[Wow, insane. What on earth happened here? I just looked away for a second.]
[You have killed a total of 1 living organism.]
[Kill Record: Cursed Spirit]
[You have earned a total of 100 Coins.]
The subway rattled and began to surge forward again.
Outside, a bright light shone.
Of course, it wasn't a pleasant view. The outside was no different from in here.
"What in the world..."
Everyone except Kim Dokja and me looked quite shocked as they stared at the Sea Serpent outside.
[A few Constellations question your ability.]
[The Constellations have sponsored you 200 Coins.]
A message window appeared with a ding. I never dreamed I'd see this screen with my own eyes.
[Wow, everyone really earned their keep! So many survivors... Oh my, thank you for the sponsorship! Dear Constellations! To think twenty-one of you are on my channel!!]
The Dokkaebi laughed, seeming quite pleased.
I looked over at Kim Dokja. He seemed to be scanning the survivors one by one.
Then, he placed a hand on the shoulder of the boy who had the insects, Lee Gilyoung, and started saying something. He was probably offering his own form of comfort.
To attract the attention of the Constellations.
[That guy in the next car was a total nutjob too... This place looks interesting as well.]
"T-then, are you going to let us go now?!"
[Hmm, should I really let you out?]
The Dokkaebi looked outside.
He had seen the Sea Serpents swarming out there before, and he saw them now, so he didn't continue speaking. No, he couldn't.
[Anyway, I'm impressed. I didn't expect much from this carriage, but you managed to pass the first scenario. With this, you've proven that even bugs deserve to live!]
Look who's calling who a bug. Coming from a Dokkaebi who's practically a parasite living off other people's stories.
If... I were the real Gojo Satoru, he wouldn't have tolerated that.
[Now, now. Since you've overcome hardship, there should be a reward, right? As a reward for the first scenario, you are now eligible to receive sponsorship from the 'Constellations'. How about that, exciting, isn't it?]
The Dokkaebi seemed slightly baffled by the quiet reaction, as if he expected everyone to cheer at his words.
[Everyone's pretty lukewarm, huh? This is a really big deal.]
It couldn't be helped. Here... no, in this entire subway, aside from the three of us including myself, there probably wasn't a single person who understood the concept of Constellations or sponsorship.
However, even knowing about it, I wasn't particularly enticed.
For the future, it might not be bad to live pretending not to have one.
Because I have the ability to do so.
[If I just threw you into the next scenario right now, you'd probably get killed by a weak mole cricket, let alone a Kruphos. But kindly enough, there are great beings in this universe who pity you and wish to sponsor you. Do you understand what I'm saying?]
"What on earth does that mean...? Who is sponsoring whom..."
[Ah, you really are slow on the uptake. Fine. Well, rather than hearing it a hundred times, it's better to experience it once yourself.]
As the Dokkaebi snapped his fingers, a selection window appeared before each of our eyes. I...
< Sponsor Selection >
Please select your Sponsor.
The selected Sponsor will become your reliable supporter.
Demon-like Judge of Fire
Abyssal Black Flame Dragon
Prisoner of the Golden Headband
"Three of them..."
At my small murmur, Kim Dokja looked at me in surprise. Well... yeah. It wasn't common for three Constellations to show interest at this stage.
By the way, even if I have to hide their True Names, seeing these cringe-worthy names makes me chuckle involuntarily.
"None of them are bad choices."
First, number one. The Demon-like Judge of Fire is Uriel. I won't choose this Sponsor. There must be a spot for her elsewhere, so I shouldn't take it.
And number two. Abyssal Black Flame Dragon. I don't know his True Name, but even if I did, I wouldn't choose this Sponsor. It feels too much like chuunibyou.
Finally, the Prisoner of the Golden Headband. No matter how you look at it, the True Name is Sun Wukong. A refreshing and powerful Constellation. If I were to choose a Sponsor among these, I'd likely pick this one.
[1 minute remaining until Sponsor Selection is complete.]
For one minute, I simply stared into the empty air.
[Sponsor Selection has ended.]
[Several Constellations are greatly shocked by your choice.]
[The Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is greatly enraged by your choice.]
[Constellations belonging to the Black Cloud are agitated by the 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon's' anger. You will not receive sponsorship from Constellations belonging to 'Black Cloud' for the time being.]
The reaction was exactly as I read in the novel.
But so what? What can he do just because he's disappointed?
[The Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', is genuinely disappointed.]
[She sincerely hopes you will make a proper choice next time.]
Uriel's reaction was unexpected.
It seems she genuinely hoped I would choose her.
[The Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', finds your choice interesting.]
That monkey would think so. I knew it.
[You have not selected a Sponsor.]
I will not choose a Sponsor.
I plan not to choose one in the future either. The moment I pick a Constellation, my freedom and possibilities might be restricted. I don't want to go in that direction.
I will reach the top with my own power.
Because I am the Strongest.
[Now, now. Is everyone finished choosing? Huh? Goodness... there are two people who made a fascinating choice?]
At the Dokkaebi's words, Kim Dokja looked around and eventually made eye contact with me.
And I just gave him a grin.
To him, I'm probably a person full of mysteries. I don't appear in the novel he read, and I'm an Incarnation who survived in a way he doesn't know.
