947 Episode 55 Giant Tree (13)
I tore at Breaking the Sky Sword Saint's vines with all my might. My right arm, barely extended, touched her back.
[Breaking the Sky Sword Saint! Stop!]
I couldn't understand. The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint I knew would never do something like this. She was the teacher of the regressor. She was a fierce competitor who never gave up on a fight if there was even the slightest chance of victory.
「 "This is the first time my disciple has brought a friend to Murim." 」
My heart pounded with unease. Starlight bloomed throughout the crumbling forest.
[Pass on the 'story' to my disciple.]
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint's hand shoved me. With just a light shove, I plummeted, as if being sucked into the ground. A suction force, unavoidable even with [Way of the Wind], was pulling me downward.
[Breaking the Sky Sword Saint!]
At the last moment, I unleashed my power as the Recorder. The sentences I held tangled at my fingertips.
[Exclusive skill, '□□', activates!]
It was an uncertain gamble. Nevertheless, if this story was the 'War of Return', there was one 'record' I could gamble on.
In an instant, the [Fate] I had written was sucked toward Breaking the Sky Sword Saint, and in an instant, the starry landscape faded away.
In the encroaching darkness, the story of Breaking the Sky Sword Saint faded. A painful sensation surged through me, twitching at the base of my heart.
「 Why me again? 」
My breathing became labored, and I found it difficult to breathe.
[The story, 'Demon King of Salvation', repeats its painful story.]
A destructive impulse consumed my mind, and my thoughts drifted away and then closer. In my endless descent, all kinds of stories flowed into my ears. They were all stories of Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.
「 "She's a woman of filthy blood. Don't associate with her." 」
The childhood of Breaking the Sky Sword Saint, born of mixed blood with the Giants.
「 "You cannot inherit Namgung's martial arts." 」
The sorrow of being abandoned by the Namgung family.
「 "I worked harder than you. I trained harder than you!" 」
The cries of fellow martial artists frustrated by Breaking the Sky Sword Saint's talent.
「 "If you were born half-human, half-god, you might be able to challenge the throne of the heavens." 」
The voice of Yoo Hoseong, the master she met in the 'Time Fault'.
「 "Interesting. Do you wish to ascend to the throne of the stars in a mortal body?" 」
The despair she felt for the first time upon facing a mythical constellation. And—
「 "Teach me the sword." 」
Her disciple.
[You have approached the source of the 'Impossible Justice'.]
When I opened my eyes in the darkness with that message, my feet were on soft dirt. I took a deep breath and blinked, slowly adapting to the dark. The scent of water reached my nose. I knew it without anyone having to tell me.
「 This is a 'forest'. 」
It was puzzling. Why was there such a 'forest' inside the World Tree?
I slowly looked around and saw creatures raising their heads from the deep jungle. No, strictly speaking, they weren't 'living things'.
Beings that were a mixture of different stories.
I knew the names they called them.
[Nameless things.]
One by one, they gathered, surrounding me.
Some even extended their long antennae, as if searching for prey, carefully scanning my stories.
【What】
And then one of them spoke.
【Whatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat】
All the 'nameless things' in the area rang the bell as if they were singing in chorus. Harmony that seems to be embarrassed, likes, and sad.
【Eat】
Once again, a guy said.
【Let'seatlet'seatlet'seatlet'seatlet'seatlet'seatlet'seatlet'seatlet'seat】
I wonder if I smell delicious. Whether it's an Outer God or a constellation, when they see me, they'll put their snout first.
When the 'nameless things' opened their mouths all at once, their sharp fangs shone white in the dark.
I don't know why there are these things inside Breaking the Sky Sword Saint. I didn't mean to hurt them, but if they showed their hostility first, there was no way for me.
I warned the guys lightly.
[Go back, otherwise—]
In an instant, the swarm of 'nameless things' shuddered violently and opened a path. At first, I thought they were reacting to my words, but upon closer inspection, I saw something approaching from afar.
