Chapter 307: 307

The door shut me out . I held the door handle and glanced back . Jung Heewon was watching to see how I would act while Han Sooyoung’s eyes were oddly vigilant . Meanwhile, Lee Hyunsung looked like he would melt from anxiety .

I leaned back against the door and carefully sat down . “I won’t enter . Can I talk here for a while?”

This wasn’t anyone else, it was Yoo Sangah . There must be a reason if Yoo Sangah was refusing to meet me . The answer came back after a long time .

– . . . If you want .

There was no strength in her voice . In the midst of the stillness so deep I could hear people breathing, I thought about Yoo Sangah . It was Yoo Sangah when I was still at Mino Soft .

If you asked me if I was close to Yoo Sangah, I couldn’t say yes with confidence . However, if you asked me what type of person Yoo Sangah was . . . I might have a few words to say .

“Did I come back too late?” I spoke softly . “I’m sorry . I was a bit too much . The incident where I was late on the first day of my new job and Yoo Sangah-ssi helped me . . . do you remember?

Yoo Sangah was silent for a moment before replying .

– . . . You were late both times .

Yoo Sangah looked perfect on the surface but she wasn’t . Yoo Sangah was more sincere than anyone I knew .

“Do you remember searching in the interview?”

-I remember .

Mino Soft’s interview for new employees was quite popular in the industry . Every year, different types of ‘quests’ emerged . The most common ones were ‘raising the interview’s favourability’ or ‘finding hidden interview hints . ‘ For reference, the quest in the year when Yoo Sangah and I were interviewed was ‘find the interview . ‘

– . . . I think I received more help from Dokja-ssi .

“I only found the quest items . Yoo Sangah was the only who worked out how to find the path using the items . “

At the time, I teamed up with Yoo Sangah and found the interview location .

-Dokja-ssi pointed out the inefficient quest routes .

“Sangah-ssi pointed out the causal relationship with the quest upgrade system . “

The ‘quest’ wasn’t simply about clearing it . Identifying problems, weaknesses and finding the efficiency of the quest . This was the core of Mino Soft’s interview . Yoo Sangah and I passed the interview with the highest score .

“It was a pity that we were split into different departments after joining . . . well, it was a natural thing . “

– . . .

I joined the QA team while Yoo Sangah was in HR . After joining the company, we barely managed to exchange greetings .

“Yoo Sangah-ssi, I’m happy to be on the same team as you again . ” I heard the very small sound of someone breathing . “Just as I did then, I need Yoo Sangah-ssi now . I need someone to help me find the way . “

Lee Hyunsung was looking at me with tearful eyes . Jung Heewon sighed lightly while Han Sooyoung turned her head away . Then Yoo Sangah’s voice was heard .

-Dokja-ssi .

“Yes . “

-I’m not such a good person .

I didn’t know what to say . If Yoo Sangah wasn’t a good person then there were no good people in the world .

-Do you remember the break room incident?

I replied to the unexpected question .

” . . . I remember . “

There was a case where someone sprinkled pepper in the break room . Thanks to this incident, the company was noisy for a while . The bosses were upset at drinking pepper flavoured coffee and the new employers were criticized .

-I was the one who did it .

” . . . Is that so?”

– . . . You aren’t surprised .

“Thanks to you, the newcomers didn’t have to do coffee errands for a while . “

In fact, I knew Yoo Sangah was the culprit . At the time, the QA team were given the task of catching the culprit . As the youngest member, I was mostly responsible for it . I was hiding in the break room while using the cleaning tools as a cover to read Ways of Survival . Then I saw Yoo Sangah entering alone late at night .

-It wasn’t just that .

Yoo Sangah kept talking . Most of the cases were minor but despite this, they changed things little by little . They were events where someone suffered, someone found their lost rights or someone felt happy .

“Yoo Sangah-ssi . “

She wasn’t a character . Yet in fact, before Ways of Survival arrived, she was like a ‘character’ to me . It was because I didn’t think there was anyone like her in reality .

「 “You will be killed . ” 」

From the moment the first scenario started, I began to know Yoo Sangah . The person who tried to maintain ‘ethics’ that didn’t exist in Ways of Survival .

「 “I’ll do it Gilyoung . I will do it . ” 」

Without Yoo Sangah, the party would’ve surely collapsed .

「 “Dokja-ssi is really good . ” 」

No matter what nonsense I spoke, Yoo Sangah smiled and accepted it .

「 “Then I will live an ivory life . ” 」 (Sangah=ivory)

If she hadn’t been there, no matter the story I wanted to create . . .

「 “I never hated Dokja-ssi like I do today . Come back, please . ” 」

I wouldn’t have been able to make the Outer World Covenant with confidence .

-I really can’t stand it . . .

Yoo Sangah’s weak words followed .

I slowly got up . “Yoo Sangah-ssi . “

Yoo Sangah continued like she couldn’t hear my voice . I silently listened to her as I grabbed the handle again . Helping someone who didn’t want help could be a curse . However, some people couldn’t ask for help despite needing help . It was because they had never asked for it before .

. . . Just like the day I went to the interview .

“Wait a minute, Dokja-ssi―!”

