Chapter 370: 370

⸢”I shall kill you, Yu Joong-Hyeok . “⸥

Everyone within the Library was looking at that text .

⸢( . . . . Looks like all of us might end up perishing at this rate . )⸥

[‘The 4th Wall’ is vibrating intensely!]

The entirety of the Library was shaking around . The books that had been neatly arranged tumbled down and created a mess . However, no Librarian tried to clean it up .

⸢(How frustrating . Why aren’t they communicating with each other? As I thought, these two lack enough desire to become one being . )⸥

⸢(Our Su-Yeong didn’t do anything wrong, yet . . . . )⸥

The ‘Squid’ used one of its tentacles to lightly poke the round eye .

Meanwhile, the text continued on; every time Yu Joong-Hyeok’s and Kim Dok-Ja’s blades clashed against each other, Nirvana’s teeth issued clattering noises .

⸢(Oii, newbie . What do you think?)⸥

When Yu Sang-Ah heard that, she stopped catching the books flying over her head and looked back at the Librarians . Her hand was full of Kim Dok-Ja’s memories – the book she’d been reading up until just now .

⸢(Mm . I have two opinions about it . )⸥

⸢(You have two of them??)⸥

⸢(One . Miss Su-Yeong isn’t dead . I know her very well and she’s not someone to risk her life for a problem like this one . )⸥

The Squid’s tearful eyes opened much wider from her reply .

⸢(What? But, you also read it, didn’t you?)⸥

⸢(Looks like you still don’t know how it works . The heroine loses her consciousness, her hand falling away . And the male hero awakens! You see, in all the movies I’ve seen so far . . . . )⸥

Not minding what the Squid or the Simulation were saying, Yu Sang-Ah composedly carried on .

⸢(Two . They are currently talking to each other . )⸥

Yu Sang-Ah spoke as she stared at the texts that continued to pile up .

⸢(Even though no one in this world would call that a ‘conversation’, but still . )⸥

*

Fragments of Fables poured out from the cracked arm . They were fables that we had created together .

[Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, is pouring out its story!]

[Fable, ‘Torch that swallowed the Myth’, is growling threateningly!]

Like a dragon and tiger getting into a tussle, Fables collided with other Fables . Yu Joong-Hyeok, possessing the exact same ‘Great Fables’ as I, used the exact same power to fight me .

[Your share on the applicable Fable is higher than your opponent’s!]

Even though my share on the Fables was supposedly higher, the shares held by Yu Joong-Hyeok didn’t listen to my commands . Maybe that was due to all those years Yu Joong-Hyeok had gone through already . He had been telling his story far more fiercely than anyone else in , after all .

Ch-chuchuchuchut!!

The Probability of the 2nd generation was suppressing us . However, some things still managed to escape its suppression .

[Fable, ‘the One who Opposes the Miracle’, is thunderously roaring out!]

[Fable, ‘the One who Opposes the Miracle’, is bellowing out in anger!]

The exact same Fables created by experiencing the same history collided against each other .

[‘Master of the Island’ is paying close attention to you . ]

[Many Constellations are watching your battle . ]

[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Flames’, is . . . . ]

The voices of the Constellations were getting fainter and fainter now .

[Unique skill, ‘The 4th Wall’ is activating!]

We both swung our swords, fully prepared to kill each other in the process . The blade that I desperately swung brushed past Yu Joong-Hyeok’s waist, and his own blade attacking right back, stabbed into my shoulder .

His combat intuition was higher, but my ‘Status’ was much higher than his .

[Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, is protecting you!]

The Transcender’s sharp aura pierced past the thick layer of ‘Status’ and flew straight in . From that sword energy, I was able to read his true intention . I saw how desperately he was standing his ground right now .

He didn’t bother to ask, and I didn’t bother to reply . No, we just swung our swords again and again . And instead of our mouths, our Fables told the tales for us .

[Fable, ‘Paradise of Despair’, is pouncing like a wild beast!]

The memories from the ‘Paradise’ . . .

[Fable, ‘the One who hunted the King of Calamity’, is roaring out!]

Traces from the [Peaceland] . . .

[Fable, ‘Liberator of the Industrial Complex’, is in mourning . ]

The moments from the revolution . . .

