976 Episode 58 Myth-grade Constellation (8)

The 'Ten Fingers of God' wielded by the Sun Hunter were sacred relics representing the absolute will of Emperor Di Ku, the third of the Five Emperors.

The <Emperor's> 'Giant Story' coiled around the relic like a living serpent, causing every star in the vicinity to let out a collective, trembling sigh.

The constellations, recognizing the artifact, couldn't suppress their fervor. It was only natural; according to Bicheonhori's '100 Strongest', that arrow was the very relic that had elevated Fei Hu into an incarnation comparable to Yoo Joonghyuk.

The fact that Hou Yi still wielded it meant that Fei Hu had yet to succeed the Sun Hunter’s lineage in this particular round. Asmodeus, staring at the white-glowing arrowhead, narrowed his eyes and hissed.

Hou Yi’s brow furrowed. He, too, seemed to have finally pierced through the disguise to sense the Recorder’s true identity.

Hou Yi didn't hesitate. He pivoted the arrowhead toward the Black Flame Dragon.

I studied the relic in his grasp. Each of the 'Ten Fingers of God' possessed a distinct, specialized power. And the one he held now—

I felt as if an entire epoch of history were being compressed into a single point. A cold sweat traced a path down my spine. Just looking at that arrow made me feel as if I were standing face-to-face with 'the one who gave birth to the King of Kings'.

The monarch who had crushed countless stars across endless battlefields, the sovereign who had woven an impenetrable narrative through eternal war—he was pointing his index finger directly at us.

The heavens began to press down. Every star belonging to <Emperor> across the universe focused its gaze on this spot. The flickering, howling, and screaming of the stars echoed the arrow's intent.

A single thread of narrative, spun from the collective starlight of every constellation in the sector, was threaded into Hou Yi's bow. The moment he released it, I was struck by the hallucination of a falling star crashing toward me.

Asmodeus gritted his teeth. The sentences radiating from his form began to forcibly reconstruct the Black Flame Dragon’s story.

Seeing those emblems, I recalled the <Black Cloud Foundation> from the New Murim District—a corporation designed to farm D-Coins and train ascendants.

The Black Flame Dragon reigned as the head of <Black Cloud>, but he never 'ruled'. He was like Yoo Joonghyuk—a sovereign who existed as a symbol rather than an administrator. The fact that he had established a foundation in the lower scenarios was a glaring anomaly.

A pillar of pitch-black flame erupted from the dragon’s maw. It resembled [Black Flame], but it was far more solitary, far darker—a flame of absolute contradiction, closer to void than light.

The flame, seemingly devouring all ambient light, collided with the Emperor’s White Arrow.

A heart-pounding pressure enveloped the battlefield. Witnessing it felt as though the very essence of the universe was being wrung out. Through the deafening roar, I watched the lights of the blinded stars extinguish. I desperately expanded my status to shield my incarnation body.

A surge of adrenaline raced through me. This was the raw elation of witnessing a high-level battlefield firsthand.

But the clash wasn't over. Framed by a backdrop of brilliant constellations, Hou Yi stood in the sky, his face pale but determined.

A vortex of black dust swirled. At the heart of the light and shadow, the dragon—now twice its original size—gleamed with crimson eyes.

Ohhhhhhh—!

Even with my Myth-grade status, that roar nearly shattered my focus. The dragon, bolstered by Asmodeus's records, possessed terrifying power. Despite a massive wound on one wing, it had neutralized the 'Finger of God' with minimal damage. Hou Yi muttered under his breath.

I saw it too—the Grand Narrative of the nebula embedded in the dragon's scales.

In this version of the story, the souls of every evil dragon who had perished in history now resided within him. This narrative had been fueled by the massive amount of D-Coins harvested from the lower scenarios.

Asmodeus smiled with triumph. Hou Yi's complexion turned ashen.

Until the reload was complete, Hou Yi had to face a Mythical entity with only his own strength.

Perhaps if he had fired multiple arrows at once, the outcome would be different. But with the first shot blocked, Asmodeus had seized the momentum. Or so he thought.

"Actually, I think he already changed it."

Asmodeus blinked, looking around in confusion. A sentence manifested in the air.

Only then did Asmodeus realize.

From the start, Hou Yi’s goal hadn't been to kill the dragon, but to rescue me. I had seized the moment of impact to slip through the dragon’s grip. From across the battlefield, Hou Yi sent me a [Direct Transmission].

—Run, Demon King of Salvation.

It was an unexpected gesture from a constellation of <Emperor>.

—The Emperor desires you. You must not die here.

Whether it was loyalty to his nebula or his own inherent code, I couldn't say. But I had a debt to repay.

—If I leave, you and your followers will be slaughtered.

—It does not matter.

Hou Yi looked ready to embrace death. Retreating with Jung Heewon and Anna Croft when the 'Exposed Bush' expired was the logical move. But I couldn't do it.

I sent a message back.

—That’s a pathetic thing to say. Kyrgios or the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint would be ashamed to hear it.

Hou Yi’s eyes snapped to mine.

—How do you know those names? Where are they? Who are you?

—Are you curious?

I gave him a meaningful smile.

I didn't know the location of every Transcendent, but I knew enough about the Sword Saint to make a deal.

—Let’s fight. We’ll forge a legend here by toppling a Myth-grade entity. Do that, and I’ll tell you everything I know about the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.

Hou Yi stared at me, stunned.

—Are you insane? That is a monster empowered by a Great Recorder.

—The record.

I smiled and added:

—I can rewrite that, too.

I turned toward the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon. His eyes, radiating a lethal abyssal aura, were locked onto me. He was undeniably a Myth-grade being, but there was a hollow resonance to his story—as if the source was corrupted. Asmodeus spread his arms, a predatory grin on his face.

Normally, I wouldn't dream of engaging Asmodeus directly. I glanced at Jung Heewon, still shielded by the 'Exposed Bush', and spoke.

The power of [□□] surged. The world began to lose its color. Despite the lingering backlash, the Recorder’s authority allowed me to override the local probability.

The legends I had built began to manifest upon my body.

Using the knowledge gained from Han Sooyoung, I replicated the status of my former self.

The original form was Narrative-grade, but now, I was drawing out power that rivaled the pinnacle of that status. If I synchronized my other abilities—

The battlefield fell silent. A voice whispered from the shadows of a nearby constellation.

In terms of pure weight, I was no longer inferior to the entities before me. However, Asmodeus’s expression shifted into something unsettling.

It wasn't just shock; it was something closer to pity.

"What if I have?"

I paused. I didn't need [Lie Detection] to feel the weight of his words.

For the first time, Asmodeus was speaking a fundamental truth.