1007 Episode 61 Prisoner of the Golden Headband (7)

Upon hearing my words, Snowfield’s eyes went blank for a moment. He asked back, as if doubting what he had heard.

"What did you say?"

"Didn't you hear? I said let's go together."

A shadow of anger flickered in Snowfield’s eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

He looked ready to pounce on me at any moment, depending on my answer. I stared at him calmly and said.

"I was just being realistic. There is nothing more you can do even if you stay here."

What stood before me was a fragment of 'Snowfield'. He must have come here on some kind of order from his main body. It wasn't difficult to guess what that order might be.

I don't know why Snowfield chose to recreate that story specifically here, or why he didn't come in person if he intended to recreate it. But regardless, his plan has failed.

"You know it, too. <Kim Dokja Company> isn't coming."

I can clearly feel <Kim Dokja Company> existing far beyond the universe. However, I didn't get the feeling they were approaching. It seemed that at the last moment, <Kim Dokja Company> had turned in a different direction. Perhaps they headed somewhere where a more urgent matter had arisen.

"Staying here will only lead to a meaningless death. So let's go back."

Snowfield frowned at the hand I held out and asked in a low voice.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere."

"Have you forgotten that you were punching me just moments ago?"

"I remember. And I know the fight isn't over yet."

We simply couldn't settle the score with Snowfield this time; eventually, he and I will have to settle it.

Snowfield asked, looking puzzled.

"Why are you making this proposal? You surely have other ways."

"Other ways?"

"Absorbing me right now."

Snowfield threw open his collar as he spoke those words. On his chest, stories were rippling like a tattoo.

Stories pulsating closest to the heart. Stories of those born as Kim Dokja, whether they wanted it or not, who had to become Kim Dokja, and thus became Kim Dokja.

"If you take me here, you can become a true Kim Dokja."

I felt a burning emotion in Snowfield's eyes. A very old and deep hunger. Perhaps Snowfield had come this far intoxicated by that emotion, absorbing other 'Kim Dokjas' time and time again.

The stories were shouting from within him. The voices of fragments yearning for a single 'Kim Dokja' pierced my ears like an echo. My heart pounded, and the blood flow through my body quickened.

I opened my mouth, strongly suppressing my boiling emotions.

"If we gather all the fragments."

From a distance, I could see stories coalescing into Yoo Joonghyuk's spear. Without taking my eyes off the scene, I asked.

"Do you really think he can become the 'Kim Dokja' we envision?"

Snowfield did not answer immediately. It was not a question I had asked expecting an answer in the first place. Neither he nor I would ever know the answer.

Biting his lip tightly, Snowfield spoke again.

"I don't know. Still, all I can do is—"

"Gathering fragments? Even if that is the case, let's not do it here."

As Snowfield said, subduing and absorbing him here might be helpful for the upcoming battles.

I thought of the third Kim Dokja, who had not wanted his brothers to fight. Is it truly fitting for this story's ending to have every Kim Dokja engage in a bloody battle until the very end, with only a single Kim Dokja surviving?

"I have no intention of settling this matter with you here. If we were to engage in a clumsy brawl among ourselves here, only the innocent guys would benefit."

I thought of Asmodeus, who was watching over us from across the sky. He had suddenly barged into the battlefield i the 'Fear Realm' and stolen a fragment of the 'King of Fear' as well. He was probably hiding, waiting for an opportunity, just like he did back then.

Snowfield looked at me with a complex gaze. I took that as his own form of consent.

"You made the right decision."

As I took the first step, he followed me a beat late.

Yoo Joonghyuk, who had been engrossed in the story, glanced over at us and asked.

"Is the story over?"

"Yes. You may depart now."

For a brief moment, Yoo Joonghyuk's gaze rested on Snowfield.

"Looking at him again, he resembles you a little."

I replied with a bitter smile.

"Resemble? We look exactly alike. What nonsense."

In fact, aside from our hair color, Snowfield and I looked practically like twins.

Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head and said.

"You don't look exactly alike. Are your eyes small, so your eyesight is bad too?"

"They aren't small; I just squinted."

Snowfield watched from the side as I exchanged nonsense with Yoo Joonghyuk. Honestly, watching that didn't make me feel very comfortable. What was that guy thinking right now, having waited so long for <Kim Dokja Company> but never meeting it?

"Preparations are complete."

Yoo Joonghyuk's spear, having finished his preparations, aimed at the empty sky. Even the myth-grade constellations of the Azure Sky witnessed us.

