"L-Lieutenant! Lee! Hyun! Sung! I didn't hear that right...!!"
Lee Hyunsung woke up with a loud racket.
I'm really glad I never joined the military.
I didn't even want to know what kind of experience in the army could leave a soldier with such trauma.
Or rather, was it because he was a soldier that his trauma was rooted in the military?
"Uh... how long was I out? What's the situation right now?"
"There were monsters stationed here that create 'Illusion Prisons.' We've taken care of them all, so it should be safe now."
I understood now that Lee Hyunsung's trauma stemmed from his time in the service, but I still felt there was no one more suited to be a soldier than him.
Especially when I thought about how he always stepped forward first, volunteering to be the shield, and how he prioritized our safety over his own.
He had suffered through trauma while trying to protect his country, only for the world to end up like this anyway.
In a way, Lee Hyunsung was just as unfortunate as the rest of us.
Though in a world like this, I doubted there were many people who *weren't* unfortunate.
"Oppa, couldn't you have gone a little easier? One of the spirit stones cracked."
"Sorry. I guess I'm still not used to this strength."
"Did Mr. Dokyun kill all of them?"
"No, Dokja and I did. About a 60:40 split?"
The reason mental attacks didn't work on Sangah was because of her item.
In contrast, we were immune to mental attacks even without any items.
Because of that, the fight had been easier than expected.
But if they were specters, weren't they supposed to be ghosts?
Then why the hell was I able to beat them to death with my bare fists?
"! Gilyoung, stay seated a little longer. If you can't walk, I'll just carry you."
"...My head hurts."
"Then it can't be helped."
Flash!
"! Hyung?!"
"It's fine, kid. I know it's been hard. Just get some rest."
"...Okay."
Cling
Gilyoung clung to me, refusing to let go.
The small hand clutching me didn't hurt, but I could feel it trembling.
Why did a child have to suffer like this?
Even knowing Gilyoung wasn't the only child in pain, we pathetic adults had remained silent.
It was a cruel paradox—that the children were the ones understanding the adults who had failed them.
It was selfish of me, but I hoped children like him could eventually forgive pathetic adults like me.
"Gilyoung, you look exhausted. Why don't you try to sleep?"
"...I'm okay."
"I know it's because of the nightmares. But don't forget who you're with. I'll blow those nightmares away, so you can relax."
I couldn't see Gilyoung's face.
But I knew it was better that way.
My shoulder was becoming damp.
He must have been so scared.
It must have been so hard,
knowing that death was always lurking right beside him.
"I'm sorry... ugh... Mom..."
He had suffered enough in the past; I hoped he could finally find some happiness now.
Where else would you find a kid this adorable...?
Gilyoung's blunt demeanor was undoubtedly a result of his family life.
A place where crying or laughing likely earned him a beating.
I knew it. No, we all knew it.
"Zzzzz..."
Between using his skills while walking and facing his trauma, it was only natural that he'd be exhausted.
I hoped he would rely on me a little more.
I hoped he would have sweet dreams.
And even if he did have nightmares, I hoped that the 'me' inside those dreams could protect him.
I hoped that in this ruined world, children could find a way to dream once more.
"...To the Absolute Good constellations in my channel, and the great figures of my country, please pay attention."
[Constellations of the Absolute Good alignment are paying attention to you.]
[The Constellations of the Korean Peninsula are paying attention to you.]
"I'm sorry to keep asking for favors, but could you look kindly upon Gilyoung? And not just him, but all the children."
[The Constellation 'Samyeongdaesa' asks for your intentions.]
"I just feel sorry for them. Whether it's distant adults like the Constellations or adults like me... it's heartbreaking that children have to be tossed around by a world created by adults."
[The Constellation 'Samyeongdaesa' falls silent.]
"The adults who made this world are the ones at fault. Children like Gilyoung are innocent."
[Constellations of the Absolute Good alignment nod.]
[The Constellations of the Korean Peninsula express deep sympathy for the words of a descendant of the peninsula.]
[Constellations of the Absolute Evil alignment say they will overlook your hypocrisy.]
This time, it was pure sincerity.
I didn't know if that sincerity had truly reached them, but both the Absolute Evil and Absolute Good—who usually did nothing but bicker—seemed willing to grant my request.
Well, I wasn't asking for a massive sponsorship or a binding oath.
I was simply asking them to pity the children, which wasn't a difficult request.
Still, while the Absolute Good and the Korean Peninsula constellations were expected, the Absolute Evil was a surprise.
I'd heard that even among criminals, those who target children are treated as less than human.
I suspected that was the case here.
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' sheds tears at your words.]
[The Demon King 'Demon King of Wrath and Lust' grumbles that this is boring.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' nods at this unexpected side of you.]
[The Constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' smiles, saying you seem like you would make a gentle father.]
