Alt-1863rd HSY's POV:
[Chapter 185: Ep. 35 - The 73rd Demon King, IV
["Hey! What nonsense are you saying?" I shouted while hurriedly running towards Yoo Joonghyuk.
Aura started to emerge from Yoo Joonghyuk's body as he held the piece of jade.
[The selected person is evolving into a demon king!]
"Shit! At this rate they are all gonna get killed!"
Kim Namwoon nervously said. All of my companions— even me were on the edge of our seats as the screen continued playing.
[The person who was selected by the jade would become the 73rd demon king.
–Can you promise not to give up on that goal, no matter what?
A few days ago, Yoo Joonghyuk had asked me a meaningful question about my goal. Was my goal to reach the end of the scenarios...
Don't tell me...? No, it was impossible. I almost had a fit as I screamed, "Yoo Joonghyuk you son of a bitch!"]
A son of a bitch indeed.
He was always a son of a bitch, that fucking Yoo Joonghyuk.
[Then the sound of steel wire moving through the air was heard. Dozens of wires poured down towards Yoo Joonghyuk, one of them snatching the jade that was in Yoo Joonghyuk's hand.
[The succession of the demon king is cancelled.]
A bewildered expression appeared on Yoo Joonghyuk's face.
"Dokja-ssi!"]
"Huh? That unnie's skill looks very cool!"
Lee Jihye was right, i became quite intrigued on who that woman's sponsor is.
By the looks of it, it looks like Ariadne's web..
[I looked back and saw dozens of threads stretching out from Yoo Sangah's hand. As everyone was frozen, only she kept her mind. She tied up the demon king's jade with Binding Thread and it flew to this side. Yoo Joonghyuk let out a huge burst of killing intent.
"Don't interrupt!"]
"Oh shit— i'm getting chills just by watching.." Lee Jihye joked
I glanced at Yoo Joonghyuk (*the alt) and saw that he was paying attention but he still looked soulless as ever.
'Damn, is he even watching?'
[As soon as an intense wave of magic power was about to cover Yoo Sangah, I triggered Bookmark and Way of the Wind and blocked the magic power. It wasn't easy to block, even with Way of the Wind at the maximum level.]
Bookmark huh? An interesting name for a skill,
Have i read a skill with that name? Eh, never finished that 3rd-rate garbage of a novel.
[This was the power of Yoo Joonghyuk, who had become a transcendent. I shouted through clenched teeth.]
"H-he's already a transcendent this early..? I thought we're watching the 3rd turn.."
"Well what can we say? He's a monster" Lee Jihye responded to Lee Hyunsung.
'Did he have the ability to become a transcendent that early whil at the 3rd turn..?'
i was already suspicious that there might be something going on here, after all there were various other variables that weren't in the novel.
And that guy who's ugly is even more suspicious. The earlier chapter, there were many censored information..
["Yoo Sangah-ssi! Hold it well! Never use it!"
"Yes!"
My party members were wondering what the hell was going on.
Han Sooyoung created dozens of clones and shouted, "I knew this would happen! Kim Dokja, I told you! Yoo Joonghyuk is someone who only thinks about himself to the end!"]
"Ah! Sooyoung-ssi! You appeared."
I nodded in response and focused on my counterpart again, looks like my avatar knows her stuff.
[Han Sooyoung kept shouting while I was unable to grasp the situation properly.
"Kim Dokja! We must stop him! This jerk is obviously going to become the demon king, kill all of us and clear the scenario alone...!"
Han Sooyoung's clone blocked Yoo Joonghyuk and exploded instantly. ]
Shit, it was quite disturbing watching yourself even if it was a clone technically blow up..
[Han Sooyoung's main body was trapped against the wall of the hallway.
The other party members rushed in front of me.
"Master! What's wrong with you? Kyaaack!"
"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi!"
Lee Jihye and Jung Heewon as well. They couldn't cope with Yoo Joonghyuk's blow and fell.
