674 Episode 21 Kim Dokja (10)

"I am."

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

This world is a huge mess.

Depending on who the speaker is, this world becomes a different story and a different reality. And I,

"I cannot receive that sword."

Unfortunately, the reality I believed in was different from that of Representative Kim Dokja.

Representative Kim Dokja’s eyebrows furrowed greatly at my reaction.

An expression that seemed either puzzled or expected.

In a way, he was right.

Because I am a person who wants my own story, both as a writer and as a reader.

However, right now, I needed to put the boiling memories to rest for a while.

"Why is Representative Kim Dokja trying to make me take this role now?"

I looked at his whole body with fixed eyes. Even at a glance, the level of dignity emanating from him was at an unusual level. If he wanted to, he could destroy the 'Absolute Throne' himself.

But he didn't do that.

Exactly, it cannot be done.

This is probably because, like other constellations, he is affected by the aftereffects of probability.

Even 'Representative Kim Dokja', who has such a powerful status, intervened in the scenario and to destroy the 'absolute throne'.

I can't break it.

So he lends me his power.

It was clear what he wanted in return.

A story that is completed by destroying the absolute throne. This guy is trying to get his share of the story.

Now that I think about it, there was a person similar to him in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

A being who helped Kim Dokja and received a share of the huge story 'Spring of the Demon World' in return for lending his power to him.

The demonic energy flowing from his entire body became hostile for a moment.

I reflexively pulled Yoo Jonghyuk, who had fallen to the floor.

Coo coo coo coo.

As soon as I used his body as a shield, a surge of demonic energy shook the entire theater. Yoo Jonghyuk’s whole body trembled like an aspen tree as he was struck by the wave of demonic energy on my behalf.

Yoo Jonghyuk, whose eyes were wide open, glared at me with astonished eyes and then fainted.

Representative Kim Dokja stared at us closely and then laughed.

"I'm sorry."

There was no need to show courtesy any more. Because I fully knew that his intentions were impure.

Now I was ready to tell my story.

"I am not Kim Dokja."

I looked at each of the kkomas Kim Dokja and said,

"My name is Lee Hakhyun."

Kkomas Kim Dokja looked at me and tilted their heads and nodded as if they understood. Some showed no reaction at all.

Representative Kim Dokja said.

"I guess that’s not the answer you wanted."

Representative Kim Dokja twitched the corner of his mouth as if he was interested.

I didn't miss the opportunity and spoke.

"Is it real or fake, revenge or liberation? The words are plausible. But."

I also knew the story of 49% Kim Dokja.

Among the memories I saw, there were also memories that Representative Kim Dokja did not show.

But even if those memories were suddenly my past life, it doesn't feel real.

It was true.

Just as Kim Dokja cannot become Yoo Jonghyuk just because he read a lot of 'Ways of Survival'.

To me, 49% Kim Dokja's story had a distant corner, like a story beyond a wall.

And even if my past life was really that of Kim Dokja—

"Why are you angry on behalf of Kim Dokja?"

The thing that represents that will should not be the thing in front of me.

"Whether he blames <Kim Dokja’s Company> or gets angry and takes revenge, that’s up to Kim Dokja to decide, at least not for you.

Besides, you don’t really sympathize with Kim Dokja. You just want to steal Kim Dokja’s story. Just like you did in the last world, in this world you just—"

The demonic energy that slowly flowed out of this guy climbed up the top of my foot like a bug.

But I didn't stop talking.

"You just want to remain as the main story of this world."

Perhaps it was a switch, but the smile on his lips became clear. It was a smile when I felt something different from before.

My body stiffened and did not move.

I couldn't tell if it was because of the man's terrible murderous intent or because of his selfishness.

The kkomas Kim Dokja who were watching me were suddenly looking at the screen behind me instead of at me.

As I moved my creaking neck and followed his gaze, I saw my image reflected on the screen.

I spoke on the screen.

With a faint sigh, I held the Death Sword on the screen. When I looked forward again, I was actually holding the 'Death Sword' held out by Representative Kim Dokja in my hand.

My body was moving against my will.

Only then did I realize the rules of this 'theater'.

Representative Kim Dokja's ability is editing and manipulating images on the screen. And the power of this theater was to develop the story.

However, this level of abnormal coercion clearly defies probability—

Damn it. Was it something like that?

My joints creaked like a broken doll.

I looked down at Yoo Jonghyuk, who had fainted.

The sword held in my right hand cried. The story of the other world embedded in the sword was giving orders.

I held the sword with both hands.

A faint string of constellations was visible above Yoo Jonghyuk’s head.

That thread would be the link to the 'Absolute Throne'.

Both hands were shaking violently. My strength to not cut and the power of the story to cut were clashing.

If I relax now, many people in this world may be saved.

Not everyone will survive until the final scenario, but at least we will not live in a world where the 'end' is confirmed.

But if that happens, what happens to the characters in other universes?

<Kim Dokja’s Company> has repeatedly made a long pilgrimage looking only at Kim Dokja.

