|LEON TAKUIRA|
It was a situation most wouldn’t believe, if that was the old world that is.
Fantasy had became reality, the story I read, had made itself into the real world.
Ignoring the Dokkaebi’s words, I looked around.
(LEON TAKUIRA)-Something to kill…
I noticed a small boy, holding a bug cage.
“DING!”
(LEON TAKUIRA)-A notification window?
I took a glance at it, processing the information as I snuck to the boy with the bug cage.
“Hey, you see what’s happening?” I said to the boy, taking the bug cage and killing one of the cockroaches in it.
“You’ll live if you follow me, so, listen carefully.” I spoke, in a emotionless tone.
Unwavering, I placed an insect between his hands as I curled his hand into a fist, crushing the bug.
“...” The boy just stared at me, he had a calm gaze.
(LEON TAKUIRA)-Good…a child could be useful…if thoroughly trained.
I remembered some memories of my time as…the past was haunting, I shouldn’t inflict it upon another.
“You will be my ally, keep hold of the cage for now.” I told the boy who only nodded, I took a bug out of the cage, knowing who else I wanted as a companion throughout these…scenarios.
“Kim Dokja.” I whispered to the man in the black suit once I got closer to him, he turned towards me with a surprised expression.
“You’ll be of help later, take this for now.” I said to him, handing the cockroach to him.
“Wait-!” Dokja tried calling out to me, but by then, the subway had already changed into a panicked zone of fear and confusion.
I observed the surroundings, analyzing the choices I needed to make, we were currently in cabin 3807 instead of 3707.
But maybe that was for the better, because-
“SPLATTER!”
Blood stained the window from the cabin in front of us, cabin 3707, where…that man resided.
If I was in there…I would barely make it out alive, it would also depend…on which round he was in.
But the Dokkaebi made a special announcement, a screen appeared, showing Taepung girl’s high school.
There was something strange…I watched it, but some events I knew had already been changed.
(LEON TAKUIRA)-It must be…the other reader’s…
(LEON TAKUIRA)-So then…I see…
That means, there would only be two survivors in the cabin I was in, but that is if this were the…original story.
(LEON TAKUIRA)-I…will relieve this world of its truth.
|U/N|
{_MEANWHILE…_}
My mind scrambling for answers, I was inside of…the first novel I read.
Or, the first novel I read had become reality itself.
What do I do?
Did someone hack into my phone?
Why is it turned off?!
I tried turning it back on before-
[CHANNEL BI#-8657 HAS OPENED.]
I was frozen, stunned with shock.
“####? #%$-@!” A voice that was unfamiliar, I couldn’t understand it, but…
A Dokkaebi, is what I thought in that instant.
“Ah, ah, testing. 1, 2, 3. Can you earthlings hear me? Yes? Ok, then let’s begin the scenario!” The Dokkaebi announced in a foreign accent, my head snapped up as I observed the surroundings that I didn’t care about for the first time.
All my classmates were silent, yes, that would be the most natural reaction in a situation like this.
I could only watch the Dokkaebi continue talking while my eyes darted around the room, looking for something…
“Thank you for choosing to listen. What I’m about to say to you will now change your whole world, and perhaps…your fate. Starting now! You all have the chance to become the protagonist! Soaring above all, on the highest standing point of this new world! Filled with fantasy elements, magic, adventure, and mystery! A whole action packed survival!” The Dokkaebi explained in a graceful yet exciting manner, doing a short bow to the air, I could feel the shivering as I spotted the fish tank.
“Constellations, please hit the subscribe button, each one is greatly appreciated!” The Dokkaebi said in a cheerful demeanor, “ I will not disappoint you! Now, let’s get on with the action! It’ll really do you earthlings some good if you do what the scenario says, or else…something bad might happen.” The Dokkaebi cackled with delight, my nervousness devouring a part of me.
“DING!”
A screen, a blue screen suddenly appeared before me, and everyone else also had one.
{...........................................................................................................................................................}
<MAIN SCENARIO #1 - PROOF OF VALUE>
CATEGORY: MAIN
DIFFICULTY: F
CLEAR CONDITION: KILL ONE OR MORE LIVING ORGANISMS
TIME LIMIT: 30 MINUTES
REWARD: 300 COINS
PENALTY FOR FAILURE: DEATH
{...........................................................................................................................................................}
Analyzing the information on the screen, I began making a plan.
“Hehe, I won’t bother you earthlings for any further now.” The Dokkaebi grinned widely, “It may take you some time to adjust to, but I look forward to how it’ll play out~.” The Dokkaebi smiled devilishly, disappearing out of sight, as if it had just vanished and was never there.
Then the silence broke, people started chattering about, panicking while trying to make sense of it all.
I slowly blurred out the noises, calming down as I recollected myself.
I read the screen, with surprising calmness as I knew what I had to do, because the information wasn’t pleasant…but…!
As someone who’s read many novels and knew a lot of things, I instantly caught onto a loophole in the situation, and something from my first novel.
The screen had said one or more creatures, that would mean I just had to kill something that was alive.
