The second night arrived, and everything went just as planned. Zhou closed his Green Zone and 'convinced' Gong Pildu to do the same as the others destroyed all the smaller zones, triggering the 'Emergency Defense' Scenario.
Huang and Amanises broke the stairs as Gong Pildu set up his defense at the bottom, just barely managing to survive after Dokja made a contract with his supporting constellation, earning Zhou's respect.
Huang stayed back with Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyunsung, and Jung Heewon. The others had made their way to the entrance of the Theater Dungeon, where Lee Jihye was standing guard.
"We're here to see your Master," Dokja spoke up as they approached the girl.
"Master's busy right now."
"I know, that's why we are here."
"What?"
"He's in danger," Dokja said with a serious expression.
Lee Jihye burst out laughing, but it slowly died down when she saw that the expression on his face didn't change.
"...Are you serious? How do you know this?"
Dokja looked down at his phone to check the time.
"That jerk, he went to the hidden dungeon here?"
"U-Uh?"
"And it has been 11 hours since he entered?"
"Uhhh…" Lee Jihye spoke blankly.
"At this rate, Yoo Joonghyuk will die today. That's why we are here. You can tag along as well if you'd like."
Dokja brushed past the girl as the rest followed suit. Lee Jihye stuttered for a moment before rushing to catch up.
"W-wait for me!"
Walking into the Theater dungeon, the walls were lined with movie posters from various films, but most were torn. Though the atmosphere was different, it still appeared like a movie theater, so Zhou and Amanises looked around with a hint of nostalgia while Dokja was farther back, checking something on his phone.
Lee Jihye caught up with the group as she took a look around like everyone else. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kim Namwoon staring at her.
"What are you looking at? Perv." She said in a half-joking, half-serious manner.
"Who are you calling a perv, dumbass. I was just trying to figure out if I knew you from somewhere because I feel like I recognize your face, but I don't quite remember meeting you…"
"We certainly don't know each other, because I would definitely remember someone like you." Lee Jihye squinted her eyes at Kim Namwoon and looked him up and down.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, bitch?"
"I'm saying that your 'striking' personality would be hard to forget. And who are you calling a bitch? You damn-!"
Lee Jihye quickly shut up when she noticed Zhou suddenly crouch down, gesturing for the group to do the same as he held a finger to his lips.
Dokja slowly walked past the group towards the top of the stairs where Zhou and Amanises were, as everyone heard faint voices coming from up ahead.
"…Are you sure? Here… there are a bunch of things."
"Yes. I bought the information with 1,000 coins."
"The prophets?"
"Yes. They are disgusting but the information is obvious."
Zhou raised an eyebrow at Dokja who shrugged in response.
Zhou took out a coin and flipped it in the air before sighing.
"I couldn't see much. God, this is really starting to get on my nerves."
"By the way, what is it you are trying to do whenever you flip that coin?" Dokja asked curiously.
"It's a skill to get information, but it hasn't been working well lately."
Dokja didn't press further as a light flashed from above and the men who were talking disappeared.
"...What happened to them?" Shin Yoosung looked up to Dokja and asked curiously.
"They entered a level of this dungeon it seems."
The group approached the wall of posters on the second floor after the other men disappeared, before finding one untorn.
They all gathered around under Dokja's instruction, and after a brief moment, a spotlight was aimed at them, and they all disappeared in a flash as messages began to pop up.
[You have been hit by a projection light.]
[The screening will begin.]
The surrounding landscape started to slowly change. The old linoleum floor became covered with green bushes, while the reception desk and popcorn stand turned into a lush rainforest. The ceiling turned into a blue sky with no clouds and no end in sight. Lee Jihye muttered in a small voice.
"Where the hell is this place?"
Lee Jihye shouted and hacked at the surrounding trees and bushes while Kim Namwoon picked up a few rocks and threw them at the treeline, but nothing changed. Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung started looking for any wildlife in the area.
Dokja and the two foreigners looked around with caution, since they knew the nature of what had just happened, and also what movie they had happened upon.
"Haha, are we really inside a movie right now? This is so sick!" Kim Namwoon let out a laugh as he continued to mess around with the foliage.
"Why do you always have to be so loud and obnoxious? Can't you just observe everything in silence like the rest of us?" Lee Jihye remarked.
"What the hell is your problem? Do you want to go?" Kim Namwoon approached Lee Jihye and got up in her face.
