Chapter 382: Episode 73 – The hottest place in Hell (1)
Shin Yu-Seung opened her eyes because of the bright spotlight – lights that danced in the air. One of the flying drones circled around her head once, before disappearing into the distant black sky.
“Urgh, my head....”
Under the head-spinning dizzy spell, she staggered unsteadily back to her feet. The only things she could see around her were scrap metal and rubbish. She couldn’t see any of the companions she was with.
....Could she have landed in this place all alone?
“Shin Yu-Seung?”
A boy pushed his head out from among the scrap metal like some kind of a baby octopus.
“Yi Gil-Yeong?”
Feeling happy now, she shifted her gaze over there, but then, the figure of woman leapt out from the piles of rubbish while stepping on the boy’s head.
“Get out of the way! You stink, you know!”
“Ji-Hye unni!”
She figured out who came along with her. Her companions brushed away all the trash stuck on their bodies and stood upright.
“What’s this? Is it just us?”
“I think so.”
“Heh, it’s the reformation of Busan Alliance.”
Yi Ji-Hye spoke with a slightly excited tone of voice, but Shin Yu-Seung was different.
Why did it have to be Ji-Hye and Gil-Yeong? She alternated her gaze between her two companions and made a resolution in her mind.
‘I’m the only adult here. So, I gotta stay sharp.’
Whether they knew her thoughts or not, Yi Ji-Hye and Gil-Yeong continued their glaring contest, only to suddenly delve straight into deciding the pecking order.
“Hm, hm. Hey, kids. We should choose the leader first, like how we’ve done so far, right?”
“Noona, you were the leader back in Busan Alliance. So, it’s my turn now.”
“Hey, you. You weren’t even born yet when I got admitted to the kindergarten, you know.”
“Ah? What’s that got to do with anything?!”
“Shh. Both of you, keep quiet!”
The moment Shin Yu-Seung’s voice was heard, all three of them pressed themselves tightly against a nearby wall in unison. A millisecond later, a drone flying around like some sort of an insect shone a spotlight on the alleyway they were standing in just now.
Giiiiii-iiing....
The drone hovered in position for a little while, and eventually, it disappeared beyond the alleyway, its sensors tilting this way and that.
Yi Ji-Hye asked in a tense voice. “Hey, wasn’t that a drone?”
It was right then, the system messages could be heard from the sky.
[Someone has interfered with the scenario system.]
[Due to the unprecedented power, you have been forcibly summoned to the Main Island’s ‘Next City’!]
[‘Next City’ is currently cut off from the space-time of the conflict region of the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’.]
[You can advance to the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ once you solve the sub-scenario of the applicable location.]
“Next City??” Gil-Yeong’s eyes began sparkling. “Let’s go and take a look!”
“Stop being childish, Yi Gil-Yeong. This isn’t a game!”
Despite Shin Yu-Seung’s warning, the boy broke into a sprint. Fortunately, there was no drone nearby, and the spot they were hiding in was situated in a surprisingly high altitude.
“Wow, this....”
They were treated to a magnificent sight where the whole city could be seen in one take. Bright neon signs illuminating the night streets; androids emitting blue light beams from their heads, roaming around said streets as if putting on a protest march.
They could immediately tell what the worldview here was from this spectacle.
Yi Gil-Yeong spoke confidently. “I’m gonna get super strong in this place and surprise Dok-Ja hyung later.”
“He’ll get even mooore surprised if you get killed here, instead.”
“....Noona, why do you hate me so much??”
Disregarding the bickering duo, for now, Shin Yu-Seung carefully observed the panoramic view of the city below.
If one were to discount the slight disturbance created by the protest, it looked as if the city was functioning systematically according to a set of strict rules. This was a sci-fi worldview retaining a level of social order previously unheard of.
She remembered hearing that the ‘Isle of Reincarnators’ were graves of fading Fables. If so, why did a world like this one meet its doom?
