Chapter 477
⸢He took a very long time to get to that decision . ⸥
I stared at Yu Jung-Hyeok making that declaration .
The original plan wasn't like this . He was supposed to use the memories from the 999th turn and buy as much time as possible . He was to stimulate the 'Outer Gods' appropriately and persuade them .
"There will be no next regression for me . "
Even though I was looking at a guy completely, utterly trashing my plan to bits, for some reason I didn't get angry .
⸢"Yu Jung-Hyeok, a former regressor . "⸥
Only now could I truly comprehend what he said back then .
I had been thinking that the reason for the rapid growth of this turn's Yu Jung-Hyeok was down to the information I provided and the interference from other variables . However, now I couldn't say that anymore .
The proof was the Fables rising up from Yu Jung-Hyeok's entire frame . Fables that contained not the desperation, but the will of a lifetime .
⸢Yu Jung-Hyeok had bet everything on this regression . ⸥
Just like a locomotive dashing forward by exhausting every ounce of its fuel, Yu Jung-Hyeok was doing everything he possibly could to live this life .
This regression turn was not the base material for his next life .
[[… . Captain, you're lying, right? Ng? You're kidding, right??]]
Yi Ji-Hye's expression creaked and distorted . It wasn't merely an expression of someone betrayed by the belief she held onto . No, that was the face of a person whose world had crumbled .
She then reached out towards that last straw she had been chasing after all this time . Unfortunately, Yu Jung-Hyeok didn't grab that hand .
"Yi Ji-Hye . Have I ever lied to you before?"
[[… . . Why?]]
Explosive auras were leaking out from her entire body now . I sensed the 999th's turn's history going violently out of control .
[[Why, whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy]]
Fables were asking why it was not the 999th turn but us – why was it not the world they lived in, but this one?
I was about to take a step forward, but Yu Jung-Hyeok stopped me .
"Stay back . "
His cheeks were trembling painfully . No matter how hard he tried to hide his emotions, he still couldn't erase his unique behaviour . I sighed softly and replied .
- We can't retreat anymore, anyway .
- Apologies .
- It's fine . This is your choice, after all .
At a casual glance, Yi Ji-Hyuk might seem like a realist, but actually, he was far more of an idealist than anyone out there . From the get-go, there was no way someone would repeatedly regress unless he doggedly held onto his ideals . And in order to protect such a dude's ideals, someone had to take on the role of a realist .
I took another step forward while looking at the waves of 'Outer Gods', about to rush in full of indignation .
[Yu Jung-Hyeok did not choose to forsake your worldline . ]
I used every ounce of my energy to use that true voice, causing the 'Outer God Kings' to look at me . The 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye, Yi Hyeon-Seong, Kim Nam-Woon, Uriel . . . .
[Have you all forgotten? He was never in a position to choose, but always had it chosen for him . ]
He had repeatedly regressed, but Yu Jung-Hyeok had never regressed because he really wanted to . Even when he had to discard the 3rd turn and regressed to the 4th, and when he gave up on the 4th and chose to go to the 5th, it wasn't out of his will, his desire .
The regression wasn't his choice, but his fate; what chose 'it' wasn't him, but the 'story' that desired his regression .
[We have no need to fight each other . Why must one tragedy compete against another one?] I had no idea whether these words would work or not, but even then, I simply had to say them . [We won't forsake you . We do not wish to remember you all as calamities . We want to . . . . ]
I looked up at the sky . I felt dizzy for a moment there from all the boundless gazes I hadn't seen before bearing down on me, but I didn't avoid meeting them head-on .
Just like how Yu Jung-Hyeok was not the same Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 0th turn, I too wasn't Kim Dok-Ja of the 1st scenario .
[We want to fight against that sky together with all of you . ]
Beyond the skies, the stars began illuminating in sheer madness .
[The absolute majority of the Constellations can't understand your declaration!]
[Great Dokkaebis from the Bureau are shocked by your intentions!]
Indirect messages rained down like starlight . If it was before, I'd been too busy reading those messages, but now, I knew the truth .
