Chapter Text
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[Channel #L-1411 is open]
[A constellation has entered]
I flashed a welcoming smile at the broadcast screen.
[Welcome, dear constellation! Ah you must be confused, you're not really a constellation after all. However, is there truly much of a difference between a constellation and a reader? You thrive on stories, after all.]
I paused for a few seconds, making a serious expression.
[The story I am about to tell is a common one. The story of a reader who seeks to change the fate of their dearest protagonist. Perhaps you have heard such stories before?]
Some of them must have nodded. I wouldn't know.
[However, this one is a bit different. You see, this time, there are two readers, with pasts as tragic as the other. You could say the genre of their lives is tragedy. They have not only the protagonist to protect, but each other as well.]
I couldn't see the constellations. I didn't need to, I knew I had their attention.
[Then, shall we begin the story marred by loss, regret, and tragedy? To see if our dear protagonists can make it to their happy ending or if it is tragedy that will meet them once more at the end?]
The constellations expressed their approval through indirect messages. I smirked.
[Eager, are we? Don't be too disappointed at the slow beginning. Like fine wine, such stories improve with time.]
I finished setting up and opened the broadcast.
[Enjoy, dear constellations! May this story be to your tastes.]
I hope you succeed, ■■.
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Notes:
So this is meant to cover the entirety of ORV, do there will be spoilers. And also it's an OC insert (there's more than one of but I mean the main character) and I don't intend for her to end up with anyone, but let's see how things go
Since this is my first fic here, I'd like to ask you to bear with me as I figure things out.
Thank you for reading,
Chapter 2: Prologue
Summary:
[tls123 posted the last chapter? Huh, what are they going to do with their lives now?]
...
[Oh, what does it concern a Storyteller like me? Back to the broadcast!]
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
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.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.1
「There are three ways to survive in an apocalypse. I have forgotten some of them now. However, one thing is certain: if you're reading this, you will survive. –Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse - Final Episode」
「Author's note: Thank you so much for reading 'TWSA' up to here. I will come back to you with an epilogue!」
7:15 pm.
I was staring at my laptop with a blank expression, not betraying the complicated state of my mind.
This was the last chapter of a webnovel I had been reading for the last 11 years.
[Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse]
Author: tls123
3,149 chapters.
It was a needlessly lengthy novel. After all, what kind of insane person would write a novel consisting of three thousand one hundred and forty-nine chapters?
tls123 apparently.
And to top it off, there were only two people who had read the novel to it's end. One was me, and the other-
–Kim Dokja: Author-nim, thank you for everything. I am looking forward to the epilogue.
I smiled slightly at the words I read. Seeing his enthusiastic comments never failed to amuse me.
Kim Dokja.
The first time I saw the name, I thought to myself 'No, that can't be their real name. Who would use their real name to make such an account—'
But as I read more of his comments, I became certain; this naïve guy had used his real name to make an account.
Oh, but what a fitting name it was.
Dokja meant reader. And my, what a devoted reader he was. He had been with this novel since the day it began. And he had stayed for 13 long years.
Part of the reason I actually read this novel to it's end was because of this very reader.
Anyways.
I clutched my forehead at the painful throbbing. It was happening again. The odd déjà vu and sense of foreboding that returned to haunt me at the most unexpected times.
I sighed and shook my head. I'll deal with this later. There's something else I should do right now.
I opened the Reader's Discussion section and typed out a comment.
–⊂Wallflower⊃2: I can't believe this is the last chapter. Congratulations Author-nim! You've certainly grown since the start of this story. And as such, I'll forgive you for this illegal cliffhanger.
–Kim Dokja: Hubae! The author says they won a competition thanks to us. How cool is that?
–⊂Wallflower⊃: Oh? That is pretty cool. Congratulations again then, Author-nim. We'll be waiting for the epilogue. The ending better not be a tragedy (ಠ_ಠ)☞
–tls123: thank you! And Haha you'll have to wait for that. By the way, the novel will start being monetized tomorrow.
Oh. My eyes widened in surprise. The author is online.
