[Exclusive skill, 'Fourth Wall', is activated.]
Kim Dokja calmed down.
[An omen of the fifth main scenario has appeared.]
He started to think about the situation from another perspective.
'Actually, this is an opportunity.'
A sudden crisis occurred. With the laws of the Star Stream and probability constraints, there would always be a way to solve it.
[The 5th grade fire dragon species, 'Lesser Dragon Igneel', has appeared!]
Thoughtfully, he glanced at Gehrman, who was currently disguised as Kim Namwoon.
If he could use this chance to get rid of the madman and pass it as an 'unfortunate accident'… However, he had to make sure they could survive this situation first.
On another hand, having the madman on his side was also useful. It would be a good thing if Gehrman could single-handedly defeat the disaster for them—but the reader knew it was impossible.
[Hrmm. This is difficult. How did you guys get this 'root'? It was only installed recently…]
Once the dokkaebi's voice rang out, the movements of the lesser dragon stopped.
[A disaster woke up in the fourth scenario? Some constellations are poisonous so I can't spare you… it is also hard to downgrade the difficulty…]
His gaze focused on Kim Dokja.
"But this isn't right! We haven't cleared the fourth scenario!" One prophet shouted.
[I have decided. I won't downgrade the difficulty.]
Gehrman looked down at the child standing by his side. This situation wasn't good.
[Still… it won't be interesting if you all die this way. I will use my discretion to change the scenario content.]
[The hidden scenario has arrived!]
The lesser dragon started moving again. The red leather-covered paws hit the floor of the platform. Gehrman shielded Shin Yoosoung from the scattered debris and looked at the scenario that arrived.
+
[Hidden Scenario – United You Die, Scattered You Die]
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: A
Clear Conditions: Within the time limit, hunt down the 'lesser dragon Igneel' or survive his attacks.
Time Limit: 20 minutes.
Compensation: 3,000 coins
Failure: Death
Hidden pieces are hidden in this mission.
+
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
"Kuaaack!"
The prophets caught in the flames turned to ashes. The walls burned by the flames melted and distorted terribly. The dragon was slowly moving to this side.
"Everyone run counterclockwise!" Kim Dokja yelled.
Klein grabbed Shin Yoosoung's hand and followed the instructions. Meanwhile, the child frowned at the heat and followed along with difficulty. The smoke made it hard to breathe.
Then, her foot got caught in debris and she fell face flat on the floor.
Klein stopped and checked if the child was okay. Her knees and left hand were bleeding.
However, they had no time. Gehrman lifted Shin Yoosoung in his arms and moved through flames to teleport ahead.
Thankfully, his high stats made carrying the child easy.
[The 5th grade fire dragon species, 'Lesser Dragon Igneel', is preparing the 'Flames of Destruction'.]
"Look for a foothold." He heard Kim Dokja say. "Number 5… or 2 and 3! Anyway, just quickly find something that adds up to 5!"
[A hidden piece is activated.]
[Numerical footholds are activated.]
[Once the appropriate number of people enters the foothold, 'Absolute Shield' can be activated in 10 seconds.]
[Absolute Shield won't activate when the number on the foothold is exceeded.]
Gehrman immediately spotted a foothold for two people and occupied it. Moving through flames, he was able to get there before anyone else.
"Are you okay?"
Shin Yoosoung nodded.
However, 'Kim Namwoon' still squatted down to examine the child's wounds.
'I don't have band aids… this could get infected.'
Reaching a foothold, Jung Heewon looked around to search for her other companions and saw the two.
Since she had some disinfectant remaining from when she first met Van, she threw him the bottle.
"Gehrman!"
Klein heard the call and caught it.
'Disinfectant…'
"Thank you."
This was exactly what he needed.
[Absolute Shield is activated!]
He used the brief resting time to clean Shin Yoosoung's wounds.
The fierce heat died down and the chemical reactions in the surrounding area were subsiding. The Absolute Shield was soon turned off.
[After one minute, the positions of the footholds will be recreated.]
The tail of the lesser dragon flew through the air. Klein hurriedly grabbed Shin Yoosoung and avoided it.
When the third attack of the fire dragon was about to begin, Kim Dokja's voice was heard through the group chat.
–Don't worry. No matter what happens, you absolutely can't move from there. Understood?
When he looked toward the reader, Kim Dokja gestured at Gehrman to come with him.
He considered things for a moment. Since Kim Dokja was going himself, this shouldn't be a suicide mission. Moreover, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung had helped him attack the dragon during the fire dragon's last attack. (However, Klein didn't know that Kim Dokja had privately given them ice pills to survive.)
