Chapter 281: Episode 53 – Demon King of Salvation (3)

Jung Heewon muttered, “…Dokja-ssi?”

Beyond the glare of Kim Dokja’s light, the huge eye was looking down at the world. The moment she faced this eye, Jung Heewon’s entire body trembled. The ground was distorted and shook like a tsunami was approaching.

[The 73rd Demon Realm is crying out with pain!]

Lava burst from the broken crust and the overflowing heat once again disappeared into the empty stomach. The whole world was becoming narrower around the industrial complex. Then it was obvious what would’ve happened to the other industrial complexes.

The transcendent magic power amplified by the story moved. It was unreasonable to directly oppose that ‘eye’ but the seismic waves could be slowed.

“Quickly, you stupid disciple!”

Kyrgios shouted and the space beyond the walls of the industrial complex distorted. The horizon was swallowed up by a huge fog and disappeared into the darkness. No, it wasn’t the horizon any longer.

Nevertheless, Jung Heewon didn’t release her string of hope. If what she heard was right, the teachers and Kim Dokja had already predicted this situation.

“Ahjussi! What the hell is this?”

Cheok Jungyeong’s body disappeared and Kyrgios and the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint were in a poor state. However, Kim Dokja hadn’t acted until the situation became this bad.

Kim Dokja’s lips moved as he constantly muttered something. His eyes moved quickly as he looked for something in the distant universe.

Jung Heewon realized it. Just as they hadn’t given up, Kim Dokja hadn’t given up either. Kim Dokja slowly came down towards the ground. Jung Heewon shouted as a signal, “Get ready!”

Lee Hyunsung used Steel Transformation and asked, “Dokja-ssi! What should we do?”

Everyone was watching Kim Dokja. They didn’t know what but Kim Dokja would have something in mind.

Kim Dokja slowly blinked and looked at the party members. Over the past few days, Kim Dokja gave many things to the party members. Lee Hyunsung gained a new shield and Jung Heewon got a new skill. Lee Jihye’s magic power was strengthened and Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung learnt a large number of control skills. The party members believed it.

[The giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ is moving for the owner of the story.]

If they had this giant story that they built together and the plan prepared by Kim Dokja, they would be able to knock down even the strongest enemy. They even destroyed Surya’s train. Even if this enemy came…

“Ah…jussi…?”

The earliest one to sense something unusual was Shin Yoosung. There were rough sparks as Shin Yoosung’s knees sank downwards. Her body couldn’t move, like there was a chain tied around her.

「 This is the story of Dokja. 」

The giant story that flowed from Kim Dokja’s body became powerful shackles around the party members. Lee Hyunsung was slowly sinking to the ground. His face was blank as he asked, “Dokja-ssi? What is this…?”

Kim Dokja’s expression was still unreadable. He was there but he didn’t seem together with them. The party members thought they were all in this together so why?

Why did Kim Dokja seem to be there alone? There was no ‘story’ that existed alone. Kim Dokja’s ‘King of a Kingless World’ was linked to Yoo Jonghyuk’s ‘One Who Succeeded the Name of the King’ while Jung Heewon’s ‘Exclusion of Future Evil’ was linked to Kim Dokja’s One Who Showed Contempt for a Streamer.

Not to mention the giant story that was a share in a larger story. The giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ was of everyone who participated in the terrible battlefield. Nevertheless, at this moment, the Demon World’s Spring was only for Kim Dokja.

[The chief narrator of the giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ has started his story.]

All the stakes in the giant story given to the party members were being controlled. The party members resisted using their stake in the giant story. Jung Heewon, Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung…

Even with all the shares they had, they couldn’t defeat the gigantic will of a single person. It might’ve been different if Yoo Jonghyuk was awake but Yoo Jonghyuk wasn’t here now.

Jung Heewon sat on the ground and cried out painfully, “Wait! What is this? What the hell is this?”

Jung Heewon stared at Kim Dokja’s expression and finally realized something.

Before a looming crisis, Kim Dokja always made a certain expression. The corners of his lips curved slightly and he looked a bit unlucky, but it reassured the members. Now Kim Dokja’s expression…

Why?

“If you were going to do this anyway, why have you been preparing us for the past few days? Why give me these skills?”

At Jung Heewon’s desperate cry, Kim Dokja opened his mouth for the first time. “I told you how to deal with the sasquatch in the 28th scenario.”

“T-Then my shield…”

“It will be useful for catching the ‘algonkin snake’ in the 35th scenario. Don’t forget your skills. Didn’t I tell you all how to use it?”

As always, there was a reason for the arrangement. To the companions who were looking bewildered, Kim Dokja gave reasons one by one.

“Then this… this scenario…”

However, none of the arrangements were for this situation.

The darkness was covering the horizon. Kim Dokja watched the darkness and spoke, “I’ll handle this situation.”

“Shit! Don’t talk nonsense!”

Jung Heewon shouted. “I can’t let you go! Don’t go alone again! Please!”

It was impossible for Kim Dokja to deal with that thing alone. The two transcendents and Cheok Jungyeong couldn’t block it. There was no way Kim Dokja alone could face such a thing.

“Aaaaaaack! I don’t like this! Dokja hyung!”

She grew stronger because she didn’t want to be in debt to him like last time. She performed the hellish personal scenarios and frantically defeated monsters. Jung Heewon shouted as she coughed up blood. “It is you who said we couldn’t do this alone! You were the one who gathered us! You told me all of this!”

An unfamiliar true voice flowed from the lips of the smiling Kim Dokja. [I know.]

