Chapter 283: Episode 53 – Demon King of Salvation (5)
The Crawling Chaos. One of the outer gods that was closest to the ‘origin’ of the universe and favourable to humans... this was according to mythology. In fact, there was no mention of him in Ways of Survival.
[ The Crawling Chaos... did the ‘Last Wall’ call me that? ]
“It’s just my guess.”
[ It is literature left by the ‘recorders of fear.’ Believing in records that aren’t even 100 years old, you are more naive than I thought. The unknown can’t be revealed in human language. ]
I bit my lips. There wasn’t much known about the outer gods in the myths that were the prototypes for Ways of Survival. In the 74th turn of Ways of Survival, one of the ‘recorders of fear’ left the following remark:「 “Everything we wrote was a lie. It was the only lie we could use to explain the unknown horrors.” 」
I was a bit daunted as I asked, “...Are the myths on Earth wrong?”
[ I am Secretive Plotter. That is enough. ]
It was an ambiguous answer but also a sufficient one. I didn’t know if he was the ‘Crawling Chaos’ or not. At the very least, it was clear that Secretive Plotter was undoubtedly a strong outer god.
“I have a request.”
[ You want to ask me to stop that. ]
“That’s right.”
The Secretive Plotter looked down as the mass of fog swallowed a planet. The time of the world was slowed down by the power of Secretive Plotter but it wasn’t completely halted. The Secretive Plotter kept looking down as he spoke.
[ The fog is a disaster originating from the beginning. It is impossible to eliminate it completely. ]
“I know that there are ways.”
The Secretive Plotter just looked down at the universe while disregarding my words. I waited nervously for what he would say next.
The shimmering shadow made a disturbing sound. I didn’t think it would feel like this when I heard the indirect messages on the channel. I thought he was a good constellation with lots of playfulness and friendliness...
The shadow currently in front of me only gave off a cold and frightening sensation. I didn’t know what happened but the appearance of the 73rd Demon Realm suddenly seemed close. It was as if I was looking through a telescope of enormous magnification as I saw the people of the industrial complex.
-Kim Dokjaaaaa!
Jung Heewon’s voice seemed like an auditory hallucination. I saw the party members screaming in despair.
[ Why are you trying to save them? You can see the ending even if you live alone. ]
“The ending is only meaningful if they are there.”
As I spoke, I stimulated dozens of questions and answers in my head. Both my hands were sweating. I couldn’t fail here. No matter what, I had to convince the Secretive Plotter in this conversation.
[ What if they don’t want it? ]
I slowly opened my mouth.
「 Dammit, Kim Dokja! Stop! Please! Come back! 」
「 I don’t want this! I don’t want to survive this way. 」
「 I’ll do anything. If you die, I’ll die. If you are going to sit still, I’ll sit still. Please don’t do this!
Please! 」
The voices of my party members were heard using Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. They didn’t say it but I heard the words.
[ What if the ending they wanted was to die with you there? Do you still want to save them? ]
I barely managed to open my mouth. “...Yes.”
[ It isn’t salvation. It is a curse. ]
I couldn’t come up with an excuse. It was my story that answered on my behalf.
[ The story ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is continuing. ]
The Secretive Plotter watched the story coming from me and kept asking,
[ Using those who should’ve died, changing the world line, hurting everyone and reaching the ending you desire... what is the meaning? ]
The empty eyes of the shadow were shining. An eerie chill went down my spine.
[ No matter what you do or what story you make, you can’t truly reach them. ]
The indirect messages didn’t reveal the essence of the constellations. Just as I couldn’t fully understand the characters from reading the books. Maybe it was a mistake to see the Secretive Plotter.
However, it was too late to back down. I opened my mouth after a moment. “...I heard that once in my childhood. Still, there is still the ‘wall’ left behind.”
They were words that Jang Hayoung once said.
“Even if there is an insurmountable wall between me and then, even if it isn’t heard by the person beyond the wall, I can write something on the wall and at the very least, the wall will change.”
I wasn’t able to say a proper goodbye to Jang Hayoung. Perhaps he was in the ward like Yoo Jonghyuk. “Maybe after a very long time, somebody might look at the wall.”
There were no words from Secretive Plotter for a while. Every sentence had a different meaning to the interpreter. To the Secretive Plotter who lived for a very long time, my words might sound completely different. Even so, these were the only words I could squeeze out with my 28 years of wisdom. I just hoped that these words would move something in the Secretive Plotter.
[ I don’t agree with your method but I’m curious. ]
Finally, the Secretive Plotter opened his mouth.
[ Let’s say you reach the end of everything using your method and save the world. Then what about the other worlds? ]
“Huh?”
...Other worlds? The moment I was about to speak, the universe at my feet flipped over like a card. The cards that were divided into dozens and hundreds of pieces were shining in their own way with different colours and shapes.
It was a dimension more distant than the Star Stream. A world that was blurry but clearly existed. It contained the world of Ways of Survival that I had read.
There was Yoo Jonghyuk who died in the Theater Dungeon in the eighth round.
