Chapter 720

***

**720 Episode 27: Recycling Center (3)**

«Now, choose one of these before you go in.»

The guide rummaged through her belongings and immediately handed me a catalog.

Inside the catalog were drawings of animal-shaped masks, similar to the one the guide was wearing.

«What is this?»

«This is the mask you will use inside.»

Some masks were tigers, some were rabbits, and some were snakes.

I recognized the masks without much difficulty.

They were the ‘Zodiac animals’.

Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

The twelve animal deities Koreans memorize as ‘Jiji Myosi Shinyu Sulhae’.

«You’d better choose carefully. You’ll be taking the placement test soon.»

A placement test.

Did that mean I would soon be tested on the Zodiac?

This was something that hadn’t appeared in the ‘Ways of Survival’ I had been reading for the past week.

I’d heard the ‘Recycling Center’ had a slightly different worldview each round, so was this one of those changes?

After thinking carefully, I made my choice.

«Then I’ll take this one.»

I chose the white rat mask. The receptionist waved her hand as if she had expected that.

«It’s a shame, but someone already took that one.»

Looking closer, the catalog indicated the rat mask was out of stock.

«Are almost all the masks out of stock?»

«Heh, that’s right. People usually make reservations before coming.»

«Reservations?»

«Sometimes a sponsor makes one, and sometimes an incarnation who did their research in advance makes a reservation…»

I wondered if my sponsor had reserved a mask for me, but there was no way they had.

I ended up choosing the only mask that was in stock. It was a plain white mask without any animal image engraved on it.

«It’s a free-ride mask. No advantages, but no disadvantages either. It’s only 500 coins.»

«This place accepts coins too?»

«Don’t we have to make a living somehow?»

She said that while clearly having prepared the items herself.

The guide cleared her throat and added.

«Hmm, and it’s not necessarily a disadvantage to be faceless. In fact, it’s good because you don’t stand out.»

A blinking slogan appeared next to her:

「 Are you tired of the constellations’ glares? 」
「 Are you frustrated by the tyranny of the giant nebulae? 」
「 Do you think the stories you’ve built are too ordinary? 」

「 There are no useless stories in this world. 」

「 Dream of becoming a Constellation. Achieve it right now at the ‘Recycling Center’. 」

I looked at the slogan for a moment and spoke.

«Here are 500 coins.»

«Good luck.»

The moment I put on the mask, I felt a light breeze envelop my whole body.

[The item ‘Faceless Mask’ has been used.]

[Your personal information is protected by the effect of ‘Anonymous Entry’.]

As I entered the open space inside the gathering area, the first thing I saw was a running track. The track was divided into a total of twelve lanes.

Beside the track stood a group of people who had arrived before me, most of them also wearing Faceless Masks.

As expected, the majority were anonymous.

Of course, one incarnation stood out particularly among them.

At first glance, their physique suggested they were no older than ten. The moment I saw the kid, their body covered in black rags, I remembered the guide mentioning the term ‘black kid’ earlier.

Interestingly, this kid was wearing a ‘white rat mask’.

Judging by their outfit, they didn’t seem to have met a generous constellation, so had they bought the mask themself?

«Huh? There’s number 12! Nice to meet you!»

Turning towards the voice, I saw a man with the number ’11’ on his chest waving his hand.

«You’re the last participant in our group, right?»

«I guess so.»

I answered while looking at the number ’12’ written on my own chest.

If this was truly a test related to the ‘Zodiac’, the number ’12’ would be the last one.

Man number 11 smiled broadly.

Judging by his tone and gestures, he seemed quite sociable.

I immediately activated [Character List].

[‘Character List’ is not available in this region.]

[The use of skills is prohibited in this area.]

Skills are prohibited?

I was honestly a little surprised.

[Even [Character List], which isn’t an ordinary skill, is restricted?]

Unaware that his identity was being scrutinized, Man number 11 looked at me curiously and asked.

«So you chose the maskless mask too?»

«Actually, I was going to choose a different one.»

«Do you mean a rat mask?»

I hesitated, then nodded. Man number 11 seemed to have had the same thought.

Well, it was a natural thought for anyone who knew even a little about the ‘Zodiac’ story.

But the man looked at me for a moment, fell silent, and then said.

«Well, you’re lucky.»

I was lucky? It wasn’t a bad thing?

As I was about to ask what he meant, a small screen appeared in the center of the track.

The screen showed the twelve people who had participated in the race before us.

As expected, they, each wearing their own masks just like us, ran to the end of their respective lanes and reached the finish line one by one.

The moment the eleventh incarnation finally crossed the finish line.

—Oh, no…!

The last incarnation, who hadn’t yet crossed the line, collapsed in despair.

—Sa, save me, please! Help me! I don’t want to go back…!

The center of the track vanished like a sinkhole, and the incarnation fell into it.

