954 Episode 56 Myth (6)

My stomach churned. Kyung Sein's body was gradually becoming transparent. The stories floating above her surface were speaking to me.

What kind of feeling is it to want to read something? Where does the desire to sacrifice one's life, to expend one's entire existence, to understand someone else, come from?

Reading something, being moved, rejoicing, or feeling sorrow, spending a lifetime. I still don't understand why this series of actions exists and continues.

But humans are born that way, and Kyung Sein and I will live that way too.

"Understood."

Kyung Sein's face brightened at my words. In the dispersing light, Kyung Sein's stories began to slowly be absorbed into me.

"Thank you, Dokja-ssi."

Stories flowed from Kyung Sein's body as she slowly closed her eyes.

It wasn't as old as the legends of the Constellations, but it was a legend nonetheless.

The door to the manor opened abruptly, and someone entered. She knew who it was without even turning around.

"Sein-ah."

Jung Heewon, her voice trembling, sat down and looked down at Kyung Sein as she disappeared.

Kyung Sein couldn't see Jung Heewon. However, her story continued to speak.

Jung Heewon grabbed Kyung Sein's wrist with a trembling hand. Kyung Sein's scattered story spread like sunlight across the back of Jung Heewon's hand.

Scenes flowed through the margins between sentences.

The history of Jung Heewon's life, a history built layer by layer to save others—and herself—was there.

Kyung Sein desperately imagined someone who existed only as a sentence. With each sentence of Jung Heewon's story, Kyung Sein's life expanded.

Some people can live simply by loving someone. They gain strength from it and overcome life. Perhaps that is their myth. And the manifestation of that myth was right before my eyes.

The story that finished its storytelling took hold within me.

Kyung Sein had probably arrived at the library in the [Fourth Wall]. There, with an innocent expression, she would be reading this story with the other Kim Dokjas.

"Dokja-ssi."

"Sein-ah."

The story, which had drifted like a reverberation, lingered in the corners of my heart and then disappeared.

Jung Heewon reached out, as if groping for the air. I looked at her hand, lost in its direction, and replied,

"Sein-ssi will continue reading this story."

I couldn't tell whether Jung Heewon would understand. Nevertheless, I had to say it. Jung Heewon heard it, and answered me in her own language.

"I will take revenge."

A strong grudge flickered in Jung Heewon's eyes as she raised her head.

"This world that has brought Sein to this—I will end it."

I started to say something, then simply nodded.

I shook my head at the words of Namgung Myung and the Murim people.

"There's no need for that."

From this point on, this wasn't a scenario that ordinary incarnations could enter. That's precisely why the special scenario jump method called 'Ascension' existed.

"In higher scenarios, the pressure of the incarnation body itself is different."

Stories also have gravity. The larger the scenario area dominated by the incarnation, the greater the pressure on the incarnation body.

If Namgung Myung, without the [Fourth Wall], had mistakenly entered a higher scenario, he could have lost the pressure and his head could have exploded.

"I know it's a burden."

Nevertheless, Namgung Myung and the Murim people's resolve remained firm.

"Still, there might be a way."

With those words, Namgung Myung turned toward the World Tree.

The essence of the World Tree, left behind by Breaking the Sky Sword Saint, had been assimilated into my shadow, but the form of the World Tree still remained on this 'New Murim District'.

Namgung Myung stared into the interior of the form and said,

"Yesterday dawn, I discovered a peculiar place inside the World Tree."

A peculiar place. The moment I heard the story, I somehow knew what Namgung Myung would say.

"There was a place inside the bushes where time flowed slowly."

After the fall of the Fear Realm, the Murim people lost the way to enter the 'Time Fault'. The training ground where they could cultivate within the overwhelming density of time and level up their realms had disappeared.

But within that World Tree, a place to replace that 'Time Fault' existed.

I looked at Namgung Myung, strangely aroused, and said,

"You know it's reckless, right?"

"The Murim people are reckless people by nature."

Namgung Myung was now talking about becoming a Transcendent. I tried to offer Namgung Myung some advice, but stopped short. He seemed to already know what I was talking about.

"I will definitely come to help."

Namgung Myung's words were true.

Those who dedicated their lives to ascending to a higher realm, to attaining the ultimate in martial arts through sheer effort. They were Murim’s people.

As I raised my head, I suddenly felt as if a vast forest was looking down on me.

A forest thick with mortal history—a forest that has long continued the story of this land.

As I gazed at that forest, it occurred to me that perhaps the transformation of the Murim people was also a legacy passed down by Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.

"Before you leave, Divine Doctor has asked you to stop by briefly."

I nodded briefly and headed straight to the manor where Divine Doctor was.

The manor of the Namgung family. As I entered the manor, I saw the Namgung family, reunited around Namgung Myung, rebuilding the manor here and there.

I remembered briefly staying here with Yoo Joonghyuk during my first visit to Murim.

"Are you there?"

At my message, Divine Doctor came out. Perhaps because he had been nursing all night for the past few days, his complexion was pale.

"The Salvation Leader hasn't woken up yet."

Divine Doctor was in charge of Nirvana's treatment.

"But he's a strong incarnation, so he'll recover quickly. It's not like his core was damaged."

I owed Nirvana a debt. If I hadn't met him in this scenario, things would have been difficult.

"But are you really planning to move up to the higher scenarios?"

"Yes."

