I carefully observed the group’s faces and behavior.

There were four people in total who weren’t wearing masks.

Gyeong Sein, Uncle Dansoo, Ye Hyeonwoo, and Cha Yerin.

It was hard to put into words, but even aside from their appearance, they somehow felt different. It was like the very essence that made them up, in other words, a certain “tale” that formed them had changed.

[When an incarnation loses their ‘mask’, ‘beastification’ ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) occurs.]

Beastification. In simple terms, it probably meant they had become “animals”.

But for some reason, the moment I heard that, the word “beast-person” felt like it had a slightly different meaning.

―These guys have now become prisoners of the story.

Prisoner.

―Come out with me for a bit.

Killer King spoke in a serious tone. I was reminded anew that this man was someone who could talk normally if he wanted to.

Using the excuse that I was going out for some fresh air, I followed Killer King outside. The child Yu Joonghyuk came along as well.

Outside the wooden villa, a drizzling rain was falling. In the distance, I could hear the sound of buildings collapsing.

[The ‘Event Scenario’ is currently in progress.]

The screams of incarnations rang out one after another. Horrible tearing sounds spread through the air. The sound of tough flesh being hacked to pieces.

As if he were used to all of it, Killer King calmly took out a cigarette from inside his clothes and put it in his mouth.

Had this person always smoked?

“To be honest, when we first came up here, I was confident. It wasn’t just any incarnations, it was us.”

Killer King’s confidence wasn’t strange.

They were all “complete readers”. Readers who had broken through seven scenarios and grown. Even if an unfamiliar scenario appeared, they had built up the ability to handle it by now.

Some had obtained good backer constellations, and even those who hadn’t each had their own specialties.

“Our positions were perfect, too. Gyeong Sein was Lee Hyunsung. Lee Dansoo was Lee Gilyoung. Cha Yerin was Lee Jihye. I was Yu Joonghyuk.”

The last one was a little strange, but it was a party composition that wouldn’t fall behind anywhere.

And yet, they had been taken down.

“If you’d been here, things might have gone a little differently, but talking about that now is meaningless.”

“What on earth happened?”

“It’s the obvious story. We let our guard down and got hit squarely by the Event Scenario.”

The hazy smoke spread and melted into the air.

“I never imagined that ‘losing the mask’ would mean that. The first to be hit was Gyeong Sein. Then Lee Dansoo. Ye Hyeonwoo. And even my little sister.”

With every word he continued, Killer King’s voice grew heavier.

“They became unable to live as humans.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll show you myself.”

Killer King started walking down the alley in front of us, as if telling us to follow him.

Why was it.

His back as he walked ahead felt unfamiliar. Just a month and a week. In that time, it felt like Killer King had become someone else I didn’t know.

The contents of the Event Scenario arrived just then.

+

<Sub Scenario ― The Three Little Pigs>
Category: Sub
Difficulty: B
Clear Condition: Find a ‘safe house’ that can avoid the wolf and avoid the ‘hunt’.
Time Limit: 8 hours
Reward: 500 Recycling Coins
Upon Failure: Loss of ‘mask’ and progression of beastification.

+

As expected, this scenario was about finding a safe house where you could avoid the “wolf”.

[You are currently in Area 64 of Zone 13.]
[You may choose the ‘Pig’ camp and proceed with the scenario.]
[Find a safe house and avoid the ‘wolf’.]
[If you are hunted by the wolf, you will lose your ‘mask’.]
[When a sacrifice occurs within the region, the Event Scenario for that region will end.]

According to the explanation, this district was never safe until the “hunt” was completed.

But Killer King spoke in a relaxed voice.

“Don’t worry. The wolf has already chosen its prey.”

The place Killer King arrived at was an old house one block away from the guesthouse.

To be precise, it was an old tent that it was even embarrassing to call a house.

Killer King rang the bell installed in front of the tent.

“Who is it?”

At the voice coming from inside, Killer King answered,

“The wolf.”

I was so startled I stared at Killer King. Right after, a system message sounded in my ear.

[A ‘wolf’ has appeared in this area.]

I could hear frightened breathing from inside the house. Poking its head out was a prairie dog, its face gone pale.

“Y-yes, you’re here.”

“Yeah.”

“The preparations are finished.”

“Good.”

