Jung Heewon is a woman with a strong sense of justice. She's willing to risk anything if it means she could save people. Her bright personality and fiery spirit would naturally attract many others. Perhaps that's why Demon-like Judge of Fire had chosen her as her incarnation. They're similar in a lot of ways.

Cale didn't think too much of it at first, but in the novel, at this moment, she has yet to obtain a constellation sponsor, but...

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[ Target Information ]

Name: Jung Heewon

Age: 27 years old

Constellation Sponsor: Demon-like Judge of Fire

Private Attribute: Crouching Figure (General)

Exclusive skills: Demon Slayer Lv. 1, Kendo Lv. 2.

Stigmata: Hell Flames Ignition

Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 7, Strength Lv. 6, Agility Lv. 8, Magic Power Lv. 5.

Overall Evaluation: She was a ‘crouching figure’ with enormous potential. The attribute information wasn’t verified yet because the attribute hadn’t blossomed.

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He discreetly eyed the words of Constellation Sponsor and thought to himself.

'Just what happened that made her got chosen early by Uriel, a relatively strong constellation?'

He contemplated about it for a bit before shrugging.

Well, it shouldn't matter much, really. As long as everything about the main characters follow the storyline, he doesn't have to worry about anything. Plus, isn't this good news for Kim Dokja and his party? They have a stronger Jung Heewon with them now.

They'll reach the end of scenarios sooner. He only has to ride on their backs and go home.

'Except...'

Cale could see Kim Dokja talking with Lee Hyunsung, and the former chuckled lightly at what the soldier had said. He seemed okay, and dare he'd say— happy.

Conflict briefly flashed in the hidden redhead's brown eyes.

He didn't like this at all.

Sure, he planned to help them a bit from the shadows, but now, he has this stupid urge to involve himself because of his own volition and something else, a pressure that came from knowing Kim Dokja before the apocalypse and having a civil relationship with him.

Cale doesn't like working, but he also wouldn't like watching his... (friend? acquaintance?) suffer.

He really is unlucky.

Maybe that's why he's doing this.

As instructed, Kang Gunwoo approached Kim Dokja. "Excuse me, Kim Dokja-ssi, are you perhaps willing to sell those food?"

The man raised his eyebrows, glancing down at the bag on the floor beside him. "Oh, you... want to buy this?"

'Instead of blatantly asking them for everyone's survival, you want to actually pay?' goes unsaid.

"Ahaha, yes, if you don't mind," Gunwoo chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Cale-nim would like to buy them with his money so we can distribute them to everyone. Is that okay?"

Cale was too far away to hear their conversation, so he didn't know that a misunderstanding occurred.

To be fair, it wasn't his money. They're coins from Cheon Inho's group that was massacred around a week ago and Namwoon was the one who had them, so it's practically that guy's money, not his.

Meanwhile, Kim Dokja stilled at the revelation, glancing towards the said man who was already looking at him blankly.

"I see... Of course, you can buy them. They'll be 30 coins each."

"Sounds reasonable," Gunwoo nodded.

'Dokja-ssi obtained them by risking his life, after all,' The older man thought before transferring the coins that Cale had given him.

After the exchange, Kang Gunwoo went ahead to share the food. He remembered Cale's words to finish them in a day, and he was sure that everyone's going to be full by the end of it. He doesn't know why they have to drain the food supplies, but he believed in Cale, so he decided to comply.

It was around the evening when people were enjoying their snacks, and a spark appeared in the air.

Some had reached for their weapons, but many were frozen in place, their hearts beating wildly in fear. Cale and Kim Dokja seemed to be one of the few calm ones among them.

The air split apart and a familiar figure was revealed. It was the nightmare of humanity that opened up this tragedy.

[ H-How are you all doing? Haven’t you been free for a while? ]

The black furred dokkaebi, Biryu.

The atmosphere went cold and rigid almost instantly. No one made a noise. They wouldn't dare to in fear of losing their lives. It should be normal for screams to ensue, but upon receiving Cale's previous warning, they tried to calm themselves, or at least not draw negative attention. That doesn't prevent a few children from crying though, but this is way better than uncontrollable chaos.

[ M-My colleagues who were originally in charge of this channel is undergoing disciplinary action… S-So, I am responsible for this scenario. ]

Biryu said timidly.

Cale frowned.

'Did Saga get in trouble as well for always helping me?'

[ T-Then everyone. D-Don’t you look very peaceful? T-That Bihyung, he pretended to be pretentious only to set this level of scenario difficulty… ]

“W-What are you saying? Tell us what you want!” Someone exclaimed.

The man silently watched the exchange back and fourth like a bystander. The conversation is exactly the same like the novel.

'This is good. I didn't change the story much then.'

[ H-Hik! Don’t be angry, everyone. A-Anyway, I came for you guys… ]

Again, no one spoke and only wondered what the creature is talking about.

After concluding there's no need for more words, the dokkaebi moved his hand.

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[A scenario penalty has been added.]

[From now on, food stockpiling is limited.]

[All existing stockpiled food has disappeared.]

+

People gasped when the food in their hands began floating in the air.

