We have to keep our flag and flagpole while putting our flag in other stations. Am I understanding it right?"
Jung Heewon was the first to speak up as everyone took their time reading over the rules.
"That is how I understood it. We must take the flag to Changsin Station." Lee Hyunsung added.
There were a few nods of understanding throughout the group, but Yoo Sangah added something that brought the mood down.
"Again… we once again have to fight against people?"
It said that we can decide on the treatment of the group if we occupy their flagpole," Lee Hyunsung tried to find a silver lining. "Hopefully there might not be any casualties."
"Ah, I see," Yoo Sangah exclaimed. "Then death won't necessarily occur if we take over the station? If we can accept the members of the station group when deciding the treatment…"
"Then it is possible to clear it without anyone dying." Lee Hyunsung finished the sentence with a smile.
Unfortunately, they couldn't be more wrong. Dokja let out a sigh as he listened in from the sides. There is no such thing as a scenario where no one dies. In fact, the fourth scenario would have more casualties than any previous scenario.
"Is there a map of all the stations somewhere?" Zhou interrupted Dokja's thoughts as he approached.
Dokja pointed towards a large billboard that was off to the side on one of the walls towards the stairs.
"Our target station is Changsin Station on line 6. If we go to the tunnel, we can use the transit route…"
"Wait, shouldn't we decide how to split the group first? We should leave some behind to guard our station while the rest go to scout." Jung Heewon interjected.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Zhou said. "We shouldn't be go-"
[The activation of the scenario will turn off Chungmuro Station's safety borders.]
[You can now freely move to other stations.]
Zhou was interrupted by a series of messages, but what caught his attention wasn't the messages. It was his spiritual intuition that was triggered almost immediately after the border fell.
"We have visitors," Zhou turned towards the end of line 4, and seconds later, the sounds of engines could be heard as headlights shone across the railway.
Already? It hasn't been long since the scenario began. Dokja tried to recall the original story but there was no recollection of an early invasion. Another variable has appeared?
"Anyone showing up this early on can't have good intentions." Dokja let out an annoyed sigh as he turned to the group. "Zhou-ssi, Namwoon-ssi, Heewon-ssi, let's go greet our 'guests'. The rest of you, wait here."
The four of them headed towards line 4 and watched the incoming group from the shadows.
"Ah, we finally made it to Chungmuro."
"Really, it took them a long tim eot break the scenario."
"Hey, be quiet. They are going to hear. And don't you know that the scenarios are different between stations?"
The incoming group had killed the lights on their motorcycles and were slowly making their way towards the center of the station.
"Stop there." Dokja didn't want to drag this on any further as he walked out of the shadows, followed by Jung Heewon and Kim Namwoon. Zhou continued to watch from behind.
"Eh? Well well."
The people stopped in their tracks as Dokja pulled out Unbroken Faith. A few reached for their weapons, but the leader of the group spoke first.
"Wait a minute. Calm down. Oh, I can't even talk because I am too scared."
"Put down your weapons and slowly come this way." Dokja wasn't buying a word this guy was saying.
The leader put his weapon away and approached with both hands raised.
"Don't be too wary. We didn't come here to fight."
"Then why did you come?"
"Let's start with the introductions. I'm Kang Ilhun and I help manage the Dongdaemun Group."
Dokja couldn't think of any significant character that went by that name. Furthermore, the representative of Dongdaemun. Strange.
[The exclusive skill, Character List is activated.]
[Character Summary]
Name: Kang Ilhun
Age: 31 years old
Sponsor: Shameless Good Gossiper
Exclusive Attributes: Rumours Expert (General)
Exclusive Skills: Weapons Training Lv. 2, Art of Communication Lv. 3, Spread Rumours Lv. 1.
Stigma: Making a Commotion Lv. 1.
Overall Stats: Physique Lv. 12, Strength Lv. 13, Agility Lv. 13, Magic Power Lv. 10.
Overall Evaluation: Unfortunately, he didn't develop his character due to the wrong sponsor. But he is a person with good ability who can be used. He spreads rumours regardless of truth or lies, so be careful.
Rumours Expert. I see. Dokja read through the man's profile as Kang Ilhun began to look impatient.
"Your name is…?"
