Chapter 445

“Dok-Ja ahjussi?”

I hesitated while watching the distant battle between two Yu Jung-Hyeoks .

[Your Incarnation Body’s condition is currently unstable!]

I’d not be any help whatsoever if I joined the fight in my current condition . And when I took a closer look, the ones fighting were [999] and the ‘Secretive Plotter’ . I wasn’t sure why, but [999] must’ve decided to side with us .

I clenched my fists tightly .

⸢Kim Dok-Ja made a decision . There was only one method remaining . ⸥

The [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint] .

Just like back then against Nirvana, or during the fight against Poseidon . . . .

– Maknae-yah, what are you hesitating for?

The Great Sage Heaven’s Equal spoke to me . Even though he was in the middle of a huge battle in the sky, he still sensed my emotions .

I muttered in a voice that could barely be heard . ” . . . . I’ve gotten a little afraid of reading them . “

It was probably after fighting against Yu Jung-Hyeok back in the ‘Isle of Reincarnators’ . And more recently, right after I heard what [999] had to say .

⸢”Do you still believe that you can understand someone through just a few lines of text in a couple of chapters?”⸥

Up until now, I had been a ‘reader’ of the stories . However, for how long would it be okay for me to remain as one?

– Right, you possess the power to read another person .

He had accurately guessed my ability . He stuck around my channel for a long time as the ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’, so it wouldn’t have been that difficult to figure that much out .

– There was a time when I too, wanted to know more about someone .

I sensed the Great Sage’s gaze landing on Yu Sang-Ah . Or more correctly, not her exactly but her current ‘Incarnation Body’ . He was staring at the body’s ‘former owner’ .

– I still haven’t fully understood why Sanzang chased me out twice .

During the original ‘Journey to the West’, Sun Wukong was expelled from the party twice .

– However, I never asked Sanzang about it properly . Maybe it was because of my worthless pride . I was stuck in a loop, thinking and wondering only to myself . Why did that idiot do that? What was the reason for those decisions? What was the point of such obstinacy? What did I do wrong, and where did a problem come from? Even after our journey was over, those questions kept bubbling inside my head .

This would be my first time hearing such a story .

Even to someone like the Great Sage, there were unresolved questions reserved only for him .

– And by the time I finally found the courage to ask, my opportunity had slipped away already .

The faintest trace of dejection could be felt from his voice .

Since I didn’t know much about the story after the conclusion of the ‘Journey to the West’, I had no way of estimating the depths of his sadness .

One thing that I could be sure of, though, was the fact that the real ‘Sanzang’ was no longer with us in this world, as Yu Sang-Ah had reincarnated into the Incarnation Body in question .

– And to find out the answers to those questions, we kept repeating this ⸢Journey to the West Remake⸥, hoping that maybe, someone else would tell us the story that I didn’t know before, something that I had not read before .

Only then did I realise why the Great Sage participated in this scenario event . I felt curious just then . Did he finally find his answer?

– I couldn’t find it . However . . . . I did find a small solace .

The Great Sage’s gaze was now fixed on Shin Yu-Seung . As the ‘s attacks rained down, he continued to speak .

– And about that solace, let me tell you all about it .

[Great Fable, ‘Journey to the West’, is continuing with its storytelling . ]

– I’d probably never get to understand certain things . I’d never even get close, and maybe, everything I did might be in vain . However, even if we know it’s impossible, we still have to read the Fable . That is what it means to exist as ‘Constellations’, as the stars of the heavens .

The Great Sage failed to understand Sanzang . And quite likely, he’d never get to understand even into the future .

Even then, he didn’t give up .

– That’s why you should read it .

‘However, I alone can’t . . . . ‘

– Why do you think you’re alone?

I reflexively raised my head after hearing his words .

– Maybe not like you, but people always are reading each other . So, you should not stop reading, either .

In a way, this advice wasn’t really on point .

However, I still ended up feeling a certain something . It was as if small feathers had piled up . I began thinking that maybe this was the solace the Great Sage felt while watching our story .

“Yu Sang-Ah-ssi . “

I called out to her, and she looked at me as if she was waiting . “Will you be alright?”

