< Episode 15. A World Without a King (3) >
I had accumulated my first fable.
With that, the main objective of the Fourth Scenario was achieved.
"What on earth is about to happen?"
"No—why did you destroy the throne?!"
People who didn't understand what was going on stood around in confusion, while others panicked in advance, afraid of what the enraged dokkaebi might do.
From their perspective, I was an unforgivable criminal who had made the Fifth Scenario far more difficult.
Some even shouted at the dokkaebi.
"Recreate the 'Absolute Throne'! We'll re-enter the scenario!"
"This time, let's decide the true owner of the throne!"
[No one can change a scenario that has already ended. Therefore, everything that happens to you from now on is entirely because of that human.]
The intermediate dokkaebi's reply was cold.
Its finger pointed straight at me, and the icy wind and rain shook the shoulders of the soaked crowd.
[A world without a king? Fine. Try living in it. Let's see how well you survive without a center to revolve around.]
The intermediate dokkaebi snapped its fingers.
At once, the people gathered at Gwanghwamun began disappearing one by one like smoke. Screams erupted as people fled.
"What is this?! What's happening all of a sudden?!"
…This wasn't part of the plan.
When I turned around, Jeong Heewon, Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung, and the others were calling out to me.
"Dokja-ssi!"
The next instant, Yoo Sangah vanished. Then Lee Gilyoung, Jeong Heewon—followed by Jung Minseop and Lee Seongguk.
Less than a minute after the dokkaebi snapped its crude fingers, I was the only one left standing in the vast expanse of Gwanghwamun.
The intermediate dokkaebi looked at me with a chilling smile.
[Remember this well. If this world is destroyed, it will be because of you.]
As I tried to speak, a sharp snap echoed.
The world shook, and my body felt as though it were being dragged somewhere else. Severe nausea and a pounding headache followed. Already utterly drained, I lost consciousness on the spot.
[You have obtained 10,000 coins as the settlement reward for the Fourth Scenario.]
Perhaps because I had been exhausted from excessive contact with the constellations, I slept for quite a long time.
I even dreamed.
A dream from before the apocalypse began.
—Hey, you're not opening your eyes?
The moment I heard that voice, I realized it was from my high school days.
Back when I was constantly getting beaten up by bullies.
…Right. That happened too.
It was a childish dream, but remembering it again made my blood boil.
—Oh? Look at his eyes. What, you wanna kill someone?
My head snapped to the side from the slap.
The blood pooling in my split lip, the humiliation burning in my throbbing cheek.
Arms, legs, shoulders—pain surged everywhere.
Even though it was a dream, it hurt more than reality.
Perhaps because there was no [Fourth Wall] there.
—What? If you're pissed, stab me, punk. You can end up in the newspapers like your mom, right?
My clenched fist trembled, but I couldn't bring myself to hit him.
What was I thinking back then?
'…If only I were Yoo Joonghyuk.'
Yes. Miserably enough, that was exactly what I was thinking. It was the time when I was deeply immersed in reading Ways of Survival.
I saw the name on the bully's name tag.
Song Minwoo.
What was that bastard doing now, I wondered.
I remembered hearing that despite being a thug, he got into a good university and landed a decent job.
That was when I first thought the world was unfair.
I don't even know if he's still alive now.
[Exclusive Skill, 'Fourth Wall,' has been activated.]
The absurd scenery of the dream collapsed, leaving me once again in darkness.
[Exclusive Skill, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint,' Stage 3 has been activated.]
Then, voices began overlapping in my ears.
"Hey, can you hear me? Are you okay?"
"CEO?"
"Dokja-ssi, where are you?"
Familiar voices—people I knew well.
They were being transmitted through the Stage 3 ability of [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint], the 'Third-Person Observer Perspective.'
Even without asking, I knew who they were.
"Ah… why here of all places. Dokja-ssi? Can you hear me?"
A bar lined with various kinds of wine. Jeong Heewon was there, frowning deeply as she sighed.
"A love letter, my ass… If I ever see that old man again… damn it. But seriously, why did I end up at a school?"
Lee Jihye rubbed her swollen cheek, as if she had been punched.
"Why… why… here…"
Lee Hyunsung, trapped inside a nearby military base.
…Judging by their reactions, I could roughly guess what had happened.
Everyone who had been gathered at Gwanghwamun seemed to have been transported to places they had personal ties to.
That's why Lee Jihye, a student, ended up at school, and Lee Hyunsung was forcibly transferred to a nearby army base.
Seen this way, Lee Hyunsung really had it the worst.
This was probably another trick by that intermediate dokkaebi bastard.
It must have scattered incarnations all over the place to create a scenario where they could be picked off one by one—but that was strange.
Even if it wasn't part of the main scenario, pulling something like this so suddenly should have gotten that dokkaebi reprimanded.
Watching the confused people, I muttered to myself,
'I'm fine. Just be careful and stay safe. I'll come find you soon.'
