〈Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (3)〉
"As he walked through the forest zone, Suzuki kept thinking.
'That was really lucky.'
Suzuki shuddered as he recalled what had happened moments ago. The girl who controlled monsters and wielded dagger techniques at an advanced level. The sight of his companion, Murakami, having his life snuffed out in a single strike—Suzuki doubted he would be able to forget it anytime soon.
'Korea is terrifying. To think even a child is already at that level.'
If a mere child had been like that, Suzuki couldn't even begin to guess how skilled the man walking beside him now might be. A man in a pure white coat, wearing a white sword at his waist. Aside from the color of his coat, there was nothing particularly remarkable about his attire, but regardless, he was Suzuki's lifesaver.
"Thank you again for earlier. If it weren't for you, I would have died right there."
"It was nothing."
"Honestly, I was moved. I never expected to receive help from a Korean."
"We're all just helping each other survive."
The man in the white coat was modest.
More than anything, Suzuki liked the fact that he spoke Japanese well.
It was surely thanks to a skill, but the fact that he possessed a Japanese translation skill itself was proof that he normally liked Japanese culture.
"Ah, we still haven't introduced ourselves. May I ask your name? I'm Suzuki Tatsuya."
"I'm Dokja. Kim Dokja."
"Kimu… Dogeza?"
"...Kim Dokja."
"Hoh."
Kim Dogeza.
Wasn't that an extremely polite-sounding name?
Suzuki found himself liking this Korean's name.
"By the way, did you happen to see that child? The one who killed my companion…"
"Unfortunately, I lost sight of her."
"I see...."
There was no way to tell whether that was the truth.
Even if it wasn't, Suzuki thought it couldn't be helped.
After all, this man was also Korean.
It wouldn't have been strange if he had hidden the child, or pretended not to have seen her.
Still, disappointment was disappointment.
If only he could catch her, he could avenge Murakami very easily.
As a third-wave entrant on the Japanese side, he already knew about the hidden piece of the 'Sixth Scenario'—'Miniaturization.'
"Since you saved me, Mr. Kim must have witnessed 'miniaturization' as well."
"If you mean people getting smaller, then yes, I saw it."
"Then this will be quick. We may be from different countries, but in this scenario, there's no need for us to oppose each other. Our enemy is the 'Small Folk,' not fellow humans."
"I know. That's why I saved you, Mr. Suzuki."
Fortunately, the Korean man before him seemed to agree with his view.
Kim Dogeza spoke again.
"Still, it seems the Japanese side already knew quite a bit."
"Yes. Our scenario progression was fast, and there were a few similar cases among the earlier entrants."
"Similar cases?"
"There were several Earthlings who transformed into Small Folk."
"What happened to them?"
"Most of them died. One is still alive."
At that, Kim Dogeza looked thoughtful.
A Korean whose thoughts were impossible to read.
Feeling a bit uneasy, Suzuki spoke up.
"I should tell you in advance—I don't dislike Korea."
"...Why do you say that?"
"Don't Koreans think that all Japanese people hate Korea?"
That was something said by the Japanese first-wave entrant known as 'the Prime Minister.'
Of course, he wasn't a real prime minister—just a nickname.
—Koreans still have a strong sense of nationalism. If someone insults their country, they think they themselves are being insulted.
Suzuki didn't like the Prime Minister, but he had never lost anything by listening to his advice.
"Mr. Kim. I like Kim Ayeon and Park Seongji as well."
"...."
"I also really enjoyed Autumn Sonata. My mother likes it too."
When you meet a Korean, mention Kim Ayeon, Park Seongji, and Autumn Sonata.
That was the Prime Minister's advice.
"I like Japanese manga too."
"O-oh! I knew it."
It seemed the Prime Minister had been right after all.
Getting unnecessarily excited, Suzuki asked,
"Which manga do you like?"
"It's hard to pick just one. To begin with, I'm not sure I'll even be able to keep reading them anymore."
"...That is a shame. I used to have a manga I looked forward to every week, but now I don't even know whether that mangaka is still alive."
