[
We hadn't even started fighting yet, but the frame of my body was already beginning to subtly shrink.
If I kept receiving penalties one after another like this, I'd end up just like the others in no time.
I deliberately walked toward them at a slow pace and asked,
"Why are you so hostile toward Koreans?"
Even in the original story, there is a development where Koreans and Japanese clash—but it doesn't devolve into outright violence this early on.
Besides, because I destroyed the [Absolute Throne], Korea's entry into the scenario had been delayed even further.
There was no way things should be escalating this fast…
"Are you asking because you truly don't know? You were the ones who antagonized us first."
"…You talking about public sentiment? I don't particularly harbor anti-Japanese feelings."
"You Joseon bastards killed Japanese people first."
I turned toward Lee Hyunsung.
"Is that true?"
"No! It's true that we fought to protect the Small Folk, but… we didn't kill any Japanese."
"He says it's not."
At that, the samurai ground his teeth.
"I'm not talking about those guys. If you're planning to feign ignorance, don't bother."
We were the first wave of entrants—and it's not about us?
…Wait a second.
I think I know where their anti-Korean sentiment is coming from.
"Enough talk—just come at me alrea—!"
Fine.
[Exclusive Skill, 'Bookmark' has been activated!]
[Bookmark No. 4 has been activated.]
[「Path of the Wind Lv. 8」 has been activated.]
A burst of wind exploded forth, carving a path straight ahead of me.
The Japanese were blown back by the pressure, screaming as they tumbled away. I seized the brief opening to rescue my companions.
"Everyone, grab onto me."
As if they'd been waiting, Lee Hyunsung and Lee Jihye clung to my shoulders, while Lee Gilyoung quickly slipped into the inner pocket where Shin Yoosung was.
"That's my spot!"
"Then use a different pocket!"
While the kids bickered, I lifted Grandma from Room 406 with both arms.
"Here we go."
I started running along the forest path.
There was no need to deal with all the Japanese here.
If I accidentally killed even one small fry, my plan would fall apart.
[Hostile action against entities of the same disaster has been detected.]
[A First Scenario penalty has been applied.]
[Body volume has decreased.]
[Overall stats have decreased.]
Perhaps because of the scale of my combat power, the penalties began after only minimal hostility.
My body shrank slightly.
I felt like I'd lost about five centimeters in height.
Thankfully, as my surface area decreased, my coat shrank along with me.
As expected of an SSS-grade coat—it seemed to automatically adjust to the wearer's size.
I kind of wonder how small it'll let me get.
"Chase him!"
The Japanese scrambling after me were closing in.
[Some Constellations wish to repay the history of humiliation and reclaim their national spirit.]
[You have received sponsorship of 2,000 coins.]
Messages from the Constellations of the Korean Peninsula clamored noisily in my ears.
Well, their anger wasn't exactly strange.
At a glance, there were several Constellations among them who had plenty of reason to be furious.
I looked at Lee Jihye, who was dangling from my shoulder, and asked,
"Your backing constellation is Admiral Yi—how did you get taken out already?"
"…There wasn't even a sea nearby."
Fair enough. Until she obtains the Twin Dragon Swords, Admiral Yi is useless without water.
Lee Hyunsung probably got penalized while dragging things out to protect the Small Folk, and Lee Gilyoung was—
—busy chatting with Shin Yoosung.
"You have to cherish bugs. You shouldn't just kill them carelessly."
"…The Small Folk aren't bugs."
"Anything small is a bug."
Yeah. I get it now.
Sometimes I worry Lee Gilyoung might grow up to be a psychopath.
"He's heading toward the Prime Minister's position!"
"Contact the Prime Minister immediately!"
Between the penalties and the Colony effect stacking together, the Japanese were gradually gaining on us even while [Path of the Wind] was active.
I spoke to Lee Hyunsung and the others.
"Before hunting the Snake, there's someone we need to deal with first."
"You mean the 'Prime Minister'?"
"He leads one of Japan's four major factions. If we take him out, the disasters will hesitate for a while."
Once miniaturization progresses, the gap between us and the disasters becomes unimaginably large.
Enemies we could toy with right now would later become foes we couldn't handle even if all of us charged together.
Grandma from Room 406, sitting demurely in my arms, asked,
"Young man, am I heavy?"
"You are."
You, in particular, are heavier than the rest.
Probably because your actual mass hasn't changed.
"You know this is our only chance, right?"
She chuckled softly.
"Yes, yes."
The linchpin of this entire operation was Grandma from Room 406.
Missing the Snake might actually be a blessing in disguise, since the 'Prime Minister' was here.
The Prime Minister was powerful—but as long as this grandmother was with us, he could definitely be taken down.
That was when a man appeared from between the bushes ahead.
"My backing constellation is making quite a racket… What's all this commotion?"
An elderly man with the look of a yakuza boss, wearing an armband adorned with golden tassels.
There was no need to ask.
This was the man I'd been looking for.
The 'Prime Minister'—Yamamoto.
"…Joseon bastard?"
