I was a bit surprised to see it. It was Armed Fortress, not Armed Zone. Gong Pildu’s stigma had passed level 10 and entered the next step.
[You have invaded private property!]
It was a surprise. This message was welcome in a moment like this.
“Ack! It hurts! What is this?”
The Japanese screamed painfully as the hundreds of turrets fired at the same time. One hit wasn’t a big blow but it was disastrous once hundreds of bullets poured out. The damage was even greater because their movements were restrained.
Dududududu!
Blood flowed from their bodies as the Japanese were hit by the bullets.
“Eyes! My eyes!”
“What? What is this?”
The shells flew without stopping. The Japanese screamed and sat down as they were hit.
“Full advance!”
The army of small people hiding at the entrance of the forest joined in. Originally, it would’ve been hopeless but the situation changed due to the current state of the Japanese people. Small blades dug into the holes made by bullets and the Japanese screamed in succession. Then I heard a dignified voice. “Don’t invade private property. This is my land.”
As expected from the Armed Fortress Master. He lay down private property even when coming to this world.
The wounded Japanese got up and shouted, “R-Retreat! Let’s go back!”
It was great. Gong Pildu’s turrets were strong enough to make three disasters retreat despite their small size.
I turned around and saw a small fortress rising from the ground. It was hard to call it a proper fortress but I could see why he was called Armed Fortress Master.
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
“We won! We defeated the disasters!”
The jubilant small people gathered around and shouted for victory. There were two people standing on top of the fortress. One of them was Gong Pildu. The other one…
“Why is this your land? This isn’t a place where private property is recognized.”
“A little girl doesn’t know what she is talking about…”
“Hrmm, shouldn’t you show more courtesy to this goddess?”
…This voice? The small people shouted again. “Goddess-nim, hooray! Hooray!”
…Goddess? The woman at the top of the fortress discovered me and jumped down. Her short dress blew in the breeze and the sound of a light landing was heard. She had a distinctive prideful look. She really hadn’t changed.
The small people parted in front of her like the waves before Moses. I smiled and opened my mouth, “Haven’t you become very successful?”
Han Sooyoung approached and raised my chin with her fingers. “It’s been a while, Kim Dokja. You are still ugly.”
I once again met Han Sooyoung, the goddess of Peace Land.
***
We headed to the castle and I heard about the things that happened to Han Sooyoung. “I was walking down the street when I was hit by a bus full of survivors.”
“Then?”
“I woke up here.”
“Does that make sense? What about Gong Pildu?”
“I fell into Han River and was here when I opened my eyes.”
I felt disbelief. “What is this fantasy novel?”
“Have you forgotten where we are now?”
This was the conversation.
In fact, it seemed absurd but something similar had happened in Ways of Survival. There were quite a few returnees who travelled to another world after falling into Han River or being hit by a bus. Still, to experience such a thing during a scenario…
What the hell were those dokkaebi jerks doing? I asked, “Then why are you the goddess? Did you ask them to call you that?”
Han Sooyoung shook her head and grumbled. “Che, treating me like this for saving you.”
“What? Tell me.”
“Have you forgotten who I am?”
“Eh?”
“Has your brain decreased due to your smaller head?”
Come to think of it, this was a stupid question. Han Sooyoung was the only prophet remaining in Seoul Dome.
Moreover, one day on Earth was three days on Peace Land. We had been separated for a week so the time Han Sooyoung spent in PeaceLand was around three weeks.
She knew the future and was given three weeks. It wasn’t strange for Han Sooyoung to become the goddess of another world… no, it was still a bit strange. Why was she a goddess instead of a queen?
“You two know each other very well.” I looked back and saw Gong Pildu watching us with a disgruntled expression.
I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth. I didn’t want to but there was something I should say. “Gong Pildu.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry for not taking care of you.”
“…Who asked you to take care of me?”
“I’m really sorry. Thank you for saving me.”
I really was apologetic this time so I spoke in honorifics. Frankly, I had been too busy in the fifth scenario to care about Gong Pildu. This time he saved me when my life was in danger. It was too embarrassing to call myself a patron of the Defense Master.
[The constellation ‘Defense Master’ scoffs at your apology.]
“Che.” They seemed to suit each other well.
[You have sponsored the Defense Master 5,000 coins.]
[The constellation ‘Defense Master’ reluctantly nods.]
Gong Pildu glared at me for a moment before turning away. “Then do well next time.”
It was funny to see a person so full of pride. In any case, I was glad that both of them were alive, even if they had become small people. Eh? Wait. They became a small person…?
I glanced at the two people for a moment. That reminded me, why had they chosen to stop being disasters? Both of them weren’t the type of people who would do this?
