Chapter 340: Episode 64 – A Road That Isn’t a Road (1)
Immediately after the collapse of Olympus in Gigantomachia, the restrictions on the giants disappeared. They were freed from the old story and would be reborn as partic.i.p.ants in new scenarios.
[There is no desire to repeat the old battle. Do you agree?]
[I agree.]
Briareus, leader of the giants and Dionysus, interim representative of the 12 G.o.ds, reached a dramatic agreement just before the end of the 60th scenario.
[The Star Stream has acknowledged this ‘myth collapse’.]
[A new story is blooming in the 60th scenario.]
In fact, they could’ve fought more if they wanted to fight. However, the power of Olympus had been drastically weakened through Gigantomachia. Many heroes and giants died, Poseidon’s whereabouts were unclear and the silent Underworld King announced his successor.
I
n such a situation, the existence of the nebula would be jeopardized if the 12 G.o.ds and giants were to keep confronting each other.
The downfall of the giant nebula, Olympus. At the centre of this ridiculous story, there was a small nebula.
[A number of constellations are shouting the name ‘Kim Dokja’s Company!’]
The story, which began with the struggle of a small constellation, was finally coming to the end with a giant story. Despite this, the members of the nebula didn’t appreciate the giant story and were calling someone’s name.
“Dokja-ssi! Dokja-ssi!”
“Hyung! Don’t mess around! Where are you hiding?”
Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, s.h.i.+n Yoosung…
They were looking for Kim Dokja on the small island made by the giants. Someone sounded uneasy while another had an expression full of disbelief. The only one who remained calm in this chaos was the one staring up at the sky with an expressionless face.
Han Sooyoung stared closely at him and asked, “Yoo Jonghyuk, do you know something?”
“…”
“Answer me. The kids are worried.”
Yoo Jonghyuk slowly turned towards Han Sooyoung. The party members noticed something and gathered behind Han Sooyoung.
“Master, what is it? Do you know something?”
“What happened to Dokja-ssi again?”
Yoo Jonghyuk was silent for a while before replying, “Kim Dokja has returned to Earth.”
“What? Without us?”
Lee Jihye belatedly discovered something and opened her mouth. “Ah… don’t tell me?”
In retrospect, Gigantomachia wasn’t their real purpose. In the beginning, partic.i.p.ating in Gigantomachia was only a process. While everyone was feeling excited by the joy of victory, only Kim Dokja was thinking about the real purpose of this task.
Jung Heewon sighed with relief and smiled. “…Still, he didn’t have to quickly go back on his own.”
“We’ll go back too!”
Then a system message emerged.
[The region will be restricted for one hour to stabilize the scenario.]
Lee Seolhwa’s eyes widened with surprise. “How did Dokja-ssi get out of here?”
“He probably used a special method.”
“A special method?”
“I don’t know anything else.”
Yoo Jonghyuk replied and stared up at the sky again. It was still snowing. Snow was falling in summer weather. Based on Earth tie, it was snowing in August.
Han Sooyoung stared into his eyes and asked him, “…Did Kim Dokja go back first because of Yoo Sangah?”
There was a reason for asking what should’ve been obvious. Yoo Jonghyuk’s answer came back after the miraculous snow melted in the sun. “You’ll know when you see it.”
***
In the vehicle that ran in dimensions, I was lost in thoughts. During the time when I was planning to overthrow Gigantomachia, I had contacted several constellations. Perhaps all those with the slightest acquaintance received my call.
Most of them were in a special relations.h.i.+p with Olympus or were in a difficult position to partic.i.p.ate in the 60th scenario. I could understand. What constellation would want to be in a hostile relations.h.i.+p with a big nebula like Olympus?
Nevertheless, there was one who made a unique suggestion.
-I can’t help in Gigantomachia but if you fail, I can pave the way for you to get away. Just, it can only be you.
The one who made the suggestion was now sitting in the driver’s seat and holding the steering wheel.
[…I didn’t know you would take advantage of my proposal in this way.]
