"I think I discovered something important," Huang announced.
"Important enough to make a big deal out of it, but not enough that you refused to tell me first because you were 'too lazy' to explain it a second time to Zhou?" Amanises stared at Huang, unimpressed.
"Exactly. Anyway, earlier on the bridge when I was carrying Gilyoung across, I used Mystical Re-enactment to teleport him across to safety."
"What's so special about that? We both know you gained some extra abilities after switching pathways." Zhou remarked.
"I'm getting there man, patience. I used Ball of Yarn to teleport the kid across. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. I knew we were limiting our use of abilities to avoid suspicion from the constellations, but it seems that ability attracted some very specific attention."
"You already attracted the attention of the constellations and you decided to wait before telling me that?" Amanises raised her voice angrily.
Huang ignored her and continued on, "As you know, Mystical Re-enactment draws power from both mysticism knowledge, and stories like fairytales. Ball of Yarn specifically draws power from Ariadne's Thread which stems from Greek mythology and Olympus."
"What are you trying to get at here?"
"We know more about these constellations than we thought."
"What?" Zhou and Amanises questioned in unison.
"The constellations are figures from history! When I used Ariadne's Thread, a bunch of messages poured in from an 'Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth' about how I was using 'her' thread. That is very clearly Ariadne, if that wasn't enough proof, right after I got another message saying that the nebula 'Olympus' is paying close attention to me."
Zhou and Amanises stared at each other for a moment before looking back and Huang who had a smug look on his face.
"I can't believe you actually did something useful with that brain of yours for once."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I did many great things back in our world to shape history!"
"Yeah, by plagiarizing everything from our home world." Amanises laughed. "Don't think I wasn't watching you every step of the way on your journey. I saw everything you did."
"Ok, I think we are getting off topic here." Huang tried to bring the conversation back in.
"Agreed. By the way, I noticed something earlier as well, and I'm thinking Amanises did too. And seeing how you are acting about all this news, it seems that you haven't, or couldn't notice." Zhou said with a cheeky grin as he saw Amanises crack a smile as well.
"Huh? What are you on about?"
"Well you see, it seems that Amanises and I are also considered 'figures of history' according to this system."
"Wait, what? What do you mean by- wait a minute…you guys are both constellations?"
"And it seems you are not, judging from that reaction." Amanises could no longer contain her laughter.
"This is bullshit! What do you mean you guys are constellations but I'm not? I had much more influence over history than this guy! I changed history and ushered in the age of steam and machinery! And you're telling me that you are a constellation but not me? Who made this system? They must be brain-dead if they think I'm not a constellation!"
As Huang continued to mouth off about the 'injustice' of the system, they noticed Cheon Inho walking in their direction. Of course, he wouldn't be able to see them since they were under Concealment, but if he was headed in this direction then that could only mean they were after the ones sleeping.
"This guy is just asking for more problems," Huang sighed as the three beyonders stood up and approached him.
"Are you looking for something?" Huang scratched the back of his head as he spoke.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I was looking for you. I was hoping to have a discussion about you three joining the mainstream group. I know you already refused before, but I urge you to think about it and reconsider. We will be able to help each other much more easily if you join us. Cheon Inho said with a smile.
It doesn't take a spectator to see through that fake smile, Zhou thought as he politely turned down the offer once more.
"I don't think you understand. There will be quite a few problems if you don't join." Cheon Inho insisted.
"No, I don't think you understand buddy. No means no, now fuck off!" Huang spat.
"You will come to regret this, don't say I didn't warn you."
Amanises had to hold back Huang as Cheon Inho walked away.
"Why aren't we killing the bastard right now?"
"If we remove him now, this place falls into shambles. Like it or not, he's still bringing in food and supplies for everyone. Even if he is doing a poor job at managing the station, things will be worse without him. Give it time. Once the three of us stabilize the situation here, then we can deal with him. " Amanises explained.
Huang let out an annoyed sigh as the three beyonders sat back down. They continued to watch over night easily seeing as sleep is no longer a necessity for them.
