998 Episode 60 Star Fragments (6)

Broken fragments were falling from the sky, which had cracked into pieces. It was the sight of the solid probability that had constituted this world collapsing.

I gazed up at the sky for a moment before opening my mouth.

"Kim Dokja."

As I called that name, Snowfield's eyes wavered slightly. I stared straight at him and said.

"You aren't this kind of person."

Snowfield laughed as if finding my words quite amusing and asked back.

"What kind of person am I?"

I thought about Snowfield.

I still don't know him well. I know he drinks tea, but I don't know why he started drinking it; I know he grew up in the Snowfield with Cheon Inho, but I don't know how long he endured the time there.

"Someone who hates Kim Dokja, but who actually wants to become Kim Dokja more than anyone else."

Nevertheless, I have watched him for a long time. From the beginning of the 41st round until now, I have felt his gaze watching over me.

"And."

Therefore, I could say this with certainty, at least.

"Someone who likes my story."

Snowfield nodded.

"I still like your story."

"Then stop here."

I said, watching Snowfield's fingertips. Every time his hand brushed against the small head of the third Kim Dokja, I could see the third Kim Dokja's story crumbling and being absorbed little by little.

Snowfield shook his head and said.

"I can't do that. Because this child wants it too."

"I don't think so."

I already knew, through the cases of the 'Demon King of Salvation' or the 'Great King of Fear', what happens when fragments of Kim Dokja are absorbed by another Kim Dokja.

The third, now a baby, was slowly losing his story, but he hadn't completely surrendered himself to Snowfield.

"If he really wanted it, he would have already been absorbed by you."

Instead of refuting my words, Snowfield let out a low sigh and said.

"He wants to see it, too. <Kim Dokja Company> gathering in one place."

"..."

"Now they will gather one by one. The 'Big House' that Kim Dokja so desperately longed for is finally being completed."

I recalled Lee Hyunsung, who had repeated my name like a round song, and the Chimera Dragon, roaring in a frenzy.

Thunder struck from somewhere. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was exerting his power against the 'Chimera Dragon'.

"If you do that, this world will shatter. There is no way this fragile reality can handle the entirety of <Kim Dokja Company>."

The mere appearance of a single 'Chimera Dragon' had already jeopardized the probability of the world.

However, if the entirety of <Kim Dokja Company> were to gather here, the entire world would not be able to withstand the gravitational pull of the story and would explode.

"We’ll have to try to know. It’s something we’ve never attempted before."

Snowfield’s expression was nonchalant. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Even if it were possible to gather the entire <Kim Dokja Company> as he claimed, what was the point of realizing that here?

In the end, I would have to return to the 41st round, and he…

For a moment, I felt my mind go cold.

Perhaps he wasn't interested in the ending of the '41st round' in the first place; the fact that he laid down everything and descended upon the '41st round'—maybe— I bit my lip tightly and asked again.

"If the entire <Kim Dokja Company> is gathered? What are you going to do next?"

"I have to show them 'the one and only Kim Dokja'."

"Who is that 'one and only Kim Dokja'?"

The fact that those words had come out of my mouth felt strange. Yet, my mouth was moving on its own.

"So, you're saying you intend to become 'the one and only Kim Dokja'."

At that, Snowfield tilted his head.

"What's the problem with that?"

"I can't let it be like that."

"You can't let it be like that."

Snowfield quietly repeated my words, then wore a smile that was both knowing and enigmatic. Then, tilting his head at a subtle angle, he looked at me.

"Why are you saying that? Surely... you haven't come to want to become 'the one and only Kim Dokja' too?"

I couldn't answer.

Do I want to become 'the one and only Kim Dokja'?

"At the very least, I can't let you become one."

"Why? You know perfectly well who I am."

Those words pierced the corner of my heart painfully.

I don't know 'how he has lived,' but I know 'how he was born'. Because he was born in the same way as me.

