〈Episode 20. Calamity of Flooding (2)〉
I suddenly remembered Director Han Myung-oh once bragging about buying a private yacht at his Maldives villa. What did he say back then? That when the propeller cut through the water, it felt like a highway opening up across the sea?
Shwaaaaa!
Now I understood exactly what he meant.
If the sea Han had ridden back then was like the Gyeongbu Expressway, then the place I was in right now felt like the Autobahn.
"…This is incredible. Truly."
Yoo Sangah and I, riding on the Queen's back, stared in a daze at the Han River splitting apart before us. As if testing her control over the Queen, Shin Yoosung didn't head straight ahead. Instead, she carved through the current, leading the school of ichthyodragons with her. Since the Han River had now become a safe zone, she was deliberately steering us toward land closer to Yongsan District.
Gwooooo.
Like ducklings following their mother, the ichthyodragons swam in formation, responding to Queen Mirbad.
Feeling the cool wind lash against my face, I closed my eyes.
This feeling is insane.
A luxury I could never have enjoyed if the world were still the way it used to be.
Shin Yoosung clung to the Queen's head, synchronizing with the Queen's mind, constantly muttering something under her breath.
Watching her, Yoo Sangah spoke in a complicated tone.
"But Dokja-ssi… if Yoosung becomes stronger now, won't the Yoosung who comes from the future also become stronger?"
I figured she'd ask something like that.
"That won't happen."
According to the original story, the calamity that would appear this time was Shin Yoosung from a future of a different regression.
Shin Yoosung, betrayed by Yoo Joonghyuk and cast outside the worldline.
After losing her own temporal branch and drifting through the universe, she became part of the scenario under the protection of the Star Stream. And then she descended upon the scenario of a past regression as a calamity.
Yoo Sangah raised another question.
"Then even if the current Yoosung dies, wouldn't the future calamity still survive? Since their branches are completely different…"
"Have you ever heard of the 'Severed Film Theory'?"
"…No."
Looking at the river split in two, I explained.
"To put it simply, imagine Yoosung's history, originating from a single worldline, as one strip of film."
"Film… like movie film?"
I nodded.
"If we call the worldline we're in 'Film No. 1,' then there must be countless other films in other worldlines, right? There'd be Film No. 2, maybe Film No. 34, and so on."
"Yes. That makes sense."
"But what if one of those films had its front cut off and got attached to the back of Film No. 1? Say, the torn Film No. 34 had only its latter half stuck onto the end of Film No. 1. What do you think would happen if you played that film?"
Yoo Sangah thought deeply for a moment.
"Then the footage would suddenly change midway… Ah, wait. So the two stories wouldn't be able to affect each other—?"
"Exactly."
"Ah… so that's Yoosung's situation now. If the Yoosung of Film No. 1 is the present, then the Yoosung of Film No. 34 is the calamity. But since the two stories exist completely independently, even if Yoosung in our world changes, it can't affect the calamity…"
As expected, Yoo Sangah was sharp.
"But I still don't get one thing. Then even if the current Yoosung dies, shouldn't the calamity remain unchanged?"
"The contents of the tapes can't affect each other, but the two tapes are still connected."
"…What?"
"If the front part of the tape catches fire, what do you think happens?"
Yoo Sangah let out a small gasp.
"The tape behind it would… burn too."
Because the two worldlines had been forcibly connected, if the present Shin Yoosung died, the future Shin Yoosung would die as well.
However, just because the present Shin Yoosung changed didn't mean the future Shin Yoosung would suddenly change too. That ambiguous paradox was the very core of this calamity.
"Dokja-ssi, you really know a lot. I've heard of the multiverse theory, but this kind of theory is new to me."
I nodded awkwardly.
Of course she wouldn't know.
Because this was a theory invented by the author of Ways of Survival.
I've said it many times—Ways of Survival didn't fail for no reason.
Kuuuuu.
A short while later, with a gentle braking-like sound, the current of the Han River finally calmed.
We had reached the opposite bank. After setting us down on the ground, the Queen disappeared back into the Han River.
Only then, as if the tension finally drained away, Shin Yoosung let out a deep sigh that felt like it came from her very core.
"…How was I?"
"You did great. You worked hard."
"Yes."
Shin Yoosung's face was strangely flushed.
