Maybe my question sounded oddly strange.

The screening officer’s expression changed as he looked at me closely.

Did I say something wrong? Being curious who the ascender was today didn’t seem like such a big question.

“Hm, come to think of it, you said you’ve received the blessing of a high-ranking constellation before. You must be wondering if there’s someone you know among the ascenders.”

I nodded.

If he misunderstood it that way, I appreciated it.

After hesitating a bit, the screening officer answered.

“Ascenders are usually from major corporations. Incarnations who were singled out as promising talent from the moment they joined. Let’s see. Today’s ascenders are affiliated with <Tamla Heavy Industries>, <Black Cloud Foundation>, and <Olympos Technology>……”

Tamla Heavy Industries. Black Cloud Foundation. Olympos Technology. They were all corporation names that took after famous nebulae.

If it was Tamla, then it would probably be <Tamla> based on Jeju tales, and Black Cloud would be <Black Cloud> of the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon, right. And <Olympus>… there was no need to mention that.

Why were corporations named after nebulae expanding into “Murim”?

Was it because of a fight over interests related to the destroyed apocalypse region? Or it might be that they needed justification to replenish incarnation resources from the Lower Scenarios……

Either way, it wasn’t a good scenario flow. Especially if even a nebula like <Black Cloud>, which had little interest in expanding its influence, got involved…… something big might have happened in the higher scenarios that I didn’t know about.

“…So, the list of today’s ascenders is… huh? Damn, where did I save the list…….”

While the screening officer floundered through documents, before I knew it, a door leading to the ascension ceremony venue appeared some distance away.

This is bad. If the ascender beyond that is connected to that “being” I’m thinking of……

“How strong are the executives?”

“Oh, right. You’d be curious about that, too.”

A scenario in the 70s, after all.

Considering that even <Gigantomachia> in the main story was a scenario in the 60s, the ascenders of the 70s would be tremendously strong.

“Don’t be surprised. The executives have a ‘level’ that corresponds to the early stage of tale-grade.”

Early tale-grade.

If you were being strict, even guys like that “Master of the Spear” I fought at the ‘Recycling Center’ were early tale-grade.

But back then it was a scenario in the 20s, and now it was a scenario in the 70s.

The binding force of plausibility that bears the maximum of a level itself was different, so even if it was the same “early tale-grade,” here it would display a completely different power.

“I see.”

“Hm? You’re not very surprised.”

I answered with a grin instead, and stared straight ahead.

All right, so what kind of bastard is beyond this. Is it someone related to that “being” I was thinking of, after all.

“Now, this is the Ascension Hall where the ascension ceremony is held.”

With the screening officer’s introduction, an open circular altar for offering to heaven appeared.

A vast sky reminiscent of a celestial sphere was draped across the ceiling, and a translucent corridor of light descending from the center of the sky was connected to the altar. It looked like an orbital elevator.

“Ooooo—!”

Besides us, hundreds of incarnations were gathered in the area.

“Blood Jade Fist Demon! Blood Jade Fist Demon!”

Incarnations with a level comparable to the screening officer next to me. If they were incarnations who had survived until now, they had that qualification.

—Today’s ascension ceremony will be held shortly.

It seemed this “ascension ceremony” was a major event in “New Murim Earth.”

On a huge screen floated above the upper part of the altar, the ascenders’ faces were being zoomed in on.

Only then did the screening officer seem to remember and sigh as he said,

“So today was coincidentally Great Hero Jo’s ascension ceremony.”

“Great Hero Jo?”

“That incarnation standing to the right of the altar is Blood Jade Fist Demon Jo Jincheol.”

Jo Jincheol.

It was a name I knew.

“Great Hero Jo is an ascender affiliated with <Black Cloud Foundation>. Heh heh, in just the past few years, how many Murim people have had their spines pulled out by Great Hero Jo?”

At the same time, I could also hear the murmurs of the onlookers nearby.

“That nuisance of Murim is finally ascending to the upper neighborhood.”

“That vicious bastard.”

I frowned as I stared at the face on the screen.

That “Jo Jincheol” survived all the way to Scenario 70?

The head of the Gyeonggi Union, Ten Evils Jo Jincheol.

