novelraw Chapter 16 : Chapter 16
Chapter 16 : Chapter 16
Chapter 16: A Piece of Junk Picking Up Junk (2)
‘It’s a waste to let go of Ruin of the Gigantes.’
Han Chulwoon thought.
Lee Chulwoon would be sitting in that Constellation’s heart.
Because that guy wouldn't stop his hero play.
Even if the moment came when he thought it was the wrong answer.
‘That bastard…… is no different from a lost child.’
This was a world where normal common sense didn't apply.
That guy must have walked this path for a long time, too.
Because it was a world where bad results always followed at least once, no matter what one did, he probably couldn't find an answer to how he should live.
Since he was a guy who had lost his goal in life and was wandering, being captivated by a hero complex might have been a natural consequence…….
He just believed that the world before it changed like this was a common-sense, good world, and tried to follow the order of the previous world.
Even if wrong results were derived in the process, he couldn't recognize it as his own fault.
He would only lament that the world was wrong.
In that half-baked state, he would just make excuses like, ‘I tried to do well, I made an effort.’…….
He would probably endure greater sacrifices to uphold his own justice.
‘Tsk.’
It was probably a really strong belief.
One that would never break, even if he died…….
But wasn't it a really strange belief?
It wasn't a belief he protected because he knew the correct answer.
He didn't even know what to do, just following things that looked good at a glance.
He wasn't living by his own answer, but just copying an answer sheet someone else wrote.
Is something like that…… even a belief?
‘It’s just a fashion belief.’
That guy was also a regressor, so his body might be young, but his mind must be old.
Old thoughts, attached to outdated concepts.
‘That’s the problem.’
A person with power…….
Shouldn't be afraid of doing nothing.
Being cautious is also a virtue.
Why, isn't there a saying like that?
That a competent and lazy boss is the best boss.
Thinking like that, not only Lee Chulwoon but also Han Chulwoon himself…….
Around then.
Sss-
Han Chulwoon stroked his chin.
‘Suddenly, my mind is clear.’
I was wide awake.
Because the moment I had this thought, I reached a certain conclusion.
‘Don’t tell me, the Constellation of Regression?’
I thought about that guy's characteristics.
Considering how shitty that Constellation’s personality was…….
…….
…….
…….
‘No.’
Come to think of it, that Constellation wasn't a guy who knew how to think.
He was just a selfish, stupid, lazy bastard.
Now, there was no need to obsess over a guy who was gone.
‘Then, it’s about time. Shall I slowly start?’
A huge variable, met after a long time.
I would have to make use of my past self.
To do that?
‘It's right to let that guy play house with Kang Yuha, and I'll separately create a scenario strike team.’
A main scenario strike team was needed.
Because in the gaps of the scenario, useful things that couldn't normally be found were 'hidden'.
Things that were commonly called 'Hidden Pieces'.
They acted like a 'fateful encounter' and provided various rewards.
Elixirs, magic books, martial arts manuals, magic tools or weapons, coin, etc., were included.
Sometimes, one could even form a connection with a specific Constellation.
Some of them had rewards so bizarrely great that they ruined the scenario's balance.
At one time, Han Chulwoon had even questioned the existence of those Hidden Pieces.
Why did such things come to exist.
Did someone intentionally place them?
If they intended to, why?
Of course, there were some intentionally placed Hidden Pieces.
But most were not.
They were, in effect, products of chance.
A more accurate explanation would be that even the existence that made the world this way wasn't a perfect existence.
Outside the scenarios they created, fragments of unfinished stories fell, and those fragmented stories often became 'Hidden Pieces' (hidden fragments).
Some Hidden Pieces were magical, and some Hidden Pieces were superstitious.
Most of them were romantic and heterogeneous stories.
That was why a scenario strike team was needed.
People who would clear the scenario and take care of useful things while he spent time on Hidden Pieces.
‘I need to pick good ones this time.’
They had to do the chores, so he could have time to move freely.
‘First…….’
Even while his head was full of thoughts, his hands were moving mechanically.
He dismantled the Goblin's body.
After tearing the hide, he stuck his hand in, avoiding the bones, and pulled out the intestines.
In the midst of it, he found a blue orb.
[Blue Orb]
[An elixir that awakens from sleep.]
[Awakening E]
It was an elixir with an effect similar to an awakening agent.
‘It’s a low-quality item to be called an elixir, though.’
The 'Star Ash' had an adverse effect on Goblins too, but the reason such Goblins could move around fine was precisely this.
They had swallowed this tiny orb-like thing.
‘Four should be enough.’
Afterward, he cut the Goblin's flesh and packed it as meat for food.
It was a little contaminated, but it was better than nothing.
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ nods at your precise, calm handiwork even during a crisis.]
Seeing that message, Han Chulwoon thought.
‘The response is good even for trivial things.’
It was worth remembering.
Although he had given up sponsoring midway, he still had expectations for Han Chulwoon.
‘Hmm?’
Around then.
He realized what ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ wanted.
Hadn't he been interested in things like trials and hardships since a while ago?
‘If I do this well, a reaction will come soon.’
Well, that was that.
‘Let’s begin.’
It was time to move.
The collection of 'half-corpses' would begin soon.
***
On the road, fallen people lay passed out, shriveled up like dried filefish.
Goblins were working in groups, moving the humans.
Their destination was an empty lot, like an empty parking lot or a sports field.
The half-corpses gathered like this would be collected by the 'Watchman'.
The collected half-corpses would have their consciousness stolen and be used as materials for the scenario or as toys for the Constellations.
In other words, things like mummies or zombies.
Or as nameless extras to decorate the scenario.
The park Han Chulwoon was in was also a place where half-corpses were gathered.
He planned to find people to use as colleagues here.