Thinking about such things made one feel bitter.
Suzuki had things he liked too.
Manga was one of them.
"Everything has changed.""
—Mister.
What broke my immersion was Shin Yoosung's voice.
I had been using the second stage of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint at full capacity, so I couldn't respond to her immediately.
[Exclusive skill, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' Stage 2 has ended.]
[Understanding of the character 'Suzuki Tatsuya' has increased rapidly.]
Practicing immersion into a character like this made it easy to raise understanding. It probably helped that he was a minor character with little depth.
Because I was fully conscious, my level of focus hadn't been that high, but even so, it wasn't difficult to read what Suzuki was thinking.
—Mister?
—Sorry. I was practicing a skill.
The now-miniature Shin Yoosung was inside my pocket. Through the direct channel formed by our sponsorship contract, she spoke.
—...I was a little surprised."
〈Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (3)〉
I didn't need to ask what she was surprised by—I already knew.
I glanced at Suzuki Tatsuya, who was still chattering away beside me.
In Ways of Survival, Suzuki appears as nothing more than a passing extra. For the sake of smooth storytelling, the world is briefly narrated from his perspective, but even in that long novel, those few pages are all the space he is ever given.
Yet most ordinary lives can sometimes be summarized well enough in just those few pages.
—I don't really understand. How can someone so ordinary do something so cruel…
Even though she wouldn't have fully understood the foreign language, Shin Yoosung had somehow grasped the gist of the conversation.
Well, listening to someone ramble on that excitedly, it would've been hard not to.
"So anyway, Mr. Kim—"
Suzuki's, enthusiastically rattling off everything he knew, was exactly that of an ordinary college student. A completely average young man you could find anywhere in the world—someone who took great joy in simply having someone to talk to.
—We saw it all the time back in Korea too. Ordinary people killing those right next to them just to survive.
—But back then, it couldn't be helped because of the scenario.
—It's the same now. He's doing this because of the scenario too.
—That's just an excuse. Even if he fails this time, he won't die…!
—Then how about thinking of it this way?
I asked her quietly.
—If the Small Folk who died earlier were in our position, would the situation really be any different?
I had no intention of calling Suzuki evil.
But I also had no intention of calling the Small Folk good.
—Evil is originally something ordinary. A person who seems ordinary to us can be the most terrifying disaster to someone else.
—Then… does that mean he's not actually a bad person?
—No. Humans are disasters to one another.
I said it deliberately, exaggerating a little. If I didn't put it that way, Shin Yoosung would never escape the guilt of having killed someone.
—Is that why I become a disaster in the future?
—Don't worry. I'll make sure that doesn't happen.
Something buzzed near my ear, and I noticed small insects flying around nearby.
Suzuki, who had been talking nonstop, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Even here, the bugs are the same size. From the Small Folk's perspective, that must be a disaster."
"I suppose so."
That couldn't be true.
In a world where everything was small, there was no way only the insects would remain their original size.
—Yoosung. Can you understand what they're saying?
Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung could tame different kinds of creatures, but they were similar in that both could read the languages of other species through Multi-Species Communication. There had been a reason I hadn't put the two of them on the same team.
—It sounds like… "Hyung… we met Team 2…"
—Good. Then you can pass on what I say too, right?
I felt a small nod from inside my coat. The insects that had been hovering nearby soon fluttered their wings and disappeared beyond the forest.
As I watched them go, Suzuki asked me,
"Mr. Kim. Are you listening to what I'm saying?"
"I am. You were talking about 'isekai reincarnation stories,' weren't you?"
Even in a situation like this, he was still talking about manga. I couldn't help but think how persistent he was.
Still, I played along.
"I've heard that genre became popular in Japan."
"Haha, yes. It's actually my favorite genre. Come to think of it, our situation now is pretty similar, isn't it? Aside from how difficult it is."
Now that I thought about it, Japan on the brink of destruction had been similar to Korea in terms of content trends.
While everyone in Korea had been busy regressing to the past, Japan had been busy reincarnating into other worlds. If one had to say which was worse, it was probably Japan. That meant Japanese youths believed there was no hope even if they went back to the past.