On the day the 'Oldest Dream', which had briefly become one, was torn to pieces, the day countless 'Kim Dokja fragments' became meteors and scattered across the entire universe, he and I were born into this story.

We originated from the same source of 'Kim Dokja'.

"I thought that at least you, my 'true brother', would understand me well."

"…"

"And I understand you, too. How you felt after knowing your true identity, and what thoughts you lived with—"

I shook my head.

"I told you to stop."

Because he was not just any other 'Kim Dokja', I had to prevent him from becoming 'the one and only Kim Dokja'.

I could not even dare to imagine what would happen to this entire universe if he became the one and only 'Oldest Dream'.

Gathering the power of 「Revision」 flickering at my fingertips, I slowly approached him. I was the only one who could stop him now. I could not rely on the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, nor on anyone else.

"What if you don't want to? What are you going to do?"

Snowfield smiled.

"Do you really think you can stop me?"

With that question, a formidable sense of pressure emanated from Snowfield's entire body. Sparks began to fly across the area due to the pressure, powerful enough to distort the probability of this world.

I realize it once again. The 'Snowfield' standing before me now is a being who has risen to a position equal to the 'Round Table' constellations I had encountered.

Nevertheless, I did not back down. Because I, too, now stand under the same sky as them.

As I continued to approach, a glint flickered in Snowfield's eyes. He gazed intently at me, then lightly snapped his fingers.

Tsutsutsutsutsu!

The next moment, the air split open, and two men appeared. As expected, they were men dressed in suits. Unusually, each man was wearing a mask on his face.

One wore a mask reminiscent of a white dragon, while the other had cheeks that resembled an unpleasant ghost. It was a mask.

"Is that him?"

As Snowfield nodded, the two men began to approach me.

"I'm sorry. I hold no particular grudge against you."

In that instant, I felt like I knew who they were.

That 'White Dragon Mask' must be the 'White Flame Dragon of Lamentation', and the 'Ghost Mask' must be the 'Drinking Demon.' They, too, were introduced into this timeline along with Snowfield.

I prepared my logs with tension. But could I fight them with only the power of my 「Revision」 right now?

"Step back!"

Just as I smelled the sea from somewhere, the sound of a jet of water gushing out was heard. As I quickly bent down, I saw the White Flame Dragon and the Demon frown and retreat rapidly.

When I turned around, the constellations were there. The first ones to catch my eye were Poseidon and Zeus.

"Damn it, my knees almost gave out. Why is it so high?"

Constellations with piercing eyes were approaching this way. Demeter, Odin, and even the constellations whose names I do not yet know.

"I couldn't possibly miss a spectacle like this. Wouldn't you agree?"

To witness the end of this world, the stars had defeated all the men in suits and come this far.

Snowfield muttered as if surprised by the constellations.

"I didn't know they were still alive."

As if conscious of Snowfield's words, the 'White Flame Dragon of Lamentation' hurriedly opened its mouth.

"I apologize. We will handle this."

"So the vomit of myth-grade constellations has gathered here."

As the 'Drinking Demon' added in a voice of contempt, Poseidon scowled.

"Where do these guys—who haven't even heard of their modifier come from—"

And the 'Drinking Demon's' body moved. Before Poseidon could even finish speaking, the 'Drinking Demon', having advanced to within striking him, extended a lightning-fast fist toward the constellations.

"Cough."

The constellations were knocked out by a single blow.

Judging by their movements, both constellations appeared to be cases specialized in 'physical abilities', much like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven in this world.

The constellations did not back down and unleashed their strength. Poseidon fired a water cannon from his mouth, and Zeus unleashed an electric shock with a stun gun.

However, as if they had anticipated it, the two constellations dodged the attacks with swift footwork and subdued the constellations one by one.

"Aaaargh!"

The constellations with broken limbs screamed and slumped into the ground.

Poseidon looked at me.

"What are you doing! Run!"