Soon, the 'Watchman' would begin its activity.
It was also Han Chulwoon's purpose to deliberately provoke it to match that timing.
‘It’s still a difficult opponent, but I have to meet it around this time.’
The Watchman's body was a shadow, so it wasn't the kind of enemy one could fight and win against.
At least, not right now.
[The Constellations question your actions.]
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ wonders why you are not rushing.]
‘So, who do I pick?’
As the future changed depending on who he had on his team, it was important to select the personnel well from among these dried-up humans.
The number of people to pick was three.
A muscleman, a beauty, and a kid.
‘Excluding the elderly.’
The criteria for picking were simple.
First, the man, the muscleman.
Pick a talent with excellent muscles and skeleton.
He would become a useful combatant.
The half-corpses piled up here were nothing but shriveled figures, but the time they had built up did not lie.
One who had built up muscle showed their form even in a withered body.
‘Let’s see.’
This one was easy to pick.
He just had to pick a human who looked big and sturdy.
‘I should go with this guy.’
He lifted a man onto his shoulder and pushed one 'Blue Orb' into his mouth.
It would help him recover from the 'Star Ash'.
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ understands your intention.]
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ nods.]
His dried-up body could be lifted lightly.
The tattoo on his wrist was a bit bothersome, but that much wasn't bad.
At one time, he used to pick mainly those with tattoos.
Such individuals had grit, so they tended not to back down easily even in dangerous situations.
They were the so-called humans for whom 'face' was more important than life.
That wasn't bad either, but the problem was that their grit was too strong…….
Once they became moderately strong, they frequently stopped listening, so they were a type he avoided now.
‘Next, I have to pick a woman.’
This part was important.
The criteria for picking were beauty and youth.
Skill talent tended to follow that person's 'life', so people who grew up being loved would obtain skills related to being loved.
To classify them.
Skills like Charisma, Charm, Instigation, and Domination, which gained faith and trust.
Those with outstanding looks found it easy to learn skills in this area and also showed talent.
They became beings who could move people's hearts with a single word.
The person picked like this would become the team's leader.
If he picked a woman as the leader, it would be easy to control the guy who would become the combatant.
She was also the person who would manage the team while he was away.
Furthermore, she would be used to flexibly overcome various problems they would face in the future.
The saying that a single word can pay off a large sum of debt was a story that still held true in the changed world.
If there was a problem.
‘I'm conflicted.’
The half-corpses piled here were all no different from shriveled mummies, so no matter how many times he regressed, his eye for finding a beauty was bound to be unstable.
What he inevitably had to look at were factors like the person's skeleton, clothing, makeup, and accessories.
‘The skeleton is related to appearance, but.’
In truth, the success rate wasn't that high.
The probability of finding the talent he wanted was about 30%.
‘Hmm.’
If this life was the last, it wasn't something to be decided by picking randomly, but if it was a situation where he couldn't reach an answer even after long deliberation, there was no point in hesitating.
He picked a woman from not far away and slung her over his shoulder.
He didn't know why, but a big reason was that he felt a similar atmosphere from that woman as Kang Yuha.
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ questions your judgment.]
‘Lastly, a kid.’
He intended to save one child.
Around 10 years old, before or after, wasn't bad.
They didn't have any set purpose, but unpredictable potential lay dormant in them.
So he was picking one up as if making a gamble.
An adult whose life had gained depth had their talents already decided, so their limits were also clear.
But a child's limits were unclear, so they sometimes showed talent that surpassed even Han Chulwoon.
Especially when chosen by a Constellation, that potential shone.
‘Santa only exists if you believe in him, too.’
Constellations craving faith were easily drawn to a child's innocence.
‘It’ll be more comfortable for the Constellation, too.’
In the case of an adult, there were many instances where the Constellation and their own ego clashed, creating noise.
But a child, whose boundary between reality and imagination was blurry, could easily absorb a Constellation's power.
If there was a problem, it was only that all of it was merely due to luck.
Children who blossomed such great talent were extremely few, and most were incompetent.
But an incompetent child, in their own way, could serve as the team's focal point.
Even adults who were weak alone could become brave to protect something.
‘Should I go with that one.’
The only criterion for picking a child was health.
Because their bodies were inherently weak, there were often cases where they couldn't recover from the 'Star Ash' and died.
‘I’d just be grateful if they stay alive.’
He would take measures soon, but living and dying depended on each person's own luck and will.
[The Constellation ‘Ruin of the Gigantes’ likes your heroic act of trying to save a child.]
[You have been sponsored 300 coin.]
The sponsorships were pouring in.
To think such a large sum was coming in just from sponsorships, all because the Constellation of Regression was gone.
‘Just what I’ve gathered is already over 2000 coin.’
He hadn't massacred people, nor had he entered a Hidden Piece, yet it was almost the first time he had gathered this many coin.
The flow was good.
‘I've selected three.’
Finally, he fed a 'Blue Orb' to the woman and the child as well.
‘If I've provoked this much, a reaction from the Watchman should be coming soon.’
Now, he needed to restore the health of the three people he gathered.
He had to take care of his own body, too.
However, it wasn't something to be done here.
Under the dark sky, the dark ground.
A shadow darker than that was slithering along the floor.
It soon writhed like a tendril, pulling in all the half-corpses like a bottomless hole.
‘Watchman. You’re here.’
The collection had begun.
There was no way they would look kindly on someone stealing the half-corpses.
Han Chulwoon slung the man over his shoulder and tucked the woman and child under his arms.
‘Hss. The spot where Lee Chulwoon hit me is throbbing.’
As he waited just like that, with a feeling like up and down were flipping, his vision was dyed completely black.
In the complete darkness, only a voice was heard.
-Human? Why is an able-bodied one here?-
It was the Watchman's voice.