Cheok Jun-gyeong found himself, for once, thinking about the word death.

He could barely remember the last time he’d even considered it. Was it right before he became a constellation, when he’d been cutting down a thousand men over and over? Or was it after, when he stood against the massive nebulas and was hunted by the rampaging [Fate]?

A dry chuckle slipped out before he knew it.

Maybe the reason these pointless thoughts were surfacing now was simple—another crisis had come for his history.

[You’ve gotten stronger than before, you damn bastard.]

Cheok Jun-gyeong spoke as he watched the Outer God walking toward him in slow, deliberate steps.

The Founder of the Absolute Throne.

Some called it an “end-of-the-world-grade horror.” Unlike the other end-of-the-world-grade Outer Gods, it was frighteningly intelligent, and it had a habit of moving like a human.

[So what legend did you steal this time?]

Even at Cheok Jun-gyeong’s provocation, the Founder of the Absolute Throne didn’t answer. Only the skull clattered.

Cheok Jun-gyeong knew that was its laughter. He ground his lips together and swung his sword.

But his body was swallowed by the gale the Founder swept up, and in an instant, he was smashed against the edge of a time stratum.

Inside the apocalypse region, the Outer Gods recovered their original strength.

[Legend, ‘The Greed of the Immortal ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) King’ begins its story.]

[Legend, ‘The Longing of the Lord of Terror’ begins its story.]

[Legend, ‘The Mystery of the Old Being’ begins its story.]

……

Primeval legends the constellations had turned away from were flaring brightly across the Founder of the Absolute Throne’s entire body.

This was what people meant by an “end-of-the-world-grade horror”—something capable of wiping out an entire world.

But Cheok Jun-gyeong wasn’t going to take it lying down.

[Legend, ‘The One Who Cuts the Sea’ begins its story.]

Just as the Outer Gods could draw out power beyond their usual limits in the apocalypse region, the Transcendents could as well.

[Legend, ‘All-Illness Ghost-Storage’ begins its story.]

[Legend, ‘The Enemy of Dreams’ begins its story.]

Legends accumulated from clearing countless time strata, and horrors as well.

The horrors they had fought against became their weapons.

[Disaster-grade horror, ‘Dragon Fang Sword’ begins its story.]

Horror equipment crafted specifically for Cheok Jun-gyeong.

A long, elongated blade grew in an instant and settled into his right hand. Immediately after, pitch-black armor wrapped itself around his entire body.

[Disaster-grade horror, ‘Raven Armor’ is activated!]

This was the full battle stance of the Third Commander of the apocalypse region, the greatest sword of Goryeo—Cheok Jun-gyeong.

He fought like a berserker. He batted away flying treasured swords, and even as dozens of arrows lodged into his body, he didn’t fall.

He swung one sword.

He swung a second.

Then he swung a third.

A sword that cut down a thousand men, collapsed mountains, and split the sea.

And yet, even that sword couldn’t cut down the Outer God before his eyes.

[It’s been a long time since I couldn’t kill one even after using the third sword.]

With a wet, sliding sensation, legend spilled from the corner of Cheok Jun-gyeong’s mouth. His incarnation body, pushed to its limit, wavered precariously. The shattered Raven Armor crumbled into ash, and the Dragon Fang Sword, its light extinguished, stabbed into the ground.

Cheok Jun-gyeong slowly felt the end approaching.

Damn it.

In his final moment, what came to mind was the pale face of his disciple.

Still, he felt it was a small mercy. Even if he was erased here, his Three Sword Style would not be erased.

As his consciousness dimmed, Cheok Jun-gyeong kept replaying his disciple’s face again and again.

Just as his vision was about to blur completely, a voice rang out—like it was hooking his soul and yanking it back up.

“Master. Are you all right?”

Cheok Jun-gyeong turned around with a blank expression.

[Th-this crazy—]

“I’m here.”

[You damn disciple!]

Cheok Jun-gyeong hurriedly scanned the area. There wasn’t a single surviving member of the Third Commander’s unit nearby.

Instinctively, he stepped in front of his disciple, shielding them.

[Run! Get out of here! I’ll buy you time!]

