Ch 527: Epilogue 2 - Not found anywhere, II

Han Sooyoung explained the plan in clear, concise words.

One, in order to rescue Kim Dokja, they had to cross the [Final Wall].

Two, to cross the [Final Wall], they needed a total of five [fragments].

Three, the only remaining fragment in this world-line was [The Fourth Wall] Kim Dokja's Avatar possessed.

Four, to acquire the other four fragments, they were to perform 'group regression' and cross over to another world-line.

The companions stared at each other with slightly dazed expressions after hearing that very concise plan.

The first one to ask was Lee Jihye. "…Will that even be possible?"

"This guy said it is, so I'm sure it will be," replied Han Sooyoung.

After receiving her gaze, Yoo Joonghyuk nodded his head. "It's possible. However, my Stigma hasn't finished evolving yet, so it might take a little while longer. We needed time to prepare ourselves, anyway."

"…Hold on. This 'regression' you speak of, Master, just what is the principle behind it?"

"When I activate the regression, we will all return to the past, to the starting point of the scenarios."

"Then, what about our own world?"

"A brand new world-line separate from this one will be created. If you want to count the regression number, then… It'll be the 1865th turn."

The 1865th world-line.

It was such a gob-smacking number that the companions could only blink their eyes in stupefaction.

"So, you're saying we should give it another shot over there."

As if she had already expected something like this before coming here, Jung Heewon's expression as she said those words was filled with sheer determination. However, not everyone held the same view as her.

"According to my knowledge, your 'regression' this time had been a little special, wasn't it?" Yoo Sangah was the one saying these words. "I read about 'regressions' inside Dokja-ssi's library so I know a few things about it, as well. All of your regressions until now had been based on the worldview of the 'Ways of Survival'. However, this regression turn was a little bit special, wasn't it."

Other companions seemed to have finally realized, at least a little bit, what she was talking about.

The current 'world-line' was different from Yoo Joonghyuk's past regressions. It was the world-line brought to life by Yoo Joonghyuk's desire to see the 'end'.

A portion of [The Fourth Wall] caved in, and that resulted in a world where reality and fiction combined into one. Its proof was that this regression turn featured some people who weren't characters from the 'Ways of Survival'.

"Can all of us really go back together? Can you assure us that'll be the case?"

If Yoo Joonghyuk's 'regression' activated with the 'Ways of Survival' as its operational criteria, then several of the companions, such as Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung, couldn't accompany him.

Yoo Joonghyuk slowly blinked his eyes and replied. "Regression will activate with the world-line that I am currently in as its operational criteria."

"That means this 'Dokja-ssi' can travel with us, too."

Yoo Sangah pointed to Kim Dokja lying on the hospital bed behind them.

The reason why this world's Kim Dokja was dying had to do with the power of the system weakening gradually. However, if they could take this Kim Dokja with them through [Group Regression], then he'd go under <Star Stream>'s system once more.

Yoo Joonghyuk lightly nodded his head. "…Probably."

"Well, it's settled, then. Anyone not agreeing to it, raise your hands."

Shin Yoosung cautiously raised her hand at Han Sooyoung's cocky tone of voice indicating that she didn't think anyone would oppose the decision.

"Argh, what do you think you are doing?" Han Sooyoung asked back.

"…I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do. Didn't ahjussi want Joonghyuk ahjussi to stop regressing?"

"That idiot never really cared about what we wanted, anyway. Even steven, I say."

"If Joonghyuk ahjussi regresses, scenarios will begin in the world again. Lots of people will die. And they'll be thrown into tragedies again. Constellations will use people as their toys… And many won't even get to clear the first scenario."

Shin Yoosung was right.

Perhaps, one could argue that she was the Incarnation who understood 'Kim Dokja's' thoughts better than anyone among the companions.

And for sure, he probably didn't want to create such misery.

However, Han Sooyoung's thoughts were different. "And so, you think 'misery' won't happen if we don't regress?"

"Excuse me?"

Han Sooyoung sighed lightly and looked up at the empty air. "Hey, you. Just for how long are you going to sit back and spectate?"

At the end of that question, a ball of fine hair suddenly popped up in the air.

Han Sooyoung tutted unhappily in the direction of Biyoo employing the innocent-looking puppy-eyes tactic. "You and that thing again."

That prompted Yoo Joonghyuk to say something. "Biyoo."

Biyoo dry-coughed a bit before opening her mouth. [Whether you regress or not, other world-lines will continue to be destroyed.]

Biyoo's fluent Korean caused Shin Yoosung's jaw to drop.

She already knew that the small Dokkaebi could speak. But this would be the first time since the subway that they got to converse at length.

