Chapter 167 — Kim Dokja’s Love (5)
9 min read ·
Translator: Rainbow Turtle
Han Sooyoung bit her lips besides me. “When did you become so close to him? That psychopath...”
“We aren’t close.”
“You had a very trusting expression when you said those words?”
“You are mistaken. I trust the dokkaebis more than I do him.”
If I believed in Yoo Jonghyuk, it was in his experience, not his personality. This was a guy with three times the experience and he learnt various types of information from the 41st round Shin Yoosung.
Furthermore, Paradise was originally his main responsibility. He took care of it well in the second regression so he should do better this time. Just...
“...I’m a bit worried.”
I couldn’t be completely relieved because I didn’t trust his personality. I had made various preparations for the party members to attack Paradise but I couldn’t be perfect.
I was a reader, not a reader, and Yoo Jonghyuk was a regressor sunfish. I hope he felt a lot better since his last psychotic break...
Han Sooyoung spoke with an understanding expression. “Well... if you’re worried then you can go and watch. You have a skill to watch it in real time anyway.”
“...You are aware of it?”
“I didn’t know until now.”
Well, Han Sooyoung had watched me take over Yoo Jonghyuk last time. I struggled for a moment before telling her, “Then I’ll go. Please wait.”
“How much are you going to give me?”
“Why do you want coins every time? You should give a bit of free service for once.”
“...Then do it quickly. I can’t deal with some enemies alone.
“If something happens then just wake me up.”
I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
[The exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ stage 3 has been activated!]
Soon after stage 3 was activated, the voices of the people thinking about me started to be heard.
I set aside a few voices and chose the one with the widest scenery.
***
The shaking began from the centre of Paradise. The street stalls were overturned by an intense shock wave that shook the entire ground.
“Aaack, what is this?”
“A monster?”
Everyone looked around but they couldn’t figure out the situation. Maybe it was because they enjoyed peace for too long. Their cerebral cortex, which had always assumed the worst, were now brainwashed to only imagine the safest future.
“The guards will resolve it. Don’t worry.”
“Hang in there!”
In the centre of the explosion, Yoo Jonghyuk saw the incarnations of Paradise. There were faces he knew and faces he didn’t know.
In the first regression, Yoo Jonghyuk had been betrayed for trying to save them and in the second regression, Yoo Jonghyuk destroyed this place with his own hands.
Finally, the third regression...
Some people held onto Yoo Jonghyuk and asked him questions as he walked from the blast.
“What? What the hell is happening?”
The people who had just been selling fruit or harvesting crops stared at him with frightened expressions. Yoo Jonghyuk also faced them. It was definitely a story, even if it wasn’t a scenario.
Yoo Jonghyuk knew the reason. When he saw Paradise for the first time, he agreed with Reinheit’s intention and protected this place.
“H-Help me! Please!”
Of course, it was all in vain. Paradise was no different from the scenario. Just as the scenarios kept exploiting the incarnations, Paradise was a place supported by incarnations turned into fertilizer.
There was one thing Yoo Jonghyuk realized after destroying the place several times. Giant stories always ate small stories. The only laws involved stories and this was the providence of Star Stream.
Yoo Jonghyuk told the people. “Paradise will soon cease to exist.”
“Huh?”
“Find something that you can protect yourself. Then defend it.”
The monsters started running out from the passage that Yoo Jonghyuk and the party members created.
The incarnations shrieked as they watched the giant claws coming from underground. Some guards belatedly ran to protect the incarnations but it wasn’t enough to stop all the monsters.
“W-Why are they here?”
“The lord! Where it the lord?”
Many guards fell down from one strike of the monsters. The guard captain just barely managed to escape in time.
Yoo Jonghyuk cut off the limbs of the incoming monsters and looked around. Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung were evacuating people from various places.
Yoo Jonghyuk muttered, “It is amazing that you survived up to this point.”
They might die for people who didn’t even know their names. It was the influence of Kim Dokja. It was a miracle they could make it here with such a heart.
“No, I was able to come to this place because of those people.”
Yoo Jonghyuk frowned after hearing Yoo Sangah’s words. “I wasted time because of you.”
“I heard that Dokja-ssi was here when I contacted Olympus.”
“The information is either wrong or someone is manipulating the information.”
Or perhaps Kim Dokja somehow manipulated the information. Either way, it wasn’t a favourable situation for Yoo Jonghyuk.
Originally, the strategy to clear Paradise shouldn’t be done in this way. In fact, the current Paradise was the more unsuitable place to attack.
The branches of Perpetual Motion came up from the ground and soared to the sky.
This was the ‘story’ of Demon Marquis Reinheit. It was the body of Paradise, the Perpetual Motion plant that was sustained by souls.
Some monsters climbed on the branches and were released above ground. The monsters, who had been starving for a long time underground, discovered their prey and roared as they scattered all over the place. There was the 5th grade Dark Tracker, the 4th grade Lubel Tiger and even unknown 3rd grade species.
“Kuaaack!”
