My “real name”.

The moment I heard those words, several feelings boiled up at once.

Had my brain gotten slightly cooked by the Apocalypse Dragon’s blazing heat wave surging in? Or maybe it was because I thought that this time, I might really die.

I smiled at Yoo Joonghyuk, who was staring this way with a blank face, and said.

“My name is Kim Dokja, you know.”

Yoo Joonghyuk ignored what I said and clenched one fist tight. Then, inside his hand, a single shining tale fragment bloomed.

“You’re the only idiot who stuffs their own name into a dumpling.”

“……”

“I’ll give it back.”

“It’s an offer I’m grateful for, but.”

I hesitated for a moment, then added.

“I think I shouldn’t get that name back right now.”

If I got that name back again, it felt like some determination might waver.

If I went out of my way to put my name into a dumpling, then there must have been a reason for it.

Before I knew it, the blazing heat wave was pushing right up to us.

Yoo Joonghyuk pulled out the Yellow Heaven Moon Halberd. In the main story, Yoo Joonghyuk offset the ‘blazing heat’, the phase-2 shockwave, with the [Blazing Fire Divine Sword] skill.

If my guess was right, then the Yoo Joonghyuk of the 41st turn would have the same technique.

“[Blazing Fire Divine Sword] is swordsmanship. It isn’t suitable to use with a spear.”

“I won’t use [Blazing Fire Divine Sword].”

At the same time as he said that, a majestic white flame of light flickered over Yoo Joonghyuk’s spear technique.

I opened my eyes wide in shock.

How could Yoo Joonghyuk use that ‘stigma’?

The next moment, the dazzling light of the ‘stigma’ wrapped around both of my hands as well.

Looking at the stigma flames that lingered at my fingertips, I bit down hard on my lip.

Not every sentence I wrote through [□□] would necessarily be reproduced in the ‘form I confirmed’.

For example, the sentence I wrote this time was as follows.

「And a star they hadn’t thought of protected them.」

As I wrote that sentence, could I really say that I didn’t know she would come?

[Stigma, ‘Hellfire Blossom Lv.???’ has been activated!]
[Constellation, ‘Demonic Judge of Fire’ has declared ‘deus ex machina’!]

Deus ex machina. An event where a constellation intervenes in the scenario, accepting the sacrifice of an enormous amount of Plausibility.

[Constellation, ‘Demonic Judge of Fire’ does not want your death.]

I looked up at the sky.

“Uriel.”

In place of the Demon King of Salvation and the Watcher of Light and Darkness, or in place of Kim Dokja, I said to her.

“I’m not dying.”

What I said was true.

Because the ending of this ‘apocalypse region’ had already been written.

When he finished preparing, Yoo Joonghyuk said.

“Thirty seconds. That’s about all I can endure.”

“That’s enough.”

“Find a way in that time.”

The moment Yoo Joonghyuk collided head-on with the blazing heat wave flying in, I began pushing the door in earnest from behind him.

Creeeeak.

Thanks to Uriel’s protection, I could endure the heat of the door.

But there was a bigger problem.

The door won’t close.

Looking closely, the hinges of the door exposed to the blazing heat wave were melting and rotting away. If more time passed like this, it might become impossible to close the door. There was no time to hesitate.

“Yeongwon.”

[Fable, ‘Successor of the Eternal Name’ grumbles that you shouldn’t call it that.]

“Help.”

Even while grumbling, it brought out the skill I wanted.

[Exclusive skill, ‘Bookmark’ is activated!]

I immediately put one character into the empty bookmark.

[Exclusive skill, ‘Incite Lv.???’ is activated!]

“I am Lee Hyunsung.”

[Exclusive skill ‘Incite’ resonates with ‘Bookmark’!]
[You can temporarily use one ‘stigma’ possessed by the corresponding character!]

Strength overflowing in both hands.

With all the force of my shout packed in, I started pushing the door again.

[Stigma, ‘Push Mount Tai Lv.10’ is activated!]

As I used Lee Hyunsung’s exclusive stigma, I pictured the scene of him opening the subway door in my head.

「“Hraaaah!”
Lee Hyunsung’s biceps, gripping the door, swelled up as if they were about to burst.」

Back then, he opened the door to live, but now, I had to close the door to live.

Creeeeeeak.

The door started to move little by little. But the speed was too slow. At this rate, it was impossible to close the door within the 30 seconds Yoo Joonghyuk mentioned.

Yoo Joonghyuk, whose whole body was blazing like a moth inside the blazing heat wave, shouted.

“Hurry!”

“I’m doing my best!”

And at that moment.

【It’s insanely hot, seriously.】

The reinforcements I’d been waiting for arrived.

