27. Devil's Footprint
Just before midnight approached, everyone had already evacuated the lowest floor—everyone except the five of us, including DaHee. Many still lingered beyond the reinforced wall, peering down with anxious eyes. But none dared to stay any longer.
Goongg.
The moment the clock struck midnight, a deep, gong-like chime echoed—like Ben's bell, but heavier, more ominous.
Yet, unlike usual, the Star Stream's familiar blue notification window was now blood red.
Condition has been fulfilled.
Scenario:Escape or Repel the Ancient Tree
Objective:Escape the station before the Ancient Tree reaches the offering, or repel it until sunrise.
Category:Hidden
Difficulty:C
Time Limit:Until it reaches the sacrifice.
Reward:2000 Coins
As expected from those twisted constellations, there was no way they'd allow a simple sacrifice without consequences. No—this was entertainment to them. They wanted suffering, a punishment born from choice.
Yoo DaHee, who tried to help everyone, was betrayed by the very people she wished to save. Meanwhile, those same people destroyed their only path to survival with their own hands.
"Go," I signaled to NaRi, urging her to rescue her sister.
"You two, stay here—where I can see you," I instructed DaMi and JaeHee. They both nodded without protest. I was genuinely thankful for how obediently they listened.
I leapt down onto the railway. My thread traps strained to hold back the horde, but they wouldn't last much longer. Quickly, I spun a fresh web, adding new layers of entanglement and laced everything with a poisonous coating. Then, all that remained was to swing my scythe and cut down their numbers.
It was troublesome defending two paths at once, but in the end, these creatures had quantity, not quality. This was turning into the simplest kind of tower defense.
When I glanced back, I saw NaRi had successfully reached DaHee, with DaMi rushing over to help. But JaeHee—he's also there but he was still staring at me. Was it just me, or were his eyes… sparkling?
Midnight had only just begun. The horde was still swelling, and the hidden scenario remained unknown to the others. Yet, at this fleeting moment, everything was going according to plan.
NaRi slung DaHee's arm over her shoulder and began walking toward me, a gleeful grin lighting up her face. Beside her, DaMi and JaeHee hovered protectively, checking on their eldest sister.
But everyone knew—the moment before the factory appeared was the most perilous. In that moment, everyone was equal. No one was safe.
BOOM!
The ceiling gave way with a deafening crash.
And from above, vast curtain-like roots and branches cascaded downward, slamming into the floor—cutting me off from NaRi and the others.
The Ancient Tree had arrived.
It hadn't come from the railway as expected—it had dived down from the surface above.
****
It had lived in this world for untold centuries. Once, it was merely a fragile twig—so delicate that a gentle breeze could snap it in two. But over time, it grew into a towering, ancient tree, vast enough to shelter countless beings beneath its expansive canopy.
It lived in harmony with the world, offering shade and aid to those in need. Yet, as its massive trunk demanded more and more nutrients, the surrounding flora began to wither. One by one, the nearby trees vanished, unable to compete.
Eventually, it became so colossal that nothing else could exist beside it. Alone, it stood—believing it would endure forever.
But then came something called Excavation.
Though it withstood the assault for a time, the relentless persistence of the beings known as humans brought it to ruin. At last, it fell—its body broken, leaving behind only bitterness and lingering resentment.
Those grudges, which should have long since decayed into the soil of memory, were stirred anew by a mysterious power. A voice whispered in the dark, insidious and sweet:
If you devour the human bound in that place… you can return. Not just as you once were—
But far greater.
Driven by instinct—to survive, to avenge—it began to move.
****
NaRi's voice was the last thing I heard before I got trapped here.
Behind me, a horde of monsters surged from the railway. In front of me, a wall of twisted trees loomed—its surface squirming like tentacles, exuding an eerie hunger as if it longed to ensnare me.
…
I'm not into tentacles.
Damn it, I suddenly remembered—Klein turns into tentacles later too.
Huu….
Let's… not think about that right now.
Back to the situation.
Ever since the hidden scenario began, the barrier for the third scenario had dropped. It seemed we could now leave the station. The path behind me, though swarming with monsters, was technically an escape route.
The problem was what lay ahead.
The roots and branches before me were thick—dense, sinewy, and unnervingly alive. They looked sturdy enough to shrug off most attacks. I swung the mantis scythe I had cobbled together, aiming for a weak spot—but all it left was a faint scratch. Worse, if I wasn't careful, the blade's tip could get lodged in the bark.
I sidestepped as another root lunged at me. It slithered past, ignoring me, and instead ensnared one of the monsters caught in my thread traps. At a steady rhythm, it drained the creature of every drop of moisture—releasing it only after it had been reduced to a dried-out husk.