Over the next couple of days, Zhou began searching above the surface for food and supplies while the other two took care of the ones in the station. With the efficiency of Travelling and Divination, there was enough food coming in for most of the station, much to the displeasure of Cheon Inho.
With the beyonders supplying the station with adequate food, Cheon's grasp on the people was slipping. He still had quite a bit of influence, especially with those who were desperate or still wanted more, but the number of marginalized members joining the search parties was dwindling.
Cheon Inho caused a few problems here and there, but has yet to make any major moves against the beyonders and the group. Any time he tried to act, he would suddenly find himself staring off in the distance, as if he had just forgotten about what he was about to do.
…
Dokja had finally made his way to Guemho Station with a couple of bags of supplies in his hand as well as a woman thrown over his shoulders. He had just walked into the main area of the station where everyone was staying when he heard a familiar voice call out.
"Oh my god. Dokja-ssi! Dokja-ssi!"
Yoo Sangah ran up to greet Dokja before noticing the person he was carrying and the condition she was in. She took the woman and brought her over to the side to treat her as the others came over.
You're alive!" Lee Gilyoung came running up before hugging his legs.
"Have you been well?"
Lee Gilyoung nodded. He seemed to be doing pretty well considering the situation. As a matter of fact, everyone here seems pretty well fed, Dokja thought as he looked around at everyone.
I knew you were alive, Dokja-ssi. Hah…" Lee Hyunsung greeted with a sheepish smile. "I'm really sorry. At that time, I left Dokja-ssi…"
"It was an unavoidable situation."
"Phew, I'm glad that Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi and Amanises-ssi were right."
Dokja gave a confused look before asking, "Where are they right now?"
"That grumpy bastard ran off to the next scenario. He seemed pretty upset none of us would go with him." Kim Namwoon sauntered over, "But everyone here insisted on waiting for you and Zhou-ssi."
Makes sense why he would be upset. To Yoo Joonghuk, it appears as if I stole the loyalty of his previous companions. Wait… "Zhou-ssi?"
"Yup, that guy ran off somewhere to gather supplies. But he came back a couple of days ago. He's in the back with his friends."
Dokja followed Kim Namwoon as he led him to the three foreigners. He spotted Amanises and Huang first before noticing Zhou further away. He went to approach before freezing in place, his gaze locked onto a young girl walking beside Zhou.
The Disaster of Floods, Shin Yoosung? What is she doing here? She shouldn't be here at this point. Dokja regained his composure as he continued towards Zhou and the others.
"Hey, you're finally here!" Huang was the first to notice Dokja's arrival.
"Hello Huang-ssi, Amanises-ssi, Zhou-ssi. And who is this?" Dokja gestured towards Shin Yoosung who was still standing next to Zhou.
"Good to see you are back Dokja-ssi. This is Shin Yoosung. I found her when I was out searching for supplies and brought her back with me."
"Is this the Ajhussi you said you were waiting for?" Shin Yoosung looked up to Zhou for confirmation.
"Yup, that's him," Zhou said with a smile as he patted her on the head.
He found her when searching for supplies? The two of them look so close. I remember what Shin Yoosung went through at the beginning of the scenarios. If Zhou-ssi really came across her during those times, it would explain why she latched onto him so fast. He really is a good guy. It seems they've also taken care of the rest of the group while I was gone. Dokja smiled at the girl, "Hello Yoosung, it's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too! Ahjussi told me all about you. He said that you helped deal with a bunch of scary monsters and that you were strong and very brave. And that you cared for everyone here which is why they decided to wait here for you instead of following the grumpy man."
Zhou said all that? Dokja looked to Zhou as he nodded his head.
"Well, now that we are all here I suppose it's time to head out," Huang sat up from his seat as he started collecting some things around the area.
"Wait, who's in charge of the station here?" Dokja received a curious look from Zhou before he responded.
"A guy named Cheon Inho here manages the survivors. He was causing quite the commotion because I had been bringing in enough food for most people here at the station and it seemed to undermine his influence."
