The scenario was finally over.
[ You have succeeded in completing the scenario! ]
The system's message echoed through the air.
[ Rewards are being distributed. ]
Yet I couldn't relax—not even for a second. I knew what was coming.
Before long, poison fog would swallow the entirety of the Seoul Dome.
I glanced to the side. Kim Dokja's companions stood nearby, grief heavy in their eyes.
There were his early comrades—Yoo Sangah, an office worker much like himself; Lee Hyunsung, a military officer; and Lee Gilyoung, a child forced into this nightmare far too soon.
They noticed us and immediately grew wary. It was Lee Hyunsung who recovered first.
"Um, hello. My name is Lee Hyunsung. Nice to meet you."
He extended a hand.
"Are you perhaps from the same carriage as us?"
I accepted his handshake and smiled.
"Nice to meet you too. My name is Kim Do-yeon. And yes—we were actually in the carriage next to yours."
"Ah, is that so?"
His expression brightened, relief washing over his face.
Maybe he'd mistaken us for enemies—or worse. Honestly, I couldn't blame him. After everything we'd just seen, trust didn't come easily.
Before our conversation could continue, a disturbance rippled through the distance.
Poison fog.
It crept across the city like a living thing.
"I guess that's our cue to move, huh?" someone muttered.
The group immediately broke into a run, heading toward the nearest subway station—Geumho Station.
As everyone rushed inside, Lee Hyunsung stayed behind, helping people through the entrance.
Then he turned around.
One person was missing.
"Do-yeon-ssi?! Where are you?!"
His voice cracked with panic as he scanned the encroaching fog.
No response came.
With no other choice, he turned back—though not before glancing behind him one last time.
I was still on the bridge, sitting atop a nearby structure.
Thanks to my… unique skill set, slipping away unnoticed had been easy.
"Now that I'm alone," I muttered, "why don't we take a look at my Attribute Window?"
[ Name: Kim do-yeon
Age: 25
Sponsor: The One Who Stands above all
Exclusive attribute: Observer Detachment ( Legendary ) Unyielding Spirit ( Rare ) Delusional Worker ( Common )
Exclusive skills: Hand to hand combat ( lvl 1 ) Insane Adaptability ( lvl 2 ) Alter Ego ( lvl 1 ) Scythe proficiency ( lvl 1 ) Scythe Summoning ( lvl 1 )
Stigma: None
Stats: [ Stamina lvl 6] [ Strength lvl 5 ] [ Agility lvl 5 ] [ Mana lvl 10 ]
Summarization:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ]
"Hoh… what a lineup."
I whistled softly.
"This is seriously an isekai protagonist's dream start."
The window looked exactly like it had in the novel and manhwa.
Overall—absurdly good.
High stats, rare attributes, and weapon summoning this early? Normally impossible. The Star Stream didn't even allow inventories, yet here I was casually bypassing that rule.
And the reason my emotions felt so muted…
Observer's Detachment.
It even boosted my Insane Adaptability.
As for the rest? No idea where they came from.
My best guess—some god wanted to stir up chaos.
"I definitely wasn't like this in my past life," I muttered. "So yeah… must be divine interference."
I shook my head and stood up, brushing dust from my clothes.
"Well, less thinking—more doing."
"If I'm going to survive until Kim Dokja shows up in four days, I'll need supplies."
As I stepped toward the fog-covered street, another thought struck me.
"Oh right. Coins."
The system responded instantly.
[ 3,500 coins ]
"…That's it?"
I stared at the number, scratching my head.
"I'm pretty sure I killed more than a few 'filthy' out there."
[ Your sponsor advises you to stop pretending and accept your psychopathic tendencies. ]
The message repeated several times.
If someone were watching me, they'd probably see an imaginary tick mark hovering above my head.
…Seriously, who was this constellation?
With a name like The One Who Stands Above All, they should've been famous—important.
"Who are you, anyway?"
[ … ]
"Not answering?" I smirked. "Figures."
"Well, since we're stuck together, we might as well cooperate. You're my sponsor, after all."
[ Your sponsor is shaking his head, baffled by your maturity. ]
[ Your sponsor wonders if this is really the Kim Do-yeon he knows. ]
"I'll take that as affection."
