1042 Episode 64. Eternal Night (1)

- Dokkaebi King

*

Cha Yerin looked at the boiling black dust cloud in the distance and recalled the day she first came here.

It was just a single wave of a hand. With that one gesture, all the history she had lived through was denied. Excluded from the battlefield in an instant, the place she fell was the center of the 'constellation camp'.

She became a prisoner of the 'constellation camp'. That was already two months ago. During those two months, so many things had happened. Countless stars had fallen, and as the sky of the <Star Stream> darkened, the 'constellation camp' tasted countless defeats.

And she, who was once a prisoner of the 'constellation camp', had now become an 'Einherjar' representing the camp to fight against the disasters.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

In the far distance, beyond the dust cloud, the sound of regular vibrations echoed. Cha Yerin knew where that vibration originated.

The deformed life forms that this world collectively called so were beyond that cloud. The 'Nameless Things' running while turning the earth over. Following them were the mid-to-large-sized 'Outer World Gods'—the so-called 'Story Eaters'. Cha Yerin stared with calm eyes at the monsters whose very appearance made her shiver.

Since she had been active in the 'Disaster Camp' longer than anyone, she could accurately read their intentions just by observing the movement of the horde.

The disasters are sad. Because they have no scenarios. Since no one is curious about their stories, they wander around the outer edges of the scenarios all day long, coveting the stories of the gods. Like a child asking to be included in a playground.

It was the Administration Bureau that utilized them. Utilizing the Outer World Gods who would do anything just to participate in a story, the Administration Bureau created the role of 'Disaster'.

But it wasn't as if they always wanted to take on such a role. However, this <Star Stream> did not give them any other role. In that way, years accumulated, and the disasters who had been used to the same role for a long time came to exude threatening stories just by existing.

Incarnations and constellations within the scenarios felt fear and disgust just by looking at them, and burned with hostility.

Yet Cha Yerin knew. Among them, there were certainly warm Outer Gods, and there were also godheads who did not want destruction. While there were those who followed well like puppies, there were definitely peaceful Outer Gods who came to sleep beside her like cats when night fell.

But Cha Yerin also knew the moments when those cute Outer Gods suddenly changed.

Sensing their movement, Cha Yerin jumped down to the inside of the castle wall and shouted,

"The disasters are coming!"

Hearing Cha Yerin's warning, incarnations rang alarm bells everywhere. With a clang, warning lights turned on inside the castle.

Cha Yerin recalled the final flag that would be hanging in the center of the main castle.

If the stars of the constellation camp defending this fortress and even the incarnations were defeated, the <Star Stream> was finished.

There was no time. Cha Yerin entered straight inside the tent where the officers were gathered.

An unpleasantly murky story was floating in the air. It was natural. Because here and now, only the 'surviving existences' from the disasters, regardless of incarnations, constellations, or camps, were gathered.

"Everyone..."

Cha Yerin, who opened the tent and entered, spoke as if to drive away the dark atmosphere,

"It's time to fight."

But no one responded to her words. She turned her head toward a man sitting closest.

"Bang Cheolsoo."

There sat Bang Cheolsoo, the leader of the 'Inho faction'. Hugging his favorite weapon, a bat, with his only remaining arm, he stared at the floor without any response.

Incarnations who had once dreamed of rebellion within the Disaster Camp. However, they were defeated by 'Snow White' in the battle two months ago, and in the process of fleeing from him, they took refuge in the 'constellation camp'.

"Heartless Mother and Daughter."

The Heartless Mother and Daughter were also in the same situation. The mother and daughter sat in a corner of the tent hugging each other tightly, blocking their ears. As if they didn't want to hear any more words. Before them, the ration bread distributed in the afternoon was still untouched.

"Everyone is dead. We're all going to die anyway. We're all going to die."

The daughter of the Heartless Mother and Daughter—Dayoung muttered to herself. Looking down at Dayoung for a moment, Cha Yerin turned her head and said,

"Gong Pildu ahjussi."

Gong Pildu was in a relatively better situation. Because he was an incarnation who joined after the 'Void War' two months ago. His stigma, suited for defensive siege warfare, was more effective in the current battle than any other incarnation. However, it was the same that his face was extremely exhausted. Gong Pildu, who quietly raised his head, asked,

"Is there any news of Hyunwoo?"

Ye Hyunwoo had gone missing after the battle two months ago. Since Gong Pildu was an incarnation who had matched well with Ye Hyunwoo since the Chungmuro days, he consistently cared about his survival.

"No."

Looking at Cha Yerin shaking her head, Gong Pildu let out a deep sigh. Beside him, the mole cricket Max, whimpering, stuck out its tongue. A mole cricket that grew up with the incarnations and had grown as large as a big dog.

