Chapter 505

[ wishes to name your last Fable . ]

[You are now given the choices of Final Fable . ]

[Nebula ’s epic has become the final candidate for the ‘One Single Fable’!]

[Stars that will be born in will extol your Fable!]

While reading the messages popping up one after the other, we took stock of our current situation . Although they all still looked shellshocked, we simply couldn’t afford to stop here . Gong Pil-Du suddenly raised his voice .

” . . . . Will the main scenario end with this?”

Unlike how it usually was, no new scenario was issued even though a main scenario had come to an end . What entered our ears instead was a system message .

[’s main scenario system has entered the closing sequence . ]

It was a message none of us had ever heard before .

Curtains were finally closing on the vast world of scenarios . We all formed blank expressions, not knowing what to say .

“If this thing ends . . . . what will happen to the world?”

Gong Pil-Du stared at the Wall with a hollow expression . Countless texts blooming on the Wall must’ve sensed his gaze, because they repeatedly scattered only to reform again . Some among those texts were even related to Gong Pil-Du himself .

⸢The man who lost his family at the start of the scenario . ⸥

He seemed to be deeply fatigued, somehow . I could’ve been mistaken, but I thought there was something welling up in his eyes, too . I hesitated for a bit, before addressing him .

“There is one more being remaining, the one that controls all the scenarios . “

“That bastard . . . . has to be killed off, too?”

“If you’re too exhausted, it’s fine to remain here . “

“After coming all this way?” Pure rage bubbled up on Gong Pil-Du’s face . “I can never forgive that bastard . It won’t nearly be enough for me to rip him apart into little pieces . “

It felt as if I was the one being attacked the moment I peered into his eyes . At the same time, I thought I saw the Fables of regular people who died during the scenarios reflected behind his back .

⸢And all those Fables seemed to blame Kim Dok-Ja . ⸥

“That bastard took away my family and my lands . I, I must definitely . . . !!”

Gong Pil-Du spoke up to there, and keeled over as bloody foams bubbled out of his mouth . Yi Seol-Hwa quickly supported him and felt his pulse .

” . . . . The damage to his Incarnation Body is extensive . “

During the battle inside the cabin, Gong Pil-Du protected the companions along with Yi Hyeon-Seong . His proud [Armed Fortress] was seriously damaged . The Status of his sponsor, the Defence Master, could barely be felt, too . It was quite likely that this was as far as he could go .

“I’ll take him with us . He also has the right to witness the end, after all . “

“Please take care of him . “

Yi Seol-Hwa activated her unique skill [Stretcher], and placed Gong Pil-Du on the bed made out of magic net .

In the meantime, both Yi Ji-Hye and Jeong Hui-Won regained their energy and stood up from their spots .

“Let’s go, Dok-Ja-ssi . Whatever happens, we should still try to see the end, at least . “

I was ashamed by the fact that Jeong Hui-Won had to say those words . Because she must’ve been the one to resent me the most among our group .

She lightly tapped me on the shoulder .

“Don’t think about anything unnecessary . My sponsor told you, right? We only got to see that far in that story . “

” . . . . “

“Meaning, no one knows what will happen next . “

Her voice contained an icy determination . Yi Hyeon-Seong put Yi Gil-Yeong on his back and nodded his head after hearing her .

“Hui-Won-ssi is correct . “

It was the same story for both Shin Yu-Seung and Yi Ji-Hye .

⸢Even though so many things happened, the companions still believed in Kim Dok-Ja . ⸥

Could my companions see that sentence?

Was it okay for someone like me to read that sentence?

Tsu-chuchuchu . . . . . !

[Will you enter the interior of the ‘Final Wall’?]

A new message floated up soon afterwards .

The Probability’s sparks whipped about madly above the Wall . With those sparks as the centre, the Wall seemed to retract; letters above the white surface rescinded and a small entrance we could go through was generated .

Han Su-Yeong asked in a suspicious voice .

” . . . . Do you have a plan for what’s beyond here?”

Greyish fog filled up the inside of the entrance . It was a veil of fog I was familiar with – from the sentence that I had memorised after reading them over and over again .