[300 Coins have been sponsored.]
A gentle father.
To me, those words felt like a description of some mythical creature.
Having grown up under a man like mine, could I ever become a different kind of 'father'?
Did I even have the right, considering the pain I had already caused Dokja?
Cling
"Dokja?"
"I told you before, everything you're thinking shows on your face."
Right. She had.
But what did that have to do with her giving me a back-hug right now?
"I can guess what you saw, Oppa. That's why I want to tell you."
"...Tell me what?"
"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. I'm so late."
That wasn't what I wanted to hear.
It was my fault.
It was simply the karma that I deserved!
"Now that I look at you, our Oppa is quite the crybaby. It hasn't even been that long since the last time you cried, and you're tearing up again?"
"...I guess I am."
"The things I said that day... I only said them because I was so angry. I didn't mean them."
"...I know."
"No, Oppa. You don't know anything."
Dokja's grip tightened around me.
My heart began to race.
It beat so loudly that I feared Gilyoung might wake up from the sound alone.
"The reason I was angry was because you took care of me *too* much. I felt so guilty that you had to drop out after middle school and start working immediately just for my sake."
"It was just my duty."
"There's only a four-year age gap between us. You never had such a duty. While there were things that upset me, there were far more things I was grateful for."
Was this Dokja's true heart?
I didn't know.
My mind was in chaos, and my body had gone stiff.
"It's embarrassing, but I'm finally saying it now. 'I love you,' Oppa. And thank you for sacrificing so much for me."
I had mentioned before that I felt guilt for killing people.
Honestly, I wasn't sure if that guilt truly came from the act of killing.
Perhaps it came from the feeling that I was no longer a brother Dokja could be proud of.
Or perhaps it really was the revulsion of murder. I couldn't tell.
But one thing had become certain.
Right now, at least one layer of that guilt had been peeled away.
The hallucinations were gone.
I thought I was the only one protecting Dokja, but perhaps Dokja had been protecting me all along.
"Ugh, saying things that don't suit me is so awkward. Besides, the Constellations hate melodrama. Let's get moving."
As we moved, a few questions lingered in my mind.
I might have been imagining it, but for some reason, it felt like Dokja was glaring at Gilyoung.
Could she possibly be jealous that Gilyoung was in my arms?
No way.
The age difference alone made that impossible.
And when she said she loved me, something about it had felt... strange.
It didn't feel like the kind of love you have for family.
It felt as if there was a hidden meaning behind the words.
Even so, it wasn't important right now.
It was far more likely that I was just overthinking it.
"Then let's get mov—"
"Who the hell are you people?!"
"?!"
"Don't you know this area is our hunting ground?"
A brat who looked like a student stood before us; I had no idea how long she'd been there.
But looking at her... she seemed familiar.
"Kid. I know this isn't the time, but could you lower your voice? The boy just fell asleep."
"Hah, seriously? Fine, I'll do that. You're awfully devoted, aren't you?"
She pulled back her hood, revealing her face clearly.
Then I remembered.
The sole survivor of Typhoon Girls' High that Bihyung had shown us in the subway.
And the character in Ways of Survival who specialized in naval combat.
Lee Jihye.
"...You people, did you actually kill the specters? How the hell...? Only our master can take those down."
If Lee Jihye's master was involved... it had to be Yoo Joonghyuk.
That traitorous bitch.
I still remembered how she had thrown our Dokja to the Sea-Commander.
When I finally meet her, I'll tear her apart.
"Follow me. I'll lead you back to the station."
Oblivious to my murderous thoughts, Lee Jihye began guiding us toward the station.
Of course, I wasn't delusional enough to think I would definitely beat Yoo Joonghyuk.
The reason I had won against her the first time was simple: I was a variable she hadn't accounted for.
While the difference in stats played a part, the primary reason was that she had been ambushed by someone she had zero information on, leaving her unable to respond.
In terms of raw stats, the current Yoo Joonghyuk likely had average stats in the mid-to-late twenties.
That kind of gap is something Yoo Joonghyuk could easily bridge with her experience and skill.
Furthermore, Dokja had mentioned that the reason [Mole Cricket's Treasure Vault] was empty was because Yoo Joonghyuk had already looted it.
Since we had already clashed once, she would have devised countermeasures against me.
And my attribute wouldn't boost my stats unless Dokja was in immediate danger.
I would fight her if I had to, but strictly speaking, the odds of me losing were higher.
Well, it didn't matter.
If I could break even one of her bones, I'd consider it a victory.
Whether I won or lost, I was Dokja's support and her sword.
<Main Scenario #2 - Encounter>
Category: Main
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Pass through the tunnel and meet the survivors of the first base area.
Time Limit: None
Reward: 500 Coins
Failure: ???
[Main Scenario #2 - Encounter has ended.]
[Calculating rewards.]
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