1058 Episode 66. The Wolf That Swallowed a God (6)

Along with dazzling sparks, the surroundings began to undulate.

Fortunately, I was in a state where I had satisfied all the core activation conditions for [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint]. One was for me to pass out. And two was for the caster and the target of the skill to think of each other at the same time.

However, even though the conditions were successfully met, I could not lower my guard. Because this [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] was just that special.

An event that could not happen in the original story because the premise itself was impossible. That event was unfolding right before my eyes.

Gradually, the body's senses began to revive. They were not the senses of my own physical body.

The moment I felt the sleeve of my left arm was empty, I realized which Yoo Joonghyuk I had possessed.

The 41st round. I thought it would be troublesome if the possession went wrong, but thankfully it didn't.

As I blinked, I saw Yoo Joonghyuk of the 1,864th round standing at a distance with a hardened expression. Leaking stories from one shoulder, he was still sweeping through the aftermath while frowning.

"Did you return?"

Along with 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk's voice, I nodded and asked.

- Yes. Did you happen to see it as well?

"Vaguely."

It seemed 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk also caught a glimpse of the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God's memories with me. Clenching and unclenching his single remaining right hand, he briefly inspected his incarnation body.

"You possessed me. Is it the same state as back then?"

- That's right. You remember.

Just once, I had used [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] on 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk to trigger the '1st Person Protagonist's Point of View'.

Fighting against the Constellations there, I had briefly possessed Yoo Joonghyuk's incarnation body.

As expected, just like back then, Yoo Joonghyuk was rejecting my control this time as well. Honestly, it didn't matter. Right now Yoo Joonghyuk's mind was clear, and I wasn't used to fighting with Yoo Joonghyuk's body anyway. The important thing was that from now on, I could manifest the stories I possessed through Yoo Joonghyuk's incarnation body.

"Is the other side in the same state?"

I answered while looking at Yoo Joonghyuk of the 1,864th round, who was still engulfed in sparks a dozen steps away.

- We don't know yet.

Just as I possessed 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk, Snowfield Kim Dokja must have also tried to possess 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk. But would it really go as smoothly as he thought?

What does it truly mean for one person to understand another? Even I, who had overcome scenarios alongside 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk, wouldn't dare say I fully understood Yoo Joonghyuk—so could Snowfield Kim Dokja properly possess a sufficient level of understanding toward 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk?

Kugugugugu.

In the distance, 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk was seen slowly opening his eyes. The moment I read the pale story swirling in his eyes, both Yoo Joonghyuk and I realized at the same time.

"That is—"

From his entire body, the stories of 'Snowfield Kim Dokja' were flowing out.

To be precise, it was the story regarding Yoo Joonghyuk that 'Snowfield Kim Dokja' had read.

Understanding is one-way. All understanding is granted without the other person's consent.

That was the product of reading and re-reading a single story over and over again.

Pung! With a popping sound, the surrounding sparks disappeared all at once. The facial muscles of 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk moved grotesquely, and soon his lips slowly opened.

The moment I heard that voice, I knew.

My brother, who had completely dominated a soul through ruthless reading and finally stood in the place closest to the 'Oldest Dream', was right there.

Snowfield Kim Dokja dwelling in the strongest incarnation body was speaking through Yoo Joonghyuk's mouth. Judging from his state, he seemed to have forcefully put Yoo Joonghyuk's soul to sleep before descending here. Probably for that reason, he fed tea to Yoo Joonghyuk and manipulated his stories.

As if extremely delighted by this confrontation, Snowfield Kim Dokja smiled brightly with Yoo Joonghyuk's face. In the midst of a stomach-churning sense of incongruity, just as I was about to reply something, his expression suddenly changed.

It was at that moment that thunderbolts struck out of the clear sky. Lightning plunging from somewhere struck 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk's entire body. Fierce electric shocks repeating several times. It strongly resembled—Breaking the Sky Sword Lightning (破天劍雷).

The sword lightning fell from the sky again and again, driving into 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk. I stared blankly at the sword lightning scorching Yoo Joonghyuk black. Listening to the roaring sound of the 'Black Heavenly Demon Sword' held in his hand, I realized what had happened late.

*

Snowfield Kim Dokja opened his eyes with a blank expression.

