The 1864th turn.
We were not in the 3rd turn, but in the 1864th world-line.
The moment I saw that attribute window, waves of realisations that I could barely digest right now crashed into me.
⸢….This ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is the one that disappeared during the 1863rd turn?!⸥
⸢How can that even be possible?⸥
⸢But, didn’t that Yu Jung-Hyeok escape from being a [Character]?⸥
⸢Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 1863rd turn escaped from being a [Character] because the 3rd turn exists. But if that’s true, then how could he be the 3rd turn Yu Jung-Hyeok from the get-go…?⸥
Numerous questions brushed past my head, and the last thing to pop up was the final conversation I had with tls123.
⸢I was thinking of sending you a special gift as a way to express my gratitude, Dok-Ja-nim.⸥
That ‘gift’ the author was talking about, could it be….
Kwa-kwakwakwa!!
The Fable’s power overflowed; the surrounding view of the hellish landscape began changing. The world was wailing in sorrow, and Outer Gods fallen into lamentation cried on.
And on that stage of despair, a thin and thread-like, but clear, ray of light existed. It was the sword light belonging to the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword].
[[Have you regained your memories, then?]]
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ asked, but Yu Jung-Hyeok didn’t reply. I knew why he didn’t, of course – the explosive amount of memories were making an utter mess inside his head, that was why.
My reading wasn’t perfect.
No matter how diligently I read it, and even though Yu Jung-Hyeok worked together with me, it was physically impossible to completely restore the ‘1863rd Yu Jung-Hyeok’.
As he staggered about, fragmented memories continued to enter his head.
⸢”Eat dirt, Yu Jung-Hyeok.”⸥
⸢”Happy memories! Happy memories!”⸥
⸢”Yu Jung-Hyeok, sit.”⸥
“You son of a…..”
⸢This isn’t the time to think about that, you idiot!⸥
I hurriedly awakened Yu Jung-Hyeok. Because, the [Heaven Shaking Sword] carrying the Status of a Hellscape was slashing towards his nose right at that moment.
Along with “CLANG!!” two swords clashed loudly once more.
The attack still felt considerably heavy. However, it wasn’t as intolerable as before.
[[….I wanted to fight you.]]
For the first time ever, the light of emotions began spreading within the Plotter’s eyes that used to remain calm no matter what happened. The ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ who survived the ‘original story’ I read, and who saw its finale – the ‘Secretive Plotter’ was now talking to us.
[[You bastard, you disappeared to the ‘beyond’ without a word.]]
I had no idea what he was talking about. It seemed that Yu Jung-Hyeok, too, had no idea. The stuff I read in great haste was imperfect, and because of that, there were lots of holes in Yu Jung-Hyeok’s memories.
He then angrily spat out. “Looks like I’ll have to teach you how not to speak in riddles.”
[Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, is continuing on with its storytelling!]
The Fables we shared were shoved into the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] simultaneously. The ensuing attack clashed against the [Heaven Shaking Sword]. And the moment two Hellscapes collided, a whole universe opened up between the blades.
It was basically a Big Bang of memories.
[Two remarkably similar beings are colliding.]
[‘Disconnected Film Theory’ is activating!]
The moment I saw the view of the universe, I instantly realised which phenomenon was about to unfold here.
It was none other than the [Disconnected Film Theory].
A similar event also occurred back when the two Shin Yu-Seungs from the two different world-lines met.
⸢[[….This is a new world-line?]]⸥
These memories were brought up to the surface after two definitely-similar Yu Jung-Hyeoks walking on completely opposing paths collided.
⸢[[It’s not possible for this kind of a world-line to exist.]]⸥
These were the Plotter’s memories. Memories of the very day that he had discovered this particular ‘3rd turn’.
….
…….
…….
[[Interesting. Is this really the 3rd turn….?]]
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ couldn’t tear his eyes away from the 3rd turn’s story playing out before his eyes. Someone he didn’t recognise was advancing the story along with himself from the 3rd turn. He couldn’t understand how such a thing could even be possible.
[[However, you’ll still fail.]]
They used some methods he recognised, while he hadn’t even thought of some others before. Sometimes, they looked to be reckless, and in some other times, they got real lucky. This was a Fable he had never seen before. The ‘Secretive Plotter’ watched the Fable of this world-line as if he was sucked right into it.
And so, how long had he been watching this Fable?
He finally realised that he had become exactly the same as the Constellations that he loathed so much.
All the ‘Yu Jung-Hyeoks’ he had absorbed were talking to him.
– Have you forgotten, the Great Plotter?
– We wish for ‘death’.
– That regression turn will not succeed, anyway.
Death. That was the ardent wish of all Yu Jung-Hyeoks cursed with the fate of regression. The ‘Secretive Plotter’ existed solely for the sake of fulfilling that mission.
– It’s impossible to kill the ‘Most Ancient Dream’.
– As long as we are alive, we must regress again.
– Even if dying is impossible, what would it be like to get infinitely close to it?
The reason for sending Han Su-Yeong’s Avatar to the 1863rd turn was precisely because of that. By using the irregular discovered in this 3rd turn, they’d complete their ‘death’.
He was planning to seal away every Yu Jung-Hyeok via the [Disconnected Film Theory] – to merge with the 1863rd Yu Jung-Hyeok and fall into an everlasting slumber.
But on the verge of that plan’s completion, he had a sudden change of heart.
⸢”I’m simply heading towards the ‘Final Chapter(終章)’.”⸥
It was because of one certain Constellation that searched for his own ■■.
The Final Chapter. The name of ■■ that he dearly wished for, but never received.
[41st turn’s ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is shocked.]
[416th turn’s ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is shocked.]
[967th turn’s ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is shocked.]
[1472nd turn’s ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is shocked.]
