Main Character (3)
I looked directly at the hesitant Hyunseong Lee and Myungoh Han and said:
"Either die here at the hands of whatever's beyond that steel door, or take a chance and head outside the train. Which will it be?"
"U-Uhh…"
"Dokja, we don't even know for sure that what's beyond the door is an enemy, do we?"
Steel Sword Master was always weak at critical moments. This was why Hyunseong Lee couldn't be the leader of the party.
"If they came from another car, they're probably survivors. Shouldn't we at least try talking to them...?"
Instead of replying, I swept my gaze across the bloodied cabin. Hyunseong followed my eyes and fell silent.
"…That was thoughtless of me. Let's look for a way out."
"Y-Yeah! Let's get out of here! Now!"
In that moment, the two finally realized—
That the survivors from the other train cars must have gone through the same horrors we did.
And unlike us, they probably didn't have the fortune of encountering 'the insect'.
"This one's broken!"
"Shit, this one doesn't work either!"
Hearing Hyunseong and Myungoh's shouts, I also checked the exit hatches. Earlier, they had been shielded by a barrier—but now I could touch them.
Excluding the passages between cars, there were a total of 8 external doors in a subway car. Three of them remained unchecked.
Bang!
The steel door wouldn't last another minute.
Even as a protagonist, at this early stage, he shouldn't have had the strength to break down such a thick steel door. The fact that he was even trying was honestly awe-inspiring.
"Dokja! Over here—!"
We found a working manual hatch.
"I'm opening it!"
The mechanism turned smoothly, but the door didn't open all the way. It opened just slightly, about a fifth of the way, before getting stuck like it hit a snag.
"Looks like this one's broken too…"
"What about the others?"
"This is the only one that gives us even a slim chance."
A kid might squeeze through, but for adult men and women, it was far too narrow. Myungoh and Hyunseong each grabbed a door and pulled with all their might, but it didn't budge an inch.
[Current Coins: 4700 C]
One way to use coins was to increase total stats.
I had already spent 2700 coins to raise my Stamina to level 10.
If I used the remaining coins to boost Strength, I might force it open—but using up my coins recklessly at this stage, when anything could happen, wasn't an option.
In the end, there was only one real solution.
"Hyunseong. Use a skill."
"Huh? A skill, you mean...?"
I silently activated [Character Profile].
[Exclusive Skill, "Character Profile," has been activated.]
Name: Hyunseong Lee
Age: 28
Constellation: Master of Steel
Exclusive Attribute: Soldier Who Endured Injustice (Normal)
Exclusive Skills: [Bayonet Technique Lv.2], [Camouflage Lv.2], [Endurance Lv.2]
Stigma: [Pushing Mount Tai Lv.1]
Total Stats: [Stamina Lv.8], [Strength Lv.8], [Agility Lv.7], [Magic Power Lv.5]
Overall Evaluation: His stats are highly balanced. Despite bearing with injustices remarkably well, he was chosen by a constellation. This may become a new turning point for him.
All his information appeared clearly before me, without restriction. His constellation and attribute matched exactly what I remembered from the book.
"You probably saw it when you opened your stats window earlier. You're a soldier, Hyunseong, so you must have at least one usable skill for this situation."
"I... I do have one, but I don't know how to use it—"
"Just think about activating it in your mind."
"That's all it takes?"
"It works. I did it earlier."
Hyunseong wore a doubtful expression but then took a deep breath, as if making up his mind.
"Hrraaaaaagh!"
His biceps swelled as if they were about to explode. It looked like [Pushing Mount Tai] had successfully activated.
In truth, [Pushing Mount Tai] wasn't a skill—it was a stigma, a power granted by his constellation.
But I deliberately called it a "skill" to avoid raising suspicions.
Rrrrrrrr...
A mechanical whir like a giant spring unwinding filled the air, and the door finally began to move.
"Whoa! Dude's a freaking powerhouse!"
"It worked! It's really working!"
[Character 'Hyunseong Lee' has begun to trust you.]
[Your understanding of 'Hyunseong Lee' has increased.]
Instead of doubting me, his trust deepened. Hyunseong turned out to be simpler than I thought.
"Let's go, now!"
But it was still too early to feel safe. I lifted Gilyoung and handed him to Hyunseong.
"Hyunseong, carry the kid."
"Understood."
The steel door was almost entirely smashed in now. But if my guess was correct, that wasn't the real problem anymore.
[...Tsk. I knew this would happen. I told you not to go anywhere, didn't I? Damn it! The scenario's not even ready yet—]
Floating in the sky over the Dongho Bridge, the dokkaebi looked visibly irritated.
"Argh! I knew it! I told you to stay put!"
Myungoh, thinking his head was about to explode, clutched his temples. But he didn't need to worry.
[Sigh… well, I guess there's no helping it. You people really are lucky bastards.]
Because the moment we opened that door…
…was precisely when the second scenario began.
[The Second Scenario Has Arrived!]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: E
Clear Condition: Cross the broken bridge and reach Oksu Station.
Time Limit: 20 minutes
Reward: 200 Coins
Failure Penalty: ???
"Dokja, something's weird. It says 'broken bridge,' but the bridge isn't—"
"Don't worry about it! Just run! Now!"
"Okay, okay!"
In truth, Yusungah was right.
The bridge wasn't broken—yet.
Which meant it would be broken, inevitably.
"Dokja! Come on!"
"Right behind you."
The only reason the bridge hadn't collapsed yet was because we had exited the train too early.
The dokkaebi had mentioned a 10-minute preparation time. But we escaped three minutes early.
You could call it cheating—but without a trick like that, this scenario was virtually impossible to clear.
