795 Episode 38 Chance (1)
「All coincidences are probable from the universe's perspective.」
— Dokkaebi King
*
I don't know if I've ever talked about that writer.
「"Please put coincidences in unconditionally. The more the better. Please give them to the main character."」
The lecturer of the first web novel lecture I ever heard. Because he emphasized 'coinciding with coincidences' in every class, the students used to call him ‘Giyeon’'coincident' for short.
Because he was older than me, I called him 'coincident hyung', but one day, the one I used to call 'coincident hyung' suddenly disappeared from the industry.
Some said that he started writing under a different pen name, and others said that he left the industry altogether. There were also people who mocked him, saying that he must have been reincarnated into another world and met Coincident in that world.
However, no one actually knew what happened to coincident hyung.
But actually, I have something to say about his disappearance. Two years before he went missing, he contacted me.
—Hakhyun-ah. Do you want to work on a project together?
He contacted me right when his next project was a complete failure. I was happy to hear his call, but at the same time, I felt uncomfortable.
—Hyung, our styles are so different.
Collaborating on a project.
Usually, writers in their right minds wouldn’t do something like that. Not only would ‘collaborating’ not work well between writers with strong egos, but it often ends up being a negative when two people write together.
Furthermore, it’s not a structure where you can make more money through collaboration.
—Honestly, I’m not sure I can do it well. It’ll just be a nuisance.
—No. I need your help. Can we work together just once?
Was it because the voice on the other end of the phone was desperate? Or was it because this month’s management fee came to mind?
Even though I knew I shouldn’t do it, I couldn’t resist the temptation.
—I really don’t have confidence… Then how do you work?
—I’ll write the first draft. Then you can look at it. If it fails, I’ll fail, so don’t worry.
—But hyung, you’ll give the main character ten karma from the beginning, right?
—Hey. I’ve changed now. I won’t give the main character karma anymore.
Karma hyung doesn’t use karma?
I thought it was a joke, but I was curious anyway.
—What’s the genre?
—It’s a modern fantasy, but I’ll arrange it with a mix of martial arts and systems. Actually, I haven’t drawn up a specific worldview. Since you’re good at that, I’d like some help.
—You’re not telling me to draw it all, are you?
—I said it’s a collaboration. We’ll draw it together, but you’ll lay the groundwork. What do you think?
—Okay.
—Okay, let me ask you a favor. I think my senses are old now, so I’m not good at making trendy settings, so I’ll give you a decent ratio.
As I listened, it was a tempting suggestion. Some ideas just popped into my head.
—Do you have a rough plot?
—Well, there’s no worldview yet. Just because a tower suddenly appeared in the world…
—The tower climbing genre is a thing of the past.
—That’s true, but wouldn’t it be okay to make the main character a little more unique?
—What abilities are you going to give him?
—Let’s not give him any abilities.
No abilities?
—He trains hard without any abilities and becomes strong. It’s time for the classic hard-working main character to return.
There are many such main characters now, but there weren’t many back then.
—How about training hard in just stabbing?
I guess that’s why.
At that time, I found his idea very interesting.
—Well, yes.
When I think back to those days, I often think this.
Maybe all the stories in this world are connected.
We just don’t notice it, but maybe all writers are contributing to a 'huge piece of work' in ways we never thought of.
—Um, then what about the title…
The moment I heard these words, a title came to mind as if by fate. I thought that no other title would suit this story.
—『The World After The Fall』. How is it?
Several years have passed since that day.
『The World After The Fall』, which we wrote together, was completed with modest results after many twists and turns, but even so, that writer, who could not endure the hardships of life, disappeared somewhere.
I don’t know where he went. However, the royalties that came in occasionally told me that the work we wrote was being read by someone.
"Kim Dokja."
With those royalties, I was able to eat, pay management fees, and pay rent.
I was able to continue my life as a writer.
That’s why a parody of 『The World After The Falkl』 appears in 『Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint』.
Courtesy towards the writer who I wrote with. Or, I hope that he is still reading and writing novels somewhere in this world.
When I think about it now, there are times when all of that feels like a lie.
Was 『The World After The Fall』 really a novel we wrote?
Maybe he and I were just nameless scribes who received and wrote down dreams from some distant universe.
"Kim Dokja!"
I suddenly came to my senses at Yoo Joonghyuk's shout.
"Ah."
I suddenly looked behind me.
The empty void of space lay there. The nebulae that had threatened us until then, and the gods of the other world, were all swept away.
In that magical moment of emptiness, I clearly witnessed the flash of light that swept them all away with my own two eyes.
A stab.
It was definitely a stab.
"Be careful."
With those words, Yoo Joonghyuk stepped forward in front of me. His body had become tattered since he came here. Watching him step forward with such a body, I also stood next to him.
"I've never seen this guy before."
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression, which was sullen, was shaking with agitation.
Have I ever seen 'Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round' so tense?
The dot that had seemed like a period was getting bigger and bigger. The dot soon took the shape of a man. What was a little unusual was that the man was naked. I could tell without anyone saying anything. He was the main character who used 'stab'.
The moment our eyes met, I felt like the fluff on my entire body was going to burn. It felt like huge eyes were watching me.
A huge and intense eye that stared into space.
I had never felt this way even when I faced the constellations of the highest level.
"Yoo Joonghyuk. Do you believe in fate?"
"What?"
A naked man holding a sword finally arrived in front of us. He looked back at the two of us with a leisurely gaze and muttered.
"Are you those guys?"
Those guys. It was as if he knew us.
"It's just as he said."
The man's eyes, filled with deep disappointment, stared at me for a moment before turning to Yoo Joonghyuk.
"I expected it to be bad."
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned and twitched his lips.
I stepped forward before anything unexpected could happen.
"The 'Monarch Slayer' Jaehwan! Is that it?"
The man's expression changed subtly at my words.
"Do you know me?"
Of course I could not help but know.
He was the main character of 『The World After The Fall』 that Ihe had written with Kiyeon.
The absolute being of the worldview 《Tree of IllusionPhantom TreeFantasy Beast》.
The monarch killer Jaehwan.
Now, the main character of that story that we couldn't even tell if we had written was looking at me.
"Is there anyone in this universe who doesn't know your name?"
"It's not this universe where I'm famous?"
"Let's say it's the universe next door."
He even had a history of encountering Kim Dokja, who had become the 'oldest dream', while wandering around on the subway.
Well, it wasn't a good memory for either of them.
In any case, the important thing is that he had appeared in 『Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint』.
—Kim Dokja.
I could hear Yoo Joonghyuk's [Midday Tryst], which seemed quite tense.
—A being that is on par with a mythical grade constellation.
A mythical grade constellation.
The constellations that occupy the highest positions among the stars in this <Star Stream>. Right now, Yoo Joonghyuk was saying that the man was as strong as them, or even stronger.
I don’t know why the monarch killer came here. But this was our opportunity.
"Please. Please help me."
"What?"
"I need your help."
I never thought I would have to ask him for help. But there was no other way.
[You have been expelled from the scenario.]
With a 'tsk tsk' sound, the probability staggered around.
The incarnation body that had been stable for a moment was shaking once again.
[Enter the new main scenario.]
[If you fail to obtain the new main scenario, you will die.]
I had forgotten for a moment. I died in place of the Demon King of Salvation at the 'Recycling Center', and in return, I became a 'Scenario Exile'.
Just like Kim Dokja of the Demon World, my incarnation body would disintegrate if I didn’t enter the new scenario.
Jaehwan, who was quietly looking at me, asked.
"Why should I help you?"
Judging from the way he spoke, he seemed to be Yoo Joonghyuk's ancestor.
However, seeing that the conversation continued, there was still hope.
"You helped me just now, didn't you?"
"I didn't help you. I just got rid of those who were interfering with my training."
Training?
When I focused my vision, I saw an energy rippling all over his body. A sharp awl extending toward the world. It was an energy that seemed to symbolize 'stabbing'.
It was creepy. Even at this moment, he was repeatedly stabbing the world.
Stabbing hundreds, maybe thousands of times per second.
If I were to visualize the concept of 'stabbing', would it look like that?
"If you guys keep interfering, I'll kill you too."
An eerie warning.
Normally, it would be normal to leave immediately. The opponent was a being that could compete with a 'mythical constellation'.
Kukukukukuku.
A seething noise from the other side of the void. I could feel the tension between the minions of the nebula who had not yet given up on us and the gods of the other world.
Right now, they are keeping an eye out because of this man, but the moment we open up even a little distance, they will come rushing back like lynxes.
My intuition was telling me. I have to buy some more time, somehow.
"Is there a reason you are training so hard when you are so strong?"
Jaehwan did not answer, but I continued to ask.
