966 Episode 57 Twilight of the Gods (9)

Skuld was the first to realize the odds were stacked against her.

"How much?"

Looking at the number that appeared before her eyes, Skuld asked like an idiot. But no one could answer her question. Even the employees running the 'Golden Dice Hall' had never seen such a number before.

—10 million D-Coins.

Someone muttered in a trembling voice.

The 'Valhalla Hall' opened, and wagers of all sizes were made. Some were so large that they drew gasps from the constellations. Prominent constellations fought fiercely, and the defeated constellations were scattered into the legends of the battlefield. Among them were battles waged by mythical constellations, and even legendary incarnations now elevated to the 'main battlefield'. Skuld looked at the all-time prize money rankings recorded on the stone tablet in the 'Hall of Golden Dice'.

—5th place in all-time total prize money.

The battle between Feihu, the incarnation of the Emperor, and Ranbir Khan, the incarnation of Papyrus. And the constellations of the Small and Medium Constellation Alliance.

Skuld, too, vividly remembered the atmosphere of the time. The participation of the representative incarnations of the Emperor and Papyrus, creating a truly spectacular spectacle, came to mind.

—Total prize money of 8.78 million D Coins.

Yet, even in such a match, the total prize money was only 8.78 million D Coins.

Skuld looked at the rankings even higher.

—4th place in all-time total prize money.

The fierce battle between the incarnations of Archangel Jophiel and the incarnations of the Great Heavenly King against the constellations of Papyrus. The unexpected rookies delivered a remarkable performance, and the match left no one in doubt until the very end.

—Total prize pool: 9.92 million D Coins.

Even that bet didn't exceed 10 million D Coins.

Just looking at this, you could tell just how enormous the stakes were.

Not even the total prize pool, just a single bet of 10 million D Coins.

She could only remember one match of that scale.

—Highest prize pool of all time

It was a match between Mitra, the 'Master of December 25th' of <Vida>, and '■■■'—the unmentionable 'Master of the Erased Margin'.

—35,973,200 D Coins

That was the match with the largest amount of D Coins ever wagered.

—Highest single bet: 9 million D Coins.

But even in that match, 10 million D Coins had never been wagered at once. To begin with, the gigantic castle was a bet that couldn't be made without this kind of courage.

No whale currently in the hall could wager 10 million D-Coins at once. Those that were still promising had departed for the 'main battlefield'. For greater achievements, to carry out the 'real scenario' in that distant aspiration, to reach the final goal.

The final record—a truly southern story. Of course, if it succeeds, it will.

'Could it be an unknown myth-grade constellation?'

Skuld thought of the 'special warrior' who had previously bet 200,000 D-Coins.

But even if that special warrior had the support of a myth-grade constellation, those myth-grade constellations wouldn't possess such an absurd amount of D-Coins. That's understandable. Ten million D-Coins, when exchanged, could affect the entire <Star Stream>.

Skuld pondered for a moment, then a certain constellation's epithet suddenly came to mind.

That old man was the only constellation that could wield such economic power alone.

But the other employees quickly shook their heads.

Skuld paused. There was only one Ascension Zone where a massive amount of D-Coins could still be mined:

'New Murim District'.

A staggering amount of D-Coins lay dormant in the 'New Murim District', but the constellations rarely touched it. This was because the 'Fear Realm', the border area of the 'New Murim District'. was connected to the dimension of the Outer Gods.

The story of the Olympus fleet recklessly entering the Fear Realm and suffering massive damage was so well-known that many high-ranking constellations avoided even the area's vicinity.

But what if some madman appeared, swept up all the D-Coins in the district, and entered 'Valhalla Hall'?

…

The betting amount increased in real time.

It should have been fun, but Skuld couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

The hall was now in a frenzy. Some constellations, having learned that someone had bet 10 million D-Coins on 'Zarathustra', began a test bet.

The amount wasn't large, and 'Veda' still had an overwhelming number of bets, but the problem was what if something unexpected happened?

Skuld spoke, her voice rising.

What if those 200,000 D-Coins, what if the entire development up until now, was simply a ploy to attract the constellations of the hall?

The recorders, having smelled the rumor somewhere, began scribbling ominous records.

The likelihood of that happening was slim.

All the constellations of Team 'Veda' were veterans.

But even so, what if something like that really happened?

Skuld wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and asked.

The opponent had a wealth of 10 million D-Coins. A mediocre whale was no match for him.

Skuld, staring silently at the screen, concluded her speech.

10 million D-Coins.

The 'Thunderbird', having noticed my bet, let out a shriek.

It's surprising. None of them could possibly bet that amount.

Perhaps a narrative-grade constellation hiding its power like the Mass-Produced Manufacturer' would be understandable.

Meanwhile, there was a constellation that maintained its composure. Indeed, it seemed not all constellations were overwhelmed by the 'numbers' of the coins.

Manu continued speaking with a calm gaze, as if analyzing me.

The constellations, who had been caught off guard by Manu's words, quickly regained their composure.

Manu trailed off, but I could still read the aftermath: all the constellations there had vanished.

Acquiring a massive amount of D-Coins won't instantly elevate you to 'mythical' status.

But you'll at least gain a comparable rank. Then, they probably believe, they might become key players in the 'main battlefield'.

"If you were meant to go to the 'main battlefield', you would have gone long ago."

I glanced at the constellations in front of me and said.

The qualifications for the 'Main Battle' are simple.

None of the constellations before me now met this qualification.

The constellations earned the right to participate in the 'Main Battle' long ago, and voluntarily refused to participate.

"I understand why you remain here, repeating the game."

They are not like Yoo Joonghyuk or Anna Croft, who were forced to repeat the same world.

So to speak, they were 'voluntary regressors'.

Those who remain in the Outpost forever, refusing to advance to the next scenario.