I was already running, actually. Now was the perfect opportunity to approach Snowfield, as the constellations were buying me time.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

But the 'Drinking Demon' was much faster. Just as a large hand grabbed my shoulder, a chilling voice reached my ears.

"It wouldn't matter if I put a hole in your stomach."

The moment I hurriedly turned around, something pushed me hard. As I tumbled to my feet on the floor with a groan, I saw the startled face of the 'Drinking Demon'. The man who had taken his blow in my place was sprawled on the ground. Blood was gushing from the man's waist, his side flesh torn off in its entirety.

With a dazed look on my face, I called out to the man.

"Ahjussi?"

How could this have happened? Dansu ahjussi, who had disappeared after being attacked by the Chimera Dragon, was there. Even stranger was that Dansu ahjussi was naked.

"Now! Attack!"

The constellations, having regrouped, unleashed their supernatural powers upon the 'White Flame Dragon of Lamentation' and the 'Drinking Demon'.

"Ahjussi! Snap out of it! Ahjussi!"

I hurriedly shook Dansu ahjussi. His flank, torn off entirely, was in a state where his internal organs were completely ruptured and beyond repair. An irreversible, severe injury. No matter how resilient a person's life force, they could not survive with such a wound to the stomach.

"Don't worry, friend."

Nevertheless, Dansu ahjussi shook his head as if to say he was fine. And then, gasping for breath with a pale face, he added,

"I will not die."

The next moment, ahjussi's wounds began to heal little by little. Watching his wounds engulfed in dazzling rays of light, something suddenly struck me.

The other constellations had each awakened small special abilities, and just as I can use the power of 'Record', ahjussi must have also blossomed some ability.

And I felt I knew what that ability was.

"Is it the power of the 'King of Immortality'?"

Dansu ahjussi nodded.

"Go and do what my friend has to do."

A precious moment bought by the constellations and Dansu ahjussi, throwing themselves into the fray.

I nodded and ran straight toward Snowfield.

Just then, Snowfield saw me.

The moment his hand moved toward me, I swayed and dodged it. Judging by his movements, it seemed he, too, was a Chegeunmin 1, just like me.

Snowfield shouted.

"It's no use—"

But in the first place, what I was targeting wasn't Snowfield himself. Bending down, instead of attacking him, I immediately grabbed the small hand of the third Kim Dokja.

"Snap out of it! You mustn't get absorbed!"

Furious sparks began to fly in the air.

This world is ultimately sustained by the imagination of the 'third Kim Dokja'.

I thought about the third Kim Dokja. To understand him, I had to learn about his other brothers as well.

"The world you dream of is—"

The 'Demon King of Salvation' who had to save others for his own survival.

The 'Great King of Fear' who loved the stories abandoned in the <Star Stream>.

"It's not like that."

And before my eyes stood the last Kim Dokja, who had imprisoned himself to avoid getting involved in the strife between the brothers.

Trapped in this small prison, he must have long dreamed of a big house.

I looked back at the constellations fighting hard to help us.

I looked down at the single book supporting his small head—「Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint」.

A reader who wanted not to be a reader more than anyone else.

In this peaceful world, the dream he had was clear.

He is the Kim Dokja who wanted to form a 'family' more than any other Kim Dokja.

"Your family..."

His dream had already come true.

"They are already here."

Feeling young Kim Dokja's small hand wiggling, I thought of the people who have protected this world. I thought of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who cried out for the youngest, and of Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon, who chose this world for Kim Dokja's sake.

They did not choose this ending because they had given up on finding Kim Dokja. It was simply that the Kim Dokja they found was in this world.

Snowfield said.

"That's a lie."

At Snowfield's words, a small spark shot up in the air.

A lie.

That's right. This world isn't real. But the moment I watched this world, I kept thinking that.

Star fragments discarded by the main body were brightly illuminating the dark night on the rooftop. Stories discarded as useless were becoming stories protecting someone here. And so, I thought.

"If the story someone dedicated their entire life to is a lie."

"There is no such thing as truth in this world."