「Strength and weakness in the Star Stream have nothing to do with power or skill proficiency. The standards of strength come from the 'story'.」
*
The dokkaebi concluded.
[Then work hard to find them. Or do you already know? Perhaps the strongest incarnation is the apostle of justice who will sacrifice themselves for you. Ah, I'm a bit bored so let me give you a hint. I wish you the blessing of the story.]
+
[Hint 1]
The tenth strongest incarnation in Seoul Dome is 'Maritime Admiral Lee Jihye'.
+
"Wow, what? Nonsense. I am only 10th?" Lee Jihye grumbled.
Seeing Yoo Joonghyuk on the verge of regressing due to the unexpected scenario occurring, Kim Dokja prepared to hit him.
Then, the group cleaned up all the 6th grade monsters in the area.
[*Current number of incarnations: 99,725 people.]
In the middle, they also came across Yoo Sangah taking care of monsters with two strangers.
Merlin controlled his expression while repressing a sigh.
'What kind of fated meeting is this?'
He somehow always encountered Kim Dokja.
Avoiding looking at the writer, Yoo Sangah turned to Van.
"Are you okay?"
Klein lampooned, 'Why are you asking the one least likely to get hurt? You should be worried about his opponents instea-'
His gaze paused, finally noticing Han Sooyoung.
However, if he showed hostility by attacking her now, it would expose his identity.
Feeling the tense current in the air, Van also glanced at Han Sooyoung.
The woman cleared her throat and decided to avoid Yoo Sangah.
"Ahem. I just remembered I had something to do. Bye, Ugliest King."
Kim Dokja was successfully annoyed.
Stealing their attention, a voice being broadcast throughout the place reached everyone.
"Dear incarnations."
Merlin found the voice familiar.
When had he heard it again?
Following people's gazes, he saw the figure of the person speaking.
He was surprised.
'That guy was still alive?'
The person in question continued, "Do you want to survive?"
A moment of silence ensued.
As if hypnotizing them, the voice resounded, "This wave of monsters was defeated. But was about the next? And the next one?"
Although it was literally hypnotizing.
Now, with Sefirah Castle's help, Klein could finally resist mental attacks and wasn't affected. However, other people's attention were unnaturally drawn to the eloquent speech.
"Do you remember what the dokkaebi said? And the bounty scenario earlier? Whose fault is this that we ended up in such a situation?"
The incarnations angrily shouted answers.
"Exactly!" Spreading his arms, a blond man claimed with emotion, "It is unfair that we have to suffer the consequences of the scenarios because of people like Gehrman Sparrow and Kim Dokja who care only about their own interests and destroyed the Absolute Throne."
The incarnations of Seoul, whether new to the scenarios or not, cheered.
"Wasting time against these waves of monsters is no use. As always, these people will cause chaos in the scenarios and prevent us from finding the strongest. Before a stronger wave comes, let's all unite together against these evil incarnations and overcome this scenario!" he concluded.
The incarnations were fired up.
"Yeah!"
"Long live Cheon Inho!"
"The Ugliest King should die!"
Seeing Cheon Inho control the crowd with such ease, Kim Dokja was confused.
'…Who on earth is this guy?'
Activating Character List, the reader was able to access his personal information. That meant he was a 'character'.
Was there such an incarnation in Ways of Survival?
***
Escaping the chase of other incarnations, the group hid somewhere.
Yoo Joonghyuk opened his mouth. "I have been making a plan for this scenario."
"A plan? What is it?"
Yoo Joonghyuk turned towards Kim Dokja. "This scenario is one where the strongest incarnation must die. I have been thinking about it."
Lee Jihye spoke with slight excitement. "Oh, we were also talking about that. How did you decide? Who is the strongest incarnation?"
"Of course it is me."
"Do you mean to die?" Kim Dokja asked him.
"I will be able to stop this scenario if I die."
"Aren't you being too hasty? Is there any guarantee that you are the strongest? For example, me…"
The party members looked at him at the same time. Lee Jihye hit him on the shoulder and laughed exaggeratedly. "Hey, are you being serious?"
As they expressed their skepticism one by one, the reader corrected his words.
"…I was just using myself as an example. The Salvation leader might be stronger than Yoo Joonghyuk. Or it could be Van, or Gehrman Sparrow…"
Lee Jihye realized and nodded.
"Come to think of it, isn't Van stronger than Master?"
Van had beaten Yoo Joonghyuk many times in the past.
"However, what is the criteria for the ranking? Combat power? Or is it the person who wins in a fight…"
Kim Dokja replied to Min Jiwon's question. "It is possible they are using overall combat power. In the first place, not everyone can fight each other. There could be a change after fighting."
