Chapter 150

He was standing at the entrance to the banquet hall. If I was right, he was one of the few high-ranking Constellations who had supported me ever since the early Scenarios.

"A face cloaked in pure white-gold fur, an expression brimming with mischief. A prisoner locked in the world's smallest prison as the price for mocking the loftiest throne. The moment anyone met his noble fiery eyes and golden gaze, they couldn't help but catch their breath."

It really was exactly as TWSA described him. I stared in that direction as if spellbound. An existence ranked among the highest of TWSA's fabled-grade Constellations. I ignored the gatekeeper and ran inside.

"Great Sage, Heaven's Equal!"

But the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, only smiled mischievously before vanishing right in front of me.

Like smoke.

As if to say I still wasn't worthy of meeting him.

......Was that a double?

I lowered the hand I had reached out in disappointment, but the situation wasn't over. I had entered while shouting the Great Sage's name, and that had drawn the attention of the Constellations on the first floor of the banquet hall.

[What is that guy?]

[An Incarnation?]

[What, whose Incarnation is that?]

As all those gazes gathered on me, the air instantly began to boil, and my body stiffened so completely I couldn't move. My head went blank under the weight of all those eyes, and I couldn't even tell who was looking at me anymore.

I had thought I could endure the Constellations' words now.

But it became clear that had only ever been because of the influence of [The Fourth Wall].

To think a few gazes alone could reduce me to this.

Now I could truly feel it.

In this banquet hall, I was the only being who wasn't a Constellation.

I had finally stepped in front of the Constellations.

"Now, now, calm down, everyone. There seems to have been a small misunderstanding, so I'll be taking this friend away for a moment."

I heard a familiar voice, and then someone hoisted up my rigid soul form and started carrying me somewhere. Once we left the buzzing banquet hall and stepped into a corridor, that hell of gazes ended and I was finally able to breathe.

"......Why the hell did you come here alone?"

I looked up at the voice and found a very familiar figure bobbing in the air.

"Bihyeong?"

"Yeah, it's me. The Queen of the Underworld said she'd be sending an envoy. Weren't you supposed to come with them? Why are you wandering around some random place by yourself? Are you in a hurry to die?"

"There were circumstances."

"Hey, this isn't something you can just brush off! This isn't some Scenario zone, you little shit! Screw up here and you're dead on the spot! This place is......"

"The kind of place where there are things that can kill a person like a bug with a single glance."

I knew. I knew that very well. That was why I had come here.

Bihyeong jutted out his lips in annoyance and led me somewhere.

"I'll take you to the waiting room, so stay there and rest for a bit. There's a monitor in there, so watch it carefully. You absolutely have to watch it. Got it?"

Judging by how smug he looked, something good must have happened to him. Before long, we arrived at the waiting room.

The problem was that the sign on it was, in a word, rather strange.

"......Incarnation Waiting Room? There's a place like this?"

"You think you're the only Incarnation who came here? ......Though you are the only one who barged in alone."

When he opened the door, someone I had never expected to see was inside.

That guy reacted first.

"......Kim Dokja?"

I also stared at him blankly before awkwardly lifting a hand.

"Yu Junghyeok."

* * *

Even in the original TWSA, <Constellation Banquet> was mentioned fairly often.

Usually, it was a place Yu Junghyeok visited when he used "Regression" to fleece the Constellations, and sure enough, Yu Junghyeok was on the invitation list this time too. I had no idea who invited him, but for someone like him, the Constellations would practically line up to forge a connection.

This <Constellation Banquet> was a joint event being held by a few countries.

Seoul Dome, Washington Dome, Moscow Dome, and even New Delhi Dome.

The Administration Bureau had probably gathered the Domes with the best recent results and decided to hold a joint showcase. Judging from the combination of participating countries, the atmosphere seemed roughly similar to Yu Junghyeok's 24th round.

The waiting room had tables divided by country, and the affiliated Incarnations were sitting together chatting. The only Incarnations from Seoul Dome were Yu Junghyeok and me.

Yu Junghyeok glared at me and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Probably for a reason similar to yours."

"When are you coming back to life?"

"Probably tomorrow."

"The others are worried."

"Sorry about that."

To think I was having this kind of conversation with Yu Junghyeok. It felt oddly strange.

Yu Junghyeok stood there with his fist clenched tight, visibly holding back his anger. Every time I looked at him these days, I had to wonder whether he had anger management problems.

I sat in a chair beside him and watched the order of events playing across the large panel up front. A "mid-grade dokkaebi promotion ceremony" was currently in progress on the screen.

