766 Episode 33 Ball (5)

My heart was beating loudly.

Ma Hyunsung, the protagonist of 『Infinite Prison Guard』.

As if that wasn't enough, he fought with Yoo Jonghyuk.

At first glance, it may seem like a battle to determine the strongest protagonist, but the situation was not that simple.

—Are you really sure that it was 'Ma Hyunsung'?

—I'm sure.

Considering common sense, it was impossible for Ma Hyunsung to appear as a disaster in the 41st round. Aside from the distortion of the world line, several conditions were necessary to become a 'disaster' in the fifth scenario

Like the Lesser Dragon Igneel, they are a species of monster raised in paradise, or like the Disaster of Questions, they made a contract with the management bureau to avoid a violation of grave probability, or like the Disaster of Floods, they dedicated their existence to the scenario for a specific purpose.

Ma Hyunsung did not seem to be the first or second case.

So he's the third case.

Is there any reason for Ma Hyunsung to be subordinate of the management bureau? Unless his worldview is destroyed—

As I thought about that, I let out a faint groan.

Ah.

A few settings that came to mind later. Although it had become somewhat faded with age, the information about 'Infinite Prison Guard' still remained in my head.

Although it didn't go that far in the story, it was correct to see that Ma Hyunsung's world had come to an end in a general sense. This was true both internally and externally.

What does it mean?

If the act of 'stopping serialization' contributed to the end of a world, then his worldview had come to a halt in time series.

Because of me, not anyone else.

But I also feel a little unfair. It may be a bit strange, but 『Infinite Prison Guard』 was a story that could only be completed by 'stopping serialization'.

Anyway.

—There is no way Yoo Jonghyuk could kill Ma Hyunsung.

I don’t know what kind of disaster Ma Hyunsung suffered. However, the Ma Hyunsung I remember was an absolute powerhouse in the worldview of 『Infinite Prison Guard』.

This means that he was the strongest person in this world right before the serialization was stopped.

—But Yoo Jonghyuk killed him. I definitely saw it.

—Can you tell what kind of disaster Ma Hyunsung caused?

—A disaster of memory.

A disaster of memory?

As far as I know, there is no such disaster.

But the name is something the <Star Stream> decided on its own.

—It was a disaster that never appeared in the main story. To be honest, I thought I didn't know the strategy well, but Yoo Jonghyuk ran out on his own and fought back.

—And what?

—In less than five minutes, Ma Hyunsung admitted defeat. He mumbled something to himself... I'm not sure, but he seemed to have a carefree face.

A light-hearted face?

Tsutsutsu, sparks bouncing.

I guess this is the end of the conversation.

It was time to move on.

"Have you seen where this bastard Yoo Jonghyuk went?"

I just picked up trash and already earned 150 points.

She said that the final goal was 500 points, so at this rate, the goal was easily achieved.

"Dokja-ssi. Would you please bring Jonghyuk-ssi? I think I’ll have to end my volunteer work soon."

"Yes, but where did he go?"

"Well, well, I saw him go that way earlier—"

I walked straight along in the direction that Teacher Yang pointed out.

1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor... I went up the stairs, calling Yoo Jonghyuk’s name.

It was a strange feeling. I can't believe I'm going to go to school. Probably the same goes for Yoo Jonghyuk. According to the settings, he never went to school properly.

When I thought about it that way, I felt like I knew where Yoo Jonghyuk was.

Yoo Jonghyuk was on the rooftop.

If you think about it, it was natural.

For a guy who is not used to school and doesn't have good relationships with friends, there is a fixed location for him to go to.

The unfortunate thing was that even the rooftop wasn't a place he would really like.

Because the rooftop is a place where you can see the sky very clearly.

Yoo Jonghyuk was looking up at the sky as always.

He seemed to be searching for his sponsor, and he seemed to be recalling distant memories. He seemed to be gazing at the stars in the night sky, or he seemed to be gazing at the scenery of a world that had already perished.