「Kim Dokja’s warrior was there.」

Jang Hayoung, who had pushed through the lightning shockwaves and come over, stood beside me and began pushing the door together.

【Aaaagh! My hands! My hands are burning!】

Originally, Jang Hayoung had no skill related to ‘blazing heat’. Yet both of Jang Hayoung’s hands were wrapped in a bright red energy art.

[Scorching Sun Divine Art].

In that short span, it looked like she made a skill trade through the ‘Unidentified Wall’.

Jang Hayoung was an incarnation who reached ‘a certain level’ of skill proficiency faster than any incarnation in <Star Stream>.

With that level of proficiency, even if it was hard to offset the ‘blazing heat wave’, it looked more than possible for her to do something like push the door with me.

【Push! Harder!】

Even with her hair turned into a crow’s nest by the lightning shockwaves, and her whole body cooking in the blazing heat wave, Jang Hayoung was smiling. As if she was enjoying this situation immensely.

【Sorry. It’s just that I finally feel like I can do something too.】

Just as expected, it was a sentence I didn’t write. A blank space I couldn’t write even though I did my best. On top of that blank space, a character who found her own role on her own was smiling brightly.

【Han Sooyoung told me. She said she’d write a lot of my story in the side story.】

“……”

【What do you think. At this level, doesn’t it feel like I’ll get written pretty cool too?】

I stared at Jang Hayoung for a moment, then nodded with all my strength.

“You’re cool.”

【Right?】

“But that side story, Han Sooyoung might not be the one writing it.”

【What? Then who’s writing it?】

“That’s—”

With a rumbling sound, the blazing heat wave’s momentum grew fiercer. We stopped talking and focused on pushing the door again.

【A little more! Just a little more!】

When the door had closed more than halfway, I called to Yoo Joonghyuk.

After offsetting one wave of blazing heat that was coming in, Yoo Joonghyuk used [Vermilion Bird Divine Step] and quickly retreated to behind us.

“It’s done! Close it!”

The blazing heat wave flowing in gradually lessened, and finally, the door closed.

But.

Kugugugugu.

Even though the door had closed, the blazing heat beyond the portal wasn’t disappearing. The passage coming over to this side wasn’t completely blocked.

Jang Hayoung, her face drained white, muttered.

【Damn it, looks like the auto lock is broken.】

Even though Jang Hayoung and I were pushing the door with all our strength, the door was rattling threateningly.

“Is there no way to fix it?”

【There is one, but—】

Jang Hayoung didn’t say the method. I already knew the method she didn’t say.

“That locking device, it’s on the inside of this ‘door’, isn’t it?”

I could see Jang Hayoung flinch in surprise. A look that said, how do you know?

For me, it was something I couldn’t not know.

Because when you use the ‘door of the time stratum’, you always enter using the ‘key’ from this side, so of course the locking device has to be on the opposite side.

「Kim Dokja thought. ‘So it ends up like this after all.’」

To begin with, the opponent was that ‘Apocalypse Final Dragon’. Meaning, no disaster that I, Yoo Joonghyuk, and Jang Hayoung could block even if we combined our strength.

Against such a disaster, even just sealing this ‘door’ demanded an enormous amount of Plausibility.

I was in a situation where I couldn’t put in ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ additional Plausibility, so I had no choice but to devise a way to close this ‘door’ without additional Plausibility.

【No.】

Jang Hayoung grabbed my arm. Very tightly, with strength I could never break free from with my own power.

【Absolutely not.】

“……”

【What’s beyond this isn’t just a ‘time stratum’. Do you know why the other guys can’t see this ‘door’? What’s beyond this is outside the King of Terror’s control authority. It’s a completely different world line!】

“Hayoung.”

Jang Hayoung flinched, and her grip loosened for an instant.

【Don’t call my name. Absolutely not. I can’t allow it—】

“Jang Hayoung.”

That wasn’t my language. It was the language of the ‘King of Terror’ that had awakened inside me.

The rattling door was opening again little by little. I could feel the blazing heat wave pushing in.

“This is the only way to close the door.”

【Then I’ll go myself—】

“Your [Scorching Sun Divine Art] can’t endure the blazing heat wave. And if you go over, there won’t be anyone left to manage the apocalypse region.”

【Then send Yoo Joonghyuk! If it’s that bastard—】

I shook my head.

“Wherever this is, the only one who has a chance of coming back alive is me. If, like you said, it’s a ‘different world line’, then even more so.”

Jang Hayoung, head bowed low, moved her lips again and again. I carefully took her wrist and pried her arm loose. Jang Hayoung couldn’t resist.

