Chapter 746

746 Episode 30 Zodiac (8)
[Your approval rating has decreased.]

[Currently, 62% of the prisoners in Zone 13 support you.]

Truthfully, it seemed unlikely that the group would be able to complete the scenario by themselves.

There were two reasons for this.

First, if I were to leave this scenario now, Bihyung would most likely cease his cooperation.

If that happened, we would lose the ability to showcase the altered ‘stories’ outside the Recycling Center.

Second, even if Bihyung did help, many of these stories could not be performed without my ‘mask’, which allows transformation into different animals.

Without the capability to stage these stories, the party members would be unable to raise their approval ratings by ‘mending the stories’.

The conclusion was obvious. For the sake of my companions, I needed to stay.

It was then that Killer King spoke up.

«Go, Kim Dokja. I can handle things here by myself.»

His voice held a trace of bitterness. His tightly clenched fist was shaking slightly.

«Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.»

«Killer King is right.»

Kyung Sein added her agreement.

«You should go. The worst of the danger is over. Even the bears appear to have retreated. Besides, did you see earlier? We have our own story now!»

«It’s not as if this is a permanent goodbye.»

Dansu ahjussi also voiced his support.

Cha Yerin, standing beside me, nodded and said, «You can have faith in us.»

Ye Hyunwoo was the only one who remained silent. For some reason, he glanced in my direction before lowering his head without a word.

I watched Ye Hyunwoo for a moment and then slowly closed my eyes.

Trusting my companions was certainly an option. In their current state, they might just be able to pull it off.

Even if they failed, I could still become the agent of the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’, succeed in the next scenario, and return for them later.

But if I did that, what would become of the stories we had created together?

Our story, built through 「The Three Little Pigs」, 「The Fox and the Crane」, and 「The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg」.

The time we spent, step by step, opposing the <Zodiac>, gathering in a small brick house after recruiting pandas and wolves to plan the next ‘story’.

«Dokja-ssi?»

To any observer, aligning with the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ was the more advantageous choice.

We knew that what incarnations truly desired was the backing of powerful sponsors, a chance to compete on a larger stage quickly, and to reap greater rewards.

Yet, the reason I hesitated—

«Tiger Eating Rice Cake.»

—was because these people called me ‘Kim Dokja’.

«My agreement was to ‘attend the Zodiac Ball’, not to become your ‘agent’.»

Kim Dokja became a constellation himself because he refused to be an accessory.

For Kim Dokja, who sought to solve every problem by accumulating his own narratives, this was not a matter of choice.

«I must apologize, but I decline your offer. My companions and I will attend the ‘Zodiac Ball’ through our own efforts.»

«Wait a moment, Dokja-ssi!»

«Furthermore, as per our contract, I am free once I attend the ‘Zodiac Ball’.»

I continued firmly, meeting the gaze of the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ without flinching.

Even though the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ had a different nature than I anticipated, I believed he would comprehend.

Because.

「 The ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ is undoubtedly a ‘reader’. 」

It had to be true.

If the ‘Nail-Eating Rat’ was a reader, then the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ must be one as well.

He was the one who had been watching us alongside the ‘Nail-Eating Rat’. I trusted that if he was a reader who did not belong to the ‘Misreading Association’, he would understand my meaning.

[No, no, no, no, no.]

The rat hiding behind me trembled as it spoke.

[Run, run, you must run.]

The frantically scurrying rat tugged at my sleeve. It pointed a shaking finger toward the defeated bears.

I realized something belatedly.

「 Which member of the Zodiac was it that led the bears here? 」

I turned my head and looked up at the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’.

Very slowly, a chill crept up from my feet.

[Your exclusive attributes are intensely active!]

A story I had failed to read, momentarily overwhelmed by the constellation’s presence.

‘Story fragments’ that had stirred the bears’ desires and fueled their actions.

[The story has been disrupted by a story fragment ‘Fanning’.]

I could now see clearly where that ‘story fragment’ had come from.

«Tiger Eating Rice Cake, were you the one who sent the bears here?»

I didn’t want to believe it.

The indirect messages he had sent me replayed in my mind one after another.

[The constellation ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ agrees with the intentions of incarnation ‘Jung Heewon’.]

He had understood Jung Heewon’s wish to protect what was precious to her.

[The constellation ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ states that you need only attend the ‘Zodiac Ball’ once in the future.]

He had even sacrificed a vast amount of probability to give me the ‘core of the devil species’.

I didn’t want to believe that a constellation like that would do such a thing, that he would endanger fellow ‘readers’ like himself.

«Why—»

An answer I had to hear, even if I didn’t want to believe it.

[Story fragment ‘Fanning’ causes the story to falter.]

His own story spoke for him.

The ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ had sent the bears as scouts to monitor Lycaon’s movements. And he had sacrificed them without remorse.

The tiger’s mouth opened as if expelling a rotten piece of rice cake.

[Are you truly asking why? Do you believe something so trivial requires probability?]

Was the one smiling so broadly really a ‘reader’ who had shared the same story as our group?

[Little one, this is beyond your comprehension. Do not think. Your only task is to grasp the rope I extend to you.]

Perhaps my assumption had been wrong from the start.

The ancient stories surrounding him spoke on his behalf.

[Legendary story ‘The Old and Sick Guardian Deity’ scoffs at your faith.]

[The story ‘The Evil Beast’ laughs at you.]

[The story ‘The One Who Calls The Spear’ roars.]

