⸢He took a very long time to get to that decision.⸥
I stared at Yu Jung-Hyeok making that declaration.
The original plan wasn’t like this. He was supposed to use the memories from the 999th turn and buy as much time as possible. He was to stimulate the ‘Outer Gods’ appropriately and persuade them.
“There will be no next regression for me.”
Even though I was looking at a guy completely, utterly trashing my plan to bits, for some reason I didn’t get angry.
⸢”Yu Jung-Hyeok, a former regressor.”⸥
Only now could I truly comprehend what he said back then.
I had been thinking that the reason for the rapid growth of this turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok was down to the information I provided and the interference from other variables. However, now I couldn’t say that anymore.
The proof was the Fables rising up from Yu Jung-Hyeok’s entire frame. Fables that contained not the desperation, but the will of a lifetime.
⸢Yu Jung-Hyeok had bet everything on this regression.⸥
Just like a locomotive dashing forward by exhausting every ounce of its fuel, Yu Jung-Hyeok was doing everything he possibly could to live this life.
This regression turn was not the base material for his next life.
[[….Captain, you’re lying, right? Ng? You’re kidding, right??]]
Yi Ji-Hye’s expression creaked and distorted. It wasn’t merely an expression of someone betrayed by the belief she held onto. No, that was the face of a person whose world had crumbled.
She then reached out towards that last straw she had been chasing after all this time. Unfortunately, Yu Jung-Hyeok didn’t grab that hand.
“Yi Ji-Hye. Have I ever lied to you before?”
[[…..Why?]]
Explosive auras were leaking out from her entire body now. I sensed the 999th’s turn’s history going violently out of control.
[[Why, whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy]]
Fables were asking why it was not the 999th turn but us – why was it not the world they lived in, but this one?
I was about to take a step forward, but Yu Jung-Hyeok stopped me.
“Stay back.”
His cheeks were trembling painfully. No matter how hard he tried to hide his emotions, he still couldn’t erase his unique behaviour. I sighed softly and replied.
– We can’t retreat anymore, anyway.
– Apologies.
– It’s fine. This is your choice, after all.
At a casual glance, Yi Ji-Hyuk might seem like a realist, but actually, he was far more of an idealist than anyone out there. From the get-go, there was no way someone would repeatedly regress unless he doggedly held onto his ideals. And in order to protect such a dude’s ideals, someone had to take on the role of a realist.
I took another step forward while looking at the waves of ‘Outer Gods’, about to rush in full of indignation.
[Yu Jung-Hyeok did not choose to forsake your worldline.]
I used every ounce of my energy to use that true voice, causing the ‘Outer God Kings’ to look at me. The 999th turn’s Yi Ji-Hye, Yi Hyeon-Seong, Kim Nam-Woon, Uriel….
[Have you all forgotten? He was never in a position to choose, but always had it chosen for him.]
He had repeatedly regressed, but Yu Jung-Hyeok had never regressed because he really wanted to. Even when he had to discard the 3rd turn and regressed to the 4th, and when he gave up on the 4th and chose to go to the 5th, it wasn’t out of his will, his desire.
The regression wasn’t his choice, but his fate; what chose ‘it’ wasn’t him, but the ‘story’ that desired his regression.
[We have no need to fight each other. Why must one tragedy compete against another one?] I had no idea whether these words would work or not, but even then, I simply had to say them. [We won’t forsake you. We do not wish to remember you all as calamities. We want to….]
I looked up at the sky. I felt dizzy for a moment there from all the boundless gazes I hadn’t seen before bearing down on me, but I didn’t avoid meeting them head-on.
Just like how Yu Jung-Hyeok was not the same Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 0th turn, I too wasn’t Kim Dok-Ja of the 1st scenario.
[We want to fight against that sky together with all of you.]
Beyond the skies, the stars began illuminating in sheer madness.
[The absolute majority of the Constellations can’t understand your declaration!]