'Cheon Inho? I feel like I know that name…right! He's a manipulator who preys on the innocent to get strong. He's supposed to be killed by Yoo Joonghyuk already. Why is he still alive? Has the butterfly effect already started?' Dokja looked at Zhou curiously before asking, "Is he still causing problems?"
"Not sure. He hasn't done anything major just yet, but you never know with that guy," Zhou shrugged.
"Hmm. Well I would love to get going, but I came here with someone injured and I don't want to leave her behind," Dokja said as the rest of the group came over, with the addition of the injured lady who was leaning on Yoo Sangah.
"Thank you for saving me, but you don't need to worry about me. I'll be just fine." The lady smiled at Dokja, "My name is Jung Heewon."
"You're still hurt, you won't be able to keep up and I don't want to leave you here alone."
"That won't be a problem," Zhou said as he pulled out a paper shaped like a human. "Do you mind?"
'What is he doing?' Dokja watched curiously as Zhou approached Jung Heewon and extended his hands with the paper figurine. Jung Heewon hesitated for a moment before looking towards Yoo Sangah who gave an approving nod.
"Ok," Jung Heewon agreed as Zhou held the paper at her side before swiping with the other hand. The paper figurine instantly crumbled into dust as Jung Heewon blinked a few times before standing upright, letting go of Yoo Sangah.
What? Dokja stared dumbfounded at the scene that had just played out in front of him. Zhou had healed Jung Heewon instantly using a piece of paper.
"What the…I feel much better!" Jung Heewon exclaimed as she looked up at Zhou with widened eyes and a bright smile, "Thank you! Uh, sorry, I don't think I caught your name…"
"The name is Zhou Mingrui," he said with a bow. "And don't worry about it. I've done this for many people here who needed it."
"Well, thank you again Zhou-ssi. Are you guys preparing to go somewhere?"
"Yup, we were waiting on Dokja-ssi here to show up before-" Huang finished collecting his things and wandered over to the rest of the group before a flash in the air interrupted him and drew the attention of everyone in the station.
[H-how are you all doing? Haven't you been free for a while?]
A dokkaebi, different than the one who was managing the other scenarios appeared with the flash of light and continued to speak in a timid voice.
[M-My friend who was originally in charge of this channel is undergoing disciplinary action… S-So, I am responsible for this scenario.]
[T-Then everyone. D-Don't you look very peaceful? T-That Bihyung, he pretended to be pretentious only to set this level of scenario difficulty…]
Great, right as I arrive. Can't I get even a moment to rest? Dokja complained as the dokkaebi removed all the food stockpiles and added a scenario penalty before disappearing.
…
Really? What was all that effort for? Zhou mourned the loss of the food piles that he painstakingly collected for the station.
Panic spread throughout the station as Cheon Inho took this opportunity to seize control of the situation. Now that the food was gone, he could use the panic and fear to gain power once again.
"Everyone, gather around. I will give you an emergency notice. " He found a bench to stand on to gather everyone's attention. "We won't distribute food to anyone who doesn't participate as scouts."
Despite the hardline declaration, there was no backlash from the citizens. No, they couldn't. It was an inevitable result in this situation. The people noticed it and volunteered to be scouts one by one. The food had disappeared but hope remained on Cheon Inho's face. As the situation became worse, more control was passed onto the mainstream group.
Even the beyonders couldn't argue against it. They have who they were waiting for, and now they don't have time to babysit everyone here. Plus, they need to worry about themselves first. Of course, food is optional once you reach above an angel, unfortunately the same can not be said for Dokja and the others.
"What now?" Lee Hyunsung asked in a concerned manner.
"Of course, we have to go and get food," Dokja spoke up, addressing the group.
"I can tell you right now we won't find anything above ground unless we travel far, which won't be possible with a group of this size." Zhou said with a sigh.
"That's why we won't be going above ground. This world has changed, and so has the food."
There were a few looks of confusion throughout the group before Yoo Sangah seemed to realize something and ask. "Wait, don't tell me…"
"That's right!" Dokja exclaimed. "We will hunt monsters."