"My problem? You're the one who called me a bitch, you perv."
"Well it seems I was right on the nose with that one! And why do you keep calling me a perv? It's not like there is anything worth checking out anyway!"
"You-!" Lee Jihye grabbed Kim Namwoon's collar with one hand and pulled back the other one into a fist as she prepared to swing at his face, which wore a shit eating grin.
At this moment, the shrubbery moved and something jumped out in front of Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung. An insect that resembled a giant praying mantis. The size was approximately 40cm. Lee Jihye quickly turned her attention to the kids and cried out.
"Hey! Back away!"
However, Lee Gilyoung responded calmly to the fuss, and Shin Yoosung simply stared at him.
"It isn't a praying mantis. It is a Titanoptera from the Triassic period."
"What?"
Lee Gilyoung stretched out his hand to the titano. The insect didn't refuse the touch and after a moment, Lee Gilyoung and the insect's body was wrapped in a blue light.
Lee Jihye watched with a stupid expression.
"This… what?"
"Hah! You should see the look on your face right now!" Kim Namwoon pointed at Lee Jihye as he bent over laughing.
Lee Jihye smacked the back of his head and shouted, "Shut up!"
"What was that for? You looked so stupid just now that I couldn't-"
"Hyung!" Lee Gilyoung's cries interrupted Kim Namwoon as the boy turned to Dokja with a panicked look in his eyes.
As he spoke, the sound of the earth shaking was heard. It seemed that something was coming at a tremendous speed, smashing the huge palm trees.
Kuoooooh!
The muzzle of the giant reptile that appeared through the rainforest was covered with reddish blood. Some bloody men were running in front of it. It was the men who entered before us.
"Kuaaack!"
"S-Save me!"
"Fucking awesome!" Kim Namwoon exclaimed.
"Are you being serious right now? We're about to become dinner and that's your first thought?" Lee Jihye looked back in shock at Kim Namwoon's reaction.
"Bwahaha! It's not every day you get to see something like this! Besides, Zhou and Amanises are here, so we will be just fine."
Lee Jihye turned to the pair that was just mentioned. She hadn't seen their strength before, so she was skeptical of the statement.
"I don't know how strong you are, but that is a fucking T. rex. Even Master would have a hard time taking that thing down."
A body that was over a dozen metres tall and hard skin. Fierce muscles dominated the entire body. The strongest predator of the Mesozoic Era was approaching the group. At first glance, it was similar to a grade 7 monster. The difficulty level was atrocious considering this was the 1st floor of the dungeon.
The group stood on guard, but Amanises and Zhou stood calmly as he addressed Shin Yoosung.
"Actually, this is perfect. Yoosung, try to use your Beast Taming on it. It's fine even if you don't succeed, this will be good practice for you. Don't worry, if anything happens, I have your back."
Shin Yoosung looked back at Zhou with surprise, but the look was quickly replaced by one of determination as she nodded and turned to face the T. rex.
The T. rex finally broke through the treeline as it laid eyes on the group. A deafening roar echoed throughout the clearing.
[The 7th grade, Tyrannosaurus Rex has recognized you.]
[The 'Tyrannosaurus Rex' has triggered the 'Fear the Predator' skill!]
The only ones unaffected by the fear were Dokja, Amanises, and Zhou. The rest of the party froze in place. Zhou walked forward and placed a hand on Shin Yoosung's shoulder.
"Just give it your best attempt. I believe in you," Zhou said with a smile as Shin Yoosung looked up into his eyes.
She took a deep breath and stuck her hand out towards the T. rex, causing it to falter for a moment. Shin Yoosung strained as she tried using her Beast Taming on the T. rex, which had temporarily frozen in place.
She shut her eyes as sweat began to drip from her forehead and her knees buckled. She managed to keep the T. rex at bay for about 4 seconds before she fell back as Zhou caught her.
"I'm sorry Ahjussi, I wasn't strong enough," she looked up at Zhou with a sad look in her eyes.
Zhou simply smiled as he placed her back on her feet. "You did great Yoosung. Don't worry."
Lee Jihye watched in horror as the T. rex continued its approach.
"Aren't you going to do something?" She screamed in Zhou's direction but was only met with a composed look as he leisurely took his time making sure Shin Yoosung was alright.
