The Unchangeable (4)

I watched through Clairvoyance and the channel screen as my companions gathered around Kim Dokja, then called upon the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Water-Calming Pearl nestled near my heart.

…Water-Calming Pearl.

A low, resonant hum answered.

The moment I summoned it inwardly, the clear jade chime of the Water-Calming Pearl rang through my mind.

Absorb every scrap of mana in my body—including the reserves—and store the power.

Another hum…!

Whether it had read my thoughts or not, the pearl sent back a clear refusal.

Then several words rose unbidden into my head—the Water-Calming Pearl projecting its will of its own accord.

I appreciate the concern, but right now this is the only method I’ve got. You’re the only one who can do it.

So please help me. I’m greedy—I don’t want to give up a single thing.

…A reluctant hum.

Faced with my stubbornness, the pearl finally yielded. At once it began greedily devouring my mana.

“……Ugh!”

Until now the pearl had only siphoned residual mana so as not to burden me. The moment it started drawing in earnest, a crushing pain seized my heart as though someone were squeezing it bare-handed.

“Hah… hah…”

The agony in my chest and the horrifying sensation of life force draining from every limb raised goosebumps across my entire body.

But I couldn’t stop here.

One task still remained.

Click.

I drew the dagger I had bought from the Story Shop—its blade bent at a bizarre angle—and poured mana into it.

Throb. Throb.

The strain on my heart spiked even higher, but there was no choice.

Damn it… even a low-grade relic eats this much mana…

The Lesser Dragon’s Mana Heart, which boosted my mana recovery, pounded furiously, trying to replenish what was being consumed. Its frantic beat echoed in my ears.

Two items voraciously draining me left cold sweat pouring down my body. I turned my head and stared at Bihyung’s channel screen.

On it, Kim Dokja was bent over, speaking while looking into Shin Yooseung’s eyes, then slowly rising.

—Everyone. I will not kill the ‘Disaster.’

She continued while facing the party.

—I will not accept objections. So just this once, I hope you’ll indulge my stubbornness.

A brief silence fell over the companions at her words.

They stared blankly at Kim Dokja, stunned by the sudden declaration.

Then Lee Jihye spoke up.

—Unnie, what kind of nonsense is that?

The others, however, seemed of a different mind.

—You must have your reasons. I will follow Dokja-ssi’s judgment.

Lee Hyunsung nodded toward her as he spoke. Lee Jihye shot him a flustered glare.

—If Unnie wants it, fine. But I get to hit that person as hard as she hit my Titan, right?

—Damn it, do whatever. When have we ever not done what Unnie wanted? But are you sure about this?

Even Lee Gilyoung sided with Kim Dokja. Lee Jihye scratched the back of her head and reluctantly nodded.

After listening to their opinions, Kim Dokja looked down at the young Shin Yooseung.

—…I… I…

Little Shin Yooseung hesitated, tears clinging to her lashes.

She had seen them—the horrific memories and times her future self had endured.

Asking her opinion was cruel in itself.

Knowing that, Kim Dokja gently stroked the girl’s hair.

Crackle! Crackle!

…Good. It’s following the original webtoon flow.

I grimaced at the sparks racing across my body while watching the channel.

Soon, just like in the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint webtoon, the Intermediate Dokkaebi Paul would appear and interfere.

Until then I had to force enough mana into the Water-Calming Pearl and the relic no matter what.

Water-Calming Pearl. How much mana have you gathered for the plan?

A hum.

I let out a small breath of relief. We would make it in time.

But I won’t be able to fight beside the party.

The crushing load throughout my body and the pain in my heart made me scowl.

In this condition I couldn’t close with Disaster Shin Yooseung the way I had earlier.

The best I could manage was support from the rear or long-range attacks.

Fortunately, I already possessed a long-range option.

—【I’m sorry, but that will be a bit difficult.】

While I was still pouring mana into the pearl and the relic, listening to Shin Yooseung and the others, the irritating voice of Intermediate Dokkaebi Paul reached my ears.

—Why is it difficult? We haven’t broken any scenario rules.

—【No, no. Leaving the ‘Disaster’ alive? You do realize that violates the regulations, don’t you?】

Paul looked down at Kim Dokja.

—【The scenario content is ‘eliminate the Disaster.’ If you refuse to fulfill the scenario…】

—Don’t worry about that. We will kill the Disaster.

Paul flinched and stared at her in shock. The companions all turned to her at once as well.

—Unnie, what are you…? You just said you wouldn’t kill her. Are you a psychopath?

Lee Jihye reacted the strongest. Kim Dokja quietly denied it, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then looked up at Paul again.

—Just not right now.