[Well then, since everyone's finished choosing, please rest here for a while. I have to go prepare the next scenario. See you in 10 minutes!]
Leaving those words behind, the Dokkaebi vanished with a pop.
"Can everyone gather around?"
At Kim Dokja's request, the remaining survivors approached him. I also stood next to him.
"Hello. I'm Lee Hyunsung."
"I'm Kim Dokja."
"I don't know if 'nice to meet you' fits this situation, but nice to meet you. As I mentioned, I was a soldier."
"Ah, I guess you can't reach your unit?"
"...Yes."
Lee Hyunsung held onto Dokja's hand without letting go.
"Dokja-ssi."
"Yes?"
"I was sincerely grateful earlier. If it weren't for you, we would all be dead."
"No, that was..."
"Or, even if we lived, we wouldn't have been able to live as human beings. Thank you so much."
Lee Hyunsung bowed deeply, expressing his sincere gratitude to Kim Dokja.
While Kim Dokja didn't know how to handle such immense gratitude, someone's hand landed on his shoulder.
"Haha, our contract worker did something big. Dokja-ssi. You know my name, right?"
"I do."
Kim Dokja removed the hand from his shoulder as he spoke.
"Han Myungoh-ssi."
"Hey now, Han Myungoh-ssi? You should call me Department Head."
"...This isn't the company."
"Ha, look at this. You're not planning to come to work anymore? Where did you learn such manners..."
Han Myungoh's attitude was so disgusting that I almost pitied Kim Dokja.
I knew how Kim Dokja would handle this later... but yeah, I felt like stepping in.
"You were like that earlier too; have you still not grasped the situation?"
"You're... the guy from before?"
"In this changed world, there's no company or anything left. The place you're supposed to go to work is probably already in ruins."
I patted Han Myungoh on the back—thwack—and pointed out the window.
"Old man. Do you think the company is still standing?"
"..."
Only then did Han Myungoh seem to understand the situation. He shut his mouth and turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Seriously, so frustrating."
"You are..."
"Ah, late introduction."
Originally, I intended to use polite language.
But since I can't stand old farts (kkondae) and some informal speech already slipped out, I decided to just stick with informal speech.
"My name is Choi Gang-hoon. I was a high school PE teacher... and despite looking like this, I'm Korean, so treat me well."
Besides, Gojo Satoru using polite language to just anyone?
You can't imagine it, right?
"Nice to meet you. Gang-hoon-ssi."
"Likewise."
I momentarily turned off Limitless and offered my hand to Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja held my hand and looked at me. Is this... the Character List?
"...!"
This is troublesome. I might be showing him too much information right from the start.
"Dokja-ssi. Are you okay?"
"..."
"Dokja-ssi?"
"O-oh. I'm fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment..."
He only snapped out of it after I called him twice.
"Anyway. I reckon everyone, just like this old fart, hasn't adapted to reality yet. Right?"
"Certainly, it will be hard for everyone to adapt to this sudden phenomenon. Kim Namwoon's case earlier was an exception."
Seeing Kim Dokja confused by my information, I threw him a bone for the sake of the story progression. Now he'll lead the party on his own.
"I trust that even if no one says it, you've all roughly figured out what situation we're in. Exclusive skills in the attribute window. Game-like interface. Is there anyone who still hasn't caught on?"
Fortunately, no one raised their hand after that.
It was a natural result. In a world where smartphones are so widespread, it would be a big problem if they struggled with this much.
"Then, Dokja-ssi? what do you think? About what we should do next."
"First, we need to get out of here."
"Hm?"
I crossed my arms and looked at Kim Dokja.
"Out there?"
Aside from me, Yoo Sangah standing next to him, and even Han Myungoh, all looked at Kim Dokja in bewilderment.
"That's right. We can't stay here forever. Everyone has a home to return to, and parents waiting for them. We can't just stay here when we can't even contact anyone, can we?"
"..."
Yoo Sangah nodded at Dokja's words. The expressions on the others' faces also seemed to be swayed by Kim Dokja.
As long as they were human, they couldn't help but worry about their parents.
"Let's go. We have to go."
"No! Didn't you hear what that bastard said earlier?! He told us to rest here! If we move recklessly, our heads will explode!"
"Then let's decide by majority vote."
At Kim Dokja's words, everyone except Han Myungoh and Lee Hyunsung immediately raised their hands.
"I also need to get to my unit. However... moving recklessly in this situation seems dangerous. We heard the warning earlier."
"Fuck, if you're going to leave, go by yourselves! I'm not leaving! I'm not going!"
Well, Han Myungoh is useless, so it doesn't matter.
But. A reason that will force us to escape, whether we want to or not, is about to arrive.
Boom.
Just as I thought. The thick steel plate crumpled with a roar. Beyond here. The iron door leading to car 3707 was slowly being crushed.
"W-what!"
Despite Han Myungoh's shout, the iron door only crumpled with greater force, letting out another roar.
BOOM!
"What are you doing! Everyone block it!"
"We probably can't block it."
"What?"
Dokja stopped Hyunsung, who was about to move at Han Myungoh's shout.
"We need to get out of here right now."
Kim Dokja glared at the crumpled iron door and said,
"If we don't leave now, we'll all be dead before the next scenario even arrives."
I don't think I'll die. I swallowed the words, feeling it wouldn't be right to say them.