849 Episode 45 Ten Evils (7)

"Cheon Inho! That's it! Use 「Staging」!"

It seemed that Ten Evils had belatedly come to the same realization as Yoo Joonghyuk.

"There must be a story that you got from defeating those guys!"

There is.

There must have been stories inside me that I was afraid to even recall.

Stories, all of which were created by piling up terrible evil deeds.

Stories are memories. The incarnations that died during their creation.

I hesitated. Was it really okay to reenact these stories here?

While I hesitated, Oedipus's order was given.

The incarnations that had taken over Yoo Joonghyuk's defense began to launch a full-scale offensive.

Yoo Joonghyuk's entire body was stricken by Lee Jihye and Kim Namwoon's consecutive attacks, and Yoo Joonghyuk's face turned pale every time Lee Hyunsung's [Mt. Taesang Smash], which took advantage of the gap, struck.

On top of that, Gong Pildu's [Magic Turret] poured out without a hitch.

Oedipus was watching us from behind the armed fortress, with the four Constellations.

To be honest, it was a bit disappointing. Apollo and Artemis are one thing, but Athena is the goddess of justice... Damn, she came to judge the Ten Evils, so it isn't strange?

But isn't it a bit strange that Dionysus is involved? I didn't think the Constellation would be in this situation.

Upon closer inspection, Dionysus's eyes were dull as if he had lost interest. He continued to sip the wine in his left hand with empty eyes. If you think about it, not all Dionysus are the same as the 1,864th Round. He must have gone through a lot on his way to the Final Scenario.

Apollo added in a nonchalant voice.

It seems that there was quite a bit of trouble in the fight against the Blood Demon, and the Constellations including Apollo looked a little tired.

In that case, we still have a chance.

I looked back at the Ten Evils and said.

"I won't use the staging."

"What?"

I looked at the Ten Evils' frightened faces one by one and continued.

"We have to show that we can win without relying on the power of staging."

In the first place, if the Ten Evils don't surpass <Kim Dokja’s Company>, they won't be able to see the end of the 40th Round.

In short, if they can defeat them without using 'staging', they will be eligible to see the final chapter of the scenario.

The Ten Evils gaped at my decision as if it was ridiculous.

Yoo Joonghyuk also glanced back in the middle of the fight, and Anna Croft, who had been continuing her prophecies one by one, stared at me with strange eyes.

The two seemed to be surprised by my decision in a slightly different sense.

Kyung Sein shouted as if she was frustrated.

"Why are you going back when there is an easy way?"

Her question was valid.

But.

"The easy way is not always the right way."

You shouldn't use staged scenes. What should I say? For a fundamental reason, I didn't want to recreate the stage of those stories.

Yoo Joonghyuk, who was pushed to the back with a thud, stood next to me.

"What are you planning?"

The guy's eyes were burning brightly as if he had read my mind.

"If you care about me, then just leave it at that. I’ve already experienced the deaths of my comrades dozens of times."

"Of course."

This kind of pain must certainly be familiar to Yoo Joonghyuk.

But does that mean it’s okay to say that it’s not pain?

"It’s just that I don’t want to use it. It’s no fun if I win easily."

I smiled brightly as I dodged the flying sword.

Maybe Cheon Inho used 'Staging' in the 40th Round. And that’s what the 'Evil Sophist' wanted.

But I had no intention of unconditionally following the rules of the 40th Round.

I’ll do it my way.

Even if I lose here, I won’t use the method of digging up Yoo Joonghyuk’s scars.

Ye Hyunwoo nodded as if he understood the situation and opened his mouth.

"I see. I’ll disappear now."

"Ye Hyunwoo."

I asked while holding onto Ye Hyunwoo’s arm.

"Don’t you want to see the end of the scenarios?"

"That kind of thing—"

"How long are you going to 'disappear'? If I die here, do you think you'll be okay after returning with [Deceased Summoning]?"

"But you can't win against those guys. We're not on the same level."

