【No…….】

“Unchanging One” stared at me with an expression like the lights had gone out for a moment.

【Why is that?】

【It’s nothing.】

【Say it.】

“Unchanging One” kept sneaking glances at me, then started talking.

【Your true-word tone is too good, is all.】

【What?】

【I, I mean it literally. Usually, a true-word tone is influenced by the tales a recorder has written. So I find it a bit fascinating. Just what kind of tales have you been recording for your tone to be like this……】

So it meant my voice was pleasant to listen to.

Seeing how blatantly it was flattering me to my face, it looked like this one was desperate, too.

【Just because you say that doesn’t mean I’m thinking of sparing you.】

【Th-that wasn’t why I said it!】

The one who had quietly bitten their lip opened their mouth again, checking my mood.

【Are you, by any chance, an “orthodox recorder”?】

【Orthodox recorder?】

【It means a case where you became a “recorder” on your own, without contracting with a hunchback.】

According to what Bihyung said, there were two ways to become a recorder.

One was to achieve the feat of a “recorder” on your own.

And two was to become a recorder through a contract with a “hunchback.”

When I nodded, “Unchanging One” bobbed their head as if impressed.

【I knew it. I don’t know how an orthodox recorder ended up coming to this city, but…….】

The one who heard that I was an “orthodox recorder” rolled their eyes around again as if thinking something, then prostrated themself in front of me and shouted.

【Please hire me!】

It was an interesting thing to say.

It wasn’t just asking me to take them as a subordinate—they were asking me to “hire” them?

【I will become your “assistant recorder.”】

【Assistant recorder?】

【As you know, no matter how great a recorder is, there are limits to the “records” you can realize alone. Especially if you want to write powerful “records”…….】

I roughly understood what they meant. Even in the fight just now, it was like that.

The pressure you felt when facing one recorder and when facing three at once was different.

Surely, the more recorders gathered, the more powerful their coercive force would become.

【I know. The reason you lot assigned me [Fate] was based on that same principle.】

“Unchanging One” sucked in a sharp breath.

【That…… truly wasn’t my intention! I didn’t even know who you were—I only helped a little!】

【In the end, you were still involved in that [Fate].】

Sensing the killing intent flowing out of my entire body, “Unchanging One” hurriedly answered.

【I only did what I was told. An order came down to lend strength to the new [Fate], so I only added a little writing force to the period at the end of [Fate]…….】

As if realizing the more they spoke the worse it was getting, “Unchanging One” started banging their head against the floor and said,

【I, I was wrong! I committed a sin worthy of death! It won’t happen again!】

【That’s a very sincere apology, huh.】

【Those bastards! I’ll tell you everything—who the ones involved in that Fate were!】

【Hmm.】

Pretending to think for a moment, I looked down at them and said,

【I know it’s a lie. Earlier you were also just running your mouth about sparing you and buying time, and then you ran away here.】

【This time it’s truly not! How could I dare deceive a recorder with writing force far superior to mine! There’s nowhere left to run now!】

I didn’t bother telling them, but in reality, their inner thoughts had been reaching my ears in fragments since earlier.

「You don’t get many chances to face an orthodox recorder.」
「I don’t know what level of recorder this person is, but they’re at least someone who can comfortably deal with three lower-tier recorders.」
「If I want to survive, there’s only one way.」

From the standpoint of someone who had only just become a “recorder,” having a guide would be convenient.

【If that’s the case, then prove it by making a “record contract.”】

【A record contract?】

The one who widened their eyes played dumb.

【I’m not an incarnation or a constellation, so I can’t form a “record contract” with you…….】

【There should be a similar kind of contract method even between recorders, right?】

As if thinking, How do you know that, they secretly pushed their lips out, then carefully confessed.

【If you mean a “record oath”…….】

A moment later, the contents of the “record oath” rose up before my eyes.

+

Horror Recorder “Unchanging One” swears the following.

