Chapter 719

719 Episode 27 Recycling Center (2)
My landing deposited me into a region of thick woodland.

[Enter the eighth scenario area.]

[The will-o’-the-wisp guides you.]

The will-o’-the-wisp hovered in front of me, buzzing like a tiny insect of light.

I didn’t begin moving immediately. First, I needed to get my bearings and understand this location.

It was the middle of the night. The forest, with its canopy of dense broad leaves blocking out the sky, had a mountainous and intimidating feel.

The sky was devoid of stars.

No indirect messages came through, either.

I formulated a couple of theories in my mind.

First possibility: this was a zone not yet visible to the constellations.

Second possibility: the constellations held no interest because I was in an area outside the main scenario.

Whichever was true, engaging in combat in my current condition was to be avoided at all costs.

The sounds of animals calling out frequently pierced the silence.

I dropped into a low crouch, held my breath, and slipped into a cluster of bushes.

«Dokkaebi bag.»

I was relieved to find the ‘Dokkaebi Bag’ was functioning normally.

From within it, I bought supplies suited for someone with no home.

[You purchased the item ‘Body Odor Removal Spray’.]

[You purchased the item ‘Small Bed’.]

[You purchased the item ‘Someone’s old blanket’.]

[A total of 800 coins were used.]

These were items the Demon King of Salvation had once recommended to me as ‘excellent for homeless survival’.

After spraying the area around me, I set up the ‘bed’ and covered it with the ‘someone’s old blanket’.

The blanket wavered like a phantom before slowly merging with the surroundings. To any outside observer, the bushes would appear completely normal, with no sign of a hiding spot.

[The hidden item combination has been completed.]

[The special option ‘It’s dangerous outside the blanket’ is activated.]

Once I squeezed inside the transparent blanket, the outside world remained perfectly clear.

The drawback was the cramped interior, which was just large enough for one grown man to lie down in.

It was irrelevant, as I was alone anyway.

Curling up beneath the thick cover, a strangely familiar recollection surfaced in my thoughts.

「 «If you read in that light, you’ll ruin your eyes!» 」

A memory of hiding under a blanket with a small lamp to read a book.

Was this my own memory, or one that belonged to Kim Dokja?

「 «Is this alright?» 」

Does it truly matter whose memory it originally was?

「 «You shouldn’t stay up so late.» 」

I powered on the smartphone Kim Dokja had left behind and began reading ‘Ways of Survival’.

One day passed, and then a second. My routine was simple.

[The will-o’-the-wisp guides you.]

At sunrise, I would follow the ghostly light through the woods, and when night fell, I would rest in my blanket tent, reading ‘Ways of Survival’.

I sometimes came across monsters.

Grrrr—!

The monster species I encountered were typically grade 7 or 8.

After two days of camping, my body had regained enough strength to put up a fight.

The most common encounter was a massive wild boar.

[7th grade monster species ‘Forest Wild Boar’ has appeared.]

As I moved to draw my weapon as usual, it suddenly struck me that the Demon King of Salvation had borrowed nearly all of my possessions.

Luckily, one substitute weapon remained.

‘Unbroken Faith.’

Kim Dokja’s primary weapon, and the one left behind by the vanished Han Sooyoung.

The bright blade of the [White Pure Star Energy], which I had now grown quite adept with, gleamed.

「 Youngest, how do you use [White Pure Star Energy]? 」

I deftly evaded the giant forest boar and honed my sword technique using the story 「Persistent Murin Master」.

The wild boar instantly collapsed, blood streaming from its flank.

[The 7th grade monster species ‘Forest Wild Boar’ has been defeated.]

After collecting its core, I immediately began to butcher it. I hadn’t eaten anything in two full days.

「 You must never go hungry. Without sufficient energy, your mind will not function properly. Yoo Jonghyuk eats eight meals a day. 」

I searched for and read the entry on ‘butchering a Forest Wild Boar’ in ‘Ways of Survival’.

I removed the poisonous tusks, skinned it, extracted the intestines, and sliced the meat along the spine.

I gathered twigs and started a fire.

I no longer had the [Magic Brazier], but I could now conjure a cooking flame without one.

「 Youngest, which iteration of Yoo Jonghyuk, the master chef, was it again? 」

For preparing wild boar, I referred to Yoo Jonghyuk’s recipe from the 81st turn. Yet, despite following his instructions, the result was somehow unsatisfactory.

Probably because I am not Yoo Jonghyuk.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk contemplated. ‘Is it possible to achieve transcendence through cooking?’ 」

Living on my own taught me some undeniable truths.

For instance, not every monster species is as palatable as ‘Ground Puppy’ or ‘Yana Spreta’.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk watched Kim Namwoon vomit up his meal and thought. ‘These ingredients cannot be consumed through cooking alone’. 」

Monsters must be hunted three or four times daily, and emergency rations stored for when a hunt fails.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk looked at Kim Namwoon foaming at the mouth and thought. ‘Ingesting this fruit causes death within 1 minute’. 」

Even during an apocalypse, hygiene is essential; you must occasionally wash your body in running water.

「 «Kim Namwoon, you stink.» 」

Then Lee Jihye would pinch her nose and walk away.

«Eww..…»」

If there’s no place to wash, you can buy [Clean Body] from the ‘Dokkaebi Bag’ and use that.

「 Kim Namwoon used [Clean Body] immediately. 」

[Use the item ‘Clean Body’.]

[50 coins were consumed.]

Three days passed, then four.

It had been a long time since I’d been entirely alone like this.

Abruptly, memories from my first days in this world resurfaced.

