Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 707

Chapter 707

Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter:

***

The 41st scenario was entirely unique, unlike any that had come before it.

This was because of the existence of something known as the ‘Kim Dokja Fragment’.

A single piece was powerful enough to evolve a Dark Sentinel into a far more advanced monster species.

When one considered it, even Asmodeus, who had evolved into an Outer God, had been gathering these ‘Kim Dokja fragments’.

Given that, it was impossible that the constellations of the great nebulae, who possessed better intelligence than anyone, would be unaware of the fragments’ significance.

[Is it you?]

The constellations now descending before us were proof of that.

‘I should have seen this coming!’

With apostles scattered across various nations and the scenario’s filtering intensity lowered, the major nebulae were bound to make a move, aware of the value of ‘Kim Dokja’.

But our position was already terrible.

They had laid a trap to capture the ‘Demon King of Salvation’, and we had walked right into it.

‘Constellation-nim.’

—It’s alright.

Despite the imminent danger, Kim Dokja’s composure did not break.

[You don’t appear as powerful as the rumors suggested.]

[The incarnation body’s level is also mediocre.]

[Is this truly worth the effort? I fail to comprehend the motives of the myth-grade constellations.]

[Do not be fooled. It is still the first fragment of the ‘Oldest Dream’.]

[You speak of that deposed god?]

Unlike the constellations watching from the sky, these beings spoke without any restraint.

We were in the ‘Ginnongagap’.

Perhaps they felt secure knowing that no one recorded the stories of this place and that no other constellations could see what happened here.

Kim Dokja addressed the arrogant figures. «You were looking for me?»

Even confronted by a line of ten constellations, his confidence was unshaken, as if he were certain they alone could not threaten him.

The constellations seemed both annoyed and grudgingly impressed by his demeanor. After a moment of silent communication, their twinkling lights stilled, and one stepped forward.

It was the ‘Valkyrie’s Daughter’.

Dressed in a winged helmet and plate armor of alabaster metal, she fixed a glare on Kim Dokja before offering a sly smile.

[To be precise, you have come to us.]

«I have no memory of seeking you out.»

[We summoned you. We were curious if the real ‘Demon King of Salvation’ would answer.]

So, this scenario was indeed a trap crafted by <Asgard>.

«And what is your verdict, now that you see me?»

[Join us, ‘Demon King of Salvation’.]

The Valkyrie’s Daughter beckoned with a seductive smile. Kim Dokja tilted his head, his expression deliberately puzzled.

«Explain.»

[It means we will welcome you as a constellation of <Asgard>.]

The suggestion was unexpected.

An invitation from <Asgard>.

This had occurred frequently in the original plot, and I myself had received an offer from <Asgard> after hunting the ‘Founder of the Absolute Throne’.

But it was nothing like this.

[Nebula <Asgard> invites the constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ to join the nebula.]

[There are no penalties of any kind attached to this request.]

An unconditional invitation to join a Nebula.

Had they ever made an offer this generous before? When I was asked, <Asgard> had demanded an ‘absolute command’ for two hundred years as a condition.

[That is not all. If you join our nebula, we will also extend our support to your incarnation.]

Perhaps due to the unexpected nature of the proposal, Kim Dokja remained silent for a moment. The ‘Valkyrie’s Daughter’ seemed to interpret this as a positive sign and pressed on.

[We will grant you a privilege no other incarnation has ever received. You will share access to our legendary stories and relics. Your incarnation will then ascend through these scenarios faster than any other.]

The legendary stories and relics of Asgard.

If their offer was genuine, I would be treated better than ‘Anna Croft’ the moment I accepted.

My eyes briefly met Anna Croft’s from a few steps away. She watched the exchange with a confused expression, seemingly unable to grasp the full context.

Kim Dokja glanced at her before speaking again. «You will provide all of that, simply for my signature?»

[Yes.]

«What kind of telecom service is this?»

[Telecom service? What are you implying?]

«Can you swear it on the name of ‘One-Eyed Matreya’? That you truly will place no conditions upon me?»

