Apostrophe - Post-Epilogue Story - PDF

Apostrophe Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/52331077. Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi, Gen Fandom: 전지적 독자 시점 - 싱숑 | Omniscient Reader - Sing-Shong Relationships: Kim Dokja & Kim Dokja's Company, Kim Dokja & Yoo Joonghyuk, Han Sooyoung & Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja/Yoo Joonghyuk, Han Sooyoung/Kim Dokja, Han Sooyoung & Kim Dokja & Yoo Joonghyuk Characters: Kim Dokja, Han Sooyoung, Yoo Joonghyuk, Lee Seolhwa, Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung, Lee Jihye (Omniscient Reader), Lee Sookyung, Demon-like Judge of Fire | Uriel, Shin Yoosung, Han Donghoon (Omniscient Reader) Additional Tags: character tags to be added as they appear, Fluff, Love and shenaningans, Post-Canon, post-epilogue, Post-Canon Fix-It, Casual Use of Godly Powers, Happy Ending, Really just exploring what its like to come back after spending most of his life as the OD, Action/Adventure, Continuing past the epilogue and ignoring the side stories, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Problems Language: English Series: Part 1 of Apostrophe Stats: Published: 2023-12-17 Updated: 2024-04-15 Words: 39,482 Chapters: 18/? Apostrophe by LiaLox Summary Post-epilogue Kim Dokja falls asleep reading on the subway, and when he wakes up again, he finds himself home. - In which the 100% Kim Dokja is back. An eternity has passed for him, and sometimes he forgets that it’s strange to be able to manipulate the worldview as easily as he can. Chapter 1 Chapter Notes **SPOILER WARNING** Do not read this fic if you're only on the webtoon or haven't finished the novel. See the end of the chapter for more notes Warm sunlight. Soft sheets. The gentle shhhh of leaves and the cool breeze. I perceived it all before I ‘read’ it. Strange. Dreams aren’t supposed to feel this way. These worlds only exist because I continue to read their stories, and a reader could hardly read without their eyes open. But every story has something new in it, no matter how closely it can resemble another. So maybe, this is it? Intrigued, I immersed myself further in the feelings, savoring the clarity of sensation that doesn’t come with just looking at a scene unfold. A gentle weight. The creak of something metal rhythmically swaying on its hinge. And as always, the crisp rustling of pages. The sound reminds me of Fables begging to be read and I opened my eyes to oblige. The weight of my gaze causes a flurry of paper to fly into a whirlwind, scattering about the room just as a door creaks open. I turn my head to look, blinking owlishly at the figures standing hesitantly at the doorway. There seemed to be a lot of them crowding the entrance to the room, but at the forefront was a familiar woman with her hand still on the door handle, and a handsome face towering above her. Now this was a surprise. Seeing Yoo Junhyuk and Han Sooyoung in the same space together was so rare in all the worlds that I couldn’t help but feel something tug at my lips as I recognized the familiar scene. They stood, eyes wide and lips parted, their stupefied expressions frozen mirrors of each other’s. It seems like the length of time between my lucid moments are getting longer and longer. I don’t remember which world-line this is at all, or when I started reading it, but after watching for so long it hardly mattered. The last thing I remember is struggling to read the final revised version of Ways of Survival, sleep crashing into me like waves between paragraphs until I could barely understand the words I was reading. It isn’t long until the spell breaks, and Han Sooyoung melts into a trembling smile while Yoo Junghyook takes long strides towards me. His signature scowl donned on his face as he approached me. “You bastard,” Yoo Junghyuk growls. He reaches out and grabs me by the collar until my entire body is dangling up over the bed and eye level with him. Wait. Body? “Huh?” A gasp finds its way out of me. “Yoo Junghyook—“ His fist comes crashing down and before I even have a chance to register the pain, I’m plunged into darkness. For once I don’t dream. Chapter End Notes From ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’, Chapter 538: Epilogue 4 Eventually, the storm died down, revealing the messed-up hands of the companions. Hands, laid on top of each other as if they had fused into one. And these hands had destroyed the ‘completed’ full stop. The crack ran down on the circle’s edge like a tear. ⸢It now resembled a ---⸥ Chapter 2 “What the hell are you doing!?” I never thought I’d ever miss waking up on that subway, but Han Sooyoung’s ear-splitting voice clawed at my ears as I woke up in this strange new world-line. Not a new world-line, the ache in my gut tells me. Home. But I buried the thoughts deep down in me, because the idea of it was absurd. I had already mourned the epilogue of my original worldline, accepted it was not a chapter meant for me to read, and moved on. And just like all the things that I couldn’t imagine, they couldn’t become reality. There’s a tense silence from the other individual as expletives are hurled, but the moment Han Sooyoung’s anger subsides just a little, Yoo Junghyuk interrupts, arms crossed: “You can feel his status. At minimum he’s a constellation. That much should’ve been nothing.” “Nothing!? He’s OUT COLD.” “…” “His body might’ve gone become an adult again, but what if Kim Dokja is still mentally a child?” It’s been a long time since anyone has said my name out loud. “Then it’s nothing new." “…Hah. For once I agree with you.” …These bastards. The 4th Wall is going to scold me for this but I don’t care anymore. Illusion, dream, or whatever this was—with how little I’m conscious these days, this might be the last chance I get to do something like this as ‘me’. [Constellation, “Demon King of Salvation” disapproves of being rude towards ‘Kim Dokja’.] They whipped around to yell at my direction. “Kim Dokja!!” Hearing them exclaim my name in unison causes me to flinch, and I belatedly realized no one’s been able to make eye-contact with me for… well, since forever ago. But is this really alright? The gaze of ‘Yoo Junghyuk’s sponsor’ was heavy enough to be felt across worldlines and beyond the Last Wall. Would just looking at them as I am now affect them? I suppressed my status even further and asked: [Constellation, ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is wondering if you are speaking to him] “Look at what you’ve done,” Han Sooyoung said, exasperated. She gestured helplessly at me. “You knocked out the only braincell that he had.” Yoo Junghyook ignored her. “Who else would we be speaking to?” I looked behind me just to check if they really weren’t just speaking through me and hesitated on a response. Normally when I’m viewing a worldline, they can’t hear my voice, so I prepared myself to send another indirect message. “…You don’t have to use indirect messages. You said this guy’s name out loud before he knocked you out cold. We can hear you and see you just fine.” That’s new. I tried to accept this as reality, but I just couldn’t. The 4th Wall should be thickening in times like these, but it’s strangely silent here. I open my mouth to ask why or how, but snapped it back shut as I realized I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to ask. [Personal attribute ‘Scenario Interpreter’ is activating!] Just like everything in this universe, I read them, hoping for some clarification. [Exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Lv. ???’, is activating!] [You are the ‘Most Ancient Dream’.] [You can utilize 100 percent of your skill’s abilities regardless of your understanding on the target!] The familiar messages appearing told me that this wasn’t some hallucination, and I glanced towards Han Sooyoung for some clues about the situation. [This target is not a ‘Character’.] Ah, right. Han Sooyoung frowned disapprovingly, as if she could see the blue holographic pop ups facing my direction. “I’m not a character so quit trying to read me, dumb squid.” Hearing her accurately guess my thoughts twice made me feel like I was the one being read. Out of habit, I turned my attention to the protagonist only to be stunned by the following message: [This target is not a ‘Character’.] …What? I could feel the beat of a heart quickening in my chest. Not just a heart. My heart. Thumping louder and more rhythmically than any sound of a subway track ever could and my vision nearly shifted to black as I looked up at Yoo Jonghyuk and read it again: This target is not a ‘Character’. “As I thought, hitting him once wasn’t enough,” Yoo Jonghyuk decided, cracking his knuckles. “Perhaps I should start with one punch for every regression—“ “…It’s you.” The sound of my voice surprised everyone. The only Jonghyuk he’s ever met that wasn’t a constellation, or a ‘Character’. The one who broke free from the story, the one I bled for and the one who bled for me. “It’s really you. Yoo Jonghyuk.” Not the 0th regression or the hundreds of regressions afterwards. My Yoo Junghyuk. [Fable ‘Life and Death Companions’ has begun its storytelling once more.] The Yoo Junghyuk I fought with and the one who held such a high stake in many of my stories. The one who received my Stigma. Suddenly my throat felt dry. “...I’m sorry,” I choked out. They were his wish, but it was still my hands that brought upon hundreds of lifetimes of misfortune. I felt weak. My vision was fading to black at its edges as reality held me by the shoulders and shouted my name. The 4th Wall—where was The 4th Wall? “I’m—I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I repeated, apologies stumbling out between breaths. “Hey, remember to breathe—“ someone says, but I could barely register who said it. There’s a firm grip on my shoulders and a dark blur in front of me. “Get a hold of yourself.” The voice is commanding. Familiar. “Kim Do—“ -- “This damn fan boy...” Han Sooyoung grumbled, tapping her foot. “He starts crying over you but not me, the one who literally wrote the novel that saved his ass!?” Yoo Junghyuk held Kim Dokja’s listless figure, all but collapsed on his chest. He set him down back to the bed, but not before examining his condition. He’s breathing deeply at least, expression twisted as if troubled. Maybe it’s the shock of waking up in an incarnation body, but something about Kim Dokja seemed more… raw. The unabashed surprise at seeing them all in the doorway, the crinkle of his eyes as he recognized our faces, and crying until he lost consciousness. It was a stark difference to the eerily calm man he first met that transitioned far too easily from commuting to a mundane office job to stepping over corpses and expertly clearing scenarios. “That’s twice he’s passed out now in the past half hour and both times was because of you. At least the others already went to grab Seolwha when you punched him in the gut.” Han Sooyoung let out a long sigh of frustration. “That’s it,” she decided. “Out. You’re too problematic.” “No.” “You’re not helping here.” “Oh?” Yoo Junghyuk spared her a glance with bemused wrath. “And what have you contributed?” “More than you, you violent bastard.” Yoo Jonghyuk was ready to show her the true meaning of violent when the door burst open. Seolwha walked in radiating a sinister aura that instantly stopped their bickering. “Both of you,” Seolwha addressed them with a smile. There was nothing even remotely pleased about her expression. “Get out.” Chapter 3 Lee Seolwha was engrossed in her work as I came to, and unlike the others she didn’t freak out from my presence. There was something clinical to the way she handled our conversation, mindful of the shock and confusion that normally accompanied patients waking up from a coma. The first thing she did was level set. The date, the year… where we were, as well as the condition I had been in this whole time. We