They couldn't hear me, but I hoped the words would somehow reach them.
[Exclusive Skill, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint,' Stage 3 has been deactivated.]
My consciousness slowly returned to my body, and my eyes snapped open.
The sky above Seoul was still filled with storm clouds swirling like a black hole.
I stood up and looked around.
A wide-open view of Seoul—an area where complex high-rise buildings formed an asymmetrical skyline.
Come to think of it, I must have been transported to a place tied to me as well.
At a glance, it looked like the rooftop of a tall building in Seoul…
"This place is…?"
Damn it. I had suspected it, but I didn't think I'd really end up here.
[A small number of constellations are listening intently to your muttering.]
"…Mino Soft."
This was the rooftop of the company I used to work for—Mino Soft.
[A small number of constellations are disappointed.]
[A constellation that enjoys a relaxed pace is satisfied.]
Seeing the indirect messages popping up noisily, it felt like far more constellations were paying attention to me now, ever since I destroyed the throne.
[Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband,' threatens the newly appearing constellations.]
[Constellation, 'Secretive Plotter,' clears his throat and asserts seniority.]
Of all places… why did I have to end up here?
A major boulevard in Seoul where not a single car passed. Darkened office buildings.
Looking at the half-destroyed buildings, my nose stung for no reason.
It was my first day back at work in a full month.
Every time the team leaders chewed me out, Yoon, the assistant manager from my team, and I would come up here to zone out together—it felt like just yesterday. Now it all felt strangely unreal. I had been testing a new game, and when I came to my senses, I was holding a sword and cutting people down.
…Was Assistant Manager Yoon even still alive?
When I turned my head, a blinking message appeared in midair.
[10 days remain until the start of the Fifth Scenario.]
The scenario was unfolding exactly as I had predicted.
By destroying the 'Absolute Throne,' the Seoul Dome had gained a ten-day reprieve.
The Fifth Scenario—[Great Hall].
During this remaining grace period, I had to find a way to clear the Fifth Scenario without the Absolute Throne.
[A 'Sub Scenario' is currently in progress to fill the intermission.]
Category: Sub Difficulty: C+
Clear Conditions: Survive for 10 days in the ruined city. You must eat three meals a day and get at least six hours of sufficient sleep each day. Do not forget to pay a daily survival fee of 500 coins every night before going to sleep. If you fail to meet even one of these conditions, you will receive a clear penalty.
Duration: 10 days Reward: None
Failure: Death
This scenario is subject to a 'Coin Event.'
All monster species appearing in this scenario have a certain probability of dropping coins.
I could roughly tell how things were going.
Since the original scenario had been completely broken, it seemed they had hastily inserted a sub-scenario to patch things up.
On top of that, a coin distribution event was layered over it.
I had expected it to happen eventually, but I didn't think it would start already.
Paying a survival fee of 500 coins per day… without the coin event, this scenario would be impossible to clear.
Anyway, I should start moving.
I couldn't miss such a perfect opportunity to stock up on coins.
That was when I heard voices coming from below the rooftop.
"Drag them in! Hurry!"
When I looked down, armed personnel were restraining several people and forcing them into the building.
This area where Mino Soft was located was near Seocho District.
But as far as I remembered, there was no 'king's' faction controlling Seocho.
…Then who were those guys?
After observing the armed group closely, I realized something.
I see. 'Wanderers.'
Even in a ruined world, people find different ways to survive.
If some become 'kings' and others become 'subjects,'
then there are also those who become unaffiliated 'wanderers.'
And the Seocho District area was territory belonging to such 'wanderers.'
I considered checking regional information and turned on my smartphone, but unfortunately the battery was dead. I'd need to find a place to charge it, or get a portable battery…
I opened the rooftop door and headed downstairs. I passed the CEO's office, the Planning Department, and the Finance Department. When I reached the QA team office where I used to work, my steps slowed for a moment.
You could call it pointless nostalgia.
I went inside and opened the desk drawers one by one.
I thought there might still be something like a power bank left behind.
That was when someone shone a flashlight in my direction.
I reflexively reached for my sword, but the other side made a strange sound first.
"Huh?"
…?
"D- Dokja-ssi? Kim Dokja, right?!"
Only then did I recognize the man's face.
"Assistant Manager Yoon?"
"Ah—so you're alive! You're alive!"
Assistant Manager Yoon from the QA team was there.
"It was really horrific."
I listened as Assistant Manager Yoon told me what had happened at Mino Soft—more precisely, what happened after I had left work.
"The 'First Scenario' started for everyone who was working overtime."
Holding his nose, Yoon spoke.
The company corridors, now abandoned by the security staff, were filled with the stench of rotting corpses and crawling maggots. Among them were faces I recognized, but there was no particular grief or sorrow on Yoon's expression.