“Don’t worry. Coming back to life after dying is my specialty.”

The grip that had just been squeezing my arm with all her strength was the last strength she could muster. She, who endured the ‘Apocalypse Dragon’s tail swing’ phase 1 alone, was already on the verge of exhaustion.

Yoo Joonghyuk caught Jang Hayoung as she sank down.

“It’s impossible with you alone.”

“I’m sure it is. But this time, you can’t help me, can you.”

I could feel Yoo Joonghyuk flinch. It was only natural. Because—

「“Ah, didn’t Ryunad say it? That stratum can’t be seen by just anyone.”」

This ‘door of the time stratum’ could only be seen by designated existences.

「“Those like me who came from the ‘outside’ of this world, or recorders who watch the world line—only those can see it.”」

Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t show it, but he wouldn’t be able to see the ‘door of the time stratum’ right now.

It would just look like the ‘Final Dragon’s’ shockwaves were being generated out of empty air.

That was why Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t close the door like me or Jang Hayoung could.

“Survive, Yoo Joonghyuk.”

Yoo Joonghyuk nodded, and began to move away with Jang Hayoung.

When they had separated by a certain distance, I heard Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice transmission.

"―You have to come get that name back. It’s useless to me."

That was our last farewell.

「The only way I can have any chance of living, at the same time as I close the door of the time stratum.」

I jumped into the gap of the open door. The heat of the explosive blazing heat wave rushed at me as if it was going to melt my whole body.

[Exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ is activated to the extreme!]

Fortunately, Uriel’s [Hellfire Blossom], and the [Fourth Wall]’s authority protected me.

Using [Push Mount Tai], I shut the door immediately, then from the inside, pushed the locking device into place.

[You have locked the ‘door of the time stratum’.]

In empty space, the ‘door of the time stratum’ swirled and disappeared.

The problem was what came next.

[Warning! You are outside the ‘world line’!]

The Final Dragon’s tail swing was still in progress. To make matters worse, once Uriel’s protection disappeared, my body dyed in blazing heat began to disappear.

[<Star Stream> is watching your abnormal behavior!]
[Many constellations are shocked by your choice!]
…….

With a tzzzt sound, I could feel the existing channel being cut off. Along with the messages flooding my head, I began to fall downward. Suddenly, I remembered the number written next to the nameplate.

[1863-99th turn].

If that number was correct, then I was still inside the world setting of Ways of Survival.

「The 1,863rd turn’s world line.」

I didn’t know what state this world line’s 1,863rd turn was in.

The 1,863rd turn was the last turn of Ways of Survival’s Yoo Joonghyuk.

Maybe this place was in a state where humanity had been wiped out. Or it might be a world where Yoo Joonghyuk already saw the ending and left.

From here on, it was an unknown blank space I hadn’t written.

「All stories flow toward empty places.」

After a while, I felt my incarnation body collide with the ground. Horrifying pain surged as if the bones throughout my body had broken, and in the pitch-black, blacked-out field of view, rough breaths spilled out.

[World line movement succeeded.]

A message rang through my head.

「I lived.」

A sigh that barely leaked out.

But I couldn’t move a single finger. I couldn’t feel any presence of people. I could feel a vicious cold that cut into my heart. I wanted to open my mouth and ask if there was really no one there. A nasty premonition rose up.

What if it was a world where all scenarios had already ended?

A world where destruction came, channels disappeared, and even the Administration Bureau and constellations had all disappeared?

And if it was a world line with no way to return to the original world from—

Poke.

How—

Poke poke.

Huh?

Poke poke poke.

I felt someone poking the top of my head over and over. If my guess wasn’t wrong, it seemed like a person’s foot.

“What is this.”

A person’s voice coming from somewhere.

“I was wondering why the Apocalypse Dragon was rampaging again all of a sudden…… what are you?”

When I slowly opened my eyes, a faint light stabbed into my vision. Beyond the rays of light, I could see a white coat swaying.

A coat like Kim Dokja’s.

「But the one wearing it wasn’t Kim Dokja.」

The cigarette she had in her mouth dropped to the floor with a thud.

「Not a lemon candy, but a cigarette.」

The moment I saw that cigarette, I realized where I had come.

“First……”

Swallowing back my throat tightening again and again, I forced my mouth open with effort.

To begin with, the ‘1,863rd turn’ I could come to was decided.

“Nice to meet you.”

She was the existence who, alone, saw the end of the 1,863rd turn in the world Kim Dokja left behind.

Lightly stepping on the cigarette that had dropped to the floor and putting it out, she stared at me quietly, then asked.

“You…… you kind of look like someone I know.”

That was the first time I met Han Sooyoung of the 1,863rd turn.