Chapter 748

I seized the shoulders of my faltering companions and shook them hard.

«Everyone, snap out of it! Don’t let it consume you!»

Awareness was gradually returning to my companions’ eyes, but it was happening far too slowly. Even if they shook off 「Compatible Mama」, they would still be vulnerable to the ghosts. That left a single path forward.

I accelerated swiftly along the [Way of the Wind], punched through the air, and charged directly at the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’.

「 The user of 「Compatible Mama」 is completely vulnerable while the story is active. 」

[The story ‘Heir of the Eternal Name’ has been activated!]

This was my chance to land a solid blow.

[Fragment of the story ‘The Sword Master’s right hand man who was stabbed in the back by a colleague’ is awakening!]

A fragment of a story penned by the Demon King of Salvation.

The very same story fragment that had cut down scores of half-ascended great-grade constellations now began to glow within my right hand.

[Way of the Wind, sheathed in ‘Unbreakable Faith’, surges once more.]

A sword strike that detonated, leaving a searing white pattern in its wake.

The ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ intercepted my attack with its massive forepaw.

[It is useless.]

I gritted my teeth.

The fragments of Kim Dokja’s story were far more powerful than this.

How was I supposed to interpret it?

How did I ‘reread’ in order to fight like he did?

Writing a story and composing sentences did not equate to fully comprehending the world.

True understanding sometimes comes from the reader.

Kim Dokja required assistance.

«You always have to play the hero.»

The Killer King shot past me using the [Way of the Wind], firing his bowgun in a rapid volley.

Finally, the group shook off the effects of 「Compatibility Mama」 and joined the fray.

«Aaaah! Take this! Turtle Crusher!»

Kyung Sein launched herself upward like a flying squirrel and hurled Dansu ahjussi into the air with all her strength. Curled into a ball like a turtle, he spun like a top before slamming heavily into the tiger’s stomach. The impact created a momentary opening, allowing the [Way of the Wind] to pierce through.

[The story fragment ‘Way of the Wind’ is resonating!]

[The story of ‘Way of the Wind’ is beginning!]

As the path opened, the hesitant stories finally found their voices.

[The story ‘The Fox, the Crane, and the Wolf—often a Panda’ begins its narration.]

The story we had repaired.

As its content transformed, the story began to be recognized once more throughout the <Star Stream>, gathering strength.

Plates and gourds from the tale of the fox and the crane fell from the sky like bombs.

The ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ cried out in alarm.

[How dare you—!]

Then, a flock of swallows descended from the heavens and dropped Park-ssi.

[The story ‘The panda saw the swallow carrying the seed in its mouth’ begins its narration.]

The ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ stumbled and swayed as it stepped on Park-ssi. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Hyunwoo and Cha Yerin struck the back of its knees. Its enormous frame slowly lost balance and toppled backward.

«Now!»

But we could not have 「staged」 these stories alone.

«Free soup for anyone who brings me a spearfish head!»

When had it started?

The crane owner was swinging her frying pan, knocking the heads of the spearfish.

The goose that lays golden eggs deposited them on the spearfish heads, while the swallows dropped gourd seeds and pecked at the fish in unison.

They weren’t the only ones.

«Waaaaah!»

The prisoners from Zone 13, who had entrusted their stories to us, rose up like a wildfire.

Prisoners without weapons or powerful stories.

Yet, they did not retreat and fought back.

Those unarmed threw the plates and gourds full of soup they had brought from the inn.

[The constellation ‘The bear that Spares One’s life if One pretends to be dead’ is bewildered by the beastmen’s reaction.]

Only the bears remained, heads pressed to the floor, incapable of action.

Then, something landed on the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’s’ head with a wet, sloshing sound.

«Hahaha! Look at him!»

The prisoners roared with laughter at the sight of the tiger drenched in hot soup.

«What a sorry-looking tiger!»

The beastmen of Zone 13 were shouting excitedly, as if their earlier fear of the Chinese Zodiac had never existed.

«Demons, return to your graves!»

What had stirred them into motion?

「 The Three Little Pigs, The Swallow Carrying the Gourd Seeds, The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs… 」

Perhaps all those stories had piled up like snow, finally blossoming within a small vessel.

[The story of Zone 13 stands with you!]

[Your budding story is evolving!]

One thing was certain: the story of the fallen prisoners had been reawakened.

[The story ‘Compatible Mama’ flinches.]

A simple story, built together, was driving out a monumental fear.

Stories may be forgotten, but they never vanish.

It wasn’t a grand or mythical tale, but it was a story that had sustained their everyday lives.

The history of Zone 13 was finally being ‘reread’.

«He’s down!»

«Cut off his head!»

The prisoners from Zone 13 began sprinting toward the head of the fallen ‘Tiger’.

«Wait! Stop!»

But that was a critical error.

[The story ‘Sleeping Tiger’s Nose Hair’ begins its narration!]

Some of the prisoners had touched the tiger’s nose hair.

