Things That Can Be Changed (1)

When the originally planned allocation of ten people was reduced to eight, the party looked at Kim Dokja with bewildered expressions.

And so did the incarnations of the Seoul Dome standing behind them.

Then, among the party, Yoo Sangah raised her hand slightly and spoke.

"I'll sit this one out."

Following Yoo Sangah, Jung Heewon raised her hand as well.

"I'll sit out too. There's a second allocation anyway, right?"

"Are you two sure you're okay with that?"

Kim Dokja asked, looking at Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon, and both nodded.

"Dokja-ssi looks a bit out of it today, so I'm a little worried... but she'll manage somehow. And this time the woman next to her seems to be on the same side."

While Jung Heewon and Yoo Sangah were talking, I approached the adult Shin Yooseung, who hadn't been selected for the first allocation.

"Yooseung."

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you."

"What's with that serious face?"

Adult Shin Yooseung tilted her head at my stern expression. After a moment of moving my lips, I slowly opened my mouth.

"...It might fail. I'm going to follow Kim Dokja's group to Peace Land soon. And once I go, some hermaphroditic lunatic—man or woman, who knows—is going to show up."

"...Hermaphrodite? Going to show up soon? Don't tell me...?"

Whether Nirvana the Salvation Leader had also been present in the 41st turn, Shin Yooseung's expression froze cold.

"I'd rather stay here and beat the guy up for you all if I could.... But there's too much to gain from this Peace Land to give it up. So look after Sangah-ssi and Heewon-ssi for me. If it comes down to it, just run yourself. If you get hit, Seoul will face another crisis of destruction."

"...Aren't you and Sangah unnie lovers now? Is it okay for you to say that?"

"I'd prefer if neither of them got hit, but it'll probably be hard. And you're no match for him. You know why, right?"

"............."

Shin Yooseung lowered her head with an expression that suggested she had an idea.

Having suffered every hardship in the 41st turn and wandered alone for a thousand years in the labyrinth of the worldline, Shin Yooseung was mentally vulnerable and would easily fall to Nirvana's Thought Infection.

Even if the others fall, adult Shin Yooseung must never fall.

If she fell to Thought Infection, the Disaster of Floods would appear in the Seoul Dome once again.

Then all the hell I went through to save her would be meaningless.

"Tell Sangah-ssi and Heewon-ssi for me."

"...Alright for now. Don't worry too much about here. It's true I'm weak to his mental attacks. But if I just block his approach, I can win."

"Okay. I'll trust you."

After finishing the conversation with adult Shin Yooseung, I marked the backs of adult Shin Yooseung, Yoo Sangah, and Jung Heewon with Hiraishin markings, then pushed through the crowd toward a less crowded spot.

Then, with the channel screen the Constellations were watching turned on, I looked at Kim Dokja and the party, confirmed they were about to enter the warp crystal, and finished preparing to activate Hiraishin no Jutsu immediately.

—Let's go.

When Kim Dokja grabbed young Shin Yooseung's hand and leaped into the warp crystal, I also activated Hiraishin no Jutsu.

"Activating Hiraishin no Jutsu..."

"Jinwoo-ssi?"

Grab.

"...Huh?"

Just then, a woman's beautiful voice came from beside me. At the sensation of someone pulling my arm, I turned my head in a daze.

There, Min Jiwon was looking at me with a puzzled expression, as if wondering why I was so focused on something.

Soon I felt the space around me twisting, and Min Jiwon seemed to feel it too. With a panicked expression, she tried to pull her hand off my arm.

And in that moment, I saw it.

No—I felt it.

I saw a colorless wave slowly flicking its tongue toward Min Jiwon's arm in a bizarre fashion.

And for just a brief moment, I saw what looked like Min Jiwon's arm being severed.

Grab.

Startled by that, I unconsciously grabbed Min Jiwon's arm as she tried to let go of mine.

Ripple.

"E-eh?!"

"Ah, damn it..."

Soon Min Jiwon and I were floating in a space like the cosmos.

We were in a space dark like the universe, filled with starlight brightly asserting its presence among the cosmos.

Is this place...?

I had seen this cosmos-like space before.

It was exactly the same as the landscape of the <Star Stream> I had seen inside Dokgak's dokkaebi hat. No—this was the inside of the <Star Stream>.

"W-where the hell is this...?!"

"...You're driving me crazy, you know that."

Since this was her first time seeing the landscape of the <Star Stream>, she seemed to have gone into a momentary panic. I put my arm around the waist of Min Jiwon, who was trembling and whose face had gone deathly pale, and hugged her.

