Chapter 387: 387

The first person to raise her voice was Han Su-Yeong . “What the hell? How can you even think that? Does one’s intelligence get worse the more you regress?”

“Taken words right out of my mouth . To think that a so-called writer would cook up something so unpleasant . “

She and Yu Jung-Hyeok growled and glared at each other .

And the first one to back off was also Han Su-Yeong . “Fuu… . Right, regressing three times could mess with your mind and cause you to dream up weird things . So… . You’re saying that ‘Secretive Plotter’ is ‘Kim Dok-Ja from the future’?”

“That’s what I think . “

“Fine, well . It’s not completely impossible, I’ll give you that . All sorts of crazy things happen in the , and . . . . “

Han Su-Yeong was about to say “A novel can also become reality in our world” but quickly swallowed those words back . Even if that was true, she thought that such a thing shouldn’t be mentioned in front of Yu Jung-Hyeok .

So, she said something else . “Wouldn’t it be quickest to ask the ‘Secretive Plotter’? Did you try to confirm it?”

He nodded his head . “I had a deal with him . If I do something for him, then he’d answer a single question of mine . “

“What did you ask him?”

“I asked if his identity was truly Kim Dok-Ja from the future . “

“And then, what?”

“He said that he wasn’t . “

“In that case, why are you . . . . . “

“Let me be more clear . He said, ‘Once upon a time, I might have been someone, but now, I am no one . ‘”

… . Might have been someone, but now, they are no one?

Han Su-Yeong quickly realised what was wrong with that statement .

The ‘Secretive Plotter’ didn’t implicitly deny being ‘Kim Dok-Ja from the future’ in that reply . No, what he said was much closer to ‘I might be Kim Dok-Ja, or I might not be’ than anything else .

In that case, Yu Jung-Hyeok not backing away from his guess made sense .

Han Su-Yeong asked one more time . “Was that all you asked him?”

“He knew of all the regression turns I’ve lived through . “

He was something once upon a time, but now, just a simple ‘Secretive Plotter’; a being that knew every regression turn Yu Jung-Hyeok had lived in .

“Anything else?”

“No . “

“You kidding me? You fought like crazy just to ask him only that?” Han Su-Yeong yelled at him while panting like an angry bull . “That guy didn’t exist in your previous regressions, right? If you couldn’t find out his real identity, you should’ve at least tried to learn other info, you know?!”

” . . . . I did hear what his goal was . “

“What was it?”

“He said that there was something he wanted to change . And, someone he wished to kill, as well . “

It felt as if the more she heard, the deeper she was being sucked into the quagmire . By flipping the term ‘someone he wished to kill’ around, you’d get ‘someone he can’t kill yet’ .

Was there a being on the level that even a godly existence like ‘Secretive Plotter’ couldn’t do anything about?

“That’s all I’ve heard from him . That was all the questions I was permitted to ask . “

“You couldn’t dig out more info, though?”

“That means I’ll have to make another deal with him . If I do, then I’ll have to bear a heavier cost than the last time,” said Yu Jung-Hyeok, and he shifted his gaze to the sky .

She also looked up as well and activated [Midday Tryst] .

– Is he looking at us?

– I can’t sense his gaze .

That was a slightly disappointing result; they were chatting away openly like this so that the subject in question would hear them, but it seemed that he wasn’t even watching them right now . Should she say it wasn’t like ‘Secretive Plotter’?

Han Su-Yeong spoke .

– Well, this is problematic . If a godly being on that level decides to butt into the middle of something important, then no matter how good our plan is, it’ll be useless .

Especially so when on a stage as important as the current ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’; if a small variable could flip the table on its head, then there was no way she’d not be concerned by it .

However, Yu Jung-Hyeok’s thoughts were different from hers . “He probably won’t step forward personally . “

“What makes you think that?”

“The evidence is with him using Kim Dok-Ja or me to carry out his schemes . If he was able to make a move, then he’d have done so already . An existence of his level would need to exhaust a great deal of Probability if he intends to make a move . “

” . . . . That makes sense . Who knew that the moment I’d thank the shitty Probability would actually come?”

“I have something to ask you now . “

“Ng?”

“I still haven’t heard the basis for your unpleasant hypothesis . Why did you say the ‘Secretive Plotter’ is ‘that person’ . . . . ?”

Yu Jung-Hyeok’s question elicited a smirk from Han Su-Yeong . “What’s this? I thought you weren’t interested, but I guess it does bug you . “

“You never fail to add unnecessary comments, don’t you . “

Just before he could grasp the cold hilt of his sword, a rather sly voice came towards them from nearby . “You two seem to be enjoying each other’s company . “

Two people’s cold, murderous glares squarely landed on Kim Dok-Ja .

