Episode 7 – Landlord (4)
After the dokkaebi disappeared, dozens of casualties appeared on the platform of line 3.
Currently, there was only one room on the line 3 platform.
There was no one strong here, so the weak didn’t back down and attacked each other.
“Die! Die!”
[There are 30 minutes before the third scenario is activated.]
As pandemonium occurred around , I was quietly reading Ways of Survival. Perhaps today’s scenario would flow as I thought. In order to survive, I couldn’t miss a single word.
[What are you doing now?]
Along with Bihyung’s words, I could hear the ssages of the constellations.
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is wondering what you are doing.]
I reflexively turned off my smartphone. There was sothing I hadn’t thought of until now. Why didn’t the constellations respond when I read Ways of Survival?
In the original Ways of Survival, the constellations discovered that Yoo Jonghyuk was a regressor and raised questions about fairness. It was normal for them to say sothing about the text I was reading.
[What are you doing right now with a blank notepad? All the constellations are going crazy with frustration because of you!]
...Blank notepad?
I turned on the smartphone again. Ways of Destruction appeared on the screen.
“Is this what you are referring to?”
[Yes! What are you going to do with that notepad? You will die if you stay still! Ha, I believed in a guy like this and sighed a contract...]
I got goosebumps.
The dokkaebi couldn’t read this ‘text.’ If even the dokkaebis, which managed the system, couldn’t read it then the constellations were the sa.
Then the writer who gave the text...what type of existence was he?
“Kuaack!”
The last scream rang out. Finally, the owner of the room on platform line 3 was determined.
[Green Zone 1/1]
“...Don’t co any closer.”
A boy was pointing a knife at . Surprisingly, the winner was the boy who guided us earlier. I still didn’t know his na.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take your room.”
I spoke in order to reassure the boy. The mont I had this thought.
“Really? You are quite relaxed Ahjussi. Do you want to die?”
I didn’t need to look back to see who was talking.
“It looks like you are quite free.”
“Nobody touches my room. I will send everyone who touches it to hell.”
Lee Jihye twirled a deep blue blade round and round. In regards to specs, there was no one who could match Lee Jihye apart from Yoo Jonghyuk or people from the Landlord Alliance. Lee Jihye watched carefully and opened her mouth.
“I don’t want Ahjussi to die. You were quite impressive against Master earlier.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t die. It won’t die even if I don’t find a room.”
It was true. I wouldn’t necessarily die if I couldn’t find a room. There was an impossible man in this station who proved this. It was only three days ago.
Lee Jihye’s eyes narrowed.
“Ahjussi, do you know what you are saying right now?”
“Yes.”
“Ahjussi, are you strong? As strong as Master?”
Then Yoo Jonghyuk appeared behind Lee Jihye.
“Stop and go back to your room.”
“Ah...yup. Master.”
Lee Jihye obediently left and Yoo Jonghyuk turned towards .
“Are you going to fight the monsters?”
I shrugged.
“You will die. Your four companions as well.”
“That remains to be seen.”
There was an unknown emotion in Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes as he glanced at and left. I didn’t use Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. It wasn’t always possible to expression emotions with words.
[There are 20 minutes before the third scenario is activated.]
There was the sound of people coming down the stairs. Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah... looking at their dark expressions, the result was as I expected. Yoo Sangah opened her mouth with a gloomy expression.
“Room...there were non.:
“It is okay. Rather, where is Heewon-ssi?”
“She is trying to negotiate upstairs.”
At these words, Jung Heewon jumped down with a terrible scream.
“One night is 2,000 coins? Are they joking right now? I am really going to hit them.”
The agitated Jung Heewon snorted and said.
“Dokja-ssi. Do you know what is happening upstairs? No―”
“They suddenly raised the taxes right?”
“Eh...you already know?”
It was predictable. The tenants would die if they couldn’t get a room in 20 minutes. It was no wonder that the owners would take the initiative to raise the taxes.
“Did Dokja-ssi find anything?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Ah...”
I examined their faces one by one. In the end, the ti to choose had co.
“I have two ways.”
The eyes of the party mbers shone at these words. But my thods would probably betray their expectations.
“The first way is easy for all of us to live.”
Jung Heewon’s eyes narrowed.
“Usually it is the second thod... what is the other one?”
“The second thod is very difficult. It is likely that so of us will die.”
“Eh...that can’t happen. Then I will choose the first way.”
