Chapter 127

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Watching the torrent of gunfire, I was a little startled.

Not [Armed Zone] but [Armed Fortress].

In that short span of time, Pildu Gong's Stigma level had broken past 10 and entered a higher stage.

[You have trespassed on private property!]

Well, this was something. Who would have thought there'd come a day when that message felt so welcome?

"Argh! It hurts! What is this?!"

As what had to be over a hundred turrets fired at once, the inhuman species let out agonized screams.

Even if each individual shot wasn't a heavy blow, once a hundred-plus turrets started pouring out thousands of bullets, even Catastrophes couldn't come away unscathed.

And with their movements bound, the damage was even worse.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Streams of blood were running from all over the Catastrophes' bodies where the bullets struck.

"My eyes! My eyes!"

"What is this?! What the hell is this?!"

Shells rained in without a single blind spot, forming a curtain of fire, and the inhuman species hit in their vital points screamed as they crumpled.

"All troops, advance!"

It seemed the little people's army had been hiding at the entrance to the forest zone, because they joined the attack as well. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have been much help, but with the inhuman species already covered in wounds, the situation changed a little. Tiny blades dug into the scratches made by the bullets, and the Catastrophes screamed one after another. Then a deep middle-aged voice rang out.

"Quit trespassing on private property and get out. This is my land."

As expected of the Armament Lord. Even in another world, he was still staking out private property. The Ten Evils weren't called the Ten Evils for nothing. One of the flustered inhuman species shouted while supporting the wounded.

"R-retreat! Pull back for now!"

It was incredible. Judging by the size of the turrets, Pildu Gong had apparently been miniaturized too, yet even in that state he had become strong enough to force back three Catastrophes.

A small mobile fortress had risen from the ground.

It was still too rough to call a proper [Armed Fortress], but at that point the name Armament Lord no longer seemed wasted on him.

"Waaahhh!"

"We won! We drove back the Catastrophes!"

The delighted little people crowded around the fortress and roared in triumph. Two figures stood atop the stronghold. One was Pildu Gong. And the other was...

"How is this your land? This isn't even a place where private property is recognized."

"A brat like you sure runs your mouth..."

"Hmm, you'd better show this goddess a little more respect."

...That voice? The little people shouted again.

"Long live the Goddess! Long live the Goddess!"

Goddess?

The woman who spotted me from the top of the fortress jumped down. The hem of her short dress fluttered in the wind, and she landed with a light tap.

That familiar arrogant gaze and proud face really hadn't changed at all. As if she were Moses, the little people opened a path with every step she took, parting like waves. I let out a small laugh and spoke.

"You've really moved up in the world, haven't you?"

Han Suyeong came right up to me, hooked a finger under my chin, and lifted it.

"It's been a while, Kim Dokja. You're still as ugly as ever."

The Han Suyeong I met again had become the goddess of peace land.

* * *

All the way to the castle, I listened to Han Suyeong tell me what had happened in the meantime.

"I was walking down the road when a bus full of survivors suddenly cut in and hit me."

"And then?"

"When I opened my eyes, I was here."

"How does that make any sense? Then what about Pildu Gong?"

"He fell into the Han River, and when he opened his eyes, he was here."

"...What is this, some fantasy novel?"

"Looks like you forgot where we are right now."

That was the rough shape of the conversation. I answered like it was absurd, but honestly, these were exactly the sort of things that could happen in the world of TWSA. Quite a few of the returnees here had jumped into the Han River or gotten hit by a bus and ended up in another world.

But for something like that to happen in the middle of a Scenario...

Those dokkaebi bastards, just how were they handling things?

"But what's this goddess business? Did you tell them to call you that?"

Han Suyeong brushed off the hem of her skirt and grumbled.

"I save you and all you do is complain."

"What is it? Tell me."

"Did you already forget who I am?"

"Huh?"

"Did your brain capacity shrink along with your head?"

When I thought about it, I couldn't help admitting it had been a stupid question.

Right now, Han Suyeong was the only prophet left in Seoul Dome. And one day on Earth was three days in peace land. We'd only been separated for a little over a week, which meant Han Suyeong had already spent three weeks in peace land.

Han Suyeong had become the king of the prophets among humans in just a week. Since someone like her had spent three whole weeks in peace land, it wouldn't have been strange even if she'd become a goddess. Even so, "Goddess"...

"...You two really do get along well."

At the voice, I turned and saw Pildu Gong wearing a displeased expression.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

I hadn't planned to say it, but it still had to be said.

"Pildu Gong."

"What."

"I'm sorry I didn't look after you better."

"What kind of nonsense is that? Anyone hearing you would think I begged you to look after me."

"I'm saying it because I really am sorry. And thank you for saving me."

Because I really was sorry, I used formal speech this time. To be honest, I had been so busy throughout the fifth Scenario that I had barely paid any attention to Pildu Gong. On top of that, he had ended up saving my life this time, so it was almost embarrassing to remember how boldly I'd declared that I'd become a sponsor for the Constellation Defence Master.

[The Constellation Defence Master snorts at your apology.]

"...Hmph."

I couldn't tell which pair had the better chemistry.

[You have sponsored Defence Master with 5,000 coins.]

[The Constellation Defence Master reluctantly inclines his head.]

Pildu Gong glared at me for a moment, then whipped his head away and ground out the words.

"Then do better next time."

Seeing a man whose gut stuck out as much as his pride say something like that was a spectacle in itself. In any case, I was just glad both of them were alive, even if they'd become little people.

Huh? Wait. Even if they'd become little people...?

I stared blankly at the two of them.

