Chapter 351: Episode 66 – Beyond Good and Evil (1)
I thought it was wrong at first. Then the gazes of the demon kings focused on me, Asmodeus clapped and the expressions of the party members were dazed. It started to feel more real for me.
Kim Dokja’s Company won the grand prize. However, an ominous feeling preceded any joyful feelings.
The grand prize? Us? In this Duet Between Good and Evil?
The reason for my ominous feeling was soon revealed.
[The good or evil of this year’s grand prize hasn’t been determined yet.]
The message about good and evil not being determined yet caused a stir among some of the demon kings and constellations.
[What does it mean that good or evil hasn’t been determined yet?]
The dokkaebi replied immediately. [The winners of the past ‘Grand Prize’ were decided by the consensus of the great dokkaebis, the absolute good constellations and the absolute evil constellations. This time, we couldn’t come to a conclusion for the first time.]
[You couldn’t come to a conclusion? The great dokkaebis?]
The demon kings and constellations looked confused. The constellations belonging to the absolute good or absolute evil would naturally vote for their faction but the great dokkaebis couldn’t come to a consensus?
[No such thing has occurred since the Duet Between Good and Evil started. No, it is the first time since the Holy and Demon War ended!]
[You can’t identify it? There can’t be such a story. The balance of good and evil must tilt either way!]
The agitated constellations and demon kings cried out. It wasn’t that they didn’t understand.
Many giant story scenarios were determined by agreement or manipulation of the nebulae. Just as Gigantomachia was sold as a type of tourist product, other giant stories were also sold as preferred stocks, making the good or evil of the story already determined.
Yet out giant story was made by completely breaking down Gigantomachia. The giant story of Olympus’ collapse was born out of nowhere. Since it was a story that wasn’t scheduled in the beginning, it wasn’t possible to decide the good or evil in advance.
The dokkaebi laughed like this situation was interesting. [Well, what can someone like me know about the opinions of the big bosses? In any case, we are here to determine if the story is good or evil. If you have any comments, please raise your hand.]
The intention of the dokkaebi became obvious.
...This son of a bitch.
In the first place, it didn’t matter to them if Kim Dokja’s Company won the grand prize. The important thing was the good or evil of the story we built, since it would change their status.
[This story is naturally ‘evil.’]
The first one to open his mouth was the demon king ‘Duke of Everywhere.’ Duke of Everywhere. His true name was Furcas, master of the 50th Demon Realm.
[The Demon King of Salvation is a demon king. He is less devious but he is still a demon king of the Demon World. Thus, all his actions are evil.]
Indeed, it was pathetic logic for the Duke of Everywhere who couldn’t even spell properly. Then someone in the opposing camp raised a hand.
[I disagree with that opinion.]
Guardian of Youths and Travel, Raphael. Raphael shook a finger and started talking.
[For example, if someone steals something and becomes a wicked person. Everyone in the world called him evil so he became evil. Then what if this evil man used the stolen money to save people? What if he saved a lot of people by giving bread to the poor and water to the thirsty?]
I nodded at Raphael’s argument.
[Then is he still evil? Is he defined as evil?]
[Well, that...] The Duke of Everywhere was swayed by Raphael’s logic.
At this time, the demon king sitting beside me raised a hand and helped the Duke of Everywhere. [Do you want to discuss the paradox of good and evil here?]
Asmodeus’ red eyes were incensed. Come to think of it, Asmodeus owed Raphael a debt.
Raphael nodded. [I can do it if you want.]
Raphael lay on a bed of clouds and flicked his fingers towards the air. Then on the big screen of the stage, scenes of me and the party members performing in Gigantomachia started to flow.
Raphael stared at the screen and started talking. [In the end, all existences are made of stories and stories are made up of the sum of the events. However, it is hard to find evil in the events accumulated in this story.]
The paradox of good and evil. This paradox implied that the good and evil of all beings were defined by the stories built up by them.
Raphael opened his mouth and pointed at the split screens. The first screen was a scene where I visited the Underworld and liberated the giants.
[The Demon King of Salvation liberated the underdogs from the unjust story that suppressed them.]
The second screen was a scene where the party members resisted the transition of Gigantomachia from a tourist destination to hunting the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.
[The members of Kim Dokja’s Company responded to the unreasonable scenario composition of Gigantomachia.]
The final screen was a scene where the party members and I burned the torch and opposed Poseidon, a myth-grade constellation.
[They fought against a major object of force and overthrew the dominance of the giant nebula. Look. Is it possible to find any evil in the events that happened?]
Many of the constellations nodded at Raphael’s story, which described the details of the scene. On the other hand, the expressions of the demon kings distorted. At least, apart from Asmodeus.
[How interesting. Then the angels are saying that the Demon King of Salvation might be a good demon king?]
[Are you admitting it?]
[Nope. Your words have a loophole. One, as you say, the stories are the sum of the events.]
Asmodeus grinned at me.
[As you know, a story is never a solitary existence. A story is related to other stories and affects it. It is the same for Torch That Swallowed the Myth.]
At the same time, another screen appeared and started to play. It was the scene of the first scenario. The screen zoomed in on the eggs of the pregnant grasshopper exploded in my hand.
[The Demon King of Salvation left the people on the subway to die. He could’ve saved everyone.]
Some angels looked at me with dubious eyes.
Asmodeus continued speaking. [There was another thing.]
The next scene that appeared was the eighth scenario. It was the scenario where the strongest incarnation in Seoul sacrificed himself so everyone could live. The screen showed my Eight Lives attribute.
Asmodeus kept speaking. [The Demon King of Salvation had extra lives and knew he was the strongest sacrifice. If he wanted, he could’ve ended the scenario before there were big sacrifices.]