Even Dokja was beginning to get a little nervous as the T. rex got even closer and Zhou had yet to make his move.
But right as he was about to say something, the T. rex suddenly stopped in its tracks and stood up straight like a statue. A second later, it crumpled to the ground like a puppet that just had its string cut.
"Wha- what the…" Lee Jihye was speechless. The incoming T. rex had died just like that.
"What did I tell you?" Kim Namwoon said with a grin as he pointed towards Zhou and Amanises. "They could beat your 'Master' any day."
[The theater owner is satisfied with the changed ending of the movie.]
[Now you can move to the next floor.]
[Go to the helipad on top of the research laboratory.]
Zhou handed Shin Yoosung to Amanises and walked over to the corpse of the T. rex before pulling out a vial and tossing it to Dokja.
The attention of the party then turned towards the last survivor of the group who had entered before. He was very clearly beyond recovery, a deep gash from a claw lined his chest and bone could be seen under the wound.
"Hey, wake up." Dokja knelt down.
"U-Uwooh…"
The party gathered around as Zhou also knelt down beside the man.
He pulled out a paper cutout from his pocket and held it next to the man before swiping. Yet again, Dokja watched as Zhou performed a remarkable feat of healing instantly using just a piece of paper.
I really got to ask him about that sometime. He turned his attention back to the man who was currently looking down at his now healed chest in surprise.
"How did you come here?" Dojka said in a stern voice.
"Huh? Uh, what…" The man stumbled over his words, clearly still disoriented from the series of events.
A wave of serenity emanated from Amanises as the man began to calm down.
"Uh, thank you for saving me. It was…It was the prophets."
"Who are the prophets?"
"I don't know. It was my buddy who got the information from them, but he said something about a revelation."
Revelation? What funny bullshit. As far as I know, only Anna Croft has the ability of 'Future Sight' in Ways of Survival. But I really shouldn't base this only on my knowledge of that book, after all, there have been plenty of anomalies already. Dokja stood up and turned to face the group.
"We're headed to the laboratory now, there isn't time to waste." Dokja turned back towards the man who had just stood up. "You can follow us to the lab, but you should head back to what's left of your group once we get out of this movie."
The party headed towards the centre of the island where the laboratory was located. They encountered several raptors along the way, but didn't run into any additional problems.
Within the laboratory, Dokja headed straight for a shelf with a bunch of ampoules that caught his eye.
[Physique Enhancing Ampoule]
[Magic Power Enhancing Ampoule]
[Agility Enhancing Ampoule]
[Strength Enhancing Ampoule]
As expected, they are here. Dokja began to pack away the 20 bottles, but before he could finish, he heard a voice from behind.
"Ahjussi, what did you find now?"How does she sneak up like that? Ghost girl. Dokja spun around with the bottles still in hand.
"What? Physique Enhancement Ampoule?" Lee Jihye's eyes shone as she grabbed one. "Are you trying to eat these alone?"
At the very least I wasn't planning to give any to you. You're part of Yoo Joonghyuk's group anyway. Dokja put on a fake smile. "Eat them all? Of course I will share it."
Dokja eyed Zhou and Amansies, who were chuckling on the sidelines as the rest of the party gathered around Dokja to examine the ampoules.
"Can you give me the Strength Enhancement Ampoule? I am a bit lacking in strength." Lee Jihye put on a pair of puppy eyes as Dokja opened up her character sheet and confirmed that she, in fact, does not lack strength.
Before Dokja could even think of an excuse, Kim Namwoon interjected.
"Hey, I should be the one getting those Strength Ampoules don't you think? I mean what did you do anyways? You weren't needed for this dungeon in the first place, you just happened to be by the entrance and decided to tag along." Kim Namwoon chuckled. "Plus, it's not like you did anything other than freeze under pressure the second you saw that T. rex."
"You perv. The only Ampoules you'd need are Intelligence Enhancements. Such a shame there aren't any, maybe then you could have actually put that head of yours to good use!"
"Stop calling me a perv, you bastard!"
"Would you rather me call you a bastard, you bastard?"
This is getting out of hand. Dokja was enjoying watching two characters of the story he loved so much, interact right in front of his eyes. But there were more important things to be done than arguing right now.
"Okay, that's enough from you two. Here," Dokja handed a strength and agility ampoule to both Lee Jihye and Kim Namwoon to shut them up.