Then I pressed her face against my chest so she couldn't see the <Star Stream>.

For a moment, some gaze looked at me.

Something with a presence more overwhelming than any Constellation's gaze looked at me.

Under its gaze, I felt as if everything about me was being pierced through.

As if everything was being torn apart before it, my face felt like it was turning blue.

No—it must have turned blue for sure.

Eventually that gaze disappeared, and freed from the crushing gaze, I let out a small sigh of relief.

Like that, with Min Jiwon—who had either fainted from the <Star Stream>'s gaze or lost consciousness—I flew for a while through the night sky of the <Star Stream>.

As we flew through a sea of starlight emitting bright light and meteors passing like countless meteor showers, I felt something pulling me.

Whoosh!

Unable to resist or struggle against that silent force that would brook no opposition, I was eventually dragged along by it.

"Haaah...?! Cough...! Cough...!!"

I must have lost consciousness at some point. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a forest full of green light.

Looking around while lying on the ground, I confirmed that fortunately, it seemed I had arrived safely in Peace Land.

"M-Min Jiwon?"

Remembering Min Jiwon belatedly, I tried to force strength into my unresponsive upper body to get up.

Soft.

"Hm?"

If it weren't for the soft sensation on my abdomen and the weight on my chest, that is.

Looking up at those sensations, I saw Min Jiwon lying unconscious on top of my body.

...You're driving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me crazy for real.

I felt like giving Min Jiwon a knuckle sandwich on the head right then and there.

If I hadn't reached out toward Min Jiwon who was trying to let go of my arm midway through the spatial transfer with Hiraishin no Jutsu, Min Jiwon's arm would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have been severed.

No—maybe Min Jiwon would have died instantly right there.

I picked up Min Jiwon who was collapsed on top of me, put her on my back, looked around, and walked through the forest.

I came following the marking on Kim Dokja. But I don't see her.

Probably because it was a transfer to another dimension, I couldn't move to Kim Dokja, and seemed to have been transported somewhere a bit away from her.

Ding!

"What now?"

"...Should I call this fair, or should the other side protest that it's unfair."

Probably because there were two renowned Disasters on the Japanese side, they gave one renowned Disaster to the Little People side too.

Is this balance okay?

Except for the Eight-Headed Lord, the other Disasters would get crushed by me, right?

Well, whatever. If they don't like it, what can they do? The <Star Stream> looked at my Stories and skills and picked the role for me.

After wandering around the area and only finding more forest, I eventually activated flight mode and started flying around looking for Kim Dokja and Shin Yooseung.

Then—

"Hm? Jihye?"

I saw Lee Jihye protecting Lee Gilyoung, who had become a little person, while getting ganged up on by Japanese who had become non-human species.

And... already turned into little people and captured, Lee Hyunsung and Lee Bok-sun—who had been turned into a little person by Jeon Woochi's sorcery—were also nearby.

"Have those bastards gone insane?"

My eyes rolled at the thugs daring to gang up and harass my cute comrades, and I flew toward them, shouting.

"Hey, you fucking bastards! Who said you could mess with my cute comrades?!"

"Hm? Who's that guy?"

"Looks like another first-wave Korean entrant."

"Annoying. Provoke him too. Make him a little person as well and take him to the Boss."

"Yes!"

The Japanese who heard the masked non-human started surrounding me as I landed on the ground.

"Oh, the woman behind that guy is pretty."

"Hehe. Hey, buddy. Hand over the woman on your back and I'll spare you."

"...What?"

At the Japanese's outrageous remarks, my expression hardened. They either completely failed to notice my mood or were deliberately provoking me.

With casual expressions, they spat more nonsense.

"No, no. It's a good deal for you, okay? Except for that girl getting ganged up on and the girl on your back, the rest will be offered as a meal for the Boss."

"Just hand over that woman and we'll spare only y—"

"...This won't do."

Park Jinwoo glared at the Japanese provoking him with cold eyes.

"You won't die easily."

"How dare a Joseon bastard spout such nonsense!!"

"Shut up and come at me! Or your comrade will... c-comrade... cough!!"

Just then, blood sprayed from the mouth of the Japanese who had a knife to Lee Hyunsung and Lee Bok-sun's necks.

"H-hey?! Why all of a sudden... pffft...?!"

When his comrade suddenly vomited blood, a nearby Japanese approached him, only to also vomit blood from his mouth.

