Chapter 48
Episode 10 – Future War (7)
The Internet, it wasn’t possible.
Since the scenario started, the Internet had been shut down all over Seoul due to the activation of the dokkaebi channels.
No, wait a minute. This was Dongmyo Station. Ah… right. Then the Internet was possible?
Lee Sungkook looked at me with an uneasy expression and opened his mouth.
“Excuse me, Yoo Jonghyuk-nim?”
“What?”
“We’ve arrived. The representative is waiting inside.”
I saw a medium-sized tent roughly set up in the middle of the platform. The representative had an assortment of goods.
“Let’s go.”
Lee Sungkook bowed his head and guided me. The inside of the tent was quite luxurious. It was unbelievably luxurious for such a shabby tent.
There was a red carpet and a bed that seemed to have been stolen from a luxury hotel. There was a round table for a meeting and a small desk with a computer.
The most interesting thing was the boy concentrated on surfing the Internet. The face seemed only a few years older than Gilyoung. The boy had dark circles and sat on the chair in his pajamas.
And there was a navy blue flag held tightly in his arms. Amazing. This boy had already passed the halfway mark of the King’s Road.
[The exclusive skill, Character List is activated.]
[Character Information]
Name: Han Donghoon
Age: 17 years old
Constellation Support: Shadow behind the Curtain
Private Attribute: Noble Invalid Hermit (Hero)
Exclusive skills: Wide-area Internet Lv. 5, Comments Manipulation Lv. 3,Keyboard Attack Lv. 3, Small Eater Lv. 6, Sound Wave Blocking Lv. 2…
Stigma: Lack of Presence Lv. 2
Overall Stats: Physique Lv. 10, Strength Lv. 10, Agility Lv. 19, Magic Power Lv. 26.
Overall Evaluation: A person who is the peak of the Noble Invalid Hermit type. His Wide-area Internet skill installs a virtual LAN cable to specific devices through the dokkaebi channels.
He has an amazing ability to incite public opinion but has weak mental defenses. The sponsor is very dissatisfied with the circumstances of his present incarnation.
* Currently under a powerful hypnosis.
I clearly remembered. Dongmyo’s king. Maybe this boy would soon become the Hermit King of Shadows. The poor boy king was busy replying to Internet comments.
–Is it true that Seoul is now isolated? ㅋㅋ Gangnam land prices will fall ~~ Are the rich people crying??
┗ㄴㄴ It isn’t just Seoul but all the capitals in the world. Tokyo, Beijing, all of them are trapped in that dome.
┗ Isn’t there a plan to recapture Seoul? Didn’t it start yesterday?
-ㅋㅋㅋ But now all the people inside have awakened powers ㅋㅋㅋ It isn’t a crazy fantasy.
┗ It became a fantasy the moment the monsters appeared.
The long-familiar Internet screen looked weird. I once again felt it was real. Indeed. This was the situation we were in now. On the outside of the dome, many people still didn’t know the truth.
The boy king’s fingers started to move.
-You guys, have you ever heard of the Prophets? I don’t know what they are but they claim to know the secrets of this situation ㅎ ㅎ
[Character ‘Han Donghoon’ has activated Comments Manipulation Lv. 3.]
As soon as the activation message popped up, dozens of comments appeared under the boy’s one.
┗ Who would believe that?
┗ I thought that as well, but not anymore… I saw a prophecy not long ago and it all came true.ㄹㅇ
┗ㄹㅇ? (TL: short form for ‘real’) Where is their place of action? Shoot me the address.
The comment started to spread all over the Internet with tremendous power. It was surprising. They were already using the ability this way.
“Representative Han Donghoon?”
Lee Sungkook called out and the boy raised his head.
“A guest has come. Greet him.”
The boy, Han Donghoon’s sunken eyes turned to me.
“H, He, H, Hell…o.”
Han Donghoon wasn’t in a normal state.
This boy, who was called the ‘Seventh King of Seoul’ in Ways of Survival now looked so haggard. Originally, he avoided humans due to his nature but it wasn’t this much.
Han Donghoon staggered up and sat on a chair at the round table, biting at his nails.
Lee Sungkook smiled as if he was satisfied.
“Now Yoo Jonghyuk-nim. Let’s start the talk with the representative in earnest.”
I gazed at Han Donghoon and laughed.
“Talk? What talk?”
“Huh?”
“Are you joking with me right now?”
Han Donghoon’s eyes were blank.
“…This is the representative?”
Obviously, the boy was the representative of this station. In name. But…
The word representative didn’t meant in ‘reality.’
“How long are you going to make fun of me? You want to make me talk with a doll?”
I looked back and saw Lee Sungkook’s hands shaking. He probably didn’t think that Sage’s Eyes would find out. He opened the smartphone to check something and sighed.
“…Yoo Jonghyuk-nim, I’m not usually like this. Please forgive me.”
“You are the real power of this station. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
“How many other people know?”
“Only a few top executives.”
Setting up a person with a strong ability as a scarecrow and taking control of the station. It was a strategy often used in Ways of Survival but it was strange to see it in reality.
“If you are the real power, why did you bring me here?”
“It was to avoid the attention of other people. I don’t know if you have realized, but there is a Sound Wave Blocking skill around the tent.”
I had expected it. In fact, this was one of Han Donghoon’s abilities.