⸢None of those existed within the pages of the ‘Ways of Survival’ . ⸥

The times we’ve lived through didn’t match up with any of the pages I read in the past .

[‘Angel Transformation’ is activating!]

Wings broke past my shoulder blades . My Status instantly increased and permeated into [Unbreakable Faith] .

Issuing a loud, explosive noise, Yu Joong-Hyeok’s body flew up in the air after being unable to withstand the impact force .

“Come at me with everything you’ve got, Yu Joong-Hyeok . Because I’ll do the same, too . “

The light in his eyes changed . The outline of his Status rising up around him began distorting visibly . It was powerful enough to twist the space itself . The true power of the high-level Transcender was being unleashed for real now .

Yu Joong-Hyeok’s figure, wrapped in the brilliant golden light, disappeared from my view .

[2nd Stage of the ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ is still in activation . ]

His blade moved so fast that my eyes couldn’t even follow it .

Claaaang!!

One sword, against another . The louder the grinding metallic noises became, the heavier my wrist got . Fables poured out from my thigh, and Fables flowed out from Yu Joong-Hyeok’s shoulders .

And naturally, his voice could also be heard .

[‘The 4th Wall’ is activating strongly as if to fight back!]

Yu Joong-Hyeok had begun telling his story now .

⸢You . . . . ⸥

I tried to guess which words would follow that . Without a doubt, he’d blame me . Just as Han Su-Yeong had said, you were that kind of a person, after all .

⸢Why did you choose to remain in that particular turn?⸥

Memories of the 1863rd regression brushed past my head .

⸢”I won’t return to the 3rd turn . I’ll remain here and see this thing to its end with the people of this place . “⸥

The decision I made was coming back to me in full . The [Unbreakable Faith] was now issuing cracking, breaking noises .

Back then, that was the best choice available . I thought that, after witnessing the end of the 1863rd turn, I would be able to return to the 3rd turn safely . That was why I tried to find the story where everyone could be happy .

However, what if Yu Joong-Hyeok of the 1863rd turn didn’t help me out back then?

What if Han Su-Yeong of the 1863rd turn carried murderous intentions towards me?

Would I have been able to return to this world unscathed?

Even though I thought that I knew the scenarios better than anyone, could it be that I just got lucky and managed to survive until now?

⸢Your comrades are here . ⸥

Yu Joong-Hyeok’s first sword slash sliced apart my shoulder . And . . .

⸢Your own world-line was here . ⸥

His second strike split open my elbow .

⸢You told people to live their lives in this world . ⸥

The third strike punctured a hole in my wing . It hurt like hell . But what hurt even more than that, though, was the rage and disappointment contained within Yu Joong-Hyeok’s voice .

⸢Incarnation ‘Yu Joong-Hyeok’ is refusing to regress . ⸥

Yu Joong-Hyeok who gave up on the path of regression and decided to live out his 3rd turn because of me was now looking back . The being who loved this world more than anyone, and wanted to protect it because of that, was staring straight back at me .

⸢But then, you . . . . ⸥

Certain types of rage and some types of betrayal couldn’t be described in mere words . No matter how omniscient one was as a reader, one would never be able to read them .

Yu Ho-Seong said as thus:

– A Fable may not look all that amazing at first glance, but it’ll present a maze-like abyss to all those who dare to peek deeper into their inner core . It’s the same story, regardless of how small a Fable is .

What I was seeing shouldn’t be Yu Joong-Hyeok’s everything . I’d never get to fully understand the reason why he was so furious like this . Because, everything could be his reason, or conversely, nothing could be his reason, too .

But, one thing was for certain, and that would be Yu Joong-Hyeok had decided not to be under the thumb of anyone anymore .

Not controlled by me, and not controlled by himself . And, maybe not even by those d*mn Constellations who should be watching right us now .

⸢Answer me, Kim Dok-ja . ⸥

While receiving the outpouring of the sword strikes, I began faltering . Most likely, Yu Joong-Hyeok was aware of the truth – that I was still reading him even right now .

But, even though he knew that I was reading him, he continued to think non-stop .

⸢Answer me . ⸥

Just like how I observed him past this ‘wall’, he too was ceaselessly writing something just beyond it, hoping that someone would get to read it sooner or later .

Unfortunately, I couldn’t reply . Because, if I do, then… .