I said,
"But isn't it more fun when it's difficult?"
"Pardon?"
"That's just my preference."
"That's an interesting thing to say."
As Suzuki cut away at the low shrubs, he suddenly spoke as if something had just occurred to him.
"Come to think of it, there's a mangaka among our first-wave entrants. A man named Asuka Ren…"
Asuka Ren?
"…He said something similar to you, Mr. Kim. That stories which resolve too easily aren't interesting."
"And where is he now…?"
"Oh. We've arrived."
As we entered the center of the forest zone, a small clearing came into view.
The sharp intent in the air prickled against my skin.
This was likely the main base established by the Japanese early entrants.
But something felt off.
[You have entered someone's 'Colony'.]
[Your physical attributes meet the requirements of a 'Colonized Individual'.]
[Due to the 'Colony' effect, your overall stats have been drastically reduced.]
The look on Suzuki's face as he stared at me subtly changed.
"You said you prefer things to be difficult, didn't you?"
The bushes throughout the forest rustled, and more than a dozen armed Japanese players sprang out.
"Perfect. We were just about to make it that way for you."
I was a little surprised by the unexpected betrayal.
Suzuki wasn't supposed to be this kind of character.
[Exclusive Skill, 'Character List' has been activated!]
Name: Suzuki TatsuyaExclusive Trait: Dual Personality (Rare)Backing Constellation: Silent Sword
So that's it. This bastard's trait was that.
Guess I still have a long way to go.
Anyway, Ways of Survival is a novel that never ends, no matter how many times you read it.
There's no such thing as a character that can be summarized in just a few pages.
That aside, judging by the activation of the [Colony] effect, it seemed the ruler of this area wasn't a 'Snake' after all.
Looks like he deliberately herded me here after learning I was Korean…
"You brought a Joseon bastard with you."
A samurai stepped forward from the bushes, and Suzuki lowered his head.
"Looks like a third-wave entrant. From the Prime Minister's group?"
"No, not quite…"
"Then is he a tribute?"
"Yes."
"What's his name?"
"Suzuki Tatsuya."
"I see. Well done, Suzuki. From now on, you're part of our group."
Prime Minister…
This was bad.
Among the Japanese entrants I knew, there was only one man called the 'Prime Minister.' And aside from the 'Snake' I had to hunt, he was one of the enemies I needed to be most wary of.
Because his ability exerted nearly absolute influence over Koreans.
The samurai stepped forward and spoke.
At least this guy wasn't the Prime Minister.
"A slave of the Greater Japanese Empire walks into the colony on his own feet."
I took out [Unbreakable Faith] and asked,
"If you attack me now, won't 'Miniaturization' progress?"
"We're not attacking you. You have to attack us."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because otherwise, your companions will die."
What?
"Ugh, Dokja-ssi… I'm sorry."
I turned toward the voice.
Four people were lined up, captured. Or rather, people who had already become small folk.
Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung, Lee Jihye—and…
Grandma from Room 406, chuckling softly.
The samurai placed his katana against Lee Hyunsung's neck.
"You understand the situation now, don't you?"
For some reason, I felt like laughing.
Normally, this would've been an infuriating development—but instead, I was pleased.
As expected, our companions had already cleanly dealt with the Japanese and ended up miniaturized.
Shin Yoosung spoke.
—Mister, what do we do?
What else?
[Hunt the 'Small Folk Species' within 10 minutes. Otherwise,
At this point, it was impossible to catch the Snake in time.
Then…
Well, no helping it.
"Come at me, Joseon bastard."
I sighed and looked up at the sky.
The stars in the firmament sparkled as if they had been waiting for me.
[All Constellations of the Korean Peninsula are watching you.]
Can't be helped. If you're going to express your anti-Korean sentiment so openly…
[All Constellations of the Korean Peninsula are enraged by Japan's atrocities!]
[Some Constellations who lived through a specific era are awaiting your call.]
Then the only option left—
is to deliver an appropriate punishment.