718 Episode 27 Recycling Center (1)
「 I wanted to show it to the world. Even ordinary stories can become great stories. 」
I heard a tinnitus buzzing in my ears. I felt dizzy, as if someone was shaking my skull.
「 "Youngest." 」
Words flowing through my head.
What followed were scenes that came to mind.
The Demon Marquis of the Capitol. The Demon King of Salvation who possessed him. Great constellations rushing towards him. Ares, the 12th god of Olympus, came to kill the Demon King of Salvation.
「 "You have to do it." 」
The sense of the sentences I had unconsciously written in the blurry atmosphere was vivid at my fingertips.
「 "I am Yoo Jonghyuk." 」
[The constellations of the giant nebula are astonished by your achievements!]
Twisted probability.
The Demon King of Salvation rushing towards Ares.
[Some small and medium-sized nebulae are depressed by your presence.]
[Some constellations in the little nebulae are starting to cheer for your presence.]
[The constellations of the Korean Peninsula are worried about your future.]
The fate message.
Ares was resurrected.
[The constellation 'Goryeo’s First Sword' is proud of you.]
[The constellation 'White Shark' is full of admiration for your achievements.]
Giant nebula. Falling meteors.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is worried for your safety.]
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' nods to your courage.]
Ji Eunyu.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' curses at the cowardly giant nebula…]
[The constellation 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake'… ]
And.
[Your new story has been born.]
[The new story will be shared with your sponsor.]
I muttered absentmindedly.
"Kim Dokja."
I looked around.
"Kim Dokja."
No one answered.
"Demon King of Salvation!"
Even though I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice was weak and muffled. A cold feeling touched my cheek.
It was snowing.
Pure white snowy field. Footprints of someone walking ahead.
I walked along those footprints. At first I walked, but soon I started running.
I ran, suppressing my rising breath. On the way, I fell a few times and ended up in the snow. My feet suddenly fell into the cold, with sore eyes.
「 "I will offer myself to <Star Stream>." 」
A strange sound, neither a scream nor a regular sound, came from inside me.
That can't be possible. There's no way he's dead.
There is no way that Kim Dokja, that Demon King of Salvation, would disappear like this.
How long did I run like that?
Finally I reached the end of the footprints.
A shaking white coat.
There stood the person I was desperately looking for.
I staggered towards him. The moment I slowly stretched out my hand and touched his shoulder, Kim Dokja looked back.
「 Huh. 」
I looked blankly at his face. Clearly, he had the face of the 'Kim Dokja' I knew. The calm eyes and neatly smiling lips were clearly Kim Dokja.
But he.
「 He was not the 'Demon King of Salvation' I knew. 」
Only then did I slowly come to my senses.
I realized where this place was.
I have entered the snowy field.
"You—"
And the 'Kim Dokja' in front of me now was the 'Kim Dokja of the Snowy Field' that I had met for the first time.
Kim Dokja feels sometimes sad, sometimes incomprehensible, and at the same time distant.
I asked him.
"Where is the Demon King of Salvation?"
As usual, Kim Dokja took out a teacup from his chest, lazily poured his tea and took a sip.
Steam rose from the teacup, and Kim Dokja slowly looked up at the sky, following the dispersing water vapor.
A falling meteor shower decorated the empty sky of the snowy field. Perhaps it is the great-grade constellations of the 'Giant Nebulae' that were sacrificed in this fight.
「 It was a really interesting story. 」
Interesting story.
「 It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the great nebulae get into trouble like that. 」
His enjoyment was not unusual. Because he is Kim Dokja, who loves stories more than anyone else in this universe.
Normally I might have talked about him and the constellations for hours.
"Kim Dokja. Where is the Demon King of Salvation?"
But I didn't feel like it right now.
"You saw it too. Everyone was watching it."
A cold flame boiled inside me. A feeling that I didn't have before.
The snow on the ground was melting around me.
Kim Dokja looked down at my feet and asked.
「 Do you remember what I said before? 」
What he said.
「 I told you to say whatever you want. 」
Right.
「 Is that really what you wanted to talk about? 」
"What is that—"
「 Why did you sign a contract with the 'Demon King of Salvation'? 」
Kim Dokja was looking at the sky, so I couldn't see his expression.
But I could tell just by the way he spoke.
Now he was angry.
「 I thought you would make a wise choice. 」
Why is he angry?
「 You shouldn’t be a 'Kim Dokja' like them. 」
Kim Dokja’s words sounded very strange to me.
Until now, I thought he would support me no matter what I said.
But actually, did he also have a story that he wanted to see through me?
I don't know. Honestly, I didn't have time to think about such things right now.
"Kim Dokja. I’ll say it again. I want to save the Demon King of Salvation. Please tell me how to save the Demon King of Salvation."
「 I can’t help you. 」
"Why?"
「 Because he and I pursue different ◾️◾️. 」
"What are you talking about? You and him are both Kim Dokja. You—"
At that moment, a strange question occurred to me.
The Demon King of Salvation once said something like that to me. It is said that 'Kim Dokja' in this world line was divided into several large chunks centered on modifiers.