Inside the tent were the prairie dog and a few other small-animal beastfolk. And there was a hippo beastfolk whose body had been tied to a chair.

Pointing at the hippo beastfolk, the prairie dog said,

“This is this time’s volunteer ‘prey’.”

The hippo beastfolk’s shoulders trembled as they sobbed. Killer King slowly approached the hippo beastfolk.

“I’ll begin.”

What was he going to begin?

From Killer King’s right hand, bared after he took off his half-glove, a menacing energy poured out.

Sensing something ominous, I grabbed Killer King by the shoulder.

“Wait a moment.”

Killer King’s gaze wavered as he turned to look at me.

At the same time, someone grabbed my hand. It was the child Yu Joonghyuk.

“Leave him alone.”

The child Yu Joonghyuk was speaking.

“This isn’t something you should interfere in.”

In fact, the beastfolk in the tent didn’t seem to welcome my stopping him.

“I don’t know who you are, but……”

As the prairie dog opened his mouth, the meerkat beastfolk beside him added,

“Please don’t get involved.”

“Please.”

Seeing the beastfolk trembling all over, I let go of Killer King’s shoulder.

Then Killer King said,

“Don’t worry. It’ll be over quickly.”

With those words, Killer King stood in front of the hippo beastfolk. The moment the hippo beastfolk squeezed their eyes shut, Killer King let out a long howl toward the empty air. It was a long, lonely howl that made you think of an actual wolf.

[The wolf confirms its ‘prey’.]

At the same time, Killer King grabbed one of the hippo’s arms. With a crunching sound, the hippo’s arm was torn off in an instant and blood splattered.

As the hippo beastfolk writhed in pain, the other beastfolk held them down and hurriedly began first aid.

Killer King tucked the torn hippo arm under his arm, then took out a jingling pouch from his clothes and handed it to the prairie dog.

Checking the contents of the pouch, the prairie dog’s face lit up as he muttered,

“Th-thank you. Thank you.”

“With this, we can last another week……”

The pouch was filled with Recycling Coins.

Killer King looked for a moment at the beastfolk crowding around the pouch of coins, then turned his back and left the tent.

The child Yu Joonghyuk and I hurriedly followed behind him.

[‘Hunt’ has occurred in Area 64 of Zone 13.]
[The ‘sacrifice’ condition for this area has been fulfilled.]

The message came a step late.

Only then did I understand what Killer King had done.

“This is the core of this scenario. When the wolf hunts its prey, the Event condition is fulfilled, and the remaining beastfolk can survive.”

“Don’t tell me…… you’ve been surviving until now this way?”

“Yeah.”

The reason the group had been able to survive until now in the shabby wooden villa.

It was because Killer King had been acting as a “wolf” and hunting other prey.

“The others in the party chose the Pig camp. They planned to form a community with the beastfolk and stand against the wolf.”

Thinking about it, it was only natural.

The group had read Kim Dokja’s story, and more than that, in Peace Land they had taken the “little people”’s side. Of course they would side with the pigs in “The Three Little Pigs” as well.

Above all, “The Three Little Pigs” was a story where the pigs won in the end.

“So it failed.”

“That’s right. And they had their masks taken.”

“Then what about you.”

“I chose the wolf.”

“But there was only one option.”

I had clearly only received a message saying I could choose the “Pig camp”.

“The Wolf camp’s option is hidden. It’s designed so that you can only belong to the ‘Wolf camp’ if you harm another beastfolk.”

In other words, Killer King had harmed another beastfolk and deliberately chosen the “Wolf camp”.

“Why did you do something like that?”

“Because this scenario is a game where the pigs can’t win.”

Of all people, I’d never expected Killer King to say something like that. It was puzzling, and at the same time, I felt disappointed. Maybe it was because I had trusted Killer King that much.

“You don’t know what kind of place Zone 13 is.”

“I asked why you did something like that.”

Behind the mask, Killer King’s eyes had widened slightly. As if it had been a long time since someone had said something like that to him.

“Right, you can say that. You really are Kim Dokja.”

“Every scenario has a strategy. You know that too.”

Even if you chose the Pig camp, as long as you used the original tale well, there were more than enough ways to clear it.

On top of that, there were a lot of smart people in the party. Neither Ye Hyeonwoo nor Cha Yerin were people who would be taken down easily. Then why―

“I know what you’re thinking. I know very well what tale this scenario is based on.”

