Coins holders (1)

Klein was too far away to come and immediately help the two. She would also need to convince him first.

Feeling a headache, Xin Jian declared in a solemn tone.

"Kim Dokja, I will be going on a business trip."

The Oldest Dream looked at the mess below and nodded.

That's why Xin Jian imitated Klein's paper angels and descended onto the scenario to prevent her friend from really dying.

"Ouch! Ouch! It hurts!"

The Fire Dragon Igneel was still there spewing flames.

At that moment, Xin Jian realized that she couldn't use her abilities of the Error Pathway, nor any other Beyonder powers.

"…"

She could only continue to burn alive, taking the dragon's attack head on.

"Ouch! It hurts! I'm dying!"

In her head, she could hear the voice of the Oldest Dream.

「Aren't you being too dramatic?」

"Not really, I'm literally burning alive right now."

「…」

Her friend didn't seem to believe her.

Xin Jian's skin eventually got used to being scorched and stopped hurting.

She continued to shield Cale from the flames with her body and tried to talk to the dragon.

['Imagination' Lvl. 1 is activated.]

"…"

She discovered another skill she possessed that day.

['Immortality' Lvl. 13 is activated.]

Or two, but she was already aware of one of them.

[This skill is a passive skill, you can't turn it off.]

Xin Jian clicked her tongue.

「…」

The Oldest Dream just watched her casual suicide attempt and decided to stay silent.

She turned to the dragon and tried to negotiate with it (thanks to the Oldest Dream sharing his skill to overcome the barrier language).

"Hey, little dragon, why don't you calm down a bit? Can't we talk? Are you also doing a scenario? I'm sure we can settle all this peacefully."

['Imagination' Lvl. 1 activated.]

[This idea is absurd, the plausibility is being reversed…]

[This story now has a high chance of being realized. Would you like to proceed? Yes | No]

'Yes.'

Then, something magical happened.

The dragon actually stopped spewing flames and listened to her.

"Dragon Igneel, let's make a deal. Let's not attack each other, okay? It's only annoying. Didn't you already kill enough people here?"

Xin Jian negotiated for the dragon to obediently sit down and stop spewing flames for the time being before staring at the unconscious Cale who had a hole at the place his heart was supposed to be.

"…"

「…」

"That unlucky guy…"

*poke, poke*

She squatted down and poked his cheek while grumbling.

"Hey, Cale. I know you're alive."

However, the crimson-haired teenager didn't show any sign of awakening.

'He should have fainted due to blood loss.'

She lifted Cale and carried him to a wall of the station, putting him in a more comfortable position.

"Now, how should I deal with this blood…"

Xin Jian knew that Cale didn't like people to worry about him and searched for a solution. After all, he was currently drenched in drying blood. Yoo Jonghyuk was the same.

Xin Jian glanced at the blood of the dead prophets and had an idea.

She put Cale closer to the remains of a dead prophet near the wall, as if the blood was originally his. Then, she pulled a somewhat intact handkerchief out of Cale's pocket and used it to clean the latter's face.

Now, he only seemed to be sleeping

peacefully. Yoo Jonghyuk shouldn't be able to guess that Cale had coughed up the pool of blood in the middle of the station and was pierced in the heart unless he was a real prophet.

(Anna Croft, don't denounce him please.)

The Oldest Dream watched the absurdity and shook his head.

Xin Jian then took off her vest and covered Cale with it, especially the wound on his chest, using it as a blanket to keep her friend warm.

"Good night, Cale."

Then, she glanced at Yoo Jonghyuk who was lying on the ground, his face against the floor, and casually ignored him.

Since she hadn't received the hidden scenario yet (thanks to the Oldest Dream), she wasn't included in it and could thus freely exit the station.

Moreover, the two men could now faint peacefully without being burned alive in their sleep and slay the dragon when they woke up. Thankfully, the scenario didn't have a time limit or they would have died because of the penalty for failing it.

Xin Jian imagined the face of the hunter who would realize that he didn't get any karma from Cale since the latter wasn't dead. She hoped that the two would leave the station before that.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' asks who you are.]

Xin Jian turned to the message and smiled mischievously.

"Hello. I am 'Believer in Mysteries' and I came here for a business trip to save my unlucky friend. Nice to meet you."

She waved her hand.

[The constellation 'Believer in Mysteries' greets you.]

She felt that the Oldest Dream was silently judging her and raised her head.

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' greets you.]

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' envies you.]

[Some constellations protest that it is impossible for a fellow constellation to descend in the beginning of the scenarios.]

[The constellation 'Believer of Mysteries' says she just proved it was possible, though.]

She yawned and headed out of the station, passing through the barrier (thanks to the Oldest Dream).

On the way, she passed by the empty Myeongdong Station, then bypassed Lee Jihye guarding Chungmuro Station and arrived at Geumho Station.

Noticing the crowd there, she cleared her throat and exclaimed:

"Excuse me~! Is there anyone called Jung Heewon here?"

All gazes turned toward her.

As she was scanning people's faces, someone raised their hand.

"It's me. Who are you?"