"On the same level? Are you really running away because of that?"

I looked back at the four incarnations engaged in a fierce battle with Yoo Joonghyuk and said.

"You can run away if you want. But you've run away many times so far."

I continued speaking to Kang Ilhun, Lee Dansu, and Kyung Sein who were watching us.

"Will you be like that even in the Last Scenario?"

Some characters are born as villains and die as villains. That's because there was no room for them to change. The writer didn't leave any sentences for them. It had to be that way in the main story.

But what about this world line?

The three of them looked at each other to see what they were thinking. Their wavering eyes crossed.

Lee Dansu was the first to speak.

"What do you want from us?"

"Even if you die again, I will revive you as much as I want. So please save me this time."

I explained the plan through [group chat]. As expected of the Ten Evils, they quickly understood my plan.

—As expected, it was a plan created by the 'Evil Sophist'.

Once again, [Mt. Taesun Smash] exploded. Now, Yoo Joonghyuk, who had reached his limit, was being pushed back.

The moment Lee Hyunsung, who did not miss the opportunity, was about to activate [Mt. Taesun Smash] again.

"Kang Ilhun"

Kang Ilhun ran towards Lee Hyunsung at the same time as my signal.

"Wow! Why is Zeus in a place like that!"

The startled incarnations looked back for a moment. Of course, there was nothing there.

Lee Hyunsung, enraged, turned around and ripped Kang Ilhun's neck off.

Kang Ilhun's neck, flying through the air, shouted.

"Now!"

The moment Lee Hyunsung belatedly noticed something was wrong and looked around, a voice was heard from below.

"You're late, Steel Sword Master."

Dozens of 'traps' were set up in a split second.

Traps are not very effective against the deceased. However, if there are dozens of traps instead of just one, it's a different story.

A suffocating gas trap burst out around Lee Hyunsung. Lee Hyunsung's body, which had stepped on more than ten traps in an instant, began to petrify rapidly.

"Hahaha! This is a trap made from the legend of Medusa! Even if you are the Steel Sword Master, you won't be able to move for five minutes with this..."

Lee Hyunsung, who had been frozen with a thud, stretched out his right arm with all his might. Lee Dansu, who had been letting his guard down, was pierced in the chest in vain.

"Bam..."

Two of the Ten Evils died in order to subdue Lee Hyunsung alone. However, there was no time to hesitate. There were still three enemies left.

"Ah, no. I'm different from other guys. I can never fight them!"

Kyung Sein instinctively recognized the 'strong' and stepped back, her legs shaking. Lee Jihye and Kim Namwoon were approaching her, emitting wild fighting spirit.

Kyung Sein's judgment was right. If we confronted them now, Lee Jihye's [Instant Kill] would immediately cut off her head.

But what if we did this?

"Kyung Sein."

"From now on, 'Lee Jihye' and 'Kim Namwoon' are weaker than you."

A fierce spark flew before her eyes. [Incite], whose power was further strengthened by [Strengthening Sentences].

Kyung Sein groaned as if in pain.

Changing the target of [Insect Massacre] through [Incite].

If I did this to a story, which wasn't even a skill, the story could easily get twisted and her body could explode. Nevertheless, Kyung Sein accepted my [incite].

Kyung Sein laughed amidst the bright sparks of probability.

"I feel like I'm the main character."

Kyung Sein ran out at a fast pace and engaged in a close fight with Lee Jihye and Kim Namwoon.

Kyung Sein's bare fist landed on Lee Jihye's side, and her sweeping kick struck the Delusional Demon's stomach.

A mere Ten Evils were engaged in a duel with the 'Sea Admiral' and the 'Delusional Demon'.

Of course, it was only a short-term trick to gain some time, but that was exactly what we needed.

The quick-witted Oedipus shouted. A shadow of anxiety flashed across his eyes. Soon, the bastard pointed at me with his finger and screamed.

Gong Pildu's [Magic Turret] was aimed at me. Oedipus' judgment was indeed accurate.