What happens at the end?

Is this really the story everyone wants?

The muscles all over my body throbbed as if they were being twisted. Blood appeared in both eyes, and it hurt like someone was squeezing my abdomen. The magic flowing through my veins was boiling as if it were expanding.

I was seeing myself moving in real time on the screen.

All the stories shown in this movie theater are fabricated according to Representative Kim Dokja's wishes.

However, he did not have the power to make that story a reality.

I mustered the last of my strength and looked back at my audience.

There were readers there.

The readers all had the same face, but wore different name tags.

Among them, there must be Jung Jaewoo, whom I could not protect.

There will be Jiwoon, the daughter of Lee Dansu, and there will also be a reader who possessed Jung Moonho, the father of Jung Heewon.

They were innocent people.

People who became the audience just because they read this story.

In return for simply learning Kim Dokja's story, they are now deprived of the freedom to see what they want.

I slowly opened my mouth, twisting my twisted lips.

"Really."

I don't know if my story will be heard or not. Still, I didn't stop talking.

"Is this the story you want to see?"

Just like Kim Dokja that day who persuaded the constellations.

"No."

In the deep darkness of the theater, the readers still see Kim Dokja on the screen, not me.

They were watching 'Kim Dokja'.

But I felt they heard my voice.

Representative Kim Dokja, who sensed something was going on, reached out to me and took my hand.

But it was already too late.

"As you all know, this world is a novel."

At that moment, I was grateful that this was a theater. I was grateful that readers gathered here.

I was grateful that I was Cheon Inho.

"A novel that you all know and I also know."

This is a complete fiction that everyone believes to be true.

And if this is fiction.

I had the confidence to tell that fiction better than anyone else.

"From now on, I will tell you the story you want."

When I closed my eyes, memories came to mind.

Memories I ignored.

Stories beyond the wall that felt distant, like stories in a novel.

I collected the stories sentence by sentence.

It felt like warm snow was piling up every time the sentences touched me. The snow soon piled up on the ground, forming a snowy field.

I now know who Kim Dokja of the Snowfield was.

The person who read my story. The person who waited for this story to begin more than anyone else

"Well, it shouldn’t be like this."

Preparing a candy to give to Han Sooyoung.

Someone who already knew what I wanted to say.

Those memories were there all along.

Kim Dokja in my dreams.

My vague, distant, longed-for origin.

Just as <Kim Dokja’s Company> collected fragments to find the one Kim Dokja, I also did the same for my past life that I had forgotten.

If I collect all these memories, will I become myself?

I do not know.

All I can do is lie.

A lie that will deceive me, deceive you, and ultimately deceive the world.

I felt completely out of breath, and old sadness filled my mind.

Who am I?

Why did I come to this world?

I can now answer that question. My story was answering the question.

"I am 49% Kim Dokja."

My whole body trembled and sparks flew as if I had been electrocuted. Sparks soon flowed to the floor, and then spread like flames to the screen, following the countless footprints left by kkomas Kim Dokja.

The bright blue sparks spread white and colored the entire screen, stained white.

The screen looked like a dazzling snowfield.

One by one, the kkomas Kim Dokja who came to their senses began to look at me. Kim Dokja was reflected in those small eyes.

Kim Dokja was standing in the snowy field that day.

"So I."

49% Kim Dokja was saying this.

"I want to decide my own story."

There was silence, as if heavy snow had fallen. In that silence, Representative Kim Dokja smiled and opened his mouth.

As if taking my first steps on a pure white snowfield, someone looked at me. A very small but definite light. The light was shining towards me.

Representative Kim Dokja immediately looked back at the decision.

Like the film in a projector running backwards, the scale of probability was changing.

The restraint of the theater that oppressed me weakened.

If I move my hands, the probability becomes weaker.

As I tightened my legs, the possibilities became blurred.

I slowly turned around and looked at Representative Kim Dokja. Then the kkomas Kim Dokja also saw him and I called him by his real name.

"Asmodeus."

Sensing something was wrong, Asmodeus hardened his expression and lightly snapped his fingers.

The awakened Death Sword held in my hand disappeared.

But there was one more Death Sword for me.

Although it was not an awakened version of the item obtained as a reward after clearing the Star Labyrinth with the readers, it was nevertheless composed solely of the story of this worldline.

In the main story, Kim Dokja borrowed the power of the Bukdu God Army to transform the Sain Tram Point.

But there was no constellation here to help me.

Perhaps no constellation will lend me their strength.

Just one thing,

He was the constellation that all the stars ignored.

The man who laid down his authority and descended to earth, intending to play out the whole scenario once again.

A star who wanted to change his story more than anyone else.

The story he left behind is embedded in the sword body of 'Sainchamsagum'.

At best, it was a probability of a great person level constellation. A power that can only reveal one of the seven constellations of the Death Sword.

But that power was enough. This is because I now have the potential of readers.

Perhaps I can only use this sword once.

I decided to use that one opportunity here.

When I looked back, I saw a screen containing our story.

I swung my sword straight at the screen.