talked for a long time about my health, and I glossed over what it had been like for me in the subway. As she did her tests and check ups, she spoke of the group regression—how the others travelled to another worldline in an attempt to save me, how they came back 20 years later to a rejuvenated Seoul, and how Han Sooyoung wrote a manuscript for the fragments of the Most Ancient Dream and how Yoo Junghyuk spent an unknown amount of time spreading them throughout the worldliness with Biyoo. None of it surprised me. Like something I already knew, but it took a while for it to click into place. I was back. “Keep in mind, your incarnation body has been asleep for almost three years,” Lee Seolwha explained. “It’s going to be a process of rehabilitation to be able to move about as you used to. I’ve prepared a list of exercises that will help. Start off with the stretches on the first page and then we can move to strengthening.” I raised a hand and slowly clenched it into a fist. It felt weak, and my fingers didn’t quite move the way I wanted them to. “As for your diet,” she continued, tapping a pen to paper. “I would defer to someone else to know the best source of nutrition for constellations. The Queen of the Darkest Spring has offered—“ “Thank you, Seolwha,” I interrupted. “But I think I’ll be fine.” I pushed myself off to the side of the bed, bare toes touching the cold marmoleum as sparks danced around my skin upon contact. Lee Seolwha blinked in shock. I stood for a moment, shifting my weight around as probability cracked like lightning upon my muscles and sinews. The sensation carved strength into my body and it wasn’t long until my incarnation body was as able as I’d remembered it to be. “Hup!” I stretched, arms clasped and reaching outward, then rolled my shoulders before dropping down to a crouch to stretch my legs. I performed a few jabs at the air, placing just enough power so that the aftershock of it was enough to flutter her hair in its breeze. I balled a hand into a fist, testing my grip. Once I was satisfied with my strength I looked up expectantly at the doctor. “How about it?” I asked. “Am I ready to be discharged?” She shook her head. “Even if you are physically fit, you still aren’t fully stable,” Lee Seolwha explained. “You’ve been losing consciousness easily, and whether or not this is a form of narcolepsy is still something we haven’t discovered. And as you’ve explained to me before, this condition persisted even as you were--are the Most Ancient Dream. Which means that whatever you’re doing to manipulate probability like this, it isn’t something that’s within your power to cure.” I hated to admit it, but she was right. “It’s still a lot better than before. At its worst, I’d fall asleep and a few—“ I stopped abruptly, realizing the magnitude of what I was about to say. Lee Seolwha tilted her head, a silent urge for me to continue. I frowned. Doctor-patient confidentiality, I reminded myself. “…a few decades would pass.” “Then let’s be satisfied with this momentum of healing,” Lee Seolwha replied evenly, as if the words I just said weren’t beyond human comprehension. “You could overstrain yourself and worsen your condition. Let’s monitor you for another day, then I’m sure your companions can take over from here.” She stood up to leave, gathering her notes with her into a neat pile. “Don’t forget that you were born human, Kim Dokja. It’s okay to heal like one.” Chapter 4 Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes Seolwha closed the door and for the first time since returning to this worldline, I was alone. How is this possible? Even if all the fragments of ‘me’ dreamed of this epilogue, the probability required to incarnate ‘The Most Ancient Dream’ in any form is beyond what a worldline without a scenario could handle. As soon as the became active, the constellations staying at the Industrial Complex were able to go back their homes. More than likely, the world line’s probability began to force them back to their places as soon as the began restoring their status. “Even myth-grade constellations shouldn’t be able to come here without causing a probability storm,” I muttered to myself. A beat of silence descended and I found myself getting irritated. “Hey, you’ve been too quiet this whole time. Are you waiting for another opportunity to say ‘id i ot Kim Do kja’ ?” No one replied and I began to get concerned. “Fourth Wall?” Silence. “If you keep ignoring me, I’m going to do something you don’t like.” The silence continued and I began to grow suspicious. “…Attributes Window.” [Checking the Attributes Window.] [The exclusive skill ‘Reading Comprehension’ is increasing your reading speed!] A vast amount of information entered my mind. + [Character Information] Name: Kim Dokja Age: ??? years old Constellation Support: None Modifier: Demon King of Salvation (Myth), Watcher of Light and Darkness (Myth), Prisoner of the Golden Headband (Myth), The Most Ancient Dream (???) Private Attribute: Demon World Duke (Legend), Scenario Interpreter (???), Foreshadow Collector (???), Eternal Apostle (???)... + Exclusive Skills: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Lv. ?, Bookmark Lv. ?, Character List Lv. ?, Fourth Wall Lv. ?, Reading Comprehension Lv. ?, Story Control Lv. ?, Overwrite Lv.?,.... + Overall Rating: The most powerful and yet powerless being in the current worldview. With how easily this character dies, he’s more like a sunfish than anyone else. Why does he think he can be a protagonist when he’s this problematic? Amongst his peers, he is rated as an idiot. + I ignored the Overall Rating and quickly closed the Attributes Window before 10 seconds could pass. Could it be that the Fourth Wall deactivated somehow? Is that why it didn’t offset my shock earlier? I frowned. “Activate the ‘Fourth Wall’. “ [The exclusive skill ‘Fourth Wall’ is already active.] My eyes widened in surprise. It was activated, but it wasn’t working right? Perhaps incarnating here had strict probability constraints on certain skills? But the blessing of ‘The Most Ancient Dream’ should remove most limitations, and the skill was still in my possession according to the Attributes Window. …Could it be? I gathered my senses and felt around this worldline, touching the presence of every incarnation and constellation until I could trace around the very edges of its creation. The faint sounds of ‘Tsu-chuchuchut’ was ever present around that edge. I sighed deeply. With nothing better to do than overthink and get lost in my thoughts, I slumped towards the windowsill and stared blankly outside. Seolwha’s hospital is huge and well established. The building encloses a common courtyard and there were patients—children, playing tag in the courtyard. Or at least it seemed like they were playing. If I hadn’t noticed the horrified expression of one child clutching an arm of bruises, and the other with a handful of stones, I would’ve continued to think otherwise. [Constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is glaring at you.] The bully flinched at the heavy gaze as the screen appeared before him, causing him to trip. Before I could send another indirect message, someone tapped on the door. “Dokja-ssi?” The door opened and a familiar figure stepped through and waved with a smile. “Sangah-ssi.” I breathed in the sight of her. She’s the same as ever. Gentle and lively, with a subtle grace that followed her wherever she went. “How are you feeling?” Sangah asked. “Great. Seolwha says I should stay in the hospital anyways, though.” “That is a shame. To feel great and yet still be a patient. It’s too bad patients shouldn’t get any further injuries.” The chill of her voice reminded me of all the times I had become a prisoner of the golden headband. “Healthy people shouldn’t get injured either,” I pointed out hurriedly. “Besides, Jonghyuk already hit me pretty hard, don’t you think that’s enough?” “Not at all, but I’ll let it go just this once out of respect for Seolwha-ssi’s work. However, once you’re well enough to leave and do something foolish…” Sangah smiled tightly as she left the threat hanging. I began to sweat. “Looks like I’ll have to find ways to avoid getting discharged, then.” She began to laugh and the refreshing sound of it was so infectious I couldn’t help but smile as well. “We missed you, Dokja-ssi.” “I know. I missed everyone too.” More than they know. More than I could convey. The universe might be a novel but there are no words that existed here that could be enough to describe it. “How are the others?” I asked. “They’re all doing well. They’re excited,” Sangah replied easily. “But the kids have school today, and same with Jihye. They’ll be coming together once you get discharged tomorrow. Heewoon and Hyunsung are working on something together. As for Sooyoung and Jonghyuk, they’ve been banned from the hospital for now.” “Those two have become quite close while I wasn’t around.” “Well, they do have a common hobby of fussing over you,” Sangah winked. “They’ve bonded over a common interest.” Despite the joking tone, I couldn’t help but feel guilt sinking into my gut. The lifetimes and the worlds those two went through to save me—the ‘me’ who attempted to atone for creating this twisted worldview. I must’ve been making a strange expression because Sangah wordlessly placed her hand on mine. It’s so like her. To show she wanted to better understand but gave the other the space to take the first step themselves. I pressed my lips together tightly, contemplating if I should deflect or share. She was the one who once told me not to regret anything. So I wonder— “Sangah-ssi.” I looked away and back out at the window. Somehow it was hard to meet her eyes. “Do you like this worldview?” “Worldview?” Sangah echoed. “I mean, do you like the universe we live in? Even if it found its own type of normal now, it was originally an unfair world.” I peered back down at the children. Adults had rushed to help the child who had tripped and with bawling eyes, the bully pointed accusingly at the other child. Somehow the real victim was being blamed for the scraped knee and was receiving a fierce scolding. “…it still is unfair.” “I understand. The world is far from perfect. But it’s the one I’ve got.” Sangah tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s made me who I am, and the people I love live here. I wouldn’t want any other universe. Don’t you love it too?” She smiled wide. “I—“ I opened my mouth to respond. The truth was, Ways of Survival was still my favourite novel, and this was still my favourite worldview. But I still believed that whoever created this twisted world that caused my companions to suffer so much deserved to die. So much so that the mere thought of it made it hard to breathe. The two emotions crashed into each other like stormy waves upon a shore; like I was caught in the middle, with sand in my eyes and salt at my throat. “…Yes,” I agreed, choking on it all. “I love the stories we all built together.” And I hated how much I loved it. Sangah leaned in closer to wipe at a wetness beneath my eyes. A tear. I wiped at my eyes as well. Who knew I was so damn sensitive without the Fourth Wall? “I still have no regrets living the lives I had here,” Sangah said as she held my hand. “Thank you for dreaming of this, Dokja-ssi.” *** I don’t know how long Sangah stayed to chat, but despite how happy I was to see her it was also somehow tiring. It was the longest conversation I’ve had in years, and I underestimated the mental capacity it took to perform something that was once second nature. In the end, Sangah left me with a piece of advice before leaving: “If you have doubts about this universe… Shouldn’t you ask the one who experienced this worldview the most?” She had a point, but I didn’t know how to face him. I slumped backwards into the pillow and opened up my phone. Sangah had included everyone’s phone numbers in it but spared me from the company’s group chat to let me meet everyone at my own pace. My fingers scrolled to a stop at the contact labelled ‘Yoo Junghyuk’ and hovered. What do I even say to him? ‘Hi I’m back, sorry for being the worst constellation sponsor ever’ ? Or how about, ‘you wished for this you dumb bastard, and I told you it was going to be terrible’ ? There’s been plenty of times where I ended up putting him through some hardship I thought he could handle, and many more times where his wishes clashed against my knowledge of Ways of Survival. In those times I would’ve replied smugly, or willingly withstood his roughhousing but those times weren’t like this. 1864 lifetimes. 