Over the course of the Destruction Method’s rounds, Yu Joonghyuk had lost his memories more than a few times.

Around the 800th round, his mind had collapsed after encountering an extradimensional deity belonging to the “Great Old Beings”.

Around the 1,150th round, he had been caught up in the great nebulae’s “Regressor Dissection Plan” and become their test subject for a while.

On occasion, when he received Lee Hyunsung’s military tale transfusion incorrectly and “Crazy Soldier Yu Joonghyuk” was born, it wasn’t just amnesia—his humanity itself would go completely off the rails.

But had there ever been a time when even his body shrank like this?

At least, it didn’t appear in any version of the Destruction Method I remembered. Of course, in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, it did happen once……

Watching Yu Joonghyuk move his little hands to put on the battle boots, I felt a truly bizarre sensation.

Was I really supposed to acknowledge that living creature as Yu Joonghyuk?

[Constellation, ‘One Who Let the Rat Win’ thinks the ‘little rat’ is cute.]

Wasn’t something going wrong with the world?

“You really do run well.”

One by one, the incarnations who had finished receiving their rewards gathered around me.

“That was an astonishing response. To think you’d use tales like that…… it would be good if we could operate in the same zone inside the Center.”

“Which zone are you going to choose? Would you like to join us?”

“I’m connected to the ‘pig’ side. If you come with me, I can connect you to them as well……”

The same zone. It seemed the “Recycling Center” was divided into sectors.

[The lower floors of the ‘Recycling Center’ are the territory of the nebula ‘Twelve Zodiac’.]

As expected.

[To the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers of the ‘Twelve Zodiac Race’, ‘zone priority selection rights’ are granted.]

I asked the incarnations who had gathered for their understanding and replied,

“I’m sorry, but I’m not planning to choose any particular faction yet.”

Of course, it would be nice to align myself with a power block. But now wasn’t the time to make that kind of decision.

At my answer, a few incarnations looked regretful, while others frowned and cursed under their breath.

Watching this scene from the side, Bicheonhori nodded. He neither got angry at my choice nor showed any sign of disappointment.

“Very good. Choosing nothing at all is also a choice.”

“These days, it’s become a fairly common choice, though.”

“Oh.”

Apparently finding my words amusing, Bicheonhori took out a notebook and began jotting something down.

“You said your name was Kim Dokja, right?”

“Yes.”

Come to think of it, he was the incarnation who, in the story, authored the famous “character white paper” Top 100 Strongest.

Noticing my gaze, Bicheonhori spoke in an abashed tone.

“Ah, recording things is my hobby.”

Was this okay?

What if “Kim Dokja” ended up written into Top 100 Strongest? Wouldn’t that distort the future way too severely?

“Hm. So this time it turns out like this…….”

This time?

Muttering something meaningful, Bicheonhori gave me a faint smile.

“I hope we get the chance to meet again, young man.”

Had his way of speaking just changed a little just now?

With those words as his last, Bicheonhori chose his “zone” and disappeared into the Recycling Center.

I felt a slight pang of regret, but I didn’t mind much. Since we were fated to enter the same “Recycling Center” anyway, just as he’d said, there would be another chance to talk.

I checked the “zone selection message” floating before my eyes.

[You may choose from a total of 12 zones.]
[Please select your entry zone.]

As explained earlier, the “lower floors” of the Recycling Center belonged to the nebula Twelve Zodiac.

There were twelve zones, each following the disposition of one of the Twelve Zodiac, and incarnations could choose whichever zone they wished.

[Zone 1 – Rat Block]
[Zone 2 – Ox Block]
[Zone 3 – Tiger Block]
[Zone 4 – Rabbit Block]
[Zone 5 – Dragon Block]
[Zone 6 – Snake Block]
[Zone 7 – Horse Block]
[Zone 8 – Goat Block]
[Zone 9 – Monkey Block]
[Zone 10 – Rooster Block]
[Zone 11 – Dog Block]
[Zone 12 – Pig Block]

From the rat in Zone 1 to the pig in Zone 12.

Which one would Uncle Dansoo or Ms. Sein have chosen?

When I glanced to the side, the kid Yu Joonghyuk was also glaring at the options with serious eyes.

“Which one are you going to choose?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Of course it wasn’t.

[Constellation, ‘One Who Let the Rat Win’ recommends ‘Zone 2 – Ox Block’ to you.]

One Who Let the Rat Win.

Judging from that epithet, this constellation was the one corresponding to the ox among the Twelve Zodiac.

Considering that I had taken “2nd place” in the Twelve Zodiac Race and that one of my early sponsors had been the constellation “Primordial Ox”, choosing the Ox Block wasn’t a bad option.

