962 Episode 57 Twilight of the Gods (5)

Anna Croft continued.

"To be precise, it wasn't like this from the beginning. The noise was intense, but there were times when I could see a glimpse of the future."

I nodded and read my brother's stories, which I could sense from the battlefield.

In fact, this battlefield wasn't entirely filled with my brother's blood and murder. In this battlefield, I felt not only my brother's stories, but also the true stories of the Outer Gods, the vengeful spirits of the incarnations.

The battle had already been repeated 1265 times.

"I see what's going on."

The incarnations who participated in the 'Outpost' were all ascended from lower-level scenarios. Some, like the 'New Murim District', had strict screening requirements, while others had more lenient conditions.

Unlike other rounds, the 'Ascended' in this round used 'D-Coins' in the lower-level scenarios to enhance their incarnation bodies and abilities.

'D-Coins' are a fusion of my brothers' stories and the power of the Fear Realm. The incarnations who used these stories to enhance themselves died here, and as a result, this 'battlefield'—

"This battlefield is a kind of highly concentrated story—the very essence of 'Fear'."

It became a vast land of stories.

I couldn't even begin to imagine how many incarnations had perished here.

If some of my brother's stories were ingrained in this battlefield, it wasn't surprising that Kim Anna's [Future Sight] was limited. Her [Future Sight] would be disrupted whenever Kim Dokja intervened in the future.

Kim Anna spoke urgently at the system message that appeared.

"We're really running out of time."

"Let's start with our participants."

I wondered if there might be even one familiar face. Perhaps another reader, or a major character I'd met.

"U, uu, ugh…"

"I'm going to die. I'm going to die."

But most of those summoned to our team were in poor condition. Most of them had nameless Constellations as their backing, or were abandoned after being used as terminal incarnations of a vast Nebula.

It was strange. Still, if they had come this far through the 'Ascension' system, they should have possessed basic combat prowess.

"Please, spare me. Please, spare me. I won't do it again. Constellations. Please."

"My, my coin, my coin—!"

Why were all the members of this team like this?

"Has it always been like this?"

Anna Croft nodded silently at my answer. Perhaps she had been fighting unfairly in such extreme conditions for so long.

"I never expected anything like that."

Since even Yoo Joonghyuk, who had been through over a thousand rounds, wouldn't have made such a face, I tried to make a joke.

"I'm here."

"Even so, you're just a mid-level warrior…"

"Because I hid my power."

"The Ragnarok ranking system is never wrong. Your rank won't change even if you hide your power."

Anna Croft, still seemingly disbelieving, sighed deeply and added,

"And even if you did indeed hide your power, this will be difficult."

If she, who had experienced the Fear Realm with me, could say this, then there must be more to this scenario than I knew.

"The Constellations that participated as helpers this time aren't 'first-time participants'."

As expected.

As soon as I heard her words, I looked around at the enemy members. All members of the enemy side were at least 'Narrative-grade' Constellations or their incarnations. Three stood out:

The Vanara General.

The Thunder-Eating Bird.

The Progenitor of Humanity.

The selection was so impressive that it brought to mind the 'Demon King Selection Tournament'.

Judging by the perceived 'level', all three had grown in power since the main story's 'Demon King Selection Tournament'.

Anna Croft glared at the Constellations and said,

"I've already fought them several times."

"Could you elaborate?"

"The team that wins the 'Outpost' isn't necessarily promoted. Those who win on the battlefield remain as spectators and can continue to participate in the 'Battlefield'."

From the moment I first heard Anna Croft's story, I suspected such a system might exist. The number of Constellations occupying the Colosseum's audience was far greater than I expected.

The stars here are all cowards, fearing the annihilation of the world.

In other words, they were deliberately building up their strength through repeated 'preliminary battles' and holding off on participating in the main battlefield.

Like a veteran who, even after reaching a high level, refuses to leave the beginner hunting grounds and continues to slaughter.

"We can't win."

The despair she'd endured was finally beginning to dawn on her.

The situation was indeed dire.

In the midst of all this, our team was even one member short.

"Can we summon an ally again?"

"We don't have enough summoning costs."

"How do we acquire costs?"

"You can either receive support from the Constellations or exchange them with 'D-Coins' acquired during the match."

D-Coins? Wait, then…

I see. Can't I give it to her?

"And even if it costs a small amount, there are no warriors we can summon anyway."

"Why?"

"In this situation, who would help our team? At least a Constellation on the Korean peninsula was helping us until recently…"

It was clear who that person was.