"That reminds me, what did the dokkaebi say? He is the strongest so he would know the most…"
They looked toward Yoo Joonghyuk and Van.
"Is there something different from usual? Did the dokkaebi say anything to you?"
Yoo Joonghyuk formed a fist and slowly replied, "…Well, I haven't heard anything."
"…"
Van slowly shook his head.
"Maybe it could be Gehrman? Does anyone know where he went?
Unaware that the person in question was right next to her, Lee Jihye refuted, "Didn't that ahjussi mainly fight with air bullets? I don't think he's that strong."
Merlin's lips twitched.
"Van-ssi, didn't you fight against the Salvation leader? Was he stronger than you?" Yoo Sangah questioned.
"It's Van we're talking about. If Van could beat him, the Salvation leader would already be dead."
Kim Dokja nodded at Lee Jihye's words.
"Fair enough."
"…"
The reader finally looked around the party members and said, "I don't think we can confirm anything."
"Then what should we do?"
"Let's just think that this is a good thing. After all, none of us here want Yoo Joonghyuk or Van to die. For now, let's make a reasonable judgment that Nirvana is the strongest and get rid of him."
It wasn't like they knew Gehrman Sparrow's location either.
"If it turns out that the Salvation leader isn't the strongest…"
"We will think about it then."
For now, Kim Dokja had to find a way to kill Nirvana while most of the incarnations of Seoul were ganging up on him.
Fortunately, he already had a plan in mind.
"Let's make him come to us."
***
+
[Hint 2]
The ninth strongest incarnation in Seoul Dome is 'Moonlight Girl Yoo Sangah'.
+
At least, Yoo Sangah could be eliminated from the list. Neither Lee Jihye nor her were the strongest.
Merlin Hermes walked alone with the Disaster of Floods. Currently, Kim Dokja's group was busy setting up Yoo Joonghyuk against Nirvana.
There was a gigantic screen above the dome that was created by the dokkaebi.
[You are doing something interesting. I think it will be a fun fight so I'm prepared to let everyone see it.]
A showdown between two prospective strongest in Seoul.
Meanwhile, the other incarnations seeking revenge were chasing after Kim Dokja and looking for Gehrman Sparrow.
However, they avoided Van for the time being. His attacks were far too lethal for ordinary incarnations to stand a chance against him, and there was still the possibility that the current scenario would be resolved by Yoo Joonghyuk and Nirvana killing each other.
Come to think of it, it was strange that nobody was helping Yoo Joonghyuk against Nirvana. Although it was true that making Nirvana come to them would be easier if only Yoo Joonghyuk was involved, wouldn't the fight be resolved more easily if they ganged up on the Salvation leader?
However, all of Kim Dokja's companions were merely watching the confrontation between the two.
Contemplating the matter, Merlin heard footsteps behind him.
"Kim Anna-ssi, is that the one you were talking about?"
Klein turned back and faced a familiar man with blonde hair who had been making a broadcast earlier. Cheon Inho.
Next to him, an unknown foreign woman with long blonde hair sighed.
Meeting Merlin's gaze, Anna Croft started, "I'll go straight to the point."
The real prophet reached out her hand.
"Will you help us eliminate the strongest?"
If they continued in this way, they wouldn't be able to kill the strongest in Seoul.
Merlin looked at her outstretched hand in silence.
On the giant screen, Nirvana and Yoo Joonghyuk were still fighting.
[Geez, this could end quicker than I thought?]
The dokkaebi giggled as he saw the bloody battle between Yoo Joonghyuk and Nirvana.
[If not one half, I thought at least a third of the incarnations would die…]
[This story isn't interesting.]
In the air, three intermediate dokkaebis were looking down at the stadium. The incarnations outside the stadium froze at the appearance of the dokkaebis. Every time they appeared, something ridiculous happened.
[Is it worth giving hints now?]
[It isn't a big deal. Let's release them a bit faster.]
The moment the dokkaebis spoke, the rankings of the incarnations started to appear on a board in the air.
+
The eighth strongest incarnation in Seoul Dome is 'The Ugliest King Kim Dokja'.
The seventh strongest incarnation in Seoul Dome is 'Black Flames Empress Han Sooyoung'.
The sixth strongest incarnation in Seoul Dome is 'Prophet Anna Croft'.
+
"Look, you're only sixth." Cheon Inho mocked.
Merlin glanced at the notification for the sixth.
It was written 'Prophet Anna Croft'.
'Your name wasn't Kim Anna?' he lampooned.