“What do the others think?”
Lee Hyunsung responded first.
“The first thod will be good if everyone can live.”
Lee Gilyoung nodded. Only Yoo Sangah hesitated.
“...Can I hear what it is?”
I nodded and lead them up the stairs to transit line 4.
“This is the first thod.”
The party mbers looked at where I pointed. There was a group of five n and won shaking.
[Green Zone 5/5]
“They room they occupy has exactly five spaces. But their individual abilities isn’t that high. Honestly, if the five of us...”
“Wait, Dokja-ssi―”
“Yes, kill them and take their room.”
Their trembling increased at my calm voice. Jung Heewon made a deeply wounded expression.
“...Who doesn’t know about this thod?”
“If Hyung says so, I can do it.”
Lee Gilyoung spoke first.
“I’m not afraid. I will do it.”
“No Gilyoung!”
Yoo Sangah grabbed Lee Gilyoung’s shoulder. I deliberately looked uncaring.
“They would’ve also killed soone to take that room. Honestly, we can’t overco future scenarios if we can’t do this.”
“Dokja-ssi.” Jung Heewon interrupted. “I killed people at Gumho Station. I killed because I wanted to and I don’t regret it. But.”
Jung Heewon had a pained expression on her face.
“Just because I am a murderer doesn’t an I want to keep killing. I don’t want to be a monster.
“...”
“...Dokja-ssi, I would like to know about the second thod.”
I closed my eyes for a mont at Lee Hyunsung’s words.
“I understand your thoughts.”
Yes, this was enough.
“Let’s go the second way.”
The expressions of the party mbers seed to brighten. In fact, I was going to use the second thod from the beginning.
Killing was an easy way to survive, but I could never attract the attention of the constellations if I chose the easy thod.
However, the second thod required considerable determination. It wasn’t just but everyone. Thus, I needed to check their determination. I had to know what these people were really thinking.
Jung Heewon laughed.
“...I thought so. Why are you talking when you were going to go with the second way?”
“I wasn’t trying to test you. Whatever choice you made, I would’ve respected it.”
I stroked Lee Gilyoung’s head, who was looking up at with uneasy eyes. Yoo Sangah sighed and opened her mouth.
“Dokja-ssi is really spiteful.”
“I’m sorry I’m not a good person.”
“What is the second thod?”
“There is no need to kill anybody with this thod. But it is very difficult.”
At my heavy tone, the expressions of the party mbers beca determined.
“If you choose the second thod, please unconditionally follow my instructions. Please trust , even if it doesn’t make sense. If one person doesn’t trust ―”
“...”
“We will all die.”
Soone gulped. The party mbers nodded almost simultaneously. Lee Hyunsung said.
“I believe in Dokja-ssi. I have survived up to here because of Dokja-ssi.”
[There are 5 minutes before the third scenario is activated.]
“Then follow .”
I moved with the party mbers along railway line 3. We passed through the broken screen door and stood at the entrance of the tunnel leading to Euljiro-3.
Inside the dark tunnel, I saw a glowing ‘red zone.’ Perhaps the monsters would be created over there. They would sweep over line 3 and go up each floor towards the ground.
Lee Hyunsung asked nervously.
“...Then are we fighting the monsters here?”
“No, we aren’t fighting. If we fight here then we will die.”
It wasn’t possible to fight against the terrifying monsters and survive until dawn without the green zone.
This ti, Jung Heewon asked.
“...Then will we run towards the Dongdae area?”
“That won’t work. Once the scenario is activated, we will automatically die if we leave Chungmuro.”
“Then...”
“This operation needs to be shared. Lee Hyunsung-ssi, Yoo Sangah-ssi and Jung Heewon-ssi. Once the monsters appear, run straight in the direction they are coming from.”
“...Huh?”
“Understood? Just run towards them. Just before you encounter them, be sure to look at the left wall. Then you will know that I an.”
The people didn’t understand my words but there was no ti to explain to them.
“Just trust or you will die. Don’t forget to look at the left wall.”
“I understand Dokja-ssi.” Yoo Sangah seed to understand what I ant and answered first.
“I am telling you in person. You must run after the monster appears.”
I picked up a stone and threw it towards the tunnel. Then stone sparked as it hit sothing and fell. Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon nodded as if they understood.
“What about Dokja-ssi?”
“I’ll find another way with Gilyoung.”
