Chapter 426 — Our greatest ally (3)

My words caused a handful of Constellations standing behind me to murmur among themselves.

I wondered if others had heard of my new Modifier already, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

[I’m sure the Bureau’s naming division was behind that title? Do they still do that nowadays?]

[I thought there wouldn’t be any other Modifiers that could exceed the ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, but....]

[Tsk, why do young ones these days prefer such Modifiers anyway?]

....Well, I guess I can tell what they are complaining about, then.

Virudhaka completed the simple entry procedure and then, stared at my shoulder.

[What is that dumpling?]

[It’s my lunch.]

[....How peculiar. A fool showed up with cotton candy yesterday, and now we have you.]

Cotton candy?

[Next.]

Much to my relief, Virudhaka let me through without much hassle.

[You have entered the channel that directs the scenario’s location.]

Right after I went past the Gate, I was greeted by the rainbow-coloured aura swirling around, followed by the guide message as well as an accompanying video.

[We welcome you to the world of the Nebula !]

....Yeah, even the entry video was on another scale.

When I blinked, I found myself standing atop a white cloud.

It was flying at a fairly decent knock with me as its sole passenger. I looked around and found a handsome golden-coloured monkey flying alongside side me.

⸢”Let’s go, friend.”⸥

The monkey winked at me playfully and performed a somersault in the air while swinging his Ruyi Bang around. The image in the sky changed and now showed countless Yogoe creatures rushing towards us. (TL note at the end)

I knew this was all fake but still, couldn’t help but get absorbed by it.

[The world’s most beautiful epic.]

Because, well, this was the most famous Great Fable that the Nebula possessed, that was why.

The scene now showed the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal Sun Wukong fighting against all those Yogoe creatures. And right behind him, a great army of thousands following in his footsteps.

[We invite you to experience this grand adventure.]

The footage came to an end, and I found myself standing on a plaza before I even noticed it.

The dumpling on my shoulder spoke up.

– What a showy salesmanship that was.

“Stop yapping. You’re supposed to be a dumpling, remember?”

I complained for no reason from the embarrassment I felt after getting all worked up a bit just now. I then slowly took in the surrounding sights and observed the panoramic view of the .

The plaza was filled with elegant ancient palaces. The vestige of civilisation gleamed brilliantly in the golden hue. Stars among stars had gathered here, and the world created by Fables acquired by those stars was now laid out before my eyes.

I had been to the bases of other Nebulas before, but this would be my first time in a worldview with this many people in it.

For the time being, I decided to investigate my surroundings a bit more.

It was around then that I saw a hologram appearing on one of the electronic boards installed in the plaza.

– Whereabouts of Nebula ’s members unknown!

– They are understood to be participating in a new Great Fable scenario...

[‘The 4th Wall’ is strongly activating!]

– What is the next destination of ?

It was playing the scene of Yu Jung-Hyeok and my companions entering a Gate emitting blinding light. I stopped walking for a little while and watched them disappear through that light.

[‘The 4th Wall’ is activating even stronger than before!]

....Brand new ‘Great Fable’, was it?

I could more or less guess what happened there.

My companions must be wandering around here and there, searching for a way to acquire a new Great Fable. Well, after I left the , their share of Fables wouldn’t have been sufficient enough to let them into the ‘Final Scenario’.

I shifted my head to find [999] looking straight at me.

– I advise you not to make any unwise decisions.

“....I know already. Don’t you worry.”

Sure, I desperately wanted to return to my companions right away, but right now, my situation didn’t allow me to contact any one of them.

– It’s not for you, but for the sake of your comrades.

“I know.”

Even if I forget about the agreement for a second here, the road I’m about to tread was lined with dangerous thorns with no guarantee of walking away alive. If I carelessly contacted them, every one of my companions might fall into life-threatening danger.

[Will you travel to the Great Fable scenario location?]

I nodded my head.

[Automatic guidance to the scenario progress location will now commence.]

As expected of a Nebula that pursued convenience above all else – my legs actually began running all by themselves.

I noticed a few Incarnations around me who also started their automatic running thing, sporting the same body posture as me. We all became rather embarrassed and avoided meeting each other’s gazes.

[Automatic guide will now end.]

The place I arrived at was in front of a giant holographic panel installed to the west of the plaza.

There were many Constellations and Incarnations present here already. I could see golden-coloured bronze statues rising up above right next to the sea of crowds.

The one taking the centre-most spot was a Constellation that I knew pretty well. The ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’, sporting a head full of golden hair and wielding a gigantic Ruyi Jingu Bang.

These were the statues of protagonists of the Journey to the West, including the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal Sun Wukong.

Not surprisingly, seemed to be well aware of which story out of their worldview was the most famous of them all.