I turned my attention back to the thickening poison fog.
"Hey. Open the Dokkaebi Bag for me."
[ Your sponsor is shocked. ]
[ Your sponsor is questioning how you know this information. ]
"Enough already. Just do it."
[ … ]
A cascade of images filled my vision—growth packages, rare artifacts, items that practically screamed danger.
I searched until I found what I needed.
(Ellain Monkey's Lungs)
[ Some constellations are wondering how you know of this item. ]
I ignored the notification.
(The item 'Ellain Monkey's Lungs' has been purchased.)
Nearly half my coins vanished.
The item materialized in my hand—a small, light-blue shell with a breathing aperture.
"Let's move."
I placed it over my mouth.
The sensation was strange—cool and minty, with a sharp medicinal aftertaste that seeped straight into my lungs.
Twenty-five minutes later.
Thanks to careful timing, I managed to gather a ridiculous amount of food into a single bag.
Overkill? Maybe.
Necessary? Definitely.
Coins didn't earn themselves.
[ 5 minutes remaining. ]
The shell darkened, turning black as it neared expiration.
"Guess I should head back."
I slung the bag over my shoulder and stumbled forward—my steps light, almost drunken—but steady enough.
Geumho Station came into view.
The doors were still open, allowing me to slip in with the rest of the survivors.
The atmosphere inside was heavy.
Reality had finally sunk in.
"Yikes," I muttered. "What a cheerful bunch."
As I walked deeper into the station, eyes followed me—some curious, others openly hostile.
As if I caused the apocalypse.
Classic trope, I thought.
New guy enters. Everyone hates him.
What's next? A wannabe leader trying to assert dominance?
Then I spotted them—Lee Hyunsung and the others gathered in one corner.
I waved.
"Ah! Kim Do-yeon!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed. "Where did you go? You disappeared thirty minutes ago!"
Concern filled his eyes.
"Sorry," I replied with a sheepish grin. "I was busy gathering supplies."
He sighed, relief evident.
"As long as you're safe."
"Don't worry. I even brought some useful stuff."
As I spoke, I noticed someone missing.
Or rather—someone deliberately hiding.
In the corner stood a familiar girl, arms folded, pretending not to notice me.
I walked over.
"Hey. Remember me?"
No response.
I poked her back.
Again.
And again.
"Don't ignore me."
"Don't ignore me."
"Don't ignore—"
"I'm not blind, idiot!" she snapped, spinning around. "Stop it! It's only been half an hour since we met!"
Her face was flushed with irritation.
…Yep.
This was going to be fun.
"Hey, relax. You don't have to be that serious, you know?"
I tilted my head lowering my voice, eyes sweeping over her face with deliberate ease.
"It'd be a real shame if that pretty face of yours melted this early on."
_
"I gotta say it again—you're really weird, you know?"
She said it in a deadpan tone.
I just laughed lightly, which only seemed to weird her out even more.
Turning away, I walked back and introduced myself to the others with Lee Hyunsung's help.
Skeptical eyes followed me at first, but Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung eventually relaxed their guard, realizing I didn't mean them any harm.
"Don't worry. I've got more than enough, so you don't need to think too hard about it," I said casually to Yoo Sangah.
She really was a humble person—insisting again and again on returning the favor somehow.
Lee Gilyoung, on the other hand…
Damn, that kid was nonchalant as hell.
Even when I tried to give it to him for free, he stubbornly followed Yoo Sangah's lead and pressed a few bills from his pocket into my hand.
With a relaxed expression, he turned and walked away. His eyes were dull—almost lifeless—but there was a faint hint of maturity buried within them.
Of course, I wasn't some kind of maniac.
I knew exactly how cruel this world could be.
"And what about you?" I turned back. "My little miss damsel in distress?"
"It's fine. I'm not hungry right now," she replied coldly.
Her gaze was fixed on something beyond me.
I followed it—and saw a familiar face in the crowd.
"Everyone, please calm down! We just need to wait for the authorities until everything is resolved!"
A comforting voice echoed through the station, drawing people's attention.
He was young, with above-average looks and a kind expression that put others at ease.
But I already knew exactly who he was.
The ever-lying fox—
Cheon Inho