Chapter 743

Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter.

***

743 Episode 30 Zodiac (5)
After slaying a bear that charged at them, Killer King took a deep breath and spoke.

“This takes me back to the Demon World. A similar event occurred there as well.”

I gave a bitter smile.

It was true; something very much like this had happened in the main story’s demon world. Incited by the duke’s underlings, a mob had harassed Kim Dokja just as they were now.

“You sound as if you were actually there.”

“If you read a story a hundred times, it becomes as real as a memory.”

“Then you must recognize that the current situation is strange.”

I watched bears ransacking homes. Despite the number we had killed, there were still so many of them. In fact, their numbers seemed to have grown larger than before.

“There’s no reason for the bears to be attacking right now.”

“Why do you say that? For those who are starved for stories—”

“No matter how greedy they are, a story isn’t more precious than life. The rumor that we have an ‘Outer God’ would have spread across all of Zone 13.”

Of course, according to my contract, Lycaon could not involve himself in the battle in any form. However, the <Zodiac>, along with the beastmen of Zone 13, were unaware of that fact.

The northern bears would never have recklessly invaded this place if they knew of Lycaon’s existence.

“That would mean—”

“The plundering of stories is just a pretext. Their true objective is likely to inflict as many casualties as possible within Zone 13.”

Among the casualties would be prisoners who supported us or held sympathy for our cause. Their deaths would naturally cause our approval ratings to fall.

Killer King’s eyes narrowed.

“Did these creatures get their orders from the Chinese Zodiac?”

“Possibly.”

The <Zodiac>, wanting to avoid a direct confrontation with us, had mobilized the northern bears to kill the beastmen in Zone 13 who supported us.

It was a logical conclusion.

“Then, can I eliminate their leader?”

I looked at a large brown bear displaying its formidable strength in the distance—’a bear that will come back to life if One pretends to be dead.’

“I’m not certain. If he isn’t the one who planned this invasion, then killing him won’t stop the fighting.”

I narrowed my eyes, gazing intently into the space around us.

Bear beastmen are beings swayed by the stories of others because they lack ‘their own stories.’ Therefore, there must be a story that compelled them to come here.

If only we could locate the source of that story—

“It will take some time.”

“How much?”

“Five minutes should be sufficient.”

“That’s not a problem.”

Killer King answered with confidence, though we all knew he couldn’t truly be sure.

This was different from facing the wolves in 「The Three Little Pigs」.

Although the brown bear was a discarded constellation, it still retained a fraction of a constellation’s power, and its subordinate bear beastmen numbered in the hundreds.

On our side, our beastmen were only herbivores with weak combat abilities.

«Kaaaaak!»

The fleeing southern prisoners hurriedly hid inside the ‘brick house,’ but the brick house didn’t function as effectively as it had in ‘The Three Little Pigs.’

«Can wolves really not destroy houses like this?»

«You fools.»

Bears were not affected by 「The Three Little Pigs」. Their physiques were also far superior to a wolf’s.

Moreover, a critical factor was—

[The story ‘A group who covet the throne of the Overthrown’ continues its storytelling.]

The power of the ‘brown bear’s story’ was immense. It’s typically a story about hyenas, but I never imagined a brown bear would possess it.

「 The group that covets the throne of the Overthrown is a story in which the group becomes more powerful as its numbers grow. 」

Likely due to the story’s power, bears that had been knocked down were rising again to attack.

“We’re losing ground!”

The southern prisoners who had been fighting started to flee one by one.

As the battle line suddenly crumbled, the crane owner screamed in desperation.

“Don’t run! Fight back!”

Once the formation was broken, it couldn’t be recovered and began to collapse into ruin. It seemed even the crane owner was losing his will to fight.

“Aaaah! Don’t let a single one get past!”

Kyung Sein let out a fierce cry and leaped into the air like a flying squirrel. [Way of the Wind] crushed the charging bears.

It was Cha Yerin who finished them off, exploding the heads of the fallen bears with her kicks.

She was more skilled in the [Way of the Wind] than anyone else in our group, decapitating the bears with precise strikes.

At that moment, a bear hiding beneath the corpses of its comrades seized an opening and lunged at Cha Yerin’s flank.

The one who intercepted it was Dansu ahjussi, who charged forward like a tank.

With a loud impact, the bear was sent flying through the air, its body torn.

“When we were all together in the brick house, it felt like being with family…”

His speed was unbelievable for a turtle.

Dansu ahjussi grinned at me.

“I feel anger for the first time in a long while.”

At the very front of the group stood a man in a pitch-black coat.

“Don’t let anyone die. I won’t allow it.”

Without looking back, Killer King added.

“That includes you, Kim Dokja.”

[Way of the Wind created small storms throughout the battlefield.]

Just a few days prior, the group had struggled even against the wolf harvesters.

Now, they were pushing back bear beastmen many times their size.

Their growth was truly astounding.