“Yes . By the way, if it’s possible, be gentle . . . . “

Yu Sang-Ah nodded her head and chanted the Constrictive Sutra in my direction .

My body slumped to the floor as if a fuse had gone out . My consciousness managed to slip out and quickly flew towards where I needed to go .

[‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ 3rd stage is activating!]

[Your degree of understanding of the applicable individual is very high!]

[The ‘1st Person Protagonist’s POV’ is activating!]

My vision slowly stabilised and at the same time, powerful strength overflowed within my body . It was Yu Jung-Hyeok’s strength .

A short while later, the enemy’s figure could be seen before us . An existence enveloped in the aura of immense Status and arrogantly glancing at us .

The ‘Secretive Plotter’ .

The Great Sage was right . That guy could never be defeated alone .

⸢Let’s go . ⸥

The Transcender’s Status violently raged within my body . I added every ounce of my own Status to Yu Jung-Hyeok .

[Transcender’s Status has encountered the Demon King’s Status!]

The powers that I earned so far interweaved with that of Yu Jung-Hyeok’s and began boiling up . Vigorous energy circulated within the blood vessels as if they had a complete overhaul .

Yu Jung-Hyeok slowly opened his eyes gleaming in golden light and spoke back to me . ‘You’re late . ‘

He didn’t get angry or reprimanded me, simply choosing to say that .

He probably knew that I was playing the role of Sun Wukong, though . . . .

⸢I’m sorry . ⸥

‘Talk about unimportant matters later . Defeating this bastard takes our utmost priority . ‘

Kwa-aaaaah!!

The Plotter’s [Heaven Shaking Sword] lightly danced, and the Tongtian River was split in half . With nary a hair’s breadth, we managed to evade the attack . Constellations and Incarnations coincidentally within the range were swept away and became nothing more than fading screams . That was truly a nonsensical attack power .

[[You’re struggling in vain . Even if you managed to regain your memories, you still can’t defeat me . Because you too also began from me . ]]

⸢What is he on about now?⸥

Yu Jung-Hyeok running on the river’s surface replied in annoyance . ‘According to him, I’m not Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 3rd turn . ‘

⸢Really? Then, what?⸥

I reflexively asked him, but to be honest, several dizzying theories were floating around in my brain already . Perhaps this was the question that had been building up from a long time ago .

⸢’The 3rd turn Yu Jung-Hyeok shouldn’t have known about such information, though?’⸥

Back during the [Green Zone] scenario .

⸢’ . . . . No matter what, his rate of growth is just too fast . ‘⸥

… . And even back in the [Cinema Dungeon], too .

All the questions I secretly had every time I checked Yu Jung-Hyeok’s [Character List] began rising up one after the other . Even the conversation I had with [999] entered my head .

⸢”Yu Jung-Hyeok in this world-line said that he was the ‘third turn’ . So, this place is the third regression turn . “⸥

⸢”Trusting such information at its face value . How naïve . “⸥

By the time I came around, I was already initiating the [Character List] .

[Applicable individual’s information is far too numerous . ‘Character List’ will change to ‘Summarised List’ . ]

[For the convenience of the user, only the selected items will be displayed . ]

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Individual: Yu Jung-Hyeok

Exclusive Attribute: Regressor (Myth), Ruler of Amusement (Legendary) . . . . .

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It said 3rd turn . He was definitely from the 3rd turn .

In that case, just what on earth were those guys talking about . . . . . ?

⸢Kim Dok Ja re ally ca n’t t ell?⸥

Pages of my memories began flipping . Memories that I tried so hard not to recall .

⸢”That ‘world’ you’ve shown me, does it really exist?”⸥

⸢[The applicable individual is not a ‘Character’ . ]⸥

‘Wake up, Kim Dok-Ja!’

I abruptly regained my wits after hearing Yu Jung-Hyeok’s shout . Now wasn’t the time to think about something else .

The Plotter’s Status as he floated up in the air was strengthening gradually .

