Fei Hu, the favored son of the heavens, stood mere millimeters from the Sacred Texts, his hand trembling with greed and anticipation.
"It's mine!" he roared, his voice echoing through the space.
But the world stuttered.
From the middle of the chaotic battlefield, Kim Hajin—clad in his battle-worn black suit—unleashed his spirituality.
['Psyche Storm' is activated!]
Fei Hu's eyes rolled back.
His Spirit Body was violently assaulted by a spirituality from a superior Sequence, a force that shouldn't exist in this narrative.
He clutched his head, the world spinning as his connection to the world wavered.
Seeing the opening, Boss surrendered to her instinctual power.
Her form blurred, expanding into the terrifying Yasha.
Demonic shadows erupted from her, clashing against the original Tang Sanzang constellation and the reeling Fei Hu.
The sheer combat power she displayed froze the surrounding incarnations in awe; her shadows moved with a lethal, fluid grace that defied the laws of the Star Stream.
Suddenly, the atmosphere thickened.
The very space around Fei Hu began to crystallize with status.
[Constellation 'Emperor of Heavens' has entered the stage!]
Cheok Jungyeong roared, leaping toward the divine manifestation with his broadsword raised, but the Jade Emperor merely waved a hand.
The man who claimed to be Goryeo's strongest and a seat of red(of Chameleon Troupe) was tossed aside like a broken doll.
Anna Croft stepped forward, a cold smile playing on her lips.
[A mere incarnation attempts to halt the heavens?] the Jade Emperor's voice boomed, chilling the marrow of everyone present.
The Jade Emperor laughed, but it died in his throat when Anna laughed back.
"Not me," she whispered. "My sponsor".
The space distorted violently as a figure that seemed to shift gender with every flicker of light stepped into the scenario.
[Constellation that likes to change genders incarnates into the Scenario!]
Loki had arrived, but this was no mere Norse deity.
His status was a match for the Jade Emperor, and multiple grotesque lumps formed on Anna Croft's cheek.
[Y-you..!], Jade Emperor incarnated inside Fei Hu's body stumbled. [Wenny King?!]
The Great Dokkaebis, already struggling against the growing horde of Wenny men, froze in shock. For some reason Wenny King attracted the attention of the Oldest Dream.
Above the illusory, final wall, a hand that could cover the heavens began to descend.
It diverted its crushing path away from the battlefield to strike at the Wenny King, buying a few precious seconds for Hajin.
The Jade Emperor, undeterred, channeled his power to draw the Sacred Texts toward himself.
He smiled.
[Everything will end according to the original!], his true voice thundered.
"NO!" Boss screamed, fighting through the blinding sutras of Tang Sanzang.
As the Sacred Texts flew toward the Emperor's grasp, a streak of light cut through the gloom. It wasn't a sword or a spear—it was an arrow. The texts hit the arrow and began to resist the Emperor's pull. A shockwave erupted, throwing the Myth-grade deity back.
[W-What! Impossible!] the Emperor gasped, his divine radiance flickering.
Thirty seconds ago
Hajin stood amidst the ruins, his breathing heavy but focused.
Law of Beyonder Convergence kicked in.
Even through the grief of Ouroboros's sacrifice, he foresaw the coming calamity.
"Ouroboros, Angel of Fate, your sacrifice will never be forgotten!"
[Many audience members are cheering on and agreeing with that declaration!]
He pulled out a sealed glass flask.
Suddenly, the mercurial essence of "Eternity"—the pure characteristic of the dead Angel of Fate—pulled towards him.
'Klein once told me it's possible to survive after consuming multiple potions...'
Hajin smiled.
'He said it depends on the luck.'
"You'll lose control!" Audrey screamed, her animalistic eyes wide with terror as she fought off another group, which also featured Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse.
"There is no such thing as unfortune," Hajin replied, his gaze locked on the heavens. "Not even a chance!"
[+40SP]
[+1SP]
[+11SP]
He opened his UI, his SP balance hovering at a staggering 4,000.
He selected the glowing arrow and began to write.
['Setting Intervention' is activated]
"Can easily destroy Sacred Texts."
A price of 2,000 SP floated in the air.
Hajin bit his lips.
"Can easily destroy texts."
He deleted one line and that changed the price!
"Leaves a Black Lotus sign upon hit."
Two lines costed him only 110 SP.
[Stage Transformation has occurred!]
"That's the story about a single arrow of Primodial Light that destroyed Night's Throne..."
[A portion of judges are worried about your safety.]
He drew his black bow to its limit and released the arrow just as the Oldest Dream's hand lunged to strike him.