In the meantime, Yi Ji-Hye and Gil-Yeong were excitedly yapping away, without any care given for Shin Yu-Seung’s concerns.
“Will they have stuff like a lightsabre here?”
“What a helpless sword otaku....”
“Shut up.”
“Uh? Wait, I think they are really equipped with something like lightsabres.”
“Really? Where?”
They could see the guards patrolling the city sauntering closer to their location. Maybe because of the worldview’s effects, information windows of the guards floated up in front of their eyes after they took a closer look.
[Lv. 12 Guard-type Android]
[The applicable unit is around 4 times stronger than you.]
Yi Ji-Hye freaked out and muttered out loudly. “What the hell? Why are they so strong?”
“I think it’s us who got weak.”
For sure, the density of the magical energy in the surroundings had decreased noticeably ever since they arrived in this worldview.
[Your main Stats have been reverted back to their initial values in the applicable worldview.]
[This worldview is subjected to the corrective effect of ‘Level System’.]
“God damn it, they are coming this way!”
When did they realise it? Guards were suddenly rushing towards the group’s position. They looked up at the sky only to discover several drones circling above their heads.
[Reaction to Fable energy detected!]
[Reaction to Fable energy detected!]
Along with the loud warning sounds, the guards increased their speed by engaging the boosters mounted on their backs and pounced on the group in a row. Yi Ji-Hye, Shin Yu-Seung, and Gil-Yeong hurriedly pulled out their individual weapons.
“Screw it, there aren’t even any bugs here..... Hey, Shin Yu-Seung, can you summon the Chimera Dragon?”
“The cooldown time isn’t over yet.”
[Your current level is 1.]
[Earn experience points by hunting low-level enemies.]
With a deeply agonised look on her face, Yi Ji-Hye unsheathed her longsword. She was the only one specialised in close-quarter battles among her group.
Quickly activating [Demon Slaying] and [Ghost Walk], she faced off against a guard in order to protect the kids. Just as the android’s lightsabre collided with her longsword....
Giiii-iiing!
The lightsabre simply let her blade slide by and proceeded to cut her forearm.
“Aaaahk!”
[Android ‘Yi Ji-Hye’ has been seriously injured!]
[Please administer Fable energy to preserve your life.]
She backed away quickly, but it was already too late by then.
“Get out of the way!”
Shin Yu-Seung pushed Yi Ji-Hye aside and stepped forward. The latter’s complexion paled instantly and cried out towards the former; Gil-Yeong stretched his arms out, too.
Unfortunately, the lightsabre was already descending towards the crown of her head.
‘Ahjussi.’
At that moment, the girl looked back on her short life. She felt this sense of unfairness, knowing that it’d be over in a place like this; yet, at the same time, there was also a sense of satisfaction, too, knowing that her choice was correct.
Shin Yu-Seung thought that this was the final moments befitting the Incarnation of the ‘Demon King of Salvation’.
And then, in the next second....
[The applicable attack does not work on you.]
Along with the sparks going ‘Tsu-chuchuchut!’, the guard’s lightsabre stopped millimetres away from her nose as if blocked by a formless wall.
“Uh?”
And new messages popped up in the air one after the other.
[Error has occurred in the scenario’s system.]
[Great Fable, ‘Next City’, is expressing its puzzlement over the existence of Incarnation ‘Shin Yu-Seung’.]
It was the exact same story for Yi Gil-Yeong, as well. The lightsabres attacking the kids were all being powered down simultaneously.
The boy dazedly looked up at the air and muttered softly to himself.
“....What’s going on?”
He could see letters written in the faint grey font on the top right-hand corner of his vision.
[Current scenario’s age restriction is 18+.]
[Due to the applicable worldview’s consideration, murderous actions aimed at children/teenage units are prohibited.]
Shin Yu-Seung and Yi Gil-Yeong exchanged glances.
‘....Isn’t this, like, huge?’
It was unknown how they ended up getting summoned here. However, if it was this sort of a worldview, then....
