「(What? Was that bastard always this crazy?)」

In the Library, where a faint darkness had settled, the Demon King of Salvation frowned as he read the Youngest’s story floating above the newspaper.

「Since things turned out like this, should I ride the reincarnator bus this time, too?」

After reading that sentence together, the debate voices of the little Kim Dokjas could be heard.

—If you want to find Yoo Joonghyuk, following Nirvana is the right call.
—But can you trust Nirvana as a companion?
—Isn’t this all because of the Demon King of Salvation?

「(Shut up, you little bastards.)」

Among them, there was also the “King of Terror,” mumbling something softly, with a face carrying a faint sadness.

The Demon King of Salvation narrowed his eyes and said.

「(Hey, you think I can’t hear you if you talk that quietly?)」

The King of Terror turned the head at a subtle speed to look at the Demon King of Salvation, then moved the lips slightly.

The Demon King of Salvation’s eyebrows bent sharply.

「(You’re saying the Youngest turned out like that because of my influence?)」

The King of Terror’s head bobbed.

「(Stop talking bullshit. Even I wouldn’t associate with a crazy bastard like Nirvana. If anything, it’s your influence. The Youngest was always kind of weird, but before you came, the Youngest didn’t go as far as pulling something like that.)」

Instead of refuting that, the King of Terror moved a finger through the air. A sentence rose at the fingertip like smoke.

—That city is strange. I can feel ominous imagination from the entire city.

「(I know. That’s why I’ve been digging through the Library since earlier. Hey, did you find the records we need?)」

At the Demon King of Salvation’s nagging, the Outer Gods sprawled throughout the Library sprang up and began moving busily.

「(Seriously, these bastards, you stop watching them for even a second…)」

Thinking again that Yoo Sangah, who used to work in a place like this, was impressive, the Demon King of Salvation examined the Youngest’s record again.

‘New Murim Earth.’

In Ways of Survival, right after Murim was destroyed, rebuilt cities similar to this had once been born.

Especially after Yoo Joonghyuk’s 1,500-something regression turns, there were even times when a unique group called “corporations” intervened in a Murim infiltrated by capital and developed the city.

However, no matter how he looked at it, this city’s overall system was a little different from the one he knew from Ways of Survival.

Above all, even this thing called the “ascension ceremony” was strange.

「Constellations who already climbed to the upper scenarios wouldn’t have left behind such a ‘kind’ ladder.」

If you thought about it simply, there was the possibility that the “Great Nebulae” left this scenario region behind as a bridgehead to reinforce their forces.

Tamla Heavy Industries.
Olympos Technology.
Black Cloud Foundation.
Veda Biotech….

A nuance as if they were giving one last chance to incarnations who still hadn’t chosen a proper “nebula” until now.

But was that really all?

Great Nebula constellations who considered incarnations disposable terminals, and could use them at any time as offerings for “demigod descent,” would they really leave behind a ladder just for the purpose of “recruiting new incarnations”?

「(Oh? You found it?)」

One little Kim Dokja brought over a compilation. Old books in which information from the 1,500-something regression turns had been condensed.

The Demon King of Salvation quickly checked the materials. Some among them were things already read in Ways of Survival, and some looked like a pile of unused setting scraps.

And how much time passed?

The page the Demon King of Salvation was looking for surfaced.

「Great Fate」.

In an instant, the Demon King of Salvation’s expression hardened, and the Demon King of Salvation spoke.

「(Second. Call the Youngest.)」

On the retina of the King of Terror, who lifted the head, the Demon King of Salvation’s face, turned somewhat pale, was reflected.

「(We have to escape that city right now.)」

*

While the commotion of the ascension ceremony was settling down, I sat side by side with Nirvana and had a short conversation.

"So after the cult leader collapsed back then, that bastard…."

From the looks of it, after seeing Yoo Joonghyuk at the Washington Dome, Nirvana hadn’t met him even once.

"The Peerless King became a pig?"

Every time I said something, Nirvana’s eyes twitched and went wide.

"Yes, well. Strictly speaking, he didn’t become a real pig. Because of the scenario…."

"Interesting! The Peerless King becoming a pig! What kind of pig was it? A cute flower pig? Or a muscular pig with fat all plumped up?"

"It was a pig that ate dirt."

"D-Dirt? It ate dirt? That bastard?"

"Yes. Strictly speaking, he didn’t eat real dirt, he ate tales, but…."

Nirvana let out a hearty laugh, then panted and shouted.