The owner of the Special Ferrarigini who could use the portals of the scenario because of his probability and who had free access to the dimension.
The Ma.s.s Production Maker laughed. [Originally, you were a type who rarely asked for help from someone else.]
“My thoughts are a bit different after coming back from another world.” I smiled and added, “In addition, I accidentally left the X-grade Ferrarigini behind. I haven’t finished the instalment plan yet so I’m still crying whenever I think about it.”
[Haha, the car you bought from me?]
“Thus, in the future, I have decided to ride in other people’s cars without driving my own.”
[It is a disappointing decision from a seller’s position. This time a new model came out and I was going to give you a free one.]
“…For free?”
[I’m lying.]
…I knew it. There was no way this constellation would see any losses. The Ma.s.s Production Maker seemed to think of something as he held a cigarette in his mouth. The scattered smoke was sucked into the vents installed before it could reach me in the pa.s.senger’s seat.
[I want to make a contract with your nebula.]
“Contract?”
[Do you know what you’ve done this time?]
I knew. I couldn’t not know.
[The giant story ‘Torch That Swallowed the Myth’ is flowing through your veins!]
It was because even now, the result of what I had done was flowing through the veins in my body.
Torch That Swallowed the Myth.
This story wasn’t the ‘One Who Erases G.o.d’s Fingerprints’ or ‘Person Who Closes the Door of a Myth’ that I had originally intended to obtain. Still, its essence was similar. The story of fighting against a great nebula and overthrowing myths. This story would be a counter for the numerous nebulae I would fight in the future.
[Many constellations have come to know of Kim Dokja’s Company.]
“Yes.”
[Some of them even claim that you should put your nebula in one of the 12 Great Nebulae.]
…The 12 Great Nebulae. I didn’t realize I was already in a position to hear this story. The 12 Great Nebulae dominating the Star Stream considered of three strong, four medium and five weak ones. Olympus, who was located between the three strong and four medium ones, was greatly upset this time and someone had to fill that s.p.a.ce.
“There are many hasty stars.”
[They’re always like this.]
“Then the Ma.s.s Production Maker wants to take advantage of this opportunity to sign a contract with my nebula.”
[That’s right.]
There was no hesitation in the Ma.s.s Production Maker’s answer.
[I’d like to leave this new product’s advertis.e.m.e.nt to your nebula.]
“That’s good. I will ask the members of my nebula.”
[Great. The incarnation I want to appear personally is…]
I listened to the Ma.s.s Production Maker while staring out the window of the scenes pa.s.sing by the Ferrarigini. The seasons of the myriad of stories flowed through the landscape. The seasons of numerous stories flowed in the pa.s.sing landscape.
That’s right. Suddenly…
“It is fast.” As I spoke, I subconsciously grabbed the bottle of star fluid in my pocket. I had come this far faster than any of the original rounds. Yet this speed was only a relative speed. I didn’t know if this was fast enough.
The Ma.s.s Production Maker laughed and said, [This new product is a bit faster. You will know if you drive it yourself but the driving sensation is very…]
“The time is too slow compared to the driving speed. Are you doing this intentionally to talk about the contract?”
[Hum, what are you talking about? I am going the fastest way. Look, it is already the last intersection.]
As the Ma.s.s Production Maker said, there were three portals emitting a white light on the other side of the dimension. I didn’t ask but the Ma.s.s Production Maker explained.
[One is the road to Earth and the other is the road to the Context of the Constellations.]
“What is the last one?”
[A road that looks like a ‘road.’]
The Ma.s.s Production Maker smiled significantly. It was much darker than other portals and gave off a shady vibe.
[Do you know what is at the end?]
Of course, I didn’t know. I might’ve read Ways of Survival but there wasn’t a description of all the portals in the dimension. In other words, this portal was a road that didn’t exist in Ways of Survival.
“What is it?”
[It’s nothing. It is just a blocked road.]
