Sponsor Selection
— Choose your sponsor.
— The constellation you select will become your steadfast backer.
1. Abyssal Black Flame Dragon
2. Demon-like Judge of Fire
3. One Who Oxidized into Light
4. Librarian of the Library
5. Clock-headed Manager
…Those names were way too easy to figure out.
I skipped right past the first two. I already knew who they were, and I wasn’t picking them anyway.
The real problem was the rest.
Honestly, at this point they might as well have been advertising their identities out loud.
One Who Oxidized into Light. The strongest candidate was Ayin.
In Lobotomy Corporation’s ending, Ayin oxidized into light and scattered across every corner of the City.
If I had to force another possibility, there was Carmen—but she had become the Bucket and dissolved into light as the Cogito. Calling that “oxidizing into light” was a stretch.
Librarian of the Library. The Library had plenty of librarians, sure… but if I was being honest, it had to be Angela.
Everyone else already had far more fitting epithets.
And finally, Clock-headed Manager.
Anyone with eyes could tell that was Dante. The only clock-headed manager I knew was Dante.
The real question was why any of them were here as Constellations in the first place.
Constellations were beings who had taken their seats among the stars recognized by the Star Stream.
In the Project Moon universe there was no Star Stream—hell, there weren’t even Dokkaebi. So how were characters from that world sitting here as Constellations?
I racked my brain, but no clean answer presented itself.
While I was still turning it over, the selection window vanished.
Sponsor selection has ended.
“All right, all right, everyone. Finished?”
“Oh? Haha. Well now…”
“Some of you made some very interesting choices.”
“That’s fine. There’ll be more chances, after all.”
The Dokkaebi said as much, told us to meet again in ten minutes, and vanished once more.
I’ll deal with you later.
“Everyone, gather up.”
Kim Dokja called the survivors together and they began introducing themselves.
Should I go over and introduce myself too?
Honestly, it felt awkward. I’d only ever thought of Kim Dokja as a man, so standing in front of the woman version of her left me with a strange feeling.
All-boys middle school, all-boys high school, then military service—women were always going to be difficult for someone like me.
While I was still stuck in that spiral, Kim Dokja had already walked right up to me.
“Um…”
“Y-yes?”
“You cleared the scenario as well, right?”
“…More or less. If I hadn’t, I’d be dead.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Dokja.”
“Ah, right. W Corp. Grade 3 Clean— wait, no, that’s not it.”
“Excuse me…? W… what?”
“Nothing. Park Hayeon. Just call me whatever’s comfortable.”
I held out my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. Dokja eyed me with open suspicion before reluctantly taking it.
“Hayeon-ssi, you understand the situation we’re in, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a rough idea.”
“Then what should we do now?”
“Do you have a suggestion, Dokja-ssi?”
“We need to get out of here.”
That single sentence left everyone looking like they’d been hit with a brick.
Hard to blame them. Suggesting we walk straight out into a river full of sea dragons made her sound completely insane.
Boom—!
The uneasy muttering died instantly under a massive crash from the next car.
Right. That bastard was still there.
“…We have to leave right now.”
“What? But—”
“If we don’t get out this second,”
“we’ll all be dead before the next scenario even arrives.”
No one argued after that. They scrambled for any door that looked like it might open. The subway, however, stayed stubbornly sealed, as if daring them to stay put.
But thinking about it… nobody ever said we had to open them the normal way.
“Dokja-ssi.”
“What is it, Hayeon-ssi?”
“These doors. Is there a rule against breaking them?”
“Huh? Well… there’s no rule against it, but our stats still—”
I stopped listening and walked straight up to one of the doors.
If there was no actual problem, then smashing it was fair game.
Slash—!
“…That actually worked?”
Two clean sword scars were left in the subway door. One solid kick later and the whole thing shattered like a cheap wooden board.
“Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
The group leapt out of the train and ran for their lives.
And waiting for us was the Dokkaebi.
“I knew this would happen…”
“I told you earlier, didn’t I? Don’t go anywhere.”
“Damn it! The scenario isn’t even ready yet—”
Every time that thing opened its mouth I wanted to punch it.