"D-damn it! Poison! That Joseon bastard used poison!!"

"Poison? For the likes of you?"

Park Jinwoo coldly looked down at the Japanese collapsing one by one, vomiting blood, and continued.

"Poison is a luxury for you. Die slowly, crushed."

"T-this crazy...! E-everyone retreat! Retreat! Tell the Bo— gah!!"

Eventually all the Japanese lay on the ground, vomiting blood and thrashing around like bugs as they slowly died.

Park Jinwoo, looking down at that scene, rested his chin in thought for a moment, then erased the pressure covering them.

"Changed my mind. This method is too easy a death for you, isn't it?"

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Ice handcuffs were fastened around the wrists and ankles of the Japanese collapsed on the ground, and ice chains wrapped around their necks.

Park Jinwoo pulled the ice chains on their necks and forced them up.

Then Park Jinwoo gestured in the air and pulled something out that he had purchased from the general store.

It was a pyeonggyoja, a type of open palanquin known to have been used since the Three Kingdoms period in Korea.

The pyeonggyoja—a type of palanquin without walls or a roof—was used by first-rank officials of the prime minister level. Park Jinwoo had purchased such a palanquin from the general store and taken it out.

Park Jinwoo set the pyeonggyoja on the ground, placed the unconscious Min Jiwon on it, put the miniaturized Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, Lee Hyunsung, and Lee Bok-sun on his shoulders, then climbed onto the pyeonggyoja and ordered the Japanese.

"Lift it."

The Japanese, enraged by Park Jinwoo's arrogant attitude, protested.

"D-don't be ridiculous!"

"Who would do such a humiliating thing?!"

"Yeah! Rather than carry your palanquin, I'd rather di—!"

Slash.

One finger of the Japanese who said he'd rather die was severed.

"Aaaargh!!"

The Japanese who lost a finger in an instant clutched his severed hand and screamed, and Park Jinwoo looked down at him and said,

"Shut up."

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Ice blades generated around Park Jinwoo flew at the Japanese who had said he'd rather die, severing his fingers one by one.

Finger, hand, elbow, then shoulder—his arm was severed in that order. The Japanese collapsed to the ground with a silent scream from the agony of his severed arm, and the other Japanese who watched from nearby stared blankly before looking at Park Jinwoo.

"Anyone else want their arm or leg cut off?"

Not wanting to end up like the one whose arm was just severed, the Japanese this time lifted the pyeonggyoja carrying Park Jinwoo and Min Jiwon without complaint.

"Walk toward your Boss."

"Damn i—"

Slash!

"Aaaargh?!!"

A Japanese whose back was cut by an ice blade from Park Jinwoo's Glacial Modeling screamed loudly.

"I said shut up, didn't I? There won't be a second time. Make noise one more time and I'll flay your skin and sprinkle salt on it. If you understand, start moving."

The Japanese carrying the pyeonggyoja eyed each other, made helpless expressions at the tyrant-like Park Jinwoo, then slowly began walking toward where their Boss was.

These fucking bastards only listen when you beat them with violence.

I sighed looking at the Japanese carefully carrying the palanquin while watching my mood.

Fuck. Of all things, they had to spout that crap at Min Jiwon and my cute Jihye, so my eyes rolled for a second.

I glared at the idiots trying to endure the pain of their arms and backs cut by the blades of Glacial Modeling I activated as they carried the palanquin.

"J-Jinwoo-ssi? How did you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get here...?"

Just then, Lee Hyunsung sitting on my shoulder spoke to me.

"I used a loophole to follow after. There was a high chance of failure, but fortunately it worked. Anyway, I'm glad I showed up at a good timing."

"Still, Oppa was cool just now? I saw you in a new light."

"Oppa has always been cool, Jihye-Jihye."

"Jinwoo hyung. Do you know where Dokja noona is?"

"No, I don't know either. Gilyoung, can you release some bugs to find her for me?"

"Yes! Leave it to me!"

While chatting briefly with Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, and Lee Gilyoung, tidying Min Jiwon's messy bangs as she rested her head on my shoulder, Grandma Lee Bok-sun spoke to me.

"Hehe. Young man, you were strong last time too, but you're really strong."

"You're too kind. I still have a long way to go."

While talking with the party, Lee Jihye looked up at me as if remembering something and asked.

"Wait. Oppa attacked those guys, so why didn't you get miniaturized?"

"Me? I don't get the penalty this time."

"What? What does that mean?"

"The <Star Stream> assigned me a special role, so even if I attack other incarnations, Miniaturization doesn't progress."

