Chapter 466: Episode 88 – Myth-grade Constellation (4)
[A large number of Nebulas are freaking out at your Status!]
[Portion of Nebulas are freaking out at the sudden appearance of a new Myth-grade Constellation!]
[Portion of Constellations are requesting the ⸢Probability Suitability Evaluation⸥ to the ‘Bureau’!]
Tsu-chuchuchut!
[Requests for the Probability Suitability Evaluation have been denied.]
[<Bureau> cannot interfere at will during the applicable scenario.]
The spectacle of the blinding sunlight crumbling down – I couldn’t even breathe properly as I focused solely on the battle itself. Ra’s torso, cut by [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword], began emitting bright light.
Ku-gugugugu!
Accompanied by an intense storm of heat, our vision was clouded by thick steam. A ploy to buy time, no doubt.
“Yu Jung-Hyeok! Don’t stop!”
I shouted out and desperately continued to read the Fable.
[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, is continuing on with its storytelling!]
[Fable, ‘Comrade of Life and Death’, is amplifying the effects of other Fables!]
I recalled the 1701st regression turn of Yu Jung-Hyeok that I read in the past. Yu Jung-Hyeok had fought against Poseidon one on one in that turn.
⸢On the border where the ocean’s boundaries meet, Iron Blood Conquering King unsheathed his sword.⸥
⸢”Poseidon. Today, you shall die.”⸥
⸢A life that carried on for 1700 lifetimes. The swordsmanship borne out of this life now shone brilliantly.⸥
Yu Jung-Hyeok’s blade moved as if to recreate that very battle. His sword gradually became faster and faster to utterly destroy Ra’s sun.
[Constellation, ‘Midday Sun’, is enraged from the pain!]
Kwa-gagagagaga!!
Yu Jung-Hyeok’s blade continued to dance on the stage I read into reality. An incredible storm of Probability’s aftermath tried to crush me, but four Great Fables responded to each other and allowed me to endure the after-effects.
I still tasted iron in my mouth, though. My Incarnation Body was failing to cope with the sudden, abrupt increase in my Status.
[Nebula, <Vedas>, is observing your battlefield.]
[Nebula, <Tamna>, is observing your battlefield.]
[Nebula, <Olympus>, is observing your battlefield.]
[Nebula, <Asgard>, is observing your battlefield.]
Look all you want.
This battle was meant for all of you to see, anyway.
[Channel’s indirect message restriction has been lifted!]
Even now, many Constellations would still be dismissive of our strength. They were probably thinking that we reached this far because of our luck and perhaps due to other Constellations lending their aid to us.
[A large number of additional Constellations are entering the channel!]
[Absolute majority of Constellations are observing your battle!]
However, this was now time to prove ourselves.
[Great Fable, ‘Season of Light and Darkness’, roaring out!]
Time to prove that <Kim Dok-Ja Company> was not some poor sobs needing your sponsorships but your actual competitors, and that we were a Nebula capable of bringing down a large Nebula with our own powers.
Kwa-dududuk!!
Yu Jung-Hyeok’s sword slashes continued to corner Ra. The sunlight falling away made noises similar to actual flesh being ripped apart.
It was then, I sensed a sharp glare coming from the empty air.
[Great Dokkaebi, ‘Noksu’, is glaring at you.]
Great Dokkaebi Noksu – not even a mid or low-grade, but a ‘Great’ Dokkaebi. For someone like that, making the scenario rather inconvenient for us wouldn’t be that difficult. However, even they couldn’t intervene carelessly in the 98th scenario.
Tsu-chuchuchut.....
Because, the scenarios from now on would be of utmost importance to the Great Dokkaebis, as well.
[Great Dokkaebi and the Nebula are participating in the applicable scenario together.]
[All Dokkaebis can select the ‘candidate’ and its story they wish to tell.]
[Great Dokkaebi ‘Noksu’ has currently selected <Papyrus>.]
I recalled the moment when Great Dokkaebis Heoju and Heoche came to see us just before the climax of the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ got underway. Back then, those Dokkaebis said this:
⸢You must decide now. Die in this place, or head off to the Final Scenario with us.⸥
Those words were suggestions meant for this very moment.
Great Dokkaebis facing the end times must risk their reputation, their insight, and their own Fables to select the candidates for the ‘One Final Fable’. And that bastard named Noksu must’ve chosen <Papyrus> as its candidate.
[According to the legend, there are three suns in <Papyrus>.]
I spoke in true voice as Yu Jung-Hyeok’s Incarnation body moved again.
