Chapter 267 — Episode 50 - Dokja’s Story (3)

My vision blackened before coming back. It felt like my consciousness had experienced a power outage. I blinked blankly but only the dark ceiling was visible.

...What happened? I took deep breaths and moved my heavy head as I started thinking.

I was participating in the second round of the Demon King Selection. I killed Duke Bercan and at almost the same time, I was killed by Surya. Then the system messages poured out.

Did I win the second round? Or... did I lose? I thought about it but I wasn’t sure.

[You have taken away the enemy’s sentence and won the game!]

I seemed to have heard this message.

[Your sentence was taken away and you have lost the game!]

I also seemed to have heard this message. Maybe it was both. Then which one was first? For now, I had no way of knowing.

[You have died.]

The only thing I was sure about was this message. I died in the game and awakened in this place.

“Ugh...”

I slowly rose from my seat and the place where I was lying was seen more clearly. Numerous lamps were set up between niches, illuminating the vast darkness. It was an unfamiliar place I had never visited before.

There was a sign stating [000~100] in the place where I stood and large bookshelves around the sign. There was the smell of books. It was reminiscent of a university library.

...Library? Why was I here? I pulled out a book on the closest shelf and turned a page.

「 After Lee Seolhwa’s death, Yoo Jonghyuk thought he should die many times. He could never win against them with talent and skills alone. The end of the scenario wasn’t visible and the power of the constellations was unbelievably strong. Revenge for Lee Jihye and Lee Seolhwa couldn’t be achieved. Yoo Jonghyuk thought in the midst of his despair. 」

The sentences in the familiar style were lined up and I read the sentences as if they were being sucked in.

「 ‘What if I have a sponsor?’」

It was a scene that didn’t appear in detail in Ways of Survival. Even so, I knew this scene. It was because the scene was defeated dozens or hundreds of times in my imagination.

「 [The constellation ‘???’ wants you to be his incarnation.’ 」

This was the first time Yoo Jonghyuk received his sponsor. Yoo Jonghyuk in the 0th regression repeatedly trained to his limit without a sponsor but had to kneel in front of the incarnation.

「 A new attribute, Regressor will blossom! 」

It was the story of when Yoo Jonghyuk first became a ‘regressor.’ I reflexively closed the book and looked at the title.

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 56th record of the 0th round.]

I suddenly had an idea of what this place was. As my eyes became accustomed to the darkness, the surroundings looked better. This was the library where all the records of Ways of Survival were gathered.

I muttered in a slightly weary manner. “...It seems to be more than 3,149.”

Ways of Survival was long but not to this extent. This huge space was filled with books. I wasn’t sure if I could read half the books even if I devoted my whole life to it.

Then I got a headache. The curled memories were breaking out like a eggshell cracking. This place that had just seemed unfamiliar now felt familiar. The lamps in the niches and the shelves of books.

I slowly got goosebumps and an intense feeling struck my head. I had already come to this place once. When was it? When...

「 Kim Dok ja. 」

The voice echoed through the library. I knew this tone. “...The Fourth Wall?”

Then the entire library shook faintly.

「 Yo ur so ul was in dan ger. 」

“Danger?”

「 I call ed you...」

The Fourth Wall called me here. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what he meant. “Perhaps, are you also in here?”

「 Co rrect. 」

“How do I get out of here? Where is the exit?”

「... 」

“...Hey?”

I called out a few more times but the Fourth Wall didn’t answer. He was a guy who slept when sleepy so he might’ve fallen asleep again this time. I had to find a way out myself.

[You can’t use Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint in this location.]

[You can’t use Bookmark in this location.]

All my available skills were blocked. I couldn’t see the end of the library no matter how far I walked. I couldn’t see the exit as I looked to the north, south, east and west. I became convinced that I couldn’t escape and felt a drug-like comfort.

“...Heaven.”

Everywhere I looked was Ways of Survival. It was a world full of Ways of Survival. I might’ve been happy if I came here before the scenario started. It was a story that would never end no matter how much I read. I wouldn’t go hungry because I was just a soul.

...There was no way for me to go out so I should read more books. I didn’t know. There could be a way in the book.

I pulled the books out of the shelves, stacked them next to each other and started reading them. I looked for a while and once again realized that Ways of Survival was Ways of Survival.

“...There are too many explanations.”

The surroundings were quiet so the speed at which I read the book was faster than usual. However, I didn’t read it roughly. Like a gourmet long starved of meat, I cut every sentence into pieces and relished them.

“That jerk, he was cute at this time.”

“...Damn, I should’ve killed him a bit more in the beginning.”

Some of the stories were already known and some weren’t.

“This information was forgotten...”

“What? There was something like this?”

There was no one in this place and I naturally spoke to myself. I wasn’t conscious about any listeners. Thus, I read a few more books. There was a sense of pride in my heart and warmth rose.

Suddenly, I felt weak. Why didn’t I just give up and stay here? It wouldn’t be too bad if I never woke up from here. There was no scenario here to kill me.

I didn’t need to see the constellations. After reading a number of books, I ran past some bookshelves, reading those in the middle.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk sometimes thought this. 」

「 ‘If I hadn’t met that guy on the bridge, what would’ve happened? Or if I had killed him there... what would’ve happened to my remaining life?’ 」

I saw the familiar phrases and reflexively looked at the title of the book.