+

While I was reading the oath, they asked,

【Should I write your modifier as “Demon King of Salvation”?】

Strictly speaking, Demon King of Salvation was a modifier that no longer existed now.

If I wanted to be exact here, I would have to write my name…….

In an instant, a throbbing headache surged in. It was the headache that came every time I tried to recall my real name.

I bit my lip for a moment and thought.

【Write that you’re contracting with the owner of the tale “Demon King of Salvation.”】

Soon, the revised record oath floated up.

+

One, Horror Recorder “Unchanging One” swears to become the “assistant recorder” of the owner of the tale “Demon King of Salvation.”
Two, Horror Recorder “Unchanging One” will not make any record, in any form, that would be harmful to the owner of the tale “Demon King of Salvation.”
Three, Horror Recorder “Unchanging One” swears the above oath to the “Final Wall.”
Four, as long as Horror Recorder “Unchanging One” does not violate the above oath, the owner of the tale “Demon King of Salvation” will not harm “Unchanging One”’s contract body.

*This oath remains in effect for ten years immediately after the oath is sworn.

+

The peculiar sacredness you could feel from the oath. The sentences gave a feeling very similar to a “scenario” hosted by the Administration Bureau.

Maybe the ones describing the Administration Bureau’s “scenarios” were these recorders, too.

【But what’s with ten years?】

【Th-that is, I need at least a minimum insurance policy…….】

【Obviously you’re planning to hole up in some time stratum for ten years and just kill time.】

【Th-that’s absolutely not it!】

+

The contracting party cannot enter a “time stratum” and arbitrarily accelerate the contract time.

+

After they finished writing even the special clause through tears, the oath was concluded along with a bright ray of light.

[The record oath activates.]
[Horror Recorder “Unchanging One” has become your “assistant recorder.”]

Sure enough, I could feel their writing force more vividly than before. I couldn’t describe it well, but it felt like I’d gained one more tiny auxiliary battery.

At least this much meant the safety device was set.

I slowly walked around the vicinity of the Record Archive and asked,

【First…… where is this?】

Maybe because they had become my “assistant recorder,” they answered with the vigor of a new hire who had just joined the company.

【Yes. This place is called the “Record Archive.” A Record Archive exists in each scenario region, and this is a place permitted to the recorders of “New Murim Earth.”】

【What do you do here?】

【Recorders gather and incite [Fate], and they also share the “interpretations” they possess.】

So, in summary, this was like a banquet hall for recorders.

【In truth, it’s rare for “orthodox recorders” to use this space. As far as I know, “orthodox recorders” exchange information through a special method related to the “Final Wall.”】

A special method related to the “Final Wall”…….

【But lower-tier recorders like me have almost no “interpretations,” so if we want to share even a few scraps, we have to use this place.】

“Unchanging One” pointed at the “doors” lined up at the front of the waiting room.

【They’re what you call “Rooms of Narrative.” If you enter there, you can interact with other recorders, and sometimes you can scheme [Fate] that will change a scenario, or interfere with it.】

Talking about [Fate], “Unchanging One” spoke in a somewhat cautious tone.

【Ah, and before you enter, you must put on a “mask.” That’s the rule.】

Sure enough, when I approached the “Rooms of Narrative,” a message floated over my head as if it had been waiting.

[Please choose a “mask” to use after entering.]
[The mask list is selected arbitrarily based on the “tales” you have recorded.]

1. Fox mask.

2. Wolf mask.

3. Rat mask.

4. Faceless mask.

5. Dumpling mask.
…….

The “Recycling Center” came to mind again.

Back then, I chose the faceless one. This place had a few more options than that time…….

After thinking for a moment, I decided to try making a normal choice this time.

[You have selected the “Fox mask.”]

When I put on the mask, a bright ray of light swirled around the mask covering my face and its color changed.

But the expression of “Unchanging One” as they checked my mask was odd.

【Why is that?】

【Usually, the color of a recorder’s mask is decided as one of seven colors depending on the grade they have.】

According to their explanation, the color assigned to a mask was decided as one of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, or violet.

