"Hiiiiik!!! A c-corpse...!!"
"Did we really have to take in that useless idiot?"
Of all people, the group member had to be Han Myeongoh.
"Y-Yoo Sangah! It's dangerous, so hold my hand!"
"...It looks like you're more scared than I am, Manager Han."
"N-No!"
For the first time in my life, I found myself doubting Dokja's judgment.
"I took him in because he's a 'useless idiot.' He's the kind of person who's neither a threat nor a help."
"Right. I'll trust you. More importantly, I'm a little worried about Gilyoung... he's still weak."
"That's why we're taking him with us, Oppa. Just like you said, he's weak, so we should help him get stronger."
Right, so since we'd saved him anyway, we were going to take responsibility to the end?
I didn't think that was a bad idea.
Even for me, it wouldn't be pleasant to see a child we'd barely managed to save end up dead somewhere with his body mangled beyond recognition.
"I'm more worried about Ms. Jung Heewon. Are you really going to be okay? Your body hasn't fully recovered yet..."
"Like Mr. Dokyun said, I'm more worried about Gilyoung than myself."
A peaceful everyday mood, something hard to feel in a ruined world, was better than I'd expected.
Of course, the fact that this little slice of normalcy was happening while we were out to hunt monsters for meat made it a bit strange.
"Actually, I've been concerned about that too. Maybe we should send Gilyoung and the women back even now..."
"Come on, Mr. Lee Hyunsung. I may not be on Mr. Dokyun's level, but I can fight pretty well too, you know? I even practiced kendo before."
"Though I doubt that kendo taught you how to cut down monsters."
"Mr. Dokyun! Did you really have to say that?!"
"But I like this kind of bickering."
Even though a Dokkaebi had shown up not long ago and we'd already run into a food problem, the atmosphere was absurdly relaxed.
If only no monsters would show up now.
"It seems the two of you, and even you, Oppa, have forgotten something. A few days ago, the world we lived in changed completely. The idea that women and children are physically weak is just prejudice now. Anyone can raise their stats and become strong."
Even so, it was still the early part of the Scenario, which meant everyone was still weak. She had to know that worrying was unavoidable.
Maybe she was saying it to calm the others, who were still uneasy.
But that wasn't how it looked to me.
Squeeze
"Oppa? Why are you holding my hand?"
"Just because."
Maybe I was imagining it, but Dokja's hand looked like it was trembling ever so slightly, too faintly for anyone else to notice.
No matter how much she tried to treat this world as if it were just a novel, hard was still hard.
"Don't be too tense. I could wipe them out by myself if I had to."
"Ah, about that. This time, I want us to fight on our own, without you, Oppa."
"What?!"
"You're already strong enough right now. We need to grow strong 'together.'"
That word, together, wrapped around me like a shackle.
"Fine... I get it. But if it looks even a little dangerous, I'm stepping in immediately."
"That's enough. Gilyoung. Show him."
When Gilyoung's hand touched the ground, a bright streak of light spilled from his fingertips.
"My attribute is '[Insect Collector]'. I can have simple conversations with insects."
Come to think of it, he had insects with him back in the subway too.
Thinking about that, an insect-related attribute really did suit him.
"They say there's nothing ahead of us. It should be safe for the next hundred steps. I appreciate you worrying about me, but I didn't come along to get carried by you hyungs and noonas."
"People still say 'get carried' these days?"
Wasn't that a really old term?
Maybe it was because I'd quit gaming over ten years ago, but I couldn't really tell anymore.
[A new sub scenario has arrived.]
<Sub Scenario - Obtaining Food>
Category: Sub
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Personally hunt a monster that can be used as food, then cook it.
Time Limit: None
Reward: 500 Coins
Failure: ???
"Hiiik, a m-monster!"
"But they're usually called monsters, right? So is it monster, beast, or what?"
"That's what you're curious about, Oppa?! Monster, creature, demon beast, monster!! They all mean the same thing, so what does it matter?!"
She had a point.
It wasn't like we were going to become researchers. As long as people understood what we meant, that was enough.
"Ms. Dokja, wouldn't this be enough to clear the Scenario?"
"It says we have to hunt it 'personally,' so probably not."
Since Yoo Joonghyuk had apparently passed through here, she was probably the one who killed it.
Next time I saw her, I really ought to fold her in half at the waist or something.
But what was Dokja doing with that corpse?
.
.
.
"...I suddenly feel like we've gone back to the Stone Age."
"You'll need to sharpen it more before it's useful, so try grinding the edge well with nearby stones."
Thunk
"Hey."
"What?"
"Why didn't you make one for me?"
"You don't need one, Oppa."
"That's harsh."
Sure, monsters at this level could be torn apart with my bare hands... but still, I wanted a gift from Dokja!
"Even so, he's your brother..."
Nice one, Yoo Sangah!
"Just wait a little. You'll see why I didn't bother making you a weapon."
I never thought there'd come a day when it would disappoint me that Dokja knew me too well.
Enough to make me consider hiding my stats next time.