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 12th record of the 3rd round.]

...As expected, it was the third round. I opened a few more books Some of them were written about me.

「 ‘Damn Kim Dokja.’ 」

Some books contained:

「 “Kim Dokja, wake up! Kim Dokja!” 」

Some good words were written. In some books, nothing was written.

「■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■」

The sentences were filtered and couldn’t be read. Some of the episodes had blank pages. It was as if the story hadn’t been recorded yet.

All books were organized in accordance to the order of the rounds. It was as if someone had arranged it so I could find it easily when needed. But who...

I just had this thought when I saw something on the other side of the bookshelf. I reflexively put the book back and looked. It was a very short moment but there seemed to be the shadow of a person.

“Who’s there?”

The sound of footsteps started heading further away. I started chasing the sound. I almost stumbled over a few books on the floor but persistently followed the shadow. The signs of the bookshelves changed quickly.

From [000~100] to [100~200]. Then it was [200~300].

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 373rd record of the 24th round.]

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 473rd record of the 31st round.]

Countless books passed by quickly.

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 573rd record of the 27th round.]

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 681st record of the 12th round.]

...

I was a bit breathless and still couldn’t see the end of the books. It was obviously a soul body but I was breathless. I kept running. This was an opportunity. If I missed this person here, I wouldn’t be

able to catch it again.

How far did I go? I was getting a bit closer.

“Wait!”

The moment I shouted, the floor in front of me suddenly disappeared. My body failed to overcome inertia and fell forward. I might’ve fallen down if I hadn’t reflexively grabbed the bookshelf next to me.

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 1863rd record of the 22nd round.]

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 1863rd record of the 23rd round.]

[Yoo Jonghyuk, 1863rd record of the 26th round.]

...

Books poured towards me head. It hurt as much as Yoo Jonghyuk’s fists. I barely dug myself out of the pile of books and the shadow I was pursuing had already disappeared.

“Shit...”

Instead, there was a cliff in front of my eyes. I couldn’t see the bottom.

“Ah...”

I stared down the cliff like I was possessed. This was the end of the library. It was the end of all the stories. I stared at it and felt the urge to throw myself in. I felt like I could know something I had long wondered about. If I could go inside there...

The moment my body tilted towards the bottom of the cliff, someone tightly grabbed my shoulders.

「(You will die if you fall. It is really ‘beyond’ the wall.) 」

***

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

“Wake up.”

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi, stop it! Dokja-ssi’s face is swollen!”

“What the hell is happening?”

“He is still breathing. I think there was a shock to the soul...”

Yoo Jonghyuk frowned at Yoo Sangah’s words and stood up. The swollen Kim Dokja was lying on the ground. The bear-like Lee Hyunsung was holding onto him and crying out madly.

“Dokja-ssi... wake up. Please...”

The moment the second round was completed, the Mythical Battlefield suddenly disintegrated. All participants and helpers of the Yoo Jonghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex were left in front of the wastes of the industrial complex.

Yoo Sangah stared at the people standing in the same camp. Two dogs and one pretty boy. Also, Han Myungoh...

“You were alive, Department Head-nim.”

“Y-Yoo Sangah-ssi...” Han Myungoh started sweating and retreated.

Yoo Sangah stared at Jang Hayoung. “You... are you on our side?”

“Ah, I...”

Jang Hayoung met Yoo Sangah’s eyes and stuttered in a confused manner. He didn’t know how to introduce himself. Then Jang Hayoung caught sight of Shin Yoosung. “Ah, weren’t you in that video...?”

“...You know me?”

Jang Hayoung recalled the scenes of the 73rd Demon King scenario thanks to Shin Yoosung and figured out who they were. “I’m a real fan! Wow, I can’t believe I’m meeting the incarnations of Earth...”

Jang Hayoung’s eyes were glowing as he shook Yoo Sangah’s hand. Yoo Sangah smiled lightly and stared into the air.

“By the way... did we win or lose?”

Only one unknown system message was floating in the air.

[We are currently determining the winning team of the second round.]

Jang Hayoung said, “I think Kim Dokja killed him first. Then shouldn’t we win?”

“But our sentence was stolen...”

Yoo Jonghyuk shook his head. “Kim Dokja was faster.”

The words filled with strong conviction caused Jang Hayoung and Yoo Sangah to brighten. It was likely to be true if Yoo Jonghyuk said so.

Then a cloud of dust appeared on the other side of the wilderness. It was a scene filled with a powerful ‘status.’ There were no need to ask about the identity of the incoming beings.

Yoo Jonghyuk stared at the sky and his expression hardened.

[We are currently determining the winning team of the second round.]

It was still the only sentence floating in the sky. It had been the same for 30 minutes.

“Be prepared.”

“Huh?”

“Something is wrong.”

In the main scenario, the fast-paced bureau would never spend 30 minutes to determine the winner.

In other words, this situation was intended by someone. Someone didn’t want the scenario to end this way.

The present 73rd Demon Realm was filled with an enormous amount of probability due to the Mythical Battlefield.

Yoo Jonghyuk pulled out his Black Demon Sword and declared, “This time it isn’t a game.”

The terrible roar of the Thunder Eating Bird filled the sky. The constellations who no longer received penalties from the game were coming over here.