"Who did you come here to meet?"
I pondered his nature and asked again.
"Or do you want a strong 'enemy'?"
'Jaehwan, the Monarch Slayer' was a man with a stronger competitive spirit than anyone else. He stabbed and killed all the monarchs and gods who reigned over 《Tree of IllusionPhantom TreeIllusionary Beast》, and eventually destroyed the universe he belonged to. Maybe he was interested in the strong people of this universe.
Jaehwan slowly raised his head, and a faint emotion filled his eyes.
"Is there such a being?"
"I'll let you fight them."
I didn't use [Incite]. I instinctively knew that [Incite] wouldn't work on the being in front of me. Right now, the only thing I could trust was my own three-inch tongue.
Fortunately, Jaehwan looked a little interested.
"How?"
"We're being chased by the constellations of the <Star Stream> right now."
Perhaps this might be the perfect opportunity to eliminate our enemies. If only we could make this being, who is approaching the 'god Myth-grade constellation', our ally.
I took a few deep breaths and continued.
"Just by being with us, all the strong people of the <Star Stream> will come looking for you."
"Are you trying to use me?"
"We're just giving each other a little help. Just allow me to stay by your side."
Anyway, if I let him go here, I would be in a situation where I would have no food or shelter. Since the hilt was over there, I thought it would be better to be honest about the situation rather than trying to convince him with nonsense.
Jaehwan looked at me without answering. Then he slowly turned his head and looked behind me.
When did it start?
The nameless things that had been watching from afar were once again expanding their forces and coming forward.
"It's annoying."
He swung his sword into the air, his voice uncertain whether positive or negative. Another flash of light struck, and the surroundings became quiet. It was truly an eerie sense of inaction.
Jaehwan, who had gotten up from his seat, slowly began to move somewhere.
I signaled to Yoo Joonghyuk to chase after him.
But Yoo Joonghyuk didn't respond at all.
When I looked back, Yoo Joonghyuk was unconscious. I belatedly noticed his broken knee and the wounds.
It was only natural.
It was a brave situation to have held out this long even after using [Resurrection of the Knight]. I picked up Yoo Joonghyuk and started chasing after Jaehwan. Fortunately, he moved just fast enough for us to keep up. I took that as his consent.
Was this a coincidence?
What would Kiyeon have said if he had seen that man's back?
[Your incarnation body is unstable.]
[The story 'Heir of the Eternal Name' warns you.]
'I understand, so don't whine.'
The lifespan of my incarnation body was decreasing in real time. From now on, it was a race against time.
While chasing after that 'monarch slayer', I had to somehow find a way to get back to the 'main scenario'.
The monarch slayer Jaehwan muttered without looking back.
"One week. No more."
I nodded while carrying Yoo Joonghyuk, who had become a rag.
"One week is enough."
We will never die. At least not until we change the damn ending of this universe.
I started walking diligently, following his footsteps left in the void.
796 Episode 38 Chance (2)
The back of Jaehwan, who was walking a few steps ahead, was blurry.
Walking, stopping for a moment to rest, and walking again.
I repeated that simple task while carrying Yoo Jonghyuk who had fallen.
[Your incarnation body is unstable.]
[Warning. Enter a new 'scenario'.]
It wasn't some kind of health alert, and I smiled bitterly as I heard the same message intermittently.
Who wouldn't enter the 'main scenario' without knowing?
「I wonder if it was a mistake to intentionally fail the 'scenario'?」
An old sentiment came flooding back, but I didn't really regret it.
At that time, it was the best choice.
Failing the scenario and being stripped of the status of 'constellation'. And thus being banished outside the scenarios.
That was the only way to save all the readers, including the 'Demon King of Salvation'.
[Your incarnation body is unstable.]
The cough that I spit out left a trail of stories.
[Your incarnation body is breaking apart.]
A body that would not be strange if it collapsed at any moment. Nevertheless, my incarnation body still managed to maintain its shape.
[Exclusive trait effect is activated.]
[The effect of the exclusive trait 'Record Repairer' delays the collapse of your incarnation body.]
Exclusive trait 'Record Repairer'.
This trait, which was activated by collecting a certain amount of 'Kim Dokja Fragments', had a certain level of immunity effect only against the collapse of the incarnation body.
Of course, this trait alone was not enough to withstand the collapse.
[Exclusive skill 'Fourth Wall' is activating.]
The [Fourth Wall]. Kim Dokja's main skill, and the skill that saved him from danger every time, if this skill hadn't been activated in time, I would have passed out without being able to overcome the pain.
[Exclusive skill 'Fourth Wall' is strongly activated.]
I imagined the 'Demon King of Salvation' and the little Kim Dokja beyond this wall.
People who still liked this story even after going through that terrible scenario together.
「Kim Dokja thought.」
They were talking.
「We have to survive.」
With a thud, the story flowed back once more.
How many more times did I vomit stories like that?
Jaehwan, who had been walking far away, stopped walking. It seemed like he was going to take a short break.
I laid Yoo Jonghyuk down on a floating stone floating around.
Is it the effect of the 'Summoning Squad' I had fed him earlier? Yoo Jonghyuk's incarnation was quickly recovering.
The deep wound below his kneecap was also slowly healing.
After all, the main character is the main character.
If this continues, Yoo Jonghyuk will be able to finish recovering and return to the scenario in a few days.
The problem is that I don't know if I will be alive by then.
[Your incarnation body is unstable.]
I felt drowsy once in a while, and every time I did, a terrible cold air came over me.
I must not lose consciousness.
I desperately recalled Kim Dokja’s story.
Sometimes, Kim Dokja had experienced something similar to me.
「If I don’t quickly save my incarnation body and seal my wounds, all my stories will collapse and I will die.」
I imagined Kim Dokja walking alone on the horizon of the stories. Kim Dokja walking alone in the world without a star’s gaze or a scenario.
He ate the story fragments on the horizon of the stories, and used them to repair his incarnation body and overcome the crisis.
How did 'Kim Dokja' absorb the story fragments back then?
「Lamarck’s giraffe.」
That’s right. Kim Dokja, the 'Demon King of Salvation', clearly had such a trait. If that’s the case, then I can also use that trait.
[The story 'Heir of the Eternal Name' looks at you with displeasure.]
[The story 'Heir of the Eternal Name' grumbles and begins its storytelling.]
After a while, a light bulb turned on in my head, and the trait was activated.
[You can now temporarily use the exclusive attribute 'Lamarck's Giraffe'.]
Lamarck's Giraffe.
With this trait, Kim Dokja was able to temporarily restore his incarnation body by absorbing small 'story fragments'.
The problem is that I don't have any remaining 'story fragments' to use for restoration.
That's when the sound of a vacuum cleaner could be heard from afar.
A flock of 'nameless things' swimming through space. Behind the guys who were scurrying around the void like a school of mackerel, a monster with a fierce appetite could be seen. An eerie presence that could be clearly felt from afar.
A deity from another world. The shark-headed alien with a human body was disturbing the group like a predator, biting the 'nameless ones'.
I really hoped it wouldn't look this way, but this time, the <Star Stream> betrayed my expectations.
【Ooooooooo】
The alien's cries made my mind dizzy. The guy who quickly wiggled his fins rushed towards me with his fearsome teeth flashing.
A murderous feeling that made my spine tingle.
The moment I instinctively grabbed the hilt of 'Unbreakable Faith' sword, a flash of light flashed before my eyes.
Jaehwan swung his sword.
The shark alien that had opened its mouth wide disappeared with its head exploding.
It was an unbelievable act of inaction. Even if it wasn't at the level of the 'Dream Eater', it seemed like an outer deity with its own name.
In any case, now was not the time to be completely surprised. This was because the fragments of the outer deity's legend floating in the void caught my eye.
[Exclusive trait 'Lamarck's Giraffe' reacts.]
Most of them were contaminated or damaged and unusable, but there were some that I could consume now.
I sneakily looked at Jaehwan's expression and asked.
"Can I eat that?"
Jaehwan glanced at me indifferently and quickly turned his head away.
I quickly approached the Shark's story fragment. I saw a story fragment that looked exactly like a shark's fin.
[Story fragment 'Rapid Swim' rejects your touch.]
[The story in question is contaminated.]
[Eating the story in question may cause side effects.]
Judging from the strong fishy smell, it seemed like it would be difficult to eat it as it was even if I utilized 'Lamarck's Giraffe'.
After thinking for a moment, I searched through the arms of the unconscious Yoo Jonghyuk.
Let's see, if my thoughts are right, he should have 'that item'. After a while, something like a small seasoning container was caught in my fingertips.
I checked the item information.
+
<Item Information>
Name: All-purpose special seasoning
Grade: A+
Description: Essence made from natural ingredients of the <Star Stream>. When sprayed, anything becomes edible. The recipe has not been revealed.
