Chapter 473: Episode 90 – One Person (2)
“Nice work, Sun Wukong!!”
The clearly-excited Han Su-Yeong cried out.
Along with the ‘ku-ru-ruk’ noise, bloody foams rose up above the ocean. Not too long after, 999th turn’s Uriel revealed herself on the water’s surface. She must’ve ripped apart the surrounding aquatic creatures before rising up, because her entire figure was bathed in a crimson hue.
Rather than betrayal, it was the sense of wonderment filling up her expression.
[[....I can’t believe it. Great Sage, even you’re taking their side?]]
Eventually, that wonderment changed into a longing.
The Great Sage detected that change and asked her. [Who might you be, acting as if you know me?]
[[I’m simply recalling a comrade-in-arms I lost in the past. I don’t have any desire to fight against you. Get out of the way. All I want is the ‘Secretive Plotter’.]]
For sure, no will to battle could be felt from her voice.
However, the Great Sage still shook his head. [I also dislike that dour bastard, but....]
As he smiled indifferently, incredible aura exploded forth from his entire figure.
[Our maknae will be troubled if that guy dies, you see.]
[Constellation, ‘Most Ancient Liberator’, is revealing his Status!]
He was the existence who finally liberated his Status previously restricted by the headband, and he even acquired the powers of an Outer God after a partial ‘Outer God Transformation’ had taken place.
Yogoes that fought together with him during the ⸢Journey to the West Remake⸥ were exiting from the portal to descend on the Pacific Ocean.
[Monkeykingmonkeykingmonkeyking]
‘Outer Gods’ worshipping different kings got into scuffles with one another. The ocean soaked in blood tumbled over violently, and the 999th turn’s Uriel began gasping out.
And finally, the taut equilibrium began tilting to one side.
“It’s working! Keep pushing!”
Along with Han Su-Yeong’s voice, <Kim Dok-Ja Company>’s great Fables began telling their stories at the same time.
[Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Season of Light and Darkness’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, ‘Liberator of the Forgotten Ones’, has begun its storytelling!]
Although the main shareholders Kim Dok-Ja and Yu Jung-Hyeok were missing, other members still possessed not-too-shabby percentages of the Great Fables’ shares. And also, there were some others who had finished getting ready and were itching to unleash the final strike.
[Only one sun in the sky is enough.]
First, it was Surya appearing along with his train. And then...
[Cutting down Outer Gods have become quite a habit now.]
[Let us combine our strengths, Breaking the Sky Saint.]
“I’m also coming!”
The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint and Kyrgios, plus Jang Ha-Yeong, all joined in.
And so, the 999th turn’s Uriel was pushed on her back foot. Her expression was gradually being dyed in confusion.
[[How.... How can all of you be together? What kind of a world-line is this....??]]
She was panicking at the Great Fables rushing in; their sizes were quite large, but their contents proved to be even more problematic. Just how was it possible that such a Fable existed?
Just how...?
Three Transcenders riding on the train penetrated past the sun’s heat barrier. Then, an attack containing the outrageous amount of power that combined [Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship], [Lightning Transformation], and even [Breaking the Sky Force Punch] shot out.
Just as that strike was about to sneak in through Uriel’s opening and land on her...
A chilling sensation suddenly enveloped the nape of Han Su-Yeong’s neck.
“No, stop!”
[Fable, ‘Predictive Plagiarism’, is urgently revising the story!]
The powerful sensation only she could feel in this whole world arrested her. And right next second, the noise akin to the time/space of the surrounding dimension being squeezed dry rang out loudly.
Ka-dudududuk.
Han Su-Yeong couldn’t tell what was going on before her eyes.
[[What’s this? Where is ‘me’ in this regression turn? Could I have been killed already?]]
That rebellious voice sounded as if a portion of the abyss had been taken away to mould it into reality.
The Transcenders approaching the rear of the Outer God to land the final strike were falling to earth along with the destroyed train. Indescribably dark [Black Flames] were burning on the ends of their clothing.
A lone man was standing amidst the gloomy, dark clouds in the sky. He was someone Han Su-Yeong also knew. She knew him so well that goosebumps were breaking out on her skin.
[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, is warning you of danger!]
The man slowly opened his mouth. [[Chet. I thought it was Ji-Hye, what with this much rampaging Status and all. Made a mistake since it’s been so long and all.]]
The sun of the ‘Living Flame’ emitted blinding rays of light. However, the darkness belonging to the man grew even thicker in response, just like the shadow lengthening against the light.