"Kim Dokja." He answered plainly.
"Ah, Kim Dokja-ssi…?"
A flash of wonder crossed Kang Ilhun's face as he heard the name, but the moment was short-lived.
"Nice to meet you, Dokja-ssi. Since you have a flag, you must be a station representative?"
"That's right."
Kang Ilhun eyed Dokja and the two beside him in an attempt to confirm their power, passing over Jung Heewon and Kim Namwoon.
"If you have seen enough, get to the main point." Dokja interrupted.
"Haha. I beg your pardon. We also need to be concerned about safety." Kang Ilhun continued speaking without any panic. "Once again, we didn't come to fight. What if we came with a good offer?"
None of them holds a flag. Dokja eyed the opposing group as he spoke. "How can I believe that?"
"Hmm, won't you know if you checked the rules? If we came to fight, we would've come with the representative. Only the representative can occupy the flagpole."
That much is obvious. Dokja nodded. "What is the offer?"
"We came to ask for an alliance."
At these words, Kim Namwoon laughed. "As if we would need help from the likes of you bastards! We can do just fine on our own, so fuck off."
"Ah, you are uncertain because Chungmuro just opened. In fact, the fourth scenario has already been in progress for two days."
"...Two days?" Jung Heewon muttered.
"Yes, the third scenario is slightly different in content and duration between stations… perhaps you didn't know this?"
"Ah…"
He's right. In the original story, Chungmuro was a latecomer in the scenarios compared to the other stations. Under normal circumstances, we would be starting at a disadvantage. Dokja briefly looked back to where he assumed Zhou was standing in wait before continuing.
"It is a difficult offer to accept. I don't know if you have an ulterior motive."
"Hrmm, Dokja-ssi's words are definitely right. You won't believe in the alliance so I will first state what we will get from the alliance. In short, Chungmuro isn't our 'target' station."
"How can I believe that?"
"You can believe it or not. But please think about it. If Chungmuro was our target, we would've dragged the main force of our station here. To be honest, the flagpoles are most vulnerable just after the station is open."
Not very persuasive. Dokja lampooned. "What will you do if your target station is Dongdaemun?"
"Haha, there is no need to worry about that. We already know the station that is targeting us. We didn't come to you for no reason."
"I see. Let's clear the scenario by helping each other, since our targets are different… is that what you mean?"
"That's right. Isn't it good to help each other at this time?"
Kang Ilhun smiled and nodded as Dokja took a moment to think. He was about to ask another question when a voice sounded from around them.
"I have a question," Zhou finally spoke up from the shadows, using some illusion magic to project his voice.
Kang Ilhun and his group were startled at the new voice that suddenly rang out from seemingly everywhere.
"Oh? And who are you? Isn't it rude not to introduce yourself first?" Kang Ilhun attempted to play it off.
"Why did you come to Chungmuro? If you came from Dongdaemun, you could've made an alliance with other stations."
Excellent point. Dokja agreed with Zhou's assessment as he stepped back to let him do the talking now.
Kang Ilhun paused for a moment as he attempted to make an excuse, "Oh, that… as I told you, Chungmuro just opened. I mean… um, the other stations have already formed alliances. But I thought that Chungmuro wouldn't have… haha, I have to ask, has Chungmuro already made an alliance?"
"No," Zhou responded plainly.
Kang Ilhun smiled when he heard the response.
"Then form an alliance with Dongdaemun. You won't regret it. Above all, we have a 'winning solution' for this scenario."
"A winning solution?"
"Yes, in fact, our group knows the hidden secrets of this scenario. We will tell you if you agree to an alliance with us."
There was a pregnant pause as Dokja watched Kang Ilhun try to keep his cool in the unnerving silence.
After a long moment, the sounds of tapping echoed through the tunnel as everyone's attention turned to Zhou, who walked out from behind Dokja with a star-speckled cane in hand.
"Apologies for the theatrics, I just wanted to sound you out first," Zhou said with a smile as he stepped into the light. "We would be happy to accept your offer. So what about this 'winning solution'?"
Kang Ilhun smiled widely as he heard that. "Wonderful. Our group representative has all the details. We can take you back to our station and he can fill you in on everything."