Perhaps because of his mood, Yoo Jonghyuk's appearance looked blurry.

What round is this guy currently living through?

Is it round 0, round 1, or some round I don't know? In some round that everyone has forgotten, is he walking alone through the memories of a destroyed world?

Suddenly, I remembered someone's large footprints left in the snowy field.

"Yoo Jonghyuk."

Yoo Jonghyuk slowly looked back. The guy was smoking a cigarette.

Was it blurry because of the cigarette smoke?

Judging from the fact that he was struggling to hold back his cough, it seemed that Yoo Jonghyuk was not used to smoking.

"Why are you glaring at me like that?"

"You’re staring at me too."

"I just have narrow eyes."

Even though my face has clearly changed to that of Kim Dokja, my squinted eyes cannot be corrected.

"Didn’t you hear Teacher Yang tell you not to smoke?"

"I would have said this wasn’t a cigarette."

We stood side by side in front of the rooftop railing.

When I think about it, I have never had an honest conversation with Yoo Jonghyuk from the 41st round. This is because conversations with Yoo Junghyuk were always filled with lies for survival.

But what about now?

Even now, does he still perceive me as a 'villain who must be killed if he fails'?

"If you just throw it away, we’ll have to pick it up again—"

Yoo Jonghyuk threw the butt down despite my warning. Cha Sungwoo, who was downstairs, was seen muttering something as he quickly scooped up the butt with a dustpan.

"Get 1 point."

It seemed like he was saying that.

Yoo Jonghyuk and I stood side by side and looked at the group picking up trash on campus, Teacher Yang with her white wings fluttering, and the lush forest beyond.

Philia Hunter Academy is a school created to deal with the demons that come across the 'forest'. Many students lost their lives fighting against demons there and became food for the forest.

Even though the forest had a terrible history, it was beautiful from afar.

A forest filled with golden leaves that sucked the blood of humans and demons and bloomed with their stories.

I thought that the forest somehow resembled the <Star Stream>.

"What a beautiful sight."

"You seem to think tragedy is beautiful."

I was secretly impressed. After all, in any round, Yoo Jonghyuk is Yoo Jonghyuk

This must be Yoo Jonghyuk's first time visiting this worldview. Nevertheless, Yoo Jonghyuk recognized what kind of place that forest was at first sight.

"Isn’t a tragedy like a comedy when seen from afar?"

"Sounds like something stupid constellations would say."

"The same goes for humans. Sometimes there are things you can only see if you look with your eyes open."

Enduring tragedy as a tragedy would also be a meaningful way of life.

However, not all humans can be like Yoo Jonghyuk.

"Rather than that, why not give me one too?"

"Buy it yourself and smoke it."

"Sell me a cigarette."

Yoo Jonghyuk glared at me for a moment and then handed me a cigarette.

I looked down for a moment at the cigarette I received. I guessed why Yoo Jonghyuk smokes 'mana tobacco'.

The characteristic of the mana cigarette is 'accelerated recovery'.

An item that increases physical strength, mental strength, and magic power recovery rates at the cost of placing a burden on the user's soul.

Yoo Jonghyuk must have been smoking a lot of this tobacco in preparation for the next scenario.

I slowly inhaled the cigarette smoke and exhaled a long breath in Yoo Jonghyuk’s direction.

Acting man.

It was the ability of the reader—Kim Kyung-sik—that I absorbed.

The smoke rose just as I had intended, and soon covered Yoo Jonghyuk's entire head like a cloud.

"It looks good."

A strong magical response was felt throughout Yoo Jonghyuk's entire body, which was hidden by smoke

He looks like he's going to activate [Hundred Steps Godly Fists] at any moment and blow a hole in my stomach.

But I believe that Yoo Jonghyuk would not do that.

Because within the barrier of 'smoke',

—Yoo Jonghyuk. Did you get your memories back?

