[The exclusive skill ‘Fourth Wall’ is shaking violently.]
I didn’t mean to do this in the beginning. The start was shortly after the battle with Surya. The day he gained a giant story and protected the Demon World with his companions.
-Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World (3rd Revision).txt
I received the third revision of Ways of Survival.
「 When he opened his eyes, Yoo Jonghyuk thought, ‘It is the fourth regression.’ 」
At first, I read it with a light heart. I was looking forward to it. The current ‘third turn’ was more perfect than any of the turns that Yoo Jonghyuk experienced. In the 25th scenario, I became a demon king and got a giant story. Maybe in this revision, the ending I wanted would be recorded. By the way.
「 I thought it was going well. That’s what that person said. Everyone was fine until the ‘outer god’ appeared. 」
「 Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? 」
Yoo Jonghyuk was different from the first and second revisions. He lost his reason, was hasty and didn’t make plans. Yoo Jonghyuk was seriously broken by something that happened in the third round.
「 On that day, everything in the third round was over. 」
I read this part and realized what was wrong. I looked at the black fog coming over the walls and bit my lips. The Fourth Wall wriggled in my head and spewed out sentences.
「 Kim Dokja thought: It might fail. 」
I couldn’t survive if I died this time. Now I didn’t have my resurrection attribute. Once I was swallowed up by the outer god, I would be entirely wiped out. However, if I could stop him…
「 I can’t beat him no matter how I look through Ways of Survival. 」
Han Sooyoung had told me that the Earth scenarios faithfully followed the original trajectory. If we passed this crisis safely, we could aim for areas of the original novel and head for the desired ending.
Below the clock tower, my colleagues were looking up at me.
「 No, there is one way. The ‘failed’ method in the original. 」
I just had to do it well.
「 They have to live. They might not like it but they have to live. 」
I couldn’t let anyone die.
「 Only then will everyone be able to reach the ending. 」
The night sky split apart and I saw a giant eye looking down at the ground. The transcendents sank down while coughing up blood.
Kyrgios was already told the story in advance and shouted, “Quickly, you stupid disciple!”
I nodded and descended from the clock tower. I couldn’t waste the time that Cheok Jungyeong and the masters had earned.
“I can’t let you go! Don’t go alone again! Please!”
“Aaaaaaack! I don’t like this! Dokja hyung!”
“It is you who said we couldn’t do this alone! You were the one who gathered us! You told me all of this!”
I heard the cries of the party members and told them the necessary stories. Really. I really only told them what they needed.
[Please live.]
My head tickled as horns emerged from it. My back was sore from the wings. I could hear the screams of Jung Heewon and cries of Lee Hyunsung. The children reached out for me. Yoo Sangah, who heard the story from me in advance, couldn’t take her eyes off me while crying. Yoo Sangah would do things well.
The moment I pushed off from the ground, my panoramic view changed. The grieving voices of the party members drifted away. Maybe I wanted to tell them something.
「 I want to see the ending with you. 」
There was a sound as I pierced through the atmosphere and the fog let out a pained scream.
[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ has dropped his glass.]
[The constellation ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’ is letting out a deep sigh.]
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ wishes you good luck.]
Some constellations were worried about me.
[The constellation ‘Commander of the Red Cosmos’ dislikes you.]
[Some constellations are denouncing your actions.]
Some constellations criticized me. No one sponsored me any coins. Perhaps even the constellations knew. This wasn’t a story for coins.
「 Wiping his cheeks, Kim Dokja looked at the vast universe. 」
The centre of the fog. I could see the small scar made by Cheok Jungyeong, the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint and Kyrgios. I activated Electrification and threw myself towards the scar. It was a method I would’ve never attempted if it was the original novel.
However, now there was no other way. The outer gods didn’t share their language with unqualified beings. The White Pure Star Energy rose in my right hand while I raised Unbroken Faith.
Demonic energy moved through the blood vessels in my body and the black aura overlaid with the blue-white energy. A powerful shock wave burst from the centre of the fog as the magic power in my right hand exploded. A very small gap opened for a moment and I didn’t hesitate.
I entered the dark fog and the outer god was revealed. Like white blood cells that caught infecting bacteria, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions… countless particles looked at me at the same time. It was as if they were eyes.
