### Chapter 34: Crow Constellation Karas (2)
After the situation was mostly under control, I met the man who was currently leading the players through Hyungseok. I had heard the title from the moment I arrived here, but this was the first time I had actually met him.
“Do we have to leave the amusement park right now?”
The player who responded appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His name was Shin Myungwon. Up until my arrival, he was considered the most skilled player.
It seemed he took my words seriously, perhaps influenced by the recent events he witnessed.
“If you say so, there must be a reason.”
“Karas has likely left most of the work to Cheolwoong. If he finds out Cheolwoong is dead, he’ll act personally. We must move quickly before the news of Cheolwoong’s death reaches Karas.”
“Indeed… I see.”
Being someone who had been in the amusement park for a long time, he quickly grasped the situation. He was probably well aware of the relationship between Cheolwoong and Karas.
For me, it was convenient that further explanations were unnecessary.
“Alright. I’ll pass on the story to everyone immediately. Is there anything else you need help with?”
“We need the help of the other players first. We have to gather others who might be elsewhere.”
“Sure, you’re right. We can’t just escape on our own. But monsters will get in the way…”
“With Cheolwoong gone, most of them are just a ragtag bunch.”
That was something I could not handle alone. To gather people scattered all over the amusement park, I undeniably needed the help of the other players.
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
Myungwon responded agreeably with a nod. I was worried I might have to persuade him, but luckily, he was more amenable than I expected.
Convinced he had heard enough, Myungwon walked toward where the people were gathered to relay everything I had told him.
Watching Myungwon’s decisive action, Hyungseok chuckled beside me.
“Our captain is a good person, right?”
“Indeed.”
From my previous life, I knew the value of finding people you can communicate well with. Not everyone you meet can be reasoned with.
Many were the times I’ve seen people act deviously just to secure their immediate gains, even in life-or-death situations.
“So now we escape from here? But what happens to our quest?”
Hyungseok raised his arm, which only had one stamp on it.
In the midst of fleeing, getting four more stamps was virtually impossible.
“Don’t worry. Just because we have stamps doesn’t mean we must clear attractions to get them.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
There wasn’t time to explain everything in detail.
Since we couldn’t tell when Karas would start to move, we had to rescue the people and get going as soon as possible.
‘I did ask Mina to keep watch, though.’
That was just surveillance, and Mina had no way to stop Karas.
“Let’s hurry.”
“Yes, Sir!”
***
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Under Myungwon’s orders, about 50 players spread throughout the amusement park to fend off monsters and rescue people.
Monsters tried to stop them, of course, but without Cheolwoong’s command structure, they were disorganized.
There were instances of monster parades and named monsters appearing, but Changwoo usually handled those situations.
“I haven’t been helpful, so it’s only right that I do something like this.”
Though Changwoo said it with a faint smile, other players seemed shocked, likely unaware of his swordsmanship skills. Without knowledge of the skill ‘Insight’, their reaction was justified.
“Next, please.”
“Are you sure this is safe?”
“Yes.”
For the civilians wearing ‘shackles’, whose mechanisms were unstable and could explode unpredictably, I had to intervene first.
It wasn’t a hard task, but doing it for more than one or two people was exhausting.
‘Why are there so many people?’
Roughly 700 people were noted in the quest, half of whom I presumed wouldn’t be wearing shackles. Contrary to my expectations, there were far fewer without them.
“Alright, you’re done.”
“Wow…”
I encapsulated the bomb mechanism with malleable orichalcum and detonated it, which naturally separated the shackle.
At first, many resisted this removal method, but after a few successful separations, they waited for their turn patiently.
“Thank you very much! I really appreciate it!”
“No problem. It wasn’t difficult.”
My shoulders were growing sore. Honestly, fighting Cheolwoong would’ve been less stressful.
After about two hours of this repetitive task, I was on the brink of mental fatigue.
“Wow, you don’t look so happy.”
