Kim Dokja's POV

Han Sooyoung, Yoo Sangah, and I ran in the opposite direction from the fight. Although Han Sooyoung protested leaving Rimuru alone to deal with the Disaster, the abrupt surge of flames immediately sealed her mouth.

"W-Who was that guy? Wait.. is it even a guy?" Han Sooyoung kept looking back at the fight, although there was nothing to see thanks to that barrier Rimuru planted. 

I thought Han Sooyoug knew what Rimuru was, but I was wrong based on her expression. She must've had assumed because of Rimuru's silver-blue long hair.

Yoo Sangah didn't stop running alongside us. "Rimuru-ssi is actually a guy," she chimed in.

Han Sooyoung's eyes widened, her face forming different contemplative expressions, before she looked at me and Sangah with disbelief.

"Are you serious?"

I held back a wheeze and swallowed it down. Seriously, when it comes to Rimuru's gender, why can't I stop laughing? 

I looked at Yoo Sangah, and there was this understanding we share when it comes to Rimuru's gender. We both looked at Han Sooyoung with flat faces before saying it in a flat tone. 

"Yeah."

Sooyoung's face was worth being a meme. Her jaw was left hanging as we ran along the streets.

"Close your mouth unless you want a fly for dinner," I said, and she immediately closed her mouth shut. Sangah held a hand on her mouth to stop her laugh, creating muffled noises. 

Sooyoung gave us a dirty look before averting her gaze.

[A new sub-scenario has been added!]

Everyone stopped.

Me, Sooyoung, Sangah—the three of us came to a halt near the alley. Our eyes widened as we stared at the screen. A palpable frown was on my face, and I could say the same thing to both of them. I gritted my teeth as my hands curled into fists due to annoyance at this development. 

"Kim Dokja! What the heck is happening?!" Han Sooyoung yelled, her voice aggressive and as if demanding an answer.

I could feel her frustration coming out, considering how many plot twists we encountered today. She's probably tired of this crap.

There shouldn't be a new scenario...

-----------------------------------------

[The Sub-Scenario has been updated.]

+

<The Sub-Scenario - The SSS-Grade Hunt>

Category : Sub

Difficulty: B - ???

Clear Condition: Defeat the SSS-Grade Majin, Gelmud

Time Limit: None

Compensation: 5000 coins, SSS-Grade item (random)

Failure: The destruction of the Seoul Dome

-------------------------------------

So why?..

.

.

.

It's been minutes since the scenario popped up, yet we couldn't find any disaster. However, the three of us stayed vigilant.

Yoo Sangah had a firm grip on her blades, her brows furrowing and did a bit of distorting her usual beautiful image. Han Sooyoung, meanwhile, also had a firm grip on her combat knife.

[The exclusive skill 'Avatar Lvl.??' has been activated.]

Han Sooyoung didn't let her guard down. She immediately actuated her skill, summoning her clones and took formation around us.

"Where is that, Margin?" Han Sooyoung's eyes darted everywhere, as well as her clones.

"It's Majin, not Margin," Yoo Sangah remarked. Her stance indicated she was ready to attack once she spotted the enemy.

Sooyoung scoffed at her remarks; her annoyance was palpable. Both of them still have that kind of tension, even though both of them were pretending to work with each other.

The problem is that Han Sooyoung, when she was still our enemy during the underground station scenario, invaded our group's base, which I told Sangah to lead as the vice representative.

Sangah was angered that time, especially when she couldn't protect the minors from Sooyoung's invasion. Good thing Lee Gilyoung was alive; otherwise, I would've been the same with Sangah towards Sooyoung.

"It's taking too long. Is this a prank?" Sooyoung muttered her impatience.

It's been minutes already, and the disaster still hasn't shown up. Maybe it's at another location near here?

"Sorry for my tardiness."

A voice announced it's presence, echoing everywhere, near the skies down to where we were standing. It wasn't just a normal voice; it was a powerful one. Suddenly, I felt threatened, if not my 'Fourth Wall' didn't protect me.

All of us looked above with cautious expressions, then met the sight of a short figure clad in white, floating with demon-like wings. Its hand was holding a staff, and it wore a plague doctor mask with a top hat on.

"Since you're impatient, why don't we start?"

[The Disaster 'Gelmud' has used 'Death March Dance'!]

From the view here, we started to see red dots forming from thin air in the sky where the disaster was floating. It wasn't just six or seven red dots; it surpassed the number of thirty. 

"Run!" I yelled in a very loud voice, feeling a sense of dread as I ran to an alley. Sangah and Sooyoung followed behind, along with her clones. Just as we ran, the red dots immediately rained down on us, chasing us in every direction we turned.

I changed my mind; they aren't red dots. They're magic bullets that are hitting us! Just as we turned to a different street, I suddenly halted once I saw the red magic bullets ahead. 

"Dang it!" Sooyoung exclaimed in frustration, her clones copying her mood.