Looks like she enjoyed being praised.
After all, there was no one left who would praise this child anymore.
That was when a vicious hostility seeped through the forest of buildings in Yongsan District.
Thump. Thump.
A massive shadow moved through the buildings, and a gigantic green scythe appeared between them.
…A giant mantis?
Boys riding atop the apex of the Insect King species were looking down at me.
"Dokja-hyung?"
Lee Gilyoung, wearing a crooked snapback, and Han Donghoon with headphones on.
Sliding down the mantis's body, Lee Gilyoung jumped straight into my arms.
I ran my hand through his rough hair, his snapback knocked off in the process.
It had been exactly a week since we'd last met.
Viiing. A sound rang out as a message arrived on my smartphone. It was Han Donghoon.
—Nice to see you, hyung.
"We finally meet again, and you still won't just talk out loud?"
—I don't want to.
Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung entered into a strange standoff the moment they met. As if they had antennae of their own, the hair on Gilyoung's head twitched restlessly, while Yoosung bristled, her fine hairs standing on end as she kept him in check.
"Mister, that boy keeps glaring at me."
"Hyung, who is that kid?"
Looks like those of the same kind recognize each other instinctively.
One's a monster master, and the other is a bug… master.
I'm not sure whether the two of them will get along.
I asked Lee Gilyoung.
"Still haven't met Heewon-ssi?"
"No. But I think I know where she is. I sent bugs out to look for her—Heewon-noona is up north right now."
As expected of Lee Gilyoung. Without being told, he'd already gone looking for our other companions.
If it's the north, that's where the 'King of the Wanderers' resides.
It wouldn't be surprising if Jung Heewon had made contact with them.
"I knew hyung would come. I sent out a bunch of diving beetles just in case."
Now that I looked again, there were more insects hovering over Gilyoung's head. There used to be only cockroaches…
Shin Yoosung frowned as if she found it disgusting.
After checking our party's overall strength, I reached a conclusion.
"It'd be best to stay here for the remaining two days. Raise your skill proficiencies as much as you can, and in your spare time, gather coins. Push your overall stats as far as they'll go. Ah, and…"
I turned to Yoo Sangah.
"Yes?"
"Have you contacted your family?"
At the word family, Yoo Sangah's expression darkened sharply.
Just as I thought—she still hadn't been able to reach them.
"Donghoon."
Han Donghoon, wearing his headphones, silently nodded.
Han Donghoon possessed the skill [Wide-Area Internet]. In other words, he could communicate with the outside world.
Viiing.
Yoo Sangah's small smartphone vibrated, and a message popped up indicating that the internet connection had been restored. She stared at it for a long time as if she couldn't believe her eyes, then looked at me with a tearful expression.
I nodded and said,
"Let your family know about what's happening here. Once this scenario ends, even the outskirts of Seoul won't be safe anymore."
"…What exactly is going to happen?"
"We don't know when or how, so tell them to prepare. For now, that's enough."
"Won't you contact your family too, Dokja-ssi?"
"I'm fine."
"But…"
"My family is in Seoul."
"In Seoul? Then—"
"That person will be safe."
I silently looked toward the north.
As if on cue, a system message rang out.
[Someone has defeated the 'Calamity of Water' in the north.]
Looks like the 'King of the Wanderers' had finished the job safely.
Now there was only one thing left.
The 'Calamity of Flooding.'
"A dazzling flash of sword light tore through the air with a piercing screech. Dozens of sword strikes collided in an instant. The blood-red shadow blazing in Jung Heewon's eyes spread through the air, scattering demonic energy. Soon after, Jung Heewon's sword came to a halt.
'I think that's enough training for today.'
Jung Heewon carefully inspected her blade and smiled in satisfaction. The middle-aged woman standing opposite her returned a faint smile.
'Jeon Woochi's Taoist arts really are amazing.'
'Your swordsmanship was splendid as well, Heewon-ssi. You'll soon have a sponsoring constellation of your own—at that point, I might not even be able to face you.'
'You flatter me.'
Jung Heewon quietly looked down at her sky-blue prison uniform. Over the past week, she had been indebted to these people. A debt she likely couldn't repay even if she used all the time she had left.
The middle-aged woman asked,
'Are you sure you don't want to travel with our
'I'm sorry, but I have companions waiting for me.'