The murmuring of the constellations intensified. The story continued.
[Sparing those he wants to live and ignoring those he doesn’t want to live, the Demon King of Salvation is such an existence. He is a demon king who practices the discrimination that you dislike. Discrimination is the most serious sin in the Star Stream.] As if to declare victory, Asmodeus asked a final question. [Then I’ll ask Eden. Do you still think the Demon King of Salvation is a ‘good’ demon king?]
The crowd fell silent. Some of the angels were watching me with suspicious eyes while many demon kings were smiling.
At this time, there was a constellation who rose. [■■, everyone has such a contradiction.]
It was Uriel.
[The important thing isn’t the accumulation of sin but the direction of change through these events. The Demon King of Salvation is heading towards the direction of ‘good’!]
[These days, angels are very generous with the definition of good and evil. There is a recent rumour that you have a personal crush on the demon king. Is this true?]
[What?]
[Hmm, I guess it’s true. Last time you also wanted―]
Uriel jumped out. [This ■ck ■■ now...!]
Enormous sparks occurred around both tables. There was a flurry of curses between the archangels and demon kings and the opinions became turbulent.
I wasn’t the only target. Someone attacked Jung Heewon’s killing. Someone attacked Lee Hyunsung’s cowardice in the first scenario. There was also Lee Jihye who killed her friend. Our lives, the history we accumulated, was being torn apart.
[The giant story ‘Torch That Swallowed the Myth’ is revealing its teeth.]
The faces of the party members were gradually becoming pale. They were people who had already been hurt. The people who risked their lives and somehow survived to this point had become the amusement of the constellations.
[Wait! Is it necessary to do this?]
Uriel belatedly noticed something and shouted, but the constellations and demon kings were busy dissecting the wounds of Kim Dokja’s Company. In the end, they started to bite at the past of Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung. It was the moment I learnt about Lee Gilyoung’s trauma and sponsor.
“Stop it.”
At my words, the crowd momentarily turned towards me. I knew it would be dangerous if I spoke the wrong words here.
Now Kim Dokja’s Company was like a sailboat placed between two currents. It was a small boat that could sink at any time. However, even a small boat could choose the direction it wanted to go. I was the captain of this boat.
“Isn’t this enough? Don’t you know that a conclusion can’t be reached this way?”
I hadn’t intervened because I had been waiting for the constellations and demon kings to realize it themselves.
“Do you think you can decide here what even the great dokkaebis couldn’t judge?”
Kim Dokja’s Company wasn’t good or evil. In the first place, I didn’t intend to play with the concept of good and evil set by others.
[Your words are right.]
Unexpectedly, it was the 5th ranked demon king, Black Mane Lion Marbas who spoke. He looked at me and continued. [Surely it is useless to speak here. Stop the useless arguments.]
[Marbas! But...]
[In the first place, I will ask you.] A chill went down my spine. [I will let you decide for yourself. Is this story good or evil? Isn’t that why we created this place?]
With this, all the eyes of the demon kings and constellations focused on me. A cold sensation flowed down my spine. Then a system message popped up.
[You have a share in the giant story ‘Torch That Swallowed the Myth’.]
[Please determine the good and evil of the story.]
If I chose good or evil here, I would be taking sides with one of the ‘good’ or ‘evil’ that they claimed. It would be hard if that happened. It might solve the current problem for Kim Dokja’s Company but if we chose good or evil here, a terrible future might occur in later scenarios.
I worried about it for a long time before making a decision. It couldn’t be helped, even if I received the criticism of the demon kings and constellations.
“The Torch That Swallowed the Myth is―”
“Good.”
I stared at the protagonist who interrupted. The man in the black coat, who had been silent for a while, spoke nonsense. Yoo Jonghyuk kept talking. “This story, it is good.”
I was so confused that I closed my mouth. I wondered if Yoo Jonghyuk had gone crazy or if he was trapped by something.
Beside Yoo Jonghyuk, Metatron was slightly smiling towards me. Goosebumps formed on my arm. Don’t tell me, the reason why Metatron brought Yoo Jonghyuk...
[Those who have shares in the giant story can claim the right to ‘good’ or ‘evil.’]
The subsequent messages caused the mouths of the constellations and demon kings to drop open.
[Incarnation ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’ has a 22.8% share in the giant story ‘Torch That Swallowed the Myth’.]
[Due to incarnation Yoo Jonghyuk’s declaration, the story is tilting in the direction of ‘good.’]
It wasn’t only me who could define this story as good or evil. It was because everyone in Kim Dokja’s Company had a share in this story.
[Do you approve of the story as ‘good’?]
Yoo Jonghyuk was looking at me. It was an expression that I couldn’t read. He seemed to be asking me what I would do now.
-Crazy bastard! What are you thinking?
I spoke to him through Midday Tryst but Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t answer. I watched him and activated a skill.
[The exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ has been activated!]
[This person is currently in an emotional state that you can’t understand.]
...What?
[If there are no objections from another narrator, the corresponding story will be confirmed as ‘good.]
[There are 30 seconds before it is confirmed.]
Dammit, I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. The number counted down and I heard the demon kings screaming.
I stared at the surprised faces of the party. Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, Shin Yoosung, Lee Gilyoung... They were people I wanted to bring to the end of this world.
I clenched my fists. Our story shouldn’t be declared as good or evil. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to reach the correct ending of this world. Now that Yoo Jonghyuk declared it was ‘good’, there was only one way to reverse the ruling.
[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is opening his ‘status.’]
Black feathers pierced through my back and small horns rose from my head. The intense sparks caused all noises to subside. I stared at Yoo Jonghyuk and slowly opened my mouth.