+
As expected, Yoo Jonghyuk.
I didn't have high expectations, but I didn't know this item really existed.
「All-purpose special seasoning. It's an item developed by Yoo Jonghyuk in the second round for emergency cooking. He himself doesn't use it often.」
Why do people carry around things like this and not use them? I don't know.
I roughly sprinkled the special seasoning on the still fluttering fins, then took a deep breath and swallowed it.
The snow shard tasted like ramen soup sprinkled on the shark fin.
[Exclusive trait 'RLamarckr's Giraffe’s Kirin's effect activates!]
[Story fragment 'Swimming Speed' refuses to .absorb!]
The story fragment that entered my stomach began to shake. My stomach rumbled as if I had an emergency. However, I couldn't just spit it out.
[Your incarnation body is in danger.]
If I spit this out now, I'll die. So I have to swallow it. I have to grit my teeth and get through it somehow.
That's when someone hit my back with a thud. It hurt so much I screamed, so I turned around and saw Jaehwan there.
Why are you suddenly hitting someone? Are you a psychopath?
Jaehwan looked at me for a moment without answering, then walked over and sat down nearby, sitting cross-legged.
Only then did I realize why he had hit my back.
[Your digestive ability is enhanced.]
[Exclusive trait 'Lamarck's Giraffe' is strongly activated.]
[Story fragment 'Rapid Swim' has been absorbed.]
Could it be that he's helping me now? Not someone else, but 'Monarch Slayer' Jaehwan?
[Your incarnation body temporarily regains stability.]
I felt my hunger disappearing quickly and my incarnation body recovering. I thought I could easily last another day or two at this rate.
"I, thank you."
I bowed my head toward Jaehwan. Jaehwan pretended not to hear me and closed his eyes.
Is he repeating his mental stabbing toward the universe again?
What on earth is he trying to stab with all that effort?
I looked at Jaehwan for a moment and then muttered while examining Yoo Jonghyuk's details again.
"You say thank you too."
Of course, Yoo Jonghyuk, who had passed out, didn't answer. It had been a while since I'd seen him sleeping so soundly. Even now, it seems like it was just yesterday that I was thrown under the bridge at Oksu Station, but I realized that a lot has happened since then.
While going back and forth between the Washington Dome and the Recycling Center, Yoo Jonghyuk became a black beast, and also a little Yoo Jonghyuk wearing a red hat. He almost died several times, and in the end, this is what happened.
Damn bastard. Why did you chase me all the way here? This didn't happen even in the third round.
If he hadn't come to save me, Yoo Jonghyuk would have cleared the 'Recycling Center' without a hitch and started growing. His transcendence would have been higher, and he would have moved on to the next scenario without a hitch with the readers of Earth.
I ruined everything.
So I have to save this guy.
After feeding Yoo Jonghyuk the 'summoning group' that I had divided up, I took a breather for a moment.
While he was eating the remaining summoning group crumbs, my eyes met with Jaehwan's, who was looking at me.
Why is he looking? I feel uneasy.
I recalled the information about him in my head.
「The Monarch Slayer Jaehwan.」
Fortunately, since 『The World After The Fall』 was a work I was involved in, I remembered quite a bit of information about him.
For example, if someone asked me, "Who is Jaehwan?", I could answer like this.
「The protagonist who destroys the world by stabbing while naked.」
After summarizing, he seems like the type of person you should never get entangled with.
I thought for a moment and held out the summoning crumbs to Jaehwan.
"Would you like some?"
When you first become close, isn't it best to share food?
Whether he was naked or destroyed the world by stabbing, it was something that happened in his universe.
And in this <Star Stream>, he saved me twice.
Who knows? Maybe that 'Monarch Slayer' became a little kinder under the influence of the <Star Stream> worldview.
"You eat it."
I felt a familiar comfort in his sharp answer and asked back.
"What do you usually eat?"
"I don't eat anything in particular."
"If you don't eat anything, you die."
Jaehwan didn't answer and just stared at me. Thanks to someone, I was already used to that kind of gaze.
I shook the seasoning bottle and smiled.
"If there's anything you want, I'll make it for you. There's some good seasoning here."
I didn't really plan on cooking. I'm not Yoo Jonghyuk from the 81st round of 'Ways of Survival', so what kind of food would I cook in this 'change of scenario'? Even if I made it, it would be nothing more than 'Foreign Correspondent Sharkspin who died from a brutal stabbing'.
But I wanted to talk to that man who was hard to get close to, even like this. My
My life and Yoo Jonghyuk's life depended on that good-natured psychopath for the next week.
If he changed his mind and stabbed us to death right now, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' would end here.
"The kind of food I want to eat?"
Huh?
"No one can make it now."
I was a little taken aback by his answer. I never imagined that the 'Monarch Slayer' would have a food he wanted to eat.
"What kind of food is it?"
If possible, I was going to refer to 'Yoo Jonghyuk from the 81st round's recipe and make it. If I didn't have the ingredients, I could just raid Yoo Jonghyuk's coat pockets.
Jaehwan stared into space for a moment as if recalling a distant memory, then opened his mouth.
"Dumplings."
I looked at him for a moment, wondering if I had heard wrong.
What did you say just now?
"It's a food called 'Murim Dumplings'."
797 Episode 38 Chance (3)
Unfortunately, the recipe for 「Murim Dumplings」 did not exist among the knowledge I had.
If it had been Yoo Jonghyuk Jonghyuk, a cooking expert in the 81st round, or Yoo Jonghyuk in the 999th round who had experience in making Murim dumplings, they might have known the recipe…
"I like them too. Murim dumplings."
"Have you ever eaten them?"
For the first time, curiosity appeared in Jaehwan's eyes.
I nodded vigorously, surprised that even this person had curiosity.
"No."
Jaehwan looked at me like I was crazy and asked.
"How can you like food you've never eaten?"
"You don't have to eat it to like it, right?"
"What?"
I've never eaten Murim dumplings, but I've drawn countless scenes of 'Murim dumplings eating'. While I was sketching scenes of Kim Dokja and Yoo Jonghyuk eating Murim dumplings in Murim and Seoyuki, I also ate hundreds of Murim dumplings in my head.
With my eyes closed, I recited the taste of Murim dumplings from 'The World After the Fall' and 'Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint' at length.
After talking like that, I felt full, as if I had really eaten a whole plate of dumplings.
When I opened my eyes, Jaehwan was looking at me in disbelief.
"You really talk like someone who has eaten them."
"Isn't the most perfect 'martial arts dumpling' the 'Murim dumplings that I have not yet eaten'?"
Above all, in front of me now is a person who has actually eaten Murim dumplings through that description.
I patted Yoo Jonghyuk on the head and said.
"He probably knows better about taste. By the way, this guy's favorite food is also 'Murim dumplings'."
Jaehwan glared at Yoo Jonghyuk as if he couldn't believe what I said, and then said,
"So what do you want me to do?"
"I'll let you eat it again. That 'Murim dumpling'."
The 'Murim dumpling' in Jaehwan's world was destroyed, but this world wasn't destroyed yet.
And fortunately, the recipe for that 'Murim dumpling' was still being passed down in the <First Murim>.
But Jaehwan's attitude was strange.
"I don't believe what a guy like you says."
"No, why? I can let you eat real 'Murim dumplings'. Doesn't the thought make your mouth water? If you order chicken soup and noodles and eat them together—"
"You're going to ask for something else in return, right?"
"No, I'm not going to ask for anything else. I'll just take you to where the 'Murim dumplings' are."
"You're not saying you want me to protect you until I get there?"
This is why I hate protagonists.
They're so sensitive.
"Can't I?“
"Even if I could eat 'Murim dumplings' again."
Jaehwan paused for a moment and continued.
"The 'Murim dumplings' I ate that day areis no longer there."
If my sponsor was next to me, he would have complained, saying, "That’s an amazing dumpling philosophy," but right now, my 'Demon King of Salvation' content was somewhat lacking.
"You must really like Murim dumplings."
Jaehwan looked at me as if I was crazy even more than before.
With a feeling of "Tsk tsk," [The Fourth Wall] spoke in my head.
「This isn’t about dumplings.」
I thought of the 'Demon King of Salvation' watching me with pitiful eyes from beyond the wall.
"Me too."
Jaehwan turned his head and stared into the void. Just as Yoo Jonghyuk stared at the sky of the <Star Stream> whenever he had the chance, he also stared into the void whenever he had the chance. As if there was someone he missed. I remembered Jaehwan’s story a little.
Just as I and other readers were summoned to the <Star Stream>, he was the protagonist summoned to the <Fantasy Tree>.