[[It seems that you still haven’t really regained your memories . ]]

” . . . . I won’t lose so easily this time . “

As if to oppose that rising Status, Yu Jung-Hyeok raised his own power level . The movement technique, [Red Phoenix Shunpo], and the power of the [Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship] were pushed to their absolute limits . The [Breaking the Sky Thunder Sword] completely covered the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] .

He fought in the same manner the last time . And still lost .

However, those weren’t the only things accompanying him this time .

[5th Bookmark has been initiated!]

[Exclusive skill, ‘Lightning Transformation Lv . 23 (+13)’, has been initiated . ]

[Exclusive skill, ‘Way of the Wind Lv . 18 (+8)’, is activating!]

[‘Demon King Transformation’ is activating!]

Effects of the [Way of the Wind] were added to Yu Jung-Hyeok’s [Red Phoenix Shunpo], while the electrical energy from the [Lightning Transformation] permeated into the [Breaking the Sky Thunder Sword] . And finally, the power of ‘Demon King’ was added to the power of ‘Transcender’ .

Double the power, triple, quadruple . . . . Yu Jung-Hyeok’s Status multiplied in an instant and threateningly spread over the Tongtian’s surface .

Tsu-chuchuchuchut!

As the sparks danced in the air, we dashed towards the ‘Secretive Plotter’ . The [Lightning Transformation] and the [Breaking the Sky Thunder Sword] permeated in the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] . The greatest technique belonging to both Kyrgios and the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint emitted blinding light simultaneously, causing a truly incredible storm of sword aura to gush out .

Kwa-aaaaaah!!

This was the power capable of cleanly splitting mountains in half and vaporising the ocean itself .

Unfortunately, the ‘Secretive Plotter’ remained unperturbed even when facing such power . Two swords then clashed, emitting screeching friction noise . As I was sharing the sensation with Yu Jung-Hyeok, I felt the full brunt of the pain akin to my hands being torn to pieces .

We were attacking with both hands, while he used only one . Even then . . . .

[[How pitiful, Yu Jung-Hyeok . ]]

… . We failed to cut the ‘Secretive Plotter’ .

Tsu-chut, tsu-chuchuchut .

Sparks exploding around him indicated that he wasn’t even going all out . How could there be such a large gap between our fighting power if that was the case?

[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, is continuing on with its storytelling . ]

The surroundings were morphing into his stage . The hell of regression that reached 1863 turns . ‘Outer Gods’ moaning in pain inside burning craters and countless corpses of the stars strewn about .

[[The price for escaping the closed universe and dreaming of a new story is for you to not even remember who you are . Is that the world you’ve been truly wishing for?]]

That evil demon-like voice came from beyond the hellish landscape .

I was confused . It was as if I could almost get what he was saying, but at the same time, I couldn’t readily accept it .

Yu Jung-Hyeok that escaped from a closed universe and dreamed of a new story . I knew of only one ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ that fit that criteria .

And if that was true, then . . .

Then, if the Yu Jung-Hyeok I knew was that ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ . . . .

[‘The 4th Wall’ is getting even thicker . ]

‘Kim Dok-Ja, we won’t win unless you use that powerful skill . ‘ Yu Jung-Hyeok suddenly yelled out . ‘Utilise the Fable from the last time . ‘

I knew what he meant by ‘last time’ .

The ⸢Hellscape of Eternity⸥, the Fable that I used while fighting against Poseidon in the past .

Back then, we killed Theseus by borrowing the memories of the 362nd turn Yu Jung-Hyeok . I looked at the Fable of darkness flowing around the ‘Secretive Plotter’ and could only sigh in doubt .

⸢Honestly, I’m not sure whether we can win or not even after using that . ⸥

The regression turn I used all my being to read back then was only 362nd . Things would’ve improved somewhat by now compared to then, but still, I couldn’t even guess whether that’d be enough to defeat the guy before our eyes or not .

⸢And also . . . . ⸥

That wasn’t the only thing making me hesitant here .

If I succeeded in borrowing the strength of Yu Jung-Hyeok from higher turn than 362nd, then this Yu Jung-Hyeok would lose his memories alongside me .

Just like how Constellations and Incarnations read Fables, I too read Yu Jung-Hyeok’s ‘Ways of Survival’ .

