1054 Episode 66. The Wolf That Swallowed a God (2)

It felt as if his spine was creaking. He had met many threatening enemies so far, but this was the first time he felt this way. Was that why? Yoo Joonghyuk instinctively activated a skill.

In the next moment, along with fierce sparks, a portion of the descending existence's information rose before his eyes. Perhaps because the information was not yet unfiltered, he could not see the entire content, but at least one thing was clearly visible.

Yoo Joonghyuk doubted his eyes. With blank eyes, as if such a number could not possibly exist in the world, Yoo Joonghyuk read the number.

1,864.

It felt as if his head was going crazy.

"...Which round did you say?"

Without even realizing that he had blurted out a foolish soliloquy like Kim Namwoon, Yoo Joonghyuk read and reread that number. Throughout his repeated regressions, Yoo Joonghyuk had wondered just how many regressions he would have to undergo to see the conclusion. However, he had never once imagined such a number.

The words he had heard in passing revived in his mind all at once. The words exchanged casually by Kang Ilhun, Ye Hyunwoo, and Kyung Sein.

'That Yoo Joonghyuk.' As his pounding heart calmed down, a memory resurfaced. He already knew the existence before his eyes.

"I think I know who you are."

Since arriving at 'Ragnarok', Yoo Joonghyuk had heard rumors about certain Outer Gods. The story of the Outer Gods who called themselves <Kim Dokja's Company>.

Lee Seyeon had introduced them that way.

A monster who single-handedly repelled the Myth-grade Constellations of the night sky, and drove that 'Snow White' to the brink of death.

Yoo Joonghyuk gripped his spear tighter and stared at the disaster before his eyes.

Rumbleeee.

Wind, rain, and storms raged in the sky. In the midst of the storm, the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' could be seen slowly opening its eyes.

The moment his eyes met its, Yoo Joonghyuk experienced an illusion as if complete darkness was swallowing him. The terrible tragedies that took place in the distant universe were churning blackly inside the disaster's eyes.

Could he win? No, was a 'fight' even possible with such a thing in the first place?

Even amidst the rising doubts, Yoo Joonghyuk did not back down. Instead, the absurd words left by his new teacher filled his ears.

Yoo Joonghyuk repeated the stabbing hundreds of millions of times inside the time fault. Throughout the repeated stabs, countless realizations rose and faded in his mind. He had experienced leaping to the transcendent state with overwhelming time density several times in previous rounds. However, this time, the level was different. In the terrifyingly consistent repetition, Yoo Joonghyuk spent more time in the 'time fault' than all his past rounds combined.

Thus, Yoo Joonghyuk caught a glimpse of a state he had never reached before. Although it was not enough to tear space-time apart with a stab like his teacher—

Soul-Slaying Divine Spear. Secret Technique. A formidable status began to swirl from Yoo Joonghyuk's spear. A dazzling golden spear force. The light rays wrapped around the tip of the spear were just like the starlight in that night sky.

Star Carving.

Yoo Joonghyuk's triceps, which he had pulled back with all his might, contracted, and a massive explosion occurred. With a feeling as if space-time was slowing down, Yoo Joonghyuk's figure vanished on the spot. If a chronicler had seen that scene, they would have described it as follows:

A body that had reached its limit. Becoming a single star with the explosive power of his quadriceps and gluteus maximus, Yoo Joonghyuk shot like a flash of light toward the great disaster in the sky.

The technique Yoo Joonghyuk created by shaping his past realizations. Finally, at the moment when the starlight spearhead pierced the firmament and carved a star in the night sky—

Crack.

The spearhead was caught in a hand flowing with pitch-black status. The starlight scattered in the night sky like a faint light sucked into a black hole.

It was impossible. His teacher had said that there were no more than five people in the <Star Stream> capable of catching 'Star Carving'. Yet the guy before his eyes—

Yoo Joonghyuk felt the hand holding the spear tremble.

"Indeed, if it is the 'me' of the 1,864th round, it should at least be at that level."

As if responding to those words, the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' let out a roar. Subsequently, an unusual change occurred throughout his body.

As the muscles of the great disaster swelled, the already large man's physique transformed into an even more imposing figure. His hair grew long, and his coat changed into the shape of a fur coat. Covered in long, flowing black hair, the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' slowly opened its mouth.

The great disaster that looked down on the world. The first word he uttered was—someone's name.

Frowning, Yoo Joonghyuk tried with all his might to pull the spearhead caught in the guy's right hand. But the spear would not budge. An absurd grip strength. Rather, the more he tried to pull the spear, the stronger the force holding his spear became.

"Why are you looking for that guy?"

Yoo Joonghyuk knew the owner of that name. There were several owners of that name, but to Yoo Joonghyuk, there was only one existence that name pointed to.

An unknown sense of threat. In that instant, Yoo Joonghyuk felt like he knew who the 'disaster' before him was looking for. Perhaps because of that, Yoo Joonghyuk muttered words he wouldn't normally say.

"The guy you are looking for is not in this world."

In the next moment, Yoo Joonghyuk felt his field of vision spin. A terrible nausea, followed by a pain in his jaw. When he came to his senses, he was stuck upside down in the ground.

He barely raised his status to pull himself out of the ground, but the disaster was not visible in the night sky. With a chilling sensation on the back of his neck, Yoo Joonghyuk reflexively ducked.

Kwaaaaa!

A crushing sound, as if space itself was breaking, echoed from the fist the guy swung. Did his words provoke the disaster? The disaster's two eyes, briefly visible, were half-rolled back.