[Great Dokkaebis from the Bureau are shocked by your intentions!]
Indirect messages rained down like starlight. If it was before, I’d been too busy reading those messages, but now, I knew the truth.
The reality was, all those starlights in the sky were nothing more than ornaments to hide the fact that the darkness existed there.
[The ‘King of Stories’ is now looking at you.]
It was then I heard a very faint chuckle.
[[Oii, do you even know what you’re talking about? Are you saying that you want to destroy <Star Stream>?]] The snide voice belonged to the 999th turn’s Kim Nam-Woon. [[You think we haven’t tried that before?]]
The depths of emotions contained within his voice was unfathomable.
He was smiling, but he wasn’t really smiling.
That exaggerated smile hid the sense of resignation deep within.
[[We already tried that. We shot down all the Constellations, and we even killed the Dokkaebi King of our world-line, too. You know what happened when we did?]]
Kim Nam-Woon walked on the ocean’s surface and stood right before me.
And as if to transmit the sweetest despair known to men, he whispered to me next. [[The world just vanished.]]
I silently listened to his words.
[[We definitely cleared the scenarios properly. We even completed all the conditions, yet… We lost everything we loved. There was no miracle, no reward at the end of the line.]]
I recalled the words uttered out by the 999th turn’s Uriel.
⸢If the <Star Stream> disappears, the whole universe will fall into chaos. Such a world-line must never be created. That is the way of Evil.⸥
That’s what she said when I mentioned my goal of destroying the <Star Stream>.
Kim Nam-Woon continued on. [[You know what we saw at the end of the world?]]
[You probably saw a massive wall. A great wall that surrounds all of the worlds, the one where you can’t even see its beginning or the end.]
[[….And how do you even know that?]]
[Because, that’s where our true goal is, too. What we want to achieve isn’t simply the destruction of <Star Stream>.] I repeated with my own voice what the ‘Secretive Plotter’ told me earlier. [And it’s to eliminate the ringleader of all these tragedies hiding behind that ‘Final Wall’.]
The 999th turn’s Kim Nam-Woon stared at me as if he was greatly shocked by this revelation.
His lips bobbed up and down many times before he finally roared out. [[No one can go past the ‘Final Wall’! That’s….]]
[[Nam-Woon-ah. These people, they possess the ‘Final Key’ that might allow them to go over the ‘Final Wall’.]]
Yi Hyeon-Seong raised his voice.
Kim Nam-Woon alternated his gaze between Yi Hyeon-Seong and me, looking utterly confused. I simply nodded my head towards him.
[The ‘Outer God Kings’ are getting agitated by your announcement!]
[Your declaration is causing a rapid change in the ’98th scenario’!]
[A large number of Constellations are indignant of your choice!]
It was fine if the stars didn’t want to side with us. It was also fine if other Nebulas didn’t want to join us, either.
However, if these four decided to stand on our side…
If these ‘Kings’ that lived through the 999th turn remained in this world-line and fought alongside us, then…
[[….Let’s say that you possess such a ‘key’.]]
The moment I heard that voice, I felt a chill run down my spine.
[[In that case, is there a reason for me not to snatch that key away from you?]]
The moment Kim Nam-Woon’s shortsword got closer in the blink of an eye and took aim at my neck…
Claaang!
The sword’s trajectory streaming before my eyes deflected his shortsword.
As the heavy impact force resounded out, both Yu Jung-Hyeok and Kim Nam-Woon were forced back a couple of steps.
[[[Hahaha! This is it! This is that feeling!]]
Blood trickled down the ‘Monarch of the Great Abyss’s’ hand after that collision against the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword].
[[Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this? Do you know how long I had to wander aimlessly just for a chance to fight against you?!]]
The ‘Monarch of the Great Abyss’, the being who travelled through the inordinate amount of time just to revive that one opponent he had been idolising.
[Great Fable, ‘Delusional Design’, has begun its storytelling!]
