The 41st round was unlike any round that had existed so far.

Because in this world, there was such a thing as a ‘Kim Dokja Fragment.’

A peculiar artifact by which even a lower beast species could evolve into a higher beast species with just one piece gathered.

Come to think of it, even Asmodeus, who had evolved into an ‘Otherworldly Divinity,’ had been gathering ‘Kim Dokja Fragments.’

In such a situation, there was no way the constellations of a great nebula—who had sharper ears for information than anyone—wouldn’t know about the Kim Dokja Fragments.

[So he’s the author.]

The constellations who had manifested demi-god advent before my eyes were the proof.

—I should have anticipated it.

Apostles were running rampant in various countries, and the intensity of filtering had weakened. We should have acted while keeping in mind that the great nebula was also aware of ‘Kim Dokja.’

But it was already too late.

They had dug a trap to catch the ‘Demon King of Salvation,’ and we stepped into it beautifully.

‘Backer Constellation.’

—It’s fine.

Even on the brink of crisis, Kim Dokja was calm.

[He doesn’t look as strong as I’d heard.]

[The incarnation body level is pathetic.]

[Is he really worth bringing over? I can’t understand the will of the myth-grade lords.]

[Do not belittle him. He’s still the first fragment of ‘the oldest dream.’]

[You mean that discarded god?]

Unbefitting for stars in that sky, the constellations spoke rashly.

This was ‘Ginnungagap.’

Was it because no one would record the story of this place, and no star except them could see this place?

Toward the stars radiating arrogant light, Kim Dokja asked,

“Did you come looking for me?”

Even before ten constellations arrayed in a line, Kim Dokja was unflinching. As if convinced that they alone could not do anything to him.

At Kim Dokja’s attitude, the stars seemed to either admire or anger.

After one burst of twinkling that vented all their emotions, the stars finally gathered their opinions and fell silent.

The one who stepped forward first was ‘Daughter of the Valkyrie.’

The constellation wearing a helm with wings and plate armor adorned with mythic metal glared at Kim Dokja once, then soon smiled faintly and spoke.

[Strictly speaking, you’re the one who came looking for us.]

“I don’t remember seeking you.”

[We called you. We were curious if the true ‘Demon King of Salvation’ would come.]

So this scenario had been a trap engineered by <Asgard> after all?

“So what are your impressions now that you’ve seen me?”

[Come to our side, ‘Demon King of Salvation.’]

Daughter of the Valkyrie smiled alluringly and beckoned. Tilting his head with a crooked expression, Kim Dokja asked,

“What do you mean?”

[It means we’ll accept you as a constellation of <Asgard>.]

It was an unexpected proposal.

An invitation from <Asgard>.

It was something that happened from time to time in the main body of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, and I too had once received an invitation from <Asgard> right after hunting the ‘Founder of the Absolute Throne.’

But it hadn’t been in a form like this.

[Nebula, <Asgard>, invites the constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ to the nebula.]
[There exists no penalty of any kind for this request.]

Nebula entry with no conditions at all.

Had that great nebula ever presented terms this extraordinary?

When the request came to me, <Asgard> had presented ‘absolute command’ for the next 200 years as a condition.

[That’s not all. If you come to our nebula, we’ll support your incarnation as well.]

Perhaps because of the unexpected proposal, Kim Dokja did not answer right away but kept silent for a moment. Taking that silence as a positive sign, ‘Daughter of the Valkyrie’ went on.

[We’ll grant you privileges no incarnation has ever received. You’ll be able to share our legendary-grade grand tales and holy relics. Then your incarnation will climb scenarios faster than anyone in this world.]

Even <Asgard>’s legendary grand tales and holy relics.

If their proposal was true, the moment I accepted, I would receive treatment surpassing ‘Anna Croft.’

Just then, a few steps away, my eyes met Anna Croft’s as she looked this way. With a confused air as if she didn’t know what was what, she was listening to the conversation on our side.

After briefly glancing that way, Kim Dokja asked again,

“If I just join, you’ll do all that?”

[Yes.]

“What are you, a telecom carrier?”

[Telecom carrier? What does that mean?]