He's confident in his idea. He wouldn't be risking everyone here otherwise if he weren't sure that this would work. This pretty much confirms that he has information about this world that shouldn't be known to anyone at this point. Zhou studied the look on Dokja's face as he explained to the rest of the group that they would enter the railway track to hunt monsters.
Everyone gathered their things and hopped down onto the track, prepared to embark through the tunnels in search of food. Before they had a chance to leave, Cheon Inho approached them with a few members behind him.
"Thank you so much for searching for food. If it's not too much trouble, could you take along one of my members? I want to get some information on the attack."
Cheon Inho gestured over at Han Myungoh as he startled and asked, "Me? I-I have to go with them?"
He's just trying to keep tabs on us. I guess if anyone is to tag along it's this guy. I know he's not a threat so he shouldn't cause any problems. Zhou watched Han Myungoh jump down onto the tracks as their party began to walk down the tunnel.
Dokja took the lead with Jung Heewon and Lee Hunsung by his side. Yoo Sangah and Han Myungoh stayed in the middle with the two children while Kim Namwoon trailed off to the side. The tree beyonders decided to follow not too far behind to keep an eye on everyone and monitor incoming threats.
Dokja came to them beforehand and said that he wanted to use this hunting trip to give the others some experience and asked them not to intervene much and only act as a safety net in case anything went wrong.
As they were walking through the dark tunnels, Lee Hyunsung took his time to fill in Dokja about all that he missed, as well as getting Jung Heewon acquainted with the group.
"By the way, I just realised I thanked Zhou-ssi for healing me, but I never got a chance to thank you for bringing me back to the station," Jung Heewon said with a smile. "If it wasn't for you, I probably would have died out there."
"No worries." Dokja glanced at Jung Heewon for a brief moment before speaking again. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up in that situation?"
"I joined a mainstream group scavenger party in hopes of bringing in some more supplies for everyone. Zhou-ssi was bringing in quite a bit but there still wasn't enough to go around, and I wanted to do something to help." Jung Heewon said before her tone and demeanor contorted. "You've maybe seen one of Cheon Inho's guy's with an injured leg. He tried to rape me yesterday during the expedition."
The three beyonders who were listening to the conversation from afar skipped a beat as the rest of the group continued walking down the tunnel. Amanises' face darkened and Zhou was about to Blink back to the station and expose him to his Mythical Creature form.
"Don't touch him because I will kill him myself. Understood?" Jung Heewon's voice was filled with murderous intent. Zhou stopped right before he Blinked away. She is hell bent on revenge. Who am I to intervene, I know damn well what that feeling is like, though the cause couldn't be more different. Doesn't matter as long as that bastard gets what's coming to him.
Zhou then noticed an approving smile on Amanises' face as she looked at Jung Heewon with gentle eyes.
"Humanity sure is a fascinating thing, isn't it? Everyone here had to go through the same struggles, but each individual responded in their own way. Some struggle to uphold their morals, others abandon them without a second thought. Some aim to protect the people around them, others strive to control them. I know of these things, I've seen them, heard them, countless times through prayers, I've been shown a perspective on humanity. But for the first time since I can remember, I'm experiencing it."
Huang listened in thought. He had only reached Sequence 0 for a brief moment. And before that, he had his family, his daughter, Bernadette. He had his greatest anchor to humanity by his side up until the end, so he could never truly know the extent of what Amanises was feeling in this moment.
Zhou also stayed silent. His speed run through Divinity meant he never really had time to focus on the smaller details in life, unknowingly flowing through the River of Fate that was forged for him long before he even came to be. But his purpose had always been to protect those closest to him, a guardian. That was his anchor to humanity. And because he had only been battling against the Celestial Worthy for just over a year, he still held a large portion of his humanity. He couldn't know what Amanises was feeling. Maybe in another couple of thousand years, he would begin to understand.
The beyonders continued to follow the group, lost in their own thoughts, as Lee Gilyoung showed off his bug-related abilities. Eventually, they made their way deep enough into the tunnels for a message to pop up.
[You have entered a dangerous area.]
The group came closer together and went on high alert. Bodies of both large rats and previous hunters littered the floor. Dokja stopped at some point to fashion weapons for everyone using the bones from the rats.
