[

can't take its eyes away from the Incarnation, 'Yu Jung-Hyeok'!]

The will of the entire world was now paying attention to him .

[Absolute majority of Constellations watching the scenario have raised their wariness due to the existence of Incarnation, 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' . ]

[Constellations of the 'Final Scenario' are stunned by the Fable of Incarnation, 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' . ]

[Portion of the Bureau's Great Dokkaebis are demanding a ⸢Probability Suitability Evaluation⸥!]

[The 'King of Stories' has rejected the demand . ]

[The ⸢Probability Suitability Evaluation⸥ is restricted within the applicable scenario . ]

Every single Yu Jung-Hyeok's Fable that I knew felt 'complete' now . This feeling couldn't simply be described as him merely becoming stronger . This 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' before my eyes was a different existence to the one I became familiar with .

I got a little tense as I asked him . "Our companions?"

"Safe . "

"You being here means the 'Secretive Plotter' has decided to do me that favour, right?"

My final alternative plan in case even the plan B failed was to awake the sleeping Yu Jung-Hyeok .

[Incarnation 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' currently has abnormally activated the 'Disconnected Film Theory' . ]

Tsu-chut . . . .

[Film's connection is incomplete!]

[The entire film may cease to exist if this connection is forcibly maintained . ]

The last-ditch method that I didn't want to resort to if at all possible, yet simply had to when left with no other options – the greatest ace up our sleeve we currently possessed .

['Yu Jung-Hyeoks' of all the regression turns are now looking at you . ]

And I felt distant, numerous gazes coming from within him . Suddenly, I had this ominous foreboding . What if this Yu Jung-Hyeok wasn't the 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' that I knew of . . . . ?

"Excuse me, but which regression turn Yu Jung-Hyeok are you?"

He then stared at me . I could see the thick scar on his cheek, a wound the 3rd turn Yu Jung-Hyeok didn't possess . I was about to ask something else, but then, several sentences flowed out from his body as if to shut my mouth .

⸢Terror of All Stars⸥

⸢Strongest Incarnation in Star Stream's history⸥

⸢The Iron-blooded Conquering King⸥

⸢The Usurper of the Scenarios⸥

The history he had lived so far was floating up as the crude, coa.r.s.e sentences from the 'Ways of Survival' . The sentences gathered to become a Fable, and that story soon became the man standing before my eyes, the existence that waded past 1864 lives .

"I am Yu Jung-Hyeok . "

He was not Yu Jung-Hyeok from any of the regression turns . Not from the 0th turn, not from the 1st, and not even from the 1863rd .

He was simply Yu Jung-Hyeok from all regression turns .

[[… . Captain??]]

The 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye dazedly looked at us, her eyes wide open in disbelief .

And then, another Yi Ji-Hye shouted out at that girl . "Master! Hurry! Take care of her! She's trying to destroy our world-line!"

Advertis.e.m.e.ntShe yelled out with so much anger .

I was thinking of adding something there . However, such thoughts scattered away the moment I saw Yu Jung-Hyeok's side profile . He didn't bother to a.s.sume the attacking stance and simple stared at the two 'Outer G.o.ds' present here .

[Character, 'Master of the Sunken Island', is looking at the character, 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' . ]

[Character, 'King of Silverlight Heart', is looking at the character, 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' . ]

And the two people from the 999th turn was staring back at him in return .

Yi Hyeon-Seong looked quite agitated at the moment . [[This fable . . . But, it can't . . . Could it be, really . . . . ?]]

Just like how I was searching for the 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' I knew from this particular Yu Jung-Hyeok, they were now looking for the 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' they recognised .

[3rd turn's 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' is remaining silent . ]

[41st turn's 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' is remaining silent . ]

[362nd turn's 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' is remaining silent . ]

[666th turn's 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' is remaining silent . ]

There was no point in becoming one anymore as Yu Jung-Hyeoks were being torn apart within those gazes . They were searching for the 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' they recognised and were shoving away other 'Yu Jung-Hyeoks' in the process . They eliminated those they couldn't understand and tried so hard to find that one 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' they recognised .

