Episode 6 – Judgment Time (3)

The following morning, there were a few changes to Gumho Station.

First of all, Han Myungoh had disappeared.

He had hidden once the fighting started and disappeared after it ended. I didn’t know if he was hiding somewhere in the station or was moving to the next station.

“Let’s not worry about him now. I didn’t like him from the beginning. In addition, he isn’t the only one who disappeared.”

It was as Jung Heewon said. After the fight yesterday, the number of people remaining in Gumho Station was almost nonexistent.

It wasn’t that there were few survivors. Rather, more people survived compared to the original plot. However, most of those who survived left the station last night. Perhaps they had their own reasons.

“…Will the remaining people be okay?”

Yoo Sangah asked as she looked at the survivors.

Me, Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung and Jung Heewon. Apart from us five, there were only five people left in this station.

Jung Heewon spoke first.

“Hey everyone. Are you coming with us?”

The casual words caused a stir among the people. The representative was a young woman holding a child’s hand.

“…We will go separately. We have some coins left.”

I honestly admired that the mother and child survived the bloody fight. If she had that much strength, they might be able to survive without going with us.

Jung Heewon nodded.

“Yes. I wish you luck.”

Once Jung Heewon turned around, relief appeared on the people’s faces.

In fact, this response wasn’t strange. Certainly, yesterday’s situation was a bit shocking.

It was understandable. One refused to give out charity while another one brutally killed people, even if there was a reason. To them, Jung Heewon might not be much different from the Cheoldoo Group.

I touched Lee Hyunsung, who was making a stupid expression next to me.

“Lee Hyunsung-ssi?”

“Ah, yes!”

Lee Hyunsung, who was staring at Jung Heewon with a blank expression, looked at me with surprise. I think I knew what he was thinking.

He wondered if she was the woman struck by madness yesterday and killed all the Cheoldoo Group.

“Are the preparations finished?”

“Yep! It is a big rough but it is finished. There are plastic bottles to be used as water containers, goods to protect from the cold and emergency supplies…”

Indeed, a soldier was useful in situations like this.

“…It is up to here. If you need anything else…”

There was nothing else I needed…I wanted to say but I suddenly thought about something.

“Oh, can you find me any portable secondary batteries?”

“You are talking about a battery? Why…?”

It was natural to wonder. A smartphone was useless because no signal was available. I replied roughly.

“I have a place to use it.”

Lee Hyunsung said he would look for it and started to search through the things left behind by the Cheoldoo Group. Lee Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah also said they would help. Jung Heewon looked at me and asked.

“Are we going now?”

“We’re going.”

She asked naturally, as if there was no question that we would go together. This was Jung Heewon. It was welcome from my viewpoint. The ‘Judge of Destruction’ was a talented person who even Yoo Jonghyuk would pay attention to.

“I have many questions.”

“Not now.”

“Ah really, you are an iron wall.”

Jung Heewon lightly punched me and laughed.

[You have received 1,500 coins from the character ‘Jung Heewon.’]

“This…?”

“I am dividing it. I feel too sorry to eat it all alone. I will give it to other people.”

I understood what she was saying. Yesterday, Jung Heewon alone killed most of the Cheoldoo Group members. In other words, she obtained most of their coins. By the way… I was a bit nervous about this.

“You don’t need to do this.”

Jung Heewon didn’t know. In fact, I had a lot more coins.

“I’m not Dokja-ssi, you know?”

She punched my arms a few more times before walking towards the tunnel with her backpack.

“Finish this off. I’ll go ahead and make some arrangements.”

“Don’t go too far ahead. There are dangerous sections to go alone.”

Jung Heewon waved her hands as if not to worry while wandering away.

[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ likes your comradeship.]

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ smiles slyly.]

I watched the messages in the air blankly and said.

‘Did you make a lot yesterday? It must be good.’

There was no answer. I spoke once again.

‘Don’t keep pretending and tell me. I know you are watching.’

[Ah, hahaha… you caught me?]

It was Bihyung’s voice.

‘How much did you earn?’

[…T-That. Um.]

I stared silently.

[Sigh, right. How did you know again…? I just can’t get over it. Take this.]