Now Yoo Joonghyuk was serious. He was committed to defeating all those who interfered with his purpose.
I stepped past the party members while telling them, "You can't deal with him!"
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes glared at me. "Get out of the way Kim Dokja. I will be the demon king."
"What nonsense is this? Why all of a sudden?"]
"Yeah! Why is he being like that so suddenly?!"
Lee Jihye nodded in agreement, i nodded my head in agreement.
In my knowledge, Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't sacrifice himself so blatantly. But he would sacrifice everything he has, even making his original, long-term companions hate him just to end himself. Like the Yoo Joonghyuk in my timeline.
["Shouldn't you know as well? There is only one way to clear this scenario."
I glanced at the scenario window floating in the air.
[Main Scenario #10 - 73rd Demon King]
Category: Main
Difficulty level: SS+
Clear Conditions: You can choose one of two ways. Take possession of the throne and become the 73rd demon king, or kill the newly born 73rd demon king. The scenario can only be cleared by choosing one of these two methods and there is no other way to proceed.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Compensation: 200,000 coins,???
Failure: Death and expulsion from the scenario.
This scenario was similar to the 'sacrifice' scenario. One person had to die for everyone or one person would live while everyone else died.
I bit my lips and asked, "Are you going to sacrifice yourself?"]
Heh, never in my life i would witness Yoo Joonghyuk actually try to sacrifice himself. Thought he was just a ruthless bastard who would do anything to reach the end.
["Hunt me and go to the next scenario."
"Why are you doing something like this all of a sudden?"
"This is the right thing to do."
There was no doubt that he thought this was the right answer. Yoo Joonghyuk spoke with his unique nuances. "I am used to the pain. Similarly, I am familiar with death. Don't you already know this?"]
I became quite uncomfortable seeing a version of Yoo Joonghyuk act like this, the Yoo Joonghyuk that i partially read wasn't anything like this.. especially the 3rd turn, what happened to make Yoo Joonghyuk become like that? I couldn't answer so i just focused on watching once again.
[He was certain that I knew all about him. However, Yoo Joonghyuk was wrong. I didn't know Yoo Joonghyuk. The Yoo Joonghyuk I knew would never do this.]
Same.
[It seemed like there was room to talk so I decided to calm down this damn sunfish.
"I know what you are saying but you don't have to sacrifice yourself. You are a regressor but you don't have multiple lives. I have resurrection on my side. That's why you're not the one suitable to become the demon king."
"Resurrection. It is a good ability. However, do you think it will work in this scenario? If you have seen the scenario failure, can you be certain that resurrection will save you?"
I had forgotten for a moment. Certainly, Yoo Joonghyuk was right. This scenario didn't just end with 'death'. This jerk... had he calculated it and moved?
"Get out of the way Kim Dokja."
My Unbroken Faith cried out while his Splitting the Sky Sword pointed at me. In this stubborn confrontational state, I desperately thought about it. How could I persuade this person?]
Persuading that person is very much almost impossible that bastard is stubborn as fuck
[No matter how much I squeezed my head, I couldn't come up with a method. If this continued, this jerk would become the demon king and take the damn regression route.
[The exclusive skill, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' stage 2 has been activated!]
I started to soak up his thoughts like a sponge.]
"He can do that?!" Kim Namwoon shrieked
"That's one powerful skill.." Lee Hyunsung warily agreed
[「 The cost of failing this scenario is expulsion from the scenario. 」
「 There is no one who can survive being expelled from the scenario. Then Kim Dokja's resurrection ability is meaningless. 」
Perhaps this is the death that his fate is pointing to. 」]
What did that Kim Dokja guy even do so that fate wants him dead?! Goddamnit.
[「 If Kim Dokja becomes the demon king, he will die here. 」
My heart was heavy as I received the waterfall of thoughts.
