Chapter 189: Episode 36 – Story Horizon (1)
On this day, everyone in Seoul Do was imrsed in a dazzling light.
[Soone has cleared the tenth main scenario.]
[Congratulations. You have passed the tenth scenario.]
Those who were hiding in corners of Seoul Do to avoid the demonic people and those who barely survived on the first and second floors of Dark Castle.
All the incarnations who sohow survived the threat of the scenario received the sa ssage.
[You have accomplished the ‘Liberator of Seoul Do’ achievent.]
Liberator. People didn’t understand it at first but their bodies were convinced before their minds. Their limbs cramped, their pupils expanded and their lips trembled.
[You can escape Seoul Do.]
Their long wish had finally beco reality. The people on the first and second floors of Dark Castle were summoned out into the city.
Then everyone saw the sa sight.
The Dark Castle collapsed with a loud sound. The terrible nightmare gripping all of Seoul collapsed like a sand castle. The broken chunks soon turned into powder. People were filled with unknown emotions as they watched the scene.
“It is finished,” soone said.
“I can go out... I can live now...”
“The hell is over!”
So people felt it was the end of the tragedy.
Compensation poured from the air. People had jubilant expressions on their faces. Another tragedy might begin but for now, they were enjoying the imdiate feeling of liberation. However, not everyone shared that sentint.
“...What happened to Dokja ahjussi?”
Kim Dokja’s group escaped from Dark Castle. Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, Gong Pildu, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung, Han Sooyoung... All of them were gathered in one place. They were those who survived because of Kim Dokja or those who owed Kim Dokja.
“Anyone, does anyone know? Please say sothing! Master! How is Dokja ahjussi?”
The party mbers relied on their intuition to find soone who could explain the situation. However, the only person who could answer was silent. Yoo Jonghyuk was staring at the collapsed Dark Castle with his mouth shut.
Dark Castle collapsed, like history disappearing. Kim Dokja was in there. He died there.
Yoo Jonghyuk stared while confirming the fact over and over again.
Kim Dokja was dead. How could such a thing happen? Yoo Jonghyuk was unfamiliar with not knowing.
“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi! Please say sothing! Please!”
Yoo Jonghyuk stared blankly at Lee Hyunsung who was shaking him. The first regression and second regression... he had never seen Lee Hyunsung make this face.
Yoo Jonghyuk rarely rembered the expressions that his party mbers made when they lost soone really precious. It was because he was always the one making such expressions. He was the only one who survived until the end of this tragedy and despair.
By the way, this life was different. There were still many people by his side. He was suffering through soone’s death with them.
“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi!”
“Master!”
Everyone was staring at him. They wanted him to say that it wasn’t too late. Still, Yoo Jonghyuk couldn’t give an answer to these faces.
“I also don’t know.”
He destroyed their last remaining hope. Sadly, this was the role left to Yoo Jonghyuk.
“I don’t know what happened to Kim Dokja.”
In fact, he could tell them more. Banishnt from the scenario. He could share the information he knew. Or maybe he could testify to the feeble hopes he might have.
However, Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t do this. He knew that talking about it would just be telling the party mbers,
‘Kim Dokja is dead. You can’t do anything for Kim Dokja.’
So people said more by not speaking. A few people accepted Yoo Jonghyuk’s silence while others rejected it. Nevertheless, everyone understood the silence.
“Dokja hyung said so! He isn’t dead! He will live again! Then why...!”
“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi! Please tell how to save Dokja-ssi!”
Yoo Jonghyuk shook his head at Lee Gilyoung and Lee Hyunsung’s cries. If there was a way to save Kim Dokja, he would’ve already done it. There was nothing he could do. It wasn’t just him, it was everyone.
[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ feels a great emptiness.]
[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Fla Dragon’ is lying down.]
[The constellation ‘Seo Ae Il Pil’ has broken his pen.]
[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ is looking at the abyss.]
.
.
[The constellations on the Korean Peninsula are mourning the death of one constellation.]
[The constellations on the Korean Peninsula rember soone’s na.]
Yoo Jonghyuk had never seen so many constellations talking about a single constellation. The arrogant constellations were expressing emotions other than frustration or pleasure.
They beca aware of new feelings. The night sky was shining with more colour than any of his previous regressions.
Sadness, great despair, sorrow... The night sky, made up of many constellations, was shining sadly.
Maybe Kim Dokja was hope for them as well. It was hope to show a different story. Sothing that could make a difference in the Star Stream.
‘There aren’t many ways.’
Looking at the dazzling star in the sky, Regressor Yoo Jonghyuk had a thought.
‘If I regress now...’
The ability to restart his life was like the button of a nuclear missile that could be pressed at any ti. Yoo Jonghyuk was able to go back in ti after dying and make better choices with the information he had of the future.
If he returned now then Kim Dokja might revive again. However...
