968 Episode 57 Twilight of the Gods (11)

Skuld watched the stadium, biting her fingernails.

A considerable amount of time had passed since the constellations on Veda's side entered the thicket. Judging by the inability to observe the interior from the audience, the bush they entered was a 'Chaos Bush'.

If Veda had stepped in, the conversation with the recorders would have been over, and [Fate] would have been rigged without a hitch. Furthermore, Skuld had already made a separate announcement to the chairman, so there was absolutely no way Team Veda would lose.

The total D-coins wagered by Veda in this match alone exceeded 8 million. Even from the perspective of the Great Nebula, this was a battle they absolutely could not afford to lose, so there was no chance of an unfortunate incident. At this point, not only [Fate] but even the grand narratives of Veda would have been used.

Skuld was well aware of this fact. That's why she couldn't quite understand her own anxiety.

The Observer of the Indelible Traces.

She was Urd, Skuld's sister and observer of the past. It had been a while since Urd had interfered in the betting table.

Consultation had recently been lost with Verdandi, who governed the present, so hearing from her sister was a welcome change.

But Urd didn't respond.

And a moment later, a strange message came from the air.

With a burst of sparks, Urd's presence vanished.

A vain mantra rang out, but Urd's reply remained unanswered.

Skuld instinctively knew.

'Something has happened to Urd.'

But who could harm her, the one who controls fate?

A spark of probability radiated from the stadium once again, and Skuld stared blankly at the scene.

The image reflected only the exterior of a sinister bush. Yet, as she gazed at it, Skuld felt increasingly strange.

She knew the principles of that bush, and she had a clear understanding of its inner workings. But why did that obvious bush feel so terrifying today?

Looking at the exit through the swaying bushes, Skuld felt as if a vast abyss was gaping open, ready to swallow her whole.

Since when? Even the constellations and incarnations in the bustling audience remained silent, their gaze fixed on the insignificant bush. As if they sensed a momentous event was about to unfold in the Valhalla Hall.

The moment the match-ending message sounded, Skuld leaped to her feet. The moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived. However, perhaps due to the aftershock of probability raging through the arena, the winner confirmation message was not properly displayed.

If this much trouble was happening in Scenario 85, there would have been considerable bloodshed even in <Veda>.

But with the chairman personally stepping in and the stakes coming in, it wasn't a loss for the giant nebula.

The settlement, radiating such dazzling light, was the first since the 'Golden Dice Hall' opened. For a moment, the constellations throughout the hall gaped in awe at the radiance.

Excited cries of constellations echoed from all around, asking who won and what the profit ratios were.

And the next moment, the 'execution stand' opened in the center of the arena. The audience's expressions hardened as they saw the faces of the contestants being summoned one by one.

Skuld's shoulders also trembled.

Someone spoke, and as if waiting, the 'Execution Squad' event began.

The first to speak was a giant bird.

Along with Garuda's resentful screams, the system message, muffled by the aftershock, became clear.

When I returned to 'Valhalla Hall' in a dazzling ray of light, I was greeted by a splendid waiting room.

It seems this victory has caused quite a stir in 'Valhalla Hall'.

I rejected all the messages that piled up and then disabled [Incite].

A powerful rebound briefly sent me into a state of dizziness. Perhaps the reason I felt somewhat more resilient was because my incarnation body had become somewhat stronger by the time I reached the 85th scenario.

If my proficiency with [Incite] and [Bookmark] had been slightly lacking, and above all, if I hadn't finished learning the mimicry of 'Thoughts on Almost Everything', this would have been an unwinnable fight.

'Thoughts', now in its bracelet form, hummed, and I lightly tapped its main body.

"Well done."

If 'Thoughts' hadn't acquired the mimicry forms of 'Robin Hood's Strong Bow' and 'Black Heavenly Sword', the 'Demon King Selection Tournament' stage would have been an incomplete recreation.

And a new story.

A quasi-mythical tale, it will be absorbed by the 'Giant Story' within the public domain, but acquiring a quasi-mythical story in a single match was still a significant achievement.

By the way, have Anna Kim and Selena been summoned here yet?

I quickly scanned the messages and then surveyed the waiting room.

The winner's waiting room was a kind of reception room, a place for comfortable relaxation. A large, circular table sat in the center of the room, and on it were dishes that looked delicious at first glance.

Of course, it was called food, but in reality, it was stories. They felt just like food from the Underworld, so I couldn't bring myself to eat them. But…

Whoosh.

'Thoughts' vibrated again.

"You want to eat?"

