959 Episode 57 Twilight of the Gods (2)

"No. I won't use it."

What choice would Kim Dokja have made? A true Kim Dokja wouldn't think like that.

In the past, I would have laughed at my thoughts, but now I felt no particular emotion.

After meeting and parting ways with so many readers, I may have come to terms with that fact to some extent.

Jung Heewon observed me blankly and then asked,

"If you weren't going to use it, why did you pick it up?"

"The more options, the better."

I answered, looking down at the ticket the ticket seller had given me.

The ticket seller was probably surprised to see me because he sensed the story of the 'King of Fear' within me.

Jung Heewon, who was examining the ticket with me, asked.

"Just looking at it, it doesn't seem like an ordinary ticket."

"That's right. This ticket isn't a 'regular admission ticket'."

"What do you mean?"

I briefly explained to Jung Heewon what I knew about 'Ragnarok'.

According to 'Ways of Survival', the apocalyptic battlefield of 'Ragnarok' unfolds into two major factions.

The first faction, naturally, was the constellations of Asgard, which held the source of the giant story.

In reality, most constellations—especially those or incarnations of the 'absolute good' lineage—often chose this faction and participated in the battle.

Of course, not all constellations chose this side.

Some constellations of absolute evil, beasts, or even slightly deranged demon kings sometimes chose the latter. The 'Apocalypse Seekers' who had handed me the tickets were of the same type.

"These tickets are an invitation to the second power."

"It's a horse in the middle of disaster."

I could vaguely guess why the ticket scalper had approached us.

Jung Heewon and I had come here under the protection of the 'Wenny King', and in the process, they must have sensed the power of the Outer Gods.

The 'Apocalypse Seekers', who react to otherworldly powers, must have sensed the nuances of the Outer Gods in us.

"Should I just use those tickets? Stand on the side of disaster and kill all the constellations."

"If disaster wins, the world will yearn for it."

"Isn't that what you came for?"

I wondered if Jung Heewon knew how much comfort this brief flirtation brought me.

While standing with Jung Herwon and discussing which constellation to start with, it was already our turn.

The ticket booth employee, upon spotting us, smiled meaningfully and asked, "You don't use that 'ticket'?"

I shrugged as the employee pushed up his glasses with his index finger.

"Yes. I don't."

"A pig?"

"Just that."

When I tried to brush it off, the employee narrowed his eyes and said,

"The recipients of that ticket are determined. They are either under the protection of a constellation of 'absolute evil' or are incarnations of fallen constellations. In rare cases, they are tainted by otherworldly stories…"

The employee's eyes glowed white, as if he could identify me. But it wouldn't be easy. I'd completely memorized the stories of the 'King of Fear'.

The employee, who had been staring at me with a disapproving expression, turned to Jung Heewon and concluded.

"And those who harbor a deep grudge against the constellations also receive the invitation."

"Well, it applies to a variety of reasons."

"With that ticket, you can become a member of the Hell Army. Without going through the unreasonable rank-based system, you'll be sent straight to the battlefield of 'Ragnarok'. If even the ticket scalpers were offering free tickets, you'll probably—"

"Aren't you going to sell your tickets?"

"We've finally got some talented people here."

The ticket booth employee's eyes flickered with surprise as he saw us.

The employee's expression brightened considerably, as if he was quite pleased with my and Jung Heewon's stats.

"One of them seems to be a Transcendent. You're an Incarnation? Or a constellation?"

"Which do you think it is?"

The employee looked confused. It made sense. Since I'd reached myth-grade, my control of my rank had become even more refined. Now, unless it was a constellation sensitive to stories, it wouldn't be easy to gauge my rank.

"If you're going to keep messing around, I won't be taking your vote."

"I'm not a constellation."

While I was acknowledged as a myth-grade, strictly speaking, I wasn't a constellation.

I saw the employee nod.

I thought that's what he'd be using.

"You seem to have entered through ascension. Who recommended you? Which company do you work for?"

"I didn't receive a separate recommendation."

When I answered that, the employee's gaze grew even more strange.

"Do you have a sponsor?"

"No."

"There's no sponsor?"

The employee pondered my words, then began scribbling something in the air.

"The entrance fee is 5,000 coins."

It was cheaper than I expected.

After paying the coins, a message flashed before my eyes.

I paused for a moment, staring down at the ranking chart.

Mid-Low Warrior? Me?

I, who had reached the equivalent of a 'Mythical Constellation', am a 'Mid-Low Warrior'?

No, does that mean all those above me are mythical?

