2 I slept like a log that night. It was the first good sleep I’d had in a long time. [Due to getting a good night’s sleep, your mental power has fully recovered.] [Some of your exclusive skills have been updated.] When I checked the clock I saw it was already four in the afternoon. I must have been exhausted after going around the nearby stations and planting my flag in them the night before. [Currently occupied stations: Chungmuro (HQ), Myeong-dong, Dongdaemun, Dongmyo, Sindang, Cheongu, Yaksu, Sinseol-dong] With the successful takeover of Dongmyo, I controlled nine stations in total. Just one more, and I would complete King’s Path. One of my key objectives for the early scenarios, King of No Killing, was now within reach. I left the tent to find Huiwon and Hyeonseong waiting for me. “We’re all ready to go. When are we leaving?” “Give me a minute.” I sent them away and turned to the two men next to me. “Did you sleep well?” The night before, I’d decided the fate of all Dongmyo group members, including this pair. Minseob Jung prostrated himself before me. “……Please don’t kill us.” “Ugh…… We’ll do anything, so please…” I had every reason to cut off their heads on the spot, but I didn’t. I still had a use for them, until I’d wiped out the rest of the Oracles, at least. I had added them to the Chungmuro group, and my flag evolved to brown. With the brown flag, a group leader could put restrictions on their group members. [You have exercised your authority as the leader.] [You have placed restrictions on group members Seongguk Lee and Minseob Jung.] Seeing the system messages that popped up, the two men’s faces changed. “First, you must never tell anyone else about my identity.” “Y-yes, sir.” “Second, you must obey my commands unconditionally and never act on your own without my permission.” “Of course!” [Group member Seongguk Lee and Minseob Jung gladly accept the terms.] [The penalty for breaking these restrictions is death.] [Group members Seongguk Lee and Minseob Jung will die if they break these restrictions.] I nodded, then continued, “Well, then… I might change my mind, but do your best. I’ll be watching how you act, then deciding what to do with you.” They swallowed nervously, but seemed kind of excited for some reason. I couldn’t understand these two. Maybe they were thinking that if they couldn’t leech off of the real Junghyeok Yu, it wouldn’t be so bad to side with me. “By the way, sir, how should we address you?” “Same as now. Except, call me Junghyeok Yu in front of the other Oracles. Oh, and you, Minseob Jung…” “Yes, sir.” “…hand over that Fugitive’s Mask.” He looked upset, but had no other choice. I needed to keep impersonating Junghyeok for the Night of the Oracles, and this mask would come in handy for whatever might happen there. As soon as I put on the mask, my facial muscles began to contort in weird ways, and my appearance began to change. It felt strange, but I quickly got used to it. “Wow… Is that what the real Junghyeok Yu looks like?” “He’s so handsome… The Revelation was right.” These bastards…… I was about to say a choice word or two, but stopped myself. I didn’t want to be petty over something like this. Come to think of it, I should find out more about these two, just in case. “Minseob Jung, what are your attri—?” Before I could finish, a system message came up. [This character has been updated.] ……What? I activated “Character Profile” as a test. <Character Profile> Name: Minseob Jung Age: 25 Sponsoring Constellation: Cursed Gladiator Exclusive Attributes: Berserker (Rare), 1,089th Renouncer (Common) Exclusive Skills: [Blade Proficiency Lv.2], [Powerful Blow Lv.2], [Berserk Lv.3], [Memory Enhancement Lv.5]… Stigma: [Vengeance Lv.1] Total Stats: [Stamina Lv.18], [Strength Lv.16], [Agility Lv.12], [Magic Power Lv.10] Overall Evaluation: This incarnation has great overall stats and abilities. Despite only receiving half-hearted support from his sponsoring constellation, he possesses considerable skill as a warrior. If only he had been a bit more patient, he could have been one of the Twelve Disciples. What a shame. ……This is what it meant by “Character Profile” updating? Just yesterday, I couldn’t see his attribute menu, but now he had become a “character.” Minseob Jung and Seongguk Lee were Oracles—people from outside the novel. So why did they suddenly change into characters? “Oh, my attribute is—” “No need.” “Yes, sir.” I checked Seongguk Lee’s attributes as well. Luckily, they were as he said yesterday. Hypnotist and the Ninth Renouncer… The second one was garbage, but the first one could be quite useful. “Give me your phone.” “Of course! Here it is.” I took Seongguk Lee’s phone and tried to connect to the group chat. ……Oh, right. The internet isn’t working right now. I cut it off yesterday… [Character Donghoon Han has activated “Wide Area Network” Lv.5.] [You may use the internet on this device.] As soon as I’d thought that, the internet came back on. I glanced toward the tent where Donghoon was. My phone vibrated at that moment, and I checked it