Especially while carrying burdens like Yusungah or Gilyoung.
"Pant, pant. Hyunseong, you've really got stamina—must be the soldier in you."
"Don't talk. You'll lose strength."
The one far ahead, even with a child on his back, was Hyunseong.
With no coin investment, his raw stats totaled 23 across Strength, Stamina, and Agility. He was a monster.
Next came the huffing and puffing Myungoh, and trailing last were me and Yusungah.
We were barely keeping pace—but we might just make it in time.
"Eek—what is that?!"
Han Myung-oh's scream rang out just then.
A giant whirlpool had suddenly formed in the middle of the Han River, sending water spraying into the air.
And from the center of that spray emerged a massive monster.
An ichthyosaur.
The problem was that this ichthyosaur looked at least twice as large as the one we had seen earlier through the glass.
At that size… it wasn't just a Sea Serpent anymore—it was more like a Sea Commander.
Even a normal Sea Serpent is classified as a level-7 disaster beast. Considering that even a level-9 creature like the Mole Rat is already nearly impossible for an ordinary person to handle, a level-7 means even brushing past its teeth would tear a person apart.
In other words, the creature coming toward us now was a monster that no early-phase incarnations could possibly defeat.
Of course, we didn't need to defeat it. That monster wasn't meant to be fought.
Ruuuumble!
The Han River surged like a tidal wave, and the ichthyosaur opened its massive jaws. It looked like it was planning to bite straight through the bridge.
"The bridge is going to collapse!"
"Run! We can still make it if we run!"
Only about 200 meters left. If my calculations were right, we could make it across before the bridge came down.
[It's no fun if the game's too easy, right?]
That was assuming, of course, that there were no other variables.
[Scenario difficulty has been adjusted.]
[Scenario Difficulty: E → D]
Crap. A goblin's laughter echoed from the sky.
[Just running away is boring, right? Let's spice it up a little!]
[The lingering will of the dead returns.]
[The ground around you fills with black ether.]
[The Demons have awakened!]
A terrifying howl rang out behind us. Something was chasing us. Yoo Sang-ah murmured, pale-faced:
"Z-Zombies?"
Bodies that looked like zombies surged in waves. Among them were people who had been on the same train car as us.
"Just a little more! Keep going!"
The ichthyosaur was now less than 100 meters away. Fortunately, Lee Hyun-sung had already crossed the safety line carrying Lee Gil-young. The problem was the rest of us. Han Myung-oh screamed:
"Th-These bastards!"
Too many demons were chasing us. If it were only the people who died inside the subway, we might have been able to outrun them. But the real problem was—
"Groooar!"
Even the dead drivers on the bridge had turned into demons.
The path Lee Hyun-sung had cleared was now completely blocked by demons, their eyes glowing an eerie blue. I looked back and forth between the monsters and the ichthyosaur barreling toward us.
"...Everyone, get down!"
Too late.
—KWAANG!
The very foundations of the bridge shook violently as the ichthyosaur's massive jaws swept across the Dongho Bridge.
Through the rising dust, its glimmering scales briefly caught the light, and the Han River rained down from above like a storm. The air reeked of blood and brine.
Staggering, I pulled myself to my feet.
When the dust cleared, the devastation came into full view. Severed steel beams, shattered concrete, and the remains of the demons shredded and scattered by the ichthyosaur's attack.
The bridge had collapsed.
"...R-Reader... Are you okay?"
A short distance away, Yoo Sang-ah was supporting Han Myung-oh.
He seemed to be struggling, possibly injured in the quake.
On the other side of the broken bridge, Lee Hyun-sung and Lee Gil-young were shouting something, but the barrier protecting the safe zone blocked their voices.
What do we do?
I had considered the possibility of the bridge collapsing. But not the scenario where both Yoo Sang-ah and Han Myung-oh would be here with me.
That's when the voice came.
[Someone has received the blessing of a Constellation.]
[A "Deus Ex Machina" has been triggered in the scenario through the Constellation's blessing.]
A radiant bridge of light formed between the broken ends of Dongho Bridge. And with it, a new message appeared.
[Deus Ex Machina – Even Bridge]
Description: A bridge of light created by a Constellation's blessing. Only an even number of people may cross. If an odd number attempt to cross, the bridge will vanish instantly.
"Reader... this… I don't know why, but it just popped into my head—"
Yoo Sang-ah's rambling gaze met mine. I had a rough idea of what was happening.
Deus Ex Machina.
A divine intervention, a rare power allowing a Constellation to directly alter a scenario at great cost.
"...So you're the one with a sponsor, Yoo Sang-ah."
I didn't know which Constellation, but someone had chosen her as their incarnation. Someone wanted her to live.
Even in the whole of Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, a Deus Ex Machina was extremely rare.
And Yoo Sang-ah—was supposed to be dead.
A sudden question hit me.
Who was her Constellation?
[Information on this character cannot be viewed with "Character List."]
[This person is not registered in the "Character List."]
I was shocked.
I couldn't see her information with my skill? Why? Was her sponsor that powerful? Or did she have a mental barrier? But having that kind of defense this early on shouldn't be possible…
Wait. No way. Don't tell me—
"Reader, what do we do now?"
Yoo Sang-ah's voice snapped me out of it. We didn't have time.
Rumble...
The Han River was churning again. The ichthyosaur that had swallowed half the bridge was now circling back from the far side of the river. I bit my lip and reread the description.
Only an even number may cross.
In the end, this "Deus Ex Machina" was just another twisted toy crafted by Constellations who relished tragedy.
There was no way for everyone to survive.
Han Myung-oh, trembling, met my gaze.
In the end, someone had to die.