< Episode 21. Unchangeable Things (3) >
Controlling the body of a calamity?
That was never the plan from the start.
Originally, I had something else in mind. But the moment I entered Shin Yoosung, I decided to completely revise my plan.
[Activating exclusive skill: "Omniscient Reader Mode," Stage 3.]
["First-person supporting character perspective" has been activated.]
Precisely, it had to be revised.
"…I can't accept this."
"Then what am I? What about all the time I've lived?"
"What compensation do I get for my worldline?"
Amid the torrent of Shin Yoosung's thoughts, I saw the world through her eyes.
I breathed through Shin Yoosung's nose and killed people with her hands.
I spoke Shin Yoosung's thoughts with her voice.
I was Shin Yoosung.
[The Fourth Wall shakes violently.]
And then I came face to face with Lee Ji-hye.
The moment I saw her, I understood.
Lee Ji-hye was going to die here.
So, for the first time, I did something I had never done before.
[Interfering with the actions of a character from the "first-person supporting character perspective."]
[The Fourth Wall shakes ominously.]
Electric currents shot through my mind, followed by intense agony. Still, when Shin Yoosung prepared a decisive strike, I managed to weaken her right hand. It was subtle—Shin Yoosung didn't notice—but I had done it.
Lee Ji-hye did not die.
[Your understanding of the character 'Shin Yoosung' has increased.]
The same thing repeated with Lee Hyun-sung.
My mind was slowly fraying, but I thought perhaps this could be useful.
I poured more of my mental energy in, expanding the range of my occupation over Shin Yoosung's body.
And finally, the moment Shin Yoosung's right hand gripped Lee Gil-young's neck…
"Who… are you?"
I succeeded in controlling Shin Yoosung's right hand entirely with my will.
[Your understanding of the character 'Shin Yoosung' has greatly increased.]
A limb that was not mine moved completely according to my will.
It was an astonishing experience.
"…Sir?"
Young Shin Yoosung asked.
"Get out of me!"
Shin Yoosung's right arm, under my control, convulsed violently. The unnaturally twisted arm turned pitch black, the veins bulging as if ready to burst. Young Shin Yoosung lunged at the blackened arm.
"Sir… that's you, right? Sir!"
She grabbed the right arm I had inhabited, and at that moment, powerful sparks erupted from it. Sparks reminiscent of the probability storms. People who approached in surprise were blown away by the surging sparks.
Disaster Shin Yoosung and young Shin Yoosung looked at each other simultaneously.
A wave of memories was coming.
"Sir."
"Chief."
But that shouldn't have been possible. According to the "Broken Film Theory," even if the two existed simultaneously, history shouldn't be able to continue.
"Y-you… can kill me. It's okay."
"I wanted to survive too."
However, thinking carefully, the "Broken Film Theory" only applies to "characters."
And I came from outside the novel.
What if my existence… served as the bridge connecting these two memories?
What if two films that shouldn't be connected were temporarily linked?
I closed my eyes and felt both Shin Yoosungs clutching my hands.
Worldline 3 and Worldline 41.
Two different times facing each other.
"Do I even have a life worth living?"
"But what value is there in a life like this?"
"No! This… these memories…"
Disaster Shin Yoosung stammered, biting her lips pale as she struggled.
A surge of powerful energy erupted inside her.
With a tearing sound, young Shin Yoosung was flung from the right arm.
Determined to expel me, Shin Yoosung wrung her own body to the limit.
Fshh, fshh!
Blood streamed from her forearm, and her combat capability sharply dropped. Excessive magic usage had destabilized the balance of her body and soul.
"Shin Yoosung! Stop, wait!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Shin Yoosung clutched her head, struggling to expel me. Sharing her senses, I too was overwhelmed by nausea and pain, nearly losing my mind. Shin Yoosung's hair had turned white.
I thought for a moment.
If I could hold on just a bit longer, Disaster Shin Yoosung would…
Damn it!
.
.
