War of the Kings (3)
[Constellation, 'Venerable Lord of Dreamed Brocade,' is waiting for your decision.]
Facing Min Ji-won, who looked brimming with confidence as if she had already gained a subordinate, I shrugged and replied,
"No thanks."
For a moment, Min Ji-won's gaze wavered. Several of the Hwarang gaped, and even Min Ji-won—an actress by trade—failed to keep her expression under control. What came back was a foolish-sounding voice.
"…Pardon?"
Rather than accepting the reality before her, she seemed to have chosen to doubt her own hearing.
"I think I must have misheard you… Could you say that again?"
"I said I won't be your subordinate."
Becoming someone's underling for two thousand coins? All I could do was laugh.
Turning to my companions waiting behind me, I said,
"Let's go. We're in a hurry."
When we turned away without hesitation, Min Ji-won shouted urgently,
"Wait! If coins are the issue, I can give you more. If I talk it over properly with my supporting constellation—"
"No need."
"I said wait!"
Apparently panicking, she rushed over and blocked my path herself.
Her movements were fairly quick for her Agility stat.
"You're not saying you don't know the value of 2,000 coins, are you?"
As if I wouldn't know?
Pop a few monsters like soda cans and you'd earn 2,000 coins easily.
Min Ji-won narrowed her eyes and said,
"You won't have the luxury to act so arrogant."
"…Arrogant?"
"The war between the Later Three Kingdoms is about to begin. I don't know which constellation you serve, but all the small and mid-sized groups nearby will be wiped out. No—honestly, I'd be doing you a favor even if I took you in for 2,000 coins. Do you still not understand the situation? I am the king of Silla. The king who will soon unify the Three Kingdoms!"
She seemed so immersed in her own performance that she'd lost her grip on reality.
Well, Min Ji-won was originally written that way.
A naturally gifted actress, her deep synchronization with Queen Jinseong would cause her, for a time, to truly believe that she was the last queen of Silla.
That's why method acting is terrifying.
"I think you're confusing the era. This isn't the Later Three Kingdoms period."
"The one confused about the era is you. The Republic of Korea is over. You're not still waiting for rescue, are you?"
Just a moment ago she'd been spouting nonsense, yet suddenly her words became disturbingly coherent.
"A new era has begun. And the beginning of that era starts with me—Min Ji-won."
I was mistaken.
Even nonsense can sound convincing if it has a proper flow.
As I was wondering how to shake her off, Yoo Sang-ah mercifully stepped in.
"Um, Your Majesty?"
"…What is it?"
"As far as I know, among the Later Three Kingdoms, Silla was the weakest state… If history is anything to go by, wouldn't that be a bit difficult? How exactly do you plan to unify the Three Kingdoms…?"
Min Ji-won's face went pale as if she'd been hit by a surprise attack.
"H-how dare you talk so arrogantly when you know nothing!"
"I… have Level 1 certification in Korean history."
"Ha, Level 1 Korean history…"
Flustered, Min Ji-won stammered,
"And what's so impressive about Level 1 Korean history?!"
"That's enough, Yoo Sang-ah. She doesn't seem to know history very well anyway."
At my words, Min Ji-won's face flushed even redder.
"Wait! My offer isn't finished yet. How about three thousand coins?"
I turned away without even pretending to listen.
"Three thousand five hundred! I'll give you up to three thousand five hundred!"
The increments dropped to five hundred.
So that's the scale of our queen's finances.
As expected, the wealth of hero-grade constellations varies wildly depending on their fame.
I kept walking.
"Three thousand six hundred—no, three thousand seven hundred…!"
My steps finally stopped.
When I turned around, Min Ji-won was wearing an expression that said, I knew it.
I really am a bad person.
I could've just left—but the fact that I wanted to completely crush that expression says a lot.
In a flat voice, I spoke to her.
"Actually, I'd like to make an offer."
"What are you talking about?"
"How about ten thousand?"
"…Ten thousand?"
"Oh, is that too low? You are a king, after all… Then let's say twenty thousand."
Min Ji-won's expression slowly hardened.
Crossing her arms, she glared at me.
"Are you trying to joke with me right now? Twenty thousand coins? Do you seriously think you're worth that much—"
"No. I mean I'll buy you for twenty thousand coins."