The eyes of the incarnations watching his fall were all the same. They all seemed to be thinking that no matter what, they wouldn’t end up like that.

Looking to the side, I saw Man number 11 was also slightly frightened.

I asked him cautiously.

«If he’s lucky, maybe he survived?»

This world was ‘Ways of Survival’.

There were plenty of flying skills and items. I myself had ‘Sylphid’s Jumping Boots’.

If the only elimination penalty was ‘falling’, there was a good chance the man was alive.

However, Man number 11 seemed to think differently.

«Are you serious?»

«Yes?»

«The ‘fall’ here has a symbolic meaning.»

Suddenly, the description of the ‘Recycling Center’ from ‘Ways of Survival’ came to mind.

「 The graveyard of all possibilities in the world. 」

A place where incarnations gather when only one possibility remains, where there is no longer any hope to cling to.

«Because all the incarnations that come here admit they are ‘scenario trash’.»

The final destination for those not chosen by a giant nebula or a powerful constellation.

«If you fall from here, there’s no place to return to. Even if you go outside, you’ll only meet a miserable death.»

«But there’s a chance of sponsorship.»

«Seems like the constellations are pretty nice where you’re from.»

I realized it again.

That’s right. The constellations in the <Star Stream> were exactly like that.

I answered with a bitter smile.

«No, my constellation was very poor.»

«Really? Then you really can’t afford to fall either.»

«Yes, I will definitely become a Constellation.»

A Constellation. That was my purpose for coming to this ‘Recycling Center’.

«If you fully graduate from the ‘Recycling Center’, you can become a Constellation.»

Even though I knew the information from ‘Ways of Survival’, the 41st round still held many secrets.

To retrieve the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ who contributed to the scenario, and to prevent this ’41st round’ from ending in destruction.

I needed to be at least on equal footing with the stars in the sky.

«Haha, a constellation. You have big dreams. I don’t expect that much, but it would be nice to be recognized by small and medium-sized constellations. If you’re lucky enough to get noticed by the center director, even better—»

«Who is the center director?»

«I don’t know either. He’s never revealed his identity. All I know is that he’s the head of the Small and Medium Nebula Alliance.»

The head of the Small and Medium Nebula Alliance?

I thought about the contents of ‘Ways of Survival’, but I had never read anything like that.

Was this also a feature unique to the 41st round?

[A new sub-scenario has arrived!]

A scenario message rang in my ears just at the right time.

It was finally our turn.

<Sub-scenario — Zodiac Race>

Category: Sub
Difficulty: C
Clear Conditions: Avoid finishing last in the zodiac race.
Time Limit: 10 minutes
Reward: Entry to the ‘Recycling Center’.
Different rewards are paid according to rank.
Failure: Expulsion from the ‘Recycling Center’.

I immediately checked the ‘different rewards list’.

Of all the items, the one that caught my eye the most was the second-place prize.

2nd Place. Fragment of the story 「The right arm of the sword master who was stabbed in the back by a colleague」.

I blankly read the name.

It was definitely true.

This fragment clearly belonged to the ‘Demon King of Salvation’.

But why was it here now?

「 The Demon King of Salvation became part of the ‘scenario’. 」

Could this be what that meant?

I didn’t know.

Anyway, now that I knew this fragment existed, I couldn’t ignore it.

However, as I looked through the list, there was one item that bothered me just as much as the story fragment.

1st Place. Item ‘Battle Boots of the Noble One’…

The moment I saw the shiny black combat boots, my mouth fell open without me realizing.

No, why is this here?

It couldn’t be.

Because the owner of that item is already—

«Anyway, this time I just need to not finish last. Then I qualify to enter the Recycling Center.»

Man number 11, unaware of my internal turmoil, wiped his nose and held out his hand.

«Now that I think about it, I haven’t even introduced myself properly. My name is Wang Weilong.»

I thought as I shook the man’s hand without showing my surprise.

「 Weilong, King of Bicheon Street. 」

I’d thought something was off from the start.

Who would have guessed that Bicheon Street’s King, one of the top 100 strongest in ‘Ways of Survival’ and Yoo Jonghyuk’s tactician, was this man.

By the way, judging by his speech, which hadn’t yet taken on the tone of a martial artist, it seemed he hadn’t visited the <Second Murim> yet.

Well, it was still the early scenarios.

«I am Kim Dokja.»

«Okay, Mr. Kim Dokja. Why don’t we join forces?»

«You mean form an alliance?»

«Only for this game.»

The goal of this race was to cross the finish line without being last.

In other words, Bicheon Street’s proposal was clear.

«Only one person needs to fall in this match.»

At the same time, Bicheon Street’s eyes turned somewhere.

I followed his gaze and paused. The pitch-black kid wearing the ‘white rat mask’ was there.

«Honestly, I don’t feel good about it.»

«Why? Because he’s a kid?»

