A meteor shower streaked across the night sky, bright enough to paint the broken city in shifting bands of silver and fire. Anyone else might have paused to admire it—a rare beauty carved into the chaos. But Yoo Joonghyuk only watched in silence.
[The majority of Constellations congratulate the three Incarnations.]
[A handful of Constellations have sponsored you 750 coins.]
[Some Constellations called their actions cowardice.]
"It's starting," he thought.
The meteors weren't a miracle nor a spectacle. They were a warning. The first sign that the second main scenario had begun. Soon, Seoul would be carved apart piece by piece. And this time, the destruction wouldn't be subtle.
Yoo Joonghyuk lifted his gaze one last time before lowering it toward the river below. The Han river flowed quietly now, almost eerily so. Dongho Bridge stretched behind them in ruins, torn apart by the giant ichthyosaur that had already vanished downstream.
[Several Constellations are amazed by the landscape.]
[Constellations from the Korean Peninsula feels nostalgic.]
The surrounding shoreline was scraped bare—proof of how many monsters had passed through.
"This is just... too much," he thought. Even knowing what was coming, the devastation pressed heavier than he liked to admit.
He closed his eye—letting the disappointment settle like dust.
"Whoa... aye! That's so cool..." Kim Namwoon's voice broke the quiet, ringing with the kind of awe only an idiot could manage during an apocalypse.
"Ah, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi," Lee Hyunsung added, catching his breath, "where are we going after this?"
[The Constellation 'Master of Steel' would ask the same question.]
Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes again and turned toward them, but the moment he faced their direction, he find himself looking away—too quickly, almost absent, as if the sight of the sky or something else behind them had soured his focus.
He didn't answer. He didn't need to. He simply stepped forward, boots crunching over shattered concrete, and began walking toward the dark tunnel of the next station.
Whether the others followed or not was irrelevant. The second main scenario had already begun, and he refused to waste a single moment more.
[A handful of Constellations wishes you luck.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 350 coins.]
The tunnel swallowed them soon after. The dim passage stretched forward like the throat of some buried beast, lit only by flickering emergency lights and the distant glow leaking from behind.
Their footsteps echoed sharply against the concrete walls, each sound lingering longer than it should have.
[Several Constellations are looking at the three Incarnations patiently.]
The air grew colder as they moved deeper, heavy with dust and the faint scent of rust.
Whatever lay ahead was hidden, but the direction was clear—and Yoo Joonghyuk kept walking without hesitation, guiding them forward as if he'd already memorized every corner.
[A few Constellations says that they saw a light in the distance.]
After several minutes, the tunnel opened outward.
Faint light seeped in from ahead, pale and distorted, carrying with it a sharp, unfamiliar stench.
The temperature shifted. The air pressed heavier against their lungs. When they emerged from the tunnel's mouth, the world beyond unfolded all at once.
At the end of the tunnel, building remains could be seen, Seoul revealed itself in full—ruined, choking, and alive with monsters.
"...What the hell is that?" Kim Namwoon muttered.
Collapsed houses leaned into one another like broken ribs. Streets were torn open, buried beneath rubble and twisted metal.
Between the ruins, monsters prowled openly—some tearing into corpses. Others already locked in violent clashes. Above it all hung a vast veil of violent purple fog, thick and sluggish, rolling across the city like a living organism.
The gas stopped just short of where the three of them stood.
Lee Hyunsung frowned with confusion. "The fog... it's not coming any closer."
"There's no barrier like there were on the carriage," Kim Namwoon said, waving his hand forward nervously. "But it's like something's blocking it."
[The Constellation 'Bald General of Justice' explains that...]
"In this world," Yoo Joonghyuk said at last, "Scenarios take precedence over anything else."
[The Constellation 'Bald General of Justice' feels greatly interrupted.]
[The Constellation 'Bald General of Justice' are showing hostility toward Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
Both men turned to him.
"As long as we haven't entered the scenario area," Yoo Joonghyuk continued, "its environmental hazards can't touch us. Common sense, physics—none of them matters. The scenario's probability decides what's allowed and what's not."
"So... once we step in," Lee Hyunsung asked quietly, "that fog can kill us?"
"Yes."
Silence followed just until a sudden, agonized screech tore through the fog.
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed as he traced the sound. Where the violent haze thickened. He followed it upward—then froze just for a moment.
"...That thing's huge," Kim Namwoon whispered.
A colossal shadow emerged within the fog, its outline distorted but unmistakable. Over thirty meters tall, its massive form lumbered forward as it snorted violently, releasing even more violet gas.
"A Great Poisonous Rhinoceros," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "A seventh grade monster."
From the distance, the rhinoceros roared and charged toward something. From the opposite side of the fog, another shadow moved—log, jagged, insect-like.
The two monsters collided with a deafening crash, tearing into each other without restrain.
[The Constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' wishes to see the fight more clearly.]
"They're... fighting?" Lee Hyunsung asked.
"The struggle in this world isn't just for humans," Yoo Joonghyuk replied. "Monsters fight each other to gain reign over a certain territory."