"Oh, that won't be necessary. I can take us all to him right now!" Zhou chuckled as he spoke. "Shouldn't he still be waiting at the other end of Chungmuro with his flag, preparing to take our station?"
"Wh-who…What…?" Kang Ilhun stumbled over his words as he tried to back out of this situation. "That's nonsense…! Where did yo-"
"Don't worry!" Zhou tapped his cane on the ground as the colors around them became saturated. "Why don't we go check for ourselves?"What the hell? Dokja watched as the colors around him became saturated, blending together in a blur. The colors streaked past his vision as he could make out Kim Namwoon, Jung Heewon, Zhou, as well as Kang Ilhun and his group, gliding through the sea of light next to him.
In a flash of starlight, Dokja found his footing as he looked around and found himself in a similar tunnel. The only difference was that there were now over a dozen people staring at them in shock.
"What the-" Someone from the dozen called out, a flag tucked neatly into his belt.
"That one over there has the flag! Just kill him and take it, we can claim the station after!" Kang Ilhun shouted as Dokja found himself backed up against Kim Namwoon and Jung Heewon, surrounded by over a dozen hostiles.
"Hm, you all have done some terrible things." Zhou stood calmly in the middle as the group slowly closed in. "Unfortunately for you all, only Ilhun has useful information, so there is no need to keep the rest of you around."
"What are you…talking about…right…?" The flag holder tried to call out, but his thoughts quickly turned sluggish as everyone except Kang Ilhun suddenly slowed to a stop, before collapsing to the ground.
[Many constellations are shocked at what they just witnessed.]
This is what Zhou used on the T. rex. What the hell type of skill is it? Dokja looked blankly at the heap of corpses on the floor as he turned his attention to Kang Ilhun.
Jung Heewon stood in place, stunned. She had never seen this ability used before, and watching over a dozen people suddenly drop dead without notice was quite terrifying, even after everything else she saw.
"Hah, see! I told you we would be just fine without you bastards." Kim Namwoon laughed.
"What the…How did you…?" Kang Ilhun slowly backed away and turned in an attempt to run. But he didn't move. "The fuck is happening-?"
"Oh, you have some very interesting thoughts," Zhou slowly approached as he pulled out a chair from the historical void and sat down. "A prophet in Dongmyo. Fascinating."
He can read people's thoughts just like me? Dokja paid close attention to the information being said.
Kang Ilhun tried to run away again but stopped himself. Zhou had affected him with surface-level Parasitism, similar to what Amon had done to him right before taking him to the Forsaken Land.
"How are you-"
"Teaming with Myeongdong station to strike right as we entered the 4th scenario. A decent strategy, but unfortunately, you failed to realise that you are just a pawn in someone else's game." Zhou stood up and dispersed the chair as he turned to Dokja. "I don't think we were the main target here. At least, not yet."
"What do you mean?" Dokja asked curiously.
"I think they used us as bait to draw out both groups from Myeongdong and Dongdaemun, leaving their own stations less guarded. Chances are, their stations are already taken, or being taken as we speak."
"What? No, that's impossible!" Kang Ilhun shouted from behind.
"You think they are gaining more power and people before they come to deal with us themselves?" Dokja continued to talk with Zhou, completely ignoring Kang Ilhun's cries.
"It's a possibility, either way it shouldn't be that much of a problem. Let them play it out how they want. We will run into them eventually."
Dokja nodded and turned to Kang Ilhun. "What about him?"
"He's not needed anymore. I got all the important information already."
"Wait! No, please! I can still be-" Kang Ilhun sensed what was coming as he started to beg, but was interrupted by a knife to the back.
"Should have thought twice before coming to our station," Kim Namwoon spat as he pulled the knife out from his corpse.
Dokja walked over to the flag that was dropped to claim it. Surprisingly, the flag was already red.
[You have won the flag of the 'Myeongdong Group'.]
[Your white flag has absorbed the cumulative achievements of the red flag.]
[Your white flag has evolved into a red flag.]
[You are one step closer to the King's Road.]
[The remaining members of the Myeongdong Group are waiting for your decision.]
Hmm. A shame there aren't that many members left. Dokja put his flag away and turned to Zhou, "How versatile is that teleportation skill of yours?"
"I should be able to handle anything that you require."