Now, he was attacking again with only the prophets and him, while Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung stayed on the side… Considering Kim Dokja's personality, if he was indeed a prophet, he also had no reason to leave the other prophets alive.
He remembered the green zones.
'Was it really an accident last time?'
Activating a mind control skill he had previously copied, Kim Dokja mouthed, "I need your help to defeat the dragon. That way, more people can survive."
Indeed, they needed all the help they could get, so it couldn't be a conspiracy to kill him.
The number of safe zones was decreasing in real time. It would be better to defeat the dragon instead of waiting.
Then, Klein looked at the zone he was in. It was a zone for two. Without him, the shield couldn't be activated.
On the side, he grabbed someone who still didn't find a zone and put him with Shin Yoosoung instead.
"…Ahjussi?"
"Wait here for a little," he said softly.
***
Seeing the madman really come, Kim Dokja was relieved.
However, contrary to Gehrman's expectations, the reader did not head toward the dragon.
The moment that flames burst out from the centre of the platform, Kim Dokja exploded all the strength in his muscles and ran towards the legs of the dragon. Then he put his flag into the flag holder of Anguk Station located there.
[You have occupied Anguk Station.]
[Currently Occupied: Chungmuro (Main Base), Myeongdong, Dongdaemun History and Culture Park, Dongdaemun, Dongmyo, Sindang Station, Cheonggu Station, Yaksu Station, Sinseol-dong Station, Anguk Station]
[The achievement points of the brown flag are rising.]
[You have occupied 10 stations!]
[The hidden scenario – 'King's Road' has been achieved.]
[Depending on the path you walk, you will receive a new 'king' attribute].
Under his breath, he murmured.
"King of No Killing."
[The new attribute, King of No Killing has been obtained!]
'This is enough.' Kim Dokja thought.
That way, he could get rid of the people there easily. In the next wave, he could also retrieve the dead prophets' ice pills, survive the dragon's attack and give it the last blow.
The apostles he had lured discovered the flames and hurried back to the footholds. However, it was already too late.
"You should've been careful. You only have one life."
Gehrman looked at Kim Dokja.
'I wasn't wrong.'
He hadn't been mistaken. He had indeed been trying to kill him.
He frowned due to the pain as the wave of flames covered them. His vision soon became dim as he felt himself being burnt alive.
'I strangely put all my doubts aside and followed his words. Was I affected by some skill?'
Without Sefirah Castle and the Evernight Goddess's blessing, there was no mental barrier to shield him. Moreover, since he wasn't connected to Sefirah Castle, he couldn't be sure he would be able to resurrect.
'I can only hope I'll revive now…'
It hurt.
The flames hurt.
Was that the pain of feeling your own flesh burn?
As he lost consciousness, he glimpsed Shin Yoosoung's horrified face in the distance, tearfully yelling something.
"Ahjussi!!"
Oh…
He blacked out.
"Ahjussi!"
Shin Yoosoung used her skills to the fullest, overusing her abilities to control the fire dragon in front of her and make it stop.
However, although her skills had leveled up a lot in Chungmuro with Van's help, it still wasn't enough.
Her nose started bleeding.
'It's not enough.'
[The skill has failed.]
She tried again.
'I'm not strong enough.'
Again and again and again and again.
More blood poured out and her head was dizzy, but she continued.
'I'm useless.'
Then, the child watched Gehrman's figure collapsing in the flames.
"Ahjussi!!"
Tears streamed down her face as she desperately called for him, her hands shaking.
[The skill has failed.]
「It was too late.」
She held her breath.
No, no, no. He couldn't die now.
Ahjussi was alive. He must be alive.
When the shield deactivated, her legs started moving without her knowing. She ran toward Gehrman's corpse.
"Ahju… ssi…" her voice cracked.
His body was completely charred, his face unrecognizable.
The child stumbled and squatted down, her wounded knees touching the ground. However, her brain didn't register the pain.
Shin Yoosoung completely stilled.
In the distance, Jung Heewon saw Shin Yoosoung squatting down alone. Despite being shaken by witnessing Kim Dokja's death, she let Lee Hyunsung go to the reader's body and gritted her teeth.
Mustering all her strength, she rushed to the child and grabbed her before the fire dragon's tail could reach her.
'Where is Gehrman?'
Although she didn't know why the madman and the child had been separated—since she hadn't seen Kim Dokja discreetly asking Gehrman to follow him—she decided to protect the child in the meantime.
Carrying her, she finally got a closer look at the child's state.
Shin Yoosoung didn't move, blood pouring down her eyes and nose. Her gaze seemed lifeless as she blankly stared at the floor.
Jung Heewon got chills.
"…Hey, are you okay?"
The child didn't answer.