1055 Episode 66. The Wolf That Swallowed a God (3)

Fortunately, Yoo Joonghyuk was not dead yet. I let out a sigh of relief as I checked Yoo Joonghyuk's appearance reflected on the screen of the 'Record Archive'.

Tzztzztzztzz!

Yoo Joonghyuk was looking up at the sky in the midst of the raging sparks. He probably saw the sentence I wrote.

"Why are you standing there blankly, Yoo Joonghyuk! Pull yourself together!"

The situation was clear.

The worst-case scenario I could imagine became reality. I thought, biting my lower lip.

Yoo Joonghyuk was someone who knew the danger of a 'disaster' better than anyone. He, who had faced the Outer Gods of the 999th round and the 'Secretive Plotter' in the main story, and who knew better than anyone what a 'disaster' meant to another worldline, would never choose to become a 'disaster' of another worldline. Especially if it was the great disaster of 'Ragnarok' that finalized destruction.

No matter how much I thought, no other reason came to mind. However, I still couldn't understand. He was none other than the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company>. Even if it was 'Snowfield Kim Dokja', would he have the power to turn that Yoo Joonghyuk into a 'disaster' without any persuasion?

Tzztzztzztzz!

Even to me beyond the screen, the pressure of the aftermath occurring there was palpable. Though I couldn't know for sure, Yoo Joonghyuk at the center of the storm must feel like his entire body is being disassembled by now.

"Yoo Joonghyuk!"

Despite my call, Yoo Joonghyuk did not answer. I kept watching Yoo Joonghyuk and quickly scanned the before and after records causing the aftermath.

Since the two Yoo Joonghyuks clashed head-on, it was self-evident that the 'Disconnected Film Theory' would activate. The problem was the very form in which the 'Disconnected Film Theory' activated.

When the story fusion of two existences—that is, 'film pasting'—occurs, the 'larger history' inevitably eats the 'smaller history'. Furthermore, even more so in a situation where they are clearly hostile to each other like now.

"Yoo Joonghyuk!"

Whether he heard my shout, the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round raised his head again.

Relying on the insignificant record I wrote, the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round stood there.

Yoo Joonghyuk, the Supreme King of the <Star Stream>. The man who looks down on the world, destroys stars, and proves himself solely by the life he has lived. It was the first time I saw that Yoo Joonghyuk make such an expression.

"Pull yourself together! Damn it!"

I didn't want to see such a face. A lack of confidence in Yoo Joonghyuk of all people. I didn't come all the way here to see such a sight.

"Yoo Joonghyuk!"

Yoo Joonghyuk's figure swayed precariously. Amidst the raging history of the main story, the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round was poised to sink like a paper boat in a rough sea.

Clenching my fists tight, I opened my mouth.

"You, too."

I know, too. If the opponent is the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company>—if the history we have to fight is that 『Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint』, then naturally, our probability of winning is almost zero.

"You didn't just live for nothing either."

But even so, it didn't mean that the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round had endured a history that deserved to be ignored.

"Have you forgotten everything! What events happened in this round! What kind of time we went through to get here!"

Even if everyone else forgets, I know. What kind of person he is. What he lost, and what he protected to survive up to this point.

The history of the main story crashed before Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes like a panorama. A story that could not be resisted alone. A part of that history flickered, evoking a familiar sentence like an illusion.

The figures of Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja, invited to the Constellations' Banquet, were there.

The Banquet of Constellations. Of all things, it was an episode I liked. Raising his hand in the screen, Kim Dokja said:

The story I loved approached as if to swallow the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round. As the story came right before him, Yoo Joonghyuk unconsciously reached out his hand. Even though the back of his hand was cut to pieces, Yoo Joonghyuk did not take his eyes off the story. It was not simply because he was fascinated by the story.

Perhaps right now, Yoo Joonghyuk—

"Do you remember?"

He must be thinking of the same story as me.

"We were also invited to a banquet once. Though no one welcomed us."

Along with my words, stories rose from Yoo Joonghyuk's entire body.

The Recycling Center. There, we attended the 'Zodiac Ball' and went to a strange school together. In the end, the scenario ended up in a mess due to the Constellations' interference.

"I haven't forgotten that you came to save me when I was exiled from the scenario."

More than eight years have passed since then, but I still remember the Yoo Joonghyuk of that day. Carrying me, who was kicked out to the non-scenario region, and running through the void for three days straight to escape the pursuit of distant constellations. I remembered us on that day, running desperately and finally meeting the 'Monarch Slayer', clearer than anyone else.

Whether he heard my shout, I saw a bit of light return to Yoo Joonghyuk's pupils. But meanwhile, the story over there also changed.

The figures of Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja walking in Murim were there.

The encounter with the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint, Yoo Joonghyuk getting hit on his butt. Following that, the Great Destruction Scenario that visited Murim.

Just by looking at it for a brief moment, it felt like being sucked into the story. This was the power of a completed story. The power of a story that stole the eyes of the stars and even absorbed the soul of the viewer.