“Then you’ll die, Master.”

[I’m a constellation! Just because my incarnation body disappears doesn’t mean I’ll be erased!]

“But you’ll take a blow close to death.”

His disciple was right.

A constellation wasn’t invincible. Especially if the essence of one’s legend was damaged in the process of losing an incarnation body, it could lead to true erasure.

[Are you alone? Where are the other commanders?]

Cheok Jun-gyeong asked, clinging to a faint hope. If Kyrgios, or Yoo Ho-seong, or even someone like Ryu-nad had come in, the situation might have been better.

“I’m alone.”

[Goddamn it!]

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”

[What the hell do you think you can do!]

Cheok Jun-gyeong knew his disciple was strong. Talent enough to use the second sword of the Three Sword Style at that age.

But their opponent was the Founder of the Absolute Throne.

No matter how gifted the brat was, against an end-of-the-world-grade horror—

【O O O O O ?】

In an instant, the battlefield’s mood changed. The Founder of the Absolute Throne, which had been advancing with terrifying momentum, suddenly stopped dead in place.

In the bleak wind, Cheok Jun-gyeong could feel the Outer God’s emotions.

Confusion. And… fear.

Fear? That Outer God was afraid?

Of who?

Cheok Jun-gyeong slowly turned his head, following the Outer God’s gaze. There stood his disciple, radiating a brilliant light from head to toe.

[W-what is that, disciple?]

“It’s not that big a deal. I just happen to have one legend it would hate.”

A legend?

[Legend, ‘The Heir to an Eternal Name’ giggles.]

At a glance, it was a myth-grade legend. Even so, in a sense it was still “just one legend.” There was no way an end-of-the-world-grade Outer God would freeze in fear over a single legend.

“Master. If there’s a way to bring it down, will you help me?”

He didn’t understand what exactly was going on, but one thing was clear—his sharp disciple had a plan.

[Of course. There really is a way?]

In that moment, Cheok Jun-gyeong felt something subtle. A sensation like he’d experienced something similar before—different, but familiar.

“Yes. Then first…”

His disciple gave a bright, white smile and pointed at his own stomach.

“First, could you knock me out?”

*

The moment I entered the time stratum, I realized I was screwed.

“Wow.”

Charging in with confidence was one thing. Declaring I’d handle that thing myself wasn’t the worst decision, either.

But the instant I saw the Founder of the Absolute Throne filling the entire sky, the goosebumps on my back refused to go away.

【O O O O O O O】

A completely different class from when I’d seen it near the “Void Curtain” before. Its height alone looked dozens of times larger than back then.

That was the Founder of the Absolute Throne’s true form.

I could tell instinctively. No matter who I copied with [Bookmark] or [Incite], with my current incarnation body, it was impossible to even fight that thing.

So there was only one thing I could rely on.

「Dramatization」.

In this <Star Stream>, “history” was powerful enough to override the matchup of strength itself. And I had one experience—just once—of defeating that thing.

But could I kill it with just this “Dramatization”?

Honestly, I wasn’t confident. More than anything, my incarnation body was so weak it couldn’t even withstand Cheok Jun-gyeong’s “Second Sword.”

Still, it wasn’t as if there was no way to overcome that.

“Eternal.”

[Legend, ‘The Heir to an Eternal Name’ asks if you’re seriously calling it.]

“Help me out.”

[Legend, ‘The Heir to an Eternal Name’ grumbles like it can’t be bothered.]

“Hey. Don’t you want to see the second one?”

In the end, that “legend” bastard’s goal was to create “the one and only Kim Dokja.”

To do that, it had no choice but to listen to me—and it knew it.

[Legend, ‘The Heir to an Eternal Name’ starts its story with a sulky complaint.]

And it surely knew exactly what skill I needed right now.

“Master! Now!”

The next moment, Cheok Jun-gyeong’s fist slammed into my abdomen.

With a scream, the world spun once, and my consciousness blinked out.

[Exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ is activated.]

Not the [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint] I had been using, but the [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint] the “Demon King of Salvation” had used.