–⊂Wallflower⊃: (ー_ー゛) hmm. Oh and monetization, huh? Wow, no wonder you put that cliffhanger. Now we absolutely have to pay if we want to see the ending. Well played, Author-nim /j
While most of Dokja's comments were of admiration, then mine were usually playful jabs at the author. The memory of my first interaction with the author made me smile a little.
I then opened my DMs.
Today
–Kim Dokja: Did you read the last chapter?
Sent 7:10 pm
–Kim Dokja: Oh nevermind, you have. I saw your comment
Sent 7:18 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: You sure are fast.
Sent 7:20 pm
–Kim Dokja: haha well, I was really just excited
Sent 7:21 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: As always ( ´◡‿ゝ◡`)
Sent 7:21 pm
–Kim Dokja: (⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ '')
Sent 7:22 pm
I was going the continue the conversation as always; by talking about the latest chapter. However, I was interrupted by someone barging in through the door.
"There you are. Did you forget we're short of two people even today?"
I glanced at the open pocket watch on my desk.
7:22 pm.
I then looked up at the one addressing me. She stayed in the room next to mine, and had a habit of barging into my room as she pleased, despite my displeasure.
I shook my head at her words and she immediately began talking again, "Good then, get up. We have work to do."
And with that she promptly left the room, leaving the door ajar.
I let out a sigh. You're just going to make me do most of it again. I turned my attention towards the screen again.
–⊂Wallflower⊃: Something came up, I gotta go.
Sent 7:24 pm
–Kim Dokja: Oh. Then when will you be free?
Sent 7:24 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: Don't know.
Sent 7:24 pm
–Kim Dokja: Then let's talk about the chapter at night.
Sent 7:25 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: Don't you have to sleep early so you can go to work tomorrow?
Sent 7:25 pm
–Kim Dokja: ╮(^▽^)╭
Sent 7:26 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: ಠ_ಠ
Sent 7:27 pm
–Kim Dokja: C'mon, one night wouldn't hurt.
Sent 7:27 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: Alright, fine. I'll excuse it this one time.
Sent 7:28 pm
–Kim Dokja: (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*.✧
Sent 7:28 pm
I shut down the laptop and put it inside my desk before picking up my pocket watch and making my way to the door.
Back then, I didn't know what would happen to the world the next day. And just like that, Kim Dokja and I would become the only people who knew the fate of this world.
After all, who could predict such a thing?
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Notes:
1. Indication for POV switch. Back
2. Indicates that dialogue/text is in English. Back
"It was a needlessly lengthy novel," she said as she tried to read the chapters as soon as they came out
I'm figuring out a posting schedule. Hopefully weekly but once again, no guarantees.
Thank you for reading,
Chapter 3: Chapter: 1 Starting the Paid Service
Summary:
[Are you curious about our Protagonist's life?]
[In that case, You get to have a small peek, and a little surprise at the end!]
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
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5:14 pm.
I glanced at the the pocket watch in my hand as I stepped out of a cafe. My part time shift had ended 14 minutes ago, however the employee who takes it up after me was late. Again. Although he was usually much later.
I hoisted my bag up properly before beginning my journey back to my abode, pocket watch still in hand.
Buzz!
I looked down at my vibrating watch and pressed a button on its side.
5:35 pm.
"Oh look, dear! It's the girl I told you about!"
"Hm? The one who helps you at the shop often?"
"Yes, that's her!"
I glanced at the flower shop across the street from the corner of my eyes and noticed the elderly shopkeeper talking to a pretty girl around my age. The latter was staring at me incredulously.
I pretended not to know as I crossed the street.
"Grandma, are you sure that's her? She looks—"
She immediately stopped talking when she noticed me, now near the shop. I nodded my head in greeting when they looked my way.
"Oh, hello, dear! Walking home?" The lady asked me in her usual chipper tone.
I nodded. Sure, you could call it that. I was about to ask if she needed help when she waved me off, "I don't need anything today. Oh, but come meet my granddaughter, Seoah!"
I shifted my gaze to the girl. Light brown hair that fell below her shoulders, hazel eyes, and a pink outfit. She was shorter than me and exuded an upbeat aura.
The girl looked like she was trying to keep a straight face while staring at me, but was ultimately failing. I gave her a light wave in greeting with my signature close eyed smile, which she returned awkwardly.