Just as we went through the scenarios, he climbed a tower that looked like a tree and finally reached the top of the tower.
However, I don’t know what he felt at the top of the tower or what kind of being he became.
This is because Kiyeon’s novel ends somewhat abstractly without describing that part in detail.
I hesitated for a moment and then asked.
"May I ask what the dumplings you ate tasted like?"
Jaehwan looked back at me without saying a word and then looked up at the sky again.
A sky where no stars watch over us.
How long had he watched the vast void of space? His sword let out a humming cry. A cry that somehow sounded sad and heartbreaking.
Jaehwan never answered.
*
While traveling with Jaehwan, I asked him countless questions. At first, Jaehwan didn't answer my questions, but sometimes he would talk when he felt like it.
"Do you know how much time has passed?"
"A day has passed."
"Wow, it felt like three days. But how do you measure time?"
"I'm stabbing 3,600 times per second."
"Could you slow down the stabbing a little?"
Jaehwan glared at me expressionlessly and started stabbing again.
"Where did you live?"
I continued asking questions as well. Where did he live, whether there was a scenario in his world, whether there was a system, how long he had lived.
Some of the answers were things I already knew, and some I didn't know.
I continued asking questions in order to somehow win his favor, but also for my own sake.
[Your incarnation body is becoming unstable.]
I felt like I would lose consciousness at any moment if I didn't talk to someone.
My incarnation body was almost at its limit now. In the end, Jaehwan, who couldn't hold it in any longer, opened his mouth when the number of my questions surpassed the number of times Yoo Jonghyuk regressedreturned.
"How long are you going to keep babbling?"
"Until you answer."
"This has nothing to do with you."
"But I still want to hear it."
"There's no story to tell a guy who's about to die."
"I'm about to die, so wouldn't it be nice to hear a fun story one last time?"
Jaehwan's lips twitched in discontent.
"It's not even that fun."
I know. Kiyeon's novels weren't popular.
But it didn't matter.
"I've read a story about someone who regressed 1,863 times. Do you think it'd be more boring than that?"
"Regression?"
For a moment, I thought, 'Oh no.' This man absolutely hated the word 'regression'.
The reason was clear.
In Jaehwan's world, all of his colleagues, except for him, had 'regressed'.
"There were guys who 'regressed' in my world, too."
"Is that so?"
I pretended not to know. Then Jaehwan added in a fierce voice.
"There was no one who did that 1,863 times."
"That's not an ordinary number."
"If someone regressed that many times, they must be a bad guy."
"That's not true."
I answered without realizing it.
Jaehwan narrowed his eyes at me and said.
"All regressors are cowards."
"Not all of them."
"Regressors abandon the present and run away. They go back to the past to steal others' achievements, steal items, and steal history."
"There are those who fought and fought to protect the present, but they had no choice but to regress."
I don't know why I became Yoo Jonghyuk's spokesman, but Jaehwan looked quite angry at my defense.
"There can't be a guy like that. All regressors are people who are so obsessed with the past that they can't properly look at the present."
"At least one guy is different."
"One guy?"
"And to me, you don’t look any different from a 'regressor'."
"What do you mean?"
A terrifying murderous aura flowed out of Jaehwan’s body.
"Aren’t you missing the taste of Murim dumplings?"
Jaehwan’s face was like the first time he had been hit. The murderous aura that had flowed out dissipated like magic.
"I."
"No one moves forward without looking back. Sometimes, becoming a regressor isn’t such a bad thing."
Jaehwan didn’t answer for a long time, then slowly drew his sword.
His wooden sword blade stabbed the air. Stabbing, stabbing, stabbing again, how many times did he stab like that?
Jaehwan opened his mouth.
"As I said, my story won’t be fun."
"Even if it’s a story where you only stabbed for a million years, it’s okay."
"Only a million years?"
"Then how long have you been doing it?"
".…"
"It seems like it's not a time that can be done in one's right mind."
"It seems like I'm not in one's right mind."
"When you say that, it's really scary."
Jaehwan snickered. For the first time, he looked a little human, with a smile.
"Why are you curious about my story?"
"I guess I'm wondering if I can steal some of the secrets of strength."
"Do you think you can follow along if you listen?"
I know full well that I can't.
Even if he stabbed for a million years, it doesn't mean I can imitate those times.
However, I have [a BbBookmark].
If I can listen to his story and understand him even a little, I might really be able to steal 'his strength'.
Just like Kim Dokja stole the strength of other characters.
"I don't know. I might have a great awakening after hearing your story."
Of course, I never once received a message saying that my 'understanding has increased' during all the conversations I had with him.
He might be someone my poor brain simply couldn't understand.
Still, I thought it was worth the challenge.
"Why do you want to become stronger?"
"Well, I have to knock down all the stars in the sky."
"And then?"
"We'll see the end of this world."
Jaehwan looked at me like that and put his sword away.
"That's obvious."
"Do you have to have a special reason to become stronger?"
"Some strengths are like that."
Jaehwan's pupils glowed ominously. I could see the shape of a Möbius spinning inside his pupils.
"Anyone can become stronger if they have the will. However, strength itself betrays the will. When you become as strong as you want, you may not want to see the end of this world."
Listening to him, I thought of the constellations in the sky.
Great people. Tales. Myths. Beings who have accumulated countless years and become stars in the sky. They must have had a time like mine.
Maybe even Jaehwan in front of me.
"I haven't thought about that."
"You should think about it now. That's probably a question that the enemies you're about to fight have thought about."
"Well, it's probably different when you enter and leave the bathroom."
Jaehwan frowned, as if my analogy was quite unpleasant.
He frowned.
"I doubt you can even enter that bathroom right now."
"That's..."
"It's not too late. Leave that guy behind and leave."
Jaehwan's eyes turned to Yoo Jonghyuk, who was sleeping.
As expected, Jaehwan knew about my condition.
"You're not in a condition to last a week."
"I know."
"If you hold on to that guy, you'll die."
My incarnation body looked like it could break at any moment.
I answered while collecting the stories that were collapsing in real time.
"Thank you for your words, but I can't leave."
"Why?"
If I somehow managed to escape to get to the 'main scenario' on my own, I could find some way.
But if that happens, Yoo Jonghyuk will be left alone in this void. And it didn't seem like that man would save Yoo Jonghyuk, who was left alone.
"Because we're comrades."
"I know that guy is a regressor."
"…"
"Anyway, after he regresses, he won't remember you."
"That could be the case. But it could also not be the case."
I thought about Yoo Jonghyuk. From the 0th to the 1,864th time. I thought about his will that had been repeated over the countless times.
"Who knows? Maybe he'll remember me again after regressing 1,863 times."
"That can't be."
"After a long regression, he might become stronger than you and come to end this whole damn world."
I briefly imagined 'Secretive Plotter' who was building up a story that had nothing to do with this story across the universe.
And then I turned my eyes to the fallen Yoo Jonghyuk again.
"And this guy won't regress. Even if he does, he has no world to return to. This world is his last world."
Yoo Jonghyuk, lying on the floating stone, curled up as if he was cold. Covering that guy with a coat, Jaehwan muttered quietly.
"A regressor who does not regress."
With that, he did not speak any further. He was staring at the void as before, but for some reason, his expression was different from before. Maybe he was thinking of the Murim dumplings he shared with his colleagues a long time ago.
I held my breath quietly so as not to disturb his thoughts.
*
Yoo Jonghyuk woke up on the sixth morning. As soon as he woke up, the smell of finely ground herbal medicine tickled his nose.
'A summoning group.'
It would vary depending on the market price that day, but the summoning group was an elixir that cost more than a hundred thousand coins. Someone had fed him the medicine. Of course, it was obvious who that someone was.
'Kim Dokja.'
Kim Dokja was seen curled up on a nearby floating stone and sleeping.
Yoo Jonghyuk looked at Kim Dokja for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses and grabbed his spear.
A place a few steps away. There was a man with a body staring at him from above the broken meteorite.
Was it 'Jaehwan'?
Yoo Jonghyuk carried Kim Dokja, who had fallen, while being wary of Jaehwan. An exhausted and worn-out incarnation body.
Judging from his condition, he was in danger if he didn't repair his stories right away.
Yoo Jonghyuk thought of the places where the 'Story repairman' was nearby and took a step back.
He heard Jaehwan's voice behind him.
"Where are you going?"
"A place where I can save this guy."
"If you leave here, you guys will die."
He understood what those words meant. Even now, he could feel the presence of the stars from a great distance. The reason they weren't approaching him must have been because of the existence of 'Jaehwan' before his eyes.
Even those incredible nebulae were afraid of the man before his eyes.
However, he couldn't keep dying here forever.
"I won't die."