“Can you swear by the name of the ‘One-Eyed Father’? That you truly won’t attach any conditions at all?”

The constellations exchanged glances in silence instead of answering. Then one constellation belatedly lost his temper and stepped forward.

[You dare put our father’s name in your mouth—]

“Seems you can’t.”

Kim Dokja gave a light scoff.

“I don’t believe in kindness without conditions. It’s obvious there’ll be some weird clauses plastered all over. You nebulae were always like that.”

I agreed with Kim Dokja.

In the first place, there’s no reason for guys who came to bestow pure favor to move around in tens.

At last one constellation, unable to hold back, frowned and stepped forward.

It was the one who had been babbling about father earlier.

[I won’t waste words. Immediately affiliate the ‘fragments’ you gathered to <Asgard>.]

[One Who Washes Clean, stand down!]

[Daughter of the Valkyrie. There is no time to delay. ‘Ginnungagap’ cannot be maintained for long.]

Kim Dokja shrugged and laughed.

“See? Isn’t it nice when we’re all honest?”

Ten stars turned to look this way at once.

[We ask one last time. Will you join our nebula?]

“Sorry, but I’m already the representative of a certain nebula.”

The moment I heard that, my heart pounded without my knowing.

Because the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ saying those words was like the Kim Dokja from the story I remembered.

Perhaps the memory Kim Dokja had recently recovered concerned <Kim Dokja Company>?

The murmuring constellations frowned and spoke.

[Which nebula have you joined?]

“Kim Dokja Company.”

[No such nebula exists.]

As he said, in this world line there was no nebula called <Kim Dokja Company>. Perhaps there never would be.

Then Kim Dokja said,

“It exists. You low-tier types wouldn’t know.”

[You…!]

As as many as ten constellations glared this way, an overwhelming pressure was felt. Gazes that had kept countless incarnations alive and killed countless others.

But Kim Dokja was not the least intimidated.

Come to think of it, he had endured such gazes all along. Even after the scenario began—perhaps even before it began.

[If you refuse our offer, you will be extinguished here. {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Along with your incarnation body.]

“Can you do it with just you?”

Kim Dokja smiled grimly.

A monster that had grown by devouring the gazes of stars was now glaring at them from the same seat as the stars.

Kugugugugu.

As an ominous current began to flow, the flustered constellations too fully manifested their tiers.

I fixed my eyes on the pitch-black hand of ‘One Who Washes Clean,’ who stood at the front.

‘Backer Constellation, that black hand.’

Kim Dokja nodded as if remembering that hand.

—Right.

The hand that had collected their souls each time the readers died.

On the back of the constellation’s hand remained a wound turned white.

It was the wound I had once cut with ‘Unbreakable Conviction.’

In other words, these guys were among the culprits who had kidnapped souls each time readers died.

“Rather, I should be the one making a proposal. Hand over all the ‘Kim Dokja Fragments’ you’ve gathered so far.”

[What?]

“Then I’ll help make sure 「Ragnarok」 doesn’t occur in this world line.”

[How dare you to our <Asgard>—]

“Use the right words. You’re not <Asgard>.”

The body Kim Dokja had possessed slowly rose into the air.

[Path of the Wind].

With a fierce wind pressure, my hair and coat whipped hard in the wind.

“You’re at best ten ‘great-figure constellations.’”

[It seems you don’t quite understand what situation you’re in.]

At Kim Dokja’s provocation, <Asgard>’s constellations, instead, continued speaking with a rather calm air.

[We already know about you. In other world lines, you were quite a famous constellation.]

[But whoever you are, your tale will not pass in this place.]

[Because this is a stage before any ‘tale’ is written.]

Only belatedly did I understand their composure.

This was the primordial stage, ‘Ginnungagap.’ Kim Dokja’s tale would not properly exert power in this place.

Even so, Kim Dokja did not lose his composure.

“Yeah?”

[Capture him.]

Ten stars scattered at once and lunged toward Kim Dokja.

Looking at them, Kim Dokja said,

“Seems you heard my story from the upper-row constellations, but looks like none of them told you precisely.”