I could tell she wasn't ready for a conversation with me at the moment, so I bid the two farewell. I glanced at my watch as I was leaving.
"Grandma, she looks like she's almost thirty—"
I closed the watch and tucked it into my pocket as I continued to walk. I didn't mind her words, since it wasn't the first time someone had said something like this. Besides, she wasn't exactly wrong about the way I looked.
For reference, I had neck length dark brown hair—that was almost always mistaken as black—tied in a low ponytail, with very visible white strands. Not exactly salt and pepper but halfway there. My irises were the same shade as my hair, my eyes were pretty dull, maybe because they were mostly half closed—not that they shone if I opened them more—and had permanent dark circles beneath, only making me look older.
As if that wasn't enough, I had a default stoic expression and black rectangular glasses. My outfits also consisted mostly of gray-scale shades, like today I had a black turtleneck paired with a dark gray coat and skirt. The only other colors were the purple of my trousers and neckerchief.
To conclude, if you didn't know me, you'd think I was in my later twenties, or early thirties if it was a particularly exhausting day.
Anyways, I didn't come across any other people I knew for the remainder of my journey. My workplace wasn't exactly far from where I lived. If you walked fast enough, you could make the journey in half an hour unless you took a scenic route.
Speaking of which.
I stopped in front of an old iron gate before pulling out my watch again.
5:50 pm.
I rung the doorbell and waited.
The gate opened slowly and I could feel it creaking because of the rust. I'll die before they do something about this.
A woman stood at the gate with a professional smile, which dropped as soon as she saw me. Good to see you too. It was amazing how some people could change expressions within mere seconds.
"Tsk. You're late again today," she regarded me with a scowl.
I lowered my head in apology. Here we go again. Not that I could say that out loud.
An introduction to the woman before me; Choi Haeun, 35 years old, owner of Choi orphanage.
The orphanage was small and unremarkable. Currently there were only 11 children here, a gardener, a cook, and 4 caretaker's, including me. Haeun-nim's grandfather had willed for it to be constructed in his name. Something about 'wanting to help the less fortunate to atone for his sins', so there wasn't exactly a system.
Yeah, this place was my 'home', and the woman, who was looking at me as if I was dirt beneath her feet, was my boss. Well, not exactly, but I was working as a caretaker in return for being able to stay here even though I was past the maximum age limit.
Haeun-nim let out an exasperated sigh before turning away from me. "Whatever, I don't have time for this," she said, "Oh, and you're alone today, so you'll have to fill in for the rest of the caretakers."
5:59 pm.
I let out a sigh as I stepped in through the gate and closed it behind me. Today was definitely an unlucky day. Two caretakers were on leave since yesterday and now the third had disappeared as well. I wondered if it could get any worse.
Ah, I shouldn't think that. That's a jinxed question.
As soon as I turned around, I was surrounded by all the children.
"Noona, you're back!"
"Unnie, how was your day?"
"Unnie, come play with us!"
I gave them a smile and patted the nearest one's heads.
The kids were quite little, the youngest being 6 and the oldest being 13.
They didn't even give me a chance to go inside and freshen up, immediately pulling me along with them. They knew I had a soft spot for them and fully exploited it.
Indulging them a little wouldn't hurt.
It started to get dark after a while and I ushered the children inside despite their protests. Once I managed to get them all inside the building and finished cleaning them up, I headed straight to my room. It would be time for dinner soon and i had to help the cook, which one shouldn't do in outdoor clothes.
There wasn't much in my there. A wooden chair, a desk, a futon, and a small cupboard all barely fitting in the small space.
I set my bag on the desk and took off my coat, draping it onto the chair's back before sitting down on it.
I let out a sigh. It was a bad idea to stay up late yesterday. I already knew that. Yet, I always did so every night.
Even if I regretted it sometimes, i couldn't give up that habit.
After all, people like me rise with the moon.
I subconsciously pulled out the laptop and was switched it on. I'll just check my notifications before I change and get to work, was what I told myself. I won't take too long.
That was a lie, by the way. I always take longer than anticipated. Have I learnt my lesson yet? Well, I don't think I need to answer that.