“Haa… well, nothing for it.”
“You humans really are lucky.”
It flicked its fingers, and a blue window bloomed in front of us.
The second scenario has arrived.
Category: Sub
Difficulty: E
Clear Condition: Cross the broken bridge and enter Oksu Station.
Time Limit: 20 minutes
Reward: 200C
Failure: ???
“Dokja-ssi, something’s wrong.”
“It says ‘broken bridge,’ but the bridge is still—”
“Don’t think about it, just run! Faster!”
Yoo Sangah was right. The bridge was still intact, and we were already sprinting across it. But the moment a scenario named it, the bridge was going to break.
“Uwaah, what the hell is that?!”
Han Myungoh’s scream came just as a massive sea dragon surged up from the river and lunged toward the bridge.
If we kept running we might still make it—
“A game’s no fun if it’s too easy, right?”
…My life.
“Just running away is boring, isn’t it?”
“Let’s set the mood a little!”
Scenario difficulty has been adjusted.
Difficulty: E → D
The lingering thoughts of the dead return.
The surrounding earth fills with black ether.
The Demonic Humans have awakened!
The corpses around us began to move.
Lee Gilyoung and Lee Hyunsung had already made it into Oksu Station. But the Demonic Humans pinned me, Kim Dokja, Yoo Sangah, and Han Myungoh in place—and in that window the sea dragon smashed the bridge to pieces.
A massive shockwave threw me backward. When I opened my eyes again the bridge was already a wreck.
“Shit…”
“Dokja-ssi! Are you okay?! Dokja-ssi!”
Yoo Sangah called out frantically. Kim Dokja staggered to her feet, still reeling from the impact, then froze when she saw the shattered bridge.
Lee Gilyoung and Lee Hyunsung were already in the safe zone, so they were fine. The problem was our side.
Someone has received a Constellation’s blessing.
By the Constellation’s blessing, ‘Deus Ex Machina’ activates within the scenario.
Light bloomed from the broken bridge, knitting the two halves back together.
Yoo Sangah’s blessing—the Even Bridge. True to its name, only an even number of people could cross it.
Dokja was still staring blankly at the miracle when a Demonic Human lunged from behind. She barely twisted out of the way.
“Dokja-ssi!”
Kim Namwoon—now a Demonic Human—came at her again.
“Step back.”
“Hayeon-ssi?!”
I intercepted the attack and covered her. The hit was heavy… but still light enough for me right now.
Thud—!
“Grrrr…”
“Completely turned into a beast, huh.”
“Yoo Sangah-ssi, right now—!”
Dokja’s words were wasted. Han Myungoh, who had been leaning on Yoo Sangah a second ago, had already scooped her up and was preparing to bolt across the bridge.
I’m killing that bastard later.
“Let go of me! Put me down!”
“Dokja-ssi! Hayeon-ssi!”
Han Myungoh sprinted across the bridge at a speed that honestly impressed even me.
Constellation, ‘Secretive Plotter,’ admires your sucker energy!
Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire,’ is moved by your spirit of sacrifice!
Constellation, ‘One Who Oxidized into Light,’ shakes their head.
You have received 200 coins.
“Haa… fuck.”
“Gwooooar!”
Kim Dokja and I kept cutting down the swarming Demonic Humans while slowly giving ground toward the bridge.
“Dokja-ssi. Shouldn’t we just cross first?”
“We can’t. If those Demonic Humans count as people, the bridge will drop us the moment we step on it.”
“So we clear every last one of them first? We’re almost out of time.”
Dokja stared at the horde with a troubled expression, then suddenly turned and muttered something under her breath.
“Activate Bookmark Number One.”
“?!”
Black energy erupted from her body. In the next instant she carved Kim Namwoon apart.
So that’s a Bookmark…
Almost immediately a thunderous roar rose from the train we had left behind, followed by wet, bone-chilling sounds from the Demonic Humans’ side.
Crunch—
Crack—!
Snap—!
“…Finally showed up.”
And the person who stepped through the Demonic Humans, long black hair streaming behind them as they walked, was…
…a woman?