to find a message. I’ll trust you. One last time. It seemed something had also changed within Donghoon last night. I quickly typed out a reply. Thanks. I would have a chance to talk with him more later. For now, I opened the Oracles’ group chat on Seongguk Lee’s phone. [Members Online: 9th Renouncer, 15th RIP, 124th Renouncer, 763, The 887th, 645th Renouncer, etc. 36 people total.] Their IDs made it immediately obvious who they were. But something wasn’t right. “……Thirty-six people in total?” Minseob Jung attempted to explain, sounding a bit defensive. “Everyone in there is an early renouncer. None of them is a Disciple.” I see. “By the way, sir? Yesterday you said we should’ve read until the end… Does that mean you also know about the Revelation?” Seeing the hopeful look in his eyes, I smirked. Oh, I more than just “know about” it. “You won’t regret joining me instead of Junghyeok Yu.” Soon after, we headed toward Anguk Station, doing our best to avoid conflict areas. The Night of the Oracles was going to be held there. I was spying on their group chat with Seongguk Lee’s phone. 519th: For real?? Is Junghyeok Yu really coming tonight? 67th: Yeah. 9th and 1089th confirmed it. The 887th: 9th is a moron but if 1089th says so, that’s more believable… 124th Renouncer: If this doesn’t work, we’re all dead. You guys know that, right? The 887th: Your not even in seoul lol don’t act like you have any stakes in this. 124th Renouncer: Oh, I meant, everyone except me. Suck it, you city dwellers! ^^ The 887th: wish i could regress like junghyeok…if only i read the whole novel…or even 50 chapters…i couldve been a disciple… 15th RIP: Tbh there’s something wrong with ppl who read that much. How do you read 50 chapters of that garbage? lol 124th Renouncer: True. Those guys are crazy. lmao Yes. People show their true colors when they can hide behind anonymity. The numbers on their IDs seemed to indicate who quit reading first. 888: …btw is it true there’s not a single bootleg copy of the novel? 124th Renouncer: I’ve been looking everywhere, but there’s nothing on the internet… It’s so trash that no one even pirated it… *cries* 763: Can you imagine how OP you would be if you had that? LOL. If I had it, I wouldn’t share it. Bootleg? Pay for the novel if you want to read it, assholes. Anyway, reading their group chat reminded me of the time when I was reading TWSA. So these guys are the other people who were reading it, huh? How the tables have turned. You never know what’ll happen in life. “We’re here, sir.” I was going to say “What? Already?” But the Anguk platform was right in front of me. I spotted some Oracles who had already arrived. But something was odd. “No one’s claimed this station yet?” “No, sir. The Oracles agreed to keep it that way, since meeting in a territory that belongs to one party can be dangerous. It’s a neutral zone of sorts.” At that moment, one of the Oracles waved and began to walk toward us. “Yo, 1,089th!” “Oh, it’s you! 763rd!” Minseob Jung smiled and waved back excitedly. “How have you been? You look great.” “Great? Yeah, right. The Tyrant King is driving me nuts.” “That’s why I told you to stay away from Dobong-gu. Shoulda listened to me…” 763rd began to chat loudly with Minseob Jung, until he spotted me. He froze. “I-is that…you-know-who…?” Minseob Jung nodded. 763rd was shocked. “It’s a tremendous honor to meet you, Mr. Junghyeok Yu!” Noticing the sudden commotion, other Oracles started gathering around us one by one. “What? That’s him?” They all ran toward me at the same time. Though there were very few, I saw some female Oracles as well. “He’s even more handsome than I imagined! Mr. Yu, I’m the 998th!” “1,055th here!” What is this…? I felt like I’d become a king for real. Numerous pairs of twinkling eyes focused on me, trying desperately to get my attention. I wondered how they’d react if they found out that I wasn’t the real Junghyeok Yu. Even at a glance, I could tell there was no one here of note. Their knowledge of the future was incomplete, and their own abilities weren’t anything special. Still, one of them did catch my eye. “I could never forget the scene where you fought the Demon King Asmodeus in your second loop.” Oh? “Too bad it was only a flashback, though… I’ve always wanted to meet you and hear the full tale in person.” TWSA starts from Junghyeok’s third loop, so the stories from his second loop were only described in flashbacks. He knows about Asmodeus? That means he got quite far. But if he found it so moving, why didn’t he keep reading? Bastard. “What number renouncer are you?” “I’m the 1,168th.” That meant he’d almost read up to Chapter 50, probably more than anyone else here. The man claiming to be the 1,168th asked me, “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, is it true this is your third loop?” “That’s right.” “Ah, I see……” Some of the Oracles looked disappointed. Yes, I understood why they felt this way. TWSA was a novel based on Junghyeok’s infinite regressions, so they must be disappointed that this was an earlier loop. But