Ye Hyeonwoo, Cha Yerin, and Dansoo, who had been supplying magic power, all turned to look at Yu Joonghyuk at the same time.

Their expressions were asking if he had really said that in his right mind.

Dansoo, struck by cognitive dissonance, asked,

“What did you just say….”

I could even hear Ye Hyeonwoo muttering quietly,

“Ha, right, there was that setting.”

Killer King, tied to the chair, also nodded his head in admiration.

“He really is the Conqueror.”

Conqueror or whatever, at this rate the whole tale was about to collapse. The brick house was thinning in real time.

[The reproduction of 'Stageification' is weakening!]

If 「Stageification」 collapsed, the tale would stop telling its story.

If that happened, the constellations that had been forcibly bound to this stage would be able to leave the scene without any particular damage.

[Some constellations of nebula <Twelve Zodiac> sneer at you.]

[Constellation, 'Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss' wears an intrigued expression.]

[Constellation, 'Dragon Who Lies Down' wonders about your stratagem.]

At this rate, stratagem or whatever, everything was going to crumble together with this brick house.

Loose dirt and sand crumbled down and splashed onto my face. I stared blankly at the fallen soil and then asked,

“You just can’t eat ‘food’ made by other people, right?”

Yu Joonghyuk looked at me.

“What?”

What did it matter what we fed him, as long as his stomach got full?

“You bastard, don’t tell me—”

For the first time, an emotion of fear appeared in little Yu Joonghyuk’s eyes. Regardless, I brought the powder clenched in my hand up to the kid’s mouth.

“Eat it, you punk!”

Little Yu Joonghyuk stubbornly shook his head in refusal.

The party all turned to look at me at once.

“Don’t tell me you’re feeding him dirt right now?”

“No, no matter what, doing something like that to a kid—”

“As expected of Kim Dokja.”

Ignoring their words, I forced little Yu Joonghyuk’s mouth open and poured what I held in my hand into it. Yu Joonghyuk’s trembling Adam’s apple moved.

Barely catching my breath, I said,

“It’s not like I’d really feed him dirt.”

Of course, if I used the [Agitation] skill, it might be possible, but I didn’t want to go that far here.

“Ah.”

Spotting the crumbs on my hand, Cha Yerin let out a small exclamation. It seemed she had belatedly realized what this was.

What I had fed him was a tale fragment.

More precisely, it was part of the ‘tale fragment’ that the ‘Successor of the Eternal Name’ had swallowed.

[Tale, 'Successor of the Eternal Name' makes a dissatisfied expression.]

[Your lifespan decreases.]

A single ‘grain of tale’ I had barely obtained through an earnest plea.

“If it’s a tale fragment, this kid should be able to eat it too.”

From birth, Yu Joonghyuk, whose personality was twisted to the core, had a ‘setting value’ that he wouldn’t eat food unless he had made it himself.

Of course, there was an exception called ‘Murim Dumplings’, but I didn’t know how to make those.

So the second-best option I chose was the ‘tale fragment’.

“Yu Joonghyuk. Get a grip.”

Even Yu Joonghyuk, who didn’t eat food made by others, had received someone else’s tale before.

The problem was that whenever he received it, there had been something a bit off in Yu Joonghyuk’s eyes.

“Yu Joonghyuk?”

If possible, I hadn’t wanted to do something like this.

In Ways of Survival, there had apparently been a time when Yu Joonghyuk briefly went insane after receiving a military tale transfusion from Lee Hyunsung in the wrong way.

But right now, there was no other way. I had to feed him something and fill the kid’s stomach.

[Tale, 'Successor of the Eternal Name' grins slyly.]

Wait a second. Just what tale did Yu Joonghyuk wolf down right now?

Trembling all over, Yu Joonghyuk’s eyes were rolling back. He looked up at me just as he was and then slammed his head down onto the floor.

And then.

“No, wait a minute.”

Gag, gag.

“Hey! Spit it out! What are you picking up and eating?!”

Regardless of what I said, he started shoveling dirt into his mouth in a desperate hurry. Yu Joonghyuk’s eyes slowly returned to their senses. With dirt smeared around his mouth, he glared at me with fierce eyes.

“You bastard, what did you feed me?”

The big mouth with nothing but talk, Killer King, answered in my stead.

“Dirt.”

“I do not eat dirt.”

“No, you do eat dirt. That is Yu Joonghyuk.”

Killer King jerked his chin toward the window. Little Yu Joonghyuk blankly stared at the reflection of his dirt-smeared mouth in the window.

I deliberately looked away from the eyes of that little Yu Joonghyuk.

[Tale fragment, 'Man Who Eats Eight Meals a Day' is satisfied.]

