I could tell Olympus's response just by looking at Yoo Sang-ah's expression. Her face flushed red, then went pale, and finally turned a deep blue. Only then did I realize that I had spoken too hastily.
"Um… Reader."
Not knowing what kind of expletives she had just heard, Yoo Sang-ah hesitated for a long moment, looking at me. I felt an odd pang of guilt.
"Could you tell me what the backers said?"
Sparks of electricity flickered around Yoo Sang-ah. Ariadne seemed to be going wild. I waited a bit until the situation calmed down. I hadn't expected the aftermath of our previous three-question exchange to be this intense.
Eventually, the sparks settled, and Yoo Sang-ah spoke in a voice mixed with a sigh:
"'The Father of the Wealthy Night' said that he cannot simply bring someone here on his own…"
The Father of the Wealthy Night.
That was the epithet for Hades, one of the three major gods of Olympus.
Though one of the three major gods, he resided in the Underworld and was therefore not counted among the stellar constellations of the "Olympus 12 Gods."
Well, it made sense—Ariadne, a mere high-ranking Celestial, might be too low in status to make contact with Hades.
I expressed my gratitude for now.
"Thank you, Yoo Sang-ah."
"But Reader… perhaps…"
The clever Yoo Sang-ah likely already realized that the Father of the Wealthy Night was Hades. She probably had a rough idea why I was seeking him.
The story of Orpheus traveling to the Underworld to resurrect his wife Eurydice is well-known in Korea too.
"…Is it even possible?"
In principle, resurrecting the dead is impossible.
Thanks to the effect of the "Undying King," I could adjust for plausibility, but in most cases, no such adjustment exists. Shin Yu-seung was no different. If indiscriminate resurrection had been possible, Yoo Jung-hyuk wouldn't have needed to go through reincarnation.
But somehow, if I could at least obtain the soul…
"I can't explain the details right now. I'm sorry."
I didn't want to recite all my future plans while the Celestials were staring. After this incident, there were more Celestials who disliked me.
I had set the pieces in motion; now it was up to the other side to take the bait.
What mattered now was patience.
I looked around at my companions and spoke.
"Shall we organize things a bit?"
As if waiting for the cue, they began to gather around one by one. Lee Gil-young glanced at Shin Yu-seung, Jeong Hee-won supported Lee Hyun-sung, and Lee Ji-hye stood slightly apart with a somewhat sulky expression.
A lower-rank goblin's voice rang from the air.
[I am Yeong-gi, the goblin temporarily in charge of reward distribution.]
The newcomer goblin spoke in a slightly stiff voice.
[From now on, I will be distributing the additional rewards for the Fifth Scenario.]
Apparently, the goblins above had all vanished, leaving him to handle the task.
[You have received the 'Spirit of Ellain Forest.']
Small fruits fell from the air, and everyone caught one.
[The items just given are the most common restorative items in 'Star Stream.' Even if severely injured, consuming these and resting allows rapid recovery. Please eat and rest well.]
A goblin this polite was unusual, and it almost felt awkward. He continued, looking at me and a few others:
[Additional rewards for major contributors will be distributed this evening. Thank you all for your efforts, and do your best in the next scenario as well.]
The voice vanished, and I looked at my companions holding the fruits.
The characters I didn't know had probably died again, and some were likely still dying now. But we had survived. My companions wore expressions that made it unclear whether they should feel grateful or sad.
In moments like this, someone has to take the lead.
I looked at each of them in turn and slowly spoke.
"Everyone, well done."
A moment where nothing is decided remains just that—undecided.
Sad things are sad, and happy things are happy.
At least if you decide on something, that moment gains meaning.
"You all really did well."
As if my words alone could serve as a reward, relief gradually spread across their faces.
They deserved it.
Only then did Lee Ji-hye twitch the corners of her mouth and speak first.
"…But seriously, that was amazing, sir. Just now, you were even slightly cooler than our master. I admit it."
Following that, Lee Hyun-sung and Jeong Hee-won also spoke.
"…That was incredible."
"I felt completely satisfied inside!"
…Were these guys holding back just to say that now?
Watching my companions start chatting and laughing, I smiled wryly.