The one volunteering to take the lead was ‘One Who Washes Clean.’

As the one wearing pitch-black gloves stretched out his hand, dozens of shadow hands split and rushed in.

“Either they don’t really know, too.”

[Beast Lord’s Sensitivity] protected me from the flying shadow hands, and at the same time, from the opened [Monster Gate], calamity species spewed their breaths. It was the very tactic with which we had earlier subdued the ‘black beast.’

Kugugugugu!

But the opponent this time was a ‘constellation.’

From the standpoint of an incarnation, Shin Yuseung’s beasts were ‘calamities,’ but from the standpoint of stars, it was different.

[With mere beasts!]

A constellation in Viking garb hurled his axe toward the gate. The axe, loaded with fierce might, whipped up a gale as it tore off the beasts’ heads and even ripped the gate’s mouth.

Some of the terrified calamity species stuck their necks out and then fled in panic.

[Offer your necks!]

A constellation was a constellation indeed.

They were on a different level from the enemies I had fought so far.

And yet why was I not all that tense?

Was it because Kim Dokja was with me?

—You haven’t forgotten we took down the ‘Founder of the Absolute Throne,’ have you?

The memory of facing the ‘Founder of the Absolute Throne’ at the end of the fourth scenario.

That’s right.

Come to think of it, I had already faced foes stronger than these.

—You said it then.

I still remember that day vividly. The day I gained the Demon King of Salvation as my backer constellation and returned alive from death.

The day Han Sooyoung was extinguished.

—You are Kim Dokja.

That day, I made a vow to Han Sooyoung.

I accepted what kind of existence I was.

‘I think that’s how it has to be.’

But just because I accept that—does that make me ‘Kim Dokja’?

—You’re not there yet.

I had no choice but to admit it, however vexing.

If no one else but he said so, then that was how it was.

‘I know.’

I have excuses to make.

Even if I am a part of Kim Dokja, I have not lived ‘Kim Dokja’s life.’

I wrote and read stories about him, but I do not truly know what kind of person he is. I do not know how he smiled in the unwritten margins, in what manner he spoke, or what thoughts he lived by.

Perhaps only now am I beginning to learn, little by little.

—Kid.

I am in the midst of learning Kim Dokja.

—I want you to survive.

It is still difficult.

—Remember. How ‘Kim Dokja’ fights. Watch with both eyes and engrave it.

At times it is lonely, desolate, and abstruse, so that it is hard to bear by myself alone.

[Your synchronization with your backer constellation rises!]

At that moment, a certain scene unfolded in my head.

It was a library.

Beyond the dimly flickering candlelight, Kim Dokja was standing.

Kim Dokja swiftly passed the stacks, then stopped and took out a book lodged in a section of the shelf.

On the pages he opened were traces where Kim Dokja had read and read again.

When I lifted my head, Kim Dokja was looking at me.

—From now on, we read together.

I nodded.

[Activating exclusive skill, ‘Bookmark.’]

Ten constellations rushed us all at once.

A blade shining pure white. A frozen spear-and-halberd. Arrows blazing with fire and shadow hands stabbing like awls.

By my strength alone, I could not have parried even one of them.

But together, it is different.

[Bookmark No. 5 is activated!]
[Your current body composition differs from the body composition of the character in question.]
[Your ‘tier’ overcomes the penalty of body conditions.]

From deep in my head, goosebumps rose as an indescribable sense of liberation surged.

「He is a true disciple of Baek Cheongmun.」

It was not like the times when barely imitating with [Agitation] was all I could do.

「The one who inherited the vision of Baek Cheong of the Paradox, ‘Kyrgios Rodgraim.’」

Baek Cheong’s mana flared like a blaze and dyed us blue.

[Activating exclusive skill, ‘Electrification Lv.???’.]

Turned into a blue flash, Kim Dokja shot past the constellations of the first rank line as he was.

‘One Who Washes Clean,’ who had stood in the first line, looked back at us with eyes of shock.

“If you really wanted to capture me.”

Without even looking back at him, Kim Dokja said,

“You should’ve brought a myth-grade constellation.”

Three constellations of the first line were cleaved in half.