The constellations exchanged looks but did not answer. Then, one of them finally stirred.

[How dare you invoke my father’s name—]

«It seems you cannot.»

Kim Dokja let out a light, derisive snort.

«I don’t believe in favors with no strings attached. There will undoubtedly be hidden clauses. Your kind always operates that way.»

I shared Kim Dokja’s suspicion. There was no reason for ten of them to be here out of pure generosity.

Finally, another constellation, the one who had defended her father, stepped forward, her face contorted in anger.

[I will waste no more words. Hand over all the ‘fragments’ you have collected to <Asgard> immediately.]

[One who washes cleanly. Stand down!]

[Daughter of the Valkyrie, we have little time. ‘Gingagap’ will not remain open for long.]

Kim Dokja shrugged and laughed. «You see? Isn’t it better when we are honest with one another?»

All ten constellations turned their focus to us.

[We will ask one final time. Will you join our nebula?]

«I must decline. I am already the representative of a certain nebula.»

Hearing those words made my heart pound unexpectedly.

The ‘Demon King of Salvation’ who spoke them was the Kim Dokja from the story I remembered.

Perhaps the memories Kim Dokja had recovered from the past pertained to the <Kim Dokja Company>.

The murmuring constellations frowned.

[What nebula have you joined?]

«Kim Dokja’s Company.»

[No such nebula exists.]

He was correct. A nebula named <Kim Dokja Company> did not exist in this world line. It might never exist in the future.

Then Kim Dokja said:

«Of course. Lower-tier beings like you would know nothing of them.»

[You…!]

The combined gaze of ten constellations fell upon me, generating an immense, crushing pressure.

These were stares that had witnessed the salvation and death of countless incarnations.

Yet Kim Dokja showed not a hint of intimidation.

If I considered it, he had endured this very pressure all along. Since the scenarios began, and perhaps even before.

[If you refuse our offer, you will be destroyed here. Along with your incarnation.]

«Are the ten of you enough to manage that?»

Kim Dokja released a dark chuckle.

The monster that had grown by consuming the gaze of the stars was now staring back at them from their own level.

*Coo coo coo coo coo.*

An unusual energy current began to flow. The angered constellations responded in kind, their fury becoming palpable.

I focused on the black-gloved hand of ‘the one who washes cleanly’, who was leading them.

‘Constellation-nim, that black hand.’

Kim Dokja seemed to recognize it too and gave a mental nod.

—Correct.

The hand that had retrieved the souls of readers every time they died.

A white scar was visible on the back of the constellation’s hand.

A wound I had inflicted with my ‘Unbreakable Faith’.

Damn it, these were the criminals responsible for stealing the souls of deceased readers.

«Actually, I have a counter-proposal. Give me all the ‘Kim Dokja fragments’ you have gathered.»

[What?]

«Then, I will assist you in preventing Ragnarok from occurring in this world line.»

[How dare you speak to <Asgard> in such a—]

«Be specific. You are not <Asgard>.»

My body, possessed by Kim Dokja, began to slowly levitate.

[Way of the wind.]

A fierce wind pressure erupted, causing my hair and coat to whip about violently.

«You are, at best, merely ten ‘great grade constellations’.»

[It seems you do not truly comprehend the situation you are in.]

In response to Kim Dokja’s provocation, the <Asgard> constellations adopted a calmer, more menacing tone.

[We are already aware of you. You were a rather famous constellation in other world lines.]

[But no matter who you were, your story holds no power here.]

[This is a stage that exists before your ‘stories’ have even been written.]

I understood their confidence then.

This was the stage of the beginning, ‘Ginnongagap’. Kim Dokja’s story could not unleash its full potential here.

Despite that, Kim Dokja’s calm did not break.

«Is that so?»

[Seize him.]

All ten constellations moved at once, charging toward Kim Dokja.

He watched them come and spoke.

«It appears the constellations above have heard rumors of my story, but it seems none of them relayed to you precisely what it entails.»

