989 Episode 59 What Kind of Ending (10)

I understood the Great Sage’s intent. Jung Heewon and I shouldn't be in this world. Regardless of our intentions, we were uninvited guests, and our presence was the very catalyst for these anomalies.

"That can't be."

Even so, I couldn't leave. There was still someone I had to find here.

"If you stay, the youngest will be in danger."

The Great Sage’s expression hardened, his voice dropping into a firm, low register.

"Every 'Kim Dokja' in the universe is currently in danger."

"..."

"You already know. Asmodeus has already infiltrated. The others could manifest at any moment."

"What exactly is their goal?"

"They are likely trying to recreate the 'Oldest Dream.' More accurately, an 'Oldest Dream' that suits their own tastes."

Whether they were 'Recorders' like Asmodeus or Myth-grade Constellations, their objective was clear: to collect the [Kim Dokja Fragments]. They intended to harness the power of the 'Oldest Dream' to reorganize the to their liking.

"We cannot allow them to complete even a single Kim Dokja."

If Asmodeus’s words were true, it was highly likely that my brother had already interfered with this worldline. Despite the warning, the Great Sage continued to stare me down with a blunt, piercing gaze.

"So, what is your purpose? To stop them?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"That—"

"Are you also trying to collect the [Kim Dokja Fragments]?"

The Great Sage’s eyes shone with a cold, golden light. I nodded, offering no denial.

"I am."

"Then how are you any different from them?"

Jung Heewon frowned at the Great Sage’s accusation, her hand twitching toward her hilt, while Lee Hyunsung’s eyes widened in surprise.

"I have no intention of becoming 'the only Kim Dokja'."

"You intend to collect the fragments, yet you don't want to become the 'One'?"

"Yes. In a way, I am similar to you."

"Similar to me? What do you mean by that?"

"Just because you became the 'Oldest Liberator'..."

I recalled the Great Sage’s Fables. I remembered the various 'names' he had earned throughout the *Journey to the West*.

"The King of Mihu."

Once, he was the Stone Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain.

"The Bimawen."

He was once the humble stablekeeper of the Heavenly Realm.

"The Victorious Fighting Buddha."

He was the monk who escorted Xuanzang to the Western Heavens.

"And just as those names never truly disappear from the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal..."

He was a Constellation who had witnessed the story of an Incarnation to its very end.

Even now, those stories—each possessing its own ego—must be flowing within the Great Sage. Just as the small Kim Dokjas gathered behind the [Fourth Wall] to watch the story, his "brothers" were likely watching this moment from within him.

"The reason I collect the fragments is not to become a single, absolute Kim Dokja."

I didn't expect to persuade him with shallow words. He knew 'Kim Dokja', but he didn't know *me*. To him, I was merely an intruder who had hijacked the body of his 'youngest'. Still, I had to speak. It was the only tool I had left.

"I see. I understand."

After a moment of silent reflection, the Great Sage finally replied.

"You didn't come here to harm the youngest. Is that what you're saying?"

He didn't press further or erupt in anger. Sensing the tide turning in my favor, I nodded quickly.

"That’s right."

"To prove that, you’ll first have to vacate the youngest’s body."

"That’s... difficult."

"Why?"

"Because without this vessel, I have no way to manifest in this world."

Truthfully, I hadn't chosen to inhabit this body either. It would be more accurate to say this body had *called* me.

"And more importantly... I can't sense the soul of the 'Kim Dokja' that originally resided in this body."

The Great Sage’s expression shifted again. He must have vaguely sensed it too.

My situation was similar to Jung Heewon’s. However, unlike her, I wasn't suffering from the aftermath of Probability. This was because the 'Third Kim Dokja' wasn't fighting me for control. I was currently inhabiting an empty shell.

The Great Sage muttered, biting his lip.

"Damn it. I suspected as much."

The situation was clear.

I didn't know how they had managed it. Perhaps Asmodeus, or whoever gave the 'Book' to the Third, had orchestrated the soul's disappearance.

*Buzz. Buzz.*

Suddenly, my smartphone vibrated. It wasn't just mine. Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, and the Great Sage all felt their phones buzz simultaneously.

I checked the message.

**[Terror Alert]**

Lee Hyunsung’s face went pale as he scrolled through his screen.

"You... you need to see this."

We crowded around Lee Hyunsung’s phone.

**—Name: Kim Wukong.**

The Great Sage’s ID photo was displayed in large print. Beneath it were two lines:

**—Status: Terrorist.**

**—Occupation: Unemployed, Age: Unknown.**

The Great Sage’s brow furrowed.

"These bastards...?"

The alerts kept coming. A closer look revealed that it wasn't just him; Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon had also been added to the terrorist watchlist under the same pretext.

"They're looking for the youngest."

A heavy *thump* echoed from outside the door. We didn't need to open it to know who was there.

"They've arrived."

Lee Hyunsung, having clearly simulated this scenario a thousand times, began stacking furniture against the door.

"Please, go through the veranda. Take the escape chute and go straight down. Wukong-ssi will protect you."

"What about you, Hyunsung-ssi?"

"I’ll buy as much time as I can here."

I tried to protest, to tell him I couldn't leave him behind, but the Great Sage was already dragging me toward the balcony.

"It’s fine. He’s sturdier than I am."

The Great Sage checked the descent device, then simply leaped over the railing without even bothering with a harness. He looked back at Jung Heewon and nodded.

"I’ll clear the path below. You bring the youngest."

"Wait! Use the equipment!"

