Chapter 346: Episode 65 – Good and Evil (2)
Asmodeus continued speaking.
[Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. Among the incarnations, it is a story known as the Revelation... have you heard of it?]
At Asmodeus’ words, the pale-faced Han Sooyoung stepped forward. “You! What the hell did you come here to do?”
Asmodeus just ignored Han Sooyoung and studied Yoo Jonghyuk’s expression.
[An unknown power is putting a brake to incarnation Yoo Jonghyuk’s imagination.]
Sparks once again appeared in Yoo Jonghyuk’s vicinity. In fact, Asmodeus’ words sounded like this to Yoo Jonghyuk.
[Have you heard of Three ■■ to ■■■■ in a Ruined ■■■?]
Yoo Jonghyuk got a headache as he asked, “...What did you say?”
Asmodeus sighed. [Hmmm, you aren’t yet allowed...]
“What are you talking about?”
[Well, it isn’t a big deal. Then... based on the situation, the Demon King of Salvation is still asleep.]
Asmodeus grinned and glanced at the Factory.
[Unfortunately, I will go back for today. Please tell this to the Demon King of Salvation. Thanks to what he has done, the balance of good and evil is shaken. Jackals will emerge to take advantage of that imbalance.]
“Wait, just wait!”
Yoo Jonghyuk pressed a hand to his temple and called out to Asmodeus, who had turned around.
He replied without turning around. [Regressor Yoo Jonghyuk. Do you want to know the truth of the world?]
“...The truth?”
[If you want to know, come to the Seekers of the End.]
With these words, Asmodeus’ body disappeared. Han Sooyoung quickly approached the staggering Yoo Jonghyuk. “Yoo Jonghyuk. Are you okay?”
“...”
“Yoo Jonghyuk?”
Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t answer. He seemed to be thinking about something and was drowning in great anguish. Yoo Jonghyuk stared at the air for a while before shaking off Han Sooyoung and staggering somewhere.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
Despite Han Sooyoung’s shouts, Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t answer. Han Sooyoung shouted once again, “Kim Dokja hasn’t woken up yet!”
“It has nothing to do with him.”
Yoo Jonghyuk triggered Red Phoenix Shunpo and disappeared. The only one left at the entrance of the Factory was Han Sooyoung. Han Sooyoung looked around and was lost in thought as she chewed on the candy bar.
‘Is it time for the filtering to be lifted and information about Ways of Survival to begin?’
It happened while Kim Dokja wasn’t present and Han Sooyoung couldn’t hide her nervousness. She couldn’t guess what type of disaster would occur if Yoo Jonghyuk learnt about Ways of Survival now. Moreover, how did the demon kings learn about the existence of Ways of Survival?
Han Sooyoung watched the sky to the south and spat the candy on the ground. Something had to be done before Kim Dokja woke up.
***
Yoo Sangah was able to fully enjoy the experience of being a ‘newcomer’ as she organized the books.
In the last two days, Yoo Sangah learnt a lot from her three seniors. From the identity of this library to the identities of her seniors.
「 (Please organize it slowly. Once Kim Dokja starts thinking unnecessary things, it gets messy.) 」
The theatre master, Simulation.
「 (It will take a long time to clean up with only two hands. I wanted a successor with many hands to replace me.) 」
The outer god, Eater of Dreams.
「 (Do you want me to teach you Thousand Hands of Avalokiteśvara?) 」
The reincarnator, Nirvana Moebius.
All the seniors were slightly odd but they were generally kind to her. It would’ve been nice if they were part of Mino Soft’s human resources team.
Shelves covered with countless books. They were all the books Kim Dokja had read or forgotten. Most of the books were one ‘novel.’
『 Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. 』
Yoo Sangah liked books and quickly identified her situation and the processes of her new job. This was a place for Kim Dokja and what this story meant to Kim Dokja...
Once she realized, Yoo Sangah felt faint despair and sympathy at the same time. However, Yoo Sangah didn’t show it. She knew that sometimes not expressing it was a way of taking care of the wounded. Instead, she thought about other things.
‘If it developed like the original...’
The following Earth scenario could have several implications. Among them, the most likely one...