As if sensing my doubt, the employee added apologetically,

"You should have been given a higher rank, but unfortunately, the 'sponsor' bonus points are important in this 'ranking process'."

"Isn't it better without a backer?"

"Would a normal incarnation have made it this far without a backer?"

Well, that was true.

Only a lunatic like Kim Dokja could make it to the final scenario without a backer.

The Colosseum before us is, in fact, 'Scenario 85'. If any incarnation has made it this far without a backer, it's either one of two things:

A fraud. Or a truly insane person.

Jung Heewon, who was watching the conversation from the side, asked,

"Is there a disadvantage to receiving a low rank?"

"Disadvantage, so to speak. It might be a bit of a hassle. Let's see, you…"

After saying that, the employee began observing Jung Heewon.

"Do you have a sponsor?"

"No."

"I see."

"How much should I pay?"

"One thousand coins."

One thousand coins? No, you took five thousand from me, didn't you?

Before I could even file a claim, the employee scribbled something in the air and handed me Jung Heewon's rank chart. After examining the chart, I feigned envy and looked at Jung Heewon.

"Heewon-ssi, tell me the truth. Who is the person you've been secretly hiding behind?"

"If there was, would I have suffered all this?"

Jung Heewon's rank evaluation was as follows:

It was strange. There's no sponsor, yet I'm mid-level and Jung Heewon is special-rank?

"The Transcendent is an exception. There's a special order to treat them favorably."

An order to treat the transcendents favorably. The constellations, who despise mortals, suddenly issued such an order?

"It's been a while since I've seen a Transcendent this well-trained. If you wish, I can connect you with the highest-ranking deities of Asgard right away. Someone as talented as you could become an Einherjar, a commander on the Great Field."

"What's an Einherjar?"

"That's... well, it's a good one. It's a position everyone inside desires."

"No. I want to achieve everything with my own strength."

The employee nodded, as if he'd expected that.

"So all human transcendents are like this. Okay, I get it."

Surprisingly, the employee readily let Jung Heewon go.

Honestly, I couldn't understand this. If she had truly been a talented individual, he should have worked harder to recruit her, but the employee's resignation and discouragement were too swift.

Jung Heewon, who had been studying her own rank chart for a while, turned to me and asked,

"How good would a special rank be?"

"It'd be just below top rank."

"It feels strange. I never received a rank like that in school."

Jung Heewon, who had been sneaking a glance at my rank chart, asked in a much quieter voice,

"Should I change it for you?"

"He's watching."

"Then I'll secretly change it for you when I get back in. I'm feeling the pressure of this rank."

"That guy's staring at me."

"But class assignments don't change based on rank, do they?"

"I don't know about that either."

"Does the war start as soon as you enter?"

The employee, who had been listening to our conversation, looked dumbfounded, then chuckled.

"War? You guys really don't know what 'Ragnarok' is."

"You don't have to go in and start a war, do you?"

"If something like that really starts, everyone dies. Well, even if it doesn't start, the unlucky ones will die anyway."

Before I could even ask what he meant, the employee's eyes began to swirl.

"It's almost time for the 'next battlefield' to open. You might even receive a summons offer. Please choose carefully. Even if you die in the first battle, if you performed well, you'll have a chance to be resurrected..."

As we nodded, the swirling eyes of the staff began to draw us in.

"Not everyone can be 'resurrected'. May the blessings of the story be with you all."

As the incarnation body was sucked into the employee's eye, the sound of crows cawing could be heard from somewhere. Two giant ravens danced in circles directly above my head.

I immediately recognized them.

Hugin and Munin. They were the servants of Odin, the 'One-Eyed Father'.

The circle the ravens drew soon took the shape of a giant eye.

An eye that watched over everything on earth.

The moment my gaze met that eye, I felt an inexplicable elation.

I felt as if all the starlight in the universe was illuminating me. My incarnation's senses opened simultaneously.

When I blinked, feeling it, I was inside the Colosseum.

Ohhhhhhh—!

Deafening cheers. Majestic mantras erupted from all sides.

Amidst the immense ripples of power emitted by the gathered constellations, the story within me stirred.

After taking several deep breaths, I slowly blinked, and the surrounding scenery came into view.

I was sitting in the audience with Jung Heewon.

Ohhhhhhh—!

Constellations bursting upward one after another.

I saw constellations filling the audience. From the great-grade constellations to the late narrative-grade constellations, or even beyond. It was my first time seeing so many constellations gathered in one place. The mere presence of them created a scene of immense probability.

The constellations that let out hearty laughter were clearly the constellations I remembered.