「 Kim Namwoon pleaded. «Captain, can I please eat first this time?» 」

The truth is, humans need to eat something every single day to live.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk issued an order. «No. From now on, laundry duty is your responsibility, Kim Namwoon!» 」

The truth is, someone must always run the washing machine to have clean clothes.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk issued an order. ‘Cleaning up after monsters is your job, Kim Namwoon.» 」

The truth is, if you don’t clean up after eating immediately, it will attract insects.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk issued an order. «And you will repay 10,000 coins per day, Kim Namwoon.» 」

The truth is, you must work and earn money to pay for rent and taxes.

By experiencing these most basic facts directly, I eventually grew into a functioning member of society.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk issued an order, «Practice your cuts 20,000 times daily!» 」

The things one must do to become an ordinary adult.

「 Namwoon asked, «Damn it, how can I do all that!» 」

When had Kim Dokja started doing all those things by himself?

「 Yoo Jonghyuk answered, «I did it!» 」

I often reflected on Kim Dokja, who endured his childhood alone without parental support—the Demon King of Salvation during an era when no one was there to save him.

A boy who worked for money, did his laundry, cooked his meals, washed his dishes, paid his rent, and read Ways of Survival before sleeping.

「 Yoo Jonghyuk answered, «You can do it too.» 」

Thinking of that boy, I continued to read ‘Ways of Survival’.

A week elapsed.

Monster hunting had now become far more natural. My butchering speed had increased, and my skill proficiency had grown.

I read ‘Ways of Survival’ over and over, searching for the necessary information.

I could properly differentiate between what was safe to eat and what was not.

Whenever I found a stream, I checked the water quality and stored drinking water.

I often washed my face in the cold water. My reflection stared back from the unnervingly clear stream.

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ is looking at you blankly.]

For some reason, my face seemed to have altered slightly. Was it just my imagination?

[Collect the new ‘Kim Dokja Fragments’.]

[Time remaining until death: 9 days 12:53]

«I suppose it’s time to go gather more fragments soon.»

[‘Recycling Center’ responds to your self-talk.]

Recycling Center.

Over the past week, I had scoured every part of ‘Ways of Survival’ for every scrap of information on the eighth scenario.

[‘Recycling Center’ senses the potential for a new ‘main character’ in you.]

Originally, the eighth scenario on the Korean Peninsula was ‘Dark Castle’.

New Demon World—A stage designed to elect the 73rd Demon King.

However, the eighth stage of the 41st round was the ‘Recycling Center’.

「 If ‘Dark Castle’ is a stage for electing a new Demon King, then ‘Recycling Center’ is a stage for electing a new Constellation. 」

An area only accessible via the ‘Star Ladder’.

「 Any incarnation who graduates from the ‘Recycling Center’ is guaranteed to become a ‘Constellation’, irrespective of their origin. 」

According to ‘Ways of Survival’, it was possible to ascend to constellation status, even with a sponsor, by using the ‘Recycling Center’.

Judging up to this point, it didn’t seem like a bad scenario.

「 However, Yoo Jonghyuk almost never used the ‘Recycling Center’. 」

The issue was the extreme difficulty level of this ‘Recycling Center’, which gave even the regressor Yoo Jonghyuk pause.

It was understandable why the Demon King of Salvation had been hesitant about this scenario.

Yet, he had ultimately sent me here.

[Guide ends.]

[Arrived at the ‘assembly point’.]

Finally, the wisp’s guidance concluded. I surveyed my surroundings.

We had arrived at the entrance to some facility. An usher stood at the entry, holding a small attendance board.

«Hmm.»

It was a guide wearing a mask shaped like a sheep’s head.

«Are there any stragglers who haven’t entered yet?»

The receptionist looked me over and spoke in a weary tone.

«You appear to be from the Frontier Nebula. Correct?»

«I am not part of any Nebula.»

«Huh. Oh my. No nebula?»

The receptionist seemed to feel some pity at my answer and suddenly offered some unsolicited advice.

«It looks like another reckless sponsor is pushing their incarnation toward death. Were you also deceived by a story like ‘Even a stream can produce a dragon’?»

I believe I had heard of a story like that.

«I don’t know where you came from or what you were told, but if you can, you should just turn back. An incarnation like you will become prey the moment you step inside.»

«Thank you, but I wish to proceed to the ‘Recycling Center’.»

The receptionist, unaware of my circumstances, shook his head as if another hopeless fool had arrived.

«Sure, fine. It’s your life. I need to ask a few questions for clearance, is that acceptable?»

I nodded.

«Where are you from?»

«Seoul Dome.»

«Do you possess any stories?»

«Yes.»

«How many stories have you accumulated?»

«I have accumulated three myself.»

«You accumulated three stories yourself…»

The guide, who had been writing, paused and looked up.

«You gathered them all yourself? Who recommended you for this?»

«The Demon King of Salvation.»

I thought he might recognize the name, but the guide’s sheep mask hid any expression.

The guide checked something unseen and nodded before asking.

«Your name is?»

I almost answered with Cheon Inho, but hesitated.

«Your name is?»

I wasn’t sure why.

But I had a powerful feeling that I shouldn’t say that name.

«I asked for your name. Surely you haven’t forgotten it?»

[The guide doubts your identity.]

[Providing an incorrect name will result in immediate expulsion.]

«Quite a few unusual applicants today. Including that black-haired(?) clothed(?) kid who entered earlier…»

I thought of the Demon King of Salvation.

«Let me be clear, if you give the wrong name, you will be expelled immediately. Only invited incarnations may enter—»

My mischievous constellation.

He was the one who had sent me here.

«My name is—»

I slowly uttered a single name.

The guide studied me for a moment before speaking.

«That is an unusual name.»

«I get that often.»

«Welcome to the ‘Recycling Center’, Kim Dokja.»

I nodded.