……
Yu Jung-Hyeoks from all the regression turns inside him also witnessed that spectacle. Some Yu Jung-Hyeoks marvelled, some despaired. And some Yu Jung-Hyeoks grew furious.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ belonged to the last category.
[[….It’s not possible for another Final Chapter to exist.]]
His world had already come to an end. He had reached his ‘Conclusion’ by going through trials and errors of the 1863rd regression turn. He had lost everything, and he witnessed the end of all scenarios. And he reached that Wall.
He hadn’t been wrong – and he wanted validation for it.
[[Let’s say that you reached the end and saved the world through your methods. If so, what are you going to do about the ‘other worlds’?]]
[[What will happen to other worlds that you didn’t save?]]
And so, the ‘Secretive Plotter’ sent Kim Dok-Ja to the 1863rd turn.
He made the fool witness the end of the story.
To tell him, “This is the true ‘original story’.”
To tell him, “This is the end of the world I have decided on, and nothing can change that fact no matter what.”
⸢”I’ll end your story for you.”⸥
However, Kim Dok-Ja, he….
⸢”I won’t be returning to the 3rd turn. I’ll remain here and witness the end with the people of this place.”⸥
….He changed that.
Tsu-chuchuchuchuchut!!
The Yu Jung-Hyeok sealing plan failed, and the direction of the story that should’ve been set in stone was diverted.
[1863rd turn’s ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is refusing to cooperate with you.]
⸢”I wish to live.”⸥
Yu Jung-Hyeok who should’ve been sealed away, chose ‘regression’ instead, and entered a brand new world.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ hurriedly collected the memories of all the ‘dead’ Yu Jung-Hyeoks and chased after him. He chased after the Yu Jung-Hyeok wearing the white coat, crossing the blinding starlights of the world-lines while his memories scattered away.
This Yu Jung-Hyeok had cast off the mask of [Character] and flew towards the brand new world.
[[Stop!! You cannot head to the next part!]]
Only the ‘Secretive Plotter’ knew of this world’s conclusion.
The 1863rd turn was the ‘end of all stories’. And after it was….
⸢I wish to witness that ‘world’.⸥
[[Return to me. The place you’re supposed to be, is here! You….!]]
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ roared out. Even if the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ permitted this regression, in the end Yu Jung-Hyeok was bound to repeat the nightmare again. And not to forget, him starting the scenarios without his memories would mean….
⸢That fool definitely said it. He said that universe definitely exists.⸥
[‘Most Ancient Dream’ is growing curious of that story.]
Yu Jung-Hyeok was reaching out. He was now picturing it, a world located so far away. A world that didn’t exist within the universe of the ‘Ways of Survival’.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ managed to catch up to Yu Jung-Hyeok’s soul form in the nick of time. But what he grabbed onto was simply the white coat. Yu Jung-Hyeok’s body had already disappeared by then.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ muttered out hollowly. [[You fool…..]]
The ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ who lost his memories succeeded in regressing.
This would be another futile story where the beginning and the end were already set in stone. The everlasting nightmare was about to repeat itself again in that place.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ began searching for this world-line.
He wanted to learn more about the world-line that the oh-so-amazing idiot disappeared into even at the cost of his memories. The Plotter thought that he’d feel better about himself after witnessing that fool living out the scenarios in wretched, broken misery and regret.
Eventually, he discovered the world-line in question. Shockingly enough, he knew about this world-line already.
[[….This can’t be possible.]]
But only then, everything seemed to click into place.
The reason why a world-line he didn’t recognise suddenly appeared.
The reason why a completely different world-line existed where the 3rd turn should’ve been.
Every regression he experienced was used as a sacrifice to create this ‘world-line above the Wall’.
[‘Most Ancient Dream’ is dreaming the ‘Final Dream’.]
This was the impossible world-line created by the end result interfering with the cause.
His universe was shaking now.
….
…….
……..
As the explosion resounded out, Yu Jung-Hyeok’s and the Plotter’s figures separated. We fixed our grip on the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] and glared at the enemy before us.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ spoke. [[….Now you know. This universe shouldn’t even exist.]]
Finally, I could understand what this guy was talking about. And also, I could understand just a little how this world-line came to be, and why these events had occurred.
The ‘beyond’ that Yu Jung-Hyeok from 1863rd turn chose during his regression – that was the regression turn we were experiencing right now.
[[What a cruel thing this is. You just about managed to escape from being the puppet of the nightmare, yet you became the puppet once more.]]
His tone of voice was heavy with grief. I couldn’t even fathom the depths of resentment contained within his words.
[[If you read the same book hundreds of times, you might come up with a different interpretation. However, the texts will not change. Because those are the events that had already ended, and can’t be turned back to the beginning.]]
The Plotter’s [Heaven Shaking Sword] was drawing a long trajectory in the sky. It contained the weight of the 1863rd turn.
The one who used to be Yu Jung-Hyeok once upon a time, but now lived on as the ‘Secretive Plotter’. The one who dreamed of the death of all the ‘Yu Jung-Hyeoks’ in the world.
He spoke up once more. [[The only reason why all of you managed to survive was because I exist.]]
And that existence was wielding his history like a weapon.
[[All of you, you should’ve died in that subway. Or back in that Cinema Dungeon. You should’ve died at Nirvana’s hands, and should’ve perished in the Dark Castle.]]
He was right.
[[You should’ve died in the Demon World. You should’ve died during the ‘Gigantomachia’, and you should’ve all died tens, no, hundreds of times already during the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’, and during the ‘Journey to the West’.]]
If his life didn’t exist, if his failures didn’t exist…
….Then none of us would have survived until now.
[[So, how did you all manage to survive??]]
And now, he was asking us.
[[Why, why is it not me, but you??]]
<Episode 84. 1864 (2)> Fin.