I ignored Jung Heewon’s words and forcibly turned the locked door . The door opened and the scene of the room was revealed . Then I saw three dark faces . Lee Seolhwa, Aileen and . . . my mother . My mother’s eyes were saying, ‘You came . ‘

The three people stood on the bed and Yoo Sangah was lying on the bed . Her face was pallid . Her firmly closed lips had no colour . It was the others who had conveyed her words on her behalf .

「 So . . . 」

Inside Yoo Sangah, the broken stories were flowing incessantly .

***

After a while, I sat down in Yoo Sangah’s hospital room with the group .

“Since when has this been happening?”

” . . . It hasn’t been long . ” Jung Heewon replied . It was Lee Seolhwa who gave the detailed explanation . “The side effects from the excessive use of the stigma are serious . “

I gazed down at Yoo Sangah’s pale face . Yoo Sangah wouldn’t have suffered like this if she had a normal sponsor . Right now, she had the nebula Olympus itself as a sponsor . The unusual Sponsor Contract reduced the lifespan of the incarnation . The ‘lifespan’ didn’t simply mean physical life . It was the ‘lifespan of the story . ‘

“The soul has fallen asleep under the consciousness and all that is left is the stream of consciousness . “

She repeatedly used a stigma she couldn’t afford and the absurdity accumulated in Yoo Sangah’s soul . Probability created cracks in her mind and body and the stories eventually started leaking out of the cracks .

Aileen added, “Story packs are constantly transfused and the broken fragments collected and re-added . Nevertheless, there is no difference . “

I couldn’t think of what to say as I watched Yoo Sangah . It was because of me . I came back too late . . .

“I told you not to go in because you would make this expression . ” Han Sooyoung grumbled .

I bit my lips and asked Lee Seolhwa . “How much time is left?”

“3 months . . . “

“Is there a way?”

“As of right now . . . there is nothing we can do here . “

“It might be possible somewhere else . “

[The constellation ‘Guam Divine Doctor’ is nodding . ]

The sponsor responded on behalf of Lee Seolhwa .

[The constellation ‘Guam Divine Doctor’ says Incarnation Yoo Sangah’s disease isn’t a human disease .

Human diseases could be treated using human power .

. . . Then what if it was a disease of the gods?

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is looking up at the night sky . ]

In the dark Star Stream, several small stars shone .

[The constellation ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’ is looking at you . ]

[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ is looking at you . ]

All of them were stars of Olympus with a connection to Yoo Sangah . Suddenly, my anger soared . Certainly, it was Yoo Sangah herself who used the power . Even so, it was Olympus who induced such an absurd contract in the first place .

[Olympus, you can bear the probability . ]

My true voice headed towards the night sky . A few stars shone again .

[The constellation ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’ . . . ]

The next moment, the indirect messages were cut off by unknown sparks . The shining stars were no longer visible . Someone had interfered with the indirect message .

I spoke through gritted teeth . “If it is them, there might be a way . “

There was no one here who didn’t know who ‘they’ were . Jung Heewon’s expression darkened . “However, there is no way to ask for help . We made a few attempts but . . . “

The constellations were selfish and did what they wanted . They only looked at stories they wanted to see or listened to stories they wanted to hear . If Yoo Sangah was still in this state, it meant the high level constellations didn’t want Yoo Sangah’s miracle .

Han Sooyoung asked, “Why don’t you go to the Underworld like you did last time? You’re friendly with the queen . “

“The situation at that time was special . In addition, Yoo Sangah isn’t dead yet . Besides, she isn’t like Biyoo . “

In fact, I contacted Persephone but there was no answer . It was also a difficult situation . It was already lucky that Shin Yoosung could be reincarnated as Biyoo . Most deaths in this world were literal deaths . Reincarnation and regression were just miraculous stories of the Star Stream .

“You said Jang Hayoung went to perform another scenario?”

” . . . He went pretty far . “

If Jang Hayoung was here, I could’ve sent messages directly to the constellations . . . I looked at the face of the sleeping Yoo Sangah and thought .

「 How to save Yoo Sangah? 」

In the end, there was only one method . I slowly breathed in . “There is still a way . It is a bit earlier than I expected but . . . “

“We have to clear the 46th scenario first . “

The low and cold voice interrupted my words . I turned around towards the man .

. . . He appeared like he had been waiting . The group of people who had been dispatched to destroy the Gyeonggi Alliance was standing at the door . Shin Yoosung, Lee Gilyoung and Lee Jihye . In addition . . . Yoo Jonghyuk .

The children ran into my arms and hugged me . I stroked Shin Yoosung’s head while watching Yoo Jonghyuk . He stared at me ferociously before glancing at the other party members .

“It is time to meet the constellations . “

“The constellations?”

The wind blew through the slightly open window . Two dokkaebis appeared in the distant sky . Perhaps they were those who came to prepare for the next scenario . Beyond that, the number of constellations watching the scenarios increased . I pointed to the stars and declared . “There are constellations present in the 47th scenario area . “

The 47th scenario . It involved the interstellar cities of the constellations and the ‘constellation context . ‘

“Let’s go destroy Olympus . “

TL: Rainbow Turtle