"What is that! That's broken?!"

Lee Jihye looked at me with envious eyes after hearing me, and the other party members also glared at me with the same envious eyes as Lee Jihye.

"Why? Jihye, want to temporarily go back to normal?"

"Huh? Is that possible?"

Lee Jihye tilted her head and asked.

"Of course it is."

I smirked and purchased an item from the Story Shop.

"I will purchase a Giant Mushroom from the Story Shop."

The item I just purchased was an item from a game called Mario.

If you eat this item, you temporarily grow giant. As far as I know, while giantized, you become invincible.

And if I feed this to my currently miniaturized comrades, they will temporarily return to their original bodies.

I handed Jihye a yellow mushroom with eyes and red patterns and said,

"Riding the palanquin is too slow too. I'll supply the water you need. Let's move with the Ghost Fleet, Jihye."

"...Ugh. This is that thing from that game, right? Oppa can buy all sorts of things."

"Well, yeah. So are you not going to eat it?"

"...Having eyes is kind of weird, but. I'll try eating it for now."

Lee Jihye looked at the eyed mushroom in her hand with a somewhat reluctant expression. But soon, she squeezed her eyes shut and took a bite of the mushroom's cap.

"...Surprisingly sweet, this mushroom?"

Zzt! Zzzt!

Soon, bright light sparkled over Lee Jihye's entire body as she sat on my shoulder. Then a tearing sound came from the scrap of cloth she was wearing as clothes because her body had shrunk.

...Oh no.

At the ominous sound from the scrap of cloth Lee Jihye was currently wearing, I lifted Lee Jihye's body, placed her in front of me, took off my subspace coat, and draped it over Lee Jihye's shoulders.

Eventually, Lee Jihye who had returned to her original body size lowered her head with a red face and hugged my coat draped over her shoulders as she muttered.

"...Th-thanks, Oppa."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. First time using this item so I didn't know there was that side effect. For now, go into My Room and change clothes."

After speaking, I put Lee Jihye into My Room.

A short while later, Lee Jihye who came out after changing clothes fluttered my subspace coat and opened her mouth.

"Oppa, this coat is awesome. It adjusts the size automatically, and the temperature is just right too?"

"That's SSS-rank, so yeah."

I ordered the Japanese carrying the palanquin to set it down and called Lee Jihye.

"Then let's start, Jihye."

"Oh!"

At Lee Jihye's cute battle cry, I smirked and activated a skill.

As I consumed mana, seawater overflowed from empty air, and soon the seawater gathered in one place by my gesture swayed as if about to flood.

"Jihye. Is this enough? We only need to summon one Ghost Fleet ship."

"Hmm. Should work. Then I'll summon the ship?"

A blue aurora briefly shimmered around Lee Jihye's body. Lee Jihye had activated her stigma.

A large water spout burst from the gathered water, and from there one Ghost Fleet ship appeared.

Carrying Min Jiwon on my back, putting a hand on Lee Jihye's waist, I kicked off the ground at a speed that wouldn't drop the party members on my shoulders and climbed onto the Ghost Fleet.

"Nice, nice. Captain. Where to?"

"What? I'm the captain?"

"This ship is yours, right? Then you're the captain."

"Hehe. Then we head to where that Japanese leader is! Park Jinwoo helmsman! Take the wheel!"

"Aye Aye, Sir!"

After briefly role-playing with Lee Jihye, I took the ship's wheel and steered the waters made by Black Tide Current to advance forward.

And when a commotion came from below, I listened carefully.

"W-wait! W-we're below! St-stop!!"

It was the Japanese's cries.

I smirked at them shouting for us to save them.

"What are they saying. Die, you bastards."

"Aaaaargh!!!"

Eventually—whether they were swept away by the seawater or died colliding with the ship—the Japanese's voices no longer came.

A fitting end for those who dared spout nonsense at the beautiful Min Jiwon and my cute little sister Lee Jihye.

"Who told them to spout that crap at our kids?"

Just then, indirect messages from the Constellations floated before my eyes.

"Welcome, Constellations. I just punched through space and came."

These bastards. I really did punch through space. Even when I tell the truth they don't believe me.

I ignored the Constellations continuing to send me indirect messages, steered the waters made by Black Tide Current, and leisurely headed toward the Boss's direction on the giant ghost ship.

Crunch! Crunch!

Of course, thanks to that, Peace Land's nature was being greatly damaged. But since no little people were getting hit, it should be fine.

......Probably.