Xin Jian turned toward the woman and smiled.

"Let's travel together for a while."

She would protect the Oldest Dream's companion and keep a low profile by the way.

'Now, we're even.'

「…Yes.」

The Oldest Dream nodded with a deadpan face.

Then, Xin Jian went to Lee Jihye.

"Yoo Jonghyuk has ordered that you leave this station and join him."

Lee Jihye was surprised.

"Master? Where is he now?"

"We're going to see him, you can come with us if you want."

"Why should I believe you?"

Xin Jian shrugged her shoulders.

"Then don't believe me."

That's how Xin Jian left the station with Jung Heewon and Lee Jihye before the prophets arrived to attack the place. Then, she went to pick up Yoo Jonghyuk's sister.

Bonus:

On the way to Geumho Station, Xin Jian saw a spider.

Afraid, she clasped her hands as if she was praying and kept them close to her usual emotionless face.

In her head, she was mentally crying.

'Kim Dokja, save me!'

The Oldest Dream found it cute.

In the end, he took pity on Xin Jian and sacrificed a finger to use probability to kill the spider.

Record of wasting probability obtained!

Then, Xin Jian took on the role of Jung Heewon's bodyguard to repay the Oldest Dream.

***

After an unknown amount of time, Cale opened his eyes.

As he regained his senses, the crimson-haired teenager noticed that he was lying down against a wall in a more comfortable position than when he fainted. He also didn't seem to have any blood stuck to his face.

He sat up and found that a vest had been put on top of him. In its pockets, he found some lollipops and ate them to satiate his hunger.

Someone must have passed by here.

Cale looked around.

The hunter was nowhere to be seen, Yoo Jonghyuk was still in a coma and the Fire Dragon had stopped spewing flames and was obediently sitting while staring at them (?).

Cale questioned his eyes, frowned and looked back at the giant dragon.

Soon after, Yoo Jonghyuk woke up, broke their staring contest and began trying to slay the dragon while Cale only watched everything.

'How vicious.'

They cleared the quest and were able to leave the area.

Then, Yoo Jonghyuk turned to Cale.

"Why are you here?" The sunfish ungratefully questioned his savior.

Cale sighed and explained what he did until he came here, except for the part when he fought against the hunter.

"…On the way, I also met a strange man named Kim Dokja."

Yoo Jonghyuk froze.

'Impossible.'

That man couldn't be here.

Nonetheless, to verify even that tiny possibility…

"What did he look like?"

Cale noticed the regressor's abnormal reaction and described him.

"He had black hair and black eyes."

"His clothes?"

Cale was confused. Did Yoo Jonghyuk know this man?

"A white coat."

At the words, the protagonist's eyes shook.

He paused for a while, his brain registering the new information and trying to piece together how that could be possible while Cale stayed silent to not interrupt his thoughts.

In the meantime, they received the reward from the hidden scenario as well as the penalty for failing to kill the hunter.

After that, Yoo Jonghyuk occupied his target station.

[The main scenario has been updated!]

[Main scenario #4 – The King's Qualifications has begun.]

+

[Main Scenario #4 – The King's Qualifications]

Category: Main.

Difficulty: A.

Clear Conditions: Occupy the 'Absolute Throne' located at Gwanghwamun.

Time Limit: 8 hours.

Compensation: 10,000 coins.

Failure: ―

*This scenario can only be challenged by those who have completed the hidden scenario 'King's Road'.

*The absolute king has absolute commands over all the other kings.

*There are additional special clear conditions for this scenario.

+

So Yoo Jonghyuk and Cale headed to Gwanghwamun.

Now, they would have to kill other kings to obtain a black flag since no station was empty at present.

At Gwanghwamun, Zhou Mingrui and Sharron were accompanying 'Kim Dokja'.

The intermediate dokkaebi said:

[Look at your confused faces. Please don't worry too much. This scenario will proceed slowly.]

[As you have guessed, the fourth main scenario is to be the only king to sit on the throne. Of course, being a king doesn't mean that everyone can sit on that throne. Only a person who has proved his/her qualifications can sit there.]

The intermediate dokkaebi continued with a bad laugh.

[Then I will reveal the first qualification.]

+

[King's Qualification]

1.  「 The owner of the throne should be braver than anyone else. 」

-The Absolute Throne never wants a 'weak king'. To challenge the throne, you must own at least a black flag.

(Additional qualifications will be released after a while.)

+

[Huhu, the motive was given. Now make a fun story!]

The intermediate dokkaebi disappeared.

To have a black flag, you needed to occupy 20 stations. However, 'Kim Dokja' already possessed a black flag.

Cale noticed Zhou Mingrui and approached him, followed by Yoo Jonghyuk. Suddenly, the regressor froze.

"What are you doing here? Are you also a king?" Cale inquired.

Zhou Mingrui made a polite smile and shook his head.

"No."

Then, Cale turned to 'Kim Dokja'.

"Hello, Kim Dokja."

Yoo Jonghyuk's eyes were shaking. Feeling the regressor's gaze, 'Kim Dokja' smiled cheekily.

"It's been a while, you sunfish bastard."