Yoo Jonghyuk’s condition was the best right now. As he had overcome near-death experiences, his incarnation body had become more robust, and his skills had also improved.
If it was a head-on fight, it wouldn’t be fine, but if it was just running away with Kim Dokja, it would be possible.
But Jaehwan said something strange.
"It means I'm going to kill you."
"What?"
Was he really a dangerous guy?
As he instinctively raised hismy fighting spirit, Jaehwan continued to speak.
"If you want to leave, leave him behind. Then I'll let you go."
"What are you talking about?"
Jaehwan glanced at Kim Dokja with his characteristically expressionless eyes, and answered in his usual blunt voice.
"I'm a little interested in the 'Murim Dumplings' that guy is talking about."
798
However, no matter how many times I slapped myself, I didn't come back to my senses.Dim lighting. The smell of dry, warm letters. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was in a bookshelf.
I fainted.
I suddenly felt alert. I absolutely could not faint. The stamina of my incarnation body was running out, and the one-week promise with Jaehwan was just around the corner.

[Exclusive skill 'Fourth Wall' is activating.]
A soft system message rang in my ears.
It seemed that this was inside the [Fourth Wall].
I slowly got up and saw the library in my blurry vision.
The sound of breathing could be heard quietly.
When I looked back, the smallkkoma Kim Dokjas were each sitting on small chairs or sofas, sound asleep.
I checked the faces of the smallkkoma Kim Dokjas one by one. When I looked closely, I saw some faces I knew among the smallkkoma Kim Dokjas.
Gu Seonah, the Iron Gon woman. Old man Kim Kyungsik of Gombangdae.
The two people who were sleeping soundly with their heads together were faintly smiling, what they were dreaming about unknown.
I tried to calm my rising emotions and looked at them for a while. Then, in order not to wake them from their dreams, I slowly moved my body and looked around.
In the center of the group of small kkoma Kim Dokjas, there was a small table. On the table were newspapers scattered in a mess, and a book.
A thick black binding.
『Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint』.
The moment I confirmed the title of the book, I instinctively opened the bookcase. Then, the letters that the cover had been holding onto spilled out onto the paper.
["He's dead. Inho-ssi—Dokja-ssi is dead."]
The voices of people I knew came to mind in real time.
The letters came to life before my eyes as if [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] had been activated.
Kyung Sein was speaking in the letters.
["He's dead."]
It had been a long time since I heard such a desperate voice.
「"He died."」
It was clear who she was talking about.
There was also a strong voice that continued as if to comfort her despair.
「"Wake up, Kyung Sein. Nothing is certain yet."」
Killer King—Cha Sungwoo's voice.
「"Kim Dokja, who was the 'Demon King of Salvation' in the Book of Revelation, came back to life. Just because he was banished from the scenario doesn't mean he will die right away. He will somehow find a way. That's because he is Kim Dokja."」
「"How would you know that? Everything is different from the main story."」
My body shook with a spark.
My vision was blurry as if fog had formed. The moment I staggered and touched the table, I heard someone's voice.
「(Youngest.)」
I could immediately tell who the owner of the voice was.
「(You can rest a little more.)」
I looked back with a bitter smile.
"If I rest, people will be in danger."
Maybe because of fatigue, I couldn’t see his face well, but it was clearly my sponsor, my hyunghyung.
I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. My plan was successful.
He was living inside the [Fourth Wall].
「(Don’t worry. Your people are strong. You know better since you’ve been with them all this time.)」
My people.
「(You should trust them just like I trusted <Kim Dokja Company>.)」
I realized anew how difficult it is to trust someone.
I bit my lips and lowered my head.
"I’m afraid that I ruined everything. I’m afraid that more people will die because of me. Because of the sentences I wrote carelessly—"
「(A story doesn’t fall apart because of a few incorrect lines. Rather, what if a new development begins from those sentences?)」
"Can Kim Dokja say that?"
「(Don't you think Ways of Survival is a perfect story?)」
"The main character of that Ways of Survival is going to die because of me."
「(You don't seem to know much, but the life force of a sunfishsunpufferfish is stronger than you think.)」
We looked at each other. Then we snickered. I tried hard to hold back the blurring of my vision.
"I thought I would never be able to have this conversation again."
I wanted to tell him that I was glad to see him again, that I was thankful that he was alive.
But there were things that could be conveyed without saying anything. It was a feeling that both he and I could feel because we were Kim Dokja. We kept our mouths shut for a moment and immersed ourselves in that feeling.
"That bastard Yoo Jonghyuk, why on earth did he chase after me?"
「(Do you think Yoo Jonghyuk came because he was worried about you? He must have an ulterior motive.)」
"Of course he would."
「(Yeah. So come to your senses. You know how poisonous and selfish that bastard is.)」
"Damn Yoo Jonghyuk."
The questions I really wanted to ask, the things I wanted to say were all scattered among the silly jokes. It was nice just to exchange such insignificant jokes.
After a brief silence, the Demon King of Salvation spoke.
「(I should have become a part of you by now.)」
"Don’t say anything ominous."
The Demon King of Salvation looked at me quietly and nodded.
「(Yes. In fact, I also want to watch your story a little more.)」
Does my sponsor know? How much strength does just those words give me? How much courage I cancan I muster just by knowing that he is watching over me?
"Of course you should watch over me. You are Kim Dokja."
「(The constellations are watching over you, too.)」
"I know."
「(Odin and Zeus won’t give up easily. They know the value of 'Kim Dokja fragments'. Especially you right now…)」
"Am I worth it to them right now?"
To be honest, I found the obsession of the nebulae somewhat strange. I have seen constellations and monsters that have acquired 'Kim Dokja fragments' gain levels beyond their original abilities several times, so I understand that 'Kim Dokja fragments' are valuable stories to the constellations.
However, is our existence worth the 'existence of the nebula' to the point where they have to sacrifice probability?
「(That's because you haven't been able to properly draw out the power of the 'Kim Dokja fragments' yet. The nebulas have various story amplification devices.)」
Story amplification devices.
「(If the 'Kim Dokja fragments' enter a large nebula, it may be possible to rewrite the history of the universe.)」
Rewriting the history of the universe.
Just hearing the words sent shivers down my spine.
What would happen if one nebula that collected all the 'Kim Dokja fragments' rewrote the entire universe of 'Ways of Survival' and 'Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint'?
"We absolutely cannot get caught."
Thinking about it that way, it made sense that the Demon King of Salvation took the unreasonable step of 'scenario dedication'.
If the 'Demon King of Salvation' fragments had been stolen by the constellations, something truly terrible would have happened.
「(And the constellations aren't the only problem. If you don't repair your incarnation body right away, you'll really die.)」
"What if I go to the Demon World?"
In the main story, Kim Dokja visited the '73rd Demon World' right after becoming the 'Demon King of Salvation' and dying.
And there, he met the Demon World's clockmaker with the 'Fable Expert' trait - Aileen Makefield.
"The 'Lamarck's Giraffe' trait can also be activated. If I activate this trait and get my stories repaired by AileenIrene, wouldn't I be able to survive? If I stay there, I'll also be able to receive the 'Revolutionary Scenario'."
It doesn't end with the Story Repair. In the end, I have to re-enter the 'Main Scenario'. Otherwise, my incarnation body will continue to break down.
Fortunately, there is the 'Revolutionary Scenario' in the 73rd Demon World, so if I re-enter the main scenario through that, my survival will be guaranteed.
「(That won't work.)」
"Huh? Why?"
「(The 73rd Demon World's scenario has already ended.)」
"The scenario ended?"
How on earth could that be? If things had gone according to plan, the 73rd Demon World's scenario should have been in full swing.
Then suddenly this thought occurred to me.
「If there had been a reader possessing someone in the 'Demon World'.」
The possibility that someone had already finished the 73rd Demon World's scenario instead of me.
It was a development I hadn't thought of, but judging from the expression on the Demon King's face, it seemed like something like that had actually happened.
It seemed like the information would consume the probability cost, so the Demon King seemed reluctant to mention it.
「(Anyway, even if I go to the Demon World this time, there won't be much to gain.)」
"I guess I'll have to give up the Revolutionary scenario as well."
Naturally, I guess I won't be able to participate in the 'Demon King Selection Tournament' scenario that follows. I had hoped that I might be able to obtain the grand tale of 'Spring of the Demon World', but the situation was difficult.
「(There's nothing you can do. You have to find another giant tale scenario.)」
"The other giant tale scenarios are all amazing."
Unlike the 'Demon King Selection Tournament' that occurs in the early part of the scenario, none of the other giant tale scenarios were easy.
<Olympus>'s 'Gigantomachia', <Eden>'s 'The Great Battle of the Holy Demons', and <Emperor>'s 'Journey to the West...