Gil-Yeong formed a sneaky grin aimed at Yi Ji-Hye and her wide-open jaw behind him.
“Noona? Get ready for a free bus ride.”
While watching the boy shove his shortsword into the guard’s upper thigh area, Shin Yu-Seung began thinking to herself.
‘Maybe, remaining as a kid for a bit longer is....’
She didn’t know what was waiting for her at the end of this scenario. However, she was sure of one thing – at the end of this scenario, they should be strong enough to utterly stun Kim Dok-Ja.
*
I was left utterly stunned by the Constellations waiting for me on the other side of the portal. Even at a quick glance, it was well more than one or two here.
....Could it be that they knew we were coming?
“Dok-Ja-ssi.”
Yi Hyeon-Seong’s voice sounded tense, and I nodded my head at him. Yu Jung-Hyeok, Han Su-Yeong, Yi Hyeon-Seong, and Jeong Hui-Won. Including me, the five of us gathered in one spot like a constellation in the night sky.
Soon, though, scenario messages floated up in the air.
[Main Scenario has been updated!]
[You and your Nebula have entered the neutral zone of ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’!]
[You can select either camp of ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’!]
Right after those alerts, a notice message dyed the sky in rainbow colours next.
[Nebula, <Kim Dok-Ja Company>, has entered the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’!]
Without a doubt, Dokkaebis must’ve been behind that. We had just got here, yet they were advertising it all over the place already.
[Many Constellations have noticed your presence!]
[Some Nebulas are keeping an eye on your group’s next move.]
It wasn’t an ideal situation, but naught we could do about it, as it was spilt milk. I met the gazes of the Constellations looking at us from the other side. They were emitting pretty hefty Statuses, too.
I even spotted a familiar Constellation among them.
[You’re late, Descendant.]
A man with a dignified smile was looking in our direction. I called out to him in happiness.
“Goryeo’s First Sword!”
He was none other than Cheok Jun-Gyeong, the one we had to say goodbye to during the ‘Middle Island’ scenario.
As expected of a Constellation who had reached the Fable-grade, it seemed that he advanced to the main island without any issues.
[You must’ve completed quite a substantial scenario. You’ve gained more companions.]
His gaze was now studying the Reincarnators emerging from the portal alongside us. They were people from ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’, entering the main island with me.
“They are folks who’ll participate in the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ with us.”
Cheok Jun-Gyeong nodded his head.
[Higher number of combat forces can certainly help. More importantly, however.... Something seems to have changed with you, Descendant.]
He scanned me from top to bottom as if he was searching for something.
[I can sense this vague depth to your group’s Fable.]
“....Is that so?”
Cheok Jun-Gyeong’s gaze left me and headed towards Han Su-Yeong. She met his stare with a pair of impetuous eyes that said, “What are you looking at?”
A strange light flickered within the former’s eyes.
[....I see.]
I abruptly recalled what the ‘Guardian of Mandala’ told me.
– Oh, dear Bodhisattva. Please, try to endure time itself.
Our Nebula’s Fables had experienced an unknown change after clearing the Kaixenix Archipelago.
The time Yi Hyeon-Seong, Jeong Hui-Won and especially Han Su-Yeong, spent in Kaixenix was definitely not in vain. Everything that happened was recorded as Fables, and they would raise our Statuses in turn.
It might have been due to what Cheok Jun-Gyeong said, but well, I could sense Constellations spying on us from behind, staring far more openly than before.
[Constellation, ‘Expert at Playing Both Sides’, is getting interested in you.]
[Constellation, ‘King of Archers’, is observing you in great interest.]
[Constellation, ‘Three Mouths But Only One Head’, is sneering at the Reincarnators from ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’.]
Reincarnators from the archipelago retreated from the feast of Statuses. Now that they have emerged outside the ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’, they were no longer protected by their worldview.
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, is growling!]