「 Thus, it is me who should sacrifice themselves here. 」
This guy was really going to sacrifice himself. The arrogant and aloof Yoo Joonghyuk. It was for the sake of others, not himself.]
It was truly weird..
Hah.. i wish i could smoke right now this shit is making my head a mess..
[Suddenly, unknown emotions rose inside me. "Then you? What about you? If you die here, what about your damn goal?!"
"You will do it for me."What?"
Yoo Joonghyuk watched our companions behind me. "The one who can save the world... it might be you, not me."
Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, Shin Yoosung, Lee Seolhwa...]
"Oh! It's us!" Lee Seolhwa muttered
"Didn't know he could do that.." Lee Jihye mumbled
[There was deep regret in Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes as he gazed at every single person. I seemed to know what he was thinking.
「 There have never been so many people who made it to here. And maybe it won't happen again in the future. 」
This was the Yoo Joonghyuk who had experienced several lives and received advance information from the 41st regression.
There were no cases like this regression. This fact caused Yoo Joonghyuk to shake.
My mind worked quickly. How could I persuade him...
"Get out of the way. There isn't much time left."
He used Giant Body Transformation and started to swell up dramatically. He had either grown stronger in three days or the party members were frozen by the energy he was emitting.]
"Fuck that's terrifying" Kim Namwoon grumbled.
[Yoo Sangah was terrified and Yoo Joonghyuk approached her step by step.
I eventually activated the Blade of Faith. "Stop! Stop it you son of a bitch!"]
At this point, it feels like i'm reading a motherfucking bl novel just by these bastards.
"Damn it, i feel quite sorry for that ahjussi.. he's so sad it's making me wonder if they're together.." Lee Jihye sincerely said
[The white ether sword collided with Yoo Joonghyuk's Splitting the Sky. Of course, it was my side that suffered one-sided damage. I had to use at least Electrification to deal with this guy.
...I couldn't let him take the path of regression. The moment I was about to activate Bookmark, Yoo Joonghyuk asked me,
"Are you concerned about what will happen to this world after I go back?"
"What?"
"You must be afraid. The moment I disappear, this world will disappear. Isn't that right?"
I was so surprised that I was lost for words. How the hell did he know this? I started to wonder if he was the one with Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint instead of me.
Then I forgot even this thought.
"There's nothing to worry about. I already asked my sponsor."
...What?]
...what? That guy's sponsor responded? I thought his sponsor didn't do anything till now, so why did it respond to the 3rd turn..? Something is not adding up..
["This world won't disappear if I regress. This world won't end or be upset if I die."
Yoo Joonghyuk easily suppressed Yoo Sangah and reached for the precious jade. As if it wanted him, demonic energy stretched out from the jade and tangled around Yoo Joonghyuk's fingers.
"Continue to live, Kim Dokja." Yoo Joonghyuk looked at me with the face of a stranger. "Now you have to save this world."]
Right..
Are they fucking gay or what?
Then someone sighed i turned and saw Lee Seolhwa as she said " I seriously hope that turn of Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi survives.. if he doesn't his boyfriend will be saddened.."
...
What the fuck? Is she serious or what..?
[Thunder struck the sky on the second floor of Dark Castle. It was a sinister thunder, as if suggesting the collapse of Dark Castle.
Lee Sookyung gazed at the sky as she moved with the wanderers. Her son was probably beyond this sky.
"Hulhul, you look very worried these days."
It was Lee Boksoon who spoke. She handed her Dark Castle rankign to Jung Heewon and chose to stay here. Lee Sookyung glanced at Lee Boksoon for a while before replying, "I guess I'm not familiar with being a mother."]
"Huh? Who's this ahjumma?" Lee Jihye asked
No one responded, heck even i'm confused who's this woman.
["Do people get used to it? You will never get used to it in your life. Me too..."
"You aren't going to bring up the story of raising six siblings again are you?"
"Hulhul, you knew?"
