Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Novel MTL - Chapter 721

Chapter 721

Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter:

The other incarnations lunged for me. I evaded their grasping hands with swift motions and pushed off from the ground. As my speed increased, the figures of the incarnations began to fall behind me one after another.

«How is that possible—»

«He’s carrying a child!»

11th, 10th, 9th, 8th…

The ranking climbed in an instant.

As my acceleration carried me to the front of the leading pack, the back of Bicheonhori, who had been ahead, came into view.

He let out a sound of impressed surprise as he maintained his position with his characteristically nimble steps.

«Huh, that’s a creative approach.»

Luckily, Bicheonhori did not move to attack me.

«Are you utilizing the story of the ‘Rat’?»

I gave a nod.

The ‘Zodiac Race’ was originally a tale won by the ‘rat’.

To be precise, it is a story about a ‘mouse’ riding atop a faithfully galloping ‘ox’ to victory.

In this case, I was now acting as the ‘ox’ carrying the rat.

[‘Simple staging’ is in effect!]

「 Simple staging. 」

It was difficult to expect the same potency as the full 「Staging」, but in a situation where both skills and stigmata were sealed, this was a valuable buff.

Even the swift Bicheonhori was gradually being overtaken.

«It’s not finished. Stay alert.»

Bicheonhori offered a warning.

«Every incarnation who has reached this place is dangerous.»

Before his words fully faded, an incarnation from the leading group hurled a shuriken in my direction.

I dipped quickly to avoid the projectile, then took a large stride and delivered a solid strike to the man’s back.

«Ugh!»

As the hit incarnation tumbled across the ground, the others in the lead group turned toward me with lethal intent in their eyes.

«Don’t let him pass! Stop him!»

Sure, whatever.

How could they possibly stop me when their stigmata and skills were locked?

Naturally, there were other methods, like employing ‘stories’, but an incarnation capable of wielding a ‘story’ in only the eighth scenario was—

«Tie up his feet!»

I had thought it was improbable.

[Fragment of the story ‘The Farmer Plowing’ begins its storytelling!]

Coo coo coo coo coo.

[Fragment of the story ‘The Farmer Plowing’ ruined the farming!]

The track beneath my feet seemed to soften and sink, the terrain transforming into uneven furrows like a freshly plowed field.

「 The farmer plowing a field. 」

Did their hints involve ‘land reclamation experts’ or ‘developers of rice transplanting methods’?

However, using that particular story fragment was a miscalculation.

Because I was currently under the protection of the ‘Bull’.

[The energy of a charging bull explodes from your body!]

[The constellation ‘The One Who Won the Rat’ grins.]

Historically, oxen were the ones who worked the fields.

«Damn it, he’s moving faster!»

«That was stupid, using a fragment like that!»

The leading incarnations panicked, turning on each other with accusations.

I deflected a spear thrust lightly with ‘Unbreakable Faith’ and seized the lead.

Now only two incarnations remained ahead.

One incarnation, running in second place, blew toward the ground.

[Fragment of the story ‘Sigh of the Frozen One’ begins its storytelling!]

A chilling wind swept over me, causing the muscles in my legs to stiffen rapidly.

[Story fragment ‘Sigh of the Frozen One’ wraps around your ankles.]

I was surprised that there were already incarnations who could manipulate story fragments to such a degree.

I mentally reviewed the stories I possessed, but none seemed particularly suited to counter this.

Then, the child on my back spoke up.

«Keep running.»

[The story fragment ‘Scream of the Scorching Flame’ begins its storytelling!]

I was taken aback.

「 Scream of a scorching flame. 」

I recognized it as a story fragment mentioned in ‘Ways of Survival’.

A fragment only obtainable by those who had battled the ‘Red Flame Dragon’, one of the monarchs of the dragon race.

It defied logic. What were the odds of an incarnation having confronted the Red Flame Dragon by the eighth scenario?

Unless he had simply stumbled upon a lost fragment—

[The story fragment ‘Scream of the scorching flame’ melts the cold.]

The kid shouted, frowning as if channeling the story fragment was a significant strain.

«There’s no time! Faster! I must take first place!»

Only one incarnation was now at the very front.

In the distance, the finish line began to materialize. But with the end in sight, the incarnation leading the race glanced back.

It was an incarnation wearing a tiger mask.

«He’s quite the guy.»

Contrary to Bicheonhori’s earlier comment, the ‘Recycling Center’ wasn’t exclusively a gathering place for the weak.

[Fragment of the story ‘The Chosen One of Self-defense’ begins its storytelling.]