1864 times he saw his loved ones bleed, his world get destroyed, over and over again, living until he obtained the fable ‘Hellscape of Eternity’. Until he became the ‘Secretive Plotter’ and only wished to die. [Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’ is answering your call!] Even if it was his wish, it was still my choice to fulfill. How do you make a person grieve the death of his younger sister a thousand times, and apologize? Was it even possible to apologize to the 1864th round Yoo Junghyuk? Chapter End Notes I had never seen such a determined expression on her face before. “So, Dok-Ja-ssi. You mustn’t regret anything, either.” “Pardon? Regarding what.....?” “I mean, everything.” I wasn’t sure what to say to her. It felt as if I’d only sound like an ass just by thanking her or expressing my gratitude. The ‘Ways of Survival’ never taught me what I should say in moments like this. – Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Ch 455 Chapter 5 Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes With the amount of sleeping I was doing, the next day rolled over quickly and before I knew it I was stumbling groggily into the cafeteria past noon. There’s an elderly patient who hasn’t stopped staring at me since I walked in, eyes trailing after even as I picked up a platter of rice with various side dishes. I walked over to him, set my tray down, and casually began to eat. “…Aren’t you supposed to be banned from the hospital?” I asked between bites. “What?” the old man asked in confusion, before he began to scowl. “That’s no way to talk to your elders, boy!” “I’m older than you, Sooyoung.” The old man’s eye twitched before an off-putting grin bloomed on his face. “Bah, you figured it out that fast? What kind of cheap hacks are you using this time?” “I don’t need any hacks, you’ve just always had this old hag energy about you.” The old man fumed before eventually fading into a familiar face—sharp features, and long lashes with a beauty mark just beneath the eye. The short crop of her hair framed her face perfectly. It was very reminiscent of the early scenarios when Sooyoung’s Avatars would disguise herself and taunt us. Han Sooyoung seemed pleased that I recognized her despite her attempts to hide herself. “Out of respect for Seolwha-ssi, I won’t hit you this time but I’ll get back at you some other way.” “Why does everyone keep saying that?” I sighed. “What about respect for me?” “Yeah, what about respect for you? Tell me when you find some self-respect.” Even though she said all that, Han Sooyoung hasn’t stopped grinning this whole time. It really was nice. I missed bickering with her. No one else had wit quite like Han Sooyoung. “So?” Sooyoung asked, eyes gleaming with restrained excitement. “Are you the 100% Kim Dokja or what?” The blunt question caught me off guard and I awkwardly swallowed my food before responding. “I don’t know.” [Lie Detection Lv. ??? has confirmed your statement to be true.] “…Seriously?” I meet her for the first time in years and the first thing she does is use Lie Detection? Was I that unreliable? As if to respond, she kicked me under the table with all her strength. “Argh!” I yelped, rubbing at my shin in mock hurt. “At least let me explain before you hit me! I thought you said you weren’t going to? I’m going to tell on you to Seolwha-ssi.” “Just shut up and get on with it.” I struggled to form a response that wouldn’t alarm her. The ‘me’ that’s endured a timeframe of at least 30,000 years. The days I spent with the company were merely a drop in the endless ocean of stories I had watched and perhaps those stories changed me along the way, in the same way Ways of Survival did when I was young. Did I even maintain the ego of the Kim Dokja they knew of? Would I still be the 100% me in their eyes at all? In the first place, did I even know myself well enough to be able to say if I was 100%? I shrugged my shoulders, idly poking at my food and replied. “What’s the 100% version of anyone anyways? If we’re going off memories alone, then you’re not the 100% Sooyoung either since you lost a lot of memories through your Avatars —especially the memories making up the 1863rd turn Han Sooyoung are quite foggy aren’t they?” Han Sooyoung folded her arms, dissatisfied, and tapped at it with irritation before relenting. “…You’re the 100% Kim Dokja alright.” “Oh? What makes you say that?” “The 49% version of you wasn’t like this. The 100% KDJ knows the right bullshit to spew to cover up whatever he’s hiding, like the slimey squid bastard that you are.” The memories I received from the 49% Kim Dokja helped me remember where ‘I’ left off in my friendships after not interacting with them for tens of thousands of years. But trying to organize the overlap of memories between those experiences in the epilogue with my companions as well as the difference in the flow of time of the subway’s eternity proved to be dizzying. I remembered that 49% was a good boy who was only half-conscious for the most part and was easily dragged around by his companions. I remembered feeling like I wasn’t enough. 2% short to be exact, and wanting so desperately to be enough for my companions but not quite knowing how. In the end the ‘me’ as the 49% Kim Dokja was quite different back then compared to now. I guess memories also played a huge part in someone’s actions, and since 49% didn’t have most memories from Ways of Survival, I wasn’t able to be as calculating as I could be when I joined them on the group regression. “Besides, I’m a first-rate author. Of course I’d know a thing or two about characterization.” “…Hah.” It was one thing to be called the 100% Kim Dokja, but somehow it mattered more when Han Sooyoung was the one saying it. Well, as long as Han Sooyoung believed this then the others wouldn’t do anything reckless. She’s the biggest instigator after all, the others may come up with an idea but she’s the one who would carve out a path in the story to make it happen. Suddenly I felt a deep ache in my soul where she once tore through that wall. “Thank you.” “Huh?” “For being a first-rate author. For being the best I know. This is the third time your writing has saved me.” Han Sooyoung scoffed, and looked away flushed. “My writing as a sleep deprived thirteen year old doesn’t count.” Maybe the rest of my days would be spent in gratitude for my companions. That’s what epilogues are for, right? A love letter to the story that was completed. I wanted to give them the ending they all so desperately wished for, with the 100% Kim Dokja and all. Whatever it was that they wanted, if it was a wish within my power to grant, I would do my best to fulfill it. I shook my head, smiling. “It still saved me.” “I’ll write you something even better next time. You better be here to read it.” “Of course I will,” I said honestly. “I’m your biggest fan. I’ll read anything you write.” I already loved her words to the point of creation, after all. “Good,” Han Sooyoung nodded, and leaned back in satisfaction. “Now everyone can rest easy when we all live together in a big house again. You better make sure all that effort Heewon and Hyugsung are putting in won’t go to waste.” The words puzzled me for a moment. “…That’s the thing Heewon and Hyungsung are working on?” “Oh yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise but I don’t care about that. I thought you might already know, oh, Omniscient Dokja-ssi.” Han Sooyoung shrugged. “Anyways. You’ll see the new place later today after we all come to pick you up.” Geez… I pitied the others for putting up with her antics. “I thought those two broke up. Are they okay, house shopping together?” “So you knew about that, but not the house shopping? They’re just fine. They only broke up because they kept reminding each other of what they lost in the scenarios and that includes you.” Han Sooyoung stood to lean over the table and jabbed accusingly at my chest. I could only raise my hands in a relenting gesture. “So you better not do some self-sacrificial bullshit ever again.” “Okay, I got it, I promise,” I exclaimed, brushing her finger away only to shoot back at her. “But you’re just as bad when it comes to Heewon and Hyungsung.” “Huh??” “Didn’t you bet 100 coins they’d break up?” “And I’m 100 coins richer.” “You were actively against their relationship!” “That doesn’t mean I was against their relationship! They totally could’ve proven me wrong all on their own.” “Is that what ‘Predictive Plagiarism’ said?” Han Sooyoung hit me again when she had nothing better to say. She huffed out in frustration. “At least you’re doing better now. I was worried you were still a few steps away from a breakdown. They planned a huge party, you know. Everyone’s coming, and I mean everyone. You better not start crying again.” The comment stung, but I was grateful that she appeared ahead of time to check how I was doing. Knowing her she’d call off whatever surprise party the others planned, their feelings be damned, if it seemed like I wasn’t in a state to appreciate it for what it was. “I’ll be fine.” “You say stuff like that and end up dying.” I wrinkled my nose. “It was really shocking when I woke up, alright? You try breaking into millions of pieces and then try putting yourself back together.” My fables when I woke up were like scrambled like a new set of legos. The pieces might all be gathered into a pile, but it took time for me to make sense of them. The Fourth Wall would’ve helped in times like that, but at the very least Lee Seolwha and Yoo Sangah were there to ease me into this reality. “That’s the basis of the Avatar skill, dumbass, I can do that with my eyes closed.” Han Sooyoung puffed up proudly before a sudden realization crosses her features. “Ah, I think I’m—“ She vanished into a puff of smoke. The main Han Sooyoung must’ve recalled her Avatar to gain the memories made here, leaving me alone with a tray of food that had gone cold. I sighed. Why did I have a feeling this was going to be chaotic? Chapter End Notes “I read and re-read the words that Han Su-Yeong had written with so much care. As if I was drunkard walking straight into another world, I voraciously ate up her words. Because that was the only courtesy I could pay to the author of this story as its reader. And it was fun, god damn it. In some passages, much more so than the ‘Ways of Survival’.” – Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Ch 377 (Also HSY really did bet 100 coins they would break up) Chapter 6 It’s been half an hour since I met the rest of the main party and I was still locked in a crushing embrace by Lee Hyungsung, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosoung, and Lee Jihye. Did they stop to consider that the recovered the full strength they had as incarnations that reached the Last Wall? If I was back to my original human body before the scenarios began, I truly would’ve died. “Haven’t… you guys… had enough?” I chocked out. I had just changed out of the hospital clothes and already my dress shirt was soaked in their tears. But it wasn’t bad. Despite the discomfort of barely being able to breathe and wearing ruined clothes, it was the warmest I’ve felt in thousands of years. “No!” Jihye was the first