—【What…?】

—The scenario clearly states ‘no time limit,’ doesn’t it? Meaning the timing of the Disaster’s elimination is entirely up to us.

Paul’s face twisted as though he had taken a punch.

Seeing his expression, Kim Dokja shrugged and smiled.

—So don’t rush us.

I narrowed my eyes at Kim Dokja on the channel screen.

The first time I read that arc of the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint webtoon—“What Cannot Be Changed”—I had thought Kim Dokja’s actions would rewrite the story and save Disaster Shin Yooseung.

Instead, the webtoon Kim Dokja had underestimated the Constellations, earned their hostility, and ultimately failed to save her.

Hm?

Sitting still like this has our regulars in an uproar.

Uriel’s absence confirmed she had already signed a sponsorship contract with Jung Heewon and was currently at her side.

I ignored the Constellations’ indirect messages demanding my intentions and kept watching the channel.

—【We cannot allow that.】

—Trying to interfere with the scenario again? Have you already forgotten what happened last time?

—【…………….】

Paul’s face twisted as he glared at Kim Dokja. She returned a small, victorious smile.

I rolled my eyes toward Bihyung standing beside Paul. The dokkaebi suddenly looked restless, glancing back and forth between Paul and Kim Dokja.

—【…How amusing. But things will not go as you hope. Not every incarnation in the Seoul Dome shares your thoughts.】

Paul snapped his fingers, and a sub-scenario window appeared before our eyes.

—【From this moment, the bounty on the ‘Disaster’ is doubled.】

“D-double?!”

“The total reward is two hundred thousand coins…?”

Shocked and greed-soaked voices of nearby incarnations reached my ears as they read the sub-scenario and heard Paul.

…Should I just thrash all these bastards instead of Shin Yooseung?

I had gone out of my way to keep them alive, yet here they were, drowning in greed and ready to throw their lives away again. Irritation surged.

Just as the incarnations around me—and those gathered near Nodeul Island—stared hungrily at the sub-scenario and at Shin Yooseung, who sat on the ice with one arm missing—

Thud!

Something slammed into the ground. I turned toward the sound.

A bald man in monastic robes, holding a staff, came into view.

It was the Maitreya King, Cha Sangkyung.

With a stern expression he swept his gaze over the agitated incarnations and spoke.

“Cherish your lives. Unless you wish to die like moths to a flame!”

Behind him, the King of Beauty Min Jiwon took position, weapon ready, scanning the Seoul Dome incarnations just as he did.

Not far from them, the Neutral King Jeon Ildo and his followers leveled their weapons at the crowd.

The so-called Seven Kings of Seoul from Ways of Survival were personally restraining the incarnations.

Faced with three kings whose forces and personal strength dwarfed ordinary incarnations, the Seoul Dome crowd clicked their tongues or averted their eyes, hesitating to charge.

I approached Cha Sangkyung and Min Jiwon and called out to the incarnations.

“Cha Sangkyung, Min Jiwon. It’s fine—tell them to come if they want.”

“You are… the King of Pleasure?”

“Jinwoo-ssi?”

The two recognized me at once and tilted their heads at my words.

I walked past them toward the Seoul Dome incarnations.

“They want to throw away the lives I just saved. What’s the point of stopping them? Idiots only learn after they get fucked. That’s how they finally realize they overreached and die.”

Several incarnations flushed red and stepped forward, glaring at me.

“Hey, who the hell are you to butt in?”

“W-we’re grateful you saved a lot of people here, but isn’t that a bit harsh?!”

“Did you even read the sub-scenario properly? The reward is two hundred thousand coins! Two hundred thousand!! Enough to become a top-tier powerhouse in the Seoul Dome if you get it!”

I looked at the barking fools with pure pity.

“Bullshit.”

Rumbleeeee———!!!

The moment I activated the skill obtained from killing Orcanox for the first time, the sheer status pouring from my body crashed over the Seoul Dome incarnations.

Crash! Crack! Shatter!

Windows still clinging to ruined buildings exploded outward all at once. The ground beneath my feet split open.

“Ugh…?!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Some incarnations who felt my status lost strength in their legs and collapsed to the dirt.

Plop!

Others fainted outright, eyes rolled back as they hit the ground.

And the ones who had stepped forward to lecture me—

Tremble tremble tremble…!

—shook violently, eyes flipped white, yellow liquid streaming down their pants.

I clicked my tongue at them.

“…Tsk. Pathetic bastards. Can’t even endure a pressure that isn’t at full power?”

And those same bastards wanted to take down the Disaster of Floods? They sure talked a lot of boring shit.