「 Work har d Yoo Sang ah. 」
Yoo Sangah raised her head at the voice heard from the air.
「 (I will work hard.) 」
She felt like she was living a rented life but there was a possibility for her to live again. Fortunately, the general manager of this place was a cute boss.
「 (Thank you for the job. I really like it here.) 」
「 Bah. 」
「 (I’m serious.) 」
「 Yoo Sang ah li kes books? 」
「 (I like it very much.) 」
「 Wh at book? 」
「 (For example... Lord of the Rings...) 」
「 H oh. 」
Luckily, the cute boss seemed quite interested in her. She decided to ask about something she was curious about.
「 (Then can I ask one question?) 」
「 Wh at? 」
「 (What exactly is the Fourth Wall?) 」
A giggle filled the entire library.
「 I pro tect Kim Dok ja. 」
「 (Protect him?) 」
「 Kim Dok ja would die with out me. 」
It was a voice filled with conviction.
「 Th en Kim Dok ja did some thing stu pid. 」
The entire library trembled faintly.
「 It is hard er recent ly be cause of you. 」
「 (...Because of me?) 」
「 My work is leak ing out. 」
The sound of sparks pointed to a certain direction in the library. The Fourth Wall was indicating to a hole bigger than Yoo Sangah’s fist.
「 Ev en though I block ed it, it is de stroyed by Kim Dok ja. 」
The cover of an old book was blocking the hole. It seemed to be a temporary action urgently carried out. Yoo Sangah carefully examined the cover of the book.
「 (The hold, isi t going to the outside?) 」
「 Yes. 」
Yoo Sangah pondered the hole for a while before making a playful expression.
「 (Fourth Wall. I have a good idea.) 」
***
I slept comfortably. It was as deep as when I had been forcibly confined. It felt like fluffy feathers were wrapped around my head. Or maybe someone came into my head and cleared up all the uncomfortable worries.
「 (Dokja-ssi, it is a big deal. Dokja-ssi.) 」
A mysterious voice rang in my head and I got out of bed in a startled manner. A hospital room with no one inside. My skin was tanned after being burnt by the sparks.
“Uh...”
I looked around but there was no one by the bed. None of the party members could be seen. Then who woke me up?
I decided to check the situation. I was still weak from the aftermath of the probability storm but I was capable of walking. Yet the feeling was strange. An unpleasant aura was flowing through the corridor of the ward. There was a foreboding feeling that something would break. A moment later, I realized there was a loud commotion outside the Factory.
I opened a window in the corridor and people’s shouts entered my ears.
“Free Seoul!”
...What?
“We will no longer be ruled by the demon king!”
“Dictator of the Factory, stand down! Open all the stigmas and skills to the public!”
A crowd was gathered beyond the walls of the Factory. They were the incarnations from Seoul and the surrounding areas. I saw the composition of the forces that had come and immediately knew what type of people they were.
Most of them were people who failed in the scenario. They were also some key figures from the alliances.
“This is a legitimate struggle! Wake up the Demon King of Salvation and the evil company, Kim Dokja’s Company, who preempts the scenarios and monopolizes the capital!”
Preempt the scenario and monopolize the capital...
They wouldn’t say that if they knew how hard it was for us to get through the scenarios. Inside the walls were the confused party members. The first one I heard was Gong Pildu’s voice. “Should I just shoot them?”
“Ahjussi, are you crazy? Most of them are novice incarnations!”
“Everyone! Don’t do this! It is a misunderstanding!
Lee Jihye and Lee Hyunsung came forward to yell at the people but communication wasn’t possible from the beginning.
“Shut up! Open the gates! Share the items!”
“There is no such thing as items!”
“Share the coins!”
“We aren’t gangsters...”
An ‘incitement’ of this level wasn’t something that ordinary humans could do. Every alliance on the Korean Peninsula was taken over by my party members and the Gyeongi Alliance, which was the largest stumbling block, was destroyed by Yoo Jonghyuk not long ago.
The fact that so many people gathered together meant it was likely that someone outside had intervened. Then where were Yoo Jonghyuk and Han Sooyoung? What caused this division in the Factory? It seemed there were many things I didn’t know.