Jung Heewon clasped her hands together apologetically. The woman smiled back with regret, as if she understood. She already knew who Jung Heewon's companions were.
'I hope that person knows how desperate you are, Heewon-ssi.'
'He does.'
Jung Heewon glanced up at the sky with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
'For some reason… it feels like he's watching right now.'"
…At this rate, I can't even tell who really has [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint].
In any case, it seemed Jung Heewon was growing smoothly.
I'd been worried since she was a character who never really got the spotlight in the original story, but seeing this proved that my choices hadn't been wrong. It made me happy.
I continued using [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] to search for other perspectives.
Unfortunately, there weren't many viewpoints I could see.
…Hm? What's this?
The screen flickered briefly, and then a familiar face appeared.
…That's me?
Wait—who are these kids?
"Hey. You."
Lee Gilyoung spoke in a hostile voice.
"Back off from my hyung while I'm still being nice."
Shin Yoosung, who was stuck right next to my sleeping body, replied,
"Nope."
"What kind of mangy mutt—"
"Don't talk to me, you bug freak."
Lee Gilyoung flinched. The cockroaches and diving beetles perched on his head twitched their antennae menacingly. Regaining his composure with difficulty, Gilyoung shot back,
"Hyung hates kids like you."
"I know who mister likes."
"…You know who hyung likes? Who is it?"
"Which unni?"
Lee Gilyoung let out a snort of laughter.
"Unni? I think you've got the wrong idea. Hyung Dokja likes men."
"How would you know?"
"I've been with hyung for a long time. I know him well."
Just as a horrifying conversation was about to begin, I barely managed to wake up.
Startled, I hurriedly looked around. Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung were fast asleep, leaning their heads against each other.
…Did I imagine it? Was it just a dream?
"Dokja-ssi, is something wrong?"
At Yoo Sangah's question as she stood watch, I lightly shook my head.
Guess it really was just a dream.
As I lay back down, however, a whispering voice came from somewhere.
'Hey, bug. Come to think of it, you were hugging ajusshi earlier, weren't you?'
'...'
'What are you, a baby? Ajusshi likes mature people, you know?'
So it wasn't a dream after all.
"Hey… aren't you two sleeping?"
Yoo Sangah's voice rang out. At that, the surroundings fell silent again, and soon the sound of the children's soft snoring filled the air.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
['Sub Scenario — Survival Activities' has ended.]
At the system message, everyone stood up and began preparing.
A scenario that felt long if you thought about it one way, and short if you thought about it another.
A message from Bihyung flickered in the air.
[9421.]
A random number. Bihyung spoke again.
[9513.]
'What is that?'
[What do you think? 9611.]
I immediately realized what the numbers were.
Right—back then, I had promised "ten thousand."
[The constellations fond of the Korean Peninsula grow tense at the subscriber count.]
I asked Bihyung,
'You did what I told you, right?'
[…I did, but I'm not sure it'll work. Anyway, good luck. 9781.]
Gooooo—
The Great Hole swirling in the sky was giving off ominous signs. Thunder poured down, and intermittent rumbling echoed through the air. With a crackling sound, a mid-grade dokkaebi appeared in the void.
[You've waited a long time, everyone.]
The mid-grade dokkaebi—one I hadn't seen in a while—looked gaunt, as if it had been worked hard by the Bureau.
[Did you enjoy your survival activities? At last, the main scenario you've been waiting for will begin. There were some scheduling changes due to unforeseen circumstances, but… well. It should still be an entertaining scenario, just as you hoped.]
The creature glanced at me and several other incarnations, then continued in a displeased tone.
[You've dealt with four out of the five disasters during this time. Your achievements are duly acknowledged. However, compared to the final disaster that will soon arrive, the other four were nothing more than child's play.]
Tension spread across my companions' faces.
And honestly, it was true.
Even if you combined all the other disasters, they were nothing compared to the 'Disaster of Flooding.'
[Depending on whether you succeed or fail in this scenario, everything you've accomplished so far may become meaningless—or everything may come to a complete end. To be frank, there's over a ninety percent chance of that happening. But fortunately, there are those who pity you.]
I clenched my fist tightly.
At last, it was beginning.
Before entering the fifth scenario, the final event.
[Then, we will now begin the second