"Are you sure you guys don't need any weapons?" Hung Heewon looked towards the three beyonders in the back who hadn't shown any interest when Dokja was handing them out.
"You don't have to worry about us. We will be in the back keeping an eye out in case anything goes wrong." Amanises gave a reassuring smile.
Jung Heewon gave an inquisitive gaze, seemingly thinking that the three beyonders were just trying to avoid fighting and relying on the others to do the dirty work.
Dokja seemed to notice this and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I asked them to stay in the back and keep an eye out. Actually, they might be more powerful than all of us here combined."
"Really?" Jung Heewon, as well as Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah looked back towards the beyonders in surprise.
"That's right, I know they have the skills and experience to manage just fine, that's why I asked them to stay back for now. You should use this opportunity to gain some experience fighting, it's something we are all going to have to get used to in this new world."
The group understood what Dokja was getting at. Other than Dokja, Kim Namwoon, and the three beyonders, the others haven't been in a fight. They've always stayed behind and let someone else lead the way.
After sorting out their weapons, it didn't take too long for a wave of ground rats to discover their presence and attack.
These guys are handling themselves surprisingly well. Zhou continued to watch from the backlines as the rest of the group fought off the ground rats. The beyonders didn't have to make any moves just yet. On top of Kim Namwoon and Dokja, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung stepped up and had a significant impact on the fight. Even the children weren't doing too badly as they seemed to work well together, synergising their beast-controlling abilities to subdue the incoming rats before finishing them off.
Eventually, they cleared off the incoming rats and gathered the bodies before Jung Heewon posed a question.
"Ummm…by the way, how will we cook it? We can't eat it like this."
"We can't eat it now but there will be a way." Dokja calmly replied.
Tsk, you're not even trying to hide it anymore. Zhou sighed as even Lee Hyunsung seemed to catch on to something and ask.
"Dokja-ssi, perhaps…do you know something about this situation?"
Zhou noticed the spirit threads of a ground rat hidden off to the side that was preparing to make its move. He looked over as Dokja was struggling to think of an excuse. Sigh. I guess I'll let this play out. A distraction could be the best thing for him here.
Zhou let the ground rat jump out and watched as it grabbed hold of Han Myungoh before dragging him off into the darkness. Unfortunately, Han Hyungoh grabbed hold of Yoo Sangah and dragged her along as well.
Sigh. Maybe I was wrong. How many problems can this one guy cause? Zhou lampooned as the group began to panic, but he noticed that Dokja had pulled out his phone again and was seemingly reading, searching for something. And can this guy really get any more obvious? There is almost no way my theory is wrong about this guy after what I'm seeing now.
Dokja eventually spoke up, "We will search for them, but it's too dangerous to enter with a lot of people. I'll take Gilyoung and Zhou-ssi. The rest of you stay behind and guard the entrance."
"Huang, you're coming too. Amanises, watch over the others." Zhou looked over to the other two beyonders who nodded as Huang walked over.
Huang didn't ask the reason why Zhou asked him to tag along as he joined the other three down the hole. After walking some distance, Lee Gilyoung looked up to Dokja and grabbed his hand.
"Excuse me Hyung. Did you do it on purpose?"
"...What?"
"When that uncle grabbed Noona and Ahjussi, you let it go. At that time, I was looking at Hyung's face."
This kid. He's very attentive. Zhou was both surprised and impressed by the kid. But he was even more surprised by Dokja's overly honest response.
"Yes, that's right."
"Why did you do that?"
"It is because of the habit of the ground rats. They have a habit of keeping their catches in the same place as their treasure. It isn't just food. Many things that seem rare are gathered. For example, an item. However, the paths are so complicated that it can't be found unless I follow them directly…I expected him to take Han Myungoh. I didn't expect him to grab onto Yoo Sangah."
"Then your purpose isn't to save Noona or Ahjussi, it is the items?"
"Yes. Are you disappointed?"
"Nope." Lee Gilyoung's small hand gripped my Dokja tightly. "Hyung shouldn't lie."
"..."