Just as I was coating another person’s shackles with orichalcum, Mina approached me.
Why isn’t she monitoring things as I asked and instead hanging around here?
“Has Karas made a move?”
“Eh? No. I thought of something more important.”
“What’s that?”
Considering a crow could attack us at any moment, I wondered what could be more pressing than keeping watch. Mina’s eyes crinkled as she spoke.
“The stamps! If we escape like this, what about our quest? We still need four more stamps!”
“You didn’t earn those four stamps on your own,” I pointed out.
“Well, that’s not the point…”
Mina’s voice softened as her argument lost steam.
“But if we rescue everyone, there will be no one left to stamp. How do we complete the quest in this case?”
“Well… Excuse me.”
The person I called over was a woman waiting to have her shackles removed. She wore a uniform resembling that of the amusement park staff.
“You don’t need to be startled. Do you have any spare stamps?”
“Stamps?”
“Yes. Do you have any?”
“Yes, I do…”
That’s good enough for me.
I turned to Mina.
“Hold out your arm.”
“Huh? My arm?”
“Yes, if you want to clear the quest.”
Reluctantly and confused, Mina extended her arm.
“Will this really work?”
“Just stay still.”
I gestured to the woman and simply said, “Please, stamp it.”
“Is it okay to stamp it just like this?”
“Let’s see.”
The quest required five stamps, but nowhere did it state you must ride the attractions. Only that you should ‘enjoy the rides.’
“Well, then.”
The woman cautiously took out her stamp and imprinted it on Mina’s arm.
Mina’s eyes widened in shock. It seemed the quest was complete.
‘I should complete my quest too.’
To face Karas, I needed the 1st Succession Package unlocked after completing the third main quest.
If I wanted to quickly finish the quest given the current situation, I had to get everyone out before the fourth main quest began.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to complete it until then.
After staring blankly at her arm that now had five stamps, Mina suddenly shivered, as if coming to her senses.
“The quest is cleared.”
“Expected as much.”
“What is this…”
Mina complained bitterly.
“Why did we go through all that trouble to get four stamps if we could’ve done it this easily? It was a total waste!”
“Honestly, I did most of the hard work alone.”
“Well… true, but…”
Mina had her fair share of scams, but she was also straightforward in certain areas.
“Anyway, if it’s this easy, why did we bother getting four stamps? It’s mind-boggling!”
“I’m sure someone once claimed they were the master of the amusement park, except for the haunted house.”
“…”
Mina’s face reddened with embarrassment. She wanted to say something, but her words were stuck, perhaps conceding that I had a point.
While I chuckled at her reaction, I clarified, “It’s a joke. We got four stamps because it’s an unequivocal proof of identity.”
“…Ah, that’s right.”
The four stamps gave us the authority to enter Safari and the right to strongly express opinions.
“Actually, if it weren’t for Karas, this main quest would have been really easy. That’s why there’s no significant achievement or reward.”
“M-Mhmm.”
“Besides, the third main quest activates under certain conditions or upon visiting specific areas, so variations by region are normal.”
Mina nodded, feeling wronged. She had risked her life numerous times to obtain those four stamps, so her frustration was understandable. Although I did save her.
“Excuse me…”
A man who had been listening to our conversation approached. Judging by his attire, he was undoubtedly a player.
“Yes?”
“That method you mentioned… does it really count for the quest?”
“That’s what they told me.”
I replied with a nod, and his expression warped awkwardly, remarkably similar to Mina’s previous reaction.
“I can relate.”
Mina sympathetically looked at the man.
It seemed we had inadvertently resolved the quests for the other players. Well, everyone but me.
***
“Something feels off.”
Karas, the giant crow, spoke to the nearby monster waiting in ambush.
“Hey! Where did Cheolwoong go? Why isn’t he showing up today? Did he just disappear?”
Karas’s sharp words made the named monster realize what was inevitably coming.