"If possible, leave only enough Coins for living expenses and invest everything else into Strength, Stamina, and Agility. It may sound cruel, but aside from Oppa, I don't expect any of you to survive."
[Kim Dokja's threat has been detected.]
[Attribute: 'Support Raised with an Abandoned Dream' is activated.]
[All stats have increased by 10.]
"Even so, all of you need to survive. Please."
[Sub Scenario - Obtaining Food has begun.]
"Kieeeek!!!"
Crunch!
Was it a rank-9 ground puppy?
They were supposed to be among the weakest kind, but the monsters died with their hides pierced by a single blow from Kim Hyunsung.
"Kwaaaangh!!!"
Rustle
Slice!!
Jung Heewon, proving that her confidence about learning kendo wasn't just bluff, easily dodged a ground puppy's attack and split it in two with one strike.
Maybe it was because she was using a familiar weapon, but even so, it felt like I was seeing a fragment of Jung Heewon's talent.
"Damn it, one got through!"
Thud!
Pshhk!!
Yoo Sangah and Gilyoung worked together because they knew fighting didn't come naturally to them.
Slash!
And then there was our Dokja, already so used to this that she hunted them down with a blank expression.
For now, it felt more like individual fights than teamwork, but considering they'd never coordinated before, it didn't look bad.
"Mr. Dokyun!! There's one coming your way too—!!"
"Krrraaaaah—!"
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' shouts that this can't be happening.]
[A few Constellations mock you for the death approaching you.]
The ground puppy charged at full speed and slammed into me.
Craaack!!!
[You have indirectly killed a living being.]
[Because you indirectly killed a living being, your additional reward has been reduced.]
[You have acquired an additional reward of 50 Coins.]
But that became its mistake. Because it had accelerated so much, the impact doubled, and the moment it collided with me, its head was crushed.
At this point, doesn't this count as me killing it directly? The Star Stream is so stingy.
With my attribute applied, all my stats were 40.
There was no way something rank-9 could injure me.
"..."
[Many Constellations are shocked.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' smiles as if she knew this would happen.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' shouts at you not to scare her like that.]
[400 Coins have been sponsored.]
"Why is everyone looking at me like that?"
"Oppa, what are your stats right now?"
"Average 40 with my attribute."
"Then that means 30 without the attribute?! Since when did you get that high...?"
It seemed I'd never told them that I'd raised my stats.
Well, only a few days had passed. Other than Yoo Joonghyuk, there probably wasn't anyone else who'd raised them this much.
It was true that we had to grow stronger together, but that didn't mean we had to wait for everyone else to catch up.
"But how are we supposed to cook this? We can't eat it like this."
"We can't eat it right now, but there should be a way."
Maybe because she'd been answering too calmly all this time.
Everyone except me turned to look at Dokja.
Though Gilyoung looked like he wasn't all that interested.
"Um, actually, there's something I've wanted to ask. Ms. Dokja... do you happen to know something about this situation?"
If I didn't know Dokja, I might have reacted the same way they did.
"And Mr. Dokyun, you seem to trust Ms. Dokja excessively. Is that because you know what Ms. Dokja knows too?"
Huh? Why is this splashing over onto me too?
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' looks forward to your and Dokja's choice.]
[A few Constellations await the siblings' answer.]
"...I—"
[Oppa, stay still. It'll work itself out.]
The moment I opened my mouth, Dokja covered it.
Was even this part of Dokja's plan? Or was it an unexpected variable she simply knew how to handle?
As Lee Hyunsung said, all I could do was trust Dokja's words.
"U-uaaaargh!!"
Grab!
[Don't interfere.]
While we were fighting, Manager Han Myeongoh, who'd been hiding in the back, got caught by a surviving ground puppy. Just as I was about to move, Dokja's voice rang out again.
[From the perspective of a 'reader,' the best answer is to keep creating situations where you don't have to say anything at all.]
Dokja had predicted even this situation.
"S-Save meee...!!"
That aside, it was pretty satisfying to watch him get dragged off after doing nothing but hide in the rear.
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' nods at the siblings' choice.]
Unlike the few other Constellations, the one called 'Plotter' seemed to understand Dokja's choice perfectly.
"H-Here, catch this!"
Grab!
"Kyaaaak!!"
This was probably within Dokja's expectations too, right?
"Yoo Sangah...!"
Judging by Dokja's expression and the way she moved, apparently not.
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' sees Yoo Sangah being dragged away and tears at her own hair, crying that this can't happen.]
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' says she will give 3,000 Coins if Incarnation 'Yoo Sangah' is rescued.]
The Goddess of Love and Beauty. If I remembered right, that was the famous goddess of beauty, Aphrodite... Did she want Yoo Sangah to live?
If so, did that mean Aphrodite was Yoo Sangah's Sponsor?
"Ah, seriously... I knew that old man was going to cause trouble. Seriously..."
"...I should've torn Han Myeongoh apart back on the bridge."
[Many Constellations agree with your statement.]
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