come on. The early part has its own charm, too… You’ve no right to act like that when you didn’t even give the rest of the novel a chance. Just then, there was a loud commotion in the back. “Whoa, that’s Hyeonseong Lee!” “Are you really Steel Blade Hyeonseong Lee?” Surrounded by a small crowd, Hyeonseong looked flustered, his face turning a deep shade of red. “Wh-why are you doing this? I’m not the steel whatever.” “Wow, he’s just like how I imagined! Those muscles on his arms!” “Gosh, he looks so strong!” Hyeonseong was handsome in his own way, so he was quite popular with the female Oracles. At that moment, a man nearby showed some interest in Huiwon. “Um…are you, by chance, Naval Commander Jihye Lee?” “Nope.” “Then, may I ask your name…?” “I’m Huiwon Jung. Why?” “Oh, I see. Excuse me.” Clearly disappointed, the Oracle passed her by and went to gawk at Hyeonseong instead. Huiwon stared blankly for a bit, then messaged me through Group Chat. Why aren’t people interested in me? Because you’re not that famous in the future. Tch. So do better from now on. I ignored Huiwon’s disappointed eyes. The “Night of the Oracles”? More like the Night of the Fan Meetup. I’d wasted enough time with this idle chitchat. “Where is the weapon?” “Sorry?” “This secret weapon I heard about. I want to see it first.” “Oh, that.” 763rd excitedly walked toward the middle of the platform and pulled aside a large cloth covering something up. It was a giant rock. No, wait. “Is it a meteorite?” “Ha-ha. That’s right. You may not know at this point, Mr. Yu, but according to the Revelation, there’s a powerful weapon inside.” “A weapon?” “Yes, sir! We’re guessing it’s something even stronger than a constellation artifact.” “But it should take some time for meteorites to hatch.” “Ha-ha. We’ve been taking turns injecting it with magic power. It should hatch tonight at the latest. It’s already been a few days, so…” As I watched him ramble on proudly, I got a sinking feeling. A red meteorite. That didn’t make any sense. You’d only know about it if you’d read past the fourth loop. “Who the hell told you all this?” “Pardon?” “Tell me who brought that meteorite here.” “Oh, th-that was the…1,124th…I think?” The 1,124th? It wasn’t something an early renouncer could know about. “Where is he?” Minseob Jung looked around. “Uh…I don’t think he’s here yet,” he mumbled. The one who gave them the info isn’t here. I stood still in a daze for a second, then spoke, “We need to get out of here.” This is a trap. “What?” “Right now!” For the first time since TWSA became reality and I met Junghyeok Yu, a chill ran down my spine. Using that thing as a weapon? What kind of idiot thought of that…? I looked around at the Oracles who were staring at me cluelessly and gritted my teeth. It was at that moment that the tremors started. Rumble— I slowly backed away from the meteorite that had begun to shake. I’d come here to wipe out the Oracles, but I was in danger of getting wiped out myself. “Wh-what’s going on?” Minseob Jung sounded dumber than ever. Damn it. We’re still in the fourth scenario, and we have to face a Catastrophe meant for the fifth scenario? I yelled at Huiwon and Hyeonseong, who had sensed something was wrong and were coming toward me. “Everyone! Run!” I shouldn’t have trusted the idiots who had barely skimmed through the beginning. Everyone here was in grave danger. A red aura emanated from the red meteorite and bathed the entire platform in an ominous shade of crimson. “Ooh, is it about to hatch?!” Some Oracles were screaming with excitement. Huiwon and Hyeonseong rushed to my side. “What do you mean, run…?” It was too late. The red aura had spread through the whole platform, and I could see that a faint barrier had closed off the area. None of the Oracles could leave Anguk Station. [Constellations who were protesting against the excessive censorship pause to watch.] [Numerous constellations are excited to see the “sign.”] [Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband watches with curiosity.] [Constellation Secretive Plotter is looking forward to your ingenious plan.] Even constellations were excited and sending indirect messages. In TWSA, the most dangerous situations always happened right after constellations came together like there was a big party. Like now. I turned to the nervous-looking Minseob Jeong. “It was also 1,124th who called for this meeting, wasn’t it?” “Huh? I’m not sure. I just know we all agreed to it…” I felt like there was a huge lump in my stomach. The situation was far worse than anything I could’ve prepared for. Everyone, get behind me. I tried my best to protect my companions, never taking my eye off the meteorite. Aren’t we going to run away? We can’t. There’s a barrier. Huh? What barrier? I didn’t answer and continued to glare at the meteorite in the center of the platform. The meteorites were the main event of the fifth scenario. Depending on the color and size, each contained a reward or a danger. And if I was correct, the one in front of me was something that should never be