to speak up. “You’re going to make everyone sad again as soon as we let you go!” “I’ll never let you go hyung!” “M-me too ahjussi!” “This time, I’ll show you how much more tightly I can hold on!” Lee Hyunsung tightened his embrace and as if to prove a point, the others took it as a challenge to try to hug me tighter than him. Now I really was being strangled to death. Lee Seolwha and Yoo Sangah were off to the side, seemingly discussing my terms of being discharged from the hospital. If they really cared about my physical health, shouldn’t they be over here rescuing me? Hello?? I opened up Midday Tryst towards Han Sooyoung, who was watching it all with a smirk. KDJ: Can’t you do something about this? HSY: Well well, if it isn’t the consequences of your actions. HSY: Just die, Kim Dokja. “Dokja-ssi!” Jung Heewon came rushing over, a little late from having to find and park a vehicle that was big enough to fit everyone for the drive out of here. I felt a bit bad for her, having been left behind to be responsible while everyone else rushed ahead, but I liked that part about her— taking charge when the others got carried away and doing what needed to be done. I opened my mouth to greet her, but the air was all squeezed out. [It’s been a while, Heewon-ssi.] I reflexively used my true voice instead, and the entire embrace flinched. “…woah,” Lee Gilyoung breathed out, and stumbled backwards. Everyone was looking at me with the same stunned expression. Even Seolwha and Sangah stopped mid-conversation to stare. “That’s one heck of a status you’ve got there, squid ahjussi,” Jihye said, blinking up from her embrace. Did it really change that much? Maybe it would be stranger if there wasn’t a significant difference after spending thousands of years as the Oldest Dream. “…Sorry,” I apologized, after catching my breath. “Was it uncomfortable?” “It was… just surprising is all,” Jung Heewon decided, but I could tell the discomfort was there. She shook it off and smiled. “It really has been a while, Dokja-ssi.” “You’ve really gone beyond a Myth-grade constellation,” Lee Hyunsung added reverently. I took this opportunity to slip out of the embrace. I’ll have to be more careful with my true voice in the future. The main party was here except for Yoo Junghyuk. I couldn’t sense him nearby. As far as I could tell, that sunfish wasn’t even in Korea. “If you’re looking for that sooty bastard, he said he’ll meet us at the—“ Gilyoung started, only to have Shin Yoosung cover his lips. “We have a surprise for you ahjussi!!” Shin Yoosung beamed. “Then let’s go ahead and meet up with him,” I told the kids, ruffling their hair. “I’m excited for the surprise.” + The thing with being the sole reader of this worldview is that it came with a certain level of omniscience. And if I had a feeling this “surprise” would get chaotic, then it would probably be just that. They wrapped up a housewarming and a ‘Welcome back Kim Dokja’ party all into one. It wasn’t just a big house. It was a mansion. The many bedrooms and lounge spaces were divided into east and west wings, with a large kitchen and an even larger dining hall situated close to its centre. The interior itself had a modern elegance to it, with plenty of natural light pouring in from large windows and skylights. Even the location was perfect. It was situated right next to the Han River, and the could be seen nearby. There were plans to turn the backyard into a separate enclosure for the kid’s unique pets and transform the rest into a training ground, but for today it was crammed with the strongest incarnations in Seoul, and the main constellations who supported them that still remained after the scenarios. The entire garden terrace was decorated to the brim and a feast for both incarnations and constellations were laid out in the open. So I was wrong for once and it wasn’t just chaotic. Chaotic wasn’t enough to describe it. Needless to say, it was impossible to have a normal party while cramming all these excitable powerhouses into one spot. Han Sooyoung tapped her foot in irritation. “Where did my shit incarnation run off to?” She grumbled, running her fingers through her hair. “He was supposed to be here by now.” I jabbed at her. “He’s my incarnation, not yours.” “Silly, pathetic, Dokja,” Han Sooyoung sneered. “Things change when you disappear for years.” [Constellation, ‘Architect of the Last False Act’, is proudly displaying the stigma granted to her incarnation.] “Well, things are back the way they were now that I’m back,” I huffed, waving the notification away. “Sponsorships by ‘The Most Ancient Dream’ overwrites anything given by all other constellations, you know. In ‘Ways of Survival’, Nirvana tried to get rid of his myth- grade reincarnation stigma by fusing with—“ Gong Pildu, who was standing right next to us, suddenly spat out his drink all over me. What the fuck. “Oi!! This is what everyone was waiting for!!” Pildu yelled at the crowd. He wiped away some alcohol dripping down his chin. “The kid is finally quoting ‘Ways of Survival’!!” “He is !?” “Oh my god… that nerd is quoting a webnovel at a party.” “He is, he is!!” Jang Hayoung exclaimed excitedly. “He’s the 100% version of the Demon King of Salvation after all!” “You know what this means?” Lee Hyunsung beamed. Jihye used her agility to climb up to the chimera dragon’s head in an instant. “…SHOTS!!!” Jiyhe screamed at the top of her lungs. The whole party cheered and from that point on, things went down like shit being flushed down the toilet. + Gilyoung and Yoosoung clinked glasses but before they could down the glass of soju, I snatched them away. “You’re both too young for this.” Gilyoung and Yoosoung looked at each other. “Ajussi, we might look physically young but we can handle a few drinks.” Sooyoung spoke as if this wasn’t the first time she’s had soju before. “And we spent a lot of time in the other regression!” Gilyoung piped up. “Mentally, we’re even older!” They may have a point but it was still strange seeing the kids drink. I could barely call them kids anymore. Shin Yoosoung appeared closer to herself as the ‘Disaster of Floods’ and Lee Gilyoung had grown up to be a broad-shouldered teenager. I suppose there was a lot of time I had missed, when this worldline wasn’t receiving my gaze. I regretted not being able to be there to watch them grow, not as a reader, but as their mentor and parental figure. I let out a long sigh and handed them back the shot glasses. As long as there was supervision, I suppose. + “Shots,” Yoo Mia insisted, reaching up to the shot glass I had taken away from her. “No, Mia.” “But I’m also older than I look. I’ll practice safe consumption, I promise.” “Your brother will kill me. This is for my safety, not yours.” Yoo Mia gave me a vicious glare that perfectly mirrored her brother’s. “…Ugly ahjussi.” + Between the dancing, bad singing, cries for attention, literal tears, and multiple fights that had nearly broken out, I managed to slip past the crowd and greet the two that I honestly should’ve spoken to first. “Dokja-ah…!” [It’s good to see you well.] The [Queen of the Darkest Spring] and Lee Sookyoung were sitting on the balcony, gracefully observing the spectacle below. I moved to give them both a hug, my heart twisting in complicated emotions as I decided who to hug first. In the end I held both of them in each hand instead. “I’m glad you were able to make it, Mother. …Both of you.” Persephone chuckled. [Travelling is particularly easy these days. You should visit the palace soon. It’s a quiet place to rest away from the… liveliness here.] Persephone glanced down to the party. Han Myungoh had a tie wrapped around his forehead and was busy passing out more drinks to the others. He was already too far gone. “They all worked hard to have me here,” I replied. “The least I can do is celebrate with them.” “There will be more time to celebrate later,” Lee Sookyoung said. “It doesn’t have to be just tonight, so take it easy. We have all the time now… right?” Her frown deepened as looked at me searchingly, and I squeezed their hands tight. “…You’re right. We do.” Persephone is the first to break contact. She reached out to a box on the table and handed it over to me. [A gift. Welcome home, my son.] I eagerly opened the box, and Persephone is all smiles. It’s a Chinese dress and a garter belt. I eagerly closed the box. “…Thanks, Mother…” + I was hiding in the bathroom for some peace and quiet when a knock lightly rapped on the door. Midday Tryst opened up. HSY: Are you okay? HSY: Are you throwing up in there? HSY: HSY: If you don’t reply in 30 seconds I’m coming in. KDJ: Not throwing up. KDJ: It’s more like the others won’t stop throwing up on ME. HSY: LOL I glared at her messages again before looking at my clothes. At some point I got tired of changing them over and over again to try to maintain a sense of normalcy and just started abusing my authority over probability to keep them clean. Sighing, I looked at my reflection on the bathroom mirror. I looked haggard. KDJ: I’m done for the night. + Or so I intended but before I could reach my new bedroom I was intercepted. “Please just go home.” At this point I was begging. [NoooOOooooo!!] Uriel cried, clinging onto my arm for dear life. Her face was bright red and she reeked of alcohol. “Uriel, please.” I was met with the most pitiful puppy eyes she could muster. [Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, doesn’t want to go.] “If you don’t want to leave, there are still others drinking on the terrace,” I sighed, patting her head and trying to pry her fingers off me. “Or passed out on the floor somewhere. You can hang out with them, or pass out with them, whatever, if you really want to stay but just. Let. Me. Go.” [The Supreme King isn’t here yet! I just—hic—just want to see your long awaited reunion!!] I considered using probability to teleport her back to Eden, but it’s Uriel, the constellation who risked so much for our party and I felt bad about kicking her out in such a way. [What if you hug!! I can’t miss the hug!!!] “Yoo Junghyuk and I won’t talk today,” I assured her. “It’s past midnight, I just woke up from a coma, and I just want to go to bed.” Uriel’s eyes shone with hope and excitement. [Is it the Supreme King’s bed?] On second thought, a little effort was worth it. I smiled darkly at her and placed my hand on her shoulder. […Eh?] “Good night, Uriel,” I said with a grin, and blue light crackled at my fingertips. “Get home safe.” + I got to my bed but something I didn’t account for was that [Abyssal Black Flame Dragon] and [Most Ancient Liberator] had started an idol group while I was away, and karaoke night was continuing on full blast in the garden. They were flying. They were using their true voices. And they were very, very drunk. I looked at my phone. The Youtube video ‘Metro/Subway Sound [White Noise] 10 Hours’ was still playing into my ears, and unfortunately, so was the ‘singing’ from outside. It could be worse, I told myself. Uriel could’ve been there singing with them. Regretting not taking the [Queen of the Darkest Spring]’s offer, I crafted a quick fable to soundproof the room and finally, FINALLY, fell asleep. + Sleep is a luxury it seems, and for tonight I was the broke crackhead who couldn’t afford it. At first I thought I was going insane when I awoke to an intense killing intent in my room. I barely reacted. The status of the one trespassing was a familiar one after all, and without opening my eyes I could tell it was Yoo Junghyuk. He was rummaging around the room, carelessly making noise until he came to a halt and silence filled the room. Curiousity got the better of me, and I left my incarnation body to doze so I could see what he was up to… only to see that he was looming over my sleeping body like a deranged killer seen in horror movies. It nearly gave me a heart attack. Why can’t this damn psychopath just act normal