The device protested like an old man would if you tried to have him stand up from his comfortable spot. To be fair, the laptop was pretty old. I only had it because Haeun-nim decided she didn't want it anymore. Not that she knew I had it.
Anyways, once the startup was completed, I looked at the time at the corner of the screen.
6:46 pm.
I loaded the web novel site and checked if any series had updated. Seeing that there were none, I decided take this time to read some of TWSA while it was free.
I had barely started the second chapter when;
[1 New Notification]
I blinked before opening my DMs.
Today
–Kim Dokja: Hey, Hubae! Guess what?
Sent 6:55 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: What?
Sent 6:55 pm
–Kim Dokja: The author sent me a gift!
Sent 6:56 pm
A gift? Must be because he's their first reader.
–⊂Wallflower⊃: Oh, that's cool! What did you get?
Sent 6:56 pm
–Kim Dokja: I'm not sure, I haven't opened it yet.
Sent 6:56 pm
–Kim Dokja: Honestly they said they would but I didn't get my hopes too high.
Sent 6:56 pm
–Kim Dokja: Did they give you anything?
Sent 6:56 pm
–⊂Wallflower⊃: (^ᴗ^)"
Sent 6:57 pm
–Kim Dokja: Oh...
Sent 6:57 pm
I huffed lightly at his response. This guy...he didn't have to feel bad for asking. Sure, i too had read TWSA to its end, but the first reader would obviously be more special.
–Kim Dokja: No worries, I'll share mine with you!
Sent 6:58 pm
Well, he recovered quickly.
–⊂Wallflower⊃: It's fine, Sunbae. It's a gift for you, so you should make the most of it.
Sent 6:58 pm
–Kim Dokja: But that doesn't mean I can't share it with my friend
Sent 6:59 pm
I didn't know what to say to that. Sunbae often said things I didn't know how to respond to. I wonder how long this will last now that TWSA is over.
After a minute or so, I started typing out a reply. Before i could even finish typing, a sharp pain shot through my head, followed by an inexplicable panic. Ugh, what now?
The ground shook violently all of a sudden, causing me to slipping off the chair and crouch on the floor as i held my head. The lights flickered out soon after.
I gripped onto the desk as the low rumbling continued and faded.
An earthquake?
No, that...felt a bit too ominous to be a normal earthquake. What's going on? Don't tell me...this isn't another terrorist incident, is it? I looked at my laptop screen which was showing a network error message. My eyes landed on the time at the corner.
7:01 pm.
At that moment, I was overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. Tor some reason, I thought of TWSA.
Why...?
Then, glowing blue slates appeared in front of my face, the ghoulish light illuminating the room faintly.
[#BI-7623 channel is open.]
[Constellations have entered.]
My eyes widened. What…?
[The main scenario has arrived!]
[Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value]
Category: Main
Difficulty: F
Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living organisms.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Compensation: 300 coins
Failure: Death
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Notes:
As promised, the first chapter is out. It's a little short and unexciting but eh
Thank you for reading,
Chapter 4: Chapter: 2 Is this an Isekai?
Summary:
[Our Main Character seems to be having trouble believing that TWSA has come to life.]
[Let's hope she can sort that out quickly for her own sake.]
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
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I took a deep breath to calm myself and gather my thoughts. Right now i needed to figure out what was going on.
[Exclusive skill, 'Rationalize Lv. 5' is activated.]
[Exclusive skill, 'Critical Thinking Lv. 3' is activated.]
Exclusive skills? Ah, I'll get to that later.
First, there is a blue screen in front of me with the title "Main Scenario".
I had only seen such a thing in one place, and that was TWSA.
I pinched myself as hard as possible, hissing at the stinging pain. At the same time, my headache sent another sharp throb through my skull, reminding me of its existence. I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply.
Second, this is not a dream. That either means I'm in TWSA or I have officially gone insane.
I looked around and frowned upon not seeing anything other than the darkness of my room and the glaring blue <System Window> .
Third, there is no Dokkaebi in sight. Huh, odd.
According to the novel, a Dokkaebi should have appeared and explained the situation, in a way at least.
Maybe it's because I'm alone here and they only went to places with most people in a particular scenario area? I had always wondered about that when I read the novel. I wonder if the Dokkaebi would answer this question?