The 999th turn’s Uriel spoke. [[‘The Monarch of the Great Abyss’. Just who summoned a bastard like you to this world-line?]]
The nape of Han Su-Yeong’s neck grew icy; she remembered what Kim Dok-Ja told her about the ruler of the northern universe, the ‘Monarch of the Great Abyss’.
[[Hahaht. You finally called me with that title. Besides all that, you look like you’re in a bit of trouble? Should I help you out?]]
The sun’s corona flared up as if it was convulsing.
[[I don’t need it. Help from a scoundrel like you is....]]
[[Don’t be like that. We’re ‘comrades’ from the same regression turn, after all.]]
The man cackled insidiously.
He was none other than the Demon of Delusions Kim Nam-Woon who also witnessed the 999th turn’s ‘Conclusion’.
And the moment his gaze moved, Han Su-Yeong felt a chill run down her entire body.
[[I also wanna see the Black Dragon’s face, since it’s been a while.]]
Kim Nam-Woon was already right by her face and he began studying her with a nefarious gaze.
*
When his eyes slowly opened up, Yu Jung-Hyeok realised that he was wandering within the darkness alone.
The last thing he could remember was him researching the sure-kill attack with Kim Dok-Ja. Something went wrong in the middle of that, and he lost his consciousness...
[Your soul form is currently in an unstable condition!]
[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, is currently in an illegible state.]
⸢When is that idiot Yu Jung-Hyeok’s birthday, again?⸥
Fragmented memories occasionally drifted in. He heard a voice in between his blurry consciousness. No, rather than a voice, it was far closer to letters, instead.
Yu Jung-Hyeok quickly recognised whose speech pattern it belonged to.
⸢....The regression turn mentioned for the first time is....⸥
That silly manner of speech capable of irritating a person to no end – only Kim Dok-Ja spoke like that in the entire world.
⸢Ee-ya~, this part was really entertaining, wasn’t it?⸥
Sentences on the pages Kim Dok-Ja was reading brushed past his eyes. Yu Jung-Hyeok saw himself fighting against Constellations right there.
⸢The 1st regression turn, 41st, 666th....⸥
Kim Dok-Ja’s fingers tracing the letters suddenly stopped. The information on a certain regression turn could be spied in between his fingers lingering on for the longest time.
⸢The 999th turn.⸥
Even Yu Jung-Hyeok was aware of the events that happened during that regression turn. The ⸢Hellscape of Eternity⸥ was informing him of the time he couldn’t remember through all the texts Kim Dok-Ja had read.
The latter seemed to be muttering softly while reading about that regression turn.
⸢”I’m Yu Jung-Hyeok.....”⸥
The real Yu Jung-Hyeok didn’t know anything about the life supported by that lame declaration.
‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ as read by Kim Dok-Ja; his history remained like soot in between the flow of the pages. Ostracised within school, tormented in his part-time workplace by a boss busy stealing his wages, and going on a forced march until soles of his feet became a bloodied mess during his army days – Kim Dok-Ja endured them all by calling himself Yu Jung-Hyeok.
The latter simply couldn’t understand the former.
He had no idea what it meant for the time he had to endure ending up saving someone else living in a completely different world. He just didn’t know what it meant for a person to become more courageous by reading about someone else’s battles.
Not only that, Yu Jung-Hyeok even found his own self as seen through those texts utterly unfamiliar.
⸢”I can still fight.”⸥
Did he really say that?
⸢”Doesn’t matter whether it’s a hundred times or thousand, I shall continue to be reborn to kill you all.”⸥
Was he really the kind of a person to say something like this?
The voices of the companions that trusted him could be found among the countless texts.
⸢Captain.⸥
⸢I only trust you.⸥
⸢You must save the world in the next turn.⸥
The world-lines kept vanishing, the only things left behind being those sentences. And as the volume of the words that tormented him increased, the value of life itself became cheaper.
Just what did they see in him to fight alongside him?
‘Who am I?’
Yu Jung-Hyeok was overcome with emptiness as he stared at the words outside his ability to comprehend.
1864 lifetimes.
He already knew what sort of a world he had to cross to get here.
However, he couldn’t understand it at all.
⸢Is this really everything of me, these memories?⸥
Yu Jung-Hyeok grew curious. If he was really nothing more than a ‘character’ just as Kim Dok-Ja said, then what happened to the ‘time’ he couldn’t remember?
Where was himself not among the pages that Kim Dok-Ja had read?
Or, did he not exist from the get-go?
[Your Sponsor is looking closely at you.]
Could he really be able to say from where his life had ‘existed’ and where it ended?