for once? Yoo Junghyuk looked up to face my soul body. I was certain he couldn’t see me, but the way we locked eyes was unnerving. “You’re awake.” Shit. My incarnation body’s eyes bolted open and I awkwardly glanced at him. “This isn’t the hospital and I’m not in a coma,” I told him. “It’s rude to barge into people’s rooms at night.” Yoo Junghyuk ignored me. “I had to confirm something.” I could see a notification from the system appear in front of him, and I couldn’t help but read the sentence in front of us. [Your synchronization with your sponsor, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, is extremely high!] Oh. The words hit me like a splash of cold water, and wide awake, all thoughts of exhaustion and celebration were flushed from my mind. The system confirmed that I was indeed his sponsor, and that I had been for a long time. I suppose it was one thing for me to break down in apologies, but a whole separate matter when the itself confirmed this fact. If this was how he wanted to talk, it was a bizarre way of doing it. But Yoo Junghyuk approached everything at his own pace, and this was just another one of those things. My heart sank into trepidation, beating fast, anxious about the words to follow. But no words came and in the end, it was up to me to take the first step. “Well?” I asked, breaking the silence. I looked away and gripped tightly at the sheets. “Were you able to confirm that ‘something’?” “…Yes.” Yoo Junghyuk placed a cloth bag on the dresser and turned to leave. The door snapped shut behind him and I was left gawking in the silence. That’s it? What the hell just happened? I could feel myself getting irritated. Yoo Junghyuk, you sick bastard, giving me all this anxiety at this godforsaken hour… I plopped back down to my pillow, lying there for a moment before eventually getting up and stepping over to the item Yoo Junghyuk left behind. I took a look inside the bag. My hands trembled. My throat clamped shut and I squeezed that bag, pressing it to my temple as if in prayer before slamming it into my drawer and tucking it out of sight. If my room hadn't been soundproofed, the others would've heard the wood snap with force. So no one came. I stood there alone, breathing heavy, willing myself to calm down and just go to back to sleep. Back to my dreams, like I have always done, to ignore it all like I’ve ignored that tap tap tap behind a subway door. I don’t know how long I stayed like that. I don’t know if I could feel time pass accurately anymore. I don’t know why my feet starting carrying me out the room, but I helplessly obeyed, heart dragging behind me like chains as I chased after that status I knew so well deep into the city. Descent of the Greatest Star (1) Chapter Notes From ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’, Chapter 162 – Kim Dokja’s Love + “Do you know what Dokja ahjussi is going?” Shin Yoosung’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. Lee Jihye continued, “You are his incarnation so I was wondering if you knew something. Originally, incarnations get information on the sponsor whenever the sponsor and incarnation’s synchronization increases.” In fact, Lee Jihye also shared Yi Sunsin’s memories whenever she used the Duke of Loyalty and Warfare’s stigma. In the end, the core of the story was the stigma. It was inevitable to know the story of the constellation every time the power was used. Shin Yoosung desperately tried to choose her words before barely opening her mouth. “Ahjussi... he is a lonely person.” “Hey, anyone could say that.” “He also likes reading books...” “Books?” “Yes. Countless pages appear whenever I think of Ahjussi. I’m not sure what it is... I can’t see the page contents.” Shin Yoosung hesitated and lowered her head. “I still don’t know that much. I haven’t received a stigma yet.” “Do you also see pages when you think of ahjussi?” Yoo Junghyuk stood at the top of the and looked over Seoul. Every time an incarnation used their sponsor’s stigma, they received a portion of the constellation’s story. He thought of his sponsor, and those very pages Shin Yoosung spoke of appeared in his mind. They were endless, and the words had always been a blur throughout his regressions, but now that filtering had been removed. One chapter was unlocked every time the stigma ‘Regression’ was used, and more words slowly surfaced the longer he used the stigma ‘Transmission’. The 1865 chapters added together with all the additional passages. This amounted to 3149 chapters of Kim Dokja’s life that he was able to read. Since remembering the memories of the 0th round, they had suddenly became legible. Yoo Junghyuk wasn’t much of a reader, but even so he read the disjointed passages that appeared on those pages. “You don’t know how to seek forgiveness.” I silently nodded. My mother said, “It isn’t up to you to decide if it’s a matter to forgive.” It was strange to read it all as sentences from Kim Dokja’s perspective. Once this was over, I would ask Aileen to make me a watch. If he had something like this, he might become more attached to this world. Some chapters made Yoo Junghyuk angry. I silently stared at the subway’s ceiling. Accompanied by the ‘Tsu-chuchuchut!’ noise, vicious heat burned on my hand. [You’re interfering in the world-line.] [‘Overwrite’ has commenced.] [Excessive interference might cause the world-line to strongly resist....] I used all of my strength to smack the back of Yoo Junghyuk’s head. Some chapters twisted his emotions so deep in his gut he couldn’t give it a name. < Kim Dokja had learned how to live from this man. > This man was my father; my brother; and my oldest friend. [‘The 4th Wall’ has increased its thickness.] For a long time, I had been looking at him through this thick, thick wall. I was saved by him many times, and while looking at his story, I managed to survive. The [Unbreakable Faith] slowly clattered back on the ground. I couldn’t kill this guy. Nor could I beg for his forgiveness, either. I had never learned to be that cowardly. No, I was taught to pay the price for the things I’ve done. Yoo Junghyuk was still looking up at me. And I too, stared back at him. < I’m right here, in this place. > I know. 551 chapters from the regression they spent together. Nearly 2000 chapters spent as the Most Ancient Dream. And the rest-- He’d get targeted by the school gang and suffer serious bullying. He’d get abandoned by his relatives and start living alone far too soon. And wherever he went, he’d be pursued by the reporters hunting him down. He’d make a mistake during the university entrance exam and end up in a third-rate school. He’d get unlucky and pull the shortest straw during the boot camp, and get assigned to the front lines. He’d fill himself up everyday with triangular-shaped kimbap bought from the local convenience store. And eventually, stumble into a job with some no-name company by the skin of his teeth and eke out a living that way. The rest was the pitiful story of who Kim Dokja once was before the scenarios began. But still, Yoo Junghyuk read it all. And when he was done, he read it again. Only in reading it was he able to increase their synchronization rate and evolve his stigma into the. It was something he’d kept only to himself at first, until Han Sooyoung desperately needed accurate material for her novel, but by then the connection to his sponsor had been severed and those pages were lost. Perhaps it didn't matter that Yoo Junghyuk was only able to tell it secondhand from his already too-crowded memory. There was far too much that Kim Dokja never expressed and never spoke of, stories that were not shared with the others, his deepest thoughts hidden away even from himself at times. Missing information about Kim Dokja was bound to be a certainty. Then that was the result. A manuscript with an unreliable narrator, telling the tale from the perspective of someone who knew everything and was still somehow a fool. Wind tousled Yoo Junghyuk’s hair, and in that midnight breeze a familiar fable called out. [Fable, ‘Life and Death Companions’ is continuing its storytelling.] Yoo Junghyuk turned around. The incarnation who died over and over again, met the eyes of the constellation who died over and over again. [Your synchronization with your sponsor is extremely high!] “Demon King of Salvation.” King could hardly be used to describe him. Here was a man, dressed in pyjamas with a slipper missing, and his hair was disheveled from the flight or perhaps the skill he used to arrive at this vantage point. There’s a desperate look about his eyes as he seemed to search for sentences to read. He doesn’t find them, and his gaze continued to tremble until Yoo Junghyuk spoke. “My wish has finally been fulfilled.” The Demon King of Salvation’s lips quivered and he nodded. His head hung low. “…I’m right here,” his sponsor announced, voice small. “I know.” A myriad of emotions crossed his face, from horror to relief, from hurt to apprehension, until he settled on restrained annoyance. That wall may have thinned, but it was very much still there. This fool would not willingly show his pain if he was in his right mind. “…You dumb bastard,” his sponsor finally decided to say, through the grit of his false bravado. “I told you this was going to be terrible. Was it worth it?” “You tell me. You know everything, don’t you?” What little confidence remained fizzled out and the Demon King of Salvation retreated into a scorned silence. If you know everything, then why is it that you don’t know what I feel in this moment? It doesn’t reach you. Nothing reaches you. We are companions and yet it means nothing. You scheme alone. You suffer alone. How many times must you leave me behind? What must I do so we can walk the same path? Answer me, Kim Dokja. … ……… Fine. If you insist on sitting alone on your lofty throne in the sky then I will simply cut you down from the heavens. Yoo Junghyuk unsheathed [Dark Heavenly Demon Blade] and pointed it at the constellation. “Draw your blade,” Yoo Junghyuk commanded. The Demon King of Salvation gave him a helpless look. “Yoo Junghyuk—“ Yoo Junghyuk burst forth, blade aimed at his neck, but he dodged it with ease. The Demon King of Salvation remained unperturbed. “Even if I do,” the Demon King of Salvation replied, evading his assault. “You can’t beat me.” “We shall see.” Yoo Junghyuk swung again, and the constellation caught the blade with his bare hands. The Demon King of Salvation narrowed his gaze. “Even if it’s you, you can’t do it. I’m making the universe exist just by looking. And you think you can beat me?” “Shut up and draw your blade, sponsor.” “You idiot.” The Demon King of Salvation jumped back, unsheathing his blade from nothing, and probability crackled at just the motion of it. There was something strange about his [Unbreakable Faith]. A severe aura radiated from it, and there was a jagged line a hand span past the hilt. [Exclusive skill, ‘Eye of the Sage Lv. ???’, is used on the target’s equipment!] + [ ‘Broken Faith.rev198’ ] Repaired and revised by the greatest power in the universe. Once shattered, it can never be what it once was. Type: Sword (1 handed weapon) Durability: 999/999 Item attribute: Denial of the Dream (Myth) This item has a ??? % chance to reflect ??? % DMG that is parried. *** +9999 Strength +9999 Agility +9999 HP +9999 MP +1000% Penetration Rate +1000% Leech Rate +1000% Critical Rate +1000% Critical DMG +1000% DMG Bonus + Broken indeed, Yoo Junghyuk thought with bitter amusement. A blade that could only be wielded by someone who had a near limitless amount of probability. Each swing required the probability of a historical grade constellation’s descent. No matter. It is another thing that must be cut down. Yoo Junghyuk raised the [Dark Heavenly Demon Blade], his transcendence coursing through, and Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship came crashing down