< Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (6) >
Watching the barrage pour down, I was genuinely surprised.
Not [Armed Zone], but [Armed Fortress].
At some point, Gong Pildu's stigma level must have broken past 10 and entered its upper tier.
[You have trespassed on 'Private Property'!]
Well, I'll be damned.
I never thought there'd come a day when I'd be so happy to see that message.
"Aaagh! It hurts! What the hell is this?!"
When what had to be at least a hundred turrets opened fire at once, the Japanese screamed in agony.
Each individual shot wasn't all that powerful, but when a hundred turrets started spewing out thousands of rounds, even a Disaster couldn't come away unscathed.
And with their movements sealed, the damage was even worse.
Dudududududu!
Thin streams of blood began to seep from all over the Japanese bodies struck by bullets.
"My eyes! My eyes!"
"What is this?! What the hell is this?!"
Shells flew in without a single blind spot, forming a dense web of fire. Those hit in vital areas collapsed, shrieking.
"All units, advance!"
It seemed the Smallfolk army had been hiding near the forest entrance and now joined the fight. Normally they wouldn't have amounted to much, but with the Japanese already riddled with wounds, things were different. As tiny blades slipped into the bullet-made cuts, the Japanese screamed one after another.
Then came a deep, middle-aged voice.
"Get the hell out and stop trespassing. This is my land."
As expected of the Armed Lord.
Even in another world, he'd gone and claimed private property. The Ten Evils were the Ten Evils for a reason.
A panicked Japanese shouted while supporting the wounded.
"R-retreat! Fall back for now!"
It was unbelievable.
Judging by the size of the turrets, Gong Pildu must have already undergone Smallfolk transformation as well—yet even like that, he was strong enough to drive back three Disasters.
Kugugugugu.
As I turned around, I saw a small fortress rising up from the ground.
It was still too crude to be called a proper armed fortress, but even so, the title of Armed Lord no longer felt undeserved.
"Wooooah!"
"We won! We drove off the Disaster!"
The cheering Smallfolk gathered around the fortress, shouting in triumph.
Two figures stood atop the fortress.
One was Gong Pildu.
And the other was—
"Why is this your land? It's not like private property is even recognized here."
"A bratty little girl running her mouth with no manners—"
"Hm? You might want to show a little more respect to this goddess, you know?"
…That voice?
The Smallfolk erupted into cheers once more.
"Long live the Goddess! Long live the Goddess!"
…Goddess?
The woman who had spotted me from the top of the fortress jumped down.
Her short dress fluttered in the wind as she landed lightly on the ground.
That distinctive arrogant gaze. That insolent expression.
She really hadn't changed at all.
Like Moses parting the sea, the Smallfolk cleared a path for her with every step.
I let out a small laugh and spoke.
"Well, look at you. You've really made it big, huh?"
Han Sooyoung walked right up to me and casually lifted my chin with a finger.
"Long time no see, Kim Dokja. Still ugly as ever."
The Han Sooyoung I'd reunited with had become the Goddess of [Peace Land].
On the way to the royal castle, Han Sooyoung filled me in on everything that had happened to her.
"I was walking along the road when a survivor bus suddenly swerved and hit me."
"And then?"
"When I opened my eyes, I was here."
"That makes no sense. Then what about Gong Pildu?"
"He fell into the Han River. Next thing he knew, he was here too."
"…What is this, some fantasy novel?"
"You seem to have forgotten where we are."
That was more or less how the conversation went.
I responded with disbelief, but honestly, in the world of Ways of Survival, these kinds of things weren't unheard of. Plenty of Returnees had ended up in other worlds after jumping into the Han River or getting hit by a bus.
Still—having that happen in the middle of a scenario…
Just what kind of garbage job were the dokkaebi doing with their administration?
"…And what's with this 'goddess' thing? Did you make them call you that?"
Han Sooyoung brushed off her skirt and grumbled.
"Tch. I save them, and all you do is complain."
"What is it? Tell me."
"Did you forget who I am already?"
"Huh?"
"Did your brain capacity shrink along with your body?"
Come to think of it, I couldn't deny that it had been a stupid question.
Right now, Han Sooyoung was the only remaining 'prophet' left in the Seoul Dome.
On top of that, one day on Earth equaled three days in [Peace Land].
It had only been a little over a week since we parted ways, which meant Han Sooyoung had spent roughly three weeks in [Peace Land].
If someone who knew the future was given three whole weeks, then even if that person suddenly became the goddess of some unfamiliar world…
…No, still. Something about this felt a little off.
A queen, maybe. But a goddess? Seriously?
"Looks like you two get along real well."
I turned toward the voice and saw Gong Pildu wearing a displeased expression.
I hesitated for a moment, then opened my mouth.
I hadn't planned to say this—but some things still needed to be said.
"Gong Pildu."
"What."
"I'm sorry."
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you."
"…Anyone hearing that would think I asked you to take care of me."
"I really am sorry. And thank you for saving us."
Because I truly meant it, I used honorifics this time.
Honestly, throughout the entire fifth scenario, I'd been so busy that I barely paid any attention to Gong Pildu.
This time, he'd even saved my life—making my earlier bravado about becoming the Defense Master's sponsor downright embarrassing.
[Constellation, 'Defense Master,' snorts at your apology.]
"…Tch."
Not sure which of us actually had better chemistry here.
[You have sponsored 5,000 coins to 'Defense Master.']
[Constellation, 'Defense Master,' reluctantly nods.]
After glaring at me for a moment, Gong Pildu sharply turned his head away and spat out his words.
