The clearly-excited Han Su-Yeong cried out .
Along with the 'ku-ru-ruk' noise, b.l.o.o.d.y foams rose up above the ocean . Not too long after, 999th turn's Uriel revealed herself on the water's surface . She must've ripped apart the surrounding aquatic creatures before rising up, because her entire figure was bathed in a crimson hue .
Rather than betrayal, it was the sense of wonderment filling up her expression .
[[… . I can't believe it . Great Sage, even you're taking their side?]]
Eventually, that wonderment changed into a longing .
The Great Sage detected that change and asked her . [Who might you be, acting as if you know me?]
[[I'm simply recalling a comrade-in-arms I lost in the past . I don't have any desire to fight against you . Get out of the way . All I want is the 'Secretive Plotter' . ]]
For sure, no will to battle could be felt from her voice .
However, the Great Sage still shook his head . [I also dislike that dour b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but . . . . ]
As he smiled indifferently, incredible aura exploded forth from his entire figure .
[Our maknae will be troubled if that guy dies, you see . ]
[Constellation, 'Most Ancient Liberator', is revealing his Status!]
He was the existence who finally liberated his Status previously restricted by the headband, and he even acquired the powers of an Outer G.o.d after a partial 'Outer G.o.d Transformation' had taken place .
Yogoes that fought together with him during the ⸢Journey to the West Remake⸥ were exiting from the portal to descend on the Pacific Ocean .
[Monkeykingmonkeykingmonkeyking]
'Outer G.o.ds' wors.h.i.+pping different kings got into scuffles with one another . The ocean soaked in blood tumbled over violently, and the 999th turn's Uriel began gasping out .
And finally, the taut equilibrium began tilting to one side .
"It's working! Keep pus.h.i.+ng!"
Along with Han Su-Yeong's voice,
's great Fables began telling their stories at the same time .
[Great Fable, 'Demon World's Spring', has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, 'Torch that Swallowed the Myth', has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, 'Season of Light and Darkness', has begun its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, 'Liberator of the Forgotten Ones', has begun its storytelling!]
Although the main shareholders Kim Dok-Ja and Yu Jung-Hyeok were missing, other members still possessed not-too-shabby percentages of the Great Fables' shares . And also, there were some others who had finished getting ready and were itching to unleash the final strike .
[Only one sun in the sky is enough . ]
First, it was Surya appearing along with his train . And then . . .
[Cutting down Outer G.o.ds have become quite a habit now . ]
[Let us combine our strengths, Breaking the Sky Saint . ]
"I'm also coming!"
The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint and Kyrgios, plus Jang HYeong, all joined in .
And so, the 999th turn's Uriel was pushed on her back foot . Her expression was gradually being dyed in confusion .
Advertis.e.m.e.nt[[How . . . . How can all of you be together? What kind of a world-line is this . . . . ??]]
She was panicking at the Great Fables rus.h.i.+ng in; their sizes were quite large, but their contents proved to be even more problematic . Just how was it possible that such a Fable existed?
Just how . . . ?
Three Transcenders riding on the train penetrated past the sun's heat barrier . Then, an attack containing the outrageous amount of power that combined [Breaking the Sky Swordsmans.h.i.+p], [Lightning Transformation], and even [Breaking the Sky Force Punch] shot out .
Just as that strike was about to sneak in through Uriel's opening and land on her . . .
A chilling sensation suddenly enveloped the nape of Han Su-Yeong's neck .
"No, stop!"
[Fable, 'Predictive Plagiarism', is urgently revising the story!]
The powerful sensation only she could feel in this whole world arrested her . And right next second, the noise akin to the time/s.p.a.ce of the surrounding dimension being squeezed dry rang out loudly .
Kdudududuk .
Han Su-Yeong couldn't tell what was going on before her eyes .
[[What's this? Where is 'me' in this regression turn? Could I have been killed already?]]
That rebellious voice sounded as if a portion of the abyss had been taken away to mould it into reality .
The Transcenders approaching the rear of the Outer G.o.d to land the final strike were falling to earth along with the destroyed train . Indescribably dark [Black Flames] were burning on the ends of their clothing .
A lone man was standing amidst the gloomy, dark clouds in the sky . He was someone Han Su-Yeong also knew . She knew him so well that gooseb.u.mps were breaking out on her skin .
[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is warning you of danger!]
The man slowly opened his mouth . [[Chet . I thought it was Ji-Hye, what with this much rampaging Status and all . Made a mistake since it's been so long and all . ]]
The sun of the 'Living Flame' emitted blinding rays of light . However, the darkness belonging to the man grew even thicker in response, just like the shadow lengthening against the light .
