[The exclusive skill, "Fourth Wall" is strongly activated!] The Fourth Wall moved the moment Secretive Plotter stared at me. The Fourth Wall growled like a beast protecting its cubs.
「 Be care ful Kim Dok ja. 」
The first time I came here, Secretive Plotter called the Fourth Wall the "Last Wall." There was no information about it in the original but that didn"t mean I had no idea at all. It was because there were various types of walls in Ways of Survival, including Jang Hayoung"s Unidentified Wall.
"I came to receive the compensation, Secretive Plotter." I opened my mouth but Secretive Plotter didn"t reply. Sparks were flying around Secretive Plotter. The darkness covering his expression looked angry as he asked me, [Demon King of Salvation, why did you make that choice?]
"Huh?"
I didn"t know what he meant by his sudden question. Secretive Plotter asked again, [ Why didn"t you want to go back to the third round? That world wasn"t your round. ]
"This world saved my life. That"s it."
[ If you left it, they could find rest. ]
"That isn"t rest. Secretive Plotter, why did you send me to that parallel world?"
The sparks around Secretive Plotter intensified. It seemed like his existence was becoming unstable. Secretive Plotter sighed and said,[ Everything was already decided... you don"t know what you changed. ]
The white hole in the place where there should be eyes was watching me.
[ I will give you the reward I promised. ]
I nodded. There were three rewards promised for this sub scenario. An item, skill and story that was acquired in the 1863rd round.
[ What item will you take? ]
"This coat." I was a bit tense as I pulled out the white coat that Han Sooyoung gave me. Secretive Plotter"s eyes leaked out light and narrowed. It seemed I couldn"t deceive the outer G.o.d.
Secretive Plotter had promised me one item. However, the coat"s inner pockets contained more than one item.
[ ...That"s fine. Since one less flower is returning, the total sum of probability must be similar to the flower. ]
[The "Infinite Dimension s.p.a.ce Coat" has been received as a reward item.]
Fortunately, Secretive Plotter overlooked Han Sooyoung"s coat. Next was the "story.
[ You will naturally be taking "that" story? ]
"That"s right."
In the first place, the only story I got in the 1863rd round was the one that Yoo Jonghyuk gave to me. Obtaining this story meant I needed to modify some of my planned routes but... it didn"t matter. The important thing was to see the end of the story that I chose.
[You have acquired a new story.]
[This story will be applied normally after returning to the original world line.]
Last was the "skill."
[ What will you do about the skill? You didn"t acquire any new skills. ]
"I wasn"t able to receive a skill but... is it possible to receive this type of compensation?"
I started explaining to Secretive Plotter. After a while, Secretive Plotter nodded. [ It is possible. ]
[You have acquired the reward skill.]
[This skill will be applied normally after returning to the original world line.]
I obtained everything I needed to get. The unexpected happened when I was going to ask the Secretive Plotter to return me to my original world. There were strong sparks as someone tried to penetrate this s.p.a.ce from the rear.
I noticed the "status" that could be felt beyond this s.p.a.ce. It seemed that the bureau had noticed Secretive Plotter in this place. In other words, the person trying to break into this s.p.a.ce was likely to be a great dokkaebi of the bureau.
[ You"ll be going now, Demon King of Salvation. ]
Secretive Plotter moved his fingertips lightly and a portal appeared under my feet.
I hurriedly called out to Secretive Plotter. "Wait a minute! How many years will have pa.s.sed when I return to the world?"
Secretive Plotter glanced at me.
[ Some stories are read quickly and some are read slowly. ]
I tried to open my mouth but my lower body had already pa.s.sed through the portal.
[ Demon King of Salvation. Do you think the story of your disappearance will be read quickly or slowly? ]
I could hear a mischievous laugh coming from somewhere. The portal was fully activated and my field of view was completely blocked.
[ Once we meet again, I hope that you are the proper master of the wall. ]
***
Was it because it wasn"t my first time crossing the world line? I was able to maintain my consciousness despite being swept through the portal.
[The Fourth Wall is strongly activated!]
[The Viceroy"s Dimensional Door has set the time-s.p.a.ce coordinates.]
The scene of the flowing Star Stream. I thought of the things I needed in the memories that floated up like buoys.
[The Viceroy"s Dimensional Door is closed.]
I woke up at the message and was lying on the ground. It was a s.p.a.cious place dimly illuminated by lanterns hanging from the ceiling. There seemed to be voices in the distance.
...Where was I? It didn"t seem to be Earth. Why? Why did I suddenly come here?
[The Star Stream has detected your presence in the world!]
[The Star Stream has reconfirmed your modifier.]
[The Star Stream will a.s.sign you to the scope of your constellation.]
[The bureau is calculating your status.]
I thought I knew what was going on. I left the scenario of the original world through the Outer World Covenant. A price was necessary to return to the original scenario. I felt the muscles of my body jerking as the messages continued to rise.
[The bureau has completed your examination.]
[Returning you to the original scenario isn"t suitable.]
[The bureau will review scenarios for your level.
[The review has been completed.]
I sighed as I watched the messages that came up.
...I expected this to happen. No, actually, I intended it. I left my original world and went to another world. The categories were different but all beings who came back to the original scenario like me were called by the same name.
[You have acquired a new story!]
[You have acquired a new attribute!]
[You have obtained the qualification of a "returnee."]
[A new scenario is being prepared for you.]
