< Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (1) >
Before long, the plains were strewn with the bloody traces of battle.
No—this could no longer be called a battle.
From the waists of the little people torn apart in two, their entrails spilled out. Each time the Japanese stepped forward, the little people's bodies burst beneath their feet like overboiled noodles.
"Uaaahhh...!"
P-Please, save me! Please!"
Even in such small screams, the weight of life hung just as heavy.
They were small in size, but until the scenario descended upon them, they had been humans who lived ordinary lives—just like the people of Earth.
People who ate meals, worked, and shared mundane days with their families...
Over the fallen bodies of the little people, familiar scenes from Earth overlapped.
The Japanese shouted.
"Hahaha! So this is what it feels like!"
Perhaps Xunzi should have been born in this era.
In this age, evidence of the theory of innate human evil lay scattered everywhere.
A world where someone who had been a victim of slaughter only moments ago could instantly turn into a perpetrator, as long as power and a reward system were provided.
Maybe even more so because they themselves had once suffered it.
Shin Yooseung clenched her teeth and asked,
"...How can they do something like that?"
It wasn't a question asked out of genuine curiosity.
Because we already knew the answer.
I silently placed a hand on Shin Yoosoung's shoulder.
Her shoulder trembled as if she were bearing a crushing load.
"That's just too cruel...!"
Gaining coins, obtaining new items, acquiring skills, and growing stronger.
No one in this world was ignorant of the fact that this was the only way to survive even a little longer.
And so, every survivor understood other survivors.
And because of that, some survivors had to live while feeling ashamed of the fact that they understood.
"D-Disaster... oh Disaster..."
Crawl. Crawl.
A little person whose lower body had been torn apart dragged itself toward our feet.
"P-Please... mercy..."
Power that transcended common sense inspired fear—and at the same time, reverence.
To the residents of Peaceland, Earthlings were both disasters and gods.
I bent down and extended a finger toward the approaching little person.
Reaching for that finger, the little person stretched out its hand. Amid the ragged sound of mingled breaths, its tiny touch met the tip of my finger.
As it exhaled its final breath, the little person's face was dyed with a strange rapture—as if it had touched a god, as if that alone had granted it salvation.
[Carry out the duty of a Disaster.]
And we were placed in a position where we had to kill such little people.
Right beside me, I felt the presence of Shin Yoosoung's mana flaring fiercely.
I worried she might rush straight at the Japanese, but unexpectedly, her killing intent was directed in a far more rational direction.
"This too... is a scenario made by those bastards, right?"
A mid-level goblin.
Unlike the other lower goblins, one with refined features floated leisurely in the air, arms crossed.
It wasn't that Baal fellow who had been dragged off to the Bureau.
That guy was probably melting away in the Scorching Hell by now.
I recalled the text of Ways of Survival that I had read beforehand.
"The mid-level goblin overseeing the 'Abandoned World' scenario.His name is 'Ganol.'"
The mid-level goblin Ganol spoke.
[Indeed, the third wave participants from the 'Japan Dome' are fiery right from the start. I sincerely hope you earn plenty of coins here in 'Peaceland' before returning.]
Already the third wave...
Just as expected, the scenario pace of those from the Japan Dome was extremely steep.
"Haha, this is amazing! No wonder the first and second waves scrambled their way here!"
"Did you see the coins coming in just now? This is basically a free scenario!"
[Many constellations grow excited.]
[Some constellations wish to see ten little people crushed to death at once.]
The blank look on Shin Yooseung's face quickly filled with fury.
"Because of those bastards...!"
But it was anger with nowhere to go.
The constellations stood at the pinnacle of the
Shin Yooseung, merely an "incarnation" within a scenario, had no right to challenge such beings.
And so, the only thing we could do now was find a sacrifice right in front of us to pour this rage onto.
"Hahaha, ten at once! I'll do it first!"
In the eyes of the Japanese as they swung their katanas in ecstasy, there was no trace of reason left.
To them, the little people probably looked like living coins.
"Mister, over there...!"
At that moment, a small figure clad in heavy armor stepped out from among the little people.
It looked like a commander of their ranks.
"Glory to the Sword-Savior!"
The little commander raised a longsword with all his might and bravely charged toward the Disaster.
Annoyed, one of the Japanese casually swung his katana.
Whoosh!
But astonishingly, the little person dodged the strike with nimble movement.
The startled Japanese shouted,
"W-What the hell?!"
The little person even ran along the flat of the katana's blade and succeeded—for the first time—in plunging his sword into the back of the Japanese's hand.
It was truly impressive combat prowess.
Startled, the Japanese shook his arm and flung the little person away.
"Damn it! That stings!"
The thrown little person screamed as he tumbled across the plain.
Another Japanese laughed in interest.
"...Looks like there were some brave ones, huh?"
The damage was practically negligible, but the little person's face carried a faint smile—having landed what was, for him, a decisive blow.
Like a pinprick, a small cut formed on the back of the Japanese's hand.
"L-Look at that! The Disaster is bleeding!"
"Waaaah!"
A single drop of blood.
To the little people, that drop was a miracle.
Even a Disaster can be killed.
A god is a being that bleeds.
That single drop taught them this truth.
"We can do it! Attack! Just a little more!"
The little people, their morale surging, stopped fleeing and instead began charging toward the Disasters.