[Judge, 'Bimawen', is getting curious about the conclusion of this scenario.]
The arrow didn't fly straight.
It danced through the air, following the impossible trajectory of 9.9 Luck.
The hand of the "God" moved to stop it, but the arrow didn't break.
It pierced through the divine palm, leaving the entities of the Star Stream paralyzed by the sight of the Oldest Dream bleeding.
Before the arrow reached its final target, Hajin gulped down the mercurial flask.
Light erupted from his body.
Because of his singular Luck stat, there was no madness, no mutation—only pure, absolute evolution.
The arrow slammed into the Sacred Texts.
They shattered from the narrative, leaving only a permanent Black Lotus sign where they once floated.
['Star Will' is...]
[...]
[...]
All the messages seemed to glitch and stop, as if system itself was debating on something.
The hand of the Oldest Dream and the giant illusory wall vanished into the nothingness.
[The Bureau is questioning your probability!]
Kim Hajin had acquired five distinct stories, each one a pillar of his new existence.
He was no longer an Incarnation.
The system pondered, searching for a title that suited a man who lived in the gaps of a world he helped build.
[You have gained five stories!]
[Your name becomes famous throughout all the Realms!]
Hajin stood alone on the ruined banks of the Tongtian River. His eyes, once human, now held the swirling mercurial eternity of King of Angels.
Message blurred his view.
[Your Trait 'Calamity Priest' has evolved.]
...
[Your Trait 'Winner' has evolved.]
...
[Your Trait 'Misfortune Mage' has evolved.]
...
...
...
[Your Trait 'Soothsayer' has evolved.]
===
「Snake of Mercury」
[King of Angels rank] [Spirit attribute] [Grade 1 – Proficiency EXP: 0%]
===
['Star Will' has decided on your Modifier!]
[Your Modifier is 'The Novel's Extra'.]
The voice of the Wenny King vibrated through the cracked firmament, a sound like a thousand pages turning at once.
[And so, the final event of the 'Journey to the West Remake' will start now.]
As the words settled, the Tongtian River beneath them ceased to be water. It surged upward, a towering wall of viscous, liquid Fables and discarded ink that blotted out the horizon. It was a tsunami of aborted plotlines and forgotten footnotes, a physical manifestation of the Star Stream's "Recycling" process.
[Narrow Escape from Death – Special stat, Accumulation of Luck, has been locked!]
[Accumulate enough Luck to unlock it once more.]
Kim Hajin gasped, the golden aura of 9.9 Luck flickering and then dying like a spent match.
The weight of the world crashed back down on his shoulders. His head throbbed, a rhythmic hammer strike against his temples.
Hajin thought that if he hadn't lost control at the place, he is okay now.
Within that agony, a second voice—calm, cold, and ancient—began to speak.
Kim Chundong.
[Physique Activated: Psychological Filter]
[Maintaining Mental Buffer... Possession slowed by 50%.]
The filter slowed the corruption, but the Wheel of Fortune potions up to the Sequence 1 hummed inside his body.
The sky screamed.
[KillthemKillthemKillthemKillthemKillthem]
[AhAhAhAhAhAhAh]
The Great Dokkaebis vanished, replaced by descending pillars of white light.
['The Devil's Journey to the West' has been incorporated into the 'Great Fable'.]
[324th Fable chamber has been consolidated!]
...
[9921st Fable chamber has been consolidated!]
...
[1726th Fable chamber has been consolidated!]
...
...
From within them, the 'protagonists' of thousands of other Fable Chambers manifested, eyes crazed by the Bureau's influence. The Wenny men and their King dissolved into the shadows, the King whispering a final parting gift:
"I helped you, don't forget that."
Anna Croft collapsed, her eyes rolling back as the overwhelming Status of the "Consolidation" crushed her mind.
Audrey Hall was there in a blur, catching her.
"Slumber," Audrey whispered in Ancient Hermes.
A pale, misty charm erupted in her hand. Hundreds of enemy incarnations charging from the riverbanks were suddenly pulled into a forced dream, their movements dazed or stopping entirely as Audrey destabilized their psychic states, invading their Mind Islands like a tsunami.
But she couldn't stop the Mimyo.
Droon's black rabbit ultimate weapon crashed through the lines of both Incarnation and Yogoes, its baseball-bat claws tearing through narrative flesh. Hajin screamed at Droon to stop it, but the boy could only stare in horror. Mimyo was foreign dimension of hunger that could not be satiated.
[Shares of 'Outer God' have risen to 30%!]
The air pressure spiked.
The Status of the newcomers was so dense it felt like iron. Hajin felt a new story sprouting within him—a jagged, painful growth.
