Chapter 210: Episode 40 – Hatching (1)
It was the first time I felt like this in my life. I felt so enormous that I focused on this feeling and forgot to say that I was Yoo Jonghyuk. It felt like dozens of metres of time and s.p.a.ce were kneeling before me. This was what the constellations felt.
[Your incarnation body isn’t suitable for expressing your status.]
I had adjusted the level but there was still a huge burden on my body. It wasn’t even a proper release of my status in the first place.
[Your status is disagreeing with your incarnation body and will be temporarily adjusted.]
[Your current status is ‘upper-grade.’]
A narrative-grade status wasn’t something my incarnation body could afford. Even the upper-grade constellations couldn’t keep their dignity in the form of a symbol, let alone a ragged incarnation body. However, this was enough.
“Kuk, keok, keook…!”
The incarnations were letting out pained sounds. I saw this and quickly confined it to the radius of the marquises. The half-kneeling marquises had expressions like they lost their souls.
[Someone in the Demon World has detected your presence.]
[Someone in the Demon World has detected your presence.]
[Someone in the Demon World has detected your presence.]
It was just a short moment yet I already received three messages. They were probably the demon kings of the Demon World.
It didn’t matter. I was going to let them know eventually. In addition, they couldn’t tell who I was at this level.
[Your incarnation body can’t afford your status!]
The stories making up my back started falling away. Fortunately, it was in a blind spot and the marquises hadn’t noticed yet.
“T-This aura…”
“A constellation!”
Marquis Osteon belatedly regained his spirit and screamed. Cuarteto next to him was on the verge of retreating back. It was a spectacular sight but I couldn’t waste time.
[Your incarnation body has started to collapse!]
I didn’t have a lot of fighting power compared to my ‘status.’ Thus, I had to end it the moment the opponents died.
[The exclusive skill ‘Bookmark’ is activated!]
Then why? Sparks appeared in the air and the skill was forcibly terminated.
[Your incarnation body is too unstable to use that skill.]
…Son of a b.i.t.c.h. Was I too hasty?
[You have used a strength that doesn’t meet the probability!]
[The exile penalty is accelerated.]
I had engaged in combat recently and expected this to happen. However, the collapse of my body was much faster than expected. It seemed that the burden of extracting a constellation’s status was considerable.
The marquises started to adapt and pushed themselves against my pressure. They seemed to have one legendary story or many history-grade stories. I guessed they were on the level of Reinheit of Paradise.
“Even if you are a constellation, you can’t kill me in the scenario!”
In addition, they were smart. Marquis Osteon once again transformed into an executioner and aimed a scythe at me. It was a situation where the only fighter, Jang Hayoung couldn’t move. Now I had no way to kill this guy. The situation started flowing in an even worse direction.
“An exile?”
“…Don’t tell me?”
The story fragments falling from my body increased and the marquises finally noticed. I wasn’t able to use Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint due to the skills restriction but I seemed to know what they were thinking.
「 If I could get that guy’s story… 」
The hyenas hunting the injured predator started to carefully surround me.
“Call for reinforcements! We can destroy him if we drag out the time.”
There was a whistle and executioners approached from every direction. I also felt unusual movements from the n.o.bles on the Factory side.
「 Kim Dokja thought. 」
To kill a marquis, I must use at least Electrification.
「 But I can’t use the skill. 」
If I wasted more time, my body and the citizens would be at risk.
「 I have to kill them using a method other than skills. 」
How?
「 There was only one way. 」
The moment I made a decision, Marquis Osteon approaching me let out a terrible scream. “Kuaaack!”
Marquis Osteon’s arm rolled along the ground. He was currently an executioner and shouldn’t be hurt by normal attacks. It meant…
“You shouldn’t be so careless.”
Jang Hayoung stood behind him and laughed like a villain. It was an incredible recovery when considering what happened earlier.
[The character ‘Jang Hayoung’ has used the skill ‘Immortal Body Lv. 7’.]
…Immortal Body? Wasn’t this a healing skill from the Murim World? Jang Hayoung felt my gaze and muttered like he was giving an excuse. “One of the people I chatted to was from Murim…”
I watched the ashamed Jang Hayoung and sighed. He didn’t talk with just the black dragon. By the way, Immortal Body was part of the Breaking the Sky Sword style…
“Hit them all! Kill the fighter first!”
Marquis Osteon removed the status of executioner and shouted at the surprised reinforcements. The remaining four executioners and the n.o.bles who arrived started to surround us. I counted three earls and give barons. There was Baron Melen who I saw on my first day here.
“There! Save the revolutionary!”
The citizens ran to save us but the numbers were still lacking. Jang Hayoung turned pale as he watched the n.o.bles who were taking out weapons.
“What should I do? I can’t kill them.”
A fighter was strong against the executioner but vulnerable to all other positions. In the end, I had to deal with the rest.
“Deal only with the executioners.”
I blocked the n.o.bles aiming for Jang Hayoung. Countless spears headed towards me but I didn’t avoid them.
[You are currently under the protection of the scenario.]
I couldn’t die under the protection of Guard. I could handle them one by one without overdoing it. As if reading my thoughts, a message appeared in the air.
[The ‘ruler’ has forcibly recalled the Night.]
The ruler. It was a position that referred to the duke, the master of this industrial complex.