[The conditions for 'Stageification' have been fulfilled.]

[Constellation, 'Pig Who Died First' screams.]

The tale once again filled to the brim. As the collapsing Stageification became solid again, the pig constellations, who had been quietly getting ready to pull their feet out, charged in once more.

[Constellation, 'Pig Who Builds a House with Wood' groans.]

Hang in there, pigs. If you don’t want to have your tale stolen by the wolf.

[Some constellations of nebula <Twelve Zodiac> reveal hostility toward you.]

The storm began to rage again.

*

I had no idea how much time had passed. Had there ever been a time I’d been this exhausted since being trapped inside the fish dragon’s stomach?

[The Recycling Center Head admires your will.]

The companions who had been supplying magic power were also collapsing one by one. Some were leaning their bodies against the wall, gasping for breath, while others had simply fainted.

I too was on the verge of losing consciousness. What kept me holding on was the story being engraved beyond the wall.

「In the storm, the wolf howled.」

The storm raged, and the brick house endured the wind. Each time the wind left scars on the wall, a tale was created.

「The lonely wolf that had lost its home asked.」

It was the wolf’s new tale.

「“Is that your home.”」

The lonely wolf asked.

「“Then where is my home.”」

The brick house did not answer.

「“If I cannot have a home.”」

Then the wolf said,

「“Until every house in the world is destroyed, I will not stop the storm.”」

All tales are written upon a ‘wall’.

Because there is a wall, events can finally become a ‘tale’, and the stars can safely indulge in the story.

[Constellation, 'Dragon Who Lies Down' admires your 'killing-with-a-borrowed-knife stratagem'.]

[Animal-type constellations not belonging to <Twelve Zodiac> admire your tale.]

Fine, watch all you like.

[Constellation, 'Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss' likes the wolf’s sensibilities.]

[Some constellations originating from <Twelve Zodiac> are enraged at your tale.]

Using the characteristics of [Circulating Body], I gathered as much magic power as possible and reinforced the 'brick house'.

I wanted to make this tale continue on even a little longer.

[Constellation, 'Pig Who Died First' screams!]

[Constellation, 'Pig Who Builds a House with Wood' cries out for someone to please help!]

It was then that something went thunk and snapped.

A sensation like my insides turning over surged up, and a handful of blood spilled onto the floor. The surroundings spun.

The moment I raised my head, wondering what was going on—

[Tale, 'Three Little Pigs' has been destroyed.]

[Some constellations corresponding to 'Pig' among <Twelve Zodiac> have taken massive damage to their true bodies!]

[Constellation, 'Pig Who Died First' exits the scenario.]

[Constellation, 'Pig Who Builds a House with Wood' exits the scenario.]

Only then did I realize what had happened.

['Stageification' is ending.]

The constellations had been defeated.

['Otherworldly Divinity' roars!]

[Some constellations belonging to nebula <Twelve Zodiac> fear the 'Otherworldly Divinity'.]

In a way, it was natural.

No matter how diminished the class of the 'Otherworldly Divinity' was, there was no way a couple of great-personage-level constellations could rush in and suppress the authority of a divinity.

[Constellation, 'Black Flame Dragon of the Abyss' mocks them, asking if they’re really that scared by just this much.]

From here on out, it was a complete gamble.

“Don’t open the door.”

As if he knew exactly what I was going to do, little Yu Joonghyuk spoke in a low voice.

“If you go out, you will die.”

“Even if we stay here, everyone will die all the same.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry.”

I lightly patted little Yu Joonghyuk’s shoulder and said,

“No one is going to die.”

When I opened the door, the streets of District 13, shrouded in silence, appeared.

It was strange. For it to be this quiet when the storm was raging.

Even so, the oppressive pressure weighing down my whole body was several times stronger than when I had faced the ‘wolf constellation’ earlier.

It did not take long to realize what was happening.

「Eye of the storm.」

Right now, our 'brick house' was exactly within the ‘center’ of the storm.

Now, 「Stageification」 could no longer protect us. If the storm twisted its body in any direction, the brick house would be smashed to pieces.

“O great Otherworldly Divinity.”

Taking a slow, deep breath, I said,

“Please stop the storm. Have you not tasted enough of the tale?”

On the spot where the tale of 「Three Little Pigs」 had been shattered, a new tale had sprouted.

[Your new tale has begun to germinate.]

This tale would now become the tale of the ‘wolf’ and us.

And perhaps the 'Otherworldly Divinity' that led this storm would also be able to receive a share of it.

“For every tale, the ending is important.”

'Otherworldly Divinities' have different ranks according to the grade they possess.

Ancient species that once shook an entire scenario became 'Old Existences', and ruling species that once dyed the whole universe in fear became 'Great Old Existences'.