[Details of the main scenario have been updated!]
===
< Main Scenario #95 – Owner of the [Journey to West] >
Category: Main
Difficulty: Indeterminable
Clear Conditions: Kill all the Yogoes. The Chamber which defeats more enemies of the Scenario will be chosen as the winners.
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: Great Fable related to the 'Journey to the West', 5,000,000 Coins,???
Failure: ―
===
The mandate of the heavens was clear: Genocide.
But Hajin looked at the Yogoes—the Extras—and raised his black bow.
"We aren't killing them," Hajin growled.
[666th Fable chamber has been designated as 'Enemies of the Scenario'!]
The heavens retaliated.
The golden headbands of every other Sun Wukong on the field constricted, forcing them into a state of mindless slaughter.
But Hajin's headband remained silent, its authority rejected by his Author-class resistance.
[How is that possible!]
Original Tang Zang screamed.
Cheok Jungyeong roared, his skin bulging a bright red as his Ultimate skill from the Tower was activated.
He swung his nine-toothed rake, his stories clashing with the incoming Historical-grade Constellations of the
Anna Croft, utilizing the Wenny King's Stigma: Story-Weaving Shapeshifter, tried to assist Khalifa, but they were being overwhelmed.
Suddenly, Hajin's Aether flared.
A red line of killing intent seared his perception.
['Bullet Time' has been forcefuly activated by 'Aether'!]
Hajin felt a sense of deja vu.
The world slowed. He saw it: a black, demonic arrow humming with the status of a Devil. He looked toward a distant mountain peak and saw her—the devil Leraje. She was the Sun Wukong of the Devil's Journey to the West.
The arrow pierced Hajin's chest before he could move. Boss screamed, her shadow-mana going on a rampage as she lost control of her emotions.
Yi Yuri lunged forward, her authority of healing combining with Hajin's [Orb of Regeneration] to stitch his heart back together in a flurry of white-gold light.
As Hajin recovered, he saw the shares of the Outer Gods plummeting.
The Yogoes were being slaughtered by the "Consolidated" chambers. Their dying voices filled his mind:
[WhoamIWhoamIWhoamIWhoamI]
The shares of Outer Gods began tumbling down at an alarming rate.
Scenario has counted them as the enemies.
Others need to kill all the Yogoes.
But then again, maybe it was an obvious result.
Because they were villains to be defeated in this world, not its main characters.
[AhAhAhAhAhAhAh]
His eyes were now looking at the dead Yogoes beneath the surface of the water. Was it because Hajin, the Author, Scenario Master wanted the extras to be finally noticed? Hajin asked himself.
The previous 'him' would probably leave the extras to their fate. An extra couldn't become a main character. And the 'Outer Gods' couldn't even serve as the extras, so they were being forced out of the 'Fable'.
The dying Yogoes were looking up at the group.
[IcouldalsodoitIcouldalsodoit]
[HajinHajinHajinHajin]
[A portion of judges are currently feeling melancholic.]
But he wasn't Hajin of the past.
This story.
This fable changed him.
He was a part of the story.
He was the Extra.
[Judge, 'Most Ancient Liberator', is repeatedly grabbing and letting go of his hair.]
[Judge, 'Bimawen', is contemplating on the lives of the Yogoes.]
[Judge, 'Meihouwang', is asking, although he isn't sure, if they could all be saved.]
"You are the protagonists of this story," Hajin whispered, his voice transforming into a narrative message.
[Many audience members are resonating with the theme of ⸢The Extra's Journey to the West⸥.]
Khalifa's twin blades of spatial magic erupted in azure-blue lightning, roasting enemy incarnations into ash. The survivors finally recognized them.
"How the hell can a Sha Wujing be that strong?!"
"C-could it be, that is....?!"
"It's them! The main characters of the Extra's Journey!"
….It seemed that their identity had been exposed now.
In front of Hajin's eyes appeared a message. It was a message for him as a Scenario Master.
[Someone wants to join your chamber!]
[Player:Um… Hello! I'd really like to help you…]
'….A new actor at such a late stage?'
He clicked [ACCEPT], without thinking.
[Shares of 'Outer God' are tumbling lower at an alarming rate.]
[Current shares of 'Outer God' for the applicable scenario is 23.473%.]
[A portion of audience members have revealed their identities.]
"Spartan!"
As the group teleported toward the peak to unseal Mimyo, 28 Mansions blocked their path.
[What an incomprehensible bunch of people.]
[Why do you stain this noble story with the blood of Yogoes?]
[You're not qualified to complete this 'Great Fable'.]