“It must be really important.”
“That’s correct. Yoo Jonghyuk-nim, it is important for you and for all of us.”
“All of you?”
Lee Sungkook took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“I’m a Prophet. To be precise, I am one of them.”
The information I wanted was finally coming out. I waited silently for his next words.
“Yoo Jonghyuk-nim, you will never know the enormous joy we are feeling right now. My colleagues and I have been waiting for this day of great victory for Yoo Jonghyuk-nim.”
Did I hear wrong? This guy started speaking strange words.
“We know about Yoo Jonghyuk-nim’s special ability. A miracle that allows you to go back to the past after dying. In this world, only Yoo Jonghyuk-nim received such special power!”
I was a bit nervous about the constellations’ filtering but I decided to keep listening.
“Maybe Yoo Jonghyuk-nim has already repeated a few lives. You have fought against terrible enemies and struggled against the beings of this world to save people. Enduring alone, lonely memories… We respect your sublime spirit.”
This jerk, such skillful flattery. Yoo Jonghyuk would be moved to tears if he heard. Later when he was depressed, I would have to tell him these words.
“But Yoo Jonghyuk-nim should’ve realized it from your past regressions. Even if you have an outstanding miracle, you alone can’t fight against the disasters that will come.”
Plus, he was right.
“Yoo Jonghyuk-nim, this time will be different. It is because we are here. We Prophets have received a special blessing and have been sent to help you.”
Wow, look at this?
Lee Sungkook smiled faintly.
“You must be wondering. Why did these guys who didn’t appear last time suddenly show up now? It is very confusion but I hope you can trust us. It is because we have already received a revelation for this day 10 years ago.”
“…Revelation?”
“Yes. In our world, there is a ‘revelation’ that is secretly shared among the Prophets. Yoo Jonghyuk exists in it and is a living myth. It is a single revelation that records all of the past and future.
Wait. Don’t tell me ‘that’ was the revelation?
“You don’t believe me yet. We already knew that Yoo Jonghyuk-nim would gather Lee Hyunsung. They didn’t come with you but you probably already have Delusion Demon Kim Namwoon and Maritime Admiral Lee Jihye. But that isn’t enough. At the very least, according to the revelation…”
I hid my nervousness and asked.
“Where is the revelation?”
“Unfortunately, it has been damaged and we can’t find the original. Don’t worry. We each remember a fragment of the revelation. Through these fragments, we are prepared to walk the right path with you.”
…Ohu.
“If you live again the way you have always done, Yoo Jonghyuk-nim… will die again. But it will be different with us.”
Lee Sungkook was going in circles. I slowly closed my eyes and said, “I see.”
Lee Sungkook hurriedly stopped talking. Maybe he was nervous. Yoo Jonghyuk had Lie Detection.
Of course, I didn’t have this skill. But even if I did, his story wouldn’t get caught by Lie Detection. It was because Lie Detection couldn’t distinguish such falsehoods.
That’s why I felt it even more.
“…It is surprising.”
It was true. I was shocked beyond surprise. This was a great ‘setting.’ A setting that was squeezed out in a short amount of time. Human creativity was really great.
“You are called Sungkook?”
“Yes, Yoo Jonghyuk-nim.”
I could write the book Ways of Survival. In order to help the hero who kept dying, readers received a revelation and came from outside the novel? This was more exciting than the real Ways of Survival. But that was it.
“Don’t go around in circles.”
This was it.
“Get straight to the point.”
I heard the set up so it was time to speak.
“You have received the revelation of the future. Then what exactly are you going to do?”
Lee Sungkook quickly replied.
“We would like to form an alliance with Yoo Jonghyuk-nim. I-It is an alliance in name but it actually means going under you…”
He was a funny guy. In the end, this was his purpose? Riding the bus that was the main character?
“I see. An alliance. You want this.”
“Yes.”
“It is an interesting suggestion.”
“This means…”
I tapped my fingers against the table.
“But the order is wrong.”
“Huh?”
“How can I form an alliance with people whose identities I don’t know? If you want to ally with me, isn’t this the first thing you should start with?”
“M-My identity… I already…”
I got up from the chair and sat on the plush bed in the room. Then I crossed my legs and declared.
“Kneel down.”
“Huh?”
“Kneel.”
Lee Sungkook was embarrassed for a moment before getting down from his chair while hiding his expression. As his knees slowly reached the floor, I opened my mouth.
“Tell me your attribute.”
Once I saw the strong hypnosis on the king candidate, I guessed this guy’s attribute. However, I needed to make sure.
Lee Sungkook looked up at me with complicated eyes. His mind was probably working hard. He would think this.
「 Yoo Jonghyuk can see my information with Sage’s Eyes. 」
「He already knows it so what is the reason for asking about my information? 」
Lee Sungkook struggled for a moment before speaking.
“My attribute is… Hypnotist.”
As expected, it was Hypnotist.
“I see.”
Lee Sungkook looked a bit brighter at my nod. He thought he had passed a test.
“Is that all?”
“…Huh?”
Lee Sungkook’s eyes shook.
“…O-One more.”
I nodded.
“Tell me.”
“T-The 9th…
“The 9th?”
Lee Sungkook slowly lowered his head like he was ashamed.
“The 9th person… to get off.”
I see. This brat, the 9th…
…No, wait. Then how many people were there?