690 Episode 23 Fragments of God (5)

Since Kim Dokja had so few stigmata, I knew very well what this stigma was.

'Surely this is a strategy?'

—Okay, just trust me now.

Breath is coming right in front of me, so what am I supposed to believe?

'This is just the stigma of sacrificing oneself.'

—Yes.

I could no longer trust the crazy constellation.

Even if we die, let's kill that guy and die.

The one who helped me wake up was again Yoo Jonghyuk's fragment.

I was angry.

I slowly stood up from my seat, holding my 'Unbreakable Faith' I picked up on the floor.

"Kim Dokja, I will kill you."

—Ok?

"Didn’t you tell me to only trust you? Why did the situation become like this?"

My mouth started chattering arbitrarily, and I was overcome with a feeling of unfairness.

—Hey. It’s [Incite]. Untie yourself and come to your senses! You are no longer Yoo Jonghyuk!

Kim Dokja noticed my condition and urgently shouted.

"Kill you! I’ll definitely kill you!"

As if I were Yoo Jonghyuk, I did my best to maintain 'Unbreakable Faith'.

And with the other hand, I activated 'thought'.

Normally, there would be no good result from [Incite] running rampant like this.

But this time was different.

The moment the breath of the Earth Dragon Species came in front of my nose, 'thought' glowed brightly and mimicked the 'Shield of Hercules'.

Wide Area Defense.

However, there was no way that the replica item's special skill could block the 4th Grade Earth Dragon's breath.

Along with the fierce wind pressure, fine fragments were lodged on the surface of the shield.

The shield cracked in an instant and was shattered before it could last even a second.

But when the breath hit, I was no longer there.

—Oh…

"Kill! Kill!"

Unlike my mouth, which foolishly repeated the same words, my body moved nimbly. As if I really was Yoo Jonghyuk who used [Knight Reincarnation].

My legs, which had pushed my muscles to their limit, were shaking.

When the Earth Dragon species that had missed my new form cried out and changed the direction of its breath, I was already behind it.

"Kill!"

The 'Unbreakable Faith' that poured all its magical power flew through the air.

Ahhh!

The 'Blade of Faith', which spun like a top, hit the monster's feet, and at the same time, a feeling of helplessness flooded through my whole body once again.

Incredible recoil. Now I really couldn't move a finger.

The monster with its feet tied was spitting out its final breath at me.

—Good job. Now it's perfect.

The faint light flowing from my whole body was flowing somewhere. It was the light of [Sacrificial Will].

When the caster risks his life for his comrades. The problem with that skill, which greatly amplifies the attack power of the entire party in proportion to the desperation, was that I had no friends at the moment.

—This skill is the one who can bring even the dead Joonghyuk back to life for a while.

That can't be possible.

No, even if that were the case, Yoo Jonghyuk isn’t here now—

—There is no Yoo Jonghyuk, though.

With those words, an explosion was heard from afar.

A faint thread of light extended from me and led towards the epicenter of that explosion.

—Because that person exists.

Jung Heewon, tears of blood flowing from both eyes, was running towards us.

Jung Heewon remembers the moment she met that first man.

—I like Jung Heewon.

A person who suddenly smiled strangely at Geumho Station, where the scent of blood was in the air.

—Heewon-ssi... I love you... I'm so sorry...

A person who said strange things.

—There is a character named Jung Heewon in the novel I wrote.

He likes to talk nonsense with a grumpy face.

—She looks very strong on the outside, but in reality, she is a soft person. Because she's such a tough person, she doesn't avoid fights, so she breaks often.

The one who risked his life to save her time and time again.

—I left home when I was in high school. Didn't I tell you?

He was the one who made her talk about her family for the first time.

"Family."

It was throbbing and her head hurt.

—Jung Heewon. Aren’t you curious what the 'original story' was like?

The voice of a woman in a white coat. She had her memories floating around with her.

It was like a 'novel'’s story he was talking about.

Jung Heewon in that novel was someone similar to her, but a little different.

—I don't always want to step forward.

A person who is strong on the outside but soft on the inside.

—But since that person keeps jumping forward, there’s nothing I can do. A stronger me must step forward.

A person who had to muster up courage every time and become stronger.

Jung Heewon was curious.

Why did the self in that world have to become so strong?

Did she want to become stronger?

—Don't talk nonsense! I can't send it! Don't go alone again! Please!

Jung Heewon of that world called a certain name a lot.

—Dokja-ssi!

A name she has never called before.

—Kim Dokja!

Is it family?

Or is it someone she loves?

She doesn't know.

However, Jung Heewon felt like her heart would break when she thought about that name.

Even though she knows this is just a story from a novel.

"Also."

When she thinks of that name.

"I can’t let you die."

She felt angry, sad, and heartbroken.

And she doesn't know why.

Right now, Jung Heewon was feeling the same way about that man.

Explosive magical power flowed from her entire body. Munechika Mikazuki, held in her right hand, trembled violently. Her heart rate was abnormally high.

"You can’t die, you can’t die, you can’t die."