"Okay," Dokja nodded. "Let's head back to the station first and regroup. We'll head back out shortly after."
The group took any useful items from the corpses before walking back towards the rest of the group. They were, in fact, in a back entrance tunnel leading to Chungmuro. How did Zhou know about this?
Dokja shrugged it off as he pulled out a paper and began writing a letter to give to Yoo Joonghyuk once he wakes up. After handing the letter to Lee Jihye to give to him when he wakes up, he appointed Yoo Sangah to have some authority to oversee the station while they were away.
Zhou and Amanises handed out the items they got from the Theater Dungeon to Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, and Yoo Sangah.
Once everything was in order, Dokja called over Kim Namwoon, Jung Heewon, and Zhou, as well as Lee Hyunsung.
"We're going to head to Myeongdong and Dongdaemun stations to claim them, and possibly head to Dongmyo to investigate. We shouldn't be gone long, but keep your eyes out just in case," Dokja addressed the rest of the group.
Yoo Sangah nodded, feeling better after being trusted by Dokja with this authority. Amanises also agreed to help her with anything she needed, and Huang was nearby still messing with his box, which made her feel more confident in the event that something went wrong.
With that, the 5 gathered around Zhou as he tapped his cane on the floor. Once again, Dokja found himself surrounded by a sea of color that blended together with the background.
[Many constellations are very interested in that ability.]
Coming out of the teleportation, they were met with an expected but still somewhat surprising sight. The people in Myeongdong Station had already been hit by someone, and it was a gruesome scene.
"What happened here? Who are these people?" Lee Hyunsung asked. But right as he spoke up, a group of men standing across the station noticed their presence and attempted to flee the scene on bikes similar to the ones used by Kang Ilhun.
"Tsk, none of them have any new information. "Zhou sighed as he extended his hand in their direction as they were speeding down the tunnel. The men suddenly dropped as their bikes crashed into each other.
Ignoring the unexpected encounter, Dokja went over to the flag holder that was fortunately still empty.
[Currently there is no group occupying Myeongdong Station.]
[Are you sure you want to take over the station?]
[You have occupied Myeongdong Station.]
[A station that has been occupied can't be taken from you unless the 'main base' or flag is taken away.]
[Currently Occupied: Chungmuro (Main Base), Myeongdong]
[The achievement points of the red flag are rising.]
[Your influence has expanded by taking over a new station.]
[The hidden scenario has arrived!]
[The King's Road has begun!]
[Hidden Scenario – King's Road]
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: A
Clear Conditions: Take over a minimum of 10 stations within the time limit.
Time Limit: 10 days
Reward: The attribute of a 'king'.
Failure: If you can't take over a minimum of one station per day, you and your group members will all die.
[The new king candidate has started to walk along his road!]
Finally. Dokja confirmed his first step towards destroying the Absolute Throne.
"Hah, Dokja-ssi is the king candidate," Jung Heewon read the description of the scenario as she wore a cheeky grin. "Then should I call you Your Majesty?"
"...Please don't."
"Your Majesty, based on this hidden scenario, shouldn't we go occupy a new station right away? You should think about the lives of your subjects." Jung Heewon continued on sarcastically.
Dokja let out a sigh as he allowed Jung Heewon to continue with her mocking.
"That is the plan. We have a couple more stops before we head for Dongmyo to investigate. With any luck, we should reach 10 stations relatively easily."
The group gathered back around Zhou as he teleported them to Dongdaemun Station. They ran into an almost identical situation as Myeongdong Station, arriving just as a group of people on bikes had cleaned out the station.
Luckily, the flagpole remained empty, and Dokja claimed his third station. Once they were finished with Dongdaemun, they decided to move on to Changsin Station, their target.
"Chances are, this one is going to be populated, so there is going to be some resistance," Dokja explained as they prepared to teleport once again. "As unfortunate as it is, they are our target station. If we don't claim it, we will die."
Dokja mainly directed that last part to Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung. He knew that those 2 would struggle the most against killing 'innocent' people, even though Dokja knew that in this new world, nobody was innocent.
"I don't think any amount of resistance will matter. Even if Zhou doesn't do anything, we should be enough to kill most of the entire station." Of course, Kim Namwoon had no problem with such things.
