"Hyung, are you a god?"
Just when I thought we had gone deep into the tunnel, Gilyoung threw a question at Dokja.
There was a possibility it was directed at me, but since I had already seen this question in the webtoon, I knew it wasn't for me.
"No way..."
"Then are you a 'protagonist'?"
Kim Dokja closed his mouth at Gilyoung's question and fell into thought for a moment.
A protagonist. That's a truly sharp question.
"Neither. Rather, I always envied the protagonist."
"Still, you know something about this world, right?"
"That's true."
"Then."
This time, Gilyoung paused a little.
Sensing that he would ask a really serious question, Dokja seemed a bit tense.
"If I clear all the scenarios, can I grant a wish?"
"...A wish?"
"Yes. Usually, at the end of stories like this, there's a reward like that, right? There's a reward like that at the end of this story too, right?"
In the dark space. Kim Dokja's expression was visible only to me.
I read his expression.
Bewilderment, understanding. And pity.
"Yeah. There is."
In this dark tunnel.
It was probably fortunate that Gilyoung couldn't see Dokja's expression.
Because if Gilyoung, who is quick-witted, had seen Dokja's expression just now, he would have realized many truths.
"We're almost there. Hyungs."
As Gilyoung said, it seemed we would arrive at our destination soon.
The tunnel, which had been endlessly dark, began to brighten gradually as the surrounding darkness rapidly diminished.
[A very small number of Constellations hold their breath.]
The sound of Ground Rats scratching the floor began to reach our ears, and as the sound grew louder, the sense of space rapidly expanded.
A light clearly visible through the darkness. When I looked closely through it, what caught my eye was the sight of a dark, dull chest occupying a spot.
[The sub scenario has been updated.]
[You have entered the 'Ground Rat's Treasure Warehouse'.]
"Is that it?"
I quietly spoke to Dokja, and he nodded at my words.
"Are you sure about that blatantly suspicious chest?"
"Correct. So we have to wait for the right time."
Grrr... Squeak!
Waiting quietly as Dokja said, the figures of Ground Rats pacing around the treasure warehouse came into view.
They brought armfuls of something through the tunnels, emitting unknown cries as if communicating with each other.
"Those things. They even communicate."
Then, a certain number of Ground Rats began to gather in one place, a light illuminating the surroundings appeared, and their numbers began to increase.
"This is all because of Yoo Sangah-ssi!"
While we were watching quietly.
Hearing a shouting voice from afar, I turned my gaze and saw Han Myungoh yelling at Yoo Sangah.
Startled by the sound, Gilyoung jumped, and Dokja and I grabbed his shoulders.
"Because of me? What do you mean by that?"
The sight of the two people subdued by the Ground Rats.
Since they looked tied up by something, I scanned them roughly and saw their bodies tightly bound by vines extending from the floor.
To yell and act like a superior even in a situation like that. He really is the epitome of an old fart (kkondae).
"I-If Yoo Sangah-ssi hadn't taken the subway, the situation wouldn't have become like this!"
"What does me taking the subway have to do with this situation?"
Listening to every bit of that nonsense would just make my mouth hurt.
See, being too nice makes a person tired.
"Th-that's because Yoo Sangah-ssi always rides a bicycle..."
"Wait, wait a minute. Was it you who stole my bicycle, Department Head?"
Oh my god. The hidden truth is finally revealed through his own mouth. Can someone be that stupid?
"P-people, you know! When I offered you a ride in my car, you should have taken it! You should know how to accept when someone offers kindness! Huh?!"
"Answer me first. Did you steal my bicycle, Department Head?"
Calling him stupid isn't enough.
Even if Yoo Sangah had taken the ride, I don't see the situation being any better than now.
Without Kim Dokja or me, a human like that would have already died in the first scenario.
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' dislikes the Incarnation 'Han Myungoh'.]
I nodded while looking at the quietly rising message window.
He is definitely... pathetic.
"Yes! I did it! So what!"
"Why are you raising your voice? Touching someone else's property, that's theft!"
"Theft? See, if you had just obediently gotten in the car from the beginning, it would have been fine!"
To the very end... he acts in a way that makes you not want to save him.
I quietly picked up a stone.
"I wasn't hitting on you! I wasn't making a move! I just did it out of good intentions..."
I threw the stone in my hand with all my might.
