[Your approval rating drops.]
[Currently, 62% of prisoners in Zone 13 support you.]
Honestly, it seemed like it would be difficult for the group to clear the scenario on their own.
There are two reasons.
One, if I leave out of this scenario, there is a high possibility that Bihyung will no longer cooperate.
Then, we will not be able to display the 'stories' we have changed outside of the Recycling Center.!
Second, even if Bihyung cooperates, there are many stories that cannot be recreated without my 'mask', which can transform into another animal.
If it is impossible to stage the story, the party members can no longer increase their approval rating through 'mending the stories'.
The conclusion is clear. For the sake of my companions, I must remain here.
It was then that Killer King opened his mouth.
"Go, Kim Dokja. Just me is enough here."
A somewhat resentful voice. His tightly clenched fist was trembling slightly.
"Go first. Go and wait for me."
"Killer King-ssi is right."
Kyung Sein also added a word.
"You can go first. The big crisis has passed. Even the bears seem to have given up. And did you see it earlier? We also have a story!"
"It's not like we'll never meet again."
Dansu ahjussi also helped.
Cha Yerin, who was standing next to me, also nodded and said.
"You can trust us."
The only one who didn't say anything was Ye Hyunwoo. For some reason, Ye Hyunwoo glanced in my direction and lowered his head without saying a word.
I looked at Ye Hyunwoo like that and slowly closed my eyes.
Trusting my companions is definitely one way. If they were the ones they are now, they might actually be able to do it somehow.
Even if I fail, I can become the agent of the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' and successfully carry out the next scenario, and come back to find my companions.
But if that happens, what happens to the stories we have built here?
Our story built up through 「The Three Little Pigs」, 「The Fox and the Crane」, and 「The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg」.
The time we built up step by step to confront the
"Dokja-ssi?"
Anyone can see that following the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' was the better choice.
We know that what the incarnations want is to have powerful sponsors backing them, compete quickly on a wider stage, and gain rewards.
Still, the reason I hesitate is—
"Tiger Eating Rice Cake."
This is because I am called 'Kim Dokja' by these people.
"What I promised was to 'attend the Zodiac Ball', not to be your 'agent'."
Kim Dokja became a constellation himself because he did not want to be an afterthought.
For Kim Dokja, who tried to solve all problems by building up his own stories, this was not a matter of choice.
"I'm sorry, but I will decline your offer. I and my companions will attend the 'Zodiac Ball' on our own."
"Wait a minute, Dokja-ssi!"
"And according to our contract, I'm free when I attend the 'Zodiac Ball'."
I continued speaking firmly without avoiding the gaze of the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake'.
Even though the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' had a different personality than I thought, I believed that if I said it this way, he would have understood.
Because.
「 The 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' is definitely a 'reader'. 」
It had to be that way.
If the 'Nail-Eating Rat' is a reader, then the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' must also be a reader.
He is the one who has been watching us along with the 'Nail-Eating Rat'. I believed that if he were a reader who was not a member of the 'Misreading Association', he would definitely understand what I meant.
[No, no, no, no, no.]
The rat hiding behind my back trembled and said.
[Run away, run away, run away.]
A violently scurrying rat dragged my sleeve. The rat pointed at the fallen bears with a trembling finger.
Something came to mind later.
「 Who is the Zodiac member that led the bears here? 」
I turned my head and looked up at the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake'.
Very slowly, goosebumps rose from my toes.
[Your exclusive attributes are extremely active!]
A story that I could not read because I was momentarily overwhelmed by the presence of the constellation.
'Story fragments' that encouraged the bears' desires and fueled them.
[The story has been interrupted by a story fragment 'Fanning'.]
I could now clearly see where the 'story fragment' originated.
"Tiger Eating Rice Cake, did you send the bears here?"
I didn't want to believe it.
The indirect messages he had sent to me appeared in my mind one after another.
[The constellation 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' agrees with the intentions of incarnation 'Jung Heewon'.]
He understood Jung Heewon's desire to protect what was precious to her.
[The constellation 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' says that you only need to attend the 'Zodiac Ball' once in the future.]
He even sacrificed a huge amount of probability to give me the 'core of the devil species'.
I didn't want to believe that such a constellation would have done something like this, that he would have done something that would put 'readers' like him in danger.
"Why-"
An answer I can't help but hear even if I don't want to believe it.
[Story fragment 'Fanning' stutters the story.]
His tale spoke for him.
The 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' sent bears as scouts to watch Lycaon's movements. And he sacrificed them mercilessly.
The tiger's mouth opened as if spitting out rotten rice cake.
[Are you seriously asking why? Do you think that even small things like this require probability?]
Is the person with the wide-open smile really a 'reader' who has read the same story as our group?
[Little one, this is something your small head cannot understand. Don't think. All you have to do is hold on to the rope I hold out.]
Maybe it wasn't my mistake from the beginning.
The old stories surrounding him spoke on his behalf.
[Legendary story 'The Old and Sick Guardian Deity' mocks 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' is looking at you.]
