Judgment Time (1)
A limited-edition random item box.
According to the setting of Annihilation Law, this item was a coin item that had been sold as a limited edition in a past "Scenario."
[Ah, n-no! Why is that here?!]
Even Biryuu, who appeared late, shouted in shock.
[I-it must have been banned just recently!]
In the original Annihilation Law, the item had a very complex setting.
This coin item had been released well before the scenario of the 8612 planetary system began and was forcibly recalled by the Star Stream's Administration Bureau.
And rightly so—an item that unconditionally produced a "higher-grade item" when a "lower-grade item" was inserted had the potential to massively disrupt the scenario's balance.
On top of that, the price per item box was a staggering 1 million coins.
The Constellations were furious at this absurd pay-to-win mechanic, and the foolish dokkaebi who had come up with it was fired by the Administration Bureau.
[D-dear Constellations, that is, um... I don't know why that's there either… e-eheheh! Broadcast terminated!]
[Channel #BI-7623 has been temporarily suspended.]
As Biryuu, who had been babbling nonsense alone, disappeared, the voices of the Constellations vanished as well.
It was disappointing not to see the Constellations' reactions, but there was nothing to be done.
Rumble rumble.
I looked down at the box, which was beginning to vibrate on its own. The real draw was about to begin.
[An item of the sword category has been inserted. A reward of the same category will be generated!]
[The random draw is beginning!]
The limited-edition random item box spits out a higher-grade item related to the inserted item.
In other words, statistically speaking, anything from Grade C to SSS could come out.
Statistically speaking, of course.
[The sacrificed item is related to a specific Constellation!]
[The probability of obtaining an item related to that Constellation has significantly increased.]
...Huh?
That was an unexpected message. But it didn't seem to be disadvantageous to me. My clenched hand was damp with sweat. I didn't even get this nervous buying gacha items in online games. Please, let it at least be Grade A...
[A higher-grade item has been drawn!]
[The usage count of the random item box has been depleted.]
At last, the trembling of the box stopped, and the dazzling light subsided.
I looked once at Yoo Sang-ah and Lee Gil-young, whose eyes were sparkling.
"Shall we open it?"
"Yes!"
We opened the box.
"W-whoa!"
Lee Gil-young screamed so loudly that I was startled. But the item inside was worth the reaction.
A blade of pure white rising from an elegant, dark guard... it looked quite similar to the "Broken Conviction."
I immediately checked the item information.
Name: Unbroken Conviction
Grade: Stellar Relic (성유물 / Star Relic)
Description: The sword of the hero "Kaizenix," who led the Grand Arcane Era of Grunshiard. Infused with Kaizenix's mighty Aether control, it can generate the "Blade of Conviction," which contains the powers of fire, darkness, and divinity.
Bonus Option: Increases strength and stamina stats by 2 points each.
I was momentarily speechless.
Wait... Is this for real?
Not just a simple alphabet-grade item, but an actual Stellar Relic?
"This is—Dokja, this looks like a really amazing item, even at a glance!"
She was right. It was amazing.
In the world of Annihilation Law, Stellar Relics are items that don't even fall under standard grading. Not just because of their power, but because of how special they are.
Every Stellar Relic contains the power of a living Constellation.
Depending on who that Constellation was, their fame, and the world they came from, the performance of the item can vary greatly—but the mere fact that it carries a Constellation's power gives it immense value.
And it boosts both strength and stamina by 2?
Considering that increasing even a single stat by 1 could elevate an item to Grade A, this bonus alone made it practically equivalent to Grade S at the very least.
Even Yoo Joonghyuk probably hadn't gotten his hands on something this good yet.
As a courtesy, I turned to Yoo Sang-ah and Lee Gil-young.
"...Is it okay if I take this?"
"Of course. It's yours, Dokja."
Yoo Sang-ah reaffirmed firmly, as if setting it in stone. Lee Gil-young was nodding enthusiastically, too.
I glanced at Han Myung-oh, but he was just sitting there with a blank look, gnawing on a mole cricket's leg while muttering incomprehensibly. I had expected him to make some fuss claiming he deserved it or something... Weird.
[You have acquired a Stellar Relic.]
[The owner of the Stellar Relic is curious about you.]
Looks like this item is tied to a Constellation somewhere. I'll have to look it up later when I open Annihilation Law again.
"Well then, let's head back. There are plenty of mole crickets outside. We just need to bring the mana furnace with us."
"But... how do we get back?"
"Since we got here using Gil-young's ability, returning shouldn't be a problem either. If it's [Multi-species Empathy]…"
But Lee Gil-young didn't look so good.
"Hyung, um…"
"Yeah?"
"There aren't any bugs nearby."