Yoo Jonghyuk would have checked the 'sentence' that only he could see.

Because I had abused [group chat] so much in the past, the worldview was now starting to doubt my ability to communicate.

So this was the temporary solution I came up with.

"There is no need to live too hard. Sometimes you need to fill your head with hazy smoke. Just stay like that for a while."

At least on the outside, it would seem like a prank between close friends.

I hope so.

It was about 30 seconds later that Yoo Jonghyuk's [telepathy] was heard.

—I got it back to some extent.

As expected, Yoo Jonghyuk seemed to have regained a significant amount of his memories.

This probably means that he is slowly escaping from the side effects of 'Story Imprinting'.

—But you didn't ask about anything that happened. You probably have a lot of questions.

—I don't think you'll answer honestly.

—You don't know that. Now, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Aren’t we colleagues now?

Yoo Jonghyuk had no answer when asked about being a colleague.

And after a while, this answer came back.

—I know you are not 'Cheon Inho'.

—You're so quick-witted.

—Is 'Kim Dokja' your real name?

—You don't need to know that. However, it’s okay if you call me that.

Yoo Jonghyuk's face was obscured by smoke, so it was impossible to tell what expression he was making.

Yoo Jonghyuk, who was silent for a moment, asked.

—Where did 'Cheon Inho' go?

It seems that 41th round Yoo Jonghyuk also doesn't know where the real owner of my body has gone.

—I don’t know either. When I possessed this body, Cheon Inho was not there.

—There is no way he would have given up his body so obediently. There must have been a purpose.

—Are you familiar with Cheon Inho?

It was a question I had always wondered about.

What on earth was the relationship between Yoo Junghyuk and Cheon Inho in 40th round?

In Anna Croft's memories, the two were enemies. They were also enemies of Bulbuldaecheon, who aimed their swords at each other and aimed at each other's necks.

—I do not know.

—For that matter, did you make any promises?

It seemed the same.

I remembered the day I first met Yoo Jonghyuk.

Oksu Station.

When I was still playing 'Cheon Inho', Yoo Jonghyuk said as soon as he saw me.

—I said it then. 'Don’t come visit me until the work I asked you to do is done.'

When we first met, Yoo Jonghyuk thought I was 'Cheon Inho', and he gave me orders.

To do what you are told to do.

—What exactly is the contract you and Cheon Inho made in the last round?

The contract shared between Yoo Jonghyuk and Cheon Inho in the 40th round. I felt like I could only find out the secret of this round if I knew the details of the contract.

—Yoo Jonghyuk?

As expected, Yoo Jonghyuk had no answer this time. I thought it might be possible. Yoo Jonghyuk's memories have not fully returned yet. And maybe some of his memories are gone forever.

—I don’t remember the exact details of the contract with Cheon Inho.

Is that so?

I nodded, trying hard to hide my disappointment. However.

—But I remember what the 'first' thing I asked Cheon Inho was.

Yoo Jonghyuk, enveloped in a cloud of smoke, was speaking.

—Rehabilitate the villains of the <Star Stream>, including the Ten Evils... I had ordered them to be made of people who would be helpful in the scenario.

I asked back with my mouth open in a daze.

—Are you serious?

—Yes.

When I thought about it, Cheon Inho in the 40th round was one of the Ten Evils, and a great man who could have been the same villain as his colleagues. So, from Yoo Jonghyuk’s perspective, it was not strange for him to give such an order.

The intention was probably to make this round run well by coaxing the top ten villains.

I sighed lightly and said.

—Then it's a pity. Unfortunately, I…

—You kept your promise.

—Yes?

I paused for a moment and then asked.

—What does that mean?

Yoo Jonghyuk's expression couldn't be seen clearly because it was obscured by smoke, but I could vaguely see where he was staring.

The direction he is looking is towards the bottom of the campus.

It was in the direction where my colleagues were.

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