['Player 8' -nim has entered the 6731st Fable chamber's waiting area.]

Thankfully, it seemed that their Fable hadn't started yet. But then again, they shouldn't be able to start without the role for Sun Wukong filled up, so there was that, too.

After I entered the chamber, the surroundings changed and a large round desk suddenly materialised.

Square chat windows were floating above the desk's chairs, rather than actual people. They signified the partic.i.p.ants playing the other roles.

[Player 1 has currently selected the role of 'Zhu Bajie'.]

[Player 2 has currently selected the role of 'Sha Wujing'.]

[Player 6 has currently selected the role of 'Tang Sanzang's White Horse'.]

The faces of the players were all obscured by question marks. It seemed that this was done in order to protect the personal information of the actual players.

Okay, but never mind that for now.... There were so many players here, yet no one had selected the role of 'Sun Wukong' yet?

- Player 8: h.e.l.lo, everyone.

Maybe they had all logged off or something, because no one bothered to write a message in the chat room even after I made an appearance. But then....

- Scenario Master: ㅎㅇ?

- Scenario Master: Which role you wanna?

I quickly inputted my reply in the chatroom in the middle.

- Player 8: Is the role for Sun Wukong still vacant?

- Scenario Master: ㅇ vacant.

- Player 8: That's so strange.

- Scenario Master: Had someone we want, but got delayed... Wanna do Sun Wukong?

This guy, he seems to have a habit of not typing proper sentences.

Just as I was getting worried about if it'd be okay to have someone like this guy as the scenario's master, a message popped up with a suspiciously good timing as if its sender had read my mind.

- Scenario Master: me know that genre inside out. No worries 'bout scenario 'qual'.

Yup, it was just so hard to trust anyone with that type of grammar. Still, I decided to test a couple of things out anyway.

- Player 8: I'd like ask you about the chamber's t.i.tle. That [I've become the retired SSSSS-grade Sun Wukong].

- Scenario Master: ㅇ me responsible.

- Player 8: Why are there five 'S' letters?

- Scenario Master: need that many to attract aggro.

….Hmm, maybe he does know something after all?

It got on my nerves a bit that he didn't bother to use any polite speech, though.

I continued on with my questioning.

- Player 8: Sun Wukong really is the protagonist, yes?

- Scenario Master: ㅇㅇ yup

- Player 8: Wouldn't the audience feel fed up with leaving the original work's MC as is? I thought it was a trend for the side characters or extras to become protagonist lately.

I thought I had accurately picked on his weak spot, but the master's response was surprisingly calm.

- Scenario Master: Oh, looks like you did some market research.

- Player 8: It was a mere simple browse-through.

- Scenario Master: True about nim's words regarding extrturned-hero stories doing good business. But, Sun Wukong has to be MC if we wanna be numero uno. Think from POV of a judge.

- Player 8: Hmm....

- Scenario Master: important bit not who's MC and whatnot, but how much 'unfamiliar character' he is. And too many extrturned-hero stories out there.

….Would you look at this guy?

At a glance, he might seem to be yapping on whatever came up into his mind, but well, what he said just now was not wrong.

More often than not, the ones to take the top spot at times like this would be stories featuring the traditional heroes.

For instance, Fei Hu's [The Real Journey to the West] featured Sun Wukong as its main protagonist.

- Player 8: Is that why you went with 'retired Sun Wukong'?

- Scenario Master: ㅇㅇ

- Player 8: What will the retired Sun Wukong be doing?

- Scenario Master: nothing.

- Player 8:??

- Scenario Master: ah, it's a spoiler so no talking. So, you in or not?

I was in a dilemma.

- Scenario Master: If you're not, hurry and leave. We don't have much time. No answer in next 5 sec, and I eject you.

I was kind of curious about how would a retired Sun Wukong work as a protagonist, too....

[The 4th Fable chamber list will close in five minutes!]

I'd be cutting it too fine if I were to search for another chamber now.

Dammit, I don't have a choice here.

Regardless of what kind of scenario it was, as long as I do my best, it'd be fine, right?

- Player 8: I'm in.

- Scenario Master: Hmm. Then my turn to ask questions.

- Player 8: Regarding?

[Scenario Master wishes to confirm your details.]

[Please select the information you wish to reveal.]

He wants to view my information?

- Player 8: Is it really necessary?

- Scenario Master: Just wanna know your name.

….My name, was it?

I decided to reveal some of my info.

[Player 8-nim is a 'Constellation'.]

[Player 8-nim's Modifier is the 'Watcher of Light and Darkness'.]

[The applicable information is made available only to the 'Scenario Master'.]

The Scenario Master didn't respond for a while.

Heh, he must've been shocked by what he saw.

- Scenario Master: Ehng? You were a Constellation-nim? But, why here in a low-rent chamber?