In the end, everyone here was the ones I revived with [Deceased Summoning].

The moment I die, they will also rapidly lose their vitality.

But.

"That's the same for you too."

The moment Oedipus, with his eyes wide open, turned around, there was 'The Disappearing One' Ye Hyunwoo and Yoo Joonghyuk.

Yoo Joonghyuk's Hwangcheon-wolguk, imbued with terrifying transcendence, emitted light.

Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship.

Deadly Swordsmanship.

Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship's secret technique arranged with spear technique.

Iljeom Breaking the Sky.

A storm of strong energy swept through the entire platform along with Oedipus' scream.

I lay face down on the floor and waited for the aftershock to pass. Not long after, a message came to my ear.

Oedipus, who had suffered a terrible blow, finally left the scenario.

Following this, with a creaking sound, Yoo Joonghyuk's colleagues who had been summoned with [Deceased Summoning] knelt down one by one and collapsed. The souls that had been forcibly injected were leaving their bodies.

Gong Pildu's Armed Fortress collapsed, and then the Delusional Demon Kim Namwoon fell.

Lee Jihye and Lee Hyunsung were looking somewhere without falling until the very end.

At the end of their gaze, a man was standing.

"Rest. I will confirm the end of this world."

Only after hearing Yoo Joonghyuk's words did the two close their eyes as if they were relieved.

"We... won?"

In the meantime, Ye Hyunwoo muttered by my side, and Kyung Sein, who was sitting on the dusty ground nearby, shouted.

"Euhahahahaha! Euhahahahaha! How is it? this is the Ten Evils! You sons of bitches!"

And then applause was heard from somewhere. Beyond the collapsed Armed Fortress, four Constellations were walking.

They were the four Constellations, including Apollo.

At the same time, a bright light flashed, and Yoo Joonghyuk shouted.

"Be careful!"

Yoo Joonghyuk ran forward and swung his spear at the flying beam of light, but the beam missed Yoo Joonghyuk's spear at a strange angle.

I looked into whose skill it was.

It was the specialty of Artemis, one of the Twelve Gods of <Olympus>. The three arrows that flew in hit Kyung Sein, who was catching her breath, and Ye Hyunwoo, who was standing next to me.

And the last one.

Psshh.

I held back a scream and sat down on the floor. Bloody stories flowed out from my pierced thigh.

Apollo said that he liked the sight of us.

They didn't seem intimidated at all even after seeing Yoo Joonghyuk's divine power that killed Oedipus with one blow.

No matter how strong Yoo Joonghyuk was, there were four of the Twelve Gods on the other side. And unlike before, there was no 「Darkness That Eats Starlight」 that suppressed the Constellations.

With the signal, the four Constellations disappeared from sight. Almost at the same time, Yoo Joonghyuk's divine form also disappeared. A rough cracking sound rang out in the air, and a wave of magical power that seemed to rip through the eardrums burst out. Occasionally, fragments of stories fell to the ground. It was evidence that a fierce battle was taking place somewhere unseen.

Yoo Joonghyuk was under the 「Curse of the Stars」. However, even if his level increased against the Constellations, his opponents were four Narrative-grade Constellations.

I recalled the way Cheon Inho had fought in my head.

Could I do the same? If I moved now, could I subdue those Constellations together with Yoo Joonghyuk?

"Cheon Inho, you can run away now."

Ye Hyunwoo, who was holding the holed ship, touched my shoulder.

"Give up the Supreme King. If even the Evil Sophist dies, humanity is finished."

As if he had eavesdropped on our conversation, Apollo's message came through the light that was aiming at us.

Myth-grade Constellations. The moment I heard that name, my heart sank like lead. The only ones blocking us now were Narrative-grade Constellations.

If the Narrative-grade is like this, how can we deal with the Myth-grade?

I saw Yoo Joonghyuk's body falling from the sky.

The white-hot Apollo was looking at me.