Now that I thought about it, when we fought the Shadow Watcher earlier, all the surrounding bugs had been crushed by the pressure. I hadn't accounted for that.
"Not even a single one? Surely a few survived. If we move around and try using your ability again—"
There are so many bugs in the world, it didn't seem possible that not a single one remained. But Gil-young still looked grim.
"There is one I can call, but…"
Gil-young closed his eyes and began murmuring something, focusing.
"Dokja, something's wrong with Gil-young."
His eyes started to roll back, and a trickle of blood ran from his nose.
"Gil-young?"
Suddenly—BOOM—a vibration shook from above. Dust crumbled from various parts of the tunnel.
That vibration… it's coming from the surface.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
BOOM!
"Gil-young! Lee Gil-young! Snap out of it!"
"Huh...? Hyung?"
His rolled-back eyes returned to normal.
"Gil-young, stop the skill! Now!"
Only after he hurriedly deactivated the skill did the tremors subside.
I let out a sigh of relief.
Come to think of it, the surface above was crawling with dangerous creatures.
High-ranking monsters, like the Grade 7 venom-rhino, and many others.
And among those was an unranked species: the Insect King-type.
As the name suggests, the Insect King-type is, well... an insect.
"You little…"
I stopped mid-sentence and placed my hand on Gil-young's head.
He was trying to summon an Insect King from the surface… What is he, some kind of bug-god? We were almost buried alive.
"This skill is sealed for now. Don't use it again until I say so. Got it?"
"O-okay…"
Gil-young responded, crestfallen. Now we had no choice but to wait.
"If we go into the Veil of Darkness now, we'll lose our way. Let's wait a bit longer until some small bugs show up."
Getting in had been easy, but [Veil of Darkness] was actually a very dangerous place. A single wrong turn, and you'd be lost for days.
Then Yoo Sang-ah raised her hand.
"Um, if it's just a matter of getting back, I think I can do it instead of Gil-young."
"...How?"
Are you going to talk to the Veil of Darkness or something? I nearly said that but held back, not wanting to sound sarcastic. Yoo Sang-ah spoke with a bit of hesitation.
"I have a similar skill."
Come to think of it, I still didn't know her Trait or her Supporting Attribute.
"What kind of skill is it?"
"Well... if I had to describe it, it's a skill that finds a path using thread…"
Thread?
"...Forgive me, but could I ask what your Trait is, Yoo Sang-ah?"
Yoo Sang-ah isn't an original character, so I couldn't hear her inner thoughts. Just like with Lee Gil-young or Han Myung-oh.
"Um… that's…"
She looked troubled. If only I could use "Character List" on her—it wouldn't be this frustrating. I tried activating it again, just in case.
[Activating exclusive skill, 'Character List'!]
[This character is not registered in the Character List.]
Just as expected… But then, an extra line of text appeared.
[Information on this character is currently being collected.]
...Huh?
That had never shown up before.
Now that I think about it, back during the last fight, when Yoo Sang-ah activated a "translation" skill, I think I faintly heard a system message.
I wasn't supposed to hear that normally...
Could it be that even the "Character List" updates over time?
No way...
While I was sorting through various thoughts in my head, I decided to let Yusang-a go for now, seeing how troubled she looked.
"I guess I asked something unnecessary. Anyway, well done. Going forward, don't share your personal trait information with others so easily."
"That's not it! It's not because I don't trust you, Reader...!"
Looking more closely, Yusang-a seemed like she had more to say. In that moment, a thought crossed my mind.
"Did your supporting constellation say something about me?"
Yusang-a lowered her head with a tearful expression.
"I'm sorry."
Words barely spoken through trembling lips. At this level, it wasn't just a matter of her constellation saying something — they likely made a pact when they formed the contract. There's probably some kind of life-bound restriction regarding information leakage.
Whoever that constellation is, they're clearly serious about raising Yusang-a properly.
"It's fine. I understand."
"Thank you, really..."
No need to thank me. It's not like hearing things directly is the only way to uncover a constellation's identity... In fact, my heart was racing with anticipation. The kind of desire a reader feels — wanting to fill in the blanks between the lines.
"Okay then, I'll use the skill."
Soon, a faintly glowing thread began to grow and extend from Yusang-a's fingertips.
"Actually, I tied off some 'threads' before I got kidnapped, just in case something like this happened."
One strand was connected to me, and others were extending outward — likely tied to Lee Hyun-sung or Jung Hee-won.
"Let's go."
There's no way Yusang-a had this skill from the beginning. This must be a stigma gifted by her constellation.
But a 'thread' to escape a labyrinth...
This... feels like a constellation I know.
[#BI-7623 Channel has reopened.]
A message indicating that constellations were re-entering the channel played again.