The moment my consciousness left Shin Yoosung's body, all sensory perception around me vanished.
[Skill conflict error has been normalized.]
[The delayed effect of "Immortal King" reactivates.]
[Your body is resurrected from death.]
…
It might have been an ill-fitting choice.
But… I wanted to try it just once.
[A celestial who enjoys changing genders is feeling regret.]
If I didn't do it, I knew I'd regret it.
[Regeneration of the body begins.]
[Exclusive skill: "The Fourth Wall" offsets mental trauma caused by death.]
[Reward for using Omniscient Reader Mode, Stage 3, is being prepared.]
The second resurrection since being killed by the fire dragon species.
I struggled once again at the sensation of my nerves being reconstructed down to the minutest detail. Air filled the lungs regenerated at the particle level, and my optic nerves rewired, revealing my surrounding vision. Abstract mental activity was fully transferred to the supple surface of my cerebral cortex.
[The benefit of "Immortal King" has been completed.]
[100 Karma Points consumed.]
[All bodily waste has been expelled; physical performance has increased.]
[Health and Mana levels each increase by 2.]
[The overall stat limit for this scenario has been exceeded.]
Haah…
Fortunately, since this was the second resurrection, there were no unsightly side effects.
Looking around, I saw the clothes and items I had been using scattered on the ground. Luckily, no one had taken them yet. I began collecting my clothes, when a chilling voice spoke from behind.
"…Kim Dokja?"
Ah… right, this guy was right next to me.
Turning around sheepishly, I saw Yu Joong-hyuk looking at me with distrustful eyes. His shoulders trembled, restrained by the Sulfur Mummy.
"How… did you…?"
I sighed. I couldn't explain the "Immortal King" to him here.
"…Don't try to kill me again. If you die this time, it's real."
"Kim Dokja, you bastard…!"
"Explanations later. For now, let's go. We don't have time."
I swung my "Blade of Conviction" and freed Yu Joong-hyuk from the Sulfur Mummy's wrappings. When the screaming mummy turned to me, I activated [Path of the Wind] via [Bookmark].
Shuuu!
I slung the injured Yu Joong-hyuk over my shoulder and ran across the frozen Han River.
In the distance, I saw the incarnations battling the monsters.
A black aura rising from Yongsan District. That's it.
There, the Disaster Shin Yoosung was present.
"Sir?"
"Dokja!"
The group, having spotted me, ran over. I set Yu Joong-hyuk down.
"Rest for a moment."
Then I moved directly toward Disaster Shin Yoosung.
"Dokja, it's dangerous!"
"I'm fine."
I ignored Lee Hyun-sung's attempt to stop me and stepped forward.
"Shin Yoosung."
The once-powerful calamity of the flood now sat hunched, her hair turned white. Blood pooled around her forearms.
Her aura was still fearsome, so the incarnations dared not approach, but I was certain.
If everyone joined forces, this current "Flood Disaster" could be killed.
"Who… exactly… are you…?"
Disaster Shin Yoosung asked, her eyes trembling.
"You ruined everything… because of you… things that didn't exist in the worldline I know."
The soul that had endured a thousand years trembled in fear.
"It didn't exist."
With the change in Yu Joong-hyuk, her stubbornness shattered the moment it clashed with her past self.
Her hatred for Yu Joong-hyuk.
The anger accumulated over a thousand years.
Those rigid emotions crumbled under the wave of memories flowing in, and I saw it clearly.
Perhaps… this world could change.
Disaster Shin Yoosung saw that tiny hope.
A hope so small, yet capable of overwhelming despair.
I approached Shin Yoosung and knelt with her.
Her blazing eyes looked at me.
"You came well."
I kept thinking about what she most wanted to hear.
There was no answer in the "Apocalypse Method."
I had to think for myself.
If I were Shin Yoosung…
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Her pupils trembled uncertainly.
"…You've been waiting for me? Who are you, really?"
"Someone who wants the same world as you."