Lee Boksoon chuckled. There were no wanderers who didn't know the story of the six siblings raised by Lee Boksoon.
Lee Boksoon patted Lee Sookyung's shoulder and spoke in a friendly voice. "He will surely come back alive. Don't worry too much."
"I wish but... fate says differently."
"You don't think that fate can be overcome? To me..."
In the end, Lee Boksoon retold the story of how she raised her six siblings through all types of hardships. Lee Sookyug smiled bitterly. No one would've suffered if fate was so easily overcome.
「If he doesn't go to the next scenario, Incarnation Kim Dokja can live. 」
Lee Sookyung sacrificed 20 years of her life and read this sentence from 'fate'.]
"Damn that's some serious dedication.."
"Is the ahjumma the Kim Dokja guy's mother or some sort?"
"Probably"
Damn, i'm quite jealous.
[Kim Dokja could live if he didn't go to the next scenario. In other words, Kim Dokja would surely die when he went to the next scenario.
'...Dokja'.
However, Lee Sookyung didn't give up even when all indicators pointed to the death of her son. She couldn't let go.]
"Oh i was right.."
I sighed internally, how i wish i had a mother like that.
[There was the sound of falling sound and Lee Sookyung looked down at her fingertips. Her body was still crumbling because her recovery was slow and incomplete. It was all due to the aftereffects of entering the Fourth Wall.
Lee Sookyung remembered the moment she was eaten by the Fourth Wall.]
"EATEN?! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kim Namwoon suddenly shouted,
All of my companions were flabbergasted, "there's a skill that can eat a person..?"
"Damn that's scary.." Lee Jihye shuddered.
The fuck?! I know something like this can happen but still!
[It was a terrible experience, as if her being itself was breaking down into morpheme units.]
"That's horrible" Lee Seolhwa worriedly mumbled
[Perhaps she died at that time. Like a broken story, she was sucked into the wall and experienced something no human ever had before.
She was shocked that there was such a 'wall' inside her son. She also shuddered at the fact that someone was living inside the wall.]
"Okay what the fuck is the fourth wall?!"
"First, it can eat LITERALLY a person! And second, there was SOMEONE?! LIVING?! in that wall?!" Lee Jihye exclaimed, the fourth wall is a very terrifying skill..
Okay that guy is fucking suspicious now. His SKILL can literally EAT PEOPLE!!
['...What the hell is it?'
There, Lee Sookyung confronted the presence inside the wall. Her existence was crushed and recreated so there weren't many accurate memories left.
The exact structure of the interior of the wall... she didn't remember. Still, there was one thing she remembered. It was the answer to a question.
「 What is the way for my son to survive? How can he get rid of that damn fate? 」
Lee Sookyung asked this even when her existence was fading away. The being inside the wall laughed like it was having fun.
「 There is only one way to escape from fate. 」
There was a strange smile, as if this whole situation was a joke.
「 Kim Dokja already knows how to do it. 」]
He does? Well that's interesting..
[The constellation 'Guardian of Imaginations' says that they will react to a wiki once again]
[Select an important incarnation's wiki to react]
> Lee Seolhwa
> Lee Hyunsung
> Lee Jihye (DONE)
> Lee Gilyoung
> Shin Yoosung
> Han Sooyoung
> Kim Dokja (unavailable)
. - fu//7 unlockable after
. certain conditions have been met.
> Yoo Sangah
> Yoo Joonghyuk
Hmm... The protagonist bastard didn't win for some reason the first time so i hope he does now, i REALLY want to see that bastard's wiki..
[All beings inside the reaction room have all picked an incarnation]
[TALLYING UP THE VOTES...]
[COMPLETED!]
[Anouncing the incarnation picked]
[The incarnation who won was..]
[Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'!]
"Awh come on.. I wanted captain to win.." Kim Namwoon said wilting
[Loading incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's wiki...]
[COMPLETED!]
[Showing incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's wiki...]