However, the strange thing was that their expressions conveyed a subtle sense of resignation and frustration.

Among them, there were some constellations I recognized.

Had the story been damaged? The bald general was staring off into space, wiping fragments of stories from his head.

I turned my gaze, wondering what he was looking at, and saw a giant screen installed in the center of the Colosseum. Beneath the screen was a vast map, and on it, like miniature figures, were running around.

On the screen, constellations and incarnations were slaughtering each other. They ripped out each other's hearts and beheaded each other without hesitation.

A phrase from 'Ways of Survival' naturally came to mind.

I see. Perhaps this scene of 'Valhalla' I'm seeing now is...

'Ragnarok' had slightly different developments in each of Yoo Joonghyuk's rounds.

Unlike other rounds where the main battlefield opened immediately, the 999th round of 'Ragnarok' had a unique filter.

This was the Preliminary Battle system.

In essence, only those who won this Preliminary Battle would have the chance to enter the true 'Ragnarok'.

Perhaps confused by the situation, Jung Heewon asked.

"Why are they fighting when they are on the same side?"

"It's probably a Preliminary Battle to select elite soldiers."

"Really? We'll be going to the battlefield anyway, so why hold such an event?"

Jung Heewon was right. We'll all be fighting on the same side once we advance to the higher battlefields anyway, so why bother holding something like a Preliminary Battle to select elite soldiers?

Recalling the employee's words that suddenly came to mind, we watched the match on screen.

The match consisted of two groups fighting on a small battlefield.

The battlefield layout... Wait, where have I seen that before?

Jung Heewon seemed to have a similar thought, saying to me,

"That seems a bit like a game."

"Yes. That seems right."

If my guess is correct, the skirmish battlefield was similar to the main scenario in the main story, where Kim Dokja participated in the 'Demon King Selection Tournament'.

The game was won by acquiring all of the specific 'emblems' on the battlefield or by killing all the participants in the opposing group.

I haven't checked the detailed description yet, but this battlefield also seemed to be composed of similar water.

—Damage! Aaaah!

—Save me! Save me! If I die this time, it's over!

Blue and red dots were displayed on the map. Judging by the rapid decrease in red dots, the blue team seemed to have an overwhelming advantage.

Judging by the cheering, the team wearing blue seemed to be the constellations of the <Emperor>.

If Bishamonten's third son is 'Natha', then the owner of the Three Blue Spears would be 'Irang Jingun'.

Both are legendary. As the <Emperor>'s main force, who had recently ascended, it was only natural that their mediocre skills would be no match for them.

It seemed as if the red team, in crisis, would be the first to come forward, but the outcome of the match was decided in an instant.

The victorious blue team was seen advancing to the next battlefield amidst cheers. Meanwhile, the incarnations of the losing team were saying, "Huh? I guess we're not dead."

Surprisingly, the incarnations who had been beheaded or had their hearts ripped out in the competition were alive and well. However, their pale, ashen faces didn't quite resemble those of the living.

A total of twelve members were summoned to the throne.

Then, the incarnations' bodies were tied in mid-air, and a giant guillotine appeared above their necks.

The constellations snickered from all around, as if they were enjoying the sight.

A message from the stadium came up along with the voice of the constellation.

The faces of the losing team's participants zoomed in on the screen, one by one.

"S-save me! Please save me! I can do better! There's so much I haven't shown you yet!"

The incarnations, facing death, were crying out. They begged for their lives, that they could do better next time. They didn't want to die. Watching them repeat the same words with different faces, I recalled the staff member's words.

I wondered if that was what he meant.

"That bastard! We lost because of him! He deserved to die!"

"It was because of you! Damn it! Save me! Please!"

The constellations' laughter grew even louder as they exchanged insults on the scaffold. Jung Heewon groaned, clearly displeased with the situation. As each person's will flowed, the final incarnation finally arrived. It was the incarnation that appeared to be the commander of the Red Team.

"Please."

Bright blonde hair rippled across the screen.

I stared blankly at the commander, her face bloodied.

"Please save them."

She was an incarnation I knew well. Perhaps as ambitious as Yoo Joonghyuk. However, her inflexibility and lack of eloquence made her enemies easily.

"Save others, not me."

At the end of this world, a person who dreamed of a 'perfect night' where all the constellations had vanished.

She, who had been like that, was begging to the constellations.

"I now—"

My colleague, who wasn't Korean but had a Korean name. I remembered her name for the first time in a while.

"I don't want to continue this damned game."

Kim Anna-ssi.