The reality was, all those starlights in the sky were nothing more than ornaments to hide the fact that the darkness existed there .
[The 'King of Stories' is now looking at you . ]
It was then I heard a very faint chuckle .
[[Oii, do you even know what you're talking about? Are you saying that you want to destroy <star stream="">?]] The snide voice belonged to the 999th turn's Kim Nam-Woon . [[You think we haven't tried that before?]]
The depths of emotions contained within his voice was unfathomable .
He was smiling, but he wasn't really smiling .
That exaggerated smile hid the sense of resignation deep within .
[[We already tried that . We shot down all the Constellations, and we even killed the Dokkaebi King of our world-line, too . You know what happened when we did?]]
Kim Nam-Woon walked on the ocean's surface and stood right before me .
And as if to transmit the sweetest despair known to men, he whispered to me next . [[The world just vanished . ]]
I silently listened to his words .
[[We definitely cleared the scenarios properly . We even completed all the conditions, yet . . . We lost everything we loved . There was no miracle, no reward at the end of the line . ]]
I recalled the words uttered out by the 999th turn's Uriel .
⸢If the <star stream=""> disappears, the whole universe will fall into chaos . Such a world-line must never be created . That is the way of Evil . ⸥
That's what she said when I mentioned my goal of destroying the <star stream=""> .
Kim Nam-Woon continued on . [[You know what we saw at the end of the world?]]
[You probably saw a massive wall . A great wall that surrounds all of the worlds, the one where you can't even see its beginning or the end . ]
[[… . And how do you even know that?]]
[Because, that's where our true goal is, too . What we want to achieve isn't simply the destruction of <star stream=""> . ] I repeated with my own voice what the 'Secretive Plotter' told me earlier . [And it's to eliminate the ringleader of all these tragedies hiding behind that 'Final Wall' . ]
The 999th turn's Kim Nam-Woon stared at me as if he was greatly shocked by this revelation .
His lips bobbed up and down many times before he finally roared out . [[No one can go past the 'Final Wall'! That's . . . . ]]
[[Nam-Woon-ah . These people, they possess the 'Final Key' that might allow them to go over the 'Final Wall' . ]]
Yi Hyeon-Seong raised his voice .
Kim Nam-Woon alternated his gaze between Yi Hyeon-Seong and me, looking utterly confused . I simply nodded my head towards him .
[The 'Outer God Kings' are getting agitated by your announcement!]
[Your declaration is causing a rapid change in the '98th scenario'!]
[A large number of Constellations are indignant of your choice!]
It was fine if the stars didn't want to side with us . It was also fine if other Nebulas didn't want to join us, either .
However, if these four decided to stand on our side . . .
If these 'Kings' that lived through the 999th turn remained in this world-line and fought alongside us, then . . .
[[… . Let's say that you possess such a 'key' . ]]
The moment I heard that voice, I felt a chill run down my spine .
[[In that case, is there a reason for me not to snatch that key away from you?]]
The moment Kim Nam-Woon's shortsword got closer in the blink of an eye and took aim at my neck . . .
Claaang!
The sword's trajectory streaming before my eyes deflected his shortsword .
As the heavy impact force resounded out, both Yu Jung-Hyeok and Kim Nam-Woon were forced back a couple of steps .
[[[Hahaha! This is it! This is that feeling!]]
Blood trickled down the 'Monarch of the Great Abyss's' hand after that collision against the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] .
[[Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this? Do you know how long I had to wander aimlessly just for a chance to fight against you?!]]
The 'Monarch of the Great Abyss', the being who travelled through the inordinate amount of time just to revive that one opponent he had been idolising .
[Great Fable, 'Delusional Design', has begun its storytelling!]
The 999th turn's Uriel supported the wobbling Yi Ji-Hye and got into the battle stance as well . [[You told me this once before . If, by any chance, you've become another existence that's not you, you wanted me to kill you personally . ]]
Along with the blinding explosion, the sun in the air began emitting light once more .
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