hatched. They must’ve gotten it wrong because the meteorite that contained a constellation artifact in the third loop was described as “bright red”… “What if it’s a constellation artifact? How do we decide who gets it?” “Well, that’s…” Blissfully ignorant, some of the Oracles approached the meteorite and put their hands on it. At that moment— [A sign of the fifth main scenario has appeared.] A message came up. “Huh? What’s that?” “What’s this about a main scen—” Craaack— Red light shined through a thin fissure that had formed on the meteorite. The first person struck by the red light was an Oracle who had been staring at it curiously. Fshk— This Oracle’s headless body slowly fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut. “What the hell?!” The others screamed and stepped back in shock, but it was too late. I retreated to the edge of the barrier with my companions and watched the situation unfold. I remembered reading about this particular meteorite in TWSA, but I couldn’t recall exactly what had come out of it. Please, anything but a major Catastrophe. The meteorite split open and a red lava burst poured out. The surface of the platform melted, giving off a noxious smell. The temperature rose rapidly, and it became hard to breathe. Our surroundings were changing. Is this…a lava field? [Level-5 fire dragon Lesser Dragon Ignir has appeared!] “What the—?! Where’s the constellation artifact…?” A few Oracles activated their movement skills in a panic, but a long tail emerged from the meteorite and grabbed some of them before they could get away. “Gaaah!” One unfortunate Oracle was burned to ashes the moment the tail wrapped around his body. The others activated their skills and tried to attack the tail, but this time, their weapons melted away. “Wh-what is that monster…?” The meteorite was about two meters tall and wide at most, but the tail of the monster crawling out of it was easily five meters. Huiwon turned to me. What is that thing? A Catastrophe. A Catastrophe? The meteorite completely split open with a loud noise, and the rest of the fire dragon’s body burst through the crack in the dimension. Groooar—! As far as dragons were concerned, this was only a hatchling. In fact, it was a diminished version of a hatchling. But there was a reason why dragons stood at the apex of all monster species. A level-6 monster would be enough to wipe out every Oracle here. And this was a level-5 fire dragon… “Mr. Yu!” A few Oracles called to me in desperation, and all eyes immediately turned to me. I scowled. “All of you, move back to the edges of the platform.” Like well-trained puppies, they did just that. A few with fast feet tried to go upstairs, but… “Shit! There’s a barrier!” The diminished version of the lesser dragon was a “minor Catastrophe.” It was a Catastrophe all the same, but perhaps the situation was slightly less doomed. After all, I at least knew its attack patterns. Junghyeok Yu had definitely dealt with this in one of his countless loops. I turned to my companions. A hidden scenario will begin soon. A hidden scenario? This monster has no business being in the fourth scenario. It’s abnormally difficult, so someone should be here to intervene. In order to even stand a chance against a Catastrophe, the various benefits provided in the fifth scenario were an absolute necessity. For instance, the rewards from a blue or a green meteorite… But we had nothing of the sort. That meant we should receive something to even out the balance. [Some constellations are protesting the scenario’s abnormal difficulty.] Just as I expected, a small child-sized being appeared in midair with a spark. It wasn’t a low-level goblin like Bihyeong. It was wearing a slick suit and had two horns on its head. I didn’t know its name, but I could guess what it was. A mid-level goblin. Hmm, this is awkward. How did you all end up on this route? I did notice you people were getting ahead of yourselves lately, but this… Tsk, tsk. As soon as its deep voice rang out, the lesser dragon froze in place. This was the level of control a mid-grade goblin could have over the scenario. You haven’t even cleared the fourth scenario, so why on earth would you awaken a Catastrophe? The appearance of a mid-level goblin meant that we had almost reached the end of the earlier scenarios. With its watchful eyes on us, I’d have to be very careful of taking advantage of my contract with Bihyeong. Some of you are fan favorites among the constellations, so I can’t sit back and let you all die… But I can’t just lower the difficulty, either… As the goblin said those words, its eyes lingered on me for a brief moment. “This isn’t right! We haven’t even cleared the fourth scenario!” one of the Oracles shouted, his face pale from the fear of imminent death. He must have been a very early renouncer, judging by the way the others rushed to shut him up. Nothing good would come out of yelling at a goblin, especially in a situation like this. I’ve made a decision. Lowering the difficulty is out of the question. Oracles glared at the