Chapter 189: Episode 36 – Story Horizon (1)

On this day, everyone in Seoul Dome was immersed in a dazzling light.

[Someone has cleared the tenth main scenario.]

[Congratulations. You have passed the tenth scenario.]

Those who were hiding in corners of Seoul Dome to avoid the demonic people and those who barely survived on the first and second floors of Dark Castle.

All the incarnations who somehow survived the threat of the scenario received the same message.

[You have accomplished the ‘Liberator of Seoul Dome’ achievement.]

Liberator. People didn’t understand it at first but their bodies were convinced before their minds. Their limbs cramped, their pupils expanded and their lips trembled.

[You can escape Seoul Dome.]

Their long wish had finally become reality. The people on the first and second floors of Dark Castle were summoned out into the city.

Then everyone saw the same sight.

The Dark Castle collapsed with a loud sound. The terrible nightmare gripping all of Seoul collapsed like a sand castle. The broken chunks soon turned into powder. People were filled with unknown emotions as they watched the scene.

“It is finished,” someone said.

“I can go out… I can live now…”

“The hell is over!”

Some people felt it was the end of the tragedy.

Compensation poured from the air. People had jubilant expressions on their faces. Another tragedy might begin but for now, they were enjoying the immediate feeling of liberation. However, not everyone shared that sentiment.

“…What happened to Dokja ahjussi?”

Kim Dokja’s group escaped from Dark Castle. Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, Gong Pildu, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung, Han Sooyoung… All of them were gathered in one place. They were those who survived because of Kim Dokja or those who owed Kim Dokja.

“Anyone, does anyone know? Please say something! Master! How is Dokja ahjussi?”

The party members relied on their intuition to find someone who could explain the situation. However, the only person who could answer was silent. Yoo Jonghyuk was staring at the collapsed Dark Castle with his mouth shut.

Dark Castle collapsed, like history disappearing. Kim Dokja was in there. He died there.

Yoo Jonghyuk stared while confirming the fact over and over again.

Kim Dokja was dead. How could such a thing happen? Yoo Jonghyuk was unfamiliar with not knowing.

“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi! Please say something! Please!”

Yoo Jonghyuk stared blankly at Lee Hyunsung who was shaking him. The first regression and second regression… he had never seen Lee Hyunsung make this face.

Yoo Jonghyuk rarely remembered the expressions that his party members made when they lost someone really precious. It was because he was always the one making such expressions. He was the only one who survived until the end of this tragedy and despair.

By the way, this life was different. There were still many people by his side. He was suffering through someone’s death with them.

“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi!”

“Master!”

Everyone was staring at him. They wanted him to say that it wasn’t too late. Still, Yoo Jonghyuk couldn’t give an answer to these faces.

“I also don’t know.”

He destroyed their last remaining hope. Sadly, this was the role left to Yoo Jonghyuk.

“I don’t know what happened to Kim Dokja.”

In fact, he could tell them more. Banishment from the scenario. He could share the information he knew. Or maybe he could testify to the feeble hopes he might have.

However, Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t do this. He knew that talking about it would just be telling the party members,

‘Kim Dokja is dead. You can’t do anything for Kim Dokja.’

Some people said more by not speaking. A few people accepted Yoo Jonghyuk’s silence while others rejected it. Nevertheless, everyone understood the silence.

“Dokja hyung said so! He isn’t dead! He will live again! Then why…!”

“Yoo Jonghyuk-ssi! Please tell me how to save Dokja-ssi!”

Yoo Jonghyuk shook his head at Lee Gilyoung and Lee Hyunsung’s cries. If there was a way to save Kim Dokja, he would’ve already done it. There was nothing he could do. It wasn’t just him, it was everyone.

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ feels a great emptiness.]

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ is lying down.]

[The constellation ‘Seo Ae Il Pil’ has broken his pen.]

[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ is looking at the abyss.]

.

.

[The constellations on the Korean Peninsula are mourning the death of one constellation.]

[The constellations on the Korean Peninsula remember someone’s name.]

Yoo Jonghyuk had never seen so many constellations talking about a single constellation. The arrogant constellations were expressing emotions other than frustration or pleasure.

They became aware of new feelings. The night sky was shining with more colour than any of his previous regressions.

Sadness, great despair, sorrow… The night sky, made up of many constellations, was shining sadly.

Maybe Kim Dokja was hope for them as well. It was hope to show a different story. Something that could make a difference in the Star Stream.

‘There aren’t many ways.’

Looking at the dazzling star in the sky, Regressor Yoo Jonghyuk had a thought.

‘If I regress now…’

The ability to restart his life was like the button of a nuclear missile that could be pressed at any time. Yoo Jonghyuk was able to go back in time after dying and make better choices with the information he had of the future.