The 999th turn's Uriel spoke . [['The Monarch of the Great Abyss' . Just who summoned a b.a.s.t.a.r.d like you to this world-line?]]
The nape of Han Su-Yeong's neck grew icy; she remembered what Kim Dok-Ja told her about the ruler of the northern universe, the 'Monarch of the Great Abyss' .
[[Hahaht . You finally called me with that t.i.tle . Besides all that, you look like you're in a bit of trouble? Should I help you out?]]
The sun's corona flared up as if it was convulsing .
[[I don't need it . Help from a scoundrel like you is . . . . ]]
[[Don't be like that . We're 'comrades' from the same regression turn, after all . ]]
The man cackled insidiously .
He was none other than the Demon of Delusions Kim Nam-Woon who also witnessed the 999th turn's 'Conclusion' .
And the moment his gaze moved, Han Su-Yeong felt a chill run down her entire body .
[[I also wanna see the Black Dragon's face, since it's been a while . ]]
Kim Nam-Woon was already right by her face and he began studying her with a nefarious gaze .
*
When his eyes slowly opened up, Yu Jung-Hyeok realised that he was wandering within the darkness alone .
The last thing he could remember was him researching the sure-kill attack with Kim Dok-Ja . Something went wrong in the middle of that, and he lost his consciousness . . .
[Your soul form is currently in an unstable condition!]
[Fable, 'h.e.l.lscape of Eternity', is currently in an illegible state . ]
⸢When is that idiot Yu Jung-Hyeok's birthday, again?⸥
Fragmented memories occasionally drifted in . He heard a voice in between his blurry consciousness . No, rather than a voice, it was far closer to letters, instead .
Yu Jung-Hyeok quickly recognised whose speech pattern it belonged to .
⸢ . . . . The regression turn mentioned for the first time is . . . . ⸥
That silly manner of speech capable of irritating a person to no end – only Kim Dok-Ja spoke like that in the entire world .
⸢Ee-ya~, this part was really entertaining, wasn't it?⸥
Sentences on the pages Kim Dok-Ja was reading brushed past his eyes . Yu Jung-Hyeok saw himself fighting against Constellations right there .
⸢The 1st regression turn, 41st, 666th . . . . ⸥
Kim Dok-Ja's fingers tracing the letters suddenly stopped . The information on a certain regression turn could be spied in between his fingers lingering on for the longest time .
⸢The 999th turn . ⸥
Even Yu Jung-Hyeok was aware of the events that happened during that regression turn . The ⸢h.e.l.lscape of Eternity⸥ was informing him of the time he couldn't remember through all the texts Kim Dok-Ja had read .
The latter seemed to be muttering softly while reading about that regression turn .
⸢"I'm Yu Jung-Hyeok . . . . . "⸥
The real Yu Jung-Hyeok didn't know anything about the life supported by that lame declaration .
'Yu Jung-Hyeok' as read by Kim Dok-Ja; his history remained like soot in between the flow of the pages . Ostracised within school, tormented in his part-time workplace by a boss busy stealing his wages, and going on a forced march until soles of his feet became a bloodied mess during his army days – Kim Dok-Ja endured them all by calling himself Yu Jung-Hyeok .
The latter simply couldn't understand the former .
He had no idea what it meant for the time he had to endure ending up saving someone else living in a completely different world . He just didn't know what it meant for a person to become more courageous by reading about someone else's battles .
Not only that, Yu Jung-Hyeok even found his own self as seen through those texts utterly unfamiliar .
⸢"I can still fight . "⸥
Did he really say that?
⸢"Doesn't matter whether it's a hundred times or thousand, I shall continue to be reborn to kill you all . "⸥
Was he really the kind of a person to say something like this?
The voices of the companions that trusted him could be found among the countless texts .
⸢Captain . ⸥
⸢I only trust you . ⸥
⸢You must save the world in the next turn . ⸥
The world-lines kept vanis.h.i.+ng, the only things left behind being those sentences . And as the volume of the words that tormented him increased, the value of life itself became cheaper .
Just what did they see in him to fight alongside him?
'Who am I?'
Yu Jung-Hyeok was overcome with emptiness as he stared at the words outside his ability to comprehend .
1864 lifetimes .
He already knew what sort of a world he had to cross to get here .
However, he couldn't understand it at all .
⸢Is this really everything of me, these memories?⸥
Yu Jung-Hyeok grew curious . If he was really nothing more than a 'character' just as Kim Dok-Ja said, then what happened to the 'time' he couldn't remember?
Where was himself not among the pages that Kim Dok-Ja had read?
Or, did he not exist from the get-go?
[Your Sponsor is looking closely at you . ]
Could he really be able to say from where his life had 'existed' and where it ended?