"I’m looking forward to it! I’m looking forward to it so much! The Peerless King of this regression turn is a Peerless King I’ve never met even once!"

"What a shame. If the cult leader had been with us then… if only we hadn’t run into remnants of a Great Nebula at that time."

"Don’t worry! From now on, I’m here! Those constellation bastards who tormented you and Yoo Joonghyuk, I’ll take them out for you again and again!"

It felt like I’d gained a reliable ally out of nowhere.

Nirvana, looking like he was thinking about something, grinned to himself, then suddenly stiffened the expression and asked.

"But how do you know Yoo Joonghyuk so well?"

"That’s…."

"Why does it feel like you’re closer to Yoo Joonghyuk than I am?"

Killing intent blooming coldly.

[The exclusive skill, ‘Incite Lv.???’ activates!]

Without panicking at all, I grinned and answered.

"I’m honored you felt that way."

"What?"

"Did you forget? The cult leader and I are an existence no different from one. If I’m close to Yoo Joonghyuk, then the cult leader is also close to Yoo Joonghyuk."

Nirvana, with blank eyes, moved the lips, then avoided my gaze and muttered.

"What do you know… to be spouting things like that."

"I’m sorry."

Nirvana looked a bit drained, but it wasn’t really an angry expression.

Looking at Nirvana like that made me feel strange.

Come to think of it, even in the main story, Nirvana always chased after Yoo Joonghyuk. But while chasing like that, had Nirvana ever, even once, shared a conversation like this with someone?

[The character, ‘Nirvana Möbius’, feels favor toward you!]

What kind of existence Yoo Joonghyuk was, what he liked, how he was in the previous regression turn, and what he pulled in this regression turn as well.

No one would have talked with Nirvana about it.

Nirvana always saying, “Let’s become one.”

Maybe that expression of Nirvana’s was a plea to find someone who would share “this kind of story” together.

"In this regression turn, only weird bastards are sticking to me. That Mad Sword Emperor bastard too…."

"Mad Sword Emperor?"

Instead of answering, Nirvana stared straight ahead. Across from us, I could see Reinheit and Jo Jincheol, who had passed out, waking up.

After that, incarnations from <Olympos Technology> and <Black Cloud Foundation> who had joined up were approaching us.

"How dare you point a blade at a fellow ascender—our company will definitely hold you responsible for this!"

"Our <Olympos Technology> will remember the taboo that <Tamla Heavy Industries> broke!"

With a cold smile, Nirvana slowly stood up from the seat.

"Hold me responsible? You lot? To this cult leader?"

Incarnations who flinched at the killing intent blooming from Nirvana’s whole body took steps back and said,

"Nirvana! You might be the strongest here, but do you think that’ll be true in the upper scenarios as well?"

"If only Elder White Night Sword and Elder Iron Fist Tiger, who ascended last time, were still here…."

White Night Sword and Iron Fist Tiger. They were people whose nicknames I’d heard faintly in Ways of Survival.

Transcendents who reached the transcendent realm, but strong ones who threw themselves into a Great Nebula, like the “Spear Master.”

"White Night Sword? Iron Fist Tiger? How ridiculous. Do you think this one would fear trash like that, who can’t even reach the feet of the Mad Sword Emperor who ascended together?"

Mad Sword Emperor. At that nickname I kept hearing especially often, I casually turned to the screening officer beside me and asked.

"Who is Mad Sword Emperor, exactly?"

As expected, the screening officer, who liked explaining, began talking with a noticeably brighter complexion.

"An incarnation who suddenly appeared a few months ago. Appeared in the scenario together with the Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint, and made ‘New Murim Earth’ noisy for a while."

Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint?

If my memory was right, the transcendents including the Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint escaped the apocalypse region by riding Surya’s train.

Then did the Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint visit this scenario region together with that person called Mad Sword Emperor right after getting off the train?

"It was a tremendous strong one that showed up after a long time. So much that even executives of major corporations weren’t opponents."

Maybe Nirvana overheard, because Nirvana frowned and said,

"Hmph. If it had run into me, the story would’ve been different."

"Haha, if you had met Nirvana, it would’ve been an impressive match. Come to think of it, I heard you were looking for Mad Sword Emperor…."

Nirvana chased after Mad Sword Emperor?

"Soon, the ascension ceremony will begin! Everyone, prepare for [Opening Heaven]! Ascenders, please step onto the ascension platform!"

The shout that followed.

