I held my breath for a moment and reread that alias over and over.

Just like the constellations, the Recorders also had modifiers of their own. For example, Asmodeus was called the "Demon King of the Cinema," and Lycaon was called the "Prince of Wolves."

However, before revealing their modifiers, Recorders sometimes used simple rhetorical labels like this to show their traits.

"The Recorder who hates regression."

With a trait this specific, the possible candidates narrowed down.

The first candidate was "Yoo Joonghyuk" from the main story.

He was the first "regressor" to finally escape regression after repeating it over an unfathomable number of times. He also gained the trait of an "author" near the end of the main story, so there was a possibility that he had awakened the power of a "Recorder."

The second candidate was Han Sooyoung, who wrote Ways of Survival.

She, too, would have written about regression to the point of exhaustion, so it wouldn’t be strange for her to use a label like "hates regression."

The last, third candidate was the Sovereign Slayer, Jaehwan.

As far as I knew, he had also written his own story before, so it was possible he acquired the traits of a "Recorder" when he crossed over into <Star Stream>.

However, it didn’t feel very natural that he would make me an offer like this. If it were the "Jaehwan" I knew, when something didn’t sit right with him, he’d probably throw a stab first and ask questions later……

Who is it?

If this "Recorder who hates regression" was one of the three I expected, then there wouldn’t be much for me to lose by picking this choice.

The problem was if it wasn’t any of those three.

If there was some "Recorder" with impure intentions that I didn’t know about, and that person was deceiving me by using the label "hates regression"……

"I won’t choose a Recorder."

[Fable, 'Successor of the Eternal Name' giggles, saying it knew you would do that.]

After that, the Recorders’ messages rose up.

[A Recorder who is not yet cheering anyone shakes their head.]

[A Recorder who likes large-scale fraud is disappointed in you.]

[A Recorder who likes squint-eyed characters is interested in your choice.]

[The 'Horror Recorder' who writes <Veda Biotech> glares at your choice.]

To be honest, no matter who the Recorder was, I had no intention of accepting the offer.

Because I, too, had the qualifications of a "Horror Recorder." There was no need to receive someone else’s help just to narrate my fable.

But Namgung Myeong, who didn’t know this, looked startled.

"Benefactor, did you reject the recording contract?"

Instead of answering, I just smiled faintly. Maybe he sensed something ominous in that smile, because Namgung Myeong started rattling on.

"If you contract with the Recorders, you can receive enormous Plausibility benefits. You can win an impossible fight, or even escape a life-and-death crisis with only one life. So if a recording contract offer comes, you absolutely have to……."

All benefits in <Star Stream> come with a price. Even more so if that benefit is related to the most difficult thing in <Star Stream>, "Plausibility."

Being able to win an impossible fight…… it was a tempting condition, but I couldn’t make a rash choice over a moment of "temptation."

[You have rejected the 'recording contract'.]

[Some 'Horror Recorders' are shaken by your choice.]

Tztztztztzt!

It was then that sparks spread through the air like ripples.

[This guy’s the same as always. You didn’t pick «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» anyone again?]

A white head floating in midair.

I lightly waved toward my familiar dokkaebi.

"It’s been a while, Bihyung."

[Your 'assigned dokkaebi' has been dispatched!]

At last, the time for a 'one-on-one' had come.

A dokkaebi’s 'one-on-one' is held in the dokkaebi’s own 'hat.'

So this was Bihyung’s 'hat.'

A space bigger and wider than the one described in the main story for the 'single-horn.' The structure reminded me of a hotel suite.

That meant Bihyung’s dokkaebi grade had risen that much.

"You live in a nice place."

[Hmph. I’m a high-grade dokkaebi now.]

Bihyung, who had been boasting, quickly turned serious and cleared his throat.

[You know why I called you, right?]

"More or less."

I was the last survivor of the apocalypse region. And in the middle of that, I’d even gone to another world line through a time stratum.

"Is it because of the 'Returnee Scenario'?"

Normally, I should have already received the 'Returnee Scenario' and entered the return process. In that process, whether I fought a 'Returnee War,' or succeeded in persuading my companions like Kim Dokja and regained my true self, it should have been settled one way or another.

[That’s right. But there’s a bit of a problem right now, so I can’t activate the 'Returnee Scenario.']

A problem?

[To activate the 'Returnee Scenario,' you don’t just need the Administration Bureau’s authority. You also need the constellations’ interest, and a certain number of 'returnees.']

"The Administration Bureau’s authority won’t be a big problem, and the constellations’ interest will have some way to handle it, so the problem is the last condition."

Bihyung twitched his brows as if my answer surprised him.

[How do you know all that?]

When I just shrugged without answering, Bihyung continued.

[You’re right. The Administration Bureau’s authority and the constellations’ interest can be handled somehow, but…… the problem is the 'incarnations.' Other than you, there isn’t a single 'returnee' right now.]

How could that be? In <Star Stream>, "otherworld reincarnation" happened every other day.

[There was a big event recently where they summoned a bunch of returnees. They called it a 'Returnee War' special…….]

"I get what it is, but then what?"

[One crazy bastard was mixed in among the participants. That guy killed all the other participants. So the Returnee War and everything else, the scenario itself got flipped over. Since that incident, the 'Returnee Scenario' has been put on hold for the time being.]