The 999th turn’s Uriel supported the wobbling Yi Ji-Hye and got into the battle stance as well. [[You told me this once before. If, by any chance, you’ve become another existence that’s not you, you wanted me to kill you personally.]]
Along with the blinding explosion, the sun in the air began emitting light once more.
[[Looks like that time is now.]]
What blocked the outpouring of the heatwave was the forged steel completely filling up our view.
– You must escape. I can’t stop them by myself.
The 999th turn’s Yi Hyeon-Seong was different from the others as he wasn’t summoned as the ‘calamity’. Meaning, unlike them, he didn’t enjoy the ‘grace of the scenario’.
“Kim Dok-Ja!”
Almost at the same time, my companions arrived on site.
Han Su-Yeong flying on the back of the Black Flame Dragon was the first to ask. “What happened here??”
“As you can see.”
She bit down on her lip, hard.
I didn’t say anything else and instead, looked at my companions. At Jeong Hui-Won, Shin Yu-Seung, Yi Gil-Yeong, Yi Ji-Hye, and Yu Sang-Ah…
“This is the final hurdle.”
They should also probably guessed it.
“I ask of you this. Please, make sure not to die.”
At least during this fight, even I was helpless to protect my companions.
Kwa-aaaaah!
Along with the impact force akin to heaven and earth upending, violent tsunami waves and sunlight intermingled. Blades clashing against each other could be spied within the rising white foams trying to blind our view.
The blackish light sliced into the ocean.
Yu Jung-Hyeok was fighting – while enduring against the combined assaults of the 999th turn’s Kim Nam-Woon and Uriel, he was displaying a shocking level of martial prowess.
[Great Fable, ‘Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, has begun its storytelling!]
The hidden, shored-up power strong enough to contend with two ‘Kings’, now that was Yu Jung-Hyeok’s true strength. Every Fable he had built up all this time was exploding forth simultaneously.
[‘Disconnected Film Theory’s’ connection is incomplete!]
[Cracks are developing in the Fable’s continuity!]
Unfortunately, the balance couldn’t be maintained forever.
“Dok-Ja-ssi.”
I shifted my head to find Jeong Hui-Won there. The Archangel’s blinding wings were spreading out from her back.
The Beast Lord Shin Yu-Seung, the Naval Admiral Yi Ji-Hye, and the Emperor of Steelsword, Yi Hyeon-Seong. My comrades who lived a different life compared to the original storyline, and thus were currently marching towards a different resolution.
We glanced at each other and nodded.
“I’ll help Jung-Hyeok-ssi, so the rest of you, please take care of that side!”
[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is unleashing her Status!]
Jeong Hui-Won spread her wings wide and flew towards Yu Jung-Hyeok under the blessing of Uriel. It seemed that that was the Archangel’s choice. She now knew that the ‘Outer God King’ happened to be herself from the far-flung distant future, so…
[[I told you this before. Without the Nebula’s grace, you can’t oppose me.]]
The [Flames of Retribution] soaring through the sky as if to puncture it was now crashing back down towards the ocean.
However, we had no time to worry about Jeong Hui-Won. Because, there was yet another existence pouring out her boundless Status in our direction at the moment.
Among the parting, exploding waves, the 999th turn’s Yi Ji-Hye was staring at us with her hollow eyes.
“Everyone, please evade!”
Yu Sang-Ah stepped forward and distorted the time and space. Unfortunately, Sakyamuni’s ability was useless when facing the true might of that ‘Outer God King’.
Along with the loud ripping noise, the distorted time/space was forcibly spread open.
The battleship of the 999th turn’s Yi Ji-Hye was now rising up from the depths of the ocean. The [Turtle Dragon] of the ‘Master of the Sunken Island’ resembled more of an island rather than a ship at this stage.
“Ahjussi!”
Sensing the danger, Shin Yu-Seung had her [Chimera Dragon] spew out its Breath. And when she did, all aquatic creatures hiding below the water’s surface rushed out, as well.
