Chapter 419: 419
All sorts of complicated thoughts rushed past my head .
"I . . . . "
It felt as if someone was ringing a gong right next to my ear . I covered my mouth from the sudden rush of the sick feeling from my stomach . The kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeoks kept looking up at me as I began wobbling about unsteadily .
⸢Kim Dok-Ja knew who these beings were . ⸥
The final revision of the 'Ways of Survival' spat out bright texts from inside my pocket .
⸢He knew, but at the same time, he didn't want to know . ⸥
"Kim Dok-Ja?"
The kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeoks realised that something was wrong with me and called out .
I needed to stop thinking .
['The 4th Wall' is shaking . ]
Stop thinking .
['The 4th Wall' is shaking intensely . ]
However, I couldn't .
Pages were flipping over inside my head . As if there was a storm raging about in there, all those pages swirled up and flew at the same time to completely blanket my consciousness .
" . . . . Hey, you?"
And eventually, my vision was dyed in pitch-black darkness .
*
"Looks like he's learned of it now . "
The kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [41] spoke as if it was in passing . Next to him was the 'Secretive Plotter', sitting on the ancient, worn-down throne .
"By any chance, did you deliberately give out that hint?"
[That wasn't my intention . ]
"I don't see any reward for you after you even prepared props to put up a show like this . "
The kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [41] spoke as he stared at the Plotter's white coat . It was the same coat as the one Yu Jung-Hyeok from the 1863rd turn wore .
The Plotter felt that stare . While taking the coat off, he spoke up . [I wasn't putting on a show . That guy from the 1863rd should've been a part of me originally . Just like all of you . ]
"However, he opened the door and left without warning, didn't he . While leaving behind that coat, too . "
The kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [41] took over the white coat . As if the two had been talking about something forbidden up until now, a short silence descended between them .
The 'Secretive Plotter' wordlessly extended his hand towards the empty air . A circular table suddenly materialised next to the old throne . There was a wine glass filled with red wine on top of it . He lightly picked the glass up .
[It seems that the scenario is progressing far quicker than expected . Its ripening degree is nothing to write home about . ]
"It's all because of that fool, Kim Dok-Ja . "
[Has the Dokkaebi King made his move yet?]
The kkoma Yu Jung-Hyeok number [41] flipped through the message log in the empty air . "No, not yet . However, Great Dokkaebis are now moving behind the scenes . The Wennys have contacted us, as well . "
[It'll soon start, then . ]
"I guess so . "
Two Yu Jung-Hyeoks stopped talking for a little while . Ominous howls could be heard coming through the cracked walls of this palace built to resemble a circle . Those were the cries of the Outer World's hounds searching for them .
The 'Secretive Plotter' opened his lips . [41st . You are the most similar 'Yu Jung-Hyeok' when compared to me . ]
"What an honour that is . "
[You'll soon die . ]
"Have we not come this far for that exact purpose?"
They stopped talking again . Pale-white light suddenly glowed in the empty air, and soon, 's broadcast screen appeared there . The 'Secretive Plotter' flipped through the screens as if he was bored and spoke up .
[There isn't much left till the end of this long story, then . ]
*
When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside the Library .
⸢Kim Dok Ja, so an noy ing . ⸥
I heard the Wall's faint voice and shook my head to regain my wits .
'Sorry about that' .
The lights from the lanterns brightened up the dim darkness . It seemed that I was sucked into [the 4th Wall]'s interior once more . The Wall had protected my mind from breaking down, in other words .
I massaged my pulsing head and took quick, short breaths . I needed a bit more time before my mind cleared up sufficiently enough . How long did it pass by like that?
Eventually, only one line remained etched inside my once-chaotic mind .
⸢The 'Secretive Plotter' is Yu Jung-Hyeok from the original 'Ways of Survival' . ⸥
He was not the Yu Jung-Hyeok I met in the 1863rd turn, nor the guy I experienced the 3rd turn with .
No, he was someone I had never met before .
Indeed, he was Yu Jung-Hyeok who witnessed the conclusion of the before the '3rd turn' even had the chance to begin .
- Hang on, author-nim! What will happen to Jung-Hyeok-ee now? When it's like this . . . . .
I recalled the last comment I made on the final chapter of the 'Ways of Survival' . That novel came to an end and left everything up to the epilogue . The answer to the question I was dying to know… .
I slowly got up from the spot and took a look at the bookshelves around me .
[Yu Jung-Hyeok, records from the 4th turn, eighth volume]
I stood there dazed after looking at the book's spine, revealed under the gentle light .
The stories that I grew up reading were here .
I slowly reached out towards that book's spine . My fingertip touching the end of the spine trembled faintly . This was the story that I read over and over again . Each of those phrases was my life, my blood, and my flesh . But now, why did such a story feel so . . . .