Three arrows of demonic fire pierced through the Three of 28 Mansions who were speaking.
[Constellation 'Mansion of the Fragrant Plum' has been defeated!]
[Constellation 'Forever Bright Mansion' has been defeated!]
[Constellation 'Root Mansion' has been defeated!]
[Many audience members are shocked by the powers of the 'Devil'!]
Hajin looked again at Leraje who was aiming her bow at them, mouthing:
'You are mine.'
Hajin felt dizzy.
'Crazy devils! I won't be part of your collection!'
"Hajin leave them to me, I have some things to discuss with them," Cheok Jungeyong stepped forward.
"Geyong?"
[Constellation 'Goreyo's Strongest' unleashes his Status!]
Hajin nodded and teleported the group once more.
The last thing he heard was the true voice of Cheok Jungyeong:
[Four Swords Style, Fourth Sword that Beheads the Emptiness!]
The 28 Mansions were cut down in a single, reality-bending arc.
The group appeared dozens of meters away.
A strange sight entered his vision as he scanned the battlefield.
===
[???]
…
Pathway:???
Affiliation:???
===
[???]
…
Pathway:???
Affiliation:???
===
'What the hell are they doing with Mimyo? What kind of ritual is that? Are they sealing him?'
Their ultimate weapon was currently sealed by the two Saints of unknown origin. Hajin suspected they were a part of Corruption Alliance.
[Nebula, Emperor's Lords of the Nine Stars, are descending to the scenario!]
'Fuck.'
Nine glowing figures appeared in front of the group.
[A portion of audience members have revealed their identities.]
The one to receive the sacred texts in the original story was Tang Sanzang. But there was no Sacred Texts now, they were destroyed by Kim Hajin. So the scenario got out of Emperor's control, they are panicking.
[Do you think you can escape Emperor?]
True voice that contained status of Narrative-grade Constellation hammered into their ears.
[A portion of the audience members are complaining about the unfairness to the Constellations of Emperor!]
Lodging complaints wouldn't change anything. Whatever the case might have been, the 'Journey to the West' was Emperor's Great Fable, and they wouldn't want to lose it to others.
From the get-go, this event was created for the Incarnation of Emperor, Fei Hu. The only reason why other Incarnations and Constellations were allowed to participate was simply to enhance the status of the entire Story itself and turn this event into a proper scenario.
This was a game where Fei Hu had been decided as its final winner beforehand.
As for the ensuing dissatisfaction of Constellations and their Factions, simply supplying them with Coins and adequate-enough Fables as compensations would calm them down pretty quickly.
That was the truth behind this Emperor-planned ⸢Journey to the West Remake⸥, and other Constellations already had some idea without being explicitly told about it.
Even if you participate, you can't win.
But we will compensate you accordingly.
[Why do you insist on disrupting the order of the scenario? You have already climbed up to second place, yet are you still not satisfied by the number of votes?]
In that regard, it was the same thing as us already crossing that unspoken line that Emperor had drawn.
[It's not too late to back down. If you do, we will not confiscate the Story you have compiled up to this point.]
Kugugugu!
Demonic energy of Leraje's arrows blanketed the sky.
[How can such a nonsensical Status be....!]
[You filthy Devil!]
[Player 10-nim has joined the ⸢The Extra's Journey to the West ⸥ as an 'Extra'!]
As the lightning of Devil's arrows crashed down, a person appeared on top of the nearby tree.
When Hajin was about to shoot bullets at the arrows, light of dawn protected them, as if dividing the group from the outside word. Arrows shoot down on Lords of the Nine Stars.
Unfortunately, none of them was defeated. After all they weren't Historical-grade Constellations like 28 Mansions. They needed something more powerful to force them to retreat.
The dawn light cracked, fading.
Hajin looked at the new Player.
[Player 10-nim's role is 'Bull Demon King'.]
…The Bull Demon King.
A pair of giant horns rose above this person's head. He was tall, muscular figure with brownish-yellow hair and a crown made of dawn's light appeared atop the mountain peak.
"Mr. Sun?" Audrey screamed, her eyes widening.
"Miss Justice!" Derrick Berg smiled. "Mr. Hanged Man sent me to help!"
Derrick didn't wait.
He unleashed his Sequence 3 authorities.
Within a 10-kilometer radius, the Justice Halo suppressed the malice of the enemy Constellations.
"We need to free Mimyo," Hajin said.
[Current Shares of 'Outer God': 13.002%.]
He looked at the current situation and bit his lips.
[Nebula, Emperor's Twelve Star Lords, are preparing to descend!]
[Nebula, Emperor's Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, are preparing to descend!]