He formed a bitter smile and was about to wave his hands around while backing away, but then, a new scenario message rose up in the empty air .

[New coordinates for the 113th regional conflict have been set . ]

The gazes of the group were now fixed on Kim Dok-Ja . Finally, time to make another move had arrived .

“Well, let’s go and cause another scene, then . “

As if they were all waiting for it, Fables of began clamouring loudly .

[New Fable is sprouting in the Demon King, ‘Demon King of Salvation’!]

[List of candidates for ‘Demon King of Salvation’s’ second Modifier have been generated . ]

*

The Demon World’s second-in-command was called by a variety of Modifiers; ‘Ruler of East Hell’, ‘Demon World’s Proxy’, ‘Destroyer of Sanctity’ .

Even though he carried many varied names, there could ever be only one true name for him .

The Master of the 2nd Demon World, Agares .

Ever since the Master of the 1st Demon World suddenly disappeared, Agares had been protecting the Demon World for the past thousands of years or so . He cut off the heads of Archangels salivating over his territory, and protected those Fables that allowed ‘Evil’ to exist as evil .

While he tested the qualification of ‘Evil’, restricted, and even ruled over it, he focused all of his being on only one question .

What did ‘Evil’ exist for?

Every time he ripped apart yet another living being, he immersed himself in that question . It was not important whether this question had an answer or not; no, that question simply enabled him to carry on .

[113th regional conflict has been forcibly concluded . ]

[114th regional conflict has been forcibly concluded . ]

However, this was his first time seeing such a spectacle in the thousands of years he’d lived so far .

– Everyone, be strong for a little bit longer!

– We’ve almost suppressed them all!

There were people rescuing the Reincarnators from the chaotic battlefield . The expendables being sacrificed regardless of the outcome of the great battle between ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ were being saved by someone .

Now normally, such actions would correspond to the side of ‘Good’ . However, the problem here was that a Demon King was responsible for performing that very action .

[Chaos Points have increased by 4 . ]

[Chaos Points are currently 60 . ]

[Warning! Chaos Points have exceeded 60!]

Chaos . Neither ‘Good’ nor ‘Evil’, it was ‘something’ that existed outside of the world’s Probability and its natural order .

[You want to increase the Chaos Points and stop the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’, is that it?]

Reddish horns sprouted up below the fedora pushed down deeply on Agares’s head, which was his unique quirk whenever he was intrigued by something .

[Stop smaller-scale destruction with the threat of even bigger destruction . It truly is an idea only the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ can cook up . ]

The one to offer his opinion was the ‘Devil of Lust and Wrath’, Asmodeus .

Agares spoke, his fingers gripping the throne wagging to and fro . [Why does he not side with ‘Evil’? Surely, he’d not lose out by joining this side . ]

[Once this ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ concludes, his ‘Climax’ will be completed . It also means that the ■■ he pursues is not on the path of ‘Evil’ . ]

[Even then, he doesn’t seem to be pursuing the ■■ of ‘Good’, either . ]

This was a far more awkward situation than if he had chosen to side with either the ‘Good’ or ‘Evil’ .

Agares asked again . [What are your thoughts?]

[Metatron will make a move first before we do . There is simply no way that the aged Angel who had been thirsting after this war more than anyone else would let his careful plans get thrown into disarray . ]

Almost at the same time as those words came to an end, a single line message arrived through the Demon King’s line of transmission .

– Agares, I’ve contacted you with a matter I need to discuss .

The torn corners of Agares’s lips curled up in a smile .

– Metatron, I’m sure we don’t enjoy a relationship where we can relaxedly chat away our spare time like this .

The highest authorities in the Demon World and currently were speaking face to face through a screen . Just from the exchange of their gazes, a powerful burst of Probability’s sparks exploded out .

– I don’t mind shooting the breeze with you, but for now, it seems that I need to borrow your power for a little while .

– Have you ever heard of a story where ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ joins hands?

– Well, the stories of ‘Evil’ trying to achieve its goal by any means necessary are quite common, aren’t they?

Even after hearing Agares’s sarcastic tone of voice, Metatron remained composed .

– There is a certain immature Nebula; young juniors, that believe they are the centre of the universe .

It was pretty clear who those juniors were in this little story . Agares chuckled and replied .

– To think, you’d use the hotline just so that you can trample on a small Nebula . How amusing .

– If things go wrong, then even the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ could collapse because of that small Nebula .

– Do you wish to instil discipline in them as a senior of the , then? Your ‘Kkondae’ disposition still remains, I see .

– Let’s just say that I merely wish to teach them the true ways of the world .

– I decline . I don’t need to join hands with someone like you, because crushing a Nebula like that is nothing to me .