-Yoo Jonghyuk, wake up. Don’t think things will improve if you repeat them a few tis.
What if Yoo Jonghyuk went back and there was no Kim Dokja? Or what if Kim Dokja didn’t act like this again?
Yoo Jonghyuk was afraid of sothing for the first ti.
The Kim Dokja of this life might only appear in this life. Shin Yoosung of the 41st regression never talked about Kim Dokja and he never t Kim Dokja in his past few lives. Even if he went back to the past, the Kim Dokja of this life might not return.
-Thus, live this round properly.
The choice that had always been possible was now irreversible. He t Kim Dokja in his third regression and they beca companions. Then he lost Kim Dokja.
-Don’t imagine that you will get better if you throw away this round. Maybe this is the round where you will see the end of this world as a ‘human.’
Yoo Jonghyuk got up from his spot and bit his lips. Only these words remained. Just as everything in the Star Stream was a story, Yoo Jonghyuk couldn’t help acknowledging that Kim Dokja’s words were part of himself.
[Huh, why aren’t you moving? Didn’t you receive the system ssage?]
The dokkaebi dispatched from the bureau looked down at them from the air.
[Aha, I see. Everybody is mourning ‘his’ death.]
The party mbers resented his ridiculing tone but not everyone was the sa. Jung Heewon barely maintained her calm and asked,
“...How is Dokja-ssi?”
[He has been expelled from the scenario.]
“Can I ask what that ans? Is he dead or alive?”
[I also don’t know. However, it isn’t possible to survive being expelled from the scenario, whether it is an incarnation or constellation. That is all I know.]
Even a constellation couldn’t survive. The party mbers stiffened at the words and their expressions beca colder than before. Lee Jihye retorted.
“Isn’t there a way? A way to save...!”
[There is nothing you can do. Honestly, it’s amazing that you still have this type of mindset. I will give you one piece of advice. Don’t think about unnecessary things and focus on the scenario in front of you. You haven’t escaped from Seoul Do yet.]
The dokkaebi sneered and flicked his fingers. Then ssages once again poured from the air.
[The escape scenario has been given.]
[Seoul Do will be closed soon! You have half a day to escape from Seoul Do.]
[The escape path is automatically provided.]
[You will die if you don’t escape from the do within the ti limit.]
“Dammit...”
The party mbers looked at each other but there were no solutions on their faces. In any case, there was nothing they could choose.
“...Let’s move.”
They started to move along the specified path. They ran, swam or crossed railings as they constantly headed towards the outskirts of Seoul. Finally, the route markers ended and they faced a group of people.
“These people...”
All the remaining incarnations of Seoul Do were gathered there. There were approximately 1,000 people.
So faces were familiar. Min Jiwon waved her hand towards this side and there was also the reclusive Han Donghoon. They were all saved by Kim Dokja.
Yoo Jonghyuk and the party mbers lightly nodded at the people they recognized.
“...Here.”
The party mbers stopped at the sa ti and stared up at the inner wall of the do. It was a huge cage that had been trapping them so far. Now they had a chance to escape from this prison. Everyone was excited but nobody took a step outside.
They were like a canary that couldn’t easily fly out of the wide open cage.
Instead, the people were looking around for sothing. One by one, the gazes gathered. All eyes soon gathered on one person.
It was Han Sooyoung who opened her mouth first. “Yoo Jonghyuk.”
Yoo Jonghyuk faced Han Sooyoung. She didn’t say anything but Yoo Jonghyuk read her eyes.
‘Don’t waste the opportunity that Kim Dokja gave you.’
Yoo Jonghyuk blinked slowly and stepped forward. Nurous people were waiting for him.
It was to celebrate the mont they were finally freed. Yoo Jonghyuk was troubled as he gazed at the group focused on him.
Yoo Jonghyuk had been in this position several tis in his past lives. He was sotis eloquent and sotis a charismatic leader. It wasn’t hard to find the words to give to the crowd.
Then why? He didn’t want to say such things this ti. Instead, he said, “...I won’t give up on this life.”
Perhaps there was no one here who would understand his words. In the midst of the terrible loneliness that ca from this face, Yoo Jonghyuk declared.
“So don’t give up either.”
He didn’t know if it had been delivered or not. Yoo Jonghyuk turned away from the crowd and slowly walked to the inner wall of the do. Then...
Bang!
Just one.
Bang!
Then two.
His angry fists struck the wall. Large cracks spread through the inner wall of the do, centred on the point that was in contact with his fists.
It was a wall that couldn’t be overco after the scenario started. The wall collapsed slightly and a gap that was the size of a human was made. It was a landscape that always existed but couldn’t be overco.
Yoo Jonghyuk took the first step into that landscape.
“Let’s go.”
He stepped towards a scenario without Kim Dokja.
***
「 In the darkness, the lone Kim Dokja finally woke up. 」
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