And so, how long pa.s.sed by like that?

[999th turn's 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' is slowly opening his eyes . ]

And one of them finally discovered something among the patchwork of 'Yu Jung-Hyeoks' .

[[Capt . . . . !]

Just before the 'Master of the Sunken Island' could take a large stride forward, the air before her split apart with a single ray of light . Accompanied by choking heat, a blinding beam of light crashed down like a lightning bolt .

Yu Jung-Hyeok lightly swung his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] to deflect that beam of light .

[[That man is not the 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' that you remember . ]]

There was no need to ask who it could be .

[[He's simply the 'Outer G.o.d' who stole the 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' we know of!]]

The 'Living Flame', 999th turn's Uriel, cried out .

She lived only for the purpose of killing the 'Secretive Plotter' . And she came this far to finally have her vengeance . The conflagration became even more vicious on her [Flames of Retribution] .

The one to try and stop her was the 'Master of the Sunken Island' .

[[H-hold on . Stop, Uriel . That 'Captain' is . . . !]]

[[Don't be fooled . The 'Secretive Plotter' is permeating within him . Meaning, he's the sworn enemy we've been searching for after all this time!]]

And right next moment . . .

[[Holy s.h.i.+t, so that's the captain from this world-line? Been a while, but still, he's so d.a.m.n scary . . . . ]]

Finally, even the last 'King' arrived in the location .

He took a look around the battlefield, then spoke with his eyes almost bulging out of his face . [[T-there are two Ji-Hyes here?!]]

… . It was the 'Monarch of the Great Abyss', the 999th turn's Kim Nam-Woon .

[All 'Outer G.o.d Kings' have gathered in one place!]

[Every Constellation in

is paying close attention to this battlefield!]

[Every Nebula in

is fearful of the advent of the fallen beings . ]

[A large number of Constellations are revealing their animosity!]

They simply ignored whatever the stars were saying and quietly studied each other .

⸢The 'Living Flame' that rises up from the east . ⸥

⸢The 'Master of the Sunken Island', the calamity of the world in the west . ⸥

⸢The 'Monarch of the Great Abyss', the ruler of the northern universe . ⸥

⸢The 'King of Silverlight Heart', the ruler of the interstellar s.p.a.ce in the south . ⸥

⸢And the 'Great Plotter' that crawls from the place of nothing . ⸥

The plan I began cooking up bit by bit ever since I discovered their names within the book written by the 'Recorder of Fear' and deduced their ident.i.ties . . .

I sneaked a glance at Yu Jung-Hyeok . The original plan A was actually supposed to begin from here .

- Yu Jung-Hyeok .

My signal prompted him to step forward .

The Chaotic aura of an Outer G.o.d enveloped him, and he spoke in the true voice . [[Everyone has gathered, I see . ]]

Those words contained emotions that I couldn't even fathom . However, someone present here still managed to do just that .

[[Captain . I knew it . It is you, right? But how . . . . ]]

[[You dare to use yet another underhanded method . . . !!]]

The [Flames of Retribution] scythed past the air and flew in . The [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] containing the power of the Transcender rose up to deflect the flames .

As the friction noises loudly tangled up with waves of magical energy, Yu Jung-Hyeok raised his voice . [[Been a while, Uriel . My old comrade-in-arms . ]]

[[Shut up! You are not Yu Jung-Hyeok! You are . . . !!]] The 999th turn's Uriel shouted out as if she had been made fun of just now . Conflagration of destruction spread out everywhere and ignited the oxygen in the air . Within this h.e.l.l of choking, hard-to-breathe dry heat, she continued to speak . [[The Yu Jung-Hyeok I knew died in that place . ]]

Her Fables growled like a wounded wolf . Her expression could only be made by someone who lost something far too precious to her . And while carrying such an expression, she pointed her sword at us .