When I didn’t answer immediately, Bicheon Street shook his head.

«Mr. Kim Dokja, you are naive. No one knows if that incarnation is really a child or not.»

Of course, that was true.

The same went for children. Like the children of the Beggar Sect, many children in this apocalypse deceived or killed adults.

However, my reluctance stemmed from something else.

«It’s just because I don’t like obvious stories.»

«The obvious?»

Bicheon Street blinked several times and slowly nodded.

«Mr. Kim Dokja, you are an unusual person.»

[Each player is requested to enter their lane.]

[The ‘Zodiac Race’ will begin shortly.]

The incarnations who heard the system message entered their lanes one by one.

Bicheon Street, standing next to me, relaxed slightly and said.

«But keep in mind, that kid is going to die anyway. He chose the ‘white rat mask’.»

I couldn’t ask what he meant. The countdown was starting right before my eyes.

[The use of items, stigmas, and skills is restricted in this race.]

[‘Zodiac Race’ begins!]

With a bang, all the incarnations started at once. Though their running postures varied, everyone had a serious expression.

This race was a competition based on pure physical ability. Skills, items, and the power of a sponsor could not be used.

However, there was one force that prevailed in this ‘Arena’.

The scenery around the area began to sway, and a slight current of ‘staging’ was created.

[The story latent on the stage begins!]

And then the pitch-black kid started running ahead of the other incarnations.

[The story ‘The Winning Rat’ begins its storytelling!]

As expected, the pitch-black kid seemed to know the story of the ‘Zodiac Race’.

«The ‘Zodiac Race’ is a story where the white rat wins.»

The problem was, it wasn’t only the kid who knew this story.

A sharp shuriken flew towards the kid’s back with a ‘swish’.

The kid barely avoided the first shuriken by sidestepping, but couldn’t dodge the kick from another incarnation that quickly followed.

With a light groan, the little boy tripped over a rock and fell.

«You idiot. How dare you choose ‘rat’?»

In an instant, five or six incarnations rushed in and started trampling the kid.

The kid couldn’t even scream and was beaten.

Arms, legs, shoulders.

Although he crouched down to reduce the impact, it was clear the kid wouldn’t be able to run again.

What the incarnations needed was ‘one dropout’.

And just now, they had decided that the one eliminated would be that kid.

«I told you so.»

Bicheon Street glanced at the little boy as if it was inevitable, then looked back at me and said,

«It was a decided game anyway.»

After saying that, Bicheon Street ran off.

The end of the track was far away, and the leading incarnation was already far ahead. If I delayed any longer, I wouldn’t be able to catch up.

[The ‘Recycling Center’ responds to your choices.]

The kid was struggling, grabbing at the dirt on the floor. It looked like he was trying to get up, but his legs seemed to have no strength. His ligaments were probably torn.

I walked towards the kid.

«Get on my back.»

The pitch-black kid looked up at me. I could see his round eyes beyond the white rat mask. They trembled inexplicably, as if he couldn’t understand my choice.

«Quickly. Are you going to be eliminated like this?»

Eventually, the hesitant kid grabbed my shoulder. I put the kid on my back, stood up, and started running.

The kid, breathing heavily behind my back, spoke.

«What are you doing?»

«What?»

«If you save me, you’ll be eliminated too.»

The kid on my back spoke in a gruff voice. I chuckled because the way he spoke reminded me exactly of someone else.

«Is that your way of saying thank you?»

«Something like clumsy sympathy—»

«I don’t pity you.»

[The synchronization rate with your sponsor increases.]

«I saved you because I wanted to win. My goal isn’t just to avoid last place.»

«What—»

My physical ability was now superior to that of any other incarnation of the same level.

That’s because my overall abilities had reached the scenario limit standard.

However, the distance was so great that catching up was impossible with that alone.

Nevertheless, I kept running faithfully with the kid on my back.

How long did I run like that?

The seemingly insurmountable distance began to narrow little by little.

The kid let out a startled voice.

«How—»

It wasn’t just the kid. The incarnations, realizing I was pursuing them, began looking back with wide eyes.

I smiled at them and spoke.

«You don’t know how the rat won?»

«You, you can’t—»

The fact that ‘the rat wins’ the ‘zodiac race’ is widely known. That’s why the incarnation wearing the ‘rat mask’ is under the greatest pressure.

However, the incarnations were so obsessed with the fact that ‘the rat wins’ that they forgot one crucial detail.

[The story of the ‘zodiac’ responds to your choice!]

[The constellation ‘The One Who Won as the Rat’ watches your choice with interest.]

[The spirit of a charging ox pervades your entire body!]

[‘Simple Staging’ begins!]

The reason I saved the kid is simple.

If it were Kim Dokja, he would definitely have made this choice.

「An animal carrying a ‘rat’ can definitely take ‘second place’ in this race.」

That’s all there was to it.