779 Episode 35 Demon King Qualifications (5)

The voice she had been searching for for so long.

Her fingertips trembled for a moment.

What happened?

Why was Go Jangwon’s voice coming from this guy?

Goo Seonah gripped the handle of her sword as she heard that voice.

There was no doubt. This guy had killed Go Jangwon and absorbed him. Otherwise, how could she possibly hear such a story—

Goo Seonah hesitated and put down the handle of her sword.

Wouldn’t it be okay to listen a little longer, a little longer?

Goo Seonah listened to the story over and over again. She wanted to hear just one more sentence. She wanted to know the truth.

What happened to Go Jangwon? What happened to him?

When Goo Seonah turned her head in surprise, there was a doll standing in the rain forest where rain was occasionally pouring down.

Goo Seonah immediately recognized who he was.

"Asmodeus."

A spark shot out from the incarnation of the Demon King whose true name had been called.

"How did you get here?"

Goo Seonah glared at Asmodeus without letting go of her tension.

"What's your business?"

Asmodeus smiled mysteriously and said.

"I'm sure you will."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Asmodeus let out a somewhat theatrical sigh. Goo Seonah glared at Asmodeus for a moment and then slowly stood up.

"This guy is mine."

Goo Seonah thought as she looked down at the fallen Kim Dokja.

This guy has memories of 'Go Jangwon'. Until she reads all of those memories, until she finds out what happened, his soul must never be taken away.

Asmodeus covered his mouth and laughed as if he already knew everything.

"How do you know that?"

Goo Seonah bit her lip.

The story was still ringing in her ears in real time.

Goo Seonah said while clenching her fists.

"No. There's still something I need to hear from this guy. So—"

Again, a "tsk tsk" sound echoed through the air. And Asmodeus's incarnation began to be engulfed in sparks.

They?

Before Gu Seonah could ask again, Asmodeus's incarnation faded.

As soon as Asmodeus's incarnation disappeared, the nearby grass began to rustle. Those who emerged from the forest were faces she knew.

The incarnations that were smiling strangely at her were there.

Students of Class B. The terminals of the incarnations of <Twelve Zodiac Signs>.

A rat that brought plagues. And a snake that cut off its tail.

She also knew the owners of those incarnations. Once members of the Misreading Association, now they are the ones whose egos have been eaten by stories.

There are people who have maintained a similar relationship with her since their personalities changed.

But now.

The moment she saw them, a cold sensation ran up her spine.

Something is different.

The fist that flew in in an instant pierced her stomach. She couldn’t rest properly. Blood burst out with a sound, and a sharp pain surged from her entrails.

It felt like her neck would break at any moment in their grip.

'This can't be happening.'

The 'snake that cuts off its tail' and the 'rat that brings plague' that she knew were already as weak as they could be. After fighting against Cheon Inho repeatedly and getting hit by the aftermath of the probability explosions, she was now so damaged that she could not properly carry out the scenario.

But where on earth did they get this strength?

Buying a modifier?

Her heart sank.

According to the principle of the 'Recycling Center', there were two types of constellations that could intervene in this battlefield.

One was the deep fires of the first class of <Sil-i-ji>.

And the constellations of the 'Gourmet Association' that supported this high scenario.

However, there was one more way for the other constellations to intervene in the world.

If those were the constellations of the 'Giant Nebula'.

Sweat ran down her back.

In that case, the 'Recycling Center' was no longer safe.

If she opens the story once again and uses the 「Master of the Twelve Zodiac Signs」, will she be able to defeat these guys?

She wasn’t sure.

Now, Goo Seonah didn’t have much magic left. The previous fight had squeezed the story to its limit.

The 'Plague Rat' pulled out its long claw and swung its weapon at Goo Seonah.

A blow that could neither be avoided nor blocked.

The moment she closed her eyes tightly, something heavy collided with her.

The constellation staggered from the powerful body slam and dropped Goo Seonah.