The constellations, standing on the brink of 'Ragnarok', collapsed in their seats, fearing they would lose all the stories they had accumulated.

"You are not worthy to see the ■■ of the world."

Like the wanderers who waited for someone to finish the main scenario, these are cowards who long for the desperate battle of the 'Main Battle' to end quickly. That was it.

Manu, his expression hardened coldly, shouted, aiming his spear.

With those words, the constellations moved. Manu's spear flew, and Garuda's thunder rained down.

I barely managed to dodge the spear and deflect the thunder, but this time Hanuman's massive club flew towards my back. I barely managed to activate [Way of the Wind], but it only grazed the story's body and sent it flying.

I thought, enduring the pain.

In a sense, Manu was right. In reality, my chances of winning against them weren't great.

This was insane enough, but there was an even more serious problem.

What raised me to a mythical status was the World Tree of the 'Breaking the Sky Sword Saint' and the story of the 'King of Fear'. However, because I had extracted a large amount of D-Coins from my stories, the only power I could use right now was the 'Demon King of Salvation' mode.

To make matters worse, this mode would last for another ten minutes.

Seeing that I couldn't easily seize a counterattack, the constellations' expressions began to soften.

The golden dice in the air began to spin furiously, watching me cornered in a one-sided defensive position.

While checking the betting amount updated in real time, I continued to fend off the constellations' attacks. Even with [All-Personification] activated, the attacks from the constellations at the late narrative-grade were threatening.

Narrative blasts erupted from my forearms and thighs.

Amidst the pouring gazes, the constellations' faces erupted in sinister smiles.

Judging by the ceaseless flash of coin symbols, it seemed a barrage of support was underway, something I was unaware of.

The next moment, a massive saga began to gather attention around Manu's opera.

Alarm bells rang in my head.

A one-time cost item obtained from the 'Outpost'.

I had heard of this item's effects through the 'Unchanging One'.

This attack cannot be dodged or deflected.

I turned and began to flee. With all my might, I activated [Way of the Wind], relentlessly searching the desolate grassland.

I heard the sound of Manu's spear being fired. The downside of the One-Point Kill is that its speed decreases as its power increases.

The bush wasn't easily visible. It was only natural, since I was new to this battlefield.

Manu's spear was within striking distance. I smiled wryly and turned my back to block it.

And at that very moment...

"I knew this would happen."

Someone grabbed my waist tightly. Here it is.

I was thrown to the ground, still clutched by my waist. Then, to my surprise, the floor suddenly caved in, and I felt my body being sucked into another dimension.

Looking for the 'bush'-like structure was a mistake. Surprisingly, this 'bush' existed as a trap beneath the floor.

Thanks to the bush's special effects, Manu's spear narrowly grazed my back and bounced out of the space.

"I'm in your debt. Thank you."

I turned to my rescuer. There, Anna Kim, who I'd assumed had gone to help Selena Kim, was glaring at me with angry eyes.

"You said you believed my bet, didn't you?"

"I said I believed your bet, not you. Why on earth did you do this?"

Kim Anna examined the wound on my back, where Manu's spear had grazed, then cut her palm and squeezed the blood out. Her special trait, the power of the 'Elixir Maker', manifested, and my wound began to heal quickly.

"Thank you."

"There's no need for gratitude. You're going to die soon anyway."

"Why are you treating me when I'm going to die anyway?"

Kim Anna couldn't answer.

I spoke for her.

"Even if we know the world's destruction is certain, we still have to save those who are dying today, don't we?"

"…"

"Yoo Joonghyuk was like that too."

Kim Anna's face brightened for a moment.

"Is the Supreme King coming to help?"

"It's a good thing he's here, since you're here."

Kim Anna's expression darkened again. I smiled comfortingly and said,

"Don't worry. I'm here."

"What on earth were you thinking when you did something like this?"

It's understandable, even for our Kim Anna. i suddenly barged into the match, provoked the constellations, forced the incarnations to evacuate, and even made a strange bet, drawing the attention of Valhalla Hall.

"I want to end the regression."

"Yes?"

"You know that, right? If you win this match, your regression will end, but eventually, someone will fill your void."

Some regressions never end.

Because this world wants a regression.

"So, to end this game properly—"

"The only way to make those who want this game quit the game themselves."

Even in the 'Valhalla Hall', it's not easy to raise this amount of money. Many constellations must have staked their entire fortunes on this match.

"Now they'll have to return to 'Scenarios'."

However, Kim Anna, whose thoughts were only negative after a long regression, still looked unconvinced.

"Even if your plan is correct, you need to win this match to make it happen. That too—"

"Before the first prophecy appeared."

Then I sensed the presence of constellations from above. The ones who had hesitated at my entrance into the bushes had finally rushed in to finish us off.

But I wasn't fazed at all. Because this fight was only just beginning.

"No. It was impossible. Unless even the Supreme King comes…"

"Kim Anna-ssi."

I took a slow breath. Then I felt a story stir deep within me.

"As I said before, Yoo Joonghyuk won't come. Because—"

All conditions are met.

"There's no need."

Watching the constellations rushing towards me, I checked the elements necessary for this stage.

The ground beneath my feet rippled. This battlefield, which had absorbed countless fragments of Kim Dokja, seemed to be reading and reacting to the stories embedded within me.

The pages of [Bookmark] began to turn in my mind.

The story I had read, and every Kim Dokja in this land had read.

Along with the rippling scenery, the stage we had read was reenacted before my eyes. A story I, the original Kim Dokja, would never have been able to recreate.

But now, having reached myth-grade, it was different.

"I."

Facing the dazzling fury of the constellations, I inserted the final piece needed for this 'stage'.

"I am Yoo Joonghyuk, who participated in the 1,864th 'Demon King Selection Tournament'."