"…What?"
"To be precise, I'll buy you along with all the troops you command."
Her lips hung open blankly before she quickly snapped back to her senses.
"T-there's no way you have that many coins, is there?"
"Just because you don't have it—where did you get the idea that no one else would?"
I snapped my index finger and thumb together with force. At the tip of my finger, accompanied by a burst of radiance, part of the coins I possessed took shape.
[20,000 Coins]
Min Ji-won, who had barely managed to maintain her poker face, finally cracked.
"Th-that's impossible!"
"Do you believe me now?"
It didn't take long for disbelief to turn into shock—and then for shock to turn into greed.
Well, that was only natural.
With twenty thousand coins, one could massively raise their overall stats.
It might not completely overturn the balance of power among the Later Three Kingdoms, but it was certainly enough to influence it.
Unfortunately for her, greed alone wasn't enough to shatter her pride.
"Are you saying… you're going to buy me with money?"
"Why not? You were the one who made an offer first."
The one who stepped forward in outrage at my words was the leader of the Hwarang.
"How dare you!"
A slender build, refined features—a handsome man with little visible muscle, yet possessing an unspoken air of resolve. Yoo Sang-ah spoke quietly.
"Dokja, that man…"
At the same time she spoke, I realized it too.
Right—Silla had this constellation.
Silla wasn't absolutely disadvantaged in the Later Three Kingdoms war.
Regardless of era, it had produced quite a few capable generals.
For example, Kim Yu-sin…
The problem was that in this regression, Silla didn't have Kim Yu-sin.
"Gwan Chang is a fine constellation. But you're being reckless. What if my constellation were Gyebaek? You wouldn't be trying to reenact Hwangsanbeol, would you?"
The startled man's eyes widened.
"Y-you bastard… Are you a Baekje lackey?"
[Constellation, 'Hwarang Who Never Retreats,' is enraged by your remark.]
So his supporting constellation really was Gwan Chang.
The Hwarang Who Never Retreats—Gwan Chang, the hero of Hwangsanbeol. His stigmas weren't particularly impressive, but his loyalty to a fallen kingdom was unparalleled.
"I'm not from Baekje—just an ordinary Korean."
"You wretch!"
"I respect your patriotism, but it would be wiser to act with a bit more caution. After all, I don't only have twenty thousand coins."
I snapped my fingers once more, and the number of manifested coins began to rise.
Only then did the man's face turn pale.
Paltry wealth becomes an object of desire.
But overwhelming wealth becomes an object of awe—and fear.
Especially for those who understand the true power of coins.
Min Ji-won, who had been stunned into silence, finally spoke.
"Just who… are you?"
Took you long enough to ask.
Of course, I had no intention of answering.
"Min Ji-won, not everything in the world can be solved with money. As a former actress, I thought you'd understand that—but I'm disappointed."
With those words, I truly turned away.
The others followed after me a moment later, and Min Ji-won's pitiful voice rang out behind us.
"W-wait!"
But she could no longer chase after me.
Once we'd put some distance between ourselves and the Silla forces, Yoo Sang-ah spoke in a slightly dejected voice.
"Dokja, may I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"That person earlier… was she famous?"
Caught off guard, I hesitated for a moment.
"Huh? Um… probably?"
"I thought so. You and Seong-guk both recognized her, so… I've watched my fair share of historical dramas, but I just can't remember her at all."
So that was why she looked downcast?
Yi Gil-young chimed in.
"I don't know her either, noona."
"Oh—haha. Really? That's a relief."
It wasn't strange at all. If "Min Ji-won" existed only as a character in a novel, then of course Yoo Sang-ah and Yi Gil-young wouldn't recognize her.
The problem was Lee Seong-guk.
"Seong-guk."
"Huh? Y-yes."
Still glancing back nervously, Lee Seong-guk snapped to attention. Min Ji-won's beauty must have left quite an impression.
"You said earlier that you were a fan of Min Ji-won…?"
"Me? Haha. Yes, that's right. You didn't know? She's a famous actress—wait… huh?"
Suddenly, Lee Seong-guk's expression turned strange.
"Uh… I am a fan, but… Min Ji-won… who was she again…? Huh?"
I immediately activated [Character List].