The Prime Minister had a metal birdcage strapped to one arm.
Inside it was a single female Small Folk.
Lee Jihye, furious, shouted,
"That bastard—!"
The woman inside that birdcage was probably Japan's first-wave entrant—Asuka Ren.
The first person in Japan to refuse becoming a 'Disaster.'
Just as not all Koreans are good people, not all Japanese are the same either. Good and evil are ultimately determined by circumstance—often nothing more than coincidence.
The Prime Minister asked,
"Speak. Who are you?"
[Exclusive Skill, 'Character List' has been activated!]
Name: Yamamoto HajimeAge: 64
Backing Constellation: Invader of the Late Joseon Period
Exclusive Traits:
Colonialist (Hero)
Lust Demon (Hero)
Anti-Korean Ideologue (Rare)
Exclusive Skills:[Close-Quarters Combat Lv.7],[Advanced Weapon Mastery Lv.4],[Japanese Swordsmanship Lv.8],[Mental Focus Lv.3],[Crowd Command Lv.4]…
Stigmas:[Colonization Lv.7],[Battle Cry Lv.5]
Overall Stats:[Vitality Lv.60 (+10)],[Strength Lv.60 (+10)],[Agility Lv.60 (+10)],[Magic Power Lv.60 (+10)]
Overall Evaluation:Yamamoto Hajime, leader of one of Japan's four major factions. Uses 'Colonization,' which exerts overwhelming influence on specific ethnic groups. If you are Korean or Chinese, it is recommended that you avoid confronting this individual.
"Do you even know where you're standing, slave of the colony?"
As expected—just as Korea once had the Three Kingdoms' kings, Japan has figures like this as well.
No matter the country, there are always people who've lost all sense of the times.
[Due to a scenario buff, the incarnation 'Yamamoto Hajime''s synchronization rate increases.]
Invader of the Late Joseon Period.
Yamamoto Hajime's backing constellation was Ito Hirobumi, Japan's first Prime Minister.
[The effects of 'Colonization' greatly restrict your movement.]
[The effects of 'Colonization' weaken your mental strength.]
Yamamoto's stigma, [Colonization], imposed a powerful debuff on ethnic groups that had historically experienced Japanese rule.
The mental debuff wasn't a problem thanks to [The Fourth Wall], but the restriction on movement was severe.
Struggling against the invisible shackles, I said,
"Don't act so high and mighty just because you're barely at the Great Figure rank."
"Insignificant—!"
The Invader of the Late Joseon Period was probably hoping to cash in big on this scenario and build his legend.
But things wouldn't go the way he wanted.
[A Constellation that has long yearned for national independence gazes upon you.]
[A Great Independence Activist promises to kill him if you grant her just three bullets.]
I charged straight toward Yamamoto.
After putting away [Unbreakable Faith], I drew [Gampyeongui].
"Kill him!"
Clever as he was, Yamamoto shoved his subordinates forward as living shields.
It was a move only possible because he knew I would immediately begin shrinking if I killed even a single one of them.
Killing Yamamoto himself wasn't the problem.
The real issue was that the consequences wouldn't end with mere miniaturization.
If I killed someone, I would lose the effect of the 'King of Non-Killing.'
And yes—this scenario was one where I would eventually abandon the King of Non-Killing.
But not now.
I wasn't about to trade away an extra life just to kill someone at the Prime Minister level.
Which meant—
I wasn't the one who would fight here.
[Activating the special option of 'Gampyeongui': 'Echo of the Stars'.]
[Through 'Echo of the Stars,' you may request aid from a Great Figure–grade Constellation.]
[The Constellation may refuse. If they accept, the usage count of Gampyeongui will decrease.]
As the earthly plate turned, the constellations of the heavens burst into brilliant flame.
[Within the flow of the stars, Great Figure–grade Constellations hear your voice.]
Without hesitation, I called out to a single Constellation.
"I seek the 'National Independence Activist.'"
On the Korean Peninsula—scarred by a long history of invasion—there were countless people worthy of the title 'Independence Activist.'
But among them all, only one bore the epithet 'National Independence Activist.'
Because every other Constellation of the peninsula had willingly relinquished that title—for her sake.
[Constellation, 'National Independence Activist,' responds to your call.]
A quiet, crystalline presence seeped into my mind.
Then her image appeared.
A young girl in pure white mourning clothes, her dark skirt fluttering like scattered ink.
A figure far too young to have ascended to the rank of a Constellation.
As I was about to speak, she gently shook her head—
as if to say no words of gratitude were necessary.
I nodded in return.
If Japan had Ito—
then Korea had this Constellation.
"What is that? Who the hell is that guy's backing constellation?!"
The Japanese shouted in panic.
But seeing no immediate change in my appearance, they quickly regained their composure and began to surround me once more.
[Stigma, 'Declaration of Independence Lv.1,' expels the energy of 'Colonization.']
They didn't realize it.
My attack—
had already begun.
[Stigma, 'Zone of Nonviolence Lv.1,' seals the movements of you and a specific ethnic group.]