The biggest crisis of the early scenario had passed, and Seoul was saved.
At least for now, until a few more scenarios unfolded, Seoul would not be under threat.
"Reader, you did well too."
Yoo Sang-ah, who had been silently watching me, smiled brightly.
Perhaps this was a reward given to me.
With a soft thunk, something collided, and Shin Yu-seung rested her forehead against my waist. Lee Gil-young looked slightly displeased but didn't say anything. I gently placed my hand on Shin Yu-seung's head.
…Yes, this too.
By evening, additional distributions for major contributors began.
There were three main contributors eligible for the extra rewards:
Me, Jeong Hee-won, and Yoo Jung-hyuk.
[Additional rewards for the Fifth Scenario are 'B-Rank Skills.']
After enduring all that, receiving just a single B-Rank skill as a reward might seem unbalanced to some, but the balance was actually fair.
Just because a skill has a low alphabet grade doesn't mean it's useless.
More importantly, the reward for this scenario is given as a "free choice."
In other words, I could pick any B-rank skill I wanted.
Even among B-rank skills, some are much harder to acquire than others, and this was my chance to get one of those.
[Would you like to view the list of B-rank skills?]
A list containing tens of thousands of skills.
Since I already had a skill in mind from the start, I avoided decision paralysis.
[Do you want to receive the B-rank skill 'Lie Detection' as a reward?]
I nodded, and a faint glow spread as the system added the skill.
[Exclusive skill, 'Lie Detection,' has been added to your skill list.]
Finally… I got it.
Thinking back on how frustrating it had been to lack [Lie Detection], it was honestly a huge relief.
Looking around, Jeong Heewon was also carefully choosing something.
I asked Lee Ji-hye, who was standing beside me,
"Hey, do you know where Yoo Jung-hyuk went?"
"Oh, earlier he went somewhere with Seolhwa-unnie."
…With Lee Seolhwa?
Ji-hye gave me a look that clearly said, you know what I'm thinking, right?
"…Ugh, it's not what you're imagining."
"…."
"I'm serious. I've been watching them the whole time—they're complete strangers. Absolutely."
I tilted my head. Come to think of it, in the second cycle they were definitely just acquaintances, but I couldn't quite remember if they were a couple in the third cycle. Yoo Jung-hyuk had gone down the asexual route more times than I'd realized.
Then where the hell did he go? To pick up his little sister?
[The sixth scenario begins in three days.]
A system message followed.
Somehow, I had a feeling I knew what Yoo Jung-hyuk had gone off to do.
In the sixth scenario, we would finally meet the avatars from the other domes.
That guy never rests for even a moment, so he was probably off collecting a few hidden skills and items he hadn't obtained in previous cycles.
There were still quite a few hidden scenarios left in the Seoul Dome.
It stung a little that Yoo Jung-hyuk was getting them first, but it was better than some random idiot grabbing the skills.
Besides, if we wanted to clear the remaining scenarios smoothly, he needed to become even stronger than he was now.
"Oh, right. Earlier, Master told me to deliver a message to you."
"To me?"
Ji-hye nodded, then suddenly stiffened, gripping her hilt and speaking with solemn authority.
"Reader Kim, the vow period is over."
My heart sank.
The Oath of Existence.
I'd completely forgotten about it amidst all the chaos.
—Swear you won't hurt me until the fifth scenario ends. If you can't even do that, there's no way I can help you.
—I swear.
Right… I had made that vow.
This bastard… could it be that he hadn't killed me until now because of that vow?
Come to think of it, he also said something strange back then:
—I won't kill you. But I will hit you once.
I couldn't help swallowing nervously.
Could this be related to why he's gone now?
Has he gone to learn a devastating skill that could take me out in a single blow?
"But… what kind of vow did they make?"
"Shut up."
Yeah… no need to freak out prematurely.
Besides, now I also had Shin Yoo-seung's [Beast King's Sensitivity].
And it was level 3, no less.
…Even if I use [Wind Path] as a bookmark, and with strong allies on my side, it's fine.
Ji-hye, who met my gaze, smirked.
"Just so you know, no matter what Master does, I'm not helping, got it?"