[Several constellations have filed claims about the channel transmission system!]
[The constellation 'Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss' is curious about what came out of the random box.]
Ah, you didn't see it, huh?
Too bad for you.
"Damn it! This bastard messed with my channel again... Hahaha! Have you all been well without me?"
And then a familiar — no, an expected voice returned.
It was Bihyung.
[You caused a lot of trouble while I was gone, huh?]
'So the reason you were gone... was it because of me?'
[Well... yeah, I guess that's not totally unrelated. I got a warning from the administration for acting without restraint and leaving the ads up too long.]
Bihyung's voice was currently only audible to me. This was the so-called "goblin communication," used exclusively among dokkaebi. Of course, letting an incarnation like me hear it was a clear violation of protocol.
[I've decided to stop worrying about the little stuff. Worst case, I just visit the administration a few more times. Anyway... how did you know about the 'random box'?]
'Just a lucky coincidence.'
[Damn it. I can't believe remnants of that dark history still exist. Why was that box there of all places...?]
'Dark history?'
[...]
'...Wait a second. Don't tell me you were the one who designed that ridiculous coin item?'
Even as a hardcore fan of Ways of Destruction, this was something I hadn't known.
[Damn! If I hadn't been so greedy back then...]
"Wow, this is really delicious."
Bihyung's muttering was cut off by Jung Hee-won's amazed reaction.
Ten minutes earlier, we had successfully reunited with the others, led by Yusang-a.
Fortunately, both Jung Hee-won and Lee Hyun-sung had been guarding the perimeter until we arrived.
"Eating that should help you recover a bit."
"Yeah, I really do feel better."
Jung Hee-won rotated her shoulder as a test — she visibly looked much better. The cooked subterranean beast meat contained detoxifying properties.
"Looks like you got quite a lot in there — not just the mana furnace, huh?"
"A few things, yeah."
I replied while looking at Lee Hyun-sung.
He had been repeatedly equipping and unequipping the [Worn Iron Shield] I gave him earlier, and was now busy blowing on the surface and wiping it like it was a prized possession.
Anyone watching would think he'd just bought a brand-new car.
[Character 'Lee Hyun-sung' displays faint loyalty toward you.]
Jung Hee-won, watching with a hint of envy, asked,
"Do you have anything I can use?"
"Nope."
"What about that sword?"
"It's mine."
"...You're going to share the meat with everyone, right?"
"In exchange for coins."
"You're seriously stingy, Reader."
"Let's call it survival instinct."
As we bantered while carrying our share of grilled mole-rats, the tunnel soon ended.
The surroundings brightened rapidly, and we began to see people. But something felt off. What was this rushed, hectic atmosphere?
[20 minutes until paid settlement.]
[Please prepare your survival fees.]
I checked the clock and realized.
So... it was already time.
Amazing how terrifying the word "paid" could sound in this context.
"Please, just a few coins!"
"My child doesn't have any coins! Please, anyone...!"
Anyone who'd taken the scenario seriously would have no trouble having at least 100 coins. But earnest people are always rare.
"I'll give you a million, no, ten million won! Someone sell me just 100 coins!"
Coin prices were skyrocketing.
It was absurd.
Just before the apocalypse, this currency was worthless. Now it had a ridiculous premium attached.
And off in the distance, there were people laughing at the scene — the ones who already had plenty of coins.
It was Chun In-ho and his gang, the Cheoldoo faction.
Several women were shouting something at them.
"You said you'd give me 100 coins earlier!"
"Hmm? Did I? I don't remember."
"What...?"
"If you're willing to put out one more time, maybe I'll reconsider. What do you say?"
Jung Hee-won had already drawn her sword and was glaring in that direction.
"Those bastards... finally crossed the line..."
[Character 'Jung Hee-won' is preparing for trait evolution.]
It was about time for Hee-won, too. She could awaken now and it wouldn't be bad... but not yet. If she was to gain the trait I envisioned, a little more patience was needed.
That's when a system message popped up.
[Survival fee settlement will begin shortly.]
"P-please! Spare me! Please don't kill me!"
Each member of the group reacted differently to those cries.
Lee Hyun-sung hung his head in anguish. Jung Hee-won bit her lip while gripping her sword.
Everyone knew what the cost of "paid settlement" was. No one here hadn't experienced it.
"...Reader."
And then Yusang-a looked at me.
"Yes."
In this world, coins meant power.
Those with coins got better items. Those with coins got better stats.
Those with coins — got everything.
[Several constellations have entered the channel due to scenario recommendations.]
[The constellation 'Secret Schemer' is watching your choice.]
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Coil' is watching your choice.]
[The constellation 'Demonic Judge of Fire' is watching your choice.]
And I — was the person with the most coins in this entire station.