[‘The 4th Wall’ is getting thicker . ]

… . Then, you’d end up becoming a mere character of the story .

[‘The 4th Wall’ is getting even thicker . ]

Because . . . you definitely couldn’t become a mere character .

Ku-gugugugu!!

Yu Joong-Hyeok glared at me with his trademark blazing eyes . Here he was, existing in this place and time, destroying me in order to prove that he wasn’t just a mere character of a story .

⸢Is that so . ⸥

His words floated up above the ‘wall’ .

⸢So, that is your choice . ⸥

[‘The 4th Wall’ is getting even thicker . ]

⸢Even during this regression, I didn’t have any comrades, then . ⸥

If I were to say something, anything, as a reply, it was possible that he’d have forgiven me . Maybe, a miracle might happen and he’d accept me, even .

However, even if that happened, Han Su-Yeong wouldn’t return, and the hurt we inflicted on each other would not be erased, either . We would never become comrades ever again .

Whether it was Yu Joong-Hyeok or me, we both knew that truth all too painfully well .

[‘The 4th Wall’ is getting even thicker . ]

And that was why we held our swords as we dashed towards each other .

[‘The 4th Wall’ is getting even thicker . ]

The full-on attack collided with another full-on attack and issued a loud explosive noise . Thick, choking dust was kicked up in the air; neither of us could withstand the impact force and crumbled to the ground .

The first one to stand back up was me .

I staggered towards Yu Joong-Hyeok lying on his back, his entire body now looking like a torn rag, and pointed my blade at him . He didn’t offer any resistance, but instead, looked up at me to speak .

” . . . . . I’ve persisted with this regression for far too long . So, end this . “

Yu Joong-Hyeok murdered Han Su-Yeong . He had already crossed the line that shouldn’t have been crossed .

The sword aura of the [Unbreakable Faith] trembled noticeably . And the moment I raised my sword up high, I recalled what Han Su-Yeong of the 1863rd turn told me .

– If my novel was a rip-off of ‘Ways of Survival’, then whose rip-off are you?

The answer to that question was right in front of my eyes now .

⸢Kim Dok-Ja 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 .

Yu Joong-Hyeok was still looking up at me . And I too, stared back at him .

⸢I’m right here, in this place . ⸥

I know .

⸢Even then, you only chose to read and nothing else . ⸥

… . Because, that is our way of living . You acted, and I read you doing it .

⸢If you’re unwilling, then I shall do it myself . ⸥

Yu Joong-Hyeok slowly got back up and grasped his blade tightly .

I thought I could hear the sound of a story coming to an end . The ‘Mass Production-type Maker’ once told me this – that a certain Fable would end without ever getting closer to the ■■ . However, if this place was the endpoint for all the stories, and if I was destined to die right here, then wouldn’t it be fine to at least say one thing?

” . . . . Hey, Yu Joong-Hyeok . “

He stopped his actions when I spoke up .

“You probably know this already, but I’m not a prophet . No, I am as far removed from such a being as you can get . “

Ever since we got into a tussle back on the Dongho Bridge, I had never introduced myself properly once . To Yu Joong-Hyeok, I was the prophet, a man with a mysterious background .

“I’m not the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ . “

[Fable, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, has stopped its storytelling . ]

“I’m also not the ‘King of a Kingless World’ . “

[Fable, ‘King of a Kingless World’, has stopped its storytelling . ]

One by one, my Fables stopped their stories . Excluding my own, everything else became dead still .

“My name is Kim Dok-ja . “

The wings on my back disappeared, and the ballooned-up muscles shrunk back, too .

“Twenty-eight… . No, wait . I was twenty-eight, and I was an employee of a game company . My hobby was reading web novels . . . . “

As if I was talking to someone I met for the first time, I continued to tell my own story .

“It’s pathetic, right? Well, this is who I am . . . . . Yu Joong-Hyeok, who are you?”

To me, Yu Joong-Hyeok was someone I ‘knew’ since from a long time ago . To be more specific, he was someone I read about all by myself .

That was why I had never heard about his story in his own words .

He finally opened his mouth .

“I am Yu Joong-Hyeok . “

His blade slowly moved and cut me down .

“Yu Joong-Hyeok, a former Regressor . “

Fin .