The answer came back like it was obvious. Before I could say anything, the Ma.s.s Production Maker continued. [The end of some roads. The road that looks different from other roads, it is a road that no one walked or a road that isn’t even a road.]
The Ferrarigini sped past the dark portal. The sparkling navigation system was showing the route to Earth. On the screen, the portal we had just gone past was marked as ‘no road.’
[Such roads are usually cut off in obscure places. The people who chose to walk along the path believe it is the end.]
“What is your meaning?”
[Please choose your path well.]
The Ma.s.s Production Maker put out the cigarette and gave his distinctly gentle smile.
[Sometimes the thing that looks like a road isn’t a road.]
The next moment, the landscape of the dimension changed. I saw the appearance of the blue planet and landed on the ground.
The Ma.s.s Production Maker told me, [We’ve arrived. Fortunately, this time it is good.]
***
The moment I arrive in Seoul, I naturally headed to the Factory. It was to the hospital ward where patients were admitted. The moment I stepped into the ward, I heard a voice that was close to a true voice.
[You came.]
It sounded like a true voice but it wasn’t a true voice. It was a voice where the dignity of a transcendent could be heard. A blue-white magic power filled the air. As expected, every teacher wanted to look good in front of their student.
“This poor disciple is greeting you.”
[There is no time. Leave the greetings for later. Go.]
Perhaps it was the aftermath of the returnees war but Kyrgios had bandages wrapped around his body.
“The Heavenly Demon and Blood Demon…”
[I killed them. Don’t talk to me and go quickly.]
I was amazed by the calm declaration. He survived the Heavenly Demon and Blood Demon who killed the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint in a past life. I didn’t realize my teacher in this round was so strong.
Aileen found me in the distance and came running. She was the only Story Expert in the Factory. If she wasn’t here, two of the party members would’ve already died.
I waved the star fluids and shouted, “I brought the star fluid!”
“Um, you haven’t been told yet but…”
“I already know.”
In the distance, two red rooms could be seen. One was the hospital room of Yoo Sangah and the other…
“How is my mother?”
“Her symptoms are almost the same as Yoo Sangah.”
“The severity of the symptoms?”
“More or less the same level…”
I knew that my mother had been overworking herself. The stigma ‘Giant Future’ placed a great burden on the user’s body. Moreover, the contract with the nebula itself was in an obscure form and the burden increased even more after my mother’s sponsor lost strength.
Aileen took the star fluids from me and spoke in a dark voice. “I think it is lacking.”
“That’s why I have two bottles. They are different types.”
I didn’t bring only one star fluid. There was the Nectar from Dionysus as well as the Soma I was originally supposed to receive from Surya.
Aileen’s expression glowed as she received the two bottles of star fluids.
“…Medical staff!”
The staff rushed at her signal towards the two hospital rooms. Someone brushed past me and the wound in my side caused by Poseidon throbbed. My vision blurred for a moment.
…I might need to receive treatment. No, it would be strange to be fine after being hit by a myth-grade constellation. I worked hard to hide the pain from the wound. My consciousness was unstable. The doors to the hospital rooms seemed like the entrance to the portal that the Ma.s.s Production Maker had shown me.
[Are you okay?]
Kyrgios flew through the air and asked me. I replied that I was fine. To be exact, it felt like I answered but I lost consciousness for a while.
Once I woke up, I was lying on a chair in the ward. Aileen was standing in front of me. I endured the pain and stood up.
“…What happened to the two people?” I immediately asked despite my blurred consciousness.
However, Aileen’s expression was strange. “…It isn’t enough.”
“It isn’t enough? What?”
“The two of them worsened faster than I thought. I can barely cure one person if I use both star fluids.”
I couldn’t understand the words. Aileen’s words sounded like faraway alien words, like she was an outer G.o.d.
“That… what do you mean?”
“Demon King of Salvation.”
Aileen formally called out my modifier. She only called me this when she needed my orders.
The two rooms were wide open, like a portal waiting for me.
“You can only save one person.”