With the speed faster than anyone in this universe, he swung his sword filled with the eternity’s curse. Sharp strikes from the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] dug deeply into Ra’s skin. The deity’s temperature, reputed to be capable of melting any metal, was being ably resisted by Yi Hyeon-Seong’s Fable metal.
With a loud rupture, Ra’s heart spewed out a Fable. That noble and lofty Myth-grade Constellation was being destroyed by our hands.
[If you were really planning to cut us down, then you should’ve descended with all of your selves first.]
The Myth-grade Constellation, Ra. A Constellation who had reached his own ‘Conclusion’, and had been hibernating within the Final Scenario’s stage for a very long time.
[You think that someone like you, stuck inside a freezer until now, can win against us with just a single sun?]
[Constellation, ‘Midday Sun’, is screaming in pain!]
[Constellation, ‘Midday Sun’, is urgently scanning his vicinity!]
[Just how long will you sit back and watch?!]
Ra’s shouting caused the stars of the sky to sparkle.
[Vedas! Olympus! Did you not all agree to participate together?!]
....What?!
At the end of those words, ominous auras began rushing in from the distance.
The skies thrashed about and the sounds of crashing waves could be heard. The middle of pitch-black sky split up and an enormous current of water flooded out.
We quickly moved out of the way and dodged the waves of that Status.
[Someone has announced his support to the Nebula, <Papyrus>.]
[Someone is incarnating into the scenario!]
It was a possessor of a Status powerful enough to send shivers down my spine. Someone who could equal Ra before us was now descending into this world.
[How pathetic, ‘Ra’. Did you not declare that you alone would be sufficient for this matter?]
A voice reminding me of violent tidal waves resounded out. Quite surprisingly, the existence that descended to this place was the very enemy Yu Jung-Hyeok of the 1701st turn fought off desperately.
[Constellation, ‘the Spear that draws the Boundaries of the Oceans’ is incarnating to this scenario!]
Accompanying Poseidon’s entrance were the stars of the heavens rushing in like storm clouds. They were Fable-grade Constellations from <Vedas> and <Lokapala>. To make matters worse, among them were individuals known to be almost on the level of Myth-grade Constellations, as well.
[Nebula, <Tamna>, is condemning <Vedas>’s intervention!]
[Nebula, <Hongik>, is condemning <Olympus>’s intervention!]
Condemnation rained down. Completely not caring about that, Poseidon simply pointed his trident, ‘Triaina’, in our direction. [How dare measly beings such as yourselves try to witness the end of this <Star Stream>?]
The end of <Star Stream>, the epilogue that determined the conclusion of all the worlds. Right, I had been waiting for a long time to witness it.
That was true.
[I don’t simply wish to see the ‘end’, actually.]
In all honesty, what I really wanted to see was...
“Ahjussi!”
My comrades had gathered around me even before I had noticed it – Jeong Hui-Won, Yu Sang-Ah, Yi Ji-Hye, Yi Hyeon-Seong, Yi Gil-Yeong, and Shin Yu-Seung.
The Fables we had created together were shining brightly in the empty night sky. I saw the trajectory of the Fables we’ve used beyond the galaxy in the far distance.
No matter how wide and expansive this universe was, I was confident of locating that very set of constellations regardless of where I was.
[Fable, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, is shining brightly.]
[Fable, ‘King of Kingless World’, is shining brightly.]
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, is shining brightly.]
I hid all signs of emotions welling up in my heart and looked at my companions.
⸢That was where the Fable he longed for could be found.⸥
Poseidon emitting powerful Status extended his hand towards us. [What a noisy little full stop you are. Now, disappear.]
<Vedas>’s army rushed in.
My companions tensed up and gathered around me. I addressed them. [I love the Fable I managed to create with all of you. Although we encountered many painful, sad things, we....]
Even then, I loved this story so much so that I wished for it to continue on forever.
“....That’s not your final wish, now is it?”
Jeong Hui-Won asked after seeing my expression. She probably sensed something ominous from it.
I simply smiled back at her before staring at the empty skies beyond the Nebula’s army rushing in at us.
My mother once told me this. A person who watched a certain story for a long time would eventually grow to resemble that story.
Perhaps that logic also applied to these stars, too.
[Die!]
Just before the tsunami wave of <Vedas>’s army pounced on us, though...
[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is incarnating into the scenario!]
The night sky split up and the waterfall made out of hellish flames flooded out. A lone Constellation riding on the fiery waves started massacring other Constellations with her sword burning in flames.
The Archangel that I liked the best was right there.
[■ck you! You ■cking bastards!]
The true voices of Constellations freaking out could be heard over that torrent of expletives.
[....But, how?! You were definitely....!]
[■ck, man! I’m Uriel! You think you can kill me with such measly little numbers??]