in a cruel, beautiful arc. The Demon King of Salvation blocked it with [Broken Faith] and stared at him impassively with those ever calculating eyes. [Constellation, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, has fixed the trigger chance of item attribute, ‘Denial of the Dream’, to 100% !] [Item attribute, ‘Denial of the Dream’, is reflecting back 100% of the damage dealt!] The transcendent force ripped at Yoo Junghyuk like a hurricane, riddling his arms in a swirl of cuts as the power crushed him deep in his gut. The shockwave alone was enough to dent the metal of the tower. Blood and bile rose up from his throat and he coughed it up. This much was expected. For this being that treats probability like the way he does— Red Pheonix Shunpo. Yoo Junghyuk appeared instantly behind the Demon King of Salvation. He simply had to be faster than he could react. The blade pierced cleanly through the constellation’s back, protruding out of his chest. Stories and blood poured onto the cotton of his pyjamas and if Yoo Junghyuk wasn’t so angry, he would’ve scoffed at this ridiculous sight. Yoo Junghyuk kicked the Demon King of Salvation off the skewer of his blade, sending him tumbling forward, rolling in his injuries. If the hole in his chest damaged him, the constellation showed no signs of it. Or perhaps despite the pain, he still found it cathartic, like he was expecting hurt. Like he wanted to be hurt. The Demon King of Salvation looked up at him as if to say he would receive his anger in any form, and that look alone pissed Yoo Junghyuk off more than anything this bastard did in the past 1864 regressions. Yoo Junghyuk gripped his sword so hard his wrists trembled. “You dare to hold back?” Yoo Junghyuk growled. “You—you who decides everything in this worldview? ” Again and again, you decide everything on your own. “Even when my blade reaches you it is by your will.” Every punch, every word, everything only existed because this bastard allowed it. He allowed Yoo Junghyuk’s anger. He allowed Yoo Junghyuk to live in a perfect world—discarded him in it. “The Most Ancient Dream,” Yoo Junghyuk addressed his sponsor through gritted teeth and seething rage. “I am no toy for you to ‘play house’ with. Do not treat me as a mere puppet!” The constellation went rigid at those words. The foolish star who was like a child upon a doll house, guiding his little make-believe world where his toys would happily eat and play all day. The 0th round. The 49% avatar. Smiling at a party in a conclusion he was adamant not to live, after tens of thousands of years of sacrifice. All of it was an illusion, a happiness only for others, crafted by bruised hands and a lonely heart. Kim Dokja had become ‘The Most Ancient Dream’. Yoo Junghyuk was sick of it. [Incarnation, ‘Yoo Junghyuk’ is revealing his Status!] “I am your companion. You were the one who said we were equals!” The Demon King of Salvation flinched as he recognized those words. The first request he had made on the day they met during the first scenario—the conditions for becoming companions. I hate this. “Do not keep us close then discard us as you please.” Are we so worthless? “Hold nothing back. I will prove to you that we are equals!” That we are companions. That I am fit to stand by your side. Although he said all that, he still needed this bastard’s permission to prove it. Fight me, Kim Dokja. Give me everything you have, be it your pain or your power, and I will receive it in full. The Demon King of Salvation stood up, arms loose and smeared with blood and graphite. He stood begrudgingly as though it were an obligation, the wishing star that he was, tearing itself apart to fulfill its purpose. “…You always ask for the most difficult things,” The Demon King of Salvation muttered to himself, the ghost of a smile gracing his lips. Probability crackled around him and the hole in his chest was instantly healed. [ Fine. ] The strength of the true voice tore through Yoo Junghyuk and even with his transcendent status the sound of it made his ears ache. The world exploded in a flurry of dust and light, and in that a fraction of a second he was able to read the notification that appeared in front of him. [ Constellation, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, is revealing his Status! ] Descent of the Greatest Star (2) Chapter Notes From ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’, Chapter 227 + His tone showed he understood many things. Perhaps Yoo Junghyuk understood my heart more than anyone else. It was because he lost his precious things when he was weak. A loud boom was heard and probability struck like a lightning bolt towards them, the force of it lifting Yoo Junghyuk off his feet. He stabbed into the metal to anchor himself, squinting against the flurry of dust and debris, the hairs on his arm rising from the static remnants of probability. Yoo Junghyuk braced himself. When the smoke cleared, there was the Demon King of Salvation in his signature white coat, wings spread wide and bathed in the cackling blue light of probability. Gone was the haphazard man who had stumbled out of bed in a rush to chase after him. What remained was a constellation worthy to be called the Oldest Dream, comfortable in his power as he looked down upon the world from his sky. Their eyes met. That gaze alone was heavy enough to knock the wind out of Yoo Junghyuk’s lungs, and strangely enough it didn’t feel unpleasant. He thought about how familiar it felt to have that status look at him once again. Probability continued to rage in a storm. No matter how much the worldline pushed back against the Demon King of Salvation, he remained unbothered, descending slowly to meet his incarnation. His fables began their story telling once more, circling him like planets orbiting a sun, and as much as Yoo Junghyuk missed those fables the gravity of it was overwhelming. It was as if the tower was attempting to bear the descent of a sun. Any foothold crumbled to dust before his toes could reach, as if the city itself couldn’t bear to be in the presence of such an existence. The Demon King of Salvation paused, quietly considering the crumbling scene before raising his hand. The world slowed. Pressure rang loud in Yoo Junghyuk’s ears as the debris hung midair. When that thin wrist was flicked as if to swat a fly, the surroundings instantly shifted to the horrifying gap between dimensions. [Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’ is continuing its storytelling!] [Fable, ‘Lone Messiah’ is continuing its storytelling!] Yoo Junghyuk regained his footing on the roof of a subway, raising his status past its limits to glare back at his sponsor. Galaxies surrounded them, worldlines littering the vast expanse of space. The train, only a few cabins long, hung in this dimension without a track, and yet it marched on to its journey without an end, with only the sound of the tsu-chuchuchut accompanying it thorough the cosmos. Yoo Junghyuk took a deep breath in. He could still feel the worldline’s probability, so where was this? Stage transformation, without a great fable? The world within a soul? No, this is— The Demon King of Salvation landed on the subway roof, and twirled his blade. All thoughts ceased and Yoo Junghyuk fell into a single minded focus. [ I won’t hold back. ] “Good.” Yoo Junghyuk raised [Black Heavenly Demon Sword] and activated Air Steps to strike at the constellation with all his might. He activates Red Pheonix Shunpo at the last second, sidestepping low to his target’s blindspot and he swings. A loud clang resounded as the blade collided with his target’s unguarded leg only to be met with an impenetrable barrier. [ A powerful force is denying your blade! ] The blade of the [Black Heavenly Demon Sword] easily broke apart and flew in the air. It was as though he’d attempted to slice through a concrete wall with a plastic butter knife. Yoo Junghyuk watched as the shard of his blade tumbled on the subway’s exterior twice before falling into the abyss of dimensions. All that was left was the hilt and what little edge remained affixed to it. A blur moved in his peripherals and Yoo Junghyuk ducked low to dodge it. It’s crude swordsmanship, and it would’ve been painfully obvious to follow if it weren’t for the blinding speed at which it was swung. Its handler had long forgotten what it was like to swing a blade, but the status behind it was unlike anything Yoo Junghyuk had ever faced before. The heavens itself trembled with the power that was unleashed with each movement. Each swing tore apart the subway beneath them, that impossible structure repairing itself instantly even as it was sliced to ribbons. As if it hadn’t been sliced at all. Air Steps. Giant Body Transformation. Hundred Steps Godly Fist. Yoo Junghyuk’s fist collided with the blunt edge of [Broken Faith]. [Item attribute, ‘Denial of the Dream’, is reflecting back 100% of the damage dealt!] With a deafening explosion, Yoo Junghyuk was cast outward, tumbling without a hold. He hurriedly used Air Steps to control his momentum and slowed down just before he could be cast off the subway, kneeling down and nursing his wounds. His HUD blared red in warning. Blood dripped on the pristine surface of the subway, and in the reflection of that metal, he could see himself in tatters. The Demon King of Salvation gave him a pitying look. [Broken Faith] was held loosely in his grasp and he hung in the sky effortlessly without a trace of exertion on him. He sighed. His shoulders sagged. [ I told you. It’s useless trying to defeat me at my full status. ] Yoo Junghyuk ignored him. This was just this cocky bastard’s ploy to appear overwhelming. The use of his true voice, becoming instantly disarmed... If this was all it took to make Yoo Junghyuk give up he never would’ve become a regressor in the first place. Do not underestimate me. Yoo Junghyuk called upon all the fables within him, and willed their strength to be poured into raising his status. I will reach you. [Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, is continuing its storytelling!] [Great Fable, ‘One Who Breaks the Final Wall’, is continuing its storytelling!] [Stage transformation is activating!] Yoo Junghyuk raised his fist, Red Pheonix Shunpo blasting him forward in a blinding crimson light, and slipped past the Demon King of Salvation’s barrier. All of his momentum connected into a clean hit aimed at his target’s gut. The constellation stumbled backwards, wings spread wide in an attempt to regain his balance. He looked at him with wide eyes, clutching his stomach with surprise rather than hurt. [ This… ] There was already a story in which ‘Yoo Junghyuk’ killed the ‘Demon King of Salvation’, and another in which ‘Yoo Junghyuk’ ended the ‘Most Ancient Dream’. With [Stage Transformation] active, any defence would be useless. The Demon King of Salvation looked at him in understanding. He sheathed his blade into his dimensional coat and raised his own fists in turn. And then that bastard fucking smiled. Just like the day they met during the first scenario and Yoo Junghyuk threw him off a cliff, this fool had that look of wry amazement all over his face—part reverence and part contempt. Like Yoo Junghyuk was the most wonderful thing in the universe, even if he would be the death of him. Yoo Junghyuk grit his teeth. This is all still fiction to you isn’t it? A novel. A fleeting dream. One worldline out of the countless others, and the countless ‘Yoo Junghyuk’s and companions you feel indebted to. Are you reading me, Kim Dokja? You may be keeping your silence but I know the time you carry and the stories you have consumed. I know the burdens you must bear even in your sleep. You are becoming a thoughtless constellation. This is no story meant for you to merely be a spectator. Your home and happiness is not fiction. It is a life you must live. Have you nothing to say? Answer