I straightened the sleeve of my subspace coat, swept my gaze over the ashen-faced Seoul Dome incarnations, and spoke slowly.

“Anyone who still doesn’t know their place and wants those two hundred thousand coins—raise your hand.”

I’ll personally rip that useless ornament you call a head right off.

I locked eyes with every single one of them. Every last person lowered their gaze.

They had all realized it.

The man standing before them was a powerhouse they could never handle—and someone who would actually tear their heads off.

Fortunately my little threat worked; no one raised a hand. Satisfied, I turned to Cha Sangkyung and Min Jiwon, who were staring at me blankly.

“That was pretty cool. Truly kings of the same caliber as me.”

“Ah, no. We merely did what was right.”

“…You’ve grown even stronger than last time, Jinwoo-ssi.”

I liked these two. So I decided to give them a small reward.

I purchased four intermediate mana potions and four intermediate stamina potions from the Dokkaebi Bag and handed two of each to Cha Sangkyung and Min Jiwon.

“This is thanks for the help. I hope you’ll accept them.”

“Ahem… then I shall gratefully receive them.”

“I didn’t step forward expecting a reward, but if you’re offering, I’ll gratefully accept.”

I gave them a small smile and walked slowly toward my companions.

Wherever I passed, the Seoul Dome incarnations scrambled to put distance between us, faces full of fear.

I shot them a look of pure contempt, then raised my head and glared at Paul floating in the sky.

【…How disappointing. To think the incarnations of the Seoul Dome would be such cowards.】

A few of them muttered while glancing at me.

“…Crazy dokkaebi bastard. How the hell are we supposed to get past a monster like that…”

“…I-I can’t fight that.”

Hearing them call me a monster made my face twist.

These bastards are treating a person like a monster now. Should I really thrash a few of them?

I sighed at the Seoul Dome incarnations who kept poking my temper, then resumed walking toward the party.

The moment I arrived, Kim Dokja shot me a sideways look while the others exhaled in quiet relief that I was unharmed.

Apparently, with Jung Heewon temporarily sent north, my complete absence had made them a little anxious.

“Where have you been and what were you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠doing?”

“Had something to take care of for a bit. Sorry, sorry.”

At her mild scolding I flashed a sly smile and stepped up beside Disaster Shin Yooseung.

“Sorry for teasing you so much earlier~”

“……Grrk!”

Even with my apology, Disaster Shin Yooseung looked up at me, ground her teeth, and whipped her head away.

I really had mocked, provoked, and toyed with her too much earlier.

With everyone except Jung Heewon now gathered, Kim Dokja glared up at Paul.

“Why don’t you just yield? Honestly, everyone should be satisfied by now, right?”

【…Everyone is satisfied?】

Paul stared at her for a moment, then his expression shifted as though he had realized something. He spoke with a tone of admiration.

【…Haha, I see. You were thinking that far ahead?】

Having seen through her intent, Paul smirked.

【As expected of the master of direction Dokgak told me about. Indeed, violence isn’t the only form of stimulation.】

Kim Dokja had been trying to win the Constellations’ favor while saving Disaster Shin Yooseung.

She had carefully chosen words that would slip past the filters and made the Constellations pity the Disaster.

In fact, Bihyung’s channel chat was currently full of Constellations who respected her decision, pitied Disaster Shin Yooseung, and cheered her on.

Her reason was simple.

In the world of the Star Stream, the only time a miracle that twists a scenario’s direction occurs is when the majority of watching Constellations desire that change.

Yet perhaps because she was still only an ‘Incarnation’—

She was underestimating the Constellations.

She had forgotten that not every Constellation expresses emotion or intent through indirect messages.

I rolled my eyes and checked Bihyung’s channel chat log.

A good number of Constellations were supporting Kim Dokja.

But just as many envied her, hated her for being human, and mocked her.

Unaware of that, Kim Dokja looked up at Paul again.

“If you understand, then make a decision already. Either give the reward or continue the fifth scenario.”

She smirked confidently and continued.

“Even if the fifth scenario continues, there’s no problem starting the sixth, right? Main scenarios can run concurrently.”

【……….】

Intermediate Dokkaebi Paul fell silent for a moment, staring blankly at her.

But in that instant I caught it—his eyes flicked, just for a heartbeat, toward empty air.

…That glance. Paul just read the chat of the Constellations in his own channel.

There was no doubt. He had just read the messages of Constellations who disliked, envied, hated, and distrusted Kim Dokja.

Yet his expression remained unchanged as he looked down at her with a solemn voice.

【Incarnation Kim Dokja. You are the cleverest and most terrifying incarnation I know—aside from Park Jinwoo.】

As he spoke, his face gradually loosened—in the worst possible direction.