He also handed 2 magic powers and a physique ampoule to each of the kids, leaving the rest for himself. Of course, the two foreigners did not need any, assuming their stats are higher than 30.
"Really?" Lee Jihye looked at Dokja, unimpressed. "Why do we only get 2 ampoules, and you get to keep the rest?"
Dokja turned and began walking towards the helicopter. "Next time you find the loot, you can choose how to divvy it up."
Lee Jihye let out a groan as the party boarded the helicopter. Lee Gilyoung looked up at Dokja with sad eyes.
"Hyung, can't I take it to the next floor?"
The big praying mantis was sitting in Lee Gilyoung's lap and talking to Lee Gilyoung. The praying mantis rubbed its antenna against Lee Gilyoung's jaw.
"Unfortunately, you can't take it."
Lee Gilyoung hugged the praying mantis with a sad expression.
"...Take care Titano."
"Hey, what about the stag beetle I gave you earlier?" Zhou patted the boy on the head as he said with a smile.
"His name is Mega Pincer, he's right here!" Lee Gilyoung pulled out the beetle from inside his coat and held it up with a proud expression. "I was hoping to get him a friend…"
"Once we are through with this dungeon, I'm sure we can get him many friends." Zhou let out a chuckle as he ruffled the boy's hair.
[The first 'Ending Credit' has been reached.]
[Performers: Kim Dokja, Zhou Mingrui, Amanises Della, Kim Namwoon, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung, Ong Seok.]
[You have obtained 500 coins as compensation.]
Arriving back in the theater with the torn posters lining the wall, the man who was saved earlier headed back towards the entrance to the dungeon while the group continued to press forward. Lee Jihye suddenly let out a groan.
"Do you have to pass a few more floors like this?"
"Yoo Joonghyuk will have broken most of it so it will be faster than you think," Dokja reassured.
Continuing past the second floor and onto the third, Dokja was reading off the different torn posters, internally complaining about all the rewards he lost to Yoo Joonghyuk.
It wasn't until the fourth floor that they finally came across an untorn poster. Gathering around under the lamplight, they all prepared to enter their second movie.
[The screening has started!]
Opening their eyes, the background changed to that of an open sea with a cold ocean breeze. Beautiful music could be heard from inside the cruise ship along with the sounds of people partying.
Ah, I know what movie this is. Dokja was about to speak up when he heard Lee Jihye groan as he turned to look at her.
"Uurrhgg…"
Lee Jihye was pale as she ran towards the edge of the ship and vomited overboard. Kim Namwoon laughed at the sight as Shin Yoosung approached behind her to make sure she was okay.
"Ugh, I get seasick…"
"Haha, what's the matter? Can't handle a little water?" Kim Namwoon continued to poke fun at Lee Jihye as she glared at him as if she were about to kill him.
"It is okay, just vomit," Dokja interjected before they started arguing again.
"What movie is this then?" Shin Yoosung asked curiously.
"The Titanic," Zhou answered as he turned to Dokja. "How are we supposed to get out of this one? It's not like this is the type of movie that ends on a high note."
"Well first we should figure out the main cast. It seems Lee Jihye is 'Kate Winslet', and…" Dokja scanned over the group until it landed on Kim Namwoon and the outfit he was wearing.
Lee Jihye followed his gaze until it landed on the same thing. A look of horror stretched across her face as she screamed.
"Absolutely not! Why does it have to be him of all people! As if he could ever have the looks for a role like that!"
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Kim Namwoon shouted back. "It's not like you are main character material either!"
"Shut up!" Lee Jihye shouted at Kim Namwoon before turning to Dokja. "We don't have to follow the movie exactly, right Dokja-ssi? I don't want to imagine playing this out with someone like him!"
"The fuck you mean by 'someone like me'?" Kim Namwoon retorted before Dokja got a chance to respond.
"I mean, you have such a shitty personality! Acting so stuck up and self-centred, always belittling people. Haven't you learned any respect?"
"Please. As if you are any better, Miss 'Suck up'. Always Master this and Master that with you. If you want respect, do something yourself instead of relying on Yoo Joonghyuk to solve all your problems!"
"Coming from the person who solely relied on Zhou and Amanises not even thirty minutes ago after seeing a T. rex! You probably couldn't do shit without them!"