However, instead of stepping onto the platform, Nirvana pointed at Jo Jincheol and Reinheit, who were still sprawled on the ground, and said,

"When the orbital elevator comes down, put those bastards on first and send them up. I still have something to do here."

The screening officer, startled, asked.

"Are you saying you will postpone ascension?"

"That’s right. I have something to do with this bastard."

Nirvana patted my shoulder and nodded.

Honestly speaking, it was an unexpected development. I’d been yapping about riding the reincarnator bus as a joke, but I didn’t think Nirvana would even postpone ascension.

"Cult leader. Isn’t ‘ascension’ something extremely important?"

"Even if that kind of thing is important, could it be more important than becoming ‘one’?"

So that “becoming one” is… just what—

"I want to hear more stories about Yoo Joonghyuk."

Thank goodness. That’s what Nirvana meant.

It was then that incarnations ran over as if to stop Nirvana.

"Nirvana! What on earth do you mean!"

They were incarnations with the <Tamla Heavy Industries> symbol, like Nirvana.

"Do you not know what an important rite ascension is!"

"If you suddenly do this, it puts us in a difficult position too."

Perhaps because they were from the same <Tamla Heavy Industries>, they seemed less afraid of Nirvana than incarnations from other corporations.

"Nirvana. If you act this arbitrarily, even the chairman will be troubled."

At the word chairman, Nirvana, for the first time, let out a short groan.

"Fine. Then I’ll participate in ascension. Instead, I’ll take this bastard too."

"What are you—"

"It means we’ll ascend together."

Countless incarnations’ gazes poured onto me, who suddenly looked like I would be ascending together with Nirvana.

"That is not allowed by regulations! Besides, that newcomer isn’t even affiliated with <Tamla Heavy Industries>!"

"With someone whose realm isn’t even confirmed, how can you mention accompanying ascension!"

Nirvana, with a stiff expression, said,

"This bastard is my ‘follower.’ My follower is an existence no different from being one body with me! There is absolutely nothing that would become a problem just because we ascend together!"

"I understand what you mean, but strictly speaking, it isn’t one body…."

The wrangling within <Tamla Heavy Industries> was brought to a halt as a fierce beam of light poured down from the sky right then.

"The orbital elevator is coming down!"

The orbital elevator.

An elevator wrapped in dazzling tales, even at a glance, was coming down along the corridor of light.

It seemed that “ascenders” would ride that elevator and leap to the upper scenarios.

It was then that Nirvana spoke.

"Follower."

"Yes?"

"Don’t look up."

The air around us was changing abruptly.

I could see people who had been looking up at the orbital elevator hurriedly lowering their heads.

Even that arrogant Nirvana was lowering the eyes as if resentful.

An unpleasant sensation raked through my whole body.

Vast, ominous tales covering the sky. Something was looking down this way from beyond that sky.

Without realizing it, strength went into the fist I was clenching tight.

[Constellations of the Great Nebulae are overseeing the scenario!]

The enemies I had to fight were above my head right «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» now.

The stars I had to drop, in order to reach the end of this scenario.

A chain of memories flowed, and my blood began to boil. The tales inside me were writhing.

"I told you not to look."

Nirvana, who had come up beside me before I knew it, had a hand on my shoulder.

As if protecting me, Nirvana’s tales, with a mandala dwelling in them, wrapped around me like a lotus.

And the next moment.

Kugugugugu!

A dreadful peal of thunder sounded from the sky of the ascension platform. Beyond the thunder tearing the sky apart, something like the constellations’ wrath-filled true words could be heard.

"W-What…?"

Startled people raised their heads.

"Is the ascension ceremony supposed to be like this?"

When I asked, Nirvana shook the head.

"No. This is the first time something like this has happened."

"The orbital elevator is opening!"

Within blue sparks, the door of the elevator that had fallen to the ground was opening.

With blue-burning ghostly flames, the inside of the elevator was revealed.

As if there had been traces of a fierce battle, the inside of the elevator was filled with bloodstained tales. And.

"H-How…!"

There were already passengers riding the elevator.

More precisely, there were passengers who “had been riding it.”

"White Night Sword? Iron Fist Tiger?"

"They’re the ascenders from the previous regression turn!"

The severed heads of White Night Sword and Iron Fist Tiger lay neatly on the elevator floor.

"H-How, how could something like this—!"

Incarnations, horrified, screamed from all around.

Beyond the ascenders’ incarnation bodies torn apart miserably, on the elevator wall, someone’s message was left, carved in sword marks.

And only I—

「No one can leave this city.」

—could recognize whose sword marks those were.