[Constellation, ‘Dog Who Threw Itself into the Flames’ pays attention to your choice.]

Zone 11, Dog Block, was also worth considering. Dog Who Threw Itself into the Flames was the one constellation in the main story who took Kim Dokja’s side. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to build a connection.

[Constellation, ‘Rat Who Eats Nails’ pays attention to your choice.]

Rat Who Eats Nails.

So you were watching too.

If I kept the “Twelve Zodiac Race” in mind, then choosing Zone 1, where the “rat”, the winner of the tale, belonged, was also an option.

But the rat and snake sides currently had a cluster of poison-specialist constellations.

If you want to catch a tiger, you have to go into the tiger’s den, so choosing their home base outright was also a method, but……

Tiger.

Come to think of it, I had almost forgotten about Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes.

If I took my promise with him into account, Zone 3, Tiger Block, wasn’t a bad choice either. Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes had helped me before and shown me favor.

It was a little strange that I wasn’t hearing any indirect messages from Tiger Who Eats Rice Cakes at all, though……

Besides those, there were also options like Zone 5, Dragon Block, or Zone 9, Monkey Block.

[1 minute remains until selection is complete.]

My deliberation didn’t last long.

Because right now, I was “Kim Dokja”. And in front of this kind of choice, what Kim Dokja would say was already decided.

“I will not choose any zone.”

If Ji Eunyu had been beside me, she would have said, “Author-nim, this line is copy-pasted.”

But I wasn’t the one who said it twice.

“You.”

Those words just now had come from the kid Yu Joonghyuk beside me.

“Don’t follow my lead.”

I only shrugged my shoulders in reply.

Then, indirect messages poured in from the air in quick succession.

[Constellation, ‘Dog Who Threw Itself into the Flames’ asks if you’re serious.]
[Constellation, ‘Pig Who Lives in a Brick House’ respects your choice.]
[Constellation, ‘Rat Who Eats Nails’ pities you.]

Some of the incarnations who had confirmed my choice also voiced their concern.

“Are you serious? This guy’s out of his mind.”

“Heh heh, he didn’t choose any of the Twelve Zodiac? What reckless bravado―”

[This decision cannot be reversed.]
[Do you wish to maintain this selection?]

I knew it was a dangerous choice.

But if you chose one of the “Twelve Zodiac”, you would ultimately end up under the wing of the constellation corresponding to that zodiac.

I didn’t want to be in that kind of situation. The Demon King of Salvation probably thought the same way.

[Tale, ‘Successor of the Eternal Name’ nods.]

The kid Yu Joonghyuk and I nodded at the same time. Then, a ring of light descended from the air and gently wrapped around us.

[You have not chosen any of the ‘Twelve Zodiac’.]
[A hidden option is activated.]
[You have achieved a new achievement.]
[You will be transferred to Zone 13 – ‘Void Block’.]

Zone 13, Void Block.

As expected, there was an option that involved not choosing any of the Twelve Zodiac.

With a warp, the scene that unfolded before my eyes was a city glittering with gaudy neon signs. Buildings that somehow evoked a near-future Earth. The lights of skyscrapers flashing in the distance.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a landscape somewhat removed from the worldbuilding of the Twelve Zodiac.

This was Zone 13?

[A Linked Scenario is activated!]

+

<Main Scenario #8 – Zone 13>

Classification: Main

Difficulty: ???

Clear Condition: ???

Time Limit: ―

Reward: ???

Failure: ―

+

Even the title of the Main Scenario had changed. But its key contents, like the clear condition and the reward, were still not revealed.

So we had to figure it out ourselves.

[A Linked Scenario is activated!]
[In this zone, an ‘Event Scenario’ will occur every night.]

An Event Scenario that occurred every night.

This felt vaguely familiar.

[If you survive the Event Scenario, you may obtain rewards.]

As I lightly swept my gaze over the streets, I saw incarnations sneaking glances at us.

Most of them were beastfolk.

A giraffe whose one leg had been replaced with machinery. An elephant with broken tusks. A lion whose fur had all been plucked out and who was missing one eye.

Looking more closely, it wasn’t only beastfolk. There were also other races whose origins lay in animals, like orcs and gnomes.

Their common trait was that they too had mechanical arms, mechanical legs, and the like attached to their bodies.

It was a world that practically screamed cyberpunk.

[Tonight’s event is ‘The Three Little Pigs’.]
[Before the event begins, find ‘lodging’ and survive.]
[1 hour remains until the event begins.]

Still, there was a decent beginner’s guide in place.

An hour wasn’t all that much time. We needed to hurry a bit.