Where weak animals congregate, predators inevitably come to hunt them.

The leading incarnation was one such predator.

His hands swelled dramatically, morphing into the shape of a tiger’s powerful forepaws.

Judging by the story fragment, he was likely an incarnation connected to the ‘tiger’ of the zodiac.

I called out, my breath coming hard.

«Do you know the ‘Tiger that eats rice cake’?»

The tiger mask’s shoulders flinched at my sudden shout.

I continued with a sharp grin.

«He’s a constellation who sponsors me often.»

«Lies! A great-grade constellation would never—»

«Tiger eating rice cake! Are you watching this!»

The startled incarnation glanced up into the sky. Unfortunately, there was no response from the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’.

But it didn’t matter. I only needed a momentary distraction to close the gap.

«You bastard!»

Realizing I was now beside him, the tiger mask swung his ferocious paw at me.

I supported the child with one hand and brought ‘Unbreakable Faith’ around with the other.

[The story ‘Tenacious Martial Arts Expert’ begins its storytelling!]

My proficiency must have improved significantly. The sensation of wielding a narrative-grade story was distinctly different.

As ‘Unbreakable Faith’ emitted magical power and released a fierce energy, the Tiger Mask’s eyes went wide.

«That’s not a fragment… it’s a complete ‘story’…?»

When the blade, sheathed in the power of a story, met the forepaw, a shockwave of magical energy erupted.

[The story ‘Tenacious Martial Arts Expert’ stutters its storytelling.]

Perhaps because it wasn’t a story I had personally cultivated, the Ark’s story failed to deliver its full destructive potential.

It was also a reminder that my own level was still insufficient for a narrative-grade story.

I was reminded once more of the long road ahead.

«Gaaaa! I can’t lose! Self-defense! Grant me the tiger’s strength!»

A brilliant blue aura erupted from the shouting incarnation’s body.

While I was occupied blocking the powerful paw strike, the tiger mask surged three or four steps ahead.

Only about 100 meters remained until the finish line.

The rewards for this scenario were visible just beyond it.

Fragments of Kim Dokja’s story.

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ is craving it.]

If you’re hungry, then help me, you bastard.

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ snorts in annoyance.]

At that moment, intense magical power flooded through my right arm.

«Kaaaaak!»

The tiger mask, unable to withstand the magical shockwave, was sent sprawling across the ground. I leaped over him and poured on every last bit of speed.

It would be ideal to win first place now, but unfortunately, that was impossible since I had taken on the role of the ‘Bull’.

Losing first place here likely meant facing the negative consequences of the ‘simple staging’.

«Kid. Go.»

The child gripped my shoulder, a silent question in his touch.

«It’s fine. What I want is the second-place reward anyway.»

«You are a strange person.»

«In situations like this, you should say ‘thank you’.»

The child merely used my shoulder as a launching point, soaring through the air to cross the finish line.

«I am indebted to you.»

A faint, almost imperceptible voice lingered in the air after him.

I couldn’t help a wry smile.

That, in itself, was significant progress.

If that child was who I believed him to be.

[Sub-scenario has ended!]

[You have successfully completed the ‘Zodiac Race’.]

[You finished the ‘Zodiac Race’ in ‘second place’.]

[Obtained the story fragment ‘The Right Arm of the Sword Master who was Stabbed in the Back by a Colleague’.]

[The constellation ‘The One Who Won the Rat’ is satisfied with your reproduction of the story.]

[The constellation ‘The One Who Won the Rat’ sponsors you with 1,000 coins.]

「 Permission to enter the ‘Recycling Center’ has been obtained. 」

Afterwards, the remaining incarnations crossed the finish line one by one.

«I made it! Damn it!»

«Constellation-nim! I passed!»

«No! I refuse! Argh!»

A sinkhole opened on the track, swallowing the incarnation who came in last.

The one eliminated was the great-grade incarnation I had clashed with at the end. He seemed to have sustained serious internal injuries from our final exchange.

I immediately inspected my prize.

「 ‘Sword Master’s right hand man who was stabbed in the back by a colleague’. 」

This was a story fragment Kim Dokja had acquired from ‘Scenario Horizon’, a fragment the ‘Demon King of Salvation’ had once used to save me.

The moment I activated it, strength surged in my right arm, accompanied by a familiar voice.

「 Well done, youngest. 」

I couldn’t tell if it was something he had truly left behind or just an echo accidentally preserved within the story fragment.

Yet, hearing that voice reaffirmed my purpose.

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ nods.]

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ declares that he will eat now.]

What?