Apparently, we're trapped. There were red magic bullets everywhere, right, left, front, and back. What's more terrifying is that it's coming towards us! We faced every direction, slightly compressing until we could feel each other's backs. 

There was no escape.

"Done with the chase already? I was just about to get amused," Gelmud, the Majin, said in a condescending tone. I didn't even bat an eye at him, considering how we are in a tight spot right now.

Then he flicked his finger. The red magic balls coming towards us suddenly stopped, then started revolving around us. It was like a game; I felt like he was toying with us. I sent him a glare, and he didn't even react, except for a cunning chuckle.

It was annoying, to be honest.

"I'll give you a chance, you lowly creatures. If you are able to live after this attack, I'll let you go," he said, giving us a condition. 

He didn't let us utter a single alphabet or syllable, and he immediately flicked his finger again. The deadly red balls revolving around us started to shoot in our direction in a quick and snappy manner, one by one. If it wasn't for my reflexes, my head would've disappeared by now.

['Blade of Faith' has been activated!]

I unsheathed my blade and used it to pary the red bullets coming towards me. My blade swung with great force, sending back the red bullets to another bullet, causing them to hit each other and break their pattern.

"Lowly creatures, huh? Who do you think you are, you sh*tty crow mascot?!" Han Sooyoung didn't lag and swiftly evaded the red bullets. Her agility and reflexes were impressive. But her clones started to die one by one after they got hit by it.

Yoo Sangah evaded the red bullets with her speed. Although she was having a hard time, she immediately used her stigma's ability to leap from the ground. Just as she reached the maximum height of her jump, the red bullets immediately went upwards to follow her elevation.

[The stigma 'Hermes Stroll' Lvl.?? has been activated!]

But just as they were about to hit her, her heel stepped on the air, and then she jumped again and avoided the red bullets. She was jumping from ground to air, then from air to air, at a fast pace, making it hard for her to get hit by the bullets.

She was literally gliding above us.

"It's better to finish this fast," she said in a resolute voice, opening her palms before pointing it at Gelmud, who's also floating in the air. 

[The stigma 'Arachne's Web' Lvl.?? has been activated!]

Her palms formed a glowing net made of webs, projecting it towards Gelmud and extending to a size where it could capture him. It was like a hunting net—a fish net, to be exact. At first, I was amazed at how she could use those stigmas efficiently. 

So she's really an incarnation of Olympus.

Unfortunately for her web, Gelmud blasted a red beam and tore her web before it could even reach his distance. That was supposed to work, and I could see Sangah's expression hardening.

"Webs, huh? You remind me of a blue Kijin," Gelmud said and faced Yoo Sangah. I could feel an irk appearing at his forehead despite the top hat and plague mask that he was wearing. He was clearly annoyed.

"Webs like that won't work on me anymore."

A large ball made of magic formed on Gelmud's palm. Yoo Sangah, who was gliding and evading the bullets on the air, depressed on the ground and dread was etched on her face.

Me and Han Sooyoung noticed the abrupt rise of power. It was powerful, truly otherworldly. It almost reminded me of..

No. That guy is much stronger.

[The exclusive skill 'Bookmark' has been activated.]

A large book appeared above me and quickly flipped it's pages. Han Sooyoung stared at it and back to me with surprise.

---------------------------

[<List of Bookmarked Characters>]

1. Delusional Demon - Kim Namwoon
  (Understanding 35)

2. Steel Blade - Lee Hyunsung
  (Understanding 65)

3. Incited - Chein Inho
   (Understanding 20)

4. Empty

------------------

An additional slot was added. Great.. Truly great. I could feel adrenaline rush into my veins as I picked which character should I add on my bookmark.

Unfortunately, Yoo Junghyuk can't be chosen. If only he was an option, I would've picked him without hesitation. But right now.. I need that character.

Lycaon.

[The duration of the bookmark skill will be determined based on your skill level.

Duration: 30 minutes.]

That's enough time to beat this mascot.

[You can choose to make their skills one of your own.]

.

.

.

Bookmark.

It was the skill that I had since the beginning of this scenario.

It grants me the power to copy a character's skill by listing them on my bookmark. But I must met the character or interact with them first.

To copy their skills, I must reach a significant understanding of that character. As my understanding of them increases, the chance of me copying their skills also increases.

What are the characters, to be exact?

That was the question my mind had asked me many times, despite me already knowing what they are.

The characters I've met were Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jiyhe, Gong Pildi, Cheon Inho, and etc. And I could copy their skills if I wanted.

But how about Lee Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah? How about Han Sooyoung and Jung Heewon?

What about Rimuru?

..

The answer was vague to me either. But there were two things I was certain with..

One, this world full of scenarios was the novel I had read for over a decade..

Meaning, the characters, who're listed on my bookmark are also the characters inside the novel I've read.

And those who aren't listed are the real people.

Or that's what I think.

Second is..

I have read the ending of this novel

I am the sole reader of this novel.

I was the only one who finished TWSA.

And the one who can reach the end of scenarios..

Will be me.