I glanced at the kid Yu Joonghyuk, then left him behind and strode off.

After a few steps, I felt someone following behind me.

I walked about twenty steps, then deliberately stopped. The sound of footsteps behind me also stopped.

When I started walking again, the hesitant footsteps began following once more.

I grinned and looked back.

“Why are you following me?”

Startled, the kid Yu Joonghyuk froze in place.

“Because you’re suspicious.”

The kid Yu Joonghyuk, dragging those huge boots with great effort to follow me.

If the Demon King of Salvation had heard that, he never would have believed it.

“Why don’t you tie your shoelaces properly.”

“They are tied.”

His shoelaces were tied in a complete mess.

“Do you know those boots have a special option?”

“Special option?”

“How much did you forget, exactly.”

If I had a much younger sibling, would this be what it felt like?

I’d thought that if I ever got a younger sibling, it would be a good kid like Yuseung.

I bent over slightly. The kid Yu Joonghyuk tried to back away warily, but my hands were faster.

“This is how you tie them.”

“Battle Boots of the Noble” activated their special option when the laces were cinched and tied in a specific way.

[The special option of the item, ‘Battle Boots of the Noble’, is activated!]

True to Yu Joonghyuk’s emphasis on fundamentals, these battle boots had “solid durability” and “various attribute resistances”.

On top of that, they could trigger “astonishing elasticity” as a secondary option, allowing comprehensive size adjustment sufficient to accommodate Yu Joonghyuk even when he activated [Giantization].

[The item’s size changes to fit the wearer!]

Looking down at the battle boots that had tightened to fit his feet exactly, the kid Yu Joonghyuk asked,

“How do you know something like this?”

“Are you seriously surprised that I know how to tie shoelaces?”

“……”

“I’m the one who wants to ask how you don’t know something like this.”

“Is my name ‘Yu Joonghyuk’?”

I quietly met the kid Yu Joonghyuk’s gaze.

If my guess was right, the reason Yu Joonghyuk had lost his memories now was because of the side effects of “Tale Engraving”.

If I had to bet, it was probably because of [Truth’s Constraint] or [Constraint of Emotion].

Even looking back on it, it was strange that Yu Joonghyuk, after becoming the “Black Beast”, hadn’t been hit by plausibility backlash, considering his combat power.

“Yes. You’re the one who eats soil.”

“I do not eat soil.”

“If you tried eating it once, you might change your mind.”

“Do you want to die?”

“If you kill me, you’ll never find out who you are.”

The kid Yu Joonghyuk thought about something for a moment, then frowned and asked,

“What’s your name?”

“Kim Dokja.”

“That’s a strange name.”

“I get told that so often I’m sick of hearing it.”

We hadn’t even talked that much, but for some reason, it felt nostalgic.

“What other information do you have about me?”

“Before that, what do you remember?”

“Ten # Nоvеlight # days.”

“Ten days?”

“That most of my memories will return after ten days.”

Ten days, huh. That was plenty of time.

“And that I have to find the equipment that was taken from me.”

“When did they take your equipment?”

“I don’t know. When I woke up, I was already like this.”

It seemed he’d lost it while coming up through the “Star Ladder”.

Considering that the battle boots had appeared as a reward at the “Recycling Center”, core items like the “Infinite Dimensional Subspace Coat” or the Moon Halberd could be in a similar situation.

At the very least, we absolutely had to get the Moon Halberd back. It was the core weapon of the Yu Joonghyuk of the 41st round.

“And……”

“And?”

“That I have to meet someone named Cheon Inho.”

I paused for a moment.

“Why him.”

“I don’t know either. I only remember that I have to meet him. If I meet that bastard―”

I quietly scooped up some soil from the ground. If this little brat remembered anything, I planned to shove the soil into his mouth and run.

“At the very least, I’ll be able to hold out for ten days. That’s what I thought before I lost my memories.”

For a moment, I stood there blankly, then looked down at the soil in my hand. When I unclenched my fist, the soil slipped out, trickling down.

It was a good thing I was still wearing the faceless mask.

“I’ll accompany you for about ten days. I’ll help you so you don’t die.”

“What’s your scheme?”

I held out my right hand, still stained with soil.

“I have a condition.”

Yu Joonghyuk nodded, as if he’d known I would say that.

“Say it.”

“You’re not allowed to kill me in ten days.”

The kid Yu Joonghyuk looked up at me with an expression that said he had no idea what that meant, then held out his own clean right hand.

“I don’t kill people without a reason.”

“Yeees. Of course you don’t.”

Our “survival contract” was made.

And an hour later, the kid Yu Joonghyuk said,

“I will definitely kill you, Kim Dokja.”