Killer King—Cha Sungwoo, who had been sitting there blankly, suddenly smacked his own head hard. Ji Eunyu, who was watching that from the side, startled and asked,

"What are you doing?"

"I checked whether my head is properly attached."

"All of a sudden?"

"Maybe my head’s gotten stiff these days, because the contents of the Revelation won’t come to mind very well."

"You said you read it a hundred times."

"Should’ve read it a hundred and one times."

Cha Sungwoo lifted his gaze to the air with strange eyes, then muttered in a voice that was very deliberately intentional,

"Or…… is it, after all, because that bastard isn’t here."

Of course, Ji Eunyu knew who “that bastard” Cha Sungwoo was talking about.

With a light sigh, she looked around, and Lee Dansu, Gyeong Sein, and even Cha Yerim were all staring into the air with the same eyes.

Just as expected, they all had expressions that were thinking of “that bastard.”

"Will he be okay."

Gyeong Sein spoke a single line.

"No matter what anyone says, he’s ‘Kim Dokja,’ isn’t he."

Lee Dansu added.

Then Cha Yerim cut in.

"Kim Dokja dies well."

For a moment, the party’s expressions turned pale.

"Th-that’s true, but he comes back to life again, doesn’t he."

"He must have a resurrection trait, right?"

"I don’t think he had a trait like that, but……."

A deep sigh filled the room.

Their leader, Writer-nim, Cheon Inho, or Kim Dokja (their form of address still wasn’t unified) had already been missing for three months and ten days.

"How’s the damage situation in this scenario?"

In the meantime, Dokja’s party had cleared one more scenario.

It was a “Monster Wave” type scenario where powerful grade 3 monster species appeared.

"It’s not bad. We’ve gotten a lot stronger now, too."

Even though it was a “twenty-something scenario,” the party had specs that let them clear scenarios without much difficulty now. It was all thanks to the spec-up at the “Recycling Center.”

"There hasn’t been any rumor that Mr. Dokja came back, right?"

"This time, we didn’t even see a Kim Dokja impersonator. According to Hyeonwoo—"

With a creak of hinges, someone entered the room.

It was Ye Hyunwoo.

"Are you all doing this again? It’s not like we’re some <Kim Dokja Company>."

Lee Dansu let out a hollow laugh and replied.

"You never know. If we keep thinking like this, we might run into Mr. Inho……."

"Right. Because Mr. Inho has [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint]."

But no matter how much the party thought of Cheon Inho, Cheon Inho’s voice didn’t come.

"He isn’t really dead, right."

"He won’t be."

"Then where do you think Mr. Inho is right now."

At Gyeong Sein’s mutter, everyone’s gaze turned toward the two people.

The only two in this space who had read the “Revelation” more than a hundred times.

The first to speak, under that gaze, was Ji Eunyu.

"In my opinion…… he probably went to where the ‘time strata’ are."

Cha Sungwoo also nodded and said,

"I think so too."

"Writer…… no, Mr. Dokja is being chased by the star clusters right now. While running from the stars, he would have had to find a way to get stronger."

"There’s no way besides becoming a Transcendent Seat."

When Gyeong Sein nodded like he understood, Lee Dansu let words slip as he passed by.

"Then how about we go look for Mr. Dokja."

The first to lift his head at those words was Cha Sungwoo. Then Ji Eunyu, Cha Yerim, and Gyeong Sein also lifted their heads.

But «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» there was someone who shook his head instead of lifting it.

It was Ye Hyunwoo.

"Uncle, realistically, that’s hard. No matter how much stronger we’ve gotten, we haven’t gotten strong enough to go to the ‘time strata.’ If we go, we’ll just be baggage."

"We can borrow the strength of the characters, can’t we."

"They won’t help us."

At Ye Hyunwoo’s words, the party recalled what Lee Jihye said the last time they saw her.

「“We’re going to act separately for a while.”」

The backs of Lee Jihye, Lee Hyunsung, and Shin Yoosung, who had been walking away with rather lonely, grief-tinged expressions.

「“Because Master told us not to die.”」

“Don’t die.”

If only they had instructions like that, too.

After Kim Dokja disappeared, the party felt like a compass with a broken needle.

"Can’t we go just among ourselves? Huiwon left like that too."

Jeong Huiwon left the party a month ago, saying she would find Cheon Inho no matter what.

"We’re not Huiwon. And I’m worried about that person too. They say she’s the strongest among us, but……."