– I’m not proposing that we join hands .

– Then, what?

Rather than a verbal reply, Metatron floated a small crucifix above his hand . It rose up in the air and continued to spin around .

– was able to ruin the battlefields due to the fact that they have been exploiting how the forces are balanced, each side’s power being equal .

-So what?

– But, what if it’s a battle where that balance has been broken from the beginning?

Metatron blew at the crucifix; when he did, its axis of rotation was slightly disturbed and it began spinning unstably . Agares asked as if he was displeased by something .

– Are you suggesting that we create a battlefield where one side is at a disadvantage from the beginning?

– That’s correct .

Unless the combat forces of either side were evenly matched, would have to try to shift the balance if it had tilted to one side already . If it had tilted towards ‘Evil’, then lean towards ‘Good’, and if it was tilting towards ‘Good’, then push back to ‘Evil’ .

If that situation was exploited inversely, then it’d not be an impossibility to engineer a regional conflict where would be met with annihilation, too .

– And you want to start a battle with who in disadvantage now?

– We should play fair in this matter, at least . If we create a regional conflict with the ‘Evil’ side in a disadvantage, then I shall create another one with ‘Good’ at a disadvantage .

– Interesting . I guess that you dearly wish to kill them even at the expense of sacrificing angels .

– We can’t sit back and watch the Chaos Points rack up like this . Also, by creating several regional conflicts we will be able to disperse .

– What if they don’t react to this provocation?

– Wouldn’t that still be enough, then?

Metatron’s eyes, as seen on the screen, were glowing in white light .

– If they don’t respond, then the ultimate victor of this war would end up being ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’, after all .

*

[Gate leading to 115th regional conflict has opened!]

[Gate leading to 116th regional conflict has opened!]

[Gate leading to 117th regional conflict . . . . !]

I chuckled hollowly while watching the Gates blanket space in real-time .

I knew it . There was just no way that Metatron or Agares would let this matter slide like that .

Jeong Hui-Won watched the portals that appeared and disappeared in real-time and asked a question . “Dok-Ja-ssi, what’s going on?”

“They’ve started several regional conflicts at once . “

“But, can that even happen?”

“Originally, no . Even if it’s nominally a regional conflict, it can’t start and end that quickly, you see . “

[115th regional conflict has concluded . ]

[116th regional conflict has concluded . ]

Along with the battlefields that were concluding abruptly, the scenario message floated up in the air as well .

+

[Current state of Great War’s progress]

Absolute Good Points: 57

Absolute Evil Points: 57

Chaos Points: 60

+

The ‘Good/Evil’ Points were rapidly climbing up as if to compete against the Chaos Points we had racked up . The one who eventually shot up from his seat first was Yi Hyeon-Seong .

“We can’t just sit back and do nothing . ” He clenched his fist tightly and continued on . “There must be Reincarnators being sacrificed in those battlefields . “

“Of course there are . But if we enter one of those, we’ll all die,” replied Han Su-Yeong as she chewed on her nails .

” . . . . Excuse me?”

“Don’t you get it? Those are all traps . They made up their minds to totally destroy us, that’s what . “

Yi Hyeon-Seong dazedly stared at me, and I nodded my head at him . “Han Su-Yeong is correct . Most likely, we will be attacked the moment we enter there . “

“It’ll be the same end even if we don’t enter . “

The complexions of the group became gloomier after hearing Yu Jung-Hyeok’s words .

Currently, the members of were split up among ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ .

If the victor of the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ was declared in this fashion, then the losing side would be met with a terrible fate . Obviously, the Incarnation bodies would cease to exist, and even if one’s luck was good and they became a soul, one would be tortured by the intense heat of Hell and his or her ego would be destroyed in the end .

We had no choice but to participate in the battles .

” . . . . It can’t be helped, I guess . “

Sometimes, one had to step right in knowing that it was a trap .

I quickly divided the members . “Jeong Hui-Won-ssi and Yi Hyeon-Seong-ssi, please participate in the 117th regional conflict . Han Su-Yeong and Yu Jung-Hyeok, you two enter the 119th Gate . . . “

“Hey, hold up, what about you?”

“I’ll enter the 121st Gate alone . “

Yu Jung-Hyeok glared at me and wordlessly grasped the hilt of his sword, so I quickly made myself clear .

“N-no, I’m not saying that I’ll really enter alone, you know . “

“Then, who are you going with?”

“Folks who will become our allies . “

This time, Han Su-Yeong tackled me . “Who? Who’d wanna become our allies in the current situation?”

Indeed, no one would want to side with us, normally .

However, if my thoughts were correct, then at least, there was one . No, make that two .

[Nebula, , is waiting for you . ]

I smirked and replied . “My parents . “

Fin .