.

The next day, Monday, at the D-Mart shelter.

Early in the morning, those who looked out the window caused a commotion.

“Eh, what? What is that?”

“Some kind of barrier has appeared…?”

“Hurry and call Mr. Doha! Isn’t this a big deal!?”

A dome-shaped barrier appeared, wrapping around D-Mart. It looked as if a glass bowl was placed over the mart.

What was even more fascinating was the scenery inside the barrier.

Sunlight penetrated the barrier, turning into a more intense golden light and shining down, and made the ground inside the barrier glow as if it was blessed.

“Wow…”

“It doesn’t seem like… a bad thing, right?”

It was the effect of [Land of Hope], which was activated in the middle of the night while everyone was asleep.

.

About 30 minutes after dawn, there was no survivor in D-Mart who didn’t know about the incident.

People gathered near the main entrance on the first floor, sharing their opinions like a hive of bees.

“Can we pass through that barrier?”

“What if we can’t pass through? Are we trapped here?”

“Let’s all try to go through it at least once.”

“What if zombies attack us when we go out?”

“First, try throwing something near it.”

“No, rather than that…”

The noise was so tumultuous it felt like a bustling street market. The general atmosphere among the people was half fear and half curiosity.

As I made my way through the crowd to the front, all eyes turned to me.

“Ah, Mr. Doha is here!”

“Doha! Do you know what that is?”

I took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

“Everyone—! Calm down—!”

“….”

Everyone quieted down. As the representative and leader of the punitive force of D-Mart, I was respected and given the right to speak.

“In one hour, at exactly 9 o’clock, we will hold a survivors’ representative meeting. If you have any opinions, please express them there.”

I finished speaking and observed the reactions of the people. Everyone nodded without complaint and dispersed into the mart in small groups.

Among them, two individuals stood out.

Firstly, Seo Yuna.

Seo Yuna had always attended the punitive force’s activities without fail but never participated in any other gathering or interaction.

She was, simply put, a voluntary introvert.

I had never seen her with anyone else, and her face was always so faint that it never revealed any emotion.

However, now, she was frowning.

‘Is there something she’s unhappy about…?’

I decided to approach Seo Yuna later on.

And the second person who caught my eye was Baek Jihun.

Baek Jihun was intently staring at his sister, Baek Seona.

And what was Baek Seona doing?

She was quietly watching the people entering the mart, but upon noticing Baek Jihun’s gaze, she looked startled and hurried away with an unnatural stride.

‘… It’s so awkward.’

Wouldn’t it be better to just shout, ‘I know something!’, Seona…

Baek Jihun, who had been staring intently at Baek Seona, now turned his gaze to me. He then walked over and asked.

“Hyung. Is there some sort of connection between that curtain and my sister?”

“…I don’t know.”

I quickly glanced around. No one seemed to be eavesdropping on our conversation.

Baek Jihun smiled as if he had already figured everything out.

“No use trying to hide it. Seeing how awkward my sister is acting, how could I, her younger brother, not notice?”

“…”

I distinctly remember telling them yesterday that the three of us must keep this a secret from everyone else…

But it failed in just a day.

.I secretly summoned Serena and Baek Seona and gathered them in my room.

With Baek Jihun included, a total of four of us convened for an emergency meeting. I explained the situation to him.

For some reason, Baek Seona had suddenly awakened. A C-class special ability called [Land of Hope]. However, for her safety, we needed to keep the identity of the person with this ability a secret.

Baek Jihun listened to everything with a serious expression and then said.

“Let’s just say it’s my ability.”

“…What?”

I looked into Baek Jihun’s eyes. His clear eyes showed no sign of wavering.

Baek Seona looked at her younger brother and exclaimed in disbelief.

“Baek Jihun, what did you hear? We have to keep the identity of the one who set up the ‘Land of Hope’ a secret, right? Otherwise, she might become a target for unknown enemies…!”

Before she could finish, Baek Seona’s eyes widened in realization.

“…You, you can’t possibly…”

Baek Seona, seemingly realizing something, spoke with a trembling voice.

However, Baek Jihun didn’t even glance at his sister. From the start, he was intently staring straight into my eyes.

“Hyung, my sister’s act is too awkward. Someone will notice if we continue like this, even if we try to hide it.”

“No, you can’t!”

Baek Seona shouted, her face turning pale.

But Baek Jihun continued, ignoring his sister.

“The first one to notice was me. It took me less than five minutes to observe people and discover the truth. How long will it take for the second person to notice? A day? Two days?”

“…”

“If the secret leaks bit by bit, then it’s not a secret anymore. It becomes public knowledge.”

…Baek Jihun had a point.

It worked like this:

One of us had a special ability. But we didn’t know who. With this logic, all the members would start watching each other because they were curious about who the ability holder was.

But what if a decoy appeared, claiming the ability as their own?

Unless there was a special reason, people would believe the decoy was the real ability holder. There would be no particular reason to doubt.