Kim Dokja seemed to sense something off in his expression; her own face slowly hardened.

【But this time, that cleverness will be your undoing.】

“…What do you mean?”

Ignoring her question, Paul openly turned his head and spoke slowly.

【…Understood, Constellations. I shall now show you the story you have been waiting for.】

A grin.

Crackle crackle crackle!

As Paul smiled, ominous purple sparks erupted violently in the air.

Just like the original webtoon, Paul had received probability from the Constellations and finally intervened in the scenario.

Crackle!

Along with the system message, the same ominous purple sparks began leaping across Disaster Shin Yooseung’s entire body.

At the system message, Disaster Shin Yooseung’s expression shifted from hope to despair.

“N-no. Wait. I…!”

Even her scream could not stop the ominous purple sparks. At last a sinister black aura began rising from her body.

The companions looked panicked as the black aura surged. Kim Dokja urgently glared at Paul and shouted.

“Wait! What are you doing right now…!”

Ignoring her cry, Paul looked down at Disaster Shin Yooseung with a solemn face.

【Fulfill the contract. Cog of the scenario.】

“Aaaaagh…!”

Clank clank clank…!

With Paul’s words, black chains bound Disaster Shin Yooseung’s body, and an ominous ether storm began swirling around her center.

I stared at the ether storm in silence.

What the Intermediate Dokkaebi had just used on Disaster Shin Yooseung was the ‘Scenario Enforcement Right.’

The power that governs the fates of every ‘component’ within a scenario.

Because that power is so immense, activating the Scenario Enforcement Right requires enormous probability.

Even the webtoon Kim Dokja had noted that the Scenario Enforcement Right consumed so much probability in Ways of Survival that it was rarely used.

Therefore an ordinary Intermediate Dokkaebi could not activate it alone. Someone had supplied the necessary probability.

Faced with the activated Scenario Enforcement Right, Kim Dokja stared blankly at Disaster Shin Yooseung.

Then the Constellations’ indirect messages floating before her eyes made her flinch in shock.

Kim Dokja realized far too late that many Constellations had sided with Paul and supplied probability for the Scenario Enforcement Right.

She urgently turned to Bihyung. The dokkaebi lowered his head, looking ashamed under her gaze.

“Dokja-ssi?”

“Unnie!”

Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung’s voices came from behind. Looking that way, I saw the entire party tensely clustering around Kim Dokja.

Even so, she checked the system messages and fell into deep panic.

I carefully stepped behind her and peeked at the messages she was reading without her noticing.

Watching her panic over the messages, Paul spoke.

【Arrogant incarnation. Did you think the Constellations would be so easily swayed? Humans have always believed only what they wish to believe.】

At the indirect messages Kim Dokja ground her teeth, her expression darkening.

I looked at her and spoke.

“You underestimated Constellations who have lived for decades, centuries, millennia, Dokja.”

She flinched and trembled at my words. Paul looked down at her and continued.

【It seems your luck ends here, Incarnation Kim Dokja.】

“Uwaaaaaah…!”

An ominous aura poured from Disaster Shin Yooseung’s body as the forced villainization progressed under Paul and the Constellations.

At the same time, a monster gate of a far more sinister black hue than the previous one formed behind her.

“Damn it, again?!”

“Ugh!”

Lee Jihye hurriedly scooped up Lee Gilyoung and fled.

“Yooseung, let’s get out of here too.”

Yoo Sangah tried to grab young Shin Yooseung and escape.

The rest of the party readied their weapons and prepared to withdraw in case of further trouble.

Only Kim Dokja stared at the forcibly villainized Disaster Shin Yooseung with a pained expression.

Shing.

Then the clear sound of a sword being drawn rang out.

I turned toward it and saw Yoo Joonghyuk drawing the Heaven-Shaking Divine Blade, walking slowly toward Shin Yooseung.

Kim Dokja realized what she intended and urgently called out.

“Wait, Yoo Joonghyuk.”

“You failed.”

As Yoo Joonghyuk took a stance to cut Shin Yooseung down—

Kim Dokja and I both stepped in front of the girl. Kim Dokja hid the startled child behind her back and continued.

“Don’t touch the child. If you lay a hand on her, I will never forgive you.”

Unlike usual, Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at Kim Dokja, me, and Shin Yooseung, then let out a small sigh.

“…There is no other way.”

Seeing that she no longer seemed about to strike, I glanced at Lee Jihye—who was still fleeing with Lee Gilyoung in her arms—and sprinted toward her.

While running I looked up at the sky and shouted.

“Hey! God of Blacksmiths! Is the item I requested still not finished?!”