If he returned now then Kim Dokja might revive again. However…

-Yoo Jonghyuk, wake up. Don’t think things will improve if you repeat them a few times.

What if Yoo Jonghyuk went back and there was no Kim Dokja? Or what if Kim Dokja didn’t act like this again?

Yoo Jonghyuk was afraid of something for the first time.

The Kim Dokja of this life might only appear in this life. Shin Yoosung of the 41st regression never talked about Kim Dokja and he never met Kim Dokja in his past few lives. Even if he went back to the past, the Kim Dokja of this life might not return.

-Thus, live this round properly.

The choice that had always been possible was now irreversible. He met Kim Dokja in his third regression and they became companions. Then he lost Kim Dokja.

-Don’t imagine that you will get better if you throw away this round. Maybe this is the round where you will see the end of this world as a ‘human.’

Yoo Jonghyuk got up from his spot and bit his lips. Only these words remained. Just as everything in the Star Stream was a story, Yoo Jonghyuk couldn’t help acknowledging that Kim Dokja’s words were part of himself.

[Huh, why aren’t you moving? Didn’t you receive the system message?]

The dokkaebi dispatched from the bureau looked down at them from the air.

[Aha, I see. Everybody is mourning ‘his’ death.]

The party members resented his ridiculing tone but not everyone was the same. Jung Heewon barely maintained her calm and asked,

“…How is Dokja-ssi?”

[He has been expelled from the scenario.]

“Can I ask what that means? Is he dead or alive?”

[I also don’t know. However, it isn’t possible to survive being expelled from the scenario, whether it is an incarnation or constellation. That is all I know.]

Even a constellation couldn’t survive. The party members stiffened at the words and their expressions became colder than before. Lee Jihye retorted.

“Isn’t there a way? A way to save…!”

[There is nothing you can do. Honestly, it’s amazing that you still have this type of mindset. I will give you one piece of advice. Don’t think about unnecessary things and focus on the scenario in front of you. You haven’t escaped from Seoul Dome yet.]

The dokkaebi sneered and flicked his fingers. Then messages once again poured from the air.

[The escape scenario has been given.]

[Seoul Dome will be closed soon! You have half a day to escape from Seoul Dome.]

[The escape path is automatically provided.]

[You will die if you don’t escape from the dome within the time limit.]

“Dammit…”

The party members looked at each other but there were no solutions on their faces. In any case, there was nothing they could choose.

“…Let’s move.”

They started to move along the specified path. They ran, swam or crossed railings as they constantly headed towards the outskirts of Seoul. Finally, the route markers ended and they faced a group of people.

“These people…”

All the remaining incarnations of Seoul Dome were gathered there. There were approximately 1,000 people.

Some faces were familiar. Min Jiwon waved her hand towards this side and there was also the reclusive Han Donghoon. They were all saved by Kim Dokja.

Yoo Jonghyuk and the party members lightly nodded at the people they recognized.

“…Here.”

The party members stopped at the same time and stared up at the inner wall of the dome. It was a huge cage that had been trapping them so far. Now they had a chance to escape from this prison. Everyone was excited but nobody took a step outside.

They were like a canary that couldn’t easily fly out of the wide open cage.

Instead, the people were looking around for something. One by one, the gazes gathered. All eyes soon gathered on one person.

It was Han Sooyoung who opened her mouth first. “Yoo Jonghyuk.”

Yoo Jonghyuk faced Han Sooyoung. She didn’t say anything but Yoo Jonghyuk read her eyes.

‘Don’t waste the opportunity that Kim Dokja gave you.’

Yoo Jonghyuk blinked slowly and stepped forward. Numerous people were waiting for him.

It was to celebrate the moment they were finally freed. Yoo Jonghyuk was troubled as he gazed at the group focused on him.

Yoo Jonghyuk had been in this position several times in his past lives. He was sometimes eloquent and sometimes a charismatic leader. It wasn’t hard to find the words to give to the crowd.

Then why? He didn’t want to say such things this time. Instead, he said, “…I won’t give up on this life.”

Perhaps there was no one here who would understand his words. In the midst of the terrible loneliness that came from this face, Yoo Jonghyuk declared.

“So don’t give up either.”

He didn’t know if it had been delivered or not. Yoo Jonghyuk turned away from the crowd and slowly walked to the inner wall of the dome. Then…

Bang!

Just one.

Bang!

Then two.

His angry fists struck the wall. Large cracks spread through the inner wall of the dome, centred on the point that was in contact with his fists.

It was a wall that couldn’t be overcome after the scenario started. The wall collapsed slightly and a gap that was the size of a human was made. It was a landscape that always existed but couldn’t be overcome.

Yoo Jonghyuk took the first step into that landscape.

“Let’s go.”

He stepped towards a scenario without Kim Dokja.

***

「 In the darkness, the lone Kim Dokja finally woke up. 」