As I felt the skill activate, that peculiar exhilaration unique to the Demon King of Salvation settled over my entire body.

I can do it.

I’d never tried this method in the original story, but maybe now, it was possible.

[Your understanding of the appearing constellation, ‘The Greatest Sword of Goryeo’, is high.]

Because—

[The target holds deep goodwill toward you.]

Right now, my understanding of “Cheok Jun-gyeong, the Greatest Sword of Goryeo” was higher than it had ever been at any point in the original story.

[Exclusive skill, ‘Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint’ Stage 3 activates!]

‘Let me borrow your incarnation body for a moment, Master.’

A full, overflowing energy wrapped around my entire body.

When I opened my eyes again, I was possessed into Cheok Jun-gyeong’s incarnation body.

From far away, the Founder of the Absolute Throne let out a threatening wail as it recognized me.

【O O O O O O O O】

Just a moment ago, it had been a roar that made my knees go weak just from hearing it. Now, it was… tolerable.

Because right now, I was the greatest warrior in Goryeo.

The strongest incarnation body, plain and simple.

Only after possessing it could I be sure myself. At the very least, in a human body, there was no one stronger than Cheok Jun-gyeong.

Even with an incarnation body this earthshaking, fighting that Outer God was still hard.

But—

“On this ‘stage,’ the story’s different.”

A legend settled atop the “Unbreakable Conviction,” and a “Blade of Conviction” brighter than ever before stained the surroundings.

[‘Dramatization’ begins!]

Was it because the legend had evolved in the meantime?

The scenery unfolding before me wasn’t the view of Gwanghwamun where Kim Dokja had shattered the Absolute Throne.

Above my head, a black curtain writhed and swayed.

This place was—

【G A A A A A A A】

Where I’d lost Han Sooyoung.

「How much stronger have I gotten since then?」

The image of Han Sooyoung fading in my arms was still vivid.

A long-buried fury surged up.

Memories of surviving with her help beneath the undulating Void Curtain churned through my head.

「“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you the story you wanted.”」

Where was Han Sooyoung now?

Somewhere in this universe, was she still watching this story?

She would be. If it was her, she’d definitely be watching.

「This was proof of the vow I made that day.」

The sword energy that had explosively grown carved into the Founder of the Absolute Throne. The thing screamed in shock. At the same time, the massive blade it swung came crashing down at my entire body. Every time I caught its blade, an impact like my bones were being crushed shuddered through me.

Even so, I didn’t stop.

Attacks where we offered flesh and took bone.

I swung my sword again and again, and I remembered the days I’d survived desperately.

Countless nights studying legends.

The hours reading “Ways of Survival.”

The days I’d struggled to show her “my story” like I’d promised.

【O O O O O O O O】

Han Sooyoung, I’m sorry.

Maybe I barely grew at all since that moment back then. I’m still absurdly weak—nowhere near strong enough to show my story.

But still.

At the very least, the me right now—

「I’ve become a little more like Kim Dokja.」

At the tip of my bold, sweeping slash, 「The King of a World Without a King」 rode along.

The Founder of the Absolute Throne, grievously wounded by the suddenly bursting legend, let out a horrified cry.

“Does it sink in now? That this isn’t the same as back then?”

I knew who my grin resembled, whose cadence my voice was starting to resemble.

Once, I’d been afraid of becoming Kim Dokja. Not anymore.

Because becoming Kim Dokja—resembling Kim Dokja—didn’t mean I’d lose myself.

Thinking like Kim Dokja didn’t erase the “Lee Hansu” inside me. In the end, every human being winds up resembling someone.

“You might not know, but a lot has happened to me too.”

I thought of the people who had seeped into the name Kim Dokja.

Inside that name was Gu Seon-a and Kim Gyeongsik, who’d risked their lives for their companions. There was Jeong Jaewoo, luckier than anyone. There was Go Jangwon, who’d given his life for Jeong Huiwon’s younger sibling, and there was No Jiyoon, who’d missed her dad until the very last moment.

So for me to become Kim Dokja now meant—

[Legend, ‘The Heir to an Eternal Name’ shines brilliantly.]

It meant I could remember even more people.