The ‘Tiger’ rose with a thunderous roar, exhaling a blast of scorching, foul-smelling breath.

The prisoners closest to it were dissolved by the terrible heat.

[The constellation ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ is enraged!]

A violent shockwave erupted from the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’.

Looking closer, I saw a shining jewel embedded in its back. I knew immediately what it was. That was the reason the great-grade constellation ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ was so unnaturally powerful.

«It’s because he killed another ‘reader’.»

Oooooooh—!

Some prisoners, terrified by the tiger’s display of power, fled in panic.

But we did not retreat.

There was nowhere left to fall back to, anyway.

[The scales of probability are shifting!]

A force powerful enough to tilt the scales of probability. And there was no one here to aid us.

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ scoffs at the arrogance of a great-grade constellation.]

[The constellation ‘Reclining Dragon’ awaits your next move.]

[The constellation ‘The One Who Brought Ten Lambs’ attempts to intervene in the scenario!]

[The constellation’s intervention in the scenario was blocked by the Recycling Center’s contract.]

The evaluators were formally barred from interfering in our scenarios. That was the condition of their viewing.

And the other Chinese Zodiac signs could not help us either.

[The constellation ‘Liverless Rabbit’ urges you to crush them quickly!]

[The constellation ‘Rat That Brings Plague’ is delighted!]

[Some constellations of the nebula <Zodiac> are watching your final moments.]

[A few constellations in the nebula <Zodiac> declare it is time to restore order to Zone 13.]

I looked up at the sky.

There truly was no constellation in this world who would come to our aid.

I drew in a slow, deep breath, as if inhaling the night itself. As the cool night air filled my lungs, I felt my mind beginning to clear.

«Kim Dokja!

The Killer King and the others stood protectively around me.

My companions’ bodies were already covered in wounds, both large and small, from their battles with the tigers and ghosts.

«We can’t hold out like this. More keep coming.»

As the tiger’s legend grew stronger, the ghosts became more frenzied. The situation worsened as even the fallen beasts began to resurrect as spectral beings. The night was filled with the agonized screams of prisoners.

[The story ‘The One Who Calls Spears’ continues its narration.]

I knew. If we continued fighting like this, we would be defeated.

«It’s okay.»

Even if we destroyed every last spearfish, it wouldn’t matter.

It was impossible to fight the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ now that it was unleashing the full power of its true form. No matter how many stories we had built, it was futile.

But there existed beings who could.

«It’s midnight now.»

I looked up. The constellations in the night sky were beginning to shine with intense light.

There was a reason the new day began at midnight.

It was the time when all sleeping constellations awakened.

As I watched the bright stars turn their attention downward, I understood once more.

There are many reasons we read stories. To seek truth, to empathize with another, to experience an unknown world, or—

To survive.

We read, we empathize with the characters, we experience their world, live their lives, and feel their emotions.

But we know.

No matter how deeply we empathize, no matter if we see the world through the eyes of an omniscient reader, we can never become the protagonist of that world.

We still cannot know the feelings of one who fights for survival more fiercely than any other.

«Ah.»

At Cha Yerin’s soft exclamation, the other party members turned to look in the same direction.

There, in the darkness of the night, was a man who had endured the night of this world longer than anyone.

A shabby cape fluttered about him instead of his signature pitch-black coat, but even so, he could not conceal the unique aura he carried.

«Step aside.»

A cool voice cut through the shadows.

«I will handle this now.»

No one could disobey those words, for they all knew who he was. And at the same time, my companions looked to me, because they also knew who he was.

«Is that alright? He’s still just a boy! And he’s lost all his memories!»

«It’s fine, because—»

I grinned, watching the man walk through the night.

«Exactly ‘ten days’ have passed as of today.»

Yoo Jonghyuk’s face was illuminated by the starlight. He no longer wore the expression of a young boy.

Finally, the side effects of Yoo Jonghyuk’s ‘Story Imprint’ had ended, and he had returned to his adult body.

Yet, my companions still seemed anxious.

«But even if it is Yoo Jonghyuk—»

«Trust me. It will be okay.»

Had this been a normal 41st round, I might have shared my companions’ doubts.

However, this ’41st round’ was not an ordinary one.

The Yoo Jonghyuk here now was the transcendent who had driven giant nebulae to ruin by only the 40th round.

He was the monster who, as soon as the 41st round began, had engraved three stories into his very body and torn a marquis-level demon apart with a single sword stroke.

As if to prove it, Yoo Jonghyuk walked forward, meeting the gaze of the ‘Tiger Eating Rice Cake’ without a trace of fear or panic. It was the stride of a true conqueror.

A dozen spearfish, rushing him blindly, turned to starlight and oxidized before they could even get near.

«The tiger of the zodiac.»

Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes indifferently scanned the space above. A gaze that looked upon a mere hill, a voice utterly devoid of emotion despite the colossal foe.

«Killing you—»

The ‘Sainsa Sword’ I had given him gleamed with a distant light in his hand.

«This is the third time.»