Chapter 21: Chapter 16: King of Wanderers (6)

Crap! Crap! Crap! My footfalls upon the subway station ricocheted off of the walls in the empty space as panic gave me the strength to run forward.

I had not predicted that in this way I would return to the scenario, even if I had a premonition that I could affect the objects around Indegwon's representative.

Running forward, the sounds of people could be heard as they also rushed in my direction.

It seemed the squad had succeeded in subduing the station easily, and were now investigating the new scenario that had popped up. And since I was a shining target due to the scenario, they were advancing toward me.

[0:21]

For goodness sake, I had only taken the flag for twenty-or-so seconds and I felt like it was already the end.

Youngkik giggled beside me at my running figure.

"Shut up Youngkik, you're not helping!" I snarled in agitation, my mind trying to run through possible ways to get through my predicament.

Give up the flag? I didn't know if I would be able to get it again if that happened.

Buy an item from the Dokkaebi bag? But then, what would I buy?

Invest in my stats? Was this a good decision for the future?

Is this already a checkmate?

Cold sweat gathered on my palms and forehead.

Calm down, think of a way to solve this situation.

But before I could come up with any ways, Han Ryuyang had already caught up with me, and the people up ahead had already blocked off the path.

"Quick! Grab her, she came out of nowhere, killed our people and snatched the flag!" Han Ryuyang shouted, not pausing as she resumed her 'Han Ryuyang' persona.

The only reason I was able to outrun Han Ryuyang was because my agility stat appeared to be slightly higher, but she still had a larger advantage, in the form of trust.

"This brat?!"

"She killed-"

"AHHHH!"

The enraged roars came from the group members, their eyes and body language now reflecting mania at hearing the words Han Ryuyang said.

In our close-knit community that I found hard to believe existed, the death of another made us feel grief.

I could understand their rage, but I didn't have the luxury to sympathize now that I was the target.

Darn it.

Even if I gave up the flag now, no one would pay it any attention, and instead try to kill me instead.

Although I didn't want to spend any of my coins at this time, it seemed I didn't have any choice. I had no clue whether this choice would ruin my chances in the future, but being dead meant there would be no chances.

Invest in agility.

[Agility lv 7 --> Agility lv. 20]

[You can move more agilely than before.]

[3 900 coins have been consumed.]

I felt completely different. How could I describe it? It felt like I had suddenly developed a bird's bone structure and could take off into the sky.

If that was the case, I could do this.

I breathed in, and my foot lightly tapped against the ground.

I flew straight past the blockade of people as they failed to hit me due to the difference in agility.

They turned around and wanted to give chase, but I was already long gone. Now it was just a waiting game, and at the very least, my advantage was my knowledge.

The times I crammed as much as I could in my brain was working out for me, where I knew where to go without being cornered.

Unfortunately, I had no chance to hide since my location was forever being marked by an obnoxious column of light, but with superior agility, perhaps I could manage.

I could deal with five minutes. Probably.

[Transformation is at 70%]

The other worry I had was the message on my transformation being paused. Pausing, as in, temporarily stopping, and not completely ceasing. This also meant that if I fail this sub scenario, I may very well resume the progress.

Why else would I be pattering the halls in bare feet and in a child's body?

Soon, my pattering feet returned to the main waiting area of the station, and there were groups of people who were bound and had no chance of retaliation.

They all watched me with various expressions on their faces, and some with greed at the flag clasped in my hand. However, they could only watch instead of participating.

...Maybe I could use this?

Slowing down, I pondered the feasibility of my quick thinking.

If I released them, with the chaos of the crowd, it would be harder for the team to plan and focus their attention on me.

No, how can I think in this way? With this plan, I would involve people who had nothing to do with me, and allow more injuries and deaths to happen in their struggle.

Are you trying to be hypocritical again? Trying to play the good guy with morals?

But if I took that step forward, I felt like I would lose something important.

"Over there!"

"It's over, little brat!"

"There's no escape this time!"

The squad had caught up, forcing me to run again, around and around in circles. They started destroying the station, caving in potential passages that I could have sneaked through. It was a relief that the integrity of the station could hold on, but the situation was looking increasingly harder for me to wiggle out of.

My level 10 physique would not be able to hold on forever, even if my level 20 agility was still as spritely as ever.

I checked the time constantly from the time I held on to the flag.

[3:21]

Only less than two minutes remaining until full ownership would be mine. I gritted my teeth.

Han Ryuyang should not get this flag!

My mind spun as I continued to force out ideas.

Even if I handed this flag to one of someone else of the squad, they would most probably hand it over to Han Ryuyang if they asked for it, and even if they didn't, as soon as they possessed ownership, it was over for me.

Think, think, think! I anxiously brainstormed, but my anxiety caused my mind to blank instead, and I was forced to continue running around.