At those words, Shin Yoosung's gaze went blank.
"I… am…"
At that moment, Yu Sang-ah approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Dokja."
It might have been an ill-fitting choice.
But… I wanted to try it just once.
[A celestial who enjoys changing genders is feeling regret.]
If I didn't do it, I knew I'd regret it.
[Regeneration of the body begins.]
[Exclusive skill: "The Fourth Wall" offsets mental trauma caused by death.]
[Reward for using Omniscient Reader Mode, Stage 3, is being prepared.]
The second resurrection since being killed by the fire dragon species.
I struggled once again at the sensation of my nerves being reconstructed down to the minutest detail. Air filled the lungs regenerated at the particle level, and my optic nerves rewired, revealing my surrounding vision. Abstract mental activity was fully transferred to the supple surface of my cerebral cortex.
[The benefit of "Immortal King" has been completed.]
[100 Karma Points consumed.]
[All bodily waste has been expelled; physical performance has increased.]
[Health and Mana levels each increase by 2.]
[The overall stat limit for this scenario has been exceeded.]
Haah…
Fortunately, since this was the second resurrection, there were no unsightly side effects.
Looking around, I saw the clothes and items I had been using scattered on the ground. Luckily, no one had taken them yet. I began collecting my clothes, when a chilling voice spoke from behind.
"…Kim Dokja?"
Ah… right, this guy was right next to me.
Turning around sheepishly, I saw Yu Joong-hyuk looking at me with distrustful eyes. His shoulders trembled, restrained by the Sulfur Mummy.
"How… did you…?"
I sighed. I couldn't explain the "Immortal King" to him here.
"…Don't try to kill me again. If you die this time, it's real."
"Kim Dokja, you bastard…!"
"Explanations later. For now, let's go. We don't have time."
I swung my "Blade of Conviction" and freed Yu Joong-hyuk from the Sulfur Mummy's wrappings. When the screaming mummy turned to me, I activated [Path of the Wind] via [Bookmark].
Shuuu!
I slung the injured Yu Joong-hyuk over my shoulder and ran across the frozen Han River.
In the distance, I saw the incarnations battling the monsters.
A black aura rising from Yongsan District. That's it.
There, the Disaster Shin Yoosung was present.
"Sir?"
"Dokja!"
The group, having spotted me, ran over. I set Yu Joong-hyuk down.
"Rest for a moment."
Then I moved directly toward Disaster Shin Yoosung.
"Dokja, it's dangerous!"
"I'm fine."
I ignored Lee Hyun-sung's attempt to stop me and stepped forward.
"Shin Yoosung."
The once-powerful calamity of the flood now sat hunched, her hair turned white. Blood pooled around her forearms.
Her aura was still fearsome, so the incarnations dared not approach, but I was certain.
If everyone joined forces, this current "Flood Disaster" could be killed.
"Who… exactly… are you…?"
Disaster Shin Yoosung asked, her eyes trembling.
"You ruined everything… because of you… things that didn't exist in the worldline I know."
The soul that had endured a thousand years trembled in fear.
"It didn't exist."
With the change in Yu Joong-hyuk, her stubbornness shattered the moment it clashed with her past self.
Her hatred for Yu Joong-hyuk.
The anger accumulated over a thousand years.
Those rigid emotions crumbled under the wave of memories flowing in, and I saw it clearly.
Perhaps… this world could change.
Disaster Shin Yoosung saw that tiny hope.
A hope so small, yet capable of overwhelming despair.
I approached Shin Yoosung and knelt with her.
Her blazing eyes looked at me.
"You came well."
I kept thinking about what she most wanted to hear.
There was no answer in the "Apocalypse Method."
I had to think for myself.
If I were Shin Yoosung…
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Her pupils trembled uncertainly.
"…You've been waiting for me? Who are you, really?"
"Someone who wants the same world as you."
At those words, Shin Yoosung's gaze went blank.
"I… am…"
At that moment, Yu Sang-ah approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Dokja."