Kim Namwoon swallowed down his saliva with a stupid grin on his face, "We won't have to deal with those, right?"
"Not now," Yoo Joonghyuk said flatly. "They're seventh grade at minimum. Even if I was prepared, I could only kill an eight grade at the state I'm in."
He drew a careful breath, shallow enough to avoid the tainted air.
Then he spoke again.
"Dokkaebi."
The word carried weight. The air in front of them rippled faintly, as if it had paused to listen.
"I know you're watching," Yoo Joonghyuk said evenly. "Open the Dokkaebi Bag for me."
Kim Namwoon shot him a look. "Hey—how are you calling the dokkaebi so casually?"
[Some Constellations had been questioning Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's' thoughts.]
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't bother answering. Instead, he continued, voice steady and precise. "I need to search for an item. We need it before we enter the scenario area."
for a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then a point of light ignited in midair. It expanded, pixelated and flickered like a corrupted hologram before twisting into a familiar floating form.
The dokkaebi fully manifested, its grin already stretched wide as it hovered between them and the fog-shrouded city.
The violet haze rolled in the distance, monsters continued their brutal struggle, and under the cold gaze of countless unseen Constellations, the dokkaebi tilted its head—ready to respond.
[Well, even if I open it, you wouldn't be able to use it. Only an Incarnation with a sponsor can use the Dokkaebi Bag, and I didn't see you chose any sponsor at the first sponsor selection, so—]
"I do have a sponsor, check it yourself." Yoo Joonghyuk replied, confident.
[Many Constellations starts mocking Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
His reply was immediate—too immediate to sound like a complete bluff.
The Dokkaebi froze. For a brief moment, the surrounding air felt observed, as though bright eyes were scanning not just Yoo Joonghyuk's status window, but the intent behind his words.
[...] Without warning, the glow flared violently. Space rippled as system authority was forcibly used.
[The dokkaebi 'Bihyung' has used 'System Interference' on Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
A cold pressure swept over Yoo Joonghyuk, sharp and invasive, then vanished just as quickly.
[The Majority of Constellations are curious as to who Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's' sponsor could be.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' remembers that Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk' didn't select any sponsor at the sponsor selection event.]
The dokkaebi's pupils narrowed as streams of data cascaded past him.
[Wait, here it says your sponsor is—] The dokkaebi's sentence was cut off. The dokkaebi blinked once. Then twice.
[Hm... That's strange.] The Information was valid. And yet the sponsor's identity was obscured, wrapped in layers of system masking that even a dokkaebi couldn't casually peel apart.
The Dokkaebi stared a moment longer than he should have, suspicion flickering behind his grin, before finally clicking his tongue and letting the matter drop—for now.
[...Tch. Fine. There's no violation.]
[Many Constellations are curious about the constellation sponsor of Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
The Dokkaebi Bag unfolded in midair, its contents spilling into a translucent interface that hovered between them.
[A few Constellations are questioning the fairness of the broadcast!]
[A few Constellations are suspicious of the privileges the three Incarnations have received!]
It was inevitable. To the Constellations, it looked like favoritism. To Yoo Joonghyuk, it was simply preparation.
The moment his hand moved, a translucent window unfolded in the air, its edges trembling. Pale icons arranged themselves with mechanical precision, floating just beyond his fingertips.
"Where's the—" he said, already reaching forward.
[...There's a product search button in the lower right corner.]
Yoo Joonghyuk's finger didn't hesitate. He tapped the icon without thinking twice.
He opened his mouth without hesitation. "Search for 'Ellain' related items." The command carried authority, not volume. The system responded instantly.
[There are two search results.]
A compact pop-up window unfolded in front of him, its borders sharp and utilitarian, listing the results with indifferent clarity.
[* Ellain Forest's Vital Force – Stock : 783]
[* Ellain Monkey's Lungs – Stock : 490]
"Those are," Lee Hyunsung muttered, eyes narrowing as he read the list, "not exactly normal supplies, are they?"
Kim Namwoon leaned closer to peek in, squinting at the floating window. "Hold on. Lungs? Like—actual lungs?" He grimaced. "You're kidding. We're buying monster organs now?"
Yoo Joonghyuk's gaze fixed on the second line. "It is not actual lungs, it's just the name... fool."
[Several Constellations mocked Incarnation 'Kim Namwoon' of his wild assumption!]
"Ellain Monkey's Lungs," Lee Hyunsung repeated quietly, then looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk. "Is that what lets us breath in that fog?"
"It will," Yoo Joonghyuk said. His voice left no room for doubt.
Outside the interface, the violet haze churned, and another thunderous cry echoed through the ruined city. The skin of a fallen monsters blackened where the gas touched it—only some that could resist it.
Somewhere beyond sight, the Great Poisonous Rhinoceros roared again, its toxic breath staining the air like a spreading curse.
Kim Namwoon swallowed down his saliva. "Right. Okay. I take it back. Let's but the lungs. I'd rather live with nightmares than die choking."
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't respond. His finger hovered just an inch away from clicking the item's information.