When she raised her head, a man with a sturdy build was blocking her way.

"Run away."

It was Lee Hyunsung, who had fainted a moment ago.

"Quickly."

Upon closer inspection, she saw that it wasn’t just Lee Hyunsung. Kim Namwoon, standing next to Lee Hyunsung, pursed his lips and said, "Hey, it's going to be fun now."

Lee Jihye, who was next to him, could be seen unsheathing her sword.

"You, take that ahjussi and run away quickly. If he dies, Master will be angry."

It was strange. The [Daily Corpse] and [Hypnosis Incite] she had cast on the characters were completely destroyed.

Now, they had no reason to protect her.

And yet.

"Please."

Shin Yoosoung held out her small hand and raised it to Goo Seonah.

"Please save ahjussi."

It was a terrible dream.

A dream where Kim Dokja and Kim Dokja aimed their swords at each other. A dream where I couldn't figure out why it happened or why it had to happen.

I floated aimlessly in the center of that dream.

The cracking sound of swords clashing. The sound of something being torn.

I groaned as I felt the vivid pain contained in that sound.

Why did they have to fight? Why does this universe have to exist?

Why did we have to be born as 'Kim Dokja'?

My back was wet. I opened my eyes, breathing evenly, and saw the dark cave ceiling.

When I raised my swollen body, I saw someone lighting a fire at the entrance of the cave.

"Goo Seonah-ssi."

She looked exactly like me, but with slightly more delicate lines, and she smiled with a feeble expression.

"What is this?"

"Well, as you can see."

Goo Seonah's appearance was a mess.

There were many new wounds that had appeared in the meantime. A long, torn side and a thigh where a chunk of flesh had fallen off.

What concerned me the most was her blood vessels that had turned dark red.

"What happened?"

"It'll be long if I explain."

Goo Seonah closed her mouth for a moment as if she was organizing her thoughts, and then began to speak.

"I think the constellations of the giant nebula came in after purchasing the Zodiac."

"No way—"

"It’s not safe here anymore."

"You saved me?"

"…"

"Why? Wasn’t your goal to absorb me?"

Instead of answering, Goo Seonah lowered her head with a bitter smile. It seemed like she didn’t want to answer.

"And what was the memory you showed me?"

"What memory?"

"Kim Dok-ja appears in…"

"Oh, that one."

Goo Seonah picked up a branch hanging from the cave floor and threw it into the fire.

"I don’t know either. It’s not my memory. I got it from someone."

Goo Seonah groaned with her brow furrowed.

I quickly walked over to her and felt her pulse. There was turbid air flowing through her veins.

A blood vessel damaged by the 「epidemic」.

Her veins were so severely damaged that they could not be repaired.

"Seonah-ssi."

Goo Seonah said as if she knew her condition well.

"Yes. It's a wound that can't be cured even if I eat 'Dae-Hwan-Dan'."

"We don't know yet. There's also 'Ellein Forest's Essence'—"

"I know. I've read it eight times. I said it can't be done. There's no way."

Goo Seonah shook my hand off as if she was tired and leaned against the cave wall.

Watching her dying in real time, I didn't know what to say.

Goo Seonah said as if she found my appearance funny.

"What are you so worried about? I was trying to kill you just a moment ago."

"That's because of a misunderstanding—"

"Misunderstanding…"

In the meantime, the forest of the demon tribe seemed to have entered a state of calm. The sound of the sickle swordsmanship heard here and there had faded, and no one could scream.

Maybe it meant that there were almost no students left.

"Do you know 'Go Jangwon'?"

I thought for a moment and shook my head.

"Is he a reader?"

"Yes."

I thought about the reader named Go Jangwon.

But I couldn't remember anything in particular.

"I read a little bit from your memory. Why, he was wearing some kind of military uniform."

Military uniform.

"Are you talking about Sergeant Jung Moonho?"

"Jung Moonho?"

"He was the one who possessed Jung Heewon's father."