I nodded. Then I stood up. My companions were looking at me. I looked at each of them and spoke.
"Everyone."
I liked the "Flood Disaster" episode.
I loved all the characters in it and cherished them.
But because of that…
I hoped this episode wouldn't exist.
"I will not kill the 'Disaster.'"
I thought to myself.
In the original third run, the "Flood Disaster" disappears when the young Shin Yoosung, whose existence is linked to it, dies.
But… maybe this episode has an alternate ending I don't know about.
An ending that's never been tried before.
"I won't accept any objections. So this once, I hope you'll indulge my stubbornness."
"Sir, what nonsense are you talking about?"
The fifth main scenario has no "time limit."
If the "Flood Disaster" gives up its role as a disaster, and we don't hunt it down…
Could this scenario continue without anyone dying?
Some of them looked understanding, others confused.
The first to nod was Yu Sang-ah, and the first to speak was Lee Hyun-sung.
"You must have thought this through. I will follow your will, Dokja."
"If the boss wants it, that's fine. But I hit the Titano earlier, so can I hit that person too?"
"Damn it, do as you like. Since when did you ever follow Sir's rules? But… is this really okay?"
Hearing my companions' voices, I looked at the young Shin Yoosung.
"I…"
Tears had gathered in her eyes.
Perhaps she saw… the time her future self had endured.
Asking the young Shin Yoosung for her opinion was harsh.
I gently stroked the child's head and finally looked at Disaster Shin Yoosung.
She opened her mouth, her face twisted like a wounded beast.
"You're going to save me? Don't be ridiculous. Who do you think you are?"
For someone who had lost everything, all that remained was her skeletal pride.
"The 41st run I lived through is gone. Anywhere in this universe, in any worldline, the people I remember… don't exist. What do you, what do you people, know? How could you understand the years, the time…? Forgetting it all… how could I…!"
Her words trailed off.
Yu Joong-hyuk was watching her.
"…"
And in that moment, Shin Yoosung realized the true meaning of what she had said.
To lose a world. To lose the people you love.
Yet, to have to live again in that world.
There was one person in this world who understood her sorrow.
"All regressors live hating what hasn't happened yet."
Regressor Yu Joong-hyuk was speaking.
"They kill someone because 'he'll become a bad guy later.' They kill someone because 'he'll kill my comrades later.' And they save someone because 'he'll become an ally later.'"
At that moment, I could read the emotion in Yu Joong-hyuk's eyes.
Because I could, for the first time, he felt unfamiliar to me.
I had never seen Yu Joong-hyuk so honest.
"I know it hasn't happened yet. I know they don't remember me, I know they haven't done anything yet. But I act believing they will. Because in my mind, all of that is 'sure to happen,' and if I deny it, I cannot live."
Rage once again filled Shin Yoosung's pupils.
"Right! Because you lived that way, I, my comrades…!"
"So you live that way too, Shin Yoosung."
"…What?"
"If you want, I will gladly become your 'hatred.'"
Yu Joong-hyuk's words were so sad that I couldn't say anything.
"In this run, live to kill me."
With that, Yu Joong-hyuk turned his back.
Perhaps that was the warmest thing he could say.
I realized how broad and large his back was. So wide, so solitary, it weighed on my chest.
Shin Yoosung stared at him for a long time, mouth agape.
The one she had hated for a thousand years… ironically, she finally understood, as the price of living a millennium.
"Boss… wait. Boss!"
I could feel the ripples spreading through Shin Yoosung's heart.
"…Can it really be done?"
"For that reason, I continue."
"…I don't have to give up on this world…"
Some anger doesn't disappear, some sorrow isn't erased.
But as long as you live, a day of salvation will come.
I spoke to Shin Yoosung.
"Shin Yoosung, this is now your new 'run.'"
As a reader, I could change nothing.
As a reader, now I could change everything.
I could change it, I thought.
Until the voice of the mid-tier goblin reached us.