850 Episode 46 Big Joke (1)

Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes in the darkness. No, strictly speaking, it wasn't darkness. It was just that his eyes were covered with a blindfold, so he couldn't see ahead.

He felt firm restraints on his limbs, and no matter how much he tried, they wouldn't come off, so it was at least a restraint device made of a metal called stories.

'Is this how it ended up?'

Yoo Joonghyuk bit his lips tightly and checked his physical fatigue. Judging from his condition, it seemed like at least a week had passed since he passed out.

After catching his breath, he tried to recall the memories that were coming to him here and there. Fortunately, the memories of the last moment when he lost consciousness were clear.

Apollo's despicable laughter.

The moment when he was directly hit by the attacks of the four Narrative-grade Constellations, the memory of his defense breaking and missing the Hwangcheon-moongeuk. The dazzling portal that opened in the warehouse and the image of Cheon Inho disappearing into it. He didn’t know where Cheon Inho went. He might have gone to another dimension, or he might have gone to the secret place hidden by the Blood Demon. He just hoped that he survived safely, no matter where he went.

However, he also had a feeling that even if he survived safely, he wouldn’t be able to save him. Because,

'We’ve finally come to the ark.'

This was the residence of the Myth-grade Constellations of the 'Final Scenario'. It was the 'Final Ark'.

Just by breathing quietly, he could feel the immense power of the Myth-grade Constellations located somewhere beyond this room.

"Is this it?"

What would happen if he failed a task in the Fear Realm? Even though he had already experienced over forty regressions, Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t know much about the Fear Realm. Sometimes they just disappear, and sometimes they become a 'Fear' that resides in the Fear Realm. In particular, the more powerful the incarnation, the more likely they are to turn into a powerful 'Fear' if they fail.

If that's the case now, he would be at least a 'Disaster-level Fear'; or a monster greater than a 'Natural Disaster-level Fear'.

Then, Cheon Inho would tease him, saying, "Oh my. You've truly become a 'Natural Disaster-level Fear King'."

If he's not lucky enough, he'll end up being killed by the master who came to defeat him.

Then this round will be over.

'Still, there were a lot of things that happened.'

He felt regretful when he thought it was the end. He thought that he would finally be able to see the end of the scenarios this time.

More than anything, it seemed possible if that guy who possessed Cheon Inho was there.

'That guy.'

The guy who suddenly appeared in the 41st Round. The guy who fed him dirt, dumplings, and kept saying strange things. The guy who didn't reveal his name.

He had questions he wanted to ask that guy.

Why on earth did you, who are not even Cheon Inho, come to this world line?

Who on earth are you?

Why did you become my colleague?

Why on earth do you always have that expression on your face as if you are atoning for something?

That was when he felt someone’s presence.

Yoo Joonghyuk calmly gathered his thoughts and opened his mouth.

"Who are you?"

There was no answer. All he could feel was a terrible alcohol smell.

Yoo Joonghyuk, who had been silent for a moment, asked again.

"Are you the God of Wine and Ecstasy?"

Someone took off his blindfold along with the pungent smell of alcohol.

Dionysus, holding a bottle of wine in one hand, was grinning before his eyes.

"What are you here for?"

Friend?

Yoo Joonghyuk’s indifferent eyebrows twitched. "I've never been friends with you."

At that, Dionysus snickered. Dionysus, who had been blowing his whistle briefly, burped softly and answered.

Yoo Joonghyuk thought of the dead Constellations belonging to <Eden> and <Emperor>. Maybe some of them were friends with Dionysus.

@!>[The Constellations will come to dissect you soon.]

"Why are you telling me that?"

"<Olympus> seems to treat friends like this."

After saying that, Dionysus took another sip of his drink and walked around the room for a while, carrying his luggage like a scholar.

"What?"

Yoo Joonghyuk didn't understand.

He originally knew that the 'God of Wine and Ecstasy' was an oddball even within <Olympus>.

But why is he suddenly bringing up this topic? Is it a trap?

But is there a reason to set up such a trap?

"Why would you do something like that? Are you thinking of betraying <Olympus>?"

Dionysus shrugged his shoulders with his characteristically bored expression and leaned against the wall where Yoo Joonghyuk was restrained.

"..."

Dionysus muttered as he looked into the distant sky.

The sky of the <Star Stream> was not visible in this room. Maybe that’s why he could keep saying these things.

Maybe it was because he had never seen Dionysus this honest before. Yoo Joonghyuk listened to him in silence.

The moment he heard that story, Yoo Joonghyuk thought of Cheon Inho’s words.

Maybe the Dionysus in front of him was like that too.