"If Hyung was such a person, you wouldn't have saved me on the subway. I believe in you."
Zhou couldn't help but feel for the kid and his innocence. He had seen how well both him and Shin Yoosung handled the situation, so he seemed to forget that in the end, they were still children.
"Hyung." Lee Gilyoung spoke up again after a short silence.
"Yes." Dokja continued to look forward as he responded.
"Hyung, are you a god?"
"...What?" Dokja looked down at Lee Gilyoung in surprise, so he didn't notice Zhou almost trip over his own feet as Huang held in his laughter.
"Or the main character?"
This kid really is something else. I'm sure he doesn't even know the true meaning behind his question, but he certainly hit the nail on the head with that one. Zhou regained his composure and shot a glance at Huang who still had his hand over his stomach, struggling to breathe.
"I'm not a main character. Rather, I always envy the main character."
"But you still know something about this world?"
"That's right."
Zhou looked at Dokja as he answered the kid. He would have to find time to talk to Dokja about this at some point in the future to confirm his theory.
"Then I'll ask you one thing."
"I will answer it if I can."
"Once we clear all these scenarios…can we make a wish?"
"Wish?" Dokja wore a look of surprise while Zhou wore one of confliction.
Lee Gilyoung wore a look of innocence as he continued, "Usually there is a reward at the end of these stories. At the end of this story, is there something like that?"
Zhou instantly thought of the boy's dead mother and the expression that Lee Gilyoung had back on the subway. Maybe this is his way of coping with all these changes. He's holding out hope for these childish fantasies…He needs to hold onto that because otherwise, there is nothing left.
"Yes, there is."
Zhou didn't need to see Dokja's face to know that he was lying. He knew that Dokja had the same thoughts he did as they were both now looking at the child who continued smiling as if nothing had happened. Zhou let out a sigh as he approached the kid on the opposite as Dokja.
"Lee Gilyoung. That wish of yours, what would it be?"
Lee Gilyoung seemed to ponder for a moment before he looked up to Zhou with a smile and said, "You're not supposed to say it out loud. Otherwise it won't come true."
Zhou let out a chuckle as he smiled in return. "Ok. Then if you were to wish for something right now. Something you would want in this moment, what would it be?"
Lee Gilyoung took a while to think again before responding, "I've always wanted a stag beetle. They look so cool and I think they would make an excellent pet. If I could wish for something right now, it would be for the largest stag beetle in the whole world to be my friend!"
Lee Gilyoung had a big smile as he gestured with his hands at how big a beetle he was imagining in the air. His face seemed to light up as he was talking about his favourite topic, forgetting for a moment the situation at hand.
Zhou knelt down in front of Lee Gilyoung and grabbed his two hands in his own. Looking at the kid's face, he couldn't help but smile wider as he reached out with his free hand and snapped his fingers in the air and saying in the voice of Merlin Hermes, "Your wish has been granted." He let go of Lee Gilyoung's hand as the boy looked down at his hands in confusion. When Lee Gilyoung opened his hands, a wisp of light swirled around in the air just above his palms as it slowly formed into a translucent blob. It flashed brightly causing Lee Gilyoung to look away, and when he turned back, a large stag beetle exactly as he imagined was sitting in his palms as it fluttered its wings in his direction.
Lee Gilyoung stared dumbfounded at the beetle straight out of his imagination that was now sitting obediently in his hands, as Dokja looked to Zhou with a baffled expression.
Lee Gilyoung snapped out of his daze and looked up at Zhou with wonder in his eyes. "How…how did you do that?"
Zhou simply smiled as he stood up and bowed. "A magician never reveals his secrets."
"This is so awesome! Thank you Hyung!" Lee Gilyoung smiled brightly as he began to play with the beetle in his hands.
Dokja continued to stare at Zhou as they looked at each other for a brief moment before continuing down the path without saying a word. Dokja decided to save his questions for later.
"We are almost there." Dokja broke the silence after a few more minutes of travel as messages began to pop up.
[The sub scenario has been updated.]
[You have entered the 'Ground Rat's Treasure Trove'.]