It was Han Su-Yeong who stepped forward as if to shield these Reincarnators. The atmosphere wiggled and the aura of the Black Flame Dragon manifested itself behind her. The folks from Kaixenix bowed their heads to pay their respect to her, then.
Indeed, that must be what they refer to as the kingly air.
Unfortunately, some Constellations didn’t seem to like her display. It didn’t take long for their aura to become threatening.
Ku-gugugugu!
[An Incarnation from a small Nebula dares to....!]
Feeling a bit annoyed now, I decided that I should stop the current flow right about here.
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, is glaring at the Constellations!]
The activation of the Great Fable managed to startle the Constellations and they took several steps back.
I didn’t miss that opportunity and asked Cheok Jun-Gyeong a question. “Enough about that. Why have you been waiting for us?”
He formed a slightly troubled expression. The light in his eyes flickered as he tried to decide whether it’d be okay to say it or not.
I could think up a couple of hypotheses just then, and chose to test one of them out. “I know that this is the neutral zone. Have you decided on which camp of the Great War to join yet?”
[No, not yet.]
....I see. He still hadn’t chosen his side.
Cheok Jun-Gyeong continued on.
[As you may well know, ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ of the Constellations aren’t the same with that of the mortals. If I’m allowed to be honest, then I do not wish to be a part of either camp.]
Cheok Jun-Gyeong, starting as a mortal and reaching the ranks of Constellation through his own power only, like me, wouldn’t have agreed to the concept of good and evil as claimed by the Archangels and Demon Kings. That was why I could sympathise with his dilemma.
However, that story would always be his to mull over, no one else’s.
I glanced at the Constellations behind him and asked. “They haven’t chosen their sides, I presume?”
Cheok Jun-Gyeong nodded his head.
Behind him, scattered groups of Constellations could be seen loitering around tents set up here and there on a huge open plain.
[What is the current war situation like?]
[From what I was able to find, it....]
Faint ‘true voices’ could be heard coming from them.
I smirked inwardly; in all honesty, it was easy to see what they were thinking of by not having chosen a camp yet.
Constellations in the neutral zone were planning to stay back and observe the proceedings, and then join the side with the advantageous position and enter the Great War.
Yu Jung-Hyeok and Han Su-Yeong engaged [Midday Tryst] at the same time to talk to me.
– I can tell what the current situation is like.
– These bastards, they are going for ‘that’, right?
I nodded my head.
The stronger the ‘neutral’ camp that hadn’t chosen a side grew in power, the potential benefits to be gained when it did choose would be even greater.
[Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’, is looking down on the Constellations of the neutral zone.]
[Constellation, ‘Hell’s Scribe’, is letting others know that the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who maintain neutrality in times of moral crisis.....]
Didn’t matter whether it was ‘Good’ or ‘Evil’, they were thinking of selling their influence to the highest bidder out there.
Han Su-Yeong broke out in a smirk.
– Their aim is so easy to see through.
It was right about then that Cheok Jun-Gyeong ended his deliberation and opened his lips. [There is someone who wishes to meet you.]
“Who is it?”
[A high-ranking Constellation from the Nebula, <Hongik>.]
Thought as much.
It seemed that Cheok Jun-Gyeong was here to win us over.
I hid this faint sense of disappointment and asked him again. “But, didn’t you tell me that high-ranking Constellations of <Hongik> have all disappeared?”
Indeed, I heard something like that a long time ago. Once, at the ‘Constellation Banquet’, and when facing ‘Founder’s Mother’ back inside the [Dark Castle].
[We did not disappear. Because, there is one right in front of you.]
It was a true voice containing aloof, proud Status; the ranks of the Constellation parted, and a Taoist hermit holding a pure-white folded fan was walking towards us. From each of his steps, I felt the power of vigorous winds.
.....Hey, I think I know who this is.
[Kneel and pay your respects, oh, descendants of the Peninsula.]
<Episode 73: The hottest place in Hell (1) > Fin.