「So who, exactly, is the name ‘Kim Dokja’ referring to?」
—Grand Dokkaebi Harong.

*

The Korean Peninsula branch of the Administration Bureau.

Bihyung was repeatedly breaking out in cold sweat as he bowed his head toward the superior on the screen.

—So you’re saying you abused a “Plausibility fitness assessment” without even receiving upper management approval?

A Grand Dokkaebi’s voice flowed out sharply. Bihyung replied calmly.

[It was the kind of situation that called for it. If I’d left it alone, ‘New Murim Earth’ would have been annihilated by the Backlash of Plausibility. For the proper progression of the scenario, there was no other choice.]

For the proper progression of the scenario. Was there any excuse more plausible than that for a dokkaebi running a scenario.

Grand Dokkaebi Harong smacked the lips with a displeased look and said,

—<Veda> won’t ever let this go.

[If they don’t let it go, then what? No matter that they’re a Great Nebula, they don’t have the right to run their mouths about the Administration Bureau’s exercise of authority, do they?]

—It isn’t that simple, Bihyung.

Of course, Bihyung knew why Harong was troubled.

Grand dokkaebis were the existences closest to becoming the “next Dokkaebi King.”

Every action they took was directly tied to their future prestige, and because of that, grand dokkaebis swollen with vanity would often make choices that put them at odds with each other inside the same scenario.

That was exactly what happened with this ‘New Murim Earth.’

「Eliminate the Recorders of ‘New Murim Earth.’」
「Stand by and do nothing about Great Nebulae interfering with the scenario.」

Two grand dokkaebis had issued different orders, and Bihyung had followed the first order. Because the first order was the order of his direct superior, Grand Dokkaebi “Wind.”

As a result, Grand Dokkaebi Harong was currently a bit sulky at Bihyung for disobeying his order.

—Who is the existence that subdued Agni?

[An incarnation named Cheon Inho.]

—Cheon Inho?

Hearing that name, Harong thought about something for a moment, then asked,

—Don’t tell me the ‘Sophist of Evil’ was involved?

[No. There are no traces of a high-ranking Horror Recorder directly intervening.]

But Harong still looked like he wasn’t letting go of the suspicion.

[You may not know this, but he is one of the incarnations who used to operate under the name ‘Kim Dokja’ in the past.]

—There had to be plenty of guys like that. Still, if he’s strong enough to dispose of Agni, then there’s a good chance he’ll climb to the upper scenarios soon enough.

[That’s right.]

—Observe him carefully. <Veda> might try to make contact again.

[You mean <Veda> will drop Plausibility again?]

—They lost one of their Lokapalas, so it isn’t impossible.

[He defeated Agni according to the scenario’s legitimate Plausibility. The Great Nebula shouldn’t have any justification left to interfere in a lower scenario.]

—What?

[Encouraging a newly sprouting tale so it doesn’t get trampled by another ‘giant tale.’ That’s our job as storytellers, isn’t it?]

Bihyung blurted that out without thinking, then startled at the fact that he’d said it.

Harong narrowed the eyes further and asked back,

—Since when did you start caring about that kind of crap?

[I’m sorry.]

—Just do what you’re told properly. If you pull something like this again, you won’t avoid getting dismissed.

Since when did he start thinking about the nature of storytellers. He didn’t know. Maybe it had been since the first time he met that bastard at Geumho Station, or since he watched a bastard scribbling the story of a mole cricket ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) that neither dokkaebis nor constellations cared about.

If not that, then—

「[Until my breath runs out, I will tell your story.]」

Maybe it was because he’d glimpsed a fragment of a tale that happened to be rolling around in the ‘apocalypse region.’

「"I wanted to see your tale to the end."」

Bihyung didn’t know why his own voice was left behind in that tale. Why, how, for what reason, and to whom he had said those words.

[Are you okay?]

From behind the screen where the connection had cut off, Yeonggi approached with a worried expression. Bihyung shook his head hard to throw away the thoughts and replied.

[I’m fine. What are they going to do up there? This is our jurisdiction.]

[What about the delayed scenario?]

Because of the excessive Plausibility Agni had dragged in and used, the Main Scenario that should have proceeded got pushed back.

[It resumes in the afternoon.]

Soon, the last scenario of ‘New Murim Earth’ would begin.

With heavy eyes, Bihyung stared at the screen positioned on the opposite side and muttered.