Right after her, purple-coloured intense flames burned the heavens.
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, is incarnating into the scenario!]
[....Kekeke, to think you’d make me use both of my hands. You did well, <Papyrus>.]
The wings of a massive flying dragon tore and crushed through the Constellations.
<Vedas>’s battleships took aim at the Black Flame Dragon and got ready to fire. And in the following moment, dozens of vessels began exploding one after another along with loud booms.
One could spy the golden-coloured Ruyi Jingu Bang flitting in between the explosions.
[You’re really making it so annoying, aren’t you.]
Once the smoke cleared, a platinum-haired man could be seen standing there, digging his ear as if he was quite bored right now.
[Constellation, ‘Most Ancient Liberator’, is incarnating into the scenario!]
Uriel, Black Flame Dragon, and the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal. These three’s entrance caused unrest to spread out.
[....Great Sage! What is the meaning of this??]
[This is inter-Nebula warfare! Do you understand what you’re trying to do....!]
Even before the enraged true voices of the Constellations could finish, someone else announced their support to our cause. [Just like you, we also have a Fable we wish to support, that’s all.]
I knew whose voice that was.
Pitch-black yet gentle darkness wrapped around us, and a loving hand touched my shoulder.
[Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’, is incarnating into the scenario!]
And if she was here, then that meant...
[Constellation, ‘Father of the Rich Night’, is incarnating into the scenario!]
The King of Underworld’s cold eyes scanned the battlefield. Here he was, the grim reaper of death capable of making all the stars shiver in fear.
First, it was the Great Sage, and now, the King of Underworld, too – the constant appearances of Myth-grade Constellations caused the enemy Constellations to hesitate and retreat.
[Nebula <Underworld> is supporting <Kim Dok-Ja Company>.]
The two camps emitted powerful Statuses and confronted each other as if to goad the other side to attack first. I could see the crumpled expressions of Poseidon and Ra in the distance. And how long went by like this? Constellations from one camp began retreating without saying anything.
[Constellation, ‘Spear that Draws the Boundaries of the Oceans’ is exiting from this scenario.]
The enemy Constellations began disappearing one by one. Their rate of exit grew faster now that a Myth-grade Constellation they placed so much faith in had left the scene. The panicking <Papyrus>’s Constellations looked around in confusion all the while cautiously studying Ra’s reaction. And eventually...
[Nebula <Papyrus> has announced the withdrawal of its Constellations.]
Not too long after, only the half-crushed sun remained. Ra gritted its teeth noisily and glared at us, but before long, the sounds of a star scattering away could be heard.
[Constellation, ‘Midday Sun’, is exiting from the scenario.]
The glow of setting sun filled the sky and the bright ball of fire disappeared below the horizon. Finally, this scenario’s victors had been decided.
⸢And this is the sight Kim Dok-Ja longed to see for a very long time.⸥
Within the sunset’s soft glow, I looked back to my companions.
⸢Some things didn’t work out as he had been hoping.⸥
While staring at the disappearing sunlight, Yu Jung-Hyeok was still gripping the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] tightly.
⸢Meanwhile, some things went better than he expected.⸥
Han Su-Yeong, her lips twitching slightly, hurriedly wrapped the bandages around her arm while going, “Ouch, ouch, ouch!”
⸢There were moments where they got lucky irrelevant of their intentions.⸥
Yu Sang-Ah sighed gently and smiled back at me.
⸢However, all those events came together to create this very moment in time.⸥
[Nebula <Kim Dok-Ja Company> has won the inter-Nebula warfare!]
[Reward payout is being prepared.]
Both the companions and I didn’t say anything.
This wasn’t our first victory, but in a certain sense, it was indeed our first victory. For a long time there, we didn’t say a word and stared at each other’s faces.
We won.
We really emerged victorious against another ‘Nebula’.
[Great Dokkaebi ‘Heoju’ is gasping after seeing your Fable.]
[Great Dokkaebi ‘Garang’ wishes to vote for your Fable.]
[Great Dokkaebi ‘Haesol’ wishes to....]
Only the system messages floated up in the empty air now.
[Great Dokkaebi ‘Bihyung’ has voted for your Fable.]
[Mid-rank Dokkaebi ‘Biyu’ likes your story very much.]
I watched the shadows of two Dokkaebis cast by the setting sun and began thinking to myself.
We were almost there.
I turned my head towards the companions once more. I wanted to say something to them while looking at them. But, they all carried expressions of already knowing what I wanted to say.
Jeong Hui-Won spoke up instead of me. “Let’s go and witness the conclusion of this world. Together.”
I nodded my head.
<Episode 88. Myth-grade Constellation (4)> Fin.