“I am here to say thank you.”
I looked back and saw that Lee Hyunsung and the others were approaching. They had been riding the insects towards Veronica when they countered Gong Pildu’s group passing by.
“No need. I just did what I had to do.” Han Sooyoung smiled slightly and waved her hands. I now knew what it was like when a devil wore a mask.
Lee Jihye watched Han Sooyoung and opened her mouth. “By the way… who are you?”
That reminded me, this was the first time that people saw Han Sooyoung’s actual appearance, not her avatar. In other words, the party members had no idea that she was the First Apostle.
Han Sooyoung glanced at me and I answered on her behalf.
“Uh, that…”
Lee Jihye surely wouldn’t stay still if she found out this was the First Apostle. Lee Jihye was the one who suffered the most damage when the apostles attacked Chungmuro.
The party would be turned upside down if Han Sooyoung’s identity was revealed and a blood feud might occur. Eventually, I decided to close my eyes and betray my conscience.
“She is just a friend I know.”
I didn’t know if I could use the word ‘friend.’ Well, it didn’t matter. I had no friends anyway. I couldn’t see Han Sooyoung’s face.
“I’m sorry but… can I ask you one thing?” The one who broke the awkward atmosphere was Asuka Ren, the Japanese person I rescued from the cage.
Han Sooyoung looked between me and the Japanese person. Lee Jihye was the same. “…Then who is this Japanese person? Is this person also a friend?”
It was a somewhat sarcastic tone. Damn brat.
“Asuka Ren… she is an incarnation from Japan. She isn’t a friend but a trapped prisoner I saved.”
“Why did she need to be saved? She is Japanese.”
“This fight isn’t Japan vs. South Korea. It is the small people against the disasters.
Lee Jihye seemed dissatisfied but she was convinced.
Han Sooyoung whispered to me. “What is this? Was this person in the original novel?”
“You don’t know?”
She probably read up to the fourth regression but she didn’t know Asuka Ren? Oh, was Asuka Ren not active then? Asuka Ren glanced between Han Sooyoung and I with nervous eyes before opening her mouth again. “Excuse me, the question…”
“Ah, say it.”
“How did you already get the Peace Land approval?”
That’s right. Certainly, it was natural for Asuka Ren to be curious. Han Sooyoung wondered, “Kim Dokja, what is she saying?”
“She is asking how you became the goddess.”
“Ah, that?”
The others belatedly understood the question and stared curiously at Han Sooyoung. I also wondered what the hell happened. No matter how fast she grew, it was completely different from becoming stronger in three weeks and becoming the goddess of a kingdom.
“I told you. The first place where we fell was the north. Ahjussi and I fell in the middle of an attack on Veronica.”
“It was during a raid?”
“Some of the first Japanese group were attacking Veronica.”
“So?”
“Ah, one of the Japanese brats looked at us and said something. I was annoyed and killed him.”
I was speechless for a moment. I roughly knew how things had gone. The Veronica Kingdom was going to perish because of the disaster. Then two people suddenly fell and killed the disasters. From the viewpoint of the small people, Han Sooyoung and Gong Pildu probably seemed like gods.
“Well… I wouldn’t have killed him if I knew I would become a small person.”
“You didn’t read this scenario?”
“I was walking along the street when I was suddenly transported somewhere. How could I know this was the sixth scenario area?”
…That’s why the Japanese saw us and attacked. These two people were one of the causes.
“Because of you, we…”
“Ah, I can see it.”
Beyond the plains, the castle of this abandoned world could be seen. We looked at the palace. It was a broken palace. The traces of the disaster could been seen from the ruined castle walls. The people were crying in the ruined kingdom.
“Goddess-nim!”
“The goddess is back…!”
The small people who became nothing in front of an overwhelming disaster. A scruffy looking crowd came out to greet us.
Han Sooyoung showed a bitter smile. “…It is already over. Fucking Peace Land.”
I listened to her words and realized again. I’ve been lucky until now but that would end in the next battle. The struggle with the disasters had just begun and we had to continue fighting a losing battle.
I stared at the people who were coming. The people of this world resembled the old Earth. There were no sword masters, no 9th circle monsters and even the use of a ‘system’ was limited. The people of the so-called ‘authentic fantasy’ couldn’t stop the invaders, no matter how hard they tried. And I knew whose ‘work’ this world belonged to.
“Asuka Ren.”
The beautiful woman flinched and looked at me. The key to this scenario was this girl. Despite reading Ways of Survival, Asuka Ren knew this world better than I did.
“Join the South Korean group. We need your help.”