The shake of the station as another explosion blew part of the station wall in-front of me resounded, almost throwing me off my feet at how close it was.

I scaled the rubble, but seeing what lay beyond the other side, I froze.

Turning around, I wanted to run through back where I came before the squad members fully blocked the narrow passage, but it was too late.

"There's nowhere to run now!" One of them snarled, and I flinched.

Dread pooled into my stomach, and my legs felt laden with lead all of a sudden as exhaustion rushed at me as I stopped atop the rubble.

"I don't know who you think you are for killing my squad members, but it's over now." An oppressive killing intent exploded from Han Ryuyang as she advanced step by step.

I tensed my muscles, feeling my cold sweat soaking through my clothes.

A few steps away from me now, foot placed on the rubble, Han Ryuyang's hand extended, and her eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Hand over the flag. Checkmate." She mouthed, but I could read what she said through her lips.

I felt enraged instead, like a cornered animal ready to rally the last ferocious retaliation they possibly could.

"As if-" I cried out, but was interrupted by a loud and crisp cracking sound.

Alarmed, my head shot up as the ceiling of the station caved in.

My heart beat suddenly slowed, and I felt like the world was playing in slow-motion. At first, I was confused, curiously watching as the ceiling was about to burst and rain down.

A sudden white flashed across my vision as the knowledge led to another screeching thought.

No! Not Lee Sookyung's community!

Not these people I watched during the time I was an observer, who laughed at their goofy times, smiled with relief as they succeeded, or felt sad when they failed.

When you become invested, you have to see it through to the end.

I bunched my legs and shot off the rubble explosively.

I couldn't make it. No, I could. I had to.

"Youngkik, buy the large protective capsule!"

[Coins possessed: 3 421 --> 1 398]

Hurling it with all my strength, it slammed into the floor in the middle of the squad members on one side, and then I tackled the rest on the other side as we slid and skidded across the floor, narrowly escaping the cave-in.

[You have lost the flag.]

[Transformation will resume. Completion: 75%]

The familiar and equally unwanted feeling came back. For the others, it must have been an alarming sight for a person to suddenly disappear right in-front of their faces.

[Why did you do all that? Stupid earthling.] Youngkik said these words, but there was a gleam of something unknown in their eyes.

[Well, it's none of my business if you wish to sabotage yourself.] Youngkik turned his head away as if he wasn't interested in my end.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but there seemed something contradictory with the Dokkaebi.

"It's not over yet." I replied, breathing out in a sigh.

Yes, it wasn't.

Patting off the non-existent dust from the cave-in, I stood up as I picked the quickest and closest route to my destination. Which was straight through the walls.

Up on the rubble, in that moment of my peak panic, ironically, it was the time in which my mind felt the most clear. A different option unfolded itself in-front of my eyes.

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I expected to lose the flag when I went to shove the squad members out of harm's way, anyways.

Han Ryuyang was probably feeling very smug at getting it, although she failed to kill me because after I had thrown it in her direction, I disappeared smoothly straight after.

[Oh? Are you planning something? You've got that expression on again.] Youngkik observed as he followed along.

"Mhm, expect another crazy idea again." I smiled, but I was still feeling nervous inside.

[What crazy idea?] Youngkik wrinkled their nose in disgust.

Instead of answering the Dokkaebi, we appeared in the place where the chase first began, and the pedestal continued to sit there quietly.

It was very peaceful and quiet here, far away from the action farther out.

Breathing in, I unsheathed the dagger I had gotten from the hidden dungeon.

And then I brought it down on the pedestal. A solid thunk! rang out. So, my guess that I could affect things around Han Ryuyang in a certain radius was correct as well.

[80% complete.]

Not yet.

"Youngkik, I want to buy a set of 5 random item boxes from the Dokkaebi bag. The old version."

[Huh? The old version is cheaper than the new version, but it's not very useful. No, actually, it's very faulty and the resulting items are sometimes weird. I'm not even sure why it's still in the Dokkaebi bag.] Youngkik continued to look at me like there was something strange with my head.

"Buy it, and with the discount this time."

Youngkik grumbled, but it was purchased anyway.

1000 coins were spent from my small pools of coins, and five item boxes appeared in-front of me.

I placed my hands on the first box, noticing my hand becoming shaky. There was no telling if I would get what I wanted.

A full on gamble, but at times it was thrilling. It was no wonder why people loved gacha games so much.

As I opened the first box, it faded away into oblivion, and nothing fell into my hands. This one was a dud.

It was to be expected. Steeling myself, I moved on to the second, and then then third. However, they didn't possess any items.

My heart rate was quickening as I reached the fourth dimly lit box. Only 2 chances remaining. Even if I knew that item had a high chance of appearing every five boxes, it wasn't certain.

