975 Episode 58 Myth-grade Constellation (7)

'Ways of Survival' features a multitude of beings born from the 'Primal Darkness'. The most prominent example was the 'Wenny King', a creature born alongside the 'Dokkaebi King' in the first Myeongyang. Then there were those who reached the Primal Darkness through the weight of their own myths—beings like the ruler of the abyss, Abaddon, or the lord of the spirit world, Hades. Some had even plummeted into that darkness through their own corruption, such as the Archangel Michael or the high-ranking demon lords. Regardless of their origin, every being that embraced the Primal Darkness shared a singular trait.

The star that had materialized before my eyes was no exception. I knew I would see him eventually, but I never expected to encounter him like this.

"Anna Croft-ssi, stay back. No matter what happens, do not approach."

I shoved her behind me and stepped forward. As if triggered by my movement, a record surged before my eyes.

I swallowed hard and recited his epithet.

"Abyssal Black Flame Dragon."

The star that ruled the Nebula <Black Cloud>—the one who had been Han Sooyoung's sponsor in the original story.

Mitra, struggling beneath the dragon's weight, let out a ragged cry. I looked up at the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon. The entity revealed within the darkness had taken the shape of a colossal black dragon. I opened my mouth to pay my 'respects'.

"Master of the Great <Black Cloud>."

The Black Flame Dragon I remembered was a high-tier Narrative-grade. But the beast before me now was undeniably Mythical. Even the malice radiating from its form was fundamentally different—darker, heavier. How had this happened? Why had he become such a sinister, mythical disaster? I didn't have the luxury of wondering. I needed to buy time.

My strength hadn't fully recovered. If I clashed with a Mythical-grade constellation now, I wouldn't just be reduced to fragments; I’d be erased. And if I failed, Jung Heewon would die with me. I spotted a transparent thicket at the edge of the mythical battlefield.

Heewon's voice resonated from within. She and several other incarnations were huddled inside a transparent barrier. I recognized it immediately.

Its function was simple: you could be seen from the outside, but you were immune to damage.

The immunity was a one-time grace period. Jung Heewon was tending to the wounded, likely having sought refuge there the moment the myths began their clash. But the bush was situated right at the feet of the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon. Once that timer hit zero, they would be obliterated by the mere aftershocks of the fight.

"Abyssal Black Flame Dragon!"

He didn't listen. He simply began to crush Mitra beneath a massive, scaled foot.

Hearing Mitra’s screams, I took another step.

"Can't you hear me?"

A Myth-grade star wouldn't hear the voice of a mere human. I drew a deep breath and cast my incantation.

The dragon's head turned slowly toward me. It felt as if the universe's abyss was peering into my soul. I pushed the 'Giant Story' to its limit to keep from collapsing under that gaze.

In the original text, the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon was a candidate for the 'Final Dragon of the Apocalypse'. But here, he didn't look like a herald of the end. He looked like a puppet.

The pieces clicked. Because that war never happened in this 41st round, the 'Final Dragon' was never born.

I didn't know if this was the intended plot of this worldline, but the result was clear.

Deprived of his destiny, he had been consumed by rage and grief, spewing forth a narrative of corruption.

I never claimed he was a 'good' constellation. He was a being who aspired to be the worst disaster in the <Star Stream>. But...

I only knew him through records—perhaps they were just Han Sooyoung’s filtered perceptions. But that’s how we read people.

When we claim to understand someone, we are always telling ourselves a story.

I kept talking, even as the pressure threatened to crush my ribs.

The story of the 'Demon King of Salvation' poured out of me. I projected the image of the dragon I remembered.

I was trying to turn reality into one giant incitement.

The darkness began to shift. Sentences poured out of the void as if to argue with me.

"No... that wasn't you."

The dragon's massive form stilled. I looked into the shadows behind it. The primal darkness. And then, I heard it. A laughter I loathed.

I should have known. A star with such a massive ego doesn't just become a 'Mad Dragon' overnight. The world turned a sickly, pale gray. Spacetime warped into the clock of the 'Recorders'. Behind the dragon stood a man in a pitch-black gothic suit.

"Asmodeus."

He studied me, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes."

You can't lie to the 'Recorder of Fear'.

Asmodeus laughed.

The scenery shattered. The dragon lunged. I spun my 'Giant Story' like a shield. But the dragon's tail bypassed space-time, striking me from a blind spot and wrapping around me with crushing force.

"Hmph...!"

Kudududuk. The stories of the 'Demon King of Salvation' groaned under the pressure.

I didn't panic.

"Really?"

Asmodeus's smile faltered.

"Are you truly curious about that?"

"Black Dragon! Finish him—!"

I poured my essence into a single mantra.

The voice resonated across the entire battlefield.

Silence fell. The stars twinkled in anticipation.

Asmodeus regained his sneer.

The sound of a bowstring being pulled taut echoed, as if the Earth’s axis itself were being strained.

A brilliant white light pierced the horizon. Hou Yi was aiming.

Asmodeus roared in realization, but he was too late.

The arrow of the sun ignited the sky.