"Must we kill them though?" Lee Hyunsung asked. "Why can't we just talk to them first?"
"Pfff, what are we going to say? 'Hey, we're just here to take over your station and place you all under our control. Please don't resist.' The best way to go about this is to brute force our way past them." Kim Namwoon retorted.
"But…what if-" Lee Hyunsung tried to argue but was interrupted by Dokja.
"We will try and talk to them first, but chances are it's going to end in a fight. I just want to make sure that you will be ready when it comes."
Lee Hyunsung looked Dokja in the eyes and took a deep breath. A sense of determination and duty overcame him.
"I'll protect you no matter what happens."
Dokja nodded in response and looked towards Jung Heewon. Noticing the look, she also responded.
"I'll cut down anyone who gets in your way."
"Then are we ready to go?" Zhou asked as he looked at the other 4. They all nodded in unison.
"Okay then. I'll support you from the back in case anything gets out of hand. But I'll let you guys handle this to gain some experience," Zhou said plainly as he tapped the cane against the floor, and the party teleported to the entrance of Changsin Station.
A few people standing guard were startled as they watched a flash of starlight suddenly spark before 5 people walked out from it.
"What? Hey…Stop! Get back!"
One of the guards shouted as he pointed a crudely made spear towards the 5 intruders. One of the other guards turned and ran deeper into the station, presumably to alert the others.
"We mean you no harm," Dokja said as he walked to the front of the group. "Unfortunately, this station happens to be our target station. So we've come to ask politely for you to hand it over, so that there is no bloodshed. I promise that you all will be free to do whatever you want, even after I take the station. I have no intention of exercising control."
The remaining guards tensed at the words 'targetstation' as they drew their weapons and formed a barrier in front of the entrance.
"We can't trust you. You must leave, now."
"Unfortunately, that is something we can not do. Could you get your representative? I think it's best I talk it over with him."
The guard who spoke turned his head back to look towards where the other guard had run off to, seeing when he would return.
"You won't want to be here when he gets here. Our representative is coming along with a dozen more people. And he has a rough temper. He won't take kindly to your words, so you'd best run along now."
Dokja simply smiled. "That's perfect! We can wait for him to show up so we can have a chat."
The guards seemed unnerved at Dokja's calm disposition as they tensed up and didn't move from their positions, keeping an eye on the strange group that had just appeared out of nowhere.
A few tense minutes later, a bustle could be heard behind the guards as more men showed up.
"What the fuck is going on here?" A large man walked through the crowd with a flag tucked into his belt. He towered over everyone else in the tunnel, and he looked like he was on steroids.
"Hello! I'm the representative from Chungmuro Station, Kim Dokja. Unfortunately, your station was our target. We didn't want any bloodshed, so we've come to ask you to hand it over peacefully and avoid any unnecessary fighting. I don't have any need for you people either, so you are free to continue on with what you were doing before." Dokja gave a smile. "All you have to do his let us take the station."
The large man let out a hearty laugh as he held his stomach. "You can't be serious, right? You came here and expected us to just hand over our station because you asked nicely?"
Dokja let out a sigh. "It wasn't my first option, but I thought I'd give you all the chance to save yourself."
"Hah! Save us? Buddy, you're the ones who need saving," The man said with a grin. "This must be my lucky day! You delivered me a red flag straight to my doorstep!"
Before he could even finish talking, Kim Namwoon had lunged forward towards the group with a sadistic smile on his face. A black flame surged up both his arms and enveloped his brass knuckles.
[Blackening Lv.4]
[Black Flames Lv.2]
Baam.
One of the guards was dropped instantly by Kim Namwoon before anyone from Changsin could react. Jung Heewon and Dokja had already drawn their swords, and Lee Gilyoung charged forward with his new shield.
Dokja pulled out Unbroken Faith and with his excessive stat levels, easily overpowered the incoming guards. He disarmed or immobilized the members as Jung Heewon quickly finished them off, Lee Hyunsung covered any openings Dokja presented, and made sure to block any incoming attacks.
The three of them worked like a well-oiled machine, much to the surprise of Dokja, considering this was their first time fighting together like this. Kim Namwoon on the other hand, charged headfirst into the group all by himself. His fighting style was wild and unpredictable as he swung each fist with a heavy impact.
