Chapter 286: Episode 54 – Demon King Slayer (2)
Finally, the message I had been waiting for had arrived. Secretive Plotter’s personal scenario.
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[Sub Scenario (Secretive Plotter) – ???]
Category: Sub (Personal)
Difficulty: ???
Clear Conditions: ???
Time Limit: ―
Compensation: Can return to the original round with a legendary story (1), a skill (1) and an item (1) (The probability required will be born by the scenario proponent).
Failure: Unable to return to the original turn, your incarnation body will be destroyed.
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The moment I opened the scenario window, the thing that caught my eyes was the ‘compensation.’
[The bureau is currently suspicious of your probability.]
I wasn’t a member of this ‘regression.’ Therefore, even if I got an item, skill or story in this turn, I wouldn’t be able to preserve it after returning to my original world. It was just like how the 41st round Shin Yoosung was weakened so badly that she could be hit.
However, if the reward was true... I could take the things obtained in this round because to my original world.
It was a tremendous reward. No matter how much the probability was constrained, the spoils of the 95th scenario would match the 95th scenario. The skills and stories available here had the power to transform the world in the 20th scenario.
「 Don’t be too ex hi la rated Kim Dok ja. 」
I barely calmed down at the Fourth Wall’s words. In fact, it wasn’t a situation where I could rejoice. The rewards for the scenario was high but the cost of failure was just as huge. If I failed, I couldn’t go back to my original round and would lose my incarnation body.
This wasn’t the turn I belonged to so the influence of my ‘stories’ weren’t big. In such a situation, I could end up killed by a probability storm if I lost my incarnation body. Moreover, this wasn’t the biggest problem.
[The clearance conditions for this scenario are being updated.]
The most importance clearance condition hadn’t been updated. I didn’t know if it was an error from crossing dimensions or if Secretive Plotter was deliberately dragging out the time.
Frankly, it was possible either way. I thought as I watched Yoo Jonghyuk fighting in the distance. If I was Secretive Plotter, what clear conditions would I place on this scenario? Based on the movements of Secretive Plotter so far...
It was an ominous thought.
[The exclusive skill ‘Reading Comprehension’ is activated.]
Secretive Plotter. I was expecting him to be Crawling Chaos but the true identity of the outer god was unknown.
He had been with me since my first channel opened but I had very little information about him. He wasn’t arrogant like the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven, full of justice like Uriel, wicked like the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon... he wasn’t even present in the original Ways of Survival. He was merely Secretive Plotter.
[You can’t read the target with the information you have.]
[The exclusive skill ‘Reading Comprehension’ is cancelled.]
[Curiosity about the unknown is leading to a new ability.]
...I didn’t know. What was he trying to show me through this scenario? In addition, what did he want to gain?
There was never a case where the outer god had done this so I couldn’t easily guess. Only one thing was certain.
[Kuaaaack!]
This scenario was likely to be connected to the monster slaughtering the constellations over there.
[That’s it! Now! Everybody pincer attack him!]
[Die Yoo Jonghyuk!]
As I was briefly distracted by the scenario window, the battlefield was flowing in an unexpected form. Yoo Jonghyuk’s condition was strange. A little while ago, he had been killing the constellations and overwhelming the battlefield...
Now his movements were dulled. Yoo Jonghyuk’s body was stiffening under the pouring bombardment.
...What was this bastard? What happened?
I adjusted the setting of Character List to check his condition.
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* Currently in an abnormal condition.
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Abnormal condition? There was no way. Who was the 1863rd regression Yoo Jonghyuk? This was Yoo Jonghyuk who was the Ruler of the East Hell and killed the Devil of Principles. There was no one among the constellations who could place an abnormal condition on the present Yoo Jonghyuk.
Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes were blank.
I felt uncomfortable like something was stuck in my throat. No, there was. There was only one person who could cause an abnormal status in Yoo Jonghyuk.
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* The target is suffering from ‘regression depression’ due to an unknown cause.
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It was Yoo Jonghyuk himself.
Regression depression. The spirit of the man who had been broken over 1863 lives made the regression depression almost a passive, low level skill. Once he fell into the depression, his consciousness was caught in the weight of his memories and he couldn’t wake up.
[Kill him! He isn’t invincible!]
The ruthless strikes caused Yoo Jonghyuk’s body to bleed little by little. It was strange. Originally, the regression depression shouldn’t occur in this situation. In the 1863rd round, Yoo Jonghyuk had learnt how to manage this disease.
Why was he in this current state...
「 The Fourth Wall is saying, “Ha ha ha.” 」
“...Was it your doing?”
The Fourth Wall didn’t answer but it was the only guess I had. The previous collision with the Fourth Wall must’ve caused some disruption in Yoo Jonghyuk’s inner surface.
Damn, what should I do?
Blood flowed from Yoo Jonghyuk’s skin as he protected his face. The power of Impenetrable Skin was still applied but it was only a matter of time before Yoo Jonghyuk died.
「 I have to help. 」
「 Why should I help him? 」
The choices were fighting in my mind.
「 Yoo Jonghyuk is a monster now. If I help, he will surely kill me when he wakes up. 」
「 Think carefully. You don’t know the clear conditions of this scenario. 」
The clear conditions were still question marks.