In the first place, they weren't even areas that could be entered at the moment, and they were all scenarios run by the 'Giant Nebulae'.
「(Haven't you seen 'Ways of Survival'? There are also giant tale scenarios that aren't run by the Giant Nebulae.)」
"I have. I just can't memorize it as well as anyone else."
「(How pathetic.)」
"I'm a Kim Dokja who specializes in writing rather than reading."
「(Isn't reading well the basics for writing well?)」
Judging from the way he was arguing, it seemed like my hyung had already finished researching the next scenario area.
「(I've extracted the scenes you need, so check them later. Do you still have my smartphone?)」
"Of course."
「(If we don't come to our senses, we'll be dead in no time. If we keep clashing with the giant nebulae like this, we're sure to lose.)」
The word 'we' resonated louder than the word 'sure to lose.'
I'm not alone.
「(And now the two of us can't do it alone. It's time to borrow the strength of the other Kim Dokjas.)」
"The other brothers?"
My heart started to beat slowly as I watched the Demon King of Salvation nodding.
The Demon King of Salvation in front of me was the eldest of the Kim Dokja brothers.
In other words, it was time to meet the other Kim Dokjas. It means that it has been done.
「(I found the coordinates of the second one.)」
"Coordinates? Can’t we just contact each other and meet?"
I was so excited that I even forgot that my incarnation body was about to disappear.
Just as the 'Demon King of Salvation' was a constellation of the level of a legend, the second Kim Dokja must also be a constellation with a modifier.
No, maybe it could be a constellation of a higher level than the 'Demon King of Salvation'.
"You should have talked about that first!"
If it's a constellation, 'indirect messages' can be used.
It might be faster for them to come to us than for us to go.
Maybe they could help us when we're in trouble.
If that's the case, we wouldn't need the help of a psychopathic alcoholic man from another world.
"Contact him right now!"
But the expression on the 'Demon King of Salvation''s face, who was watching me get excited, was strangely dark.
「(But I suddenly can't contact the second guy.)」
799 Episode 38 Chance (5)
Second Kim Dokja can't be contacted?
"No way."
A constellation, which was in perfect health, suddenly lost contact. Just like me, the 'Demon King of Salvation' was chased by the nebulae, maybe something similar happened to the second one.
「(It doesn't seem like he's in the hands of the 'Giant Nebulae' yet. The coordinates I found are outside the area of ​​the Giant Nebulae.)」
Even so, it wasn't a situation to be at ease. It meant that the constellation was in such a state that it couldn't even use indirect messages.
The Demon King of Salvation waved his hand as if to tell me not to worry and added.
「(I'll tell you the coordinates, so just check them first. Your condition is the priority right now.)」
That's right. In order to find the second one, I have to be fine first.
「(And in my opinion, the current situation isn't that bad.)」
"Isn't that a line that you absolutely shouldn't say?"
In a dying incarnation body, being chased by giant nebulae, if I don't get a new scenario right away, I'll be destroyed.
But 'the situation isn't that bad'?
「(There's a guy protecting you.)」
"Who? That naked guy?"
「(Yeah.)」
"You haven't seen what's been going on lately."
I thought of Jaehwan's expressionless face. Those sharp eyes that looked like they'd stab me 100 times if I offended him even a little.
But the Demon King of Salvation seemed to have a different opinion than me.
「(He doesn't seem that bad of a guy.)」
"Huh?"
「(He wiped out all the guys that were chasing you. Even that 'Indescribable Distance'.)」
It was true.
「(And when you ate the story fragment and got sick, he also patted your back.)」
"That's not certain. He didn't pat me, he beat me to the point where I was almost dead."
「(You didn't die.)」
That's true.
「(Is that all? You followed him around for a week, too. He could have just gone and found the strong guys himself, so why bother bringing you around?)」
When I thought about it, it all sounded plausible, so I couldn't say anything to refute it.
「(Decisively, if he was going to kill you, he would have already killed you.)」
My mind was confused by the continuous gaslighting of the Demon King of Salvation.
Is that so? Is he actually a good guy?
If it weren't for the Demon King of Salvation who insisted on that opinion, I might have been convinced.
"No, but he's not someone you can feel safe with. Just looking at his personality, he's arrogant and shameless, just like—"
「(Like Yoo Jonghyuk?)」
"That's right. Like Yoo Jonghyuk."
The Demon King of Salvation smiled brightly.
「(Then wouldn't it be better?)」
"Yes?"
「(If the guy who resembles Yoo Jonghyuk still kept you alive, then there must be a reason for keeping you alive. So...)」
Unfortunately, the voice of the 'Demon King of Salvation' gradually became hazy. I felt myself slowly regaining consciousness, and the Demon King of Salvation tightly gripped my shoulder.
「(Don't worry, youngest. I'll always be watching over you.)」
*
When I opened my eyes again, the surroundings were noisy. An ominous cracking sound could be heard.
When I turned my head, I saw two naked men swinging their swords at each other in the pitch-black darkness.
One of them was Jaehwan, the monarch slayer, needless to say, and the other was...
Am I still half-asleep?
I rubbed my eyes repeatedly out of fatigue before closing them again.
It seems I'm still half-asleep. Let's just go to sleep.
*
I woke up with a "Huk!" sound. Come to think of it, it wasn’t time to fall asleep.
When I opened my eyes again, the surroundings were quiet.
Was it a dream?
[Your incarnation body has temporarily regained stability.]
I felt like someone was staring at me, so I suddenly raised my upper body and saw Jaehwan staring at me from afar.
"You’re finally awake."
I rubbed my eyes again. Jaehwan was wearing clothes.
"You’re wearing clothes?"
"Is that so surprising?"
No, he was naked until recently.
"I just forgot to put on clothes for a moment."
I wanted to ask if there were people who would forget that, but I stopped because I thought I’d get stabbed 1000 times.
The smartphone in my arms vibrated. When I turned on the screen, a specific chapter of 'Ways of Survival' was loaded. It seemed like the chapter of 'Ways of Survival' that the 'Demon King of Salvation' mentioned was this part. As I was quickly reading that part, Jaehwan spoke again.
“"You broke your promise."
"What promise?"
"Didn’t you say that if you were nearby, strong guys would come?"
"That’s right."
"No one came."
"Hasn’t it been a few days?"
To be honest, I didn’t know that no one would come this far. Still, the constellations of the giant nebulae that are chasing us are supposed to at least show their shadows.
The good news is that there’s still time left until the promise.
"The week we promised has already passed."
"Huh?"
Did I sleep that long?
"Today is the eleventh day. Don’t you know anything?"
A cold sweat formed on my back.
That much time has really passed?
Then why is that human still here? Even…
[Your incarnation body has temporarily regained stability.]
Why did my incarnation body suddenly get better? At first, I thought it was because I absorbed the story fragments through the 'Lamark Giraffe', but that didn't seem to be the only reason.
It felt like someone had reassembled the joints of my broken soul.
"I thought you were going to die soon, so I did a little bit of work. That should be enough to last another week."
This time, I really thought I had misheard.
Was that 'Monarch Slayer' saying something right?
"Did you save me?"
Jaehwan didn't answer.
I was a little touched and impressed, and asked.
"Did you also have the ability to repair stories?"
"Repair stories?"
Now that I think about it, I guess we don't use that word because our worldviews are different.
"I just applied a little bit of the technique called [Dead Man Slash]."
"[Dead Man Slash]?"
"It's a technique I learned from the old man Cheongheo, the God of Despair. It restores souls polluted by time..."
I wonder if he was recalling old memories.
Jaehwan's eyes deepened for a moment before returning.
"Stop it, you won't know anyway."
"Since I don't know, I want to hear more details."
"That's not interesting?"
"But I still want to hear it."
Jaehwan looked at me clearly and said.
"You're a strange guy."
"I hear that often."
"That guy over there was just as strange as you."
That guy?
I turned my head following Jaehwan's gaze and saw Yoo Jonghyuk lying on a small floating stone.
But Yoo Jonghyuk's condition was a bit strange.
"Why did this strange guy get so small?"
Yoo Jonghyuk was back to being a small boy. His coat was torn here and there, as if he had been in a fierce battle, and he was repairing himself.
What on earth happened?
"He attacked me."
I don't know how many times I doubted my ears today.
Yoo Jonghyuk attacked him? That person? Why on earth? I thought that Yoo Jonghyuk could do that, but on the other hand, I couldn't understand why he would make that choice.
Yoo Jonghyuk has a fiery personality. However, his flames burn endlessly and coldly. He's not the kind of guy who would pick a fight he has no chance of winning.
That guy attacked Jaehwan. He even risked the side effect of becoming a kid again.