"Ah."

Was it due to the shock of electrocution? His vision did not brighten clearly. Along with a faint headache, looking around, the scenery of the familiar white room came into view at a glance. An empty chair placed forlornly opposite, and a tea table with cooled tea.

He stared blankly down at the teacup on the table, then reached into his chest like a person who suddenly remembered something. A moment later, a book was held in his hand.

『Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint.』

The story that was now completely worn out from being read over and over again was right there. He grew up reading that story continuously in the lonely snowfield.

"As expected, it doesn't work."

A hollow, bitter smile. A system message floating before his eyes was seen.

In the end, he could not understand 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk. Perhaps it was because 'Yoo Joonghyuk' had now become an existence that could no longer be caught up to solely through his reading.

Even after manipulating stories, feeding the disaster's story, and even using Kim Dokja's story—

Snowfield Kim Dokja drank the cooled tea with a bitter smile. And he muttered.

"Understood, Yoo Joonghyuk. If that is your will."

As his long fingers flipped the pages, the last page of the book opened in an instant. A blank page with nothing written on it. Soon, stories began to rise above the page. On top of that blank page, the final battle of Supreme King Yoo Joonghyuk was beginning.

"However, whatever choice you make."

Snowfield Kim Dokja reached his finger out over the page and said.

"You cannot change the conclusion of this story."

*

Even after the Probability aftermath vanished, 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk stood motionless as if frozen.

"An opportunity."

The one who moved instead was 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk. Grasping the 'Dark Heavenly Moon Spear' with his single remaining right hand, he immediately launched a strike of the Soul Extinguishing Divine Spear. If someone saw it, they might have called it a cowardly attack. But Yoo Joonghyuk didn't think so.

41st round Yoo Joonghyuk was instinctively realizing it.

Soul Extinguishing Divine Spear. Secret esoteric technique. The moment Yoo Joonghyuk's spear strike concentrating stories shot out like lightning—the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' who bounded forward using [Red Phoenix Shunpo] grabbed the tip of the Dark Heavenly Moon Spear.

Kugugugugu!

The stories of the two Yoo Joonghyuks collided at the spear tip, causing a thunderous roar. Clearly, the Probability aftermath was no longer raging. The momentum of 'Snowfield Kim Dokja' was also not felt from the disaster's incarnation body. That made it clear.

The one right before our eyes right now was the pure 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk himself. If so, the situation was not bad for us.

"What—"

Clearly, it shouldn't have been bad. Frowning while letting out a groan, 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk raised his status. But no matter how much he raised his status, it was difficult to withstand the story pressure that 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk continuously spewed out before his eyes.

Looking at the confrontation between those two existences, I recalled a conversation from long ago.

I don't remember exactly when it was. Probably in the early scenarios. Cha Sungwoo, Cha Yerin, Yehyeonwoo, and the other readers—back when we didn't fully realize what kind of tragedy we had entered. The readers once engaged in a conversation on such a topic as an icebreaker.

Perhaps those were Cha Sungwoo's words.

Then Yehyeonwoo said,

And Kyung Sein raised a question,

Uncle Dansu also added a word. The one who ended that debate was Cha Yerin, who had been listening to their conversation in silence. As Cha Yerin, who rarely opened her mouth, began to state her opinion, the surrounding attention focused on her.

Slowly opening his eyes, the 'Wolf That Swallowed a God' was looking at me.

Without anyone's help, purely with his own specs alone, he was surpassing the status of 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk and me using [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint].

It was an impossible thing. I had gathered nearly half of the 'Kim Dokja fragments', and 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk had also become strong enough to kill a Myth-grade Constellation. Even if it was 1,864th round Yoo Joonghyuk, how could he be more than our combined status—

"Kim Dokja."

For the first time, tension was felt in the voice of the 41st round, who had been confident all along.

"You said that guy saw the end of the scenario in the 1,864th round."

- Yes.

The moment I answered that question, I recalled Cha Yerin's answer regarding the 'strongest Yoo Joonghyuk'.

I felt as if someone pressed the switch of the world with a click sound.

"If so, why—"

I understood the doubt possessed by 41st round Yoo Joonghyuk. Because I too was seeing the exact same scenery through his eyes.

Yoo Joonghyuk's regression turn had changed.