―I would first like to thank all the Constellations who have returned the glory of stories to me......

The one being interviewed as the representative of the low-grade dokkaebis was Bihyeong.

So that was why the bastard kept telling me to watch.

―Half of this glory is thanks to an Incarnation who has been active on my channel. I'm sure all of you know who that friend is. I would like to dedicate half of this joy to that Incarnation!

He really had no shame at all, spouting such embarrassing lines.

It felt like the other Incarnations in the room were stealing glances in my direction, so I deliberately looked away. In the middle of speaking, Bihyeong pulled a golden egg out from his arms and raised it high overhead, and I recognized it instantly.

―And I would like to dedicate the other half to this child who is about to be born anew!

It was the egg containing Shin Yuseong's soul.

Fortunately, it looked like it was hatching well.

"You...... don't tell me......?"

He must have used [Sage's Eye] already, because Yu Junghyeok looked back and forth between me and Bihyeong's egg in shock. I replied, almost defensively, "That was the only way."

"Do you know what you've done?"

"I do."

"If you do that, Shin Yuseong will......!"

I knew what Yu Junghyeok was worried about.

A being who had suffered under "stories" for so long would now become one of the beings that produced those tragedies. Yu Junghyeok knew better than anyone how terrible that pain was, so there was no way he could react any differently.

"If she's reborn as a dokkaebi, at least she won't die some ridiculous death. The Administration Bureau is the safest place there is until the Star Stream is destroyed."

Of course, that wasn't the whole reason. But there was no way I could explain all the reasons I had turned Shin Yuseong into a dokkaebi here.

My eyes met Yu Junghyeok's in midair. If this had been the mortal world, he looked like he would've drawn his sword and cut me down on the spot.

"Excuse me...... are you Kim Dokja, by any chance?"

The voice that cut in washed that tension away in an instant.

I turned my head and saw a beautiful woman with an unmistakably mixed East-West look. Her khaki-brown hair fell in soft waves. Her large eyes held a faint brown glow. More than anything, she had a bright, healthy smile.

"That's right. Do you know me?"

"Ah...... a little. I've heard about you."

How unexpected. I hadn't thought she'd be the one to speak to me first.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Selena Kim."

"You know who I am?"

"Aren't you America's Representative? I've heard of you as well."

Of course, I hadn't actually heard of her.

But I did know who she was.

[Your Exclusive Skill, Character Profile, has activated!]

[Only the categories arbitrarily designated for the user's convenience will be displayed.]

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<Character Summary Profile>

Name: Selena Kim

Patron constellation: Ender of Wars

Exclusive attributes: Animal Lover (Rare), King's Guardian (Heroic)

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Selena Kim of Washington Dome.

She was a member of Zarathustra, the group Anna Croft had created, and one day she would become one of the hundred strongest people in TWSA. The trait I had once possessed, The King of No Killing, had originally been meant for her. Unfortunately, since I had acquired it first, it seemed she had unlocked a different trait instead.

"Didn't Anna Croft come with you?"

"You know Anna?"

"I met her once through a dream."

"She wanted to come too. If she'd known you were coming, she definitely would've."

Of course, if Anna had come, things only would've become more complicated.

Why?

Because of this guy right here.

"Tell that woman to watch her neck."

"......Just like Anna said, Yu Junghyeok."

The reason Anna hadn't come here was obviously Yu Junghyeok.

In the previous round, Yu Junghyeok had been betrayed by Anna Croft, and Anna would've seen what she had done to him through her past vision. So naturally, she wouldn't come here.

"Korea really sent a weird-looking guy. Is that the Korean Representative?"

I turned at the new voice and found the Russian Representative this time.

"Iris, that's rude. Judging others by their appearance is a bad habit."

"I just said something weird-looking looks weird. Honesty is a virtue in Moscow."

A petite girl stood there with platinum-white hair, white skin, and small twin tails. Once she mentioned Moscow, I had a pretty good idea who she was. But I had no desire to act friendly. She was one of the characters I disliked in TWSA.

So I deliberately spoke casually.

"Who are you?"

"......You don't know me? You don't know Iris Vladimirovna Lebedeva?"

"Should I?"

Selena Kim stepped in before things could get any worse.

"Mr. Dokja, let me introduce you. This is Iris. She's the Russian Representative. In Russia, she's known as Red Square's War Maiden."

"Ahem. That's me, yes."

I nodded.

What a pompous title. I wanted to say it out loud, but I held myself back because it felt like it would only cause trouble. Russia had plenty of outstanding Incarnations, and yet in this round, it just had to be this brat.

