18. Stigma
"Gh!" I awoke with a lingering headache, my vision blurry for a moment. "Where am I?" I muttered under my breath. Looking around, I saw that the train station was bustling with people, far more crowded than I remembered.
"Hey, move away?!" A shout pierced the air, snapping my attention to the commotion nearby. There was NaRi, standing firm and facing off with a group of older men. Jae Hee and Da Mi stood behind her, clearly concerned but trying to stay out of it.
"I had already given you all the rest of the seats! We just used one for my siblings to rest! In the first place, it's us who got here first!" NaRi was trying to reason with them, but the man at the front wasn't having it.
"Like I care!" he sneered. "I'll give you choices. Either you get the hell out of the way yourself, or I'll make you!" At his words, his comrades began stepping forward, closing in on NaRi and the kids.
"NaRi" I called out as I approached them, stepping between them.
"Who are you?!" The man turned on me, his eyes narrowing with hostility. "You better keep your ass out of other people's business!" He pointed at me with a baseball bat, the dried blood on its tip unmistakable in the dim light. It was clear what it had been used for before.
"Oppa!" NaRi called out, her voice brighter, some of the heaviness lifting from her expression. Jae Hee and Da Mi followed her lead, rushing toward me with relief.
"Sorry, how long had I passed out?" I asked, my attention focused on the Yoo siblings, ignoring the still-agitated group of men behind us.
"It's about an hour, are you okay?" NaRi asked, her eyes scanning me with concern.
"Yes, I'm alright now. Thanks for worrying," I reassured her, giving her a small smile brushing away the small headache on my head.
"Oii! Don't ignore me!" The guy with the bloodied baseball bat was still barking at us from the sidelines.
NaRi, however, seemed unbothered. She turned to her siblings, a warm smile returning to her face as she patted Jae Hee and Da Mi on their heads. "No, after what you did for us, it's only natural."
"Okay, let's stop before we end up going in circles forever," I replied with a small laugh.
"Are you guys rested enough? Should we resume our search? Staying here doesn't seem like a good idea — there are too many bugs," I added, glancing back at the group of men still lurking nearby.
I turned my attention to Jae Hee and Da Mi. "Are you two okay?"
"Mhm!" They nodded vigorously, clearly eager to keep moving. "We wanted to see Noona too," Jae Hee said, his voice filled with excitement.
"Okay, let's go," NaRi agreed, picking up our nonexistent luggage with a determined look. She motioned for us to follow as we prepared to move on, heading toward another station.
Thre's isn't any need for us to stay here anyway.
"YOU FUCKER!!" the older man screamed, swinging the bat at us. Without even flinching, I glared at him, and the next moment, he was on the ground, sitting on his butt in shock. Ignoring the fool, we continued on our way. If you're wondering what happened, the answer lies in my Repellent Evil Eye. He presents himself on a plate as a marmot experience. There's no need for me to decline kindness.
"NaRi," I called as I helped Da Mi down from the platform, steadying her small frame.
"Yes?" NaRi replied, glancing over her shoulder at me.
"Do you remember the first main scenario?" I asked, my voice quieter, as we made our way further down the tracks.
She nodded silently, her face unreadable. She joined us on the railway, stepping lightly, but the tension in her posture spoke volumes. It wasn't just us anymore—everywhere we looked, there were signs of the aftermath of the main scenario. Broken structures, shattered glass, and remnants of chaos littered the area.
"Everyone here is a murderer — me included. Never forget that," I said softly, my voice almost lost in the stillness of the station. It was a bitter truth, The lines between good and bad had already blurred.
NaRi didn't respond immediately. The weight of my words hung between us, heavy and uncomfortable.
It was stupid to expect morality from those who had already crossed that line. Maybe there were still lingering feelings of guilt, but in the end, that was all they were — remnants. They didn't mean anything anymore. There was no going back from this point, no redemption to be found. Just a little less guilt... and nothing more.
"Are you guys alright?" The faint emergency lights flickered along the long railway, casting a dull glow that barely lit our surroundings. Only NaRi's smartphone provided any real light, but it wouldn't last much longer.