The invaders moved together with such speed that by the time Changsin Group reacted, they had already lost more than half of their people. The boss turned towards the station and decided to run away, leaving the guards to fend for themselves.
"Where do you think you are going, bastard!" Kim Namwoon noticed and broke through the guards in an attempt to chase.
"Wait!" Dokja called out. "Don't go after him alone, we don't know how many are still at the station!"
Kim Namwoon ignored Dokja's words and continued forward. The other three couldn't break through the ranks easily and were held back by the remaining guards.
"I'll go get him. You guys good here?" Zhou stood up as he put away a chair he had pulled from the Historical Void.
Where does he keep getting those chairs?That's the second one! Dokja couldn't help but focus on the unimportant details as he shouted back. "We'll catch up, just go."
Zhou nodded as he disappeared from his spot in a flash of starlight.
Kim Namwoon was chasing after the boss as he made his way into the open station. Stopping on the tracks and looking up towards the platform, there were at least another 30 people armed with crude weapons, looking down at him on the tracks.
"What's the matter? Not talking shit now, are you?" The boss made his way towards the front of the crowd, now holding a large club in one hand.
Kim Namwoon grinned as he fell into a readied stance. "Are you that much of a coward that you have to hide behind all of your people? Why don't you come on down here and face me yourself, you bastard! Or are you scared of getting your ass beat by a kid half your size?"
The man, almost twice the size of Kim Namwoon, and carrying a massive wooden club taller than him, dropped down from the platform onto the tracks where Kim Namwoon stood.
"Hah, you got balls kid, I'll give you that much," The man grinned. "But you won't be able to run that fucking mouth of yours once I'm through with yo-"
Kim Namwoon didn't wait for him to finish talking as he leapt forward and went straight for the face. The boss barely had time to react as he brought his club to block the punch.
Using the momentum from the initial block, he raised it over his head and swung down at Kim Namwoon, who managed to step back in time as the club smashed into the ground, kicking up a bunch of gravel.
Before the boss could lift the club, Kim Namwoon ran forward and used it as a leaping point to kick down the club and go for the face again, this time managing to connect as the brass knuckles strengthened with black flames collided with the man's jaw, sending him stumbling backwards.
Just as the boss tried to recover, Kim Namwoon scooped up some of the loose gravel and threw it in his face, blinding him and giving Kim Namwoon enough time to follow through with a couple of jabs to the side. But right as he was about to land another blow, the boss suddenly swung his arm wildly.
Whaam.
Kim Namwoon didn't have time to react as he was caught off guard, the massive forearm slamming into his ribs as he was sent flying into the wall.
Both of them were still dazed from trading blows, but the boss was able to recover first. The heavy blow to Kim Namwoon knocked the wind out of him, as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Stupid fucking kid, you almost broke my jaw!" The boss shouted as he swung the club sideways towards Kim Namwoon, who just barely managed to block but still took heavy damage from the blow.
"I'm gonna have to fucking kill you now," The man said with a sinister look in his eyes as he went for another swing.
Kim Namwoon suddenly moved with a burst of speed, catching the man off guard. But he wasn't moving out of the way of the hit. Instead, he was charging straight towards him with his army knife that he had just pulled.
Swwish.
The club slammed into Kim Namwoon's left arm, but not before he managed to slash at the man's shoulder with the knife in his other hand, causing the man to drop the club.
"Arrgh!" The man staggered back as he grabbed at the wound.
With the opponent disarmed and staggered, Kim Namwoon ignored his broken arm as he continued to charge forward with the knife.
The boss tried to block the incoming strikes, but with only one working arm, he was eventually overpowered by the speed and volume of the slashes Kim Namwoon threw his way.
With a final blow, Kim Namwoon slashed at the man's throat who was unable to block in time, collapsing to the ground in a low gurgle.
Kim Namwoon stood injured, but victorious, as he turned to the spectators on the platform with his signature grin.
"Who's next, you fucking bastards?"
The other members of the Changsin Station stared angrily at Kim Namwoon as they began to charge towards him. But before they could take a single step, their thoughts turned sluggish until they found themselves still as a statue before collapsing to the ground, dead.