Tsu-chuchuchut....
He reflexively looked back at the emptiness as soon as he felt the chilling sensation. He found someone else other than him there.
[[Are you doing an introspection of yourself? You don’t have the time to waste like this.]]
Yu Jung-Hyeok immediately recognised who it was.
‘You shouldn’t be able to move still.’
He glared at the ‘Secretive Plotter’. He instinctively reached out towards his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword], but the familiar hilt was nowhere to be found.
This place was his imagined world. Items didn’t exist here.
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ stared back at him and shook his head in disappointment. [[At this rate, all of your comrades will be annihilated.]]
‘Annihilated?’
Cold sensation crept down his back.
His companions were about to enter a dangerous battle against the ‘Outer God King’. He could definitely sense the ominous aura flowing around in the surroundings.
He needed to wake up at once. He needed to get out of here, and....
[[There’s no point in going with your current state. If you can’t utilise the power of the 1863rd turn, then you won’t prove to be any help whatsoever.]]
‘So what? What are you saying?’
Yu Jung-Hyeok growled menacingly, yet the Secretive Plotter remained unruffled. [[You have another way of utilising the power of the 1863rd turn.]]
Right away, he deciphered the meaning behind those words.
The only reason why he could regain the power of the 1863rd turn for a short moment was due to Kim Dok-Ja’s Fable, ⸢Hellscape of Eternity⸥. And the one who gave that fool his Fable was.....
Yu Jung-Hyeok gritted his teeth and asked.
‘You expect me to trust you? And why are you trying to help us?’
[[I was asked for a favour.]]
‘....A favour?’
[[I’ll lend you my powers just this once. I hope that you learn something from this.]]
The ‘Secretive Plotter’ reached out from the darkness. There was no time to dodge, and the cold palm of a boy touched Yu Jung-Hyeok’s forehead. And then...
[‘Disconnected Film Theory’ is activating!]
Accompanied by pain severe enough to blank out the inside of his head, a humongous Fable flooded in. These were memories he already knew. However, they were also the ones he failed to understand. Every Fable of ‘Secretive Plotter’ coursed within his bloodstreams while emitting white-hot heat.
The 1st turn, 2nd, 3rd, 4th.... and then, 1863rd.
Countless Yu Jung-Hyeoks were waking up within him.
All of them were Yu Jung-Hyeok. Each of them was Yu Jung-Hyeok. But at the same time, Yu Jung-Hyeok was just one person.
The one person, who managed to live through 1864 lifetimes.
He began remembering things one by one.
Such as, who he was.
What he lived for.
Fables were circling around his vicinity. Within the Fable, someone was asking this.
⸢”By the way, when is Captain’s birthday?”⸥
That prompted Kim Dok-Ja to reply.
⸢Ah, I found it. It was over here. Third of August.⸥
Right. He was born in the summer. A hellishly hot and humid summer, when horrible storms were lashing out.
He could remember everything so vividly now.
His birthday that no one celebrated or congratulated him for. All those anniversaries that lost their meanings as he went through 1864 lifetimes.
Yu Jung-Hyeok slowly opened his eyes. The energy of Fable completely saturated his whole body. This feeling was something he had not felt before during this ‘3rd’ turn.
He raised his head and sensed the hot rays of the sun.
Even so far away, he could still clearly sense it – the ‘Outer God’s’ presence calling out to him from beyond the faraway horizon. However, he didn’t feel scared.
He slowly raised his body up and confirmed the condition of his Incarnation Body. Every single part of it was operating at a near-perfection.
Fables he had compiled so far were permeating within every fibre of his being.
⸢In that very moment, Yu Jung-Hyeok felt as if he was reborn.⸥
[Great Fable, ‘Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse’, has recovered its complete Status.]
This was the true power he originally possessed, the Status of a being who reached the final turn of the world and witnessed the ‘Wall’ by himself alone.
[‘Disconnected Film Theory’ is currently activating in an abnormal manner.]
[Connection between films is incomplete.]
[The entire film may cease to exist if this connection is forcibly maintained.]
He could only rely on this power for a brief time. However, it was more than enough for him. Yu Jung-Hyeok raised his head and looked up at the sky.
The heavens were screaming out. The flashes of lightning strikes vividly illuminated the scars engraved on his face every so often.
[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, has begun its storytelling!]
[Attribute, ‘Terror of the Stars’, is activating!]
His glare caused the stars to run away in fear.
Yu Jung-Hyeok stared at them for a moment, before his figure flashed towards the distant sun.
<Episode 90. One Person (2)> Fin.