[[And it was you b.a.s.t.a.r.d who killed him . ]]

Her Fable was crying out now .

⸢[I'll kill him . I'll definitely kill him . Without a doubt, I shall make sure to kill him . ]⸥

The 999th turn's Uriel held onto Yu Jung-Hyeok's Incarnation Body wasting away due to the 'Other World Pledge' and cried in sorrow .

⸢[Regardless of what needs to be done, even if that means crossing world-lines, I will definitely avenge you . Even if I end up leaving the side of Good to become Evil!!]⸥

And so, the 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' became the 'Living Flame' . She was an Archangel who chose to become an 'Outer G.o.d' for the sake of her vengeance . That was her reason for being here .

[['Yu Jung-Hyeok' doesn't die . Only the regression waits . ]]

[[Shut up! Such words won't . . . . !]]

Yu Jung-Hyeok deflected some more flames tinged with boundless rage and continued on . [[He awoke again, and lived through the 1000th turn . He then died, only to move onto the 1001st . And so, he continued to live on and on . And on . ]]

I too know of that life . A life that no one remembered, a life that he couldn't share with anyone else . Yu Jung-Hyeok continued to live such a life all alone .

[[And eventually, he became me . ]]

Uriel pounced, looking as if she had heard something she shouldn't have . She swung her [Flames of Retribution] in desperation, cutting his side, then slicing into his stomach . And in a blink, her blade circled around and took aim at his neck . He didn't try to stop her, as if this was the just punishment he'd been waiting for . And then . . . .

Like magic, Uriel's blade came to a halt .

[[You, you, you . . . . are . . . . ]]

Uriel probably knew this, too – that her vengeance could never be fulfilled . Because, the one who stole away her most precious comrade-in-arms happened to be the very same comrade, that's why .

Yu Jung-Hyeok spoke to her . [[If you want, go ahead and kill me . The 'Secretive Plotter' who took your world-line away is none other than me, after all . ]]

Uriel howled out in anguish, then cried out loudly .

Just as her sword moved again, the ocean exploded along with the loud 'Kboom!!'

Her sword was flung in the air . The Flames of Retribution stabbed into the ocean, and slowly sank beneath the waves while vaporising the water .

Yu Jung-Hyeok wasn't responsible for that .

Shu-wuuuu . . . .

The cannon smoke rose up from the other side of the waves . It was the 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye who fired a sh.e.l.l .

[[That's enough, Uriel . ]] Her voice was thickly tinged with joy and madness as she carried on . [[Yes, we know it, too . We already knew it all too well . . . . ]]

She staggered across the ocean's surface and approached this side . Yu Jung-Hyeok didn't avoid her pale hand .

[[Captain . You're inside somewhere, right? You've become something else now, but you as you are definitely inside, right? You're still alive, right??]]

Rather than tears, Chaos flooded out from Yi Ji-Hye's eyes like fine powder seemingly made out from the pitch-black darkness . He looked at her and nodded his head .

[999th turn's 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' is looking at his old comrade-in-arms . ]

The 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye grasped onto his sleeve and slowly crumbled .

I could only look at his back . His back, where I couldn't read his expressions at all .

⸢It was the trickery of the world-line that caused Yu Jung-Hyeok to become many . ⸥

Yu Jung-Hyeok who lived during the 0th turn became the 1st turn's Yu Jung-Hyeok, then he became the 2nd turn's . And the 2nd turn went on to become the 3rd – and then, the 4th .

Abnormal events of the past and future interfering with each other ran rampant and made everyone forget that crucial fact, but this was the undeniable truth .

⸢A regressor actually doesn't regress . What actually regresses isn't him, but everything else excluding him . ⸥

The time for everyone else would rewind, but his own time would continue to march forward .

Even though the world-lines had split up and some became the 1864th turn's Yu Jung-Hyeok while someone else became the 'Secretive Plotter', but still . . . .