It was strange. 'Thoughts' had never wanted to consume stories before. Perhaps its eating habits had evolved as it acquired a massive amount of mimetic forms.

Whoosh.

"Understood."

Come to think of it, it used to make strange sounds like "Joba" and "Shijo"... Now that it was calmly complaining of hunger, it must have grown up. I felt both proud and regretful at the same time. As I brought some of the dishes from the living room near 'Thoughts,' part of the bracelet opened like a beak and immediately began crunching on the stories.

From somewhere, I thought I could hear the pained gasp of the wizard.

Perhaps these stories, too, had fallen from the incarnations who died in the skirmish.

As I continued to feed it stories, contemplating this and that, other incarnations appeared in a flash of light.

"Huh—"

They must have been engaged in a battle with something, as all the incarnations were covered in dust.

"Uh, uh-huh?"

I could see the expressions of the incarnations changing in real time as they turned to each other, making strange noises.

The 'victory message' must have flashed before their eyes as well.

Finally, one of the incarnations, his eyes tearful, turned to me and asked: "Did we win?"

As I nodded, one of the incarnations screamed.

"Ahhhhh—!"

Some cried out, while others collapsed, sobbing.

I don't know what they endured before being summoned to the 'Outpost'.

I don't know if their cries were a sense of relief at being alive, or despair at the scenario's distant future. Since I don't know their sorrow, I can't console it.

"Anyone died?"

All I could do was confirm their names and add a few dry remarks.

It occurred to me that perhaps it wasn't just 'Thoughts' that had changed during the scenario.

Just as Thoughts had become a boring item, perhaps I, too, had become a predictable person.

"Members of the winning team will automatically resurrect even if they die. So, there's no need to worry."

Where the voices came from, Anna Croft and Selena Kim were standing.

"You really did it, you."

After a brief reunion with the brightly smiling Selena Kim, I turned to Anna Croft. Even with the long-awaited victory of the 'Outpost' within sight, Anna Kim's expression didn't seem particularly bright.

She stood blankly, staring at the massive hologram screen installed in the reception room.

The screen showed scenes from the stadium and the execution ceremony that had just begun.

The constellations, long consumed by the deaths of the incarnations, were now making their 'final statements' to postpone their own.

There was no longer any dignity or nobility of the narrative-grade constellations. With expressions and voices no different from any other incarnation, they were screaming in despair.

The audience, which would normally have laughed and chattered at such losers, was silent this time. It had to be that way. The constellations in the audience were probably seeing their own futures through the scaffold.

And Anna Croft, finally finished with her long fight, was watching the stars' final demise.

The execution platform. The place she had stood hundreds of times. And finally, standing there, the constellations.

"Kim Anna-ssi."

Watching her back, I suddenly thought of Yoo Joonghyuk.

What had Yoo Joonghyuk been thinking, facing the end of all those scenarios?

"I feel strange."

Her long shadow swayed in the light of the drawing room.

"I thought standing here would be a relief."

It was the first time I'd heard Anna Croft's voice so candid.

"I thought I'd be truly happy."

Above the execution platform, the constellations, facing death, were emitting their final rays. Gazing at the starlit landscape, I nodded.

"Yes, I knew that."

Neither I nor Kim Anna-ssi knew how to explain this feeling.

What was certain was that, now that we were finally on par with the distant constellations, the landscape we saw had changed. Now we knew with certainty what stories those once brilliant stars were made of.

"What do we... see at the end of all this? Kim Dokja, do you know?"

"I don't know either."

All we could do was watch the insignificant stars extinguish one by one on the scaffold.

"Because we don't know that, we can't give up this story."

The giant blade swung, and the constellations began to be beheaded. Each time a constellation's light went out, the light in the drawing room flickered faintly. Perhaps it was my imagination? The shadows around me seemed to grow longer. I thought I heard a thump, thump, coming from somewhere. At first, I thought it was the constellations' heads being slit.

The sound repeated with frightening precision.

Only when I realized I was unconsciously overwhelmed by that brief echo did I realize what had happened.

I felt my entire body tense. The moment I slowly turned toward the door, Anna Croft, her expression hardened, grabbed my wrist.

"Kim Dokja, you must not open the door."

Her eyes, which had lost their strength during the skirmish, radiated a faint red light.

Perhaps, in that moment, something caught her [Future Sight].

"Right now, beyond that door—"

Hearing her trembling voice, I too sensed the presence beyond the door.

A presence distinctly different from any other constellation.

Having now reached myth-grade, I too could clearly see it.

"There is a myth-grade constellation."

The master of this 'Valhalla Hall' had come to us.