Was there someone among the guys who returned before me who could wipe out all the returnees?

Who was it? Jang Hayoung?

[Anyway, so you won’t be getting the 'Returnee Scenario' this time.]

It was a good thing for me.

If the 'Returnee Scenario' got added on top of the current situation, it would get annoying in a lot of ways.

But Bihyung’s words didn’t end there.

[Instead, your next scenario will be harder. Be prepared.]

"The reward will be that much better, right?"

[Well…… but are you okay?]

"As long as the rewards are good, I can accept the difficulty tuning. More importantly, you should start giving me my scenario rewards, right? I couldn’t get them after finishing the apocalypse region."

[Ah, right. I should give them.]

I saw Bihyung about to rummage around with a guilty sweat, so I quickly added,

"Don’t try to patch it over with some half-baked fable. It was the apocalypse region."

Bihyung flinched.

"You know what I went through in the apocalypse region, right? I even entered that 'Transcendent Alliance.' I also defeated an end-of-the-world-grade horror, freed an end-grade horror…… and you know how, at the end, myth-grade constellations came rushing in to kill me, right?"

After hesitating for a moment, Bihyung started rummaging through a bigger pouch.

"And don’t make the mistake of thinking that’s all. You might not know, but I even fought the Apocalypse Dragon in another world line. If you knew what happened there……."

I had taken the Apocalypse Dragon’s shockwave for a moment, but saying I fought the Apocalypse Dragon was a lie. If I’d done something like that, I wouldn’t be here right now.

[This should be enough, right?]

I looked at the box Bihyung pulled out.

—SSS-grade Skill Selection Box.

Not S-grade, not SS-grade, but an "SSS-grade skill" selection box.

"Hm."

On the outside, I made a displeased face, but honestly, I was startled.

Even among "SSS-grade," "skills" and "items" were on completely different levels. For example, items had a higher category above "SSS-grade" called "sacred relics," but for skills, "SSS-grade" was the end.

Even Yoo Joonghyuk’s [Sage’s Eye] was only an SS-grade skill.

But an SSS-grade skill. And on top of that, a "selection box."

At this level, it wasn’t a losing deal.

"SSS-grade skill? You’re really trying to settle it with something like this?"

But who am I.

"This doesn’t even seem like it’s worth one end-of-the-world-grade horror subjugation."

As a member of Kim Dokja’s bloodline known as the mouth of hell, I couldn’t be satisfied with a reward like this.

I had to squeeze out even a little more…….

[Fine, fine. I’ll give you this too.]

I didn’t expect an actual extra crumb to fall out. Considering Bihyung’s stingy personality, I thought even the SSS-grade Skill Selection Box was excessive.

"Another box?"

[Look at what it is first.]

I checked the name of the box Bihyung held out.

—Limited Edition Random Sacred Relic Box.

Random was familiar, but the name attached after it was surprising.

Sacred relic? That sacred relic I know?

—They made it as a product exclusive to heavy payers recently, then scrapped it.

I nodded while looking at the price written on the side of the box.

Even if it had a sacred-relic-grade item inside, who would buy this for 5,000,000 coins per item?

And if even the sacred relic grade was random……

"What kind of idiot even releases something like this……."

Bihyung’s expression rapidly darkened.

[Ahem. Anyway. This should be enough of a reward, right?]

"At best it’ll just be a bunch of hero-grade constellation sacred relics."

[……I’ll give you two.]

That’s what I thought, you bastard.

[You have acquired 2 items, 'Limited Edition Random Sacred Relic Box'.]

Yeah, at this point, it really wasn’t bad.

Even if they were hero-grade constellations’ sacred relics, it wasn’t common to get a chance to obtain two at once.

Besides, sacred relics grew stronger by resonating with the user’s fable, so there was no need to be bound by rank.

[Then now…….]

"Wait, what about coins. That was on the reward list too."

With a light sigh, Bihyung wagged a finger.

[You have acquired a total of 2,000,000 coins as scenario rewards!]

For a moment, I doubted my eyes.

Two million coins in one shot?

And it was even more than what the reward details said.

"Looks like the Administration Bureau’s finances are generous these days?"

[It’s not that. It’s what we calculated after considering your performance. You subjugated an end-of-the-world-grade horror, and you said you even went a round with the Apocalypse Dragon, right?]

"You didn’t see me go a round with the Apocalypse Dragon."

[You said you did. I’m believing you.]

"It sounds like you have some other purpose."

At my words, Bihyung’s eyeballs rolled around. Seriously, such an easy dokkaebi to read.

"If you confess honestly right now, I’ll let it slide."

Bihyung looked at me and let out a sigh so deep the ground could cave in.

"Did you make another mistake? Or is some disaster about to descend on Murim starting now?"

I started listing likely scenarios one after another.

If a dokkaebi like Bihyung was pouring out this kind of gift barrage, there had to be Plausibility to match it.

In other words, some end-of-the-world-grade calamity that had been sleeping in Murim wakes up, or Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly turns into a cute girl and awakens as a Demon King to carry out a massacre…….

But what came out of Bihyung’s mouth was completely unexpected.

[You did well to refuse.]

For a moment, I couldn’t grasp the implication of those words and fell silent. Then Bihyung, sighing once more, added,

[I mean refusing the recording contract.]