In the main story’s development, I know he dies after being defeated by Kim Dokja in the Demon King promotion match—so how the hell did he make it here?

Ah, right. In this world, that “Kim Dokja” doesn’t exist……

Judging by the “Black Cloud Foundation” written on his back, Jo Jincheol seemed to be an ascender on <Black Cloud>’s side.

“Paradise Holy Emperor! Paradise Holy Emperor!”

“Ooooo!”

The next ascender illuminated by the spotlight was a demon tribe member, a tall figure with small horns sprouting from his head.

The moment I heard his epithet, goosebumps ran over me.

What is this, a Ten Evils special?

I knew the 41st round was a terrible round, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent.

If Yoo Joonghyuk were here, they’d all be bastards he’d beat to death.

The owner of Paradise, Reinheit.

Reinheit, who should’ve died and collapsed in the 9th scenario, was standing there looking perfectly fine.

How did they drag out that guy who was holed up in Paradise?

No… wait a second.

「The ‘Dark Castle,’ which was the eighth scenario, did not appear on the Korean Peninsula in this round.」

Originally, “Reinheit” was a villain who dies to Yoo Joonghyuk in the Dark Castle.

Since Yoo Joonghyuk, who would go to destroy that place, never visited the Dark Castle, it was only natural that the bastard survived in this round.

The level I felt from Reinheit’s entire body was almost comparable to a low-tier Demon King.

On his back was written <Olympos Technology>.

Kugugugugu.

I didn’t know the detailed progression of this round, but the fact that he came here meant there were benefits strong enough for him to abandon “Paradise.”

The moment I saw the spear clutched in his right hand, I felt like I ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) knew what benefit he had received.

“That is—!”

The screams of incarnations crying out in admiration.

Amazingly, in his hand was Astrape, Zeus’s holy relic.

“The Thunder God Spear of the Seat of Lightning!”

“Just like the rumors, what an incredible level!”

If that were real, even I would’ve been shocked into collapsing.

But I’d seen Zeus swing the Thunder God Spear with my own eyes more than once. So I could be certain.

“It’s a well-made fake.”

At that, the screening officer flinched and turned to me.

“What a keen eye. That’s right.”

“It looks like it’s on par with a decent holy relic.”

“Proof that the Paradise Holy Emperor is acknowledged by <Olympus> to that extent. Even if it’s mass-produced, not just anyone can have that spear.”

“I see.”

I didn’t know the specific method, but Reinheit had clearly escaped the Dark Castle with support from <Olympus>.

Even Yoo Joonghyuk had accepted Reinheit as a companion at one time, so it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand <Olympus>’s decision.

But the fact that they made it up to the 70th Main Scenario meant that the existing Lower Scenario regions I knew were already……

「As the later scenarios began, some of Earth’s continents permanently disappeared from the map.」

Along with that line from Ways of Survival rising in my head, an ominous imagination came to me.

Would the Korean Peninsula be safe?

What happened to the incarnations of Geumho Station, or Gwanghwamun?

“I heard there’s one more ascender, but it looks like they haven’t arrived yet. Rather, that’s good. Come with me. The main ascension ceremony hasn’t started yet, so we have a bit of time.”

As he said that, the screening officer moved toward the altar, pushing through the crowd.

I considered slipping away around here, but since I’d come all the way here, there was one thing I wanted to test.

“Great Hero Jo!”

At the screening officer’s call, Jo Jincheol turned this way. It seemed Jo Jincheol and the screening officer knew each other.

“Oh, Director Jeon.”

“Congratulations. You’re finally leaving this damn ‘New Murim,’ aren’t you?”

“Thanks. I guess we really do have a connection. To be seeing each other again like this on the last day.”

That Jo Jincheol, who had no real influence in the main story, had become a being on the level of “tale-grade.”

From the tales I could feel, it looked like he’d raised his average synchronization rate with his backer constellation and barely reached the early stage of tale-grade, but even that wasn’t easy.

“Haha, seriously. I heard that in the recent ‘Otherworldly God subjugation war,’ you secured quite a lot of D Coins.”

“Hmph, it’s nothing. I just dealt with a few catastrophe-grade remnants.”