Indescribable Distance, the Nameless Mist. It was the name of the disaster that drifted in the Star Stream. I opened my mouth towards that being.
[ The great outer god.]
Strictly speaking, this mist wasn’t the original form of the outer god. It was a terrible prototype. However, this alter ego contained enormous power.
[Please. Please leave.]
The particles pulsed at my words. Of course, I didn’t expect words to work. The fog particles gathered around me started to eat at me.
[The giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ is protecting your incarnation body!]
[The Fourth Wall is protecting your spirit!]
The influence of the Fourth Wall kept me from falling in front of this vast existence. However, it was impossible to stop the ‘giant story’ from being damaged little by little.
[■■■■······■■■■]
The fog was talking in an unknown language. Perhaps I couldn’t hear it properly even if it was interpreted. The Indescribable Distance was closer to an unconscious thing. It was a hungry predator that only used its instincts to follow the story.
My presence grew thinner in the choking fog.
[…Damn son of a bitch.]
Even Uriel descending couldn’t stop this guy. It was the same for the current the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven and the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon. It might be possible if all three came but that wouldn’t happen.
「 There is only one thing that can help Kim Dokja now. 」
An existence that didn’t appear in Ways of Survival. There was only one thing that could possibly help me against this fog. The starlight could be dimly seen between the fog particles. I came all this way just to give him the ‘right’ voice.
[Secretive Plotter!]
The voice that was released with all its might penetrated the fog and crossed the interstellar space. The fog wriggled and roared as something shone from across the distant galaxy.
I once again shouted, [I will make a ‘Outer World Covenant’ with you!]
***
Yoo Jonghyuk was unhappy every time he made an Outer World Covenant. It was because he couldn’t afford it or had to fulfill a ridiculous contract. But this was the only way. This was the first and last way for me to live.
The fog didn’t start eating. It didn’t stop eating me or the 73rd Demon Realm. I got a bad feeling as I saw the stories being broken. Could Secretive Plotter stop this guy?
Time and space creaked and everything started slowing down. The overwhelming power was controlling all the time and space in the area. The fog cried out and the life activities of everything around me suddenly stopped. Like living creatures frozen in a glacier, they were trapped in that time forever.
The next moment, I stood in an unknown galaxy. I looked down at my feet and saw the scene of the Star Stream. It was outside the Star Stream, the furthest place of the nebulae of stars. The numerous stars were shining beautifully at my feet.
[ It is a boring sight. ]
Unlike other outer gods, this voice was very sharp and clear. A shadow with a man’s shape was wavering.
[ I waited for you, the one pursuing the ‘final chapter.’ ]
A whiteness could be seen as I looked into that gaping mouth. I just listened to him but my body was shaking. An endless unknown darkness. The evil that stood in the centre of the darkness was staring at me. I wasn’t trembling just because of the ominous status of Secretive Plotter.
[ No, perhaps I should say that you are pursuing eternity. ]
I stared at him and was silent for a moment. “…How did you know?”
[ ■■. ]
His words had two meanings for me.
Eternity. Final chapter. Two opposing meanings were implied in one word. It was like the messages I heard when I got a giant story.
-You have obtained the qualification of ‘eternity.’
-You have obtained the qualification of ‘final chapter.’
Oddly, my ‘end’ had two meanings. When the constellations, including the Mass Production Maker, asked me about the filtering, I replied with ‘final chapter’ because it was easier to persuade the constellations. I never told anyone that my ■■ had two meanings.
[ Once you live for many years, the things that aren’t said are heard louder. ]
[The exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ is shaking ominously!]
[The Fourth Wall is protecting you by bulking up.]
[The Fourth Wall is baring its teeth towards the Secretive Plotter.]
[ Fragment of the ‘Last Wall’… don’t worry. I don’t intend to hurt you. ]
Unknown laughter emerged from the shadow’s mouth.
Secretive Plotter. Along with the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven, the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon and Uriel, he was a constellation who had been watching me the longest. An existence I hadn’t read about in Ways of Survival.
I took a deep breath. I practiced my meeting with him several times but I didn’t know it would be like this.
“Nice to meet you, Secretive Plotter.”
I didn’t know him. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t make any guesses.
“The ‘crawling chaos’ in the depths of the scenario.”
TL: Rainbow Turtle