I stopped myself before my train of thought changed tracks.
Lastly, I need to kill something in order to survive.
The clear condition wasn't difficult for me, because when I first saw it in the novel, I had wondered what qualified as a 'living organism' in the <Star Stream>. Later it was confirmed in the novel that animals and insects counted.
As someone who had poked her head into every nook and cranny of the orphanage, I knew exactly where to find insects and rats to kill in this shabby place.
But...
Should I even do it?
I didn't even know whether this was really TWSA and whether it was the 3rd round or not. If it was neither, things would be difficult.
No, I shouldn't think like that. I could at least save a few people. After all, Sunbae also…
Suddenly I remembered what kind of person Kim Dokja was.
We had actually talked about what we would do in the hypothetical situation we got isekai'd into TWSA.
The conversation lasted for hours—him explaining his plan and me helping him whenever he hit a snag. Neither of us thought too much about it,—that’s a lie, we talked about it more times than I could count—considering there was no way we expected it to actually happen.
However, at the moment, the thought of him teaming up with Yoo Joonghyuk made a chill run down my spine.
No, he wouldn't possibly go through with that. We had that conversation a while ago. Surely he wouldn't...
No, he totally would.
I let out a tired sigh.
I also want to help the Protagonist succeed. Besides, even if this isn't TWSA, I shouldn't let Sunbae deal with this alone.
I jolted up from the floor when I suddenly remembered the children. Shit, how could I forget about them?
I rushed to the closet and took out my black backpack before stuffing some empty jars into it, closed the zip and got to my feet before running out of the room.
It didn't take long before i had secured 4 rats, several ants, and spiders inside the jars.
Suddenly, a <System Notification> appeared in front of me.
[The remaining time has been decreased by 10 minutes!]
[Time Remaining: 00:09:59]
[If the first kill does not occur within the first 5 minutes, every living organism in the scenario area will die.]
I gritted my teeth at the notification and immediately crushed a group of carpenter ants beneath my boots.
[The achievement 'First Kill' has been unlocked!]
[You will receive 100 coins as a bonus.]
[You have killed a living organism.]
[You obtained 100 coins as a bonus.]
[You have killed a living organism.]
…
I remembered clearly that this had happened in TWSA as well. It was starting to feel undeniable that this was indeed the world of TWSA.
You have obtained coins. Would you like a coin usage tutorial?
I skipped the tutorial and quickly invested coins into [Dexterity]1 and [Stamina].
[Investing 600 coins into ‘Stamina’]
[Stamina Lv. 5 → Stamina Lv. 7]
[Investing 900 coins into ‘Dexterity’]
[ Dexterity Lv. 4 → Dexterity Lv. 7]
Oh, those are at higher levels than I expected. It wasn't a good idea to neglect the other stats, but I had no time to worry about that as I rushed forward to continue catching more critters and killing a few as I went.
Once I was satisfied with the amount, I made my way to the children's play room, where I had told them to stay earlier.
When I opened the door, the last thing I expected to see was Choi Haeun with a pistol pointed at the children, who were huddled together with fear evident on their faces. I pressed myself against the wall instinctively.
Normally, a Korean person wouldn't even have a gun. However, Choi Haeun wasn't a normal, which was also why I knew she absolutely would shoot a child to survive.
[Exclusive skill, 'Critical Thinking Lv. 3' is strongly activated.]
[Exclusive attribute, 'Wallflower' has greatly reduced your presence.]
I blinked at the notification in shock. An attribute like that exists?
There shouldn't be much time left right now.
Time remaining: 00:04:32]
Indeed, there wasn't. I needed to do something quickly or else everyone in the room would die.
I swallowed silently and pulled out a jar of spiders from my bag and killed them,—just in case I was running short—using the coins to upgrade my stats again. Notifications appeared in front of me.
[Investing 1500 coins into ‘Strength’]
[Strength Lv. 5 → Strength Lv. 10]
[Investing 900 coins into ‘Stamina’]
[Stamina Lv. 7 → Stamina Lv. 10]
[Investing 900 coins into ‘Dexterity’]
[ Dexterity Lv. 7 → Dexterity Lv. 10]
It pained me physically to use that many coins at once, but I could worry about that later. There were more important matters to deal with at the moment.