"I never needed their help in the first place. I would have been just fine on my own back in the first scenario, unlike you!" Kim Namwoon wore his signature shit eating grin as he continued, "How'd a brat like you even get past the first scenario anyway? Someone like you could never have lived through something like that. You must have gotten lucky like the rest of these bastards, so what was it? Did you cheat and kill something defenseless like an animal?"
There were a lot of things Kim Namwoon would have expected to happen next from this argument. He would have expected her to retort with another clever argument, to get physical and attack him, or for someone else to step in and break up the fight as always.
What he could never have expected was for Lee Jihye to freeze. The anger and annoyance on her face quickly replaced with something else entirely, which Kim Namwoon wasn't quick enough to recognize.
Kim Namwoon hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden change in mood, as the grin on his face slowly disappeared and turned into a look of confusion as Lee Jihye walked away without saying another word.
He looked around at the rest of the party, trying to discern what had just happened. But he was met with pitying looks from Dokja, Zhou, and Amanises, which only made him more confused.
"What? Was it something I sa-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a crashing sound was heard as the ship began to shake.
You idiot. Dokja sighed as he shot a glance at Amanises, who nodded before walking in the direction Lee Jihye had gone off to.
"We need to end this fast and move on to the next movie. Let's just look for the villain."
But just as Dokja finished saying this, a man in a clean suit approached.
Well isn't this convenient. Dokja identified the man approaching as the villain they were just about to search for.
—
Lee Jihye was staring out at the night sea, lost in thought and completely ignoring the commotion happening elsewhere on the ship. Tears were pooling in her eyes as memories of a friend flashed across her mind.
She was standing there for a while, clearing her mind and wiping the tears from her face, when she noticed Amanises had approached at some point and stood silently off to the side.
Jihye startled back for a moment before recomposing herself. "Sorry. You startled me, I didn't notice you there…"
"Do you feel any better now?" Amanises said in a calm voice.
"About what?" Lee Jihye said as she turned back out towards the ocean and stared blankly at the waves crashing against the side of the ship. "I don't…I don't think I will ever feel better after what I've done."
"We've all done things we are not proud of in order to survive." Amanises walked up and stared out at the ocean next to Lee Jihye. "You know he didn't mean anything by what he said. He's just a little…."
"The words you are looking for are annoying and idiotic."
"I was going to say, unique. He's been like that since we met him," Amanises chuckled. "He enjoys bickering with people, and there hasn't really been anyone to put up with or match his 'unique' social skills."
"..."He pokes fun at you because you can keep up with his remarks. But he wouldn't have said that if he knew. Not that it makes it right, but it's something you should know."
Lee Jihye continued to stare out at the water, taking a moment before finally responding. "...I know. I just needed to clear my head."
"And now that it's cleared, how do you feel?"
"I feel like I'm going to have to teach that bastard some manners at some point."
Amanises smiled. "There will be plenty of time for that once we are done here. Come, the rest of the group should have found a way out of this movie."
The pair started walking back towards where they had left the group earlier.
"Thanks," Lee Jihye said without looking to the side at Amanises, who simply smiled in return.
…
"Let's just kill him," Kim Namwoon pulled out his pocket knife.
"What's happening here?" Lee Jihye and Amanises approached the group and noticed Kim Namwoon pointing his knife towards a man tied to a chair.
"I'm about to kill this bastard so we can move on to the next movie, that's what." Kim Namwoon didn't look up at Lee Jihye as he responded.
"Is the Theater Master a psychopath? Why is the answer to kill him?" Lee Jihye asked.
"Don't ask me. But kidnapping him wasn't enough to end this, and I'm not waiting around here any longer. Besides it's not like it's a real person, it's a character in a movie. He's not real."
"He certainly looks real though," Lee Jihye gave a contemplative glance at the unconscious man tied to the chair.
"Doesn't matter. If this person doesn't die, we definitely will. We are alive, but this guy is just a character!" Kim Namwoon retorted.
Dokja was having a hard time keeping a clear mind during this conversation, which did not go unnoticed by Zhou or Amanises.
I wonder if that's how Dokja thinks about everyone here. To him, they are just characters from a book he read. Zhou continued to eye Dokja who was silently watching the conversation from the side.
"Whatever, just make it quick." Lee Jihye finally agreed as Kim Namwoon slit the man's throat.
[The theater owner is satisfied with the changed ending of the movie.]
[The stern of the ship will lead to the next floor.]
