After exiting from <Olympus>, we remained silent for a long while. We either ran or walked; we ran, and then ran some more. Only the hollow screams could be heard in the starless emptiness.
Would those screams be recorded as Fables, too? And would someone else listen to them later? Just how many more Fables need to repeat themselves before this world came to an end?
“Kim Dok-Ja.”
“I know.”
The voice coming from Han Su-Yeong still supporting me helped me to get a grip on myself.
Eventually, the doorway to the cabin I was searching for could be seen in the distance. Even this far, the door looked much smaller and shabbier compared to other cabin’s.
The corridor we went past earlier was getting noisier. Constellations from different factions were colliding and making those noises. I didn’t hesitate and pushed the door open.
[You have entered ‘Prop Storage’.]
“What’s this? What’s this shabby….”
Han Su-Yeong’s utterances came to an immediate stop after she clapped her eyes on the room’s interior.
The room so big that eyes couldn’t see the end of, white sheets covering many places within it; if one were to designate this place as the ‘prop storage’, then it’d surely be biggest in the known universe.
⸢The cabin where ‘scenario’s everything’ had been gathered.⸥
Bihyung’s Fable could be heard next.
⸢All the props that had been used in various scenarios are displayed there. From consumable items to the scenario’s main rewards, and even Star Relics from the Nebulas that lost their power.⸥
The ‘mucus of the Hammer Seahorse’ and the ‘thorn of the Stonehawk’ I used to hunt the water dragon were also in here.
Back then, I thought I was really going to die, but… Seeing them like this made me reminisce about my past.
“Not bad. Some of them are still fairly useful.”
Yu Jung-Hyeok had strode over to the props even before I had noticed it and began exchanging his equipment. He sprayed the Fable metal coating on his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword]’s blade, swapped out his coat with a new one, and even chucked away his ancient combat boots for a new pair before picking up several Star Relics.
Seeing how his eyes were sparkling so dangerously like that, he must be feeling very pleased with himself right now.
“Wha? ‘Still fairly useful’?? I haven’t even seen some of these before! Let’s quickly grab some and bounce.”
Han Su-Yeong too had dived into the piles of items by then, and hurriedly picked the stuff she could use. Even Anna Croft, lucky enough to be supported by a wealthy Nebula until recently, bent down and carefully went through the items on display.
Like a group of unremarkable Incarnations that stumbled onto the scenario’s hidden piece, we sought out items, exchanged our equipment, and shared happy grins with one another.
⸢They all knew, however. If they didn’t do this, they wouldn’t be able to endure this moment.⸥
Yet another noise of explosions rang outside the room.
It sounded much closer than before.
“…..So, what’s in the next room, then?”
Was it because of fatigue? Han Su-Yeong had stopped [Predictive Plagiarism]’s story for now. Our gazes met and for a moment there, she raised the corner of her brow slightly.
⸢”You think writers enjoy writing stories all the time?”⸥
I could understand the meaning behind her grin now.
Even if the world was destroyed, even if the scenario barrelled towards tragedy, she’d remain as a writer, always. And that was why it was so much more painful for her. All those different pains yet to be described must still be inside her head even now.
⸢And that was why only him, the ‘reader’, could make this choice.⸥
“No, we’ll make our stand right here.”
⸢A choice that only the one filled with greed and obstinacy to see the desired ending could make.⸥
Han Su-Yeong erupted in anger. “We weren’t going to destroy the core??”
“If we are to reach the core, we need to go through other worldviews of large Nebulas.”
“Can’t we just go around or something?! Like, if we exit through that door-!”
Han Su-Yeong pointed to a plain door visible in the corner of the room.
“That door will take us to <Emperor>.”
“What about that one….”
“That door is connected to <Vedas>.”
“Son of a….”
Han Su-Yeong freaked out, and as she distanced herself from the door, she made sure to place the locks on them.
The explosion noise rang out once more. Heavy vibrations resounded out, and someone began pounding on the cabin’s door. Along with the sounds of some things exploding, the cabin’s walls shook about violently.
“….They are right before us, it seems,” said Anna Croft.
Han Su-Yeong scowled deeply and began massaging her forehead.
[Fable, ‘Predictive Plagiarism’, has resumed its storytelling!]
In the end, she had to reactivate her Fable. Plot developments she didn’t want to predict were probably being drawn inside her head.
Both Anna Croft possessing [Precognition], and Yu Jung-Hyeok and his ability to read the patterns after living through countless regressions, began getting ready to fight as well.
“We need to fight in this place. This is the only room where we have any hope of victory.”
Every cabin within the ‘Final Ark’ contained the recreation of large Nebula’s worldview.
⸢However, there was one location in this ark where no worldview had been recreated.⸥
And that was none other than this ‘Prop storage’, where items to be used in various scenarios were stored away.
[Applicable cabin isn’t under the influence of any worldview.]
That was the reason why I chose this room as our battleground.
“They are here.”
The moment Yu Jung-Hyeok unsheathed the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword], the doors in all four sides burst open simultaneously. Constellations began flooding in through the doorways next.
[Constellation, ‘Master of December 25th’, is incarnating into the ark!]