Then, a sudden scream could be heard.
“P-PLEASE…!” A desperate plea from a female voice, it was probably a girl.
I took a look at the classroom, the girl who was pleading, was being slugged and ganged up on by three people.
They started spouting words that were inhumane, cruel, and they had a certain madness in their eyes that made them look even more desperate and much more pitiful for the girl.
I could only watch in horror, frightened by the scene happening before me, bones cracking along with pain chilling screams of agony.
I was afraid, that much was obvious, my heart rate speeding up like a hurricane.
I was just shocked, more than anything, of why people could easily submit to violence as the first to everything in such a situation that could cause us life or death.
But life…it was just like that, always people who were rotten underneath, nothing was fair.
The world was never fair, but the one thing I couldn’t comprehend was…myself.
My hands clenching into a fist, standing from afar as I watched the girl slowly…and ever so painfully…be killed.
Injustice, right before me, in my face.
Yet, I couldn’t move, I was frozen still like a statue.
I was angry, wasn’t I?
With the humane and morals I still had left, along with reason, the most logical choice would be…to help…right…?
But of course, I was still scared, if I helped…I would be the next to be subjected to die.
I didn’t want to die, I was just still someone who-
“STOP!” A voice shouted, a yell and far cry, the heroism I would’ve never expected but wanted in such a situation.
The three teens stopped, glancing over at the person, I was caught still until-
[A CERTAIN CONSTELLATION GREETS YOU.]
H-Huh…?
[THEY SAY THAT…THEY’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.]
What does that…
[THE CONSTELLATION REVEALS HIS MODIFIER TO YOU.]
It was as if time had stopped, it was strange, but a feeling of awe and a wave of relief along with calmness washed over me.
[THE CONSTELLATION, COLLECTOR OF STORIES, WANTS TO GRANT YOU A STIGMA.]
It was unbelievable, strange, but…
“DING!”
It felt like the most natural thing to do at that moment, so I took my chance.
{...........................................................................................................................................................}
<BOUNTY SCENARIO - SAVE THE GIRL>
CATEGORY: BOUNTY
DIFFICULTY: F+
CLEAR CONDITION: SAVE THE GIRL BY STOPPING HER FROM BEING KILLED, THE CONSTELLATION BY THE MODIFIER, COLLECTOR OF STORIES IS EXPECTING SOMETHING FROM YOU.
REWARD: STIGMA, 3,000 COINS, A SPECIAL GIFT…
PENALTY FOR FAILURE: COLLECTOR OF STORIES WILL STILL HELP YOU ALONG YOUR JOURNEY
{...........................................................................................................................................................}
“CRASH!”
With a startling speed, I ran at the three bullies, knocking them all out of the way as they fell to the ground.
“Woah…that girl’s brave.” The girl with two pony-tails said with a nervous smile, it seems she was looking at me, but I had no time to hesitate.
[CONSTELLATION, COLLECTOR OF STORIES, IS CHEERING FOR YOU!]
Yeah, yeah…I got this.
“You son of a bit-”
[AGILITY INCREASED! THE WIND NOW FOLLOWS YOUR WILL.]
A fast jab to their face, they got knocked out, thankfully.
[COLLECTOR OF STORIES DEEMS THE SCENARIO COMPLETED, THE ENEMIES SEEM TO HAVE NO WILL TO FIGHT YOU.]
“DING!”
[BOUNTY SCENARIO HAS BEEN COMPLETED!]
[MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT ACHIEVED!]
[1,000 COINS HAVE GIVEN!]
[STIGMA BEING GRANT…]
[STIGMA, BEAST LORD HAS BEEN GRANTED!]
[3,000 COINS HAVE BEEN GIFTED!]
[THE SPECIAL GIFT HAS BEEN GIVEN!]
[STIGMA, FABLE LIBRARY, HAS BEEN OBTAINED!]
What is all of…
[THE CONSTELLATION, COLLECTOR OF STORIES, HOPES YOU LIKE THE GIFT.]
…This.
[CONSTELLATION, COLLECTOR OF STORIES, GRINS AND TELLS YOU TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION]
[MAKE ALLIES, TRUSTWORTHY COMPANIONS, COLLECTOR OF STORIES ADVISES YOU.]
I stared at the three bullies who seemed afraid of me, the girl who was in pain looking at me with a thankful expression, the classroom silent and seeming to expect me to do something.
Fine…
[CONSTELLATION, COLLECTOR OF STORIES, IS SMILING.]
I walked towards the fish tank, then looked at all the people in the classroom.
[THE CONSTELLATION, COLLECTOR OF STORIES, IS EXCITED AND WAITING IN TENSION OF WHO YOU’LL CHOOSE.]
|LEON TAKUIRA|
|_AFTER…_|
{...........................................................................................................................................................}
[MAIN SCENARIO #1 - PROOF OF VALUE HAS BEEN CLEARED!]
SURVIVORS: 5
{...........................................................................................................................................................}
All the people I expected are alive, they’ll be useful…for now, I suppose.