Gyaaaah-ooooh!
Monsters screeching out viciously pounced on the battleship’s hull. However, the island was simply far too large for them to stop. The loud noises of monsters being crushed could be heard next. The wide expanse of the ocean vibrated heavily and the tsunami wave rolled out.
“Hyung, take a step back! Hurry!”
“Kim Dok-Ja, disappear to the back already, will ya?!”
My companions surrounded me as if to protect me and began desperately fighting back.
I was aware of why they were doing this, of course. And I also knew what they were scared of, too.
[[I, I only have to erase everything.]] The 999th turn’s Yi Ji-Hye was crying out beyond the tidal waves. [[Everything, it can be made anew. It’s nothing at all. Then, captain will realise it, too! He will know that this world can be destroyed at any time. That it’s possible, that the world we lived in was the real deal…!!]]
Kwa-kwakwakwakwa!
A huge tsunami crashed in, accompanied by the round of cannon shelling vicious enough to blow up the entire ocean. The wave’s scale was the largest we had ever seen.
If that thing continued on its way, then even if my mother was there, the Korean Peninsula was as good as finished.
[Fable, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, has begun its storytelling!]
Han Su-Yeong’s expression changed for the worse as she shouted out. “Kim Dok-Ja! If you do anything stupid…!”
“Don’t worry.”
I lightly patted her shoulder and stepped forward. The scenes of the scenarios we experienced together flitted in and out of my view.
[Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Season of Light and Darkness’, has begun its storytelling!]
Every time a new Great Fable was created, I had to risk certain death. I believed that was the only way, and thought that was the correct way.
[Great Fable, ‘Liberator of the Forgotten Ones’, is looking at you.]
The constrictive headband, this shackle that my companions personally placed on me, tightened on my head. When I was earning that Great Fable, I didn’t die. I knew very well that this was their intentions.
Kwa-aaaaaah!!
The tsunami wave got closer and closer. This power wasn’t something even a Myth-grade could stop.
⸢However, Kim Dok-Ja knew a way to deal with this tsunami wave.⸥
Back during the last scenario of the original storyline, when Yu Jung-Hyeok was waging the final war against the ‘Outer Gods’, there was a similar moment to this one.
At that time, there was a certain Constellation beside Yu Jung-Hyeok.
[Constellation. ‘Most Ancient Liberator’, is now looking at you.]
A single ‘Myth-grade Constellation’ couldn’t deal with the ‘great apocalypse’. However, what if there were two?
[Constellation, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, is looking at the ‘Most Ancient Liberator’.]
I would never sacrifice myself ever again. I’d not leave my companions behind. Just like how Yu Jung-Hyeok didn’t want to give up on this life, I shall not give up even until the end.
[Great Fable, ‘Liberator of the Forgotten Ones’, has begun its storytelling!]
The sole ‘Great Fable’ that I possessed that could become the power to fight off against the ‘Outer God King’ – however, I wasn’t the one possessing the greatest share of this Great Fable.
“Great Sage!”
I sensed four rings connecting with each other inside my head.
[‘Meihouwang’ is agreeing to your request.]
[‘Bimawen’ is agreeing to your request.]
[‘Douzhanshengfo’ is agreeing to your request.]
The overflowing Fable began transforming my Incarnation Body.
[‘Great Sage Heaven’s Equal’ is agreeing to your request.]
My hair grew in an instant and changed to platinum colour. The aura of boundless Fable flowed like rapid torrents within all of my veins. And then, I felt the fulfilling sensation of the Ruyi Jingu Bang’s grip in my hand.
[The power of five ‘Sun Wukongs’ have incarnated into your Incarnation Body!]
The golden-hued Status settled on top of my coat. The battlefield of the Tongtian was being recreated above the surrounding ocean.
Just as the lightning bolt struck, I heard the familiar voice.
[Let’s go, maknae-ya.]
I nodded my head.
<Episode 91. One Single Fable (1)> Fin.