me, Kim Dokja. … Yoo Junghyuk put everything into Hundred Steps Godly Fist. As if this one move could contain all his rage and his frustrations, all the weight of his emotions that he carried as he floated for eons in the Dark Stratum wishing for this star’s return. Answer me! A single beat of wings was all it took for that distance to be crossed. Their fists collided. Their aura exploded like a supernova in space. The weight of eternity clashed in between them, the tailends of their coats raging against the shockwave as Yoo Junghyuk struggled to gain the upper hand. His status as a Trancender was already activated far beyond its limits but the Demon King of Salvation, this arrogant son of a bitch, only seemed unfazed. The constellation spoke, his true voice cutting clear into his mind against the howling force. [ This was a good idea, but if that’s all you’ve got then this is as far as you go. ] The system blared and a flood of messages obscured his vision, panels appearing one after the other. [You are not the greatest shareholder of the Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’!] [Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, is clashing its theme against its majority shareholder!] [You are not the greatest shareholder of the Great Fable, ‘One Who Breaks the Final Wall’!] [Great Fable, ‘One Who Breaks the Final Wall’, is clashing its theme against its majority shareholder!] [Constellation, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, is utilizing ‘Story Control’!] [Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, is relenting its storytelling.] [Great Fable, ‘One Who Breaks the Final Wall’ is relenting its storytelling.] The effects of [Stage Transformation] faded away as quickly as it was activated. Yoo Junghyuk flinched in shock as the buffs disappeared and he was sent once again catapulting past worldlines, lights and stars whizzing past as if he were speeding upon a highway. He struggled to gain his composure, gasping as he did so. It was a level of story control that could surpass the Dokkaebi King’s. The subway changed its trajectory towards him and at the front cabin stood the Demon King of Salvation, [Broken Faith] once again in hand. With his target rapidly approaching, Yoo Junghyuk scrambled for ideas. Think. There’s still more. Yoo Junghyuk drew a spare sword from his dimensional coat. It wasn’t as good as the [Dark Heavenly Demon Blade] but if he could apply a strong enough ability that might be able to cut down that barrier… [Exclusive attribute, ‘Demon King Slayer', is strongly activating!] [Exclusive attribute, ‘Horror of the Stars’, is strongly activating!] The Demon King of Salvation gave the notifications a pointed look. [Use of the stigma, ‘Transmission Lv. ???’, has been denied by your sponsor.] [Due to the deactivation of the stigma, ‘Transmission Lv. ???’, experiences attained in past rounds will slowly be lost.] [Stat growths blessed by the stigma, ‘Transmission Lv. ???’, will slowly return to their base parameters.] [Your attributes are struggling to take effect.] The abilities from past regressions supporting Yoo Junghyuk’s body stopped at once and he could feel his strength leave him as if he were plunged underwater. It’s a sluggish thing, raising his sword, but he finds a way to ready his stance once more. The Demon King of Salvation comes at him with lightning speed, launching off the train, and Yoo Junghyuk activates Red Pheonix Shunpo to evade. It’s one level too slow and the strike nicks him just underneath the eyebrow, covering his vision in red. Yoo Junghyuk counters, all reflex, Breaking the Sky Swordmanship striking back in a series of thrusts and slashes before it eventually connects and once again shatters against that impenetrable barrier. [Due to the deactivation of the stigma, ‘Transmission Lv. ???’, skill levels attained in past rounds will slowly be lost.] [Reactivate ‘Transmission Lv. ???’ to retain the levels of your skillset.] Yoo Junghyuk wordlessly tossed the broken blade and wiped at the blood dripping down his eye. His heart beat anxiously. A fight with only the skills, attributes and fables he gained from his current round. Is this fight even possible to win? As if to answer him, his sponsor spoke. [ You can’t beat me using the system. Everything here is a story, and the system is no different. ] A fable came out of the Demon King of Salvation, one so huge it protruded from the space in his back between his wings and crowned him in a wretched halo. Space-time distorted around that sphere before it shattered into a shower of sparks, like fireworks, only for its light to remain frozen in the sky. The Demon King of Salvation looked up, horns arching backward, as the fable settled into its true form. [ This is the fable I inherited from my younger self. The story that encompasses everything in this worldview. ] At once, the lights spread into that of city skylines juxtaposed into the night sky, as though the two of them hung inverted from gravity. As if they were in space stargazing up at civilizations in a kaleidoscope. Each light represented a household. A room. Perhaps a collection of individuals bearing their own sets of stories. No, each light was a world. The lights of millions of buildings expanded blindingly past the horizon, farther than Yoo Junghyuk’s eyes could see, encompassing the subway and stretching throughout the worldview. A sky full of stories. This was the in its entirety. The light of it burned, and he raised an arm to shield his eyes from that cauterizing light. It wasn’t [Stage Transformation] and yet it was able to change the battlefield to this extent. [ ????? Fable, ‘Star Stream’, is shining brightly. ] A fable so strong it could not be graded. The effects of which governed the laws of the worldview itself. As an overwhelming entity, much like how constellations must send indirect messages, this fable too had the dokkaebis to indirectly do its storytelling. At once, Yoo Junghyuk understood why the Most Ancient Dream could treat probability like he does. The owner of this story undoubtedly had the greatest probability in the universe. It became obvious why the dokkaebi worshipped him. Yoo Junghyuk gaped up at the spectacle, an arm outstretched in an attempt to see past the blinding light and make out the shadowed figure of the constellation. It all comes crashing down on him—faster than his eyes can adjust to the light, and heavier than the weight of suns. The reality of what the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ is. The reality that everything under Yoo Junghyuk’s disposal was a gift granted and that perhaps he was never all that talented, but rather simply favoured by this one being. He stood, shaking, and stripped bare of all the things that made him powerful in front of an existence so absolute he would not be able to fully comprehend it even if he lived a thousand more lives. Yoo Junghyuk realized that perhaps this is what it meant to meet your maker. [Fable, ‘Life and Death Companions’, is trailing off into silence.] The Demon King of Salvation studied him quietly before dropping his act. He drifted down slowly, allowing Yoo Junghyuk time to squint at the fable in shaken defiance, before calling out in that all too ordinary voice. “…Let’s just go home, Yoo Junghyuk,” the Demon King of Salvation suggested. “No.” Yoo Junghyuk’s answer was immediate. It felt as though if he gave up now, they could never be equals. They would cease to be companions for good, and he’d spend the rest of his days looking at that lonely back that could not have anyone to rely on. He would have failed to protect what he was supposed to protect. Gone would be ‘Kim Dokja’ and in his place would only be the ‘Most Ancient Dream’. Perhaps the answer lied in that sentiment. It was foolish for him to think of facing him as a constellation. As the Demon King of Salvation, as the Most Ancient Dream. Underneath all those modifiers, he was still ‘Kim Dokja’. The companion he wanted to save, the one he needs to reach. And Kim Dokja at his core was just a salaryman who liked to read webnovels. “Kim Dokja,” Yoo Junghyuk addressed him. “I’ll ask aloud since you seem to have stopped reading me.” Kim Dokja’s eyes hardened, and Yoo Junghyuk opened his mouth to ask him the same question he’d asked thousands of years ago. “Are you still interested in my story?” In the first place, there was only one way to reach a reader. It had to be laid out in words. [Incarnation, ‘Yoo Junghyuk’, is writing on the worldline!] [Exclusive attribute, ‘Author’, is being pushed to its limits!] Yoo Junghyuk poured every ounce of his will into writing sentences for this fool to read. Descent of the Greatest Star (3) Chapter Notes From ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’, Chapter 523: Epilogue 1 – The world of zero [Kim Dokja’s world couldn’t be found anywhere now.] To an existence that saw all the worlds as dreams, there was no meaning to something like ‘one true reality’. And to forget about that fact, I poured all my being in observing the spectacle laid out before my eyes. I found it preferable to become a thoughtless Constellation at this point. If I were to become a greedy devourer of stories that enjoyed scenarios and created situations he wanted to see, then I’d get to forget about everything else. See the end of the chapter for more notes “Are you still interested in my story?” I stared at the hazy form drifting out of Yoo Junghyuk. It was deep gold, like the aura of a transcender, and vaguely making shapes as they rose through the air. Without meaning to, ‘Reading Comprehension’ was activated and the figures became more and more rigid. Yoo Junghyuk didn’t bother waiting for a response. He began to write. Like a new author brimming with inspiration staring at a canvas for the first time, he didn’t know where to begin. So he simply laid all his thoughts bare. Kim Dokja is a fool. Everything started from this fact. The letters shook, but they slowly fell into place until they formed sentences that solidified on a gold panel that was so different from the ’s blue. It reminded me of the [Fourth Wall]’s antics, in reading my mind and turning them into a story. Now I was reading it all from Yoo Junghyuk’s perspective. But what purpose does this serve? A way for this emotionally constipated bastard to communicate? If I had known he actually wanted me to read his mind, I would’ve used ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ on him more liberally when I still could. ‘Go home’. That was perhaps the most foolish suggestion to come out of his lips since waking up. They have all gone home after being bested by this fool’s decisions, more than once, and each time they had been far more miserable than the last. I swallowed. I already knew. The sight of Yoo Junghyuk told it all. His salt and pepper hair, the grays of which lie in a stark contrast to his appearance of a well-built man in his thirties. His past, his present, and his future encompassed into one form. A man who was both young and ancient, strong and yet so very weak. His black coat was slick with the sheen of blood. Thousands of shallow cuts could be seen on his body from simply having to withstand my status. I did little more than defend, and this was the result. It’s a sight that I should be used to seeing; Yoo Junghyuk marred and bloody. But I could never get used to it. Neither could I bring myself to land any decisive blows. I could understand why he wants to try so hard, but it’s useless. There’s nothing more anyone can do. Someone has to be the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ and that someone can only be me. I couldn’t bring myself to wield [Broken Faith] properly. I was tired. I had no will to fight, but it seemed to mean everything to Yoo Junghyuk to be able to face me at my full status. If Yoo Junghyuk desired a punching bag for the