‘I did what I could, you bastard.’

On the screen, a blond man walking while supporting and being supported by his comrades met Bihyung’s eyes as if turning back to look at him for an instant. Even knowing it was an illusion, Bihyung held the man’s gaze for a long time and swallowed a bitter smile.

*

After dealing with Agni, we headed straight back to the manor.

"So this was Teacher’s residence."

Jung Heewon looked over the Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint’s manor with eyes where countless feelings crossed.

On the way back to the manor, Jung Heewon briefly told us what had happened so far. It was the same story as what I’d glimpsed through the Heavenly Flying Fox’s records, but hearing it from Jung Heewon’s own mouth felt new again.

"I’m sorry I came so late. I should’ve come to see you first."

"No, Heewon."

At Jung Heewon’s apology, Gyeong Sein hurriedly waved her hands and said it. Watching the two of them talk after so long made me feel something, too.

Come to think of it, these two had been close ever since Geumho Station.

Gyeong Sein was even a reader who liked Jung Heewon the most out of all the characters.

Eight years ago, she definitely was.

"When I first heard the rumor about the Radiant Sword Emperor, I did think it might be you."

"……."

"You were running all over the place to save the Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint, right?"

From what I heard, it seemed Jung Heewon had been moving these past few months to rescue the Heaven-Breaking Sword Saint, who was imprisoned underground in ‘New Murim Earth.’

"Yeah. In the end, I failed."

"Was destroying the ‘orbital elevator’ related to that, too?"

At my question, Jung Heewon nodded with a heavy expression.

"Yes. That’s right."

"But it was too dangerous. The orbital elevator is…."

At my words, Jung Heewon’s eyes flashed for an instant.

"Dokja, do you know what the ‘orbital elevator’ really is?"

"I heard it’s a passage for ascending to the upper scenario."

Those chosen as ascenders would ascend to the upper scenario through the “orbital elevator” when the ascension ceremony began. That was the reason for the “orbital elevator” as I understood it.

"That’s not wrong, but it isn’t the whole story."

Listening to me, Jung Heewon stared at the sky beyond the manor and added,

"Ascenders are all people who trained their tales and incarnation bodies to the extreme through ‘D-coins.’ Their bodies, trained by abnormal methods, are practically ‘D-coins’ condensed to the extreme."

I’d roughly expected it, too. It was because I’d heard similar information from Cloud Mountain at the “Record Archive.”

"Constellations in the upper scenarios see ascenders as something like ‘well-prepared prey.’"

"Then the ascenders who go up are all…."

"Not all of them, but I heard most get caught by ‘Great Nebulae’ and have their ‘D-coins’ extracted."

It was horrible. In other words, ascenders here were nothing more than a kind of medium that delivered the condensed ‘D-coins’ to the upper scenario.

"So that’s why you destroyed the ‘orbital elevator’ at the ascension platform."

"Yes. If I got rid of it, the city’s attention would get drawn there. Constellations of the upper scenarios would naturally focus on restoring the orbital elevator, and in that gap, I believed I could rescue Teacher, who was imprisoned."

"But it didn’t go well."

"Yes."

The reason Jung Heewon failed was simple. The constellations’ response was too fast. The moment they recognized Jung Heewon’s existence, they immediately mobilized “Horror Recorders,” sent Agni, one of the Lokapalas, and even stirred up [Fate].

A response that couldn’t be more precise or more powerful.

Even if it had been Yoo Joonghyuk there instead of Jung Heewon, it would’ve been hard to survive.

"If you hadn’t come, I really would’ve died. Thank you again."

Jung Heewon, bowing her head, felt oddly unfamiliar, so I gave an awkward smile.

"It took eight years…."

Hearing that, Jung Heewon raised her head slightly and stared at me without a word.

[A tale, ‘Regret, Ruin, Obsession,’ mutters.]

What kind of tale is that, now?

"The lodgings are ready. You two, please rest inside for a while."

Namgung Myeong came out from inside the manor and guided us to the rooms.

Jung Heewon and I were both exhausted from the fight with Agni. Whether we ate a ‘Great Restoration Pill’ or took in the ‘vital energy of the Elain Forest,’ either way, it was a time to rest even a little for the next scenario.

[In 8 hours, the ‘Main Scenario’ will resume.]

A scenario alarm coming right on cue.

We’d just finished one hard fight, and it wouldn’t give us any time to rest.

