Dark History
That sensation I was starting to grow used to.
Feeling my consciousness surface once more, I lifted eyelids that had been sealed shut.
“Ugh…”
My entire body ached.
Apparently the last knight had seized control of me and put me through the wringer.
But… what was supporting me…
“…”
“…”
Dokja, face flushed bright red, was holding me up.
The moment he confirmed I was conscious, he turned his head away.
“Uh… Hayeon-ssi? Earlier, what on earth…”
“…What exactly did I do?”
“Well…”
I heard the full story from Jung Heewon.
A parade of dark history so mortifying I could barely listen while sober.
Of course none of those actions had truly been mine—yet if you looked closely enough, they had been mine, and I couldn’t bring myself to lift my head.
Kill the sea!
My rabbit… was still alive here after all…
I wanted nothing more than to dive under a blanket and thrash around a few thousand times; my face burned scarlet.
“Kuaaah…”
“Um… personally, I thought it was pretty cool…”
Lee Hyunsung’s attempt at comfort—which was anything but—made my hands and feet curl in secondhand embarrassment.
“…How long are we going to stay like this?”
“D-Dokja. I’m really sorry, but I can’t move right now. So…”
Even though I hadn’t finished the sentence, Dokja seemed to know exactly what was coming; his face turned an even deeper red.
Watching him flush so hard I half-expected smoke to pour from his head, I simply let the strength drain from my body.
“…!”
Honestly, I was in terrible shape.
Just tensing a muscle sent pain lancing through me. There was no way I could move under my own power.
“…Are you two seriously going to keep flaunting your couple status like that?”
“H-Heewon-ssi?!”
“What? I’m just saying what’s true. Earlier and now—are you two teasing the single people on purpose?”
“Ahaha…”
Faced with Jung Heewon’s irrefutable jab, I answered with a laugh.
I wouldn’t deny it anymore. I liked Dokja.
Not as one person likes another person—romantically.
But even if that were true of me, it was hard to believe Dokja felt the same.
So I had tried not to show it, tried to hide it, but…
“Heewon-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Right now, how do we look to you?”
“How do you look? Like a couple dripping with honey, obviously.”
“Earlier too—are you two really dating?”
At Jung Heewon’s words, Dokja lowered his head.
…I’d like to, actually.
“Huh? What was that?”
“Nothing.”
Jung Heewon gave me a suspicious look.
No one else seemed to have caught my mutter—except the person currently supporting me.
“…”
Dokja, still unable to look at my face while holding me up.
“You heard that, right?”
He flinched—
Watching him turn toward me with a rusty, creaking motion, I couldn’t help the smile that slipped out.
“You don’t have to answer now. But… next time, give me a proper reply.”
Dokja slowly nodded.
That alone was enough.
A considerable number of Constellations who enjoy romance are thoroughly delighted by this situation.
Constellation, ‘The Courage That Protects’, wishes to cross blades with you.
Constellation, ‘Black Grade-9 Fixer’, recalls a bitter past.
Constellation, ‘Clock-Headed Administrator’, ticks.
Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, applauds your courage.
Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’, shows interest in your mysterious power.
Crack—
Just as the warm atmosphere was settling in, sparks crackled through the air once more.
And the mid-rank dokkaebi reappeared.
“There was a slight friction, so the reward settlement was delayed. My apologies.”
“Though late, I will now distribute the rewards.”
You have obtained 3,000 Coins as a Hidden Scenario clear reward.
You have obtained 15,000 Coins as a first-kill reward for a Grade-5 Fire Dragon species.
For being the first to slay a Lesser Dragon, you have received the ‘Protective Talisman of the Imuntaar Race’.
Henceforth, you will receive the goodwill of all Imuntaar species.
Quite a satisfying haul.
But the dokkaebi apparently had no intention of stopping there.
“However, thanks to all of you performing a little too well, a problem has arisen with the scenario.”
“After discussion at the Bureau, it was determined that the average skill level of the incarnations in this region is not appropriate for the scenario difficulty.”
“Therefore, by my discretionary judgment, I hereby announce that the difficulty of this region has been arbitrarily adjusted.”
Life.
The time limit for the Fourth Scenario has been drastically reduced.
48 hours remaining until the end of the Fourth Scenario.
Any groups or group members who have not occupied a target station within the next 48 hours will all die.
“Yoo Sangah-ssi?! What on earth happened here?”
After obtaining Ignir’s core from the corner of Anguk Station, we returned to Chungmuro.
But what greeted us upon our return to base was a half-destroyed Chungmuro in utter ruin.
“Th-that…!”
Where Jung Minseop pointed with a trembling hand, countless heads were displayed along the tracks, severed at the neck.
What a truly vile sense of aesthetics.
“Where’s Yoo Joonghyuk?”
Roll—
A single head came tumbling from the far side of the tracks.
And the one who had created this spectacle, Yoo Joonghyuk herself, was walking toward us as well.
“So it was you! The bastard who ruined all my plans!”
Whoa—startled me.
Even with only a severed head rolling around, the thing was still talking; it looked even more grotesque than I’d expected.
“Wow, I was genuinely impressed. Not only did you impersonate Yoo Joonghyuk, you wiped out the apostles and even stole the dragon…”
“You. What the hell are you?”
But that mouth of his was getting a little too cocky, wasn’t it?
“Identity Equipment.”
Mental strength is below the required threshold! Equipping an Identity in this state carries a risk of erosion!
Mental Strength: -30
“Tch…”
Looks like my mental strength was still taking a hit.
If I forced an Identity on now, I’d just go berserk again and end up attacking my own companions.
“Sangah-ssi, please look after Hayeon.”
“Ah, yes.”
Leaving me with Yoo Sangah, Dokja headed down onto the tracks.
“Haa…”
“…Hayeon-ssi.”
Turning toward the voice, I found Yoo Sangah supporting me with a worried expression.
“What is it, Sangah-ssi?”
“Did you… get hurt again?”
“…Yes.”
I admitted it cleanly.
There was no point claiming I was fine while being held up like this; I knew it wouldn’t fly, so I simply agreed with her.
But at my words, Yoo Sangah’s face crumpled once more.
“Again… you threw yourself in without a thought for yourself, didn’t you.”
“W-what are you talking about… h-haha…”
Honestly, I hadn’t seen that one coming.
“And I… once again couldn’t do a thing…”
“Sangah-ssi, you were commanding people at the station. It couldn’t be helped.”
“But…!”
I placed a finger against Yoo Sangah’s lips.
I already knew what she was about to say.
The half-ruined Chungmuro, the injured people, and those who had died even under her command.
But.
“Sangah-ssi. There’s no such thing as perfection in this world. Everyone fails. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“And those things stand out even more when the situation hits you out of nowhere.”
“…”
I lifted my finger from her lips.
“Doing your best in the circumstances you’re given. That’s enough.”
“Hayeon-ssi…”
“Sangah-ssi—did you do your best?”
At my question she briefly lowered her head, then lifted it again with tears welling in her eyes.
Yet contrary to the tears, a smile was forming at the corners of her mouth.
“Yes. I did my best.”
“Then that’s enough.”
I raised my right arm and wiped away Yoo Sangah’s tears.
And Yoo Sangah, smiling brightly now that the tears were gone, looked a little lighter.