"I'm not counting on you."
Instead, I looked at the reliable Lee Hyunsung.
Now that I think about it, it was really moving when, in front of Shin Yoo-seung's question, I said it was my companions, not Yoo Jung-hyuk, who would answer.
Lee Hyunsung gave me a slightly awkward look, then spoke:
"Um… Reader."
"Yes?"
"To be honest, I'm a little scared of Yoo Jung-hyuk."
"…Ah, it's fine. I understand."
Come to think of it, the reason Lee Hyunsung had become this strong was because Yoo Jung-hyuk had relentlessly pushed him.
Damn it.
But it's too early to despair.
I still had Jeong Heewon.
A companion I had personally trained, who hadn't seen the light in the original work.
Jeong Heewon scratched her cheek and said,
"I don't know why, but my patron says not to interfere in the fight between the two of them."
"…Excuse me?"
"Not to interfere with them… what the hell does that mean?"
[Celestial, 'Demonic Punisher of Fire,' smiles with satisfaction.]
A chill ran down my spine.
What the hell is that angel kid thinking?
[Seongjwa, 'Scribe of the Heavens' is watching the 'Judicator of Fire, the Devil' with a stern gaze.]
[Seongjwa, 'Judicator of Fire, the Devil' flinches and changes expression.]
"Dokja, it's you."
Startled, I turned around and saw Yoo Sang-ah looking at me with a calm smile.
"Don't worry. Jung-hyuk doesn't seem like such a bad person either."
"…I hope that's true."
"I'm sure you two can become good friends."
Hearing Yoo Sang-ah's naive words, I let out a quiet sigh.
I didn't know why Han Soo-young's face came to mind at a time like this.
Aside from me, Yoo Jung-hyuk's nature was only known to her.
Well, even if he had been here, he probably wouldn't have protected me…
The scenario was over, but I wondered what he was doing right now.
We finished tidying up the area and collected the remaining items.
Yoo Jung-hyuk did not return even deep into the night.
Instead, Jung Hee-won, who had gone out on a reconnaissance mission, returned with a pleasant surprise.
I asked in astonishment,
"That… is still here?"
What she had brought were six-packs of beer and bottles of soju. She smiled and said,
"In times like this, we should have a drink. To commemorate."
We lit a campfire and gathered around it. I quickly tapped the back of Lee Ji-hye's hand as she reached for the beer.
"You're underage."
"…There are no laws anymore, so what's with the underage talk?"
"You can drink soda with the kids."
Amid the bickering, the drinks quickly made the rounds. Jung Hee-won, cheeks flushed, began acting tipsy, while Lee Hyun-sung drank a couple of beers and then snored like a bear. They were weaker drinkers than they seemed.
"Feeling gooood…"
Even Lee Ji-hye, whose face had turned red from secretly drinking a few cups, flopped backward. Surprisingly, Yoo Sang-ah, who seemed like a heavy drinker, had already downed her fourth soju bottle without showing a trace of intoxication.
"I'm a three-bottle drinker."
Thinking back, I had never seen Yoo Sang-ah drunk even at company gatherings.
"…It's risky to get drunk carelessly."
Her words carried a faint sadness. At the company, there were only people trying to get her drunk for their own schemes. Perhaps this was the first time she could drink freely without worry.
"But today should be fine, right?"
Maybe it was because her face seemed paler than usual, but I felt awkward and avoided her eyes.
A quiet moon hung in the sky, and for once, we couldn't hear the monsters' cries. Other groups around us were making noise with their drinking parties.
I wondered how anyone could drink in a situation like this—but maybe it was exactly because of a situation like this that they had no choice but to drink.
Everyone lived in a world where they couldn't endure without drinking.
At that moment, a small spark flickered over my cup.
Pats-ch, pats-ch.
Startled, Yoo Sang-ah looked at me.
I nodded.
I thought again that it had been wise not to drink.
The spilled drink scattered across the ground and, as if playing a prank, wrote a message.
[Seongjwa, 'God of Alcohol and Ecstasy' wishes to speak with you.]
Finally, Olympus had taken the bait.
< Episode 22. Three Promises (3) > End