Ch 376: Ep. 71 - 50 years later, IV

– Capture them! Apprehend the eldest Prince first!

– They are taking the Fourth Prince away!

Angry Reincarnators inside the screen were pouring out a barrage of arrows and sword lights. And there were two men running within the thick, choking smoke – Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja.

With a very restless expression on her face, Biyoo jumped up and down in the air like a ball of mochi.

Arrows flew past Kim Dokja's head with barely any room to spare; some of them even accurately fell towards his back, but the First Prince quickly swung his sword to deflect them all.

– Retreat!

With that order, the revolutionaries receded away. And there were Constellations watching this spectacle from afar.

Unfortunately, their messages couldn't reach the Incarnations within the channel.

With a sad look, Biyoo shook her head.

Dokkaebis might possess the authority to change broadcast set-up of their channels, but the situation this time with the 'Isle of Reincarnators' was a rather unique one.

The one who offered up the stage for the scenario of the 'Great War of Saints and Demons' was the master of the 'Isle of Reincarnators', 'Mandala's Guardian'. He was not allowed to participate in this scenario personally, but at the same time, was given the same level of authority to interfere as the high-ranking Dokkaebis during this war.

Not caring whether they were furious or not, the 'Mandala's Guardian' continued to stare with quiet, distant eyes at Kim Dokja inside the screen – as if he was searching for a certain profound epiphany from that man's face.

Tsu-chuchuchut…

It was around then that someone revealed himself in the air accompanied by a sudden storm of sparks. The 'Mandala's Guardian' shifted his disinterested eyes in that direction.

The one that appeared was the historical-grade Dokkaebi, Bihyung. He courteously performed the Buddhist-style greeting and began his questioning right away.

The expression on the Guardian's face shifted ever so slightly after hearing Bihyung's question. The fact was, he would transform into a different existence according to the name he currently possessed.

Bihyung's sharp gaze landed firmly on Sakyamuni. The Warrior Monk's eyes quietly held that gaze, and the mandala within them reversed their spinning direction.

Right after Sakyamuni finished replying in a subtle but accusatory tone of voice, Biyoo popped up in mid-air and plopped her soft tummy on top of Bihyung's head.

Bihyung lightly bit his lip, but didn't provide an answer. Instead, he looked at Kim Dokja in the screen, currently breaking past the clouds of explosions and running away.

The mandala within Sakyamuni's eyes continued to spin. And the faint figures of Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk could be seen above the spinning Mandalas.

With the aid of Yoo Joonghyuk, I was able to safely escape from the audience chamber. The pursuit attempt by the guards proved to be annoyingly persistent, but thanks to the sacrifices of a few revolutionaries, we made it to the safe house in the end.

Yoo Joonghyuk chucked the unconscious Bilston – the host body of Lee Hyunsung – on the floor and opened his lips to speak. "Why did you show up this late?"

"It wasn't because I wanted to, okay."

Yoo Joonghyuk shot me his trademark murderous glare for a little while, and then continued on with his story.

– I arrived in this place around two years ago.

I calmly listened to his experiences.

He suddenly became the First Prince of the Kaizenix Archipelago, and just as suddenly, throne usurpation broke out.

Yoo Joonghyuk was thrown into the middle of that armed revolt and began his bid for survival. He escaped from the royal castle and created the group of freedom fighters. And then, he searched around for the rest of the companions.

– By the time I arrived here, Lee Hyunsung, Jung Heewon, and even Han Sooyoung were already in that state.

– Are the three of them the only ones here? Where are the others?

– Haven't found anyone besides them. It's likely that only they were summoned to this world.

Yoo Joonghyuk possessed the [Sage's Eye]. In some regard, that skill allowed him to spy on far more complete information than my own [Character List]. He had been relying on this skill to search for the other companions. He probably discovered me through it, too – since the [Sage's Eye] didn't work on me.

I observed the still-unconscious Lee Hyunsung.

Yoo Joonghyuk said he got here two years ago. In that case, just how long was Lee Hyunsung trapped in this worldview for?

– They have all been swallowed up by the Giant Story, haven't they?

– Probably.

– What about you? You alright?

– You think a measly couple of years is enough to break me down?

I belatedly recalled what an amazing dude Yoo Joonghyuk was. The trustworthy Lee Hyunsung, the driven Jung Heewon, and even Han Sooyoung all broke down and lost themselves.

However, Yoo Joonghyuk was completely unscathed.

But then again, that was pretty obvious when I thought about it. The method employed by this worldview's 'Giant Story' to break us down was 'time' itself. However, Yoo Joonghyuk possessed far stronger resistance towards the passage of time than anyone. Well, he had already spent hundreds of years in the Dark Stratum going through harsh training, after all.

I raised my head towards the sky.

The current scenario was governed by the rules set out by the worldview. Even Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to have realized how we should start acting from here onwards.

I finished preparing myself and opened my lips. "Hyung."

Yoo Joonghyuk's expression crumpled into something unsightly.

– Hey, don't make a face like that. This is the restriction of our current scenario. Do you think I'm enjoying this, either?

Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes bubbling over like boiling lava finally softened just a tad.

Yup, this guy was going to experience severe difficulties pretty soon; according to Ricardo's memories, the original setting for the First Prince was 'loving and warm-hearted big brother', that was why.