Goo Seonah's eyes widened.

"I see. That guy was Jung Heewon's father. So that's why..."

Goo Seonah muttered "Jung Heewon" and "father" several times as if she was so happy.

"That kid is still a conscript, but he was a soldier here. Tell me more."

I told her about Sergeant Jung Moonho that I knew.

Goo Seonah listened to me without even a sound of breathing.

I wondered if that was the expression I had when I read Kim Dokja 'Ways of Survival'.

"That bastard went into the Beggar Sect? Ha, that coward."

Sergeant Jung Moonho, who became a servant of the Beggar Sect.

"What? Did he just get beaten up here too?"

Sergeant Jung Moonho, who ended up joining our side, but was beaten like a dog by the Beggar Sect’s master in the first round of the non-combat.

"How was he in the end?"

Sergeant Jung Moonho, who threw himself to save his son, Jung Eunho.

A person who willingly sacrificed himself to protect the history of the characters.

I finally learned his name.

"Yes. That's right."

His name is 'Go Jangwon'

"The black hand took his soul in the end?"

I nodded.

She seemed to know who the 'black hand' was.

Hemoptysis continued once again, and black blood and stories began to flow out from Goo Seonah's body.

"They're here."

"Seonah-ssi."

I knew it too. I had been sensing ominous movements outside the cave since a while ago.

The number was two. Both of them had an energy that surpassed that of the upper-level demons. Maybe those guys were the constellations of the 'giant nebula' that Goo Seonah had mentioned.

I hurriedly picked Goo Seonah up and started running.

How far could I run?

Should I use [Way of the Wind]?

If I call Yoo Jonghyuk or Jung Heewon, will they come in time?

"Do you know what to do?"

Goo Seonah said.

"If you don't do anything again, my soul will be taken away like Jangwon."

"I told you. I have no intention of absorbing you—"

"Have you ever thought about that? Whether we are Kim Dokja or not, it might not really matter. After all, the universe must have started from a single point."

"What the—"

"Just go back to that point. There's nothing to be scared of or afraid of."

An arrow flew from somewhere and grazed my calf, and I fell to the ground.

Goo Seonah reached out and grabbed my hand. Her memories of her slowly dying began to flow in.

In that memory, a man was asking her.

The two looked at each other and laughed.

If everything was born from one point, would Go Jangwon and Goo Seonah be able to meet again at the end of this story?

The sound of thumping footsteps. The constellations that were aiming at us were approaching.

"I have one request."

The power of the soul that flowed in filled my whole body.

"Kill the guy who stole Go Jangwon's soul."

My back which was carrying her slowly felt lighter. When I looked back, her body had already scattered. All that remained where she was was a single holy sword, 'Ravelinger'.

I got up from my seat with Ravelinger in my hand.

I saw two constellations running after harming the water.

'Plague-bringing rat' and 'Tail-cutting snake'.

To be exact, they were the ones wearing those masks.

Judging from the stories I felt, they seemed to be from <Olympus> or <Asgard>. They had incarnations at their sides. Lee Hyunsung, Kim Namwoon, Lee Jihye, and even Shin Yoosoung.

I could guess just from that how strong the constellations were.

Great-grade constellations skilled in one-on-one combat.

They were the perfect cleaners to be dispatched to the Recycling Center from the 'Giant Nebulae'.

In the past, they would have been difficult enemies to deal with.

However.

The story inside me was speaking.

The moment has finally come for me to inherit 'that power'.

A small horn rises through my head along with the magic flowing out of my body.

As if they noticed that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, the two constellations rushed in, throwing the characters aside.

One was a magician. The other was a swordsman. Even when their weapons were right in front of me, I hadn't seen them.

What I saw was the other side of the distant sky.

Two constellations hiding in the distant galaxy, wearing the shells of the <Twelve Zodiac Signs>.

The two constellations that received my gaze glowed fiercely.

I ordered them.

The sound of a star exploding was heard across the distant universe.

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