[New main scenario is available!]

And the upcoming scenario was related to that ‘famous story’.

I accessed the scenario window.

+

Type: Main

Difficulty: ???

Clear condition: Work together with other Constellations and/or Incarnations to create ‘Fable chamber’ and remake the Journey to the West. The remade Journey will be evaluated in real-time by judges as well as audience members. Through the judging criteria which may include ‘Popularity’, ‘Degree of Faithfulness to the original’, and ‘Originality’, overall points will be assigned at the end. The Fable that manages to acquire the highest number of votes will be judged the winner of the scenario.

Time Limit: –

Reward: Great Fable related to the ‘Journey to the West’, goodwill from the Nebula , 3,000,000 Coins, ???

Failure: –

* The copyright to the reconstituted Fables will be shared between the Nebula and the participants.

* Depending on the judges’ votes, you may acquire either a ‘legendary’ or ‘historical’ grade Fable.

* A participant may only take on one role. (Excluding extras)

* Additional Coins will be rewarded according to the rankings.

+

Indeed, ’s scale was on another realm altogether.

Putting up a scenario where you were supposed to dramatise their Great Fable....

If this explanation was correct, then even if one failed to clear the scenario, simply participating in it would let you acquire either a legendary or historical grade Fable.

Strangely, though, the kkoma dumpling Yu Jung-Hyeok spoke in a confused voice as if he couldn’t understand something.

– Remake the Journey to the West??

“....Ah. You didn’t come here during your turn, did you? But, the turns before yours should’ve come here before.”

– It’s not as if I retain all the memories of my past regressions.

“Well, it’s as the explanation says. If I were to summarise it, then the participants are supposed to pick a role from the Journey to the West and act out the story itself.”

– In that case, wouldn’t everyone try to pick the role with the most importance?

“You’re right. That’s why we have that thing called the ‘Fable chambers’.”

– Fable chambers?

Rather than a verbal answer, I simply pointed to the advertisement boards the Constellations had put up here and there.

[Looking for anyone willing to open a Fable chamber with us!]

[All the roles are still available, with the exception of Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Sha Wujing, or Zhu Bajie! We even have a scenario writer ready! Let us create a truly enjoyable Fable together!]

The Fable chamber. Every participant was forced to create one before being allowed to enter the scenario.

– I see. You’re supposed to form a team like that and compete against one another.

“That’s right. Only by doing so will you ensure the diversity of the Fable, you see.”

– Diversity?

“In the end, the real goal of this event is to enhance the impact of ‘Journey to the West’. By increasing the number of varied and entertaining versions of the ‘Journey’ in circulation, the strength of the original will grow even greater, and that would, in turn, serve to advertise the position of , too.”

– You’re surprisingly smarter than you look. I thought you were a fool.

I grinned sheepishly.

To be honest, what I uttered just now was nothing more than me quoting what Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 1287th turn had said.

That’s when we got to hear the complaints coming from ancient-looking Constellations.

[I simply can’t fathom what is thinking lately. Is this what they mean by the water in the rear of the Yangtze washing away those in the front? Huh....]

[Even if they are trying to go along with the changing times.... Isn’t this tantamount to insulting the original work?]

It kind of made sense for the ancient Constellations to think like that. But, what could anyone do about the ever-changing taste of the times?

In all honesty, most of the Constellations had already adopted to the already-changed times, anyway.

[Currently, 5412 ‘chambers’ are remaking the Journey to the West.]

....There were already 5412 of them??

Only then did it really hit home that an incredible number of Constellations and Incarnations had rushed over to this particular ‘Great Fable’. But then again, many Constellations must’ve been feeling the heat after the Final Scenario had opened up. The Great Fable related to the ‘Journey to the West’ could very well prove to be their golden ticket, after all.

“So, the problem here is that I can’t enter the scenario alone.....”

Meaning, I’d have to create ‘Fable chamber’ like other Constellations and join the scenario. I took a look around my vicinity and spotted an occasional few that had newly opened up their chambers and were recruiting members to fill their quotas.

[Recruiting a Constellation willing to play the ‘Hong Hai Er’ (The Red Boy). An Incarnation of a Fable-grade Constellation is also OK.]

[Recruiting the ‘Golden Horned King’. Accepting only Historical-grade or higher.]

Those indicated that the casting for the main characters had been filled already.

As I expected, chambers recruiting villains far outnumbered those looking for the main characters. It was all because of the distribution of the Great Fable’s shares when they did acquire it later.

Well, you’d get a greater share by playing a main character, rather than a villain, so it couldn’t really be helped.

[Recruiting the actor for the ‘Yellow Robe Demon’. Coin split is 7 to 3. No Fable shares. We don’t care about your Status.]