"The Demon King of Salvation said he was the first Kim Dokja."
So then, who is the Kim Dokja in front of me right now? How many 'Kim Dokjas' is this?
"What number are you?"
The Demon King of Salvation called me the 'youngest'. In that case, Kim Dokja in front of me would be a brother before me.
Second or third?
"Kim Dokja?"
But strangely enough, as I looked at him, it seemed like he was neither of those things.
Who is Kim Dokja?
He is,
「 You. 」
Was this really the 'Kim Dokja' I knew?
「 You shouldn’t be Kim Dokja’s 'youngest'. 」
"That’s up to me to decide. If I really am the reincarnation of Kim Dokja—"
Even as I said this, I was surprised.
Because I never thought I would say those words out of my mouth.
Is this the influence of the Demon King of Salvation?
Do I really think of myself as 'Kim Dokja' now?
「 Hakhyun-ah. 」
Kim Dokja sighed lightly and extended his hand towards me. But at that moment, I instinctively felt wary. I felt like I shouldn't touch his hand.
TheAs I was staggering back, thunder struck again in the distance.
But Kim Dokja's hands were fast, and I couldn't avoid it.
Tsutsutsu.
It was then that sparks flew in the air. My hand moved of its own accord and grabbed Kim Dokja’s wrist.
Then an unfamiliar voice came out of my mouth.
"I’m disappointed. Are you trying to break the rules?"
Then Kim Dokja, whose expression hardened, spoke.
"Don’t disturb. Cheon—"
Thunder struck again and the snowy landscape was torn apart.
When I came to my senses, I was lying face down on the unfamiliar dirt floor, nauseating.
It felt like someone had disassembled my body into joints and reassembled it.
It was natural.
[Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint was maintained for a long time, and 'Goryeo’s First Sword' was summoned using Bookmark and even used the three-sword style. If the scale of probability had not prevented the aftermath, it would not be surprising if my body had been torn apart long ago. Surviving itself was a miracle.]
After taking a few breaths, I opened my mouth as if squeezing my throat.
"Is there anyone?"
No one answered.
[Transmission via 'Star Ladder' has been completed.]
[A new main scenario will begin soon.]
Even while I was unconscious from [Daily Invoice], I checked the situation on the battlefield through [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint].
Clearly, Anna Croft and Christina used the 'Star Ladder' with Yoo Jonghyuk on their backs.
"Is there anyone?"
I suddenly felt alone.
[Main Scenario #7—'Invasion of the Demon World' has ended.]
[Sub-scenario—'Beast Hunt' has ended.]
When I think about it, I have been alone ever since I entered this world.
And yet, once again, I realize that I am alone.
"Constellation-nim."
It may be because I remembered that I was not alone for a brief moment.
[A total of 600,000 coins were obtained as compensation.]
It felt like he was talking in my ear like usual.
The youngest has earned so many coins. It seemed like he would be happy to finally be able to buy the 'Demon King's modifier'.
[You have been given the option to choose a 'narrative-grade story'.]
That we did it together.
[Your achievements will be announced on the <Star Stream>.]
[The modifier 'Demon King of Salvation' is announced on the Star Stream.]
Those damn giant nebulae have finally been dealt a blow.
[In recognition of your amazing achievements, the 'Administrative Bureau' will improve and adjust the rewards of the sub-scenario.]
[You have been provided with an 'SS-grade skill selection'.]
Check out the newly received rewards and think together about what to choose.
I felt like he was going to make a fuss because this story was good and that skill was good.
"Constellation-nim."
There was no voice heard. Instead, faint sparks flew out in the air. An unprecedented feeling that faintly flows into me.
A sense of relief washed over me.
「 The sponsorship contract has not been cut off. 」
It was proof that he was still alive somewhere in this world.
"Why."
I wanted to ask.
"Why did you do that?"
Even though I knew it was meaningless to ask such a question to the 'Demon King of Salvation', I wanted to ask.
He offered himself to the <Star Stream> in exchange for saving me.
Just like Shin Yoosoung in the 41st round.
He had fought against the story his whole life, and ended up becoming part of it to save me.
"Why—"
Am I worth it?
"You, you are the real Kim Dokja."
If there is only one Kim Dokja left in this world, shouldn't it be you?
Tsutsutsut.
A sound was heard once again. It wasn't a probability spark. The sound was coming from inside my arms. The smartphone was vibrating.
Smartphone.
I reflexively took out my phone. It wasn't my phone.
It was Kim Dokja’s.
The phone that Kim Dokja always had in his hand.
A screen appeared on the liquid crystal display. There was a file lying all over the empty desktop.
I looked at the file blankly and pressed the button without realizing it.
「 There are three ways to survive in a ruined world. 」
There was a star who loved this story more than anyone else.
A sentence he must have read countless times.
「 I’ve forgotten a few things now. But one thing is certain. 」
A sentence that would have saved him from death time and time again.
I also read that sentence.
「 That is the fact that you, who are reading this now, will survive. 」
This is what he left me.
I read that sentence over and over again.
And then I stood up and started walking.