"I don't know how to use that junk."

The Great Sage began sliding down the exterior wall of the building. His grip strength was terrifying; he maintained a perfectly constant speed as he descended. He was definitely beyond human standards. Then again, he *was* a monkey.

Jung Heewon strapped into the harness and opened her arms toward me.

"Let’s go, Dokja-ssi."

"Wait a moment."

When I hesitated, she tilted her head. "Why? What is it?"

I looked down. We were well over ten stories high. I turned to her with a very serious expression.

"On second thought, I think there might be another way."

"Another way?"

"Is it really necessary to flee like this? Maybe the people outside aren't enemies. If I just try to talk to them—"

Jung Heewon stared at me blankly before asking, "You’re not... afraid of heights, are you?"

"It’s not that."

"Get over here, quickly."

"Wait! You haven't forgotten there's no System here, right? If the cable snaps—"

Jung Heewon forcibly grabbed me and hooked us both to the line.

"Are we really doing this? This isn't rated for two people—!"

"We’re out of time. And..."

The descent began.

"It’s my first time using this thing, too."

I screamed internally as we plummeted. Below the apartment complex, men in black suits were already pointing toward the sky.

"There they are!"

"Whoa—!"

Before they could react, they were sent flying, struck in the back of the head by the Great Sage. But they were just the beginning. Black sedans were swarming the area, and more men in suits were closing in from every direction.

No matter how strong the Great Sage was, he couldn't fight an entire army without his divinity.

He watched them silently, then pulled a pipe from his pocket.

"You said you were looking for something, right?" he asked, blowing a puff of smoke.

"I’ll help you for now."

"Are you sure?"

"But I’m not giving up the youngest. My contract says I have to get him back."

I thought for a second and nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Contract established."

With those words, the Great Sage threw his pipe to the ground. A faint explosion followed, and thick, acrid smoke swallowed the area.

"What is this?!"

"Don't panic! It’s just a smokescreen!"

"Gwaaaaakh!"

As expected, it wasn't just tobacco. The sound of rapid-fire strikes echoed through the fog. A moment later, a pitch-black sedan tore through the smoke and screeched to a halt. The back door flew open.

"Get in! Move!"

Jung Heewon and I scrambled inside. I never thought the day would come where I’d be in a getaway car driven by the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal.

"Thank you for the help."

"We’re helping each other."

*Helping each other.* Those words felt strangely heavy.

"Can you really trust me?" I asked.

I knew him because of the *Ways of Survival*, but to him, I was a total stranger. Yet he was risking everything for me.

"I don't know exactly who you are, but..." The Great Sage scratched his cheek, looking a bit embarrassed. "I quite like your hair."

Startled, I caught my reflection in the window. At some point, my hair had turned a shimmering golden color. It was likely the influence of Cheon Inho’s Fable.

*I suppose that guy is useful for something after all.*

We sped away from the apartment, leaving the confused suits behind in the smoke. As the building receded into the distance, a sudden pang of sadness hit me. Kim Dokja and these three had likely lived in that home for a long time.

"If you bring the real Kim Dokja back... will you go back to living there?"

"Probably."

"It's dangerous now."

"Is there anywhere in this world that *isn't*?"

I was left speechless. Where in this universe could anyone truly be 'safe'?

"No matter what, I will protect this world to the end," the Constellation who had illuminated this world alone declared. "Because this world is the 'home' the youngest wanted to live in."

This world was the 'Large House' Kim Dokja had built for his companions. Perhaps he had planned to spend the rest of his eternity here with them.

I stared at the desolate landscape whipping past the window. "It’s a bit too big to be called a 'home'."

We drove through empty, ruined streets. The black sedans would be on our tail soon. Whoever was pulling the strings—Asmodeus or a Myth-grade Constellation from the Round Table—they were manipulating the government of this world to hunt us down.

"This house is too big for you to protect by yourself."

No matter how strong he was, he had limits in a world without the System. He wouldn't want to admit it, but...

"Yes."

...Wait, what?

"I think we’ll need some help this time."

To my surprise, the Great Sage admitted it readily. His voice turned grave.

"Hold on tight."

He slammed the accelerator, and the car roared forward. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Wait... do you even have a driver’s license?"

"Isn't it basically the same as riding a cloud?"

After thirty minutes of high-speed weaving, we arrived at a massive, abandoned factory. Jung Heewon scanned the perimeter, her hand back on her sword.

"What is this place?"

"A prison."

The Great Sage parked the sedan haphazardly and strode toward the entrance. As he threw the doors open, a heavy tension filled the air, as if a giant beast were breathing in the shadows.

"I'm here!" the Great Sage shouted.

From the darkness came the rattling of heavy chains. The sound grew louder until an old man stepped into the faint light.

"What is it now?"

The old man had a thick iron collar around his neck, connected to a leash.

"Did you come to feed us, you damn monkey?"

He clearly knew the Great Sage. I studied him—he wore a weathered red Marine Corps cap and a tattered slogan T-shirt. He didn't look like a legendary ally.

The Great Sage chuckled. "What, you don't recognize them? You should know who they are."

"Huh?"

"I told you. This isn't their first time in this world."

I looked at the old man again. This time, I saw it—the faint, rhythmic shimmer of Fables emanating from him. Something deep inside me resonated with that power.

*Wait. It can't be.*

I looked at the Marine Corps cap again. Goosebumps broke out across my arms. It was impossible, and yet...

As if to confirm my suspicion, the Great Sage spoke.

"I need your help, Poseidon."