guy who had yelled at the goblin. Gasps of despair sounded around the platform. They had read TWSA, so they knew that once a goblin had spoken, it wouldn’t go back on its word. But they should know this as well… Still, it’d be no fun if you all just died, so I’ll see what I can do to tweak this scenario a bit. Goblins liked to talk more than you’d think. [An impromptu sub scenario has been added to the hidden scenario.] The Lesser Dragon started moving again. Its red, leathery front foot struck the platform with incredible power. Crash! Dodging the barrage of flying debris, I opened the new scenario. <Hidden Scenario - United or Divided, You Will Fall> Category: Hidden Difficulty: A Mission: Defeat the minor Catastrophe Lesser Dragon Ignir, or survive its onslaught within the time limit. Remaining Time: 20 minutes Reward: 3,000 coins Penalty for failure: Death *There are hidden features in this scenario. A twenty-minute survival mission. The name, the contents, none of this was normal. Hyeonseong asked a question over “Group Chat.” We have to beat that thing? No, don’t even think about it. It may have been a minor one, but it was still a Catastrophe. Even if the real Junghyeok Yu were here, we wouldn’t stand a chance against a level-5 fire dragon. The carnage unfolding on the platform was proof of that. Red flames blasted out of the monster’s giant mouth. “Gyaaah!” Oracles turned to piles of ash at the mere touch of the flame. Parts of the wall hit by the fire melted out of shape. Then the monster’s mouth slowly turned toward us. “Everyone, run around the room clockwise!” Enduring the sweltering heat, we sprinted at full speed to stay ahead of where its maw was pointing. Luckily, Huiwon and Hyeonseong were keeping up with me. Minseob Jung and Seongguk Lee lagged behind a bit, but they seemed fine for the time being. Then the same thing again. This time, we were able to anticipate its attack pattern and stay well ahead. The problem was that its attacks weren’t always the same. [Level-5 Fire Dragon Lesser Dragon Ignir prepares to use “Flame of Destruction.”] ……So it begins. We had managed to avoid its regular attack, but the real horror was about to start. “Look for a panel.” “What?” “A number five…or a two and a three! As long as it adds up to five! Hurry!” [The hidden feature has been activated.] [Number panels have been activated.] [When the correct number of people are inside a panel, they will gain “Absolute Shield” for ten seconds.] [If the number of people on a panel is greater or less than the designated number, “Absolute Shield” will not activate.] The Oracles looked utterly confused by the system message. Panels around seven square meters in size appeared on the platform floor. “A panel? Oh, I see!” “That must be the hidden feature!” I bit my lip as I watched the Oracles fumble about, trying to find the right panels. I could almost see the constellations snickering at their desperate movements. Why had so many constellations complained about the difficulty of the scenario? The answer was simple. “Death without a story” was no fun. Those bastards didn’t want to watch helpless ants get squashed by a giant’s foot. What they wanted to see was the ants struggle desperately to survive, ants that would rip apart their kin if it meant they could stay alive a few moments longer. [A large number of constellations are watching the situation with amusement.] Damn constellations. “Get out!” “Argh!” Oracles who had been calling each other by their renouncer numbers, chatting and joking like old friends, were now swinging their weapons at each other on a panel that read “1.” Some tried to approach a panel that was already full and were immediately cut down, their blood covering the platform floor. Some Oracles seemed to be a step ahead of their befuddled compatriots. A group of them had already formed a team and taken up defensive positions inside a panel that matched their number. I watched them carefully. One thing was clear—someone had set this up deliberately. Most likely the so-called Disciples. They knew the gathering was taking place here and planned to wipe out all the early renouncers in one fell swoop. It was a smart move. Their knowledge might’ve been flawed, but the fewer people who had information about the future, the better. If things were playing out as normal, the Disciples would be somewhere far away, laughing at the thought of all the foolish renouncers dying here one by one. That is, assuming they were “normal.” Those people had read more than fifty chapters of that boring novel; “normal” was not a word I would use to describe them. They were the kind of people who called themselves “the Disciples” and tried to control all the information. If they were knowledgeable enough to use the red meteorite as a trap, wouldn’t they also know a way to overcome the Catastrophe that would emerge from the meteorite? In other words… Sir! There are no panels! I don’t see one here, either! Minseob and Huiwon cried out in desperation. By some cruel twist of luck, we seemed to find