"…How do you know that?"

After going 'Ahem!', Biyoo then pounded her chest with that small arm of hers.

Not only was she not a Dokkaebi affiliated with the Bureau, but she also happened to be one that inherited the Dokkaebi King's <Star Stream> in full, too.

The only reason why the <Star Stream>'s influence persisted at all was because of her, and at the same time, its gradual disappearance was the result of no Dokkaebis other than Biyoo currently existing.

"…Every minute and second?"

The world-lines were basically like a tree's branches that got divided whenever choices were made, Biyoo explained.

It was a head-trip of a revelation.

"In that case, just how many worlds, until now…"

Biyoo opened her mouth again as if she had already read the vast, boundless despair of the gathered companions. […Only Father would know that.]

'Father'.

There could only ever be one person that Biyoo would refer to as her 'father' in all of the world-lines.

The Constellation responsible for establishing <Kim Dokja's Company>.

And the existence that ended up becoming this universe's 'Oldest Dream'.

The companions earnestly started cooking up their plan on the following day.

Project <Capture the Squid>. Han Sooyoung came up with that title.

"What was the standard of 'lifeform' as accepted by <Star Stream>, again?"

Since they all decided to 'regress' once more, they had to come up with a truly perfect plan.

The companions often discussed the methods to thoroughly and completely conquer the scenarios, and the one topic their opinions seemed to clash far more than any other was the 'first scenario'.

"What about germs? Germs are also lifeforms, aren't they? If you spray hydrochloric acid on a hand, wouldn't you get, like, ten thousand Coins?"

"If such a thing was accepted, then a person doing nothing should've survived, too. Our bodies kill germs in real-time, you know."

"Some people survived without doing anything, though."

"We can't afford to let fate decide for us. We definitely need to kill something."

"I killed a grasshopper to survive back then. And I heard Dokja hyung even resorted to breaking grasshopper eggs to earn Coins."

Han Sooyoung quietly listening to the various opinions began jotting them down on the memo.

"So, then. Insect eggs are counted as lifeforms in <Star Stream>'s standards."

"Why don't the germs count, though?"

"I think it has something to do with you actually being able to perceive the taking of life. Should we ask Biyoo about it?"

Even the 'Team Anna' featuring Selena Kim and Iris was added to the mix, and the strategy meeting became even livelier than before.

"This route is the best one to take during here."

"…No, hang on. This one's better. According to my [Predictive Plagiarism]…"

Kim Dokja didn't exist in the next regression turn waiting for them. However, that didn't mean they knew nothing, either.

Yoo Joonghyuk was in possession of the 1863rd turn's memories he got from the 'Secretive Plotter', and…

Han Sooyoung possessed the [Predictive Plagiarism].

And Yoo Sangah had read the records within [The Fourth Wall]'s library.

⸢And finally, they were the only beings that managed to go beyond the [Final Wall].⸥

Han Sooyoung was able to breathe again after the first meeting came to an end. It had been only a week; according to Yoo Joonghyuk, the 'group regression' would only be available in a month's time from now.

The companions sometimes argued with each other over the methods of clearing scenarios.

"The ⸢Greatest Sacrificial Lamb⸥. You gotta definitely…"

"Did you forget that Dokja-ssi died back then? If you do it this way…"

They hated the scenario more than anyone out there.

Even then, even as they discussed it at length, the companions seemed excited about something, somehow.

Why was this? They regained their reality by barely surviving past the scenarios, yet how could they be so jovial when discussing a plan to return to the 'scenarios'?

⸢Reality didn't refer to a specific 'place'.⸥

Maybe this was because all of them couldn't forget about a certain someone.

Maybe, they just couldn't forget the time they spent together with that certain someone to survive the horrifying tragedy.

"I still remember everything about the [Cinema Dungeon]. Dokja-ssi did this here…"

The locations where each of the companions joined the group might have been different. The time they remembered, and the 'Kim Dokja' they remembered, were also different.

Despite all that, just like how Yoo Joonghyuk's numerous regression turns eventually gathered to become 'one person', it was a similar story for Kim Dokja, as well.

"The [Absolute Throne]. According to Dokja hyung's words…"

Parts of Kim Dokja different people liked gathered to become one Kim Dokja. And…

"…I miss it back then."

…And Kim Dokja's parts gathered in that manner caused the companions to start loving the other parts still unfamiliar to them.

Han Sooyoung slowly turned her head and her eyes caught the figure of Yoo Joonghyuk sitting in a lotus position. Golden rings were looping around his entire body as he trained hard in order to evolve his Stigma.

Han Sooyoung wordlessly observed him for a while, before asking a question. "Hey. I was curious about something."