[Your wondrous feat is being spread throughout <Star Stream>.]
[Constellations moved by your performance have sponsored you with a total of 24,000 D-coins.]

Soon, other Great Nebulae would learn about Agni’s defeat, too.

<Veda> had sacrificed a huge amount of Plausibility on this matter, so it wouldn’t be able to intervene again, but even so, there were still many powerful enemies left in this city.

The good thing was, no matter who the enemy was, I wasn’t alone anymore.

"Before that, can we join the Company first?"

At my words, Gyeong Sein flinched. Then Jung Heewon cut in too.

"Ah, me too."

Gyeong Sein looked back and forth between me and Jung Heewon over and over, then made an expression like she was about to burst into tears any second.

"You’re really joining our Company? Both of you?"

Eyes widened like lanterns, Gyeong Sein stammered and asked again. Jung Heewon and I glanced at each other, then nodded again.

Looking at us with a complicated expression, Gyeong Sein said,

"But if you join another Company, you’d be treated way better."

An expression that looked happy, and sad, and also like she was worried about something.

So she wouldn’t feel too burdened, I added,

"I don’t think there’s any Company left that would take us."

"Huh?"

"It looks like you already forgot who we just beat to death."

At my words, Gyeong Sein’s eyes widened faintly.

"It feels like we should be the ones begging you to take us in. Right, Heewon?"

"Yeah. Please, Sein."

Gyeong Sein bit her lip hard and lowered her head.

"Even if you two come, I won’t be able to help you with anything. Just like back then, and…."

"Sein."

Cutting her off, I lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for staying alive."

My gratitude was sincere.

A reader whose entire “information” was nothing but having read the novel once survived all the way to the 70th scenario. I knew better than anyone how hard that was.

Gyeong Sein stared blankly at me, then wiped her eyes and smiled softly.

"Everything changed, but Dokja feels like you’re the same as eight years ago."

I smiled back at her, then suddenly realized something and asked.

"Sein. But is it really okay for you to call me by ‘that name’?"

When I met Gyeong Sein not long ago, she had called me “Cheon Inho.”

"I heard from Myeong that saying that name feels like a burden for you."

I glanced at the logo stamped on their backs.

<■■■ Company>

If my guess was right, the word that belonged in that ‘■■■’ had to be ‘Kim Dokja.’

If I was right, Gyeong Sein was hesitating to call me by that name for some reason.

"Ah… so Myeong told you."

Gyeong Sein answered as she slowly lowered her head.

"Yes. Saying that name isn’t easy."

For an instant, something like a pure-white tale seemed to flicker in her eyes.

"Every time I call that name, it’s like my stomach churns, like I get this weird feeling… so if possible, I tried not to say it."

When she raised her head again, the light in her eyes was clear.

"I don’t know why, but after Dokja beat up ‘Flame of Purification,’ calling that name doesn’t bother me anymore."

After I beat up Agni?

[Your wondrous feat has already spread widely through this region.]
[Constellations praising you are waiting for your next move.]

Maybe it was related to me stacking tales in this scenario.

[A tale, ‘One Who Witnessed the Truth of a Star,’ growls.]

「One Who Witnessed the Truth of a Star」 was the quasi-myth-grade tale I got by subduing Agni.

Since I had a contract with Bihyung, soon I’d be able to upgrade this tale to “myth-grade” with the Administration Bureau’s help.

But before that, there was something I had to find out first.

"Sein. Now, could you tell me already?"

"Huh?"

"What happened eight years ago?"

"Ah…."

Now was really the time I had to hear it.

What had happened to Gyeong Sein and the party over the past eight years.

Why the party had been torn apart, and why she had remained here alone.

After hesitating, Gyeong Sein slowly opened her mouth.

"Right. If it’s not anyone else, Dokja has the right to know."

Of course, I had a hunch too.

This story was probably related to why she was afraid of the name ‘Kim Dokja.’

"This might be a long story. Is that okay?"

"It’s fine."

After taking a few breaths, Gyeong Sein opened her mouth again.

"Eight years ago, the day Dokja disappeared and the apocalypse region was destroyed…."

But why was it?

"Someone came looking for us."

I’d only heard a couple of words, but suddenly it felt like cold snow was falling across the whole world.

In a voice like she was dreaming of the scenery from that day, Gyeong Sein began her story.

"He said he came from the ‘snowfield.’"