[The story 'The Owner Of The Rotten Rope''s eyes shine.]
…
The soul of the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' is nowhere to be seen in these stories, of which we cannot even tell how old they are. His soul, faintly visible through the gaps in the thickly covered stories, is simply,
[Now it's time to leave.]
It was tiny, like a tiny slice.
"Dokja-ssi!"
The voices of my companions calling me became distant for a moment.
What looked like the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' stretched out its hand towards me.
The moment an irresistible force pulled my body in accordance to the contract, something shook 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 shouldn't get involved.
That is our contract.
And in this
[It's okay.]
The entire Zone 13 began to shake.
[
[The management bureau controls unexpected situations.]
The 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' was smiling.
[You're caught, you foolish monster from another world.]
The moment Lycaon's power overflowed, a message flew in from the air.
[
The power of the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' was growing in proportion to Lycaon's power.
Tsutsutsutsu.
No matter how much the opponent is a 'great-grade constellation', Lycaon has shown his status here without any contracts or scenarios.
Even the status of the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' was stronger than expected.
[The constellation 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' roars!]
A blow from the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' flew towards the incarnation body of Lycaon, which was shaking uneasily.
[Go away, monster from another world—!]
A huge rope was clamped in the tiger's mouth like a whip. As the tiger's head struck the top with all its might, as if turning its head, the rope flew in, creating a huge shock wave.
[Student.]
Lycaon threw his whole body to block the attack. As if protecting the only path allowed to him.
[There is not much space allowed to me. Because I am not the main character of this world. So, I will keep it short.]
I knew it instinctively. Now Lycaon is trying to tell me 'what should not be said'.
But why?
[The entity you are looking for is in the 'deep sea of ◼️◼️◼️'.]
"Lycaon, wait a minute! What is that—"
[Find other writers. Collect the world's disappearances, and—]
Lycaon's body was disappearing. His wind was disappearing. I extended my hand towards Lycaon.
[Become the 'Kim Dokja' you want to be.]
Lycaon's voice was scattering in the wind. His strong shoulders and magnificent mane were disappearing.
At the last moment, a faint smile appeared on Lycaon's face.
[Thank you for telling me your story. So, I will also tell you the last story.]
Lycaon's incarnation body was oxidized.
Beyond the bright blue smoke, the 'Tiger Eating Rice Cake' was smiling.
I looked down blankly at the spot where Lycaon had disappeared. Something was sparkling there.
「 SVRP. PW 041. 」
Unusual object report.
[Way of the Wind has already been recorded in the object ◼️◼️◼️.」]
It was a 'record' left by Lycaon, a recorder of fear.
「 Suggesting direction for the complete restoration process of the object. The important thing is to 're-read'. 」
Read again.
If it had been before, I wouldn't have understood what that meant. I would have answered that I had already read that sentence, that I had read it over and over again.
It was I who wrote that sentence, so I know that sentence better than anyone else.
But at that moment, I realized.
「 A gale in my left hand 」
'Re-reading' something did not mean 'reading again' what I knew.
「 A storm in my right hand 」
It is the same as 'transcendence'.
Just as Yoo Jonghyuk ascends to the transcendental throne with new enlightenment every time,
「 In places where straight lines and curves collide 」
I also have to understand sentences in a new way every time.
「 The path of the wind will open. 」
But how.
"Lycaon."
I smile bitterly and speak to Lycaon, who cannot hear.
"I still don't know what that means."
What I understand is just the time Lycaon and Kim Dokja spent together.
A deep night when even the Dokkaebi King would have fallen asleep.
Lycaon often woke up and taught me [Way of the Wind], and when I couldn't find the answer, we talked about old times together.
[Student, but then in the dark castle...]
[Student, in the Holy Demon War...]
[Student, when the archangel closed the door on the ark...]
That's Kim Dokja's story from the past.
Lycaon mainly asked about Kim Dokja's feelings, so most of them were questions I couldn't answer.
I answered with the thought that I had become Kim Dokja. I imagined an answer that only Kim Dokja could give.
Strangely enough, if I keep answering like that,
[Okay. You did that.]
For some reason, I felt like Kim Dokja really was inside me.
[Thank you, student.]
As I look at the moon rising on the ceiling of Zone 13, I recall the last question Lycaon asked.
[By the way, student. Did you too... did you ever want to go home?]
A wolf's finger pointing to a large moon. Looking at Lycaon's eyes illuminated by the moon, I thought about him for the first time.
Lycaon before the scenarios begin. The wolves of Kronos running across the grassland. The wolf prince roared into the wind from the front.
Only then did I understand 're-reading'.
It doesn't matter what sentence is written there.
Reading something means reading the time added to that sentence. Estimating the time between lines accumulated while writing, reading, and imagining the sentence.
Understanding the time spent as a wolf running through a destroyed world, and responding to that time.
"Yes, I wanted to go back too."
It is not the sentence that changes, but the person who reads it that changes.
[You understand 'Way of the Wind'.]
The road has been opened.