⸢Finally, Yu Jung-Hyeok who lost everything was looking beyond the fog . ⸥

This passageway was the very same one that the 1863rd turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok had passed by .

” . . . . You said that what happens next isn’t even mentioned in the ‘Ways of Survival’ . “

I nodded my head .

The only remaining thing was to enter . Although, my last concern was . . .

” . . . . Please go ahead . ‘Zarathustras’ can’t go any further . We’ve been informed that we don’t have the qualifications to enter . “

Unlike Anna Croft, her subordinates ‘Zarathustras’ didn’t possess all that many Fables connected to . They looked at me with sorrowful eyes for a little while, then silently moved out of the way and created a path .

[Incarnation, ‘Selena Kim’ has accepted her ■■ . ]

[Incarnation Selena Kim’s ■■ is ‘Unreachable Dream’ . ]

– Please, take care of Anna .

Selena Kim’s voice was transmitted through voice projection . I slowly but deeply nodded my head and turned around to leave .

Footsteps belonging to my companions could be heard coming from behind me . My companions had become one constellation; my companions, who didn’t emit light in the same direction as everyone else .

“Let’s get going . “

⸢Even then, everyone here all wished to confirm the conclusion . ⸥

It was right then, a shadow suddenly appeared drifting around in the fog before us . Anna Croft’s blonde hair spread in the air . However, the one controlling her body wasn’t her .

Yu Jung-Hyeok focused on the Wenny King’s movements while tightly grasping the hilt of the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] .

“Are you thinking of trusting the Wenny King?”

He hadn’t lowered his wariness since a while ago, and continued to emit intense bloodlust towards the Wenny King at every opportunity he could find .

I also didn’t like the Wennys . They tried to kidnap Biyu, and even tried to pull a fast one on me back in the Demon World, too .

“I don’t trust him . We’re just entering a temporary alliance, that’s all . We made a deal in the past, you see . “

“A deal?”

I didn’t offer up a detailed explanation . Because the one who could do it for me made his appearance, that’s why .

[Looks like you don’t trust me at all, regressor . ]

Seeing the Wenny King speak through Anna Croft’s mouth, I couldn’t help but think that this had to be the worst combination imaginable . To think that two individuals Yu Jung-Hyeok hated had been combined into one . . .

Yu Jung-Hyeok wordlessly sent his magical energy to the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] . He was getting ready to strike down at the slightest hint of provocation .

[I heard the story from other Wennys . It seems that you’ve cut off the lumps of my children . ]

“And do you wish for yours to be cut off, too?”

The Wenny King cackled as if he was deeply amused .

“What’s so funny?”

[I truly enjoy your unnecessary aloofness . You were the same back in the Demon World and in Murim . I had been spending a really long, boring time there, but things became rather entertaining all thanks to you . ]

“One more word, and I shall cut off your lumps . “

“Oiii, Yu Jung-Hyeok . “

Yu Jung-Hyeok seemed to be more fired up than usual, so I quickly stopped him . Nothing good would come about by getting into a scuffle with the Wennys here .

Why did it happen, though? His unfocused aura was different from his usual self . Maybe his thoughts had gotten complicated now that the end was upon us .

The Wenny King alternated his gaze between Yu Jung-Hyeok and me before opening his mouth .

[I see that you two are good friends . ]

Even as the scary glare in Yu Jung-Hyeok’s eyes was rekindled, the Wenny King carried on .

[I too had someone like that once upon a time . He used to love the stories a lot, just like the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ over here . ]

“I don’t want to hear about your sob story . “

[We carried out the scenarios together . We overcame many close shaves and fought against the absolute beings that ridiculed us . We compiled Fables to create more Fables, and after compiling Great Fables, we even created an epic yarn, too . And with that epic, we eventually reached the ‘Final Wall’ . ]

… . The ‘Wenny King’ had reached this ‘Final Wall’ before?

This information never appeared in the ‘Ways of Survival’ .

[You probably never heard about it . That story doesn’t even remain as a Fable anymore . Maybe someone like the ‘Apocalypse Dragon’, who had gone insane from the repeated history, might be able to barely recall it . ]

” . . . . There was even back in your day?”