“Then why―”

“You checked the other houses on your way here, didn’t you. Didn’t you feel anything strange?”

I looked around.

The streets I had walked along with the child Yu Joonghyuk. The inn we’d gone into when we were first warped here, the wooden villa the group was living in, the old tent house. And……

“Don’t tell me.”

Goosebumps slowly spread across my skin.

A cigarette butt fell onto the ground with a thud. Killer King took out a second cigarette and lit it as he spoke.

“There are no brick houses here.”

The original content of “The Three Little Pigs” is clear.

It’s the story of the youngest pig, who built a sturdy “brick house” to prepare for the wolf, and in the end repelled the wolf’s attack.

“For some reason, in this region, no matter what you do, you can’t get ‘bricks’.”

But in this Zone 13, there were no “bricks” with which to build a “brick house”.

In other words, it was a place where it was impossible to reproduce the original.

“So that’s why you chose the ‘wolf’.”

Killer King nodded.

“Zone 13 is divided into a total of 64 areas. Once hunting activity is fulfilled in one area, the ‘Event Scenario’ no longer occurs in that same area that night.”

Clearing the scenario condition for this region each time by “hunting” different prey.

For as long as a month, Killer King had protected the group that way.

“This is the solution I chose.”

Staring into the distant sky, Killer King looked at me once, then at the child Yu Joonghyuk, and gave a bitter smile.

“It’s a choice Yu Joonghyuk would never have made.”

Through the streaks of rain, another explosion rang out. I could hear tents collapsing and flesh being torn. Ominous footsteps were drawing closer.

“They’re the wolf harvesters. They’ve come to collect today’s harvest.”

Killer King shook the hippo arm in his hand as he spoke.

“The hunt in this area is over, so it doesn’t really matter, but just in case, take that kid and hide.”

I hid with the child Yu Joonghyuk behind the tent.

A moment later, wolf-masked harvesters appeared one by one. Even at a glance, they were incarnations with abnormal physiques.

Just from the tales I could feel, I could tell. They were all incarnations who had ruled and survived in this zone for a very long time.

“Rookie. Today’s harvest?”

“Right here.”

Killer King tossed the hippo foreleg with a flick.

The wolf harvester who checked the foreleg gave the flesh a small crunching bite.

“It’s a stinking piece of scrap. Is it someone who couldn’t even obtain a proper tale?”

“If you’ve taken it, then get lost.”

Spitting on the ground with a ptui, the wolf harvester gave a fishy smile.

“Your rudeness hasn’t changed. Are you overestimating your strength?”

“If you want to check, I’ll show you.”

At Killer King’s growling voice, the wolf harvesters flinched and stepped back.

One of the harvesters hardened their expression and said,

“Ever since you took control of this area, the harvest amount has fallen sharply.”

“And so?”

“I’ve heard rumors that you’ve been secretly raising livestock.”

“Those are baseless rumors.”

“Whether they’re baseless or not, we’ll know once we check.”

With those words, the wolf harvester turned to look toward the wooden villa. Only then did Killer King, who had realized the harvesters’ true intentions, furrow his brow.

“The beastfolk in this area belong to me.”

“Newly arrived livestock are assigned to the central area. Until they’re allocated, you can’t just take them as you please.”

“This is my area. I decide that.”

He must have amassed quite a tale by now, because the tale flowing out from Killer King’s whole body was no joke. At that level, he wouldn’t lose to any of the top incarnations we’d met in the Washington Dome.

For a moment, a strange thought occurred to me.

If Killer King had reached that level, why did he still have to choose the ‘Wolf camp’.

The answer was simple, if you thought about it.

There was a being belonging to the “Wolf camp” that he didn’t dare oppose.

From behind the wolf harvesters, a being two heads bigger than the other wolves slowly walked forward.

[Interesting, little wolf.]

The moment I heard the incantation, the hairs on my forearms stood on end.

[You have no authority to decide anything.]

According to the explanation in “Destruction Method”, the “Recycling Center” was clearly a place where incarnations gathered.

Then why did something like that exist here.

[Constellation, ‘Wolf Who Likes Red Hoods’, wears a ferocious smile.]

There was a constellation in Zone 13.