INFINITY

031

KIM DOKJA'S POINT OF VIEW

It was finally the promised time. I gathered everyone on the line 3 platform with the party. Every member was checking their weapons. Lee Hyunsung seemed to have handled it properly. "I did as Dokja-ssi asked." Since some of the weapons they had used so far were very old, I asked Lee Hyunsung to produce new weapons. The materials were from the grade 8 underground species, the groll that were killed in the struggle last night. 

The blades and spears were made by cutting the horns of the groll. They weren't long enough but they were appropriate as a temporary measure. "I'm so glad to have Alyona-ssi as a comrade, I'll get to have good things!" Jung Heewon smiled like she was satisfied.

"Ah... Dokja-ssi, Hyunsung-ssi. Thank you very much. But I guess the sword from Alyona-ssi is enough." I nodded at her words and looked at Yoo Sangah. Yoo Sangah bowed. The Groll's horn couldn't be used to make a blunt weapon so only Lee Gilyoung was still carrying a weapon from a ground rat. Lee Gilyoung was silently gazing at the ground. This sulking child... I stroked his head and said. "why do Alyona-Noona give me fruit! I wan't a weapon to Hyung!" the kid whined.

"It won't be easy. This situation can be more dangerous than yesterday. Are you all ready?" Only Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung are using improvised weapons for now. The party members nodded. "Then we will start." From now on, it was a fight against time. We had to work as quickly as possible before the Landlord Alliance noticed the situation. 

Jung Heewon, Yoo Sangah, and Lee Gilyoung disappeared to their respective floors for their missions, while I started climbing the stairs with Lee Hyunsung, his spear gripped tightly on his side. "Dokja-ssi, I am unsure." Lee Hyunsung spoke in a voice without any confidence.

He was the core of this operation. He shouldn't be talking like this. I deliberately answered in a strong voice. "It will be fine." However, Lee Hyunsung's face was still timid. "I think that people are relying on me more than they should. I'm not sure I can do well." I sighed at his words. "Hyunsung-ssi is a dependable person."

"...Thank you for saying so. This is my first experience. When I was in the army, I never got someone's trust like this." It was the first time I'd heard this story. That reminded me. I didn't know about Lee Hyunsung's army life. Ways of Survival only mentioned it in passing.

"Once this is over, I want to hear Hyunsung-ssi's story," I said it casually but Lee Hyunsung was more shaken than I thought. He stared at me with beady eyes.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has started to open his heart to you.]

[Your understanding of the character 'Lee Hyunsung' has greatly increased.]

"Sometimes I feel strange when talking to Dokja-ssi." Lee Hyunsung vocal out. "Huh? Why...?" I look at him questioningly. "It seems like you knew me from a long time ago... I can't explain it well..." Lee Hyunsung scratched his head and trailed off. "Ah, I don't mean anything strange. I just..."

"I know what you mean." He said with a smile at me. "Thank you. I'm also curious about Dokja-ssi's story," he said fondly to me. "My story?" I asked with both my eyebrows raise. "Yes. I have never seen a person like Dokja-ssi before. I'm curious about what you did before this happened."

"It isn't very interesting." Somehow, I felt a bit strange. The supporting cast of the novel I read was curious about me. I had a bit uncomfortable and had an itchy feeling. "I still want to hear it." Suddenly, a question popped into my head.

If Ways of Survival hadn't become reality, would Lee Hyunsung be living in the same world as me? Or did the novel suddenly emerge as a reality? I didn't know. One thing was for sure. Lee Hyunsung was now a 'living person' in front of me.