It was Poseidon who unleashed his technique first. A massive spear was summoned into the grasp of Poseidon, capable of engulfing an entire planet. I knew it instinctively. Just by swinging that spear, not only would everyone here be annihilated, but this world—this entire planet—would be shattered.

With a roar that tore through the entire atmosphere, Poseidon's spear flew toward us. Honestly, it felt less like a spear and more like a meteor.

Even though the spear had pierced the atmosphere, Yoo Joonghyuk did not use [Divine Spear of Annihilation]. As if waiting for something. And just when he felt he couldn't wait any longer...

Kagagagagang!

With a faint shattering sound, the trajectory of the spear unleashed by Poseidon twisted. The swollen Ruyi Golden Staff of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was twisting the trajectory of the Trident. Leaving behind a tremendous backblast, the Trident passed right past this world.

At the signal of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Yoo Joonghyuk's spear moved. I had once seen Yoo Joonghyuk's [Soul-Slaying Divine Spear]. However, the trajectory of the spear tracing before my eyes now was completely different from the [Soul-Slaying Divine Spear] I remembered.

Soul-Slaying Divine Spear.

First Form.

Annihilation Form.

The tip of the [Soul-Slaying Divine Spear] fired, leaving a dazzling tail behind. A spear thrust advancing with a speed that was not fast, but certainly steady.

Poseidon spoke with a mocking laugh.

But Poseidon's laughter vanished in an instant. The Annihilation Form, which had clearly appeared as a single flash of light at first, changed its form the moment it pierced the atmosphere and soared. A spear thrust spinning as if sucking in every story in the area. What was initially a small mass of story had transformed into a massive mass of story by the time it broke through the stratosphere.

Poseidon hurriedly unleashed his power, but the [Soul-Destruction Divine Spear], having gained momentum, became a single flash of light and pierced straight through Poseidon's palm.

It was a devastating blow. A strike that pierced the true form of a 'myth-grade constellation', neither a demigod descending nor an incarnation body. Finally, the 41st Yoo Joonghyuk had become a transcendent of such supreme realm.

"Let's go. The opening will be brief."

Yoo Joonghyuk retrieved the spear and took the lead, followed by Jung Heewon and me. Snowfield was also steadily following behind us.

"There is a rift in the 'Void Veil' that the myth-grade constellations tore through. We will exit through there."

As Poseidon's energy clearly weakened, the 'Void Veil' rippling beyond it became much clearer.

The boundary of the world. If only we could enter that rift, we could escape this world.

"Something is coming."

It was then that the voice from Snowfield was heard. I wonder when it had started. A sinister, low-lying lightning strike was chasing us. From a distance, Odin's single eye was watching us.

"Odin."

Yoo Joonghyuk gripped his Dark Moon Spear tighter, as if chewing on it. With a hardened expression, Yoo Joonghyuk unleashed his energy, but the range of the lightning wave was too vast for him to block alone. Just as Jung Heewon and I were about to step forward, a massive shadow enveloped us, taking Odin's lightning strike instead.

Kaaaaaaaak—!

The 'Chimera Dragon' let out a terrible scream after taking the lightning. I saw the shattered body of the 'Chimera Dragon' being transported somewhere. Amidst the scattering of the dragon's body, the unconscious Shin Yoosoung was falling.

"Yoosoung-ah!"

In the meantime, Poseidon, having regained his strength, swung his massive palm toward us. The sheer pressure was such that it felt as though my incarnation body would be crushed just by the touch.

Yoo Joonghyuk spoke.

"Save Shin Yoosoung. Jung Heewon will stop him with me."

Jung Heewon nodded and stood beside Yoo Joonghyuk, while I approached Shin Yoosoung, utilizing [Way of the Wind] with full force.

Just then, several constellations spotted me. An arrow flying from somewhere grazed my shoulder. Even though it was merely a graze, pain surged through me as if my entire shoulder were about to be torn off. Enduring the pain, I reached out my left hand toward the falling Shin Yoosoung.

"Yoosoung-ah! Catch it!"

However, the unconscious Shin Yoosoung did not respond. I gritted my teeth and increased my acceleration.

"Shin Yoosoung!"

But just before my hand touched the child's collar, an intense spark consumed my body.

A chill ran down my spine. It was [Fate]. In that brief moment, the recorders who had sided with the other party had bestowed this damn [Fate] upon me.

I could not tell if it was the work of Asmodeus or another recorder.

"Damn it—"

While I was caught in the spark, Shin Yoosoung's hand began to slowly move away. Just as I belatedly emitted stories to accelerate toward Shin Yoosoung again, something overtook me and grabbed her.

Pitch-black feathers scattered in the air.