After taking a deep breath, I peeked into the room and mentally drew out a trajectory. That should do.
Choi Haeun didn't realize what was happening until she felt the pistol being pushed out of her grasp. She pulled the trigger last minute, a bullet shot at the window, shattering the glass and dissolving into the barrier.
Before she could do anything else, I had already picked up the gun and was now pointing it at her. She started at me in utter shock.
After a few seconds, her expression shifted to annoyance, then mockery and she started laughing. “Are you trying to play hero? You don't even know how to use that thing.”
I stared at her blankly as I reloaded the pistol and raised it slightly to aim at the wall clock before pulling the trigger. The bullet hit the exact center and it fell.
She jumped slightly at the sound of the clock's impact with the wooden floor and stared at the demolished device. She then faced me again and her eyes widened once more when she saw the pistol aimed at her forehead.
Choi Haeun wasn't normal, and neither was I.
I took the chance to toss my bag at the children, who were only sitting there in a petrified state. They snapped out of their stupor and stared at me when I snapped my fingers at them and pointed at the bad.
They must still be terrified—and rightfully so—because none of them showed any further reaction. Then the eldest finally moved, reaching a trembling hand at the bag and opening the zip before pulling out the note I put in for them; to save myself the trouble of explaining in this limited time.
He looked up at me and I nodded in satisfaction before shifting my gaze back to Choi Haeun. She had pulled out a dagger in the time I had been distracted.
⊂A dagger to counter a 9 mm pistol? She must be grasping at straws right now.⊃
I was honestly relieved that she didn't have another gun. That would complicate things.
[Time remaining: 00:01:49]
I didn't want to kill anyone, so I hoped to stall long enough for the time to run out.
“You might know how to use the pistol,” She began to speak as she lunged at me, “but do you have the guts to pull that trigger at me?!”
She swung the dagger at my neck and when I dodged, she revealed another, jabbing it at my heart.
Reflexively, I grabbed the blade with my free hand. Choi Haeun tried to pull it away, perhaps hoping to deliver some injuries in the process.
Key word: tried.
Her efforts were futile. The dagger remained unmoving in my grasp, not even a drop of blood could be seen.
“What the hell—?!”
Level 10 stats were no joke, after all.
She swung the other dagger at me and I ducked, pulling the one I was holding out of her hand. I spun it around and thrust it into her thigh before rolling to the side and pointing the pistol at her.
Choi Haeun was now kneeling on the floor with blood trickling down her leg. She pulled the dagger out of her leg with a grimace.
[Time remaining: 00:00:58]
“Y-you—!” She growled at me as she struggled to stand. Her entire body was trembling. Was it rage? Fear? Both?
I stared at her with the same blank expression as before. For some reason, that only riled her up even more as she lunged at me again, landing face first on the spot where I had stood before I sidestepped her.
[Time remaining: 00:00:06]
Time was almost up.
Four…
“Please…” I couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but i could see the desperation in her eyes.
Three…
However, I didn’t care.
Two…
This was someone who had been okay with killing children to survive.
One.
She made a last attempt to strike me with her danger.
[The given time has run out.]
[Proceeding with paid settlement.]
Choi Haeun’s head exploded. I moved away quickly but a few drops still splashed onto my face.
I turned my head to look at the children and saw them all screaming in horror as they watched a few of their heads explode.
One, two, three, four…oh my—didn’t they kill any of the critters I gave them?
I walked over to them and crouched to examine the headless bodies. The ones who died were mostly the younger ones who were dead afraid of insects and rats.
I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply. I couldn't save them.
An onslaught of notifications snapped me out of my thoughts.
[You have killed 187 living organisms]
[Kill history: 5 rats, 12 spiders, 11 carpenter ants, 31 ants, 11 termites, 35 spider eggs, 44 ant eggs, 21 termite eggs, 17 termite larvae.]
Oh. I didn't realize I killed that many…
[Due to killing some non-resistant organisms, the coins have been halved.]
[You have obtained 9600 coins.]
