Chapter 452: Episode 85 – The Final Wall (4)
That light in her eyes, that killing intent.
They were exactly the same as that of the Archangel I knew, yet they were also different.
This was Uriel’s true appearance, the cold-blooded and cruel judge. She was the being that burned all the enemies caught by the [Flame of Retribution] for the sake of righteousness.
⸢This Uriel had reached her own ‘Conclusion’, and....⸥
[<Star Stream> is observing the entrance of the new ‘Outer God’.]
[<Star Stream> is deciphering whether to allow the target’s Probability or not!]
⸢And, she came this far to kill the ‘Secretive Plotter’.⸥
[OhOhOhOhOhOh]
[TwokingsTwokingsTwokingTwokingTwokings]
The entrance of another Outer God possessing a similar level of Status as the Secretive Plotter caused confusion to spread among the small Outer Gods.
[Constellation, ‘Goryeo’s First Sword’, is greatly stunned by the entrance of the new ‘Outer God’!]
[Constellation, ‘Bald General of Justice’, is watching this battlefield while forgetting to polish his head.]
[Constellation, ‘Lily Blooming on Aquarius’, is opening her eyes wide!]
It seemed that Constellations were just as shocked as me.
.....But, broadcasting from this place should’ve been impossible?
Maybe the barrier preventing the broadcast was undone after the forest went up in flames.
[<Bureau> is paying attention to the ‘N’Gai’s Forest’.]
The [Flames of Retribution] moved in Uriel’s hands. The blade that melted the entirety of the forest flew in, but the Plotter lightly shifted his head out of the way. The weapon missed him by a hair’s breadth and instead, blew away half of the hall and set it on fire.
[GahAhAhAhAhAh]
Outer Gods, shocked by the merciless destruction, screamed out loudly.
The [Flames of Retribution] moved again, this time with enough Status to blow the entire hall away. Every hair on my dumpling body rose up. Even Surya back in the original novel’s 265th turn was not as powerful as this when he destroyed Earth.
Kwa-aaaaah!!
This time, a humongous meteor was descending from the tip of the [Flames of Retribution]. It contained enough power to blow away this forest and then, maybe even erase this entire dimension along the way, too.
I dragged out every ounce of power within my soul form. Unfortunately, there was no way I’d properly block such an attack without an Incarnation Body. Besides, to block an attack like that, you’d need.....
[Great Fable, ‘Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse’, has begun its storytelling!]
In the end, the ‘Secretive Plotter’ had to step forward. Pitch-black particles shot out as he swung the [Heaven Shaking Sword] vigorously. It was the power of a Great Fable. The dark Status spread out like a huge wall and defended against the meteor’s impact.
Kwaaaa-boooom!!
Violent gusts of wind whipped about near the base of the forest, and the uprooted trees were flung up into the air. Whirlwinds made out of flames were completely annihilating everything in the vicinity.
Witnessing a clash of this calibre was indeed an exceedingly rare opportunity. Even the battle between Hades and Poseidon back in ‘Gigantomachia’ wasn’t this hectic.
[Large Nebulas are paying close attention to the battle between these two beings.]
Tsu-chuchuchu....!
In the centre of where the two Statuses were colliding, sparks grew fiercer and heavier. The Plotter’s [Heaven Shaking Sword] was trembling; he was being pushed back. It was all due to his Status being reduced after fighting me and Yu Jung-Hyeok.
This was the power of Uriel who witnessed the ‘Conclusion’.
At this rate, both the ‘Secretive Plotter’ and I would disappear from the <Star Stream> along with the N’Gai’s Forest.
[Currently, your soul temporarily belongs to the ‘Secretive Plotter’.]
[Time remaining until your soul can return: 20 hours, 31 minutes, 20 seconds]
I still had over twenty hours remaining until my soul could return. Simply dragging things out wouldn’t help my situation at all. Because, it didn’t look as if the ‘Secretive Plotter’ would be able to hold out for too long.
[Exclusive skill, ‘The 4th Wall’, is activating!]
I needed to stay calm in moments like this. I decided to get a better understanding of this situation first.
“Look, man! Why is Uriel attacking you??”
First of all, which world-line did that ‘Uriel’ come from? And why was she attacking the ‘Secretive Plotter’?
[999th turn’s ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ is staring at the ‘Living Flame’ with a helpless expression.]
For a moment, I felt the inside of my head blank out.
....Could it be?
