: Jack Savage]
I jumped back at the rather late notification. This guy was he purposefully trying to make things seem even sadder before? Where the hell did he get that from? I honestly didn’t really expect to get anything from that fight, but then again, there wasn’t anyone else to give the reward to now anyway.
Fine, you want a story, I’ll give you one.
“Woah, that’s really a lot. Though, I wonder how much the others would have gotten if they were here…”
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole’s eyes grow misty at your words.]
[Constellation Open-Minded Traveler sends praises your way for being so strong.]
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads says to get over it. Heads will always roll here.]
[A few constellations look at you with pitiful eyes.]
[300 coins have been sponsored.]
That guy was probably beaming at the channel activity, though, speaking of channel activity, that could be my ticket out of here. Swiping through a few of the views on the screen, I came to one that was a bird's eye view of my situation, showing a lot of ground around me. This could help me at least avoid some fights on the way back.
But why just use it to avoid fights? I could really do something good for myself here.
“Thank you all for the kind words, you’ve been such a help. You know, the mood’s all sad right now and I think we could all use a pick me up, so how about a game?”
[A few constellations look at you curiously, questioning your game.]
“It’s simple! See, I’m real lost right now, and sure I could just ask for directions, but I think we could turn it into something fun! Tell me which way YOU want me to go, and I’ll head that way! The more constellations that say a direction might even sway the vote! What do you think?”
[Some constellations laugh at your behaviour.]
[A few constellations think the idea is fun.]
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole would love to play a game.]
[Constellation Open-Minded Traveler thinks it’ll be a fun adventure.]
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads says their way is the best way and to only follow what they say!]
Seems I got at least a few of them interested.
“Well then, my lovely constellations, please tell me where YOU want me to go!”
A small flood of pings filled my ears.
This, could be pretty good.
[Constellation Girl Who Fell in a Hole cheers you to continue forward.]
[Constellation Open-Minded Traveler thinks going forward is the best.]
[Constellation Ruler of Lost Heads demands you go right.]
[Constellation Death Lord’s Priest dares you to go left.]
[Constellation Eyes Waiting for Tuesday Night motions you to move forward.]
[Several constellations agree with moving forward.]
[100 Coins have been sponsored.]
Just a few more steps and I’d be back at the station. What? Just because I said I’d play a game doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try to push it to my advantage. Besides, there had been plenty of times on the way back that most of the constellations ran me into more ground rats.
Still, I managed to get back with a decent amount of coins in my pocket. Halfway through the trip back, I told them that if they donated, I’d be more likely to move in that direction. Which almost got me killed, but it worked out in the end! The coins were worth it, though. In these early scenarios, coins and items were way more important than trying to build a narrative. Being able to watch the stream gave me a bit of a cheat, as I could now see where some items were or where people dropped their supplies. I would have to wait on some of that until I could move around freely.
That would be after the Green Zone scenario, when the King's Path started. I was far more concerned with the King’s Path, all things considered. At this point, I had no clue who’d try to take over the station, especially after what happened to the rest of my group.
With a small huff, I pushed myself up from the tracks onto the solid tile floor of the station and looked around. The small groups that were left were scattered here and there, none of which seemed as strong as the people that I’d gone with. As their eyes drifted over, some came by looking nervous at the fact that I was utterly alone. The first to speak was a middle-aged woman, a concerned look on her face.
“Are the others behind you? Did you all manage to find something to eat?”
I could feel the corners of my mouth tug down, and her heartbroken expression made my heart sink.
“The others…they didn’t make it.”
Taking in a breath, I motioned for several of the people to gather around as I took out the brazier. With a solemn expression, I recounted what had happened during our exploration. How our party ended up split due to the ground rats, our attempts to save them, and the sudden attack by the Dark Keeper. I did leave out a few of the missteps, like our greedy friend who doomed the others. Their hearts didn’t deserve a sad tale of fools.
Many seemed disappointed, some were worried now that our station's unofficial commanders were gone. I let them have a moment to grieve before turning on the brazier. Setting it down, I turned it on with a woosh of fire, causing some to jump back in surprise.
“However, I brought back something to help keep us fed for the rest of this scenario. Look.”
Taking out an extra chunk of ground rat meat, I set it over the flame, letting the group watch as it instantly cooked.
“Here.”
I held it out to the woman who had questioned me with a soft smile, and she happily took it.
“It smells delicious, but what exactly is this?”
“Ground rat, those monsters that have been running around this place.”
For a moment, she looked horrified, ready to drop it on the ground, though my hands quickly caught hers to keep the meat from falling.
“It’s edible, I’ve tried it already. And now, I’m going to teach everyone how to hunt it, too. The more we can hunt and kill, the more coins we can all get. And we need coins to survive. Okay?”
Everyone seemed somewhat skeptical, but I kept a serious look on my face. Sure, I could have brought back more for everyone, but if I did that, they’d become dependent on me, or worse, force me to work for them.
I needed to teach them how to survive; it would be the only way this station could live.
Cautiously, the woman took a bite, and instantly her face lit up. This must have been the first good food she’s had since the scenarios started. The others seemed to follow suit as they gathered around, curious now about what to do.
“So, what do we do?”
“Well, I’m glad you asked.”
It didn’t take long to get things in motion. Little by little, we started gathering supplies for the station. I instructed them how to hunt the rats and let them use my bone weapons until they could get their own. I stayed behind to rest and teach the rest how to properly debone the rats, carve up their meat, and use the brazier. Soon, the station was like a well-oiled machine, working through the scenario together. When the checkout period arrived, there was no panic.
We were ready for it.
[Survival fees will now be collected.]
There were no screams, no blood, or terror. For once, the station was peaceful.
In a flash of light, our resident Dokkaebi appeared. Thankfully, he seemed to be in a good mood about our progress.
[W-Well aren’t you all working well together? That’s just s-so sweet, isn’t it, constellations? Everyone’s even paid their dues, such good kids. Good kids should get a reward, and I have the best kind of reward for them.]
Several people's eyes sparkled at the idea, but I knew there wouldn’t be a real reward. It was all fluff for streaming.
[A fun new scenario just for you! E-Enjoy~!]
With a snap of his fingers, a screen appeared in front of all of us. Some groaned, others screamed, and some even looked confused.
And I…
I was terrified.
Because I had forgotten something terrifyingly important about my situation.
[Main Scenario #3 - Hide Away]
Category: Main
Difficulty: C
Clear Conditions: Hide from the monster lurking around the
area. The monster will hunt once every 12
hours. This scenario lasts 5 days.
Time Limit: 1 Hour
Compensation: 1000 Coins
Failure: Death
Scenarios differed between countries.
Notes:
Good news! I got like, 4 more chapters already written down on paper, I just gotta find time to edit and transfer them. Maybe make some art too.
Anyway, thank you all again for supporting me through this. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I can't wait to write more. I am gonna give a shout out to my pal Seven, who got me back into writing way more for this.
Hope to write more soon!
Toodles!
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