[ He, hehe. Then, everyone, y-you have to think about how to break the scenario. ]

The canned food, biscuits, calorie bars, etc. The emergency food gathered by the people were destroyed with one gesture from the dokkaebi. However, they didn't despair over it. They've eaten enough. It's simply too bad that they were unable to finish them.

Namwoon, who was in the middle of eating his chips, scowled deeply. He wasn't even fazed by the dokkaebi's arrival.

That was his favorite chips!

Sensing his annoyance, Na Bori patted him on the back.

"We'll go to another convenience store for it," She said sympathetically.

Kim Namwoon crossed his arms, currently in a bad mood and felt even worse as he interpreted her words as ridicule. "What makes ya think there're chips in the stores nowadays?"

"Donghoon can look for those! He can do anything. Right?" She nudged the boy beside her playfully.

"U-Uh... I can try..." Donghoon gently scratched his cheek, avoiding making eye contacts.

Namwoon seemed to brighten at this though.

[ Everyone, let’s have fun from now on. Hehe… ]

Biryu's voice was followed by system messages.

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[A scenario penalty has been added.]

[The ‘survival cost’ clause has been added.]

[From now on, 100 coins will be deducted every night for the ‘survival cost’. If you can’t pay the ‘survival cost’, you will die.]

[The ‘survival cost’ penalty will be maintained until the second main scenario is cleared.]

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Cale expected this. According to the novel, Biryu was timid but he was crueler than any dokkaebi. Still, he felt displeased.

100 coins is too much.

Of course, it's nothing to him because he has tons of coins. It's not that he's concerned about other survivors, he just doesn't want to meaninglessly spend it.

He could hear Kim Dokja quietly chuckle beside him and ignored it.

'This guy's definitely thinking that this scene is exactly like the story he loved so much.'

Well, Biryu should disappear any second now. Cale really doesn't like this particular dokkaebi.

[T-Then I will let everyone take care of it—!]

Before he could leave, another spark appeared beside him, and the incarnations held their breaths once again.

A creature that Cale knows very well has arrived.

The cream furred dokkaebi, Saga.

What the stoic man did not expect was for his words to be filled with so much venom.

[ Biryu, you son of a b*tch. ]

The calm dokkaebi was nowhere in sight. There's only anger. This time, Cale thinks he's quite scary.

[ H-Hik! S-Saga, don't be angry! ]

[ You reported me with the intent of causing troubles for incarnations in my channel and expected me to not be angry? ]

Saga stared at the other dokkaebi like he was stupid before continuing his words.

[ I'll take over. Leave. ]

[ A-Ack! Okay, okay! ]

Biryu left with another spark, and Cale was satisfied with his departure.

Saga took a deep breath to calm himself. He easily brushed away the memories of being scolded by the higher dokkaebis before turning towards the humans. His indifferent gaze met Cale's, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

[ Hello, everyone. I apologize for the... inconvenience that my colleague had caused. Please do understand that the scenarios given to you are a must. I cannot erase them without mutual agreement with constellations, but I hope this will help you even just a little. ]

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[The 'survival cost' had been reduced to 50 coins.]

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He smiled coldly as he looked down upon them.

[ Then, I wish you good luck. ]

Saga soon disappeared, and everyone could finally breathe.

Almost simultaneously, they looked at Cale who was standing at the back with a calm expression. He could sense they were waiting for his words, so he spoke,

"We will hunt."

• • •

The meat stock was still there, but there wasn't a proper stove that could get rid of the poison within them. Also, the meats are limited and aren't enough to feed everyone for days. However, Cale intended for this to happen.

If he changed something that could make the storyline stray too far away, then he has to create a scenario so they wouldn't change too much.

Some groups were formed, including Kim Dokja's party that consists of Lee Hyunsung, Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung, Han Myungoh, Jung Heewon, Kim Namwoon, Na Bori, and Kim Dokja himself (courtesy to Cale's instructions).

He had told Namwoon and Bori beforehand to not get involved if trouble occurs, and it's easy to think that he warned them because he's worried. The reason he sent them? Of course, it's to make things easier for Kim Dokja.

'They can't intervene, not now. This is the moment that Han Myungoh will bear a child of his own,' was what he thought.

Han Myungoh truly wanted to protest, but what power does he have against the station's leader? That doesn't make him feel any less bad for being in the same team as the man who he had readily abandoned though.

"Cale, you're not coming?" Dokja asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

He shrugged. "Too much work."

Why would he do that when others could?

Namwoon waved his hand dismissively at Dokja. "Hyung's too weak for this. Let's just get going."

After bidding farewell, Cale and Han Donghoon watched as everyone walked through the tunnel. Without looking at the other, the man started to speak, "Wake me up when morning comes."

"... Okay..."

Then he turned around to head back to his tent and sleeps.

He had no idea that a certain meteorite cracked beside him, and a pair of glowing orange eyes stared intensely at his peaceful sleeping figure.

———

a/n: wow, it actually follows the orv novel a bit for once. well, not for long. *cough cough*

honestly, i feel like i'm putting too many twists and turns to the point everyone is suspecting everything in this story ;-; it's amusing to read your thoughts though. 😹

anyways, i'm assuming not many people read my message board but i'm taking a little break for 2 weeks because of midterm exams, and i'm actually a bit sick rn so i couldn't think or write properly, i'm sorry about this.

well. that's it. bye.