A strange heat was rippling in Dionysus’s eyes.

"..."

Yoo Joonghyuk thought as he looked at Dionysus.

Yoo Joonghyuk thought for a moment and then spoke as if he were that guy.

"To save the world."

"Dionysus. If you're curious about the 'end of everything,' release me right now."

"The end of this world line has already been decided. You guys are going to lose anyway. And the last one to survive is that damn 'Star-Deceiver' Cheon Inho."

In fact, even Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't really know what the end of this world line is. Still, he talked nonsense like that.

Because that's what he would have said.

And his strategy was very effective.

"If you want to hear more—"

The moment he said that, a commotion was heard from outside the door.

Dionysus's body transformed into a crude wine bottle and was placed on a nearby table. It was a perfect hiding that even hid the Constellation's status.

Then a group of Constellations appeared. They were the Great-grade Constellations under Hermes.

The Constellations were sharing a square table, and in the center of the table was Hermes's head wearing a black blindfold.

How much time had passed like that? Hermes opened his mouth.

Hermes continued to ask after a pause.

"I am Yoo Joonghyuk."

At that moment, a faint mechanical sound and sparks flowed over Hermes's head. Then Hermes' expression changed subtly.

It seemed that he had activated some kind of skill to verify that Yoo Joonghyuk's words were true.

"The End of Everything? What does that mean?"

The moment he heard those words, fragments of memories flashed through his head.

The words of prophecy vaguely rose above the traces of memory erased by the 'Story Imprint'.

He had definitely heard that prophecy before.

However, he couldn't quite recall why he had heard that prophecy and what exactly it meant.

Hermes continued to speak.

"Unfortunately, I also don't know what that prophecy means."

"I've lost my memory."

A faint mechanical sound was heard once again, and Hermes, who confirmed the fact, was shocked and blurted out,

"I told you. I don't know anything."

"Wasn't that your intention from the beginning?"

Yoo Joonghyuk added with a sneer.

"Even if you open my head, you won't find the answer you want. My memories are not passed down through my head, but through my soul."

Then Hermes smiled brightly.

"What?"

He had never had his soul captured by anyone before. The Giant Nebulae had never tried to capture him so deliberately.

Extracting his soul.

Is that possible?

If it were really possible, then maybe it would be possible here.

Wouldn't it be possible to find a way to stop his regression?

But if that really happens, what will happen to his 41st Round?

"Wait."

Before Yoo Joonghyuk could stop him, Hermes's subordinates moved.

The scalpel made of story metal drew a clean trajectory, aiming for his head.

And the next moment.

Bang!

With a pleasant metallic cracking sound, the scalpel made of story metal broke in half.

Hermes opened his mouth in surprise.

"I didn't do it."

Yoo Joonghyuk muttered, not even realizing that he was snickering.

"It was done by a guy who is good at making dumplings."

The view in the room slowly darkened. He felt the vast amount of stories that had been stored inside the ark gather around Hermes.

Yoo Joonghyuk sank to his core.

No matter how strong his mind was, if the Myth-grade Constellations were to carry the probability of a giant nebula, there was no way it wouldn’t split.

But then.

—Hey.

Dionysus, who had turned into a wine bottle, spoke.

—Something quite interesting happened outside just now.

Then, with a thud, the ark shook violently. Hermes groaned in confusion, and emergency lights flashed all over the ark.

It was obvious who had done it.

Yoo Joonghyuk became anxious because he knew who would do it.

'That guy can’t do it alone.'

No matter how great he was, even if the Ten Evils were with him, attacking the ark with just those members was no different from committing suicide.

—I don't know where they got those things from. This is why the <Star Stream> is fun.

The next moment, a screen that the Constellations were watching appeared in front of Yoo Joonghyuk.

—Is that the 'world' you were trying to protect?

What happened?

There were beings that could never exist in this 'Time Fault'.

Famous voices could be faintly heard.

"Isn't this the first time that all the generals have been possessed at once?"

"Surprisingly, such healthy incarnations remained?"

There were also transcendental beings whose faces he only knew.

"This is really, I don't know what kind of trouble I'm having because I've got the wrong disciple."

There was also a man with a ferocious face that he had once aimed for.

"If you have a bad disciple, the master will suffer."

There was also a small man with a strength that he could not help but acknowledge.

And there was a giant being standing at the center of them.

The moment he saw that face, Yoo Joonghyuk's heart swelled without him knowing it. Her brightly shining eyes stared at him beyond the screen.

"But even if he is a worthless disciple."

Captain of the Second Division of the Transcendent Alliance, Sky Breaking Namgung Minyoung.

"Once a disciple, always a disciple."

His master came to save him.

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