[Dokkaebi ‘Bihyung’ has given you 4,500 coins.]

I thought so. This damn dokkaebi.

[…The constellations don’t use the sponsorship system and send it directly to me. I don’t know why. I’ll give it to you later. Ah, there are these messages as well.]

Messages suddenly popped up.

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is satisfied with your scenario]

[The constellation ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is convinced of your judgment.]

[The constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is satisfied with your plan.]

This was why I didn’t get the support messages yesterday.

I had been curious because such a great thing happened and I received less income than I thought.

[Coins Possessed: 23,050 C]

I invested a lot of the coins I obtained last time into stats and now I had a lot of coins again.

It was once again time to improve my stats. Then let’s do it moderately. I couldn’t open the attributes window so I had to remember the exact level of my stats.

First…stamina was important.

[1,200 coins have been invested in stamina.]

[Stamina Lv. 12 -> Stamina Lv. 15]

[The durability of your body has greatly increased!]

I had no separate passive attack skill so I also raised my strength.

[1,600 coins have been invested in strength.]

[Strength Lv. 11 -> Strength Lv. 15]

[A stronger force will come from your muscles!]

For agility, it was enough to be able to evade.

[400 coins have been invested in agility.]

[Agility Lv. 10 -> Agility Lv. 11]

[Now you can more a bit faster.]

I needed to maintain White Pure Star Energy so magic power must be over level 10.

[1,200 coins have been invested in magic power.]

[Magic Power Lv. 6 -> Magic Power Lv. 10]

[A mysterious energy lives in your soul.]

I could invest more than this but I purposefully didn’t. Once I arrived in Chungmuro, there was another place where I would have to use a lot of coins.

Besides, I had spent 4,400 coins just now. It was both easy and difficult to use. If I had been born with decent stats, I wouldn’t have to spend so many coins.

Someone born with level 1 stamina… in Ways of Destruction, even Lee Gilyoung’s stamina would be higher than that.

[By the way, I forgot…two more scenarios are recommended. You are really great. It seems that I will soon be able to upgrade my channel level.]

‘I see.’

I couldn’t get the support of a sponsor like other incarnations, so I needed to collect more coins. But the reason why I didn’t see the effect of contracting with Bihyung was because his channel was small.

The ‘minor’ constellations weren’t enough. In order to gather more coins, it would take more constellations to configure the channel. Once I went to Chungmuro, the environment would be ready soon.

“If everybody is ready, we will leave. You aren’t missing anything?”

My companions gathered together and nodded. Looking at their nervous faces, all of them seemed to have been enlightened by yesterday.

Finally, the journey to Chungmuro began.

*     *     *

They had crossed half the railroad lines when the system message popped up.

[The second main scenario is enabled.]

+

[Main Scenario #1 – Meeting]

Category: Main

Difficulty: E

Clear Conditions: Cross the tunnel and meet the survivors in the first main base.

Time Limit: None

Compensation: 500 coins

Failure: ???

+

The message made me realize that it was really starting. Unlike the first main scenario, the second scenario had a ‘main base.’ Jung Heewon asked.

“The main base? Where is that?”

An answer wasn’t required. Another message immediately appeared.

[The next main base is ‘Chungmuro.’

“Is it Chungmuro? It is only three more stops…”

It was originally like that.

Ku ku ku ku!

The ground rats appeared. There were around 30 ground rats. Jung Heewon stiffened.

“…Go three stops through this.”

It was Lee Hyunsung who came forward.

“I’ll take the vanguard.”

Thanks to the support of his sponsor, Lee Hyunsung’s total stats were now 37. He had earned less coins than me but he was chasing me…this was the advantage of being born with high stats.

If I knew this, I would’ve done regular push-ups.

“I’ll take the rear, Hyung.”

Lee Gilyoung’s total stats were still low but he was able to use Diverse Communication more flexibly through steady skill training.

“Please leave it to me.”

Yoo Sangah made a thread with magic power to block the movements of the ground rats. Her attack ability was low but her overall stats were similar to Jung Heewon.

Kwajik!

“…Isn’t it just a lot of numbers?”