I replied quickly.

- Player 8: I may come across that way, but I know how to fight a bit. I dearly wish to become the retired Sun Wukong!

- Scenario Master: Something smells fishy, tho?

- Player 8: The real fun is in raising an unpopular Fable from ground-up, wouldn't you agree?

- Scenario Master: BTW, what's up with the dumpling?

….Dumpling?

[You're currently accompanied by your pet 'Murim dumpling'.]

Dammit, I forgot that this guy was here with me.

- Scenario Master: But, we ain't got no roles for pets, tho?

- Player 8: It's just a dumpling. It's not even strictly a pet per se.

- Scenario Master: Hmm, it's a bit awkward, innit. Your opinions, pls?

Surprisingly enough, the Scenario Master actually went and asked for the opinions of other players.

[Player 1-nim says that 'It's fine if it's a Murim dumpling'.]

[Player 4-nim says that 'Master should do whatever takes their fancy'.]

[Player 3-nim says that 'I want to play this game right now'.]

Thankfully, other players didn't object.

-Scenario Master: ㅇㅋ we doing it so might as well ask for Murim-type ppl

- Player 8: Thank you.

- Scenario Master: ㄱㄱ

A short while later, the countdown began.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

[Fable chamber, 'I've become the retired SSSSS-grade Sun Wukong' has begun its storytelling!]

[This Fable chamber's plot will follow the one set out by the Scenario Master.]

[The main plotline of the Fable Chamber can be interfered with by the judges or the audience.]

['The Journey to the West Remake' will commence!]

Bright light dyed my vision ash-grey next.

⸨I've become the retired SSSSS-grade Sun Wukong⸩

Letters appeared in a stylish manner from the darkness.

And so, I had become this story's main character, 'Sun Wukong', and would partic.i.p.ate in this play from now on. Honestly speaking, my heart was palpitating just a bit.

To think, I'd really become the protagonist of an actual story....

⸢Kim Dok Ja cou nting chi kens alr eady.⸥

Along with [The 4th Wall]'s voice entering my head, messages floated up before my eyes.

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[Prologue is starting.]

[Prologue will be told through a flashback sequence.]

[During the applicable section, players can only speak the a.s.signed dialogue.]

[Scenario Master's narration is now commencing.]

Finally, a voice came from beyond the darkness next.

(At the end of the lengthy travel alongside Sanzang's company, Sun Wukong had eventually arrived in the Western Regions and succeeded in obtaining the sacred Buddhist texts.)

Oh, so it's begun.

The scene actually changed as well, and before I even realised it, my body had morphed to that of Sun Wukong's. Folks that could be my companions were around me, but maybe because this was a flashback sequence, their faces were blurred out. And my lips began moving all on their own.

"Finally, retirement, is it.... It sure was a long itinerary."

At the same time, Sun Wukong's memories fleeted past my eyes.

Getting chased away by Tang Sanzang, getting stabbed in the back by Zhu Bajie, and even abandoned by Sha Wujing. Memories of dragging around a ragtag bunch of utterly useless morons as his companions, fighting against countless Yogoe creatures until I became a b.l.o.o.d.y mess....

Now that I saw those things, it did seem somewhat saddening and bitter. So, this was how the Journey to the West looked like from Sun Wukong's perspective, then.

But it was then when I heard a strange voice.

[Are you planning to end it like this?]

I looked down to find the scared texts suddenly talking to me.

[Are you really satisfied by this sort of a story?]

I was somewhat impressed by this. So, our story's plot would start in this manner, now was it?

Words continued to rise above the sacred Buddhist texts.

[Do you not resent the unfairness of it? You've experienced expulsion by Sanzang because of illogical reasons and had to suffer oppression many times over.]

[Was that all? You've been tortured by the Constrictive Headband because of crimes you were not guilty of.]

[Nothing more than the reason of walking on the path of Buddhism, you had to protect Tang Sanzang and stick to a gruelling itinerary, even though you'd have arrived in your destination in the blink of an eye by riding on your Somersault Cloud.]

For sure, the Journey to the West did have cruel aspects when it came to treating Sun Wukong.

[And the result of such an arduous journey is for you to ascend to 'Paradise'? Are you not truly incensed by this conclusion?]

Now that I heard it, this did sound like a great injustice somehow.

[You can restart from the beginning.]

"....Restart from the beginning?"

[You can start this journey from the beginning once more.]

It was around then when I got this ominous chill creep down my backside.

G.o.ddammit, this was a regression story?

My lips began moving all on their own again. "What the h.e.l.l? I got here after going through so much rubbish, yet you want me to go through that c.r.a.p again from the beginning?"

[No, you won't suffer this time.]

"What?"