[Constellation, ‘One Responsible for the Universe’s Rotation’, is joining the battleground along with its servants!]
<Vedas>.
[Constellation, ‘Master of Abydos’, is incarnating in rage!]
[Constellation, ‘Official in Charge of Earthquakes and Volcanoes’, is waking up from its ancient slumber!]
[Constellation, ‘Ruler of Inhalation and Exhalation’, is waking up its Fables!]
<Papyrus>.
[Constellation, ‘One-eyed Father’, is fixing his grip on his spear.]
[Constellation, ‘One Who Lost His Arm to the Wolf of Apocalypse’, has discovered you!]
<Asgard>.
[Constellation, ‘Great Mother God Who Created Man Out of Earth’, is incarnating into the ark!]
[Constellation, ‘Daeracheonjon’, is incarnating into the ark!]
[Constellation, ‘Emperor of Heavens’, is sitting on his throne!]
[Constellation, ‘Master of the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear’, is taking out all of his paopeis!]
….And even <Emperor>, too.
The moment all the doors of the storage broke down, Fables within the space collided and expanded. The ‘Great Fables’ from differing worldviews were letting their voices heard loud and clear.
Han Su-Yeong chuckled. “Everyone who hates us has gathered in one spot.”
[Over there!]
Just as someone shouted that out, we quickly retreated to the back; along with a loud explosion, jet-black ash danced in the spot we’d been standing on a moment ago.
[‘Great Fables’ have discovered a new cabin!]
[Portion of Fables have begun transplanting their worldviews to the new cabin!]
We didn’t have much time here.
Kwa-boooom!!
Explosions rang out as we unsheathed our individual weapons. I too had already kitted myself out from head to toe in all sorts of props from various scenarios.
With our backs pressed against each other, we faced the four cardinal directions and unleashed our Statuses towards the incoming Constellations.
Han Su-Yeong fired out [Black Flame] and flung herself forward. “All of you, just die!!”
A pitch-black sphere she threw flew in the air and landed amidst the Constellations. I wondered what that was, only for a stonking flame wave to explode out from the item.
[Kuwaaaaaah!!]
I instantly recognised what that was. That was the 95th scenario’s reward item called [Nightmare Flame Wave] from the 241st regression turn. It was a horrifying Fable weapon containing flames dragged out from <Eden>’s hell that unleashed perpetual flames in the area of effect for the next ten or so years.
[Measly flames from a destroyed Nebula dares to….!]
Along with ‘Fuuu-!’ noise, Nuwa’s soil created a path in the middle of the conflagration. The <Emperor>’s Constellations ran on that road and pounced on us. Some of them happened to be the same lot that fought against us back during the Journey to the West.
Han Su-Yeong noisily gritted her teeth. “They managed to show up here, yet why haven’t you come yet, Black Flame Dragon!”
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, shouts out that you must wait for a little bit longer!]
The number of Constellations entering through the doors easily surpassed a couple of hundreds – three hundred, four, five…. every Constellation found in the worldviews were now streaming into this huge room.
And as their numbers continued to grow, the effects of the ⸢Stage Transformation⸥ grew stronger in the middle of them. The once-colourless floor morphed into the desolate desert and a massive pyramid suddenly rose up from there.
The ‘Master of Abydos’, Osiris spoke up. [I was wondering who managed to wake me up, but this….]
Right afterwards, clouds gathered in the sky above and the panoramic view of the heavenly worlds spread out.
The ‘Great Mother God Who Created Man out of Earth’ Nuwa spoke to us next. [It’s not too late, children. I can make spots available for you all.]
[On whose authority?]
I thought I could hear the trumpeting of elephants, only to realise that it was the ‘Master of December 25th’ Mithra riding atop the head of a gigantic turtle speaking up.
[Only punishment fitting for those rejecting the ‘celebration day for my revival’ is death.]
Odin sitting on the edge of the Universe Tree’s branch stared at me with the eye capable of seeing through all things in creation.
[Oh you foolish star, did you honestly believe you can fight against us all?]
A loud burst of laughter could be heard; all the stars, their Great Fables already secured within this safe ‘ark’, were laughing at us.
[With a Fable that hasn’t even reached ‘myth’ level yet, how dare you….]
The ‘Bird that Devours Thunder’ tried to throw some third-rate utterances in our direction, but then, its mouth suddenly emitted ‘Puh-shoo-shuk’ noise before being cleanly penetrated from behind.
Yu Jung-Hyeok had somehow appeared behind the creature’s back and cut the fool’s head off right there and then.
“You talk too much.”
[Kill them!]
The battle commenced. We were overwhelmingly outnumbered, but we aggressively utilised the nearby props to their fullest in our fight. Fable weapons we could rely on were scattered about all over the place. Especially for the weapon storage for the 60th scenario, which seemed to be designed solely with Yu Jung-Hyeok in mind.
[Comrade, ‘Comrade of Life and Death’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Comrade, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, has begun its storytelling!]
Yu Jung-Hyeok’s talents displayed earlier during the ‘Demon King Selection’ battles were now shining brightly.