Hajin finally realised the truth by then. Emperor was dead serious about this 'Giant Story'.
[Many audience members are looking at you with great anticipation!]
[Currently, the difference in voting score between you and the first ranked chamber is negligible!]
Mr. Sun looked at Hajin.
"I'll unseal that thing," Derrick said.
Audrey's face changed into worried expression.
"I will be alright," he smiled.
The cloud of dust settled Lords of the Nine Stars attacked them.
"Go!"
Spartan teleported the rest of the group to the granite island where Yogoes were fighting against Fei Hu's group.
Derrick stood his ground.
He activated the Glory Crown, creating a pure, solid sphere of holy light that divided the world.
[Where are the rest?!]
[What is this place?]
"I'm your opponent," Derrick smiled.
[How dare..!]
Mr. Sun reached into his robe and pulled out a three-layered jewelry box that's quite big. It had a strange design with hollow and delicate patterns.
One of the Nine Stars laughed:
[Do you think this… jewel box can stop us?]
[We are Lords of the Nine Stars..!]
Derrick touched inlaid rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds of the Box.
He opened all three layers and escaped the cage of light, leaving the Stars trapped with the artifact.
"I'm not sure what's there on the third level, but that's not my problem, after all we are not on Earth," Derrick scoffed.
Derrick rushed toward Mimyo, but was intercepted by Perle and Héloise. As the Saints of Truth and Edict cornered him, a dark arrow—the Dark Ore Arrow—shot through the air, killing Héloise instantly.
"Thanks!"
Derrick didn't know how Hajin shot her from such a distance, but since Convergence happened many miraculous things appeared that he had never ever even dreamed of, so Derrick wasn't so surprised.
Hajin stood in the distance, his black bow smoking.
Holy Armor formed around Derrick.
He drew a sword of light out of thin air.
Perle pulled out a small chinbone.
Derrick's thoughts became extremely sluggish.
"God says it's ineffective!"
But he still slamed the illusory altar that trapped Mimyo into a Vortex of Fate.
When his thoughts returned to normal Perle was nowhere to be found.
The cage of dawn shattered at the distance.
[Nebula, Emperor's Twelve Star Lords have been killed!]
The Third Layer of the Box had manifested into the real world, breaking the light cage of Glory Crown. Jagged jaws of jewels and spatial doors began to eat the emotions, memories, and rules of the stage, devouring everything on its way.
Derrick remembered the Hanged Man's warning: "If there's a situation where you need to open the third level of the Box, you must run as fast as possible after opening. No one knows what's hidden inside it. It was once opened on one of the missions of Minor Arcana."
"No one survived in a radius of 500 meters. That place was turned into desert."
Derrick felt another killing intent from behind.
Mimyo was there.
Droon appeared out the shadows.
"Mimyo you are finally free! Let's go… What's that thing?"
The black rabbit stood between Droon and the Hunger.
"No, Mimyo!"
Derrick watched with awe that slowly turned into fear.
It didn't flee; it began devouring the Box's power. It ate the "Hunger" itself, eventually devouring the entire Box of the Great Old Ones.
Mimyo let out a satisfied burp and returned to Droon's shadow, falling into a deep slumber.
"What will I say to Mr. Hanged Man... Aish!" Derrick used the 'aish' of annoyance that was typical for Koreans.
The group reunited on the granite island where the texts once stood, now a graveyard of Yogoes.
[You cannot acquire that story], the Heavenly Emperor's true voice boomed from the heavens. [The forgotten ones need to remain forgotten.]
Hajin stood amidst the slaughter, his strength nearly gone. After almost fifteen minutes of protecting the Outer Gods and shooting down countless participants who played Sun Wukongs, Tang Zangs and others, the shares of the Outer Gods hit a terrifying 0.001%.
Exhaustion finally claimed his mind.
'Give up,' an ominous voice resounded inside his head.
"Shut up."
Audrey placated him.
The group was on the brink of loosing.
They watched the last of the Yogoes being cut down, their dying screams asking one final question.
[AhAhAhAhAhAh]
[OhOhOhOhOhOh....!]
[Story 'Those Who Defy the Immutable' stares at its Owner!]
That was the first story he received. That was the story of just them three: Klein, Dokja and Hajin.
'What would they do? What would that stupid reader do…'
Tenths of Djinns surged at them.
"Kill them! They are the enemies of Scenario!"
"We will get a pretty reward from 'Star Will'! C'mon!"
They were surrounded.
[Judge, 'Shakyamuni', is looking at you.]
Hajin looked up at the sky, his eyes reflecting the fading starlight.
His eyes widened as he saw 'that'.