[Exploit your comrades to the fullest, and become an existence that does not save anyone. Indeed, you shall become a 'Demon King' that only lives for himself.]

Right then, blinding rays of light exploded out from the sacred texts.

[Flashback sequence has concluded.]

[The play will begin in earnest!]

It seemed that the story up until here was all a part of the prologue. Which meant that the real episode would start from now. As if it was waiting for this moment, the words 'Episode 1' floated up to the view.

And I grandly freaked out next.

~Episode 1. The Demon King of Salvation~

….Wha??

As if it had read my mind, the narration started again.

(It was not a well-known tale, but once upon a time, Sun Wukong used to be called the 'Demon King of Salvation'.)

I wondered what kind of dogs.h.i.+t c.r.a.p this was, but for the time being, decided to hear it out till the end.

(This small stone monkey had a nasty habit of sacrificing himself to save other people, and many of those who received his unwanted rescue attempts ended up with psychological scars.)

(G.o.ds and Buddhas of the heavens all criticised him for it, yet that dumb rock-for-brains continued to throw his life away to save other people over and over again.)

N-no, hang on a minute here.

(The heaven's Great Jade Emperor and Buddha felt that they could no longer accept such actions from Sun Wukong anymore and imprisoned the Monkey King inside the stone crate under the Marble Mountain.)

(And our story starts from there.)

[Judge, 'King of Stone Monkeys', likes this particular backstory.]

[Portion of judges have awarded points for the plot that mirrors the current trend.]

[2 points have been awarded.]

My attention was drawn to the 'mirroring the current trend' message. Ahh, so could this be the reason?

[First episode has begun.]

[Unrestricted speech section has begun.]

[Do your best to create an interesting and enjoyable Fable by acting according to your role.]

I shuddered greatly and regained my wits. Chills crept up from various parts of my body, and my back hurt like crazy as well. I heard the noises of pitch-black soil fall around me. My current situation was that only my head was peeking out from beneath the mountain.

[Currently, you're sealed under the Five Elements Mountain.]

Well, it seemed that I was currently being squashed flat by the Five Elements Mountain.

[Audiences are curious about what your reaction will be.]

(Scenario Master is urging you to say something fitting your role.)

This was the very first scene after the MC had just finished regressing.

Since I saw this situation appearing frequently in genre novels, I figured that I'd be rather familiar with what to say here, but after finding myself in those characters' shoes, I couldn't even imagine what to say anymore.

Still, I decided to say something regardless.

"Where am I? Wasn't I returning with the sacred texts just now?"

Obviously, no normal, sane-minded person would be talking to himself like this.

"....Five Elements Mountain?! Holy cow, did I really regress?"

So, I couldn't help but get shocked at myself capable of muttering out such lines with ease.

[Audiences now understand your current situation.]

(Scenario Master is nodding their head in approval of your instincts for dialogue.)

(Scenario Master has acknowledged you.)

G.o.ddammit. I wanted to hide in a hole so bad right now.

[Portion of the audience is waiting in antic.i.p.ation for the next scene.]

I recalled the Journey to the West's plot points.

According to the original, Sun Wukong was supposed to wait for 500 years below the Five Element Mountain. And so, five minutes pa.s.sed by, then ten after that.

….E-eiii, there's no way, right?

(Sun Wukong's ears perked up after hearing noisy voices coming from afar.)

I breathed a sigh of relief. Now according to the original, the first person Sun Wukong met was Tang Sanzang.

(As he looked at the familiar people approaching him, Sun Wukong began reminiscing about the ancient past.)

Two children were walking closer to my location. Two kids that wore cute-looking Buddhist robes and sporting toy-like crowns on their heads.

(The memories of that day, when he first met Tang Sanzang.)

(Sun Wukong was lost within the rose-tinted reminiscence.)

Chills slowly crept down my back now.

That faintest sense of deja vu I felt earlier was now gradually becoming reality. [The 4th Wall] buzzing noisily then asked me.

⸢Y ou re ally d idn't kn ow?⸥

I couldn't answer back.

That suspicion I had when I saw those five 'S' letters; even though I believed it couldn't be possible, a part of my heart still hoped against hope.

I gritted my teeth and did my best to hold onto my consciousness trying to slip away.

"Ah, he's over there. I think it's that ahjussi."

"Let me go ask him."

They were perhaps the world's smallest pair of 'Sanzang'.

Yi Gil-Yeong grabbed my head to lift it up and asked me next.

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, are you the 'Demon King of Salvation', Sun Wukong?"

Fin.

(TL: Okay, lots of Korean Internet lingo to go through - ㅎㅇ means "h.e.l.lo"; ㅇ is "yup", so when used multiple time, simply means "yup, yup"; ㅇㅋ means "OK"; finally, ㄱㄱ = go go, also can mean see ya)