Unfortunately, I didn't have many coins left, so five boxes were all I was willing to spend.

[You have obtained item, #4jano$ Story Fragment x1]

I relaxed. The item I was looking for was here.

Therefore, the pressure I had when I opened the final and last box was non-existent. My hands still trembled from my post-nervousness, yes, but I felt relieved and calm.

"Hm?" I made a small sound at the unexpected gain.

[Item: Failed product ???]

Rating: A

Use: ????

Description: A faulty product made from an experiment by a mass producer. As such, there is no name for this item, nor a known use, and has an unnaturally high rating, perhaps due to the producer connected to this product.

+

...Scratch that. It was not a gain as I watched the unknown fog that felt like nothing, yet had mass that I could hold in my palms jostle with my movements.

What the heck was this?

[85% complete.]

It appeared I didn't have the time for contemplation.

Putting away the weird fog into the bag at my side, I once again unsheathed my dagger and approached the pedestal, and banging sounds once again resounded in the empty passage, audible to only my ears and Youngkik's.

There were no scratches visible on the pedestal, testimony to the vain actions.

Still, I continued to bring my dagger down on the invincible pedestal, even if it was to no avail.

[Have you gone crazy?] Youngkik looked at me, shocked.

I let my actions talk for me, bringing my dagger down again and again.

[90% complete.]

"Ugh..." I couldn't help but shiver as I felt my existence nearly being converted into another being.

That being the case, I continued to swing my chipping dagger.

Almost there.

I waited. I didn't know what would happen to me after this, but there was a silent assurance from deep inside me that it would be fine.

[95%...]

[97%...]

[98%...]

[99%...]

My dagger was starting to have an effect. The pedestal warped, as if it was having a seizure. It wasn't even supposed to exist in the first place.

Before this scenario, there was no such thing as a 'Flag Pedestal'.

And, it was only running on because the star stream allowed it to. Because it wanted it to flow with a certain story, for a certain existence.

So what if, in that one moment, I was part of the star stream, denying the existence of this pedestal, no, the scenario?

[100% complete.]

It would have to break.

With one final swing, the dagger ran from the top to the bottom of the pedestal, like a knife running through butter.

The pedestal broke into motes of lights, and the scenario gave a final gasp, before it too gave way.

[The Indegwon Station has ceased to exist as a possible station for the third main scenario.]

As for me, I swiftly stood up and gasped, the dagger slipping out of my hand as I clawed at my chest and neck.

I screamed in agony at my identity disappearing.

A white coat drifted over my shoulders.

But I resisted, with what little strength I could.

[The achievement, 'Listener Liberator of the Forgotten' is crying out in resistance!]

Sparks erupted around my figure.

[----!] I thought I heard Youngkik screaming something.

Each movement strenuous, I pulled out the story fragment I had gotten from the box.

In a later regression, Kim Namwoon had been tricked into buying these boxes and obtained the very story fragment on his very fifth box.

That was the first mention of it in [Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.]

Watching the shard called a story fragment in my hand, it felt like the corrupted and garbled mess of letters and symbols that appeared in the name had been stripped away.

[Outer God Fragment has revealed itself.]

In that regression, the fragment only saw its use after it encountered an outer god or in the star stream, but in a negative way, because it had summoned more outer gods into the area.

That was how Yu Jeonghyuk met his end in one of his regressions due to Kim Namwoon's unknown mistake.

But I needed that now, the only entity capable of resisting the Star Stream.

[An Unknown entity has been summoned!]

Then, the two entities incomprehensible to both the incarnations and constellations began to duke it out with my body as the battlefield. They each wanted to devour the other at the provocation.

I shivered as I felt the greed of the Outer God for the stories recorded by the Star Stream. And the resistance to that greed by the Star Stream.

One moment I felt myself being consumed by the unknown outer god that shouldn't have appeared until later in the scenarios, and in the other moment, being converted by the star stream that shouldn't have been breached until the final scenarios.

It was a mess.

I wasn't sure what the story behind the outer gods were, nor the star stream, so having poison combat poison without knowing what the other was, was a dangerous and risky action.

Through my slipping consciousness, the voices of those who remembered me, and of the story of my existence, rang out in my ears. They were helping me from disappearing.

"Who was that girl?"

"Why did she save us? She, she killed them!"

"Finally, this was more trouble than it was worth."

"I believe in her, if she is what she says she is."

Among the voices that remembered me, there was one that I never heard before.

Not yet.

Still, even with the voices and achievement trying to sustain my existence, and the outer god fragment trying its best to resist the star stream, it was still on the losing side.

Why did I ever think this could work again?

And then, through this unbelievable situation -

[Item: Failed Product ??? has noticed your existence.]

A/N: I could not resist the Deus Ex machina

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