The leader, ‘the one who washes cleanly’, led the assault. As he thrust out his hand, dozens of shadowy hands surged toward us.

«They don’t know either.»

The Beast King’s Sensitivity protected me from the flying shadows, while simultaneously, disaster species erupted from an opening Monster Gate, unleashing their breath. It was the same strategy used to subdue the ‘black beast’ earlier.

*Coo coo coo coo!*

But this time, our opponents were ‘constellations’.

From an incarnation’s perspective, Shin Yoosoung’s monsters were powerful, but from the perspective of stars, they were different.

[Vermin!]

A constellation dressed as a Viking hurled his axe toward the gate. The weapon, charged with savage combat power, generated a gale-force wind that decapitated the monsters and tore the entrance to the gate itself apart.

Some of the terrified disaster species recoiled and fled in panic.

[Surrender your head!]

A constellation was, after all, a constellation.

This was an enemy on a completely different level from any we had faced before.

So why did I feel so little fear?

Was it because Kim Dokja was with me?

—Have you forgotten we killed the ‘Founder of the Absolute Throne’?

The memory of confronting the ‘Founder of the Absolute Throne’ at the climax of the fourth scenario surfaced.

It was just like then.

Come to think of it, I had already faced enemies stronger than them.

—You said it yourself back then.

The events of that day were etched vividly in my memory. The day I returned from death after gaining the Demon King of Salvation as my sponsor.

The day Han Sooyoung vanished.

—You are Kim Dokja.

That day, I had sworn to Han Sooyoung.

I had accepted who I was.

‘I suppose I did.’

But did accepting that mean I became ‘Kim Dokja’?

—It is still not enough.

It was frustrating, but I had to concede the point.

If he, of all people, said it, then it must be true.

‘I know.’

I had an excuse.

Even if I was a part of Kim Dokja, I had not lived ‘Kim Dokja’s life’.

I had written and read stories about him, but I did not truly know him.

I did not know him as a person. I was unaware of how he laughed, the tone of his voice, or the thoughts he held throughout the countless lines that went undescribed.

In a way, I was finally beginning to understand, little by little.

—Youngest.

I was learning about Kim Dokja.

—I want you to survive.

It was still difficult.

—Remember. How does ‘Kim Dokja’ fight? Watch it clearly with your own eyes and record it.

Sometimes it was so lonely, isolating, and arduous that it felt impossible to do alone.

[Your synchronization rate with your sponsor is increasing!]

In that instant, a scene unfolded within my mind.

A library.

As we advanced, Kim Dokja stood amidst swaying candlelight.

He moved swiftly past the bookshelves, paused, and selected a book from one of them.

The pages he opened showed signs of having been read and rereaded countless times.

When I turned, Kim Dokja was looking at me.

—From now on, we read together.

I nodded.

[The exclusive skill ‘Bookmark’ is activated!]

The ten constellations attacked us simultaneously.

A blade of pure white light. A frozen spear. Arrows blazing with fire and shadowy hands stabbing like awls.

I could not have withstood a single one of them alone.

But together, it was different.

[Bookmark 5 has been activated!]

[Your current body composition is different from that of the character.]

[Your ‘strength’ overcomes the physical condition penalty.]

A profound shudder ran through my mind, accompanied by an indescribable feeling of liberation.

「 He is truly Kyrgios’s disciple. 」

This was nothing like the feeble imitation I could achieve with [Incite] alone.

「 The paradoxical White Blue, the successor to the vision of ‘Kyrgios Roadgrim’. 」

The white and blue magical energy, blazing like a wildflower, dyed our form a brilliant azure.

[Exclusive skill ‘Electrification Lv.???’ has been activated.]

Kim Dokja, transformed into a bolt of blue holy light, flashed past the first rank of constellations.

The constellation ‘the Cleanser’, who stood at the front, stared back at us with stunned eyes.

«If you truly wished to capture me,»

Kim Dokja said without even granting him a glance.

«You should have brought at least a mythical-grade constellation.»

The three constellations in the front line were cleaved in two.