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ feasts on the story fragment ‘The right arm of the sword master who was stabbed in the back by a colleague’!]

[A 15-day time limit has been added.]

[The status of the story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ increases slightly.]

[Understanding of the story fragment ‘The Sword Master’s right hand man who was stabbed in the back by a colleague’ has greatly increased!]

The story it consumed did not vanish. Instead, my comprehension of it deepened.

[The story ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ looks at you as if you are pitiful.]

Upon reflection, it made sense.

The ‘Heir to the Eternal Name’ is a story that exists to complete ‘The One and Only Kim Dokja’.

There was no reason Kim Dokja wouldn’t be able to utilize his own power.

«You’re impressively quick. I’m surprised.»

Bicheonhori, who had taken third place, brushed off his pants and spoke.

His third-place prize was the ‘Shoes of Greed’.

Though an inferior item compared to the first and second place rewards, he appeared content.

«Do you have a group? If not, perhaps I could accompany you inside the center.»

Since Bicheonhori was the only incarnation who hadn’t attacked me, there was no harm in partnering with him. However…

«I’m with someone.»

I looked toward the pitch-black child holding the first-place prize a short distance away.

Bicheonhori sounded surprised. «You’re with that child?»

«To be precise, we’ll be forming a team soon.»

Leaving Bicheonhori tilting his head in confusion, I approached the pitch-black child.

The kid was muttering to himself, clutching the ‘Battle Boots of the Noble One’—his first-place reward—tightly with both hands.

«I finally have them…»

I wondered if my own eyes had held that same intensity when I acquired the fragment of the ‘Demon King of Salvation’s’ story.

Anyone could see the brilliant sparkle in the eyes of someone who had reclaimed something precious.

«Are they important to you?»

The boy didn’t answer. Not that I expected him to; I already understood what those boots signified to him.

I recalled lonely footprints trekking across a distant snowfield.

「 «Captain, but why don’t your feet smell?» 」

5th round.

「 «Master, can I put a sticker here?» 」

98th round.

「 «Are you planning on exchanging those boots for my military boots?» 」

186th round.

No matter which regression he lived through, he always wore those battle boots.

With each new round, the stickers Lee Jihye had applied and the stains of Lee Hyunsung’s blood vanished, yet he continued to wear them.

He put on those boots and walked the same path, again and again.

«Please, stop and tell me now.»

At my question, the pitch-black child lifted his gaze to me.

«Why did you end up like this?»

I had been suspicious from the moment I first saw him.

My doubts solidified into certainty after witnessing the ‘Red Flame Dragon’ story fragment he possessed.

In this world line, no incarnation should have encountered the ‘Red Flame Dragon’ yet.

Except for one person.

«Yoo Joonghyuk.»

If this was Yoo Jonghyuk from the 41st regression, it was plausible he possessed that story fragment.

He would have already faced the ‘Red Flame Dragon’ in his 40th round.

In any case, reuniting with Yoo Jonghyuk here was fortunate.

The eighth scenario was the ‘Recycling Center’, a place even Kim Dokja had avoided.

He had been unconscious during the fight with the Constellations and was no help, but as long as Yoo Jonghyuk remained rational, I had little to fear from any upcoming scenario.

«I thought you might want me to pay for the meal, but instead you ask why I’m a child.»

The real issue was his body, which appeared drastically weakened.

Who would believe that scrawny frame belonged to *that* ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’?

«I don’t know what you’re talking about. Move.»

Was he trying to conceal his identity? But something felt off.

In the <Star Stream>, fame translates into narrative power. Yoo Joonghyuk, who understood this better than anyone, had no reason to hide who he was.

«Yoo Joonghyuk?»

Then, my constellation’s words returned to me, bringing a sense of foreboding.

「 ‘Redemption of truth’ is a power that can be used at the cost of some of the memories of the past. 」

It couldn’t be.

I looked down at the small Yoo Jonghyuk. He looked back up at me.

After a long moment of staring with his characteristic intense gaze, little Yoo Jonghyuk frowned and asked.

«Who exactly is Yoo Jonghyuk?»

For a moment, my mind raced with possibilities before settling into a grim stillness.

I slowly spoke, gazing into the clear, untruthful eyes of the little boy before me.

«Yoo Jonghyuk…»

The final image in my mind was of Yoo Jonghyuk from the 1,863rd round.

My most cherished Yoo Jonghyuk.

I offered a gentle smile to little Yoo Joonghyuk.

«He’s a friend who has a great fondness for soil.»

Finally, the chance to alter the 41st regression had arrived.