Finally, there was no need to talk about Jung Heewon. Compared to Lee Hyunsung, her total stats were low but her skills were sufficient.

There was the exclusive skill ‘Judgment Time’ that belonged to the ‘Judge of Destruction.’ As long as the opponent in front of her was ‘wicked’ according to the Absolute Good constellations, Jung Heewon wouldn’t lose.

The last ground rat fell down. Lee Hyunsung held the shield by his side and started sweating.

“Sigh…this seems to be enough.”

In fact, this shouldn’t have been cleared so easily. No matter how simple the pattern of the ground rats was, fighting 30 of them was tough. I wouldn’t be able to annihilate them myself without activating Bookmark. The party had become stronger.

They advanced further through the tunnel. Finally, a new platform appeared in front of me.

“Yaksu Station. By the way…there is nobody? No, that’s not it.”

Yaksu Station was filled with dead bodies and ground rat corpses. Based on the injuries, some of the people were killed by Yoo Jonghyuk, not the ground rats.

“Keep going. There are two stops left.”

We continued to advance. Anyway, the distance from Yaksu to Dongdae was less than 1km in a straight line.

Once we arrived at the entrance of Dongdae Station, we encountered another group of ground rats and repelled them. We only moved a total of 2km along a simple path, but the fighting was so tough that the party’s fitness dropped quickly.

“We will take a break here.”

“Sigh…there is one stop left. We should just go there and relax…”

“Nobody knows if we can rest or not once we arrive there.”

Everyone was silent at my words. Certainly, monsters weren’t the only dangers things in this world.

I looked around for a moment and said.

“It seems that the people in this station moved quickly. Some basic necessities might remain.”

“Ah right. Then…”

After hearing ‘basic necessities’, Yoo Sangah gently raised her hand. Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon’s eyes met. No words were exchanged but both of them nodded at the same time. Jung Heewon saw my look and asked me.

“What is it? Does Dokja-ssi want to know?”

Yoo Sangah paled.

“…Heewon-ssi?”

“Ahaha, I’m just joking. Of course, I won’t tell anyone.”

…A secret only between women. It would be strange if I didn’t know what they were talking about. Human physiology didn’t stop even in a world like this.

Lee Hyunsung also opened his mouth. “Ah, then I will go to the bathroom.”

I was surprised for a moment but there was no reason not to use well-built facilities. This was why the subway was convenient.

“I’ll go with you.”

It was Lee Gilyoung. The two people walked side by side. I looked at their rear view and thought they looked like affectionate brothers with a large age difference.

Yoo Sangah asked me.

“Will Dokja-ssi be alone?”

“I will go above ground for a bit.”

“Huh? There will be poisonous fog if you go out…will it be okay?”

“I’m only going for a bit.”

Jung Heewon narrowed her eyes at my words.

“…Something is suspicious. Dokja-ssi, are you going to eat something good alone?”

I looked at Jung Heewon for a moment.

“It is a man’s secret.”

*     *     *

After a while, I stood in front of Exit 6 of Dongdae Station. According to the information I read beforehand, this place was surely…

[You have been exposed to poisonous fog.]

The effect of the poisonous rhinos was still visible.

This time I didn’t buy the Ellain Monkey’s Lungs so I had to work quickly. I jumped up the escalator to the east while holding my breath. Not long after that, a bronze coloured shining statue appeared.

[A constellation wearing a straw mat is filled with expectations at your actions.]

The statue was based on the appearance of a monk who lived in the mid-Joseon Dynasty. I felt an unknown nobility coming from the fact of the monk holding a bamboo stick.

I confirmed the name written vertically under the statue. Yujeong Samyeongdang (Wiki link )

Okay, good. There were no signs of anyone yet…

I stood in front of the statue, holding my hands together.

[A constellation wearing a straw mat is delighted with your actions.]

[100 coins have been sponsored.]

I didn’t hesitate to use White Pure Star Energy to activate the Blade of Faith.

[A constellation wearing a straw mat is puzzled by your actions.]

Then I struck the statue of Samyeongdang.

[A constellation wearing a straw mat is appalled by your actions.]

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