As Ye Hyunwoo was saying that, his expression suddenly stiffened. It was because he’d spotted a huge mass of dark clouds casting down outside the window.

Tstsstssts!

Out-of-season sparks were striking across the clear sky over the Korean Peninsula.

Centered on those sparks, a gigantic hole was slowly taking shape.

Cha Sungwoo sprang to his feet and muttered,

"Great Hole?"

Why would a Great Hole open all of a sudden now. The “Catastrophe” scenario was already over, and there were no signs that a scenario related to an “otherworld divinity” would appear for the time being.

But the fact that a “Great Hole” was observed meant……

"Looks like something happened."

In reality, the constellations stationed within the Korean Peninsula were running around in all directions, sending warning signs to the party.

[Constellation, ‘Maritime War God’ warns you!]

[Constellation, ‘Demonic-like Judge of Fire’ recommends you distance yourselves from the ‘Great Hole’!]

[Constellation, ‘Bald Volunteer Captain’ polishes his head diligently!]

[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ narrows its eyes and stares at the ‘Great Hole’.]

……

If the constellations were tense enough to be like that, then it looked like something was going to happen to the scenario soon.

Ye Hyunwoo, who was urgently exchanging communications with somewhere, said,

"I just got 연락 from the US and Japan, and they say the exact same ‘Great Hole’ has been observed there too."

"Then does that mean ‘Great Holes’ are opening worldwide at the same time? No, what, it’s not even like the late-game scenarios have started—"

While the room was in chaos, only Cha Sungwoo didn’t lose his composure, and muttered,

"Looks like Kim Dokja is alive."

At the confident tone, Ji Eunyu threw a jab.

"How does that connect to that?"

"I can tell."

"Can you not say things like that while smiling."

"Kim Dokja, what the hell are you doing out there."

"I’m telling you not to say things like that while smiling."

Looking at Cha Sungwoo’s grinning expression, Ji Eunyu also lifted anxious eyes to the ‘Great Hole’.

In truth, even though she said that, Ji Eunyu also agreed with Cha Sungwoo’s words.

[The Bureau is currently investigating this abnormal phenomenon.]

[<Star Stream>’s plausibility begins to move.]

In this worldline, and at this point in time, no matter how much I thought about it, there was only “that person” who could cause an upheaval of this scale.

‘Writer-nim. What on earth are you doing.’

What was at least a little reassuring was that the ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ of this worldline went with him.

‘You’re safe, right?’

Ji Eunyu once again brought to mind the face of Lee Hakyeon, which was now starting to grow somewhat faint. In her memory, Lee Hakyeon only smiled silently, and didn’t give any answer at all.

As usual, Ji Eunyu thought with a bitter smile.

‘It’s fine.’

*

No matter how much I tried to make it be fine, it couldn’t be fine.

Why on earth is there a Yoo Joonghyuk head keyring hanging from my waist.

In order to accept reality, I had to ask myself the question over and over in my head.

"Hold on. Mr. Blood Demon. I’m a bit confused right now, so I think I need to sort out the situation. So please don’t attack for one minute."

"What kind of bullshit—"

[Exclusive attribute, ‘Hypercognition Acceleration’ is activated!]

Luckily, one of Cheon Inho’s appropriate attributes helped me.

When ‘Hypercognition Acceleration’ activated, the movement around me slowed temporarily. Or rather, it wasn’t that the surroundings slowed down, but that my thinking sped up.

Either way, using that time, I put together the information I had obtained.

One: Yoo Joonghyuk of the 40th round is already dead (in other words, regressed).

Two: <Olympus> was keeping Yoo Joonghyuk’s head after he died, and I stole it.

When I list it out, there isn’t much to put together. Even worse, the latter information was a bit strange.

Why on earth was <Olympus> keeping Yoo Joonghyuk’s head. No, in the first place, was “the head of a dead Yoo Joonghyuk” an object that could be kept?

「Yoo Joonghyuk’s body vanishes along with beams of light at the moment of regression.」

As far as my head and fingers remembered, in the main story, Yoo Joonghyuk never once left behind a corpse after dying.

「Then why didn’t this ‘Yoo Joonghyuk head’ disappear.」

When my thoughts reached that point, my head throbbed for a moment and a memory surfaced. I realized whose memory it was.

This was “Cheon Inho”’s memory.

A series of events that happened to Cheon Inho after the last time I visited this “time stratum.”

「“Tyrant King, do you really think we can become companions?”」

The moment I heard the voice in the memory, my heart started pounding again.

Did what I did actually affect the real 40th round?