[Back then, it was called a slightly different name . The name was given only after we saw the end of this world . ]

Here was a being that saw the ‘end of the world’ before us .

What was the ■■ for them back then? And just what happened back then that caused this creature to become the ‘Wenny King’ and drift around the scenarios?

[And that bastard is now called the ‘King of the Stories’ . ]

The sound of something collapsing heavily could be heard from beyond the fog .

[That’s why I’m looking forward to your last verses . I’m genuinely curious . Curious, on who’d end up as the final winner of this scenario . . . . ]

Tsu-chuchuchu . . . .

The fog before us began rumbling loudly .

[Looks like it’s time to go meet my old friend . ]

Along with those words, all traces of the Wenny King vanished . However, his message continued to be heard .

[It’ll be wise for you to start moving soon . Before you all get devoured, that is . ]

… . Devoured??

“Ahjussi!!”

Yi Ji-Hye following us from behind suddenly cried out and disappeared through the floor . And then, hands-like things suddenly emerged from the floor and nearby walls to grab and yank at our arms and legs .

“Ji-Hye-ya!!”

[Character ‘Yi Ji-Hye’, has become a part of the great story . ]

Jeong Hui-Won reached out towards Yi Ji-Hye being sucked into the floor . However, it was too late . Even Jeong Hui-Won herself was being sucked in now .

Walls transformed into bottomless quicksand and swallowed her up .

[Character ‘Jeong Hui-Won’, has become a part of the great story . ]

“Hui-Won-ssi!”

I watched Yi Hyeon-Seong dash towards Jeong Hui-Won, but that only made me lose my bearing .

Did something like this happen back in the ‘Ways of Survival’? Just what the hell . . . . ?!

⸢Yu Jung-Hyeok was the only person crossing this passage back in the ‘Ways of Survival’ . ⸥

I had overlooked that simple fact . Not even once did Yu Jung-Hyeok try to cross this passage with these many people before .

“Everyone, gather around me!”

Unfortunately, it was too late by then . Yi Hyeon-Seong, Yi Seol-Hwa, Gong Pil-Du, and even Yu Sang-Ah and the kids, were all snatched up by the hands of the walls and got absorbed .

[Character, ‘Shin Yu-Seung’, has become a part of the great story . ]

[Character, ‘Yu Sang-Ah’, has become a part of the great story . ]

My heart was racing nonstop . The word ‘Character’ especially got on my nerves amidst all those messages .

“Han Su-Yeong! Yu Jung-Hyeok!”

He was already half-sucked into the floor by now . There wasn’t even enough time to resist .

“Step back!”

The sword wind Yu Jung-Hyeok fired pushed me back . I barely managed to evade the texts trying to grab my ankles .

[Character ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’, has become a part of the great story . ]

Eventually, even Yu Jung-Hyeok was taken away . Han Su-Yeong was the only one remaining . However, one of her arms was already being swallowed up .

“Hurry, this way . . . . !”

I used every ounce of my strength to pull her out . The effects of the [Way of the Wind] permeated into my feet and the explosive forward momentum wrapped around me .

[‘Final Wall’ is exposing its greed over your epic!]

[‘Final Wall’ is looking at the individual not yet included in its story!]

Tsu-chuchuchut . . . . !

Han Su-Yeong’s body was trembling as if she was having a seizure .

⸢The only other person who wasn’t a ‘Character’ besides himself was Han Su-Yeong . ⸥

I ran as hard as I could . Unfortunately, the Wall’s pursuit proved to be persistent . What’s worse, I had no clue where exactly I was running off to . Front, back, side, up; I looked everywhere, but couldn’t see a place I could escape to .

Poof .

Along with the sensation of stepping on air, the ground vanished . This was the same tactic that took away Yi Ji-Hye and Jeong Hui-Won . The Wall was now sucking me in, too . Han Su-Yeong and I began falling as if this was an endless emptiness . The grey fog rushed in with every heavy breath I took, constricting me .

⸢Kim Dok-Ja was scared of the stories he didn’t know . ⸥

Texts with incredible density interfered with my breathing . I couldn’t recognise this Fable due to the inordinate amount of letters . As the term implied, the ‘Great’ Fable was crushing me .