[The coins you used to level up your stats will be deducted]
[You have obtained 4800 coins]
That isn't so bad. But no more spending coins recklessly.
[The achievement 'Decimator' has been unlocked due to excessive killing!]
Well, this would be difficult to explain. People can't see your achievements, can they?
Maybe I was comparing <Star Stream> to video games a little too much, but the analogy made the rules easier to understand while reading TWSA and even now.
[Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value has ended.]
[You have obtained 300 coins as a basic clear reward.]
[100 coins have been deducted for the channel usage fee.]
[Additional rewards will be calculated]
I felt someone tug at my sleeve and saw the eldest, Lee Jihoon trembling as he tried to force himself to speak, “Noona…wha—what’s happening?”
I shook my head before pulling him into an embrace. The others also huddled around me. I expected them to be afraid of me after what they saw me do.
[Due to an unexpected scenario inspection, your payment has been delayed. Please wait.]
I stared at the message as I patted the children’s heads in an attempt to soothe them. Perhaps this is because I killed non-resistant organisms?
I wonder if there was anyone interested in Choi Haeun…
Another notification appeared, as if to answer my thoughts.
[Due to the death of ‘Choi Haeun’, a few constellations show a faint hostility towards you.]
Ah, seriously? She was going to kill literal children.
The Constellations, one of the mysterious beings from TWSA. They were the main audience of these ‘streams’ and had questionable preferences.
[A handful of Constellations are impressed by your scenario.]
[You have been sponsored 500 coins.]
I hadn’t wanted any attention, however as always, I still managed to attract it. I’ll have to be careful from now on.
[The situation here turned out much different than I had expected.]
The children jolted in surprise at the voice and tightened their hold on me. I looked up and saw a fluffy white creature with yellow horns and red eyes floating in mid-air.
A Dokkaebi.
This was the last confirmation I needed. I was willing to accept it now.
This is the world of TWSA.
[Oh, I haven’t seen you before. Where was an incarnation as interesting as you hiding for me to not know?]
Well, there goes any hope of getting an explanation for why i didn’t see him earlier.
I only had one goal right now and this was my chance to fulfill it.
I tilted my head at the Dokkaebi and gave him the most confused look i could manage.
⊙Who are you?⊙
✿•°.✧✿•°.✧✿•°.✧✿•°.✧✿•°.✧
Notes:
1. Dexterity is used as a replacement for agility just because.Back
I'm late, but it's not my fault. Blame life
Anyways, I hope I managed to pace this right. Writing in first person is difficult.Also, I might edit the previous chapters sometimes since I'm still figuring things out so don't mind that.
Thank you for reading,

Red_ManedGourmet on Chapter 1 Thu 05 Jun 2025 10:19PM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Jun 2025 03:06PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 1 Wed 20 Aug 2025 08:27PM UTC
Last Edited Wed 20 Aug 2025 08:28PM UTC
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Mari___0 on Chapter 2 Fri 18 Jul 2025 05:07PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 2 Wed 20 Aug 2025 08:29PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 2 Wed 20 Aug 2025 08:28PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 3 Wed 20 Aug 2025 08:29PM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 4 Fri 27 Jun 2025 02:30AM UTC
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orphan_account on Chapter 4 Fri 27 Jun 2025 07:49PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 4 Sat 28 Jun 2025 11:20AM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 4 Sun 29 Jun 2025 06:45AM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 4 Mon 30 Jun 2025 11:54AM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 4 Mon 30 Jun 2025 02:27PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 30 Jun 2025 04:25PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 4 Tue 01 Jul 2025 08:11PM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 4 Wed 02 Jul 2025 12:22AM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 4 Wed 02 Jul 2025 06:23AM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 4 Wed 02 Jul 2025 08:21AM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 4 Wed 02 Jul 2025 03:52PM UTC
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whitesnow4red on Chapter 4 Thu 03 Jul 2025 08:59AM UTC
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Mari___0 on Chapter 4 Fri 18 Jul 2025 05:27PM UTC
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Numinar on Chapter 4 Wed 20 Aug 2025 08:30PM UTC
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Swag_san on Chapter 4 Sat 06 Sep 2025 09:57AM UTC
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