Thanks to investing the remaining Coins into stats, the stone flew from my body, which had become even stronger in Gojo Satoru's physique, and accurately hit the wall right next to Han Myungoh's head at high speed.
"U-Uaaack?! What the!"
[The Constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' rejoices.]
[You have been sponsored 100 Coins.]
Prisoner of the Golden Headband, huh.
Stone Monkey. You were still watching me?
"Dokja-ssi... and Gang-hoon-ssi!"
"If you can dodge there, dodge."
The wall where I threw the stone began to crack with a creak, and soon it seemed as if dimensions, not just a wall, were collapsing.
If that collapses... will a demonic species come out?
If I knew this would happen, I should have binge-read Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint the day before I got possessed.
"Here it comes."
[The 'Darkness Keeper' has appeared!]
[The sub scenario has been updated!]
[Sub scenario 'Defeat the Keeper' begins!]
"Urp... Hyungs, I..."
"It's okay. Take your time throwing up."
Gilyoung, eventually lying prone on the floor, started retching. It seemed he suffered mental damage because the insects connected to him burst and died due to the monster's appearance.
"Gilyoung-ah. How many more times can you use [Diverse Communication]?"
"Maybe... about one or two more times."
"Got it. Then rest for a bit."
Dokja let Gilyoung rest and approached me.
"There's something waiting, right?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"You know. That I'm special."
I lightly stretched and tapped Kim Dokja's shoulder.
"First, save those two. I'll block it."
"Understood."
Dokja nodded, then approached Han Myungoh and Yoo Sangah to free them from the vines.
[The 'Darkness Keeper' receives the blessing of the Demon King it follows.]
"Camun, der, itur."
"What is it saying."
[The 'Darkness Keeper' emits 'Fear'.]
Whoosh.
Something black tried to flow in around me, but it couldn't touch me.
I wonder if it would have mattered even if it touched me, but since it didn't touch me in the first place, I can let it pass pleasantly.
"Itur!"
"M-Mom?"
While I was tilting my head at the incomprehensible words, Yoo Sangah's voice came from behind.
"Why are you looking for Mom... No, I told you to dodge. I did."
"No, not that... Just now, that monster said 'Mom'..."
I turned around to look at Yoo Sangah.
"So, Ca, Card? Emiren? Is this pronunciation wrong? Akedu?"
"Calidu!"
Ha, seeing it in person makes it even more absurd. This.
"Did you just translate that demonic species' words?"
"Yes... For some reason, I can understand it."
"What is it saying?"
Dokja asked Yoo Sangah as he approached my side. Yoo Sangah pondered, unsure if her understanding was correct, but soon opened her mouth.
"Well... it said 'Become Mom'."
"Calidu!"
"M-Mom?! I'm not even married yet!"
"Calidu!"
At Yoo Sangah's words, the Darkness Keeper pointed at Han Myungoh and shouted once more.
"W-why am I Mom! If anything, I'm Dad!"
At Han Myungoh's attitude, the Darkness Keeper pulled out a tentacle from its back and shot it toward Han Myungoh.
I briefly contemplated whether to save him or not, then used Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue to deflect the tentacle.
"Stay back. It's a real battle now."
"A-alright."
Han Myungoh immediately stumbled back at my words.
"Yoo Sangah-ssi, you don't have plans for children yet, do you?"
"Of course not!"
Dokja seemed to have understood the meaning of the creature's actions and words.
The creature looked at me, then pulled out several more tentacles and unleashed an indiscriminate attack toward the group.
Kim Dokja parried a tentacle flying at Yoo Sangah with a spear, but perhaps due to the difference in rank, the spear in his hand corroded and soon shattered.
"This won't do."
I charged my hand with Cursed Energy and punched the creature's tentacle.
Thanks to the generation of quite a large force accompanied by a black flash, one of its tentacles burst on the spot.
The group looked quite surprised. Well, of course. I was surprised too.
So this is Black Flash.
"Hurry up and get what you need to get, then take care of it. I'm just going to block."
"Are you still doing this for my growth?"
"Of course."
I passed the initiative and gathered Cursed Energy at my fingertips, reversing it to aim at the opponent.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
Phew-ung. I deliberately lowered the power and fired a Red with just enough force to send the Darkness Keeper flying.
They said generating a Black Flash makes Cursed Energy control precise, but I never imagined it would raise it to this level.
"Now, the stalling starts now."
It'll be good practice.
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