Gong Pildu quietly stroked Max and stood up.

"Let's go. We have to do what we have to do."

Gong Pildu, who stood up stumbling with a body covered in wounds, set out to restore [Armed Fortress]. But Gong Pildu alone was not enough.

"We need more support."

Most of the incarnations here were those who, like her, belonged to the 'Disaster Camp' and then turned to the 'constellation camp'. Usually it would have been an impossible defection, but this time, the situation was special.

Because the King of the Disasters, 'Snow White', had permitted the defection.

The incarnations of the Disaster Camp were flustered. Suddenly becoming an Outer God, or choosing defection. As if to help their choice, Snow White said,

Losing their ego as a human and becoming an Outer God, or becoming the final breakwater to block the destruction. Most of the incarnations who ascended to this place before the final battle chose the latter. It was inevitable. Because the incarnations who survived here by any means were all individuals with that much conviction.

Toward the incarnations leaving the camp as if he expected that, Snow White added with a smile,

The moment he completed his 'Oldest Dream', everything in this world would go extinct. Therefore, this was a fight to avoid extinction—a war to somehow leave a record.

However, after dozens of bitter struggles, the incarnations came to realize.

After dozens of bitter struggles, only a few incarnations who could fight remained.

Cha Yerin took a light breath and looked at the opposite side of the tent where the incarnations were gathered. There were the surviving constellations facing the end. She really didn't want to speak to them. Because they were the heinous stars who had enjoyed the pain of the incarnations throughout the scenarios.

...Nevertheless, Cha Yerin bent her pride and spoke,

"Please help."

But no constellation responded. Cha Yerin called the closest constellation.

"One-Eyed Father."

Cha Yerin called the constellation of <Asgard>—'One-Eyed Father' Odin. Odin, regardless of her words, was squatting in a dark corner carving a small sculpture. In his entire body clad in a tattered cape, the halo of a 'Myth-grade constellation' from before could not be seen.

"He Who Begot the King of Kings."

He Who Begot the King of Kings. Jegok, a member of the 'Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors', was also there. He was in the form of a symbolic body, which, to be precise, was the appearance of the dog he raised—Panhu, who had five-colored fur. Jegok came in the form of a dog, licked the back of Cha Yerin's hand, and whimpered. His behavior, as if a regression had occurred, left Cha Yerin speechless.

Biting her lip hard, Cha Yerin looked around again. Most of the constellations who should have been here had left, leaving their places empty. Naturally, she didn't think they had gone to the battlefield. Because they had never stepped to the front of the battlefield even once after the battle two months ago.

Then, there was only one constellation she could ask.

"Spear that Draws the Boundary of the Seas."

She really didn't want to request his help. But right now, even that was desperate. If that constellation would just step forward once and draw his spear, they could sweep away the small-to-mid-sized Outer Gods at once. That alone could save many incarnations. That was exactly as far as she expected.

And the expected answer returned. Poseidon, who gulped down the beer placed on the round table, looked down at the floor with eyes devoid of any emotion. There, his broken star relic—the Trident—was rolling around.

When pride and conviction turn to ashes, and the greatness of the story one was proud of is denied, does a star make such an expression?

Wiping the beer foam from his mouth, Poseidon asked in a hostile tone.

Poseidon, who spoke so, had more than half of his incarnation body made of prosthetic parts. In the last battle, Poseidon had lost most of his true body and incarnation body, and his status was also greatly weakened. The battle that put him in that state was also something Cha Yerin knew well from hearing about it.

Two months ago, the sky of the <Star Stream> shone brighter than ever. <Olympus>, <Asgard>, <Vedas>, <Papyrus>, <Huangdi>... the prominent Myth-grade constellations of each nebula gathered to kill a single existence.

They were the stars at the very top of this sky, and if they set their minds to it, there was no miracle they could not perform.

The spears and blades of the Myth-grade constellations flew at a single existence. Shaking earth and sky, probability raged, and relentless thunderbolts struck.

That was all the fact Cha Yerin knew. The Myth-grade constellations lost, and the sky of the <Star Stream> darkened. And the surviving stars all became ruined stars like that Poseidon.

"Shut up."

Even though she dared to interrupt the true voice of a Myth-grade constellation, Poseidon did not get angry. Instead, he merely smirked with a self-deprecating expression.

Raising his head, he was looking up at the sky through the torn tent. A sky pitch black even during the day. Counting the few remaining stars in that sky, Poseidon muttered,

And a roar resounded from somewhere. It was the sound announcing the final battle of this world.