Suddenly, every Japanese person within several dozen meters froze stiff in place.
"My body—suddenly…?"
If [Colonization] was a stigma that only worked on Koreans, then [Zone of Nonviolence] was a stigma that only worked on Japanese.
As long as this stigma was active, everyone nearby—myself and the Japanese—would be frozen in place, unable to take even a single step.
At the very least, for the next one minute.
"Move! Move, damn it!"
Amid the panicking Japanese, only Yamamoto smiled, as though genuinely amused.
He too was tightly bound by my stigma.
"That constellation's power… how interesting. My backing constellation is going completely berserk."
"..."
"But you can't move either. So how exactly do you plan to kill me?"
I grinned.
"I'm not the one who's going to kill you."
Of course.
The person who would kill Yamamoto had been decided from the very beginning.
"Grandma. Now."
At my words, Prisoner Number 406—the old woman sitting on my left hand—moved.
Then, as if by magic, her body began to grow rapidly.
"W-What the hell is that?!"
In truth, the old woman had never been affected by 'Miniaturization' to begin with.
Because she had entered this scenario already as a 'Small One.'
It was thanks to the Taoist arts cast upon her by Jeon Woochi, a subordinate of my mother.
"Don't panic! She's just an old woman!"
As the restraints gradually weakened, the Japanese staggered forward to block her path.
But the old woman merely chuckled softly and continued advancing.
[Character 'Lee Bok-soon' activates the skill 'Respect Your Elders Lv.7'!]
[All incarnations younger than 'Lee Bok-soon' feel instinctive respect toward her.]
"Damn it, what the hell is this…?!"
As if giving up a seat on a subway, the Japanese hesitated and stepped back.
Of course, it wasn't voluntary.
"Heheh, thank you, youngsters. Though really, there's no need to give way."
[Character 'Lee Bok-soon' activates the skill 'Elder Powerhouse Lv.6'!]
"This old lady is… quite strong, you see."
The Japanese struck by her arms were sent flying with screams.
Her limbs swelled grotesquely, muscles bulging to the brink of rupture.
In no time, her frail figure had transformed into a hulking mass of muscle.
Hyunseong stared at her in stunned silence, mouth agape.
"B-Block her! Stop her!"
Only then did Prime Minister Yamamoto realize something was terribly wrong and shout.
I spoke calmly.
"Grandma. Finish it quickly."
Lee Bok-soon nodded.
Even in an advantageous situation, killing even a single person would still trigger miniaturization.
Which meant the important thing was who we killed before that happened.
The aura of her backing constellation descended upon Lee Bok-soon's entire body.
[Constellation 'National Independence Activist' and Constellation 'Sniper of Harbin' activate an Ensemble Effect!]
[The bullets of 'Sniper of Harbin' gain a 100% hit rate.]
[The attack power of 'Sniper of Harbin' bullets increases by 150%.]
At this point, Lee Bok-soon no longer looked like a mere old woman—
but like a warrior.
A warrior who had devoted her life to a single purpose.
"How long are you going to sit in the priority seat and throw a tantrum? This isn't the late Joseon era anymore. The young folks are trying to get along—least you could do is make room."
[Character 'Lee Bok-soon' activates the stigma 'Three Bullets Lv.1'!]
With those words, Lee Bok-soon raised both hands, extending her index fingers and thumbs at right angles, forming the shape of a gun.
A quiet flow of mana gathered at the tip of her finger.
Most incarnations would take little to no damage from such a mana bullet.
But there was exactly one exception.
The Prime Minister's face twisted in horror.
"T-That ability… your backing constellation—don't tell me it's…!"
Patzzzzzz—!
"Stage Transformation."
A phenomenon that occurs when incarnations of historically connected constellations meet.
For a fleeting instant, the surrounding scenery warped.
It felt as though the sound of a steam locomotive echoed through the air.
An old platform.
I had never seen this station before—
yet I knew exactly where we were.
Harbin, China.Year 1909.
"U—Uwaaaaaah…!"
This was the place where Ito Hirobumi died.
"N-No! Damn it! Stop that old woman!"
Yamamoto screamed in terror.
Within a space where a Stage Transformation had occurred, the compatibility between constellations was absolute.
[Due to the effects of 'Stage Transformation,' specialized damage is applied to 'Three Bullets.']
[Bullet damage increases by 2000%.]
A bullet created for the sole purpose of killing one man ignited at the tip of Lee Bok-soon's finger.
[Constellation 'Invader of the Late Joseon Period' requests aid from other Japanese constellations!]
[Constellation 'Invader of the Late Joseon Period' screams as it glares at the incarnation 'Lee Bok-soon'!]
Prisoner Number 406.
Lee Bok-soon's backing constellation was the Righteous Patriot, Ahn Jung-geun.
"Farewell, sir from Japan."
Three gunshots rang out in succession.
Staring blankly at the holes torn through his chest, Yamamoto's body slowly toppled backward.
< Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (4) >End