"See? No big deal." Kim Namwoon shrugged before making his way to the stern of the ship, the rest of the group doing the same.
[The second 'Ending Credit' has been reached.]
[Performers: Kim Dokja, Zhou Mingrui, Amanises Della, Kim Namwoon, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung.]
[You have obtained 500 coins as compensation.]
The group took a moment to organize themselves once they arrived back in the theater. Once they were all set, they continued on to the next floor.
[You have entered the fifth floor, the rewards room.]
Various movie props appeared in glass tubes. Equipment and costumes used by the main characters of various movies, stage accessories, etc.
"It looks like we can take 2 items per person. Take some time and look around. See if you find anything useful." Dokja announced to the group before turning to Zhou and Amanises. "If it's not too much to ask, could you pick out some items for the others who aren't here. If I'm being honest, these items would be much more of a benefit to them compared to you, since you guys have been doing just fine on your own so far."
"Of course, we'll see what we can find for them." Zhou nodded as he looked around the room. It's not like I can't just pull these out from the historical void if I really need them later anyway.
Everyone took their time looking around the room for anything that caught their interest.
Zhou found a sword and a shield for Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung, while Amanises found a pair of gloves and a necklace, both of which increase magic power for Yoo Sangah. Shin Yoosung found 2 items that increased agility, while Kim Namwoon found a new knife as well as a pair of brass knuckles, and Dokja grabbed a reinforced vest along with a pair of boots that increase his defense and speed.
Lee Jihye and Lee Gilyoung took a bit longer to find their items since they were bickering over a replica of Mjolnir, but eventually they all found their items.
Continuing on through the sixth and seventh floors, they made their way through the remaining movies without much issue.
Coming across what appeared to be the last poster before the final floor, the group readied themselves before entering.
Yet again, the scenery changed to a deck of a ship on the seas. The only difference this time was that instead of the large cruise ship with music and laughter, there was a splintered deck with the smell of gunpowder and the sounds of cannons firing off in the distance.
"Everybody, down-!"
The group instinctively hit the deck as gunfire rang out. A few soldiers who couldn't react fast enough collapsed to the ground.
Ah, it's been a while since I've been in a situation like this. Zhou reminisced about his time as Gerhman Sparrow and his days as a pirate hunter. He took a peek over the side and immediately noticed an issue.
300 to 1? This hardly seems fair. Zhou chuckled as he looked around to see what Dokja's plan was. He could easily clear this movie without any issues, but he wanted to see if there was anything Dokja wanted to do beforehand.
"Lee Jihye!"
Zhou noticed Dokja right as he called out for the girl.
So he does have a plan. Zhou decided to let this play out. He grabbed Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung and brought them close to protect them from any gunfire.
Lee Jihye was balled up in a corner of the first-floor deck, vomiting on the floor with tears in her eyes.
"Hey, are you okay?" Dokja approached to comfort her.
Behind him, Kim Namwoon looked like he was about to speak, but he noticed a wayward glance from Amanises and instantly shut up.
Dokja continued to encourage Lee Jihye to get a grip, with Lee Jihye's sponsor chiming in and offering a reward.
"Lee Jihye, stop it. Quickly." Dokja shook Lee Jihye in an attempt to snap her out of it.
"I don't want to! Urgh… Just get Zhou or Amanises to handle it. I'm sure they will be just fine."
"Even this is something they won't be able to handle on their own." Dokja knew this was a lie, but Lee Jihye didn't. "Can't you endure it a little bit?"
"...Endure? Ahjussi doesn't know."
Hah, he probably knows more about her than she knows about herself. Zhou watched a look of contemplation form on Dokja's face before he continued speaking.
"No, I know. You aren't like this because of seasickness."
"...What?"
"It is because your dead friend liked this movie."
"T-That… How did you…?"
"You killed your friend with your own hands only to die like this? You can run away here or not. You will never be forgiven. But-" Shouts from Japanese raiders could be heard as they boarded the ship. "If you wake up now, at least you can save some people."
Kim Namwoon overheard what was being said between Dokja and Lee Jihye. Continuing to fight off the incoming raiders with Amanises and Zhou, he suddenly had a realization once he heard the last part.
"Shit," Kim Namwoon muttered under his breath. He had realized where he had seen Lee Jihye before. It was on the screen back in the subway, displaying her as the only survivor of the class she was in. He instantly thought of the face that was shown on screen, how broken she looked, her hands still wrapped around the neck of a girl now limp in her grasp.