“Cheolwoong, Sir? That’s… umm…”
“What is it? Stop beating around the bush and just tell me.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The named monster quivered under the stare of the approaching giant crow. His fate was as good as sealed.
“I’m still gathering information, but…”
“Quit stalling and talk!”
“…He seems to be dead.”
“That’s expected, killed by the players.”
Considering the time passed since morning, Cheolwoong should have returned by dusk.
‘Perhaps he’s still messing around?’
Karas couldn’t imagine otherwise, knowing Cheolwoong’s power. If Cheolwoong had been raging for nearly half a day, half the amusement park would be devastated by now.
“No, I mean… Cheolwoong is truly dead.”
“What nonsense is this?”
Karas wondered if the monster before him was joking.
However, the monster’s face showed only seriousness.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure myself…”
The news of Cheolwoong’s death had just reached them. The monsters were too preoccupied, suddenly fending off players who began attacks all over the amusement park.
“That makes no sense! Who could have the power to kill a Sentinel?!”
“Well, we have traced Cheolwoong’s last whereabouts to the Safari.”
The monster also couldn’t grasp the situation. It seemed more believable that Cheolwoong had left this stage for a distant journey than being dead.
Killing a Sentinel?
Players simply didn’t possess such capacity since Sentinels were set at a level that players carrying out current quests couldn’t possibly kill.
“What were the rest of you doing?”
“Us? We were busy countering the sudden attacks by the players.”
“Players attacked?”
“Seems like they were trying to rescue the other humans. Quite foolish, indeed. The moment they touch the shackles, they’ll all die.”
The monster talked gently, careful not to upset Karas. But regardless of how calming the explanation, it irritated Karas.
“Kak, kawk!”
Overcome with irritation, Karas let out a defining crow’s caw.
‘Dare these creatures make a fool of me?’
Karas finally grasped the situation.
The incident with Cheolwoong aside, Karas had been playing games all day without detecting abnormalities. According to the monster, players were already rescuing people much earlier.
Karas’s in-game was sensitive to the number of ‘non-players’.
Yet despite this, he was oblivious to their actions, meaning they moved with utmost discretion.
‘Attractions near the area have been unpopular lately, so I haven’t been paying attention.’
If the players had killed Cheolwoong and aimed to escape the amusement park or headed to the central attraction area to rescue people, Karas would’ve noticed.
But they did neither, avoiding his territories to escape his attention, which signified someone well-acquainted with Karas was present.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Take the parade and wipe them all out. Use all the available monsters and scour the Safari, eliminate everyone.”
“But, Sir, if they killed Cheolwoong, won’t we be overwhelmed if we go alone…?”
“Are you refusing?”
Karas’s eyes glowed with a cold threat. As a constellation, he was bound by substantial restrictions.
If this was merely a gambit to play with people, Karas wouldn’t have minded, but direct involvement would mean accepting severe penalties.
Though, since the third main quest activated, the penalties had somewhat reduced, but they were still significant.
“No, Sir! I will send the monsters right away!”
“Fine. There must be another reason for Cheolwoong’s death. It’s nonsensical for players to kill a Sentinel.”
Karas considered a possibility.
A god had intervened personally.
Not merely as a disposable avatar but as their chosen incarnation—a god’s proxy.
If that were the case, killing Cheolwoong was possible.
Yet, the gods who indulged in this world as a ‘game’ were unlikely to make such a move.
‘However, if this were truly the work of an incarnation, then who?’
Currently, there were hardly any avatars chosen by the gods in the amusement park.
Those who were had already been dealt with by Cheolwoong’s commands.
‘Who could it be?’
Karas couldn’t fathom who could have killed Cheolwoong.
“I should find out once I receive reports from the monsters I sent.”
Whether the gods created a mess.
Or if an incarnation had revealed itself.
Nonetheless, the monsters Karas dispatched could discover nothing because, by then, the Safari was already empty.