But whatever their original grade might be, they all shared a common trait.

“You can now return to a ‘home’.”

Divinities who had been excluded from the scenarios and lost the star-seat where they were to stay.

They wandered endlessly through the world lines, searching for a place where they belonged. After a long wandering, some became catastrophes of another world line, and others even colluded with the dokkaebis.

“For this tale to be completed, you must stop the storm here.”

And some of them made an 'Otherworldly Covenant'.

['Otherworldly Divinity' looks at you.]

All 'Otherworldly Divinities' are terribly lonely.

“It means there will be a star-seat where you can stay.”

Just having its gaze touch me made my body tremble as if in a shudder. For an ordinary incarnation, it would not have been strange to bleed from all seven orifices.

Even so, I could endure it.

[Tale, 'Successor of the Eternal Name' gives a light yawn.]

The 'Successor of the Eternal Name' was a tale obtained by defeating none other than the 'Founder of the Absolute Throne'.

In other words, I had more resistance to 'Otherworldly Divinities' than anyone else in this world line.

In fact, the otherworldly divinity seemed flustered as it looked at me.

But that was only for a moment.

【My home disappeared long ago.】

The fearsome storm began to move again. It was a force that looked like it might tear me to shreds at any moment.

“Four winds meet to form the directions, and when four more winds are added to them, the mystery of the Eight Trigrams is achieved.”

Slowly closing my eyes, I felt the wind blowing against me.

As if I had become the ‘wall’.

As if the story of that wind were going to be engraved upon my body.

As though pressing each sentence down with all my strength, I uttered that sentence.

“Thus the wind exists everywhere and exists nowhere.”

For a moment, the storm that had been surging in crashed to a stop as «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» if by magic.

【How do you know that realization.】

Through the storm that was slowly clearing away, the figure of the otherworldly divinity was being revealed.

Looking at its shadow, I gave a small smile.

“How could I know.”

It seemed the wolf constellation had safely summoned the 'Otherworldly Divinity' I had mentioned.

But I had no certainty that this 'Otherworldly Divinity' was the 'wolf' of the 'world line' I knew.

Even so, just as Asmodeus had come to this 41st round, just as <Kim Dokja Company> had appeared here—if that wolf too had endured the long years and finally become an 'Otherworldly Divinity'—

The wolf, whose eyes slowly widened, approached me.

【No way.】

If I had been 'Lee Hakhyun', this gamble would have been impossible.

But right now, I was acting in the name of 'Kim Dokja'.

In that case, there was a chance.

[Synchronization rate with your backer constellation rises!]

The wolf stomped step by step toward me. Seeing that height, easily three meters, brought his first description back to mind.

「A build that easily reaches three meters. They are wind warriors who possess monstrous stamina and giant-like strength.」

The wolf slowly lowered his eye level toward me. Then, as if reading the tale dwelling inside my pupils, he looked at me for a long time.

【Ho, Hogu? Is it really you?】

He was the 'Guide' of the destroyed planet Kronos.

The prince of Imunthar who had taught Kim Dokja [Wind’s Path].

“I am Hoju, Lycaon Isparang.”

Once, Kim Dokja had said it. Those who entered into an 'Otherworldly Covenant' could no longer properly see ■■.

But even he, in the end, made an Otherworldly Covenant. He too must not have found an answer. This damn world is designed so that no matter what you do, you cannot reach the correct ■■.

I was the same.

“Form an 'Otherworldly Covenant' with me.”

No matter how I thought about it, this was the only way to stand against <Twelve Zodiac>.

*

[Some constellations of nebula <Twelve Zodiac> request a 'plausibility suitability ruling' regarding the District 13 incident.]

[Some constellations of nebula <Olympus> ask you for permission to enter the 'Recycling Center'.]

[Some constellations of nebula <Veda> ask you for permission to enter the 'Recycling Center'.]

[Some constellations of nebula <Tamna>…….]

Indirect messages from constellations poured down endlessly.

When the Recycling Center Head waved a hand in the air as if annoyed, the messages scattered like a swarm of insects.

In the place where the messages scattered, a single screen appeared.

A screen showing the scenery of District 13.

[As you know, I like 'old tales'.]

Watching the incarnation and the wolf confronting each other on that screen, the Recycling Center Head smiled faintly.

[Seeing my heart be moved by that story, it seems your story has already become an 'old tale' as well.]

Saying that, he turned to look at the flask behind him.

In the huge flask, as tall as a person, a man in a white coat was quietly contained with his eyes closed.

The Recycling Center Head slowly placed his hand against the wall of the flask and asked,

[How many points would you give that story, Demon King of Salvation?]