I struggled and flailed about trying to escape from this Fable somehow . However, the more I struggled, the more this vague fear dug into me . It felt like everything inside me was emptying out .

Texts were escaping from the tip of my fingers . Fables that formed the basis of me were disappearing . It was then .

⸢The Fables that constitute you exist through what you see, experience, and feel . ⸥

That one sentence got stuck by my fingertip . That was the ‘Fable control’ method Yu Ho-Seong taught me back in the ‘Isle of Reincarnators’ .

⸢Let them know that you’re looking at them, too . ⸥

I grabbed hold of that sentence . When I did, the things that constituted the Fable along with that sentence began popping up inside my head .

⸢Kim Dok-Ja calmly controlled his breathing . ⸥

I decided to stop my escape attempt from this vast cosmos of texts . Fables opened their maws wide as if to swallow me up in one go .

⸢These things wouldn’t even exist if I don’t look into them . ⸥

There was no need to fear them . These were just Fables .

Tsu-chuchuchu . . . . !

I stared into the words rushing in . I didn’t even blink and glared at those texts, to let them know that I was reading them right here .

Right next second, the words scattered around like fog, before coalescing together again .

⸢In order to not get devoured by the Fable, one had to become a ‘dok-ja/reader’ . ⸥

As if to express their gratitude towards the one discovering them, the sentences began circling around my feet . Soon, they became footholds for me to walk on .

⸢A person who loves Fables yet still reads on without getting drunk in them . ⸥

⸢Only then will the Fables become viable means to oppose the formless emptiness . ⸥

My falling stopped . I lightly stepped on the sentences piling up below my feet . They were not the texts from the ‘Ways of Survival’ .

⸢”I’m Dok-Ja . “⸥

⸢I used to introduce myself to other people in this manner, but that would lead to the following misunderstanding . ⸥

Even then, they seemed somewhat familiar to me .

While reading those sentences, I walked forward a step at a time . Some among them were stories that I already knew, some that I didn’t, and some whose memories had faded now .

⸢When Kim Dok-Ja was young, he began thinking about a certain thing . ⸥

The young me was scribbling something on a notebook . It was a well-organised power balance sheet of the ‘Way of Survival’, as well as hidden piece locations . And also . . .

⸢What’s this? I wouldn’t have done it that way . ⸥

I began cooking up my own methods of conquering the ‘Ways of Survival’ .

⸢What an idiot . You should’ve conquered that pitch-black place like this . The item you’ll need is . . . . ⸥

⸢Getting the ampoules from the laboratory is the core of the cinema dungeon’s conquest plan, and . . . . ⸥

⸢You definitely need to get the Ganpyeongui at this point in time . It’s even more important than getting the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword . ⸥

The sense of deja vu grew stronger as I took more steps forward .

⸢There’s no other choice but to kill all the Constellations . There’s no other way at this point . ⸥

⸢To become stronger without regressing . . . . . ⸥

⸢As I thought, the best route is this . The first ‘Great Fable’ must be earned in the Demon World . ⸥

The sentences my younger self wrote now illuminated the path I was walking on . I began thinking as I tread on those words .

⸢To save everyone . . . . ⸥

Maybe, this path began long before the time I could recall?

Ttuk .

Eventually, the sentences were cut off .

And a small, white door waited for me where the words had ended .

It was the exact same door the 1863rd turn’s Yu Jung-Hyeok had opened .

⸢The [Epilogue] to the all the stories he hadn’t read yet was beyond that door . ⸥

I wordlessly stared at the doorknob .

⸢Just to turn this doorknob . . . . ⸥

The entire story that began with Yu Jung-Hyeok flitted in and out of my head . And in this very moment, that one question I had from a very long time ago, but never spoken out aloud, floated back up to the fore .

⸢What kind of an epilogue did tls123 want to write for the ‘Ways of Survival’?⸥

I reached out towards the door’s handle, only to unwittingly look behind me . There was a path made out of vast Fables . This sight felt bizarrely alien now that I looked at it from this far .

⸢I stared at that road for a long time . ⸥

Then, opened the door .

Fin .