"It wouldn't be a bad life to just stay here and act as king. Everyone would follow you."

"That's not why I came all the way here."

Divine Doctor looked at me intently, then asked with a faint smile,

"You've become a Recorder of Fear, haven't you?"

As expected, Divine Doctor had noticed.

I nodded, and Divine Doctor asked again,

"Do you understand the stories better now?"

When I first met Divine Doctor, he had said something like this to me:

I faithfully followed Divine Doctor's advice back then. To look into them to understand them, to think about them constantly, even when I was sleeping or doing other things.

"A little."

"Hmm, is that all?"

The moment those words left my lips, the stories stirred within me.

As I absorbed more Kim Dokja fragments, as 'Heir' grew stronger, a certain image emerged within me.

A man in a white coat with a pleasant smile. He liked to look up at the sky, but also liked to lower his head to read. As the image became clearer, something inside me felt like it was fading.

I called the man's name in my head over and over again. And as I did, the name seemed to draw closer to me. Closer, closer, closer, until finally, it erased my own name and replaced it with—

When I came to my senses, Divine Doctor was staring at me with startled eyes.

"I'm sorry. I was distracted for a moment."

Divine Doctor lightly squeezed my shoulder as if it were all right.

"Some stories, the longer you look into them, the more you lose track of whether you're looking into them, or they're looking into you."

"Still, I can't stop looking, can I?"

"You must not stop."

"Are you living like that, too?"

Instead of answering, Divine Doctor simply chuckled. Then he raised his head and gazed at the sky.

"Now, you can see the secrets of the heavens, too."

The secrets of the heavens. Perhaps that's how Divine Doctor described the vast flow of stories surrounding this world.

"The atmosphere is ominous. The sky is too quiet."

I agreed.

After the conclusion of the 'New Murim District' scenario, all the Constellations observing the scenario area disappeared.

As if someone had artificially carved out this world.

I tried calling Bihyung, wondering if something had happened to the <Star Stream>, but he didn't respond.

"It must mean the situation in the higher scenario is dire. They say 'Ragnarok' is imminent."

"Maybe that's not the problem. I think—"

Divine Doctor's words trailed off. Before they could continue, someone burst through the gates of the manor.

It was Namgung Myung, who had left to investigate the area near the Ascension Hall earlier. Judging by his expression, something unusual had occurred.

"Benefactor, we have a problem."

The main scenario of the 'New Murim District' was originally completed when an 'Ascendant' of a certain rank ascended to a higher-level scenario.

Each corporation actively supported these ascendants and welcomed them as allies in the higher-level scenarios.

In other words, this 'New Murim District' was a kind of barracks where the Nebulae would develop their next generation of forces.

To be precise, that was the case until I arrived here.

"They say all the Orbital Elevators required for 'Ascension' have been removed from the higher-level scenario area."

I knew that the Orbital Elevators had once been destroyed by Mad Sword Emperor Jung Heewon. But this time, the orbital elevator infrastructure itself had been demolished in the upper scenario area.

"Is there no other way to ascend?"

"There is a way, but..."

According to Namgung Myung, the Nebulae operating each company can summon ascenders from the 'New Murim District' using their own probability.

"Normally, if you recall the name of your company in the Ascension Hall, you'll receive a response from the upper scenario area..."

My company is '■■■ Company'.

"No response, right?"

"Yes."

That must mean that those affiliated with my company in the upper scenario area aren't looking for me. Thinking about that, I felt a slightly ominous feeling.

"I'll just go to another area and find a way to reach the upper scenario area."

"That's also difficult right now. The portals leading to the old Fear Realm and the passages connecting to other scenario areas are all cut off."

For a moment, I couldn't believe my ears.

"All the passages are cut off?"

"Yes. As if someone had intervened... In effect, the 'New Murim District' is now isolated from the <Star Stream>."

It was then that I realized what was happening.

The moment I ascended to the 'mythical' level, the Constellations in the higher scenarios must have sensed my status.

And some Constellations probably didn't want me to ascend to the same scenario as them.

Jung Heewon, who was watching from the sidelines, growled.

"You're saying they're going to prevent him from even ascending."

"Benefactor, I'm sorry, but if this is the case, there's only one way out."

I knew what Namgung Myung was trying to say.

The Constellations were telling me now.

If I want to advance to the next scenario, choose their 'Nebula'.

Of course, I had no intention of playing along with them.

"No, there's a way to advance to the next scenario without changing my company."

"Huh?"

"Because there's still a passageway connected to the outside world."

"What—"

I pushed Namgung Myung's doubts aside and continued walking. Namgung Myung suddenly muttered, realizing where I was going.

"Benefactor, you can't possibly…"

"That's right."

There was just one 'passageway' that even those powerful Constellations couldn't stop. That was because it was beyond the power of the Constellations.

"Ah."

As I entered the auction house, Jung Heewon sighed, as if she had realized my intentions. Where my steps had stopped, there was a giant scale.

The scale occupied the center of the Auction House. The 'settlement system' of this 'scale' was clearly connected to the 'outside'.

As I stared at the scale, I felt its eyes also staring at me.

A race capable of interfering with the scenario and freely borrowing and using the power of the 'other world'.

"I request a deal."

At my call, I felt the being beyond the scales gaze at me.

"The Demon of the Horizon, no—"

Perhaps, this was the more fitting name for him.

"The Wenny King."