The sound of waves echoed from somewhere. Salty air brushed my nose, and goosebumps slowly rose from my toes.
[You.]
An Outer God with a long, streamlined body. A fin resembling a shark's.
The 'fear' I knew so well was there.
[You're alive!]
With the crash of waves, the creature thrust its massive fin toward me.
【TeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeethTeeth】
[Natural-disaster fear, 'Tooth Fin', recognizes you!]
Tooth Fin.
One of the few Outer Gods I tamed in the 'Fear Realm'.
I thought it died when the 'Fear Realm' was destroyed, but surprisingly, it was still alive.
Judging by its fluttering movements, it seemed to be still healthy, but a closer look revealed a few missing teeth. As I gazed at the gaps in its teeth, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
「 The corporations were collecting the 'fears' that survived the 'Fear Realm'. 」
What if the 'fears' captured by the corporations were trapped underground in Tamra Middle School along with Breaking the Sky Sword Saint? And what if the 'World Tree' blossomed and brought all those fears into this forest?
【Whoohoohoohoohoohoo—】
A long howl echoed from somewhere, and the entire forest shook violently. A headless dragon roared through the sky, and the gigantic fears scattered throughout the area rose one by one.
「 "All those dreams cannot become a single oldest dream. Therefore, there must be a place where abandoned dreams gather." 」
A record echoed in my head. It was a phrase I knew very well. I had read it myself in the 'Fear Realm'.
「 Apocalyptic Fear, a Prophecy of the End. 」
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint told me,
Please take care of the 'forest'.
「 "Beyond time and space, there will be a very big house that is not bound by the laws of the dokkaebis." 」
A very big house.
【Teethteethteethteethteethteethteeth!]】
With the roar of 'Tooth Fin', powerful fears began to gather.
「 The 'Fear Realm' wasn't destroyed. 」
The Outer Gods, whose mere presence threatened me, were approaching, their bodies large and small, tossing and turning.
「 Breaking the Sky Sword Saint had preserved the 'Fear Realm' within her forest. 」
[The 'Fourth Wall' responds!]
At the same time, something stirred within me. With the help of the 'Demon King of Salvation', the fears dormant within the [Fourth Wall] were awakening.
【Ooooooooooooooo—】
The fears, raising their heads to the void, let out a mournful cry. As if remembering that cry, a mixture of joy and sorrow, the record continued.
「 "There, all dreams are free as fear. In the incomprehensible snowfield of dreams, the King of Fear will smile, neither light nor darkness." 」
I had always thought the prophecy of the end was over. But perhaps I was mistaken. The story of the Fear Realm was not over, and the fears that needed to be recorded still swarmed upon this margin.
[The old fears sense your presence.]
Only then did I realize why Breaking the Sky Sword Saint had prevented me from using my power.
[The fears of 'Murim' listen to your story.]
I felt the gazes of fears glaring at me from the pitch-black darkness. Not all of them were kind to me. I sensed hostility from some, anger from others.
I took a deep breath and looked up at the fears staring down at me. The 'Tooth Fin' guarding me growled, while the fears of the abyss dripped black saliva at me. I grinned at them.
[Yes, you're all very hungry.]
With a roar, the fears charged.
[The story, 'King of Fear', begins its storytelling.]
I realized that this was the final test of Breaking the Sky Sword Saint. If I survived this...
「 "When that day comes, the boundary of fear will open, and the King of Fear will descend." 」
In this <Star Stream>, the 'Fear Realm' will open once again, and the end that the constellations feared will begin.
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint briefly gazed into the darkness of the forest where Kim Dokja had fallen, then closed the passage. As soon as the flow of time returned to normal, the constellations' weapons and energies were pierced into her arms and legs.
The constellations cheered as they watched her stagger.
[Enough! She's almost down!]
Even as the excruciating pain surged through her, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint thought of the Recorder, who had reached out to her in her final moments.