It was the regression turn that I liked the most. It was almost the perfect turn with just one blemish to its record – the regression turn that reached the Conclusion’s doorstep.
Uriel began speaking again. [[Oh, I ask you, the Outer God. I hope that you haven’t forgotten about the events of the 999th turn.]]
[[....I do remember.]]
[[That’s good.]]
The blade of the enraged Uriel contained the Fable she had compiled so far.
[Great Fable, ‘Flames of Eternity’, has begun its storytelling!]
Her Great Fable burned fiercely. A story that I had never seen before was unfolding itself.
⸢”Master, we’re almost there. We just have to go a little bit further, you know!”⸥
That was Yi Ji-Hye’s voice.
Words began telling their story.
⸢”Jung-Hyeok-ssi, just hold on for a little longer. We’re almost there!”⸥
999th turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok, having lost his left arm, right leg, and both of his eyes, was there. This Yu Jung-Hyeok only lived for the sake of his companions.
His world was dyed in darkness, but one voice entered it like a ray of light.
⸢[Conquering King, you must stay with us.]⸥
That’s right. Uriel was also accompanying them in the 999th turn.
She was Yu Jung-Hyeok’s comrade. For the sake of a man who risked his everything to fight, the Archangel willingly became his ally.
⸢[The Conclusion to this world is just around the corner.]⸥
I recalled that the 999th turn was something of a miracle.
Even if their luck was good, to think that he managed to almost reach the Conclusion during only his 999th turn.
But the truth was, it wasn’t all due purely to ‘luck’.
⸢Yu Jung-Hyeok of the 999th turn made a deal with an ‘Outer God’.⸥
The reason why I didn’t go for the [Absolute Throne], and tried not to do the ‘Other World Pledge’ if at all possible, was because I knew how the ‘999th turn’ had ended.
⸢An unknown godly being, whose name was just as mysterious. The ‘Other World Pledge’ made with that godly being eventually took Yu Jung-Hyeok’s life.⸥
The original novel didn’t specify who that ‘Outer God’ was. But it was a creature that spent its own Probability to grant the 999th turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok incredible power and lucky opportunities.
Chills ran down my neck.
– ‘Demon King of Salvation’. I too made a mistake like you once before.
– Rather foolishly, I tried to change what had already happened in the past.
That ‘Outer God’ was none other than the ‘Secretive Plotter’.
– Now, do you understand? This is the consequence of distorting the world-line.
He had entered the past world-line belonging to the original storyline and tried to distort the Probability. And the result of that was Uriel who witnessed the Conclusion of the 999th regression turn, showing up here.
[[I shall avenge my world-line in this place.]]
She was here to avenge her comrades’ grudges against the ‘Outer God’ from then.
[[Just like how you stole away all that’s precious to me, I shall do the same to you.]]
Her boundless and justified wrath filled her true voice. I felt all my strength abandoning me.
I could understand where Uriel was coming from. I too clearly remembered the moment that the 999th turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok died.
– Author-nim. This can’t be the end, can it? But, isn’t Jung-Hyeok-ee just too pitiful to end up like this?
999th turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok sacrificed his life to guide his comrades towards the Conclusion. But his cost was to never see the conclusion of the world himself.
It was all because of the damn ‘Other World Pledge’. The Probability flooding in cut his life off before the end.
– Can’t he be revived somehow? Like, the Underworld, or through reincarnation. I mean, there are lots of different ways, right? Besides, just what was that ‘Outer God’ anyway.....?
I resented the author, and resented that ‘Outer God’. And I despaired while looking at the dying Yu Jung-Hyeok with only a little bit left until the Conclusion.
The mental shock was so strong that I even ended up hesitating whether to read the next day’s chapter or not.
Now, I was curious.
Why did the ‘Secretive Plotter’ do something like that back in the 999th turn?
[[I wanted to change it.]]
....What?
[[I wanted to see a proper Conclusion. Even if that happened in a different world-line.]]
The Plotter once told me this – that I had to be careful with the Probability, that I needed to create the right Conclusion. But even someone saying stuff like that had actually wished to change his past.
Just like how I wished to change this regression turn, he too had felt the same way once.
Regardless of whether the end result devoured the cause or not....
Even if the <Star Stream>’s Probability crumbled....
....He wanted to reach the proper Conclusion at least once. He wished to see himself reaching the Conclusion together with his comrades.
However, it didn’t work out that way.