In other words, it becomes much easier to keep the secret.

However, this method had a fatal flaw.

The very flaw being that instead of the real ability holder, the decoy’s life becomes endangered. Those intending to attack [Land of Hope] would target the decoy.

This method used the decoy’s life as bait.

To ensure the safety of the [Land of Hope] ability holder.

“…”

Amid the suffocating silence, Baek Seona spoke, her voice trembling.

“…If I act better, it’ll be fine.”

At last, Baek Jihun looked at his sister. His gaze was clear yet cold.

“It’s not about that, you know it. We need a decoy. That’s the way to increase the survival chances for everyone at D-Mart.”

“…”

I pondered further.

‘Should I step in as the decoy?’

Baek Jihun was right. It was better to have a decoy. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be Baek Jihun.

Instead of Baek Jihun, who possessed no special ability, playing the role of the decoy, it might be better for me, who stood a higher chance of surviving even when targeted, to take that role.

‘But he must know this…’

Yet he was insisting on being the decoy.

What might be the reason? Perhaps… It was a feeling of helplessness. The feeling of not being able to play any significant role.

Before the world fell apart, Baek Jihun was a world-conquering genius professional gamer. The world cheered, chanting his name. But in this changed world, he was nothing.

The reason he was the first to rise and work hardest without being asked, the reason he volunteered for the perilous role of a decoy—everything pointed to one answer.

I looked into Baek Jihun’s eyes.

He was speaking silently.

‘Don’t take away the role I’ve finally found for myself’…

“…”

I silently nodded.

“…Thank you, hyung.”

Baek Jihun expressed his gratitude with a smile.

“Doha oppa…!”

Baek Seona looked at me as if unable to comprehend.

‘Was this the right decision…?’I wasn’t sure.

.

“I apologize for not informing you earlier. It’s actually my ability. A special realm ability, ‘Land of Hope.’”

“What… what did you say?”

“‘Land of Hope’…?”

Baek Jihun revealed his power at the D-Mart shelter’s survivors’ representative meeting, bringing the morning’s commotion to a close.

Immediately after, Baek Jihun headed to the center of the first floor and exclaimed, ‘Emerge!’ As soon as he did, water sprang forth from the ground. Everyone, without a doubt, acknowledged Baek Jihun as the possessor of this ability.

With the emergence of a resource supplier akin to rain during drought, there was no longer a need to worry about water supply.

While everyone hugged and cheered, Baek Seona stood at the back, watching somberly.

“…”

Silently, I embraced her.

It was also a result of the decision I made, a burden I had to bear.

.

I was lying on the bed in my room, lost in thought.

“Master.”

Serena called out to me.

“Are you alright?”

As I lifted my head, calm green eyes stared back at me.

It wasn’t the ever-bright Serena I was accustomed to. This was a special look she only showed when she was concerned about me.

I smiled and opened my arms.

“Come here, Serena.”

Serena quietly climbed onto the bed and nestled in my embrace. I gently held her close and embraced her comfort.

The soft touch of golden hair slipping through my fingers, the gentle thud of her heart I could feel from her chest pressed against mine, the warm breath finding its way between her collarbones, and the comforting scent of her that eased my restless heart.

At that moment, Serena was consoling me with her whole being.

“…Master.”

“Mm?”

A faint whisper came from beneath my chin.

“Don’t suffer alone. No matter how heavy the burden, I will share it with you.”

“…”

“No matter the thorny path you walk, I will always be by your side. Always with a smiling face. As long as I’m with you, Master, it always feels like a path of flowers.”

“…Thank you, Serena.”

Hearing her sincere whispers, my heart filled with warmth, an emotion that words could hardly capture.

At the same time, blood rushed to my groin.

“…Master.”

“… It’s not my intention. It’s just that Serena is so… enticing.”

“Hehe. I’m flattered to hear that.”

She gently stroked my groin as she spoke.

“You pushed yourself too hard yesterday. Although I also deeply desire to be intimate with you… You should rest today.”

“Mm, I understand…”

“That’s right, good.♡”

With a compassionate touch, Serena stroked me, which only intensified my arousal.

“…We shouldn’t.”

“…I know.”

It was time to sleep. Serena got up to turn off the lights, then nestled back into my embrace. As we held each other, waiting to drift off to sleep, Serena suddenly spoke.

“Master.”

“Mm?”

“Seona and Jihun seem to get along really well, don’t they?”

“Yes, they do.”

“…I wish I had a sister too.”

“…”

A sister…

Serena, who used to be a Real Doll and became human due to my ability, probably wants another Real Doll to be transformed into a human being as her sister.

“I was actually planning to look for one soon.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll be leaving soon for the Real Doll company’s warehouse in Paju. I think I might be able to find a sister for you there…”

“Master… you’re the best.♡”

With the anticipation of a new sister, I could hear Serena’s giggly laugh as she hugged my neck, “Hehehe.”

And with that, sharing each other’s warmth, we drifted off to sleep.