Maybe the 40th Round’s Cheon Inho's battle wasn't over until here.

Maybe he died in front of the ark without seeing the end.

That’s when Anna Croft’s voice came from behind me.

"Head."

When I turned my head absentmindedly, Anna Croft’s gaze was directed somewhere.

There lay the dead head of the Blood Demon.

A strange thought suddenly occurred to me. Why on earth did the Blood Demon come all the way here?

If he had been betrayed by the Constellations anyway, if he had known that he was destined to die—

I suddenly raised my head and looked at the warehouse. According to my memory, the Blood Demon had spent his entire life collecting treasures from this warehouse.

But.

I picked up the Blood Demon’s head that had fallen to the ground. Then, the Blood Demon’s head seemed to be speaking to me.

Think about it, there’s a reason he came here to find me and died.

Yoo Joonghyuk, who had landed on the ground, jumped up while howling like a wild beast. Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes, glancing at me, were telling me something. Now he could barely hold on.

A being who lives for a mere hundred years.

At that moment, a voice came to mind. It was the voice of the Blood Demon.

My head was throbbing and hurting.

I thought as I recalled the conversation flowing in my head.

If my hypothesis was correct,

"Yoo Joonghyuk. Just hold on a little longer."

As if it heard me, a loud noise rose from the distant sky.

I dragged my injured leg and walked somewhere while holding the Blood Demon's head.

Artemis sensed something strange and shot an arrow at me. I heard someone behind me taking the arrow instead of me.

Without looking back, I continued walking toward the end of the warehouse.

There was a small safe there. A dark-colored safe, a safe that had been bothering me since a while ago but I had not found a way to open it.

I sat down in front of the safe, and a faint light flowed out from it.

I brought the Blood Demon's head to it. Then, the dead Blood Demon's head opened its eyes as if it had come back to life.

A subspace portal opened before my eyes.

I realized it instinctively.

I see, this portal is—

"Cheon Inho, take the Prophet."

Ye Hyunwoo, who had two holes in his upper body from Artemis' arrows, pushed Anna, who still had difficulty moving, to me.

My body began to be sucked into the portal along with Anna, who collapsed.

Maybe he thought this was the end, Ye Hyunwoo looked at me for a moment. Then he smiled at me for the first time.

"Thank you for bringing us here."

The moment I was about to call his name, Apollo's flash of light exploded.

The sound of something burning. A cruel scream echoed.

The other space swallowed all that tragedy and closed the portal.

As I gasped for breath and got up, I felt the cold floor.

"Anna Croft, are you here?"

Anna Croft groaned and nodded at my voice.

"The hidden warehouse of the Blood Demon."

The moment I reached out to the empty space, a light came on in the ceiling. Almost at the same time, lightning flashed in my head.

That was the last day of the <Underworld>.

It was a conversation between Cheon Inho and the Blood Demon.

Listening to the conversation flowing in my head, I slowly looked around the warehouse. It was a space that was almost the size of a stadium.

Thousands of heads and torsos that had been 'preserved' were hanging all over the warehouse.

A trembling slowly rose from the tips of my feet. I gradually quickened my pace and examined the heads. Soon enough, familiar faces appeared one by one.

I stopped in front of the heads that were all too familiar. The heads of the Transcendents that the Blood Demon had failed to turn into corpses were on display there.

Some heads were too small, and some too large. There were also heads that still had the same ferocious expressions from their lives.

Some made me feel like crying, but I held it in. This was because I thought of the people who were watching me like this somewhere.

"Are you watching?"

I reached out my trembling hands toward the heads hanging on the wall.

"If you are watching."

I don't know if this is the right way to resolve this Fear or not. However, this was the way I chose.

A way to 'properly' save Yoo Joonghyuk.

I will safely finish the 40th Round and protect the Fear Realm.

I muttered while holding the heads of Cheok Jungyeong and Kyrgios.

And at that moment.

"Masters. Please help me."

The last sentence of this world began to be written in my head.

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