[[I’m sure you find me quite pathetic. That I made the same sort of mistake as you.]]
The Plotter’s Status was crumbling down. His body was getting even smaller. All Yu Jung-Hyeoks sleeping within him were now screaming. And as if to speak up for those screams....
[[I wanted to find the one responsible for creating this tragedy,]] said the Plotter. [[The one who created this universe. The one that made me regress, and made me repeat the scenarios. My goal is to kill the one beyond the ‘Wall’.]]
That was his true goal.
Stopping the regressions, saving the Outer Gods, opening up the Final Wall....
All of these were centred around his main goal.
He waved his hand and my soul left the [Murim dumpling]. I got tense. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking of.
I quickly spoke to him.
– The current you can’t stop that Uriel. However, if my companions and I help out.....
The Plotter shifted his gaze over to me. [[Do you understand what you’re saying right now?]]
– I do.
I was improvising on the fly, but I did genuinely feel that way. Since I heard his true end goal, it was time for me make my reply.
– From the get-go, the world that peeps on and greedily devours someone else’s life is wrong.
The <Star Stream> was wrong. Yu Jung-Hyeok’s regressions were wrong, and the stories the scenarios created were unfair.
– That’s why I won’t sit still. I’ll witness the Conclusion. You say I shouldn’t, but I’ll see it regardless. I’ll definitely jump over that Wall you failed to cross along with my companions, and as for the being beyond it....
The Plotter was now waiting for me to finish my words.
– ....I’ll kill that guy. I’ll end your ‘Most Ancient Dream’.
Uriel’s Status was growing even stronger.
The expansive hall began crumbling down. Like a world breaking apart, the N’Gai’s Forest was disappearing.
Outer Gods moved closer to the ‘Secretive Plotter’, perhaps sensing that the end was nigh. Meanwhile, he opened his mouth. [[You said that you survived because of my story.]]
“....”
[[In that case, time to pay your debt.]]
Just before I could ask him for clarification, Yu Jung-Hyeok’s Fables flooded out from him.
[Great Fable, ‘Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse’, is howling out!]
[Great Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, has begun its storytelling!]
The Plotter’s memories were now permeating into me – memories that I didn’t know.
The information he gained after going through the 1863rd turn was now flooding into me.
– You....!
A portal was generated behind me, one created by the power of an ‘Outer God’. It began to gradually suck me in.
– H-hey, hang on a minute! What are you trying to...!
[[I’m not trying to leave this world’s Conclusion in your hands.]]
At that moment, he no longer looked like the ‘Secretive Plotter’.
[[I shall regress.]]
Right now, he was ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’.
[[I shall live through the 1864th turn, and then, the 1865th. I’ll survive that turn, witness the Conclusion and become the Outer God once more, and....]]
Eventually, the hall collapsed. Everything was melting away under the bright light. Uriel’s sword sliced through the thick history that totalled 1863rd regression turns, and flew towards the ‘Secretive Plotter’.
[[To see the Conclusion of this world-line, I shall return.]]
His body was defencelessly pierced through. And I had to watch that, unable to do anything. He was cut down by the [Flames of Retribution] and his Fable was scattering away.
[Constellation, ‘Secretive Plotter’, is activating Stigma, ‘Regression Lv.??’!]
Even though he had become the ‘Outer God’, he was still a regressor.
The one thing he hadn’t done in a long time, regressing, would start again. He’d wake up in the 1864th turn’s subway once more, and go on to create yet another horrifying world-line.
⸢Kim Dok-Ja thought to himself. ‘I can’t let that be.’⸥
Before I could unleash the Fables permeating in my soul form, though, Uriel made her move first.
[[You shall not escape to the next turn.]]
Her white hands grabbed the Plotter’s neck. Black light pouring out from her hand stopped the Fable’s disintegration. The light spread out gradually and encased his entire body. Soon, the light formed a shape of small sphere.
I recognised what that was.
That was the [Sealing Sphere] used back in the 1863rd turn to seal away the ‘Apocalypse Dragon’.
Why didn’t I think of it before? Uriel was now an Outer God, too. So she should obviously be aware of the Plotter’s, or Yu Jung-Hyeok’s, ability by now. She should know that he’d continue regressing and would never truly die.
Her hand tightened further and further. The jet-black Sealing Sphere soon emitted pale light.
[[I shall seal you away for eternity.]]
<Episode 85. Final Wall (4)> Fin.