"Mhm! We're fine." The two younger kids answered, their voices tinged with boredom. To distract themselves, they began singing a song—one that was popular, but unfamiliar to me. NaRi, without thinking, joined in, her voice soft but full of life. When she realized what she was doing, she blushed, looking away. It was a cute moment, one that brought a faint smile to my face.
From the system, I still had no idea what influenced the Evaluation. The Countdown remained blank, as if mocking my confusion, and all the Star Stream gave us was a vague purpose—go where the scenario would begin. That was it.
Because I didn't have anywhere else to go. Right now, sticking with them—NaRi, Jae Hee, Da Mi—it didn't seem so bad. I didn't mind staying by their side for a while.
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath our feet. The siblings froze, their small bodies clinging to me and NaRi, eyes wide with fear. NaRi tried to calm them down, but even she couldn't hide her own unease. And then, we saw them—five strange, non-animal-like creatures surrounded us.
Their eyes locked onto us with primal hunger. Prey.
I didn't hesitate. Unlike before, I fully unleashed the power of my repellent evil eye.
BAM
One of the rat-like monsters was sent flying, disappearing from sight in a single blow. The remaining creatures flinched, momentarily confused by what had just happened. I wasted no time.
Using my threads coated in poison, I swiftly wrapped them around two of the remaining monsters, immobilizing them. I turned my focus to the next one, which lunged at me with a savage roar, snapping its jaws in my direction. Its movements were slow, I easily dodged to the side, using the momentum to land a powerful kick to its head.
It wasn't enough to finish it off, but it was enough time for me to bind it with my threads. One left.
The last creature's body crackled with electric currents. Standing in front of it, NaRi faced it The last creature's body crackled with electric currents. Standing firm in front of it, NaRi didn't flinch—lightning dancing across her hand like it belonged there.
Seeing that she had it under control, I shifted my focus back.
The other two—already ensnared by my poisoned threads—were writhing their last. Their movements were sluggish, desperate, fading.
I didn't hesitate.
With a clean, practiced motion, I finished what was left. One stroke for each. No room for mercy.
Then I turned to the final one—its body still twitching from the shock, smoke rising from its fur. NaRi's lightning had done most of the work. And just like that, the threat was gone. The tunnel fell quiet once more.
"I'm sorry," NaRi suddenly said.
I blinked. "What are you sorry for?"
"I could only take down one of them." She looked down, clearly frustrated.
"Hah? What are you talking about? You did great," I said honestly. "I didn't even expect you to have that kind of power."
"But... you've been helping us all this time. And I could only manage this much." No matter how I tried to reassure her, she wouldn't look convinced.
I let out a sigh and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her so our eyes met.
"Didn't you protect me while I was unconscious? That's more than enough. It's give and take—don't think too hard about it." I smiled, trying to keep my tone light. After all, there was no guarantee I'd stay with them forever. Better not let her expect too much.
"By the way... how did you do that?" I asked, glancing at the charred remains of the creature she'd shocked.
"It's something called Stigma, Breath of the Blue Dragon," NaRi explained. "I got it from my constellation. Because of that, I can use this weird lightning power." She held up her hand, and arcs of electricity crackled along her fingers like a human stun gun.
"Stigma...?" I echoed. It was the first time I'd heard that term. Was it like a Beyonder ability?
NaRi tilted her head. "Aren't you also using a stigma?" She pointed at the thread still binding one of the dead monsters.
And just then, a system window popped up in front of me:
'Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' shows curiosity in your answer.'
...Yeah, figures.
"Well," I said, masking my thoughts with a casual shrug, "I thought it was just a special power that only I had. something like I'm the chosen one"
"Pfft—haha! Are you a kid, Oppa?" NaRi burst out laughing. "I think everyone with a sponsor can get a stigma."
Was it really that funny...?
"I want a stigma too!" Jae Hee piped up, eyes sparkling with excitement, like a kid watching a superhero show.
"Me too!" Da Mi chimed in, not wanting to be left behind.
"Alright, alright. We'll get you both sponsors too," NaRi said with a warm smile, soothing the two who could still act like kids—even in a world like this.
Phew... At least that's one problem I managed to sidestep.
Then—
'Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is expressing her discontent at your lie.'
'Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is expressing her discontent at your lie.'
'Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is expressing her discontent at your lie.'
I sighed in relief... while pretending I didn't see those three back-to-back messages lighting up my vision.