「 If the condition to clear the scenario is Yoo Jonghyuk’s death, this is a golden opportunity. 」
However—
「 What if the clear condition is Yoo Jonghyuk’s survival... 」
If Yoo Jonghyuk died, I would lose everything.
“Damn...”
Should I help or not?
Yoo Jonghyuk’s knees were slowly sinking to the ground. The normally weak guys were excitedly tearing at Yoo Jonghyuk’s body.
[Hahahat! I will have the story of the Iron Blood Supreme King!]
Yoo Jonghyuk would regress even if he died here. Then he would start a new round.
Regression...
[ Then what about the other worlds? ]
...Fucking plotter.
[ What about all the worlds you didn’t save? ]
Once Yoo Jonghyuk died here, a world that wasn’t in the original novel would be born. Yoo Jonghyuk would repeat the hell yet again. An abandoned world that Secretive Plotter showed me would be created and Yoo Jonghyuk would once again crawl in the infinite despair.
...Shit, I didn’t know.
I activated Electrification and flew towards Yoo Jonghyuk.
[Hey! Leave me a share too!]
At my rough true voice, the demon kings and constellations attacking Yoo Jonghyuk looked up.
[Who are you?]
[...Demonic energy? I’ve never seen you before.]
[Do you come here to kill the Demon King Slayer?]
Demonic energy flowed from my body and I could see the enemy’s tenseness being released. It was as expected. I spoke as I pulled out my status. [That’s right. We will share the good things together. It isn’t possible?]
[You came late so you can’t have the good stories.]
[Don’t worry. I’ll only help from the back.]
[A good attitude. Now, everybody continue...!]
I turned and struck the constellation with all my strength. The constellation let out a scream as he flew in a straight line and hit a ruined building.
[K-Kuooh... what are you doing?]
I wanted to hit him to death but was lacking. The constellations were angry by my abrupt actions and stared at me.
[Are you siding with the Demon King Slayer?]
I didn’t reply and opened up the power of the giant story.
[The giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ has begun!]
The pulse of the story stirred deep in my heart. Sparks surrounded my body as the story energy flooded through my blood. Some of the constellations saw my ‘giant story’ and screamed with shock.
[The status of a demon king? From a guy I’ve never heard of?]
Of course, I wasn’t a demon king of this world. I once again concentrated the power of Electrification and blew away a constellation. The constellation was hit in the belly and took a few steps back. It wasn’t comparable to Yoo Jonghyuk but the effect wasn’t bad. I might be able to fight if it continued like this.
[An error has occurred in the operation of the story.]
[The Star Stream can’t find the origin of the giant story owned by you.]
[The power of the ‘giant story’ is sharply reduced.]
...Shit. It was like this. The basis of my giant story, the 73rd Demon Realm wasn’t here. We made up the giant story together. Thus, it was natural that my story didn’t work properly.
I swung my sword at the approaching constellations and shouted at Yoo Jonghyuk. “Hey! Wake up you jerk!”
Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t answer. I tried to think of lines to wake up him but I couldn’t come up with anything. My status started to decline and Demon King Ose, who rose again on the battlefield, shouted.
[He is with the Demon King Slayer! Kill him!]
There were seven constellations, including Demon King Ose. I naturally couldn’t deal with them with my current power. I desperately evaded the attacks but the 95th scenario was the 95th scenario.
They might be ordinary constellations of the absolute evil system but the blows hurt. My flesh was frayed by the onslaught and the range of my movements became narrower.
Despite the urgency, I continued to think of ways to wake up Yoo Jonghyuk. Some things came to mind that would definitely wake up Yoo Jonghyuk.
The problem was what came next. If I woke him up using the methods I was thinking of, I was likely to die.
I bit my lips and slowly opened my mouth. There was no way. In any case, I expected it to happen like this. I briefly took a deep breath and opened my mouth. “How long will you keep your mouth shut?”
The expressions of the constellations changed at my words. Their eyes wondered what I was talking about.
I continued speaking. “It will be difficult for them if I die here.” The next moment, the pockets of my chest shone brightly and a true voice was heard.
[What, you knew?]
Of course, I wouldn’t wake up Yoo Jonghyuk. I might die if I did something crazy like that.
“It would be strange if I didn’t know. I don’t have a flower arrangement hobby.”
Two flowers emerged from the inner pocket of my coat. It was a red cosmos and a white lily. I hadn’t noticed their existence in the beginning. I realized when I crossed worlds. They were really daring constellations.
[Che. There is no other way.]
The moment they realized the identity of the true voice, the complexion of the constellations hostile to me darkened. The ‘lily’ laughed at them.
[Should we both come out? Or Jophiel, will you do it alone?]
[They are enemies of Eden. Immediately execute them.]
[...Do you want to do it together? How annoying. Okay, I understand.]
The next moment, the petals of the cosmos and lily scattered in the wind. The petals moved towards the sky and a message flashed in front of me. I looked at the message for a moment before slowly nodding.
A huge presence started to descend behind me. Astonishment appeared on the faces of the constellations and I couldn’t help laughing.
I was curious. I had wondered what Jung Heewon felt like at the time. Now I knew very well.
Six wings stretched out from behind me. I overflowed with probability as the ‘status’ of Eden’s best archangels was discharged from my body.
[The constellation ‘Commander of the Red Cosmos’ has appeared in Seoul!]
[The constellation ‘Lily Pin of Aquarius’ has appeared in Seoul!]