I had become a returnee. I slowly raised my body and saw several men and women talking around me. They were all returnees like me.
"Hahaha, I can finally return to Earth! It has been 10 years!"
"I have been waiting 20 years."
"Where have you been? Based on the colours, was it Murim?"
"I"m from Gratus. Have you heard of it?"
Then someone waved at me. "Oh, you must be the last one."
It was a man dressed in black shaman clothing. He was wearing a mask but his eyes and the impression he gave off were somewhat familiar.
I briefly greeted him and the man spoke again. "Brother, where are you from?"
"Earth."
"No, that isn"t the question. There is no one here who isn"t from Earth... I"m asking about the planet you moved from."
The man smiled wryly. At this moment, I thought I knew the ident.i.ty of the man.
「 A towering person who looks like he has a bag of tricks. Eyes that are suitable for night vision and only half the eyebrows are left, as if eaten by crows. 」
I couldn"t help smiling. It was already time for this person to appear...
"The place I went to was also Earth. The Earth of a parallel dimension."
"Hrmm, is that so? You are a very unusual person."
The man extended his hand towards me.
"I will introduce myself first. My name is w.a.n.g Weirong. In the 2nd Murim that I went to, I was called Flying Fox."
Flying Fox, w.a.n.g Weirong. He was one of Yoo Jonghyuk"s later colleagues.
"My name is Kim Dokja." Also known as... um... the Demon King of Salvation."
A few returnees listening to the story from the side laughed.
"Demon King of Salvation? Kuhahahat!"
"It is a great t.i.tle. It looks like you went to some third-rate fantasy world!"
A hand hit me on the back. More of them were returnees from Murim or a medieval world. Flying Fox said with a grin. "Nice nickname."
"It"s nothing."
"By the way, you have already been given the returnee"s clothing."
"Ah, yes."
I looked down at the Infinite Dimension s.p.a.ce Coat I was wearing. I forgot it was originally a garment only for returnees, just like the Disaster of Questions who I once faced. Maybe that guy was summoned to Earth after going through the same procedure.
Just then, dokkaebis appeared in the air and started giving coats to the returnees. Several returnees looked between the coats they received and mind and protested.
"Hey dokkaebi! The one he is wearing looks much better...!"
It was natural. It didn"t make sense if a coat received from the 95th scenario was worse than the supply coat.
Some of the dokkaebis were shocked when they saw me and reported to their superiors. By now, Bihyung should know I was back.
I wanted to see the people of Earth as soon as possible. How many years had pa.s.sed? Everybody had to be doing well.
Flying Fox received the coat and said with a smile, "Uh, nice clothes. What will you do when you get back?"
"I"m going to look for somebody."
"Ho, do you have a lover waiting?" I smiled at him. Flying Fox kept speaking. "I think I will live in a grand style once I go back. I have obtained a long-awaited strength. I don"t need to be intimidated by bullies anymore! Now is the beginning of happiness!"
"...The days won"t be that happy. Earth would"ve changed a lot."
"Uhuh, you are already talking weakly. I have been through all that suffering. What can happen when I get back to Earth?"
[All returnees, please pay attention.]
The turmoil subsided and the intermediate dokkaebi in charge of the returnees opened his mouth as the representative.
[You will soon return to Earth. You will be a.s.signed a "returnee only scenario" and will perform that scenario in your hometown. It is a simple play and I would appreciate it if you enjoyed it.]
"A returnee scenario? Tell us properly!"
[Please check the scenario window for details. Ah, please note that this is a group scenario so there is a leader. Please remember that the one with the most prominent status will be automatically elected as leader.]
"I will naturally be the leader!"
"That friend from Murim looks pretty strong..."
I wondered who would be the "king" of this group.
[The return to Earth has begun!]
Together with the dazzling light, the 10 returnees started to move through the s.p.a.ce at once. My vision briefly blackened and when I opened my eyes again, we were in the middle of a vast city.
A damaged sidewalk covered with dust. The skyline where the reconstruction of buildings had begun. It was unmistakably Earth.
"Where is this? Those characters..."
"South Korea! It is South Korea!"
A returnee from the Korean Peninsula jumped forward. I checked the information related to the "returnees scenario" and shouted, "Wait a minute. Everyone calm down and gather together."
The returnees were already out of control. Some hasty returnees grabbed the people pa.s.sing by and asked,
"Where is this? What year is it now?"
I sighed,
[The "returnee trigger" has been activated!]
"T-They asked for the date! They are returnees!"
"Aaaack! Returnees! Run away!"
"Report to the alliance!"
The whole street was rattled by the word "returnee." The people fled like the tide and the returnees made puzzled expressions.
"What? What did I do wrong?"
[A new main scenario has arrived.]
[Main Scenario #45 ― "Glorious Return" has started!]
The reflections on the gla.s.s building could be seen. Sparks flew as my appearance changed. It was the terrible appearance of a dirty monster with tentacles.
The real me wasn"t like this but outwardly, I looked like a smaller outer G.o.d. I probably looked like this to everyone on Earth. To the people of Earth, all returnees were disasters.
The incarnations of Earth stepped closer with cold eyes. I turned around to see the confused Flying Fox open his trembling lips. "B-Brother. What is this...?"
"I told you nothing joyful would be waiting for us."
[The summoning of the 163rd returnees group has been completed!]
[You"re the king of the 163rd returnees group.]
TL: Rainbow Turtle