The retreating battle lines quickly stabilized, and the brown bears themselves began to fall back, unable to withstand the party’s relentless waves of attacks. For a moment, I thought we might just push through like this.

[Gaaaa— you people!]

The brown bear, struck repeatedly by Killer King’s bowgun, roared in fury.

[Seize those ones first! Take their masks!]

Ignoring all other attacks, the bears immediately cut off the group’s escape routes and rushed toward them.

I shouted urgently to my companions.

“Everyone, evade!”

We couldn’t afford to lose our masks here. If a mask was taken, ‘humanization’ would be reversed, and the person would be excluded from the scenario, their power stripped away.

[The ‘Mask’ exists to conceal something.]

As if reading my thoughts, the brown bear spoke.

[Stagnation, weakness, neglect. Or the truth. The will to hide a feeble mind eventually becomes a ‘mask’.]

A brown bear wearing a half-mask looked at me with a malicious grin.

[To wear a mask is to hide behind one’s own shortcomings. You, who wear masks without understanding this—]

The brown bear’s eyes, bursting into flames, shone with a dazzling light.

[—are merely begging for your weaknesses to be attacked.]

The first to suffer was Kyung Sein.

A mask is an item composed of stories.

As Kyung Sein was assaulted by the bear beastmen, her mask cracked, and its story began to spill out.

「 Kyung Sein wanted to become strong. 」

Kyung Sein’s ‘mask’ was a squirrel.

「 He built up his small body and trained his muscles. He felt that if he did, others wouldn’t look down on him. 」

I recalled the muscular man wearing the [Judge Heewon] name tag.

「 But can you truly claim you’ve become stronger because of that? 」

Kyung Sein seemed to be shouting something, her hand stretching out toward me.

A charging bear stomped on her outstretched hand.

The sound of something tearing.

«Sein-ssi!»

The first to leap into the mass of bears was Dansu ahjussi. He charged like a cannonball, curling his body around Kyung Sein to shield her.

A story flowed from Lee Dansu’s broken mask.

「 I want to live a long life. 」

Dansu ahjussi’s mask was a ‘turtle’.

「 I want to live even a little longer. 」

An image of Dansu ahjussi in a patient’s gown came to mind.

Just as I could no longer bear it and was about to run to them, someone grabbed my shoulder.

«I’ll go.»

It was Cha Yerin.

«Yerin-ssi.»

«I’ll find the story that’s controlling the bears.»

Using [Way of the Wind] like an acrobat, Cha Yerin broke through the fray to reach Kyung Sein and Lee Dansu.

A massive shadow loomed behind her.

«Yerin-ssi!»

The brown bear’s huge paw swung down toward Cha Yerin’s back. But Cha Yerin, crouching at the perfect moment, created a ‘snail house’ that blocked the blow.

[Like this shell—]

As the brown bear, its eyes blazing, continued to pummel the snail house, a corner of it shattered and crumbled.

「 I need a place to return to. 」

Cha Yerin’s ‘mask’ was a snail.

「 We all need a home. 」

Her stories, of growing up in an orphanage with her brother, were being brutally crushed under the bear’s paw.

It was Ye Hyunwoo who blocked its next step.

The brown bear growled.

[How dare you, a bamboo-eater.]

The weight of the brown bear’s paw met Ye Hyunwoo’s fist.

Exhausted, Ye Hyunwoo was easily overpowered. With a burst of displaced air, his body was sent tumbling across the ground.

The brown bear spoke while stomping on Ye Hyunwoo’s chest.

[Kill him.]

The bears that swarmed in sank their teeth into Ye Hyunwoo’s body.

A story spilled from his torn panda mask.

「 You must live with sincerity. 」

Ye Hyunwoo was always sincere.

「 It is the only way to survive. 」

For a moment, I thought I understood why his mask was a ‘panda’.

「 Only then can we avoid extinction. 」

He was more planned and systematic than anyone, but perhaps he actually wished to rely on someone.

「 Truthfully, I don’t want to do anything. 」

To live peacefully and quietly, eating bamboo like a panda that can only survive in a zoo.

“Is he going to lie there so pitifully?”

[Tsk—]

A shadow that shot forward in an instant sent the brown bear stumbling back from Ye Hyunwoo.

«Pacheonbungken!»

The startled brown bear recoiled in horror.

[What—]

«Jujakshinbo! Pacheon kendo! Pacheon yuseonggyeol!»

Killer King, arbitrarily shouting the names of Yoo Jonghyuk’s techniques, drove the brown bear back with [Way of the Wind].

«Meteor Cham!»

[Wolf bastard—!]

The brown bear roared and struck Killer King on the head.

With a cracking sound, a story flowed from Killer King’s fractured mask.

「 I am a lone wolf. 」

The brown bear laughed as if dumbfounded by the story being revealed.

[Foolish wolf, step back. All your companions are finished.]

“My companions.”

Killer King said, wiping blood from his lips.

“They don’t die so easily.”