“What do you know? The person who knows, how…?”

[Still, not now.]

Lee Hyunsung screamed, “I don’t want this! I don’t need this type of help. I’ll die here! I’ll die here with Dokja-ssi!”

Dying here. Kim Dokja, who was staring at the sky, lowered his gaze towards the party members.

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is looking at the party.]

The party members heard the message. They looked at Kim Dokja’s fluttering hair. They saw his long eyelashes, his eyes, his white cheeks and sadly distorted lips. Suddenly, they realized that Kim Dokja could exist in this world with such an expression.

[Please live.]

They listened helplessly like the true voice was a command.

[The demon king ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is looking out.]

Kim Dokja’s expression was changing. The sleeping power of the demon king was awakening.

[The story ‘Demon King of Salvation’ has begun.]

The stories of the 73rd Demon Realm started to gather around him. The white coat was stained black from the demonic energy and two horns rose from Kim Dokja’s head. It was the power of the ‘Demon King Transformation’ that only a demon king could use.

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is looking at his friend.]

[The constellation ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’ is paying homage to his adversary.]

[The constellation ‘Goryeo’s First Sword’ is making a furious yell.]

[The constellation ‘Supreme God of Light’ is watching the end of the 73rd Demon Realm.]

Dark feathers stretched from Kim Dokja’s shoulders and reached towards the night sky. The second hand of the clock tower moved slowly and Kim Dokja soared. As if leaving this time, the Demon King of Salvation became a light and flew towards the sky.

The moment Kim Dokja penetrated the expanse, thunder struck. A few thunderbolts poured down and the fog coming from the horizon stopped.

It was as if time had stopped. The party members looked up at the night sky where Kim Dokja disappeared and couldn’t breathe properly. Time continued passing on the incomplete clock tower. One minute, two minutes, three minutes…

No matter how much time passed, Kim Dokja didn’t come back. Jung Heewon screamed, “Kim Dokjaaaaa!”

At almost the same time, the transcendents were thrown from the wall. The ragged Breaking the Sky Sword Saint and Kyrgios staggered and rose from their spot.

The fog started eating the world again. It ate everything on the horizon and was nearing the walls. The walls were disintegrating. People screamed.

Jung Heewon was busy thinking. ‘He can’t stop it. Kim Dokja can’t stop that.’

Fog covered the entire industrial complex. The next moment, Jung Heewon felt her body being transmitted elsewhere.

Yoo Sangah closed her eyes like she had given up and Lee Hyunsung howled as he watched the sky.

Han Myungoh sat down and Gong Pildu guarded the destroyed castle.

Everyone was leaking white sparks. Then everyone in the Yoo Jonghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex were sent somewhere else.

A threatening cry was heard from the fog like it was furious.

[■■■■… ■■■■■■!]

Soon, the darkness swallowed up everything.

***

In the faint uproar, Yoo Jonghyuk opened his eyes. The muscles of his body didn’t move well. The aftereffects of Recovery were big.

He stared up at the cracked ceiling and took deep breaths to calm himself. Then he remembered what happened.

There was the Demon King Selection. He refused to regress. He fought with Kim Dokja and won against Surya. He thought about it and energy filled his head.

They won. They had won.

Magic power moved roughly through his body and he felt a bit dizzy. His senses slowly returned. He blinked once again and the scene around him gradually entered his eyes.

It was a hospital room. He could feel the texture of a soft bed and his right hand touched something hard.

Yoo Jonghyuk raised his upper body with a groan and saw a small pocket watch wrapped around his arm with a watch strap. The moving hands of the clock were like his heartbeat. Yoo Jonghyuk looked down at his watch.

There was the faint glimmer of sunshine outside the window. The sunshine was too bright for the Demon World.

Yoo Jonghyuk slowly rose and went to the window. Beyond the walls of the collapsed industrial complex, he saw a strange but familiar scene. The broken statue of Admiral Yi Sunsin and the ruined Gyeongbok Palace. Smoke was coming from the collapsed buildings of Gwanghwamun.

It was Seoul.

He could see the party members sitting down outside the window. Yoo Jonghyuk’s head was confused.

Why… they were in Seoul? It was the entire industrial complex.

Yoo Jonghyuk looked at the party members with bewildered eyes. He didn’t see a familiar face. “…Kim Dokja?”

The moment he muttered this, a message was heard.

[The story ‘Life and Death Companions’ is silent.]

Yoo Jonghyuk heard the message with a blank expression and stared at the window again.

…Not there. He couldn’t be seen anywhere.

Yoo Jonghyuk looked up at the sky. The sky was bright enough that the light of the stars wasn’t needed. He counted the light of the constellation beyond them. He counted and counted again. He didn’t know. There were so many stars that he couldn’t find the person.

Yoo Jonghyuk opened his mouth and spoke in a trembling voice.

[The item Midday Tryst has been used.]

The message window that hadn’t been used for a while was opened and a message was sent.

[The message has been returned.]

It must be an error. He sent the message repeatedly, several times over and over. He sent it, sent it and sent it again. As the messages kept being returned, Yoo Jonghyuk’s gaze slowly lowered. Then finally.

[You have exhausted the quota for today’s messages.]

There was a ticking pocket watch in the foreground while messages filled Yoo Jonghyuk’s vision.

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ doesn’t exist in the Star Stream.]

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ doesn’t exist in the Star Stream.]

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ doesn’t exist in the Star Stream.]

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ doesn’t exist in the Star Stream.]

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[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ doesn’t exist in the Star Stream.]

TL: Rainbow Turtle