ourselves in a corner of the platform with no panels. Oh, I found one! But… We had finally found a panel, but an ominous number was written on it. [4] Meaning only four people could get in and survive. But there were five of us. [Level-5 Fire Dragon Lesser Dragon Ignir uses “Flame of Destruction.”] An explosion of fire from the middle of the platform spread throughout the station. This was the lesser dragon’s wide-area attack. We were standing quite a distance from the monster, but the heat was enough to burn my skin. We had to activate the shield, or we were all dead. “S-sir?” Seongguk and Minseob trembled in terror when my gaze fell on them. I gripped the hilt of Blade of Faith. Just then… “Mr. Yu!” I whipped around to see an Oracle standing on a panel. “2.” The situation was as dire as it could be, but there was an odd sense of calm on his face. “Over here!” Wasn’t he the one who…? A memory flashed by in my head. I threw myself toward where he was standing and shouted at my companions behind me. “Activate the shield!” [“Absolute Shield” has been activated.] Soon, the all-consuming flames engulfed the entire platform. It was hot enough that even I would have been reduced to ashes the moment it touched me. “Whew… Glad you made it.” The man activated the shield just in time and sighed in relief. “Who are you?” I asked. He let out a friendly chuckle. “Aw, I’m a bit hurt. Have you already forgotten? I’m number 1,168. Remember? About Asmodeus—” Of course. I remembered him, the guy who had brought up the Demon King Asmodeus. “That’s not what I’m asking.” 1,168’s eyes twitched slightly when they met mine. With everything going on, it went over my head earlier. The fight scene between the Demon King Asmodeus and Junghyeok Yu—or rather, a flashback of second-loop Junghyeok getting beaten down by Asmodeus— I remembered it well because it was also one of my favorite scenes. But…on second thought, that flashback didn’t happen in the first fifty chapters. I could confidently say this as the only person who read TWSA to the end. I pulled out my sword. “I’ll ask you again. Who are you?” [Your exclusive attribute improves your memory of the scenes you have read!] To be precise, the Asmodeus flashback appeared in Chapter 57. He didn’t look so laid-back anymore. The self-proclaimed 1,168th watched the flames being deflected by the “Absolute Shield.” “Who am I? I’m afraid I don’t—” “Did you forget? I have ‘The Eye of the Sage.’” I said that, but I couldn’t see his information. [Exclusive skill “Character Profile” has been activated.] [This character’s information cannot be viewed via “Character Profile.”] [This character is not registered in “Character Profile.”] What’s the difference between an updated character and one that isn’t? I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t need to know that to deceive this guy. After all, he still thought I was Junghyeok Yu. “…I guess there’s no fooling the man himself.” “You’re a Disciple. Am I wrong?” “You got me. So you already know about us.” The fact that he casually revealed his identity meant he still had more tricks up his sleeve. “As I thought, this was a trap. Is it because of the butterfly effect?” “Ha-ha, that’s correct.” He laughed, as though I had said something funny, then looked around at the other renouncers. “After all, too many butterflies flapping about could cause unnecessary storms.” Renouncers who couldn’t find panels in time were burning like moths in the “Flame of Destruction.” With blood-curdling screams, they turned to ash, and all their knowledge died with them. That was the price they paid for trying to get their hands on a constellation artifact without verified information. “Kill them while they’re still caterpillars, before they become butterflies…is that it?” “That’s right. Those bugs are at their most vulnerable right before they turn into chrysalises.” The flames around us began to die down, along with the temperature. Soon, “Absolute Shield” was deactivated. [The location of the panels will reset after one minute.] This hidden scenario would only end after you found the panels and survived that attack for ten rounds. We only just survived one, so we still had to do this nine more times. As a test, I put my foot down on the floor outside of the shield. It was quite hot, but bearable. Sir! I raised my hand to stop my team from getting any closer. I didn’t have time to take care of them now. You’ve seen its attack pattern. Do your best to dodge it. I can’t tell you what to do from here on. They immediately realized something was off and stopped in their tracks. It was too dangerous to drag my companions into this when I had no idea what the Disciples were capable of. The 1,168th turned to me. “You seem a bit different from the Revelation. Is this really your third loop?” “You talk too much. What number renouncer are you?” “Hmm? You should know since you checked for yourself.” “I like people who are the same on the inside and the outside. I can’t make a deal with a two-faced rat bastard.” The Disciple’s eyes