I stared blankly at the back of the man who had saved Shin Yoosoung.

Snowfield embraced Shin Yoosoung.

"You—"

I checked on Snowfield's condition. Judging by the fact that the aftershocks of probability were not affecting him, fortunately, it seemed [Fate] had only worked on me. Shin Yoosoung, nestled in Snowfield's arms, curled up and muttered.

"Ahjussi..."

Snowfield was looking down at her with a deeply subdued gaze.

I let out a sigh of relief and said,

"Well done. Let's go back quickly."

But Snowfield did not move.

"There is something I want to ask you."

"Later. There's no time."

"What do you think 'Kim Dokja' is?"

A loud explosion erupted in the distance. I saw Yoo Joonghyuk and Jung Heewon receiving Poseidon's palm.

"How can you be so sure that you are Kim Dokja?"

The moment I saw Snowfield's expression, I was certain. If I didn't answer that question, Snowfield wouldn't move.

Checking on Shin Yoosoung, who was in his arms, I said,

"No one can be certain of what they are."

This wasn't just Kim Dokja's story. It was the same even before he acquired the name Kim Dokja. I still don't really know who I am.

"There are people who believe I am 'Kim Dokja'."

I thought of the comrades who had called me Kim Dokja. I thought of my brothers inside the [Fourth Wall] who believed me to be 'Kim Dokja'.

A name is something that is given meaning only by the person who reads and calls it.

Even if I were to obtain the 100% fragment, if no one remained in this world to call that name, then can I still say that I am 'Kim Dokja'?

"I want to protect those people. I want to show them all a just ending. That's all."

Snowfield remained silent for a moment, lost in thought at my answer. Then, Yoo Joonghyuk's shout was heard from afar.

"Kim Dokja!"

We simultaneously activated [Way of the Wind].

An enraged Poseidon poured stories from his palms and clapped his hands. Along with a roar that sounded as if the universe were distorting, the sound of waves could be heard from somewhere.

A distant tsunami of stories was rushing in. Just a single clap. A miracle that creates a 'sea zone' with just that. I realized Poseidon's true power anew. Although he suffers terrible humiliation at the hands of Yoo Joonghyuk every time, that was nonetheless the true power of Poseidon, a member of the 'Round Table'.

This time, even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was struggling to help us. Yoo Joonghyuk was the only one we could rely on.

"Yoo Joonghyuk!"

And Yoo Joonghyuk's Dark Moon Spear moved.

Divine Spear of Annihilation.

Ultimate Technique.

Beside him, that Jung Heewon’s eyes widened at the sight. It seemed Jung Heewon had sensed the nature of the martial arts Yoo Joonghyuk was about to unleash.

I, too, felt I knew the original form of that martial art. Perhaps that ultimate technique—

A martial art created by Yoo Joonghyuk while longing for his master.

In an instant, the shadow of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Saint overlapped with Yoo Joonghyuk.

An extremely refined, truly beautiful sword stroke of the Heaven-Shattering Sword.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s spear moved, following the trajectory of that sword stroke.

The Soul-Shattering Meteor Strike.

The spiritual energy emanating from Yoo Joonghyuk’s spear stroke transformed into a meteor shower. The cluster of meteors soon scattered a mysterious aurora as it shot toward the universe.

A martial art reminiscent of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Saint’s Heaven-Shattering Meteor Technique.

However, its power surpassed even the Heaven-Shattering Meteor Technique.

Along with Poseidon's cry of astonishment, a baptism of meteors shattered the waves of the gods.

Poseidon struck by the meteor shower everywhere screamed. Poseidon's tattered true form was slowly crumbling.

Yoo Joonghyuk, sweating incessantly, spoke as if encouraging us.

"Break through."

As Poseidon collapsed, a great commotion spread among the stars in the area. We did not miss the opportunity and ran. The 'rift' was now right in front of us.

"Kim Dokja."

In an instant, I turned to look beside me. But the voice I heard was neither Yoo Joonghyuk's nor Jung Heewon's. When I turned around, Snowfield was looking at me.

As our eyes met, Snowfield spoke again.

"There is something I want to tell you."

Perhaps because the rift was right in front of us, I could see Snowfield's body scattering little by little. Perhaps his true form was calling him, and it seemed to be there.

I realized it instinctively. Snowfield was trying to convey some information to me.

"My main body—"

Strong sparks flickered across Snowfield's entire body as he opened his mouth. It seemed that Snowfield's 'main body' did not want to convey what he was about to say.

Nevertheless, he looked at me and continued speaking.

"He knew that <Kim Dokja Company> would not come here."