[Someone is sharing your 'story'.]
[The Recorder of Fear, 'Unchanging One', assists with the recording.]
Record. Perhaps this was the last gift the young Recorder left her. The child, too, had sensed it. That her story in this worldline ended here.
With a thud, the Heavenly Demon Sword pierced her chest.
[Still holding on? You possess remarkable vitality.]
As if to counter the murmurs of the constellations, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint swung her sword once more.
[The story, 'Precious War', is nearing its end.]
Raising her head, she saw a familiar sight. The corpses of martial artists strewn everywhere. Constellations bearing the stories of the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Demon were approaching her.
As if observing her end, the constellations that adorned the sky radiated pure white light and gazed upon her.
[Constellations, though my story ends here.]
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint smiled impassively at the constellations.
[One day, my disciple will come to you.]
She couldn't understand why she would say such a thing. She had no right to say such things.
Strictly speaking, she was Breaking the Sky Sword Saint's 'thought', and therefore, she wasn't even Breaking the Sky Sword Saint. More than anything, she hoped her disciple wouldn't fight for her. She hoped he wouldn't challenge those cruel constellations.
She wanted him to end his long tragedy and simply find happiness.
[Disciple?]
The constellations burst into laughter. It was Hanra who stepped forward, stopping them.
[I will remember you. Close your eyes, great mortal.]
With Hanra's mantra, the Heavenly Demon Sword pierced the air and flew.
The Breaking the Sky Divine Sword broke, and time slowed once again.
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint realized this was the end.
「 There was a scene she wanted to see one last time. 」
In her final moments, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint recalled a memory from the moment she first mastered [Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship].
「 "Master, can a human really cut 'heavens'?" 」
To her question, the invincible Yoo Hoseong answered.
「 "Even if we can’t do it, the next generation, or the generation after that, will be able to." 」
In his characteristically slow voice, Yoo Hoseong looked up at the sky and spoke.
「 "If no one gives up, the day will surely come when we accumulate mortality and reach eternity." 」
Even if we swing our swords with all our might, even if we pour our lives into every single day, the constellations remain as distant as eternity.
[The story, 'Return War', continues its storytelling.]
Remembering her teacher's empty voice, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint gripped her sword.
「 "Then I won't be able to see that scenery." 」
As if squeezing out her last words, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint swung her sword once more. The halved sword emitted a final, bright light.
「 "I want to see that scenery with my own eyes." 」
But her exhausted story was unable to block the Heavenly Demon Sword's sword strike and was scattered. Halla's sword strike flew towards Breaking the Sky Sword Saint's heart.
[The 'fate' someone had bestowed upon you is coming true!]
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint accepted her fate. Never once in her life had she taken her eyes off the sky, so she kept them closed until the very end.
「 Breaking the Sky Sword Saint didn't miss that scenery this time either. 」
A strange sound was heard from across the sky.
A sound as if the boundary of the universe was shattering. In a moment when the noisy constellations fell silent, a single trajectory appeared in the vast sky.
「 It was just a single sword strike. 」
A trajectory shattered time and space, tearing through the sky. As countless constellations burst apart, unable to even scream, Apollo let out a terrified cry.
[What, what on earth is happening—?]
No constellation could answer that question. However, for the first time, the constellations looked up to a sky higher than their own.
「 The sword of destruction she had long dreamed of was there. 」
Once again, the trajectory tore through the sky.
Amidst the falling constellations stood a man. A being who had alone carried on the long-held desires of mortals for generations.
「 Finally, a man who had become a giant tree that could even despise the heavens was there. 」
A being who had learned her martial arts, her faith, her fighting spirit, and reached the other side of transcendence. The martial artists who had long admired her called her by this name, expressing their respect for her.
"Get away from my master."
Breaking the Sky Sword Saint's disciple, the Supreme King Yoo Joonghyuk.