Her muscles contracted and expanded repeatedly. With each step, tens of meters of scenery rushed by.

Even as the surging breath completely covered her.

Jung Heewon did not miss the surprised face of this man.

Strangely, the moment she saw him, Jung Heewon felt like she had found something she had been searching for her whole life.

I could not come to my senses as the sword fight unfolded before my eyes.

I don’t know if Yoo Jonghyuk is capable of such amazing feats.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!

Jung Heewon's sword, which was spinning so fast that it could not be seen, was removing all the breaths of the flying Earth Dragon species.

Oooooh!

The surprised Earth Dragon let out an even more intense breath, but Jung Heewon was not pushed back at all.

Every time Munechika Mikazuki shone bright blue, it was the Earth Python who was pushed out.

As Jung Heewon, who was not afraid of death, took a step forward, as if she were a ghost, the Earth Python, a 4th grade monster, hesitated and took a step back.

"Heewon-ssi?"

As if she couldn't hear me, Jung Heewon was just repeating the same actions and repeating the same words.

"You can’t die, you can’t die, you can’t die."

I got a little goosebumps.

'Why is she doing this all of a sudden?'

—That…

Kim Dokja hesitated for a moment, as if he had something to point out, and then continued speaking in a shameless tone.

—I don't know either.

The breath of the 4th grade Earth Dragon species stopped suddenly. The moment the pale-faced monster took a deep breath, Jung Heewon's new form disappeared from sight.

Faster than me using [Leap].

The 4th grade Earth Python, whose feet were tied by my blow, now had no way to escape.

The monster's claws moved dully, tracing the air, and at the same time, a bloody line appeared on the monster's neck.

Jung Heewon, who sliced the monster's neck in one motion, only glanced at it.

In the blink of an eye, it landed next to me.

Then it fell forward like a doll whose strings had been cut.

I quickly helped Jung Heewon up, who had fallen.

"Heewon-ssi!"

At the same time, all kinds of messages started pouring into my head.

-

I couldn't help but not smile despite the feast of coins pouring in. This is because Jung Heewon was looking up at me with her eyes wide open.

"Don’t die."

Jung Heewon's hands went limp, as if she had lost her mind.

I looked up into space as I quickly pushed the 'Elain Forest Spirit' into her mouth.

It was only then that I realized what Kim Dokja had done and what stigma his [Sacrificial Will] was.

"You, you really—"

I couldn't bear to continue talking.

—I’m a bad person.

However, Kim Dokja was a person who read what was not said better than anyone else.

Kim Dokja must have known from the beginning.

What happens if you use [Sacrifice Will]. How his colleagues are hurt.

"I-"

—Didn’t you want to become Kim Dokja?

I was speechless for a moment. What does it mean to be Kim Dokja?

I am increasingly unable to understand what it means to be Kim Dokja.

My rough breathing gradually calmed down.

Kim Dokja was silent for a moment, but then spoke in a calm voice.

—Now, let’s check the reward.

"You mean the Dragon Heart?"

—That's good too, but start with that first.

Faintly glowing fragments were visible where the body of the giant Earth Dragon had fallen. However, the shape of the fragment was a bit unusual.

'Sponsor, that...'

—That's right.

There was something reminiscent of a small doll lying there.

A doll whose left arm and right leg are missing.

It was much smaller and patchier than I remembered, but it was unmistakable.

It's clear.

It resembled 'kkoma Kim Dokja'.

I stretched out my trembling hand and picked up the doll. Then the doll slowly opened its eyes and looked at me.

No. Maybe it's not me—

At that moment, the kkoma Kim Dokja doll trembled slightly. Maybe it looked like it was crying.

It wasn't crying because it was scared.

—Okay, can you see me?

A cry that sounds like it missed him a lot.

Kim Dokja spoke in a sweet voice, as if comforting the doll.

—

It's okay now. Rest assured.

After hearing Kim Dokja's voice, the doll slowly closed its eyes.

As if waiting for an important choice.

—Hakhyun-ah.

I took a deep breath. I knew what to do, but my feelings were complicated.

—Hold the knife. Hurry.

'Yes?'

—Hurry!

It was then that a crack appeared in the air. A black hand appeared through the completely torn space.

The hand that appeared when Sergeant Jung Moonho died at Seoul Station.

The hand rushed towards the little Kim Dokja doll in my arms.

When Sergeant Jung Moonho was in charge, he was helplessly taken away, but this time it was different.

—Now!

At the signal, I cut down the hand rushing towards the fragment.

The hand that touched the blade crumbled into dust. Then a painful cry rang out from beyond the crack, and the crack closed in an instant.

Kim Dokja sighed and opened his mouth.

—I guess there are people other than us who collect 'fragments'.

I think there is.

I remembered the theater of Asmodeus where 'kkoma Kim Dokjas' gathered.

—It's not him this time. That one.

I knew it the moment I heard his voice. If Kim Dokja were in front of me right now, he would definitely be frowning.

—They are probably the ones who killed 'me'.