… . Alien to me now?
I forced myself to grab that book, hoping to get rid of this feeling . This was a story that I could enjoy reading regardless of what time it was and which page it was, anyway .
This story wouldn't betray me . If I read it, I should feel better . Just like how it always did .
Rather coincidentally, the page I flipped to was the scene of Anna Croft and Yu Jung-Hyeok in a face-off .
The novel's Yu Jung-Hyeok spoke his line .
⸢"This is because of you . "⸥
My hands trembled as I flipped the page . I couldn't work up the courage to read what was on the next page . Maybe, I didn't have the qualification to do so, too .
I was happy reading this story?
My entire life amounted to nothing but me reading about someone else's sorrow and pain? In that case, how was I any different from those damn Constellations up in the sky?
⸢(What will you do?)⸥
I looked behind to find Nirvana there .
⸢(There are two 'Yu Jung-Hyeoks' in this world . )⸥
The librarians had gathered around me . Three pairs of eyes were now looking at me, pitying me . Nirvana, Simulation, and then, the Devourer of Dreams .
I met each of their gazes and asked . '… . What do you guys think?'
⸢(Do you wish to acquire the opinion of this one?)⸥ Nirvana stepped forward to reply . He sounded confident as if he knew the right answer already . ⸢(No need to fall into a dilemma . Every creature started as one in the beginning, after all . )⸥
"You're going on about that 'one' again?"
⸢Everything was one, to begin with, so what does it matter if there are two or more Yu Jung-Hyeoks? Becoming one with all the Yu Jung-Hyeoks is the utmost important providence of the cosmos . . . . . !⸥
Yup, it was my fault to ask this idiot in the first place .
I shifted my gaze and discovered that the master of the cinema dungeon, Simulation, looking back at me .
⸢(It seems that you're suffering under the weight of the guilty conscience . )⸥
Guilty conscience – was it alright to bluntly label what I feel into that sort of emotion? My hand holding the book trembled, causing the pages themselves to tremble as well .
⸢(Why do you feel guilt? Are you tormented by the misfortune he had suffered?)⸥
"I'm not too sure . "
⸢(Regardless of what, you can't save him . He has already lived a life like that, and you simply read about his story . That is the summary of your reality . )⸥
His voice, tinged with a certain logical sense, contained the wisdom of an ancient being who had read many stories for the longest time .
The last one to speak was the 'Devourer of Dreams' . It pushed up its glasses with its tentacles and spoke as if to mock me . ⸢(Oh, dear Constellation . Do you honestly believe that the great Plotter is asking for your sympathy?)⸥
The moment I heard those words, my emotions cooled down as if they were bathed in icy-cold water .
It was correct . This emotion I've been feeling was the same thing as me insulting every story I had read .
Besides, now wasn't the time to swim in these trivial emotional mires .
Nirvana glibly continued on . ⸢(Looks like you've finally regained some of your lost senses . )⸥
Right now, I need to worry about much more realistic problems first .
'I need to return to my comrades, but I don't have any methods of getting out of here . '
The 'Devourer of Dreams' nodded its head . ⸢(I'm sure that's the case . Within the N'Gai's Forest, he's basically the god, after all . )⸥
'Do you know something, by any chance?'
⸢(I do know, but there's not much meaning even if I explain . Because, you'd get only further away from their origins the more you try to explain anything related to the 'Outer Gods' . Just like what the 'Recorders of Fear' have done . ⸥
'Recorders of Fear' . . . I seemed to have heard a similar story once before .
Meanwhile, the 'Devourer of Dreams' continued on . ⸢(The entrance and the exit lay in the same place . In most cases, a door with 'Pull me' written on it would open when you push at it . You must figure out why you're here . When you do, you will naturally discover the exit yourself . )⸥
I heard what the 'Secretive Plotter' said earlier after hearing those words .
- When you're done with the Three Questions, you must figure out the 'reason you had to be brought' here .
The reason why I had to come here .
When I thought about it, maybe the 'Three Divine Questions and Answers' being suspended was a fortunate thing for myself .
I might have been able to guess the identity of the 'Secretive Plotter', but I hadn't been able to figure out the reason why he brought me to this place .
That guy, why did he bring me here?
⸢(He's a being who witnessed the end of one world . )⸥ The 'Devourer of Dreams' spoke as if it already knew what my question was . ⸢(What can compel a being who already knows of ■■ to throw himself back into the great cycle once more . . . . ?)⸥
In that moment, I recalled a certain moment in my life . It was a piece of my memory from a very long time ago . I was a young boy, sitting opposite my mother and reading a book resting on my lap .
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login