[The story ‘A Monster That Eats Humans’ watches you.]

[The story ‘The Owner Of The Rotten Rope’’s eyes gleam.]

…

Within these layers of ancient tales, the soul of the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ was scarcely visible. His essence, faintly glimpsed through the gaps in the dense stories, was merely,

[Now it is time to depart.]

a tiny sliver, insignificant and small.

«Dokja-ssi!»

The voices of my companions calling for me seemed to grow distant.

What appeared to be the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ reached out a hand toward me.

Just as an irresistible force began to pull my body in accordance with our contract, something intervened, shaking off its power.

A warm and gentle breeze.

There was no need to ask who it was.

«Lycaon.»

【Step back, student.】

I tried to speak.

You must not get involved.

That is our agreement.

And in this <Star Stream>, a contract is the most sacred probability.

【It’s alright.】

The entirety of Zone 13 began to tremble.

[<Star Stream> detects unexpected behavior from the ‘Lost Guide’.]

[The management bureau is implementing control measures for the irregular situation.]

The ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ was smiling.

[You are caught, foolish otherworld monster.]

The moment Lycaon’s power overflowed, a message arrived from the air.

[<Star Stream> is adjusting the scales of probability.]

The power of the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ grew in proportion to Lycaon’s unleashed status.

Tsutsutsutsu.

Regardless of the opponent being a ‘great-grade constellation’, Lycaon had revealed his presence here without any contracts or scenarios.

Even so, the status of the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ was far greater than expected.

[The constellation ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ roars!]

A blow from the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ shot toward Lycaon’s unstable incarnation body.

[Be gone, monster from another world—!]

A massive rope, clenched in the tiger’s jaws like a whip, was swung with tremendous force. The tiger’s head jerked upward, sending the rope lashing out and creating a powerful shockwave.

【Student.】

Lycaon threw his entire body into blocking the attack. As if defending the only path permitted to him.

【The space allowed to me is limited. I am not the protagonist of this world. So, I will be brief.】

I knew instinctively. Lycaon was trying to tell me ‘what must not be said’.

But why?

【The one you seek is in the ‘deep sea of ◼️◼️◼️’.】

«Lycaon, wait! What is that—»

【Find the other writers. Gather the world’s disappearances, and—】

Lycaon’s form was fading. His wind was dissipating. I reached out toward Lycaon.

【Become the ‘Kim Dokja’ you aspire to be.】

Lycaon’s voice scattered in the wind. His powerful shoulders and magnificent mane vanished.

In the final moment, a faint smile appeared on Lycaon’s face.

【Thank you for sharing your story with me. So, I shall tell you one last story as well.】

Lycaon’s incarnation body oxidized.

Beyond the plume of bright blue smoke, the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ smiled.

I stared blankly at the spot where Lycaon had disappeared. Something glimmered there.

「 SVRP. PW 041. 」

Unusual object report.

[Way of the Wind has already been recorded in object ◼️◼️◼️.」]

It was a ‘record’ left behind by Lycaon, a recorder of fear.

「 Suggesting direction for the complete restoration process of the object. The key is to ‘re-read’. 」

Read again.

In the past, I wouldn’t have understood what that meant. I would have said I had already read that sentence, that I knew it inside and out.

I was the one who wrote it, so I knew it better than anyone.

But in that moment, I realized.

「 A gale in my left hand 」

‘Re-reading’ did not mean simply ‘reading again’ what I already knew.

「 A storm in my right hand 」

It was akin to ‘transcendence’.

Just as Yoo Jonghyuk attained transcendental enlightenment anew each time,

「 In places where straight lines and curves collide 」

I, too, had to find new meaning in sentences with each reading.

「 The path of the wind will open. 」

But how?

«Lycaon.»

I smiled bitterly and spoke to Lycaon, who could no longer hear me.

«I still don’t understand what that means.»

All I truly understood was the time Lycaon and Kim Dokja had shared.

Those deep nights when even the Dokkaebi King would be asleep.

Lycaon would often wake and instruct me in [Way of the Wind], and when I was lost, we would speak of times long past.

[Student, back then in the dark castle…]

[Student, during the Holy Demon War…]

[Student, when the archangel sealed the ark’s door…]

Those were Kim Dokja’s stories from before.

Lycaon mostly inquired about Kim Dokja’s feelings, posing questions I often couldn’t answer.

I responded as if I had become Kim Dokja, imagining answers only he could give.

Strangely, the more I answered that way,

【Good. That is what you did.】

the more it felt as if Kim Dokja truly resided within me.

【Thank you, student.】

Gazing at the moon rising on the ceiling of Zone 13, I recalled the last question Lycaon had asked.

【By the way, student. Did you also… ever wish to return home?】

A wolf’s finger pointed toward a large moon. Looking into Lycaon’s eyes, illuminated by the moonlight, I thought about him, truly, for the first time.

Lycaon before the scenarios began. The wolves of Kronos racing across the grasslands. The wolf prince howling into the wind from the forefront.

Only then did I understand ‘re-reading’.

The specific words written did not matter.

To read something was to comprehend the time imbued within that sentence. To perceive the history between the lines, accumulated through writing, reading, and imagining the words.

To understand the time spent as a wolf running through a ruined world, and to answer that history.

«Yes, I wanted to return too.»

It is not the sentence that changes, but the reader.

[You have comprehended ‘Way of the Wind’.]

The path is now open.