This time, perhaps I didn't have the cost to summon that General. It was a contentious situation for me. Perhaps Kim Anna summoned me instead of the General.

I spoke to her as if to comfort her.

"Don't worry. We have warriors who can help us."

"Even if we have warriors, they're not of average rank—"

"A special prize warrior."

Anna Croft's expression changed for the first time at the mention of special rank. But her complexion quickly darkened.

"I don't know who that is, but summoning a special-level warrior will require at least 10,000 summoning costs. You won't be able to collect that much in one match."

"Of course. In this match."

Anna Croft tilted her head at my question and asked back.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's focus on the match for now. What did you say the pool would be like?"

Anna Croft briefly explained the match's mechanics. She gave two key points to remember:

One, never lose.

Two, pay attention to the 'Prophecies' that randomly appear during the match.

As expected, the Prophecies were similar to the 'Crests' that appeared in the 'Demon King Selection Tournament'.

"There are disasters or objects that appear alongside the Prophecies. Defeating or destroying them will grant you the Prophecies..."

"So your team's power will be boosted."

"How did you know?"

"I know of similar games. So how many Prophecies are there in total?"

"This battlefield is small, so there will be three Prophecies."

"So collecting them all means victory."

"Theoretically, yes."

Anna Croft also explained special devices like 'bush'.

"I understand. 'Bush' are places used in times of emergency or to conceal oneself from enemies."

"Yes. That's useless if the enemy is using an item related to [Intelligence], though... Oh, and each bush has its own additional effects."

"Effects?"

"For example, some bushes increase attack or defense simply by hiding in them, while others impose specific penalties. Since the battlefield itself is based on 'Fear', the effects of bushes are somewhat imperfect. I heard that sometimes entering a bush can cause a player to go missing."

"Go missing?"

"Yes. They say there are those who disappeared during the 'outpost' like that. I've never witnessed them in any of the battles I've participated in, though…"

This is interesting information.

I mentally summoned the 'Unchanging One'.

It seemed he had been eavesdropping on our conversation. I told him to look up the relevant records and then returned to Anna's story.

"Our side is at a disadvantage in terms of combat power, so the best we can do is hold out until the prophecy is revealed. And…"

"We must somehow secure the first prophecy."

Prophecies strengthen the team's combat power, so in this situation, this was the only strategy with a chance of success.

But Anna Kim looked utterly unsure.

"Actually, it's been the same strategy all along."

"Have any of those operations ever been successful?"

"We've stolen the first prophecy a few times…"

So, despite stealing the first prophecy, they've never won. Anna Croft, taking a few deep breaths, continued.

"We must seize the first prophecy at all costs. That way, we have a slight chance of victory. The problem is, the battle is likely to end before that. In most battles, our team is annihilated before the 'first prophecy' is announced."

"…"

"Kim End-ssi."

"Yes."

"Why are you laughing?"

Anna Croft, frowning, was about to say something when something like a small firecracker exploded above her head.

Selena Kim, who was listening nearby, let out a small groan, and Anna Croft, her expression crumpled, cursed in a Korean manner.

"The damn party has begun."

Skuld's Golden Dice Hall.

I'd heard of this before.

The gods' gambling hall, opened whenever a major story event takes place in <Asgard>. I had a rough idea of ​​what it was like. Perhaps, with each match, the stars would place bets on the winner and loser.

But there were no bets on this battlefield. Perhaps it was because they had decided it wouldn't even be decided in the first place.

I opened my mouth, looking at the system message.

"Let's use the same strategy this time. We'll hold out somehow and until the first prophecy appears."

"It'll be tough. They have no reason to waste time—"

"I have a plan."

Kim Anna narrowed her eyes, as if thinking about something in my words.

"I won't listen to that plan."

"Why?"

"You're planning to sacrifice yourself again."

How on earth did Kim Dokja's image become so ingrained that even Kim Anna was thinking this way?

I waved my hand, looking aggrieved.

"I don't make sacrifices."

Anna Croft sneered.

"Are you telling me to believe you when you spout such stories?"

I paused, meeting Kim Anna's trembling eyes for a moment.

I saw her eyes slowly turning to despair. Without ignoring her despair, I spoke in a clear voice.

"Kim Anna-ssi, it's been eight years."

A vast meadow opened up. A cloud of dust rose in the distance.

"Just as you've been through many things, so have I. I can't share them all right now, but—"

As soon as the battle began, the Constellations charged, shattering the ground.

"At least I can tell you one thing for sure."

Looking at the Constellations approaching with a menacing air, I added calmly.

"They will never end the match before the 'First Prophecy' begins."