### Chapter 34: Crow Constellation Karas (2)
After the situation was mostly under control, I met the man who was currently leading the players through Hyungseok. I had heard the title from the moment I arrived here, but this was the first time I had actually met him.
“Do we have to leave the amusement park right now?”
The player who responded appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His name was Shin Myungwon. Up until my arrival, he was considered the most skilled player.
It seemed he took my words seriously, perhaps influenced by the recent events he witnessed.
“If you say so, there must be a reason.”
“Karas has likely left most of the work to Cheolwoong. If he finds out Cheolwoong is dead, he’ll act personally. We must move quickly before the news of Cheolwoong’s death reaches Karas.”
“Indeed… I see.”
Being someone who had been in the amusement park for a long time, he quickly grasped the situation. He was probably well aware of the relationship between Cheolwoong and Karas.
For me, it was convenient that further explanations were unnecessary.
“Alright. I’ll pass on the story to everyone immediately. Is there anything else you need help with?”
“We need the help of the other players first. We have to gather others who might be elsewhere.”
“Sure, you’re right. We can’t just escape on our own. But monsters will get in the way…”
“With Cheolwoong gone, most of them are just a ragtag bunch.”
That was something I could not handle alone. To gather people scattered all over the amusement park, I undeniably needed the help of the other players.
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
Myungwon responded agreeably with a nod. I was worried I might have to persuade him, but luckily, he was more amenable than I expected.
Convinced he had heard enough, Myungwon walked toward where the people were gathered to relay everything I had told him.
Watching Myungwon’s decisive action, Hyungseok chuckled beside me.
“Our captain is a good person, right?”
“Indeed.”
From my previous life, I knew the value of finding people you can communicate well with. Not everyone you meet can be reasoned with.
Many were the times I’ve seen people act deviously just to secure their immediate gains, even in life-or-death situations.
“So now we escape from here? But what happens to our quest?”
Hyungseok raised his arm, which only had one stamp on it.
In the midst of fleeing, getting four more stamps was virtually impossible.
“Don’t worry. Just because we have stamps doesn’t mean we must clear attractions to get them.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
There wasn’t time to explain everything in detail.
Since we couldn’t tell when Karas would start to move, we had to rescue the people and get going as soon as possible.
‘I did ask Mina to keep watch, though.’
That was just surveillance, and Mina had no way to stop Karas.
“Let’s hurry.”
“Yes, Sir!”
***
Everything proceeded smoothly.
Under Myungwon’s orders, about 50 players spread throughout the amusement park to fend off monsters and rescue people.
Monsters tried to stop them, of course, but without Cheolwoong’s command structure, they were disorganized.
There were instances of monster parades and named monsters appearing, but Changwoo usually handled those situations.
“I haven’t been helpful, so it’s only right that I do something like this.”
Though Changwoo said it with a faint smile, other players seemed shocked, likely unaware of his swordsmanship skills. Without knowledge of the skill ‘Insight’, their reaction was justified.
“Next, please.”
“Are you sure this is safe?”
“Yes.”
For the civilians wearing ‘shackles’, whose mechanisms were unstable and could explode unpredictably, I had to intervene first.
It wasn’t a hard task, but doing it for more than one or two people was exhausting.
‘Why are there so many people?’
Roughly 700 people were noted in the quest, half of whom I presumed wouldn’t be wearing shackles. Contrary to my expectations, there were far fewer without them.
“Alright, you’re done.”
“Wow…”
I encapsulated the bomb mechanism with malleable orichalcum and detonated it, which naturally separated the shackle.
At first, many resisted this removal method, but after a few successful separations, they waited for their turn patiently.
“Thank you very much! I really appreciate it!”
“No problem. It wasn’t difficult.”
My shoulders were growing sore. Honestly, fighting Cheolwoong would’ve been less stressful.
After about two hours of this repetitive task, I was on the brink of mental fatigue.
“Wow, you don’t look so happy.”