"We also went to Murim."

Perhaps our story was not as glamorous as the main story.

"There, we also ate 'Murim Dumplings'. We even got dragged to the Namgung Clan while criticizing franchise dumplings. Is that all? We also met the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint."

The meeting with the 41st round's Breaking the Sky Sword Saint was not as pleasant as the main story.

Because immediately after meeting her, the Outer Gods' invasion began, and the 'Fear Realm' opened right after.

"Thinking about it, we almost died there, too."

We almost died there, too. Chased by Outer Gods, chased by the fears of the Fear Realm.

"But."

Surviving through all the ups and downs every time, we came all the way here.

"I had fun."

Experiencing those ups and downs together, we became each other's companions.

"To be able to live through this story together, I was really happy."

To Yoo Joonghyuk who had lived through dozens of rounds, this brief bond might be nothing. Perhaps there wasn't even an emotion worthy of being called a bond. Nevertheless—

"It is filled with nothing but memories of almost dying."

When I suddenly raised my head, Yoo Joonghyuk was looking at me. Light had returned to his previously blurry eyes.

"Yoo Joonghyuk!"

Fortunately, Yoo Joonghyuk's complexion seemed to be returning little by little. Although he was still at the center of the raging aftermath, unlike before, his status was enduring the aftermath. His story, firmer than before, began to protect his incarnation body.

"Have we entered the 'Main Battlefield'?"

"Yes. We are a bit late."

"It would have been useless even if you came early."

I understood what Yoo Joonghyuk meant. He meant that against such a 'great disaster', it would have been the same whether he was alone or together. However, Yoo Joonghyuk, who said those words, did not look particularly discouraged. If anything, his eyes looked strangely relieved.

"Why do you have an expression as if everything is over?"

Tzztzztzz, once again the aftermath raged inside the screen. Was it because of the influence of the 'Disconnected Film Theory'? The 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' was frowning, clutching his head where stories spilled out. A fierce story was raging at his base, making it impossible to approach, but it was clear that he was in pain.

Watching him, Yoo Joonghyuk opened his mouth.

"You must know. That the 'me' who lives the 1,864th round exists somewhere in this universe."

I inhaled sharply. Come to think of it, the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st round was meeting the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company> for the first time right now.

"I heard that the 'me' of that round saw the end of the scenario."

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"That's right."

Hearing my words, Yoo Joonghyuk silently stared at the great disaster, the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company>, the self of another world. Only then did I feel like I knew what Yoo Joonghyuk was thinking.

"Are you relieved?"

Perhaps Yoo Joonghyuk was finally rejoicing at the future he had reached. Penetrating through those distant years—was he finally facing himself, who had ultimately reached the conclusion of all stories?

"I thought that it would surely exist somewhere in another universe."

I knew what emotion he would feel. On one hand, I wanted to share the deep emotion he was feeling.

"But that is not you."

But that is not you.

"It is you, but it is not the you of this place."

Perhaps I was afraid that Yoo Joonghyuk might think otherwise.

"We can also see the conclusion. I know that you lived harder than any other Yoo Joonghyuk."

I might have been afraid that he would give up the conclusion of this round just because the conclusion he wanted existed somewhere in a distant universe.

"I know."

"Of course. That's not me."

As if my concern was laughable, Yoo Joonghyuk, who found me accurately in the empty sky, wore a somewhat self-deprecating smile.

"Because if it were me, there is no way I would ever regress 1,864 times."

At those words, I also ended up chuckling.

"Indeed. If it were you—"

It was at that moment that I felt a sense of incongruity. It was a strange feeling. A sensation as if the back of my neck was creaking again. I felt like I was missing something.

I saw the aftermath of Probability slowly diminishing inside the screen. As the sparks faded, the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company>, who had transformed into the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God', became clearer.

"Yoo Joonghyuk."

The moment I met his empty eyes, I realized what I had missed.

"How did you know that he is from the '1,864th round'?"

"I saw it with [Sage's Eyes]."

I expected as much. But.

"That shouldn't be possible."

That was impossible. Certainly, that 'Yoo Joonghyuk' was the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company> that I knew, and the round he lived was the 3rd round as well as the 1,864th round. But that was only the story of the 'round' he lived. If that Yoo Joonghyuk was truly the Yoo Joonghyuk of <Kim Dokja's Company>, there was no way such information would appear in [Sage's Eyes]. It shouldn't have appeared. Because—

Because he was no longer a 'regressor'.

At the conclusion of the main story, he finished his final regression and lost the [Regression] attribute he possessed.

"No, he is without a doubt the 'regressor' of the 1,864th round."

Yoo Joonghyuk was right. Because now, it was visible to my eyes as well.

My heart felt like it was freezing cold. There was no way that Yoo Joonghyuk would have become a 'regressor' again. If so, there was only one answer.

Snowfield Kim Dokja.