The higher the recorder’s grade, the closer the mask color was to red; the lower it was, the closer it was to violet.

In fact, “Unchanging One” was wearing a “blue hamster” mask.

It probably meant they were around the third-lowest grade.

The problem was the color of my mask.

【But your mask is—】

“Unchanging One” glared as if trying to find even the faintest trace of color on my mask.

【It’s white.】

【Didn’t you say the mask color is one of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, or violet?】

【I don’t know either. Maybe “orthodox recorders” are something different…… in truth, this is also my first time meeting an “orthodox recorder.”】

So there weren’t that many “orthodox recorders” like me, more than I expected.

【Still, it’s quite interesting that you chose the fox mask.】

Interesting?

【I heard the one who created this “Record Archive” also wore a fox mask.】

It was unexpected information.

This “Record Archive” was a subspace that didn’t appear in the original Ways of Survival.

So what kind of existence created this place?

【Who made this place?】

【The “Record Archive” is a place the great recorder “Flying Heavenly Fox” created out of consideration for lowly lower-tier recorders.】

【Flying Heavenly Fox? You mean Heavenly Flying Fox?】

【You know them?】

【I do. Heavenly Flying Fox King Wei Long.】

Up until now, I had faced “Heavenly Flying Fox” a total of three times.

The last time I met them was probably in the apocalypse region.

【Are they also an “orthodox recorder”?】

If I thought about it, it wasn’t strange.

『The Strongest 100』 that they authored was a famous novel-within-a-novel even inside Ways of Survival.

Heavenly Flying Fox had been obsessively focused on “recording” in every round of Yoo Joonghyuk, so maybe there was no one more fitting of an “orthodox recorder” than them.

But then.

【Hey.】

“Unchanging One”’s state was a little strange. The one who had been looking at me with uneasy eyes asked, hiding a trembling voice.

【Excuse me, but…… that king…… whose name is it?】

【King Wei Long?】

【Yes.】

【It’s Heavenly Flying Fox’s true name.】

【H-heavenly Flying……the fox who……commands the sky……’s……?】

【Yeah.】

【Oooooooh!】

“Unchanging One” bulged their eyes with a scream, then collapsed while vomiting blood from the seven orifices.

What?

I rushed over and shook their shoulder, but the one who had fallen into a deep faint showed no sign of waking. Seeing the blood-red tale leaking out from the seven orifices, it didn’t look like an act.

【Hey. Wake up.】

Sentences were pouring nonstop from the fallen one’s head.

「ThetruenameofthegreatrecorderThetruenameofthegreatrecorderThetruenameofthegreatrecorderThetruenameofthegreatrecorderThetruenameofthegreatrecorderThetruenameofthegreatrecorderThetruenameofthegreatrecorder…….」

……Just hearing Heavenly Flying Fox’s true name did this to them?

Leaving the collapsed one as they were, I slowly stood up.

If this was true…….

Then I’d gained one card I could use when dealing with recorders.

[Would you like to enter a “Room of Narrative”?]

In the waiting room, I checked the rooms I could enter one by one.

The name of the largest room among them was as follows.

—Room of Fate [43/100]

This was probably the room they meant where they incited [Fate].

The number [43/100] likely meant the room’s total capacity and the number of recorders who had entered.

It would have been nice if I could go in, but unfortunately, a message floated up saying I didn’t have access permission.

Reluctantly, I looked over the other rooms.

Most were empty rooms, but there was also a room with people in it.

—Main Scenario Agenda Exchange [3/10]

Main Scenario agenda.

Judging by the number 3, there «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» were three entrants total. Unusually, small hashtags were attached beside the room.

# Transcendents

# Scenario 80

It seemed to mean they were exchanging information on something like that.

# New Murim Earth

# Radiant Sword Emperor

When I checked the last hashtag, I pressed the enter button without hesitation.

# Oldest Dream