Just as I was coating another person’s shackles with orichalcum, Mina approached me.
Why isn’t she monitoring things as I asked and instead hanging around here?
“Has Karas made a move?”
“Eh? No. I thought of something more important.”
“What’s that?”
Considering a crow could attack us at any moment, I wondered what could be more pressing than keeping watch. Mina’s eyes crinkled as she spoke.
“The stamps! If we escape like this, what about our quest? We still need four more stamps!”
“You didn’t earn those four stamps on your own,” I pointed out.
“Well, that’s not the point…”
Mina’s voice softened as her argument lost steam.
“But if we rescue everyone, there will be no one left to stamp. How do we complete the quest in this case?”
“Well… Excuse me.”
The person I called over was a woman waiting to have her shackles removed. She wore a uniform resembling that of the amusement park staff.
“You don’t need to be startled. Do you have any spare stamps?”
“Stamps?”
“Yes. Do you have any?”
“Yes, I do…”
That’s good enough for me.
I turned to Mina.
“Hold out your arm.”
“Huh? My arm?”
“Yes, if you want to clear the quest.”
Reluctantly and confused, Mina extended her arm.
“Will this really work?”
“Just stay still.”
I gestured to the woman and simply said, “Please, stamp it.”
“Is it okay to stamp it just like this?”
“Let’s see.”
The quest required five stamps, but nowhere did it state you must ride the attractions. Only that you should ‘enjoy the rides.’
“Well, then.”
The woman cautiously took out her stamp and imprinted it on Mina’s arm.
Mina’s eyes widened in shock. It seemed the quest was complete.
‘I should complete my quest too.’
To face Karas, I needed the 1st Succession Package unlocked after completing the third main quest.
If I wanted to quickly finish the quest given the current situation, I had to get everyone out before the fourth main quest began.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to complete it until then.
After staring blankly at her arm that now had five stamps, Mina suddenly shivered, as if coming to her senses.
“The quest is cleared.”
“Expected as much.”
“What is this…”
Mina complained bitterly.
“Why did we go through all that trouble to get four stamps if we could’ve done it this easily? It was a total waste!”
“Honestly, I did most of the hard work alone.”
“Well… true, but…”
Mina had her fair share of scams, but she was also straightforward in certain areas.
“Anyway, if it’s this easy, why did we bother getting four stamps? It’s mind-boggling!”
“I’m sure someone once claimed they were the master of the amusement park, except for the haunted house.”
“…”
Mina’s face reddened with embarrassment. She wanted to say something, but her words were stuck, perhaps conceding that I had a point.
While I chuckled at her reaction, I clarified, “It’s a joke. We got four stamps because it’s an unequivocal proof of identity.”
“…Ah, that’s right.”
The four stamps gave us the authority to enter Safari and the right to strongly express opinions.
“Actually, if it weren’t for Karas, this main quest would have been really easy. That’s why there’s no significant achievement or reward.”
“M-Mhmm.”
“Besides, the third main quest activates under certain conditions or upon visiting specific areas, so variations by region are normal.”
Mina nodded, feeling wronged. She had risked her life numerous times to obtain those four stamps, so her frustration was understandable. Although I did save her.
“Excuse me…”
A man who had been listening to our conversation approached. Judging by his attire, he was undoubtedly a player.
“Yes?”
“That method you mentioned… does it really count for the quest?”
“That’s what they told me.”
I replied with a nod, and his expression warped awkwardly, remarkably similar to Mina’s previous reaction.
“I can relate.”
Mina sympathetically looked at the man.
It seemed we had inadvertently resolved the quests for the other players. Well, everyone but me.
***
“Something feels off.”
Karas, the giant crow, spoke to the nearby monster waiting in ambush.
“Hey! Where did Cheolwoong go? Why isn’t he showing up today? Did he just disappear?”
Karas’s sharp words made the named monster realize what was inevitably coming.