He shot a glance over to Amanises, who gave a slight nod in confirmation. Only now did Kim Namwoon realise the weight behind what he had said to her earlier, and why that situation unfolded the way it did.
"I-I'm disgusting. I…I don't deserve to be alive…" Lee Jihye didn't move from her curled-up position in the corner.
"Hey! Dumbass!" Kim Namwoon suddenly appeared in front of Lee Jihye before he slapped her across the face. Shocking both Lee Jihye as well as Kim Dokja, who hadn't noticed when he had appeared.
Lee Jihye was stunned for a moment before realizing what had just happened and angrily turning towards Kim Namwoon, momentarily forgetting about her feelings. "What the fuck was that for you bastard?"
"Are you really just going to let me get away with that? Or are you going to continue being a little bitch." Kim Namwoon put on a shit eating grin as he continued to goad her.
"You piece of shi-"
"Cmon! You won't get to kick my ass if we all die here, so hurry up and do something useful for once. Or are you going to cry to your Master for help again?"
Lee Jihye shot up in a flash as brilliant red light burst around her. She stared at Kim Namwoon with intense anger, but it was replaced by a slight smile a moment later.
Lee Jihye held the hilt of her sword and looked at the sea. There were many enemies and no allies. She quietly turned her sword towards the world as a radiant beam emerged from the end of her sword.
Water vapor rose in the area as water sprayed all over the place and 12 ghost ships appeared in the sea.
The tide of battle turned in an instant, the ghost fleet unaffected by the barrage of shells as their incorporeal forms kept regenerating.
The raiders that had boarded their ship were swiftly dealt with, as the whole group watched in awe at the scene that was unfolding.
I can see why Dokja wanted to play this out. Zhou gave a knowing look at Dokja before briefly glancing at Kim Namwoon. That kid sure had a roundabout way of getting her back on her feet, but it worked, so who am I to complain?
[The theater owner is satisfied with the changed ending of the movie.]
[The fourth 'Ending Credit' has been reached.]
[Performers: Kim Dokja, Zhou Mingrui, Amanises Della, Kim Namwoon, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung.]
[You have obtained 500 coins as compensation.]
The surrounding scenery slowly changed as the group returned to the inside of the movie theater.
Whaaam!
Before anyone could do anything, Lee Jihye had swung the hilt of her sword into the back of Kim Namwoon's head as he momentarily lost his balance and leaned against the wall.
Kim Namwoon took a second before he looked up at Lee Jihye and grinned. "Welcome back, you bastard."
"Who are you calling a bastard, you bastard." Lee Jihye retorted as she grinned back. You two rest here and watch over the kids. We will go ahead to save Yoo Joonghyuk." Dokja let out a sigh as Zhou handed off the kids to them.
"But…"
"Please take care of the kids for us while we are gone." Zhou smiled. Not giving Lee Jihye a chance to interject.
"Will you be okay?" Shin Yoosung asked as she looked back at Zhou.
"We will be just fine. Just keep an eye on those two for me," Zhou gestured to Kim Namwoon and Lee Jihye before turning back to Shin Yoosung with a smile. "You're in charge while I'm gone. Keep them out of trouble."
Shin Yoosung looked back at Kim Namwoon and Lee Jihye before giggling. Kim Namwoon looked back awkwardly while Lee Jihye decided to go along with it, and Lee Gilyoung watched from the side, unimpressed.
Zhou, Amanises, and Dokja made their way up the final set of stairs, leaving the other four behind. Dokja took this time to raise his stats with the ampoules and some of his gold.
[You have entered the eighth floor, the Heavenly Garden.]
The eighth floor opened up into a small domed rooftop reminiscent of an opera house.
The second the trio stepped through the barrier into the last floor, Zhou instantly froze in place as he felt a shiver down his spine.
Shit. Zhou instantly turned to Amanises who was also frozen in place.
"Buy me some time," Zhou said to Amanises in a stern voice as she nodded her head and extended her hands out to the side.
Zhou ignored the concerned look Dokja was giving them as he turned back to the Theater Master. His attention was not on the body itself, but rather the spirit threads that extended up into infinity. They were not in their natural state, they were being held.
The 'Theater Master' was a marionette, but Zhou was not the one pulling the strings.