lit up. “Very interesting.” “There must be a reason you readily revealed yourself to me.” The Lesser Dragon’s tail cut through the air and slammed down where we were standing. It was easy enough for me, with my agility over thirty, to avoid the attack. What surprised me was the 1,168th’s quickness. I activated “Sharp Observation,” which I had acquired in the cinema dungeon. I’d held onto it to use on people who couldn’t be viewed via “Character Profile.” The strength of his legs, speed, respiratory rate… It appeared the sum of his physical stats was around forty-nine or fifty. He was a cut above the other Oracles I’d met. He spoke when I caught up to him. “Allow me to properly introduce myself: I’m number 1,195, the fifth Disciple.” The first chapter of TWSA had 1,200 views. If he was the 1,195th Renouncer, it stood to reason that he was one of the top five who knew the most about this world. “What’re you after? Do you seek my help?” “Ha-ha. What if I told you…I’m trying to save you?” “Saying that a maggot could turn into a butterfly would be more believable.” “Ah, right. You have ‘Lie Detection.’” The Disciple licked his dry lips. Should I get rid of him now? …No, I need to get more information out of him. I have to keep him talking just a little longer. “But I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to save you. It’s not good for us if you die here. That would completely mess up the prophecy.” “So you knew I’d come here.” “We only found out a few hours ago. That’s why we had to revise our plan in a hurry.” More Oracles near us died from the flames, but a few were still hanging on. They appeared to know the lesser dragon’s attack patterns. I made a mental note of them. “We weren’t planning on taking part directly until you came here.” “And?” “You already know the answer, don’t you?” [The panels have been reset.] [Level-5 Fire Dragon Lesser Dragon Ignir prepares to use “Flame of Destruction.”] It looked like my companions had successfully secured a panel once again. The Disciple and I found one with “2” on it. To be exact, the Disciple took it by force from someone who was already there. There was a bit of blood splattered on his cheek from the hostile takeover. “We are going to hunt the lesser dragon.” [Level-5 Fire Dragon Lesser Dragon Ignir uses “Flame of Destruction.”] The “Absolute Shield” activated in time and blocked the flames once again. Fwoooom! It was only the second round, but less than a quarter of the Oracles were still alive. My companions seemed to be hanging on somehow, but there was no telling when their luck would run out. [A penalty has been applied.] [Starting with the next round, the number of panels will decrease.] I narrowed my eyes and turned to the Disciple. “You think that’s possible?” “I know it is. We’ve made ample preparations.” His oddly confident voice gave me a sense of apprehension. Come to think of it, there’s not a drop of sweat on this guy, despite this heat. That was when I noticed a faint bluish aura of chill around his body. Is that…? I see. They were well prepared indeed. “Blue Ice pills?” “That’s correct.” It was a rare medicine that had a small chance of dropping from level-7 elementals that appeared in the Gangseo region. They had already gotten their hands on something like that. Consuming it let you exude a powerful ice energy for thirty minutes. In other words, they had a means to damage the lesser dragon. The problem was their attack power. “Even so, you can’t do this by yourself.” “By myself? When did I say that?” I scanned the surviving Oracles. I took a closer look at the group that had caught my eye earlier and noticed the faint bluish aura around their bodies as well. “Ha-ha, you didn’t think I’d come here alone, did you?” Even at a glance, I could tell there were at least five of them. They sent almost half of the Disciples are here for this? Five Disciples powered up with Blue Ice pills… Their confidence suddenly seemed more justified. However… “Having a few more people won’t change anything.” “That’s why I’m asking you for your help. If you agree, I’ll give you a Blue Ice pill.” “If I refuse?” “Your companions will all die.” “And you won’t?” “We can at least take care of ourselves, even if we can’t kill the lesser dragon.” He’s full of himself. If I were the real Junghyeok Yu, these bastards would already be dead. I pulled out Blade of Faith and pointed it at the Disciple’s neck. “My companions? You think I care about them? People die. I can always find other useful ones.” The Disciple shook his head. “Ha-ha. You’re just as the Revelation describes. But you should think carefully.” “Why is that?” “Because your main base should’ve fallen to us by now.” “……What?” “Naval Commander Jihye Lee, a kid with a weird power, and one of the Ten Evils. It’s different from the Revelation, but that’s a solid party you’ve put together. If they all get killed, do you really think you can recover?” They already looked into that, too? These bastards… “And what if you lose Chungmuro Station on top of that? It’s a suggestion for