In the midst of this terrible carnival, the incarnations found the lord. They believed he was the salvation who could save them from this tragedy.
“Lord!”
Then the plant moved. The vines stretched out like tentacles. The tip of the sharp vines pierced the monsters to protect the people of Paradise.
The incarnations cheered. They knew there was only one powerful being in Paradise.
“This is the lord!”
“Lord!”
[Please rest assured.]
The incarnations’ hearts were caught as they listened to Reinheit’s voice.
‘Our Paradise won’t fall so easily.’
Everyone believed this. At least, until the guard captain discovered something in the smoke.
“Lord...?”
A familiar face was growing from a bud at the end of a branch.
“Uwaaaack!”
The frightened guard captain collapsed on the ground.
“M-Monster! Monster!”
The guard captain, who had long vowed allegiance, lost his composure when he saw Reinheit was one with the plant. The appearance of the demon’s true body was terrible.
[Ah, Haidel?]
The guard captain confirmed the lord’s true appearance and shook with fear. The power that Reinheit radiated was terrible. It was thanks to Reinheit’s legendary story, Paradise of Despair.
[It finished well. I needed food to recover.]
The flying vines started to swallow the people of Paradise, including the guards. The vines pierced the incarnations and sucked their small stories. The inhabitants either became mummies or were turned into demons.
“Stop!”
The hell flames burned several branches. However, there was no end to them. Jung Heewon shouted, “I thought this was the place you had to protect! What are you doing?”
[That was until you guys showed up.]
Reinheit laughed. His upper body emerged from the highest branch and he looked at the landscape of Paradise.
[Paradise is already over.]
The incarnations shook with fear in front of the gigantic Perpetual Motion. The residents who were in awe of the lord just a moment ago could no longer be found.
[This is why the presence of small stories is unavoidable. You have lived on a small tree all your life and didn’t know it was actually a forest.]
One by one, the incarnations realized the identity of the world they lived in. No, maybe they already knew the truth but were ignoring it.
[Thus, I will restart everything.]
Like an umbrella, the branches shot up and started to cover all of Paradise. It was as if it wanted to absorb all of Paradise. Jung Heewon stared at the scale and was completely lost.
How could they hurt that? Could humans fight and win against that?
Then a huge explosion occurred from one side of the branches. Along with the roar, the branches covering the sky were broken. It was like a huge hole in the roof of Paradise.
[Truly great. You are...]
There was sincere admiration in Reinheit’s voice. There was a man with a huge presence under the damaged roof. Needless to say, it was Yoo Jonghyuk.
[...You have gone beyond a human.]
Surpassing humans. The words that sounded like rhetoric had a completely different meaning to beings like Reinheit.
[You reached such a level in only the ninth scenario? Kim Dokja was great but you... you are the real monster.]
A mighty presence was filling Yoo Jonghyuk’s body. Yoo Jonghyuk, whose eyes were closed, had exceeded his limits by mobilizing all his capabilities.
‘The Rock King’s Gloves increases strength by two levels.’
‘The Gukryong’s Skin increases strength be one level.’
‘The Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds increases strength by four levels.’
‘The skill buff increases strength by three levels.’
Once strength broke through level 100, a tremendous energy filled Yoo Jonghyuk’s whole body. He remembered the words of his teacher, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint.
-The first course of transcendence is to go beyond the limits of the body.
Most incarnations thought there was a limit to becoming strong through their efforts alone. That’s why they tried to get better sponsors and show off to the stronger constellations.
However, the universe was large and some people disagreed with such cowardice.
There were those who didn’t get a good sponsor or a sponsor at all. There were those who dream of becoming ‘one’ with their own efforts, not the assistance of an absolute existence.
-The second course is to train all skills to the limit. The skills that existed in the world were ‘stigmas’ left behind by someone. Train all those skills to the limit. As if climbing a ladder, try and explore the limits of the system.
The constellations devoured stories and strengthened their influence, constantly tempering their existence into a ‘story.’
-The final course is to kick away the ladder. Forget everything you have accumulated so far. Forget the level, forget the skills and forget the story. After all, the system that many beings choose is the ‘universal’ one. The important thing is that you find your own ‘story.’
Training, training and training. Going beyond the limits of the skill with extreme story and become a story. This was the peak of mortality that could be compared to constellations.
Those who had talent and worked hard were able to achieve transcending the limits of their species. In honor of their noble endeavors, the Star Stream called them transcendent, despite not being constellations.
-These are the minimum conditions to enter the seat of transcendence.
Yoo Jonghyuk had already achieved transcendence in the last regression. He had already reached it once so it wasn’t difficult to climb up again. Only physical conditions and time were needed.
Yoo Jonghyuk’s golden aura was formed around the Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds. Despite obviously using a skill, the message about the skill usage didn’t pop up.
It was because this power wasn’t using the ‘system.’ It was a power built up by Yoo Jonghyuk alone.
“Reinheit, I beat you in the last round.”
Yoo Jonghyuk aimed two swords towards the Perpetual Motion that had become a huge forest.
“This time I will kill you.”