"Iris, this is Mr. Kim Dokja. He's the Korean Representative, and his epithet is...... Um, I'm sorry, Mr. Dokja, but your epithet is......"

"That bastard is......"

I quickly cut Yu Junghyeok off.

"I don't have one yet."

A sneer curled at Iris's lips.

"A nobody without even an epithet showed up here?"

I did have one.

I just didn't want to say it.

"I don't know what qualifications let you show up here, but you'd better not get carried away."

As the Russian side started giving off an ugly aura, Yu Junghyeok abruptly stood up too and answered it with a threatening aura of his own. Iris, apparently sensing the sheer force pouring off him, took half a step back.

"Don't interfere. This is between me and that ugly bastard."

Despite Iris's warning, Yu Junghyeok only kept staring at her in silence.

Good. If possible, flick her in the forehead too, Yu Junghyeok.

In the end, Iris bit her lip and took a step back as she spat out, "Well, I guess you came here hoping some pathetic Historical-grade Constellation would toss you a fable or two...... Fine. We'll see."

Come to think of it, one of the scheduled events at <Constellation Banquet> involved fable succession. That was probably what Iris was referring to.

Just then, the waiting room door opened and a low-grade dokkaebi poked its head inside.

"Incarnations. The Fable Succession Ceremony will begin shortly, so please proceed to the venue. Temporary seating has been arranged in the first-floor banquet hall. For your information, only Historical-grade Constellations are present on the first floor."

Fable Succession Ceremony.

A Patron Contract wasn't the only way Constellations and Incarnations could influence one another. Even if a Constellation wasn't their Patron constellation, an Incarnation could still grow stronger by inheriting that Constellation's fable and showing proper respect to its story. Naturally, the Constellations benefited too, because spreading their fables more widely helped broaden their influence. It was an arrangement that benefited both sides.

We headed for the banquet hall one by one. The first name to be called was Selena Kim.

[Selena Kim! King's Guardian!]

[We've been watching your exploits well!]

Unlike before, the Constellations' reaction was openly warm. Naturally. The Incarnations entering now were the ones they actually liked. They looked excited, like fans seeing their favorite celebrities in person.

Next came Iris.

Walking toward the Constellations with arrogant grace, she even gave them a light wave, as if she were doing fan service.

[Iris! Red Square's Little Brat!]

[Hahaha! How cute.]

[Isn't she exactly like she looks on screen?]

She shot me a lofty glance from where I stood behind her.

It practically said this:

See that?

Then it was my turn.

As I walked into the banquet hall, that pressure from all those gazes washed over me again. Still, maybe because I had already experienced it once, or maybe because this pressure felt different, I was able to endure it far better this time.

But the Constellations' reaction was strange.

The hall, which had been so lively just moments ago, had gone silent as if cold water had been thrown over it.

......Was I really that unpopular?

I caught sight of Iris smirking at me as if to say she had known this would happen.

Then, like a tiny spark catching in dry grass, one voice rang out.

[......It is Kim Dokja of the Korean Peninsula.]

That was the beginning.

Like wildfire leaping on the wind, the voices spread through the entire hall.

[Kim Dokja! That's Kim Dokja!]

[Kim Dogeza! Kim Dogeza!]

[King of a Kingless World!]

With every step I took, the Constellations' voices grew louder.

[One Who Opposes the Extraordinary!]

[Do you remember me, good sir? I am the Bald Army General!]

[Kim Dokja! I am King Heungmu!]

I walked silently toward the center of the banquet hall.

[I really enjoyed peace land! Kid, you've got some talent!]

[Hey! Give us a wave over here! I sponsored you 3,000 coins!]

[Everyone, get over here! Kim Dokja is here!]

[But he looks a lot better than I heard!]

The Constellations were in such a frenzy, all dignity forgotten, that the entire banquet hall felt like one giant furnace. The heat was so intense it felt like my soul might roast alive, so in the end I had no choice but to raise a hand to them.

The cheers exploded.

[Kim Dokja! You're handsome!]

Iris was staring at me with a shocked expression.

But I wasn't looking at her.

I hadn't come here to play around.

Scenario footage was streaming across the ceiling and along the walls.

Incarnations dying in screams.

Constellations snickering as they watched.

Looking at that scene, I was reminded once again of what kind of place this really was.

This was a place where every tragedy suffered by humanity became part of the feast.

I lifted my head and looked at the second floor of the banquet hall. Unlike the noisy Historical-grade Constellations on the first floor, the Constellations on the second floor were gazing down in ominous silence.

Each one radiated a terrifying presence.

Those were the fabled-grade Constellations.

They were the true enemies I had come here to fight.