"Did you know? With these hands, I killed Team Leader Kim. You know, that bastard who was always riding us. I stabbed his neck with a ballpoint pen and the blood just psshht… it really felt like a game."
"…Assistant Manager Yoon."
"S-sorry. That kind of talk makes you uncomfortable, right? Haha."
It was an expected change, but seeing how much Yoon had changed still left a bitter taste.
No… perhaps this was his true self all along.
"Have you been here alone?"
"Huh? Oh, no, not alone. There are others with me. But where have you been, Dokja-ssi?"
"Ah, I've been…"
"I didn't see you inside the company. Which group are you with? Did you come here after clearing a main scenario?"
"Yes, well. Something like that. I was originally around Gwanghwamun, but something suddenly came up…"
Without even listening to the end, Assistant Manager Yoon nodded.
"Ahh, I see. Dokja-ssi, you really do have bad luck."
"…Pardon?"
"You don't actually have to clear every scenario, you know. Didn't you know that? If you hide well here and there and pull a few tricks, most scenarios will get cleared by someone else anyway. There's no need to risk your life. Haha, try living a little more comfortably. The world's already like this."
He wasn't wrong. If you became an unaffiliated 'wanderer,' then aside from a few mandatory scenarios, you could coast along by piggybacking on main scenarios cleared by others. If you searched the Seoul Dome carefully, you'd find more of those people than you'd expect.
The problem was that if you lived like that and got caught by surrounding groups, you'd be sent straight to the afterlife.
There was no better prey than a lone 'wanderer.'
"There's nothing to worry about, so relax. Wanderers are a legitimate force too. You don't need a 'king' to form a faction, right?"
We stepped outside Mino Soft. It seemed the area surrounding the company was already territory controlled by the wanderers, as crowds had gathered everywhere. Among them were the same thugs who had been dragging people away earlier. One armed man spoke up.
"Mr. Yoon Seong-ho, who is that person?"
"Ah, he's a colleague from my company. We ran into each other by chance."
"Hm… a wanderer? We don't accept members from other groups. You know that, right?"
When Assistant Manager Yoon nodded lightly, the man walked past us.
I turned toward Yoon and asked,
"Who was that just now?"
"The manager of the 'Coin Farm.'"
"A coin farm?"
"Ah… I guess you wouldn't know, Dokja-ssi."
For a moment, a gloomy light flickered across Yoon's face.
Coin farm… come to think of it, something came to mind.
But they'd already started something like that?
"Look over there."
Whether ripped from a zoo or a police station, iron cages were lined up at regular intervals. Inside each, two people were imprisoned. The gathered wanderers shouted excitedly.
"Hey! Are you kidding me? Fight harder! If you drag it out like that, who's gonna give you coins?!"
Inside the cage, two men were tearing into each other with savage blows. Blood sprayed, eyes were torn out, intestines spilled as the men howled like beasts.
[A constellation who enjoys coliseums is pleased.]
Looking more closely, there were many such cages.
It seemed there was some sort of theme—because not all cages were for fighting.
In one cage, a naked woman was trapped with several men. In another, perhaps after it was over, the woman lay alone on the floor, limp. Agonized moans and sobs echoed everywhere.
Outside the cages, wanderers clutched their genitals and laughed crudely.
"Hey, how is it? Feels good?"
"Hurry up and come out—I wanna go next!"
"I'm next, you bastard!"
[A constellation who enjoys voyeurism is extremely excited.]
Assistant Manager Yoon spoke.
"In the game industry, consumers were kings. At Mino Soft, that bastard of a CEO was king. So tell me, Dokja-ssi—who do you think is king in this new world?"
"…You're using the support of the constellations?"
"Exactly. There are some insane constellations who like that sort of thing. The more stimulating the spectacle, the more coins they give. Like donation balloons. We collect coins from them, and in exchange, we toss these guys some barely edible food."
As he spoke, Yoon tossed a chocolate bar into the cage.
The woman lying on the floor crawled over in tears and clutched the chocolate bar.
In any world, there are always those who are quickest to grasp and exploit the system. And that 'coin farm' was an unprecedented exploitation system devised by capitalists who had been the first to understand the capital structure of this world.
"I think I see people from our company too…"
"They were people from our company."
At his cold tone, I understood clearly.
The Mino Soft I knew, and the 'Assistant Manager Yoon' I knew—
They no longer existed in this world.
"Hey! A new slave's come in! Lock them up!"
"Yes, sir!"
With the loud shout, the slaves were dragged toward the holding cells.
Then, among the unconscious people, I saw a familiar face.
Assistant Manager Yoon smiled.
"Oh? Looks like some fresh goods came in. Hey! Leave that one out—strip this one and throw her into a cage!"
A small frame. Snow-white skin.
Slightly upturned eyes, smooth black hair falling to her shoulders.
I rubbed my eyes, but there was no mistake.
The First Apostle—the plagiarist author Han Sooyoung—was there.