"Then do better next time."
Seeing that pot-bellied old man, whose pride stuck out just as much as his stomach, act like that—it really was quite a sight.
Still, anyway, I was glad both of them were alive, even if they'd become Smallfolk.
…Wait. Even if they'd become Smallfolk?
I stared at the two of them blankly.
Come to think of it, why did these two give up being Disasters and choose to become Smallfolk?
Neither of them seemed like the type to do that.
"Um, we came to thank you."
When I turned around, Lee Hyunsung and the others were approaching.
The group that had escaped toward Veronica Castle on insects had coincidentally run into Gong Pildu's faction along the way.
"It's nothing. We just did what we had to."
Watching Han Sooyoung wave it off with a light smile, I was reminded exactly what a devil wearing a mask looked like.
Staring closely at her, Lee Jihye asked,
"But… I've never seen you before. Who are you?"
Come to think of it, this was the first time the group was seeing Han Sooyoung's real body rather than her avatar.
Which meant they had no idea she was the First Apostle.
Han Sooyoung glanced at me, and I opened my mouth in her place.
"Uh, well…"
If they found out she was the First Apostle, Lee Jihye definitely wouldn't stay quiet.
After all, the one who'd been most seriously injured during the great Apostle battle in Chungmuro was Lee Jihye.
If her identity were revealed, not only would the party explode, there was a good chance a bloodbath would break out right here.
In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and chose to betray my conscience.
"She's just… a friend I knew from before."
I wasn't sure if friend was really the right word to use here.
But I figured it didn't really matter.
After all, it's not like I had many friends to begin with.
I couldn't see Han Sooyoung's face as she lowered her head.
"Um, sorry to interrupt while you're talking, but… may I ask just one thing?"
The one who broke the awkward atmosphere was the Japanese woman I'd rescued from the cage—Asuka Ren.
Han Sooyoung looked at me as if asking who that Japanese woman was.
Lee Jihye chimed in as well.
"…Come to think of it, who's that Japanese woman anyway? Another friend?"
Her tone sounded faintly sarcastic.
Damn it.
"She's called Asuka Ren… a Japanese incarnation. Not a friend—she was being held captive, so I rescued her."
"…Why bother saving her? She's Japanese."
"This fight isn't Japan versus Korea. It's the Smallfolk versus the Calamities."
Lee Jihye puckered her lips in displeasure, but she seemed to accept it nonetheless.
Han Sooyoung whispered in my ear.
"Who's that? Was there someone like her in the original story?"
"…You don't know?"
She must have read up to the fourth regression at least—how could she not know?Ah. Right. Asuka Ren didn't really get her spotlight until later.
Asuka Ren, who had been darting anxious glances between Han Sooyoung and me, spoke up again.
"Um, I have a question…"
"Oh, go ahead."
"How did you already take control of the northern district of [Peace Land]?"
I see.
If this really was the Asuka Ren I knew, that would be exactly what she'd be curious about.
"Kim Dokja, what's she saying?"
"She's asking how you became a goddess."
"Ah, that?"
Only then did the others catch on to the question and look at Han Sooyoung with curiosity.
Honestly, I was just as curious myself.
No matter how fast someone grew stronger, becoming the goddess of an entire kingdom in just three weeks was a completely different matter.
"I told you earlier. When we first dropped in, it was the north. That old man and I landed right in the middle of Veronica's royal palace while it was under attack."
"Under attack?"
"Some of the first Japanese entrants were attacking Veronica."
"And then?"
"Well, they said some stuff when they saw us. So I got annoyed and killed them."
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Only then did I finally understand how things had unfolded.
The Kingdom of Veronica, collapsing under the Calamities.
And in the middle of that chaos, two people dropped right into the heart of the royal palace and slaughtered the Calamities. From the Smallfolk's point of view, Han Sooyoung and Gong Pildu must have looked like gods.
"Well… if I'd known they'd turn into Smallfolk, I wouldn't have killed them."
"Didn't you even read the scenario?"
"I was just walking down the street and suddenly got dragged through a dimensional gate. How was I supposed to know this was some sixth-scenario region or whatever?"
…So that's why the Japanese rushed at us screaming about killing Koreans.
The root of the anti-Korean sentiment was those two.
"Do you know how much trouble you caused us—"
"Oh, there it is."
Beyond the plains, the royal castle of the abandoned world came into view.
We all looked toward it.
The shattered palace. Ruined ramparts bearing the scars of passing Calamities. On the trampled royal roads, the people were wailing.
"Goddess!"
"The goddess has returned…!"
The people, worn down by overwhelming disaster, came out to greet us.
A dirty, ragged crowd.
Han Sooyoung gave a bitter smile and spoke.
"…We're here already. This damn [Peace Land]."
Hearing that, I realized something anew.
Up until now, we'd been lucky. But the battles ahead would be grueling.
The fight against the Calamities had only just begun, and we would have to keep fighting a battle we had no real chance of winning.
I looked at the people approaching us.
The people of this world resembled the humans of old Earth.
There were no swordmasters, no 9-circle archmages—and not only that, even the use of the "System" was restricted.
A so-called "classic fantasy" world, doomed to be invaded by outsiders no matter how hard its people struggled…
And I knew whose "work" this world was.
"Asuka Ren."
At my words, the red-haired beauty flinched and turned toward me.
She was the key to this scenario.
At least when it came to [Peace Land], Asuka Ren understood this world better than I did—even more than someone who had read Ways of Survival.
"Join the Korean group. We need your help."
< Episode 24. Things That Can Be Changed (6) >End