“Cheolwoong, Sir? That’s… umm…”
“What is it? Stop beating around the bush and just tell me.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The named monster quivered under the stare of the approaching giant crow. His fate was as good as sealed.
“I’m still gathering information, but…”
“Quit stalling and talk!”
“…He seems to be dead.”
“That’s expected, killed by the players.”
Considering the time passed since morning, Cheolwoong should have returned by dusk.
‘Perhaps he’s still messing around?’
Karas couldn’t imagine otherwise, knowing Cheolwoong’s power. If Cheolwoong had been raging for nearly half a day, half the amusement park would be devastated by now.
“No, I mean… Cheolwoong is truly dead.”
“What nonsense is this?”
Karas wondered if the monster before him was joking.
However, the monster’s face showed only seriousness.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure myself…”
The news of Cheolwoong’s death had just reached them. The monsters were too preoccupied, suddenly fending off players who began attacks all over the amusement park.
“That makes no sense! Who could have the power to kill a Sentinel?!”
“Well, we have traced Cheolwoong’s last whereabouts to the Safari.”
The monster also couldn’t grasp the situation. It seemed more believable that Cheolwoong had left this stage for a distant journey than being dead.
Killing a Sentinel?
Players simply didn’t possess such capacity since Sentinels were set at a level that players carrying out current quests couldn’t possibly kill.
“What were the rest of you doing?”
“Us? We were busy countering the sudden attacks by the players.”
“Players attacked?”
“Seems like they were trying to rescue the other humans. Quite foolish, indeed. The moment they touch the shackles, they’ll all die.”
The monster talked gently, careful not to upset Karas. But regardless of how calming the explanation, it irritated Karas.
“Kak, kawk!”
Overcome with irritation, Karas let out a defining crow’s caw.
‘Dare these creatures make a fool of me?’
Karas finally grasped the situation.
The incident with Cheolwoong aside, Karas had been playing games all day without detecting abnormalities. According to the monster, players were already rescuing people much earlier.
Karas’s in-game was sensitive to the number of ‘non-players’.
Yet despite this, he was oblivious to their actions, meaning they moved with utmost discretion.
‘Attractions near the area have been unpopular lately, so I haven’t been paying attention.’
If the players had killed Cheolwoong and aimed to escape the amusement park or headed to the central attraction area to rescue people, Karas would’ve noticed.
But they did neither, avoiding his territories to escape his attention, which signified someone well-acquainted with Karas was present.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Take the parade and wipe them all out. Use all the available monsters and scour the Safari, eliminate everyone.”
“But, Sir, if they killed Cheolwoong, won’t we be overwhelmed if we go alone…?”
“Are you refusing?”
Karas’s eyes glowed with a cold threat. As a constellation, he was bound by substantial restrictions.
If this was merely a gambit to play with people, Karas wouldn’t have minded, but direct involvement would mean accepting severe penalties.
Though, since the third main quest activated, the penalties had somewhat reduced, but they were still significant.
“No, Sir! I will send the monsters right away!”
“Fine. There must be another reason for Cheolwoong’s death. It’s nonsensical for players to kill a Sentinel.”
Karas considered a possibility.
A god had intervened personally.
Not merely as a disposable avatar but as their chosen incarnation—a god’s proxy.
If that were the case, killing Cheolwoong was possible.
Yet, the gods who indulged in this world as a ‘game’ were unlikely to make such a move.
‘However, if this were truly the work of an incarnation, then who?’
Currently, there were hardly any avatars chosen by the gods in the amusement park.
Those who were had already been dealt with by Cheolwoong’s commands.
‘Who could it be?’
Karas couldn’t fathom who could have killed Cheolwoong.
“I should find out once I receive reports from the monsters I sent.”
Whether the gods created a mess.
Or if an incarnation had revealed itself.
Nonetheless, the monsters Karas dispatched could discover nothing because, by then, the Safari was already empty.