[Many constellations are interested in what is happening in the industrial complex.]
I had to stop this before it became bigger. I was calculating things in my head and about to move towards the party members when I heard a dokkaebi’s voice.
[Revolution...! I am someone who advocates for democracy!]
An ominous feeling rushed through me.
[Since a probability of this scale has been gathered, it is possible to open up a scenario?]
+
[Sub Scenario – Seoul Revolution]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: ???
Clear Conditions: Seoul is currently under the leadership of Kim Dokja’s Company. Incarnations have emerged to resist the dominance of the nebula. Many constellations want both groups to fight for control of Seoul.
Time Limit: None
Compensation: 300,000 coins
Failure: ―
+
The moment I read the scenario, I had a nasty feeling. Kim Dokja’s Company had accumulated two giant stories and was now well known in the Star Stream.
However, the nebula’s representative, Yoo Jonghyuk was absent. Someone was deliberately trying to hit us.
“There is no failure condition! Should I try it?”
“300,000 coins! Let’s make some money!”
Lee Jihye shouted with frustration. “Stupid... it isn’t an amount large enough to be divided!”
The moment I thought it wouldn’t work, someone came forward. It was Jung Heewon. Jung Heewon used the Speech Amplifier skill and her voice was filled with great vigour. “Don’t hide your representatives!”
The people climbing the walls were aghast at Jung Heewon’s words.
“There will only be senseless sacrifices if you wage war here. Wouldn’t it be better to decide victory in a battle between representatives?”
Jung Heewon watched the people and continued. “If we lose, we will hand over the Factory as you wish!”
“Heewon-ssi! Why promise such a thing...?!”
Lee Hyunsung stared at her with confusion while Jung Heewon calmly explained. “These people, most of them haven’t passed the 10th scenario yet. What will happen if a real war occurs here?”
Lee Hyunsung shut his mouth at Jung Heewon’s words. Rather than talking, the party members stared at each other in silence. How much time passed? One by one, they started nodding.
“..Heewon-ssi is right.”
Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung. Gong Pildu looked unhappy but...
Everyone agreed this was the best way to minimize the sacrifice of the citizens.
The dokkaebi saw the progress from the air and laughed.
[...Good. Will this event be a ‘Representative Exhibition’?]
At the same time, the contents of the sub scenario were changed.
[Sub scenario – Seoul Revolution is updated!]
[Through the representatives of both forces, the owner of Seoul will be determined!]
Jung Heewon yelled at the people beyond the walls. “The representatives, come up now. This side is ready.”
It was a confident smile. Maybe Jung Heewon’s determination stemmed from the faithful time she spent training.
The people who had been talking about revolution and the spring of Seoul suddenly fell silent when Jung Heewon came out so confidently. Then their shouts became louder.
“R-Representative! Where are you? Come out quickly!”
“Fight and win! Find our rights!”
Yet no one showed up. It was natural. Those who raised the crowd wanted to take advantage of the irrational incitement. However, the meaning disappeared if the story flowed like this.
The anxious incarnations cried out, “Who...!”
I was a bit thrilled when I saw the ranks of the crowd crumbling. It was great to see who the party members had grown in the three years without me.
Perhaps Jung Heewon aimed for this from the beginning. She learned to maintain her sense of justice while being pragmatic.
She was already one of the strongest in Seoul. She had no chance of losing in a one-on-one fight against an incarnation.
The dokkaebi in the air stroked his chin. [Kim Dokja’s Company has two representatives missing. Who will come forward?]
The party members raised their hands at the same time. However, Jung Heewon was first. “I will do it.”
“Heewon-ssi.”
“Don’t worry. You know that I’m strong.”
Certainly, Jung Heewon was the strongest in our nebula apart from Yoo Jonghyuk. Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung and Gong Pildu... none of them could surpass Jung Heewon when it came to individual combat power. In addition, Jung Heewon seemed to notice something. This was one of the reasons why Jung Heewon should be a representative.
「 ...I will go. 」
The reason for this was the three incarnations approaching through the crowd. One of their faces was especially familiar.
...This guy. The man who passed over the walls opened his mouth. “I will be a representative.”