By the way, it might be just my gut talking here, but this....

[Recruiting an extra for multiple roles. We don’t judge your Status. No Fable shares. Every appearance is a guaranteed 1000 Coins.]

[Oiii, hyung-ssi over there! Come this side! We’ll treat you right!]

....I looked everywhere, but it felt as if there were only con men around this place.

I was hoping against hoping, but well, I failed to spot any familiar Constellations, either. Maybe that was an obvious result, seeing that famous Constellations would’ve already joined Fable chambers by now....

For the time being, I approached the panel and decided to look at the list of ‘Fable chambers’ first.

The list was automatically organised by the rankings. Surprisingly, the highest-ranked chamber belonged to someone even I knew of.

+

[The Real Journey to the West]

– Current number of votes: 8651

– Introduction: The previously-unknown secrets of the authentic Journey to the West will be revealed.

– There are no more open spots available.

– [Cider], [Regression], [System]..... (TL note at the end)

– Current ranking: First

+

If my memory served me correctly, then this Fable chamber should belong to the Nebula ’s ‘Fei Hu’.

Out of many regression turns, this Fei Hu’s Fable was always picked as the winning one for the current ‘Great Fable’ scenario. It was to such an extent that even before the competition was over, the saying “Victory already belongs to Fei Hu anyway” routinely made rounds.....

– Hurry up and decide already.

“Just hold on.”

I might look like this, but this great I possessed over ten years’ worth of experience as the reader of genre novels.

Just by looking at the titles, I.... No, well, I only had to read the introductions to easily figure out what kind of Fables we might get here.

I reorganised the list by ‘Newest’ and began scrolling through the Fable chambers.

“Right now, it’s a bit of a trend to change the protagonist.”

– Change the protagonist? How?

“For instance, the majority of people think that the MC of the Journey to the West is Sun Wukong, right? But when you actually get down to it.... Ohh, it really appeared.”

+

[I’ve reincarnated as the last disciple in the Journey to the West?!]

– Current number of votes: 3313

– Introduction: Just for how long will Sun Wukong remain as the hero? It’s time for Pigsy to show his stuff!

– Recruiting extras at all times.

– [Reincarnation], [Possession], [Healing].....

– Current ranking: Eighth

+

– It’s already underway.

“Dammit.”

I scrolled down once more. Not too long afterwards, I discovered a couple more excellent-sounding chambers.

+

[Disciples that I managed to rear]

– Current number of votes: 3310

– Introduction: Here comes Tang Sanzang, after training the strongest disciples!

– [Possession], [Rearing], [Healing].....

– Current ranking: Ninth

[The Journey’s Extra] (TL: LOL)

– Current number of votes: 3221

– Introduction: I’ve somehow ended up inside the Journey to the West. But I.... seemed to have become Tang Sanzang’s horse.

– [Extra], [System], [Animal].....

– Current ranking: Eleventh

+

....Dammit, all the Fable chambers with potential for great popularity were already full.

– You’ve been dilly-dallying too long and now, it seems you’re already done for.

I didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he might be right on this one.

Many high-ranked chambers had finished casting their main characters and not only that, their Fables were already well underway, making a bit hard for me to butt in now.

I couldn’t help but wonder whether I should just apply to become an extra or not, but then, I’d not be able to acquire what I want through a role with such little importance.

[The 4th Fable chamber list will close soon!]

[After closing, it’ll become impossible to register additional roles with the exception of extras!]

It was literally one thing after another. Now, the chamber closing time was approaching, too. I had to make a decision here.

How long passed by like that?

Out of all the classifieds that I scrolled through in a hurry, I ended up spotting something rather suspicious.

– (Urgently recruiting) Searching for a Sun Wukong who will ride on the bus. All the other roles have been cast already. Just show up and you’re hired.

....Still recruiting Sun Wukong, was it?

Hang on. Not just any other role, but the ‘Sun Wukong’?

[I’ve become the retired SSSSS-grade Son Wukong!!]

Haven’t I seen that many ‘S’ letters somewhere before?

Even though I knew I was being taken for a ride here, I still tapped on the info tab of this chamber.

And that’s when I saw its introduction.

– Introduction: Only I know the end of the Journey to the West. (TL: Double LOL)

Fin.

(TL: A Yogoe is basically the Korean version of the Japanese Yokai. I left as is, as it’s not exactly a monster nor a demon, with no direct English alternative. A quick googling might get you the result of ‘goblin’, but most will associate that with a stinky little green creature, which a Yogoe definitely isn’t.)

(TL: Just in case you don’t know what ‘Cider’ as a [story tag] means, it’s got nothing to do with the transparent semi-alcoholic beverage, but simply a Korean slang word for ‘That refreshing feeling’.)