“As expected of Great Hero Jo.”

Watching that Jo Jincheol converse perfectly normally like that, I felt a strange sense of novelty inside.

Maybe, even in all of Ways of Survival, this was a very rare scene.

「I want to record it.」

[An ‘anonymous Recorder of Horror’ who hasn’t revealed their identity is startled and looks around.]

Was it because he sensed my gaze?

Jo Jincheol slowly turned his eyes toward me. When the screening officer pointed at me and explained the situation, a flicker of interest passed through Jo Jincheol’s eyes.

“An irregular screening target?”

“Yes. An incarnation who entered ‘New Murim Earth’ today.”

“Hm… Seems like someone who doesn’t like showing their face, huh?”

At that tone of his, like he was saying, how dare you pull your hood down in front of an ascender, I gave a bitter smile and took off the hood.

[The effect of the item, ‘Unknown Hood’, disappears.]

“Hoo……”

Jo Jincheol’s eyes flashed. An unpleasant gaze raked over my face. What he used wasn’t a search or discernment skill.

I knew the technique Jo Jincheol used.

「Beings who rise to the early stage of tale-grade master their own ‘tale reading method’.」

A “tale” was, at once, a constellation’s level, and the way a star saw the world.

All constellations emit light based on the tales they’ve accumulated, and by projecting that light onto other tales, they understand the world.

That was also why a “birth tale” was important to all constellations.

And it wasn’t only constellations. The same was true for Transcendents. For example, Transcendents who reached Transcendent-type Stage 3 could, based on the enlightenment they’d obtained, understand other people’s tales, and even infer concealed realms.

The Jo Jincheol in front of me now also seemed to have manifested the same authority as he entered the early stage of tale-grade.

I once had a conversation about this with Han Sooyoung, too.

「“From early tale-grade, a hood might not work.”」

「“Their tale detection is good.”」

「“Then how do I hide my identity in front of tale-grade?”」

At my question, Han Sooyoung smiled and answered.

「“Do nothing.”」

「“Pardon?”」

「“Ordinary constellations won’t be able to estimate your realm anymore.”」

Right in front of me, Jo Jincheol’s expression was changing in real time.

“What is this?”

“Great Hero Jo. Do you see something?”

“Hm.”

「“Why?”」

「“Whether you have no self-awareness, or you just want to show off. Think about the tales you’ve piled up so far.”」

In my head, I recalled the tales I had “personally accumulated.”

Recorder of Things That Will Disappear.
One Who Rewrites Fate.
Successor of the Eternal Name.
Between the Lines of Truth and Lies.

Even just up to here, three were legend-grade, and one was myth-grade.

And on top of that, there was still a “Great Fable” with no name yet.

“Hm?”

「“Now do you get it?”」

Up to now, I had accumulated more than five “tales.”

And <Star Stream> calls a being who has accumulated five tales as follows.

A constellation.

Originally, I should’ve already obtained the position of a constellation.

But neither <Star Stream> nor the Administration Bureau gave me the modifier of a constellation.

Why.

「“It’s because of the ‘level’ of the tales you accumulated.”」

Come to think of it, even that “Kim Dokja” didn’t pile up tales at this level when he became a constellation.

King of a World Without a King.
One Who Opposes Foreign Enemies.
One Who Hunted the King of Calamity.
One Who Killed an Otherworldly Divinity.
Demon King of Salvation.

Four legend-grade tales and one quasi-myth-grade tale.

「“That ‘Kim Dokja’ was first assigned the grade of a ‘tale-grade constellation.’ But if you were judged right now, what do you think you’d become?”」

I couldn’t answer.

「“The Administration Bureau looked at the tales you accumulated and judged it. ‘There’s no way that’s possible.’ A being like that is definitely an ‘error.’”」

An “error” that isn’t assigned a grade.

「“Constellations just read things however they want to read them, using a handful of light.”」

Han Sooyoung’s smiling expression slowly overlapped with Jo Jincheol in front of me.

Beyond Jo Jincheol’s swirling eyes, a tale-grade constellation was staring at me.

「“I’m curious too. In their eyes, what ‘form’ will you look like right now?”」

Jo Jincheol’s lips opened.