now, but it won’t always be. Our group has already conquered ten stations and completed the King’s Path scenario. The gap between a group with a “king” and one without… Well, you don’t need me to tell you, right?” “……” “It should be all over by now. Our king is most likely waiting to plant the flag in Chungmuro. Depending on your decision here, of course.” ……I see. So that was their plan. As soon as they found out I was coming to the Night of the Oracles, they made plans to attack Chungmuro. “Mr. Yu, if you agree to work with us, we’ll not only guarantee your companions’ safety, but also give you our full support from here on out. I swear this on the “King’s Honor.” My heart was pounding. Such a cleverly planned and ruthlessly executed threat, against Junghyeok Yu, no less. How could they be so bold? Even in all of TWSA, there weren’t many masterminds of this caliber. “Who’s your king? What number renouncer are they?” “Hmm… The king does not like to be called a renouncer.” “Then what do you call him?” “Even for you, I ask that you refrain from speaking lightly of our king. Of all of us, only he has read the Revelation in its entirety. He’s a man who knows all about your past and future.” ……What? That took me by surprise, but I wasn’t too bothered by it. How interesting. Another person who’s read all of TWSA? It wasn’t apprehension I felt, but amusement. Because there was no way that could be true. Kraaah! The fire dragon readied its third attack. I glanced at the fifth Disciple and quietly stepped off of the panel. The smug confidence on his face immediately changed to panic when he saw me stepping forward nonchalantly. “Mr. Yu? What are you doing?” He wasn’t the only one. My companions were also staring at me in alarm. I quickly waved at them. Don’t worry. Whatever happens, stay in there. Got it? I started walking toward the lesser dragon, slowly but deliberately. The fire dragon, which was charging up its “Flame of Destruction,” glared at me with ferocity. “What the hell are you doing?! Get back here!” Behind me, the Disciple called out urgently. I looked back and smiled at him. “I guess your king didn’t tell you about this future?” As I was listening to him prattle on, I’d been thinking. I can’t let these people leave here alive. But they know how to deal with the dragon, and I can’t wipe them all out by myself. In that case…… I continued with a grin, “Have you forgotten about my stigma?” If I were in their shoes, what would I be most afraid of right now? “I’m not scared of dying. I can start over as many times as I need to.” The answer was simple. They thought I was Junghyeok Yu, after all. Their biggest fear was the same as mine. “But what about you, I wonder? You people are an anomaly that only appeared in this loop. Will you exist in the next one as well? Or will you disappear with this world?” The thing I wanted to stop Junghyeok from doing at all costs. “If you’ve really read the so-called Revelation, then you’d know the answer, right?” The Disciple’s face went pale. Sometimes it’s the clever ones who are the easiest to manipulate. “Grab him!” The five Disciples who were on a different panel began running toward me at once. I knew it. Behind their smug façade, they were still mere “renouncers” who had gotten caught up in the scenarios. They had no idea what would happen to the world and to them if the main character died. “Hurry! Get him!” Just like me. [Level-5 Fire Dragon Lesser Dragon Ignir uses “Flame of Destruction.”] The moment the fire exploded in the middle of the platform, I lunged with all my strength toward the dragon’s legs. Then I rammed my flag in Anguk Station’s flag slot. [You have claimed Anguk Station.] [Your claimed stations: Chungmuro (HQ), Myeong-dong, Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, Dongdaemun, Dongmyo, Sindang, Cheonggu, Yaksu, Sinseol-dong, Anguk] [Your brown flag has gained additional points.] [You have occupied ten stations in total!] [You have completed the hidden scenario - King’s Path.] [Based on the path you have walked, you are presented with several options as a new king.] 1. Arrogant King of Hypocrisy 2. Solitary King 3. King of No Killing … I chose without even reading the options. “King of No Killing.” [You have gained a new attribute, King of No Killing.] I’d done it. I really didn’t want to resort to this method, but it was the only way to wipe out all my enemies here. I saw the Disciples scrambling to get back to their panel when they saw the dragon’s fire attack. But it was too late. “Should’ve been more careful. You only live once.” They were engulfed in the dark crimson wave created by the flames. This attack wasn’t something they could survive even with Blue Ice pills. [The durability of your Reinforced Armor Suit decreases drastically.] [Your Reinforced Armor Suit is completely worn down.] Soon, my sight went dark too. I lost consciousness as I felt my skin burn. [You have died.] There was a system message soon after. [The special ability of King of No Killing has been activated.]
Chapter 47
36 min read