"I'm concentrating, so stop bothering me."

"You told me earlier that you recalled the memories from the 0th turn, didn't you?"

One of the golden rings went out of the loop. As faint sparks danced around him, Yoo Joonghyuk cracked open his eyelids just a little.

Han Sooyoung grinned and asked again. "What exactly did you remember?"

He hesitated for a long time before replying. "Kim Dokja was there."

"Wha? Seriously?"

"That's why I became certain. Certain that Kim Dokja was still alive as the 'Oldest Dream'."

"What was he doing there, anyway?"

"I can't remember everything, but…" Yoo Joonghyuk scowled heavily and while looking at his [Black Heavenly Demon Sword], spoke in a seething tone of voice. "I know for certain that he hit me in the back of my head."

I opened my eyes while sensing the clunking, noisy vibration of the subway train.

⸢I t's ok to sl eep mo re Kim Dok ja⸥

"I've slept enough."

I stretched my heavy-feeling limbs, and sensed the vitality return slowly to the rest of my body.

Most of the powers I spent watching the 0th turn had been recovered. The right arm I sacrificed in order to facilitate Yoo Joonghyuk's regression had almost fully regrown by now, too.

But for some reason, it felt as if my whole body was lighter than before. Should I say that my body size had shrunken overall?

⸢Yoo Joonghyuk began his second life.⸥

Yoo Joonghyuk as he lived through the first turn was now reflected on the display panel.

I recalled his figure as he was leaving the 0th turn. Even though he had reached the most ideal conclusion that I could think of, he still chose to regress.

To find out the reason why he was born into this world.

To find the cause behind his existence in this reality.

"The Fourth Wall."

⸢Ng⸥

"If every creature was born because someone had 'read' them… You think there is an existence reading about me somewhere, too?"

I began imagining the 'other reader' observing me from somewhere. However, it was harder than I thought. Just like how it was with the first 'Oldest Dream', a god could very well be a helpless, powerless creature. It could even be someone that I recognised, too.

Maybe it was one of the <Kim Dokja's Company>'s members?

Could it be that I existed in this place because they were imagining about me?

⸢Wan na l o o k?⸥

I shifted my gaze towards the screen displaying Yoo Joonghyuk's 1st turn. "Maybe later. I still have lots of other world-lines to look at, after all."

It was around then that the subway's speed began decreasing gradually.

A portion of the screens was switched off, and the panoramic view of the universe was shown outside the windows, instead.

Even before I could ask, [The Fourth Wall] spoke first.

⸢Uni ver se's ou ts kir ts, bor der zo nes of oth er dim en sio ns⸥

Faint rays of light could be spied within the universe's pitch-black night skies.

For sure, this seemed quite different from the <Star Stream>'s universe. Because this particular universe was shaped like a warped tree.

"…What's over there? Are there universes different than mine?"

⸢'Star Stream' is j u s t one of ma ny wo rldv iews in the gr eater uni ver se⸥

The Tree of Illusion. That seemed like the name of the tree over there.

…Was I mistaken, though? I thought I heard that name before somewhere.

"Can we go there?"

⸢Too dan ger ous so bet ter not⸥

"Is there a 'Oldest Dream' over there, too?"

⸢Th ere is but dif fer ent n a m e⸥

Numerous roots extending well below, stems created out of countless souls, and way above them all, branches assimilated into the night sky. The roots and branches circled around the vast distance of the universe to connect with each other, and something resembling a massive eye was in the middle – a lone eye, illuminating the universe with boiling, licking flames. The moment my gaze met that eye's, I was overcome with this inexplicable chill.

The subway's speed rapidly fell along with the loud clunking noise. Lights within the train flickered and died without warning, and a metallic screech reverberated within. This was almost the same as back when the first scenario was issued. Loud ringing exploded in my ears, soon followed by a bizarre machine-like grinding noise next.

Something was approaching the window of the subway.

⸢Kim Dok ja dan ger⸥

And then, I saw a single ray of light.

⸢Oth er di men sion's ab so lu te be ing⸥

At the end of that ray of light was a single blade. This light sliced past the Dark Stratum and flew straight in, seemingly splitting the entirety of the universe in the process. I clearly witnessed what that technique was.

That was 'Stab'.

KWA-BOOOM!!

I was thrown ungainly to the floor as the explosion went off.

I reflexively awakened my Stories and hurriedly raised my head, only to discover the sword that had already broken past the train's entrance. It was a sword with a blade darker than the darkness itself. And a naked man was standing there glaring at me, his hand gripping that very sword.

"You bastard, are you the <<Big Brother>>?"