"I made a bet."
"A bet?"
"I said I'd spare your life if he hurt me even a little."
Upon closer inspection, I saw a faint scar on Jaehwan's hand.
I shivered.
That Yoo Jonghyuk had finally succeeded. He had won a bet with that absolute being that could even beat a mythical-grade constellation.
No, wait. Then could that scene in my dream have been real?
I thought of Jaehwan and Yoo Jonghyuk swinging their swords naked, and touched my temple.
What on earth was that bastard Yoo Jonghyuk thinking? I could have really died.
Why did he make a bet with someone who could tear us apart at any time if he wanted to?
"I hate regressors."
Jaehwan, sitting on the floating stone and cleaning his sword, opened his mouth.
"I hate those who don't try. I hate the rotten spirit that gives up on life without even fighting to the end."
It's been a while since I felt like I was going to be cut by words. Quiet and refined anger.
Jaehwan held back his anger and looked at me, then at Yoo Jonghyuk.
"He's a strange guy. He really attacked me with the intention of killing me. He knew he was no match for me, but he used all his strength to attack me again and again."
I thought of Yoo Jonghyuk, who was rushing at me like an animal while activating story fragments.
He told me that this was his last round. He said he would never be able to regress again.
Even so, he risked his life and faced Jaehwan.
"There must be a reason why he has to save you."
I knew it the moment I saw Jaehwan's face. Jaehwan wasn't talking about me or Yoo Jonghyuk right now.
I recalled his history. The sentences that Kiyeon had written. It seemed like old events were coming back to life in my head along with Jaehwan's voice.
"I had a comrade."
Before Jaehwan was called the 'Monarch Slayer'. It was when he was climbing the terrible tower called the 'Tower of Nightmare'.
On the last floor of that tower, he lost his old comrade.
"The guy was injured beyond recovery."
Before the last floor of the tower, Jaehwan's only comrade leaned against the window and looked at the sky.
Only Jaehwan would walk to the next floor.
He slowly put his hand into his bosom, imagining the next and the next floor.
"In my world, there is an item called the 'Regression Stone'."
The Regression Stone.
"It was an item that sent the user back to the past."
I also knew about the existence of that item. Jaehwan's colleagues also used that item and abandoned the world.
"My colleague who was about to die took out the stone from his bosom, knowing how much I hated that stone."
"And?"
"He said he was sorry that we couldn't go to the next floor together."
"What did you say?"
"I told him to get out right away."
I smiled bitterly.
"But was it really necessary to say that? You said he was a precious colleague."
"The stone he took out wasn't the 'Regression Stone'."
His colleague made a choice. To touch Jaehwan's sore spot in order to ease his guilt.
To risk his life to open the path to becoming the 'Monarch Slayer'.
"You believed your friend's lies."
Jaehwan didn't answer and stared into the air again.
I looked at him. Before, I had no idea what he was looking at, but now I think I have some idea of ​​what kind of scenery he was looking at in the void.
"Sometimes I think about that. What if I had somehow saved that guy instead of climbing the tower?"
All humans constantly regress to the past. They regret the choices they didn't make. It was the same for Yoo Jonghyuk and the Monarch Slayer.
I looked down at the sleeping little Yoo Jonghyuk.
It was ironic. Yoo Jonghyuk, the 41st time, had been hated by the 'Disaster of Floods' for using his comrades like consumables.
That Yoo Jonghyuk had found favor with the Monarch Slayer for protecting his comrades.
Jaehwan continued to speak.
"I owe a debt to that guy called 'Yoo Jonghyuk.'"
"You mean this guy?"
"No, to the guy named Yoo Jonghyuk from another 'worldline'.
I blinked my eyes blankly and then suddenly came to my senses.
"No way—"
Scenarios came to mind.
Washington Dome. The shaking Void Curtain.
At that time, the 'Demon King of Salvation' said, Yoo Jonghyuk is beyond that Void Curtain.
The Yoo Jonghyuk from <Kim Dokja Company> that we remember.
"Where is that Yoo Jonghyuk?"
"I don't know either. He went crazy like a madman and fought the constellations and disappeared."
"Ah…"
"He brought me all the way here and then disappeared on his own."
Huh?
"The worldview is different, so my abilities don't manifest properly here. If it weren't for that bastard, I wouldn't be in such a faraway place."
"Were you lost and wandering around?"
Jaehwan didn't say anything for a moment.
"I didn't say anything like that."
There is no such thing as a lost person.
"I know. Everyone is confused when they first come to a place."
Maybe this is an opportunity given by Yoo Jonghyuk?
"Is there a place you want to go? You probably want to meet strong guys, right? It'll take some time, but if that's the case, leave it to me. I'll show you around."
"You've completely lost my trust."
"But I'm the one who knows the <Star Stream> better than anyone else?"
It was true. In this world, the only one who knows the <Star Stream> better than me is Kim Dokja.
And now, that Kim Dokja is me.
"Where do you want to see? Olympus? Asgard? Ah, do you want to experience Journey to the West?"
I talked as best I could, but I really couldn't take Jaehwan there. Even if it was Jaehwan, he couldn't protect us in the context of the constellations where mythical-grade constellations were flying around.
I wanted to chase after this guy with Yoo Jonghyuk and destroy all of the <Star Sstream>, but probability didn't work that way.
However, I thought that this meeting might be a chance for Yoo Jonghyuk.
Yoo Jonghyuk in the 41st round. Yoo Jonghyuk who no longer returns.
What if the 'Monarch Slayer' who hates regressionreturns teaches Yoo Jonghyuk?
If that's possible, maybe I'll be able to see Yoo Jonghyuk, the strongest in the world, in this round.
It was then that Jaehwan's expression changed as he listened to me. Jaehwan slowly moved his hand to the handle of his sword and began to radiate a scary aura.
I sighed and took a step back without realizing it.
Damn it, should I have just shut up and stayed still?
Then came the sound of thunder from afar. Jaehwan laughed coldly amidst the loud noise that seemed to split the entire universe in half. Only then did I feel something was wrong.
"It seems the guest you were talking about has finally arrived."
When I suddenly turned my head, a dazzling legion of constellations was approaching from the distant void.
It was the eleventh day since I met Jaehwan, the monarch slayer.
<Eden> came to see us.

800 Episode 38 Chance (6)
A splendid army of seraphs illuminated the darkness. The seraphs of <Eden>, each of which was as strong as a great-grade constellation, and the archangels of <Eden> who commanded them, revealed their outlines in the void.
As expected, most of them were archangels I knew.
[The constellation 'Lily pin of Aquarius' looks at you.]
Archangel Gabriel.
[The constellation 'Guardian of Youth and Travel' looks at you.]
Archangel Raphael.
[The constellation 'Friend of Justice and Harmony' takes pity on you.]
[The constellation 'He who looks face to face with God' looks at you.]
Archangel Raguel and Camael.
[The constellation 'Commander of the Red Cosmos' is looking at you.]
Killer King's sponsor, Archangel Jophiel.
[The constellation 'Savior of the Fall' is looking at you.]
Even Michael, the strongest archangel.
I calmed my pounding heart and checked the faces of the archangels again and again.
Uriel is gone.
A belated worry came over me.
Maybe she had tried too hard to save me last time. Or maybe I had received some kind of threat from <Eden>.
「Come to your senses.」
As if it was not the time to worry about Uriel, the Demon King of Salvation warned through the [Fourth Wall]. I swallowed and nodded.
The fact that I could endure facing such magnificent archangels was all thanks to the naked (clothed) man blocking my way.
The monarch slayer Jaehwan.
I realized once again how great he was. Even if you search through the entire <Star Stream>, it would be difficult to find a constellation that wouldn’t be intimidated by a single giant nebula.
Even that figure calmly reaching for the hilt of his sword as if such a threat was ridiculous…
"Wait a minute!"
"What is it?"
Jaehwan glared at me with a sharp gaze. I belatedly regretted it.
Now that I think about it, why did I do that?
Why did I stop Jaehwan?
"They might not have come to fight."
That’s right. That was my reason.
While I was with the 'Demon King of Salvation', I was chased by giant nebulas several times.
<Asgard> and <Olympus>. Or small nebulas like <Gwiok>.
But I’ve never been chased by <Eden>.
"Let’s talk about it first."
"Why should I?"
By the way, Jaehwan, the 'Monarch Slayer', has another nickname, 'God Slayer'.
"There's no need to hurt someone who doesn't have any hostility."
"That guy Yoo Jonghyuk told me. He said that there are no harmless constellations in the world."
Jonghyuk, what on earth did he say?
"No, constellations aren’t generally harmful."
I don't know why I'm defending the constellations.