In the meantime, I tried using my cutting thread like a seesaw, managing to slice through one of the roots.
Unfortunately, it wasn't worth the effort. It took me several minutes to sever a single root—only for it to regenerate within seconds.
No matter how long I held out, this approach wasn't going to work.
To be honest, I could just run. None of this was worth the hassle.
I didn't even know if this was a real, alternate universe or just another illusion crafted by the system.
I was afraid.
Afraid that this Ancient Tree might be the very reason I ended up here in the first place.
Evaluation: 68 (Average)
Time Limit: ???
I had a feeling that once the time limit expired, I'd be sent back—to wherever I came from.
But the strange part was, I still couldn't see the time limit. I should be well past the halfway point by now. Was the Ancient Tree somehow tied to the conditions for return? I couldn't help but suspect it.
Then there was NaRi, DaMi, and JaeHee.
They were still inside.
I'm not heartless enough to abandon them—not when my objective seems to align with protecting them anyway.
But the real question remained: How?
When faced with a problem, you're supposed to look for Doraemon!
Ahem… I mean, the system.
Points: 13
Exactly the number I had before I arrived here.
That's another reason why I believe this world is part of the system's creation. If it were a genuine part of reality and I could gain Truth Points here, it would open the door to infinite resources—which goes against the system's entire premise. A closed economy wouldn't allow that.
And now that I'm inside the system's domain, there's no gain at all. No Truth Points. No rewards.
With only 13 points, I couldn't afford much. The system was practically useless in this state.
But then I remembered something NaRi had told me—DaHee used her coins to enhance her physical stats.
That meant coins could affect reality.
I hadn't spent any of mine, for two reasons:
First, I didn't need to strengthen my body—yet.
Second, I had a feeling they could serve a greater purpose down the line.
So... was it possible?
I reached out—not into the void, but into the familiar, invisible thread of connection.
And I asked.
Not the Star Stream.
Not the dokkaebi.
But my own system.
"Do you want to use coins as points?"
Yes / No
Thanks, I'll pick Yes.
Without hesitation, I opened the Shop tab.
"Do you confirm changing the system's type?"
'Once changed, it cannot be reversed.'
Yes / No
Once again, I selected Yes.
It wasn't a rash decision. I'd been considering it for a while—browsing the shop whenever I had spare time. Even back then, I had already bookmarked a few tempting options. Many of them were powerful, and surprisingly, had minimal—almost nonexistent—penalties.
Under different circumstances, this might have been a reckless move. But time? Time was the one luxury I didn't have.
Even in the Lord of the Mysteries world, time was a dwindling resource. Klein's rapid advancement, the looming War of the Gods—it was all racing toward me. I couldn't afford to slowly hoard points and build up strength at a snail's pace.
This situation was just the final push I needed to take the leap.
Thanks to various rewards and generous sponsorships from the Demon-like Judge of Fire, I had around 7,800 coins to spend.
And I already knew what I wanted.
'The Devil's Footprints'
Price: 7,499 Coins
Ability: Allows the user to ignite flames from their feet. Power intensity is adjustable, but user cannot control the fire once it's released.
Penalty: Each time the ability is used, the user must pray using the word "Latom." Delaying the prayer results in escalating side effects—headaches and painful foot cramps.
The price increased?!
That was my first reaction. When I'd originally seen it in the shop, it was only 2,999 points.
Looks like 1 Point ≠ 1 Coin.
Figures.
Still, I had my reasons for choosing it—even if it wasn't perfectly compatible with my current abilities. While my threads might be more durable than any spider's silk, they were still flammable. Fire was an obvious risk.
So why pick this ability?
Three reasons:
First, the penalty was laughably easy. "Latom"? That was practically a meme. Even with side effects, it was one of the most manageable penalties I'd seen.
Second, it was fire. One of the most direct and destructive elemental forces. Brutally effective.
And third, it gave me a dependable option in situations where my thread couldn't help.
Water-based abilities were tempting too—but watching the Ancient Tree absorb yet another monster with grotesque ease quickly reminded me why fire was the superior choice in this scenario.
With everything ready, it was time to put it to the test.
I slipped off my shoes. No way I was letting them be my first sacrifice. I wasn't expecting to master the skill right away—but even without finesse, fire was fire.
The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is satisfied with your continued loyalty.
'The Constellation has sponsored you with 300 coins.'
A faint smirk crossed my lips.
Time to burn.
I sprinted forward, flames slowly smoldering beneath my bare feet, heat rising in waves with each step—
—charging straight toward the Ancient Tree.