If I used the ⸢Hellscape of Eternity⸥ here, then Yu Jung-Hyeok would have to experience the ‘reading’ stained by my misunderstandings along with me .

The ‘Ways of Survival’ I read in order to survive . History that I ‘remembered’ as I pleased .

I had one-sidedly twisted or exaggerated the ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ in that ‘history’ . My version was questionable at best, an idealistic depiction of the reality .

⸢ . . . . Dammit . ⸥

Even then, I had no choice but to do this unfair thing .

[Fable, ‘Hellscape of Eternity’, has begun its storytelling!]

While stuck inside the feeling of powerlessness, I flipped the pages . Whether it was before or after the apocalypse, it was the same story – all I could do at any given moment was to flip through the pages of a book .

Countless regression turns of Yu Jung-Hyeok went past my eyes .

3rd turn, 4th, 5th . . . . 41st . . . . 182nd . . . .

Memories continued to flow by .

Many Yu Jung-Hyeoks were now staring back at us .

362nd turn . . . . 598th . . . . 724th . . . . .

[Your ‘Comprehension’ is advancing towards a new possibility!]

[Pages you couldn’t read before are now available!]

862th . . . . 999th . . . .

Blood welled inside my throat . Pain pummelled my head as if to shatter it into pieces .

[999] . The regression turn that I really liked .

Yu Jung-Hyeok’s dialogues gradually decreased in the number . This was my limit .

[You have reached the highest turn you can read . ]

[The highest turn ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ you can read is ‘999th’ . ]

The message popped up like the final score tied to the book report . But I couldn’t lift up my head . How could reading something be this shameful and feel so wrong?

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It was in exact moment that Yu Jung-Hyeok opened his mouth . ‘Doesn’t matter how you read it, the one to judge it will be me . So, you simply concentrate on reading . ‘

He deflected yet another one of the Secretive Plotter’s attacks even though his body was riddled with wounds . He spoke again . ‘It’s my freedom to decide what I hear and what I remember . And I shall decide who I am . ‘

With a voice I knew so well, he was talking about a story that I didn’t know .

‘You fool, you are not reading it alone . ‘

The moment I heard him, something woke up inside me .

It wasn’t the memories related to the ‘Ways of Survival’ . No, it was of the conversation I had with my mother a long time ago .

⸢”Why are we rereading the story we know already?”⸥

There were stories that didn’t change even if you read it again . It’d not change, because the one reading didn’t change .

My mother replied to that question in this manner .

⸢”Shall we read it together, then?”⸥

Reading it together .

[Your ‘Comprehension’ is rapidly being enhanced!]

As my head became even more of a mess, the pages that I couldn’t flip with my powers alone began flipping over .

1146th . . . . 1398th . . . . 1561th . . . . 1733th . . . .

The people I met in this world were flipping the pages together with me . I still failed to understand some things, but I got to figure out a few others just then .

And there were some paragraphs that I’d seemingly never understand .

[[… . !!]]

I thought I heard the ‘Secretive Plotter’ shout something .

My consciousness continued to waver . Like a man fighting the drowsiness, I continued to flip the pages again and again – while vomiting blood, while enduring against the merciless barrage of sparks .

I still didn’t know much about Yu Jung-Hyeok .

⸢”You can only return to that world after I die, correct?”⸥

⸢”If you remain here, you won’t be able to save that world . “⸥

However, what if my misunderstanding built up over the period of ten-plus years could help me reach just a tiny sliver of understanding like some kind of miracle?

⸢”I’ve become curious about that world’s ■■ . “⸥

Then, I’d be able to read it again .

[The highest turn ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’ you can read is ‘1863rd’ . ]

The Plotter’s Status flying in touched the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] and scattered away .

I dazedly blinked my eyes . As if the overwritten letters were being peeled off, the [Character List] began changing . The number ‘3’ was peeled off, and new numbers were being engraved there, instead .

And on top of this empty piece of blinding white paper, a page I had never read before began unfolding .

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Individual: Yu Jung-Hyeok

Exclusive Attribute: Regressor (Myth)

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It was a completely new story .

Fin .