There was the Yoo Jonghyuk who went to the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint in the 18th round.
There was the 41st round Yoo Jonghyuk who made the choice to sacrifice his colleagues.
There was the 181st round Yoo Jonghyuk who stood up from despair.
.....
The stories of the Yoo Jonghyuk who once saved me were on display in front of me. In addition, I knew the ending of all the regressions.
[ What about all the worlds you didn’t save? ]
It was an unthinkable question. No, it was a question I didn’t want to think about. In order to stop that story, I changed Yoo Jonghyuk’s third turn.
All the events of the original Ways of Survival and all the worlds that protected me in my childhood...
Were they going to be nonexistent now? The Secretive Plotter looked at me like it was interesting.
[ I will fulfill your request. ]
Suddenly, the screen on the floor changed to the 73rd Demon Realm. I didn’t understand this whim but Secretive Plotter decided to accept the deal with me.
[ However, there is a condition. ]
I had expected it. All Outer World Covenants were subject to severe conditions. “Anything is fine, unless it requires me to be subordinate to you or my death.”
The mouth of the Secretive Plotter opened and revealed something white. It was as if the conditions I mentioned were ridiculous.
[ Sometimes you might have to risk your life. It is all up to you. ]
“Okay. However, please save my party members first before speaking the terms.”
[ As I said before, I can’t eliminate the fog. ]
“Then...?”
[ I can only save the mortals in the industrial complex. Is that okay? ]
I paused for a moment before nodding. I thought I knew what the Secretive Plotter was going to do. “Can you move them to a safe place?”
[ Where do you want to move them? ]
“Earth. If possible, I would prefer Seoul.”
[ It is a closed scenario area but there is hope. ]
There was a sound and one of his long fingers was cut off. The small finger of the shadow rose in the air, turning into tens of thousands of points that flew into the universe. The points crossed the galaxy in an instant and dug into the 73rd Demon Realm.
The screen under my feet showed the people of the industrial complex. The people were being transported somewhere with a new scenario. The population of the industrial complex was close to 100,000.
Now the Secretive Plotter would send out personal scenarios to all the incarnations. A great amount of probability was exhausted but Secretive Plotter replaced the probability with the sacrifice of one finger.
The people who received the scenario were hiding in the Demon World. Indescribable Distance was released from the bondage of time and started to belatedly devour the planet, but it was already empty. The fog missed the party members and cried out.
[ Now it’s my turn. ]
“Speak.”
[ You must kill someone. ]
“Can I ask who I have to kill?”
My heart was heavy. Maybe there would be special constraints. Or it might be a tangle of probability that not even the Secretive Plotter could touch.
[ Accept the covenant and you will know. ]
“...What happens if I refuse?”
In the end, I saw the group of people who had been moved to Earth by the Secretive Plotter.
[ I still have nine fingers left. ]
“I accept.”
In any case, the worst situation was escaped. The party members safely returned to Earth and everything was as planned.
[A new sub scenario has been acquired!]
[The Star Stream’s scenario system has encountered an error.]
[The information of this scenario is being reconstructed.]
[You have acquired the possibility of a new story!]
[A story that can’t be understood by the Star Stream is germinating.]
I was the only one left. If I did this well, everything would end smoothly.
The Secretive Plotter lifted his right hand, the darkness of the universe distorted and a small portal started to open.
[ Actually, there was another person beside you who made a covenant. ]
...Besides me? I looked through my memories of the original novel but couldn’t come up with a person who would make an Outer World Covenant at this time. “What happened to them?”
[ I’m expecting much bigger things from you. If you safely complete the scenario, you’ll be able to come back without any problems. ]
The portal increased to a size I could go through.
[ Another outer god will transfer you. Be careful not to disobey him. ]
At the end, I was sucked into the portal. The foundations were built up and the whole world spread out like a post-modern oil painting where the intention couldn’t be read. The brilliant colours caused me to feel nauseated and once I lifted my head again, there was a huge door in front of me.
Facing me was a giant bubble that filled the endless universe and a circular door occupied the centre. The moment the door opened its big eyes at me, the Fourth Wall was triggered.
[The Fourth Wall is issuing a warning!]
There was only one such gigantic door in Ways of Survival.
[ An exis tence se nt by the plot ter. ]
I nodded. The door looked down at me with its own will.
[ Frag ment of the La st Wall... and... ]
It was a stuffy voice that sounded like it was coming from water.
[ ... Ser vant jour ney ing to end of life... ]
“...Where am I going?”
[ Every thing is wri tten and exist at the sa me ti me. ]
...Well, I never thought a normal conversation would work. It was usually the case with an outer god. Only the Secretive Plotter was an exceptional case.
[ The past and pre sent aren’t dif fe rent from the fu ture. On ly free will is le ft. ]
The door opened with a huge sound. A door that linked the past, present and future. If I stepped in there, I wouldn’t be able to go back.
Before that, there was something I had to do. I hesitated before placing my hand into my clothes. I pulled out a warm and tiny cotton ball.
[Baat!]
Biyoo was crying as she shouted at me.