[No one has died tonight.]
Night was over but the fight was still continuing. No, it was starting from now on.
[The power of the scenario that is protecting you has disappeared.]
“His protection has been released! Kill him!”
“He is a guy with amazing stories!”
The n.o.bles rushed at me with antic.i.p.ating and I smiled bitterly. “You slightly used your head but this was a mistake.”
Night disappeared and the strength of the executioner couldn’t be used. In addition, the marquises who were the core leaders.h.i.+p of the industrial complex were here. I had been waiting for a long time.
“Open the story.”
My body was unstable and I couldn’t use skills. This didn’t mean I had no way to fight.
[The history-grade story ‘Bug Slaughter’ has been activated.]
It was impossible to open a story above legendary grade in my present state. However, I didn’t need a legendary story to deal with these guys. This was a story that used the ‘status’ at the highest level. It was a story that the demon n.o.ble called Tentacio had once used in Dark Castle.
I slowly blinked and felt the n.o.bles in front of me becoming smaller. The story Bug Slaughter was gained in exchange for killing tens of thousands of bugs. It was a terrible and vulnerable story when encountering a strong person but it was different when dealing with a weak person.
[You have absolute power over all beings with a lower status than you.]
[This story is only available to existences with a certain level of ‘status.’]
A menacing air emerged from my body and the complexions of the approaching n.o.bles turned blue.
“T-This is ridiculous…!”
It was already too late to feel regret. There was no need to use a sword. The muscles of my body instantly swelled and I started to beat the n.o.bles with my fists.
“Kuaaack!”
It was literally a ‘slaughter.’
[You have acquired a history-grade story.]
[You have acquired a history-grade story.]
The stories of the n.o.bles entered my hands one by one.
[Your incarnation body is rapidly collapsing!]
I quickly opened a hole in the bodies of the barons and then pulled off the heads of the earls. The situation suddenly reversed and the remaining n.o.bles started to run away.
“Run away! He isn’t someone you can deal with! Quickly―!”
I missed some people but I didn’t miss the important ones.
“Kuaaack!”
Cuarteto and Osteon struggled as I grabbed them by the neck. I didn’t hesitate to hit their heads together and them pierced both heads with a hand.
“Kuheeeeok…”
The situation would’ve been different if it was a full-blown resistance. However, the marquises had been defeated by my ‘status’ and couldn’t resist.
[You have obtained many new stories!]
[You have killed the Demon Marquis ‘Cuarteto’.]
[You have killed the Demon Marquis ‘Osteon’.]
[A new achievement has been acquired!]
[Your notoriety is spreading in the 73rd Demon Realm due to the killing of the marquises!]
[The high-ranking n.o.bles of the Demon World will fear you.]
[50,000 coins have been acquired as compensation for the achievement.]
It was a small amount of compensation but it was better than nothing. I looked around and saw Jang Hayoung and the citizens organizing the remaining situation. The surviving executioners and n.o.bles were retreating towards the Factory.
[Your incarnation body is reaching its limit.]
[The story ‘Bug Slaughter’ has been forcibly terminated.]
My vision momentarily shook and I became dizzy. I shouted towards the people fleeing towards the Factory. “Baron Gilat, Baron Sarabos and Earl Mokba!”
They were the names of the surviving executioners. It was the names of the executioners I got from Han Myungoh in advance. Now Jang Hayoung and I didn’t have the energy to chase or engage with them.
Thus, I called out their names. It was a type of warning. I knew all their ident.i.ties. I knew who they were and their positions. Therefore, they could die at any time.
The executioners trembled as they were threatened for the first time in their lives. I shouted towards them, “Tell this to the duke.”
The light of dawn started s.h.i.+ning like a lot of time had pa.s.sed. In the dim and pervasive shadows, I slowly concluded my words.
“Learn to fear the day.”
I was going to collapse at any moment but I didn’t lose consciousness until the remnants of the n.o.bles disappeared into the Factory.
Someone muttered, “R-Revolution…”
People started to call out for a revolution. I listened to these voices and recalled my favourite sentence from the ‘revolutionary’ arc.
「 In the light of dawn, the stopped time of the industrial complex started flowing again. 」
The anger and screams of those who had been sleeping for a long time in the Night. They were asleep for a long time and now feelings they didn’t know existed were waking up.
“Revolutionary! Revolutionary!”
“Yoo Jonghyuk! Yoo Jonghyuk!”
[Your influence has transcended the influence of the real revolutionary.]
[The acquisition conditions have been satisfied and a new story is created.]
[The new story ‘Silver Screen Revolutionary’ has begun!]
Bihyung and the constellations should’ve seen this sight. It was a waste. I would’ve received a lot of coins. Then the message arrived like it had been waiting.
[The ‘Dokkaebi Egg’ has responded to your story.]
[The ‘Dokkaebi Egg’ has started to record your story.]
The vibrations of the egg became stronger and I heard another message.
[The egg’s hatching is imminent.]
I knew that the time had come when I had the sound of cracking. Indeed, there was no need for other dokkaebis at this stage. It was because a dokkaebi had been present in this stage from the beginning.
[A temporary channel will be created in the Demon World.]
The Demon World’s scenario would start from now on.
[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ has entered the temporary channel.]