⸢From the beginning, he was just 'one person' who kept walking on one continuous, unbroken path . ⸥

However, could these people be able to handle the truth?

⸢Someone only lived on for the sake of her revenge . ⸥

Uriel, still raising her flames .

⸢Someone only lived on for the sake of continuing on with his will . ⸥

Yi Hyeon-Seong, who couldn't shed tears anymore .

⸢Someone only lived on for the sake of fighting him one more time . ⸥

Kim Nam-Woon, standing askew in the air and glaring daggers in this direction .

⸢And someone only lived on for the sake of reviving those times she lived alongside him . ⸥

Yi Ji-Hye, currently crumpled, looking vacant .

Yu Jung-Hyeok told them that 'regression couldn't change anything' . However, his regression did change someone's life . The 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' was the world to these people . A world that helped them live on even after their own world-line was annihilated .

⸢Kim Dok-Ja's plan was precisely about this 'world' . ⸥

If, by any chance, these people still remembered their world even now . . .

And, if they accepted this 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' once more as their captain, then . . .

⸢If so, then there might not be a reason to continue with this battle . ⸥

[[If you're really the captain, then . . . You must know what I want, then . ]] The 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye smiled brightly . [[Let's go back, captain . Let's start from the beginning again . ]] She held onto his wrist and spoke . [[Let's destroy this world-line together . Ng? We made a deal with the Dokkaebi King, you see? If we destroy this world-line, he will send us back . He will get in touch with your Sponsor, the 'Most Ancient Dream', and . . . . ]]

I hurriedly looked at him .

- Yu Jung-Hyeok .

He must never stimulate them negatively here . No, he definitely needed to use the most suitable words to win them over . Even if he had to lie, he needed to agree, before it was too . . . .

"Yi Ji-Hye . "

Yu Jung-Hyeok looked at her and spoke . Not through his true voice, but with his physical voice .

The 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye shrunk her shoulders when subjected under his gaze . Just like on that day when she first learned to wield her sword from her master .

"Is that what you really want?"

[[… . . . ]]

"Do you believe that you'll become happy if everything reverts to how it was back then?"

[[The captain I knew, he . . . . He'd never say things like that . ]] The 999th turn's Yi Ji-Hye bit her lip and let go of his hand . [[He's someone who regressed 999 times . He didn't falter even when living through that inordinate amount of time . That man, he'd never say something so weak, and . . . . ]]

"A man who regressed 999 times can grow tired by the 1000th," said Yu Jung-Hyeok in a voice so honest that even I was left stunned . "Even if one endured 1000 lifetimes, one can still give up during the 1001st . "

The voice was so thick with boundless fatigue that even I became dazed by it .

[[There's no way . . . That's not possible . The captain I remember is . . . . !]]

"He would not give up . Indeed . However, if that's everything you remember about 'Yu Jung-Hyeok', then . . . . "

I needed to say something . I need to tell him that he must not say these things . But I couldn't .

" . . . . Then, that Yu Jung-Hyeok is dead . "

That was his heart laid bare . A man who lived 1864 lifetimes, a man who had never truly expressed himself, had finally bared his soul .

Yi Ji-Hye cried out, sounding more like a shriek . [[Not true! That can't be true!!]]

"He shall not regress anymore . "

I saw some things sparkle in the distant sky – they were stars .

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', is scanning the vicinity with an anxious face!]

[Constellation, 'Most Ancient Liberator', is asking about his maknae's well-being!]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', declares that he will use both of his hands this time!]

Stars that watched our stories from a very long time ago were approaching this side . And beyond them, our companions were also rus.h.i.+ng towards us .

Han Su-Yeong, Yu Sang-Ah, Jeong Hui-Won . . . The people from

who had lived with us in this world . Within the darkness brought on by the fading sunset, they looked like one giant constellation .

Yu Jung-Hyeok, now as one person, took in that sight and raised his voice .

"I can't go back . My final regression turn is this one . "

Fin .