[Your companions have already reverted to beasts. And you too—]

The brown bear’s massive fist moved swiftly. Before it could be stopped, Killer King’s mask began to shatter completely.

「 I will become a beast. 」

To lose one’s mask is to become a prisoner.

Just as I finally could stand it no longer and stepped forward, Killer King shouted.

“Don’t come, Kim Dokja! This is our story!”

I halted.

“Don’t make us feel any more ashamed!”

[You idiot.]

The brown bear laughed. Its fists pounded Killer King’s face with increasing speed.

Knocking him down, forcing him down. Hitting him, hitting him again.

Killer King’s wolf mask was shattered beyond recognition. Yet, Killer King refused to kneel in the end.

I clenched my fists, feeling a strange premonition as a story began to rise around me.

It was hard to explain, but I felt it.

My companions would be alright.

The stories they had accumulated until now affirmed it.

「 «Hyunwoo, how much longer are you going to practice [Way of the Wind]?» 」
「 «Just one more hour!» 」
「 «Alright, then I’ll do two!» 」
「 «I’ve already been here for three hours.» 」

The sound of wind blowing from somewhere.

「 The group is now ready to remove their ‘masks’. 」

What is the purpose of a mask?

The ‘mask’ in Zone 13 is an item that prevents an incarnation from ‘being transformed into a beast.’

However, according to the ‘Ways of Survival’, that wasn’t the mask’s only meaning.

「 The ‘mask’ exists for the moment when the face hidden beneath it is finally revealed. 」

Killer King’s face was visible through the broken mask. His lips were split, but he managed to grip the brown bear’s fist.

“Wearing a mask means.”

It had been a while since I had seen Killer King—Cha Sungwoo’s—uncovered face. He smiled a wry smile.

“It means you want to hide something.”

The mighty brown bear retreated a step.

[How… You! Your mask should be broken—]

“Why haven’t I become a beast?”

When a person sheds their mask and becomes an animal, it is a type of immune response, a way for someone with exposed weaknesses to protect themselves.

Yet, Killer King did not become a beast.

That could only mean—

“Because I realized this world is full of people weaker than me.”

[What nonsense—]

“There’s no need to hide my weaknesses from those who are weaker!”

“Stupid, that’s not it.”

Ye Hyunwoo, who had regained consciousness, was now standing beside Killer King. His mask was also broken.

The stories from the shattered mask were being absorbed into his very being.

“I learned that a weakness can also become a ‘story’.”

“You could say that.”

Suddenly, Cha Yerin emerged from between the fragments of the broken snail houses.

“You’re both wrong.”

She stood to Killer King’s left, her own mask also removed.

“It’s because I found comrades who will protect each other’s weakest points.”

Kyung Sein, standing atop a pile of fallen bears, shouted.

“You all talk so well! Now that the mask is off, I can see everything much more clearly!”

Without the mask, Kyung Sein’s expression seemed greatly unburdened.

The man standing beside her added a word.

“It’s as if we are masks for one another.”

The companions who had lost their masks stood firm like a breakwater, facing the wave of bears.

Seeing them like that made my own heart pound.

[An incarnation who realized the meaning of ‘mask’ has appeared in Zone 13!]

They had now proudly become pillars of this world.

“I’m sure everyone remembers why we are here.”

The group nodded one by one at Killer King’s words.

There they were, a group of people with their backs to me, facing the stars.

Killer King declared.

“I protect Kim Dokja.”

I understood once more what my companions were truly fighting for.

「 The Three Little Pigs, The Fox and the Crane, and The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg. 」

While they had re-enacted those stories, this was the story they had truly wanted to recreate more than any other.

[Your story resonates.]

What expression was on my face?

Would my mask show an expression that belonged among them?

I thought of the person who should have been here to see this scene for himself.

I will remember this scene for him. I will tell him about it when we meet again someday.

There are people who have their own stories because of you.

“Kim Dokja.”

Someone came and stood beside me. He, too, had lost the mask from his face. He had also overcome the constraints it represented.

It was only natural.

Because he was someone who believed in his own story more than anyone else in this world.

“You guys.”

The protagonist of this world.

A regressor who had lost his memories and become a boy.

The eyes of the boy, who had grown slightly taller in a short time, were taking in the scene before him.

How did this scene look through the eyes of a regressor who had lived through this same scenario time and again?

“It seems you have found something you wish to protect.”

I hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Yes. Just as you once did.”

I watched the backs of my group advancing.

There are countless universes and even more planets.

On one of those fleeting planets.

To be born in the same era, to choose one story out of countless others, to read it and cherish it over and over again.

If such a thing is truly possible, the astonishment it brings cannot be explained by mere words like coincidence or miracle.

Because it is inexplicable, it finally becomes a story.

A story that captivates the stars, sets the night sky ablaze, and ultimately changes the universe.

[A new story begins to sprout within your group.]

The constellations of this world call such a story a tale.

[The possibility of a nebula germinates within your group.]