"Are you really not coming with us?"
"...We'll go separately. We still have some Coins left, too."
"Th-Thank you, mister."
So that's how it is... I've finally reached the age where I'm called 'mister.'
My Dokja used to be around that age once, but now that's not even a memory anymore.
For Dokja, it probably just felt like a difficult time.
"Stay alive, kid."
"...Yes."
"Oppa! Hurry up!!"
"I'm coming!!!"
I wonder who she inherited that short temper from...?
Unable to resist Dokja's urging, I kept walking and walking toward the next Scenario.
Tap
"? Why are you—"
[You have received 1,500 Coins from 'Jung Heewon'.]
"Technically, I'm the one who lost the bet, so I'm giving these to you. Well, I gave some to the others too, but still."
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' likes your camaraderie.]
1,500 Coins had long since become pocket change to me.
Even so, perhaps because this kind of goodwill was so unfamiliar, it didn't feel bad.
[Coins Owned: 30,050]
Including the Coins Dokja squeezed out of Bihyung, I had passed the 30,000 mark a while ago.
From what I heard, they were Coins she was entitled to in the first place, but looking at her, she really did look like some delinquent thug extorting protection money...
Not that I disliked it.
Coins are always right.
More than anything, thanks to that...
[A total of 24,000 Coins have been invested.]
[Stamina Lv.30 -> Lv.40]
[Strength Lv.30 -> Lv.40]
[Agility Lv.30 -> Lv.40]
[Magic Power Lv.30 -> Lv.40]
[All stats have reached the Scenario limit.]
There probably wasn't anyone in the current Scenario with stats higher than mine.
Even Yoo Joonghyuk likely hadn't reached the Scenario cap yet.
That didn't mean I could guarantee victory, though.
Grit!
Dokja, why are you staring at Heewon like that...?
And why are you suddenly grinding your teeth?
Ding!
Ignoring Dokja's strange state, a cheerful sound effect rang out for the group.
[The second Main Scenario has been activated.]
<Main Scenario #2 - Encounter>
Category: Main
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Pass through the tunnel and meet the survivors in the first base area.
Time Limit: None
Reward: 500 Coins
Failure: ???
"Base area? Where is it talking about?"
[The next 'major base' is 'Chungmuro'.]
A message answered as if it were watching everything.
Of course, it was likely a coincidence, but given the timing, it was still creepy.
.
.
.
"Huaaah... Why are there so many monsters down here?"
"Because it's underground. You know, monsters usually hate the light."
"...Mr. Dokyun, you don't look tired at all."
"Unlike the rest of you, my stats are high. More than that, they just come running at me and explode on their own, so there's no reason for me to move, is there?"
While the others were risking their lives swinging blades to survive, I solved everything with a simple click.
Because of that, I received some sidelong glances, but what mattered was that I was currently the strongest person in the group.
"Let's rest here for a bit before moving on."
When we entered Dongdaemun Station, we found it as empty as a vacant lot, without a single corpse left behind.
I didn't know if few people had died here or if the bodies had been cleared away, but one thing was certain: they had evacuated in a hurry.
If that was the case, there might still be supplies left.
"I'll go check if there are any supplies remaining."
"Ah, um, then..."
"..."
"Dokja, would you like to come with us?"
Is this what they call 'girls' talk'?
Dokja is a woman too, so why did she look like she'd only just realized something...?
"If it's personal maintenance time, then I'll go to the restroom too!"
"I'll go as well."
[I'll step out for a bit. There's something I need to get.]
[You didn't forget there's poisonous fog outside, did you?!]
[I still have the lung from last time, Oppa.]
[In that case... fine.]
Come to think of it, she had confiscated the lung last time.
I hadn't even known she still had it; it was impressive that Dokja remembered such a detail.
I was worried, but even if she got hurt, my attribute ensured that I would be the one to take the damage anyway...
Besides, Dokja wasn't weak enough to be pushed around anymore, so I trusted she'd be fine.
"Hm? Where did Dokja go?"
"She went up to the surface."
"What?! You didn't forget there's poisonous fog outside, did you?!"
Heewon really got along with me strangely well.
Wasn't that exactly what I had said to Dokja?
If the world hadn't ended, I think we would have been great friends.
"By the way, if you don't mind, would it be okay if I spoke more casually?"
"Hm? Ah, sure. Go ahead. It's not like it matters that much..."
"Whew. Thanks, Heewon. I'm not really used to these formalities."
Now I finally felt like I could breathe.
It had been incredibly uncomfortable hearing '-ssi' attached to every name.
"Wow, you really didn't waste a second once I said yes."
"Well, I'm the oldest one here anyway."
"How old are you? You don't look that much older than Dokja, maybe twenty-nine?"
"Thirty-two."
"..."
When I stated my age flatly, everyone went quiet for a moment.
Revealing my age wasn't that big a deal, so I didn't understand why they were reacting like that.
"Uh... You look much younger than I expected. Really."
"Thank you. Well, anyone else curious about something?"
"Since when have you taken such good care of Dokja?"
The words, 'Since that man who wasn't even a father was murdered, and our mother was arrested as the culprit,' rose to the back of my throat.
The truth was, I hadn't liked Dokja from the start.
If anything, it had been closer to dislike.
Thinking back to those days, it felt strange that I was now trying to protect Dokja so desperately, without regard for my own safety.
But when only the two of us were left and we were dumped at a relative's house, I watched Dokja cry every day under a barrage of abuse and contempt. That was when I made up my mind.
I would protect her, no matter what.
And that I was sorry.
That even if I had to give up everything, I would make sure she was happy.
I had lived under our mother's protection, but now it was my turn to protect Dokja.
How could I possibly say all that out loud?
"I've just been like that since the day she was born."
I had no choice but to smooth it over with a textbook answer.
"Isn't that answer a bit too obvious?"
"There's no special reason. I just love her because she's family."
"...I understand."
But now, I found myself wondering.
'Was it really Mother who killed that man...?'
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