But this was the only way to prevent a catastrophe. If there was Uriel among them that I hadn't discovered, it would be a big deal.
I took a deep breath and spoke in one breath.
"That's Yoo Jonghyuk's standard, and yours is different. Look at those fluttering pure white wings. Do they look like bad constellations to you?"
Jaehwan glanced at the archangels again at my words. Maybe the monarch killer was a pretty sensible person.
At that moment, one of the archangels who caught my eye stepped forward. He was the archangel who shouldn't have stepped forward the most.
[You are the 'Monarch Slayer'—]
I stepped in front of Jaehwan before Archangel Stab was activated.
"Over there! Wait a minute! Over there!"
[...?]
"Savior of the CorruptedFall! Don't finish that sentence now!"
Michael glared at me as I stepped in front of Jaehwan and opened my mouth again.
[What are you?]
Michael, the Savior of the Fall, is a constellation of the Tale of the Fall. He's not even a simple Tale of the Fall, he's an archangel who can reach the level of a myth-grade when he activates 'Demon King'. There's probably only one incarnation in the entire <Star Stream> who can tease an archangel like that.
"Me? I'm Kim Dokja."
Damn it, why am I Kim Dokja?
Michael, who had been glaring at me, asked back in a stupid voice.
[So?]
"Let's all get along well."
An eerie silence swept over the surroundings. I heard Raphael's sighing voice, and I also saw Gabriel shaking his head with his hand on his head. Jophiel stared at me as if he was looking at a strange creature.
And then,
Kugugugugu!
Michael began to unleash his power without hesitation.
[The constellation 'Savior of the Fall' reveals his power.]
I hid behind Jaehwan again while watching Michael approaching step by step.
Honestly, why wouldn't I want to see it?
Michael vs. Jaehwan.
Savior of the Fall vs. Monarch Slayer.
Especially, if it was Michael and Jaehwan who activated 'Demon King', it would be a spectacle that I wouldn't be able to see even if I paid a thousand gold coins.
However, that's something rlaehrwk41 would think about, and it wasn't something I would be thinking about right now.
If a great clash of myth-grade constellations occurred right before my eyes, Yoo Jonghyuk and I would be swept away by the fierce waves of the stories and our limbs would be torn apart.
"Hey, Jaehwan-ssi. Actually, this is a bad guy. Could you kill just one of them?"
While Jaehwan was looking back at me as if he was dumbfounded, the other archangels were approaching Michael.
I shouted in a hurry.
"Wait a minute! Stop! You know how scary this guy is!"
Thankfully, the archangels had heard of rumors of Jaehwan and were not acting rashly.
I quickly added.
"And this guy is not an evil person! He rejects evil and worships good! Isn't that the motto of your <Eden>? Never judge by appearances! He's even dressed so neatly!"
"You bastard."
I ignored Jaehwan's growling words and continued to shout.
"This person saved me and Yoo Jonghyuk. He saved us from the terrible constellations of <Olympus> and <Asgard>— from the gods of the other world!"
Jaehwan's sword, which was half-drawn, stopped for the first time. It felt like he was trying to hear what I was saying.
"This person also patted my back when I swallowed story fragments. It hurt so much that I could die, but I survived, so I guess I received the grace of life."
"..."
"Is that all? He stabbed and killed every outer god who came near him for a whole ten days. Where else would you find someone who would show me such kindness while the giant nebulae were after me? Yes?"
When I came to my senses, I found myself repeating the argument of the 'Demon King of Salvation' like a parrot. But as I spoke, it seemed like he was right.
A murderer of monarchs is not a villain. At least to me and Yoo Jonghyuk.
However, Archangel Jophiel seemed to have a slightly different opinion.
[He is evil.]
An ominous light was flowing out of Jophiel’s eyes. His stigma, [Eye of Sin], had been activated.
When Jaehwan glared at him as if asking what was that, the light of [Eye of Sin] went out with a tsk-tsk sound. It seemed that an absolute being from another universe could extinguish a stigma just by glaring at it.
But even in that situation, Jophiel seemed to have witnessed something.
I struck first before he could open his mouth.
"Yes. Of course, it could be different depending on the perspective—"
[He slaughtered over a million gods.]
I looked back at Jaehwan.
This kid is a villain, right?
But I pretended to be calm and responded.
"Couldn’t all the gods he killed be bad guys? He must have done it with good intentions. Right? He must have tried to make the world a better place—"
"My goal was to destroy the world."
"Yes, so to put it simply, in order to kill the evil gods and purify the world—"
"I killed them because they got in my way."
I wanted to tell him to shut up, but since ancient times, protagonists have never shut up when told to.
In the meantime, another protagonist who had come to his senses spoke to me.
—Kim Dokja.
Little Yoo Jonghyuk was getting up from the floating stone. He seemed to have figured out the general situation. 
Yoo Jonghyuk opened his mouth to the archangels, receiving my gaze that told him to stop them somehow.
"I want to kill them all."
Jaehwan nodded and muttered at Yoo Jonghyuk's words.
"There are times when we can see eye to eye."
The situation was becoming increasingly chaotic.
The moment I thought that this wouldn't be easy to solve even if the Demon King of Salvation came in person, Jaehwan's expression changed for the first time.
"This is fun."
The word 'fun' sounded different after meeting him.
I followed Jaehwan's gaze, hiding my ominous feelings. Then, the line of seraphs split, and an archangel was seen walking from the back.
The mythical constellation of <Eden> was there.
The controller of the archangels, and the second-in-command of <Eden>.
[The constellation 'Heavenly Scribe' is looking at you.]
Heavenly Scribe, Metatron.
Who would have thought I would see him here?
I bit my lips without realizing it. The fact that he was here strong in person meant that <Eden> was serious about this situation.
[It's nice to meet you.]
A uniquely polite and calm voice.
The first place his eyes turned to was little Yoo Jonghyuk.
[The oldest dream’s puppet.]
Then he looked at Jaehwan.
[The monarch slayer.]
Finally, he stared at me.
[And...]
He looked at me for a long time, then continued speaking with a faint sense of pride.
[Little lamb. You're afraid.]
Of course. My sponsor would be scared if legions of archangels came rushing in. What's more, if the opponent was 'Metatron', the master of strategy that even Kim Dokja would shiver with…
[Don't worry. <Eden> and I will not harm you. We have no intention of changing the contents of the 'Revelation'.]
I immediately revised my evaluation of Metatron in my head.
What kind of place is <Eden>? It is a nebula of angels. Angels are generally kind. If he is the representative of such angels, then he must be the kindest angel of all.
I briefly hoped that he might mediate all of this.
[However, I cannot tolerate beings who break the balance of this world line.]
It was a vain hope.
The moment Metatron and Jaehwan's gazes crossed, Jaehwan pulled out his sword with a bitter smile.
"Your tongue is long. If you are going to attack, attack quickly."
The archangels who were guarding Metatron quietly raised their voices at his arrogant tone.
Nevertheless, Jaehwan continued to speak as if provoking them.
“Do you think you can stop me with just a single person?”
The strength to fight a giant nebula alone.
Metatron acknowledged Jaehwan like that.
He nodded.
[Absolute being of another world line. I know you are strong. If we were to eliminate you, we would not be safe either.]
"You will all die here."
Metatron shrugged lightly and smiled bitterly.
[I guess you forgot that this is not your 'worldview'.]
That was when I felt an unusual magical power behind us. A being with the exact opposite attribute of the archangels.
There were beings that should not be there.
[The Demon King 'Lord of Hell' descends into the void!]
[The Demon King 'Sonic Demon King' descends into the void!]
[The Demon King 'Temptation and Barren Demon King' descends into the void!]
[The Demon King 'Merciless Hunter of the Reverse Heaven' descends into the void!]
…
[The Demon King 'Ruler of Eastern Hell' descends into the void!]
Demon Kings. It was unbelievable.
Why on earth did they show up here?
They wouldn't be trying to start a holy war here.
Hold on. Holy war?
"Run away. Right now."
Jaehwan glared at me as if I was talking nonsense.
"Are you talking about me just now?"
"That's right! Run away with me and Yoo Jonghyuk! Right now!"
I don't think Jaehwan will lose. Even if it's a myth-grade constellation, even if it's the famous <Eden>, it wouldn't be easy to deal with Jaehwan.
「But if it's 'sealing' him, it might be a different story.」
Two pitch-black swirling spheres were placed in Metatron's hands. I already knew what those spheres were.
[Get out of this story. Ghost of a ruined universe.]
That was a forbidden technique that Han Sooyoung once used to seal 'Yoo Jonghyuk of the 1,863rd round.'
[Mythical tale 'Seal of the Apocalypse' begins its storytelling!]
As long as this is the <Star Stream>, there is no one who can break that seal.