"What's wrong with these guys all of a sudden?!"
"Get away! You damn gnats!"
The tightly packed little people swung swords no bigger than toothpicks at the Japanese.
Arrows that were completely ineffective filled the air,and the cavalry, refusing to give up, maintained their formation and drove lances toward the Japanese's feet.
Still, there was no real damage—but the little people did not give up.
Shin Yooseung watched the scene as well, her fists clenched tight.
Somewhere, an indirect message rang out.
[A constellation of a small planet cheers for the incarnation 'Gillemium'.]
Even this tiny planet had a constellation of its own.
A constellation born on a small planet, nurtured by the faith of small humans.
[A constellation of a small planet sponsors 10 coins to the incarnation 'Gillemium'.]
"Gillemium" was probably the name of the little person who had been the first to wound a Japanese player.
"Sword—Saviorrrr!"
As if they were only a step away from victory, the entire little folk race was swept up in excitement.
That was—until they heard the goblin's voice.
[How amusing. As expected, resistance makes a story far more interesting, doesn't it?]
As though mocking the little people's defiance, the goblin Ganol laughed.
It was a laugh that felt eerily familiar.
[The greater the despair, the denser the story becomes.]
A jet-black aura began leaking from the bodies of the Japanese who had been under attack.
Sensing that something was terribly wrong, the little people suddenly halted their assault and hastily reformed their ranks.
[From this moment, part of the 'Disaster' penalty will be lifted.Those who have chosen the 'Path of Disaster' may now use additional buffs. Please be sure to check your trait windows.]
The Japanese glanced down at their own bodies and snickered.
"What, really? You didn't have to go this far."
"Games that are too easy are a problem too… This kind of thing just kills the fun."
[It's fine if it's easy this time. Think of it as a stress-relief game.]
"Well, if you put it that way..."
Chuckling, the Japanese player regripped his katana without hesitation.
Gooooooo!
A powerful surge of mana settled into their blades.
Judging by the form of their stigma, both Japanese players seemed to possess Samurai-type sponsoring constellations.
They didn't seem to be particularly famous ones, though...
[Restrictions on the narrative plausibility of Disasters have been partially lifted.]
[For a limited time, Disasters' synchronization limits with their sponsoring constellations will increase.]
[The Management Bureau of the
Kwaaaaaang!
The ground of the plain shattered, and nearly a hundred little people split apart at once, blood fountains erupting from their bodies.
It might not qualify as "catastrophic," but it was undeniably devastating power.
If it looked like that to me, then to the little people...
...No—there were hardly any little people left to be shocked.
Before the overwhelming calamity, some of them lost control of their bowels, while others fainted outright. Those who had been screaming madly now stared blankly at the disaster, as if they had even forgotten how to scream.
"A… ahh. Ahhh..."
The little people dropped their weapons and began to sink to their knees, one by one.
Even the little warrior who had first wounded the Japanese let his longsword fall to the ground.
The fire of courage that had filled their eyes just moments ago was now completely extinguished.
"We can't win."
"Our planet is… now..."
The shape of that despair was so painfully familiar that merely reading it felt agonizing.
[A constellation of a small planet has discovered you.]
Then, more messages followed.
[A constellation of a small planet looks at you with pitiful eyes.][A constellation of a small planet hopes for your compassion toward the small planet.][A constellation of a small planet places its hope in you.][A constellation of a small planet sponsors you with 10 coins.]
I frowned and looked up at the empty air.
[You have returned the sponsored 10 coins.]
More messages immediately followed.
[A constellation of a small planet is flustered.][A constellation of a small planet blushes in shame.]
It seemed to have misunderstood.
It probably thought I wasn't moving because ten coins was too trivial an amount.
But that was wrong.
In a very quiet voice, I spoke toward the sky.
"If you really care about your planet, don't do something like that."
[A constellation of a small planet is flustered.]
"If you don't want your planet to be sold off as a paid spectacle."
[A constellation of a small planet falls into sorrowful silence.]
In the distance, the Japanese player's second strike was already blooming.
If that attack landed, the remaining little people would be completely annihilated.
Shin Yooseung shouted,
"Mister, I can't take this anymore!"
The black aura surrounding the two samurai was gradually fading.
The [Plausibility Buff] was slowly wearing off.
It was about time.
I spoke to Shin Yooseung.
"There is a way to clear this scenario without becoming a Disaster."
"...Mister?"
"But it'll be really hard. And horrible."
Shin Yooseung's eyes wavered.
"You might end up wanting to give up. Even so… can you do it?"
Truthfully, this had been my plan from the start.
I had only waited to improve our odds.
No matter how pitiful the residents of this planet were, in the end, they were still a different species.
And right now, the most important things were Shin Yooseung's life and my own.
[Restrictions on the narrative plausibility of the Disaster return to their original state.]
The strength of the two samurai, once wrapped in black aura, was returning to normal.
Shin Yooseung nodded.
"I can do it."
At that signal, I dashed forward.
[The
Shin Yooseung would probably come to regret that decision.
This scenario would teach her, in painful clarity, what happens to those who abandon "comfort" in an easy scenario.
But sometimes, you have to give up comfort to protect your beliefs.
[Activating 'Blade of Conviction'!]
Light exploded, and a thunderous roar shook the plain.
< Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (1) > End