I snatched the pure-white blade that appeared in a burst of light and blocked Disaster Shin Yooseung’s path as she charged toward Lee Jihye.

Damn it… my body’s still in bad shape.

Crackle!

Pure-white dragon scales sprouted across my body. I tightened my grip on the blade and braced for the coming impact.

BOOOOM—!!

Hm?

I blocked the ether storm without taking damage, yet the impact felt lighter than expected. I tilted my head—

—then saw pure-white feathers swirling in front of me and turned around.

There stood Kim Dokja, clad in a pure-white fur mantle.

She had successfully obtained the ‘Beast King’s Sensitivity’ from Disaster Shin Yooseung.

“…Cough!”

Seeing a thin trail of blood from her lips, I frowned.

“Dokja. Thanks for blocking it, but why take the hit for me? You’re coughing up blood.”

“…Haa. Jinwoo, you’ve been burning through mana saving people all over the Seoul Dome.”

“………….”

She was right. Until now I had continuously rescued Seoul Dome incarnations in danger that appeared on Clairvoyance and the channel screen.

I had spent a fair amount of mana, and another eighty percent had gone into the Water-Calming Pearl and the Story Shop relic.

My condition wasn’t critical, but it was far from good.

She had understood that and taken most of the impact in my place.

Yoo Joonghyuk, now standing beside her, scowled and spoke.

“…You stole a skill. But that alone won’t be enough. Park Jinwoo is also not at full strength.”

“I know. Cover me, Yoo Joonghyuk. Park Jinwoo, support from range.”

Thud thud thud!

Kim Dokja then gripped the Unbreakable Faith and charged toward Disaster Shin Yooseung.

“I will stop the Disaster.”

Just before she reached her, a translucent blue book opened behind her back.

She was about to use Jung Heewon’s skill through Bookmark.

“This is insane. My body’s a mess. Are you at least going to pay me overtime?”

“Shut up, Park Jinwoo. Just grab a weapon.”

“Yes sir~ Yes sir~”

I bought one advanced mana recovery potion from the Dokkaebi Bag and shoved it straight into my mouth.

After drinking it I reached for my star relic, Der Freischütz—only for Hephaestus’s indirect message to arrive.

“What is it? I’m a little busy right now.”

“What? My blood?”

I adjusted my grip on the pure-white blade Hephaestus had forged—the Ice Heaven Turtle Dragon Blade.

Did he make this a master-recognition weapon?

I finally examined the sword in my hand carefully.

From scabbard to blade to hilt, everything was pure white.

An Eastern dragon was engraved on both scabbard and hilt.

Even at a glance it looked extremely valuable. I drew my thumb across the blade, then smeared the blood that welled up onto the steel.

Hummm!

“What…?”

A star relic? What is this…?

I reflexively looked up at the sky and grinned.

“You really are the God of Blacksmiths. To forge a star relic from the materials of a mere Grade-4 monster.”

Truly, you are a great blacksmith god.

“Goes without saying. I’ll treasure it.”

I pulled Der Freischütz from My Room and fixed my gaze on Disaster Shin Yooseung.

“Uwaaaaaah…!!!”

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just then, monsters pouring from the gate behind her charged toward Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk, our party, and the Seoul Dome incarnations behind us, eyes full of murderous intent.

A grin.

I smiled at the sight before me.

The smile I had been holding back ever since Intermediate Dokkaebi Paul activated the Scenario Enforcement Right on Disaster Shin Yooseung finally broke free.

With this, every plan except the final one was complete.

First plan: save as many Seoul Dome incarnations as possible.

Second plan: fight Shin Yooseung just enough to secure a major contributor position.

Third plan: support the party from behind without stealing their spotlight.

Fourth plan: let the original webtoon flow play out so that Intermediate Dokkaebi Paul and the many Constellations who supplied him probability—especially the Japanese ones—would burn through the Bureau’s probability.

Among those who had just supplied probability to Paul were a large number of Japanese yokai-origin Constellations.

Because they had spent that probability, they would no longer be able to interfere with us in Peace Land.

Four out of five plans had been completed exactly as designed.

I looked up at the sky and sneered.

“Thanks for stupidly dumping your probability. I mean it.”

Thank you for dancing on my palm.

With this, the only natural enemy that could have stopped me from saving the 41st-turn Shin Yooseung—the Constellations’ ‘probability’—was gone.

Nothing remained to hinder me. All that was left was to quickly subdue Shin Yooseung, purge her malice with Jung Heewon’s Hellfire, and save her.

I sent Jung Heewon an indirect message telling her it was about time to return.

After sending the message I started running to support Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk.

The end of the fifth main scenario was not far off now.