"God damnit!" Kim Namwoon turned to find Zhou stepping out from behind the fallen crowd. "I didn't need your help! Why do you keep stepping in like this?"
Zhou chuckled as he approached Kim Namwoon with a paper figurine in hand. "You've had your fun, but Dokja and the others have finished with their fight, and you were taking too long."
He swiped with his fingers as the paper figurine crumpled up and Kim Namwoon moved his previously broken arm.
"Whatever," Kim Namwoon scowled. "Where did they go?"
"They've gone to search for the flagpole. They probably found it by now," Zhou turned and started walking towards the main platform. "Let's get going."
Zhou and Kim Namwoon made their way to Dokja and the others right as he planted the flag at the station, claiming their target and fourth station.
"Are we good to go?" Zhou asked as he pulled out his cane.
"Just about," Doka responded. "This went smoother than expected, Namwoon-ssi, how are you feeling?"
"Tsk, I'm fine," Kim Namwoon said as he rolled his eyes at Zhou. "Let's just get going, we have one last station to check out for today?"
"This one is going to be slightly different," Dokja turned to Zhou. "I have a theory about these 'Prophets' that I would like to test. When we get there, I'm going to pretend to be Yoo Joonghyuk. I'd like to ask all of you to just go with the act for now."
Everyone besides Zhou gave him a funny look as Jung Heewon decided to ask. "Why exactly are you going to do that?"
Dokja smiled, "I have a feeling they know who he is, and how powerful he can be. They are probably expecting him to be the leader of Chungmuro Station, but since I'm the flagbearer, I'm going to put on a little act to see how they react."
"How do they know Yoo Joongyhuk?" Lee Hyunsung asked curiously.
"He went off on his own for a while, and he is pretty powerful. He probably attracted the attention of some outsiders." Dokja came up with a half-assed lie.
"Well no offence Dokja-ssi, but you don't exactly look like a match with Yoo Joonghyuk. As a matter of fact, you are quite ugly compared to him." Jung Heewon said half jokingly.
No one could compare to Yoo Joonghyuk's looks, but come on. Ugly? Really? Dokja narrowed his eyes at Jung Heewon, who returned with a sly grin.
"That won't be an issue," Zhou interrupted as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver half-mask and handed it to Dokja. "Wear this."
Dokja took the mask and inspected it for a moment before putting it over his face. He suddenly felt a weird sensation, as if his skin was alive and moving on its own. And a moment later, everyone in the party was looking at him in awe. What the hell?" Kim Namwoon whispered under his breath.
"What?" Dokja looked around in confusion, wondering why everyone was suddenly looking at him strangely.
"Look." Lee Hyunsung held up his metal shield in front of Dokja so he could see his reflection.
What the hell? Dokja stared at his reflection, and what stared back was the perfect image of Yoo Joonghyuk. Not just his face, but also his height, body size, and clothes now matched the protagonist.
"Where did you get that mask?" Dokja turned to Zhou.
Zhou, who had pulled out Lie from the Historical Void while simultaneously using Door to seal the side effects and Grafting and Fooling to allow it to fully change one's appearance, gave a slight smile.
"A magician never reveals his secrets," Zhou quickly changed the subject. "Are we good to go now?"
"Can you bring us in just outside the station? It would be better if we walked in through the front door rather than appearing in the middle of their base."
"Sure thing." Zhou spun his cane and tapped the floor as he said, "Time to put on a show."
Appearing in a tunnel, the group walked for a couple of minutes before approaching the entrance to Dongmyo Station.
A few guards were stationed, but they held much higher-tier gear than those from Changsin Station. They were all C-grade or above, something that wouldn't be easy to gain this early on.
"Stop right there," One of the guards shouted. "Who are you, and what station do you come from?"
Dokja stepped forward and said in a perfect copy of the protagonist's voice. "Chungmuro Station."
A couple of the guards reacted to the station name. Dokja smiled inside but didn't show any reaction. Good, they recognize it.
"Who are you? And what brings you to our station?" Another guard who reacted to the station name called out.
"I need to talk to your representative."
Dokja rested a hand on the hilt of his blade as he spoke the same words that helped him through life so many years ago.
"I am YooJoonghyuk."