Yoo Joonghyuk opened his lips. "Speak, Ricardo."

"What are you going to do next? It looks to me that even the revolution has failed now. No, besides all that, why did you even appear in the execution ground, anyway?"

"I was planning to kill the false king."

I was pretty sure of him being dead serious here. The Yoo Joonghyuk I know was fully capable of doing something like that, after all.

Too bad, that wasn't my style.

"But, should you be doing something like that? She's originally your bride, isn't she?"

"Correction. She was supposed to be one. The throne was usurped on the first day of the wedding, however."

Oh, I see. So, it's that sort of development? I felt just a bit relieved now.

Han Sooyoung and Yoo Joonghyuk as a couple? <Kim Dokja's Company> hadn't allowed any dating at the workplace yet, so hell no.

It was at this point in time that an unexpected message entered my ears.

…The genre had tilted?

Yoo Joonghyuk continued on. "It was already far late to save her. She was stained by the corrupted magic and lost her original humanity."

Oh, really?

I gave another signal to Yoo Joonghyuk with my eyes.

– Did you hear that?

He nodded his head.

"In any case, we both are too late now. We can't save them all."

"No, it's not too late. Whatever the case may be, there are two of us, right?"

After saying that, I shifted my gaze down to Bilston on the ground, still snoring away, and carried on. "Maybe, three."

"Those three will be everyone."

"Who knows? There might be more. Maybe, a miracle happens and an existence crossing over from another dimension will help us out."

And in the following moment, new scenario messages popped up right before my eyes.

We quickly accessed the scenario window.

"…So, this is how it was."

I raised my head and found Yoo Joonghyuk's dumbfounded expression.

I kind of understood how I should go about advancing the scenario now. However, the problem here was the difficulty of figuring out which 'genre' was the right one to select.

– We just don't have enough information. It'd been nice if only we knew what the original plot of this world was…

It was unknown what kind of a conclusion we'd get after choosing a particular worldview. What I wanted was to ensure the survival of everyone and move onto the next scenario together.

But, what if someone were to die as the price for me choosing a genre?

Yoo Joonghyuk threw out a question.

– I guess your high and mighty book didn't mention this part, then?

I flinched slightly before making my reply.

– How can I know something that a Regressor like you doesn't know?

– But, I do know.

– What? You know what, exactly?

– The course of this scenario.

I stared at him in pure shock. Yoo Joonghyuk knows of this scenario's plot? But, that couldn't be.

If my memories were correct, then the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 3rd Regression turn had not experienced a scenario like this one. And he'd not go through one in the future, either.

– I read it in a book.

– What book was that?

I momentarily wondered if he was talking about the 'Ways of Survival', but quickly realized that was impossible. Because even that novel didn't contain any in-depth information on this scenario.

– I read the diary written by Han Sooyoung from the 1863rd turn. She experienced this scenario in that Regression.

– Han Sooyoung of the 1863rd turn? And why do you have her diary in the first place?

– I got hold of it via special means.

I glared at Yoo Joonghyuk for a little while.

Well, I was slightly overcome with complicated feelings of betrayal.

Han Sooyoung from the 1863rd turn didn't mention any information on this scenario to me. Why was that? Did she think that I must not know about it? Or… Just to spite me?

My thoughts remained complicated, but I shook my head and got rid of them. They weren't important right now.

– If you possessed such information, you should've told me that already, you dumbass. Okay, so. How did the 1863rd turn Han Sooyoung clear this scenario?

Whatever the case might have been, the important thing was that we did have info on this scenario. If we had info, then that meant there was an already-set method to clear it.

However, Yoo Joonghyuk's expression was gloomy.

– This world is not unfolding in the original direction.

– What are you talking about?

– 'Throne usurpation' didn't happen in the original plot of this world. Meaning, the event of the current king becoming 'king' shouldn't have happened.

– Which means…?

– Before we entered this world, someone changed the plot of this story.

I was flustered.

Currently, we were in a situation where neither of us – Yoo Joonghyuk the Regressor, and me, the sole reader – had any idea on the future storyline. Sure, there had been a few times when the progress of the story didn't match up with the 'Ways of Survival' in the past, but this would be the first time we couldn't predict what the future held for us.

The 'Ways of Survival' I knew didn't contain any potential solutions to a scenario like this one.

⸢Ma ybe you sho uld have read the Final Re vision.⸥

Regret belatedly rushed in.

It was at this time that someone knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Almost at the same time Yoo Joonghyuk issued his order, the door was pushed open and the revolutionaries entered. They brought along an older man, currently tied up by them.

"He says he's the secret envoy from the king. He wishes to speak to you, sir."

The older man turned out to be the same butler who handed me water back when I first regained my consciousness after the 'possession'. His beard trembled in fear; he sucked in deep breaths and addressed us.

"First Prince, and the Fourth Prince… Her majesty told me to give you a certain item. Specifically… Her majesty from 40 years ago…"

…40 years ago?

Yoo Joonghyuk and I exchanged glances. Meanwhile, the butler rummaged through his inner pocket and pulled something out.

It was a certain book.

{Three Ways to Survive a Totally Ruined Scenario, by the author Han Sooyoung.}