past 1864 regressions, so be it, but this idiot won’t be satisfied with just that. Unsatisfied when he runs his blade through me, unsatisfied when he doesn’t. My hands were tied in this fight with no way to make him happy. And I’ve done everything I could to show him the difference in our power, but he still wouldn't concede. Yoo Junghyuk used to be certain this man was constantly reading him, but now he’s not so sure. Kim Dokja still looked at him as though he knew him better than anyone else in the universe and yet he could feel the distance between them stretch out further than ever. Further than his sky full of stories. He remembers feeling like this, once. In the world of zero, where he once tore apart the heavens and found that this star was still out of reach. His closest confidant. His longest companion. And the greatest fool. The fool who valued his life so little that he believed it was an inadequate price to repay a debt. So he offered his limbs and his fables for Yoo Junghyuk’s happiness. And when Kim Dokja believed it was still not enough he offered an eternity. He offered his humanity. The thought of it made Yoo Junghyuk ill. What else will you pay, Kim Dokja? Now that you are back, how many times and in how many ways will we have to bury you? I read it all. I was genuinely impressed. “You’re surprisingly good at writing,” I mused. “I can see how you were Han Sooyoung’s incarnation for so long.” Yoo Junghyuk shot him a fierce glare. Again, that detached nature that makes light of his companions and treats their words as fiction. Only Kim Dokja could look upon the tears staining his casket and find that the hearts laid bare are unfit for a response. The words pierced me, cold and sharp. Yes. I agreed. I’m not worthy of any of it. “If you’ve read me that much, then you must already know,” I said, resigned. “There are things that are just that precious to me. I don’t want to see them end, no matter the cost. What else could I have done, Yoo Junghyuk?” “Tell us,” Yoo Junghyuk replied. “We would have figured something out.” I shook my head. “It’s impossible.” “Just like bringing you back?” Yoo Junghyuk scoffed. “…” Kim Dokja wasn’t aware of it, but his silence and that damn tired but knowing smile told Yoo Junghyuk more than any words could convey. His eyes were heavy, carrying the weight of the untold truths. Perhaps there was just that much behind those eyes. Beyond galaxies and more than worlds. There was too much he couldn’t let go, and no one able to share that burden. I pulled my face back to a careful neutral. “It’s impossible,” I repeated. It seems we have run out of anything new to say, Yoo Junghyuk thought. It suited him just fine. He wasn’t much for talking and knowing Kim Dokja, it would be a futile effort anyways. Despite it all, his determination to reach the stubborn reader only grew. Yoo Junghyuk took in a ragged breath. His attribute wavered as he experimentally shifted into a fighting stance. He had to move quickly before the remaining effects of ‘Transmission’ completely disappeared. Yoo Junghyuk reached out, and his writing obeyed. The sentences he wrote began warping into one, overlaying upon one another until they converged into a thin line. The words felt solid underneath his grasp. As an ‘author’, he instinctively knew how piercing these words could be. Cold like steel, and sharp like a blade. The story he wanted to tell would be written by this sword. Yoo Junghyuk breathed in. His status continued to pour into his blade until it threatened to outshine the stars in its golden light. At its zenith he unleashed it all at once. Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship. Destruction Technique. Red Pheonix Shunpo. There’s a sharp sensation to my side, almost burning in a searing line, and the momentum of his movements brushed me aside. I looked down and froze in disbelief. It was a cut. Yoo Junghyuk managed to cut me. “Do you still think such things are impossible?” Yoo Junghyuk challenged. I pressed a hand against the leaking fables, the blood and graphite undoubtedly staining my fingers. I stared at myself bleed as if it were an illusion. How? Just because Yoo Junghyuk wrote about it, doesn’t mean that— My thoughts abruptly came to a halt. He ‘wrote’ about it. It was more than just writing. Yoo Junghyuk was turning his actions into a story. A story, for the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ to read. It’s true that a story read by the fragments of the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ eventually led to me meeting everyone again. In theory, a story written and read in the heat of battle could also be used for a similar effect. I mentally congratulated Han Sooyoung for this. Only she would be capable of finding a method to go against the wishes of the most powerful being in the worldview and have it actually work. It was why I was here in this worldline. And so it seems, the reason why I could be cut by Yoo Junghyuk. [A powerful fable is rising from its eternal slumber!] Is there no end to your nonsense? Even as you bleed your stories, you still wear the face of a man merely intrigued. A constellation to your own life, cut apart from your reality. Yoo Junghyuk readied his blade once more. This is no story, fool. This worldline is your one true reality. My soul already ached so much from fighting the worldline to set the stage for this fight, and the vicious heat of probability burned once more as I healed myself. [Broken Faith] rang out as I raised it, a lightning rod to ‘Electrification’ and the ’s energy, until it shone in a brilliant blue light. I pushed my status into the strike, willing it all to reach him. “Everything is a story. A dream,” I corrected him, calling out through the thrum of static. “Did you know, Yoo Junghyuk?” If everyone and everything is wrapped within the narrative of the dream, then as the dreamer, I’ll make sure it’s a good one. That past all the tragedies of the , there is a soft epilogue waiting at the end. Because after all… “I’m a character, too.” I too, was bound by this dream. I swung my blade and the combined status surged. All it took was an instant. The next moment, Yoo Junghyuk collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut and his body ruptured. Yoo Junghyuk spat out a gobule of blood. The pain of his tendons being cut was surely nothing in comparison to what Kim Dokja had to bear. The despair in his admission. The blank, abyssal eyes he possessed as he swung his blade. But is that truly all that’s troubling you? An existence as a ‘character’? “So?” Yoo Junghyuk spoke between heaving breaths, voice strained and hoarse. “So what if everything started off as a dream? So what if you and I are both characters?” He used a variety of recovery items from his inventory and staggered to his feet. “Nothing changes.” Yoo Junghyuk readied his blade once more, and the immense pressure of ‘Giant Body Transformation’ began to accumulate. “You and I are still right here.” The sword came crashing at me with blinding speed, the power of giants weighing down on my blade. [Broken Faith] trembled with the effort as the transcendent energy continued to meet my status. [ Item attribute, ‘Denial of the Dream’, failed to activate! ] [ A powerful fable is questioning the revisions made by the ‘Most Ancient Dream’! ] [ Warning! A ‘reader’ is interfering with ‘canon’! ] I looked at the golden notifications in shock. [ is questioning the probability of incarnation, ‘Yoo Junghyuk’! ] For Yoo Junghyuk’s writing to be this strong…! The grace granted by the attribute had far exceeded my expectations. It was as if the attribute itself was blessed with a power that could rival my own authority. I hurriedly looked away, refusing to read anything written in gold. The blade slipped past Kim Dokja’s defences and pierced his shoulder. Amidst the pain, his fingers unwillingly went lax as sinews were severed, and [Broken Faith] tumbled out of his reach. I used his momentum to kick myself away, dislodging the blade and pressed a hand to the fables leaking out of my body. I hurriedly dodged the continued assault. This can’t be. I was subconsciously reading his words. Yoo Junghyuk relentlessly attacked with Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship. His target was unarmed, but even without that impenetrable barrier the overwhelming status alone was a challenge to reach. ‘Transmission’ may be deactivated and his fables silenced, but it was his soul that carried the experience of tearing apart a thousand heavens and that was something even his sponsor couldn’t deny. His understanding of this fed into his proficiency with his 'author' attribute--whose power was derived from the owner's sense of self, from their memories to their will. I scrambled my head for answers. Stories. Everything here is a story. The basis of this worldview revolved around this setting. I scrutinized the fable he held as a sword, and every attribute I had as a ‘reader’ helped define its true nature. That story went beyond just a sword and encompassed Yoo Junghyuk in his entirety, imbuing him down to his soul, and I could vaguely see the shadow of a figure holding a blade against the. A powerful fable I’ve never seen before, and yet every part of my soul ached with familiarity at the sight of it. I stared at it, bewildered. No. How could I not recognize this story? If the was the story of the ‘Most Ancient Dream’— I stopped, breaking my defence and gaped in wonder at a notification displayed before me. My heart thrummed impossibly fast, so much so that I began to feel light headed. Then the protagonist’s story would be—- My blood ran cold. My breath was caught in my throat. [ ????? Fable, ‘Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World’, has begun its storytelling once more. ] I was frozen in utter shock, and even as that cruel swordsmanship cut deep into my chest and the pain seared, I continued to read the notification over and over again. It was the story that I loved the most. Yoo Junghyuk’s story. With the descent of the ‘Most Ancient Dream’, the probability allowed in this battle was unlike any fight in the history of the. The series of strict qualifications to awaken this fable within the protagonist had been met. It was something only possible because he was both the protagonist of the worldview as well as an ‘Author’ writing on this specific worldline. The ‘impossible worldline’ that was born from a series of contradictions, of the end result interfering with the cause, of the 3rd turn taking place in Yoo Junghyuk’s 1864th round. In this worldline of miracles, blessed by the authority of my younger self, he wrote the story he wished to write. And that story was also ‘Ways of Survival’ because ‘Ways of Survival’ was told from the protagonist’s point of view. And I, the sole reader, read it all. I couldn’t stop. No, it was impossible for the ‘Most Ancient Dream’ not to read ‘Ways of Survival’. Not in this place. Every time I subconsciously read his writing I ended up making it a reality. I was a reader, helpless against the author’s words. Despite his weary body, Yoo Junghyuk swung the fable-blade with deadly efficiency. Breaking the Sky energy combined with Giant Body Transformation. The resulting storm of status barraged at me like a shower of meteors. I projected my body into the last cabin of the train, dodging his attacks, and jumping once more as he closed that distance instantly. With Yoo Junghyuk using my own power against me, I knew I really couldn’t hold back. I gathered the dream in my hand and began weaving my retaliation. [‘Overwrite’ has commenced.] The fable in Yoo Junghyuk’s hands cried out. He swung. [ ????? Fable, ‘Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World’, wields its sword against your authority! ] The dream became rigid around Yoo Junghyuk

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