Tsu-chuchuchut . . . .
He reflexively looked back at the emptiness as soon as he felt the chilling sensation . He found someone else other than him there .
[[Are you doing an introspection of yourself? You don't have the time to waste like this . ]]
Yu Jung-Hyeok immediately recognised who it was .
'You shouldn't be able to move still . '
He glared at the 'Secretive Plotter' . He instinctively reached out towards his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword], but the familiar hilt was nowhere to be found .
This place was his imagined world . Items didn't exist here .
The 'Secretive Plotter' stared back at him and shook his head in disappointment . [[At this rate, all of your comrades will be annihilated . ]]
'Annihilated?'
Cold sensation crept down his back .
His companions were about to enter a dangerous battle against the 'Outer G.o.d King' . He could definitely sense the ominous aura flowing around in the surroundings .
He needed to wake up at once . He needed to get out of here, and . . . .
[[There's no point in going with your current state . If you can't utilise the power of the 1863rd turn, then you won't prove to be any help whatsoever . ]]
'So what? What are you saying?'
Yu Jung-Hyeok growled menacingly, yet the Secretive Plotter remained unruffled . [[You have another way of utilising the power of the 1863rd turn . ]]
Right away, he deciphered the meaning behind those words .
The only reason why he could regain the power of the 1863rd turn for a short moment was due to Kim Dok-Ja's Fable, ⸢h.e.l.lscape of Eternity⸥ . And the one who gave that fool his Fable was . . . . .
Yu Jung-Hyeok gritted his teeth and asked .
'You expect me to trust you? And why are you trying to help us?'
[[I was asked for a favour . ]]
'… . A favour?'
[[I'll lend you my powers just this once . I hope that you learn something from this . ]]
The 'Secretive Plotter' reached out from the darkness . There was no time to dodge, and the cold palm of a boy touched Yu Jung-Hyeok's forehead . And then . . .
['Disconnected Film Theory' is activating!]
Accompanied by pain severe enough to blank out the inside of his head, a humongous Fable flooded in . These were memories he already knew . However, they were also the ones he failed to understand . Every Fable of 'Secretive Plotter' coursed within his bloodstreams while emitting white-hot heat .
The 1st turn, 2nd, 3rd, 4th . . . . and then, 1863rd .
Countless Yu Jung-Hyeoks were waking up within him .
All of them were Yu Jung-Hyeok . Each of them was Yu Jung-Hyeok . But at the same time, Yu Jung-Hyeok was just one person .
The one person, who managed to live through 1864 lifetimes .
He began remembering things one by one .
Such as, who he was .
What he lived for .
Fables were circling around his vicinity . Within the Fable, someone was asking this .
⸢"By the way, when is Captain's birthday?"⸥
That prompted Kim Dok-Ja to reply .
⸢Ah, I found it . It was over here . Third of August . ⸥
Right . He was born in the summer . A h.e.l.lishly hot and humid summer, when horrible storms were las.h.i.+ng out .
He could remember everything so vividly now .
His birthday that no one celebrated or congratulated him for . All those anniversaries that lost their meanings as he went through 1864 lifetimes .
Yu Jung-Hyeok slowly opened his eyes . The energy of Fable completely saturated his whole body . This feeling was something he had not felt before during this '3rd' turn .
He raised his head and sensed the hot rays of the sun .
Even so far away, he could still clearly sense it – the 'Outer G.o.d's' presence calling out to him from beyond the faraway horizon . However, he didn't feel scared .
He slowly raised his body up and confirmed the condition of his Incarnation Body . Every single part of it was operating at a near-perfection .
Fables he had compiled so far were permeating within every fibre of his being .
⸢In that very moment, Yu Jung-Hyeok felt as if he was reborn . ⸥
[Great Fable, 'Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse', has recovered its complete Status . ]
This was the true power he originally possessed, the Status of a being who reached the final turn of the world and witnessed the 'Wall' by himself alone .
['Disconnected Film Theory' is currently activating in an abnormal manner . ]
[Connection between films is incomplete . ]
[The entire film may cease to exist if this connection is forcibly maintained . ]
He could only rely on this power for a brief time . However, it was more than enough for him . Yu Jung-Hyeok raised his head and looked up at the sky .
The heavens were screaming out . The flashes of lightning strikes vividly illuminated the scars engraved on his face every so often .
[Fable, 'h.e.l.lscape of Eternity', has begun its storytelling!]
[Attribute, 'Terror of the Stars', is activating!]
His glare caused the stars to run away in fear .
Yu Jung-Hyeok stared at them for a moment, before his figure flashed towards the distant sun .
Fin .