This thod couldn’t be used unless my party mbers believed in . Who would go against common sense and commit a suicide attack by rushing towards the monsters?
The only thing left was their determination.
[The third main scenario is enabled.]
The barrier that was blocking the tunnel to Euljiro-3 disappeared.
“Run!”
The three people started running the mont I called out.
Grrr!
The monsters started to be created in the red zone. It was mainly the grade 9 ground rats. Then the middle ranks were filled with the interdiate grade 9 underground species, the ‘groll.’
Kuooooh!
A monster with a black mane that was in the shape of a bear. The sharp horns on their foreheads was threatening.
One was relatively easy to deal with. The problem was the number. The crowded columns was already not suitable to be called a ‘group.’ We would die if we hit that wave.
The mont Lee Hyunsung encountered the first groll, I shouted.
“Now!”
Yoo Sangah found it first. Green tiles shimring on the wall.
“Ah―!”
The enlightennt was instant The mont Yoo Sangah’s hand touched the wall, it emitted a bright light.
[Green Zone 1/3]
The agile Jung Heewon imdiately touched the wall behind her.
[Green Zone 2/3]
However, Lee Hyunsung missed the timing. It was because the ground rats clung to Lee Hyunsung’s shield.
“Hyunsung-ssi! Catch it!”
Lee Hyunsung grabbed the ‘thread’ that Yoo Sangah threw him. Thanks to the strength of the two won, Lee Hyunsung flew through the air and reached the wall.
[Green Zone 3/3]
Good.
Grrrrrrr!
The monsters stared at them but once they entered the green zones, the monsters couldn’t attack.
“Dokja-ssi!”
Yoo Sangah called out to but there was no ti to look back. I was already running with Lee Gilyoung on my back.
「 ...In the third main scenario, there are several hidden green zones. This is activated on a specific wall and the green zones on the wall won’t appear until after the scenario starts... if you think about it, humans were the ones who thought of it as the concept of a ‘room’. 」
In Ways of Survival, Yoo Jonghyuk went through nurous regressions and found so secret green zones in Chungmuro.
On the platform of line 3, there were two such green zones.
Kiiiiit!
A few ground rats chasing after bit in the thigh. The blow wasn’t big because of my high strength, but these small things could accumulate.
Kwack!
Lee Gilyoung hit a few ground rats with a blunt weapon from his position on my back. But there were too many of them. In addition, the groll were fast.
A dozen tres away, the boy was looking at with terrified eyes.
[Green Zone 1/1]
It was cowardly but I was tempted to take the easy road for a second.
[Hahahaha! This situation is fun. Then like yesterday, should there be a penalty?]
A dokkaebi spoke followed by the system ssages.
[A scenario penalty has been added!]
[So existing green zones will be disabled.]
“N-No! Uack, aaaaack!”
Screams rang through Chungmuro Station. The closest scream ca from the boy.
Kwajijijik!
“Aaaaack!”
As soon as the green zone disappeared, the boy’s small body was shredded by the ground rats.
Thanks to the boy’s body buying ti, I was able to run into the passage. However, the monsters that ca from beyond the broken screen door blocked the path.
I hid Lee Gilyoung behind and pulled out Unbroken Faith. The blade of White Pure Star Energy quickly pushed back the incoming monsters.
But the numbers didn’t go down at all. The person who fought with these monsters until sunrise, Yoo Jonghyuk was a monster. I wasn’t sure it was possible for , even if I changed all my coins to stats.
At this mont, Lee Gilyoung spoke.
“Hyung, you know.”
“Don’t talk now. I’m busy.”
“You can just leave here.”
“...What?”
“I really don’t understand it. Why are you helping , Hyunsung hyung and the noonas? If you are alone... you would be able to survive better.”
He could calmly speak such words before his death. Maybe this kid’s mind was already dead.
“Yes, you are right.” Another ground rat fell to the ground with its head cut off. “It is comfortable to live alone, eat alone and survive alone. But...”
Why was I acting this way? If anyone asked , I couldn’t exactly explain. But I could say one thing with certainty.
“I know one novel that developed in such a way and was ruined.”
“Huh?”
I thought it every ti but I wasn’t a protagonist. I wouldn’t be a hero or a savior. But...
Lee Gilyoung’s eyes were shaking. I lifted him onto my back again and said.
“Hold on tight.”
I wouldn’t let Lee Gilyoung die. At least, not today.
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