But after I checked the scene that continued in my head, I shook my head.

「“If you really wanted to see the end, you should’ve been prepared to throw everything away too.”」

Of course, the two of them couldn’t become companions. One side is the worst villain among the Ten Evils, and the other side is the world’s savior.

Beings who, if anything, would oppose each other, with no reason to join hands.

The two killed each other’s companions, and in the end, stood on an unavoidable single-log bridge.

「“So it ended up like this, Cheon Inho.”」

After that, it was history exactly as I knew it.

Just as I saw through Anna Croft’s [Past Vision], the two fought their final battle. And at the end of the battle, Cheon Inho consumed the resurrection trait he’d hidden, and survived alone.

In the end, the inciter Cheon Inho succeeded in defeating the Tyrant King Yoo Joonghyuk.

「“Tyrant King. What does that mean.”」

「“…….”」

「“That this is the last ‘reset’. That in the next round, everything in the universe will be destroyed forever—what does that even mean?”」

But the Yoo Joonghyuk who could answer that question had already left this round.

The problem was what came after.

「[The Tyrant King died.]」

The moment Yoo Joonghyuk’s body was swallowed by bright beams of light, a group of constellations that appeared from somewhere aimed for Yoo Joonghyuk’s incarnation body.

「“Olympus!”」

They precisely carved out Yoo Joonghyuk’s head and stole it.

「[Preserve.]」

With a burning sensation, the scene scattered before my eyes.

That was as far as the memory went.

So that’s what it was.

The reason Yoo Joonghyuk’s head could be preserved while maintaining its original state was because of <Olympus>. I guessed they used a skill like [Special Preservation] or [Complete Taxidermy] to stop the head from disappearing, but this was the first time I’d learned that this kind of skill application was possible.

Why on earth did <Olympus> try to preserve Yoo Joonghyuk’s head.

Maybe they were trying to look into Yoo Joonghyuk’s memories, or maybe, like this Blood Demon, they thought the secret of regression was hidden in that skull.

So…… damn it. If I stall any longer, my body’s going to get split in two.

"Wait!"

[Exclusive attribute, ‘Hypercognition Acceleration’ is deactivated!]

The Blood Demon’s terrifying blade grazed my shoulder. If I could use [Incitement], I could suppress him just by wagging my tongue once, but it really is infuriating.

"I’ll give it to you! I’ll give you Yoo Joonghyuk’s head!"

For the first time, the Blood Demon’s blade paused.

"You’ll give it?"

"Yes!"

"Then why are you rummaging inside your clothes?"

I smiled.

Why did I rummage inside my coat?

Because if it’s Cheon Inho, it felt like he’d have something like this hidden.

[Use item, ‘Roughly Lethal Magic Bullet’.]

"Catch it!"

I hurled the magic bullet that was inside my coat with all my strength.

While the startled Blood Demon and his underlings hid their bodies between nearby cover, I moved my frail body and started scrambling away to the back.

Kwaaaaaaang!

A deafening boom exploded, and my fragile incarnation body rolled on the ground. Swallowing a coughing fit, I crawled away, almost like I was creeping.

I can’t die here. And for reasons I didn’t know, I felt like I also absolutely couldn’t let Yoo Joonghyuk’s head get taken from me here.

"Chase him!"

Above all, one unmistakable sensation moved me.

[The ‘King of Horror’ is looking at you.]

Right now, the Second Kim Dokja is watching me.

He’s stopped that damn end-of-the-world banquet, and he’s curious about the story of this 40th round.

So I had to live. I had to run away somehow. I had to ask for help.

A bitter smile came out.

I am Cheon Inho of the 40th round.

As a damned Ten Evil, who on earth am I supposed to ask for help. The current Cheon Inho wouldn’t have anything like companions.

It was then that someone’s shadow appeared over my head.

"Your signal was too late. The One Who Deceived the Stars. Is that the Tyrant King’s head?"

Looking at the coat fluttering on the hill above my head, I doubted my eyes for a moment.

I couldn’t understand it.

How does this person exist in this “time stratum”?

"Killer…… no, Kang Ilhun?"

No, wait. How can this man be the Killer King? There’s no way there’s a Killer King in the 40th round. Looking closely, even the distinctive unlucky smile and the manner of speaking were somewhat different from Killer King’s.

But my thoughts couldn’t continue.

Because the words that came out of Kang Ilhun’s mouth were more shocking than the fact that Kang Ilhun was here.

"Yeah. Now we can revive the Tyrant King."