He was the ‘all-rounder’; he mastered handling every type of weapons out there while living through 1863 regression turns, and now, he was massacring Constellations with a great bow.
[Kill him first!]
Historical Figure-grade Constellations were sniped to death by Yu Jung-Hyeok’s rapid firing, and the debris falling from the dying stars created protective walls. We ran between them and continued to fight.
“Dodge to the right!”
Almost at the same time as Anna’s warning rang out, a rapid attack from the Myth-grade Constellation swept by near our heels. Avoiding fatal injuries after getting struck by such attacks would be quite difficult; the stock of Yi Seol-Hwa’s [Life and Death Pills] had almost run out by now, so we weren’t able to deal with serious wounds anymore.
Lower-ranked Constellations of Asgard pounced on Anna Croft.
[How dare you betray our Nebula??]
Splat!
The head of the Constellation roaring out exploded, just like that. A lengthy tongue-like thing flew out from behind Anna Croft and burst open that Constellation’s head.
[Constellation who likes changing gender is smirking.]
The backer that helped her betray the Nebula was now helping us, too.
“Kim Dok-Ja! Holding out any further will be impossible! Yu Jung-Hyeok’s reached his limit, too!”
The attentions of the Myth-grade Constellations were focused on Yu Jung-Hyeok; the weapon storage was burning in flames, while he was swinging a huge hammer around to ward off the Constellations, his whole body bathed in blood.
⸢Kim Dok-Ja began rummaging through the Prop storage to find something.⸥
“….Found it.”
I picked up a test tube located at the very end of the [Star Relic] category. This was written on the label stuck to the tube: [Shindansu’s seed].
I unhesitantly dropped that seed on the floor. It quickly sprouted a new bud and in a blink of an eye, grew into a tree as tall as me. But it stopped there.
[Great Fable, ‘Shindansu’, is spreading its roots!]
[Great Fable, ‘Shindansu’, is perceiving your existence.]
[Great Fable, ‘Shindansu’, requires a Fable for the sake of Gaecheon(開天)!]
The whole prop storage was now up in flames.
Yu Jung-Hyeok was holding up pretty well until now; Constellations looking into his venomous eyes freaked out and yelled at each other.
[This is the ‘Prop Storage’! Use items to fight him off!]
The first thing they found was an item we were quite familiar with as well – the [Absolute Throne]. The core item of the fourth scenario that granted anyone acquiring it with the Outer God’s blessing.
The Historical Figure-grade Constellations discovering the throne rushed towards it with greed-filled eyes.
I stopped Han Su-Yeong from rushing there too. “Let them be.”
The Historical Figure-grade Constellations swarmed towards it.
[The throne is mine!]
The moment someone stepped on the [Absolute Throne], I clutched the [Shindansu]’s leaf. No matter how hard I pondered it, the Fable that I could afford to feed this guy had to be this one.
A portion of Constellations felt something was off and hurriedly shouted at the [Absolute Throne].
[Wait!! Stop!]
Just as the Status leaking out from the [Absolute Throne] was about to flood in this direction, something buried deep inside my chest began to writhe.
[Fable, ‘King of a Kingless World’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Shindansu’, has detected the beginning of a new Fable!]
⸢This story began by destroying that throne.⸥
Kwa-kwakwakwakwa!!
The [Shindansu] gobbled up the Fable and acquired the explosive amount of Probability, allowing it to grow larger again.
[A new worldview is taking root in the applicable location!]
⸢Shindansu⸥. The large Nebula <Hongik>’s Great Fable.
I addressed the Constellations. “As you have said, we don’t have a ‘myth’. However, we have always been fighting together with a certain ‘myth’.”
And that Fable began telling its story.
⸢No other myths could escape from this story.⸥
The [Shindansu] instantly reached up to the storage’s ceiling and massive explosion noises resounded out next. The ark’s ceiling began collapsing.
[Gaecheon(開天) is commencing!]
The heavens started opening up as powerful whirlwinds swirled around.
[Aged stars of an ancient Nebula are waking up from their endless slumber!]
Accompanied by the blinding rays of light, shadows of tree branches in full bloom were cast on the torn sky. Stars began appearing on the ends of the shadows like ripened fruits.
[That throne, it’s been a while.]
Seven stars were now dangling on the ends of the branches. Constellations of the Big Dipper that aided me with destroying the [Absolute Throne] were there.
Countless Constellations began descending from the sky like shooting stars.
[Constellation, ‘Bald General of Justice’, is incarnating into the ark!]
[Constellation, ‘King Heungmu’, is incarnating into the ark!]
[Constellation, ‘Slumbering Lady of Fine Brocade’, is incarnating into the ark!]
[Constellation, ‘Heaven’s Wind God’, is incarnating into the ark!]
Only these stars were willing to become our allies in this ark.
A sword crashed down like lightning among the descending Constellations and the [Absolute Throne] exploded into bits. The Constellation trampling on the false king above the wrecked throne looked at me and spoke.
[Good work, descendant.]
[Constellation, ‘Goryeo’s First Sword’, is incarnating into the ark!]
<Episode 95. Gaecheon/開天 (4)> Fin.