The guy's fist struck once again at a speed invisible to the eye.

"Keo-heok."

With the sensation of a hole being pierced in his stomach, Yoo Joonghyuk flew straight through the air. The disaster pursued Yoo Joonghyuk, who was flying at a phenomenal speed. The immense status imbued in the disaster's fist slammed down toward him once more.

He thought he had strengthened his body to the limit. But a monster far worse was right in front of him. Now that it had come to this, he also had to exert his full strength.

Yoo Joonghyuk recalled his teacher's words.

He knew. But there was no other way right now. If he couldn't overwhelm the guy even with a body that had reached its limit—"You are not the only one who can transform into such a form." He had no choice but to face him, even if it meant releasing the limit.

'Restraint of Truth.' A 'story imprint' that manifests power at the cost of sealing a portion of memories from past rounds.

As the first story imprint was released at the cost of memories, a fierce vitality surged from Yoo Joonghyuk's entire body.

'Restraint of Emotions.' An imprint paid for at the cost of one's emotions. A 'story imprint' where the more it is used, the more reason is lost, and one's identity as a human is gradually eroded.

Tzztzztzz.

The muscles of his entire body expanded, swelling like those of a beast. The body that he thought had reached his limit was evolving once again. Soon, his appearance became similar to the 'great disaster' before him.

Perhaps having felt interested in Yoo Joonghyuk's transformation, the gaze of the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' changed for the first time.

A tension that froze even their breathing. In the moment a breath of white steam rose, Yoo Joonghyuk moved first. As Yoo Joonghyuk instantly narrowed the distance and swung his fist, the great disaster also swung a fist in response. Two fists containing the essence of [Breaking the Sky Force Punch] clashed in midair, generating a gale.

Rumbleeee!

Like two beasts fighting for territory, the two Yoo Joonghyuks fought, entangled with each other. They swung their forepaws at each other and growled as if to bite each other's throats.

In an instant, hundreds of exchanges of attack and defense followed. They struck each other's faces and beat each other's abdomens. Every single blow was a strike capable of instantly killing a Historical-grade Constellation. However, neither of them backed down.

Even while stories, instead of blood, bubbled up, Yoo Joonghyuk swung his fists again and again. The joy of being able to test his strength to the limit. The pleasure of clashing with someone with all his might.

Did that guy feel the same way right now? Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly looked into the disaster's eyes. However, what was reflected in the disaster's pupils was not his face. It was simply a gaze that searched for something beyond with empty pupils.

'Was I the only one fighting with everything I had?'

Yoo Joonghyuk somehow felt his pride hurt. Perhaps that was why he used that 'story'.

A story obtained by defeating 'Apollo', who had reached the Myth-grade, in the 'New Murim District' together with Kim Dokja. Imbuing his fist with the blessing of that story, Yoo Joonghyuk punched the abdomen of the great disaster with all his might. Along with a roaring sound like a drum bursting, there was a clear feeling of a solid hit.

The great disaster, which staggered for a moment, caught the wrist of Yoo Joonghyuk who had struck his abdomen. And—

The expression of the great disaster that verified the story changed strangely. Soon, a storm of stories began to rage from his entire body. At the point where the two people's statuses clashed, sparks of Probability burst out.

Yoo Joonghyuk hurriedly tried to pull out his captured hand. However, the disaster did not let go of his hand. As if it had no intention of letting go of the story he showed.

With an encroaching sense of crisis, Yoo Joonghyuk raised his status to protect himself. However, a tidal wave of stories stronger than that was rushing in before his eyes. It was the story possessed by the 'great disaster'.

"Keuk—"

Yoo Joonghyuk felt his breath get stuck in his throat. A truly massive story, unbelievable to be the history of a single person, was creating an immense story pressure.

In the storm of stories, Yoo Joonghyuk clearly saw the story experienced by the great disaster before him.

That story began by meeting one person,

and led to the death of one person,

and to reclaim that person, it has continued until now. At the end of the long journey solely to reclaim his companion, the being who eventually became a great disaster was right before his eyes.

Tzztzztzztzz!

Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly felt his presence weakening. The reason was clear.

As if refusing to acknowledge that two Yoo Joonghyuks existed in this world, or like a larger star sucking in the starlight of a smaller star—the 'great disaster' before him was absorbing his story.

Belatedly, Anna Croft's words came to his mind.

In front of the distant history of the 1,864th round, the time of the 41st round he had lived was a mere instant. The larger history was eating the smaller history.

Yoo Joonghyuk muttered as if resisting it.

"I am—"

However, his muttering was quickly crushed in the storm of stories blowing before him.

Only then could he see the disaster's face properly. And Yoo Joonghyuk realized.

The real Yoo Joonghyuk was there. The Yoo Joonghyuk who had crossed a grand history spanning 1,864 rounds to come here. The Yoo Joonghyuk who descended upon this world to save someone, to fulfill all of his duties, was right there.

Yoo Joonghyuk's soul was fading. As if his history was surrendering to the history lived by the existence before him, it was collapsing.

"I am..."

Yoo Joonghyuk blankly parted his lips. If he disappeared here, if he gave up everything and closed his eyes, wouldn't it be easier that way? If he returned to that existence and became 'one Yoo Joonghyuk'...

At that moment, like a buoy floating on a raging tidal wave, a single sentence surfaced.

Yoo Joonghyuk instinctively looked at that sentence.

The moment he read that sentence, Yoo Joonghyuk regained his senses along with the feeling of someone hitting the back of his head hard.

There was a person who remembered him there. An existence who recognized his history of living only 41 rounds.