[Exclusive Skill, 'Character List,' has been activated.]
Name: Lee Seong-gukAge: 25Supporting Constellation: Keeper of the Old Pendulum
Exclusive Trait: Hypnotist (Rare)
Exclusive Skills:[Hypnosis Lv.3], [Bluff Lv.4], [Weapon Training Lv.3] …
Stigma: [Comfortable Deep Sleep Lv.1]
Overall Stats:[Stamina Lv.13], [Strength Lv.13], [Agility Lv.17], [Magic Power Lv.18]
Overall Evaluation: Evaluation currently in progress.
This was the second time I had looked at Lee Seong-guk's character information.
Nothing much had changed.
Except for one thing.
Lee Seong-guk's trait, 'The Ninth Dropout,' was gone.
"...Mr. Lee Seong-guk?"
"Uh... y-yes?"
"No, it's nothing."
I held my tongue to avoid causing unnecessary confusion.
In the world of Ways of Survival, a trait only disappears when the qualifications for that trait are lost.
All "dropouts" know the future of this world.
However, the future Lee Seong-guk knew only covered the very beginning—something close to the prologue. The current scenario had already surpassed the information he possessed.
That led me to a hypothesis.
Perhaps all "dropouts" become nothing more than ordinary [Characters] the moment the present catches up to the "future" they knew.
It sounded like a leap—but it was a convincing one. If that were the case, it would explain why Lee Seong-guk's and Jung Min-seop's character information had become visible.
And if that were true…
Then someday, would the same thing happen to me?
[Character 'Min Ji-won' is showing you faint affection.]
...That absurd message instantly shattered all my built-up thoughts.
I reflexively turned around.
Min Ji-won, now reduced to a small figure in the distance, was still standing there, staring in our direction.
I couldn't see her face, but judging by her gestures, she seemed angry.
Then this message was—no, wait a second.
Why had I forgotten that episode?
I suddenly remembered.
Was it the 11th regression? Yoo Joonghyuk had slapped that woman across the face the moment he met her. And for the entirety of that regression, Min Ji-won had…
Damn it. I've got a bad feeling about this.
No way… right?
At least I didn't slap her.
An hour later, we raced across the surface streets as fast as possible and hid ourselves among the buildings near Gwanghwamun. There was no sign of people, but it was obvious that the kings who had bought my text file were lurking nearby.
—They'll start moving once they see what the others are doing. We'll move then too.
I cautioned the group as we advanced little by little.
After all, the other kings' objectives were obvious.
"The moment he reached the entrance of the National Palace Museum, his heart began to race. Most of the relics sleeping here are trash. But among them, there is exactly one that is real.
Sainchamsageom (Four-Tiger Evil-Slaying Sword).
Gwanghwamun's strongest SSSSS-grade item is stored right here!"
I wrote it myself, but reading it now made my skin crawl.
It was true that the Sainchamsageom was housed in the National Palace Museum.
Of course, it wasn't an SSSSS-grade item.
That rank didn't even exist in the first place.
Still, the Sainchamsageom was an excellent sword, and Yoo Joonghyuk in his third regression had relied on it heavily in the early stages.
—Hyung, if it's that kind of item, shouldn't we get it first?
—We don't need it.
The Sainchamsageom was a good sword, but it wasn't essential.
However, the plagiarist author and the other kings would think differently.
A sword like that would provide top-tier combat power in the early game.
They would definitely aim for the Sainchamsageom.
So our plan was simple.
While they chased after a pointless sword, we would secure other relics.
The only question was when they would make their move…
But there was no need to worry.
In this damn world, whenever a scenario stagnates, someone always steps in to force things along.
[Hehe, my my. I didn't even ask you to gather, yet here you all are.]
Just as expected.
Sparks crackled through the air, and a mid-level dokkaebi appeared.
[Good children deserve rewards, don't they?]
With a thunderous rumble, something began to rise from the center of Gwanghwamun.
A single throne, glowing with an ancient, dignified golden light.
Gasping sounds echoed from all around Gwanghwamun.
No guide had yet been issued, but in that moment, every king must have realized it.
That only one king would be allowed to sit upon that throne.
[The main scenario has been updated.]
[Main Scenario #4 — 'Qualification of a King' has begun.]