Come to think of it, why had these two given up being Catastrophes and chosen to become little people?

Neither of them was the sort of person who would do that.

"Mr. Kim Dogeza! So you really were alive!"

When I turned around, the Allies I'd thought had fled to Veronica Castle were there. Michio Shoji. It seemed the Allies who had been riding insects toward Veronica Castle had run into Pildu Gong's group on the way. Lee Hyeongseong, who had been standing in the back, stepped forward first and bowed his head.

"Thank you for saving us. If it hadn't been for Pildu Gong and Suyeong, we would've died without being able to do a thing."

"It was nothing. We only did what we had to do."

Watching Han Suyeong smile lightly and pat Lee Hyeongseong on the shoulder, I got a good sense of what a devil wearing a mask would look like. Lee Jihye, who had been studying Han Suyeong closely, spoke up.

"Um, strong unni."

"Yes?"

"Which group are you with? Your combat power is almost at the level of a King, but this is the first time I've seen you..."

Come to think of it, the Allies were seeing Han Suyeong's real face rather than her avatar for the first time. In other words, they had no idea this girl was the First Apostle. Han Suyeong glanced my way, and I opened my mouth in her place.

"Ah, her..."

If Lee Jihye found out this girl was the First Apostle, she definitely wouldn't stay quiet. After all, Lee Jihye had been the one most seriously injured in the apostle battle at Chungmuro.

If her identity came out, it wouldn't just turn the party upside down. There might even be a bloody fight right here.

In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and chose to betray my conscience.

"She's a friend of mine. Her personality's a little twisted, so she likes wandering around alone."

"Your friend, ajussi?"

"Yeah. I knew her from before the Scenario started."

I didn't know whether this was really a situation where I could call her a friend. Well, whatever. It's not like I have any friends anyway.

I couldn't see Han Suyeong's face with her head lowered.

"Um, sorry to interrupt while you're talking... May I ask just one thing?"

The one who broke the awkward mood was Asuka Ren, the Japanese woman I'd rescued from the cage. Lee Jihye whispered,

"Is that pretty unni your friend too, ajussi? You've really got some ability."

"She's not a friend. She's a Japanese Incarnation, and she was being held prisoner, so I rescued her."

"Why? She's the enemy."

"This fight isn't Japan versus Korea. It's little people versus Catastrophes."

Lee Jihye stuck out her lips as if she didn't like it, but she still seemed convinced.

Han Suyeong whispered in my ear.

"Who's she? Was there someone like her in TWSA?"

"You don't know?"

"My personality's twisted, so I don't read boring novels all the way through."

...Even so, if she'd read the first hundred chapters, she should've known the early rounds like the third round or fourth round by heart. Ah, had Asuka Ren not done much yet by then? Asuka Ren, who kept looking anxiously back and forth between me and Han Suyeong, spoke again.

"Um, so my question..."

"Ah, please go ahead."

"How did you already secure the north of peace land?"

I see. If it was the Asuka Ren I knew, that was definitely what she'd be curious about.

"What is she saying?"

"She's asking how you became a goddess."

"Ah, that?"

The others realized the question a beat later and turned curious looks toward Han Suyeong.

I was just as curious myself.

No matter how quickly she'd grown, simply becoming stronger over three weeks and becoming the goddess of a kingdom were completely different matters.

"I told you earlier. The place we first landed was the north. That old man and I landed right in the middle of Veronica Castle while it was under attack."

"Veronica Castle was under attack?"

"Yeah. A few of the first-wave entrants from the Japanese side were attacking Veronica Castle."

"And then?"

"What do you mean, and then? I was just going to grab a few items off the dead and get out, but then those bastards said something to us. So..."

"You killed them?"

Han Suyeong looked away and whistled.

Now I finally felt like I understood how the situation had developed.

The Kingdom of Veronica was being destroyed by Catastrophes.

And right in the middle of that, two people had fallen into the heart of the royal palace and suddenly killed the Catastrophes. From the little people's point of view, Han Suyeong and Pildu Gong must have looked like gods.

"Well... if I'd known we'd end up becoming little people, I wouldn't have killed them."

"You didn't even read the Scenario?"

"I told you, I was walking down the road when I suddenly got sent through a dimensional gate. In that situation, how was I supposed to know this was the zone for the sixth Scenario or whatever?"

So that was why the inhuman species had rushed at us the moment they saw us.

"Hey, because of you, do you know how much we..."

"We're here. Over there."

Beyond the plains, the royal castle of the abandoned world came into view.

A shattered royal palace. Traces of the Catastrophes were left all across the ruined castle walls. The people standing on the trampled streets of the capital were cheering toward us.

"Goddess!"

"The Goddess has returned...!"

The crowd, gaunt in the face of disaster, came out to greet us with grimy faces. I could feel how enormous the despair these tiny people had been carrying was. People who had lost their homes to the Catastrophes and been reduced to mere material for a Scenario.

Han Suyeong opened her mouth with a bitter smile.

"...We're already here. In this damned peace land."

I looked at the approaching little people. The people of this world resembled the humans of old Earth. There were no Swordmasters, no 9-circle Archmages, and this was a world where even use of the "System" was restricted.

No matter how hard they tried, they were the weak people of an "orthodox fantasy" world, fated to be plundered by beings from another world.

I knew whose "work" this world was.

"Asuka Ren."

At my words, the red-haired beauty flinched and turned to look at me.

The key to this Scenario was her. At least when it came to peace land, Asuka Ren knew this world better than I did, even though I'd read TWSA.

"Join the Korean group. We need your help."