Soon, a crowd gathered near the train rails. The reason was simple.
"You're going to follow the rails?" Cheon Inho asked.
"Well, we do need a team willing to work together to clear the scenario."
"Good luck," Cheon Inho replied with a smile—though the skepticism in his eyes was unmistakable.
From the side, I watched as the group continued observing us.
"Could you perhaps allow one member of our group to join your party?"
At that, I perked up.
"We'd also like to see how scenarios are cleared!"
Snapping his fingers authoritatively, Cheon Inho called out,
"Han Myungoh. Why don't you join them?"
"Huh?! Why me?!"
Cheon Inho looked at him directly, still smiling.
"You're not refusing my request… are you?"
Han Myungoh stiffened immediately. With no choice left, he stepped forward to join.
Just as they were about to leave, a voice rang out once more.
"I'll join as well."
All eyes turned to me as I raised my hand.
Cheon Inho looked surprised. So did Kim Dokja.
"Are you sure?" Cheon Inho asked.
"I'm very sure," I replied calmly. "More than you think."
Our gazes locked in a silent stalemate. His expression remained relaxed, but the suspicion in his eyes was obvious.
"Well," he said at last, glancing toward Kim Dokja, "another person won't be a problem, right?"
Kim Dokja nodded after a brief pause.
And so, the journey began.
Five minutes into our walk along the rails, I kept some distance from the group.
From time to time, Han Myungoh's panicked screams echoed through the tunnels.
"Dokja-ssi," he whispered urgently, "are you sure it was okay to let him join us?"
"Don't worry," Kim Dokja replied quietly. "He's not a threat. What worries me more is that guy."
He stole a brief glance in my direction before continuing.
'…I can hear your conversation, you know.'
'Then again, I don't blame them. Anyone who voluntarily joins a scenario-clearing group is suspicious.'
Well, time would tell. I just had to prove my worth.
We stopped when Lee Gilyoung finished explaining his abilities.
[Sub Scenario: Hunting for Food]
The new scenario appeared before us.
Speaking of food…
I subtly reached into my shadow.
There it was.
My remaining food.
'It worked.'
My theory was correct. The shadow granted by the Ten Shadows Technique wasn't just for movement—it functioned as storage as well.
I had tested it yesterday by hiding food inside it, but I hadn't expected it to persist like this.
'…Though this is barely anything. Still, better than nothing.'
I returned it to my shadow and rejoined the group, just in time to see Kim Dokja distributing piles of bone.
The texture was rough, but sharp enough to be used as a weapon.
"It feels like we've gone back to the Stone Age," Jung Heewon muttered.
"You still have some coins left, right?" Kim Dokja asked.
"It'd be better to invest most of them into strength, stamina, and agility. Save a little for the survival fee."
His voice lowered.
"This may sound cruel… but some of you might not survive."
A sudden rustle echoed from ahead.
Monsters.
'Aww, they're kind of cute…'
Slash!
The sound of flesh being torn filled the air as chaos erupted.
Squelch.
Wiping the blood from my blade, I exhaled as the battle finally ended.
I had managed to kill a few.
[Coins: 1,500]
'Not much… but it hasn't been long since I reincarnated. I don't even know what decisions this body made before I arrived.'
I invested the remaining coins into mana.
[Mana: Lv. 8 → Lv. 13]
Summoning my dogs and activating my abilities consumed an absurd amount of mana. Strengthening my reserves was the logical choice.
Just as the group began to relax—
"Another wave!" Yoo Sangah shouted. "Kim Dokja, they're coming again!"
Everyone readied themselves.
"Divine Dogs."
In an instant, two wolves—one black, one white—burst forth from my shadow.
They moved like lightning.
Before anyone could react, the salamanders were already being torn apart.
Bite!
Claws flashed. Fangs sank deep.
The monsters didn't even have time to scream.
The wolves' relentless assault ended the battle in seconds.
"…Whoa," Jung Heewon breathed.
I knelt and ruffled their fur.
"Good job, you two."
Their tails wagged happily.
The group stared in stunned silence.
Kim Dokja, however, was different.
He wasn't shocked—he was studying them.
His eyes gleamed with curiosity and fascination, as if he were memorizing every detail.
"…Summoned beasts?" he murmured. "No. Their coordination is too natural."
Before anyone could say more—
"THEY'RE SO CUTE!"
Lee Gilyoung lunged forward, hugging the dogs without hesitation.
To everyone's surprise, the wolves didn't resist. They leaned into him instead.
"…They're friendly?" Yoo Sangah said softly.
Jung Heewon crouched down, eyes sparkling.
"Hey, hey—what are their names?"
Han Myungoh swallowed nervously.
"Y-You just have abilities like this?"
I scratched the back of my head, putting on a casual smile.
"Something like that. Just a summoning skill I picked up."
Kim Dokja didn't say anything.
He only watched me—quietly, intently.
As if trying to see through the lie I had just told.
________
Then I felt it.
It was faint, almost imperceptible—but unmistakable.
Someone was reading me.
I knew who it was.
' If he has an ability like this… then who is his supporting constellation? ' Kim dokja thought.
I looked towards with interest. I was curious if the character list would recognize me as a character or an anomaly.
Then the messages appeared.
[This character has no recurrence in the story.]
[Summarization of stats in progress.]
[Name: Kim Min-jun]
[Constellation: None]
[Exclusive Attribute: Ten Shadow Inheritor]
[Exclusive Skill: Ten Shadow Technique]
…None?!
Kim Dokja's breath hitched.
That's impossible.
He had read Ways of Survival countless times. Front to back. Side stories. Author's notes. He knew every notable incarnation, every irregular variable that had ever influenced the scenarios.
And yet—
This ability never appeared. Not even once.
It wasn't unusual for incarnations to awaken talents early. Some even started with pre-existing skills.
But this?
This wasn't just rare.
It was foreign.
If this character existed in the original story… then why was he never mentioned?
Kim Dokja's thoughts raced.
Did he die before the main scenarios?
Was he erased?
Or did the story simply never reach him?
None of the answers felt right.
Then another message appeared.
[Many constellations have taken interest in this incarnation's abilities.]
Kim Dokja frowned.
At the edge of his vision, constellation messages continued to stack one after another, flooding the interface like static noise.
He glanced sideways at Kim Min-jun.
The man looked… normal. Too normal for someone carrying an ability that even the system struggled to categorize.
No sponsor.
No recorded fate.
No narrative presence.
And yet, the constellations were watching.
Kim Dokja tightened his grip on his weapon.
For the first time since entering this scenario, Kim Dokja felt something unfamiliar.
Unease.
No....
Kim Dokja shook his head.
' This might be my fault. '
A butterfly effect.
Ever since he had entered this world, things had begun to deviate—small changes at first, barely noticeable. But small deviations accumulated. They always did.
Since this has already happened…
Kim Dokja exhaled slowly.
Having him as an ally is the smarter choice.
From what little he had seen, Kim Min-jun wasn't just competent—he was restrained.
Careful. Someone who knew when not to reveal his hand.
Having someone like that in this world was smart.
And abilities like that never come alone.
The Divine Dogs. The shadow. The abnormal mana consumption.
There's more.
Which led to the real problem.
Motives.
Kim Dokja glanced ahead, watching Kim Min-jun walk in silence, perfectly at ease among people he barely knew.
' Is he willing to be of an ally or another.. '